# A Letter Written By Said Walter Of Stoelwijk, Treating Of The Suffering And The Glory Of Christians. · Page 10 of 12 [Previous page: A LETTER WRITTEN BY SAID WALTER OF STOELWIJK, TREATING OF THE SUFFERING AND THE GLORY OF CHRISTIANS.](/en/stories/mm-a-letter-written-by-said-walter-of-stoelwijk-treating-of-the-suffering-and-the-glory-of-christians/part-9/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: A LETTER WRITTEN BY SAID WALTER OF STOELWIJK, TREATING OF THE SUFFERING AND THE GLORY OF CHRISTIANS.](/en/stories/mm-a-letter-written-by-said-walter-of-stoelwijk-treating-of-the-suffering-and-the-glory-of-christians/part-11/) O how sorrowful will the persecutors of the Christians be, when the righteous God will mete to them with the same measure with which they measured to the Christians. Where shall murderous Cain then hide himself, when the sorrowful and innocent blood of righteous Abel shall cry unto God for vengeance against him? Where shall the Babylonian whore, who now sits in her pleasure-house and pomp, and has become drunken with the blood of his saints, and of the martyrs of Christ Jesus, escape the punishment of God, when the Lord will avenge the blood of his saints and witnesses, and require it at her hands? Which shall undoubtedly come to pass, as has been said through the prophet: “Behold, the innocent and righteous blood crieth unto me, and the souls of the just complain continually. And therefore, saith the Lord, I will surely avenge them, and receive unto me all the innocent blood from among them.” 2 Esd. 15:8,9. Christ says: “Shall not the God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.” Luke 18:7,8. O how fearful will the punishment be, with which the Almighty God will avenge all the blood of his saints! How dearly had tyrannous Pharaoh to pay for the blood, of the innocent children, which he had shed! Ex. 1:22; 14:28. How severely was Amalek punished, because he had shed the innocent blood of the Israelites! 1 Sam. 15:33. The bloodthirsty Jezebel was thrown into the field, so that the dogs licked her blood, because she had shed innocent blood. 2 Kings 9:33. O Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets that are sent to thee, and stonest the Levites, thou are therefore trodden down by the Gentiles, and art become a sport unto all nations! Thus shall God punish those who now shed innocent blood, and it shall come to pass as is written in the book of Wisdom: “Then shall the righteous man stand in great boldness before the face of such as have afflicted him, and made no account of his labors. When they see it, they shall be troubled with terrible fear, and shall be amazed at the strangeness of his salvation, so far beyond all that they looked for. And they repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit shall say within themselves. This was he, whom we had sometimes in derision, and a proverb of reproach: we fools accounted his life madness, and his end to be without honor: How is he numbered among the children of God, and his lot is among the saints! Therefore have we erred from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness hath not shined unto us, and the sun of righteousness rose not 446 upon us. We wearied ourselves in the way of wickedness and destruction: yea, we have gone through deserts, where they lay no way, but as for the way of the Lord, we have not known it. What hath pride profited us? or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us?” Wis. 5:1–8. All these things shall they say; who are in hell, having sinned: “For the hope of the ungodly is like dust that is blown away with the wind; like a thin froth that is driven away with the storm; like as the smoke which is dispersed here and there with the tempest, and passeth away as the remembrance of a guest that tarrieth but a day. But the righteous live forever more; their reward also is with the Lord, and the care of them is with the Most High. Therefore shall they receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown from the Lord’s hand: for with his right hand shall he sever them, and with his arm shall he protect them.” Wis. 5:14–16. O unfathomable grace of the Almighty God! O unspeakable love of the heavenly father, how abounding is thy grace, and how infinite is thy goodness, that thou hast prepared such glory for thine elect? Who can thank thee aright for all the benefits which thou hast so richly shown us, and dost still daily show? Blessed be thy name forever. Therefore we pray and admonish all pious Christians, all who love their salvation, to deny themselves, to take up their cross, and to follow Christ Jesus, and thus to do the will of God, that we may receive the promise. Let no one be afraid of or terrified by the ungodly tyrants; but let each do as Matthias taught his sons, saying: “Now, therefore, my sons, be ye zealous for the law, and give your lives for the covenant of your fathers. Call to remembrance what acts our fathers did in their time; so shall ye receive great honor and an everlasting name. Fear not then the words of a sinful man: for his glory shall be dung and worms. To-day he shall be lifted up, and to-morrow he shall not be found, because he is returned into his dust, and his thought is come to nothing. Wherefore, ye my sons, be valiant, and show yourselves men in behalf of the law; for by it shall ye obtain glory.” 1 Macc. 2:50,51,62–64. ## Original source [Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Page_446) [Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855) [Previous page: A LETTER WRITTEN BY SAID WALTER OF STOELWIJK, TREATING OF THE SUFFERING AND THE GLORY OF CHRISTIANS.](/en/stories/mm-a-letter-written-by-said-walter-of-stoelwijk-treating-of-the-suffering-and-the-glory-of-christians/part-9/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: A LETTER WRITTEN BY SAID WALTER OF STOELWIJK, TREATING OF THE SUFFERING AND THE GLORY OF CHRISTIANS.](/en/stories/mm-a-letter-written-by-said-walter-of-stoelwijk-treating-of-the-suffering-and-the-glory-of-christians/part-11/) --- Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-a-letter-written-by-said-walter-of-stoelwijk-treating-of-the-suffering-and-the-glory-of-christians/part-10/ [Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+A+Letter+Written+By+Said+Walter+Of+Stoelwijk%2C+Treating+Of+The+Suffering+And+The+Glory+Of+Christians.+%C2%B7+Page+10+of+12&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0AA+Letter+Written+By+Said+Walter+Of+Stoelwijk%2C+Treating+Of+The+Suffering+And+The+Glory+Of+Christians.+%C2%B7+Page+10+of+12%0A%0APage%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fen%2Fstories%2Fmm-a-letter-written-by-said-walter-of-stoelwijk-treating-of-the-suffering-and-the-glory-of-christians%2Fpart-10%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-a-letter-written-by-said-walter-of-stoelwijk-treating-of-the-suffering-and-the-glory-of-christians--b00039-o000000%0A%0ADate+currently+shown%3A+16th+century+%28source+section%29%0A%0A%23%23+Correction+or+addition%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Sources+and+evidence%0APlease+include+book%2Fpage+references%2C+archive+links%2C+or+first-hand+documentation.%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Image+credit+%28if+applicable%29%0ACreator%2C+source%2C+and+permission+or+public-domain+basis.%0A%0A%0A%0ASubmitted+for+review%3B+this+issue+does+not+publish+changes+automatically.)