O my dear wife, think of the words of Paul: The time is short; I would fain spare you; they that are married must be as though they were not. 1 Corinthians 7:29. Thus, my dear sister in the Lord, Janneken Verstralen, the end of all things is now at hand, says Peter; the heavens shall be rolled together, and pass away as smoke, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, 1 Pet. 4:7; Rev. 6:14; 2 Pet. 3:10. O what manner of person ought you then to be in all holy and chaste conversation. 2 Pet. 3:11. O my dear wife these words have sometimes terrified me on account of my wicked, evil-desiring flesh, with which I am compassed about: but I consoled myself with this, that God by chastisement should refine me in the fire of affliction, and thus be gracious unto me; for I have loved his truth, though weakness cleaved to me. Hence I will now say with the prophet Micah: “I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him.” Micah 7:9. And with Sirach: “I will rather fall into the hands of the Lord, than into the hands of men; for his mercy is as great as he himself is.” Sir. 2:18. He forgives sin, and helps in distress. Ps. 32:5. Hence, my dear wife, be patient in the tribulation that is upon us both; confess with Judith, that our punishment is less than our sins. Judith 8:27. And he helps in distress; for he that humbles himself before the Lord, and confesses and forsakes his sins, shall obtain mercy; but he that covers them shall not prosper. Prov. 28:13. But if we confess our sins to the Lord, it is God that forgives them; for we have a free and open fountain for sin and uncleanness, as Zechariah says: that is, Christ Jesus, who has bought us with his precious blood; for the blood of our dear Lord Jesus Christ cleanses us from all our sins. See, my dearest wife, though now the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation much more abounds by Christ, that through his innocent death we shall have eternal life, if we continue steadfast in the fear of God unto the end, as I hope through the grace of God to do. And I also pray you, my Janneken Verstralen, my lamb, my love, that you will do so, and will remain an honorable widow, in prayer and supplication to God (1 Tim. 5:5), and in holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord (Heb. 12:14); till you also are taken away by the Lord. O my dearest love on earth, [in] my fatherly heart, yours and my little children’s, I wish you much good according to the soul. There are three of my little lambs with the Lord, and I hope through God’s grace soon to be the fourth. O my dear wife, that I might, through the grace and power of God, be burnt alive twice in a pitch barrel, for you four that must remain behind, and you should now go with me to the Lord into rest! What joy would it be to my fatherly heart, if I were sure of the salvation of you all. Written with many scalding tears. This I pray you, my dearest wife, that you will remain an honorable and quiet widow. Do not take this amiss from me; true, it is my advice, but therefore no command; but I seek it for the greater assurance of your salvation.
O how often has this happened, that widows whose husbands went before so valiantly, and so courageously gave their lives for the truth, by marrying again, have subjected themselves to many sorrows, some of them fallen into perdition, and some of them gone through life in great sorrow, sighing over those whom they now have. Hence, my dear lamb, I repeat it, think of the words of the apostle: The time is short; I would fain spare you. For he would fain have wished, that all men had been even as he himself, seeing that through marriage much trouble comes into the flesh, 1 Corinthians 7:28,29,7. However, every one has his particular gift, the one this, the other that; but do what you will, only that it be done in the Lord, v. 39. But I hope and trust in my God, that he will firmly keep you together with my three lambs, and preserve you, that you may not be taken; and not suffer you, my dearest wife, to be tempted above that you are able; for God knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, but to reserve the wicked and ungodly unto the day of judgment to be punished. 1 Cor. 10:13; 2 Pet. 2:9.