LETTER VIII.

TO MRS. D—.

Peckham, July 21, 1814.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

What an unspeakable blessing it is for you, that the Holy Ghost has enabled you to rejoice in hope of eternal glory, and put that expression in your mouth, as well as the hope and confidence in your heart, I know that if this earthly house of my tabernacle were dissolved, I have a building above, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens—this is in your hope, and a God of truth has declared your expectation shall not be cut off. The blessed Spirit is promised to all the Elect seed, as the earnest of that promised rest. While the glorious operations of that self-same Spirit, are designed to prepare us for that glorious inheritance. My dear Sister has, I trust, been long taught the sad state of man by nature, that though he was originally built for God to dwell in, and his image did reside in man a little while, yet an enemy came against this little City, besieged it, and raised awful bulwarks against it, gained the possession of the capital, and keeps it in peace, till the stronger than he, even the eternal Spirit comes on him, spoils him of his armour, makes him quit his territory, and gets full possession of his heart. Solomon well instructed in the operations of the Spirit, under the emblems of old age and its infirmities, points out this work in striking, figurative language. In the days when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves. We are not at a loss to conjecture who those keepers are in the worst of senses, Satan having blinded the eyes of man, it is his work, to study how to keep them blind, keep them enemies, keep them in prejudice, keep them proud, and keep them in awful rebellion. This is the work of the devil, nor is he at a loss for means to carry on this work. Religious systems, and erroneous preachers, are the Devil’s under-strappers, by whom he carries on his infernal work. Hence the out-cry made against the truth, whenever and wherever it is preached; the endeavours to stop the progress of truth in the world, lest the light of the glorious Gospel should shine into the heart, and poor sinners be saved. These strong keepers of the house tremble at the approach of the light of the Gospel, and as soon as it comes in power they must submit, bow themselves, relinquish their claim, and turn out, knowing they come in by art, and with a view to deceive the house, that it might share the same fate as devils do. But viewing this subject experimentally, the Spirit coming to convince of sin, to apply the law to the conscience, and to shew us the works of the devil, at his coming these keepers tremble, but we do not find them gone, till the power of the Gospel is felt. Many have trembled at the curse of the Law; at the preaching of the Law as Felix did, when Paul reasoned of judgment, temperance, and righteousness. It is one thing for a criminal to tremble in his chains, and another for Satan to be overthrown. Satan will maintain his seat in the heart as long as he can, but God says, I will overturn, overturn, overturn it, until he comes, whose right it is; and I will give it him.—There is nothing Satan hates so much as light, when this comes into the mind he is discovered, his works hated, and the poor sinner votes against both him and his works, cries unto the Lord because of these oppressors, while his hope springs up in the Gospel news, that the Son of God was manifested in the flesh, that he might destroy the works of the devil, as the power of the word is felt, as grace reigns, so these keepers and strong ones bow, and like the soldiers at the sepulchre, the keepers thereof became as dead men. When the Angel of the covenant descends to open the prison doors, the poor prisoner comes forth as Peter did, from his prison, though the keepers stand at the door they are not able to retain the captive; hence the question, Shall not the prey be taken from the mighty? Shall not the lawful captive be delivered? Yes, blessed be God it is the mighty work of God the Spirit to cast down the strong holds of the devil, carnal enmity, pride, prejudice, and self-righteousness; when these are demolished, Satan has no hope of the damnation of such a soul; though the poor sinner himself cannot perhaps see his own part and lot in the salvation of the Gospel; he may still remain in bondage to the fears of death, the dread of hell; unbelief still prevails, doubts, fears, and sad despondency may still operate to keep the soul in misery, till the Holy Ghost favours it with an increase of faith, gives it strength enough to believe in his love, in his Person and in his glorious Work; then we enter into rest. This is done by believing the report of the Gospel, by believing such precious truths as these: He shall finish transgression—he shall make an end of sin. He shall magnify the law. Blotting out the handwriting contained in Ordinances, that was against us. Ye are complete in him, having forgiven us all our trespasses. I have loved thee, I have redeemed thee. I have blotted out as a cloud thy transgression, and as a thick cloud thy sins. He hath made to meet on him the iniquities of us all. The Lord is well pleased with his righteousness sake.

Now, my dear friend, I can assure you that I always feel peace and joy in believing these precious truths for myself; they are for such poor sinners as I have described; but faith to receive these precious things is the gift of God. And this work of God carries us above our strong fears and doubts, which are as much the corruptions of the human heart as our sins. This glorious conquest of the keepers and strong men is sometimes achieved by sensible tokens, clear deliverances, and open manifestations; it was not so with me, but it has been the happy experience of many who have had much legal bondage; not favored with a clear ministry of the word, and when God intends them either for much suffering or for public usefulness. I have often wished it my case, but I should be sorry to endure what many have, nor would I murmur that my heavenly Father has not drove me into such awful deeps.—This portion of scripture I get into very well; to you which believe he is precious; yea, he is preciousness itself: This I find true in my experience, and it is enough to convince me that the good work is begun, that the work is of God, and must terminate in an exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Thus we see, feel, and admire the conquests of sovereign Grace; this brings us to God, this endears the Saviour, this inspires us with a lively hope, this turns our feet to God’s testimonies, opens the eyes to see the beauty of God’s word; the glories of the Saviour, and imbitters, yea, darkens all terrestial objects. The eyes by nature are full of evil, they are fixed on sinful objects, they are full of sin.—Hence we read of eyes full of adultery. We read of lofty eyes, and of an evil eye, the one signifies pride of self-righteousness, the other of a churlish, envious disposition. These eyes must become dark, dim, and least exercised as grace reigns. The lust of the eye is, and must be the grief of all who feel it; with this temptation Satan beset poor Eve; she saw the tree was good; she soon fell after this. Satan plied this to the Saviour, but in vain. He shewed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, in a moment of time. The eye is the inlet of sin; hence Job says, I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I think on a maid. Job xxxi, verse 1. The power of almighty grace most effectually at times, affects the very sight of the believer, and makes him delight in looking into the Word of God, and employing even his very eyes as well as every other faculty, in the good ways of God; and as these are open to every thing that is good, they must be darkened to what is evil, neither the heart nor the eyes of a believer, as converted, are designedly set to evil; but when the one wanders and the other slides back from God, it is then the soul mourns,

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love!

This Subject may lead us to further experimental remarks, I do not decidedly pretend to fix the mind of the Holy Ghost on this passage, but while I contemplate the keepers of the house, in the worst sense, may we not look at them in a better point of view; as faith, hope, fear, and love, the christian’s keepers; the believer’s strong men, who have done much for the Church. Paul has given us a whole chapter on what faith has done, 11th of Hebrews. Hope keeps us at an anchor, firm in our confidence, though it may be small in enjoyment. Fear will never let us wholly depart from God, while love bears us up, and carries us through difficulties, duties, and dangers, and abides with us for ever. These graces are not self-active, they cannot act but as the Spirit keeps them up; they are always in us as spiritual principles, but they are set always active, though perhaps all the ways in which they operate are not known to us. These are very strong in time of tribulation; at least in most cases. Faith is tried deeply when guilt is felt on the conscience, when Satan roars, when the mind is distressed, when outward circumstances run crooked; then faith often leans towards the Atonement; trusts in an unseen, though not an unknown God; waits on God till light springs up, and is looking for suitable promises to support the soul, to plead with God, and to animate the mind at a future day. Thus faith keeps us from sinking. I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

But Solomon found some days in his experience when these keepers were not so strong; when these strong men bowed through weakness, and when his sight was not so well occupied, nor his mind quite so clear. He found something, as Sampson did, which weakened his strength, which might have made him question the reality of his faith, the sincerity of his love, and the foundation of his hope, when he found the hedge of Godly fear broken down, and himself at a sad distance from God, befooled in his old age, and led into awful idolatry. When conscience was awakened, and the hand of God was upon him, he then found the keepers were weak indeed; Love had been out of exercise, and the inordinate love of women came in; fear was out of exercise, and idolatry was soon practised, a sin God detests more than any other. Faith was inactive, and hope at a low ebb, so that Satan stept in when these keepers were weak. And is not this, at times, the painful experience of God’s Elect, in their degree? Do we not find every sin indulged weakens the graces of the Spirit, beclouds our evidences, and brings us low; so that as soon as trouble comes on, we find neither faith nor hope, nor love, nor fear, nor zeal, nor spirituality. A worldly spirit, levity, evil tempers, giving way to our most easy besetment; hearkening to Satan, conforming to the world, or medling with erroneous sentiments. These things will weaken, and make the strong men tremble. Guilt felt, sin creeping in between conscience and God, and faith not strong enough to make use of the Atonement; this makes us tremble indeed, while the eyes of an illuminated understanding become very dim—this darkness we feel when we can neither see the way behind nor before with pleasure. Ah! how painful, how truly wretched is this for God’s children—but the backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways. What a painful subject is this I am writing to you; but yet it is necessary to know these things; such knowledge is painful, but it is good to write thus to warn, having tasted this bitter cup myself. Here we see the necessity of abiding continually in Jesus, keeping near him, that we may have peace maintained in the conscience; be kept from sin, and led on in the ways of God, strong in faith, cheerful in hope, fervent in love, and tender in conscience. May that be your felicity and mine, dear Sister in Jesus, is the earnest prayer of ever yours in Jesus.