Another Letter Of Tijs Jeuriaenss, Written In Prison To The Friends In Edam, A. D. 1569.

See, my affectionately beloved, sanctified brethren and sisters, who are partakers of the kind and nature of our common, most holy, Christian faith, I say, of the kind and nature of God, through the regeneration of God, the heavenly Father, by his incorruptible seed and word, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, in heavenly places, in the illumination and brightness of the heavenly glory, in newness of spirit, in the mind of Jesus Christ, by the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ unto obedience in the sanctification of the spirit. 2 Peter 1:4; 1 Pet. 1:2. Hence we have all been made to drink into one spirit, and are baptized into one body, and sealed by one Spirit unto the day of our redemption. 2 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:30. Where this thus exists, there is certainly the nature of the Christian faith and the nature of God, without which faith and regeneration cannot be, exist, or be named; but where this is found and thus exists in full power of the spirit, as said, there are without doubt the blessing of God, the dew of the Holy Ghost and of the heavenly benediction, and the rain of righteousness, in all manner of fruitfulness, growth and incense in the knowledge of God and the mind of Jesus Christ. Ah, there is Abraham’s holy seed of peace, the children of the promise, not of the flesh, nor of the law, but of the Spirit, in Isaac sanctified, justified, and blessed with all spiritual blessings in new and heavenly places in Jesus Christ. Rom. 9:8; Eph. 1:3. And therefore they have, and there pertain to them the adoption, the law, the service of God, the glory, the testaments, and the promises that were made to the fathers, which belonged to Israel according to their birthright, that is, according to the flesh, but 792 who on account of their unbelief were rejected, and failed in them. Rom. 9:4. But the spiritual Israel of God, namely, the seed of Abraham, the children of the promise, have obtained it by their faith, and have attained to, and been called and elected thereunto through grace; they have contrary to nature been grafted into the good olive tree, and have through grace become partakers of the root and sap. Rom. 9:8; 11:20–24. And this is now the great mystery of God, and the unsearchable grace of Jesus Christ, the mystery of the Holy Ghost, above the wisdom of the Jews, and the understanding of the Greeks, as Paul says, and signifies to us. Eph. 3:3–5.

Yes, my chosen friends, and sanctified of God, what a great benefit, love and mercy of God our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is this, namely, that we who were not a people, are now the people of God; we who had no hope in the covenants of promise are now by faith in Jesus Christ ingrafted and partakers and fellow-heirs of his promises. 1 Pet. 2:10; Eph. 2:12. Behold, thus acts and works the only wise and eternal God, who in, with and by his wisdom measured and fathomed all things, and in the twinkling of an eye looked over and knew them from eternity to eternity; I say, who through the eyes of his wisdom, in the twinkling of an eye, looked over and knew all things in eternity from everlasting to everlasting. O how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor? [or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?] For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen. Rom. 11:33–36.

This holy, unsearchable and only wise God wrought all things according to his wisdom, purpose, and predetermined counsel, first in figures, promises, types and shadows, unto the bringing in of a better hope, by the which we draw nigh unto God. Heb. 7:19. For the figures, shadows and heavenly types point us to the true substance and perfect truth itself in Christ Jesus, which especially the Epistle to the Hebrews tells us, which also so gloriously speaks of the advent or bringing in of Jesus Christ, and of his departure and perfection, as may most satisfactorily be seen in great power and glory, which is very pleasant and delightful to read, consider and lay to heart. Heb. 1:6; 5:9. Happy he who therein has his joy and delight, who considers it in the depth of his heart, and sincerely treasures it up.

For since God in his wisdom and foresight has wrought and ordered all things to man’s profit and salvation, and in order to signify and show something else, mark well, the priests in the law were made priests without an oath, and this because of weakness and imperfection, and because death did not suffer them to continue, that is, the law made nothing perfect, nor could it; with all its services and sacrifices, bring or give us perfection, salvation, or righteousness; for they could not make or become perfect in conscience, who worshiped; for if there had been a law given which could make perfect, righteousness would be by the law, and thus no better means would have been sought or used; and therefore the law has an end because of imperfection, and terminates in Christ. Heb. 7; Romans 10:4. For the word of the oath which was since the law, makes the Son our high priest perfected for evermore. Heb. 7:28. And he ever liveth to make intercession for our sins. v. 25. For he has neither beginning of days, nor end of life. v. 3. He dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him; for in that he died, he died unto sin once (Rom. 6:9), that is, he became a propitiation and sacrifice for sins, which is perfect, constant and perpetual. 1 John 2:2. For as the priests had to have compassion on them that sinned and erred through ignorance, because they themselves were also compassed with infirmity; therefore our high priest became a poor, passive and mortal man, that he might have compassion on our sins and infirmity, because he became himself like unto us in all things, and was tempted like as we are, yet without sin, as may be seen everywhere in the New Testament. Hebrews 5:2; 4:15.