The Third Letter of Joris Wippe, to his Children

My dearly beloved and obedient children, I wish you an honorable, virtuous and godly life in the fear of God, all the days of your life, to the praise of the Father, and the salvation of your souls, as an affectionate greeting. Amen.

My most beloved sons, all three of you, you are well aware now, I trust, that I am in bonds here for the testimony of Christ our Savior, to the praise of His Almighty Father, and wait with patience daily for when it pleases Him to offer up my body and soul to the magnifying of His holy name. I entreat you, my dear sons, with aged Tobias, that you will honor your poor bereaved mother, who is deprived of everything for the name of the Lord, all the days of your life; for she brought you forth with great suffering and pain, which I well know, and has with great care and diligence helped to bring you this far with the help of the Lord. Tobit 4, verse 3. I have also been your protector until now, with great care and diligence, to bring you up in the fear of God, to His honor. Now it is the will of the Lord that we must part; but do not let it grieve you. For if you pursue virtue, and walk in the fear of God, and keep His commandments all the days of your life, we will meet hereafter in one fold (John 10, verse 16) with all God's chosen children, at the resurrection of the just. And I admonish you with Tobias, that you will fear God all the days of your life, never consent to sin, nor transgress God's commandments; and that you will eat your bread with the hungry, and give alms of what the Lord gives you. In short, I give you the same testament which Tobias gave his son; you are able to read. I pray that you will often read it. And all that our holy fathers commanded their children, I also leave to you; may you diligently observe it. And I now bless you all, my obedient, most dearly beloved children, with that God with whom Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all God's chosen friends blessed their children. Further, I admonish you, Joos, as my eldest son, that you and Hansken, my second son, will be the protectors of your poor mother, in the fear of God, all the days of your life. And I also charge you, Barbertgen, my dear daughter, to be obedient to your mother, and to help care for all your little sisters, and for Pierken. Learn also to read, and be diligent in every good work, that you may spend your life in holiness and in all the fear of God, like Sarah, the wife of young Tobias (Tobit 3, verse 15), and do not associate with the wanton and frivolous daughters of this world, whose end will be destruction; but be sober, honorable and just in all your dealings, so that you may be prudent, being adorned with every virtue, and that where Christ our Bridegroom comes you may be ready with the five wise virgins, to enter with the Bridegroom into the kingdom of His Father. And now I charge you, Joos and Hansken, that together with Barbertgen, your obedient sister, you will care for your three little sisters, and for Pierken, and teach them to read and to work, so that they may grow up in all righteousness, to the honor of God and the salvation of their souls. Be diligent to work with your hands at what is honorable, remembering the words of the apostle: "It is more blessed to give than to receive;" so that you may not be burdensome to anyone through idleness. Ephesians 4, verse 28; Acts 20, verse 35. Remain with your mother as long as it pleases the Lord, and in all things show yourselves a pattern of good works. Titus 2, verse 7. But if you are servants, I exhort you to be obedient to your lord or master, and to please them in all things, not answering back, not purloining, but showing good fidelity in all things; that you may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. For the grace of God [that brings salvation] has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus 2, verses 9 and 14. I admonish you all, my dear children, that you will do this; and comfort your mother, and often, when you have time, read her a chapter or two. And spend the time which God gives you in all sobriety and righteousness, with prayer and supplication to God, that He would keep you from the evil. Have no fellowship with the children of this world, so that you may not become partakers of their evil deeds; always walk with wise men, and you will become wise, namely, strong and very bold, so that you may avoid evil. Do all things according to the law of God, and depart neither to the right nor to the left; neither add to it nor take away from it, so that you may walk wisely wherever you go. Do not be terrified; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go, and will be your Protector. Always speak the truth, and do not let your mouth become accustomed to lying, for the mouth that lies kills the soul; but when you speak, speak the Word of God, and the Lord your God will bring you from righteousness to righteousness; for nothing is hidden before Him; His eyes are like a flame of fire. Zechariah 8, verse 16; Leviticus 19, verse 11; Revelation 1, verse 14.

Herewith I take leave of you forever, my dear children, until the resurrection, and commend you all to Almighty God and to the Word of His grace. Amen. And may God's Spirit always be present with you, to comfort and strengthen you in all righteousness.

Written by me, Joris Wippe, your father, imprisoned at Dordrecht, in the huylgate, for the testimony of Jesus Christ.