A Letter from a Martyr

Wes Bredenhof recently posted a portion of Guido de Bres' letter to his mother, written shortly before his execution in May of 1567 (http://www.bredenhof.ca/).

This is a very moving and encouraging letter, especially when we consider that de Bres was imprisoned under the worst of conditions (in the sewage of the prison).  But as he wrote to his mother, de Bres seems to bask in the assurance of his salvation and the hope of the resurrection.  No doubt, this is what Tertullian meant when he said that the that "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church."

For background, here's Rev. Bredenhof's discussion of de Bres's martyrdom, followed by the first portion of de Bres' letter to his mother.

http://ia311027.us.archive.org/1/items/BredenhofArticles1/TheMartyrdomOfGuidoDeBres.pdf

http://ia341335.us.archive.org/0/items/HeartAflame/HeartAflame.pdf

Thanks Wes, for posting this wonderful letter!

Comments

[Mark Priestap]

Wow that letter is stirring.

My father-in-law's family is descended from a French Huguenot family from a nearby town in Northern France. One of his great grandfathers was imprisoned in a town not far from where that letter was written. That these were real people should give us pause to consider their joy and steadfastness in the gospel, their firm conviction that Christ literally died for their sins and rose again... it is a miracle and something to praise God for. We are the beneficiaries of their suffering. May we rest in Christ as they did and find strength in the Lord to face the Devil without flinching.