Truth is ancient; it's grey hairs may make it venerable;
it comes from Him who is the ancient of days. --Thomas Watson

 

23 March, 2007   comments: (0) Wonderful Plan?   A Huguenot's Story - Part 9 - Conclusion After spending a month at Grenoble France, we started for Geneva, and arrived there in four days, in February, 1688. I was received with marvelous kindness, many persons coming to comfort me in my afflictions, and cheer my heart with their love. May the Lord reward them!  I shall pray for them all my life, that God may preserve them and enrich them with his favor and blessing until He takes them to their heavenly home.   In the month of May I arose from my bed, and with the help of a crutch I walked to the church of St. Gervais. The pastor, Monsieur Turretin, whom I look upon as a true ambassador of God, preached from a text so suitable to my state that it seemed as though he had chosen it expressly for my consolation. Will you not agree with me in this when I tell you that the text was Ephesians 3:13: "Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory?" he made an application of it to the French prisoners, and then addressed those who had suffered for Christ's sake, speaking and praying in such a touching and comforting way that I never remember feeling so refreshed. Some time after, I went to Saint Pierre, where I heard Monsieur Calendrin, that consistent minister of the gospel, who preaches by his life as well as by his sermons. Mademoiselle Jacquet of Languedoc, whom I had known as a prisoner in Grenoble, took me by the hand and led me into her own room. When we were there, she said, "My dear, what tears you have caused me to shed, and how I have grieved for you." "Why so, Mademoiselle?" I asked. She replied, "You know that I was sent to the hospital at Grenoble. At that time Monsieur de la Rapine paid a visit there, and asked the governor whether he had any Huguenot prisoners. The governor replied that he had, and then asked La Rapine whether he had any. "Yes," said La Rapine; "and I have two who are most obstinate, Jeanne Deleuse and Blanche Gamond; but they are treated more severely than any of the others, and I have given them hundreds of blows." Two or three of us were present; and when we saw his horrid face and heard these rough words, we went into our own room and wept, not only for your sake, but also for our own, because they threatened to send us to him if we did not recant." On the 14th of May, 1688, at ten o'clock in the morning, my godfather, Monsieur Murant, that faithful Shepard to whom I owe so much left this world to go up to heaven. It was a great sorrow to me, and made me feel that I had been leaning too much on an arm of flesh. But the Almighty God did not stop there. He sent me another affliction. On the 28th of September the same year news was brought to me that the Father of spirits had taken my dear mother away from this world. It was more than twenty days since she had been buried at Berne, and I was at Geneva. This was a sad and unexpected blow to me, for I had not heard of her illness. I threw myself on my bed with tears and groans, and cried, "Oh, my God! It seems as if thou wert taking pleasure in afflicting me, and as if thou wert angry with me. Let me not be called Blanche, but Mara, for the Almighty has sent bitterness upon me. But I know that it is because of my sins that thou chastenest me. With thee is righteousness, but with us confusion of face. Oh, my God, I submit myself to thy will, and say with Eli, 'It is the lord; let him do as seemeth unto him good.'" While I was in this agony of mind, I heard a voice beside me asking what was the matter. It was Monsieur Pierre Gandy, a devoted minister of Christ, to whom I owe a great deal. He talked to me very kindly, and prayed with me, sympathizing much in my sorrow. May God reward him for his goodness!  Since the 25th of October, 1688, I have been at Berne, where the mighty and illustrious noblemen of the town and republic have comforted me with their charity. May God be their recompenser, blessing the work of their hands and having granted them his richest favors here below, may he raise them up to his heavenly mansions, where they shall reap as the have sowed. Before I close I wish to add a word, lest it might be thought that I glory in the things about which I have written. But I call God to witness that it is not so. Shall I not humble myself before him for all the favor he has shown me? I still suffer much at any change of weather, from two great scars which prevent me from lying on my left side; and I pray to God, if it be his gracious will, to recover me from this infirmity. But if he judge otherwise, may he say to me, "My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness". To this great God, who can do as he willeth, the author of all things, and from whom cometh all things, and from who cometh every good and perfect gift, to him, I say, and to the Son and the Holy Ghost, be honor glory, might, majesty, and dominion, from this time forth for evermore. Amen. The End The above is part of my multi-part series of posts based on the trials of a 21 year old woman named Blanche Gamond, who was one of the many persecuted Christians in 17th century France. Her true story is told in the book Stories of The Huguenots, which I am posting excerpts of. If you are just tuning in, you can get caught up by starting on part 1. Learn more about the French Huguenots on Wikipedia or in a book that I highly recommended called Sketches From Church History. Posted by: Jim B.   Link: http://www.oldtruth.com/blog.cfm/id.2.pid.580   Be the first to post a comment about this article        Home  |   About  |  Videos   |  Calvinism