Further details regarding the death of Idelette de Bure.
GENEVA, _11th April 1549_.
Intelligence of my wife's death has perhaps reached you before now.
I do what I can to keep myself from being overwhelmed with grief.
My friends also leave nothing undone that may administer relief to
my mental suffering. When your brother left, her life was all but
despaired of. When the brethren were assembled on Tuesday, they
thought it best that we should join together in prayer. This was
done. When Abel, in the name of the rest, exhorted her to faith and
patience, she briefly (for she was now greatly worn) stated her
frame of mind. I afterwards added an exhortation, which seemed to me
appropriate to the occasion. And then, as she had made no allusion
to her children, I, fearing that, restrained by modesty, she might
be feeling an anxiety concerning them, which would cause her greater
suffering than the disease itself, declared in the presence of the
brethren, that I should henceforth care for them as if they were
my own. She replied, "I have already committed them to the Lord."
When I replied, that that was not to hinder me from doing my duty,
she immediately answered, "If the Lord shall care for them, I know
they will be commended to you." Her magnanimity was so great, that
she seemed to have already left the world. About the sixth hour of
the day, on which she yielded up her soul to the Lord, our brother
Bourgouin[228] addressed some pious words to her, and while he
was doing so, she spoke aloud, so that all saw that her heart was
raised far above the world. For these were her words: "O glorious
resurrection! O God of Abraham, and of all our fathers, in thee have
the faithful trusted during so many past ages, and none of them
have trusted in vain. I also will hope." These short sentences were
rather ejaculated than distinctly spoken. This did not come from
the suggestion of others, but from her own reflections, so that she
made it obvious in few words what were her own meditations. I had
to go out at six o'clock. Having been removed to another apartment
after seven, she immediately began to decline. When she felt her
voice suddenly failing her, she said: "Let us pray: let us pray. All
pray for me." I had now returned. She was unable to speak, and her
mind seemed to be troubled. I, having spoken a few words about the
love of Christ, the hope of eternal life, concerning our married
life, and her departure, engaged in prayer. In full possession of
her mind, she both heard the prayer, and attended to it. Before
eight she expired, so calmly, that those present could scarcely
distinguish between her life and her death. I at present control
my sorrow so that my duties may not be interfered with. But in the
mean while the Lord has sent other trials upon me. Adieu, brother,
and very excellent friend. May the Lord Jesus strengthen you by his
Spirit; and may he support me also under this heavy affliction,
which would certainly have overcome me, had not he, who raises
up the prostrate, strengthens the weak, and refreshes the weary,
stretched forth his hand from heaven to me. Salute all the brethren
and your whole family.--Yours,