Another Letter of Jelis Bernaerts to his Wife

The grace and peace from God the Father, and the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, by which Spirit we are all baptized into one body, of which Christ is the Head, and we members together, flesh of His flesh, and bone of His bone, and He is the Savior of His body, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it or withstand it, if we remain firmly united in love among ourselves, and do not let ourselves be deceived, but hold fast the faith in Christ Jesus, and do not neglect the grace given us by God through Christ Jesus, His only begotten Son, our Lord, to whom be praise, honor, glory, and thanksgiving now and forever. Amen.

After all heartfelt greeting written to you, my beloved wife and sister in the Lord, of whom I am now deprived through the bonds in which I now am for the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the faith in God, which I hope to seal with my blood and death, and so to enter into rest with all the saints of God under the altar, which altar is Christ, and to wait for all my fellow brothers and sisters, where we shall be gathered together and remain forever and ever, and so be in everlasting joy, where parting will be heard no more, but we shall reign forever with God and the Lamb, and all the saints. There neither sighing nor weeping shall be heard any more, but all tears shall be wiped away from our eyes; our tribulation shall be turned into joy and gladness, our weeping into laughter, our parting into eternal gathering, where there will be nothing but joy and gladness. "For eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have there entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love him. But God has revealed them to us by his Spirit." First Corinthians 2, verse 9. Therefore let us be of good cheer, and patient in tribulation, knowing that we must enter the kingdom of heaven through much tribulation and suffering; and let us continue constant in prayer, and firmly persevere with prayer and supplication in the Spirit, that He will always comfort, strengthen and establish us, so that we may always be steadfast in all tribulation and suffering that may come upon us; in which suffering He will not leave us without comfort; for as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation abounds through Christ. Second Corinthians 1, verse 5.

Now, my most beloved, we may be of good cheer, and have good courage, and rejoice in hope, that we have obtained such glorious promises, and look for a salvation we could never have hoped for. For we who once were far off have now come near; indeed, we who once were strangers and foreigners have now become fellow citizens with the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, and are thus framed together into a holy temple, even as Peter says (First Peter 2, verse 5): "You also, as living stones, be built up a spiritual house, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ"; for He loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to God and His Father (Revelation 1, verses 5 and 6); even as Peter also writes in his first epistle, second chapter: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the virtues of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: who in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." Verses 9 and 10. For we must know that we were without God in the world, when we served the lusts of our flesh, and walked according to the course of this world, whose friend we were, indeed, what is more, we were praised by the world; but, alas! despised by God; for, even as James says: "Whoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." James 4, verse 4. Then we were of those who had not obtained mercy of God; for, even as Christ says: "You cannot serve two masters: you must hate the one, and love the other." Matthew 6, verse 24. And if we renounce the world, and forsake our own life, to live no longer according to the will of our flesh, but according to the will of God, He will have mercy upon us, and turn us from lies to the truth, from darkness to the light, from the serving of idols to the worship of the living God. Then we who were not a people become the people of God, and can proclaim all the virtues and glorious benefits which the Lord has shown us, having also adopted us as His children; for it was to such a people, converted and changed into newness of life, that the apostle Peter wrote: "You are a chosen generation," and so on. And observe, my beloved, that he begins his epistle as to a people who were scattered abroad everywhere for the faith in Christ Jesus; so it need not surprise us, though we are dispersed, scattered, arrested and put to death; for thus, as you may hear and read, it has been from the beginning, and will be so until the end, since darkness does not love the light.

Thus, my most beloved, let us not fear; God is our Leader; and if God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? It is God that justifies. Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, indeed, rather, that has risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. This we know; indeed, what is more, we know that He preserves us as the apple of His eye, and has said: "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." So that we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me," (Hebrews 13, verses 5 and 6), even as He has also admonished us not to fear those who can kill the body, since after that they can do no more. But let us fear Him who has power to cast soul and body into hell. Even as He also says through the prophet: "Who are you, that you should be afraid of a man who shall die, and of the son of man who shall be made as grass?" Isaiah 51, verse 12.

Hence, my most beloved, do not fear what may yet come upon you; neither be without comfort; but be of good cheer out of bonds, and be patient in tribulation, even as I am, by the help of the Lord, in my bonds; and let us firmly continue in faith and love, and say with Saint Paul: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written; for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Romans 8, verses 35 to 37.

Therefore, my most beloved, have good courage, and be of good cheer and patient in all your tribulation, and stand firm in the faith, steadfast to the end, so that, even as we are now separated from each other by much tribulation and suffering, we may meet in the day of resurrection, and thus rejoice forever with one another, and reign with the Lord and all the saints, and all the angels of God, forever and ever. Amen.

To this end, may the Almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you, and me (and all who love the Lord and keep His commandments) through the power of His Holy Spirit. Amen. Herewith I commend you to the Lord, and to the word of His grace. Amen. The peace of the Lord be with you.