THE SECOND LETTER FROM JAN WOUTERSS, WRITTEN TO HIS BROTHER AND HIS SISTERS.
The eternal and merciful God grant you, my only brother and my beloved sisters, his grace through Jesus Christ, that you may together get a desire, taste and longing for your salvation, unto the end of your life. O that this would happen, dear Lord, what a joy would it be to us hereafter; which I hope will be so, that our old, venerable beloved father, and our venerable mother and their children, will find one another in life eternal. Amen.
In the first place, I hope in the Lord, that you with me have received a desire, taste and longing for salvation. Hence, I now exhort you a little, that you will increase therein, since the Lord has granted you his grace, and opened your eyes, so that you can discern good from evil.
Thus, my dearest, beloved brother, since you have received this grace, that you know and believe (as I trust you do) that God hates evil and loves righteousness, thank the good and omnipotent God for it, and particularly, that he has delivered us from the hands of Satan through Christ Jesus, and has according to his mercy begotten us again by the word of life, and has helped us in this acceptable time; in which time he has caused his saving grace to shine upon all men; and you, my dear brother, have taken heed to this saving grace, you have received, as I trust, this light, which is Christ Jesus. The Scriptures testify that to them that have received Christ (that is, who believe in him), power is given to become the children of God. John 1:12. Hence suffer yourself constantly to be governed, directed and guided by him, through his Spirit; for these are the true children of God, that are led by his Spirit; they are Christ’s.
Now, my dearest brother, be careful all your life, to guard well this good and most precious treasure: that you may live of it, and ever follow what the saving grace of God (namely, Christ Jesus who is our light), teaches us.
In the first place, the saving grace of God teaches us to deny the ungodliness of this world, and its lusts and desires; as Paul says: And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that is, after the mind of Christ. Tit. 2:11,12; Rom. 12:2. If you do this, you will walk in the light, and not in darkness, wherein the world walks. Beware, my beloved brothers, of the works of darkness, and have no fellowship therewith, but always separate from them, and touch not the unclean thing, namely, all evil; and you shall be a child of God, and remain one, if you abide in Christ unto the end. Eph. 5:11; 2 Corinthians 6:17.
I unworthy one, imprisoned for his name’s sake, affectionately beseech you, always adhere to the word of the Lord, and you shall never fall, and whatsoever you shall ask the Father in his name, that will he give you; though one thereby incurs suffering, we must not faint on that account, for it is made manifest thereby, that the way is narrow, and the gate strait, which leads unto life eternal. But this suffering is transient, and if we suffer with Christ, we shall also be glorified together; for the sufferings which men can inflict upon us, are short and light, and work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for though our outward man perish, which at all events must perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 2 Cor. 4:17,18,16, and when the faith has been kept, and we have overcome, all is sweetened by him who strengthens us, which is Christ; he helps us to triumph; this I experience best now that I am in the trial; to him be praise forever and ever. Amen.