The First Letter Of Jelis Strings.

Grace, mercy and peace from God our heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father in truth and in love. May he strengthen and confirm you people, who now have to suffer persecution for a little while, and may he grant you to be strengthened with might in the inner man, and that Jesus Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, and you be rooted and grounded in love, so that you may be able to comprehend with all the saints of God, the height, and depth, and length and breadth of his mercy, and to rightly walk and remain immovable therein unto the end of your life; this we wish you all who love the Lord, for a cordial greeting, dear brethren and sisters in the Lord.

Further, after all greetings, be pleased to know that we are tolerably well yet, the Lord be praised forever for his grace. Pray the Lord for us that he will order it according to his will. We are of pretty good courage, the Lord be praised.

Further, I earnestly pray you, that you will rightly instruct the simple in the faith, concerning all things, and frequently speak of these things in the exhortation, for there is great need of it. They greatly torment those that are imprisoned, when they perceive that they are weak, yea, as much again as them that are sure of their faith. And you that are weak take it well to heart, and be not ashamed to ask questions for the benefit of your souls, until you have a good understanding, before it comes to the test. Take this warning to heart, for it is such a blessed assurance, if one is sure of his faith. For Sirach says: “A man whose heart is established is like a house which is firmly bound and nailed together; it feareth not though a storm arise.” Sir. 22:16. Thus, dear friends, let us also 632 build upon Christ Jesus; this must be the foundation, namely, his word; for Christ himself says: He that heareth my word, and doeth it, I will show whom he is like: He is like a man who proceeded to build his house; but he digged deep, and laid the foundation upon the rock: though floods and rains come against it, it remaineth standing, for it is founded upon the rock. But he that heareth my word, and doeth it not, is like unto a foolish man that buildeth his house upon the sand: when the floods come, or the winds blow, it falleth, and great is the fall of it. Matt. 7:24–27. Observe friends, he says: great is the fall of it. Hence, dear friends, dig deep, which, according to my understanding, means, to examine and take well to heart, so that we may not be found fools; for James admonishes us to be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving our own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso examineth himself in the law of God, and is a doer of the word, and not a hearer only, this man shall be blessed. Jas. 1:22–25, Yea, Christ Jesus says himself: Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. Luke 11:28. John also, admonishes us: Blessed are they that hear the words of the prophets, and keep those things which are written therein.

Behold, dear friends, if we hear his word, and keep it well in our hearts, we are entitled to all these promises of blessedness; for it is the true food of the soul, by which all Christians must be fed, if they are to live; for Christ says that man lives not by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Matt. 4:4. Yea, as the prophet Jeremiah says, in the 15th chapter, verse 16: Lord, thy word sustains me, since I have obtained it; and thy word is the comfort and joy of my heart. Solomon, also, says: Every word of God is pure, and they are a shield unto them that put their trust therein. Prov. 30:5. Therefore, dear friends, let us always put our trust in God’s word; it will not deceive us; for John says: These sayings of God are true; heaven and earth shall pass away, but the words of God shall not pass away. Rev. 19:9. O dear friends, let us heed it well, for it is what will judge us in the last day; for Christ says: I shall not judge you; but the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge you in the last day. John 12:48. O dear friends, if it is that which will judge us, then we must well examine, and constantly prove ourselves, whether our life accords with the word of God; and carefully view ourselves in it as in a mirror, whether there is nothing condemnable in us; and if we find aught in us that is unclean, then let us do according to the counsel of the prophet, who says: “Wash ye, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do well; seek judgment; relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” He says: “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” Is. 1:16–20.

Dear brethren and sisters, let us not be disobedient, nor murmur against God, like Israel, who were rejected for it. 1 Cor. 10:10. If we have heard his voice to-day, let us not harden our hearts, but let us take care that we do not forsake the promise of entering into his rest, and that none of us be found to remain without; for we have been sufficiently admonished and invited, as was also Israel; but the word preached them did not profit them; because they did not firmly believe it. Hebrews 3:7,6; 4:2. But let us have a steadfast faith, like Joshua and Caleb had, who feared neither the great stature of the Canaanites, nor the strength of their cities, though their walls reached up to heaven. Num. 13:30. Mark, their walls were high, and the inhabitants of the land were like giants; they were only grasshoppers in their sight. But Caleb and Joshua trusted in God, and said: God is with us; their defense is taken from them; we shall devour them like bread. Num. 14:9. And by their faith they overcame everything, and entered into the promised land. Joshua 3:17.

Thus, dear friends, also our enemies are great, strong and numerous; but if we have a faith like Caleb and Joshua, so that we do not see our own strength, but go out from ourselves, and rely upon Him with the whole heart, then we shall come off conquerors; for David says: “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Ps. 37:5. Solomon, too, says: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5,6. Yea, Paul, also, says: “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man will do unto me.” Heb. 13:5,6; Deut. 31:6. Yea, David says: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Ps. 23:1–4.

O dear friends, where do we find such a God in Babylon? he says: When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through, the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Yea, he says: The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. Isa. 43:2; 54:10. Brethren and sisters, if we have such a God, who helps thus in time of need, who are we, that we should be afraid of men, and of the children of 633 men that must perish like grass. Isa. 51:12. Yea, Christ himself said: Fear not them that kill the body; but fear him that hath power to cast soul and body into damnation. Matt. 10:28. Behold, friends, though the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 2 Cor. 1:5. Therefore, let us sincerely humble ourselves and keep his commandments, and pray before him with tears, that he will show us mercy according to his pleasure, so that, as we now have to mourn on account of their pride, we may rejoice after this distress, because we do not follow the sins of our fathers, who forsook their God, and went after strange gods, wherefore the Lord delivered them into the hands of their enemies. 1 Pet. 1:6; Deut. 32:16. Therefore, dear brethren who are elders, comfort the people with your words, and admonish them to remember that our fathers were tried in many ways, and had to overcome manifold temptations, in order that they might be proved whether they served God with their hearts. Thus, Isaac, Jacob and Moses remained steadfast, and had to overcome much affliction; but the others, who would not accept affliction, but impatiently murmured against God, were destroyed by the destroyer and by serpents. But let us remember that we are chastised of God, to make us better, and not for our destruction, and that the punishment is far less than our sins. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Hebrews 12:6,8. Hence, dear friends, let us be patient in this tribulation for a little while; for the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18. But the God of all grace stablish, strengthen and settle us all, this I wish you all for a greeting. 1 Pet. 5:10.

I, Peter, greet you much, and earnestly desire that you would see to my wife; she hopes to do her best, she told me. We ask you to pray for us, that we may finish our course to the praise of God and the salvation of our souls. We also enjoin you, that if Pauwels has not moved, he would better do so; we advise it for the best. We would write more explicitly, but we fear that the letter might fall into wrong hands. I, Pieter Potvliet, greet you much, and give you a testament. Continue steadfast and immovable in the work of the Lord; see that your labor be not in vain. I commend you to God.

By me, Jelis Strings.