Now, my dear brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to strengthen and keep you, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. Acts 20:32. Hence, let every one see to it, that no one be so presumptuous as to pour water into the living fountain; for the Lord says, John 6:44–46: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, and they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father.” Is. 54:13. Therefore dear brethren and sisters, let us with one accord pray to God for wisdom, as the apostle James teaches us, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, which is hypocrisy; hence let us follow our supreme Lord and Shepherd Christ, and praise him through God the Father, unto whom be praise forever and ever, Amen.
TESTAMENT WRITTEN BY DIRK PIETERS SMUEL, DECEASED IN PRISON, TO HIS WIFE, WHEN HE WAS PREPARING TO DIE FOR THE NAME AND TESTIMONY OF JESUS; IN WHICH HE COMFORTED AND ADMONISHED HER DILIGENTLY TO PROVIDE FOR THE BRINGING UP OF HER CHILDREN THAT THEY MIGHT LEARN TO FEAR GOD FROM THEIR YOUTH.
Grace and peace from God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. I beseech you, therefore, my most beloved sister and wife Wellemoet Claes, that you present your body a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, and be not conformed to this world. 1 Corinthians 1:3; Rom. 12:1,2. James says: “Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4:4 For the Lord Jesus says: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.” John 16:20–22. Therefore let us say with St. Paul: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Rom. 8:35–37. “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches.” Rev. 3:5,6. Hence, I beseech you, my most beloved, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore, be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is;” “for the time past of your life may suffice you to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when you walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries.” “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you maybe able to bear it.” Eph. 5:15–17; 1 Peter 4:3; 1 Cor. 10:12,13.