in regard to a matter of great importance; but in the meantime these
holy martyrs must suffer abridgment, since their matters, which
otherwise necessarily (even out of the mouth of their adversaries,
might be made known to every one), must thereby remain hid. This by way
of notice.
_The first letter which Jan Thielemans wrote in prison._
I wish you, my dear friends, grace and peace from God the heavenly
father, through Jesus Christ his dear Son our Lord, as a friendly
greeting. Amen.
Further, after all good and proper greetings that are Christian-like,
I, in my unworthiness, have felt greatly prompted in my spirit, to
write you something yet, since I cannot orally converse with you
all; seeing I had laid the first foundation in some of you (1 Cor.
3:10), and, according to my humble gift, withheld nothing from you,
and though I am now removed from you, I have nevertheless, because of
the great love which we in great fellowship and peace have mutually
had, remembered you in my last adieu with a little draught out of my
rivulet, from which I have poured out for you; yet not I, but the grace
of God through me. For thus it is written, Gen. 17, that God spake to
our father Abraham, saying: “I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and
be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me, and thee, and
will multiply thee accordingly, so that kings shall come out of thee.
And I will give unto thy seed the land of Canaan for an inheritance.
And this is my covenant which I will make with you: Every man-child ye
shall circumcise.” Thus Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto
him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. James 2:23.
So God then gave Abraham a son, who was called Isaac; and Isaac begat
Jacob and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs. And the Patriarchs envied
Joseph, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver.
The Ishmaelites sold him into Egypt; but God was with him, and he found
favor in the sight of king Pharaoh, and became governor over the land
of Egypt. And it happened that there came a dearth over Egypt, so that
Jacob and his sons found no sustenance. And they heard that corn was
sold in Egypt. Hence Jacob sent out his sons the first time; and the
second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph’s kindred
was made known unto Pharaoh. And Joseph sent for his father Jacob. And
Jacob went down into Egypt, and with him threescore and fifteen souls;
and he dwelt in Egypt, and he and his sons died there. Acts 7:4, etc.
Now when the people began to multiply, there arose another king, who
oppressed the people of Israel, and commanded that the young children
should be cast away. Mark well, my good friends, how did the children
of Israel get into this distress, great misery and sorrow, on account
of which they lamented and groaned to God? who had brought them into
this? It was their father Jacob that had done it; yet with God Almighty
the promise remained as firm as ever, which he had made to our father
Abraham, namely, that his seed should inherit the land of Canaan; but
now they were in great affliction. Now, what did all those inherit
that were born there? the good and faithful land of promise? No, but
they inherited bondage under the cruel King Pharaoh, and still found
themselves in the land of Egypt; this is certainly the truth.
Consider now this age of the world, and those who are at the present
day born unto the world; if they ascertain it from the Scriptures,
who brought them into the world? Adam their father. So they now still
find themselves in the spiritual dark Egypt, under Pharaoh, the devil.
Mark now, my good friends, what they inherit, and how they boast in
vain. They inherit a naked body when they are born, without raiment and
food; for if they inherited raiment and food, there would not so many
people go naked and suffer hunger. But now excellent and thankworthy
gifts are proffered by the Lord. But if we will not use these excellent
means according to the rule and truth of Christ, in order to get to
the spiritual promised land, we must remain without; even as there are
many who do not use the means for obtaining food and clothing, and
must therefore go without them, suffer cold and hunger: thus, my good
friends, it will also go with all those who here vainly boast of the
kingdom of God.
I will now return to my previous theme. Consider now Israel, who were
dwelling in Egypt; they began greatly to multiply, and wax mighty, and
numbered six hundred thousand men. This great power was nevertheless
beaten and compelled to labor by King Pharaoh. They groaned and
complained, and though there was such a great multitude of them, yet
it was not possible for them to get out of the country, and enter
into the land of which they were to be heirs, as God had promised
Abraham. Thus, also, my friends, it is impossible for man to get out
of spiritual Egypt, and to be delivered from King Pharaoh, namely,
the devil, in order to enter into the spiritual country, namely, the
kingdom of God; for men universally inherit a depraved nature, and
in accordance with it they act, and live after the flesh, wherefore
they die, and do not inherit the kingdom of God. Now, my dear friends,
when they were thus in Egypt, and had dwelt there four hundred and
thirty years, and complained, groaned and sighed, it came before the
Lord. And the Lord God Almighty remembered his covenant which he had
firmly made with our Father Abraham, and God raised up and chose a man
named Moses. Behold, my good friends, through this man God intended
to deliver all the people, and he did many wonderful signs and mighty
works before the king of Egypt, as we may read. Finally this Moses
brought them out by the mighty hand of God; but before they left the
country, Moses went many times to Pharaoh and said: Thus saith the Lord
God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may serve me. But Pharaoh
said: Who is the Lord, that I should let the people go? I will not
let the people go. Now, even as the people that were in Egypt could
not serve the Lord, unless they left Egypt and journeyed towards the
promised land, so can now those likewise not serve the Lord, who are
in the spiritual Egypt; for one cannot serve two masters at once; one
must leave Pharaoh and Egypt; for Pharaoh dwells in Egypt, but the Lord
God dwells in the spiritual promised land. My kind friends can now
easily perceive that it is the truth what I write, that one must leave
the spiritual Egypt, even as Moses by the mighty hand of God delivered
the people out of Egypt, from which they went out in one day, and came
to the sea, whither Pharaoh with his servants pursued them, thinking
that they could not escape out of the country. But little did they know
that the Lord was with the children of Israel; for Pharaoh thought to
smite them. But the Lord divided the sea, so that the waters stood
like walls. And thus Moses and the people of God passed through, but
Pharaoh with all his servants remained in the sea, so that not one of
them escaped to go and tell the tale in Egypt. Thus also, my dearest,
when men want to serve God, then they forsake Egypt and Pharaoh, and
when Pharaoh sees this, he bestirs him with his servants. But the
spiritual Moses has gone before his people, and helps them through the
sea, namely, through the wilderness of this world, and Pharaoh and his
servants diligently pursue to the end, which is death.
Furthermore, my friends, when Moses had now succeeded in bringing them
across the sea, they saw their pursuers drown before their eyes. Then
they rejoiced greatly, and with songs thanked God, who had so mightily
helped them. They were, however, not yet in the promised land, but
on the way to the same. And Moses their leader went before them, and
brought them to Mount Sinai; and he, the faithful servant of the Lord,
went up into the mount and there received the law of the Lord, which
was written with the finger of God in two tables of stone. When Moses
had received these two tables of stone from the hand of the Lord, to
lay them before the people, that they should do according to them, for
now the service of the Lord commenced; and as yet they had received
no ordinance from God, save circumcision; hence, if they were now to
serve God, they must also have the commandments, the Lord said to
Moses: “Go, get thee down from the mount; for the people have corrupted
themselves.” Ex. 32:7. Now when Moses went down from the mount, and
saw the people dancing around the calf, rejoicing in the work of their
hands, he cast down the two tables of stone and brake them beneath the
mount, and with a grieved heart addressed Aaron, saying: What hast
thou done, that thou has brought this people to so great a sin? Aaron
excused himself before Moses, and said: My lord, thou knowest that
this people is a stiffnecked people. They fell upon me and I demanded
of them their golden earrings, and other gold; and I received it from
their hands, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and hence this calf
came. Moses took the calf, and ground it to powder, and strewed it
upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it. And Moses
addressed the Levites, and said to them: “Put every man his sword by
his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and
slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man
his neighbor.” And there fell three thousand men. Behold now, my dear
kind friends, these three thousand had left Egypt and Pharaoh, and were
gone out of it, in order that they should possess the goodly land; now
if they had boasted themselves of the goodly land (promised by God to
Abraham and his seed), would it not have been vain boasting? Certainly.
And Korah, Dathan and Abiram, with two hundred and fifty others, who
offered incense before the Lord, perished from the multitude, together
with fourteen thousand and seven hundred that murmured against Moses,
and said: “Ye have killed the people of the Lord.” Num. 16.
See, my good friends, they claimed to be the people of God, though they
were not it; and again, Moses the faithful servant of the Lord was said
to have done it, though it was not he, but their own sins that did it.
And if the truth had been told, it would also have been so said; but
the truth is also now at the present day often perverted, and things
are asserted to be true when they are not. Again, if the twenty-four
thousand whoremongers (Numbers 25:1), together with three thousand more
and many others, who all perished in the wilderness because of their
sins and transgressions, had all greatly boasted themselves of the
goodly land, would this not have been vain boasting? Certainly. Hence,
it is vain to boast of one’s self; but to boast according to the truth
is right. For Moses said to them: Hear, O Israel: Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy might. These words
which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt
write them upon the posts of thy doors; talk of them when thou walkest
by the way with thy children; and let them be for a memorial in thine
hand. Deut. 6:4, etc. Thus Moses strictly exhorted the people, and most
diligently presented the law of the Lord to them; and the people said:
Yea, but did not do it.
Hence, my good friends, take heed, lest there be in any of you an evil
heart of unbelief [in departing from the living God]. But exhort one
another daily while it is called to-day; lest any of you be hardened
through the deceitfulness of sin. For ye are made partakers of Christ,
if ye hold the beginning of your confidence steadfast unto the end.
Therefore, to-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts,
as in the provocation, when he was grieved forty years with that
generation, and sware in his wrath, that they should not enter into his
rest. Heb. 3. Therefore, my good friends, let us give the more earnest
heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let
them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every
transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward;
how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation? 2:1–3. Let us
therefore fear the Lord, that we may enter into his rest, and that none
of us remain without. For unto us was the Gospel preached, as well as
unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed
with faith in them. 4:1,2. Thus, my good friends, it does not profit to
hear the word of God, if it is not mixed with faith; for unto them that
believe, as the Scripture says, the kingdom of God is promised by the
mouth of Jesus. Hence let us not neglect the grace of God, who says: “I
have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I
succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day
of salvation”--which is neglected by many. Hebrews 12:15; 2 Cor. 6:1,2.
Therefore let us in all things approve ourselves as the ministers
of God, serving him all the days of our lives in holiness and
righteousness, which are acceptable before him. Hence I say with Paul:
Lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; that ye
stumble not, as do the lame; but make straight paths for your feet; for
I fear that there are now many lame, and many hands which hang down.
Therefore follow peace and holiness, without which no man shall see
the Lord. Hebrews 12:12,13. I beseech you therefore, my good friends,
by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not
conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your
mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect
will of God. Rom. 12:1,2. Hence, remember the words which were formerly
spoken to you in the name of the Lord: Therefore abide in that which
you have heard from the beginning. If you abide in that which you have
heard from the beginning, you shall continue in the Father and in the
Son. And this is his promise, even eternal life. 1 John 2:24,25. For we
have a sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed,
as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the daystar arise
in your hearts. 2 Pet. 1:19.
My dear friends, what a dark place it was formerly with you, when the
light was hid from you; and what dark places there are still; but you
have obtained mercy. Hence Jesus Christ says in the Gospel: I am come a
light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide
in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him
not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that
rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him:
the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave
me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I
know that his commandment is life everlasting. Jn. 12:46–50.
Hence it is our concern that we through the cordial grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ may receive the same at his hand; for the Lord also is
concerned to have a people that fear and love him. And this is the
love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are
not grievous, to them that love him. 1 John 5:3. Therefore, the law
of commandments is good, and will abide forever; he that receives it,
shall obtain life; but he that receives it not shall obtain death.
Hence, my friends, be mindful of the Lord our God all your days, and
let not your will be set to sin, or to transgress the commandments of
the Lord our God (Tob. 4:5); for he has commanded the people to come,
charging them, when they came, what they should do, that they might
live; and what they should observe, that they might not be tormented.
But they have rejected his laws; therefore they shall also be in great
misery, who have abused his ways. Though he gave them an appointed
time, they understood it not, to show repentance; and must therefore
know it after death in torment. 2 Esd. 9:9. For, for this cause was the
gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged
according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
1 Pet. 4:6. Therefore, the hour is now come, that the dead shall hear
the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. And there
shall an hour come, when the dead that are in the grave shall hear the
voice of the Son of God, and they that have done good shall rise unto
life eternal; and they that have done evil shall rise also, however,
not unto life, but unto damnation. John 5:25, etc. Hence, my good
friends, look to yourselves, that you lose not those things which you
have wrought, but that you may receive a full reward. For whosoever
transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.
But he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father
and the Son. 2 John 8:9. “Ye are of God, little children, [and have
overcome them:] because greater is he that is in you, than he that is
in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world,
and the world heareth them. We are of God; he that knoweth God heareth
us; he that is not of God heareth not us.” 1 John 4:4–6.
Thus, my good friends, I have written you a little, and now begin to
draw to a close with my letter; for we have little time for writing,
since there are so many people coming and going. Openly I dare not
write; so that I sometimes can scarcely write a line in solitude. Hence
excuse me, in case there be any blunders. Thus, my dear friends, I have
written you a little, because I felt prompted in my mind to do this,
and could find no rest.
Herewith I will commend you to the Lord, and to the word of his grace,
which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all
them which are sanctified. And remember me, your poor unworthy brother,
in your prayers, that I may finish this to the praise of the Lord, and
to your confirmation; so that my soul may find rest with the Lord; for
I, in my insignificance and unworthiness, do not forget you here, where
I also entreat the Lord. Furthermore, I greet you all especially much
with the salutation of our dear Lord Jesus Christ when he, having been
removed by wicked men from his disciples, for a little while, returned
to them (as they sat with doors closed) and said: “Peace be unto you
all.” John 20:19. Thus I also say: Have peace with one another, and the
Lord will be with you. 2 Cor. 13:11.
ANOTHER LETTER WHICH JAN THIELEMANS WROTE FROM PRISON.
I wish you, my much beloved brethren and sisters in the Lord, and all
those who shall see my letters, or hear them read, the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ and the communion of the Holy Ghost, for a friendly
and worthy greeting. Accept it in love. Amen.
After good and proper greetings, I undertake to write a little to you,
my beloved, dear friends. I beseech you all by the mercies of our
dear Lord Jesus Christ, that you would all diligently take heed to
yourselves[299] in all love, peace and truth, according to the words of
the Gospel, while, dear children, you still have time from the Lord,
through his great love shown you; since the time is so precious, for
when it is past, and one has not taken good heed, it is lamented with
sorrow. Hence Paul says: Let us take heed to ourselves, to provoke to
love in good works.[300] Therefore let us be the least, meanest, and
lowliest, to bear all that is consistent with love and truth. For thus
said Christ Jesus, the eternal truth, himself; when the disciples asked
who should be the greatest among them, he took a child, and set it in
the midst of them, and said: Except ye become as little children, ye
shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 18:3. Hence we may
well perceive from the words of Christ, that we are to be, and must be,
a prepared people; or we are not what we think ourselves to be, or, for
what people take us.
[299] The reader will observe that this rendering of the passage
alluded to here (Heb. 10:24), does not fully coincide with the one
found in the English version of the Bible; which may be attributed
either to the author’s having used an imperfect translation, or to an
error on his part, in quoting said passage from memory.--_Trans._
[300] See preceding foot note.
Hence, my much beloved friends, we must approve ourselves in all things
as the ministers of God. Now, no more is required in them, than that
they be found faithful; for God is not unrighteous to forget your love,
and your good and kind works. 1 Cor. 4:1,2; Heb. 6:10. Therefore be
steadfast and immovable in the work of the Lord, always knowing that
your labor is not in vain in the Lord; hoping by the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that it will yet be most richly rewarded to you, when he
will say: Come, ye blessed, inherit the kingdom of my Father. 1 Cor.
15:58; Matt. 25:34. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in
the kingdom of their Father. Matt. 13:43. Then shall it be seen what
difference there shall be between the righteous and the wicked, and
between them that have served God, and them that have not served him.
Mal. 3:18.
Therefore, my greatly beloved in the Lord, take diligent heed to
yourselves. Rather suffer from another--even though it should be
one friend from another--than that another should suffer from you.
Rather bear from another--even though it should be a friend--if it be
consistent with the truth, than that a friend should suffer from you.
Hence it is written: If thou come to serve the Lord, prepare thy soul
for temptation. Sir. 2:1. For it will come very convenient even if one
has put himself in the lowest place.
Hence, beloved friends in the Lord, abide in that which you have heard
from the beginning. If you abide in it, you shall continue in the
Father, and in the Son. And this is his promise, even eternal life.
1 John 2:24,25. What do we care for the world, or for what there is
in it; for the world shall pass away, and the lust thereof; but he
that doeth the will of God abideth forever. And it is certainly our
chief concern to be saved; as Peter says, Acts 15:11: “We believe that
through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved.” Even
as he says also in another place: I have briefly written to you, by
our brother Silvanus, namely, that this is the grace of God wherein ye
now stand. Therefore hold that fast which you have, that no man take
your crown. Rev. 3:11. If you overcome, you shall inherit all things.
Hence add to your faith, virtue; to virtue, knowledge; to knowledge,
temperance; to temperance, patience; to patience, godliness; to
godliness, brotherly kindness; to brotherly kindness, charity. For if
these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither
be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But
he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and
hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.