Martyrs Mirror 599GEORGE STEINMETZ, A. D. 1530

This George Steinmetz was apprehended and beheaded for the testimony of Jesus Christ, at Portzen, in Germany, A. D. 1530. He left the following admonition for consolation in suffering, to all believers

"We sincerely thank Thee, O God, .for Thy fatherly faithfulness. No one ought to mock at or despise His grace, lest at last, when his departure is at hand, he regret it. O Lord, help and assist us, through Jesus Christ. God has called many to His eternal light, whom He also visits with suffering and pain, as we see in this earth; ,for it seems that here we must be refined by the fire of affliction, since we must all enter through much tribulation into the kingdom of God, and be purified from all sin and vice ( I Peter 1:7 ; Acts 14

22); .for he that herein follows Christ, walks in the true path. Christ says: I am the .Way and the Door, the Truth and the Life; enter in by me; before me there is yet a hedge; the cross, which each who would come to the Father must carry,, stands in the way. John 10:9 . And according to my experience, I must state the ti:uth, that the cross appears much heavier than it really is; which deters many a one, as though he 'should not be able to bear it, and hence would pass it by, and seek another way. But we cannot come to God unless we bear the yoke of Christ. Matt. 11:29 . For he that. :would enter in by any other way into the sheep fold, than through this door, the same is a thief and a murderer ( John 10:1 ), and shall have to suffer the vengeance of God everlasting. pain. Christ would have such disciples as bear the cross after Him, follow Him in all His ways, as I hope to show, and carry his .yoke unto the end. Matt.:16:24. But he that will not bear his cross, but allows himself to be moved and hindered by Satan, inay take heed that Christ says: "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." Matthew 10:32 , 33 . O God, sustain us to Thy praise and honor, that love may not wax cold in us. Matthew 24:12 . To this end give us strength, wisdom and understanding, through Thy holy spirit, who can guide us into all truth ( John 16:13 ) , that we may never despond, but keep good courage, and remain steadfast and proceed straight on in the narrow way, and at the risk of body life; go on through Christ to the Father. John 14:6 . Praised be the Lord our God, who has called us to be His servants and children. Him we will constantly praise forever and ever, because we may wash our robes in the blood of the Lamb ( Rev. 7:14 ), and afterwards, from this brief death and suffering, go into everlasting joy with Him. With this mind this witness of Jesus Christ was beheaded and died at Portzen, as stated above.