A Testament from Joost de Tollenaer, to his Daughter

If you cry out for knowledge, and lift up your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2, verses 3 to 5. [n1195-1]

If you will serve God, be in earnest about it, so that you do not tempt Him. Ecclesiasticus 18, verse 23. [n1195-2]

Do not be slothful in business, but fervent in spirit, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer. Romans 12, verses 11 and 12.

Search the Scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life; and they are the ones that testify of me. John 5, verse 39.

Cursed be he who does the work of the Lord negligently. Jeremiah 48, verse 10.

I, Joost de Tollenaer, your father, was arrested in Ghent, and brought into the Saucelet (the city prison), in the corn market, after ten o'clock at night, on the 13th of January, 1589, and this for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. May the Lord strengthen me by His Holy Spirit to the end of my life, and all those who are in distress, outside of bonds as well as in bonds.

Betgen, this is your age, and is for your remembrance.

Betgen de Tollenaer was born on the 14th of August, in the year 1574. May God strengthen you in virtue according to His will. And if I die for the name of the Lord, the following letter is written to you as a testament, and as a remembrance all your life. But if I do not die, it is for the delight and instruction of your heart, that you should conduct yourself so as to fear the Lord your God.

Fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is fitting for all men.

By holy faith and effective love

Man is saved through Jesus Christ.

May the only and merciful, almighty God, who is full of all mercy and a Father of the afflicted widows and orphans, and a Ruler of all those who trust in Him, cause you, my daughter and child, to grow up in wisdom and in the knowledge of the truth, so that you may know and learn to fear the most high God, who created and made heaven and earth, the sea and all the fountains of water. May the eternal Almighty Father grant you this through Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Hear, my dear child Betgen, and understand my word, written to you in the name of the Lord, and let my speech enter into your heart, and receive it as a precious treasure of gold; that is, that from your very youth you are to learn to fear the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your ability; and walk in all His ways, and serve the Lord with your whole heart and soul, and keep the commandments of the Lord your God, so that it may go well with you in the land; and the Lord will give you His rich grace, and all manner of spiritual blessings. For the fear of God is an overflowing fountain of eternal life, which gives life to heart and spirit, and creates a longing and desire to hear the words of God; for they strengthen the inner man in soul, spirit, and body.

So then, my dear child, try from your youth to shun and avoid evil; for it will now be time to perceive and learn to discern what is good and evil. For he who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it shall be counted as sin. James 4, verse 17. And the wise man says: "That the Spirit of God does not dwell in a careless soul, nor in a body that is subject to sin." Wisdom of Solomon 1, verse 4. Therefore learn from now on to shun sin like the face of a serpent. So be sober, of good conduct and modest, and avoid all light company, which is carnal and worldly minded; for the world and all its lust will perish, but he who does the will of God abides forever. First John 2, verse 17. So keep company with those who fear the Lord, and walk in God's ways; and you will grow up as a daughter of Sarah, which will be acceptable before the Lord. So, my child, if you lack wisdom, you must ask it of God, who gives it to all men liberally, and does not reproach them. But he must ask in faith, doubting nothing, and it shall be given him. James 1, verses 5 and 6. So ask the Lord your God humbly with bended knees, and this often and constantly. Going, standing, working, always have the Lord before your eyes, calling upon Him with prayer and supplication, saying: "O Lord, my Lord, direct me in Your ways; give me wisdom that comes from the throne of Your glory, and cleanse me from all my sins, that I may be worthy to become a holy temple. Give me grace that I may be meek and humble of heart, and little in my own eyes, so that Your Holy Spirit may dwell in me, and that I may grow up in Your holy divine fear; to the eternal salvation of my soul, and to the praise, glory and honor of Your holy, most worthy, adorable name. O Lord, strengthen me, miserable one, since I am but dust and ashes. O Lord, be merciful to me, and help me forever. Amen."

And if you, my child, thus give your heart with all humility to the Lord, and unceasingly cling to Him with prayer and supplication, He will delight in you, and abundantly give you the fear of God, and the knowledge of wisdom. For the fear of God is a tree of life, and its branches flourish forever, and its fruits are righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, and its leaves serve for the healing of the nations; but none eat of the fruits except those who are born again of water and of the Spirit; who, through baptism in Christ Jesus, have buried the old Adam with all his carnal lusts; who renounce the devil, hell, death, the world and all its false appearance, and from now on walk according to the holy will of God the Lord, with all the elect children of God, whose names are written in the book of eternal life. So fear God from the heart; not as the world does, which professes to know God but in works denies Him, being abominable to God, and disobedient, and unfit for every good work. Titus 1, verse 15. But God has chosen for Himself a peculiar and holy people, zealous of good works, to do His will. First Peter 2, verse 9; Titus 2, verse 14. So we must above all, as I have written before, diligently fear the Lord with a humble heart. Job was perfect and upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil; for to depart from evil is understanding. Job 1, verse 1; chapter 28, verse 28. So serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Psalm 2, verse 11. For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; it is a good understanding; and he who does according to it, his praise endures forever. And then the wise man also says: "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, and arrogance, and the evil way." Proverbs 8, verse 13. He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is perverse in his ways despises Him, and falls into the snares of death. Chapter 14, verse 2. For where one suffers in the fear of God, for the name of the Lord, there are wealth and honor; and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and is in the depth of the heart only with the faithful, and dwells only with the chosen women, and is found only with the righteous and the faithful. The fear of the Lord is true religion; it keeps and makes the heart good, and gives joy and gladness; for he who fears the Lord shall prosper, and when he needs comfort, he shall be blessed of the Lord. The fear of the Lord prevents sin; for he who is without fear cannot please God. Ecclesiasticus 1.

So, my child, when it goes well with you, watch, and remain steadfast in the fear of the Lord, and do not be proud, for a haughty spirit goes before a fall. Proverbs 16, verse 18. Therefore have God always before your eyes in all your ways, and seek to please Him with an upright heart; and God shall be with you, and have compassion on your weakness, and overlook sin when it comes upon you unawares through ignorance or misunderstanding. But presumptuous sinning and stubbornness are an abomination before the Lord, and He will not leave unpunished those who thus lightly esteem His words. Therefore take heed to yourself, that you are not a slave to sin. And do not give your mouth to lying; for the mouth that lies slays the soul. Wisdom of Solomon 1, verse 11. There is more hope of a thief than of a man accustomed to lying; for they are every man's enemy. A lying child is always hated, and whatever they say, their words are not listened to, and men hold them in derision. The devil is a liar from the beginning, and did not remain in the truth. So all the ungodly are called children of the devil. When they speak lies, they act according to the nature of their father the devil, who has always continued a liar, and therefore he was also cast out of heaven. So, my child, always speak the truth, for the truth does not make ashamed, whether it be for or against you. Always say just as it is; for though you have erred in something, yet if you speak the truth, it will be overlooked more readily than if you sought to cover it by lying; for lies are made manifest at last and come to light, and then the liar must with shame hear words of reproach, which is an abomination before God and men. So Paul says: "Do not lie one to another, but let every one speak the truth from the heart with his neighbor; for liars shall have no part in the kingdom of God."

Behold, my dear child Betgen, I have set before you many excellent and precious treasures, and all for your admonition. I pray you, take them to heart, and often read them over; so that you may thereby be instructed in the fear of God. And do not let this letter of mine (which I have written with much pains in my prison, in trepidation, fearing that someone would suddenly surprise me) lie there idle as a dead fable; but lay it to heart, for a child who loves her father will also love what comes from her father, and often read it over with delight, thereby remembering her father's affectionate favor. For as a man who has his delight in a treasure of money, which he has locked in his strong chest, often goes to look at the treasure, to count it over, and to make calculations with it; so do you also often look over and read this letter of mine; for it is of more value than many pieces of gold, for it points you to the fountain of life, whereby your soul may live forever, if you will be subject to the truth. However, my child, you are young yet, and your mind cannot yet comprehend it all; but I hope the understanding will still come. So give good attention from your youth, to hear the words of God, and the Lord will give you wisdom; buy it of the Lord, for He will give it to you for nothing. So lay my words to heart, for they are not my words, but the holy word of the Lord, which Christ Himself has taught us. Therefore, if you would be saved, keep the Lord's commandments. For he who loves Christ, and will be His disciple, will continue in His word; with Him he shall keep His supper in the kingdom of God, His heavenly Father, and He will go before them and serve them, and dwell with them forever. But he who will be God's servant here must submit to much temptation; he must also take his cross upon himself, and so daily follow Him; for Christ says: "You shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world." Even as appears now, my child; because I fear God, and according to my weak ability separate myself from the world, therefore the world hates me. And through their wicked hatred and envy they have imprisoned me, and it may very soon come to pass that they will kill me for the name of Jesus Christ, and for the testimony of His holy word, in which I also stand steadfast through the grace of the Lord, to risk for it all that I have. For I have nothing which I have not received from the Lord; so we must willingly surrender it again for His holy name, for what we possess here in this world is only lent to us; so they are foolish who set their heart upon temporal things. For he who fears God must possess all things as though he had them not, for our goods are a prey to every one. All those who fear God are thrust out of their houses, and they will plunder and scatter them. By this it is known who are God's chosen children: they are tried as gold in the fire.

Therefore, my child, search the holy Scriptures; they shall show you that the God fearing must enter into the kingdom of God through much tribulation and suffering. But the ungodly world is not worthy to suffer for the name of the Lord, for they do not know the name of Christ in the spirit. For if they had known Him, they would in former times not have crucified the Lord of glory. So then, if they hated, persecuted and envied Christ the Son of God, and said that He had a devil, how much more His disciples! But the Lord be thanked, all their upbraiding, reviling and envying is of no avail, but the Word of God; and Christ says: "Blessed are you, when men speak evil of you falsely; rejoice and be glad, for your reward shall be great in heaven." Matthew 5, verses 11 and 12. Peter says:

"The Holy Spirit of God rests upon him." First Peter 4, verse 14. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ. Second Corinthians 1, verse 5.

Therefore, my child, though the world reproach you with it today or tomorrow, you need not be ashamed, for I do not suffer for any crime, as a thief, or murderer, or as one who seeks other people's property; but it is for the confession of my faith in Christ Jesus, namely, that He is the true Son of God. So Peter says that if one suffers for doing well, it is acceptable with God. First Peter 2, verse 20.

Further, my dear child Betgen, it is my fatherly request of you, if I am taken away from you, that you go to your uncle Lowijs, or to your aunt Tanneken or Jacomijntgen, to live with them; or if they think it best, they may place you with some good friends, in service. So I pray you, be subject to your elders, not with eyeservice, to please men, but with all courtesy and modesty, in their absence as well as in their presence, remembering that you serve not only men, but God. Ephesians 6, verses 6 and 7. And always be diligent to do what they command you, and be courteous and friendly; and you will be loved by them. And always make yourself the least, and they will exalt and praise you; and do not in anything think too well of yourself, and take good heed not to argue against your elders, or with those with whom you are living; for it becomes young people very badly to contradict or talk back. And, my child, be also just in all your dealings, and steal nothing from people, for this would be a very shameful thing, if young girls or boys were found in any unrighteousness. So take good heed to keep clean hands; this I pray you, as I hope you will do. And whatever food or drink you see, take nothing from it, for it would bring you into disfavor. So remember all that I your father have asked of you, and keep it in your heart for a perpetual remembrance; for with careful love I have written this for a perpetual memorial, that you might at all times have or keep a good name.

Further, my beloved child, I must tell you still, always to conduct yourself honorably with all with whom you live; and be well behaved, and show that you do not run into any fornication, which is an abominable, deadly sin before God, and besides exposes a person to the scorn of all men, and you could not attain to an honorable state. So always take good heed not to talk, joke or play with any young men, or to have much idle talk with them, so that you do not fall into sin through the lust of error. Besides, I advise you out of fatherly love to lay to heart all that I ask of you, which will be an honor to you before God and all men.

Behold, my child, if I am offered up now, and go the way of all the earth (for all men are born once to die), be of good cheer and comfort yourself in the Lord, and be strong, and attend to the admonition of the Lord our God, and lay it to heart, that you walk in His ways and keep His judgments, testimonies, statutes and commandments, as is written in the law and prophets. So, my child, when you live with any, if they fear God, they will be bound to admonish and correct you with the word of the Lord. This shall be a proof to you that they love you and seek your soul's salvation, for which you are also to be thankful; but since you are young yet, you will understand it better when you have more understanding. Therefore pray the Lord diligently, to endow you with wisdom and understanding, so that you may grow up as a green plant in Zion, and as the pleasant rose in Jericho, and as the precious balsam that grows upon mount Hermon. Ecclesiasticus 24, verse 14; Psalm 133, verse 2.

Behold, my dear child Betgen, if you fear the Lord with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength and ability, your name shall be written in the book of life, and you shall be marked in your forehead with the name of the living God. You shall also receive a white, shining stone, and upon it a new name written, which no man knows except he who receives it. You shall also be arrayed in garments of pure, white silk, which is the righteousness of the saints. Moreover, you shall with all the angels of God follow the glorious Lamb of God in great glory, and live forever and ever.

Behold, such glorious rewards shall they have; he who overcomes shall inherit all things that God has prepared for His chosen. He shall lead them to the fountain of living waters, and shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Revelation 7, verse 17. Therefore fear God, and always seek to be instructed by the God fearing, and lay the words of the Lord well to heart, and keep them as Mary the mother of the Lord did. And always walk with meekness and humility, for God is pleased with those who are humble and lowly of heart; for God has cast down the proud from their seats, but has exalted the humble in their place; for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Luke 1, verse 52; First Peter 5, verse 5.

Therefore humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, and He shall exalt you in due time; for the proud cannot please God. In Proverbs it is written: "These things does the Lord hate: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood." Proverbs 6, verse 17. "When pride comes, then comes shame: but with the lowly is wisdom." Chapter 11, verse 2. A proud heart is an abomination to the Lord, and it shall not remain unpunished. So Tobit said to his son: "Do not let pride rule in your heart, nor in your words; for it is the beginning of all destruction." Out of it proceeds all pride, when man falls away from God, and departs with his heart from his Creator; and pride drives to all sin, and he who is infected with it causes many abominations. So the Lord always rejected pride, and at last cast it down. God cast the proud princes from the throne, and set the humble upon it; God rooted out the root of the proud nations, and set and planted the humble in their stead.

So do not think yourself wise, and do not repay evil for evil to anyone, but repay with good, as Christ teaches, where He says: "You have heard that it has been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: but I say to you, Do not resist evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue you at the law, and take away your cloak, let him have your coat also. And whoever shall compel you to go a mile, go with him two." Matthew 5, verses 38 to 41. Not, dear child, that we like to be struck, or like to lose our cloak when it is taken away from us, so that we should also give the coat, or to go with anyone three or four miles against our will; but this is what the Scriptures teach us; and Christ also would herewith teach us, in order that we should rightly understand Him, that believers are in no way permitted to avenge themselves on any man, however great reason they may have, but must commit the matter to God, who judges rightly. For when someone strikes us, we must rather let ourselves be struck again than defend ourselves or strike back; and when our cloak is taken away, rather let the coat also be taken, than that we should take or get the cloak back by force or by striking. In short, we must always suffer, but never inflict suffering upon anyone, as the law of nature teaches us: Do to your neighbor as to yourself.

So we are to wish evil to no one, though in the law of Moses the contrary is written: "You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy." But Christ takes this away; for that was in the law of revenge; but now we are under grace. So we must also show grace, and not punish, as Christ says: "You have heard that it has been said, You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you, and persecute you; that you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven: for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good." Matthew 5, verses 43 to 45. So, dear child, one may not wish evil to his enemy, much less do him any evil. And do not hate him, nor avenge yourself, but give place to wrath; and be slow to wrath, for the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God; but as you would that men should do to you, so do to them, and you will fulfill the law of Christ. Romans 12, verse 19; James 1, verses 19 and 20; Matthew 7, verse 12.

Further, my dear child, you are bound in duty to hold your mother, whom you still have, in love and esteem all the days of your life; for she has had much trouble and care with you, from the time that I have been married to her; so you are also bound to love her as your own mother. If you part from her today or tomorrow, you must heartily thank her for the motherly love which she has shown you; you ought not to part from her without many tears, for she has been a good mother to you. Therefore, though you should live far away from her, write her a very respectful letter sometime, and if you prosper, you may send her a friendly gift, by which to remember that you hold her in love and esteem; this shall be an honor to you. So do the best in all that I command you. And copy or read over frequently this letter of mine, for a perpetual remembrance of your father; and follow it, and all that is good and acceptable before God.

Furthermore, my child, yield your heart under the obedience of the truth. And always be eager to hear the word of God, and seek, when you come to your understanding, to join yourself among the church of the living God, and that in this way you may enter into the ark of the covenant; so that you may be a partaker of all the heavenly promises with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and all the prophets and holy apostles of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. Then you shall at the last day (that shall burn as a fiery oven) be delivered. For the ungodly shall be dreadfully tormented; they shall weep and lament forever, for they shall with the dragon, the devil, and all false prophets be cast into the fiery lake that shall burn with fire and brimstone. Watch therefore in the fear of God, that you are not a partaker of their plagues. For if today or tomorrow you come to your full age, and your hand is able, remember the poor members of Christ, sharing with the poor out of what the Lord grants you. And whatever you give, give with a willing heart, and not by constraint, but with a ready mind, for God loves a cheerful giver, says the apostle Paul. Second Corinthians 9, verse 7. In Hebrews we read: "Do not forget to do good and to share; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." Hebrews 13, verse 16. And alms cover a multitude of sins. Through fasting, prayer and alms the Gentile, Cornelius, was acceptable to God, and he received the promise of salvation; for as water quenches fire, so alms extinguish sin; and the Lord who holds it will repay it in the time to come, and when he falls he shall find help. "My child," says Sirach,

"do not let the poor suffer want, and do not be hard toward the needy. Do not despise the hungry, and do not grieve the needy in his poverty. Do not add more trouble to a sorrowful heart; and do not put off giving to him who is in need. Do not reject the supplication of the afflicted; nor turn away your face from a poor man." Ecclesiasticus 3, verses 30 and 31; chapter 4, verses 1 to 4.

Therefore assist the poor, so that the Lord may richly bless you. If you lay this to heart, and do according to it, your light shall rise as the bright morning star at the beautiful dawn; so always do well, and if you love God, keep His commandments. With this I will conclude my letter. I have presented to you what is best from the word of the Lord. Water and fire are set before man, namely, life or death. Ecclesiasticus 15, verses 16 and 17; Deuteronomy 30, verse 19. So choose life, that you may forever possess the kingdom of God, with all His chosen saints.

With this, my dear child Betgen, I take for this time a perpetual adieu of you; commending you to God the heavenly Father, who is the Father of all orphans, and of all those who fear and love Him. And never neglect or forget to ask God Almighty diligently, and you shall receive of Him more than you ask, if it is according to His will.

Adieu, my child, if we should see each other no more. I pray the Almighty God and King of kings, that He will govern you by His Holy Spirit, so that I may meet you in the clouds of heaven, where there shall be no more parting; this I pray God by His unfathomable grace and love, with bended knees and a weeping heart and uplifted hands.

O Lord, hear my prayer, and let it be done, that through the fruit of my loins Your holy, most worthy and adorable name may be praised now and forever. Amen.

My child Betgen, if I die, I would like your mother to give you, for a perpetual memorial, a Testament, a Dirrick Philips Book of Fundamentals, a hymn book, and a copy of the book by Jacob de Keersgieter, which read diligently, for there are many excellent admonitions contained in them.

By me, your father, who wishes you everything good. In the year 1589.

JOOST DE TOLLENAER.