A Letter of Soetgen van den Houte to her Brother and Sister

Written out of love:

The peace of the Lord be with you; my dear brother and sister, know that I have received two letters, with their contents, and I thank you most heartily for all the friendship you have ever shown me, and will yet show me, I hope, in my three lambs whom I leave behind, commending them to the Lord and to those whom He shall direct to it in His grace.

With this I take leave once more; I think it is now the last time. We are of such good cheer to offer up our sacrifice that I cannot express it. I could leap for joy when I think of the eternal riches which are promised to us as our inheritance, and to all who persevere in what the Lord has commanded us. Matthew 10, verse 22.

I do not know how to praise the Lord that He has chosen Martha and me to this estate, us who are such poor, simple lambs, for we have never been esteemed in the world, except as outcasts; and that God has chosen such rejected, miserable, simple worms of the dust, that He will work through us, that we should be His witnesses, we who are not worthy of ourselves to receive the very least gift which the Lord might bestow, and so on.

Oh, who can comprehend the power of God, that He should be most merciful to those who are here the most rejected, if they call upon Him with confidence and firmly place their hope in His grace to the end; it would be impossible for the Lord to reject them. So I pray all who love the Lord, that they humble their hearts, for the Lord says through the prophet Isaiah, "I will dwell with him who is of a contrite spirit, and of a broken heart, and trembles at my word." Isaiah 57; Isaiah 66, verse 2.

Indeed, those who thus humble themselves before the Lord, and do not think themselves to be something before God and before men, them God will exalt and enrich with heavenly riches. Matthew 23, verse 12. Remember how Christ chose humility, when He left the glory of His Father and descended into the lower parts of the earth. Out of obedience to His Father, and out of great love, He became man; with great humility He came to serve us, suffered pain and reproach, enduring it with patience and longsuffering, out of obedience to His Father, even to death, until He had finished all, so that He might save us. Philippians 2, verse 8. Oh, what love He showed us by His anxiety and sighing, when He said, according to His humanity: "How am I straitened until it is accomplished!" Luke 12, verse 50.

O my most beloved, consider our Leader, Jesus Christ, how He regarded the humility of Mary, that He would be born of her. And though she was chosen to such a high estate, she humbled herself, saying: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord. For God has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden; therefore, from now on all generations shall call me blessed. For his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation; for he has scattered the proud. He has put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted those of low degree. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. To the poor the gospel is preached. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled." Luke 1, verses 38 and 48; and so on; Luke 7, verse 22; Matthew 5, verse 6.

O my dearest, my heartfelt desire and request is, for the last time, that you be diligent to walk in love, simplicity, and harmony among yourselves, always in the fear of God, that you may be filled with the heavenly good things, and satisfied now and forever. Amen.

With this I commend you to the Lord, and to the Word of His grace. May He comfort, strengthen and establish you all with His Spirit, that you may finish that to which you are called, to the praise and glory of the Lord, so that you may rejoice together, and sit down at the Lord's table, where He shall serve us with new wine, in the kingdom of God, His Father.

This was written when we had eaten our last supper, as far as we know. With this I bid adieu to all my brothers and sisters. I and Martha, my sister in the Lord, greet you much with the peace of the Lord, for the last time, all who are known to us or not, wherever they may be. We rejoice in the Lord, we bid adieu until we meet above, in the New Jerusalem. Hebrews 12, verse 22.

Read this last farewell to all who desire to hear it, before you send it away; and then send it to my sister Betgen.

Further, my dear child Betgen, I rejoice greatly that the Lord spared me so long, that I was made glad before my death through your letter, by which you have strengthened me. I pray the Lord to strengthen and confirm you with His Spirit, that you may go on this way, and follow that which is best, as you wrote to me.

O my dear lambs, see that you do not spend your youth in vanity, or pride, or drinking, or gluttony, but in sobriety and humility in the fear of God, and in diligence in every good work, that you may be clothed with the adornment of the saints, so that God may make you worthy through His grace to enter into the marriage of the Lamb, and that we may see you there with joy. Your father and I, and many others, have shown you the way. Take an example from the prophets and apostles, indeed, from Christ Himself, who all went this way; and where the head has gone before, there the members must certainly follow.

With this I will commend you to the Lord, and to the Word of His grace. This is my last farewell, my dear lambs; always remember each other in love; diligently learn to read and write, and obey everyone in that which is good. When your brother David and Tanneken come to you, greet one another with a friendly kiss of peace, in my name.

With this I bid you adieu, my dear child Betgen; adieu, my dear children David and Tanneken; adieu, all my dear brothers and sisters, and friends everywhere.

Once more we say adieu; greet uncle and aunt much with the kiss of peace, in my name.

Written by me, Soetgen van den Houte, your mother in bonds; written in haste (while trembling with cold), out of love for you all. Amen.