A Letter Written by Cornelis the Shoemaker

The grace and mercy of God the Father, the love of the Son, and the communion and peace of the Holy Ghost, who is sent to us from the Father, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, for the comfort of all true and faithful children of God; by whom we are led, taught and healed; may the same keep your heart, understanding and mind in Christ Jesus, to the praise and glory of His heavenly Father, to the salvation of your troubled soul, and to the protection of all the brothers and sisters who fear and love the Lord. This I wish you, my affectionately and much beloved wife, as a heartfelt greeting.

My dearest wife, whom I wedded before God and His church, and took as my wife according to the ordinance of the Lord, I wish you comfort, joy and gladness in all your great sorrow, which has now come upon you through my bonds and imprisonment. O my dear wife, I most earnestly pray the Lord for you, that He would comfort you, since I well know, my dear lamb, that you are very sorrowful on my account. [n918-1] But I ask you, lay your grief aside, if possible, for a little while, and comfort yourself with the Author of the faith, and look to Jesus the Finisher. Hebrews 12, verse 2. Walk from now on in all righteousness; make good use of the time of grace, and always remember what great grace the Lord has shown you; and bear in mind what a faithful God you serve, who will not forsake you. Romans 6, verse 13; Ephesians 2, verse 7; First Corinthians 1, verse 9.

O my most beloved lamb, I cannot fully praise or thank the Lord for all the great power and strength which He gives me in all my distress. Isaiah 40, verse 29. He is so faithful a God, and He gives me such courage, that I may say with Paul: "Who will separate us from the love of God? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For your sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8, verses 35 to 39. [n918-2]

O my dear wife, I ask and urge you, be patient in your tribulation, continue steadfastly in prayer, and always remember the beautiful promises which are so abundantly promised to us in the Scriptures, if we persevere to the end. Matthew 10, verse 22.

Oh, let us guard well the treasure given to us, so that no one may by any means deprive us of it. So continue steadfastly, and do not faint; for though the 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, for these are eternal. Second Corinthians 4, verse 7, and verses 16 to 18.

So, my dear and much beloved wife, do not cease to serve the Lord your God with all your heart, and to follow His footsteps. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, and that we will be clothed with it, if indeed, being clothed, we will not be found naked. For we who are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, so that mortality might be swallowed up by life. Now He who has made us for this very thing is God, who has also given us the earnest of the Spirit. Second Corinthians 5, verses 1 to 5.

O my dear wife, since we will put off the flesh, and inherit such a dwelling, let us walk fearlessly in faith before God and His church, and let us resolve not to depart from the Lord, nor to separate from His love—which He has shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost—on account of any affliction or tribulation; then He can help and comfort you in your request, when you are deprived of all human help and comfort; since He comes to the help of those who forsake their own selves, and of the despairing, for He dwells and will dwell alone in the hearts of men, and would not have us serve anyone besides Him.

So, my dear sheep, be firmly founded and built up in Him, as you are taught, and let love grow and increase in all righteousness and holiness, which avail and are acceptable before God; and always give diligence to excel in virtue, and look not to the walk of the idle and heedless, but consider those who live in keeping with the doctrine of Christ; keep company always with them, so that you run neither too high nor too low, nor too wide nor too long; for many go astray because one looks to the other, and so they sometimes grow cold.

Therefore, my dear and much beloved wife, always seek those things which are above, and let your mind be constantly fixed on the things which are not seen; put off the old man, and put on the new man, and deny ungodliness and worldly lusts; be transformed by the renewing of your mind, and you will have part in the resurrection. Colossians 3, verse 1; Second Corinthians 4, verse 18; Colossians 3, verses 9 and 10; Titus 2, verse 12; Romans 12, verse 2; Luke 20, verse 35. So know that you must first have crucified the old man, so that the body of sin may cease. And do not be weary in well doing, since your labor will not be in vain. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. Hebrews 3, verse 14.

So, my dear wife, do not let yourself be moved from your purpose or faith, for it is the true grace of God in which we stand. "For though an angel should come," says Paul, "and teach you anything other than what has been preached to you, let him be accursed." Galatians 1, verse 8. Neither fear such men as would draw you away from this doctrine; for they will perish like grass; nor can they do anything without God's permission. Therefore fear God and humble yourself under Him, for He is honored by the lowly; always condescend to men of low estate, and you will be great in the eyes of God; do not think yourself to be something, lest you deceive; always forsake your own self, and do not regard what men may do to you, though you are wronged; for it is acceptable with God if a man for conscience' sake gets into grief, suffering wrongfully. So be patient in all that comes upon you for the Lord's sake, so that you may be a partaker of Christ's sufferings, and so inherit His promise; for the time that reproach must be suffered here is short, compared with the joy which will be revealed in us in the last time; for though we have a miserable life here, we will enjoy much good hereafter; we are accounted here as dying, but we enter into certain rest and peace. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. First Corinthians 15, verses 43 and 44. Therefore our house of this tabernacle must be dissolved, if we want to obtain the house prepared for us by God. So do not fear those who kill the body; for they cannot harm the soul. Let us therefore not grieve because of the work of the Lord, but, as Christ says, rejoice and be glad in it, for it will be rewarded you in heaven; and, as Peter says, praise and glorify the Lord in this matter. Matthew 5, verse 12; First Peter 3, verse 15; chapter 4, verse 16.

O my dear lamb, this is not said so that we should grieve. So be patient in your tribulation and sufferings; for Paul says that all things work together for good to those who love God; and so I trust the Lord that it will work out for your good. Therefore receive willingly from the hand of the Lord the sufferings and afflictions He sends you, for He will not let you be tempted above what you are able to bear. So bear Christ's sufferings patiently; for all who are without chastisements are bastards, and not children. Hebrews 12, verse 8. James says: "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he is tried, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." James 1, verse 12.

So, my dear wife, follow Christ, and take up your cross with patience and joy, and follow Him all the days of your life, for He had to suffer so much for our sakes, to save us. Therefore let us suffer for His sake; since it is our hour, let us joyfully contend for the crown of life, which is prepared for us and for those who fear and love the Lord. So let us be satisfied in Him, and take our cross upon us with joyfulness and patience, and wait with firm confidence for the promises which He has made us, and that we may be crowned upon Mount Sion, and adorned with palms, and may follow the Lamb. Second Esdras 2, verse 42; Revelation 14, verse 4.

So strengthen yourself, and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ in the eternal life. "Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen." Jude, verses 24 and 25.

See, my dear wife and sister in the Lord, since I can no longer serve you with my presence, I have written you a little to comfort you; and this for a memorial or testament, so that by it you may remember me, how I walked before you. I hope to seal this letter with my blood, that it is the truth; and for this I want to lay down my life, to the praise of the Lord, and to the edification of all who fear the Lord from the heart. I commit you to the Lord and to the Word of His grace, that He would keep you in all righteousness and truth. And though we must separate, yet I know and firmly trust the Lord, that we will be together in the life eternal. I hope that you will always so order and regulate your way all the days of your life, that you may obtain salvation.

With this I bid you adieu, my dear lamb; adieu until eternity. Adieu and farewell to all who fear the Lord. Pray to the Lord for all four of us, that we may offer up to Him an acceptable sacrifice, so that our souls may be saved forever; to this end may God the Lord give His grace. Amen.

Written by me, Cornelis the shoemaker, imprisoned for the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ.