Delft,
18th December 1948
My dear old friend,
It is almost a month since you wrote your most welcome and kind letter. Pleased your health is improving, and I do hope the Lord be gracious to both of you, and bless you with His spiritual blessings in Christ. I cannot tell you how often I am thinking of you, since we met for the first time. That was not when I saw you face to face, but when I got your first letter of 26th June. You wrote “your letter came as a pleasant surprise”, and your letter was for me as a shower on dry land. The Lord works in a wonderful way. My friends are nearly all old friends, people who fear the Lord. And it is a free gift from the Most High when He favours us with friends. Most of them have passed away but I often speak with them in my meditations. My dear old ….. are you a real friend of mine? I am so often tempted about this. Though I often remember you on my knees, I know by experience that prayer is another free gift. Oh, do you ever remember me in your prayers? Please do if you can; I am in need of it. How great to feel fellowship with the Lord’s people, wherever they are. I have often a strong desire to hear the preaching of His Word. In former days when a godly minister asked, “why do you come to hear the gospel”? I could answer “because I am so hungry!” And now I should be willing to walk miles and miles to hear Heman in Ps. 88 — Wilt thou show wonders to the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise Thee?
Indeed my friend we are living in troublous times. And that the Lord is hiding His face from us is clear. But oh! the Lord’s people are grieving Him through their sins. Is it not sad that you can hardly distinguish a Christian from a man of the world? Oh that it might please Him to pour out His spirit of grace and supplications to bring His people to that sweet spot under Him, where we can only be taught to be silent!
I cannot tell you how I should just like to see you at home. Are you still fit to go out? Of course, I should be very glad if you could write once more. My friend you are old, you have had great privileges. The Lord keep you in the New Year, strengthen you in your work in His vineyard, and give you a taste of His sweetness in joy and sorrow.
Remember both of us to the friends.
Your friend
A. DOCTER