Thieleman J. van Braght · 173 of 210

Old Book of the Martyrs Mirror · Part 111

Hence, O my dear lamb, let us in all things show ourselves true members of Christ, and think as Paul says: "If we suffer with Christ, we shall also reign with him." II Tim. 2:12. Let us therefore lay aside all malice, and shun the sin which doth beset us, and follow after holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. I Pet. 2:1; Heb. 12:1, 14. Oh, let us adorn ourselves with a holy conversation, and let us not be conformed to the world, which shall pass away with its lusts.

Therefore, O my dear lamb, let us watch diligently, as servants that constantly wait for their Lord, that we may through the grace of God be partakers of the glorious reward, with all the elect children of God, forever and ever. Amen.

Further, my dear wife, I do not know much more to write you, but pray you to excuse my little gift, for if Habakkuk had brought something better, you would have fared better. Hist. o f Dest. o f Drag. 33, etc.

Furthermore, my dear wife, know that I received what you sent me, for which I thank you sincerely, for it was to me a great consolation. Further, my dear wife, Maerten van der Straten and his dear wife, Beliken van der Straten, greet you much. Margriet van der Sluys, and Dingentgen of Honschoten, and that honorable youth Hansken of Oudenaerde greet you much, and finally we all jointly ask you, earnestly to pray to the Lord for us, that He will make us meet rather to die honorably with Eleazar, than to live with ignominy. Nothing more, but I commend you to the Lord, and to the rich, comforting Word of His grace. And do the best for the children in every way; teach them to fear the Lord; though I am confident that you will do this; I can not forbear to write it; but whatever I do is done out of pure love and from a good heart.

Farewell; do the best in the beginning and in the end.

Written for your service, by me your dear husband and brother in the Lord.

ADRIAN ROGIERS.

MAERTEN VAN DER STRATEN,. WITH $ELIKEN HIS WIFE, A. D. 1572

At this time yet another pious brother, named Maerten van der Straten born at Kortrijck in Flanders, with his wife, named Beliken van der Straten, fell into the hands of the enemies of the truth, so that after manifold temptations their faith was found much more precious, than perishable gold, which is tried by fire. Hence Maerten van der Straten, and two other brethren and a sister (who are separately mentioned in this book), on the 4th of December, A. D. 1572, in the city of Ghent, steadfastly delivered up their bodies as a sacrifice acceptable unto God, and were together burned in the Friday Market, with balls in their mouths; and Beliken van der Straten was subsequently, in 1573, in Lent, offered up in the same place for the truth; having thus fought a good fight, finished the course, kept the faith, and, notwithstanding the opposition of the tyrants taken the kingdom of God by force.

Concerning these two pious witnesses a separate book has been printed, containing many excellent letters by Maerten van der Straten, and several hymns, which these persons composed and addressed to each other, and to others in prison. Of these letters we communicate to you several, as follows.

THE FIRST LETTER FROM MAERTEN VAN DER

STRATEN TO HIS WIFE

I Maerten van der Straten, your dear husband and brother in the Lord (both unworthily, however) wish you, my affectionately beloved wife, Beliken van der Straten, who are with me, according to Paul's writing, in the mouth of the lion (II Timothy 4:17), and wounded by Babylon's watchmen (Canticles 5:7), much grace and mercy from God our heavenly Father; and may the love of His Son be multiplied to you, and may the power, of the Holy Ghost richly dwell in you, that you may to the praise of the Lord bring forth good and meet fruits, and let your light shine before men, even as a city that is set on a high hill, that you may leave behind you a good name among the heathen, and a good memory in Israel; and the God of our fathers grant you grace, and prosper what you undertake, that Israel may rejoice over you, and that your name may be reckoned among all the saints, and that you may hereafter play the new song, before the throne of the Lord, forever and ever. Rev. 14:2, 3. This I wish you, my chosen love, with all the strength of my soul, and from a heart full of love.

Out of a fond heart permeated with love, an affectionate greeting to you, O my dearest `love, whom I love with all my heart, in accordance with the Word of God, that a man shall leave father and mother, and cleave to his wife. For you, O my dear lamb, are flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bones; and no man, says Paul, ever yet hated his own flesh.; but nourisheth and cherisheth it. Eph. 5:29. Hence I have good reason to love you, as I also do, this the Almighty Lord knows, who, according to the words of Jeremiah, tries men's hearts and reins. Jer. 17:10.

Further, after this my proper and Christian salutation, know, my affectionately beloved wife, that I, according to the words of Sirach, add day to day through much tribulation, as one that lodges in the field, and receives, many a storm, hail and rain on his body. But God, who kills and makes alive, will, I hope, preserve me, that I shall with Eleazar prefer an honorable death to an ignominious life.

Furthermore, my dearly beloved, whom I took by the hand with tears of joy, I hope and trust that you are alsowell in soul and body, ready with Susanna rather to fall into the hands of men, than to sin in the sight of the living God, who, with His eyes, which are like a flame of.fire, penetrates all things. Sus. 23; Rev. 1:14. The Almighty Lord of lords, who, .according to Paul's writing, is rich in goodness, and abounds with grace and mercy, look upon you and us all with His gracious eyes, and deliver us from this misery; for I, like you, am at this time in great distress, besieged as those of Bethulia (Judith 7); my enemies have turned away the water with which I was formerly wont to refresh my heart, and they have compassed about the fountains where I was accustomed to quench my thirst. But the Almighty King is the true fountain, who, as Jeremiah says, with His learned tongue comforts the weary soul, and, according to the words of the prophet, in time of need gives bread, and in thirst water; Him, I hope, they shall not intrench or compass about; for He regards neither grated windows nor bolts, neither locks nor doors; and He, I hope, will visit us before long, for He knows that we are most sorely smitten and wounded by Babylon's watchmen, in a dry and dark land, far and deep in Babylonia, where neither His word nor His beautiful songs of praise are heard. Jer. 31:25; Isa. 30:20; Cant. 5:7; Ps. 137:1.

Hence I hope that He will exercise mercy above justice over us, since He sees our tribulation, and knows that I, for my part, am not able to bear it, because, my weakness is so great; for among all that fear God there is no one so imperfect as I am. For my miserable weakness is so manifold, that I often bewail it with tears, and I am so despondent that it seems to me that my heart is convulsed, because the Lord does not take away my reproach. Hence I may well say with David: "O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my "cry; for my soul is full of troubles and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. I am counted with them that go down into the pit; I am as a man that hath no strength: free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves" (Ps. 88:1-7); for all my persecutors hold counsel against me, utterly to starve my hungry soul, and to deprive my thirsty soul of drink. Hence I may well say with the prophet: "My enemies wait for my soul, and they render me evil for good, to bring me into sorrow." Ps. 56:6.

Hence, O my love, my dearest love, I cannot forbear to utter my complaint before you, to ease my sorrowful heart, which is often so disconsolate, yea, so disconsolate, that I might well say with David, in my despondency: O Lord, I am cut off from before Thine eyes (Ps. 31:22); yet I trust that He will before long hear the voice of my supplication. Hence I pray you, my dear lamb, let not your ears become weary of hearing my sorrowful complaint, nor let your eyes tire of beholding my afflicted countenance. I hope that the Lord will so order it, that it will not last much longer; hence bear patiently with me for a little while yet, even as you have always done towards me. For when it did not go well with us according to the flesh, you always showed more patience than I, for which I heartily thank you. For your hands were more diligent than mine to maintain the household; and you walked more piously by your faith before God, than I; and your patience is greater even until this present day, than mine. Hence I have good reason to love you more than Paul loved the church at Ephesus, which he yet for three years warned night and day, with anxiety, with watching, and with tears. Acts 20:19, 31. O my lamb, my love, my dearest love, I have now, God be praised, also had you for about three years, and have in these our bonds of tribulation had great anxiety day and night for you, and have sighed so many a sigh, and wept so many a tear, which I would not have wept, had I been able to speak to you. But now, my affectionately beloved wife, since God has so ordered it, that I must leave you, and, as it seems, go before, I say thus: Though I am not worthy to exhort you, I yet exhort you in this letter with tears, and beseech you, always to have the Lord before your eyes, and to cleave to Him with prayer and fasting. For I know that if God takes me out of the flesh before you, that you will after my departure be severely assailed; and therefore I beseech you, O my only lamb, for the Lord's sake, that you will watch circumspectly, as did the good and wise virgins, who expected their bridegroom every hour. And I pray you, O my love, my dearest love, if I have found grace before your eyes, remember me, even as the pious, God fearing Judith remembered her husband. Jud. 16:22. O Beliken, Beliken, my dearly beloved, the three years which we have lived together do not seem to me to be three days; hence when I think of the parting, my heart is troubled. Yet I would, if it must be, that the Lord would come speedily. For I have, the Lord knows, so many sore vexations, so that I may well utter my complaint with David, and say: "O Lord, my chastisement is ready every morning" (Ps. 73:14); for he that seeks my soul, as a bird without cause, neither sleeps nor slumbers day nor night, evening nor morning; but I expect with Paul, that God, before long, will deliver me and us all out of the mouth of the lion. II Tim. 4:17. Further, my affectionately beloved wife, Beliken van der Straten, whom I love from the heart, let me, please tell your love, that I do not know much more to write at this;' time, but I commend you to Almighty God, and to His comforting Word. Moreover, I take leave from you, even as bound Israel, who gave their children the last milk; however, God who made the heavenly host, is well able to turn the elephants back again. III Macc. 180. His will be done, and not ours. Nothing more. The Lord be with you. Greet them that are with you, from me. Adrian also greets you much.

Written by me, your dear husband and brother in the Lord. MAERTEN VAN DER STRATEN.

THE SECOND LETTER FROM MAERTEN VAN DER

STRATEN TO HIS WIFE

I Maerten van der Straten, your dearly beloved husband and brother in the Lord, wish you my affectionately beloved wife and sister in the Lord, Beliken van der Straten, much grace and mercy from God our heavenly Father; and may the love of His Son always be multiplied to you, and the power of the Holy Ghost dwell in you richly, that you may thereby lead a chaste conversation among the heathen, and be a light for them that sit in darkness, so that you, according to Isaiah's writing, may see the King in His beauty (Isa. 33:17) and be numbered among the royal host that have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, our Lord Jesus Christ, who bore our reproach, healed our wounds, and restored for us that which He had not taken away, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God His Father; to whom be honor, power, glory, and praise, for ever and ever. Amen. Ps. 69:4; Gal. 1:4.

Cordially written to you, my chosen, dearest love Beliken van der Straten, whom I love from the heart, yea, more than my own life, for you are flesh of my flesh. In short, you are mine and I am yours. Hence I thank the Lord without ceasing, that He has given me you; for I would not have thought that God would have given me such a faithful helpmate, with whom I have found so much love and patience; but God has in every way shown me more mercy than I am worthy, and I hope He will do so yet, when I shall need it most, for He is a gracious God, who according to Paul's writing, is rich in goodness, and abounds in mercy. Eph. 2:4.

Further, my dearly beloved, after this my brotherly salutation, let me, please, inform your love, that my mind, God be praised, is fixed by His help, to live and die in the truth. However, my love, I trust that through the grace of the Lord you are also thus minded, by His help to fear His name all the days of your life. The Lord of lords, and God of gods, grant you and us all His grace to this end.

Furthermore, Beliken, my love, I understand it to be your request, that I shall write to you once more, which it is impossible for me to refuse you; yet I am unworthy to write to you, because of the thorn which I have in my flesh, for my weakness is so great, that I might well say: "Oh, that my head were waters, that I might day and night bewail my miserable weakness"; for my weakness is exceeding great, and my sorrow moreover is not small, for when I think, O Beliken, my only lamb, that I must part from you, and leave you among this adulterous generation, oh, then my heart is burdened unto death, and when I think; if God should take you out of the flesh before me, oh, then my heart is troubled still more, for I feel that after your departure, I should not see a single happy day. Thus my thoughts distress me from every side, so that I may well say with Susanna, "Oh, in what a great strait am I now!" Sus. 22. Yea, this miserable state has so laid hold on me, that I may well cry to God, and say with Hezekiah: "O Lord, ease me: for I suffer distress" (Isa. 38:14), yea, such distress as is suffered by the hinds, when they writhe to bring forth. Moreover, I am ofttimes more despondent than Jonah, when he was smitten down by the sun, Jonah 4:8. Hence I may also well say: "O tribulation and vexation, how long will ye live in me?" Yea, moreover. I may well say with David: "My enemies ploughed upon my back, and made long their furrows." Ps. 129:3. But then I console myself again, O my love, when I remember, that God, as Paul says, chasteneth whom He loveth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.; and with the temptation also makes a way to escape, that one may be able to bear it, which I have often experienced. Heb. 12:6; I Cor. 10:13. Hence I also thank the Lord, who has everywhere delivered me from the snare of the fowler. Ps. 91:3. Therefore I will also with David praise the Lord and glorify Him among many, for He stands at the right hand of His poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul. Ps. 92:1; 109:31. Hence, O my chosen, dearest love, let us firmly cleave to the Lord, and not stumble, though the wicked persecutes him that is more righteous than himself. For job says: "The ungodly pluck the child from the breast and make it an orphan in the city; they cause men to sigh, and the souls of the slain to cry out; and God troubleth them not." Job 24:9, 12. But it is nevertheless certain, that God will not always say amen to their course. For He says by the prophet: "I hold my peace for a time, and am still, but at the last I will avenge myself on mine enemies." Isaiah 42:1 S, For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever. If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh over the blood of the slain, and over the captives, and over the uncovered head of the enemy. Hence, Moses says: "Rejoice, all ye that are his people; for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and render vengeance to his adversaries; but he will be. merciful unto the land of his people." Deuteronomy 32:40-43. Thus, O my love, my only lamb, let us be of good courage: though we must now sow in tears, we shall in due time, I hope, reap an abundant harvest. For God says through the prophet: "Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her; that ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory." Isa. 66:10, 11.

Thus, O my chosen, dearest love, let us for a little while help the Lord bear His reproach: for it is a faithful saying, says Paul: "If we suffer with Christ, we shall also reign with him, and if we die with him we shall also live with him; and then all tears shall be wiped away from our eyes, and all our tribulation shall be changed into eternal joy. Hence, O my love, let us diligently pray the Lord, that this promise may be fulfilled in us, and that we may be found citizens in the beautiful city where the walls are of sapphire and the streets pure gold." Rev. 21:18.

Further my love, I will commend you to our dear Lord; may He keep and govern you as His daughter, for I take leave now and bid you adieu.

Oh, adieu, my affectionately beloved, for we must part in tears. Oh, adieu, Beliken van der Straten, my very dear wife, whose hand I took with tears of joy. Oh, bitter parting, how hard it is for me! Once more I say adieu. O Beliken, my chosen, dearest love, I thank you most affectionately for all your pure love. May the Lord recompense you. Greet from me those that are with you. Adrian also greets you much. The Lord be with you.

Written in my bonds, by me, your weak brother and servant, as much as I am able.

MAERTEN VAN DER STRATEN.

THIRD LETTER FROM MAERTEN VAN DER STRATEN,

TO HIS WIFE

I Maerten van der Straten your affectionately beloved husband and brother in the Lord, yet both unworthily, wish you my very dear, beloved wife and sister in the Lord, Beliken van der Straten, much grace and mercy from God our heavenly Father, and may the love of His Son be multiplied to you, and may God, moreover, fill you, like Jeremiah, with His Holy Spirit, that you may thereby withstand all the subtle assaults of the devil, and after the victory, with all God's children, receive the crown of glory upon the pleasant mountain where, according to the writing of Esdras roses and lilies grow. II Esd. 2:19. And, my dearly beloved, I pray the Lord, to make you meet and worthy to play the new song before the throne of His glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Cordially written out of tender love, to you Beliken van der Straten. O my love, my chosen, dearest love, which through God's providence was given to me before His church by my father, and whose hand I took with tears of joy, for which I also thank the Lord, that He gave me you, for I would not have thought myself worthy of you. Hence this is also a reason for me, to love you the more. Yet, I call God to witness, that I love you as my soul, yea, more than the heart in my body, which I am bound also to do according to the demand of the Scriptures, for, since I, according to John's writing, am bound to love my brother, how much more then must I love you since you, according to the Word of God and Paul's declaration, are flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bones. And the apostle also says: "No man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it." Eph. 5:29. In short, he that loves his wife also loves himself.

Further, Beliken, my beloved, after this my proper and Christian salutation, let me, please, inform your love that I, the Lord be praised, am in tolerably good health according to the flesh, and according to the spirit, God be praised, my mind is still fixed to fear the Lord, all the days of my life, according to my weak ability. Furthermore, my dearest, I have the same confidence concerning you, that you are well both in soul and body, prepared to live and die to the glory of the Lord. This worshipful, good God, who has broken the bow of the mighty, and according to the word of the prophet, through the gracious goodness gives both wine and milk without price (Isa. 55:1), may strengthen and confirm you and us all in this lion's den, where we, on every hand, are so severely assailed and so greatly distressed, like Israel, when they were compassed about by Holofernes. Jud. 7. Yea, the false elders do so distress us, that we can with Susanna find nowhere a place of escape, but behold death before our eyes on every hand; for our persecutors are evening wolves, that leave nothing over till the morning. Hab. 1:8. Hence we may well say with David: "They break in pieces thy people, O Lord, and afflict thine heritage. They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless. They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood." Ps. 94:5, 6, 21.

But, my dearly beloved, let us not therefore despond, though we are now tried in the furnace of affliction, for the prophet says: ."Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law, that he may have patience in the day of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off his people, neither will forsake his inheritance. For he regardeth the prayer of the destitute, and doth not despise their petitions; for he looketh down from the height of his sanctuary, and from heaven doth the Lord behold tie earth, to hear the groaning of the prisoner." Ps. 94:12-14; 102:17, 19, 20. For Sara said: "This I truly know, if a man serve God, he is comforted after temptation, and delivered from affliction, and after chastisement he findeth grace. For thou, O Lord, delightest not in our destruction; for after the storm thou causest the sun to shine again, and after weeping and mourning thou dost give us joy abundantly. Eternal praise to thy name O God of Israel, for with thee is the fountain of life, and in thy light we see light." Tobit 3:11; Ps. 36:9.

Hence, my love, O my dearest love, let us patiently drink the cup of the Lord, for we know, according to the words of Isaiah, that truth is fallen in the street, and that he that turneth from his evil ways is the spoil of every one. Isa. 59:14, 15. For Esdras says: "For there shall be in every place, and in the next cities, a great insurrection upon those that fear the Lord. They (the ungodly), shall be like mad men, sparing none, but still spoiling and destroying those that fear the Lord. For they shall waste and take away' their goods, and cast them out of their houses. Then shall they be known (says the Lord); who are my chosen; and they shall be tried as the gold in the fire." II Esd. 16:70-73.

Therefore, O my chosen love, my lamb, let us give our back to the smiters for a little while yet, and look to the author of our faith, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who for our sakes was so maltreated and disfigured, that He Himself says

"If they have done these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry." Luke 23:31. Hence, O my love, my dearest love, let us think as Paul, that our light affliction, which is but for a moment, will hereafter work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. II Cor. 4:17. For Solomon says: "But the righteous live for evermore; their reward also is with the Lord, and the care of them is with the Most High. Therefore shall they receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown from the Lord's hand: for with his right hand shall he sever them, and with his arm shall he protect them." Wisd. 5:15, 16. Therefore, O my dear lamb, let us diligently pray the Lord, that we may be worthy at His coming, to live with Him for ever and ever.

Further, my chosen, dearly beloved, know that I do not know much more to write you, but I commend you into the hands of the Lord, and bid you adieu if I should write you no more; for our enemies are now so greatly incensed at us, that they gnash on us with their teeth, even as they did on Stephen in the judgment hall. I therefore yet give you this letter, even as Israel, when they were bound, gave their children the last milk. And furthermore, I thank you, O my love, for all your pure love and sincere friendship, and I also thank you much for the sleeves you made me; they stand me in better stead than the coat which was sent me. Rightly did Sirach say, that one friend helps the other in time of need, but much more yet husband and wife.

Once more I take leave, and bid you adieu; O adieu, Beliken, my dearest. Greet from me them that are with you. Adrian also greets you much.

Written by me, your dear husband and brother in the Lord.

MAERTEN VAN DER STRATEN.

Pray for me.

THE FOURTH LETTER FROM MAERTEN VAN DER

STRATEN, TO ANNA SERVAES

I, Maerten van der Straten, your unworthy friend and brother, wish you, my beloved, dear sister in the Lord, Anna Servaes, much grace and mercy from God our heavenly Father; and may the love of His Son be in you as a burning fire, that you may become perfect unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, and bearing good fruits, as a tree planted by the rivers of water, so that you may be numbered among the royal priesthood, the peculiar people, which God, according to the writings of Moses, bore on eagle's wings; so that you, when the land shall again be divided to Israel, may possess an inheritance full of joy, for ever and ever. Amen. Eph. 4:13; I Pet. 2:12; Ps. 1:3; I Pet. 2:9; Deut. 32:11.

A cordial, fond and affectionate greeting to you, my dear and much beloved sister in the Lord, Anna Servaes, whom I love with a pure love out of a pure heart, of which God be my judge, who, according to the word of Jeremiah, tries men's hearts and reins. Further, after all proper and Christian salutation, let me, please, inform your love, that I and my dear wife are in tolerably good health according to the flesh, and according to the spirit we hope by God's assistance to keep the covenant which we once made with the Lord our God, when we bowed our knees before Him and His glorious majesty. Yes, we moreover trust that also you are well in soul and body, ready to perform your journey to Bethel, and to prophesy against Jeroboam and his altar. I Kings 13:1. To this end, may you and we all be strengthened by the only and eternal, almighty God, whose tabernacle is on high, and who lives far above all heavens, in a light which, according to the words of Paul (I Tim. 6:16), no man can approach unto; that we may fear and love Him above all. For He is a jealous God, who would dwell alone in man's heart; for thereunto we have been delivered out of the hand of our enemies, and from them that hate us, that we should fear and serve Him without fear, in true righteousness and holiness, all the days of our lives, as good and faithful servants, seeking the praise of God, and, with Paul, counting our gain loss for Christ's sake, leading a chaste, honorable life, and setting up an ensign for the nations, that we may not make the blind to wander out of the way, but that we, according to the words of Peter, through a modest and good conversation, may win the unbelieving without the Word; which Christ also teaches us in the Gospel, saying: "Let your light shine before men, that they may behold your good conversation, and glorify God our Father in the day of visitation." Ex. 20:5; II Cor. 6:16; Luke 1:74, 75; Phil. 3:7; Isa. 11:12; Deut. 27:18; I Pet. 3:1, 2; Matt. 5:16; I Pet. 2:12. Hence, O my dear and much beloved sister in the Lord, let us with all humility follow the Lord's footsteps, that in every respect we may adorn the doctrine of the Gospel, shining as a bright morning star among this evil and perverse generation; then shall the King, as David writes, greatly desire our beauty. Ps. 45:11.