Willeboort Corneliss, Put to Death for the Evangelical Truth

A letter of Willeboort Corneliss, written from his imprisonment at Middelborgh, and which he sealed with his blood

The grace and peace of God the heavenly Father, which have come to us through Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, comfort you in all your tribulation, my dearest sister in the Lord; and may the Holy Ghost guide you into all truth and righteousness to the end; and may the mighty hand of God keep you and me in the straight way, so that we may walk rightly to the end. Amen.

For, my dearest and beloved sister in the Lord, in this miserable and sorrowful world we are counted a prey to everyone, as the prophet tells us. Isaiah 59, verse 15. Indeed, Christ Jesus Himself says,

"You will be hated by all men for my name's sake." Matthew 10, verse 22. Indeed, we are counted as deceivers, and yet are true; we have become a spectacle; we are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed. Second Corinthians 6, verse 8; First Corinthians 4, verse 9; Second Corinthians 4, verses 8 and 9. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter; but in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. Romans 8, verses 36 and 37. For, my dear lamb, we know that we must enter into the kingdom of heaven through much tribulation and suffering; knowing that, while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. Acts 14, verse 22; Second Corinthians 5, verse 6. Hence Peter says: "I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul." First Peter 2, verse 11. Therefore, my dear lamb, though you have now left our fatherland with Abraham, do not therefore be slothful in your business; but be fervent in spirit; redeeming the time; rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the necessity of saints; and see that you are given to hospitality. Romans 12, verses 11 to 13. For, my dear lamb, though our outward man perishes, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen." Second Corinthians 4, verse 16.

Therefore, my dear sister, look constantly to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame. Consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, so that you do not grow weary in your distress, and faint in your mind. For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and He scourges every son whom He loves and receives. Hebrews 12, verse 2, and so on. For our Savior Himself suffered so much for our sakes that Isaiah may well say: "He has no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid, as it were, our faces from him." Isaiah 53, verses 2 and 3. So that He may well say through the prophet: "They gave me gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me gall and vinegar to drink; and all men laugh me to scorn; they shoot out the lip, and shake the head." Indeed, as He says through the prophet: "I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people." Psalm 69, verse 21; Psalm 22, verses 7 and 6.

My dear sister in the Lord, if the head thus suffered, the members must follow. Do not grieve that you must still wander about in this world, or wilderness; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do, according to the good purpose of your mind. Philippians 2, verse 13. My dear lamb, always let your light shine among this wicked and perverse generation, so that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. First Peter 2, verse 12.

My dearest sister in the Lord, wait patiently for the time; be patient until the coming of our Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain. Therefore be patient, and establish your heart; for the coming of the Lord is drawing near. My dear sister, you have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very compassionate, and of tender mercy. James 5, verse 7, and so on.

My dear lamb, let us keep to the end that which we have; He is faithful that promised it to us. Hebrews 10, verse 23. My dear sister, humble yourself always; cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you, and for us all (First Peter 5, verses 6 and 7); for we know our reward beforehand, if we hold fast His commandments to the end, according to our weakness, and we wait for it with patience. Hence Paul says that love is the bond of perfectness. Colossians 3, verse 14. And Peter says: "Have perfect charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins." First Peter 4, verse 8. My dear sister in the Lord, though we must now be the laughing stock of the world, and wander about in foreign lands, we will be none the worse for it when the Lord shall say: "Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" Matthew 25, verse 34. Then shall the child be born; then there shall be no more reviling; then shall all our enemies be conquered; then shall the tears be wiped from our eyes; then shall no harm happen to us any more; then shall we drink of the fountain of life, without price; for whatever things were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have before. [n884-1] Romans 15, verse 4.

May the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus, so that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore receive one another, as Christ also received us, to the glory of God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Farewell, my dear sister in the Lord. Amen.