# The Fourth Letter, Which Matthias Servaes Wrote From Prison To All Brethren And Sisters In General. · Page 1 of 6 [Previous page: THE THIRD LETTER OF MATTHIAS SERVAES, WRITTEN TO J. N.](/en/stories/mm-the-third-letter-of-matthias-servaes-written-to-j-n/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: THE FOURTH LETTER, WHICH MATTHIAS SERVAES WROTE FROM PRISON TO ALL BRETHREN AND SISTERS IN GENERAL.](/en/stories/mm-the-fourth-letter-which-matthias-servaes-wrote-from-prison-to-all-brethren-and-sisters-in-general/part-2/) The grace of God that bringeth salvation, and the peace of Jesus Christ, be multiplied unto all believers that are scattered here and there, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, sanctified and justified through faith in Jesus Christ his dear Son, and washed in his own blood from all our sins, in order that we should henceforth be holy and without blame before him in love, to his praise and honor, now and forever. Amen. O my most affectionately beloved brethren and sisters in the Lord, we ought justly to thank God the Father without ceasing day and night, through Jesus Christ his Son, for our salvation, yea, for the fatherly grace he has shown us, and has foreseen and ordained us from the beginning, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, which latter he did not forget to show us. Though for a time we regarded him but little, yet he, according to his goodness (as he alone is good) did not forget us. Yea, when we were dead through infirmities and sins, he called us to life; and this not according to our works (for these were evil), but according to his great mercy he saved us; and while we were sinners, he reconciled us by the death of his Beloved. And though we have set at naught and disregarded all this, he notwithstanding, at the end of the world, yea in these evil days and deplorable times, now that wickedness is at its height, has manifested his long-suffering toward us, and not desired our death (nor that of any sinner), but that we should be converted, and live, and commit the keeping of our souls to him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator and Shepherd. Hence it behooves us, dear brethren and sisters, that we attend in the fear of God to the calling wherein we are called; for we are called with a holy calling; mark, to what: not to uncleanness, not to lasciviousness, not to fornication, not to gluttony, not to carousing, not to pomp and pride, that one should please himself, or put on a pleasing appearance before others, in order thereby to seek praise with men, which praise is not of God, but contrary to God; for all the abovementioned points, if we practice them, shut us out from the kingdom of God. Neither are we called to covetousness, which is idolatry, that we should lay up treasures for ourselves, and seek riches, that we should prepare an earthly, present kingdom, or to trust in uncertain riches, and thus be conformed to the world. Mark, he says: to the world. But whom does the world serve? who is its lord? who is its prince? What does Christ say on this subject? He calls the devil the prince of this world. What is it like, with all its glory, the lust of the eyes, and its pride? It is like the grass with its beautiful flowers, which to-day is pleasant, green and glorious to behold; but in the morning, yea, also in the evening, all its beauty and all its glory are vanished. Thus it is also with all the comeliness of man; but few know themselves. I speak not only of those that are without, but include also ourselves. For who is there that, if riches come to him, does not to some extent set his heart upon them? Or who does sincerely pray with King Solomon: “Lord, give me neither riches nor poverty; but give me only that which I need.” Prov. 30:8. O, consider it well, all you who profess to be Christians, and give diligence to walk with a pure conscience in the truth before God, that in the melting furnace (if you should get into it yet) you will have no regrets to cause you to prove dross, or to look back. For, my dear brethren, in this trial a dead faith is of no account, however glorious the same may seem in the eyes of men, and with however many Scriptures it may be clearly demonstrated, and professed with the mouth; much less will it avail before a strict God and his righteous judgment; for whatever is to stand here and there must be genuine; yea, it must be done through a living faith which works by love. And such a faith is not in him who does not firmly grasp God, and believe and confess that heaven and earth, and all creatures, the sea and all that therein is, owe to him praise and blessing, thanks and honor (to him alone, and to none else, I say, it is due); and who does not write it in his heart and inmost thoughts, and learns to know himself, that he is preeminently created and made exalted and glorious, namely in the image of God and after his likeness, a possessor and ruler of the things that in this world are created for him; yea, adorned and endowed with reason and knowledge, to discern between good and evil, and to know him who is the Creator of all things, and who has given us our free will, whereby we present ourselves to him, not by constraint, as other creatures, but in voluntary surrender, and from pure, filial love, thus: Lord, here am I; what wilt thou have me to do? For I acknowledge that I owe it to serve thee, and to do only thy will, with all my ability, yea with all my strength, so that I am to withhold nothing in this earth, whatever it be, not even my life, nor to refuse in my thoughts to pay thee the willing debt of obedience, which I owe to thee, and am to give thee, not because I expect a reward from thee, but only that I show thereby that I love thee; so that we learn to hate all visible things for the Lover’s sake, that we may love him alone above all, and may also be loved by him. ## Original source [Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Page_666) [Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855) [Previous page: THE THIRD LETTER OF MATTHIAS SERVAES, WRITTEN TO J. N.](/en/stories/mm-the-third-letter-of-matthias-servaes-written-to-j-n/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: THE FOURTH LETTER, WHICH MATTHIAS SERVAES WROTE FROM PRISON TO ALL BRETHREN AND SISTERS IN GENERAL.](/en/stories/mm-the-fourth-letter-which-matthias-servaes-wrote-from-prison-to-all-brethren-and-sisters-in-general/part-2/) --- Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-the-fourth-letter-which-matthias-servaes-wrote-from-prison-to-all-brethren-and-sisters-in-general/ [Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+The+Fourth+Letter%2C+Which+Matthias+Servaes+Wrote+From+Prison+To+All+Brethren+And+Sisters+In+General.+%C2%B7+Page+1+of+6&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0AThe+Fourth+Letter%2C+Which+Matthias+Servaes+Wrote+From+Prison+To+All+Brethren+And+Sisters+In+General.+%C2%B7+Page+1+of+6%0A%0APage%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fen%2Fstories%2Fmm-the-fourth-letter-which-matthias-servaes-wrote-from-prison-to-all-brethren-and-sisters-in-general%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-the-fourth-letter-which-matthias-servaes-wrote-from-prison-to-all-brethren-and-sisters-in-general%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.)