# The Fourth Letter, Which Matthias Servaes Wrote From Prison To All Brethren And Sisters In General. · Page 5 of 6 [Previous 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-4/) · [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-6/) This ought to be well considered by those whose daily business is that of trading, whom I would rather see engaged in some honest kind of labor, 669 than in trafficking, and this not without reason. For as a nail sticketh fast between the joinings of the stones, so doth sin stick close between buying and selling, as Sirach says. Unless you hold yourself diligently in the fear of God, your house shall soon be overthrown. Sir. 27:2,3. And in whatever I may in all these things have erred, or grieved any one, I am sorry for it from the bottom of my heart. But thanks be to God in heaven, who has given me poor weak servant an unwounded or uncondemned conscience (of which I acknowledge myself unworthy); for I never had greater joy on earth as long as I can remember, than I now have. May the Lord preserve me from speaking boastingly; however, I have no doubt that he, whose unworthy servant I have been in my weakness, will not suffer me to be confounded. I have heartily desired, and so still heartily desire it, if I, of God, should be counted worthy, I might be led through the whole city of Cologne, and scourged with rods, and then cast back in prison. Not that I seek any merit by it, O no, but that what the Lord has put into me might become known and manifest before all men, to his praise, and not to mine. However, the will of the Lord be done; nor do I wish anything else, the Lord knows, cost what it may. And I desire from the bottom of my heart, yea, command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep that which God has entrusted to you, for it is the truth; this I testify before God and man. No matter who shall approach you, do not listen to them. Let the Hutterites[287](/en/stories/mm-footnotes/part-16/#Footnote_287) slander as much as they please. God keep me from them, namely from the doings of their teachers. I am free in my heart on their account, in regard to all the dealings I have had with them. And if they say that I dared not renounce because of the people (as I understand that they have said concerning our brother Thomas), I reply, “No;” for I know no man on this earth, so dear to me that without the faith I would lay down my life for him. But thanks to the Lord I have found this in me, and do still find it strongly in me, that I will much rather lay down my life for my brethren, than bring into trouble or reveal any one, in order thus to save my life; this I say, God knows, from faith, and not in a spirit of boasting. But as many among them as please God, whether I have seen them or not, these, as also others, I do not judge, for they stand to the Lord. Rom. 14:4. I likewise tell you to leave the others be where they are except they sincerely come back in the matter of marriage, and the other articles, and humble themselves before God, and also use a little more restraint in their lives than they now do; for pomp and pride stink before the Lord. Therefore they are also not acceptable or pleasing in my eyes. Hence put them off, for they are an abomination unto God; and let not pride and presumption have dominion either in your words or actions; for in pride has originated all destruction, as Tobit teaches his son. Hence humble yourselves from the heart under the mighty hand of God; for he giveth grace to the humble, but resisteth the proud, 1 Peter 5:5. As regards how it is with me, I inform you that I have entirely committed myself into the hand of the Lord: What his will is, is mine also. I know of nothing better to choose for myself, than that I might be an acceptable offering to him, and might offer up my sacrifice without the gate, in the daytime (Heb. 13:12); O how greatly would I thank him. O my dear fellow members, out of what great sorrow the Lord has delivered me, which I carried in my heart day and night, on account of the Nederland journey: but O what a faithful God! how well he knows how to deliver out of temptation, at the right time, those who can trust him for it from the heart. 1 Cor. 10:13; 2 Pet. 2:9. It often occurred to me that I should not get away—that the Lord should order it otherwise; as my dear wife and sister in the Lord well knows, for I often conversed with her about it, the Lord be thanked forevermore. I took leave from all the churches, and heartily asked every one among them to forgive me if I had grieved them. I did the same towards them, and then went away. But a far better journey was in store for me, on which I now am, the Lord be praised for it, for I am in good hope that, through the grace of God, it will tend to my great advantage. O my brethren, my heart is full of joy, yea, it is running over with it. It seems to me, for very joy, that I see the heavens opened. O that I might by writing (since I am prevented from conversing with you), pour out my heart to you and refresh it. My ink is almost exhausted. As it is with me, so it is also with Joosken and Herman, my dear fellow prisoners and brethren. We wait for our God, and greet you all with a holy kiss. And the salutation with mine own hand is this: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all believers in Christ unto the end. Amen. 1 Cor. 16:26, etc. ## Original source [Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Page_669) [Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855) [Previous 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-4/) · [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-6/) --- Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-the-fourth-letter-which-matthias-servaes-wrote-from-prison-to-all-brethren-and-sisters-in-general/part-5/ [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+5+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+5+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%2Fpart-5%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-the-fourth-letter-which-matthias-servaes-wrote-from-prison-to-all-brethren-and-sisters-in-general--b00029-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.)