O I am so glad that my dearest brother whom I have upon earth in the Lord, has so remembered me, poor prisoner, with a hymn and a letter by his own hand. It rejoiced me so much inwardly in my soul that I cannot describe it to you. I pray you to thank him heartily, and ask him to write again, and you also, for I think that I shall be here yet eight days longer; but when I began to write this letter to you, I did not think that I should write so much, for I thought that by this time I should have heard my sentence. But since it has pleased the Lord, that I am still to remain here in this prison, I hope, according to the advice of Paul, to abide the time with patience, till it shall please the Lord; and thus, according to the words of Christ, to possess my soul in patience, for I commit myself into the hands of the Lord, that it may be done with me according to his divine will, to the praise, glory and honor of his holy name, and to the salvation of my soul, now and forever.
Hence, then, my dear mother, I bid you adieu once more; adieu, my chosen mother, adieu, my worthy mother, who gave birth to me in pain and anguish. I pray you, my dear mother, be resigned to the work of the Lord, be not grieved on my account, be of good cheer; since our God has so ordered it that I am to be separated from you, so that you shall see me no more in this flesh, be resigned thereto, for there can nothing happen to me without the Lord’s permission, for the Lord is my keeper, my protector and my defender, for the prophet David says, that the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him. Psalm 34:7. Think not that there is any one that can harm me, for Christ tells us that the very hairs of our head are all numbered, and not a sparrow falls to the ground without his will; of how much more value are we than the little sparrows! Matt. 10:30. Hence, though it is so with me that I am cast into prison for the word and truth of Christ, to confess his name before these cruel men, and suffer contempt and reproach, full of vexation, yea, finally to be put to death by them, rejoice therein according to the words of Christ, when he says: “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad when men shall revile you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my name’s sake.” Matt. 5:11.
Remember what Peter says: “Think it not strange as though some strange thing happened unto you.” 1 Pet. 4:12. Why? Because it has gone thus with all God’s children that have ever pleased him, for Christ says: “In the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. Hence we need not, according to the words of Peter, think it strange, for the Scriptures sufficiently declare all this, wherefore also Paul says: “It is given unto us, not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for his name.” Philippians 1:29. Consider what the prophet David says: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous.” Psalms 34:19.
Behold, Christ himself, the author of faith, had to suffer, and thus to enter into his glory. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, what shall they then do to his servants? If they have cast out and killed the heir, what shall they do to those that are sent? Hence the Lord laments over Jerusalem, and says: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” Matt. 23:37. Behold, how they have always killed those that were sent by God, and shall yet do so. For Christ says to his disciples: “Ye shall be put out of the synagogues, and whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service thereby.” John 16:2.