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and mothers must be keepers at home. But the heaven-born foul cannot be confined. Though abfent in body, yet am I prefent in fpirit; and, had I the wings of a dove, nothing under heaven fhould hinder my flight, for once, into the . Defert.

I know now, by bleffed experience, that nothing but a fenfe of the dying love of Jefus can humble a proud heart, and foften the stubborn spirit of a finner, so as to bring him to the Lord's fect; and I am a living witnefs that this will do it. This will fubdue the most hardened, rebellious, and defperate wretch that ever breathed on this earth; and this will be my wonder and admiration to all eternity. O that I was but above, that I might "praise him, who is the health of my coun> tenance, and my God!" How do I long to join with the hundred and forty-four thousand in their fong to him that hath loved us, and redeemed us, and washed us from our fins in his own blood. Surely voice will be the loudeft them.

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among My foul thanks you for what I have received this week from you. I have had a banquet indeed. May a full reward be given you by your Father, and my Father, your God and my God! A fweet fhelter indeed my foul has found from the windy florm and tempeft. I find it as the fhadow of a great rock in this weary land. My foul has fill in remembrance the wormwood and the gall, which were bitter enough to my foul. But all is

paft;

past; and nothing of vindictive wrath fhall my foul know henceforth and for ever. What aftonishing love was it for the Lord to pass by fuch a rebel as I was, and to fay unto me, when I was in my blood, "Live." Yea, he has spread his skirt over me; and in that bleffed robe shall I appear before him in the great day, without spot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing; and, though black as the tents of Kedar, fair as the curtains of Solomon. As you obferve, could we always live on the mount, without any interruption; but, alas! down from the mount we must come. But I am, like Peter, for detaining the Lord, and building a tabernacle, that I may abide with him till he shall take me to the upper and better house.

What the Lord is preparing me for, I know not; and what my path will be next, I am in the dark about. You intimate that he is preparing me for the field of action. May I be taught to endure hardness as a good foldier of Jefus Chrift! The world, the flesh, and the devil, are against me, I know; but this I know likewife, that I can do all things through Chrift ftrengthening me. However, at present I feem as if I had no enemies; for the Lord has made the corruptions of my heart, and Satan too, as ftill as a ftone. And sweetly does he commune with my foul, which humbles me in the duft before him; and I feel such meltings of heart as I never knew any thing of before; which have been much produced by your

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your two last letters. The myftic gates and wards that Wisdom is leading my foul through are some of the fecrets that are with them in whofe heart

he has put his fear. "I," fays Wisdom, "lead in the way of righteoufnefs, in the midft of the paths of judgment, to cause them that love me to inherit fubftance; and I will fill their treasures." I believe that what I am now in the enjoyment of is fome of that fubftance, that fabbath-day's portion, which you told me in my dream I fhould enjoy. Surely the Lord does now, as well as in days of old, inftruct by dreams and vifions of the night. "When deep fleep falleth upon men, then he fealeth their inftructions." I am fure I can witnefs to the truth of this. We were greatly in expectation of seeing you before now. But the Lord knows beft when to fend you. I hope, when you do come, it will be with good news from a far country, and make it one of the days of the Son of Man to us. I think I need not tell you that I shall be happy to hear from you again. I have a young hidden one with me who defires to be remembered to you. She wishes you the enjoyment of every spiritual bleffing. She is one that is waiting at the pool for the moving of the waters, to be healed of all her spiritual diseases. Our little fifter, who hath no breafts, is much indisposed. I think the would greatly esteem a letter from you. Remember my love to Father G-n. I hope he is not offended at the liberty I took in writing

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to him. I muft conclude, wishing you every bleffing of the better covenant, and that you may ever have much of the presence of the Lord with you.

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with all its good tidings, and the reflections of good news from a far country. The night is not only far spent, but gone, with thee; and nothing but the day-spring from on high vifits thee. The wilderness fprings, and the defert bloffoms as the rofe. Nothing now but honey from the comb, wine from the clufter, and milk from the breaft. The old man is crucified with Chrift, yea, dead, buried, and the body of fins deftroyed; and there is an end of him. Satan, who had the power of death, is deftroyed alfo, for Chrift hath tri

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umphed over him upon the crofs; so that no evil is expected from that quarter. Self-denial, a daily crofs, the furnace of affliction, and the fiery trial of faith, are all out of fight, and out of mind, and neither defired nor expected.

You inform me that you should like to continue in that mount. But I muft confefs it is a mystery to me that thou art not down from it before now. Faith must be tried with fire before it fhall be found unto praise, and glory, and honour, at the appearing of Jefus Chrift. Can you glory in your infirmities? Can you take pleasure in reproaches, in neceffities, in perfecutions, in diftreffes, for Chrift's fake? To be fure the most ufeful foldiers in an army must be the young recruits, who are engaged in spending their bounty; and the most useful children in a family must be those who are hanging at the breast. Such foldiers ferve to fill the mufter-roll; and fuch children ferve to increase the number of a family; and that is all the use they are of. God hath fet the day of profperity and the day of adverfity one against the other. But your evil days come not. The reafon of my long filence is your long profperity.

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may be a fellow-helper of your joy; but to comfort them that mourn is a greater act of charity. It is not my peculiar province to tune the loveftrings of an heart that is always filled with melody. Befides, you have very few, in that part of the world, to fing to but thofe of heavy hearts;

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