O my dearly beloved wife, I cannot thank the Lord enough for all his great goodness shown to me; he gives me such strength and power that I cannot express it. O, now I experience that the Lord is a faithful helper in time of need; he does not forsake those that trust in him, for he that trusts in the Lord shall not be confounded. Isaiah 45:17; Rom. 9:33. He will keep us as the apple of his eye; he will deliver us from all the power of the devil, and the tyranny of this world; yea, he will keep us, that we shall not go into hell, if we remain faithful to him unto the end; for Christ says: “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Matt. 24:13.
O my dearly beloved wife, continue faithful to the Lord unto death; for the crown is not at the beginning, nor in the middle, but at the end. If you continue faithful to the Lord, he will not forsake you; he will give you the crown of eternal life, and lead you into his kingdom. Jas. 1:12. He will crown you with glory and honor; and will wipe away all tears from your eyes.
Dear Lijsken, if he will wipe away all tears, tears must here first be shed. Matt. 5:4. He will heal us from our sufferings; hence we must first suffer in this world. Yea, we must fight and contend against ferocious lions, dragons, and bears (Ps. 91:13), yea, against the wicked and perverse generations of vipers (Matt. 3:7) and serpent rulers, and against the subtle serpents of this world, and the wicked seed of Cain; for Paul says that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers of darkness, and the principalities and powers of this world, yea, against the spirits that work in the air, which is the old serpent and Satan (Rev. 20:2), who, as Peter says, walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Pet. 5:8. Therefore defend yourself diligently, with prayer and supplication to the Lord, and hold fast to the doctrine of Jesus Christ our Savior, that you may receive the end of your faith, even the salvation of your soul. Fight with Paul the good fight. Herewith I commend you, my dearly beloved wife and sister, to the Almighty, eternal and strong God, and to the word of his rich grace, that you may be able to stand against all the gates of hell. Amen.