LETTER X.

TO MRS. D—.

Peckham, August 30, 1814.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

I once more resume my pen to give you a few more thoughts on the 12th of Ecclesiastes, but lament the limits, of a Letter, or even a Sermon would be too short to do justice to that subject. The Wise Man has in the verses we have already considered, described age to us, in the influence it has upon all the functions and faculties of a man; and shews how they are all weakened in his declining state. He now proceeds to notice one sad effect of age, that is, Fear. Verse 5, Also they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way; and the Almond tree shall flourish, and desire shall fail, and the Grasshopper shall be a burden, because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets.

The first is Fear, either of things high or low. He shall be afraid of that which is high, either in respect of place or objects; as steep, and eminent ways, hills, mountains, steeples, and towers; some of which formerly they could ascend without fear, in their juvenile and manly days; but it is not so now, they are weak in mind, nervous, low, timid, and fearful; so they are afraid of high things, as fiery meteors, strange apparitions, thunder, lightning, and such like. So they are likewise, probably, afraid of abstruse and mysterious points in any science, which while strong, they durst have ventured upon, but now they are too weak in the faculties to dive deep into them; they are always in fear lest tiles of houses, or chimney pots, or any thing else should fall on them, especially in windy weather. They have fears about them constantly on all hands; they see danger, lest they should dash their foot against a stone; lest some people in their hurry should push them down, or should rush upon them, and injure them. Being conscious of their own impotency, it makes them most obnoxious to this terrible passion, which is the great change made on them in the time of age. Thus Solomon notices the change made in the mind by sickness, trouble, and age. He then points it out clearly upon the body in the next line, The Almond tree shall flourish. The learned tell us, this tree waketh, and riseth from its winter’s repose before any other, it flowers in the month of January, and by March bringeth its fruit to maturity. The forwardness of this fruit-bearing tree is intimated by the vision which Jeremiah had of the speedy Destruction of Jerusalem; For the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, what seest thou? And he said, I see a rod of an Almond tree. Then said the Lord, thou hast well seen, I will hasten my word to fulfil it. Jeremiah, 1 chapter, XI verse. This was to shew the speedy fulfilling of the word of God against that City. Now there is no change that befalleth man, that can be so lively represented by the blooming of the Almond tree, as that whereby the hair of the head becomes hoary and white. The grey head is similar to this tree, for its whiteness, so in hastiness of appearance, as the Almond tree buds sooner by two or three months than most other trees, so do these hasty buds of age appear; these steal upon men suddenly before they are aware. Some peoples’ hair turns grey at thirty or forty years of age, while other symptoms of the decay of life do not appear on them till sixty or seventy years of age. Both these attract attention. An Almond tree in full blossom, and an almond head, especially if found in the ways of God, these are alike in their indications, they foretel what is approaching—a change; fruit will come after; so grey hairs prognosticate that death is at hand; these are Church-yard flowers, which serve, like passing bells, to give those notice that bear them, that their end is near. Two things more the Wise Man observes; The Grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail. The learned say the word Grasshopper, likewise signifies the Locust, and will apply to both in the original language; and they likewise suppose that Solomon here alludes to some parts of the body, which being shrivelled and deformed, appear like the Locust and Grasshopper. These Species are both of them hard, crusty, cragged, crumpling creatures, differing from all others, principally in the protuberance of the limbs, having their legs strangely crooked, and their joints very closely inverted, and at a great distance from the trunk of their body. This description may refer to some of the bones in the neck, the back, the loins, the heels, and the ancles. Now when a man by reason of age, begins to stoop, and bend forwards, and withal those fleshy parts that cover these processes, begin to shrink and decay, he resembles these creatures. This may also include the change upon the cartilages of the body, the Ligaments, the Membranes, the Fibres, the Veins, the Nerves, the Arteries, the Tendons, and the like, which all grow harder and drier in old age, and become a burden; the skin, likewise, as man declines, becomes crusty, dry, callous, and consequently falls into many wrinkles. This may also include that fretfulness to which aged people are subject; every thing is a burden, though light, weak or trifling as a Grasshopper. Good Mr. Henry, observes, Perhaps this Grasshopper or Locust was some light food, such as John did eat; but even this was a burden to an aged man’s stomach; then, of course, through these things Solomon well adds, Desire shall fail: Sensual and natural desire for food, pleasure, or any sensual delight whatever. This word Desire, the celebrated Dr. Smith says, should be translated Capers, the fruit, or rather the flowers of the Caper Shrub, or Bush; and alludes to something calculated to give appetite; and that as the Grasshopper did represent the Bones, or hard parts of the Body, so these the soft, spongy, and dilated; and what Solomon by this expression means, is the alteration of all the moist and tender parts of the body, usually called the Sanguineous; including the change that befals the Blood, and the natural Humours of the Body in time of age, for they become low, and much depauperated; they are diminished and far less in quality than they were before. The reason of this is, for man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets. The grave, said Job, is my house, and soon the funeral proclamation must be repeated over us, Dust thou art, and unto dust shall thou return. The grave is the home for the body, when once it comes there, as long as there is any dust to cover it, or heavens to surround it, Man lieth down, and riseth not till the Heavens be no more; they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep till death is swallowed up in victory. And the mourners go about the streets. This we see daily; the friends, the relations, characters of every description. Mourning, is not because my friend is gone to glory, but on account of the loss I sustain, that person being near and dear to me; besides, it is a solemn call, Be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh. And oh, my dear friend, to have the lamp of salvation from sin, its guilt, and curse, and power, and to have my soul filled with joy in God, through Jesus—this is the oil which will blaze when he appeareth. But if I have not much joy, I am blessed with a good hope, through grace; a hope that maketh not ashamed, and God declares it shall never be lost; There is hope in thy end, and thy expectation shall not be cut off. Praise ye the Lord.

I would again glance at this Text in another sense. Having considered the evil days coming on the body in this verse, let us once more survey some days of evil, in which I am sure you and I can say I have no pleasure in them. Fear shall be in the way, and the Almond tree shall flourish; the Grasshopper be a burden, and desire shall fail, for man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets. Without turning, twisting, or wresting this Text, I am forcibly struck with the following thoughts, which I must pen and send you. 1st. The Believer’s home. 2ndly. The way to it. 3rdly. The fears which attend him. 4thly. Their cause, which is a source of grief, and causes the spiritual mourners to go about the streets of Zion. I know of no dwelling or resting place, for a soul born of God, but the everlasting love of God in Covenant; the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is my habitation, my dwelling, my resting place; nor is there any safety, happiness, felicity, or peace, any where else. All that are born of God, naturally, in this sense, tend to this one grand object. Hence the question of a seeking soul, Does God love me? Did Jesus die for me?—and after the soul knows this, yet in general, there is a thirsting after greater knowledge, and greater enjoyment of it, nor is a Believer ever at home but when he is here. He rests not in his attainments of this knowledge, but is anxious to go on to know the Lord, in his infinite love; to feel more, to enjoy more, to be delighted with more of it, till he arrives at perfect bliss, and is filled with all the fulness of God, which is love. He tastes what the poet did, and has exprest in these two lines:

’Tis heaven to rest in thine embrace, And no where else but there.

This is our resting place, as Faith apprehends it in its antiquity, its freeness, power, complacency, and beneficence: It is truly delightful to eye the goings forth of this Love, in the ancient settlements, in the covenant engagements of each Person in the adorable Trinity, in the gift of Jesus to the Church, in his great work, and wonderful Person, as God-Man Mediator, in the Gifts of the Spirit, and all his saving operations upon the soul, testifying of Christ, as putting away sin, as obeying the Law, as delivering us from going down into the pit, and making intercession for us. On these topics we, who have the Life and love of God, are quite at home; especially as the Holy Ghost realizes them in our hearts; for this we labour in Spirit, to know and enjoy; and this one point we wish to die to know, and to plunge in this sea of bliss.—To view the Father’s love, the Son’s dear face, and the Holy Spirit’s Grace, in Heaven, are objects worth dying for; this is the home, the place, the state, the mansions of peace, rest, joy, satisfaction, and pleasure, we hope to get to shortly. This is our long home, eternal as the throne of God. No foe shall ever enter there. No friend shall ever depart—they shall go no more out; so shall we be ever with the Lord. This is our everlasting home, nor will our Lord let us rest short of this. There may we meet soon, Amen.

But do you ask me, 2ndly. The way? It is clearly set forth in the word, and I hope you have long known it, and highly approved of it, and been led into it; nor shall you ever finally depart from it. The word of truth says, I am the way; not a way, but the way. Ah, my dear Friend, how lamentable that thousands are deluding their souls with this unscriptural notion, that all the sects, parties, and religious denominations in the world, are only as so many different ways to one city. Hence they suppose the Turk, the Pagan, the Papist, the Socinian, the Arian, the Arminian, and the Antinomian, are all going right, and some out of all these will be saved as such. Alas, what an error; there never was but one way to God, to heaven, and to glory, and that is Christ, as the adorable Mediator; all that reject this will find to their grief, that whatever way they went it led to the chambers of death; it led to hell. What a mercy to be satisfied with a precious Saviour, and to hear the voice of the Word and Spirit pointing to him, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it. Christ is the way to the Father, to the knowledge and enjoyment of his love. By the sacrifice he offered, by his perfect law-fulfilling Righteousness, by the path he trod as our fore-runner, by the Door of Hope that he opened, by the way of life he cast up, and consecrated through the vail of his flesh, by the doctrine he taught, by the example he set, and by the promise of life and peace. We are brought into this way by the Holy Spirit of Promise, and kept in it by the same, with an eye to Jesus, as the way. We walk in his appointments, in his ordinances. We use them to gain the knowledge of the Pearl of great price. By waiting upon him we renew our strength, and by abiding in him we bring forth fruit. This way leads us to God, and will bring us to glory, assure as it brings us to a sense of his love on earth. Many have waited long, and travelled far in this way, before they have been very fully persuaded of God’s Love to them; but all shall have their minds satisfied about that, though not all in the same degree, as walking in this way of truth, way of holiness, way of wisdom, way of charity, way of life, and way of peace. We are called Strangers, Pilgrims, Travellers, Runners in a Race, and going a Journey. Our Pilgrim’s Coat is an imputed righteousness; our Staff is Christ; our Map is his word; the Girdle is truth; our Shoes is peace; our Way is marked out for us, omnipotent Power guards us, infinite Wisdom directs us, Mercy is often shewed us, and eternal Love cheers us, while we can sing with a Pilgrim who has reached glory before us,

How harsh soe’er the way, Dear Saviour still lead on.

But as this is God’s way we must expect to meet with enemies, with savage beasts of prey, with robbers, many a stormy day, and many a dismal night, when neither moon nor stars appear to cheer the Pilgrim’s way, for it is our lot to travel much by night; this begets fears lest we have come wrong, lest this be not the right road. God’s dear people are unavoidably the subject of many fears; when the eyes are first opened, they fear the wrath of God, they fear Death, Judgment, and Eternity: these are high things. If they hear of Christ, the Promises, and Ordinances, they fear to come to these high things, or make use of them, lest they should presume. Thus there are fears in the way, and many times after God has raised the soul up to hope, they fear the work is not genuine; they fear they shall fall into sin, and disgrace their profession; and feeling the power of sin, and the weakness of their souls, they fear they shall at last fall away. When they see many apparently brighter characters than themselves go back into the world, or sink into error, they fear it will one day be their case; and when they see how far a person may go in a profession and yet be nothing, they startle, they fear, lest they should. Thus we find fears in the way, and when the mind is low, deprest, and every grace of the spirit, to all human appearance out of exercise, they are afraid of high, great, precious, and important Doctrines, lest they should presume in medling with them, fearing they have no interest in them. Sometimes fears of poverty, pain, persecution, and what we may suffer in the agonies of death. These kind of fears may come on us, and above all, the fears that all we have experienced may be a delusion, and that hypocrites may come as far as we have, talk better than we do, and give a better account of themselves than we can; this makes us fear in the way. All these fears is for want of looking unto Jesus, and permitting Satan to get so much ground, by listening to his suggestions. These fears, likewise, are occasioned by other feelings, and trying parts of our experience. What Satan principally aims at is to make us as miserable as himself, and as rebellious against God; to this end he endeavours to get us to look within in seasons of darkness, that we may dispute the whole of the Spirit’s work, and consider all our sins, failings, and corruptions as sure tokens of a speedy destruction, just as Jeremiah saw the rod of an Almond tree speedily flourishing; so might have been our profession, but soon gone away. So we fear may be all our religion, and then be damned for being hypocrites. O the misery of looking within, when we should be looking unto Jesus! What a gloomy prospect before us! what unbelieving fears are indulged; and this must be our misery, till the Saviour shines again. But what a mercy when we have grace enough to look from our sins, our grace, our Religion, or any thing in us, or done by us, to God the Father’s Christ, who lived and died for poor sinners.

A second source of fears is, Sin but little felt, so as to be lamented, so as to break the heart, humble the spirit, and endear the Saviour. It appears God sometimes sent the Grasshoppers to devour the fruits of the earth, as in Amos, chapter 7, where the Prophet foresees the Destruction of Jerusalem, by Pul, king of Assyria, bringing his vast troop to devour that land, coming up like Grasshoppers for their number and destructive influence. So in the Book of Judges it is said, the enemies came up among them as Grasshoppers for multitude to destroy them. As these represented the enemies of God’s dear people of old, do they not point out the corruptions of the heart, inbred sin, the Old man, with its deceitful lusts? Are they not numerous is Grasshoppers, and as destructive to every thing that is good? Do not these destroy our peace, our joy, our bright evidences, and cause us, sometimes, to fear we have neither part nor lot in the matter, especially when we cannot see that these sins are pardoned by the precious blood of Christ?—These are felt as a burden too heavy to bear, and a burden we fear will sink us to hell, till we believe they are all blotted out, then the inbeing of them becomes a burden to us. But here we must admire divine mercy, communicating to us spiritual life that we may feel these things a burden. As this life operates the difference between a child of God and one that is not, is clearly seen; they who are not quickened by the Spirit do not feel these things; but, alas, my dear Friend, have not you been left in such a strange state of mind, that you have neither felt sin, nor grace, neither mourned at the judgments of God, the terrors of hell, the sufferings of Christ, the afflictions of the Church, nor the plague of the heart. O! worst of states my soul ever was in; this deadness, carelessness, dull, stupid, heavy frame, I hate it, I lament it. Before this came on I could sigh deeply on account of my sins, their number, and destructive tendency, but now I have fresh fears that all is not right, because I don’t see sin such an evil as it is. I don’t groan beneath it; I don’t lament my vileness. Surely my soul cannot be right with God, while this is the case; the Grasshopper is a burden, because it is so light; I am burdened, because I don’t feel sin that heavy, hateful burden, I have felt it, and as others do.—Thus you see, my dear sister, what poor, foolish, fearful creatures we are, how discontented with the cross; when we feel much sin, we fear, and when we scarcely feel it at all, then we fear also. Alas, how much of poor Jonah’s spirit do we all possess. Murmuring, repining, rebelling.

But I must mention a third source of Fear, The failing of Desires. The people of God are the objects of his desire; Christ saw them in the glass of the Father’s decrees and purposes. He desired them. Hence the Church triumphs in the Song, I am my Beloved’s and his desire is towards me. He desired the Church for himself, and gained it, every one that he desired, in electing grace, is brought to desire Christ, by calling grace, and one blessed effect of being truly called, is the desire of the soul towards God, to hold communion with him, to be like him, and to be with him. Hence that sweet Promise will one day be accomplished, He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him. This will not be till we awake up in his likeness; then, but not till then, shall we be satisfied.

These desires of the soul are highly commended by the Saviour, as they spring from a feeling sense of need; are the pulse of the soul, which beats for God. Many a poor Believer in seasons of darkness, has blessed God for the feeling desire, the hunger, the thirst, the wish for what God has promised, and what the soul feels its need of. But let me ask you again, have you not found such days of evil, as the loss of these desires? No life, no spirituality, no appetite, no earnestness, no fervent desires, not a breath of the New man felt or seen; and to be left in this state a considerable time, when all has been shut up? I have still triumphed in my desires, but when these have failed, all is dark, gloomy, wretched, desolate. This has sent me mourning about the streets of Zion, crying, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? This is the enquiry of souls who are afresh quickened to feel their native guilt, their deadness, and want of the light of comfort, of joy, of peace, and the testimony of the Holy Spirit. The Saviour was sent to comfort them that mourn after a godly sort, sorrowing after Jesus; to gain a sense of his love, a token for good, a fresh view of pardon, and eternal life. This is calculated to comfort the mourner in Zion, to cheer his heart, and enable him to look forward to death and the grave, with sweet composure, knowing Jesus is the conqueror of death, spiritual, temporal, and eternal. To him, I commend you, and remain

Your’s in him,