# Another Letter From Raphel Van Den Velde, Written To His Wife.

16th century (source section) · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: ANOTHER LETTER FROM RAPHEL VAN DEN VELDE, WRITTEN TO HIS WIFE.

Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

I Raphel, your husband, imprisoned for the
Lord’s sake, wish you my dear wife and sister in
the Lord, much grace, mercy and peace, from God
the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the
true Father over all kindreds that are in heaven and
upon earth; that he would grant you, according to
the riches of his goodness, to be strengthened with
might by his holy Spirit in the inner man; and that
Christ Jesus may dwell in your heart by faith, and
be rooted in through love; and that he may abide
with you unto the end of your life, to the salvation
of your soul. Eph. 3:14. This I send you, my dear
sister in the Lord, as a testament and affectionate
adieu.

My dear and in God beloved wife, for a sure token
of the love which I have had to you, I could
not forbear to send you a letter, for I think that the
parting is very near at hand. But, my very dear
and beloved wife, it is not a writing of divorcement,342
as Israel wrote a writing of divorcement, for the
hardness of their hearts; that I should thus leave
you, my love. Oh no! for this leaving is done for
the love of God, for the parting must take place for
his name’s sake. For, my dearest (always next to
God), it is he that joined us together, and it is he
that parts us again, which I willingly accept from
his hand, for my mind has never been in a better
condition in this respect, than it is now, the Lord be
thanked. And I now commit you, my dearest, and
your child, to the Lord, as to a faithful Father;
cleave faithfully to him, this I pray you my dear
wife; and he shall, without any doubt, provide for
you in soul and body. For Peter says: “According
as his divine power hath given unto us all things
that pertain unto life and godliness, through the
knowledge of him that hath called us by his glory
and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding
great and precious promises; that by these we might
be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped
the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
2 Pet. 1:3,4. For if we remain entirely faithful to
him, so that we keep ourselves unspotted from the
world, he will be a faithful Father unto us, who will
provide for us, for it is he that giveth food to all
flesh, and the eyes of all wait upon him, says David,
and he gives them their meat in due season. James
1:27; Ps. 136:25; 124:27.

Thus, my dear and beloved wife, I now commit
you and your child to the Lord, by faith, to confirm
the covenant which we made with the Lord, even as
Abraham by faith delivered up his son Isaac to the
Lord, and Jephtha his daughter, to prove and confirm
his promise thereby. Thus I also, out of love,
deliver you and my child over to the Lord, hoping
and trusting that he will well provide for you, if you
remain obedient and faithful to him.

Herewith I bid you, my dear and in God beloved
wife, a final adieu, till we see each other in eternal
joy; the Lord grant his grace, that this may come
to pass. And I greatly and heartily thank you for
your faithful, willing, and obedient service and love
shown me in all subjection and kindness towards
me; and, my love, I thank you (God shall recompense
you for it) for your pious and good conversation
and walk with me, whereby my heart was often
relieved, comforted and rejoiced, which truly causes
me yet the more to trust in God, and which is also
a sure seal in my heart that we have walked unworthily
in the love and fear of God before the
Lord, according to our weak ability; and once
more I thank you, my dear wife, for all the kindness
and friendship shown me, and heartily entreat
you by the great love of God, if I have grieved
you in anything, or done amiss to you in any wise
by word or deed, that you will readily forgive me;
this I pray you in this letter, with many tears. I
know nothing against you, my love, but what I
979gladly forgive you; may the Lord forgive us all
our sins.

Further, my dear wife, I cannot forbear to write
your love briefly also, though it is done with many
tears, to comfort and rejoice your heart, and this by
the word of God, for this must now be all our
comfort, even as the prophet David says: “O Lord,
unless thy law had been my delight, I should then
have perished in mine affliction.” Ps. 119:92. And
as also the prophet Jeremiah says: “Thou knowest,
O Lord, that we suffer reproach for thy sake; but
thy word sustains us, since we have received it; and
thy word is the joy and comfort of our hearts.”
Jer. 15:15,16. Hence, my dear wife, we must have
our delight in the word of the Lord, and meditate
upon it day and night (Ps. 1:2), even as a rich man
has his delight in his treasure, meditates upon it,
and often counts it to rejoice his heart. Hence,
David also says, we must meditate upon the law
of the Lord with delight, and we shall be like a tree
planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth
his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither;
and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper, v. 3. Hence
I pray you, my dearest, be patient in all wherein
you are tried by God, and do not grieve too much,
but think that it has been so ordered by the Lord,
that we must part now; and console yourself thereby,
though it is grievous for you, and goes contrary
to our flesh, will and desire, we must nevertheless
be patient: and if we suffer willingly, we shall be
richly rewarded; but woe to us, if we do not suffer
willingly, nor are willing to be patient, though it is
hard for the flesh. O my love, it is a little matter
to be patient, so long as it goes well with a man—that
cannot be called patience; but to be patient
when it goes ill with one, and then to be able to
preserve moderation, this is certainly a great power
of faith. Hence, my dearest, I pray you once more,
that you would be patient, and thank God with
resignation of heart, saying: “Lord, thy will be
done;” but, O Lord, strengthen my faith and confidence,
that I may never become faint-hearted, disconsolate,
despairing or doubtful concerning thy
promises, but may trust God, for his promises shall
never fail; he is much too faithful that has promised
it, and there will never be any failure on his
part, for he will not suffer you to be tempted above
that you are able, but will always with the temptation
make a way to escape, that you may be able
to bear it. Heb. 10:23; 1 Thess. 5:24; 1 Corinthians
10:13.

Hence, my love, be patient and endure it willingly,
and pray the almighty God, with whom all
things are possible, that he will cause the sorrow
and trouble that have come upon you on account
of my bonds, and because we must part, to melt,
diminish and vanish away; and that you may henceforth
only be concerned as to how you can in all
things please the Lord best, and spend the time
of your life in the fear of God, and also care for
your child; the Lord grant you grace, that this may
come so. Cast your entire care upon the Lord, and
always hope the best of him; for we must know
that if we forsake much for the name of the Lord,
we shall receive much again; and that if we suffer
much for his holy name, we shall also rejoice in
much, when the Lord shall come in his glory: for
we must all appear before the judgment seat of
Christ; that every one may receive the things done
in his body, according to that he hath done, whether
it be good or bad. Matt. 19:29; 2 Cor. 5:10.
Therefore, dearest, let us always seek to excel in
all good works, and let us not be weary in well
doing, for in due season we shall reap without
ceasing. And let not your heart be afraid, or
moved, nor become weary in the way of the Lord.
Though the waters become bitter, murmur not;
and never turn back to Egypt with your heart, as
Israel did. When they began to think of the flesh-pots
which they had left behind, and because the
waters were bitter, they wanted to choose themselves
captains, and return to Egypt. They said to
Moses: “Hast thou therefore brought us into the
wilderness, to destroy us here, except thou have
rule over us? How finely hast thou brought us
into a country that floweth with milk and honey!”
Hence the wrath of the Lord arose over them, and
he destroyed many of them. Ex. 15:23; 16:3;
Num. 11:4; 14:4; 16:13.

Therefore Solomon says: “Beware of murmuring,
which avail nothing, for though we had spent all
that we have in the world, and the Lord would
prove us with poverty, as he did Israel, our anxiety
could avail us nothing. Hence we must cast our
care on the Lord, who cares for us; for he permitted
Israel to suffer hunger, to prove them whether they
loved him or not, and to try whether they should
be patient. Hence my dear wife and sister in the
Lord, always possess your soul with patience, and
you shall overcome with all the pious witnesses
of God, and inherit salvation, and say with the
prophet Baruch: “O Israel, happy are we; for God
has revealed to us his will.” Bar. 4:4. Even as
Moses says: “O people saved by the Lord, the
shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy
excellency!” Deut. 33:29. Therefore, my much beloved
sister in the Lord, though we must suffer for
his sake, we must nevertheless possess our soul with
patience, and remember that the apostle says:
“That it is acceptable with God, to suffer for well
doing.” 1 Pet. 2:20. Notwithstanding that the world
does not deem it acceptable, as Paul says: “The
preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness:
but unto us which are saved, it is the
power of God;” which power God works in them
by his Spirit, to the comforting and strengthening
of their minds, so that they, by their God, leap
over a wall: and, with Caleb and Joshua, devour
their enemies as bread; and, with Jael, drive a nail
(that is, the enemy of the house of Israel), through
Sisera’s head, with the hammer of the divine
word (Judg. 4:21); and, with David, overcome,
with the stone, Christ Jesus, the giant Goliath, that
is, the devil and Satan, who fights against Israel
(1 Sam. 17:50); and say with the apostle Paul:
“Thanks be unto God who giveth us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 15:57. And
he further says: “Thanks be unto God, which always
causeth us to triumph in Christ.” 2 Cor. 2:14.
They also say with David: “The Lord is my life
980
and strength.” Ps. 27:1. As the prophet writes:
“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall
walk, and not faint.” Is. 40:31.

Hence, my much beloved wife and sister in the
Lord, the world cannot partake of this comfort,
because they do not believe in the Lord and thus
deem the word of the cross foolishness, as is written:
“We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews
a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness.”
1 Cor. 1:23. But they that believe and will
be saved regard it as the power and wisdom of God,
that they are worthy to suffer shame for the name
of the Lord, as did Peter and John, when they had
been scourged by the Pharisees. Acts 5:41. Hence
Peter writes: “What glory is it, if, when ye be
buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently?
but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it
patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even
hereunto were ye called.” 1 Pet. 2:20,21. Paul also
writes: “Those of old time had trial of cruel mockings
and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and
imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn
asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword;
they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins;
being destitute, afflicted, tormented; of whom the
world was not worthy.” Heb. 11:36–38.

See, my dear and in God beloved wife, how the
world cannot become a partaker of this grace, since
it does not esteem the Lord worthy to suffer for his
name; for no one can suffer for the name of the
Lord, except he have through faith obtained power
to become a child of God. John 1:12. Hence,
my cordially beloved sister T. H., let us never be
grieved by what we must suffer for the name of
God, but willingly and lovingly endure it, and look
to the reward; for such as seek to live unto the
Lord, and to promote his glory, and do not seek
their own, but much rather what is to the praise
of the Lord and to the edification of their neighbor,
O what glorious promises of salvation are theirs,
and what great riches are promised them! Romans
24:8; 1 Cor. 10:24; Matt. 10:22. But we must
know that if we would come to honor, we must
first suffer, for thus it has been from the beginning
with all the righteous children of God. Hence John
writes that the Lamb was slain from the beginning.
Rev. 13:8. Not that Christ himself was slain according
to his flesh from the beginning; for Paul
says that Christ appeared in the end of the world,
to put away the sins of many by the sacrifice of himself.
Heb. 9:26. But he was slain from the beginning
in righteous Abel; and thus he still daily suffers
in all believers; hence it is evident that they
suffer for his name, whereto the world is unworthy
yet, for they do not have Christ, and hence they
cannot suffer for his name; hence their suffering is
nothing but vexation, for the sorrow of this world
worketh death. 2 Cor. 7:10. But godly sorrow
worketh to salvation, whether it be outward or inward;
if inward, that one is sorry for sin, it is to
amendment; if outward, because one suffers for the
name of Christ, it is to consolation, for Paul says:
“As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our
consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 2 Cor. 1:5.
Therefore Peter says: “If ye suffer for righteousness’
sake, happy are ye.” 1 Pet. 3:14. He further
says: “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ,
happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God
resteth upon you; on their part he is evil spoken of,
but on your part he is glorified.” 1 Pet. 4:14.
O my dearest, consider what precious words these
are, for us to whom these promises, without any
doubt belong. For though Christ by the Spirit of
God cast out devils, yet, according to their saying,
he had to do it by Beelzebub, the prince of devils.
Matt. 12:24.

Therefore Christ rightly spake: “If they have
persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they
have kept my saying, they will keep yours also;
for the servant is not greater than his lord, nor the
disciple above his master.” John 15:20; Matthew
10:24. For the angel said to Tobit: “Since thou
didst please God, thou couldst not remain without
temptation.” Tob. 12:13. For it is written: Temptation
alone teaches to observe the word. Is. 28:19.
Therefore, my dear wife, take these words to heart,
and mark them well, namely, how the Lord has
visited his own in many ways, and how well he is
pleased, when his children show obedience in all
things, and willingly receive chastisement, and do
not seek to escape from the cross of Christ, but
gladly and willingly take his yoke upon them; and
who are so minded, that through the great love
and firm confidence which they have to Christ Jesus,
they will far rather forsake all that they have in the
world, father, mother, sister, brother, husband,
wife, children, yea, even their own life, with all that
they possess, and, moreover, endure and suffer all
that comes upon them, tribulation, distress, persecution,
sorrow, and affliction. O how gloriously will
God receive those who have become so poor for
Christ’s sake. O how rich shall he make them; for
as they are humbled with him, and for his sake, so
shall they be exalted and made glorious with him.
As they have confessed him in the world, so shall
he also confess them before his Father which is in
heaven; and they shall shine forth with him as the
sun in the Father’s throne (Matt. 13:43), and shall
be clothed in white raiment, because they have
overcome through their faith (1 John 5:4), even as
John writes: “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great
multitude, which no man could number, of all nations,
and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood
before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed
with white robes, and palms in their hands; and
cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our
God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the
Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the
throne, and about the elders and the four beasts,
and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped
God, saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory,
and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and
power, and might, be unto our God for ever and
ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying
unto me, What are these which are arrayed in
white robes? and whence came they? And I said
unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me,
These are they which came out of great tribulation,
981
and have washed their robes, and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb. 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 light
on 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 waters: and God
shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” Revelation
7:9–17.

O my dear sister, this is a sure sign that we must
here weep first, if the Lord is to wipe away the tears;
as Esdras also saw upon the mount Sion a great
people, whom he could not number; and they all
praised the Lord with songs. And in the midst of
them there was a young man of a high stature,
taller than all the rest, and upon every one of their
heads he set crowns, and was more exalted; at which
he marveled greatly. Then he asked the angel
and said: “Lord, what are these?” He said: 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 angel, What young person
is it that crowneth them, and giveth them palms in
their hands? Then the angel spake: 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 Esd. 2:42–47.
Behold, my dear and in God beloved wife and sister
in the Lord, here you hear the beautiful promises
of the Lord, which he has promised all them that
suffer for his holy name, and endure it with patience.
Hence Paul has truly written: “If we suffer,
we shall also reign with him.” 2 Tim. 2:12.

Therefore, my dear sister, be steadfast, immovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord,
forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in
vain in the Lord. 1 Cor. 15:58.

Herewith I commend you, my love, to the Lord,
and to the rich word of his grace, who is able to
keep your treasure, and to give you an inheritance
among all them that are sanctified. Acts 20:32.
Adieu, my dear and in God beloved wife and sister
in the Lord; adieu, adieu. Finally, rejoice, be perfect,
be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in
peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with
you. Amen. 2 Cor. 13:11; Philip 4:4. Greet my
son and Tanneken, in my name, and tell him that
I command him, always to be obedient and subject
to his mother, in all things, always with reverence;
adieu, adieu, farewell.

Written with my blood, for a seal and testament;
an affectionate adieu to you, my love.

By me, your dear husband,

Raphel van den Velde.





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