Tag: death

J N Darby – French Letter No. 108 – A Saint taken to be with the Lord

Turin – November 1871

To Mr P

J N Darby
John Nelson Darby

Dear Brother,

If I revealed all the things that I know, I would have a lot to say; and do you know that the best means of keeping a secret is not to let it be seen that you have one? To act thus, the world deceives and speaks in a misleading way – not the Christian, because if he is content only to say what God wants him to say, he has only to be silent and if he is accustomed to acting thus, the thing becomes entirely simple …

Dear C has been taken. She left this world a very short time ago. Her husband was absent; he found her dead on his return. She died in peace; she had said, ‘I know that I am going to die, but I am peaceful: I do not say more’. There is the end of small proportions, but for some one of great proportions to this poor world.

God was revealed to her soul, then God has taken her; now she is in heaven. How histories are told in few words which on a small stage have indeed filled hearts with anxiety! If one passes through this world with God, one confides in Him, while suffering for the present things more than others suffer them. One passes through without disturbance because God is there; one is not even disturbed by anything; a soul more in heaven led by the faithful Shepherd, there is the true fact. Some souls are afflicted, this is natural in this world, as when a stone falls into the water: a little noise, some circles that spread out, then disappear. The water goes on as usual, flowing with the noise of its own. No sign of the stone remains, but there is a soul gathered to the Lord and who will no more go out of His presence! What an immense joy, what profound blessing! May the Name of the Lord be blessed. One has told me that her brother is much afflicted, that is understandable; her poor husband also surely needs our sympathies.

I will tell you, dear brother, that we are going to have, with God’s help, a study into the Word in Nîmes, for ten or twelve young brothers who have consecrated themselves more or less absolutely to the work, principally in the Ardèche, but also elsewhere.

I am in the north of Italy. I know enough of the language to explain the word of God, but I do not pretend to preach. In some weeks, I leave, God willing, for France. God has rather revived the brethren in Switzerland, and I believe that He does so in France too.

It is possible that I will come to America next summer. God knows.

I can no longer do journeys on foot, otherwise I work as usual, and I am better away from London than in this great city, but in his seventy-second year, one cannot think of doing what I did when younger.

Yours affectionately

Letter originally written in French, translated by Sosthenes, 2013
Click here for original – If you have any comments on the translation, feel free to let me know.

J N Darby – Lettre No. 107

Turin, novembre 1871

A M. P.

Cher frère,

Si je révélais toutes les choses que je sais, j’aurais beaucoup à dire ; et savez-vous que le meilleur moyen de ne pas trahir un secret, est de ne pas laisser voir qu’on en connaît un ? Pour agir ainsi, le monde trompe et parle d’une manière détournée, – non pas le chrétien, parce que s’il est content de ne dire que ce que Dieu veut qu’il dise, il n’a qu’à se taire, et s’il est habitué à agir ainsi, la chose devient toute simple…

Cette chère C. est délogée. Elle a quitté ce monde il y a très peu de temps. Son mari était absent ; il l’a trouvée morte à son retour. Elle est morte en paix ; elle a dit : “Je sais que je vais mourir, mais je suis tranquille : je n’en dis pas davantage.” Voilà la fin d’une minime partie, mais pour quelques-uns d’une grande partie de ce pauvre monde.

Dieu s’est révélé à son âme, puis Dieu l’a prise ; maintenant elle est dans le ciel. Que d’histoires se racontent ainsi en peu de mots, qui, sur une petite scène, ont rempli d’anxiété bien des cœurs ! Si l’on traverse ce monde avec Dieu, on se confie en lui, et tout en souffrant pour les choses réelles plus que d’autres n’en souffrent, on le traverse sans inquiétude, parce que Dieu est là ; on ne s’inquiète même de rien ; une âme de plus dans le ciel amenée par le fidèle Berger, voilà le vrai fait. Quelques âmes affligées, cela est naturel dans ce monde, comme lorsqu’une pierre tombe dans l’eau : un peu de bruit, quelques cercles qui s’élargissent, puis s’effacent, et l’eau continue, comme par le passé, à couler avec le bruit qui lui est propre. Nul signe de la pierre ne reste, mais il y a une âme recueillie auprès du Seigneur et qui ne sortira plus de sa présence ! Quelle immense joie, quelle profonde bénédiction ! Que le nom du Seigneur en soit béni. On me dit que son frère est bien affligé, cela se comprend ; son pauvre mari aussi a bien droit à nos sympathies.

Je vous dirai, cher frère, que nous allons avoir, Dieu aidant, une étude de la Parole à Nîmes, pour dix ou douze jeunes frères qui se consacrent plus ou moins absolument à l’œuvre, principalement de l’Ardèche, mais d’ailleurs aussi.

Je suis au nord de l’Italie. Je sais assez la langue pour expliquer la parole de Dieu, mais je ne prétends pas prêcher. Dans quelques semaines, je pars, Dieu voulant, pour la France. Dieu a passablement ranimé les frères en Suisse, et je crois qu’il le fait en France aussi.

Il se peut que je me rende en Amérique l’été prochain. Dieu le sait.

Je ne puis plus faire de courses à pied, autrement je travaille comme de coutume, et je suis mieux hors de Londres que dans cette grande ville, mais dans sa 72ème année, on ne peut penser à faire ce qu’on faisait plus jeune.

The Irrationalism of Infidelity – The Sentence on the Serpent: Serpent Worship

Going on its belly and eating dust (Genesis 3:15) shows the complete humiliation of the serpent. In its fullest extent it is a symbol of death. The whole thing is scorned but it gives the source, explanation and judgment of what has characterised the human race, everywhere and at all time.

serpent-worshipThe Sentence on the Serpent: Serpent Worship

Objection: The sentence of the serpent is just a fable

Answer: Going on its belly and eating dust (Genesis 3:15)  shows the complete humiliation of the serpent.  In its fullest extent it is a symbol of death.   The whole thing is scorned but it gives the source, explanation and judgment of what has characterised the human race, everywhere and at all time.

Man has worshipped the serpent, perhaps more than anything else, with the possible exception of the Sun in Greece and Rome.  Ophiolatry, or serpent worship, is found in China, Egypt, Babylon, England (Stonehenge), Ireland, France, North and South America, Russia, Scandinavia, India and Africa.  People kept serpents as household gods, wore ornaments as talismans, and tattooed images of the serpent and the sun on their skin.  It is often portrayed erect, being fed with sweet cakes, with a naked woman as priestess in attendance.    The Hivites who were driven out of Palestine by Joshua were serpent worshippers. Scripture presents that old serpent as the one who elevated himself as god of all the world.   Yet the serpent is a venomous prostrate reptile.   So when we see the whole world of these traditions of the serpent, of the worship of the serpent (erect), a sober mind must deduce the immense moral importance of this phenomenon, as exposing, the terrible and real secret of it all – the ruined condition of rebellious and disobedient man.  Scripture has not invented these facts.

Also, the notion of gaining wisdom from serpents is universal.  Satan seized upon the idea of God in men’s minds, and, where possible has connected man’s obscure traditions with himself.  The sun is seen as the benefactor; the serpent the one giving intelligence, and both became associated with the idea of the unity of deity and the universe.  Moreover, in Egypt above the serpent-worshipping temple of Isis there were the words  ‘I am all that hath been, and is, and shall be; and my veil no mortal hath ever removed’.   All wisdom was purported to be there.

Sometimes the worship of the sun drove out serpent worship, yet it was always remained connected with it.   Apollo (the sun), established his worship at Delphi by slaying Typhon, an immense serpent, who was also said to have been cast down from heaven by Jupiter.  He then gave oracles in his place, Delphi.  Scandinavian mythology is similar, the great serpent being Loke.  Hercules, Thor and Krishna kill serpents. (or dragons). 

 It would appear that idolatry came in after the flood.  There is a vague tradition of a reign of bliss under Saturn, his three sons, Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto, becoming the supreme gods of heaven, earth, and sea.   In some way these correspond to Shem, Ham and Japeth.  They carried a statue about in a kind of ship.  Indeed they used the same word for ‘temple’ and ‘ship’. 

There is the pain of childbirth, a pain borne by the woman, the man being exempt.  But faith can lay hold of the real meaning of the statement that the woman’s seed will crush the head of the serpent.

Summary by Sosthenes of J.N. Darby’s original article.  For the source please click here.

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