The Sixth Letter which Matthias Servaes of Kottenem Wrote from Prison

Grace, peace, and joy in the heart, through Christ, be with you, my dearly beloved wife, whom I love from the heart, indeed, as my own soul, and also with all the prisoners who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Further, my dear sister in the Lord, I reply to your first remark, by which you indicate that it grieves you that I am alone. But, my dear child, I am not alone, but have the comfort of all believers (John 14, verse 26) with me. I do not know whether I ever had greater joy on earth; for I am certain and truly assured that the Lord will not lay on me more than I can bear; for I do not wish to be freed from suffering (if it is the will of the Lord that I suffer); but may His holy will be done. So, my dear child, dismiss this grief from your mind; this I desire. In the second place, you lament your disobedience, that you have not been much more obedient to me; so I also deplore it from the heart before my God, that I have not been more diligent than I have been up to now; therefore we have no cause for boasting, but much rather for lamenting, for I say with Solomon: "Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?" Proverbs 20, verse 9. And with this agree also the words of Esdras, where he says: "Let not the sinner say that he has not sinned: for God shall burn coals of fire upon the head of him who says before the Lord God and His glory, I have not sinned. Second Esdras 16, verse 53. In this way the apostle John also speaks in his first epistle (chapter 1, verse 8), saying: " If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. " Therefore, dear wife, we may well lament, and pray with David: " O Lord, do not enter into judgment with Your servant, but according to Your loving kindness have mercy upon us, and according to the multitude of Your mercies blot out our transgressions. " Psalm 143, verse 2; Psalm 51, verse 1. Indeed, even though we have done all that we are bound in duty to do, it is fitting for us nevertheless to say: " We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. " Luke 17, verse 10. So we are not to place ourselves beside those who would be saved and justified by their works; but much rather beside those of whom the Scripture says: " Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." Romans 4, verses 7 and 8. Perhaps our appointed time upon earth will soon be spent, and the Lord wants to purify us before the end comes; or perhaps we, because of weakness, could not have truly known our transgression except in this way, so that it may be truly repented of before we are taken away. For one can work no truer repentance than this, in the chastisement of bonds. Of this we have a clear example in Manasseh, the King of Judah, who did not care how much the Lord warned him through the prophets; indeed, it was all of no use, until he was carried to Babylon into captivity by his enemies. There he first learned to know his sins, and repented. Second Chronicles, chapter 33. The Lord certainly loves us, that He has called us to this place; do not doubt it, my dear wife. Hebrews 12, verse 6. So let us fully trust the Lord, and cast all doubt from us, lest we fall into greater sins. But if we have sinned, let us do it no more, lest something worse happen to us (John 5, verse 14); and this is also the best repentance, namely, to do it no more.

O my dear wife, be of good cheer, and cast your sorrow or care upon the Lord, for He will care for us; do not despair. Remember the kind words of the Lord, where He says: "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11, verse 28. For the Lord will remember us, and not forget us. Indeed, He will forget us much less than a mother will forget the child she has carried nine months. And though a mother forget her child, yet He will not forget us, but will preserve us as the apple of His eye. Isaiah 49, verse 15; Zechariah 2, verse 8. But that the Lord permitted our imprisonment is all for our best, that through such chastisement we may learn true obedience; for in this way we can be truly cleansed, and also truly tried, whether we love anything more than our Lord Jesus Christ. It is comparatively easy to forsake husband, wife, children, father, mother, sisters, brothers, houses, or fields, for the name of Christ; but when it comes to a man's own person, and his life is concerned, then it is that he is truly tried and refined, for a man will give skin for skin, indeed, all that he has, for his life, as is written in Job. But Christ says that one must hate and forsake all this, and his own life also, and take up the cross, and follow Him. And whoever does not do this cannot, He says, be His disciple. Luke 14, verses 26 and 27. But we can hate or renounce ourselves in no fitter way than by fully surrendering ourselves into the hand of the Lord, so that we may say in truth: "Lord, Your holy will be done, that is: Lord, what You will, let that be done." Behold, my dear wife, this is true renunciation.

I further desire of you and all prisoners, that each one, as far as he finds himself accused in his conscience, humble himself therefore all the more before his God; for the time of grace, and the day of salvation, indeed, the acceptable time, is still at hand. Let us not cease knocking, until He has mercy on us and opens the door for us, and gives us, because of our persistence, the things we need. For He is a gracious God; He forgives very willingly, and soon repents of the evil; and from those who turn to Him from the heart He will not turn away His face; but those who depart from Him, their names shall be written in the earth. Jonah 4, verse 2; Second Chronicles 30, verse 9; Jeremiah 17, verse 13. Therefore, the man who asks Him for grace ought to examine himself as to whether he does it from the heart; for though a man lament with the mouth, the Lord knows the heart; so let everyone be in earnest, for if this is not the case, he cannot succeed. Judith, chapter 8. Now let it become clear whether you truly love God, indeed, whether you love Him above all.

Oh, what a great word it is that Peter speaks: "That our faith might be found much more precious than perishable gold, which is tried by fire." Show now the true virtue of faith, and pay what you promised and vowed to the Lord, and do not allow yourself to be turned aside either to the right or to the left, but remain in the middle of the road, and you will enter in. For he who perseveres in the way of the Lord to the end, he, and no other, shall be saved; to this end, may the gracious God help us all, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

I have to write in great fear. O my dear wife, and all of you, I commend you into the hand of the faithful God; may He keep you and me steadfast to the end. Amen. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Receive one another with a holy kiss of love, and remember me from the heart, which I trust to do with regard to you. And if we may see one another no more on this earth, may the Lord grant us grace and strength, so to acquit ourselves here that we may see one another face to face hereafter, in the eternal joy, with all the children of God. Amen.

O my dear Aeltgen, do not forget what I have often admonished you, namely, that you should firmly keep God before your eyes, and walk uprightly before Him. I mean all of you with this letter. O Lord, uphold us. Amen.

Now be of good cheer, my dear wife and sister in the Lord, and lay aside all grief; for what man is there (as said above) who can say: I have not sinned, my heart is clean, I am pure from sin. I also might have walked more diligently before you than I have done; however, may God take from us all that is displeasing to Him in us. Amen. Be watchful, my dear sister in the Lord; for the devil seeks to disquiet men.

I have written this in Cunebert's tower, but now we are in the count's house, namely, I Matthias and Herman, and we are in daily expectation of being offered up, with which we are heartily satisfied, if God counts us worthy. Preserve this letter very carefully from the eyes of those who sharply examine us, lest others get into trouble because of it. The peace of God be with us all. Amen.