To my beloved Friends and Fellow Believers in Christ Jesus our Saviour

Most Beloved:

When, in former times, C. Vermander, one of our fellow believers, desirous of describing the Trojan war, followed the Greek poet Homer, called the Blind, relating in Dutch rhyme, the latter's Greek verses treating of this matter, he stopped when he had completed half, that is, the first twelve books of the Iliad,* writing these words, "When following the blind in Il'um's siege,

I wearied when but half the way I'd reached.";

He became weary when he had traveled half the way, and certainly, he had good reasons for it; for, who knows not, that by following a blind man, especially on unknown and dangerous roads, one may easily be brought into error, yea, severe misfortunes? And what peaceful and loving person will delight in contemplating severe wars, and terrible storms and assaults, made upon a straitened and much distressed city, like Troy (called Ilium) was in Homer's time? Hence it was proper, and not less profitable for his soul, that he returned, for, as the proverb says,"It is better to turn back in the middle of the way, than to err still further.";

But we, much beloved, having come half the way, yea, through fifteen bloody centuries, became only the more desirous to proceed, so insatiable was our desire, from what we had already seen and heard. Yea, what is still more, though we ourselves suffered much heat and cold, hardship and illness; yea, deadly sicknesses,** on the way, our desire was not quenched, but much rather spurred on and stirred up, to reach the end. For, truly, those whom we met here, were no Greek warriors, who had enlisted under the hero Agamemnon, or his general Hector. Nor were the storms and assaults which we beheld, made upon a city built with hands, much less upon the city of Ilium in Phrygia. Nor did the conquerors burn pitch-barrels, in token of victory. Neither did the heroes who had acquitted themselves well, and faithfully risked their lives, to obtain fading oak leaves, or laurel wreaths, as marks of honor. Or, if they had died, their graves were not ornamented with tombs, pyramids, or obelisks, which must eventually perish with the world.

* Homer's account of the Trojan war, or the capture of the city of Ilium.

* God visited me with a half year's, and almost fatal, sickness; during which time 'I nevertheless wrote much of the first book. Here things were quite different, beloved friends; yea, quite different. For heroes met us who served the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ, who, though as a slain lamb, is truly the Prince of the kings of the earth.*

The place which they stormed, was the city filled with all good things, or the new and heavenly Jerusalem, whose foundations are all manner of precious stones, the gates of pearls, the streets of gold, like transparent glass. Her they took by force, to possess forever; but the God-displeasing idolatrous city of Babel they destroyed, with spiritual weapons, as much as lay in their power.

The honor which they obtained for their victory, is an everlasting honor; their joy a perpetual joy; the triumphal crowns which were given them, are eternal and heavenly crowns. Here no earthly tombs, pyramids, or obelisks, need be mentioned, to honor their dead bodies; since their souls were honored with God, and obtained rest under the altar** of God, the place of all the blessed martyrs.