Brought Home by the Angels (4)

“The angels continuously pass by me.”

Matje Verbruggen lived in Vinkeveen and was nine years old. She was a student in the grade school, and her teacher was Mr. S. Bison. Meningitis was an illness which in those days quickly led to a person’s death. Matje lived for four weeks with this serious illness.

Especially the last two weeks of her life were very painful. The Lord showed her great and special grace while she was upon her sickbed. Upon request her father has written a booklet about it. “Oh, people of the Lord, I have tried to sketch something, with many shortcomings, of the praises of the Lord from the mouth of a child. Because of the majesty of God’s grace which radiated from her, we all—my wife, the children, and I—came under deep impressions.…”

The majesty of God’s grace is noticeable when reading this story; in and of itself it testifies of God’s work of grace. A summary of it does not do justice; it is better if one reads the entire story (“Heeren lof uit een kindermond;” 1927 4e druk). [“The Lord’s praises expressed out of the mouth of a child”].

The following portion consists for the most part of citations from the booklet.

Justice and grace

During her illness Matje was instructed about our lost state in Adam and our salvation in Christ. By God’s Spirit she was uncovered to her condition, and she learned to know the pain and the sorrow of her sins in the depth of her soul so that she began to weep because she had never known her sins to such an extent. “Oh, father,” she said, “I have lived as a heathen. I have done nothing else but provoke the Lord Jesus and cause Him grief.”

The loveliness and the friendliness of Jesus as a complete Saviour caused her to call out, “Oh, Lord Jesus, Thou art my only riches; Thou art my greatest treasure. I desire naught else but Thee alone.” When she received a sight of her precious King, who showed her the crown of life, she said to her father, “Father, just put away all that I still have here—my toys, my money, just throw it all away—I no longer desire any of it.”

The majesty of God’s grace filled her soul to such an extent that it seemed to radiate from her body in such a way that we sank away into nothingness. Among the many words which she quoted out of the Truth, which she might understand out of God’s precious Word, and which were applied to her soul were also these, “I am the Lord’s.” She made her father promise that these words would be placed upon her casket.

Brought out with gladness and rejoicing

While on her deathbed, Matje received the special grace of visions, also about angels. During one vision she was led into the heavenly Jerusalem and called out time and again, “Streets of gold, streets of gold; the gate is always open and is never closed, for the angels ride in and out.” She was also at one time led into her departure where the Church sings, “Enthroned in royal state, all glorious thou shalt dwell, with garments fair, inwrought with gold … the Church He loveth well. And they that honor Thee, shall in Thy train attend; and to the palace of the King … shall joyfully ascend” (Psalter 125:4&5; Psalm 45). Matje saw a row of chariots and horses and called out with her eyes fixed on heaven, “Oh, Father, just look. Don’t you see it?” In blessed wonderment and adoration, she sank away while calling out, “There is One seated upon the white horse, clothed with a long white robe and a golden crown upon His head. Oh, I see that it is the Lord Jesus, for His name is written upon His clothing.”

She now had a continuous longing that she made known to Him that the angels would also take her up to that glorious heaven. She prayed continually, “Oh, Lord Jesus, please come and get me. I desire to go along with the angels in their chariots. Oh, dear Lord Jesus, may your child now come along?” She continued to beg, but she said time and again, “I am not there yet, for the angels keep passing me by.”

A multitude of angels

“They are not to be counted,” she said, “thousands upon thousands. Oh, father, just look. They all have golden harps. Oh, how glorious that is. What heavenly music and what beautiful singing. How lovingly they played and sang along with the harps.” She wanted to sing along, but she said, “I am not able to sing yet,” She begged her King to come and get her, for she said, “Lord Jesus, I am so anxious to sing along.” The longing lived in her soul to glorify her King who had saved her out of such a great need and death. It is only when this corruptible one shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality that the Lord will be worthily glorified.

Matje was buried on July 9, 1927 in Sliedrecht. Rev. J.A. Riekel (1869-1949) led the service, and used as his text Isaiah 44:5. Her teacher Mr. S. Bison also spoke at the open grave.

(This installment marks the end of this series.)

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