# The Sixth Letter From Maerten Van Der Straten, And Beliken His Wife, To Adam V. L. And His Wife.

16th century (source section) · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: THE SIXTH LETTER FROM MAERTEN VAN DER STRATEN, AND BELIKEN HIS WIFE, TO ADAM V. L. AND HIS WIFE.

Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

I Maerten van der Straten, and Beliken van der
Straten, my most dearly beloved wife, both of us
prisoners for the word of the Lord, wish our very
dear brother and sister much grace and mercy from
God our heavenly Father, who dwells on high, in a
light unto which, as Paul writes, no man can approach.
We moreover wish, that you may have the
love of his Son, that you may be a light for them
that sit in darkness, and that you may shine as a
bright morning star among the blind that err in the
way, so that you may hereafter, as Isaiah writes,
behold the King in his beauty, and meet with that
perfect and unspeakable joy and gladness that shall
endure forever and ever. This we wish our dear
friends in the Lord, with all the strength of our
souls, out of an affectionate heart.

A cordial, loving greeting to you our very dear
brother Adam V. L., and to Mariken, your very
dear wife. We two prisoners, as said above, love
you, as Paul says, with a godly love, and out of a
pure heart, as Peter writes; this the almighty Lord
knows, who penetrates every thing with eyes which
are as a flame of fire.

Further, after all proper and Christian salutation,
let me, please, inform your love, that I and my
dearly beloved lamb, whose hand I took with tears
of joy, are still, the Lord be praised forever, in tolerably
good health according to the flesh, and according
to the spirit, God be praised, our mind is
still fixed, by the help of the Lord to prefer with
Eleazar, an honorable death to an ignominious life.
But, dear brother and sister in the Lord, we are also
confident beyond a doubt, that you both are well in
soul and body, ready to keep the covenant you
made with Almighty God, concerning which we are
exhorted by Moses, that we should always be mindful
of the covenant which we once made with the
Lord of lords. Deut. 4:9. And Paul instructs us
still more fully, that we are to call to remembrance
the day in which we were illuminated. Heb. 10:32.
The merciful King, and God of gods, who according
to the word of the prophet, in time of need
gives bread, and in thirst water, and in the day of
tribulation forgives sin, may strengthen and confirm
you and us all with his Holy Spirit, that we, as
Luke writes, may serve him in true righteousness
and holiness all the days of our lives. And let us,
O dear friends, always have the Lord before our
eyes, even as David, who says: “I have set the
Lord always before me.” Ps. 16:8. And again he
says: “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that
will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of
the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the
beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his
pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide
me; he shall set me up upon a rock.” 24:4,5.
Hence, dear friends, let us always seek the face of
the Lord with humility, and take good heed to our
vocation, redeeming the time, because the days are
evil, as Paul says (Eph. 4:1; 5:16); for the tongues
of the builders of the tower of Babel have come to
disagree. For David says: “Violence and strife
are in the city. Day and night they go about it
upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are
in the midst of it. Wickedness is in the midst
thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her
streets.” Ps. 55:9–11. And, as the prophet says:
“They fear not God; for they lay their hands on
his peaceable ones, and break his covenant,” verses
19,20. “Their mouth,” as David says, “is smoother
than butter, but they have war in their hearts: their
words are softer than oil, yet are they drawn swords,”
verse 21. Hence, O dearly beloved friends, let us
always watch circumspectly in the spirit, and fear
our God from the heart, and cleave to him with
prayer and supplication, even as the royal prophet
David says: “As for me, I will call upon God; and
the Lord shall save me. Evening, and morning,
and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he
shall hear my voice,” verses 16,17.

Thus, dear friends, when you are distressed, call
upon the Lord, and do not let the waters of Marah
(Ex. 15:23) become too bitter for you, but remember,
that according to Paul’s words we must through
much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
Even as also Christ teaches us in the Gospel, saying:
“The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and
the violent take it by force.” Matt. 11:12. Hence,
dear brother and sister, let us willingly bear our
cross, and give our back to the smiters, and not
regard it however great the heat of the sun, for
the servant is not above his master or lord; for if
they have called the master of the house Beelzebub,
how much more shall they call them of his household?
Matt. 10:25. For Peter teaches us saying:
“Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in
the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same
mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath
ceased from sin; that he no longer should live the
rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men,
but to the will of God. For the time past of our life
may suffice us to have wrought the will of the
Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts,
914
excess of wine, revelings, banquetings, and abominable
idolatries. 1 Pet. 4:1–3.

Hence, O dear friends, let us no longer live
according to the wisdom of the flesh, to indulge
its lusts, but let us walk, as Paul writes, only as
becomes the Gospel, and do not let us be unequally
yoked together with unbelievers: for what
similarity or fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
and what communion hath light
with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with
Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with
an infidel? and what agreement hath the temple
of God with idols? for ye are, says Paul, the temple
of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in
them, and walk in them; and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out
from among them, and be ye separate, saith the
Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will
receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye
shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
Philip. 1:27; 2 Cor. 6:14–18.

Therefore, O my dear brother and sister, let us
serve the Lord with a faithful heart, and refrain our
foot from every evil way, and let us lead a chaste
and pure conversation among the Gentiles, that we,
as Paul writes, may not give the slanderer an occasion
to speak evil; but let us in all things seek
the glory of the Lord with a simple heart, so that
we, according to the word of Paul, may adorn the
Gospel by good works. Tit. 2:8,10. Hence, O
dear friends, be not weary in well doing; for what
you now sow in tears, that shall you in due season,
as Paul writes, reap with joy in great abundance.
Hence let us with fasting and weeping entreat the
Lord, that we may be able to withstand in the evil
day, so that we may live with him forever and ever.
Amen. John 3:8; Eph. 6:13.

Further, my beloved friends, we do not know
much more to write you for this time, because of the
simplicity of our understanding; but we commend
you to the Lord, and to the word full of consolation,
and bid you adieu.

I Maerten van der Straten, and Beliken van der
Straten, my love, have written this little out of affection
and according to your request, and we beg you
to accept it in good part. We also request the aid
of your prayers.

Farewell; greet the acquaintances in our name,
we thank you for all the good you have shown us.
Adriaen also greets you much; and also Hansken,
Margriet and Lou greet you much; Dingentgen and
we all jointly request you to pray for us. Nothing
more, but do the best first and last.

From us your dear friends,

Maerten and Beliken van der Straten.





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