LETTER XV.
Valley of Achor, May 2, 1819.
My dear Mrs. F.
My heart feels truly grateful, that you remember me in my low estate. There are thousands in a profession, who boast much of their morality, and good works, and who may boast in the last day, that they have done many wonderful works; but God lays this to their charge, they are not grieved for the afflictions of Joseph! Such hypocrites are generally the most godly, where there are the most lookers on. My deep tribulations have tried many, and they have fled in the day of evil. What would such persons do, should persecution ever visit our land; and when it becomes a disgrace to profess religion? Nothing but the love of Christ in the heart, and that love kept up, and manifested under the sacred power of the holy Spirit, can enable a person to go on in the midst of opposition, or in the summer of prosperity; for it is a well known truth, that trials have slain their thousands, but prosperity its ten thousands. I well know now, what these words mean, “It is my happiness below, not to live without the cross:” this cross galls the old man of sin, but it is the means of the spiritual growth of the new man. Hence, the afflicted king once said, Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit. Faith, if genuine has something to do in the furnace; but when all is calm, she is inactive, and dull; hope is languid, and love is not seen. I feel assured in my own, my right mind, that this event will be for the glory of God, and for much good to me, and to many: but enemies will no doubt, always triumph, and say, Ah! there, so we would have it! yet their joy is but as the crackling of thorns, under a pot; it will not last long; only a blaze and a noise, and then it will evaporate, like smoke. I hope I shall love God for this rod, as well as for every other blessing. I never fully understood the Psalmist till I came here, when he said, Thy rod, and thy staff, they comfort me. Solomon explains it thus; To the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet, because this rod is as much an evidence of our adoption, as any promise can be. They shall all pass under the rod, and they will say at last, our Jesus has done all things well. Ezekiel and John were to eat a book; this was sweet in the mouth, but bitter in the belly. So it is the case with us; the promise of fatherly correction is sweet to faith, but bitter to the old man of sin. Nature flinches, but grace strengthens the mind; bows the will, and resigns the soul to the will of God. His will and our wills are then in sweet unison; we are agreed, and though we sigh, yet rebellion is kept under, by all conquering grace; as a good woman once said, Though I groan I do not grumble, yet she was sorely afflicted.
But, why should I complain, of want, or distress;
Affliction or pain, he told me no less.
It is our mercy, the Saviour has borne the curse, and of course took it out of all our sorrows; we have the cup of tribulation, but the curse is gone; Jesus has taken it away, and neither sin nor Satan, the world, or man can bring it back. This was done by the great act of the Saviour’s sorrows, when he entered the garden of Gethsemane, and agonized there, when the sorrows of his sacred soul were past all description; and when he cried out on the cross, It is finished! Yes, our dear Lord knew then the work was done, in his putting away sin. He felt it was done, in his soul, as his God and Father shone again, as well as the sun did at three o’clock the afternoon of his death: it was after noon, indeed; the burning sun of God’s Wrath laid hot upon him, till justice was satisfied, and then the indignation ceased for ever. This was afternoon. I drop this hint only, but oh, that our minds were more affected with his sorrows than they are. Think of these two lines:
Canst thou, ungrateful man, his torments see?
Nor shed one tear for him who shed his blood for thee?
I pray God to grant my dear friend very sweet views of her dear Lord, on the work he has accomplished. May the holy Spirit visit you, and shine upon your spirit, and help you to believe in Jesus, and so to find him precious, that you may know your sins are forgiven you.
Very kind respects to mother; to brother James, your companion, and my friend.
Your’s truly,
Ruhamah.