LETTER XXII.
Valley of Achor, March 1st, 1818.
Miss Harris.
MY DEAR YOUNG FRIEND.
Mr. K. requested I would drop you a few lines. I beg your acceptance of such as I may write at this time, in very painful circumstances. Believe me, my friend, I most sensibly feel the hand of God; my poor heart it broken, my sighs are many, and my heart it faint. But I call to mind past times, when I certainly have known, tasted, and felt the precious truth I once preached, and then I thank God and take courage. The Lord has designed from all eternity, to bring his children home to his eternal bliss; but then he has, also, appointed all the means to lead to that one grand end. This was, perhaps, shewn to pious Jacob, in a vision of a ladder, which he afterwards called the house of God, and the gate of Heaven. Christ is all these; he is the way, he is the house, he is the gate: and it is the work of the Holy Spirit to lead his people up to him, as the way of life.
This is the way God has taught me, and the way only where I find any solid peace in a world of cares, sin, and death. These are the seven steps up the ladder, up the way of life; and the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he shall direct his way, and I am sure he always directs to the dear Redeemer. May you feel inwardly directed to him, and in the word, and by a faithful ministry outwardly directed also. But it is not enough to be directed there, we must be led by a divine hand, power must be put forth, for the kingdom is not in word, but in power. Nor am I satisfied with any person’s ministry, except I feel that power—any man with truth floating in his head, may send me to Jesus; but I want the power to attend that direction, to bring me to him, knowing, that as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God. A soul, when formed anew, quickened and illuminated, is led to Christ by God the Father, who owns and receives the soul. Nor is there any coming in reality, but as we are led. You may see this in our first parents; Eve was a part of Adam, and we are a part of Christ, the fruit of his sufferings and death. For except a corn of wheat fall into the ground, and die, it abideth alone, but if it die, it bringeth forth fruit. The Lord having formed Eve, brought her to Adam, and he declared the union between her and him. He loved her, received her, and she was dear to him. I leave you to make all other reflections upon this subject, and trust the blessed spirit will lead you to see and enjoy it in your own soul. I am truly happy the Lord has impressed your mind with his spirit, while in youth—’tis most blessed to know the adorable Trinity, as our new Creators, in this time of our life. Altho’ we have got to bear the burden and heat of the day yet it is a mercy to be hired early in the morning, it is all of grace, from first to last, nor will one chosen vessel in glory, have any greater share of God’s smiles, or be nearer the throne than another, though called as early as Jeremiah and John the Baptist, or late as the Thief on the Cross. You will have much to struggle with, many days of darkness and grief, but the blessed spirit will turn all into good for you, by taking every opportunity of glorifying Christ, in his salvation and offices; and the deeper your knowledge of Jesus, the richer will be your soul in heavenly things. The more you are brought into an acquaintance with the God-Man Mediator, the sweeter will be your communion and fellowship, till it arrives to real earnests and foretastes of glory. But all the principal difficulty will consist in being led to understand how to live a life of faith, out of self, upon the Son of God—it is for want of the clear knowledge of this, I am in my present trouble; this may astonish you, but God knoweth I lie not—a future day may explain that to the Church. I understand the Lord has blessed you with an affectionate heart towards your dear Mother, and he will reward it. I have often envied the felicity of those who have a kind mother to care for, watch over, pity, and help them; but Ah! poor me was left by parents, cruel and unkind, to perish, till I was found an helpless infant. For me no tender mother has yielded her fostering care, but
Left on the world’s bleak waste, forlorn,
In sin conceiv’d, to sorrow born:
No guide the dreary waste to tread,
Above, no friendly shelter spread.
But the Lord had some kind, and I hope gracious design, in preserving me till now, though my distress has often made me blame, like Job, the kind hand that took me up when an out-cast. I am still the child of woe, the hand of God and man appears against me in providence, and my distress of mind is great—my dear friends deprived of my public labors, and exposed to the shafts of cruel calumny. My dear family without a fond mother, and now deprived of a father they dearly loved, and whose paternal embraces they eagerly prized: but now
No Children run to lisp their Sire’s return,
Or climb his knees, the envied kiss to share—
Excuse me, tears will not let me proceed. May the dear Saviour bless you. We live in a dying world; a few more rising and setting suns will settle all. May we aim to know, to win, and to be found in Christ: clothed with his righteousness, pardoned with his blood, purified by his spirit, filled with his love, and for ever delighted with his glory.
Your’s, truly,
Ruhamah.
LETTER XXIII.
Valley of Achor, January 3rd, 1819.
Mrs. Brown,
MY VERY DEAR FRIEND,
I can never sufficiently thank you for your christian sympathy, affectionate concern, and fervent desires for my best interests, that you can weep with those that weep, especially for the afflictions of Joseph. Amos 6th. This is a most blessed and decided evidence that the love of God reigns in the heart; and though this principle is often hid from its happy possessor, perhaps it is better seen by others; but if our love is genuine, it bears a resemblance to the love of God, to his Son, and to his children. Now as dear Mrs. Brown is often in bondage about her part and lot in Christ, and as love is the most decided proof of that interest, let us examine this subject. Hence the Saviour compares a believer who is not clear about his interest in the favour of God, or has seen it and lost it, to a Woman having ten pieces of silver, and having lost one. Mind, it is a Woman, not a careless Man, who, if he had lost any thing would give a general look and pass it by rather carelessly, only perhaps saying, Well, I am very sorry I have lost it too—and here the matter rests—but to a Woman assiduous, careful, attentive, and vext with her loss. The nine pieces of silver refer no doubt to the graces of the Holy Spirit, but the tenth to the knowledge of the reality and enjoyment of them. Time was, perhaps you could say, you knew and believed the love that God had for you, and no doubt but you had love in return. But the scene has since changed, and you have had to combat with enemies without, and worse within; and on account of their prevalency, you have often been permitted to question the reality of all you experienced before, while busy Satan has suggested, Where is your religion now? Where is your love to Christ? Are you a Christian? Up starts Unbelief, and says, I will never believe a person can be a partaker of Christ, be in Christ, love Christ, or ever be one of Christ’s, that can think as you think, say as you say, or do as you do. No, no, says carnal Reason, why it stands to common sense, that a converted person is a changed one altogether. Now Mrs. B. looks within, thinks deep of it, while the dust these things have raised, blinds her eyes, that she sees not her spiritual signs, but listens to those suggestions, and rashly concludes against herself, that, perhaps, all her past experience was but fancy. Under these fears we live too long. Ephraim, says God, is an unwise Son, for he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children. But perhaps some sweet idea occurs about Christ and his love, his work and his word; or some very precious sermon, chapter, or hymn. This comes and revives the old work; Satan withdraws, hope springs up, and a thirst for God is felt again. Now we begin to stir, to light a candle, to sweep the house, and to search diligently for the sense of God’s love, favor, and pardoning mercy. Sweeping is self-examination, comparing spiritual things with spiritual—that is, our judgement, experience, and views, with God’s word. Lighting a candle is going to Christ, as the true light, enabling you to see his glory, his beauty, his goodness. And this glory, goodness, and beauty is called his loving kindness, “We have thought of thy loving kindness in thy temple.” And this is what David prayed for, I have desired of the Lord, that I may see the beauty of the Lord. “Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty.” And surely the Lord never appears so beautiful to us, as when he appears, a God, pardoning our sins. Well may we exclaim, And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us; I know you can say Amen to this. Moses desired to see the glory of God, and the Lord promised to cause his goodness to pass before him, and proclaimed, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Thus all his excellencies are seen in this great act; and sure I am, that a sweet clear sight of this blessing, is more worth than a thousand worlds. This will cause us to shout victory in death and judgement. O may you not only hope, but see this blessing; and not only see it, but enjoy it, for it is the joint work of the adorable Trinity. The Father foresaw all our guilt, and secretly purposed to pardon it. The dear Redeemer foresaw all that our sins would merit, and engaged to bear it. And the divine, the blessed Spirit, foresaw all our backslidings, yet engaged to enable us to believe—we are pardoned and justified in the name and by the Spirit of our God.
I wish you much of this blessing, in believing views of Christ. The Lord has enlightened you to see Jesus as altogether lovely; your will has chosen him, your heart is at rest when he is truly precious, and you can say, he is supreme in your affections. Bless his dear name for it; his love is set upon you, and Satan knows it, if you don’t, and he will follow up the Lord’s work diligently, either to destroy it, or to set you doubting its reality. But the principal part is love, and all our love to Jesus is but a reflection of his love to us. He says, Yea, I have loved thee; and we can reply, And Lord I desire to love thee most supremely. God loves his dear Son, and so do we; he loves his truth, so do we; he loves his saints, and so do we. He hates their sins, so do we; he pities their infirmities, so do we; he forgives their follies, so do we; he feels for them in trouble, so do we; he visits them in prison of soul, or circumstances, so do we; he loves their company, prayers, praises, converse, and prosperity of soul, so do we; he hates their enemies, with all their cruelty and malice, so do we; he will one day punish their enemies, unless grace prevent it, and we shall say Amen to it.
Thus, in a very simple manner, have I shewed the reality of Bible love. But I want to live such a life of faith on Jesus, as Paul did, when he said, The life I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, as Jesus did, as man, on his divine Father. So we should live on Jesus, as God-Man Mediator, on his eternal unchanging love; his covenant engagements; his meritorious work of obedience; his putting away sin, by his sufferings and death; his intercession at the Father’s right hand, and his glorious office, as an advocate for us, ever pleading his blood, with which God is well pleased. On him may we live, to him may we go, and him in every thing employ. We are sinners, and need his grace, guilty, and need his blood, condemned, and need his righteousness, weak, and need his arm, miserable, and need his mercy, rebellious, and need his long suffering. Thus we are poor and needy, and every promise in the Bible made to such, is your’s. O that we could so resist Satan, when he comes to dispute us out of these things, that we might take courage and read them all as our own. Then we shall be rich indeed, for God is faithful to his Son, in whom they are made; and to his people, to whom they are revealed.
Your’s, truly,
Ruhamah.