I must just remark, that such blessed sensations as I have here described, is not believing, but rather the end of our faith, the present salvation of the soul. It is a manifestation of pardoning mercy, as an evidence of full and free justification in Christ—this is, in the best of senses, obtaining mercy; as such, I shall make bold to change my subscription from J. C. to the name the Lord has given to elect Gentiles, in the second chapter of Hosea.—Wishing you a clean hand, a warm heart, and a holy life,

I remain, your’s in him,
Ruhamah.

LETTER II.

Achor’s Vale, April 7, 1818.

Mrs. H—L, Sen.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

I HAVE been much grieved to hear of your deep afflictions of body. I wish it lay in my power to visit you, to read, pray, and converse with you. We have spent some pleasant hours together in speaking of him who loved us better than he loved himself; who did not grudge to give his very life for us; and I really believe, if it was needful, he would do it again, and not only so, but I believe he would have done all he did, if it was only for the salvation of one individual of his people. Alas, my dear Mother; what do we know of his love, the love of a God? All the knowledge the brightest saint upon earth has of that subject is a mere nothing to the subject itself. I want clearer apprehensions of it. I want to feel its warming power. I want to see its divine excellency. I want to rejoice in the God of love; he has dealt well with me since I have been in this place. I trust he has both pardoned and subdued that in me which was contrary to his holy will. But I want this blessing carried on in every hour’s experience. May the ever-blessed Spirit give us to believe in the love which God has for us, and enable us to give credit to this most precious truth for ourselves, “I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy sins.”

I really think we are often mistaken about our love to Christ; for we fancy we have no spiritual affection for him, because we are not in raptures of love with him; but let me remind you of what the holy Apostle says of the matter. I have not time or room in this short letter, to enlarge upon the subject, yet by reading it yourself in the 13th of the 1st of Cor. it may stir up your mind, and confirm you in the persuasion of God’s love to you: “Charity thinketh no evil.” The Apostle does not say he, as a man, thinketh no evil, but Charity, the love of God, the holy principle in him thinketh no evil, of God or the doctrines of the Gospel. It rejoiceth not in iniquity; then it is not a principle of libertinism; but it rejoiceth in the truth, in Christ, and in his word. It beareth all things God puts upon it, although the old man rebels against the will of God. It hopeth all things which God has promised. It hateth iniquity. The carnal part in the regenerate, loves sin, and seeks to be gratified, but this holy principle hates it. It is kind, when the Saviour’s sorrows are in view. It suffereth long the unkindness of others, and waiteth till God is pleased to deliver. It envieth no man’s gifts or goodness, but rests satisfied with God in Christ. It is not puffed up, nor can it boast of what it does, but it extols the Saviour; it delights in the Saviour; it is willing to owe its all to the Saviour.—This is love, or gospel Charity. This is that which is born of the Spirit, which cannot sin. This is the seed of God, the new nature; and these are the evidences of an interest in Christ, and you can bless God at times, that you know these things by experience, in some good degree. We have very sinful natures, but Christ is our sanctification, in the holiness of his nature, before God. We have broken the holy Law of God in thought, word, and deed, but Jesus gave it all its vast demands, and perfectly satisfied it. We have signed most awfully against a good and gracious God, but Jesus has made an atonement for all offences, and the Father has expressed his infinite pleasure in the work of Christ, and he has promised to forgive and to forget all our sins, by virtue of that one offering. May the comfortable assurance of this sweet truth make us happy in life and death. This will make our bed in our sickness, and strengthen us on the bed of languishing, just as the ever-blessed Spirit is pleased to open our minds, to receive it in the power, sweetness, and glory of it. Several in your family I trust, are effectually called by grace. What a mercy, that you will soon meet them above—this is a pleasing thought to depart with, and you have little else to do but to go home.

Do send me word how you all are in health; and if you can sit up to read, I will send you a precious little book, “Mr. Mason’s thing needful,” with those places turned down that I have found precious to me.—May the Lord shine upon you and in you,

I remain, yours in him,
Ruhamah.