Old Book of the Martyrs Mirror: 1560s
The Ninth Letter of Matthias Servaes, Written from Prison to F. V. H
The saving grace of God be multiplied to you and all the pious, through Jesus Christ; with the power of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
O. F., my greatly beloved friend* in the Lord, out of love to you I cannot keep from telling you how gladly I would fulfill your request; but I lack many things, as for instance, paper and ink, and besides, I am watched as closely as gold, so that I can neither receive nor send off any letters. So accept this brief letter in good part, for I have written it for your good. Therefore the heartfelt admonition and request I now address to you is this: that you sincerely take heed to your life, and order it so that it conforms to the Word of God, indeed, to the example of Jesus Christ, and consider it diligently, as you said in conversation with me. Love God above all, and do not forsake the assembly (Hebrews 10, verse 25), as you have until now; for if you still love anything more than Him, you are not worthy of Him. Take good heed, my friend in the Lord; for a lip faith is of no avail, as you well know yourself; but it must be a living faith, indeed, one that works by love, if we are to stand here, and hereafter before God. May God Schadai (Exodus 3, verse 14) work such a faith in you, and in all who heartily desire it. Amen. As for how it is with me, I cannot write enough, for the Lord grants me great joy in my heart, so that I would ask of God, if it were His will, that I might be led bound through Cologne, and beaten with rods from street to street, so that His name might be made known; and that my body might be refined on the rack, only to the praise of God, and not to mine; which has also partly happened. The Lord be praised, Amen; the Lord who sealed my lips, and gave me strength, which He still increases daily; and who will sustain me to the end. Amen.
With this I commend you to God. Remember us as we will remember you. Greet those who are with you, to whom my greeting in the Lord is acceptable. By me, MATTHIAS SERVAES, of Kottenem.