# A Letter Written By Said Walter Of Stoelwijk, Treating Of The Suffering And The Glory Of Christians.

16th century (source section) · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: A LETTER WRITTEN BY SAID WALTER OF STOELWIJK, TREATING OF THE SUFFERING AND THE GLORY OF CHRISTIANS.

Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

Grace, peace, and mercy from God our heavenly
Father, and from Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior,
be with all those who live godly in Christ Jesus,
and therefore suffer persecution, to the glory and
praise of the true God, to the trial of their faith,
and the eternal salvation of their souls. Amen.
Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:3; 2 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:3;
2 Tim. 3:12.

Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who in his unfathomable grace and mercy
hath called us out of darkness unto his marvelous
light, and still daily lets his face shine upon us, that
we may know his way on the earth, and his salvation
among the Gentiles. Yea, blessed, praised,
and glorified be God our most blessed Lord and
most merciful Father, who, through his unspeakable
goodness, and not through the merits of our works,
has chosen us, through Jesus Christ, to be his children,
that we should be heirs of his eternal kingdom,
and inherit all things as true children and
heirs of God; children of God and joint heirs with
Christ, if we do the will of God our heavenly Father,
that we may be glorified with him, and enter
into his glory. Tit. 3:5; 2 Tim. 1:9; Eph. 2:6;
Rom. 8:17. For it is true what Christ says: “Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that
doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
Matt. 7:21. Now it is the will of our heavenly Father,
that we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and
follow Jesus Christ.

In the first place, we must deny ourselves; that
is, we must forsake our own will, and surrender
ourselves wholly to Jesus Christ, so that according,
to the words of the apostle, we live no more unto
ourselves, but unto Jesus Christ, who died for us,
that he may be Lord both of the dead and living,
and that no one shall live unto himself, but unto
him who died for him, and rose again. O Lord
God, how few there are who are willing thus to deny
themselves, and desire only to do the will of God;
yea, how many do not yet know which is the true
will of God, but hold to the doctrine and commandments
of the Roman Pope and antichrist, and
are in such a condition, that they do not know
Jesus Christ. To these, the Almighty God, according
to the pleasure of his will, must open the
eyes of their understanding, with the radiance of
his grace, that they may emerge from this blindness
into the true light, and know with all the saints,
what is the delusion and sorcery of the Babylonian
whore (Rev. 18:2), and that the teachings and
commandments of Christ Jesus alone are to be kept,
yea, that we must follow and preserve only the
teachings and commandments of Christ Jesus, and
that we may in no wise live according to our own
will, but are to consider that Christ Jesus himself did
not his own will, but the will of his Father, who sent
him; which was done and written for our admonition
and instruction, that we should not fulfill our
own will, which, because of the innate wickedness
of our cursed nature, is prone to evil; but the acceptable
and perfect will of God, so that we may
pray aright, as Christ has taught us, saying: Heavenly
Father, thy will be done in earth, as it is in
heaven. Matt. 6:9,10. How many there are who
do not say this with a good heart, but with false
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lips, even as Judas said to Christ: “Hail, Master”
(Matt. 26:49; Mark 14:45; Luke 22:47), at the
same time betraying him; so they say with the
mouth, that God’s will is to be done; while at the
same time all their thoughts and works are contrary
to the will of God. These are those real false Christians
who say to Christ Jesus: “Lord, Lord,” and
yet do not what he has commanded them. These
are the true Pharisees, the hypocritical saints, who
honor God with their lips, while their heart is far
from him. These are the true unbelievers of whom
St. Paul says that with their words they profess to
know God, but in works deny him, so that they are
abominable to the Lord, because they are disobedient
to him, and reprobate unto every good work.
Yea, these are the true hypocrites, the disciples of
deceitful Satan, who have learned from their master,
to disguise their inward craftiness, and outwardly to
adorn themselves with a beautiful appearance. Such
hypocrites the Lord will forever curse and cast out,
and say to them: “Depart from me, ye workers
of iniquity; I know you not.” Matt. 7:23; Ps. 6:8.
But he will bless the pious Christians and bless and
glorify the good and true disciples of Jesus Christ,
who deny themselves, and have surrendered themselves
unto the will of God, which is the true beginning
of the Christian life, and without which life
can not be begun.

In the second place, we must take up our cross,
namely prepare ourselves for suffering, according
to the teaching of Jesus Syrach, who says: “My
son, if thou come to serve the Lord, prepare thy
soul for temptation. Set thy heart aright, and constantly
endure, and make not haste in time of
trouble. Cleave unto him, and depart not away,
that thou mayest be increased at thy last end.
Whatsoever is brought upon thee, take cheerfully,
and be patient when thou art changed to a low estate.
For gold is tried in the fire, and acceptable
men in the furnace of adversity.” Sir. 2:1–5;
Wis. 3:6. With this accords also what Paul says:
“All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer
persecution.” 2 Tim. 3:12. Yea Christ himself
says to his apostles: “Ye shall be hated of all men
for my name’s sake.” Mark 13:13. From all these
words it must incontrovertibly follow, that all servants
of God, all godly men, all disciples of Jesus
Christ, must suffer persecution for his name’s sake;
and be tried through manifold temptations.

Therefore it is an awful blindness, that men boast
of the Gospel and Christianity, and know what belongs
to a Christian life, but, alas! they have the
least thought of suffering anything for the name of
Christ Jesus; yea, though they know and confess
that all the works which take place in papal desolation
are evil, and nothing but blasphemy against
God, yet have they fellowship therewith, and commit
the most shameful idolatry, in order that they
may avoid and escape the cross,—in which cross all
pious Christians may glory (Gal. 6:14)—and still
they want to be considered good Christians. O what
wicked servants! O what wicked disciples! Wicked
servants we say, because they would be above their
Lord Jesus Christ; wicked disciples we say, since
they reject and contemn the doctrine of their Master
Jesus Christ. O people, people, mockers of the
living God! who think to deceive God with your
dissimulation, and to pay him with words, unmindful
of the words of Paul, namely: that the
kingdom of God is not in word, but in power!
1 Cor. 4:20. O people true hypocrites! who fancy
that they serve Christ, but how far are they from
glorying with Paul, the pious and faithful minister
of Christ, only in the cross of Christ! Gal. 6:14. O
miserable people, who would rather now live for a
little season in peace and voluptuousness with the
Babylonian whore, and afterwards be tormented
with her in everlasting pain, than suffer with Christ
Jesus for a little while, and thus enter into eternal
glory!

Ah! the true saints and servants of God did
differently; they would rather suffer death, than
transgress the commandment of God. Pious Joseph
would rather go to prison; yea, into death, than
offend the Lord his God, and commit adultery with
the adulterous woman. Gen. 39:8. Moses, the
ardent and jealous lover of God, through his faith,
chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of
God, than to live in carnal and worldly lusts with
the Egyptians; esteeming the reproach of Christ
greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt; for
he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.
Ex. 2:11; Heb. 11:25. Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego feared God the Lord more than all the
torments of the tyrannous King, and would rather
die a temporal death, and adhere to their God,
than deny him. Dan. 3:16. Daniel who was rich
in spirit and strong in faith, did not shrink from the
den of lions, in which he would rather be cast, than
worship any strange God. Dan. 6. The pious
Tobit would rather transgress the commandment of
the King at the peril of his life, than to forsake God
his Lord; wherefore he also commanded his son,
to fear God all his life, and never to let his will be
set to sin, or to transgress the commandments of
God his Lord. Tobit 1:18; 4:5. Eleazar, the
pious Israelite would rather die for the law of God,
than act contrary to it; yea, than to dissimulate
once, and thus cause offense in Israel. The mother
and her seven sons were so ardent in the love of
God, that they were not afraid of all the tyranny of
the wicked King, nor would they act contrary to
the law of God, but much rather suffer a severe
death for it. 2 Mac. 7. Yea, how many saints and
witnesses of Jesus Christ are still hated, persecuted
and slain by the Babylonian whore, because they
will not drink of the wine of her fornication, or
have fellowship with her idolatrous works.

Therefore all hypocritical saints, all wicked hypocrites,
who boast of being called Christians, yet
will not suffer for the name of Christ, may well be
ashamed. Christ may justly say to them: If I be
your Lord, why do you not keep my commandments?
if I be your Master, why do you not hear
and believe my words? Mal. 1:6; Luke 6:46.
Well then, let all hypocrites, and falsely prudent,
unfaithful servants, and falsely wise disciples of Jesus
Christ, depart from their Lord and Master, we
nevertheless, through the grace of God, intend to
adhere to Christ, and are ready to suffer for his
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sake, even as he suffered for our sakes. But he
suffered as Lord, and we as disciples; hence we
servants and disciples must not bear the cross reluctantly
seeing our Lord and Master himself bore it.

In the third place, we must follow Jesus, but not
as did many Jews, who followed him, because they
had eaten of the loaves; which, alas! many false
Christians still do, who join the Christian church,
not because they truly seek Christ Jesus, not because
they love the truth, but that they may be
aided and fed by the Christian church (whom they
perceive to be the most charitable). But to follow
Christ in this manner is nothing but a mockery of
God, and Christ will not have such followers, as we
may clearly understand from the case of the scribe
whom Christ condemned, because he wanted to
follow him from covetousness; for the Lord beheld
the heart of the scribe, and therefore did not answer
him according to his words, but according to his
thoughts, saying: “The foxes have holes, and the
birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath
not where to lay his head.” Matt. 8:20; Luke
9:58. Just as if Jesus had intended to say: If you
will follow me, follow me in the manner in which I
go before you. For Christ well knew his intention,
namely, that he wanted to follow him for gain, and
thought that Christ should give him power to perform
wonderful signs and miracles, as he had given
to his apostles, by which he might have sought
gain. But such designs are not good, and cannot
succeed; for the Lord himself was poor (Zech. 9:9),
as he declares: If I the Lord and Master am poor,
it is evident that my servants are poor, and that my
disciples do not seek or desire riches. As though
the good Lord had meant to say: He that would
follow me, must follow me in the poverty in which
I walk before him. But, alas! many people at the
present day think that gain is godliness, as Paul
says (1 Tim. 6:5), and, under the semblance of
the Gospel and the Christian name, seek their own
profit. O what perverted men! who will not go in
the right way, but follow the way of the traitor and
thief Judas, who loved the wages of unrighteousness,
when he received the awful punishment of his
wickedness, as every one knows. Matt. 27:6; Mark
14:18; John 12:4. O what blinded men, who can
not take to heart that Ananias and Sapphira were
put to such great shame, and punished, for their
equivocation, by which the Almighty Lord God
has undoubtedly given us an example, that all hypocritical
and double minded men shall be thus put
to shame and punished; as we find in Jesus Sirach:
Woe unto those that are of a double heart, to those
of wicked lips that enter the land by two ways.
Therefore the wise man also teaches us, that our
hearts should be without any deceit and dissimulation,
saying: “Be not obstinate, and distrust not
the fear of the Lord . . . and come not unto him
with a double heart. Be not a hypocrite in the sight
of men, and take good heed what thou speakest.
Exalt not thyself, lest thou fall, and bring dishonor
upon thy soul, and so God discover thy secrets,
and cast thee down in the midst of the congregation,
because thou camest not in truth to the fear of the
Lord, but thy heart is full of deceit.” Sir. 1:28–30.

O that all hypocrites would earnestly consider the
words of Jesus Sirach, and reform, before they be
confounded and punished by God, which shall be
done to all the double minded, if not now, yet in
the day of judgment, when the ungodly shall not
stand, nor sinners remain in the congregation of
the righteous. Ps. 1:5. Then Christ will bring to
light what is now in darkness, and make manifest
the counsels of the hearts; yea, he will take the fan
into his hand, and purge his floor, and gather the
wheat into the garner, but the chaff will he burn
up with unquenchable fire. Matt. 3:12; Luke 3:17.
Hence, let every one beware of hypocrisy, and let
him truly follow Christ Jesus, as is proper, not with
the Jews, for the sake of the loaves, nor with the
scribe, from covetousness. But, O ye Christians,
follow Christ, your Lord and Master with a pure
heart, a clean conscience, unfeigned faith, and ardent
love, without turning to the right or to the left. But
those who follow Christ Jesus differently, are among
good Christians what chaff is among the wheat, and
their end will be everlasting fire, from which the
Almighty Father preserve us through Jesus Christ.

Moreover, we must, from ardent love, follow
Jesus Christ even unto the end, and not do as did
some of his disciples, who forsook him, and became
offended at his words, saying: “This is a hard saying;
who can hear it?” John 6:60. O how many
are unwilling to hear the divine words of our Lord
Jesus Christ, yea, rave, when told that Christ Jesus
promises tribulation and suffering to all his servants
and disciples. From a stony heart and an embittered
mind they say: Must one always suffer? Must
one always be persecuted? This is a hard saying;
who can hear it? O God, how is the sweet honey
changed into gall, and the clear wine into bitter
water! Alas! how have they come to loathe that
precious, heavenly bread, and how has the eternal
medicine, by which every soul must be healed, become
a deadly poison to them! And how do men
who will not believe the word of God, nor receive
the holy doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ, contemn
the comforting Gospel, which has been sent
us from heaven through the Holy Ghost, and sealed
by Christ with his own precious blood; but if a
lying prophet comes, a messenger prophesying of
temporal peace and happiness, though it never
comes to pass, he is heard, while the good Lord
Jesus Christ, who has promised us the eternal peace
of his heavenly kingdom, can not obtain a hearing;
so that it is as Christ said to the Pharisees: “I am
come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not:
if another shall come in his own name, him ye will
receive.” John 5:43. Yea, many now do as did the
rebellious and unbelieving Israelites, who forsook God
the Lord, who had delivered them out of Egypt,
and desired other gods for leaders and protectors.
Num. 14:2; Ex. 32:1; Acts 7:39. Thus also now
many Christians forsake Jesus, who has freed them
from the power and tyranny of Satan, and delivered
them from the jaws of the lions, who devoured
them, yea, had hastened with them in the way to
eternal damnation, utterly to destroy them.—Then
Christ delivered them, and placed them again in the
way of eternal salvation. John 1:29. Many now
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forsake the good Shepherd, who spared not his life
for our sakes, but delivered it unto death, because
of the great love which he had to us; and trust in
men, of whom the prophet says that their assistance
availeth not, and they cannot help; for their breath
must go forth and return to the earth, and the
thoughts of all them that put their trust in men and
follow false prophets, who delight in unrighteousness
shall perish. Hence all pious Christians must
follow no other than Christ Jesus, who, as Peter
says, suffered for us, leaving us an example, that
we should follow his steps, 1 Peter 2:21. The same
is declared also by Paul, with these words: “Let us
lay aside all guile and hypocrisy, and the besetting
sin, and let us run with patience the race that is set
before us, looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher
of our faith; who for the joy that was set before
him, endured the cross, despising the shame,
and is set down at the right hand of the throne of
God.” Heb. 12:1,2; Mark 16:19. In these words of
the apostles we may perceive, that we are to follow
Jesus Christ, and look to him as the Captain of the
faith, the Bishop and Shepherd of our souls, yea,
the good Lord and Master, who has given an example
to all his servants and disciples, that they
must suffer even as he suffered. Heb. 2:10; John
10:11; 1 Peter 2:25. But, O God, how much
Christ had to suffer! he who was Lord of heaven
and earth became so poor for our sakes, that he
had not where to rest or lay his head: when he was
in the form of God, he humbled himself, and took
upon him the form of a servant (Phil. 2:6,7; John
13:5), that he might serve us, and gave his life for
our redemption; yea, though he was the eternal
wisdom of the Father, who upholds all things by
the word of his power, he had nevertheless to hear
the Pharisees call him a flatterer and deceiver of the
people, a sinner, yea, a demoniac and madman, and
many other abominable blasphemies, reproaches
and mockeries; in short, though he was the only
begotten Son of God, the Almighty Father, yet he
was counted a malefactor, and had to die the most
bitter death, so that Isaiah could well say of him:
“He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we
shall see him, there is no beauty that we should
desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a
man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we
hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised,
and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne
our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem
him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was
bruised for our iniquities.” Is. 53:2–5. Hence he
could justly say: “I restored that which I took not
away. For, for my friends’ sake I have suffered
pain; shame hath covered my face. I am become a
stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my
mother’s children. And I looked for some to take
pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I
found none. They gave me also gall for my meat;
and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
All they that see me, laugh me to scorn: they shoot
out the lip, they shake the head. They gaped
upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and
roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all
my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it
is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength
is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue
cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into
the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me:
the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they
pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my
bones: they look and stare upon me. They part
my garments among them, and cast lots upon my
vesture.” Ps. 69:4,7,8,20,21; 22:7,13–18; Matthew
27:34; Matt. 15:23; John 19:23. Yea, as he
says through the prophet: “I am a worm, and no
man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.”
Ps. 22:6. Yea, my beloved brethren, God
the heavenly Father laid the chastisement of our
peace upon him; for by his stripes we are healed.
All we went astray, as sheep that have no shepherd;
we have turned every one to his own way; but the
Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all. “He was
oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not
his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he
opened not his mouth.” 1 Peter 2:24,25; Isaiah
53:5–7; Acts 8:32.

Are you pious Christians? Then consider what
Christ Jesus suffered for us poor sinners; the Lord
for his servants, the Master for his disciples, the
Shepherd for his sheep, yea, God for men. 1 Peter
4:1; John 10:11; Ezek. 34:23. O deep humility of
the Master, that he would serve his disciples, and
give himself unto death for them! John 13:5. O
great grace of the Lord, that he would suffer so
much for his servants! O infinite righteousness of
the Shepherd, who would give his life for his sheep!
John 10:11; 17:9. O unspeakable love of God to
us poor mortals, that he would redeem us by his
own precious blood! This every Christian should at
all times remember, and feel grateful to Jesus Christ
for these benefits, not only with words but also with
works. But, alas! some have gone so far, that they
can indeed talk of Christ, that he suffered and
atoned for us, and are desirous also of partaking of
the redemption purchased for us with the blood of
Christ; but they never once think of suffering with
Christ Jesus, though they nevertheless hope to be
glorified with him. But it is a faithful saying, says
Paul, that if we are dead with Christ, we shall also
live with him; if we suffer with him, we shall also
rejoice with him forever; if we deny him, he also
will deny us. 2 Tim. 2:11,12; Rom. 6:23; Luke
12:9. Let all apostate Christians, who return to
the Roman Babylon, from which they had separated,
and make friendship with the whore whom
they had hated bear this in mind. What shall we
say to such unstable persons? How can men who
once knew the truth be so blinded as to depart from
Christ Jesus their only Savior, and return to the infamous
accursed whore of Babylon, the mother of
all unrighteousness, and queen of all the children of
unbelief and cursing, who has become their comfort
and protection, yea, their idol. Woe unto such
perverse men, who depart from righteousness, from
light to darkness, from life to death, and go from
Jesus Christ to antichrist, seeking consolation from
Satan, and not in God. Woe unto such fearful
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ones, who fear those who can kill only the body,
more than God, the Almighty Lord, who can cast
both body and soul into eternal damnation. Revelation
21:8; Matt. 10:28; Luke 12:4,5. Woe unto
such, that they were ever born unless they remarkably
amend their ways and go out of Babylon; for
the Scripture says not in vain: “Go ye out of the
midst of Babylon, my people, and touch not the
unclean thing, that ye be not partakers of her
plagues, or sins.” Is. 52:11; 2 Cor. 6:17; Revelation
18:4. These are the clear words of the Lord;
Who can blot them out? Who can endure the
stings of a guilty conscience? Let him begin as he
may, he will find it a hard undertaking, and shall
not be successful in it. Acts 9:5; 5:5.

Here also no excuse will avail, as is clearly shown
in the parable of the wicked servant, who, out of
fear, had buried his Lord’s pound into the earth,
but was not heard when he wanted to excuse himself
to his lord. Matt. 25:26; Luke 19:22. By this
wicked servant we understand all the fearful, who
are not fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and relish and seek all earthly things more
than heavenly things. They may excuse themselves
as ever they will, their excuse shall not avail, but
eternal damnation will be their recompense; for every
tree which does not bring forth good fruit, shall
be hewn down, and cast into the fire. There must
be fruits; leaves alone will not avail. Matt. 21:19.
Christ is our example; he practiced and taught.
He taught his disciples to suffer and endure, for he
himself suffered and endured; hence Paul teaches
us to look unto Christ Jesus, saying: “Consider
him (Christ Jesus), ye Christians, that endured such
contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be
wearied, and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet
resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye
have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto
you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the
chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art
rebuked of him: for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth,
and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as
with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth
not? But if ye be without chastisement,
whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and
not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our
flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence:
shall we not much rather be in subjection to
the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for
a few days chastened us after their own pleasure;
but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of
his holiness.” Heb. 12:3–10; Prov. 3:11; Revelation
3:19.

By these words the apostle indicates to us, how
necessary and profitable chastisement is for us, yea,
so necessary and profitable that we can not be
children of God unless we are chastened by our
God and heavenly Father, as is clearly declared in
these words: “For what son is he whom the father
chasteneth not? But if he be without chastisement,
whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards and
not sons.” With this accord the words of Judith,
namely: that Abraham was tried by many tribulations,
and became the friend of God; so also Isaac,
Jacob, Moses, and all that pleased God were found
faithful through many tribulations. Judith 8:26.
But those who did not receive their trial in the fear
of the Lord, and showed their impatience and the
evil of their murmurings against the Lord, were
destroyed by the destroyer, and killed by the serpents.
1 Cor. 10:6; Num. 21:6. Therefore, as
gladly as we have God for our Father, so readily
must we receive the chastisement of our heavenly
Father; and as unwillingly as we would be counted
bastards by God, so unwillingly must we also be to
be without chastisement and correction, and so willing
must we also be to be tried by tribulation. In
short, as much as we love God and the salvation of
our souls, and as much as we fear the punishment
of God, so cheerfully must we receive all sufferings
imposed upon us by God, and remember that Christ
says: “He that taketh not his cross, and followeth
after me, cannot be my disciple.” Matt. 10:38;
16:24; Mark 8:54; Luke 9:23. Also: Whosoever
will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever loses his
life in this world, for the Gospel’s sake, shall save it
forever. Where now are the false Christians, who
do not lose their life for Christ’s sake, and still
think to keep it in eternity? Yea, so Saul thought
that he could please the Israelites, and still remain
the friend of God; but God rejected him for his
double-mindedness. 1 Sam. 15:26. Thus they may
also think to save their temporal life, and still obtain
eternal life; but they shall find themselves disappointed
in their hope. O Lord God, how can
men be so blinded as to so love this transient life,
seeing they know neither the day nor hour when
they must die; even as the apostle James says that
this life is but a vapor, which appears for a little
time, and then vanishes away. Jesus Sirach also
says that our life, compared with the days of eternity,
is as dust or as a grain of sand to all the sand
of the sea, or as a drop of water unto all the water
of the sea. What then is man! and what is his
beauty? or what are his possessions on which he
would rely?

Since then our life is so uncertain and brief, it is a
lamentable matter, that men take so much care for
it, and bestow so little thought upon the eternal life.
This is partly owing to false teachers and deceitful
laborers, the adversaries of Christ and his apostles,
who openly teach that Christians are not to suffer
any more.

They shall be confounded with their people, who
prophesy lies in the name of the Lord; they shall
be punished with Zedekiah and Ahab who shamefully
sin, and seduce the Israel of God, causing
them to trust in vain things. They shall be put to
shame with the Egyptian magicians, who now resist
the truth, even as they resisted Moses. They shall
be accursed with Balaam the son of Bosor, who
with him forsake the right way, and go in crooked
paths; yea, they shall sink into hell with Dathan,
Korah, and Abiram, who with them caused contention
and offense in the church of God, and despise
the godly doctrine of Jesus Christ, by which they
awaken, the wrath of the Almighty God, and treasure
up unto themselves the wrath of God against
the day when Christ Jesus shall be revealed from
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heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking
vengeance on them that knew not God, and
obeyed not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
(Rom. 2:5; Matt. 25:31; 2 Peter 3:4; 2 Thessalonians
1:7–10); who shall suffer pain and everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord,
when he shall come to be glorified in his glory, and
glorified in all them that believe in him. Is. 2:10;
Wis. 5:2.

Now, who are these unbelievers, who do not believe
the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and shall therefore
suffer everlasting pain? They are those who now
do not observe the commandments of Jesus Christ,
and will not suffer for the name of God, or confess
the truth according to the instruction of the Gospel;
hence Christ shall also not confess them, or know
them before his Father, and before his angels, with
whom he shall come from heaven, to punish such
unfaithful and fearful servants, and to glorify the
faithful and valiant soldiers, who have come out of
great tribulation, and have washed and purified
their robes in the blood of the Lamb. Matt. 10:33;
Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; 2 Tim. 2:12; Matthew
25:31; Rev. 7:14. Therefore are they before the
throne of God, and serve him day and night in
his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall
dwell among them. They shall hunger no more,
neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun
lighten them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which
is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and
shall lead them unto living fountains of water;
and God shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes. Rev. 7:15–17; Is. 49:10. The prophet
Esdras says: “I Esdras saw upon the mount
Sion a great people, whom I could not number,
and they all praised the Lord with songs. And
in the midst of them there was a young man of
high stature, taller than all the rest, and upon
every one of their heads he set crowns, and was
more exalted; which I marveled at greatly. So I
asked the angel, and said, Sir, What are these?
He answered and said unto me, These be they that
have put off the mortal clothing, and put on the
immortal, and have confessed the name of God:
now are they crowned, and receive palms. Then
said I unto the angels, What young person is it that
crowneth them, and giveth them palms into their
hands? So he answered and said unto me, It is
the Son of God, whom they have confessed in the
world. Then began I greatly to commend them
that stood so stiffly for the name of the Lord.”
2 Esdras 2:42–47; Matt. 16:16; 10:32; Mark
8:29.

O what joy and glory are prepared for all pious
Christians! Who now is so faint hearted and
fearful, as to be unwilling to suffer a little for such
joy and glory? It is indeed true, that suffering
and tribulation are hard for the flesh; but we must
remember the words of Paul: “Now no chastening
for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous;
nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable
fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised
thereby.” Heb. 12:11. Christ says the same to his
apostles: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, That
ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice;
and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow
shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in
travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but
as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth
no more the anguish, for joy that a man is
born unto the world. And ye now therefore have
sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart
shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from
you.” John 16:22–24; Is. 26:17.

Behold, all ye believers, who now suffer tribulation,
anguish and persecution for the truth, for a
little season, consider these words, and take comfort:
do not let it terrify or grieve you, and though
tribulation is not pleasing to the flesh, remember
that for a little sorrow you shall receive eternal joy;
yea, remember that it is written: “The souls of the
righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no
torment touch them. In the sight of the unwise
they seem to die; and their departure is taken for
misery, and their going from us to be utter destruction:
but they are in peace. For though they be
punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full
of immortality, and having been a little chastised
they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved
them, and found them worthy for himself. As gold
in the furnace hath he tried them, and received them
as a burnt offering. And in the time of their
visitation, they shall shine, and run to and fro
like sparks among the stubble. They shall judge
the nations and have dominion over the people, and
their lord shall reign forever. They that put their
trust in him shall understand the truth: and such as
be faithful in love shall abide with him: for grace
and mercy is to his saints.” Wis. 3:1–9; Deuteronomy
33:3; Phil. 1:21; Wis. 5:1; 1 Peter 1:7;
Matt. 13:43; 1 Cor. 6:2. O what beautiful promises
are these for all that are persecuted for the
truth; and how comforting are the promises made
to us by Christ in the Gospel, namely that we are
blessed when we mourn, for we shall be comforted;
and that we are blessed when we are persecuted
for righteousness’ sake, for the kingdom of heaven
is ours; in short, that we are blessed when men shall
despise and revile us, and say all manner of evil
against us falsely, for Christ Jesus’ sake; then shall
we rejoice and be exceedingly glad: for great is our
reward in heaven. Matt. 5:4,10–12; Luke 6:22;
1 Peter 2:20. Yea, great is our reward, as Isaiah
tells us: “that eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man, the
things which God hath prepared for them that love
him.” Is. 64:4; 1 Cor. 2:9. And the prophet
David says: “O Lord, how great is thy goodness,
which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee;
which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee
before the sons of men!” Ps. 31:19.

But how few now labor for this great glory? It is
as represented in the parable of the Lord, where it
is said that the householder prepared a supper to
which he invited many, for all things were ready.
But one had bought a farm, and had to go and see
it. Another had bought five yoke of oxen, which
he must needs go to prove. Another had married
a wife, and therefore could not come. But when
the householder heard of this, he was wroth, and
445
said that none of those who would not come should
taste of his supper. Matt. 22:2; Luke 14;16; Revelation
19:7. O, what severe judgment and sentence
is uttered against all those who will not come,
despising the call of the Lord, and loving anything
rather than God; that is, those who for father,
mother, brother, sister, wife, child, wealth, poverty,
praise, or reproach, forsake God, and do not obey
his voice; yea, who do not count all earthly things
and excellence, but dung, that they may win Jesus
Christ, even as Paul did, and also the Hebrews of
whom the apostle says that they took joyfully the
spoiling of their goods, knowing that they had in
heaven a better and enduring substance. Matthew
10:37; Phil. 3:8; Heb. 10:35. But, O God, how
little do men now regard heavenly things. O, how
little do they think, what difference there will be between
the righteous and the wicked. Yea, there
will be such a difference as the Lord has declared
through Isaiah. “Behold, my servants shall eat but
ye shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink,
but ye shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice,
but ye shall be ashamed; behold, my servants
shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow
of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.”
Is. 65:13,14. Hence Christ says in the Gospel:
“There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth,
when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob,
and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and
you yourselves thrust out.” Luke 13:28. O how
glad shall the pious Christians then be, who fight
valiantly for the name of Christ, and through him
overcome: Yea, how glad, say we, will they be,
when they shall receive the beautiful promise of
which the Spirit of God says: “To him that overcometh
will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is
in the midst of the paradise of God. Fear none of
those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the
devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may
be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be
thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown
of life. To him that overcometh, will I give to eat
of the hidden manna, and will give him a white
stone, and in the stone a new name written, which
no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. And
he that overcometh and keepeth my words unto the
end, to him will I give power over the nations:
and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels
of a potter shall they be broken to shivers:
even as I received of my Father. And I will give him
the morning star. He that overcometh, the same
shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot
out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess
his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Because thou has kept the word of my patience, I
also will keep thee from the hour of temptation,
which shall come upon all the world, to try them
that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly:
hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take
thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar
in the temple of my God, and he shall go no
more out: and I will write upon him the name of my
God, and the name of the city of my God, which is
New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven
from my God: and I will write upon him my new
name. As many as I love, I will rebuke and chasten;
even as a father the son in whom he delighteth: be
zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand
at the door, and knock; if any man hear my
voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and
will sup with him, and he with me. To him that
overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne,
even as I also overcame, and am set down with my
Father in his throne.” Rev. 2:7,10,17,26–28;
3:5,10–12,19–21; Prov 3:12. Yea, my beloved
brethren, that they shall shine as the sun in the
kingdom of their Father, and possess all things.

O how sorrowful will the persecutors of the Christians
be, when the righteous God will mete to them
with the same measure with which they measured
to the Christians. Where shall murderous Cain then
hide himself, when the sorrowful and innocent blood
of righteous Abel shall cry unto God for vengeance
against him? Where shall the Babylonian whore,
who now sits in her pleasure-house and pomp, and
has become drunken with the blood of his saints,
and of the martyrs of Christ Jesus, escape the punishment
of God, when the Lord will avenge the
blood of his saints and witnesses, and require it at
her hands? Which shall undoubtedly come to pass,
as has been said through the prophet: “Behold,
the innocent and righteous blood crieth unto me,
and the souls of the just complain continually. And
therefore, saith the Lord, I will surely avenge them,
and receive unto me all the innocent blood from
among them.” 2 Esd. 15:8,9. Christ says: “Shall
not the God avenge his own elect, which cry day
and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.” Luke
18:7,8. O how fearful will the punishment be, with
which the Almighty God will avenge all the blood
of his saints! How dearly had tyrannous Pharaoh
to pay for the blood, of the innocent children, which
he had shed! Ex. 1:22; 14:28. How severely
was Amalek punished, because he had shed the innocent
blood of the Israelites! 1 Sam. 15:33. The
bloodthirsty Jezebel was thrown into the field, so
that the dogs licked her blood, because she had
shed innocent blood. 2 Kings 9:33. O Jerusalem,
thou that killest the prophets that are sent to thee,
and stonest the Levites, thou are therefore trodden
down by the Gentiles, and art become a sport unto
all nations! Thus shall God punish those who now
shed innocent blood, and it shall come to pass as is
written in the book of Wisdom: “Then shall the
righteous man stand in great boldness before the
face of such as have afflicted him, and made no account
of his labors. When they see it, they shall
be troubled with terrible fear, and shall be amazed
at the strangeness of his salvation, so far beyond all
that they looked for. And they repenting and
groaning for anguish of spirit shall say within
themselves. This was he, whom we had sometimes
in derision, and a proverb of reproach: we fools
accounted his life madness, and his end to be without
honor: How is he numbered among the children
of God, and his lot is among the saints!
Therefore have we erred from the way of truth,
and the light of righteousness hath not shined
unto us, and the sun of righteousness rose not
446
upon us. We wearied ourselves in the way of
wickedness and destruction: yea, we have gone
through deserts, where they lay no way, but as for
the way of the Lord, we have not known it. What
hath pride profited us? or what good hath riches
with our vaunting brought us?” Wis. 5:1–8.

All these things shall they say; who are in hell,
having sinned: “For the hope of the ungodly is
like dust that is blown away with the wind; like a
thin froth that is driven away with the storm; like as
the smoke which is dispersed here and there with the
tempest, and passeth away as the remembrance of
a guest that tarrieth but a day. But the righteous
live forever more; their reward also is with the Lord,
and the care of them is with the Most High. Therefore
shall they receive a glorious kingdom, and a
beautiful crown from the Lord’s hand: for with his
right hand shall he sever them, and with his arm
shall he protect them.” Wis. 5:14–16. O unfathomable
grace of the Almighty God! O unspeakable
love of the heavenly father, how abounding
is thy grace, and how infinite is thy goodness,
that thou hast prepared such glory for thine elect?
Who can thank thee aright for all the benefits which
thou hast so richly shown us, and dost still daily
show? Blessed be thy name forever. Therefore we
pray and admonish all pious Christians, all who love
their salvation, to deny themselves, to take up their
cross, and to follow Christ Jesus, and thus to do the
will of God, that we may receive the promise. Let
no one be afraid of or terrified by the ungodly
tyrants; but let each do as Matthias taught his sons,
saying: “Now, therefore, my sons, be ye zealous
for the law, and give your lives for the covenant of
your fathers. Call to remembrance what acts our
fathers did in their time; so shall ye receive great
honor and an everlasting name. Fear not then the
words of a sinful man: for his glory shall be dung
and worms. To-day he shall be lifted up, and to-morrow
he shall not be found, because he is returned
into his dust, and his thought is come to nothing.
Wherefore, ye my sons, be valiant, and show yourselves
men in behalf of the law; for by it shall ye obtain
glory.” 1 Macc. 2:50,51,62–64.

O ye pious Christians, take these words of God to
heart, and arm yourselves therewith, to do battle
for righteousness, even unto death, and God shall
fight for you and subdue your enemies. “And fear
not them who are able to kill the body, and after
that, have no more than they can do; but fear the
Almighty God, the righteous Lord and Judge, who
is able to cast soul and body into eternal perdition.”
Matt. 10:28; Luke 12:4,5. Him alone let us fear,
and walk in his ways, serving him in holiness and
righteousness all the days of our life; yea, suffering
death for his name, that we may say with Paul:
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my
course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is
laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the
Lord Christ shall give me.” 2 Tim. 4:7,8. May
God, the Father of mercy, and the God of all comfort,
by whom it is given unto us, not only to
believe on him, but also to suffer for his name,
strengthen, confirm and establish us with his holy
spirit, that we may not become weary of suffering for
the truth, but continue steadfast unto the end, and
rejoice with all the pious and true saints, when we
are reviled and persecuted for the name of Christ
Jesus. This grant us the Almighty Father, through
Jesus Christ his only begotten Son, our Savior, unto
whom be glory, majesty, blessing, the kingdom,
and everlasting dominion, Amen.

Be manful, strong, and very courageous, to keep
and do all things, even the words and the law of
God. Depart not thesefrom, neither to the right
nor to the left; add not thereto, nor take away
therefrom, that you may act wisely. Whithersoever
you go, be not terrified, and fear not, for the Lord
your God is with you, when you pass through the
waters, or into the fire; and though through hypocrisy
or dissimulation you may now evade pain
and punishment, you can neither alive nor dead
escape the power of Almighty God. 1 Pet. 3:14;
2 Macc. 6:26.

Therefore let us forsake all that is in this world,
for it lieth in wickedness; and let each take up his
cross, and follow Jesus Christ; for he is nigh unto
and with all those who are in distress, and will deliver
them, and bring them to honor, if they are
of a broken heart, and contrite spirit. O what great
comfort is it, to have such a powerful and faithful
companion, and what great honor is it, that he himself
will so kindly aid us! But we must know that
our Lord Christ Jesus is our Companion and Helper
only at his own proper time, according to the counsel
of the divine will and pleasure, in which he has
ordered everything after one measure and weight;
for even as he is the head of the holy church, and
beholds her sufferings, so he has also appointed the
number, measure, and weight, how far he will permit
the wicked to go, how far they shall reach, and
not longer nor farther, even as the Babylonian captivity
should continue seventy years. Jer. 29:10.
Yea, when the distress is at its height, and men
think that God has utterly forsaken and forgotten
them, at this very time the help of God is nearest
them; yea, properly speaking, the Lord comforts
before and in the midst of all affliction, for the
Christian has in his heart the Spirit of God, the fountain
of living water, by which he is always refreshed,
comforted, rejoiced, and made glad. John 4:10;
7:37; 2 Cor. 7:7. Yea, the more sufferings increase,
the greater the help and aid we receive; “for God
will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are
able; but will with the temptation also make a way
to escape, that we may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians
10:13. Behold, in these words Paul tells us
for our great consolation, that God will not suffer us
to be assailed or tempted above that we are able to
bear; “for if the sufferings of Christ abound in us,
our consolation also abounds by Jesus Christ our
Lord.” 2 Cor. 1:5.

As a captain makes his soldiers valiant by encouraging
words and promises, how then should not the
true and faithful God make us manful and strong by
his divine word of the Gospel, which is the power
of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.
Rom. 1:16. Yea, the righteous God does not stop
at mere words, but is present with us with his Spirit,
who, as an earnest, assures our hearts of his divine
447
grace and help, and strengthens our weakness.
Eph. 1:13; Gal. 4:6; Rom. 8:23; 2 Cor. 1:22. For
if the devil, by his lying spirit, so animates men,
that they are perfectly willing to commit wickedness,
though it cost their life; why should not the grace
of God, by his true Spirit, make us equally ready
unto every good work, in all distresses and tribulations?
This the gracious God also does, not only
through his Spirit, but also through angels, stars,
elements, beasts, men, and all manner of creatures.
For instance, Elisha said to his servant: “Fear not:
for they that be with us are more than they that come
against us.” 2 Kings 6:16. The Red Sea and Jordan
divided, so that the children of Israel passed
through them dry-shod. The sun and the moon
stood still for Joshua at the time when he defeated
the five kings. Elijah was miraculously fed by the
ravens. The children of Israel were delivered by
the hand of a woman from their wicked enemies.
Judith 14:18. God the Lord generally comforts men
through their fellows: for all the saints and Christians
on earth have fellowship with one another, in
adversity as well as in prosperity; for when one suffers
pain and grief, he suffers it not alone, but Christ
and all Christians suffer it with him. For he says in
the Gospel: Ye have fed, clothed, entertained, and
comforted me. And all Christians are one body, one
bread, one drink in the Lord Christ Jesus. Acts 9:4;
Matt. 25:35; 1 Cor. 10:17.

Now if Christ Jesus our Lord frequently spent
whole nights in prayer, and also prayed in the garden
before his death, we should also pray without
ceasing, especially in our distress, to the Father
of lights, from whom alone is every good and perfect
gift, that he may forgive our sins, for the death
of his dear Son, who was delivered for our offenses,
and was raised for our justification. Matt. 14:23;
Luke 6:12; Matt. 26:36; Mark 14:32; Luke 22:41;
1 Thess. 5:17; Jas. 1:17; Rom. 4:25.

Hence we are to pray that he would deliver, or
punish us, not according to our judgment, but according
to his divine wisdom, lest we utterly perish.
Yea, we must give praise and thanks to God also in
our tribulation, that he do not forget us, but chasten
us according to his fatherly mercy, and graciously
help us to bear every burden, even as Paul thanked
God in his affliction, saying: “Blessed be God, the
Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who
comforteth us in all our tribulation. Amen.” 1 Corinthians
1:3,4.





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