# The Tenth Letter From Jan Wouterss, To His Oldest Brother-In-Law And Sister.

16th century (source section) · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: THE TENTH LETTER FROM JAN WOUTERSS, TO HIS OLDEST BROTHER-IN-LAW AND SISTER.

Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

Grace and peace from God the heavenly Father,
through Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord and
Savior, and the co-operation of his Holy Spirit, always
be multiplied to you both, for the conformation
of your faith, and for consolation on your pilgrimage,
that you may not weary in the only way of
life, but may unwaveringly go on to your rest, so
that you may together receive the end of your sure
faith, namely, the salvation of your souls. Amen.

After this my cordial brotherly salutation and
good wish, be pleased to know, my most cordially
beloved oldest brother-in-law, and my most heartily
beloved sister, that in this conflict I have constantly
remained unchanged in the faith of the truth, once
delivered to the saints; for which I now suffer vexation
from mortal men, enduring it with a patient
heart.

I cannot fully thank the Lord for this great grace
that he has thus preserved us as the apple of his
eye. Hence I beseech you both, be not dismayed
on account of my transient tribulation, but be the
bolder in the living faith, which worketh by love,
knowing that your labor will not be in vain, but
that it will follow you, clothing and adorning you in
the day of Christ. Hereunto look constantly, and
always follow his footsteps, in humility and meekness
of heart; and be ever resolved the longer the
more to live still more holy, remembering that we
always fall short in many things, as I also experience
in my own case; but my hope and refuge is
Christ Jesus, who is our salvation, righteousness,
perfection, eternal priest, propitiation, and intercessor.
I would further inform you my specially beloved
brother and sister in the Lord, that I your beloved
brother-in-law and weak, unworthy brother,
could not well refrain from writing your love a little,
though I am conscious that my gift is simple and
small, and you have such an abundance of Scripture,
and also the anointing, which always teaches
you what is right, so that I deem it unnecessary to
write you much; but I feel nevertheless constrained
thereto, in order that I may, in some measure, show
you my unchanging love before I put off this tabernacle;
it serves for your consolation and for the
strengthening of your faith, and I am confident in
my heart, that it will be acceptable to you, though
it be little. Thus, my dearest, I present to you nothing
new, but beseech and exhort you both, that you
take diligent heed to keep the pearl of great price,
and to preserve the precious treasure in your
earthen vessels. For you know how much it cost
you, before you found and obtained it; and in confirmation
of it that it still is and remains in you, let
your light shine before your enemies, who are terrified
thereby, and vanquished before your eyes by
the Lord, without your help, as we have an example
in Gideon, and others, wherein it is fully shown
to us, that the Lord fights his people’s battles. And
since it is certain that the almighty Lord is with us,
who can be against us? He that spared not his only
Son, how should he not with him give us all things?
Thus he is a shield to them that seek and trust him
with all their hearts, and believe his word to be sure,
that he will not forsake us, but [that] the Lord Almighty
will be with us unto the end of the world.

But if we do not trust him, and forsake him, and
are afraid of the manifold enemies of the truth, and
flee on this account, as did the ten spies, he will
also forsake us. But if we have a manful spirit, with
Joshua, Caleb and David, and remember in our
hearts, that God is true, that his hand is not shortened,
that he is a faithful succorer of the miserable,
who has delivered us from the hand of Pharaoh,
from the specious deceptive and insinuating sedition
of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, from the strange
fire, and from other enemies and perils, and who,
according to his promise, for his name’s sake, and
for our salvation, will help us further; not only in
the beginning, or in the middle, but unto the end
will he bruise the head of our enemies, so that
through the help of the Lord we shall overcome
our enemies. Hence have good courage, and be
of good cheer; he who through his great grace began
the good work in you, the same is also able
(this is certain) to perform it in you, and in all
that believe in him and are of good purpose. And
consider, do we not see our desire upon our enemies,
that, however they stir, labor, strive, despise,
beat, threaten, and slander, we through the grace
of the Lord nevertheless remain unchanged and undisturbed?
I certainly believe that steadfastness is
the desire of Christians, for it has the promise
of salvation. Thus I unworthy one, in a small degree
hereby minister to you, that I may spread and
magnify the name of the Lord, and his faithful daily
help and power. I also counsel all Christians, when
they go walking in their pleasure garden, namely, in
the holy Scriptures, that they forget not the Psalms
of David, which are left us by the Spirit of God;
they serve us especially to righteousness, boldness,
a firm confidence, a living hope, and for consolation
in our pilgrimage. In short, all Scripture is
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction
in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect,
thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
2 Tim. 3:16,17. Again: Whatsoever things were
written aforetime were written for our learning, that
we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures
might have hope. Rom. 15:4. Hence adhere thereto;
you will therein find all that will be necessary to
your salvation, as I trust from the heart that there
will abide in you that which you have heard and
accepted from the beginning, nothing strange, but
as declared in the holy Scriptures. For you know
what it has wrought in you, how through this heavenly
879
trial you are delivered from your vain conversation,
in which the whole world is still sunk; how
you have turned from dumb idols to the living God,
yea, are passed from death unto life, so that you
are enlightened, and your hope made alive, and
all this through Jesus Christ. And loving his appearing,
we patiently wait for him in good works,
which live in us, so that we love our neighbor as
ourselves, seek his advantage more than our own,
yea, when necessary lay down our lives for the
brethren. This is a seal and sign that we love him
whom we do not see, and that we yet believe in
him, as though we saw him. Again, if we did not
love the brethren, whom we see, how could we in
truth love God, whom we do not see? But that we
from the heart and fearlessly love the brethren and
sisters, by this it is known that we are Christ’s disciples;
and they that are Christ’s disciples are sometimes
tried, as gold in the fire; yet not to destruction,
but to purification and greater perfection, for
he chastens every son whom he wants to receive
and loves. Heb. 12:6. And it is nothing strange
to us, that this now in these latter days happens to
us unworthy ones; for it has always been so from
the time of Abel—darkness has always hated the
light, for they will not be reproved in their darkness,
but resent it, and in order to defend themselves,
and to continue in their own way, they say,
“Judge not, that ye be not judged;” but what the
apostle says: “And have no fellowship with the
unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them”
(Eph. 5:11); this they passed by.

Thus drunkards, idolaters, and the like, know
how to help themselves with the Scriptures; but
alas! with such fig-leaves they wrong themselves,
and suffer themselves to be led by the learned like
the ox to the slaughter. O dear Lord, I heartily
pray thee, enlighten the eyes of our enemies, as
thou didst to Paul, who also persecuted the church
of God. Take this brief letter in good part, for I
trust that you are yourselves taught and strengthened.
Be manful therein, watch, stand fast in the
faith, be strong in the faith, and let all your things
be done in love, and as I sincerely trust concerning
you both. Herewith I will commend you, my
much beloved brother-in-law and brother in the
Lord, and my greatly beloved sister in the Lord
(and by marriage), to the Lord of lords, and to the
rich word of his grace, which is able to keep you
from all evil, and to make you zealous in that
which is good, and meet for his eternal kingdom,
to give it to you, the incorruptible inheritance
among them that are sanctified. I also thank you
both as much as I can, for your great friendship
and affection to me unworthy one.

Herewith I bid you adieu; there in the presence
of Christ Jesus I will await you, and my very dear
wife, and all the godfearing left behind. Amen.

Written shortly before Easter, when I hourly expected
to be notified that I was to offer up my
sacrifice, to the praise of God, and to my salvation.
Amen.

Herewith I bid my nephews and nieces adieu on
this earth. O that they would also follow Christ,
when they have attained to understanding; then
they would also come where he, namely, Christ, is;
and they that repent and keep his commandments,
these are his friends and disciples who follow him.

Hence I beseech you, my dear, beloved niece, to
shun evil, diligently to seek the kingdom of God and
his righteousness, and to work to satisfy her hunger
with bread, and quench her thirst with drink. If you
do this, my dear niece, you will be one who with
Mary has chosen the good part; and I will then
await you there with Christ Jesus, whither I will go
a little beforehand; and all that love the truth will
follow. To this end may the good Lord grant his
grace, that this my heartfelt wish may be realized,
to the salvation of my nieces and nephews. Amen.

Written in my bonds, by me,

Jan Wouterss van Kuyck.





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