# The Second Letter From Jan Wouterss, Written To His Brother And His Sisters.

16th century (source section) · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: THE SECOND LETTER FROM JAN WOUTERSS, WRITTEN TO HIS BROTHER AND HIS SISTERS.

Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

The eternal and merciful God grant you, my only
brother and my beloved sisters, his grace
through Jesus Christ, that you may together get a
desire, taste and longing for your salvation, unto
the end of your life. O that this would happen,
dear Lord, what a joy would it be to us hereafter;
which I hope will be so, that our old, venerable beloved
father, and our venerable mother and their
children, will find one another in life eternal.
Amen.

In the first place, I hope in the Lord, that you
with me have received a desire, taste and longing
for salvation. Hence, I now exhort you a little, that
you will increase therein, since the Lord has granted
you his grace, and opened your eyes, so that you
can discern good from evil.

Thus, my dearest, beloved brother, since you
have received this grace, that you know and believe
(as I trust you do) that God hates evil and loves
righteousness, thank the good and omnipotent God
for it, and particularly, that he has delivered us from
the hands of Satan through Christ Jesus, and has
according to his mercy begotten us again by the
word of life, and has helped us in this acceptable
862
time; in which time he has caused his saving grace
to shine upon all men; and you, my dear brother,
have taken heed to this saving grace, you have received,
as I trust, this light, which is Christ Jesus.
The Scriptures testify that to them that have received
Christ (that is, who believe in him), power
is given to become the children of God. John 1:12.
Hence suffer yourself constantly to be governed, directed
and guided by him, through his Spirit; for
these are the true children of God, that are led by
his Spirit; they are Christ’s.

Now, my dearest brother, be careful all your life,
to guard well this good and most precious treasure:
that you may live of it, and ever follow what the
saving grace of God (namely, Christ Jesus who is
our light), teaches us.

In the first place, the saving grace of God teaches
us to deny the ungodliness of this world, and its lusts
and desires; as Paul says: And be not conformed
to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing
of your mind, that is, after the mind of Christ.
Tit. 2:11,12; Rom. 12:2. If you do this, you
will walk in the light, and not in darkness, wherein
the world walks. Beware, my beloved brothers,
of the works of darkness, and have no fellowship
therewith, but always separate from them, and
touch not the unclean thing, namely, all evil; and
you shall be a child of God, and remain one, if you
abide in Christ unto the end. Eph. 5:11; 2 Corinthians
6:17.

I unworthy one, imprisoned for his name’s sake,
affectionately beseech you, always adhere to the
word of the Lord, and you shall never fall, and
whatsoever you shall ask the Father in his name,
that will he give you; though one thereby incurs
suffering, we must not faint on that account, for it is
made manifest thereby, that the way is narrow, and
the gate strait, which leads unto life eternal. But
this suffering is transient, and if we suffer with
Christ, we shall also be glorified together; for the
sufferings which men can inflict upon us, are short
and light, and work 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 though our outward man perish,
which at all events must perish, yet the inward
man is renewed day by day. 2 Cor. 4:17,18,16,
and when the faith has been kept, and we have
overcome, all is sweetened by him who strengthens
us, which is Christ; he helps us to triumph; this I
experience best now that I am in the trial; to him
be praise forever and ever. Amen.

But, my dear brother, think not that something
new has happened to me, just as though it had not
always been thus.

Read of righteous Abel, and you will understand
the word of Christ, that the servant is not better
than his lord. Matt. 10:24; John 13:16. Dear
brother, the head, which is Christ, suffered himself;
the members must follow; and it is a special sign
of love, that he sends me this chastening, to prove
me, whether I indeed fear, love, and trust him from
the heart. In short, I deem it to be for my salvation;
his holy will be done to my salvation.
Amen.

Hence I now declare to you, my dearest brother,
that this is and shall ever remain the only right
truth, for which I now suffer for a little while. Thus,
my dearest brother, diligently read the word of the
Lord with devotion, and meditate well upon it, and
always pray the Lord in every concern, with prayer
and supplication in the Spirit, with perseverance;
for if you live according to the word of the Lord,
you shall prosper, and never fall (2 Pet. 1:10), for in
the word of the Lord is our light, which is Christ
Jesus. Let us follow him, and we shall get to him
where he is; by our High Priest Christ Jesus, there
I will await you, my dear wife, my daughter, our
father, and mother, and sisters, if you all die in the
Lord, namely, if you adhere to the truth unto the
end, and follow the Lord, as I hope that you with
all the saints of God will do, I will go before, and
herewith write to all of you in this short time.
Adieu; the almighty God grant you all his grace,
that you may always have good courage to obtain
your salvation through Christ Jesus; and be diligent
in love, and be a pattern to one another in
every good work unto life eternal.

Thus, my only, dear brother, I have now written
you a little, for your remembrance, and to stir up
your minds (2 Pet. 3:1), and for your consolation,
that you fear not men, but only the almighty God,
who is eternal. As for man, his days are as grass:
As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the
wind passeth over it, and it is gone. Ps. 103:15,16;
Is. 40:6. Men are perishable; they cannot harm a
hair of our head, unless the Lord permit them. And
he will not permit them more than we are able to
bear and keep the faith.

O it affords such peace, when one by the help
of the Lord has kept his lips. Praise ye, all my
friends, our strong and faithful God, who kept my
lips in the first torturing. I hope and trust that
he who helped me first is able to help me again,
for he has promised it to us unworthy creatures
(his words are yea in him; he is a faithful helper in
distress, as David says): With the Lord help is
found, he is our shield, our fortress, and the strength
of the poor. But we must also trust him; who was
ever confounded, that trusted in the Lord? Hence
cease not to seek your salvation, and be not slothful
in your business, but be fervent in spirit, patient
in tribulation, and continuing instant in prayer.
Rom. 12:11,12. But if you feel no fervor in you,
pray the Lord for it, and he will give it you, if you
only sincerely seek the kingdom of God and his
righteousness, as I trust you do. But beware of
trusting in the world; possess your souls in patience;
the Lord can easily in due time give you
a godfearing person for a companion; but first diligently
pray the Lord, to so order it that you will
first unite with the godfearing. Write my brother-in-law
a letter some time, and he may be prompted
to write you also, and to advise you wherein you
may need advice. I thank you for the friendship
which you have hitherto shown me.

Written the second day after Matthew, in Lent, on
which day I was again suspended twice and once
scourged; but, my only brother, the strong God
again kept my lips. Hence I pray you, rejoice with
863
me, and praise the Lord, since I have great joy
now; and be not dismayed in your mind because
my flesh has suffered a little while; for now the
good heavenly Father has tried my faith, as gold in
the fire, whether I would also trust and fear and love
him in the severest conflict. And now that he has
found me faithful, from one tribulation to the other,
so that through the grace of God I have overcome
the rulers of this world (wherein I have greatly
rejoiced from the heart), and this by the prayer
of the faithful, and the co-operation of the Holy
Spirit, henceforth there is laid up for me the crown
of eternal life, to receive the same from Christ
through grace. Thither I will now go before (and
first put off this mortal clothing of the flesh), with
the prepared burning lamp; for I have kept, and
not denied, the faith, nor love, nor Christ. The
faith is the oil, a pure heart and conscience the
wick, and fervent love the light.

Do you also daily adorn yourself therewith, to
meet Christ our Bridegroom; and take possession
of the promised land, that is, the everlasting kingdom
of God. But be not afraid on the way because
there are many enemies, robbers and wolves in the
wilderness, namely, in the world; and be not dismayed
on this account, for I have passed through it
all by the help of the Lord, and have spied out the
country in advance for you and many of the godfearing,
so that I can now write you that you need
not stay back on account of the peril, and this
because the Lord himself conducts our conflict; he
fights for us, and he is certainly the strongest: for
he said to Abraham; “Fear not; for I am thy
shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” Gen. 15:1.
Was this said to Abraham alone? Paul says, It is
written for our learning, that we through patience
and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
Rom. 15:4.

Consider former examples, how God fought for
Gideon, David, Jehoshaphat, and others; the people
[the hostile army] were slain without their having
to lift up a hand. O my only dear brother, put
your whole trust in the Almighty, for with him help
is found, he is a true helper in distress, he does not
forsake his own in all their tribulations; so that we
may say with the apostle: “If God be for us, who
can be against us? He that spared not his own Son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not
with him also freely give us all things?” Romans
8:31,32. If he has manifested such great love towards
us, how should he not preserve us in every
extremity.

Believe this, that the good God is our debtor; if
we unwaveringly continue to walk in his way, and
cleave to him, and not forsake him, he will also not
forsake us. This is certainly a sure promise; but if
we deny him, he also will deny us. 2 Tim. 2:12;
Luke 12:9. O how thoughtless, how unwise, yea,
how unmerciful toward their poor souls, are they,
who, because of this little, short suffering, through
fear, forsake the way of life and choose another
way according to their own mind, to escape the
cross of Christ, and comfort themselves with a vain
consolation in the way which they have found according
to their own views: whose end is destruction.
But, my only dear brother, do not follow
these, for they that are such do not believe that God
is almighty and true. Hence the Scripture says:
Woe unto the faint-hearted! for they believe not;
therefore shall they not be defended. Woe unto them
that persevere not! how will it go with them when
the Lord shall visit them? (Sir. 2:13,14,) yea,
their part will be with sorcerers in the lake that shall
burn forever. Thus, take courage with Joshua and
Caleb; but you must firmly believe in God’s promises,
even as you believe that God has created
heaven and earth by his word; and you shall then
devour all your enemies like bread, and through
patience finish your conflict with the help of God,
and take the promised land by force, for the violent
take it by force. Num. 14:9; Matt. 11:12.

But, dear brother, the apostle testifies, and I unworthy
one also, that we wrestle not only against
the rulers of the world, but also against the spirits
that are under heaven (Eph. 6:12), and as Christ
says, that in the latter days many false Christs shall
arise. Matt. 24:5,11. This I have also espied for
you; for in the time of my faith many false prophets
or false Christians have assailed me; now they came
with this fair appearance, now with another. But
the Lord, who would have all men saved, delivered
me from all this and I cleaved to the word of God,
as I heard and accepted it in the beginning; and my
faith weakened not, though many apostatized who
had seemed to be the most valiant. See, thus our
faith is tried in many ways, and besides by the daily
conflict that never ceases, for it is a lasting conflict;
the Spirit wars against the flesh, and the flesh
against the Spirit. Gal. 5:17. Herein I find myself
troubled the most; my own sinful flesh was my
most inveterate enemy, which has cost me many a
bitter tear. Satan thereby sought to sift me as
wheat; but now falling, now stumbling, I have come
thus far through the grace of God; for I always
struggled up hard by the grace of the Lord. But
what was it, I would so fain have been perfect, but
this weak flesh was always in the way; which must
now suffer, and I hope to offer it up as a burnt sacrifice.

Thus, my dearest brother, I have explained to
you a little what conflict a Christian must wage,
namely, against flesh and blood, against false spirits,
who have laid their subtle arrows upon the bow, to
shoot in secret at the pious. Hence take unto you
the armor of God; that you may be able to stand
against the subtle assaults of the devil; and be
girded with the girdle of truth: above all, take the
shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to
quench all the fiery darts of the wicked; and have
your feet shod, so that you may always be well prepared
for the gospel of peace; and take the helmet
of salvation, the living hope, and the sword of
the Spirit, which is the word of God; and pray always
with all prayer and supplication. Ephesians
6:13–18. Behold, with these weapons of the Spirit
we can overcome, and then the crown is promised
us. But forget not that Jesus Sirach says: “My
son, hast thou sinned? do so no more, but ask God
for pardon for thy former sins. Flee from sin as
from the face of a serpent; for if thou comest too
864
near it, it will bite thee: the teeth thereof are as the
teeth of a lion, slaying the souls of men. All iniquity
is as a two-edged sword, the wounds whereof
cannot be healed.” Sir. 21:1–3. Paul, too says:
Mortify your members which are upon the earth;
fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil
concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
In short, live according to the Spirit, and you shall
not fulfill the works of the flesh. Col. 3:5; Galatians
5:16. To this end the good God grant his
grace, that you may grow up in faith, in love, and
in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that
you may become a perfect man, unto the measure
of the stature of the fullness of Christ, and thus wait
for the coming of Christ. Eph. 4:13.

O my dear brother, take care for your salvation;
the time here is so short, and eternity is at hand. O
heavenly Father, I humbly beseech thee, that thou
wilt keep my only brother from all evil, and sanctify
him in thy name through Christ Jesus, and ever
guide him by the Holy Spirit, that we may rejoice
together hereafter. Amen.

Adieu, my only brother on this earth; with Christ
I will await you. I wrote the first page just after I
had been tortured; hence it is somewhat badly
written. Now my hand is a little better, but I still
have the marks of the sufferings of Christ; his name
be praised forever.

This I have written you in my bonds, the second
day of March, A. D. 1572. By me your only
brother, unchanged in mind, imprisoned for the testimony
of Christ: hence be of good cheer; the faith
is kept, I have striven unto blood, in the Vuylpoort
at Dortrecht.





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