Come Ye Sinners Poor and Wretched

One of my favourite hymns was written by Joseph Hart, 1712-1768. At one time Joseph Hart’s hymns were widely used, especially by Calvinistic Nonconformists. Many of them are loved because of the great earnestness and passionate love of the Redeemer. This particular hymn is very special to me because of its unconditional free offer of the gospel to guilty sinners.

1 Come ye sinners poor and wretched,
Weak and wounded sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and power;
He is able,
He is willing; doubt no more.

2 Ho! ye needy, come and welcome,
God's free-bounty glorify,
True belief and true repentance,
Every grace that brings us nigh,
Without money,
Come to Jesus Christ and buy.

3 Let not conscience make you linger,
Nor of fitness fondly dream:
All the fitness he requireth,
Is to feel you need of him;
This he gives you,
'Tis the Spirit's glimmering beam.

4 Come ye weary, heavy laden,
Bruised and mangled by the fall.
If you tarry till you're better,
You will never come at all;
Not the righteous,
Sinners Jesus came to call.

5 Agonizing in the garden,
Lo your Maker prostrate lies!
On the bloody tree behold him,
Hear him cry before he dies,
"It is finished,"
Sinner, will not this suffice?

6 Lo! th'incarnate God ascended,
Pleads the merit of his blood;
Venture on him, venture freely,
Let no other trust intrude:
None but Jesus,
Can do helpless sinners good.

7 Saints and angels, joined in concert,
Sing the praises of the Lamb,
While the blissful seats of heaven,
Sweetly echo with his name,
Hallelujah!
Sinners here may do the same.

A New Years Day Challenge - J.C. Ryle

A New Years Day Challenge:   Walk more closely with God, get nearer to Christ and seek to exchange hope for assurance. Seek to feel the witness of the Spirit more closely and distinctly every year. Lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily besets you. Press towards the mark more earnestly. Fight a better fight, and war a better warfare every year you live. Pray more, read more, mortify self more, love the brethren more. Oh that you may endeavor so to grow in grace every year, that your last things may be far more than your first, and the end of your Christian course far better than the beginning!

~ J.C.Ryle

Articulating Your Prayers – by J.C. Ryle

Let us pray more, and let us pray more earnestly. Let those who never prayed begin to pray. Let those who have prayed pray better.

Pray for yourselves — that you may know the Lord Jesus, and cleave to Him — that you may be kept from falling — that you may serve your generation — that you may be sober in prosperity, patient in trial, and humble at all times.

Pray for the congregation to which you belong— that the word of the Lord may have free course in it, and be glorified — that the household of faith may become stronger and stronger, and the household of unbelief weaker and weaker.

Pray for your country — that her ministers may preach the Gospel, and be sound in the faith — that her rulers may value the Bible, and govern according to it — and that so her candlestick may not be taken away.

And pray for your minister — that he may be strong to work, and willing to labor for your good, that all his sicknesses may be sanctified, and all his health given to the Lord — that he may be ever taught of the Spirit, and thus be able to teach others — that he may be kept faithful unto death, and so be ready to depart when he is called.

Let us all pray, one for the other — I for you, and you for me — and we shall be blessed in our deed!

Dutch Cousins Reminisce – Thoughts from Bas & Lydia

I have known Jack since our first trip to North America (1979), when we visited Jack and Lena. I remember it as a very pleasant visit. During dinner one evening, Joni was sitting and sleeping in her highchair and Sarah was sleeping in the pram.

Joni in her high-chair



Many years later, we met Jack again together with Uncle Gerrit in the Netherlands when they came over for the funeral of “Ome Dick”, Lydia’s father. Lydia’s father was sick for a few years with ALS, and died in June, 1986. Together with Ome Gerrit and Jack, we made a short trip to Germany and visited the Castle in Bentheim.

In 2002 Jack and Lena came to the Netherlands again, because Jack had to to do some work at a Christian high school in Kampen. We organized a Westerink-family reunion in Enschede, and that was a great meeting.

So many Westerink’s together in one place, it was very “gezellig” (cozy).

At the end of the evening, Ome Gerrit read the words of Psalm 68:10. That psalm has been the “Westerink’s psalter” for many years. In the past, at the end of a family meeting, the whole family sang this verse: Geloofd zij God met diepst ontzag. A great psalter, words with deep meaning.

The Sunday after the Westerink’s reunion, we started the church service with the first psalter ..…Ps 68:10. Since that time Psalm 68:10 is also a special one for me, both in the old and new rhymed versions.

During our next trip to Canada we stayed with Jack & Lena and ome Gerrit & tante Jopie in a cottage at Redstone Lake. We had a wonderful time. We learned to know the family a lot better and we are thankful for that experience. We learned to know them as people of God, as brothers and sisters in Jesus. In Jack we met the Love of Christ. In his listening, in his speaking, his interest in other people, his sense of humor etc. etc.


From our experience Jack means very, very much for the people around him and also for people on the other side of the ocean. We all feel the pain of his illness. We’re grateful for Jack’s trust in God, or better, for God’s grace for Jack. The only thing we can do and have to do is continuously pray for Jack and all his family. I wish, pray and hope that we all have that confidence in God as Jack has.


We love you all!
Bas and Lydia

Die God is ons een God van heil; 

Hij schenkt, uit goedheid, zonder peil, 

Ons 't eeuwig, zalig leven; 

Hij kan, èn wil, èn zal in nood, 

Zelfs bij het naad'ren van den dood, 

Volkomen uitkomst geven

(Psalm 68:10)

Our God upholds us in the strife 

To us he grants eternal life, 

And saves from desolation. 

He hears the needy when they cry, 

He saves their souls when death draws nigh, 

This God is our salvation. 

(Psalter 420:5)