(PILGRIM SONG.)
ON, O beloved children,
The evening is at hand,
And desolate and fearful
The solitary land.
Take heart ! the rest eternal
Awaits our weary feet
From strength to strength press onwards,
The end, how passing sweet !
Lo, we can tread rejoicing
The narrow pilgrim road
We know the voice that calls us,
We know our faithful God.
Come, children, on to glory
With every face set fast
Towards the golden towers
Where we shall rest at last.
It was with voice of singing
We left the land of night,
To pass in glorious music
Far onward out of sight.
O children, was it sorrow ?
Though thousand worlds be lost,
Our eyes have looked on Jesus,
And thus we count the cost.
The praising and the blaming,
The storehouse and the mart,
The mourning and the feasting,
The glory and the art,
The wisdom and the cunning,
Left far amidst the gloom ;
We may not look behind us,
For we are going home.
Across the will of nature
Leads on the path of God ;
Not where the flesh delighteth
The feet of Jesus trod.
O bliss to leave behind us
The fetters of the slave,
To leave ourselves behind us,
The grave-clothes and the grave !
To speed, unburdened pilgrims,
Glad, empty-handed, free ;
To cross the trackless deserts
And walk upon the sea
As strangers amongst strangers,
No home beneath the sun
How soon the wanderings ended,
The endless rest begun !
We pass the children playing,
For evening shades fall fast;
We pass the wayside flowers—
God's Paradise at last.
If now the path be narrow,
And steep and rough and lone,
If crags and tangles cross it,
Praise God we will go on.
We follow in His footsteps;
What if our feet be torn
Where He has marked the pathway,
All hail the briar and thorn!
Scarce seen, scarce heard, unreckoned,
Despised, defamed, unknown;
Or heard but by our singing,
On, children ! ever on !
—G. TERSTEEGEN.
ELIZABETH'S correspondence with the Great Elector continued, for the Herford corporation were unwearied in their endeavours to blacken the Labadists abroad, and to persecute them at home.
In November, 1670, Elizabeth wrote to the Elector as follows : "I hear that people have said a great deal of evil of my Dutch people to your Highness, as also they have written a great deal of evil respecting them to myself, from Holland. So that if I had not had them here present with me, so as to be able to see daily with my own eyes their exemplary Christian walk, I should have been the first to drive them away.
"As it is, I must humbly implore your highness not to condemn us unheard, but to wait till you have had a personal interview with General Ellern. And if he does not clearly prove to you, that not alone our religion, but the whole land, is a gainer by their presence, I request that you refuse us your protection. They are no Quakers, but simply of the Reformed faith.
" The project of the council to starve them out, has turned out like that of Simple Simon, who sat under the bridge in order to starve out the city of Dresden, for I have means enough to provide for them all without any help from the town.
"The magistrate will no doubt think of fresh plans for annoying them, and lay the blame on the people, as he did when I complained of the insolence of the boys, who hooted after them and pelted them with dung. I therefore trust to your highness to stand by me in this danger, for the honour of God and the interests of your highness."
Frederick William, who had distinguished himself by his kindness to the French Huguenots, was equally inclined to protect his cousin's beloved friends. But whether they were Quakers, Anabaptists, Communists, or lunatics appears to have been by no means clear to him, and he used every means for arriving at the truth ; so that time went on, and the council at Herford received no answer to their appeals against the unwelcome presence of the Labadists. The townspeople had to content themselves with pelting them and breaking their windows.
At last a bright expedient suggested itself. Elizabeth had said she was answerable to none but the Emperor. To the Emperor, without the knowledge of Elizabeth, the council of Herford sent a petition.
An imperial mandate was the speedy answer. Elizabeth was commanded to banish Labadie and his friends under a penalty of thirty gold marks. They had now been a year at Herford. Elizabeth herself was summoned to appear by proxy before the imperial council assembled at Spires on the sixtieth day after the reception of the mandate ; otherwise she would be deprived and dispossessed of all the imperial privileges belonging to her office.
The princess was amused by this mandate. She merely expressed her indignation at the impertinence of the council of Herford, who had dared to appeal to the Emperor without her knowledge. She considered it also an affront to the Great Elector, to whom she sent word immediately, desiring him to put his assessor at Spires on his guard, since it would seem that persons accused of heresy might thus be condemned and sentenced without a hearing.
She took no further notice of the imperial mandate, but removed the Labadists to her own country-house, where they might be more free to hold their meetings without annoyance.
In the spring of 1672 she went herself to Berlin, to plead their cause in person with the Great Elector. The council of Herford received in consequence a notice of the Elector's severe displeasure. Of this they in their turn took no notice, but insisted that the imperial mandate should be carried out. The Elector sent a still more indignant message.
How matters would have ended we know not, had not Labadie determined to be no longer the cause of trouble and annoyance to the princess. He called together his community, and they wrote a joint letter to the princess at Berlin, thanking her warmly for the refuge she had afforded them, but announcing their immediate departure.
On June 23rd, 1672, they left Herford, leaving behind a few of their number to pack up their library and printing-press, and convey all their possessions on board ship. Thence they proceeded to Altona, hearing that the King of Denmark had proclaimed complete religious liberty for all in his dominions.
Here they were received with great suspicion by the clergy and people. But after awhile their quiet, pious lives won for them the respect and love of their neighbours. Anna employed herself in writing a history of her life amongst them, a book that is a witness to the peace and joy which filled her heart.
The little community were of one heart and one soul. They met for praise and prayer and exhortation without hindrance. As in other times of awakening, a gift for spiritual song was given them. Many hymns remain which tell of the happy days spent in communion with God.
"The ideal," says their historian Goebel, "of the first Christian community at Jerusalem seemed to be actually attained. Labadie used to say, ' Christ rules amongst us. God has led us out of the world to unite us to Himself. I see at last that for which I have longed with so deep a longing. Scarce anything more is left to desire. God is known amongst us, is loved and honoured and glorified. What more can we desire ? I can die in peace.'"
This expression of the soul being united to God, so common amongst the mystics, seems to have been an incorrect and unscriptural way of expressing the truth that "we have fellowship with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." We should, however, be careful to avoid all such expressions, which if carefully considered, are seen to be unreal. Union with God is nowhere found in Scripture. The believer is united by the Holy Ghost to Christ the divine Man, but never to Christ as God.
About a year and a half after the settlement of the community at Altona, Labadie died, thanking and praising God for " His countless benefits to one so unworthy ; for which," he adds, " I adore Him and thank Him with my whole heart, and especially that by His Spirit and the mighty power of His grace He made me to be a Christian, and brought me to the knowledge of Himself, as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Further, that by His leading and guidance He has brought me to the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, and to the true worship of Himself in the Spirit.
" I desire also to bear witness that I believe in His divine Word, as it has pleased Him to reveal it to us in the whole Bible, and especially in the gospel of Jesus Christ, or the New Testament, which is my sincere confession of faith, and the expression of it.
With my whole heart I attach my signature to this Word of God, dictated by Him through His Spirit, and by His Spirit understood and explained.
" And I would especially declare, that the faith of which I speak, is the faith of the latter years of my life.
" As to the world, and the men of the world, I own, with a thankful heart, that God has separated me from it, and has placed me in opposition to the world, and the world to me, therefore I live and die well content that I have had the hatred and ill-will of the world.
"And as whilst I was living, so now whilst I am dying, I desire to bear my solemn testimony that the world is not of God, but that it lieth in wickedness, that it knows neither the Father, nor the Son, nor the Holy Ghost ; and I believe that the end is near, and the beginning of the reign of God and His Son Jesus Christ, for whom I have waited, whom I have known, for whom I now wait, whom I now know."
Thus died John de Labadie, at the age of sixty-four, " a peaceful and happy death," writes an eye-witness, " with praise and love on his lips and in his heart."
" Labadie," writes Goebel, " was, like Spener and Zinzendorf, an entire, a true-hearted, and a decided Christian, though not without serious faults and errors. Wherever he worked much blessing followed; and more might have followed, had he not with his adherents formed a separatist community. But in the Lord's hand this community became a significant and richly-blessed sign of the times.
"Besides the Labadists proper, the noblest and most pious Christians of those days, Spener, Francke, Zinzendorf, and others, were friends and defenders of the Labadists. And with these holy men, Labadie claims a foremost place in the history of Christian life in the evangelic church.
" He had a depth of piety in his innermost being, which shone forth in his whole walk, in his words and writings. His gifts were most rare, and his personal attractions were such as to fascinate and captivate those who knew him."
" Constantly calumniated as he was," writes Spener, "I can bear witness, as can many who had no love for him, that he was a man of blameless and holy life."
Let us thank God that one who loved Him so truly, was raised up in those evil days to begin a work that still lasts, and is still owned by Christ ; for to Labadie and his followers may be traced many a stream of living water flowing yet through dark and dry places in Holland and in Germany. Like Ridley and Latimer in England, Labadie lighted a candle which will never be put out till the Church is called up to be with Christ.
The Labadists now removed, under the leadership of Yvon, to Wiewart, an estate of the Somerdykes, in Holland. Here we have a last little picture of them in the journal of William Penn, the Quaker:
" We took waggon," he wrote, " for Wiewart, the mansion-house of the family of the Somerdykes, where John de Labadie's company resicleth ; it being strong on my spirit to give them a visit. We got thither about five, and as we were walking over a field to the house, we met a young man of that company who conducted us in. I asked for Yvon, the pastor, and Anna Maria Schurmann. Yvon came presently with his co-pastor ; they received us very civilly ; however, they seemed shy of letting me speak with Anna Schumann, objecting her weakness, age, &c. They were at last persuaded, but it was then too late in the day.
" Next morning I returned to them. So soon as we came, we were brought into Anna Schurmann's chamber, where also was with her one of the three Somerdykes. This Anna Schurmann aforesaid is an ancient maid above 6o years of age, of great note and fame for learning in languages and philosophy. The Somerdykes are daughters to a nobleman of the Hague, people of great breeding and inheritance,
"After Yvon had spoken, Anna Schurmann related something of her former life—her pleasure in learning, and her love to the religion she was brought up in ; but at last, through the ministry of John de Labadie, she saw her learning to be vanity, and her religion like a body of death. She resolved to despise the shame, desert her former way of living and acquaintance, and to join to this little family, that was retired out of tile world, among whom she desired to be found a living sacrifice, offered up entirely to the Lord. She spoke in a very serious and broken sense, not without some trembling." The "trembling" impressed the Friends with much respect for Anna's convictions.
The year following this visit of the Quakers, Anna von Schurmann was called home, at the age of sixty-eight.
She finished her book, The Eucleria, just before her death, ending it with the following words : "I delight once more to bear witness with the deepest joy that my choice of the better part has never been regretted by me. By the grace of God it was the happy exit out of my folly, and I repeat again that I thank Him with my whole heart for the blessing with which Christ has sealed my choice, so that more and more have I learnt to know Him, the pearl of great price, through the communion of saints. Nor would I part with it for all the riches and glory, and treasures, and pleasures, and joys, and delights, and honours of the highest learning, for all the praise that is given to human virtue, nay, not for heaven and earth ; for I can say with David, ' The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance.' He is mine, and to Him be glory for ever and ever."
A few days after writing these words Anna died, in great suffering, but praising God most joyfully till, she could speak no more.
For about fifty years the community held together, though dispersed into distant corners of the earth. Labadie's widow, with a few more, went to Surinam, where her brother was governor, and there began the first Protestant mission recorded in history. It came, however, to an untimely end.
But the spiritual work of Lahadie and his brethren has never died out. We shall trace it later on with thankfulness to Him who owns the true and faithful love which is the work of His Spirit, in the hearts of His servants, despite many faults, follies, mistakes, and ignorances which have to be recorded of each and all.
Labadie had lived long enough to see how impossible was his ideal church. He had lost sight of the true Church, consisting of all everywhere who have living faith in Christ.
Perhaps he scarcely was aware to how great a degree he regarded the Church as consisting only of the Labachst community. As time went on, his followers began to understand that the scattered people of God, though united to Christ, and to one another by the Spirit, are not intended to come out of the world in so material a manner as to form a settlement which could be marked on a map.
But whilst their errors and mistakes died out, the truth they believed and taught, and the love which filled their hearts, remained, and remains still ; for the stream flows on which we can trace back to Wieward and Herford, receiving its tributaries even from the Jesuit College and the convent of Port Royal.
For the grace of God reaches lonely hearts in dark places, and brings together from the farthest corners those whom the Father draws to Christ.