The Third Letter of Jan van Hasebroeck

The abundant grace, peace and mercy from God the heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ His dear and much beloved Son our Lord, be multiplied to you, with the power and communion of the Holy Ghost; may He strengthen, comfort and establish you in the inner man, so that you may be able to stand firm and immovable in His truth to the end of your life, to His praise and to the salvation of your soul; this I wish you, my dear and much beloved wife and sister in the Lord, as a cordial and friendly greeting. Amen.

After all heartfelt greetings, my dear and much beloved wife, I want you to know that I am still reasonably well according to the flesh, the Lord be praised forever for His grace; and my mind is still unchanged, to go on in what I, unworthy one, declared and confessed in His name. I also hope to seal it with my blood, and I trust that the Lord will help me in my last extremity; for Paul says (Hebrews 2, verse 18) that since He Himself has suffered [being tempted], He is able to help those who are tempted. O my dear and much beloved wife, I want you to know that I was partly glad and partly grieved when I heard how it is with you. For on account of your sickness I was sorrowful; but when I heard again that you were of such good cheer in your tribulation and suffering, I greatly rejoiced, and thanked the Lord for His great grace and compassion. And I humbly ask Him from the depth of my heart, through Jesus Christ His dear Son, that He would comfort, strengthen and establish you, and always guide you into His truth, to the end of your life. O my dear and much beloved wife, always be of good cheer, and remember that we must enter the kingdom of God through much tribulation and suffering, like all the pious and God-fearing men who lived before our time, as Paul tells us (Hebrews 11), that they suffered mockings, scourgings, and stoning, indeed, bonds and imprisonment, and died by the sword, indeed, suffered distress and want: they went in sheepskins and goatskins, wandering about in deserts; and had to hide in caves of the earth. Therefore, my dear lamb, rejoice with all the pious, of whom Paul says that they took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, and that all who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Second Timothy 3, verse 12. For Christ Himself says: "If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my sayings, they will keep yours also. Indeed, if they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call those of his household?" John 15, verse 20; Matthew 10, verse 25.

O my dear and much beloved wife and sister in the Lord, though the Lord comes to visit us with tribulation and suffering, Paul says that it is given to us not only to believe on His name, but also to suffer for it; and as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ. Philippians 1, verse 29; Second Corinthians 1, verse 5. O my dear and much beloved wife, willingly receive the chastening of the Lord; for He chastens everyone whom He loves, and scourges every son whom He receives. Now no chastening seems joyous for the present, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who are exercised by it. Hebrews 12, verses 6 and 11.

O my dear and much beloved wife, with this I will commend you to the Lord, and kindly ask you from the depth of my heart, that you would always do the best you can with my two little lambs, as I also trust that you will do, as you sent me word. Nevertheless, I kindly ask you, that if the Lord should spare you until they come to their understanding, you would instruct them in the obedience of the truth; and always associate with those who fear God, so that at the last day we and they may stand together at the Lord's right hand, and hear His voice: "Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

O my dear and much beloved wife and sister in the Lord! With this I commend you to the Lord Almighty, and to the Word of His grace, and bid you farewell, my dear wife, farewell, and the peace of the Lord be with you and all those who fear Him. Jan Koopman and Hansken greet you much; and Jan Koopman greets his wife much; he and Hansken are also of good cheer. Amen.

Written by me, JAN VAN HASEBROECK, your husband and weak brother in the Lord.