# This Hendrick Maelschalck, On The 26th Of January 1568, Wrote The Following Letter From Prison At Ghent. · Page 1 of 2 [Previous page: JAN VAN PARIS, PIETER VAN CLEVES, HENDRICK MAELSCHALCK, AND LAUWERENS PIETERS, A. D. 1568.](/en/stories/mm-jan-van-paris-pieter-van-cleves-hendrick-maelschalck-and-lauwerens-pieters-a-d-1568/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: THIS HENDRICK MAELSCHALCK, ON THE 26TH OF JANUARY 1568, WROTE THE FOLLOWING LETTER FROM PRISON AT GHENT.](/en/stories/mm-this-hendrick-maelschalck-on-the-26th-of-january-1568-wrote-the-following-letter-from-prison-at-ghent/part-2/) We wish you abundant grace, joy, peace, and mercy, and eternal salvation, from God, our heavenly Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God our Father, to whom be praise, glory and honor, and power and thanks, for ever and ever. Amen. After wishing you all grace and salvation, we would inform you, Goelken our beloved friend[295](/en/stories/mm-footnotes/part-16/#Footnote_295) in the Lord, and all dear friends that fear the Lord, that we four prisoners at Ghent, for the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ, are still well according to the flesh, and according to the spirit we thank and praise the Lord, that he thus strengthens us by his grace; for it is still our mind and purpose, by his grace and mercy, always to adhere to the Lord, and to depart from him neither for life nor death. Praise and thanks to the Lord, who thus strengthens us by his grace, since we are weak and miserable. But through the help of the Lord we have been able to endure so far, and we trust through the same Helper to persevere unto the end; for in that he himself was tempted, he is able also to succor and deliver them that are tempted. For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee; so that we may boldly say with the apostle: “The Lord is my helper.” Phil. 4:13; Heb. 2:18; 13:5,6. Now, dearly beloved brethren, if God is with us, who can be against us; for all men are but the works of his hands, and he has created everything, and has power to bring it to nought again at his pleasure; why then should we be afraid of mortal men? Rom. 8:31; Is. 51:12. Surely, we must much rather fear this God; for he alone it is that can save and condemn, and though we should escape the hands of men, we cannot escape him. Hence we will rather say with Susanna: “It is better to fall into the hands of men, than to sin in the sight of the Lord.” Sus. 23. Therefore, dear friends, we trust by no means to forsake the Lord, but always to go on to the promised land, to possess it, which is full of all good things; to this end, may the Lord strengthen, confirm and fit us by his grace and mercy, and all them that fear and accept him. I, Hendricks, have written you all, dear friends, a little about the state of our minds. Further, I would kindly entreat you, always to continue steadfast in the fear of the Lord; for they that fear the Lord will do good things, and those who love him will strive to do his pleasure, and humble themselves before him. If ye fear God, says the prophet, depart not from him, but enter into the eternal joy and gladness. They that fear God shall attain to a good end, and in the day of their death they shall be blessed. Therefore, dear friends, let us always fear the Lord with all our heart and mind; let us obey him and keep his word, for they are blessed 695 that hear the word of God, and keep it, and they are also those who love him, and keep his word, and he that loves him is known of him. But he that saith, I know him, and keepeth not God’s commandments, is a liar, and in him the love of God is not perfect. Luke 11:28; John 15:10; 1 John 2:4; 4:18. Therefore, my dear friends, let us love him, because he first loved us, even as Paul testifies that, though he was rich, yet he became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich; yea, he who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God through him. 2 Cor. 8:9; 5:21. Hence, seeing we well know that the Lord has loved us thus, and so abundantly shed his grace upon us, let us all take good heed that his grace be not bestowed in vain upon us; for we are made partakers of him, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end. Hebrews 3:14. Hence, dear friends, as ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him; rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught (says the apostle), well knowing that it is the true grace of God wherein ye stand. Col. 2:6,7; 1 Pet. 5:12. Therefore, always give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall, says Peter; for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Pet. 1:10,11. Therefore let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, and let us always watch diligently, and wait for the Lord, even as good and faithful servants, that he do not come at an inopportune moment for us; but that we may always be prepared, as were the five wise virgins, who had trimmed their lamps, and went in to the marriage. But the five foolish virgins had to remain without. Matt. 25:4. Hence, dear friends, let us not be as were the foolish, but as the wise. Herewith we commend you to our dear Lord, and to the comforting word of his grace; may he strengthen and confirm you all, and us all, in all truth and righteousness. Amen. ## Original source [Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#FNanchor_295) [Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855) [Previous page: JAN VAN PARIS, PIETER VAN CLEVES, HENDRICK MAELSCHALCK, AND LAUWERENS PIETERS, A. D. 1568.](/en/stories/mm-jan-van-paris-pieter-van-cleves-hendrick-maelschalck-and-lauwerens-pieters-a-d-1568/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: THIS HENDRICK MAELSCHALCK, ON THE 26TH OF JANUARY 1568, WROTE THE FOLLOWING LETTER FROM PRISON AT GHENT.](/en/stories/mm-this-hendrick-maelschalck-on-the-26th-of-january-1568-wrote-the-following-letter-from-prison-at-ghent/part-2/) --- Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-this-hendrick-maelschalck-on-the-26th-of-january-1568-wrote-the-following-letter-from-prison-at-ghent/ [Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+This+Hendrick+Maelschalck%2C+On+The+26th+Of+January+1568%2C+Wrote+The+Following+Letter+From+Prison+At+Ghent.+%C2%B7+Page+1+of+2&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0AThis+Hendrick+Maelschalck%2C+On+The+26th+Of+January+1568%2C+Wrote+The+Following+Letter+From+Prison+At+Ghent.+%C2%B7+Page+1+of+2%0A%0APage%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fen%2Fstories%2Fmm-this-hendrick-maelschalck-on-the-26th-of-january-1568-wrote-the-following-letter-from-prison-at-ghent%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-this-hendrick-maelschalck-on-the-26th-of-january-1568-wrote-the-following-letter-from-prison-at-ghent%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.)