Another Letter from Raphel van den Velde Written to his Brothers and Sisters

I, Raphel, wish you, my dear B. and C. and K., my dear sister in the Lord, a steadfast mind, constant and immovable in the fear and love of God, so that you, by such a constant, strong, firm and immovable faith, hope and love toward God and your neighbor, may continue in the love of God and in the patience of Christ, so that you may possess your souls with patience, meekness and longsuffering, in order that you may willingly bear whatever the Lord lays upon you; and do not be grieved or faint because of the tribulation, which is very great now. And I thank your love, that you so faithfully exhort and comfort me by your comforting letter; and I would do the same for you, according to my little ability, which is very little, but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. Proverbs 27, verse 7. So it is my hope and trust in your love that, though this is not so comforting, sweet or affectionate, it will nevertheless taste quite sweet to your hungry soul. It is therefore my cordial and affectionate salutation and greeting to you all, my much beloved brothers and sisters, that my mind is still well composed, and that I am also well content with whatever is at hand (Hebrews 13, verse 5), whether it is suffering or dying for the Lord's holy truth; and I do not fear what man may do to me, for I am willing rather to be present with the Lord in the eternal rest, than to live longer. Second Corinthians 5, verse 8. For though I were free, as one would desire and wish, I find in myself that I should many times also be sorrowful, when I consider well how perilous it now is to live in the world, which often grieves me deeply, when I think of you, and of my dear wife, and my child. Oh, it costs me so many a tear, since you are still in by far the greatest distress and peril; may the Lord help, comfort and strengthen you, so that you may overcome in everything, as I hope that you shall; for when the conflict is most severe, then the Lord helps the most, which I may well say, for I have surely proved it, and for it I can never now fully thank the Most High.

So, my heartily beloved friends, do not faint because of the tribulation, nor for any affliction, for we must know this, and certainly trust in it, that He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to bear, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape; and also that not a hair of our head shall be harmed, unless it is His will. First Corinthians 10, verse 13; Matthew 10, verse 30. Understand well the expression, unless it is His will. So, my dear friends, do not lose heart or grieve, or grow weary in the way of the Lord, but endure willingly; for the Lord sees all your steps, and all your distress, and your labor which you do with all diligence, to magnify His holy name. So receive the chastening of the Lord with a willing heart, for those who share in the Lord's chastisement are His children, sons and daughters; but those who will not endure it are bastards, and a bastard has no part in his father's possessions. Hebrews 12, verse 5.

Therefore, my dearest, let us willingly suffer all that comes upon us for His holy name, rather than that we should have to forego His eternal riches. Oh, think how great and glorious He will make us, if we continue steadfast to the end. [n1153-1] For once at all events we must die, and we cannot die more blessedly or more honorably than for the name of our God, who suffered so much for us. I would have written you more, but I have hope in your love, that you are all taught by God much more than I can write to you, and I also do not always have convenient time to write to you. I also trust in God and in your love, that you have not begun this good work so far, only to let it rest here, but that you will be diligent to the end, so that you may receive a full reward. Second John, verse 8.

Further, dear B. and S. and K. S., I ask your love to take good heed to yourselves, for this new president proceeds very severely — may the Lord change his heart and open his eyes. Rather leave the city, for they will watch their time even if it should be a year after this. They have very many on paper, but who they all are I do not know. They read them all in an undertone, and questioned me about some, but I did not know them by their names. And when Jeronymus my friend was examined, they read aloud: Boudewijn. Tijncke, Pouwels Ketel, Gijselbrecht, and others whom he did not know by name, and at last also they again read inaudibly.