Of a Pious Brother who was Put to Death for the Word of God, in the Year 1553

About the year 1553, a God fearing, pious brother was put to death with the sword in the city of Vuren, in Flanders, for the testimony of Jesus. He had to endure many severe conflicts from the papists, the adversaries of the truth; but as a valiant hero of Christ he would not fear those who kill the body, and sought much rather to please Him who, after this temporal death, has power also to cast into hell, into everlasting fire, where the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. He therefore comforted his sorrowful wife, who was pregnant, and whom he loved dearly, with the Word of God, fearing that adversity was in store for her; that she should not regard the torments inflicted upon him for the Word of God. They sentenced him to be executed with the sword; so he took affectionate leave of all his brothers, and, as a humble lamb, following the footsteps of his Leader Jesus, climbed the scaffold. But the evening wolves, which let nothing remain until the morning, and by which and other fruits they may be known, kept their wolfish nature, so that they killed this friend of God with seven cruel blows, and finally sawed off his head, so that through great sorrow many a tear was shed by the people who were present and witnessed this martyrdom. His poor, pregnant wife lamented greatly, so that she died with her fruit from excessive grief. Many witnessed this heinous murder, committed by the bloodthirsty; but the great and faithful God, who regards the sufferings of His own as though the apple of His eye had been touched, will avenge it in due time. Oh, how will these bloodthirsty men excuse themselves, when the chief Shepherd appears in the clouds and requires an account of this matter! But those faithful heroes and adventurers of God, who did not dare to deprive their Creator of His divine honor, but would serve Him rightly according to His Word, and gave their lives for it, have the promise from the mouth of Jesus that He will confess them before His Father in heaven, that it is the Father's good pleasure to give this little flock His glorious kingdom, and that all who here suffer with Christ for righteousness' sake shall rejoice forever with God. Matthew 10, verse 32; Luke 12, verses 8 and 32; Matthew 5, verse 10.

Concerning this, read hymn in the old hymnbook.