And “All things whatsoever ye shall ask, in my name, I will do it.” This may be ridiculed by fools; but many such have been forced, in extremity, to call upon God to appear in that very providence they have ridiculed; some in storms at sea, and some in trouble on land; the confession of a God of providence has been extorted from the lips of those who have denied him. A great writer remarks, concerning the Persian army, when discomfited by the Grecians—“being hotly pursued, we must needs venture over the great water, Strymon, then frozen, but beginning to thaw—when, a hundred to one but we had all died for it. With mine eyes I then saw so many of these gallants, whom I had heard so boldly maintain there was no God, every one upon their knees, with eyes and hands lifted up, begging hard for help and mercy, and entreating that the ice might hold till they get over;” and sure I am, that the character that lives and dies without pleading for mercy, in this world, will beg in vain for a drop of water in hell.
Yours, J. C.
LETTER IX. [200]
“There hath no temptation happened unto you, but what is common to man.”
To —
The grand adversary of God and man is compared both to a lion and a serpent: under the former character he has raged and roared against the church, in every age, and after every called and quickened believer; but, in the latter character, he has acted his worst part. In this form he assaulted Eve, and in the same he has carried on his works of darkness in this world; and, as he began by deceiving, so he will complete his work by the same.—Rev. xx.
Soon after the Lord had begun his work in my heart, persecution began, hell raged, satan roared; but, through mercy, the ass did not regard the crying of that driver, but was kept in search after life and truth.—Job, xxxix. 5, 6, 7, 8. This having no effect to deter, satan resorted to another method. This was about the time that the wretched Tom Paine published his book against the Bible; I never bought it, though thousands did; but, one day, at a friend’s house, I saw it lay, and when I was left alone I read a part of it—this produced no bad effect on my mind at that time; but, shortly afterwards, the infamous passage I had read was hurled into my mind with strange powers. It came like a dart, a fiery dart, nor could I get rid of it for some time; it came very often, and sorely distressed me. I begged of the Lord to remove it, which he did; this cured me for ever of meddling with edged tools. The Lord gave me secret power to rise superior to it; established me more than ever in the truth, and created in my mind an everlasting hatred to erroneous books. I was often entreated to read such books; but no—“A burnt child dreads the fire:” and I am always sorry to see professors so eager to read deistical publications, with a view to see the objections made to Holy Writ. “Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed, lest he fall.” This temptation was, of course, soon followed up with another, such as this—“How do you know the Bible is true?” This came from the devil, and is in the mouth of his own children to this day; and to such I seldom give an answer, except in few words. This reminds me of an infidel in a stage coach, who was letting his tongue run against God and truth, bidding defiance to any man to prove the Bible to be the Word of God: an aged plain country woman replied, “Why, I thinks as how it is the Word of God, because it says, that ‘in the last days there shall come mockers,’ and I am sure thou beest one of them.”
Many great and learned men took up their pens in defence of truth, and very ably answered the wretched scribbling Deist. I never read them, but begged of the Lord to shew me the subject himself; which he did, by leading me more clearly to understand the truth, and to see the harmony of every part of it, its doctrines and its precepts, by giving me power to feel and enjoy its consolations, and by leading me to see the reason why such characters oppose it: because it is written, “The wicked shall be turned into hell;” and “He that believeth not is condemned already, and the wrath of God abideth on him.” And, as these are awful truths, can we wonder at the opposition the Word of God meets with, from men of corrupt minds? They tell us, indeed, it is a cunningly-devised fable, a system of mere priestcraft. If a fable, who wrote it—good men, or angels? Bad men, or devils? Good men or angels could not be guilty of falsehood, in saying repeatedly, “Thus saith the Lord.” Bad men or devils would never write a book to describe their own character, reproach their own conduct, and condemn themselves to everlasting punishment.
The Lord delivered my soul from this snare, by the power of truth, and has made me a living witness, by his grace, of the authenticity of his own Word; so that I may sing—
“Precious Bible, what a treasure
Does the Word of God afford!
All I want, for life and pleasure,
Shield, or medicine, or sword.”