Part 171

“O vain consolation! for what kind of repentance can that be, when one is no longer able to commit sin and wickedness? it is nothing but mocking the Lord, sinning presumptuously, and rejecting his grace. O that all men captive in sin at the will of the devil (2 Tim. 2:26), would always consider this, and thus give the more diligence, so that through grace their souls might become disengaged and free from the snares of the devil, or sin; even as a prisoner according to the body gives diligence to obtain his liberty, so as to escape bodily death for a brief and uncertain time yet, though he ultimately cannot escape it. If men believed that God is just, and that he will not suffer any evil to go unpunished in impenitent sinners, they would be terrified, and through fear of God’s righteous judgment forsake their sins; but now they are comforted in their misfortune by their preachers, with flattering words and soothing sermons, with grace, peace, mercy and salvation; whereas they ought to be reproved for their sins, and threatened with the anger, wrath, fury and displeasure of God (Rom. 2:8), and eternal damnation, so that they might repent while the door of grace is open for a little while yet. 2 Cor. 6:2.

“I know of nothing that so securely and firmly holds men in the sleep of sin till the Lord comes as a thief in the night, as to call good evil (Isa. 5:20), the Gospel a sect (of which all manner of evil and falsehoods are spoken), and to change the truth into lies. The Christians are called heretics and deceivers; every good work, virtue and righteousness is so misnamed, perverted, painted in such abominable colors, and the worst construction put upon them, so that men are afraid of them, as though they would be led astray by the truth, and of God. The devil, on the other hand does not appear half so ugly as he is represented and I have here described him, but disguised by a beautiful semblance of love, and changed and transformed into an angel of light, as though he were sent of God, and were himself God. 2 Thess. 2:4. Then are his lies called nothing less than Gospel and truth; Babylon is called the church of God; idolaters are styled my lords; lying and cheating are termed prudence and cleverness; fighting is called valor, and murder, simply misfortune; and thus, many like shameful deeds, upon which an honorable construction is put, so that evil is called good. But woe unto such, as Isaiah says. Is. 5:20. Thus, the ministers and children of the devil know how to change, gloss over, name, and construe in the most favorable light into good works virtues, and all manner of righteousnesses, all their evil works, vices, sins, and manifold unrighteousnesses; as, avarice into industry and pride into neatness.

“Who can reprove them therein? And therewith the devil blinds them so artfully and firmly to his will, so that they think themselves to be pious Christians, and are not willing to be reproved by the truth for their sins, but claim to be unblamable children of God; moreover, they say, like Christ’s disciples: “Our Father, etc.” But let every one examine himself, whether he is born of God, because he knows how to palliate his sins; and whether he so sanctifies and adorns the name of God, and does his will, and whether he carries himself before God as an obedient child before his father; otherwise he joins lie upon lie in his prayer, which in that case is a curse and an abomination before God. In short, he that committeth sin is born of the devil, and knoweth not God, John 8:44; 1 John 3:8; and they that are carnally minded cannot please God. Hence, mark whom impenitent sinners call upon as their father. Blind indeed must he be who cannot perceive this, and hardened he that is not willing to repent.

“O dear reader or hearer, if I may pray you, it is my heartfelt desire of you, that you would always consider (and regulate yourself accordingly,) that men shall give an account of every idle word they have spoken; how much more then of their deeds. And every one shall receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad; namely, before the righteous judgment of God, where anger, hatred, envy, yea, not loving in deed and in truth, speaking scornfully or spitefully to one’s brother, Raca, thou fool, or offending him, will be deemed and judged murder, worthy of the council, of judgment, and of hell fire. Matthew 5:22; 1 John 3. In like manner, disobedience will be regarded as witchcraft; to look upon a woman to lust after her, as adultery; and any other evil which is desired with the heart, and consented to with the will (though the power for, and the commission of it be wanting), will be judged and punished as an accomplished evil work. 1 Sam. 15:23; Matt. 5:28. Not to keep his word, will be considered lying and perjury, and a good oath, so called, will be as severely recompensed as a bad oath; for Christ has prohibited all swearing; Matt. 5, as also to hate one’s enemies, and not to love them like one’s friends; and many like things. Now mark how adultery was punished under the law by the judges; for those who committed adultery were stoned to death. Lev. 20:10. And it is daily seen, how witchcraft, homicide or murder are punished by the secular lords with fire or the sword unto death. Mark, how Adam, for one sin, likewise Cain, then the whole world, with the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the adjacent cities, with fire and brimstone, Egypt, and afterwards the idolaters in Israel and murmurers against Moses, were punished according to the justice of God, for our example. Of how much sorer punishment then are they worthy who murmur against Christ, change his truth into lies, and do not receive his grace and redemption by faith, unto the amendment of their life, but reject the same, living presumptuously in their sins. Heb. 10:29; Rom. 1:25. God who did not spare the angels who had sinned, will also not spare those who through unbelief are unrighteous and false Christians, but punish them with a sorer punishment than Sodom and Gomorrah, which were turned into ashes and condemned and overthrown for an example unto all them that commit ungodliness, and do not repent. 2 Pet. 2:4,6; Jude 6; Matt. 11:24; 2 Pet. 3.

“If then we are to be saved through God’s mercy, we must repent, must be obedient children of God, born again of him, and must follow Christ in the regeneration and the footsteps of faith, through the narrow way unto eternal life; nor are we then saved through the merit of good works, but by the grace which came through Christ. Eph. 2:5. For though we lived holy, blameless, and perfect in all righteousness (as the Scriptures require), and suffered for the truth a death more bitter than that of Christ which with us men is impossible, yet we could not be saved through our own good works, but only by God’s mercy, and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who alone has wrought out our salvation. And if we sought or placed our salvation in our good works or our sufferings, we should commit idolatry, and we were our own idol, if we trusted in ourselves. But now our salvation depends only on the mercy of God, and not on our running and following after. Rom. 9:16. Though we should run and follow after ever so well (which is our bounden duty), so that we attained, and already had, the perfection (that for which we are apprehended of Christ), and had done all those things which are commanded us, and which it is our duty to do, we were yet only unprofitable servants. Philip. 3:12; Luke 17:10. How much more unprofitable then are we now, with our many defects, though we willingly strive after and should gladly perform that which is good, and are sorry that we are not perfect[298]. Hence we have great reason, and are in duty bound, to humble ourselves very low under the abundant grace of God, and to pray; for eternal life is a gift of God, and not a debt or reward proceeding from our labor, merit, or good works; for we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, unto good works, which God hath before prepared that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10), as is our duty to do, in the least as well as in the greatest. But the wages of sin is death; hence we must hate and fear sin, that we do not consent to or commit it, if we want to be saved by the grace and gift of God. Thus, we are delivered through Christ from the bonds of the devil, or sin; let therefore no one say or hope that he is saved by his good works, which are far too insufficient. That, also, no one say: “Should we not take thought, should we not gain a livelihood, else on what should we live? except to them who say that one is not to support himself by the labor of his hands, but to go idle.” Matt. 6:25; Luke 12:22; Eph. 4:28. And that, also, no one say: “No man knows the hour and the day of the Lord, except to those who have set the hour and the day, from doing which may the Lord keep me.” Mark 13:32; Matt. 24:42; Luke 12:40. Beware of frivolous babblers, for scorners will speedily come to an end. 1 Cor. 15:33. And if, when you speak your mind, or reprove with meekness that which does not meet your approbation, and one resist you in the good, be silent instantly, that you may retain your peace and the tranquillity of your conscience. If it vex you, do nevertheless not engage in contention, that you may be found in peace when the Lord comes. 2 Pet. 3:14. We must here at any rate suffer violence and wrong; but it will not last long; hence, let us possess our souls in patience. Luke 21:19.

[298] That no one say: We cannot be perfect; except to those who say that they are perfect. There is nothing so good as that men will not contradict it, even with the Scriptures.

“The fourteenth week of my imprisonment, the first day of January, so called, A. D. 1568. I trust that the present year will not pass like the former. Watch and pray, for you know neither the day nor hour; but the godfearing may consider whether this is the year in which the Lord will deliver his elect and believers; let every one take warning.”

JAN THIELEMANS AND JOB JANS, BURNT TO DEATH FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, IN THE HAGUE, IN HOLLAND, IN THE YEAR 1568.

Hands were now laid in the Hague, on the beloved friends of the Lord, so that they did not hesitate to deprive them of their lives with flaming fire.

This became apparent in the case of two very pious and godfearing men, one of whom was named Jan Thielemans, the other Job Jans. To both of them, at that place, because they faithfully adhered to the Lord their God, and could by no torture be moved from the steadfastness of their faith, their sentence of death was read in court, namely, that, in pursuance with the decrees of the Emperor, and the King of Spain (who called himself Count of Holland), they should be put to death with fire as heretics; which was executed on the 18th of December, A. D. 1568, on both of them, after they had committed their souls into the hands of God.

_Further observation, concerning the death sentences of the aforementioned martyrs._

We have this year, 1659, on this occasion, through some of our friends in the Hague, requested by way of authenticated copy, the use of the proceedings of the court, from the criminal records of the year 1568, but especially of the death sentences of the aforementioned martyrs (as recorded by the papists), which, as appears, are still extant in the original; but as A. D. 1648 peace was made with Spain, with condition of forgiving each other all previous wrongs, and consequently, to mention them no more, the actuary was afraid to make out a copy of these particulars, as well as concerning others of our fellow believers that were put to death during the papistical reign, fearing it might tend to their reproach, and prove detrimental to the peace concluded.

This aim of the actuary was not bad, since it springs from carefulness 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.