The Third Letter of Ydse Gaukes, Written in Prison in Deventer

The grace of God our heavenly Father, who created and made heaven and earth; and the love of His beloved Son, our Lord, Redeemer and Savior, who is Jesus Christ, by whom He has delivered us from eternal enmity and the torment of hell; and the power of the Holy Ghost, who works in all His elect; this we wish to all our known, and also our unknown, brothers and sisters, and all lovers of the truth, as a most cordial and affectionate greeting. Amen.

Furthermore, my very elect brothers and sisters, fellow believers of our most holy faith, by the grace and mercy of God, branches on the vine of the Lord: we prisoners, confined for the testimony of the truth, intend to write you (yet a little) by which you may remember us, if the Lord permits that you may get this little out of the lions' den; for we think and trust that our Lord will soon deliver us, and that we will have no more time to write to you. [n1042-1] If we did not have my sister, we would fare very meagerly and suffer hunger; but now we have enough; may the Lord reward it, and repay it a hundredfold to those who show us mercy.

Now, my dear and much beloved brothers and sisters by the obedience of the Gospel, know that according to the flesh we are still tolerably well, and unchanged in the faith, and are sure that it is the right truth, and that no other will ever be found, neither now nor in eternity; for we are sure, and find the Lord faithful in all His promises, as He says, that He will not forsake His own, but will keep them as the apple of His eye; and that He will not let them be tempted beyond what they are able to bear, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape; and in this we also firmly trust. So, my dear chosen brothers and sisters, ask the Lord earnestly for us, that He will give us power and strength when the hour of suffering is at hand; for our persecutors threaten us greatly, that they will torture us in this way and that, and roast us alive with a large fire placed at a distance from us.

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, help to pray to the Lord for us, since of ourselves we have nothing but all weakness, and are surrounded by frail flesh. But we find abundant comfort when we consider the Word of the Lord, and His promises to those who fight valiantly to death, and hold fast to them; for he who remains steadfast will receive the promises, since He has never yet forsaken any who trusted in Him, and who think of the fight which our captain Christ Jesus fought for us, so that they willingly follow Him. So we joyfully wait for our redemption. Though they threaten us much, they can do us no more than what the Lord permits them; and whatever the Lord permits them, to that we will resign ourselves, for our flesh, with which we have offended the Lord so often, has deserved it more than a thousand times. Furthermore, my dear brothers and sisters, we expect from day to day to be offered up, for we thought we would offer up our sacrifice when our fellow prisoners offered up theirs. Now, my much beloved brothers and sisters, you who have submitted to the obedience of the Gospel, and have with Noah entered into the ark, and are with Lot gone out of Sodom, and with Moses out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and choose rather to suffer affliction with the children of God than to enjoy, with Pharaoh, the pleasures of sin for a season: therefore now, my dear friends, be valiant with righteous Noah, who firmly trusted in the Lord's promises, and with patience waited for the day promised him by the Lord, namely, a hundred and twenty years. See, my dear brothers and sisters, who are still in this tabernacle, and have with Noah received a promise, that there will come a day that will be upon all flesh: if you are then found upright before the Lord, you will with Noah be saved forever. And obey the Lord with Lot, and firmly believe what God commands you, for He wants His commandments kept, as we have an example in Lot's wife, that she was turned into a pillar of salt; and further in Israel: when they observed His laws and commandments, no one was able to harm or hinder them. As we have an example in the children of Israel, to whom the promised land was promised; but they did not obtain it, because they did not trust in the Lord; for of six hundred thousand not more than two entered into the promised land; but their descendants were led through the Jordan by Joshua, and the Lord mightily helped them, so that they, according to the Lord's command, went around Jericho with the ark of the covenant, and the walls fell.

See, my dear, beloved brothers and sisters, if we trust in the Word of the Lord, and keep His commandments, and always walk according to the Lord's rule, and call upon the Lord day and night, He will fight for us. Indeed, our enemies will not be able to harm us, but they will be put to shame. But if the righteous forsake the Lord, they must turn their backs before their enemies, as we read in Joshua, concerning Achan and others, and also of Saul, who was the first king of Israel. When the Lord had commanded him to go out to fight against the Amalekites, and to spare no one, he went, but did not keep the Lord's command; so the Spirit of the Lord departed from him, and the Lord set David in his place; and for that reason he persecuted David. And so the righteous have always had to suffer from the unrighteous. Jacob, from Esau; Abel, from Cain, because his offering was acceptable before the Lord, and his brother's was not; so he was killed by Cain; and this generation is still in the world.

See, my much beloved and chosen brothers and sisters, to whom the truth, which is hidden from so many thousands, is revealed, and who have received grace from God: let us show obedience to the Lord, as did our father Abraham, who is the father of the faithful; and Jephthah, who did not spare his only daughter, but willingly offered her up to the Lord. Judges 11, verse 39. So, my dear brothers and sisters, let us diligently fear the Lord, and keep His commandments, and He will be gracious to us. Therefore, my very dear and beloved brothers and sisters, only be faithful to the end, and neither be terrified nor afraid; though this generation now has great power to crush and kill the people of God, they can do no more than the Lord permits them. So let us keep good watch over our souls, and always be vigilant; for the Lord Himself says

"Watch and pray; for the Lord will come as a thief in the night." Oh, my dear brothers and sisters, that we might then not be found idle or drowsy, but with the five wise virgins always have oil in our lamps, and always be ready and watch for the coming of our Bridegroom, so that with Gideon we may be found worthy; for they were not all accepted; only three hundred were found worthy. Judges 6, verse 12. Just as Christ Himself also says, that many are called, but few chosen. Matthew 20, verse 16; Matthew 22, verse 14.

So, my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, let us diligently pray to God with a fervent heart, that we may be known and counted with the little flock, and that we may be stones in the Lord's temple, and branches on the Lord's vine, and valiantly follow our Lord and Bishop even to the end; and it will be well with us; and walk in all righteousness and holiness, and always be mindful of the day of the Lord, and not depart from the Lord's way; and He will have compassion on us and be gracious to us. For He will separate the sheep from the goats, and say to those on His right hand

"Come, you blessed, inherit the kingdom prepared for you." And to those on His left hand: "Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire." Matthew 25, verse 32. Oh, how sorrowful it will then be for those who here have feared men more than the Lord; indeed, who now say: "The Lord is gracious and merciful," which is true; but He is also righteous, and wants His commandments kept. So, O dear people, think of the day of which Peter says: "That one day is with the Lord as a thousand years." Second Peter 3, verse 8. How bitterly it will then be lamented! See, my dear brothers and sisters, my materials are about to give out; so I must close. We prisoners will therefore bid you farewell here, namely we four; you know our names well; let this reach Jan de P., our sister Lijntgen's brother. We prisoners greet you cordially with the Word of the Lord, and are still of good cheer, and trust to offer up a willing sacrifice to the Lord; may the Lord God strengthen us with His Holy Spirit. And, dear brothers Bauke, Symon, and Pieter, who are my brothers according to the flesh, take care for your souls; though you are still young, do not depend on that: you know neither the day nor the hour, and enough is revealed to you, that you well know that it is the truth. With this I will send you my last farewell, since I do not think I will see you anymore; but see that we may meet one another again with joy.

Now, my dear brother Bauke and your wife, your mother and sister, and I your brother, greet you and all acquaintances most cordially; I send you our last greeting here, and may the Lord make us worthy, that hereafter we may meet one another again with joy. Claes greets you very cordially, and we also greet warmly all those who have remembered us by writing, and we rejoice much in this, that you still have such delight in the truth. With this we bid our dear brothers and sisters and fellow believers of our faith our last farewell; may the Lord keep you all in righteousness and holiness.

Written in our dark prison, with bad materials; so receive it in good part. Given on the ninety-fifth day of our imprisonment, the 14th of June, in the year 1571, in Deventer.