The Fifth Letter From Jan Wouterss, To His Wife And Daughter.

The unfathomable grace and mercy of our heavenly Father, the abundant love of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the co-operation of his Holy Spirit, always be multiplied to you beloved, my chosen on earth, for consolation on your pilgrimage, for the steadfastness and confirmation of your faith, to the praise of God, and to the salvation of your soul; that you may always be a light in this world, and also edify your dear, only daughter, and your neighbor, in that which is good; so that you may always be like unto fruit-bearing branches, for to this are all believers appointed. If another decreases and becomes weary, do you constantly increase, and let your increasing become manifest before God and men, knowing that the good works will follow you; and it will be an ornament to your wedding garment when you shall appear before the supreme Bridegroom; when the slothful, the sleepers—who are sufficiently awake to seek that which is perishable only too much—shall stand naked, then you shall be gloriously appareled.

Therefore, my dearest sister above all men, weary not, though you must still walk in this pilgrimage; always trim and fill your lamp in simplicity with oil, and keep it constantly burning, and thus with patience wait for your Comforter the Bridegroom. Then he shall for a little season of faithfulness bid you a glorious and joyful welcome; for he has opened the way, for you and all believers, who use diligence, and add to their faith, virtue; to virtue, knowledge; to knowledge, temperance; to temperance, patience; to patience, godliness; to godliness, brotherly kindness; to brotherly kindness, charity. 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 and Savior 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. Hence Peter further admonishes: Wherefore the rather give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things (mark), ye shall never fall (mark still more): 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.

O it is very evident from this, how one falls, and how one gets into the way of life; hence, diligence is a good thing. For David says: “Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently!” Psalm 119:4. And Paul says: “Be not slothful in business, but fervent in spirit.” Rom. 12:11. He further writes: These things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God may excel in good works. Tit. 3:8.

O how well it goes when one heeds this! He further also says: O that it were the will of God, that those whom I have instructed might minister to the furtherance of the truth of the Gospel, and become diligent in the works of eternal life. O they who lay to heart these divine Scriptures of admonition and warning, will not easily grow weary; when others will halt, they will go on with a faithful heart, as long as they can draw breath, and constantly make no account of what they do, because of the divine nature that is in them, which love is without measure. Namely, when one considers in his heart, that Christ, by his great agony of death made us dead men alive, and delivered us from the power of the devil, and translated us into the kingdom of Christ; that he has taken and chosen us poor sinners from so many thousands, and enlightened us. When they shall go into eternal fire, we shall go into everlasting joy, and our vile body shall be like unto Christ’s glory. O who can tell that great joy which shall endure forever? Every one who truly tastes said love and goodness of God does not easily weary in well doing; the same, Paul also says, shall reap without ceasing. Gal. 6:9. And Christ says: “A good tree bringeth forth good fruit.” Matt. 7:17. He also says: “They that have done good shall arise unto the resurrection of eternal life.” John 5:29; Dan. 12:2. O my very dear and beloved wife, though I must now leave you, and see you no more, yet by the grace of the Lord I hope to see you in the resurrection, but with a glorious and incorruptible body. Therefore, my dearest lamb, always go on in virtue, according to your ability, as I trust with all my heart, my dearest, you will do. Hold fast the truth wherein you stand through the grace of God; for it is the right truth, and there shall no other be found: of this I am sure in my heart. Hence be firmly rooted therein, that you may be able to stand against all tempests, and not fall through persecution, or through being robbed of your goods, or your beloved, nor through false Christs, of whom, alas! there are many abroad, who disturb and deceive many hearts and minds, under the semblance of truth, which is adulterated by them; so that much bitterness has sprung up, and love has waxed cold in a very great measure.

Yea, I fear, that it will go yet as Christ says: “When the Son of man shall come, will he find 869 believers on the earth?” Luke 18; 8. O my most beloved wife, I can no longer watch over you by the help of the Lord, nor strive for you; strive now for yourself, with earnest prayer to God. He will not forsake you, though I must leave you. Trust firmly in him, and always adhere unwaveringly to the doctrine of Christ. Fulfill that which you have heard and accepted, in the fear of God, and you shall have eternal life; for God is able to perform and to accomplish the same good work which he has begun in you, without delay.

Finally, be strong in the Lord, through the power of his might, and be well armed against all adversity, and you shall triumph by the help of the Lord. Set your affection on divine things, and overcome that which is human. Col. 3:2. And I beseech you as affectionately as I can, be resigned in the Lord, and constantly be mindful of your redemption, and of the treasure that surpasses all treasures, which has been given you out of grace; and have in constant remembrance the glorious promises; and I hope by the grace of the Lord, that the bitter cup and the bitter water Mara, which you must now also drink for the Gospel’s sake, will be, in a measure, sweetened. For, my dearest, you are certainly well aware that these are our meat and promises, and that ever since we accepted the truth we expected to become a spoil to every one; for the servant is not better than his lord, and we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. And consider, from Abel to the present time, how the righteous had to suffer. The Scriptures must certainly be fulfilled; for if I were not apprehended, nor another, how should the number of the martyrs under the altar be fulfilled? for they wait for the fulfillment. Hence console yourself, my dearest, and comfort one another; for I suppose when one weeps the other weeps too. For I can comfort you with the holy word of the Lord; and I am still more assured that I am not a bastard, because the merciful Father has been pleased to chasten me poor, sinful man, and to receive me unworthy one as his dear son; his will be done. Therefore pray, and cause prayer to be made for me, that I may with my death praise the name of the Lord, to the edification, emboldening and joy of my neighbor, for a light to the world, for the awakening of those who are still in the sleep of sin, and to the salvation of my soul. Amen.

I must also inform you, my dearest on earth, that it is a great alleviation to me in my bonds, that you are not in custody. O I also cannot fully thank my God on account of our poor little daughter, who saw her father bound, as though he were a murderer; however, the strong and faithful God gave me such grace, that I was hardly frightened at all, only I said: “O my lords, why do you bind me thus, as though I were a wicked man?” “O,” said they, “you inflict this upon you yourself;” hence there was much lamenting among them. When he asked me concerning you, I spoke in a very loud tone to the Bailiff, in order that you should flee, so greatly was I concerned for you. The Lord be praised, that he so graciously chastens me.

O dearest lamb, you were certainly very near, as may be imagined, if one leaves the cloak behind and flees without it. Now, dearest, be of good cheer; true, you leave more yet; but if you leave much you shall receive much. And always possess yourself in patience, and you shall by the grace of the Lord overcome everything that comes upon you; for patience is a special gift of God. Patience is the Christian’s strength; this I, unworthy one, have discovered indeed, and I also experience it best in my bonds which I suffer for Christ’s sake. I cannot fully thank his grace for his consolation. I experience how a man feels that is not imprisoned for any evil doing. I experience the Lord’s faithfulness, which he has promised his own. I trusted in his word, that he would keep it, before I was apprehended; for the Lord says: “Though a mother forget the son of her womb, yet will I not forget thee.” Isa. 49:15. He is certainly the strength of the poor, and a true helper in time of need.

O I was in hopes that I should alone seal it with my blood; but another weak lamb has fallen into the hands of the wolves, and this very strangely. One would have thought that she was certainly not in much danger. She came into my masters’ house, and was held. When my time was fulfilled, I also fell into their hands; I believe that the good God has ordered it so for my salvation; for he knows better than I, what is necessary for me; hence his will be done. O my dearest, be also resigned thus, and offer me up, your most beloved, into the will of the Lord, as is our daily prayer; for I had many times before prayed the Lord, that he should give me, and let come upon us, what is for my salvation. I therefore see that the Lord wants to take me away from the evil to come, and to bring me into rest; for he that loves the Lord and the church from the heart is seldom without sorrow of heart, but frequently in travail. But now, I am also ofttimes, it seems to me, like a woman in travail, when I think of your and my daughter’s grief, and of the sorrow of my old father and my old mother; then I indeed could cry, but the Lord gives me consolation again by his Holy Spirit; praise to him forever. Amen.

I further cannot forbear, but must greatly thank you, my dearest, only wife, for having been such a dear, faithful wife to me, for more than nine years; the time has passed away so rapidly, that I am surprised. I have had such joy in my heart because of your love, that I could never fully thank the Lord for his grace; yea, I thought, that though the hairs of my head and the grass of the earth were tongues, I could not fully thank his goodness: I should remain his debtor. But however much I loved you, I had to limit it, in order that if it should come to what it has now come, I might overcome the parting.

Again, I loved my daughter rather more than I showed; I dared not set my affection too much upon her, in order that when I should have to part from her, as the Lord has ordered in regard to me, unworthy one, the bitter parting should not overcome me. But now that the Lord has called me to this state, I will commit you both, my dearest lambs, 870 to the Lord of lords, and beseech his grace to keep you both from the evil, and to bring you into his everlasting kingdom. Amen.

But, alas! I have often regretted, and do still regret, that I, miserable, man have not walked more holy and perfectly with you. Do as I would, I always fell far short; so that I did not struggle through all the years of my faith without stumbling or falling. But the rich God, seeing my good intention, according to his mercy lifted me up again, for he is willing to forgive, as I also gladly forgive, and his promise is sure: If we forgive men their trespasses, he will also forgive us our trespasses. Matt. 6:14. When I thus felt my own deficiency, it caused me to keep myself in humility, and to bow myself under the mighty hand of God, and it was an admonition to me to be zealous in my calling. While I was in a good determination, the Lord of lords came, for which eternal praise be to him; and I often pray him to forgive those who named, delivered, and apprehended me; I forgive them all. O my beloved wife, this I must also heartily pray you yet, that you will likewise thus forgive them that have sinned against me, and caused your grief; for if you forgave not, I think you should prevent the Lord your and my God from forgiving your debt; hence I beseech you to forgive it from the heart. And pray for them that afflict you, and you will be a good sister in Christ. Make God your debtor, and he will also forgive your debt; for we need daily forgiveness, because we are frail.

But I am also daily afflicted in this, that our dear church—many poor souls—are scattered so, and must wander about in foreign countries, yea, some of them having nothing to lay hold of, and yet the poor children must be fed. O there is a lack of cheerful givers in this distressing time.

Nothing special further for this time; but I commend you now and forever to the Lord, and to the rich word of his grace, who is so able to keep you from the evil, and to bring you into his everlasting kingdom. Amen. I greet you most affectionately in the Lord with the kiss of love and peace, and this in the heart, as present with you in spirit. Bid our beloved daughter much good night in my name, and tell her to comfort her mother, and if she is an obedient daughter, learns diligently to read, and then also to write, and then helps her dear mother to gain a livelihood, I shall love her. Greet much in my name, in the Lord, all the godfearing that ask you concerning me; tell them to be of good cheer all of them, and to hope and trust in the Lord, for his hand is not shortened, this I now realize. Let therefore no one fear mortal man, but much rather the immortal God. I have confessed the faith, not sought my life, freely and openly confessed Christ before this sinful people, for a testimony unto them, that they may have no excuse to make in the day of Christ.

The Bailiff asked me, whether I would not renounce my faith; that they would then give me back my liberty, so that I could gain a livelihood for my wife and child as before: “you are yet a young man,” said he, “you can raise children yet, and increase the world.” I answered, that I did not wish to renounce. The Bailiff said: “Do you not want to live, then?” “Yes, my lord, but I will not renounce my faith for anything in the world.” In going he said that I erred; he would prove to me from history, that the doctrine which I said in the time of the apostles was called the sect of the Nazarenes, is openly contradicted; you must see that our faith has existed for so many centuries, and been handed down from generation to generation. I said, “I do not look at the years, but at the truth.” Thus we parted.

Go not around much with my letter, lest I lose my liberty [of writing]; the Lord be praised for it. If any one feel constrained by love to write a little, send it; put into it, a little color, and soil it a little, and it will be noticed the less. Write me how you and my daughter are; send it with color, or some spice, if it be only fennel seed, or a piece of cake; it shall be acceptable to me. Salute cordially your brother and his wife.