THE TENTH LETTER FROM JAN WOUTERSS, TO HIS OLDEST BROTHER-IN-LAW AND SISTER.

Grace and peace from God the heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord and Savior, and the co-operation of his Holy Spirit, always be multiplied to you both, for the conformation of your faith, and for consolation on your pilgrimage, that you may not weary in the only way of life, but may unwaveringly go on to your rest, so that you may together receive the end of your sure faith, namely, the salvation of your souls. Amen.

After this my cordial brotherly salutation and good wish, be pleased to know, my most cordially beloved oldest brother-in-law, and my most heartily beloved sister, that in this conflict I have constantly remained unchanged in the faith of the truth, once delivered to the saints; for which I now suffer vexation from mortal men, enduring it with a patient heart.

I cannot fully thank the Lord for this great grace that he has thus preserved us as the apple of his eye. Hence I beseech you both, be not dismayed on account of my transient tribulation, but be the bolder in the living faith, which worketh by love, knowing that your labor will not be in vain, but that it will follow you, clothing and adorning you in the day of Christ. Hereunto look constantly, and always follow his footsteps, in humility and meekness of heart; and be ever resolved the longer the more to live still more holy, remembering that we always fall short in many things, as I also experience in my own case; but my hope and refuge is Christ Jesus, who is our salvation, righteousness, perfection, eternal priest, propitiation, and intercessor. I would further inform you my specially beloved brother and sister in the Lord, that I your beloved brother-in-law and weak, unworthy brother, could not well refrain from writing your love a little, though I am conscious that my gift is simple and small, and you have such an abundance of Scripture, and also the anointing, which always teaches you what is right, so that I deem it unnecessary to write you much; but I feel nevertheless constrained thereto, in order that I may, in some measure, show you my unchanging love before I put off this tabernacle; it serves for your consolation and for the strengthening of your faith, and I am confident in my heart, that it will be acceptable to you, though it be little. Thus, my dearest, I present to you nothing new, but beseech and exhort you both, that you take diligent heed to keep the pearl of great price, and to preserve the precious treasure in your earthen vessels. For you know how much it cost you, before you found and obtained it; and in confirmation of it that it still is and remains in you, let your light shine before your enemies, who are terrified thereby, and vanquished before your eyes by the Lord, without your help, as we have an example in Gideon, and others, wherein it is fully shown to us, that the Lord fights his people’s battles. And since it is certain that the almighty Lord is with us, who can be against us? He that spared not his only Son, how should he not with him give us all things? Thus he is a shield to them that seek and trust him with all their hearts, and believe his word to be sure, that he will not forsake us, but [that] the Lord Almighty will be with us unto the end of the world.