# The Fifth Letter Of Maerten Van Der Straten, To Servaes Janss.

16th century (source section) · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: THE FIFTH LETTER OF MAERTEN VAN DER STRATEN, TO SERVAES JANSS.

Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

I, Maerten van der Straten, imprisoned for the
word of the Lord, wish you my dear and much
beloved brother in the Lord, Servaes Janss, much
grace and mercy from God our heavenly Father,
and also to all that have been redeemed from the
earth, and cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, our
Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to the word of
the prophet, bore our reproach, took upon him our
sins, and restored to us that which he had not taken
away, that he might deliver us from this present
evil world; according to the will of God his Father;
to whom be glory power and honor forever and
ever. Amen.

Out of a fond heart a loving greeting to you, my
beloved, dear friend and brother in the Lord, whom
I love according to the peculiar privilege of Israel,
this the Lord knows, who according to the words
of Jeremiah, tries men’s hearts and reins, and according
to David, knows men’s thoughts when they
are yet afar off. Jer. 17:10; Ps. 139:2.

Further, after all proper and Christian salutation,
let me, please, inform your love, that I, the Lord
be praised forever, am in tolerably good health according
to the flesh, and according to the spirit my
mind is still fixed to serve God all the days of my
life. I have moreover the undoubted confidence
concerning you, that you are also well in soul and
body, ready to keep the covenant which you once
made with the Lord our God, when you bowed
your knees before God and his glorious majesty;
may this only, eternal, and only wise God, endow
you, according to the word of the prophet (Joel
2:28), with his Holy Spirit, that you, led by him,
may lead a good and chaste conversation among
the Gentiles, as Christ teaches us in the gospel, saying:
“Let your light so shine before men, that they
beholding your good conversation, may glorify God
your Father.”

Hence, O my dear brother, let us, according to
the writing of the apostle, diligently strive to be the
chiefest in virtue; as Paul also says, that we should
approve ourselves as the ministers of God, in much
patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors,
in watchings, in fastings, by pureness, by knowledge,
by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy
Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by
the power of God, by the armour of righteousness
on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor,
by evil report and good report: as deceivers,
and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as
dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not
killed: For God can wound, and heal again, as is
written in the Book of Kings: “The Lord killeth,
and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave,
and bringeth up.” Tit. 3:8; 2 Cor. 6:4–9; Deuteronomy
32:39; 1 Sam. 2:6.

Hence, O my dear brother, if you be visited at
any time, out of bonds as well as in, be not grieved,
nor become weary in the way of the Lord, though
it is narrow and straight; for it is better to suffer
affliction for a little time with God’s children, than
to possess all the treasures of Egypt; for though
man, as Christ says, should gain the world, and
lose his own soul, O what would he have then, that
he could give in exchange for it? Heb. 11:25,26;
Matt. 16:26.

Therefore, O my dear brother, let us seek the
kingdom of God above all things, and let us not
follow after that which is earthly, as is written in the
epistle to the Colossians, by the holy apostle Paul,
where he says: “If ye then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above, where Christ
sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection
on things above, not on things on the earth.
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in
God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear,
then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”
Col. 3:1–4. For it is a faithful saying: “If we suffer
with Christ, we shall also reign with him.”
2 Tim. 2:12. Hence let us not be weary in well
doing, for according to Paul’s writing, in due season
we shall reap a most abundant harvest. Galatians
6:9. For our light affliction, which is but for
a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the
things which are seen, but at the things which are
not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal;
but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Cor. 4:17,18.

Hence, O my dear brother, let us help the author
of our faith, the Lord Jesus Christ, bear all his
reproach, and let us, as Paul says, follow after holiness,
without which no man shall see the Lord.
Heb. 12:14. And let us seek the Lord with tears,
while he may be found, and let us bring forth genuine
fruits of repentance, that the tower of Siloam
may not fall upon us, for we have done evil long
enough before the Lord. Is. 55:6; Luke 13:4.
Hence let us now, as Paul says, use our members,
which we have heretofore used from iniquity, unto
iniquity, still more abundantly from righteousness
unto righteousness. And let us, moreover, praise
the Lord, because he has revealed to us the pearl
of great price that lies in the field, and is yet still
hid from so many. Matt. 13:46. Therefore, O my
dear brother, let us now, as good and faithful servants,
put our talent out upon usury, that, when our
dear Lord comes, we may have gained something,
and may hear the words: “Well done, good and
faithful servant: thou hast been faithful in a few
things, I will make thee ruler over many things:
enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Matt. 25:23.
Thus, my dear, let us diligently look before us, and
watch circumspectly, that we do not defile our wedding
garment, but may much rather be adorned
with the five wise virgins, with the oil of love in our
lamps, so that we, when our bridegroom comes,
may enter in with him into his eternal kingdom,
where, according to the word of Isaiah, and of the
apostle, incomprehensible joy and gladness shall endure
forever. Amen.

Further, my dear brother, I do not know, because
of my small gift, much more to write you,
but commend you to the only, eternal, almighty
God, who according to the word of Isaiah, hath
measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and
913
meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended
the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the
mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance; that
he may keep you, so that you may receive a crown
of glory. Is. 40:12; 1 Pet. 5:4.

Furthermore, my dear brother, I pray you, that
you will excuse this simple letter which I, unworthy
one, have written, for it were better that you would
write to me; but in order to fulfill your request I
could not forbear to do it.

Greet your dear wife, and also the acquaintances,
in my name. Beliken van der Straten, my dear
wife, also greets you and Tanneken much, and also
the acquaintances. Further, all of us prisoners
greet you from the heart. Pray the Lord diligently
for us. Nothing more. Farewell, and do the best.

To your benefit as much as lieth in me, by me
your weak brother and servant.

Maerten van der Straten.





---

Page: http://history.truechristian.church/stories/mm-the-fifth-letter-of-maerten-van-der-straten-to-servaes-janss/

[Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+The+Fifth+Letter+Of+Maerten+Van+Der+Straten%2C+To+Servaes+Janss.&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0AThe+Fifth+Letter+Of+Maerten+Van+Der+Straten%2C+To+Servaes+Janss.%0A%0APage%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fstories%2Fmm-the-fifth-letter-of-maerten-van-der-straten-to-servaes-janss%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-the-fifth-letter-of-maerten-van-der-straten-to-servaes-janss%0A%0ADate+currently+shown%3A+16th+century+%28source+section%29%0A%0A%23%23+Correction+or+addition%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Sources+and+evidence%0APlease+include+book%2Fpage+references%2C+archive+links%2C+or+first-hand+documentation.%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Image+credit+%28if+applicable%29%0ACreator%2C+source%2C+and+permission+or+public-domain+basis.%0A%0A%0A%0ASubmitted+for+review%3B+this+issue+does+not+publish+changes+automatically.)