John Hunt

As a boy in the early 1800s, John Hunt prayed.  He prayed for protection from the many things that made him afraid: dogs and thunder among them.  As he grew older, his prayers grew less frequent and his faith drifted.  He was clumsy and was bullied on the farm where he worked.  He realized his own lack of faith and often promised the Lord that he would change, but did not.

Then, illness set in and John faced a literal fight for his life.  He knew then that his promises were in vain.  Desperately, he vowed that if God would spare his life that he would serve Him the rest of his life.  Upon his recovery John told godly neighbors about his promise, in a bid to keep himself accountable for his own spiritual growth.  He attended church and read the Bible and other books in his spare time.  He prayed about what God would have him to do.

God drew his heart toward missions.  He had a mind to go to South Africa – an arm of the British Empire at the time.  South Africa had a modicum of civilization and some advanced medical care available for his fiancée, Ms Hanna Summers, who was in poor health.  John, however, received a direct appeal to go to Fiji.  At the time, Fiji was known as the home of savage cannibals.  Despite the incivility of the place, Hanna agreed to go.

The couple sailed from England in 1838.  En route, they refused a lucrative offer to remain in Australia and arrived near Christmas Day of that year.  John and Hanna mastered the language fairly quickly, but initially saw few conversions as they moved from island to island.  At times, they were treated cruelly – one king threatened them with death if they closed the windows to dull the smell of roasting bodies near to their home.  Eventually, however, they found an island that was receptive and revival broke out. 

Lives of the natives were changed dramatically.  John translated the New Testament into the native language and worked tirelessly to fan the embers of this small flame.  Overwork led to dysentery and John became deathly ill.  The islanders who were taught so well by John and his example gathered around him praying, asking God to take any ten of them rather than him.  Despite their prayers, John Hunt slipped into eternity as the young age of 33.

The seeds he planted, the zeal of the islanders he nurtured, and missionaries who followed him were all used by God for a great awakening in the Fiji Islands.  Within 50 years of John Hunt’s arrival on the islands, there was not a single person remaining who professed the old religions.

Almost entirely from:

https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1801-1900/john-hunt-arrived-in-fijis-cannibal-land-11630453.html

Martin Rinkart

The Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) was the most destructive war ever fought in Germany, including the two World Wars.  While a lot of political drama added to the tinder, the main conflict was between the fragmented Catholic states of the Holy Roman Empire and the various Protestant states.  The war began when Ferdinand II, the Holy Roman Emperor, made moves to conquer the various Protestant states in Bohemia, precipitating this deadly conflict which eventually drew in most of the states in Europe, including Denmark, Sweden, and France.  Complex alliances were formed: the Catholics in France supported the Protestants in Germany, the Swedes and Danes allied with the Lutherans, Spain sided with the Emperor, France got involved to weaken their rival Spain.

Eilenburg, in today’s Eastern Germany, was a walled city and therefore a refuge for war-displaced people.  As soldiers from each side came through, they compelled the citizens of Eilenburg to quarter and provision them.  As you can imagine, food was scarce and times were very hard.

When the Thirty Years’ War began Eilenburg had a new pastor, Martin Rinkart.  Martin did his very best to tend to his flock as well as provide for his young family.  Overcrowding and hunger led to plague in 1637.  Of the four pastors in Eilenburg one fled and two others succumbed to disease, leaving Martin the sole pastor for the town.  In addition to giving spiritual counsel, he performed as many as 50 funerals a day, including that of his wife.  At times, large trenches were dug for mass burials.  Over 8,000 died in the city.  Following the plague came famine.

In the midst of this famine the Swedish army returned in 1639, demanding 300,000 florins (roughly $2-3M) as a tribute.  Rinkart, now the leading spokesman for the city, spoke with the General requesting they lower their demands.  Up the general’s refusal, Martin returned to the town and addressed the survivors saying, “Come, my children, we can find no hearing, no mercy with men, [so] let us take refuge with God.”  The sight of this pastor leading his town in prayer so moved the General that he lowered his demand to 2,000 florins.

The war continued.  As the long war finally drew to a close, Martin found himself the object of much criticism from his own townspeople.  He has indebted himself tremendously to be able to feed himself and his children, all the while giving generously.  He had also indebted the town in his efforts to feed those survivors in his city.  When a permanent peace finally came in 1648, Martin Rinkart was exhausted and the following year the 63-year-old pastor passed away.

Sometimes, the most trying times drive God’s people to the deepest faith.  It was in the midst of literal war, famine, and plague that Martin penned a hymn of Thanksgiving for his church:

Now thank we all our God; With heart and hands and voices;

Who wondrous things hath done; In whom His world rejoices;

Who, from our mother’s arms; Hath blest us on our way;

With countless gifts of love; And still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God; Thro’ all our life be near us;

With ever joyful hearts; And blessed peace to cheer us;

And keep us in His grace; And guide us when perplexed;

And free us from all ills; In this world and the next.

All praise and thanks to God; The Father now be given;

The Son and Him who reigns; With them in highest Heaven;

The one eternal God; Whom earth and heav’n adore;

For thus it was, is now; And shall be evermore.

 

https://historyguild.org/the-thirty-years-war/

https://g3min.org/thanksgiving-during-a-plague-martin-rinkart-1586-1649/

https://breakpoint.org/giving-thanks-in-dark-times-the-life-and-labors-of-martin-rinkart-1586-1649/