The Voice of Faith in the Valley of Achor: Vol. 2 [of 2] / being a series of letters to several friends on religious subjects

by J. Church

LETTER XVIII.

Valley of Achor, July 26, 1819.

My dear Friend, Mrs. R.

I am exceedingly grieved to hear of your indisposition of body. This is the reason, no doubt, why I have not seen you for so long a time: but in a few months more, I hope to see you at Mount Gilead.

I soon shall get from Achor’s Vale,
To Gilead’s Mount remove;
And ever tell, the untold tale,
Of everlasting love.

There is balmy consolation in Gilead, amongst the heap of witnesses, and a real physician there, to heal every wound that sin has made. I long to be at that mount. But many, alas! surround it, that never feed on it—many walk about Zion, that never enter into it, and many have the word, and desire the word, that never did desire, or enjoy the sincere milk of it. You and I know that there can be no feeding without life, and this life is seen by the appetite. Blessed are they, that hunger and thirst after righteousness; after an increasing knowledge of it, and after a divine enjoyment of it—to be found in it, in death, and to be owned in it, in the last great day. Ah! this is the rich robe. I pray my dear friend may be found adorned with it, when the judge shall appear in awful grandeur; when the elements shall melt with fervent heat; when the stars shall fall from their sockets, and when sun and moon; when the grand planetary orbs shall be thrown into promiscuous ruin, and all creation fly away before the face of him, who will ere long swear, that time shall be no more. There are two precious promises, confirmed by the path of a covenant God. He swore by himself, that in blessing, he would bless his people. He has sworn he never will be wroth with, nor rebuke his people. This is sweet food for precious faith. O may you feast on it divinely. Because he could swear by no greater, He swore by himself, saying, I declare, in blessing you, I will bless you. Eternal life is in God’s blessing, and this life being in Christ, in blessing, God blesses us for evermore.—I trust my dear friend’s mind is often led to the Saviour, and that you prove his preciousness in his sacred person, his covenant love, his meritorious obedience, and his atoning blood—his prevalent intercession, and his advocacy with the Father. This is the glorious object of faith, and round him faith hovers, till it can gather strength enough to lay hold of him—to him it often looks, and always bends; and close to him it cleaves, as the fond ivy entwines round the oak. This, you doubtless, see in your lowest state, even when low in body, weak in nerves, barren in mind, tried in the world, and grieved in the church; and when nature is reluctant; the flesh a heavy clog, and the spirits within, seem to sink into earth, as its centre. Yet there is a going to our spiritual David, though in as helpless a state as lame Mephibosheth, or aged Barzillai. I have had many strange changes of mind since I last saw you, but I was never more sensible of the carrying on, and increase of the work of God in my soul, than I am now. In my very best state, I can never rise above this motto. Full of the deepest need. And this line following, expresses the warmest desires of my heart. Thou, oh Christ, art all I want. I am learning, daily, to know his value. I feel my need of him increases, and strange to tell, the lower I sink in this frame, the higher I rise in confidence—in a confidence that I never did so fully attain before; for if I had a little of it in times past, company, visiting, the neglect of prayer, and carelessness of manners, lamed me in both feet. But I find it most blessed to be kept near the Saviour. I have had some blessed views of him, and I am covetous for more. I want to enjoy his love, and to walk in him—to be adorned with his light—to be crowned with his loving kindness—to rise superior to the world—to fight the good fight, and so to lay hold on eternal life—to apprehend, embrace, and enjoy the everlasting favours of God.

I hope my good friend, Mr. R. is well in health and spirits, as trying times, and body of sin and death will permit. I hope he is growing in knowledge. This will increase faith, and beget a blessed confidence, that maketh not ashamed. The main point with us, is, to beg the Lord, the holy Spirit, to create a supernatural faculty in our minds, to take in subjects, truly supernatural, that our affections may be supernatural also; and where this is the privilege, the mercy and the honor, it is a most divine evidence, that our persons are in Christ. The most blessed subject we can ever apprehend, is the love of God. O to be led with some power to this, so as to conceive of it, as set upon us. What a favour! We often judge of it by its effects upon us, and by reflecting on what the holy Spirit has wrought in us. This is a good plan sometimes; but are there not periods in your experience, when you doubt of the reality of the Spirit’s work on your own heart? I find it the most blessed method in my very worst, and in my very best frame, to fall low at the feet of Jesus, and to study the love of God, to guilty man, with the joint operation of each adorable person in the trinity, on the heart. The Father convinces, chastens, and teaches us, out of his law, and testifies of his dear son to us. He then brings us to Christ; the son accepts us, pardons, justifies, receives, and owns us as his own, while the Holy Spirit, acts as a divine comforter, sealer, and witness. And when this is experienced, we have the witness of the water, the blood, and the spirit; and these three agree in one, to witness our adoption, and the love of God to us, in Christ Jesus. This, and this only, reconciles the mind to bear the cross, daily, whether it be reproach or bondage, whether it be weakness of body, or trying circumstances, or even if they all come together.

Duties, and trials then appear;
Easy to do, or light to bear.
Whether they many be, or few,
We, through this strength, can all things do.

I remain,

Your’s truly,
Ruhamah.