Jan Thielemans And Job Jans, Burnt To Death For The Testimony Of Jesus Christ, In The Hague, In Holland, In The Year 1568.

Therefore let us in all things approve ourselves as the ministers of God, serving him all the days of our lives in holiness and righteousness, which are acceptable before him. Hence I say with Paul: Lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; that ye stumble not, as do the lame; but make straight paths for your feet; for I fear that there are now many lame, and many hands which hang down. Therefore follow peace and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Hebrews 12:12,13. I beseech you therefore, my good friends, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Rom. 12:1,2. Hence, remember the words which were formerly spoken to you in the name of the Lord: Therefore abide in that which you have heard from the beginning. If you abide in that which you have heard from the beginning, you shall continue in the Father and in the Son. And this is his promise, even eternal life. 1 John 2:24,25. For we have a sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the daystar arise in your hearts. 2 Pet. 1:19.

My dear friends, what a dark place it was formerly with you, when the light was hid from you; and what dark places there are still; but you have obtained mercy. Hence Jesus Christ says in the Gospel: I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting. Jn. 12:46–50.

Hence it is our concern that we through the cordial grace of our Lord Jesus Christ may receive the same at his hand; for the Lord also is concerned to have a people that fear and love him. And this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous, to them that love him. 1 John 5:3. Therefore, the law of commandments is good, and will abide forever; he that receives it, shall obtain life; but he that receives it not shall obtain death.

Hence, my friends, be mindful of the Lord our God all your days, and let not your will be set to sin, or to transgress the commandments of the Lord our God (Tob. 4:5); for he has commanded the people to come, charging them, when they came, what they should do, that they might live; and what they should observe, that they might not be tormented. But they have rejected his laws; therefore they shall also be in great misery, who have abused his ways. Though he gave them an appointed time, they understood it not, to show repentance; and must therefore know it after death in torment. 2 Esd. 9:9. For, for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. 1 Pet. 4:6. Therefore, the hour is now come, that the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. And there shall an hour come, when the dead that are in the grave shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that have done good shall rise unto life eternal; and they that have done evil shall rise also, however, not unto life, but unto damnation. John 5:25, etc. Hence, my good friends, look to yourselves, that you lose not those things which you have wrought, but that you may receive a full reward. For whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. But he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 2 John 8:9. “Ye are of God, little children, [and have overcome them:] because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God; he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us.” 1 John 4:4–6.