The First Letter of Jelis Strings

Grace, mercy and peace from God our heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and in love. May He strengthen and confirm you people, who now have to suffer persecution for a little while, and may He grant you to be strengthened with might in the inner man, and that Jesus Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, and that you be rooted and grounded in love, so that you may be able to comprehend with all the saints of God, the height, and depth, and length and breadth of His mercy, and to rightly walk and remain immovable in it to the end of your life; this we wish you all who love the Lord, for a cordial greeting, dear brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Further, after all greetings, please know that we are still tolerably well, the Lord be praised forever for His grace. Pray the Lord for us, that He will order it according to His will. We are of pretty good courage, the Lord be praised.

Further, I earnestly ask you to rightly instruct the simple in the faith concerning all things, and to speak of these things often in the exhortation, for there is great need of it. They greatly torment those who are imprisoned, when they perceive that they are weak, indeed, twice as much as those who are sure of their faith. And you who are weak, take it well to heart, and do not be ashamed to ask questions for the benefit of your souls, until you have a good understanding, before it comes to the test. Take this warning to heart, for it is such a blessed assurance if one is sure of his faith. For Sirach says: "A man whose heart is established is like a house which is firmly bound and nailed together; it does not fear though a storm arises." Sirach 22, verse 16. Thus, dear friends, let us also build on Christ Jesus; this must be the foundation, namely, His Word; for Christ Himself says: "Whoever hears my word, and does it, I will show whom he is like: He is like a man who proceeded to build his house; but he dug deep, and laid the foundation on the rock: though floods and rains come against it, it remains standing, for it is founded on the rock. But whoever hears my word, and does not do it, is like a foolish man who builds his house on the sand; when the floods come, or the winds blow, it falls, and great is the fall of it." Matthew 7, verses 24 to 27. Observe, friends, He says: "Great is the fall of it." So, dear friends, dig deep, which, according to my understanding, means to examine and take it well to heart, so that we may not be found fools; for James admonishes us to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving our own selves. For if anyone is a hearer of the Word, and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror: for he looks at himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But whoever examines himself in the law of God, and is a doer of the Word, and not a hearer only, this man shall be blessed. James 1, verses 22 and 25. Indeed, Christ Jesus Himself says: "Blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it." Luke 11, verse 28. John also admonishes us: "Blessed are those who hear the words of the prophets, and keep those things which are written in it."

Behold, dear friends, if we hear His word, and keep it well in our hearts, we are entitled to all these promises of blessedness; for it is the true food of the soul, by which all Christians must be fed, if they are to live; for Christ says that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4, verse 4. Indeed, as the prophet Jeremiah says, in the 15th chapter, verse 16: "Lord, your word sustains me, since I have obtained it; and your word is the comfort and joy of my heart." Solomon also says: "Every word of God is pure, and they are a shield to those who put their trust in it." Proverbs 30, verse 5. Therefore, dear friends, let us always put our trust in God's Word; it will not deceive us; for John says: These sayings of God are true; heaven and earth shall pass away, but the words of God shall not pass away. Revelation 19, verse 9. O dear friends, let us heed it well, for it is what will judge us in the last day; for Christ says: "I shall not judge you; but the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge you in the last day." John 12, verse 48. O dear friends, if it is that which will judge us, then we must examine well, and constantly prove ourselves, whether our life accords with the Word of God; and carefully view ourselves in it as in a mirror, whether there is nothing condemnable in us; and if we find anything in us that is unclean, then let us do according to the counsel of the prophet, who says: "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do well; seek judgment; relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." He says: "If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land: But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it." Isaiah 1, verses 16 to 20.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us not be disobedient, nor murmur against God, like Israel, who were rejected for it. First Corinthians 10, verse 10. If we have heard His voice today, let us not harden our hearts, but let us take care that we do not forsake the promise of entering into His rest, and that none of us be found to remain outside; for we have been sufficiently admonished, and invited, as was also Israel; but the Word preached to them did not profit them, because they did not firmly believe it. Hebrews 3, verses 7 and 6; Hebrews 4, verse 2. But let us have a steadfast faith, like Joshua and Caleb had, who feared neither the great stature of the Canaanites, nor the strength of their cities, though their walls reached up to heaven. Numbers 14, verse 30. Mark, their walls were high, and the inhabitants of the land were like giants; they were only grasshoppers in their sight. But Caleb and Joshua trusted in God, and said: "God is with us; their defense is taken from them; we shall devour them like bread." Numbers 14, verse 9. And by their faith they overcame everything, and entered into the promised land. Joshua 3, verse 17.

Thus, dear friends, our enemies also are great, strong and numerous; but if we have a faith like Caleb and Joshua, so that we do not look at our own strength, but go out from ourselves, and rely on Him with the whole heart, then we shall come off conquerors; for David says: "Commit your way to the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." Psalm 37, verse 5. Solomon, too, says: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3, verses 5 and 6. Indeed, Paul also says: "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have: for he 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 will do to me." Hebrews 13, verses 5 and 6; Deuteronomy 31, verse 6. Indeed, David says: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Indeed, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me." Psalm 23, verses 1 to 4.

O dear friends, where do we find such a God in Babylon? He says: "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you; when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon you." Indeed, He says: "The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, says the Lord that has mercy on you." Isaiah 43, verse 2; Isaiah 54, verse 10. Brothers and sisters, if we have such a God, who helps in this way in time of need, who are we, that we should be afraid of men, and of the children of men who must perish like grass. Isaiah 51, verse 12. Indeed, Christ Himself said:

"Fear not those who kill the body; but fear him who has power to cast soul and body into damnation." Matthew 10, verse 28. Behold, friends, though the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ. Second Corinthians 1, verse 5. Therefore, let us sincerely humble ourselves, and keep His commandments, and pray before Him with tears, that He will show us mercy according to His pleasure, so that, as we now have to mourn on account of their pride, we may rejoice after this distress, because we do not follow the sins of our fathers, who forsook their God, and went after strange gods, and therefore the Lord delivered them into the hands of their enemies. First Peter 1, verse 6; Deuteronomy 32, verse 16. Therefore, dear brothers who are elders, comfort the people with your words, and admonish them to remember that our fathers were tried in many ways, and had to overcome temptations of many kinds, in order that they might be proved whether they served God with their hearts. Thus, Isaac, Jacob and Moses remained steadfast, and had to overcome much affliction; but the others, who would not accept affliction, but impatiently murmured against God, were destroyed by the destroyer and by serpents. But let us remember that we are chastised by God, to make us better, and not for our destruction, and that the punishment is far less than our sins. For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives. But if you are without chastisement, of which all are partakers, then you are bastards, and not sons. Hebrews 12, verses 6 and 8. So, dear friends, let us be patient in this tribulation for a little while; for the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8, verse 18. But may the God of all grace establish, strengthen and settle us all; this I wish you all for a greeting. First Peter 5, verse 10.

I, Peter, greet you much, and earnestly desire that you would see to my wife; she hopes to do her best, she told me. We ask you to pray for us, that we may finish our course to the praise of God and the salvation of our souls. We also charge you that if Pauwels has not moved, he had better do so; we advise it for the best. We would write more explicitly, but we fear that the letter might fall into wrong hands. I, Pieter Potvliet, greet you much, and give you a testament. Continue steadfast and immovable in the work of the Lord; see that your labor is not in vain. I commend you to God. By me, JELIS STRINGS.