Adriaen Janss Hoedemaecker, and Jelis de Backer

The first letter from Adriaen Janss Hoedemaecker,

to his wife

The love of God the Father, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you, my dear wife and sister in the Lord, now and forever; this I wish you from the depth of my heart as an affectionate salutation. Amen. After this good wish of my heart and Christian salutation, let me inform you, my dear wife, beloved in God, how it still stands with me: that I am still well content and of good cheer, the Lord be praised for His grace which He shows me, and I hope by His grace that He will help and keep me to the end, since with Jeremiah I have committed to Him my cause against my adversaries, who are set against me and against the Lord, since I am imprisoned for the name of the Lord, because with the prodigal son I have arisen to confess my guilt before my God, against whom I have sinned and transgressed, who graciously received me when I sought and entreated Him with tears. And for this reason they persecute us and speak against us, because we have received mercy from God, as the Lord has spoken and declared, saying: "If you were of the world, the world would love you; but because I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." John 15, verse 19. Mark, my dear wife, the words of our Lord, what is the reason that we are hated; so that in the time of hatred and persecution we may comfort ourselves with the grace of the Lord, as the apostle Peter also testifies, saying: "Because we no longer run with them to that excess of riot, such as lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revelings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries." First Peter 4, verses 3 and 4. Therefore the world speaks evil of you; therefore they say, as is written in the Book of Wisdom: "Let us lie in wait for the righteous; for his life is not like other men's, his ways are of another fashion; he declares our ways to be sin, and avoids us like filth; therefore he is grievous to us; we will torment and examine him with spite, that we may know his meekness, and prove his patience, and let us condemn him with the most shameful death." Wisdom 2, verse 12. This has always been the reason why the righteous have been spoken evil of, envied, persecuted, robbed of their goods, cast into prisons and bonds, drowned, beheaded, and burned, as we may first read concerning Abel, as John testifies with these words: "Let us love one another, not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." First John 3, verse 12. Hence the apostle says:

"Do not marvel, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you." verse 13. Christ declared to the Jews: "I have shown you many good works from my Father; for which of these do you stone me?" John 10, verse 32. Hence, my dear, beloved wife, it will not fail, as the apostle says, that all who will live godly in Christ Jesus will have to suffer persecution; for evil men and seducers always grow worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. Second Timothy 3, verses 12 and 13. Hence the righteous may always prepare themselves for suffering and tribulation; for they are led forth to death as sheep for the slaughter; we who live are constantly delivered to death for Jesus' sake, and are always in peril of dying every day for our glorying which we have in Christ Jesus our Lord. We may therefore well prepare ourselves for suffering, just as the Lord told His apostles: "In the world you shall have tribulation; indeed, the world shall rejoice, but you shall weep and be sorrowful; for a woman who is in travail has sorrow, because her hour has come." John 16, verse 33. So we must also bring forth Christ with sorrow in this world. Therefore the apostles strengthened and encouraged the churches, that they must enter into the kingdom of God with tribulation and suffering, just as our head Christ went before, as is written concerning Him in the prophets. For the kingdom of God suffers violence, and the violent take it by force (Matthew 11, verse 12), as I now experience myself; for formerly we did indeed have some temptations such as are common to man, but now we must strive even to blood. First Corinthians 10, verse 13; Hebrews 12, verse 4. For I may now well say with the apostle that I bear in my body the marks of the Lord. Galatians 6, verse 17. For they have scourged me three times, until the blood flowed, and this so that I should betray my fellow brothers; but the Lord by His grace kept my lips. I was hung up by my hands so that I did not touch the ground. Indeed, my dear beloved wife, I was seized with great fear, so that I could hardly endure it, when they scourged me the third time; hence I thought of the words of the apostle, who says: "The Lord will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear." First Corinthians 10, verse 13. Then they stopped, though they threatened to torture me; and they said that they would tear my limbs apart, unless I told them who had associated with me, and who were my fellow brothers; but the Lord did not let them have their will this time; what they will yet do, the Lord knows, for everything is known to Him.

My dear wife, beloved in God, do not faint at my tribulation, which ought to be a comfort to you, that the Lord has called me to this, that He wants to magnify His name by me, and that I am counted worthy to suffer shame for His name, and to seal His Word with my blood before this wicked and adulterous generation. I hope to go before you in truth, and before all my dear brothers and sisters who still walk in like peril; that they may take an example from me, not in any way to forsake the Lord in tribulation, but to cleave firmly to Him, who (though He is great) will not forsake His own in distress who trust in Him, and serve Him in truth; for His eyes are upon the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry; indeed, the Lord is the strength of the righteous in the time of trouble. Psalm 34, verse 15; Psalm 37, verse 49. [n1038-1]

With this I will commend my dear wife, beloved in God, to the Lord, who is able to keep your treasure, and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. Acts 20, verse 32. Adieu, my dear wife, whom I love in truth, adieu. For I suspect that the parting is close at hand; for I wait from day to day for the redemption of my body, and to enter into godly rest with my fellow brothers who were also slain for the truth. Revelation 6, verse 11.

Greet the brothers and sisters in my name with the peace of the Lord.

Written in my bonds, by me,

ADRIAEN JANSS,

Unworthy prisoner in the Lord.

The second letter from Adriaen Janss Hoedemaecker,

to his wife

I, Adriaen Janss, imprisoned at Rijssel for the name of our Lord, and the testimony of my conscience, wish my dear wife, beloved in God, much grace, mercy and peace from God the heavenly Father, who is the true Father in heaven and earth; that He would grant you to be strengthened with might by His Spirit, and Christ to dwell in your hearts, and to be rooted in love. Ephesians 3, verse 14. This I wish you, together with the consolation of the Holy Spirit, as a Christian salutation and affectionate adieu.

Furthermore, after all proper and Christian salutation, I hereby inform you, my dear wife in the Lord, that I am well content, and have a good conscience, the Lord be praised forever for His grace, who has kept me in His grace until this hour; and I hope that through His grace He will keep me to the end, according to His promise, for He says:

"Though a mother forsake her child, yet I will not forsake you." Isaiah 49, verse 15. Indeed, the Lord says: "I will not leave you comfortless." With this, my dear wife, I comfort myself when I am tempted. I further cannot conceal from my dear wife the many tears which I shed when I think of your sorrow, which I presume you have on my account, because we must now give up our Christian fellowship which we have had together by faith. Yes, my dear wife, beloved in the Lord, to everything, says Solomon, there is a time: "A time to meet, and a time to part." Ecclesiastes 3, verse 1. Hence, my dear wife in the Lord, what more godly parting can there be than for the name of the Lord; and though we must now part, I hope that I shall go before you, and that you will also follow to that place where there will be no more parting, for there we shall be with the Lord forever. First Thessalonians 4, verse 17. With this you may comfort yourself, just as the apostle Paul comforted the church at Thessalonica. I further beg and exhort you by the mercies of God, that you take heed to the vocation in which the Lord has called you, and that you walk as you have received the Lord, with all humility and meekness, and walk in the love of God, and of your neighbor. Ephesians 4, verse 1; Colossians 2, verse 6. Always remember the poor saints where you live; give according to what the Lord has bestowed upon you; continue also in prayer day and night; hold firmly to the doctrine of Christ, and whatever you have heard and received, let it abide in you; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. Second Corinthians 12, verse 11. And remember me as long as I am here; I hope not to forget you, as long as I am in this tabernacle, in my prayers to God. Though with my body I am absent from you, I am nevertheless present with the spirit, and remember you with tears.

With this, adieu, my dear wife in the Lord, adieu, until we come into the kingdom of God to our heavenly Father. Written with tears by me,

ADRIAEN JANSS.

Greet the friends much in my name, especially my S. J. I would write more, but there is no good opportunity for writing here. Written to my dear wife.

The third letter from Adriaen Janss Hoedemaecker

written to the brothers and sisters

I, Adriaen Janss, imprisoned at Rijssel for the name of the Lord and the testimony of my conscience, wish my dearly beloved brothers and sisters, my companions of the faith in the kingdom of God, and in the patience of our Lord Jesus Christ, much grace, mercy and peace from God the heavenly Father, who is the true Father of all mercies, and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation; and from Jesus Christ our Lord, Redeemer and Savior, who delivered us from this present, proud world, according to the will of God His Father; together with the power and consolation of the Holy Ghost, and a steadfast mind to the end of your life. This I wish you as a Christian salutation in the Lord, and as an affectionate adieu.

Furthermore, after all proper and Christian salutation, my dear brothers and sisters, beloved in God in the Lord, I cannot keep from writing to you briefly, because of the fellowship which we had together in the Lord through the Gospel, for the comfort and joy of your heart, concerning the grace which I have received from God, so that I am of good cheer and well content (the Lord be praised for the grace He shows me), so that I hope by His grace that He will bring my cause to an end to His praise, for which I pray Him daily. For I desire nothing else than that His name might be magnified by my weak members, and I ask my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord to beseech God with me, so to strengthen me that I may triumph in Christ Jesus our Lord; I hope that He will hear your prayer and mine. For the prophet David says: "The Lord will fulfill the desire of those who fear him; he will also hear their cry, and will save them." Psalm 145, verse 19. Since I desire nothing but what tends to His praise, I hope that He will hear us. I trust I shall not forget you in my prayers to God, but shall remember you, as is fitting for the members of the body in Christ; and as I, when I was still with you, served you with the little gift which I received from God, so I must also exhort you still in my imprisonment, and say with the apostle: "I, the prisoner of the Lord, beg you that you walk worthy of the vocation to which you are called of God, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Ephesians 4, verses 1 to 3. Yes, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him (Colossians 2, verses 6 and 7); and always remember the former days, in which you were enlightened (Hebrews 10, verse 32), and what promises you made to the Lord, when you entered into covenant with Him, so that you should serve the Lord in holiness and righteousness all the days of your life. Hence, my dear brothers and sisters, walk faithfully before your God, who called you in His grace out of darkness into His marvelous light, who has received you as sons and daughters, enlightened you with His Holy Spirit, and promised you His kingdom.

Hence I repeat it: walk worthy of your vocation, in the love of God and of your neighbor; love one another, as is fitting for brothers and sisters, and do not let your hearts be overcharged with the cares of this life (Luke 21, verse 34), so that your hearts do not become alienated; for through many cares the heart becomes estranged from God. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, I say with Christ:

"Watch, and pray day and night to God, and be like men who wait for their lord; that when he knocks, they may open to him immediately. Oh, how blessed are those servants whom the Lord shall find watching in this way: they shall enter in with him into the kingdom of God, and possess all things." Luke 12, verses 36 and 37. With this I will commend my dear brothers and sisters to the Lord, who is able to keep your treasure, and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. Adieu, my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, adieu, until we come into the kingdom of God. It is very inconvenient here for writing.

Written by me, imprisoned for the true testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ.

ADRIAEN JANSS HOEDEMAECKER.