LETTER I.
“And all thy children shall be taught of God.”
To —
As God is determined to bring all his dear people home to glory, as the objects of his everlasting love, the subjects of his eternal choice, as the predestinated to the adoption of sons, as the purchase of his blood, and as the preserved in Christ Jesus, so, the means for their preparation for that glory is clearly specified in the Word—“Without holiness no man shall see the Lord;”—and this holiness is the Lord Jesus, as the elect Head of the Church. The wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification of them; but there can be no supernatural knowledge or enjoyment of the adorable Saviour, in this or in a coming world, till we are born again by the Spirit. It is the high privilege of God’s elect to be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation; but they must be born again to know it. The elect people of God stand complete in Christ, before the Father; they are one in him, and with him; they are eternally pardoned and justified in Christ, and by Christ; but they must be born again to apprehend, lay hold, and be spiritually acquainted with those things; for Divine Truth has asserted—“Verily, I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see [enjoy] the kingdom of heaven.” Men may profess much, talk well, write well, and preach well; but they are still in nature’s darkness, except this change has passed on them. This is called a new birth, a new creature, the good work, a translation, a calling, a transforming, a renewing: but, let this work go by what name it may, it is simply a change of state, and a change of principles, which produces a change of conduct. It is not a change of nature, but of state. Our sinful nature experiences no change; it is bridled, restrained, ruled, and kept in, but it is nature still. Neither is it any change on the body; only the members, through grace, are used in the service of God. I once thought this divine change was a change of nature. I once thought the body was the old man of sin; and no heart can conceive the labour, toil, tears, fastings, fears, horrors, and pains I have experienced, in consequence of these mistakes, which is nothing but labour in vain; for this Ethiopian cannot change his skin, nor this leopard his spots. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and will remain so.
The dear people of God are viewed complete in Christ, and their salvation is the joint work of the Most Holy Trinity: man has no hand in the business. We had no hand in the first creation, and we have none in the second. O, that I had known this at first; what bondage and distress it would have saved me from! It is also a glorious truth, that Christ has finished the work of salvation; that he has stood in our law-place; that he has fulfilled the law, and that we have nothing to do with it as a covenant of works. The Lord Jesus, as the surety of his church, has put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, and is gone to heaven to plead our cause before the Father. Had I known the everlasting virtue of his blood, or the glory of his obedience, O, what soul distresses should I have escaped! but when just wrought upon by the Spirit, sitting under a blind ministry, and reading legal blind authors, it is not to be wondered at that a soul should beheld in bondage. It was my case for some time; and even after I had heard, and, in a measure, received the truth, still the devil was permitted to deceive me with a sad snare, till the Lord led me to see the difference between the work of the Spirit and the moving of the natural passions; the difference between the love of God and those inordinate affections which led me into error. I would to God I possessed ability to point out to you these things clearly, that you and all God’s dear people might see the snare, and be delivered from it: for, truly in vain is the snare laid in the sight of any bird.
The want of the knowledge of the glorious plan of the gospel was the occasion of much distress to my soul; and a want of the knowledge of the devices of the devil, held me long in bondage and sorrow. Oh, what a mercy to be made wise unto present and eternal salvation. But I beg leave here to observe, the Holy Spirit is a sovereign in all his dispensations of grace in the hearts of his dear people. He hath said, “I will dwell in thee, and all thy children shall be taught of God;” but there are very few, I humbly conceive, can possibly tell the precise time when the Spirit enters the soul; this is known but by few, except in very singular cases, such as Manasseh, Mary Magdalen, the converted thief, the apostle Paul, the Philippian Jailor, and such persons whose conversion is very conspicuous and remarkable. But, in general, the Lord, the holy and condescending Spirit, seems (if I may be allowed the expression) to hover over those he intends effectually to call out of darkness into marvellous light, till that time is come, that his in-dwelling takes place, and the work is manifest to the soul, and to others around. Many are impressed in infancy; some by dreams; others by deep afflictions; and some have actually received the Spirit of God in the womb, as Jeremiah and John the Baptist.
The greatest part of God’s children in the church can, perhaps, remember some very early impressions although they have not had the real work made clear to them for many years afterwards. Hence the work on the heart is called a birth—the soul is united to Christ in an everlasting covenant; the seed is the word, the quickening is the life put forth; and there is a longing to bring forth—that is, to see our interest in Christ—to see our sins pardoned—to feel peace with God, and to be blest with the clear witness of the Spirit, that we belong to God. Some labour long, some are more quick and easy; some souls have had bad attendants, ministers, books, and friends, who, as Job says, knew not the way to the vineyard;—and Solomon says, “They know not the way to the city.” But the Lord takes this work in his own hand, and he will perfect that which concerneth us; he will not forsake this work of his own hands.
I beg you to observe, the soul is the seat of the new man; it is not the creation of a new soul, but it is a divine in-dwelling of the Spirit; a partaking of a divine nature. This is the new bottle which the Saviour alludes to, which alone can hold the gracious manifestations of divine love, and all the truth, as it is in Jesus. This is the new heart, and the right spirit, and it consists in these five things—
1st.—Divine light in the understanding; this is secret and gradual.
2nd.—Divine life in the will; a quickening, powerful influence, which begets holy desires that nothing can satisfy, but a covenant God in Christ.—Isaiah, lxvi.
3rd.—Divine love, or holy affection for the Saviour, his person, work, ways, word, and people.
4th.—A quickened conscience, made sensible of pardon, and favoured with holy peace with God, through the atonement and righteousness of the Mediator.
5th.—The witness of the Spirit, by the Word, to the heart, proving the work on the soul to be genuine.
I do not say this witness of the Spirit is essential to constitute the new man; but it is essential to the knowledge of this blessed work on the soul. These five capital blessings are the evidences of our union to Christ, as the Head of the Church, and the Saviour of the body: and, as God the Holy Spirit shall condescend to bring things to my remembrance, and shed a radiance on the heavenly path, so I will relate it in as few words as I can.
May he bless you with all that is implied in that sweet promise, and thine age shall be clearer than the noon day; thou shalt shine forth; thou shalt be as the morning.
Yours, truly, J. C.