HELP IN TROUBLE

My dear Friends—Grace, mercy and peace be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Our God has graciously given all His most holy Word to be the portion of His people. The psalmist says, “Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever; for they are the rejoicing of my heart.” So that all God’s Word is ours. But when the holy and ever-blessed Spirit is pleased to take any portion of that Word, put it into the hand of our faith, and apply it with divine power to our heart, it becomes ours in a more especial sense. He takes of the things that are Christ’s, and reveals them unto us.

While I was musing this morning before rising, the following words did, as it were, sound in my heart: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.”

First, Here is a day of trouble spoken of. Second, An exhortation and encouragement concerning it. Third, A promise. Fourth, The fruit and effect of this promise.

1. As to the day of trouble. Many are the afflictions of the righteous. There is the day of Jacob’s trouble, mentioned in Jer. 30: “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it.” Taking the context, I believe this describes the state of a poor sinner who is at uncertainty about his deliverance, about his being born again.

There are heart-troubles, as the psalmist speaks: “The troubles of my heart are enlarged.” These arise either from a sight and sense of the evils of one’s own heart, or they are the heart-felt troubles and afflictions of all kinds, which God sends to try His people.

Another day of trouble is when the Soul seeks after God, and cannot find Him; as Job: “O that I knew where I might find Him! “ or Mary Magdalene, who said, “They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him.” Or seasons of much spiritual barrenness are meant; as our Lord says, “The days will come, when the Bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.”

2. There is the exhortation and encouragement, “Call upon Me,” in the present day of trouble, in every day of trouble, whatever it may arise from. Calling, crying, implies that the Lord does not seem to be very near to us; and yet, bless His precious name! He is always near enough to hear and answer us. There is nothing in which I feel I am more deficient that in this calling. It does not intend a long set form of prayer, but a single cry, a broken sentence, as it were, drawn from the heart by a sight and sense of need. I think we procure many of our trials to ourselves by that backwardness to call upon His name to which we are so prone. The Lord loves to hear His children cry to Him: “Let Me see thy countenance, let Me hear thy voice.” And when love does not draw us to Him, afflictions are sometimes sent, and sanctified, to increase our earnestness in seeking His face. But whether drawn or driven, it will always be found profitable in the end to seek the Lord and to call upon His name.

3. There is the promise: “I will deliver thee.” This is often found to be the hardest thing in the world—to believe that He will deliver us, especially when we cry and shout, and He shutteth out our prayer; when, like Job, we seek Him, and cannot find Him. Under such circumstances, we generally get into a legal spirit. There is often a very deep sight and sense of our backslidings, and of the inconsistency of our life, walk and conversation in many things. Self-examination discovers that we have abounding carnality and little, very little, real spirituality. This, and much else that is like it, makes us thoroughly ashamed of ourselves; and then we frequently add sin to sin by doubting God’s faithfulness to His own promises because of our unfaithfulness to Him. Thus we too often begin to think that He is changeable like ourselves.

Now all this is permitted that we may be led to look to Him as a faithful, covenant-keeping and promise-fulfilling God and Father. His everlasting love to His people, His eternal choice of them in Christ, all the work of divine grace that is wrought in them, are the effects of His sovereign will and good pleasure. We did not merit His favour at first, and, bless His precious name! all our deficiencies, shortcomings, and imperfectons shall never move Him concerning His love to our souls; for, “having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end.” We may, indeed, procure to ourselves a Father’s chastisement, but nothing shall ever alter His love, or change His purpose. Therefore He will fulfil every promise He has made, whatever carnal reason, sin and self, unbelief, the world or Satan may say to the contrary. “I am the Lord: I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed” by any fire ye may be called to pass through.

4. “Thou shalt glorify Me.” This is either an exhortation or a promise. God is glorified when we ascribe every deliverance to Him, and to Him alone, without any merit or worthiness on our part; when we acknowledge Him in all our ways, confessing that it is His hand that supplies and directs whatever means may be employed in our behalf; when an offering of praise is brought before Him: “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me.” And because He knows our deficiency in this matter, and that without Him we can do nothing, He says, “Thou shalt glorify Me”; as elsewhere: “I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Thus our gracious God is pleased not only to engage His Word for our deliverance, but also to secure to Himself His own glory. “This people have I formed for Myself, they shall show forth My praise.”

I hope I am better than when I left home. I desire to watch the Lord’s hand concerning me in everything. I want to acquiesce in His holy will, whatever that will may be: and yet I must say that if He is graciously pleased to raise me up again, I do desire to go forth again in His strength, making mention of His righteousness, and of His only. I trust that my dear friends are inclined and enabled to seek the Lord in my behalf. I can truly say that I do not forget them, and shall rejoice to meet them again, if the Lord is pleased to enable me; but I must wait His time. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus.

Yours affectionately in Him, John Hobbs

Sevenoaks, July 29th, 1870

GIVE OUT-TAKE IN

Born in Zeeland, I often read in the days of my youth, but also heard of the life and labours of the late Rev. Peter VanDyke and Rev. Daan Bakker, especially when I came to ‘sGravenpolder. The older people among them often spoke of the grace, glorified in those ministers, but also about many things out of their pastoral life. Besides their own congregations, both those ministers had many congregations, which they had to serve, and thus they often traveled.

Traveling conditions in those days were completely different from todays. And therefore they were often gone out of their own congregations on Sundays to preach the Word and to administer the sacraments. I’ve once heard, that Rev. Bakker upon coming home, after having supplied at various places for three weeks, said to his consistory, “Now I’ve given out so much, that it is necessary that I stay home again for a few weeks to take in.

Often in my pastoral service and life, which according to God’s Word is rapidly coming to an end, I have thought about this expression. While I am writing these lines I am sitting here in the “country” (in the Netherlands they say: the polders) with a couple who both are old also, and where we have stayed from time to time when we were in the province of Alberta to serve that congregation. That family also came from Barneveld, and in 1948 we came in their house for the first time. In all these years we always stayed there. It was now three years ago that we had been in Alberta. Since Rev. Verhoef exchanged Lethbridge for Chilliwack he remained moderator of Lethbridge. Man deviseth his way; but the Lord directeth his steps. On his last journey from Corsica to Chilliwack Rev. Verhoef had to be taken to a hospital in Denver, and later, he might again return to Chilliwack. But as it seemed that because of the weakness of his body he would not be able to make the trip to Alberta, I was invited to come and have Prayer Day services in that congregation. I had asked my consistory in Grand Rapids and they gave me persmission to go and help that congregation. I left early on Tuesday morning for that trip and towards evening arrived in the congregation of Choteau, where I was to supply that evening. Early the next morning an elder and his father brought me to the Canadian border, where an elder and his wife stood with the car to take me on to Lethbridge where we had Prayer Day services afternoon and evening. They came together from far and near. The following day we had two services at Fort Macleod. It was again almost midnight when we arrived at the home of our host.

On Friday morning we visited a few sick and aged, and in the afternoon a deacon brought us to Calgary. There we also visited a young mother in the hospital, and in the evening spoke about Phil. 4:6. In that big city (of 450,000 inhabitants) there were thirty or more persons gathered. The small number of hearers was no objection. In Lethbridge there was a large attendance; and the congregation of Fort Macleod is also small. But the greatest is if there are still Ruths in the field of Boaz; that there are still “hearers”. At about eleven o’clock we again departed from Calgary. In some places the driving was difficult because of snow-squalls, so that it was 1:30 A.M. when we came home again.

Today it is again preparation for the Sabbath. The Lord willing, I hope to preach three times again tomorrow in the congregation of Lethbridge. And now this morning (Saturday) I feel myself as the late Rev. Bakker: gave out much, but now as void again as any empty sack. I am sitting here about 2000 miles away from my congregation and my wife, who mourns the loss of her oldest sister, who is to be buried today in Lisse. No, I may not complain. That would be an insult to that faithful God, who has again holpen me this whole week. This week I’ve also spoken out of Lam. 4:4-5. That the tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst. What a wonder that the Lord still gives yet words and matters, and a little cheerfulness to proclaim law and gospel. Then it is sometimes thus, that he who labours in the vineyard, may enjoy the first fruit thereof.

But now so empty, so poor, so helpless, and then facing the Sabbath again. If we think about it, then we would say, the longer we have done this work, the easier it becomes. But friends, it is work, that we of ourselves will never be able to do, unless the Lord helps and strengthens us with the right hand of His righteousness. Luther once wrote: If we have to do it of ourselves “then preaching is a work for a buffalo”.

A privilege when preaching is no “task” but a pleasure. The Lord knows how He must deal with us. If we become too high, then He gives something again to bring us down. And if we are brought low, then in His great goodness and friendliness, He comes again so that we may take courage. Counterbalanced to stay in balance, and our importunity is often God’s opportunity. Two great lessons for our soul, but also for a minister to practice often: John 15:5 - “Without Me ye can do nothing”; and Phil. 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.

Those are matters, which God must teach us by His Spirit, and which time and again come back in our life. It is such a privilege if we may remain as dependent as a child, also in office, to be made small and to remain small, never to become greater than a scholar of Christ, so that we may be made susceptible by the precious Spirit of God for divine and heavenly instruction. Thereby God will receive the honor, the true church will be edified and our soul will have the profit. And if we no longer know how and no longer can do it, then the Lord will bind the need upon the soul of His people. If it is different, then we cut off prayer, and the interecession of that great Highpriest shall have no value for us.

I will now close this letter, hoping that the Lord will again strengthen on the morrow. Lethbridge soon hopes to have their own minister again, by the coming of Rev. Heerschap. The Lord willing, I hope to go back again Monday to my own congregation. Various ministers are changing places. The Lord reigns. The late Rev. Fraanje was in Barneveld for 31 years; Comrie stood in Woubrugge his whole life. Gadsby, a devout minister in England, was on the same place for 60 years. It is a personal matter for everyone, what God’s will and way is, and submission gives rest. Hearty greetings to all. We commend you to God in all things.

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