MR. JELIS MATTHIJSS, PUT TO DEATH FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, AT MIDDLEBORGH, IN THE YEAR A. D. 1564.

A letter of Mr. Jelis Matthijss, written in prison, at Middleborgh , A. D. 1564, where he laid down his life for the name of the Lord.

The foundation of God standeth sure.—2 Timothy 2:19.

Grace, peace, and the abundant love of our God, with the deep and unspeakable love of his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the chosen gift of faith, are 645 revealed to us by God, the merciful dear Father, through Christ Jesus, and given to his saints, whom he, through his fatherly love, has now chosen, called and ordained thereto, yea, delivered from the chains and heavy bonds of the perpetual darkness of unbelief, with which this evil, wicked and perverse world is bound; and has, according to his fatherly mercy, begotten us again unto a living, saving hope, and translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have the forgiveness of our sins through his blood, that we my dear sheep, should henceforth serve him without fear in all obedience, righteousness and holiness, all the days of our life, 1 Peter 1:3; Col. 1:13,14; Luke 1:74,75. To this end may the merciful dear Father help and strengthen us with the power of his holy Spirit. Amen.

Since you people have requested me, through your letter, and through greetings heard from you at different times, as also previously, by the letter of your dear wife, who also requested the same of me [to write], know that I have frequently purposed in my heart to do so according to my little gift, although I trust it is not really necessary, yet I hope that it will nevertheless assure and confirm you the more. But as I had rather much writing to do, and was engaged also with other matters, I could not very well attend to it; yet I have constantly cherished a father’s care for you, frequently beseeching my God with a fervent heart, according to my weakness, that he would preserve you both, under the shadow of his wings, in this horrible and perilous time full of all wickedness, and fill you more and more with his Holy Spirit, and open the eyes of your understanding, that you, my dear sheep, may learn to know well the snares and outspread nets of the devil, which he now in so manifold ways daily lays for the regenerated, though you are not ignorant of them partly, well knowing his devices; wherefore you have watched until the present time, in which I greatly rejoice, as also in this, that your faith grows and increases in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto whom I have begotten you and the others, in my bonds, by tears, with the power of the Holy Ghost. And you became followers of me, and of the Lord, and received the word of the Gospel of the cross of Christ with much sighing and godly sorrow, and have obeyed it from the heart, in the form of the doctrine wherein you now stand, so that you have became ensamples to all those in Middelborgh, who want to amend their lives, and take up the cross of the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 1:6,7. Not only these, but many saints are made to rejoice, beholding your obedience and humility in the fear of your God, which, I hope will increase and become manifest still more from day to day, so that, my dear sheep, it may be clearly evident, that you are truly born again from above, of God the Father, and renewed by the renewing of your mind. Rom. 12:2. Remember that your conversation must be heavenly, namely, according to the new man, who after God is created in all manner of righteousness and holiness; for since he who has called and chosen you to this service is holy, you must also according to your ability, lead a holy, chaste and godly life in the fear of your God. Eph. 4:24; 1 Peter 1:15. For to whom we have yielded ourselves, his servants we are, as the apostle says: whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto life. Rom. 6:16. God be praised and thanked forever, my dear sheep, that you were the servant and handmaid of sin, but are now washed and cleansed with me, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, whom God the Father shed on us abundantly through Christ our Savior, not for the works of our righteousness which we had done; for we were by nature the children of wrath, even as others; but God, the merciful, dear Father, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, when we were dead in sins and unrighteousness, quickened us together with Christ, or by Christ, his dear Son, through faith. Tit. 3:5; Eph. 2:3, etc.