Mr. Jelis Matthijss, Put to Death for the Testimony of Jesus Christ, in the Year 1564

A letter of Mr. Jelis Matthijss, written in prison, at Middleborgh, in the year 1564, where he laid down his life for the name of the Lord

The foundation of God stands sure. Second Timothy 2, verse 19.

Grace, peace, and the abundant love of our God, with the deep and unspeakable love of His Son our Lord Jesus Christ, and the chosen gift of faith, are revealed to us by God, the merciful dear Father, through Christ Jesus, and given to His saints, whom He, through His fatherly love, has now chosen, called and ordained to this, indeed, delivered from the chains and heavy bonds of the perpetual darkness of unbelief, with which this evil, wicked and perverse world is bound; and has, according to His fatherly mercy, begotten us again to a living, saving hope, and translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son, in whom we have the forgiveness of our sins through His blood, so that we, my dear sheep, should from now on serve Him without fear in all obedience, righteousness and holiness, all the days of our life. First Peter 1, verse 3; Colossians 1, verses 13 and 14; Luke 1, verses 74 and 75. To this end may the merciful dear Father help and strengthen us with the power of His Holy Spirit. Amen.

Since you people have requested me, through your letter, and through greetings heard from you at different times, and also previously, by the letter of your dead wife, who also requested the same of me [to write], know that I have often purposed in my heart to do so according to my little gift, although I trust it is not really necessary, yet I hope that it will nevertheless assure and confirm you the more. But as I had rather much writing to do, and was engaged also with other matters, I could not very well attend to it; yet I have constantly cherished a father's care for you, often begging my God with a fervent heart, according to my weakness, that He would preserve you both, under the shadow of His wings, in this horrible and perilous time full of all wickedness, and fill you more and more with His Holy Spirit, and open the eyes of your understanding, so that you, my dear sheep, may learn to know well the snares and outspread nets of the devil, which he now in so many ways daily lays for the regenerated, though you are not ignorant of them in part, knowing his devices well; therefore you have watched until the present time, in which I greatly rejoice, as also in this, that your faith grows and increases in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom I have begotten you and the others, in my bonds, by tears, with the power of the Holy Ghost. And you became followers of me, and of the Lord, and received the Word of the Gospel of the cross of Christ with much sighing and godly sorrow, and have obeyed it from the heart, in the form of the doctrine in which you now stand, so that you have become examples to all those in Middelborgh who want to amend their lives, and take up the cross of the Lord. First Thessalonians 1, verses 6 and 7. Not only these, but many saints are made to rejoice, seeing your obedience and humility in the fear of your God, which, I hope, will increase and become manifest still more from day to day, so that, my dear sheep, it may be clearly evident that you are truly born again from above, of God the Father, and renewed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12, verse 2. Remember that your conversation must be heavenly, namely, according to the new man, who after God is created in all manner of righteousness and holiness; for since He who has called and chosen you to this service is holy, you must also, according to your ability, lead a holy, chaste and godly life in the fear of your God. Ephesians 4, verse 24; First Peter 1, verse 15. For to whom we have yielded ourselves, his servants we are, as the apostle says: whether of sin to death, or of obedience to life. Romans 6, verse 16. God be praised and thanked forever, my dear sheep, that you were the servant and handmaid of sin, but are now washed and cleansed with me, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, whom God the Father shed on us abundantly through Christ our Savior, not for the works of our righteousness which we had done; for we were by nature the children of wrath, even as others; but God, the merciful, dear Father, who is rich in mercy, for His great love with which He loved us, when we were dead in sins and unrighteousness, quickened us together with Christ, or by Christ, His dear Son, through faith. Titus 3, verse 5; Ephesians 2, verse 3, and so on.

Therefore, my affectionately beloved sheep in Christ Jesus, whose souls I love from the heart, and for whom I have a fatherly and godly care, I admonish and beg you as a prisoner in the Lord, often to call to remembrance the day in which the merciful dear Father had compassion on you, and took the veil from your eyes and hearts, which still hangs before the eyes and hearts of so many thousands, who walk such hard ways and do not know the way of the Lord, because they are drunk with the wine of the Babylonian whore, namely, the false doctrines, by which the whole earth is covered; but you, my sheep, have become sober, and come out of her, and I also hope that you will no more touch her uncleanness, lest you perish with her plagues. Second Corinthians 3, verse 16; Wisdom 5, verse 7; Revelation 17, verse 2; Revelation 18, verse 4.

So watch sharply in righteousness, so that you, my dear sheep, be not put to confusion after my departure in this horrible and perilous time, for you can plainly see and hear that now is certainly the time of which Christ Jesus and His holy apostles have so diligently warned us, even as Christ Himself said that the love of many should grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. Matthew 24, verses 12 and 13. O my dear sheep, ponder the words of Christ, and let them lodge in your hearts. It is indeed not spoken with regard to the world; for in the world the love of God cannot grow cold, since it has not received it, and does not know it; but it is spoken with reference to the true Israelites. And you see that this happens abundantly among them, which is certainly a lamentable matter, as that the devil and spirit of the old serpent has gained such strength and power in the present time, through the many subtle and clever snares which he daily lays, to capture anew in his net of unbelief the souls of the regenerated, who have escaped him through the knowledge of God, whom he does capture again, my dear sheep, some of them through false doctrine, not only through the Roman antichrist, since now there are many antichrists in the world. For this reason he has put on another cap, which is no longer like the Roman, knowing well that his game with it will soon be played out; so he has transformed himself, and appears now as an angel of light, and does his diligence to mingle with the children of light, there to set forth his wares anew. For, my dear sheep in the Lord, formerly he came with human ordinances and commandments, but now he knows that men want to hear Scripture; so he now comes bringing forward many Scriptures, so that it seems to be all right, even as he presumptuously did with Christ, quoting to Him from the prophet David, that it was written that He [God] should send His angels, who should bear Him up in their hands, lest He should dash His foot against a stone. Matthew 4, verse 6; Psalm 91, verse 12. See, my dear sheep, he did indeed quote Scripture, just as it read; but it had not been spoken or prophesied with any such meaning; so these also, though they quote many Scriptures, and presumptuously say: "Thus it is certainly written"; by which he easily captures in his outspread net the wavering and those whose ears itch to hear something new.

Others he gets through deceitful riches that come to them, which bring men into destruction and perdition, since covetousness is the root of all evil. First Timothy 6, verses 9 and 10. Nevertheless, some still desire that their temporal possessions increase, and are so busily engaged with it, that in the meantime they forget the exercise of godliness, and bring many sorrows upon themselves. Alas, my dear lamb, it shall go with them as it went with certain of the Israelites; those who had gathered much had nothing over; and those who had gathered little had no lack. Exodus 16, verse 18. So, if we have food and clothing, O that we could be content with it; for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. First Timothy 6, verse 7. For we see, dear sheep, that the words of our dear Lord Jesus Christ are true, namely, that the deceitful riches choke and suppress the good seed, namely, the Word of God, by which many also come to shame.

The third class [he deceives], through the loss or spoiling of their goods, who do not rightly consider that, like the merchantman, they have found the most beautiful pearl, which is certainly well worthy of all this, and far above comparison with it. The fourth, through crosses and suffering, namely, persecution. The fifth, through the entreaties and appeals of father and mother, friends and relatives. The sixth, through wife and children. The seventh, by their own evil, subtle flesh. The eighth, because they become weary of the way of righteousness, and turn back to Egypt and Sodom, to live at ease and peace for a short time with the Babylonian whore, and afterwards to be tormented with her in everlasting pain.

Behold, my most chosen and beloved sheep, all this is worked and set in motion by a single spirit, the old serpent, who neither sleeps nor slumbers, but constantly walks about us, seeking whom he may devour: First Peter 5, verse 8. So resist him manfully and with a believing heart, and do not let it terrify you, though they so lightly forsake the commandments of the Lord. Oh, do not regard the negligent, slothful and unfaithful; but let all faithless servants and false disciples forsake their Lord and Master, yet we hope nevertheless to hold to Him, and you with me, and are ready to suffer whatever He lays upon us. Ah! what should we do or undertake, if we should forsake His commandments? Where should we flee, where He would not find us? Oh! heaven and earth must obey Him with trembling; mountains and caverns must quake before Him, and cannot stand in His presence; how much more the children of men, who dwell in houses of clay. Psalm 114, verse 7; Job 4, verse 19. O my dear sheep, with what shall they excuse or justify themselves when He shall visit them, who now so unfaithfully depart from Him?

Alas! alas! it is indeed a lamentable matter, that they have conceived such a loathing for the noble heavenly bread, and that the only medicine by which all the souls of the regenerated have been restored has become such a deadly enemy to them. Indeed, my dear sheep, we may well sigh and lament with the prophet over the destruction of Israel, and over Jerusalem the fair city of God, and this the more because so many Israelites drift into the wilderness of this wicked world, and are again destroyed and slain by the subtle spirit of the serpent. Also, because some of the watchmen have become apostates, and the citizens of Jerusalem, too, are becoming slothful and drowsy, though he who walks around the camp neither rests nor pauses, but diligently seeks day and night, whom he may find idle or sleepy, to sow his tares into the field of the heart, even as he, alas! did not a little in my time, and will still do, the longer the more, in my opinion. For the more the people of God increase, the more will he reign among them; nor will he rest until he succeeds in getting some of them to submit to his will again; and God permits him to torment the pious, and also to seduce them, so that the others may be tried. See, my dearest and much beloved children in the Lord, it is therefore my fatherly entreaty and humble request of you, for the sake of the eternal salvation of your souls, that you will from now on exercise great care that you may remain in the way of righteousness, and always be mindful how you from this time on ought to walk in the house of God, which is the church of God, to which you have come, of which I was very glad, when I heard it, and thanked and praised my God for His great fatherly goodness and grace which He has shown you, and has received you as His son and daughter, indeed, as heirs of His heavenly riches, on which account you have so willingly placed yourselves under the yoke and rod of the cross, and, with the holy apostle Paul, counted your gain loss, that you might gain your souls in Christ, even as you have done. So, take heed to yourselves, and do not depart or waver either to the right or to the left, lest you fall from your own steadfastness, and eternal fire be your inheritance; but as you, my dear sheep, have now put on the Lord Jesus Christ, so continue to walk in Him, and remain firmly established and rooted in His doctrine, lest you grow cold or lukewarm in love, and thus lose what you have received and so willingly accepted. Second Peter 3, verse 17; Colossians 2, verse 6; First Corinthians 4, verse 7.

I also beg you, by the mercy of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, that you do not neglect to thank and praise God the merciful dear Father day and night, through Christ His dear Son, for the great, unspeakable benefits which He has shown us poor, miserable creatures; and has foreseen and chosen us from our mother's womb, and this to the end that we should truly live and confess His name among this wicked and adulterous generation, and thus may hold fast to the end the beginning of the Christian life. For though, my dearest sheep and much beloved children, you have now become true heirs of eternal life, through obedience to the Gospel, and are written with me and all saints in the book of life, indeed, have been brought to an innumerable company of angels, yet, O my dear sheep, he can soon blot us out again, and write our apostate names in the earth (Jeremiah 17, verse 13), if we do not faithfully, according to our weakness, walk in God's commandments to the end of our lives; for we know that the glorious promises given to the pious, and the crown of eternal life, lie neither in the beginning nor in the middle; but he who endures, and continues faithful to the end, shall receive the same from the hand of the Lord. For it is evident that it availed the outward Israel (in whom we have a clear example) nothing, my dear sheep, that they had been delivered by the strong hand of the Lord out of Egypt from the service and bondage of Pharaoh; indeed, all the benefits shown them on the way by the faithful, merciful dear Father were certainly for the most part lost or in vain. Though He fed them with angels' food, and gave them all that their soul desired, yet they became impatient and murmured, and did not receive their trial in the fear of God, or in patience; therefore the Lord was angry, and destroyed twenty-three thousand at one time. O my dear, chosen sheep, think on it; it certainly occurred for our instruction and admonition, as the holy apostle says, that we should not fall into the same example of unbelief. For what could it avail us, that we have now also gone out from spiritual Egypt and Sodom, and been delivered from the service of the hellish Pharaoh, through the Red Sea of the blood of Christ Jesus, and been baptized in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, upon the confession of our faith, and have thus, having renounced our own selves, entered into the true Noah's ark, Christ Jesus. O my dear sheep, it all cannot avail or save us, if we do not observe the fulfilling of the commandments of our God; for the apostle John says: "He who says, I know God, and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." First John 2, verse 4. But you, my most beloved, have always obeyed not only in my presence, but much more in my absence; therefore work out your salvation with fear, and constantly walk as becomes the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, after my departure, so that you may always stand fast in one spirit and mind; and be not terrified in any way by your adversaries, whether from within or without, which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of eternal salvation, and that of God. For, my dear sheep, it is not enough that you believe in Christ, but you must also suffer for His name, if not in bonds or imprisonment, then in the daily conflict and temptations, which at the present time arise in many and various forms, and may come upon you still more. Philippians 2, verse 12; Philippians 1, verse 27. For God proves and tries His chosen in many ways. Bonds and imprisonment are regarded as the greatest trials of faith; but, my dear lamb, I write and confess to you at this time, that to me it is the least, compared with the perils and temptations I tasted and met with in the wilderness of this world, or which I saw before me, so that I often did not know which way to turn, for anxiety of heart and spirit, and sighed and wept to my God because of the many subtle and clever snares which the old serpent is now laying, fearing that I might yet become entangled in her snares of human weakness, and of the wisdom of my own flesh, because I saw and heard that such high, strong and firmly rooted trees were completely torn up by the roots, and such lofty mountains brought low most miserably. Besides, I felt that in me there dwelt no good thing; moreover, I considered that at His righteous day much chaff will be found, when He will look over His own. O then He will see those who will not have on a wedding garment.

For this reason also I was in great anxiety, fearing that through my daily mistakes and polluted walk I should not be able to stand at His coming; so I often begged Him with tears, that through His fatherly mercy He would make me, poor, miserable man, fit, that I might suffer for His name's sake, to go into bonds and imprisonment, and even into death, for His holy testimony; then I should be sure of my soul's salvation, and not fear to come to shame in the day of His wrath, to which He, through His fatherly mercy, has now chosen me and made me worthy, to declare His holy testimony before this evil and adulterous generation, in my bonds; on which account I greatly rejoice in my soul, and sincerely regret that I cannot thank or praise my and our merciful dear Father enough for His unspeakably great benefits which He has shown and is still daily showing me, a miserable creature; for I trust in His fatherly grace and mercy, that He will further fit me and make me worthy to go into death for His holy testimony; for He knows that I have for a long time longed to be at home, and this because of the many dangers I see in the way. So, my affectionately beloved sheep in the Lord, as I still have a fatherly care for you, and love you with a godly love, I cannot forbear, seeing I am still in this tabernacle for a little while, to admonish you a little by my writing, praying you not to think that I rule over you; but I seek to build you up with all kindness to the full stature of the fullness of Christ, so that you, my dear sheep, may be found a true letter of Christ, not written with ink on paper, but by the Holy Spirit of the living God, by which you are also sealed to the day of your redemption, who has written God's statutes and laws into your hearts and minds, so that you have now become an epistle of Christ, which is seen and read by all men who behold your holy, chaste conversation in the humility of your heart and low esteem of yourselves. Second Corinthians 3, verse 2; First Peter 3, verse 2.

Therefore, my dear lamb, I beg you once more, though you are humble, humble yourselves still more; though you are clean, cleanse yourselves yet more; indeed, though you have become holy, sanctify yourselves yet more and more, so that you may be found pure and blameless, the children of God, in the midst of this crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, so that I may not have labored in vain with you; for though I am to be offered up, and the time of my departure is at hand, yet I joy and rejoice in my heart, on your account, and of the others whom I have begotten in my bonds, who in time past were unprofitable to the house of God, but are now useful and profitable, whom I love for the truth's sake, and desire that they shall also have a part in this, hoping that it will also rejoice them in the spirit and faith, for an assurance and confirmation of all your minds in Christ Jesus. John 15, verse 3; Revelation 22, verse 11; Philippians 2, verse 15; Second Timothy 4, verse 6; Philemon, verses 10 and 11; Second John, verses 1 and 2. So, my final and affectionate request to you all is, that you love one another with a pure heart fervently, being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, namely, by the living, powerful and saving Word. John 13, verse 34; First Peter 1, verses 22 and 23. And remember the words of Paul our fellow brother, where he says: "The end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience; indeed, it is the bond of perfectness." First Timothy 1, verse 5; Colossians 3, verse 14. O how blessed is he who is truly girded about with this bond; for he does not live to himself, but to his Lord; and he observes the words of Christ in everything, also where He says: "Be merciful, as your heavenly Father also is merciful." Luke 6, verse 36.

So, my dear sheep, I beg you still, by the mercy of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, and also for the sake of the eternal salvation of your souls, that you do not forget to do good and to share; for the administration of this service supplies not only the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings to God; for by such offerings God is pleased. Second Corinthians 9, verse 12. Remember also the words of the wise man, where he says: "He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay him again what he has given." Proverbs 19, verse 17. He further says: "He who gives to the poor shall suffer no sorrow; but he who turns away his eyes shall decrease." Chapter 28, verse 27. "The righteous uses his wealth for life, but the wicked uses it for sin." Chapter 10, verse 16. He also says: "There is one who scatters, and yet increases; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it tends to poverty." Chapter 11, verse 24. Tobit also commands his son to remember the poor, saying: "Do not turn your face from the poor, and the face of God shall not be turned away from you. Wherever you are able, help the needy. If you have abundance, give alms accordingly; if you have but little, give according to that little with a faithful heart." And he adds:

"For alms deliver from death, and blot out sin." Tobit 4, verse 7. With regard to this, Sirach also says:

"Alms make an atonement for sin." Sirach 3, verse 30. Alms also preserve the giver in everlasting habitations; therefore Christ commanded: "Make friends for yourselves of the mammon of unrighteousness, so that, when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations." Luke 16, verse 9.

Christ has well said: "For you always have the poor with you." John 12, verse 8. Therefore He shall say at His righteous day: "All that you have done to the least of these my brothers, you have done to me." Matthew 25, verse 40. From this it follows, my dear sheep, that the words of Paul will also be verified, namely: "He who sows sparingly (here) shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully . . . for God loves a cheerful giver." Second Corinthians 9, verses 6 and 7. My affectionately beloved sheep in the Lord, though I write in this way, I nevertheless know that you are taught of God and His Holy Spirit, and that this will do more for you than all I can write; yet, from heartfelt Christian love, I write it to you; for the reason, that you may remember the former times, when you were so diligent in all manner of unrighteousness, sparing no expense in the way of numerous costly banquets or feasts, indeed, in pomp and display, which God abominates. Oh, think once, my dear sheep, what delight you then took [in these things]. Oh, should you not now give much more diligence to the things which God has commanded you, to lay up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupts. Oh, we should be able now to spare a bit of money occasionally, to give to poor saints, just as easily as we formerly could provide large amounts, to spend in unrighteousness. O my dear, beloved children, I do not write this to oppress your hearts, but that your love may increase yet more and more from day to day: for you do not know how much time you will have yet, or when robbers may get possession of your treasure. Further, my faithful sheep, it is my fatherly request, that you live together in peace, harmony and unity. Help to bear in love one another's burdens, since you do not know how long you will live together; and remember that you are called children of peace, since your King and Prince is the King and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9, verse 6); so you must be found children of peace, as I also trust you are, though I write in this way.

With this I will commend you to the great Shepherd of the sheep, who, I faithfully trust, will keep you under the shadow of His wings; if you only continue in His statutes and commandments, and depart on no account out of His hand, then I am certain that no one shall pluck you out of His hand. Once more I beg you, and this by the wounds of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, and also for the sake of the eternal salvation of your souls, that you will take to heart my letter and faithful admonition written at the close of my life; and do not let it lie unused among you after my departure, nor look upon it then as a dead history or fable; but receive it as a testament, and let it be a perpetual memorial to you, and remember me by it, how I was an example to you, according to my weakness, and follow my footsteps which I trust to walk before you through the power of my God, namely, to hold to the truth to the end, to testify to you and to all who seek to fear God with a pure heart, that this is the true grace of our God, as Peter says, indeed, the sure road and highway to eternal life, in which you now stand. First Peter 5, verse 12; Psalm 25. So let no one divert you from your present purpose, or cause you to waver, but be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure. [n886-1] Oh, if you do these things, my dear sheep, you shall never fall; but an entrance shall be ministered to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Second Peter 1, verses 10 and 11. Watch rigidly therefore in righteousness all the days of your life; for it is necessary indeed. I also kindly request that you receive this prescription in love; for I have certainly written it out of Christian love. With this I want to bid you all adieu, until in eternity. Amen.

Furthermore, my affectionately beloved sheep in the Lord, as regards how it is with me and my fellow combatants, know that it still tends to the promotion of the Gospel. Know also, that the Lord faithfully helps me in my conflict and defense, and has given me strength to gain the victory, and delivered me out of the mouth of hell, and the teeth of the lions. I believe I have been in combat with them ten or twelve times; the others, however, they did not torment so much. In short, I hope that the fight is fought, the course finished, the life [faith] kept. From now on there is laid up for me the crown of glory, which, I hope, no creature shall ever take from me; for faithful is He who has begun this good work in me; He will doubtless help me finish it, according to the good purpose of my heart, so that I may pass through Jordan unharmed. Philippians 1, verse 6. May God grant us His grace. Amen.

Communicate this among yourselves. Commend it to God, meditate on it diligently, understand it wisely. Oh, if you do this, it will be evident that you seek your salvation and esteem my letter.

Finished the 6th of October, in the twenty-third month of my imprisonment. Once more, my dear children, valiantly hold together to the cross of Christ, and do not depart from it.