Another Letter Which Jan Thielemans Wrote From Prison.

I wish you, my much beloved brethren and sisters in the Lord, and all those who shall see my letters, or hear them read, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the communion of the Holy Ghost, for a friendly and worthy greeting. Accept it in love. Amen.

After good and proper greetings, I undertake to write a little to you, my beloved, dear friends. I beseech you all by the mercies of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, that you would all diligently take heed to yourselves299 in all love, peace and truth, according to the words of the Gospel, while, dear children, you still have time from the Lord, through his great love shown you; since the time is so precious, for when it is past, and one has not taken good heed, it is lamented with sorrow. Hence Paul says: Let us take heed to ourselves, to provoke to love in good works.300 Therefore let us be the least, meanest, and lowliest, to bear all that is consistent with love and truth. For thus said Christ Jesus, the eternal truth, himself; when the disciples asked who should be the greatest among them, he took a child, and set it in the midst of them, and said: Except ye become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 18:3. Hence we may well perceive from the words of Christ, that we are to be, and must be, a prepared people; or we are not what we think ourselves to be, or, for what people take us.

Hence, my much beloved friends, we must approve ourselves in all things as the ministers of God. Now, no more is required in them, than that they be found faithful; for God is not unrighteous to forget your love, and your good and kind works. 1 Cor. 4:1,2; Heb. 6:10. Therefore be steadfast and immovable in the work of the Lord, always knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord; hoping by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that it will yet be most richly rewarded to you, when he will say: Come, ye blessed, inherit the kingdom of my Father. 1 Cor. 15:58; Matt. 25:34. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Matt. 13:43. Then shall it be seen what difference there shall be between the righteous and the wicked, and between them that have served God, and them that have not served him. Mal. 3:18.

Therefore, my greatly beloved in the Lord, take diligent heed to yourselves. Rather suffer from another—even though it should be one friend from another—than that another should suffer from you. Rather bear from another—even though it should be a friend—if it be consistent with the truth, than that a friend should suffer from you. Hence it is written: If thou come to serve the Lord, prepare thy soul for temptation. Sir. 2:1. For it will come very convenient even if one has put himself in the lowest place.

Hence, beloved friends in the Lord, abide in that which you have heard from the beginning. If you abide in it, you shall continue in the Father, and in the Son. And this is his promise, even eternal life. 1 John 2:24,25. What do we care for the world, or for what there is in it; for the world shall pass away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. And it is certainly our chief concern to be saved; as Peter says, Acts 15:11: “We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved.” Even as he says also in another place: I have briefly written to you, by our brother Silvanus, namely, that this is the grace of God wherein ye now stand. Therefore hold that fast which you have, that no man take your crown. Rev. 3:11. If you overcome, you shall inherit all things. Hence add to your faith, virtue; to virtue, knowledge; to knowledge, temperance; to temperance, patience; to patience, godliness; to godliness, brotherly kindness; to brotherly kindness, charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Pet. 1:5–11. Having therefore such great and glorious promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness. 2 Cor. 7:1. As John also testifies, saying: Let us purify ourselves from sin, even as he is pure. For whosoever committeth sin doeth wrong; for sin is wrong. Therefore came he into the world, that he might take away sin; for in him is no sin. Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 1 John 3:3–6. The same John further testifies, and says: “Ye are of God, little children, [and have overcome them:] because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; but he that knoweth not God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.” 1 John 4:4–6. With this Christ agrees, saying: “The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.” John 7:7. As he further says in another place: “Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me: thine they were, and thou gavest them me. Not, Father, that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil.” John 17:11. In another place 706 Christ says: “Every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” 3:20.

Thus, my much beloved friends, while we are yet in this sad world, and the Lord still grants us time, we must take most diligent heed to the word of the Lord, and do our very best to follow the same; for thus Paul teaches us, saying: As many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy. Gal. 6:16. For thus we read in another place: This people doth not understand, neither lay they to heart, that the grace and mercy of God are over his chosen and over his saints; even as Moses says, that his mercy is shown to thousands of them that love him, and keep his commandments. Ex. 20:6. True, there are many in the world, who say that they love the Lord; but they do not show it by their works, for their works show well enough whom they love; for Christ says: He that loveth me will keep my word, or obey my commandments, These are they who can stand before him; for thus also says Christ: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. John 14:21. But he that does not keep his commandments, does also not love him; for John in his epistle declares: “This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 1 John 5:3–5. Therefore “love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, namely, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” 1 John 2:15–17. Hence, my much beloved friends, be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable will of God. Rom. 12:2. Even as Paul says also in another place: Grace be to you, and peace, from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world. Galatians 1:3,4. Thus, my dear friends, this grace has been given you, namely, that you have tasted that the Lord is gracious, to whom you are come as unto a living stone, which was disallowed of men, but before God was chosen and precious. Therefore, be ye built up a spiritual house, and a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through our Lord Jesus Christ; that you may lift up holy hands to the Lord, without strife and discord (1 Tim. 2:8), and make intercession and give thanks for all men; and the Lord of peace shall be with you. 2 Cor. 13:11.

But if God be with you, who shall be against you, who spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all? Who shall lay anything to the charge of his elect? It is God that justifieth them. Who shall condemn them? It is Christ that died and is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, and also maketh intercession for us. Hence Paul says: Who shall be able to separate us from the love of God? tribulation, or persecution, or death, etc. Rom. 8:31.

Thus, my much beloved brethren and sisters in the Lord, I will shorten my simple letter which I have written in bonds, in which we daily look for the redemption of our bodies. Hence receive this letter kindly, and think of what has in times past proceeded forth from my unworthy lips (not I, but the grace of God through me, 1 Cor. 15:10).

Herewith I bid you an eternal, Christian adieu, and expect you all in the second resurrection, that we may meet him in the air, and ever be with the Lord. Comfort one another with these words. 1 Thess. 4:17,18. Once more I bid you adieu, my dear friends. Herewith I commend you to the Lord, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. Amen. Acts 20:32.

Written in bonds, by me, Jan Thielemans,

Your weak brother in Christ.