to me under my heavy afflictions. I have the pleasure to inform you
I am a wonder to myself: my mind and heart prone after the riches of
Christ—there is no name under heaven, nor in heaven, so precious as
_his_ to me.—You know what the Bible promises to all believers. I
have read it, and thought it reached any case but mine, but now,
thanks be to God, I find my case and sins were what our blessed
Saviour shed his blood for—_such rebels as me_! A free pardon is
held forth for such vile creatures as I am. I thank God from my
heart, he has done a great work for me—the blood of Christ is
precious blood—he is strengthening me much in faith. I find he is
all I need. I am nothing but sin, and have done no good in all my
life, yet he holds a free pardon for me. He has answered my polluted
prayers, and every promise in the book tells me it is for me. The
blessed and Holy Spirit has opened my blind eyes, and shewed me what
I am and what Christ is, in some degree, but his riches and mercies
none can fathom—his promise takes away the sting of death. I am
looking to him, and put all things into his hands, and it will be
well.
Kind Sir, I remain, your’s, &c.
A great Sinner,
_R. Dean_.
From this simple letter I received some degree of consolation, and
finding his mind was open to receive the atonement for the pardon of all
sin, I judged it now expedient to lead his attention to that glorious
robe of imputed righteousness which is the end of the law and the glory
of the gospel, that he might be able to say
Jesus thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are my glorious dress;
’Midst flaming worlds, in these array’d,
With joy shall I lift up my head.
I pressed his attention to that capital blessing, knowing that faith had
to do with that alone to render us just before God; that while the blood
of Jesus took away all sin, the obedience of Christ to the Law fulfilled
all righteousness—the one excludes from hell, but the other brings us to
heaven; “For in the Lord shall all the Seed of Israel be justified, and
shall glory.” I had, after this, much uneasiness of mind on behalf of
poor Mr. D. his situation with so many awful characters, in the same part
of the prison, I knew was not very favorable to his growth in grace; yet
I knew, if the work was genuine on his mind, it would be carried on; but
some persons had attempted to console his mind with this idea, That on
his trial it would be proved he was insane. I feared this would throw
him into a careless frame about his soul, and I fear it did for a time,
but the speedy approach of the assize alarmed him, and I hope the Lord
quickened him again. I wrote to him not to listen to any such ideas for
a moment, and reminded him of the first intimation of Satan to out first
parents—“Ye shall not surely die.” I trust this had the desired effect;
he was tried and cast for death, as I expected, and his fatal day was
appointed, but deferred to wait the decision of the fate of another, who
was afterwards reprieved. This was indeed rather an uncommon
circumstance, but I fondly hoped the Lord had so appointed it, that poor
Mr. D. might be the better capacitated to enter into his awful presence.
In reference to his state of mind, during this period, the worthy
minister of the place constantly visited him, and held forth the suitable
consolations of the gospel to his view, nor were those visits in vain. I
frequently heard Mr. D. pray aloud, and with much energy. The day before
his execution (April 7, 1819) he was visited by a Nobleman and his
respectable Friend, who, in imitation of their divine Lord, delights to
go about doing good; may God prosper their efforts, and another day
fulfil in those honorable persons all those gracious promises in the 41st
Psalm, 1, 2, 3rd verses. Some pious, Friends from the Methodist Society
often visited him, and prayed with him, and I trust felt the presence of
the Lord with them; as an evidence of his approbation of their work of
love, some continued with him all the night previous to his execution:
Mr. D. received them kindly and gratefully. The visitors did not
perceive the least sign of insanity, but a calm composedness of mind, and
an humble trust in the atonement of Christ, and without the shadow of a
doubt of the pardon of his sins. Believe me, I feel an emotion of
gratitude and tears while I write this. He could give no account what
induced him to commit the horrid deed, but spoke very composedly on every
subject. He joined the gentlemen in prayer, and singing an hymn—
Behold the bleeding lamb of God,
Nail’d to the shameful tree;
How vast the love that him constrain’d
To bleed and die for me.
About an hour after, leaning upon the shoulder of one of the visitors, he
requested him to sing that sweet hymn again, in which he joined them,
with a sweet and heavenly frame of mind; but Satan was to have his last
onset, and about the middle of the night the enemy harrassed him sorely,
deep darkness pervaded his mind, and his heart trembled with fear. The
dear friends perceiving this, advised him to retire and read alone, and
they withdrew to the other end of the room. After he had read a little,
he fell on his knees, and prayed most fervently, consistently, and
scripturally. Satan left him, and his mind became quite serene. At
seven in the morning, when he was preparing all things necessary for his
final departure, he addressed a fellow prisoner in a most surprizing and
affecting manner; spoke of the mercy he had received, and encouraged him
to call on God for pardoning mercy, through the doing and dying of the
Lord Jesus Christ. The visitors then read a letter from his dear friend,
the uncle of the dear child, in which he praised God for the mercy Mr. D.
had found, and from the tenor of the letter, we trust the day dawns on
his mind, and the day star begins to shine.
Mr. D. attended the solemn service at the chapel, and received the Lord’s
supper; not to make his peace with God, but in thankfulness to his dear
Lord who had made it for him on mount Calvary. The solemn bell announced
his approach, and my soul was overwhelmed with solemn grief, which I
endeavored to vent out in prayers and tears. At nine o’Clock I heard
him, having ascended the scaffold, in supplication, which increased in
fervent entreaties, and committing his soul into the hands of the
Redeemer. His petitions were earnest and importunate, and as he
increased in agitation, so also in devout intreaties, crying, Lord Jesus
receive my spirit; Look, look upon a poor murderer. Oh, by the blood of
the cross, by the blood of calvary, look upon me. Lord have mercy upon
me. Lord— here he was going to speak again, but the drop fell, and his
soul took its flight to the bosom of its Saviour and its God; with Christ
in his heart, heaven in his eye, and Lord—on his tongue. Thus died poor
Mr. D. a sinner, saved by grace alone.
I trust his sad case was laid on the hearts of many God-fearing persons,
and many prayers were put up for him, nor did they return empty. Some of
our dear friends had several precious tokens for his good; and I am happy
to say I gave some hope, that the death of Mr. D. is the means of the
spiritual life of one in the family: perhaps it will not end here. I
must add, that the worthy family to whom the child belonged, most freely
forgave him the rash act, and paid every attention to him during his
confinement.
From this short account of poor Mr. D. I think we may discover some of
those blessed evidences which characterize a real believer. His
brokenness of spirit and honest confessions, prove his humility before
God: his crying day and night to the Lord, evidence his eternal election;
his mind being led to the Saviour manifested his adoption, and his
receiving the atonement and resting upon Jesus, shewed that his faith was
genuine. His temptations demonstrate Satan’s hatred to him, and his
entreaties for mercy to the last moment, prove that he had obtained
mercy: “Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?” I would call your
attention in this letter, to the infinite evil of sin, the mystery of
divine providence, the wonders of almighty grace, and the necessity of
fervent prayer for divine keeping; “Hold thou me up, and I shall be
safe;” but this would fill a volume. You can recollect I have observed,
that the Lord in general resents a murder in his own way, and in his own
time, although the murderer may escape condign punishment. This has been
proved in many instances, one of which I have just read in the Methodist
Magazine, which I will just mention in few words.
A gentleman was riding over Hounslow Heath, when a poor man, with his
little boy, ran after him to solicit relief; but the gentleman refusing,
the beggar continued his intreaties, which aggravated him that he drew
his sword and laid the poor beggar on the ground, and then rode away: the
poor boy screamed out that his father was killed. Ten years after this,
as he was riding near the same place, some boys were playing at cricket,
and one of them hit the gentleman’s toe with his ball. It was painful,
and a surgeon at Brentford, told him it would prove of dangerous
consequence. He came to London for advice, and was informed he must
suffer amputation, as a mortification had actually taken place. He would
not give his consent to this, and death approached. The doctor asked him
if he knew any thing of the boy who had thrown the ball, and he said he
did, for he well remembered he was the son of the old man, whom he had
killed some years before.—Verily, there is a God that judgeth in the
earth.
Wishing you all grace, I remain,
_Ruhamah_.
LETTER XXXVI.
_Achor’s Vale_, _February_ 16, 1819.
Miss GRUMMANT.
MY DEAR YOUNG FRIEND,
I am quite grieved the Ancient Paper you was so kind as to lend me, has
not been returned to me; if I was out from this place I could procure
another, and will do so, God willing; but I will tell you every word of
it.
A DESCRIPTION OF THE PERSON OF JESUS,
As it was found in an Ancient Manuscript, sent by Publius Lentulus,
President of Judea, to the Senate of Rome.
_There lives at this time in Judea_, _a Man of singular Character
whose name is Jesus Christ_; _the barbarians esteem him as a
Prophet_, _but his own followers adore him as the immediate offspring
of the immortal God_. _He is endued with such unparalleled virtue_,
_as to call back the dead from their graves_, _and to heal every kind
of disease with a word or a touch_. _His person is tall_, _and
elegantly __shaped_, _his aspect amiable and reverend_; _his hair
flows into those beauteous shades which no united colours can match_,
_falling into graceful curls below his ears_, _agreeably couching on
his shoulders_, _and parting on the crown of his head_, _like the
head dress of the sect of the Nazarenes_. _His forehead is very
plain_, _smooth_, _and large_, _his cheeks without a spot or
wrinkle_, _save that of a lovely red_, _his nose and mouth are formed
with exquisite symmetry_, _his beard is thick_, _and of a colour
suitable to the hair of his head_, _reaching a little below his
chin_, _and parted in the middle like a fork_, _his eyes grey_,
_bright and clear_, _quick and serene_. _He rebukes with majesty_,
_counsels with mildness_, _pleasant in speech_, _and invites with the
most tender and persuasive language_; _his whole address_, _whether
by word or deed_, _being courteous and friendly_, _elegant_, _grave_,
_and characteristic of so exalted a being_. _No man has seen him
laugh_, _but the whole world beheld him weep frequently_, _and so
persuasive are his tears_, _that the multitude cannot withhold theirs
from joining in sympathy with his_. _He is very temperate_,
_modest_, _and wise_, _in short_, _whatever this Phænomenon may turn
out in the end_, _he seems_, _at present a man_, _for his excellent
beauty and divine perfections_, _every way surpassing the Children of
Men_.
This is certainly a very pretty description of the human nature of our
dear Lord, and I feel half inclined to suppose that our first parent
Adam, was a little like him in person—this is only a carnal notion, I
acknowledge, but I cannot forbear to indulge it. The psalmist David,
said of Christ, eight hundred years before he came, “Thou art fairer than
the children of men:” yet this dear visage and beauty was marred,
spoiled, more than any man’s; grief had so affected him, that when but
thirty, he looked like a man of fifty years of age. He was a man of
sorrows, and his most intimate acquaintance was grief; he saw such an
infinite evil in sin, the hourly insults poured upon God by the whole
world; he saw Jehovah slighted, ridiculed, abused, hated, and opposed;
his whole heart loved Jehovah, and this broke his heart, lay heavy on his
spirits, and caused him to say, as in his own common prayer book, the
Psalms, “Rivers of water run down mine eyes, because men keep not thy
law.” He saw the dreadful state his own children were in, and what he
had to endure to make an atonement for them. Every now and then one of
his soul pangs took him; hence we read of his being troubled in spirit,
agitated and troubled in soul. This was some time before his sufferings
in the garden. But while we admire his outward beauty as man, what vast
beauty possessed his mind—wisdom, prudence, chastity, holiness, zeal,
understanding, faith, hope, love, and joy; in the principle—mercy,
commiseration, pity, affection, patience, gratitude, and fidelity. Look
at his actions, and they all correspond with the holy principles of his
mind, and this holy nature was the image of God, the exemplar pattern and
likeness of the new man of grace in the souls of God’s children; but Oh,
what an exalted idea does the sacred pages give us of this blessed Jesus;
he was, he is God-Man. His body was but the casket, his divinity the
rich jewel it contained. He was united to the Son of God, to God the
Son, who is over all, God blessed for ever. He is God-Man, he possesses
every divine perfection; he is Jehovah, God and Lord; he is stiled,
Jehovah 330 times in the old Testament; he is called God 90 times in the
old Testament, and 25 times in the new. He has put away sin by his
obedience and sufferings; he is exalted above the heavens. How truly
beautiful and glorious he appears in the midst of heaven, wearing our
nature, but shining brighter than a million suns—the delight of the
Father and the Holy Spirit—the joy of saints and angels; and whatever was
his appearance on earth, we can form no idea of his human nature in
heaven. God bless you while young, with some very sweet views of him,
that he may be dear to your heart in youth and age, in life and death.
So prays your affectionate well wisher,
_Ruhamah_.
LETTER XXXVII.
_Achor’s tale_, _September_ 29, 1818.
Mr. G. GRAY.
MY DEAR BROTHER,
What can I say to you, and how can I sufficiently thank you for your
kindness and benevolence of heart and conduct; well might the apostle
exhort, “Let us not love in word and in tongue, but in deed and in
truth;” and this has been your conduct to me since my abode at the sign
of the unstrung harp, near the weeping willows, by the rivers of Babylon.
Here I at present live, but what the Lord promised the Israelites in
captivity, he is most graciously fulfilling in my case. I need not
remind you that _Achor_ was a valley in Jericho, where Achor the son of
Carmi was stoned; perhaps the valley borrowed its name from the
circumstance itself. Achor means trouble, and you know what is written
in your favorite chapter, 2nd of Hosea. What an affecting picture the
Lord has given us of Israel’s ingratitude and rebellion; but having
determined from all eternity, that where sin hath abounded, there grace
also should much more abound, and triumph over all the sin of his people,
which has brought them into so much trouble, as Achan did the Israelites,
that in the very midst of that valley of Achor, he would open a door of
hope, and give them strong consolations; that there he would manifest his
pardoning love, display his eternal power, sanctify the cross to them,
reveal his love to the heart, and though in the very midst of trouble,
yet his people should sing of his mercy, truth, faithfulness, kindness,
and righteousness, all which are displayed in their marriage union to
Christ, the date of which is as ancient as eternal election. The grand
displays of it was in the great act of the Redeemer’s incarnation. The
means to bring about this union, was the removal of all the awful
impediments which were in the way, by the obedience, the sufferings,
death, burial, resurrection and ascension, intercession and life of
Christ, as Mediator in heaven for us. Nor can this blessed union be felt
or enjoyed by us, till God the Holy Ghost has subdued our enmity,
quickened our souls, reconciled us to God’s mind, shewed us the person,
love, and work of Christ; made us willing by his power, created holy
desires in the soul, and enabled us to say, Thou, Oh my God, in Christ
art the thing that I long for. Here is union felt; and as the soul is
led on in the knowledge of the great things of God, it is enabled to
trace the origin of this union to the counsels of eternity. I trust you
will, my dear brother, be enabled when you are called forth to stand up
as a spokesman for your dear Lord, declare what you know of the counsel
of God, not that you, or any other preacher, either _know_ or _can_
declare the _whole_ counsel of God. Nothing is more common than this
expression, and nothing can be more erroneous. I do not believe any one
ever declared the whole counsel of God, since our Lord and his apostles
on earth—_they_ declared the whole, perfectly and infallibly; but other
ministers, however faithful they are, must not say so, it is an error;
but what the Lord has taught you, that you can declare, even the truth as
contained in the grand doctrines of the Gospel; the perfections and
glories of the divide Jesus, the original ruin and present corruption and
misery of man, the spirituality of the holy law of God, the perfect
satisfaction of Christ, complete justification by his imputed
righteousness, regeneration by the operations of the eternal spirit,
spiritual faith and evangelical repentance towards God; love _to_,
arising _from_ the knowledge _of_ the adorable Trinity in Unity, the
warfare between the flesh and the spirit, the trials of the way, the
temptations of the adversary, the strength, light, and comfort afforded
us; the stability of the eternal covenant, the depths of divine mercy,
the perpetuity of eternal love, with all the happy consequences of these
truths in the life, conduct, and the whole conversation. You and I, my
brother, are not afraid these great truths will make their possessors
careless of their conduct; No, every sin felt and discovered, or the
least outbreakings of it, is as a dagger to the heart, a load upon the
mind, nor can there be any rest till a fresh manifestation of pardon is
felt. We consider the work of the ministry to be the greatest work and
the highest honour ever conferred on a poor fallen creature here. To
make use of the language of good old Mr. Ryland, here is full scope for
fear, hope, gratitude, justice, compassion, zeal, interest, ambition,
glory, pleasure, and unbounded fire; rise ambition, rise glory into
intense fire, and joy without bounds or end. Reflect, O my soul, what
astonishing glory for me to be decreed and ordained by the great Head of
the Church, to copy God’s eternal thoughts, to receive the infusions of
ideas from all the holy inspired penmen; to be called out of nothing, out
of meanness, obscurity, baseness, sin, and misery, to stand in the place
and room of the eternal Son of God, to paint his perfections, to blaze
abroad his glories about the world, to display the virtue of his blood,
and tell of his astonishing death, the grandest action in the empire of
God—to express this action in a thousand points of light, to have the
most intimate treaties with immortal souls, to do nothing but transact
with souls—blood-bought souls; to be an ambassador, an angel, a
representative of the Son of God; to be put into his place (in a certain
sense) as a preacher, to have commerce with deathless souls, to be
inrolled by Christ in this time state amongst the faithful and zealous
preachers, and for Christ to value us as dear and important to himself,
and to the church. This subject is so great, I scarcely know how to
write it, but so interesting, I must send you a line or two more. What a
glory to revive gospel doctrines, to display Christ’s glory, and to raise
the credit of the work of the Spirit; to die with the highest dignity,
angels and good men around my bed, and God himself within my soul. O
what a glory is this, to rise up amidst throngs of admiring smiling
angels, before the throne of the Son of God; to see all the great and
good preachers in heaven look at me as I rise, to hear them say, Here,
see, here he comes from his study, from his pulpit, and from the bed of
death to our shining worlds, and to his Master’s throne. See how Jesus
looks at him, see how he crowns him. Hark what he says to him, Well done
good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. See him
bring forth the crown of glory, and put it on my head, for Christ will
not trust the noblest angel in heaven to crown his saints: he will do it
himself, and will say, Here, ye labourers, take your reward; ye
shepherds, take your honour; ye soldiers take your military glory; ye
ambassadors, ye stewards, ye angels of the churches, take your immortal
crowns, live for ever surrounded with sun beams, and crowned with stars.
May this felicity be yours and mine—’tis well, perhaps, the dignity,
importance, responsibility, and trials of the ministry, are hid from our
eyes at the entrance on the work, or I think none would go into it at
all. What I have since seen, had I seen it before, I do not think I
should so willingly have run, but would rather have been dragged. There
is but one thing would ever make me very willing to enter on the sacred
work, and it is _that_—and that love which makes me willing to go forward
again. Do you ask me what that is? Why the same which made Isaiah
willing to go, after he had seen the glory of Christ God-Man, having
finished salvation’s work, exalted, glorified, and adored, revealing the
word of pardon with power to his soul, and assuring him he was pardoned;
then he said, Here am I, send me —. See 6th chapter of Isaiah. I know
the passage will bear a higher comment, but I humbly conceive it
represents Isaiah’s commission, and I can assure you, it is only such
feelings, views, and enjoyments, that make me willing now, whatever were
my motives before. I can appeal to the Lord, as the searcher of all
hearts, I want nothing now to do with the ministry, but to proclaim all
that I am led to understand by the terms _God-Man Mediator_.
Farewell. Let this epistle be read to all those who expound in the
vestry on Friday nights.
_Ruhamah_.
LETTER XXXVIII.
_Valley of Achor_.
Miss INGLE.
MY DEAR YOUNG FRIEND,
I send you back the Diary of your late dear sister, which I have perused
with mingled emotions of joy and grief, of pleasure and pain. Blessed be
God for the grace given her in Christ Jesus, before the world began, and
manifested to her in so many pleasing and painful ways. I wish I had
money to spare to send it into the world; but alas, I am straitened, yet
I have cause to be eternally thankful, and I beg the Lord will bring me
home to glory, to praise his dear name for it. My heart is most sensibly
affected with your dear mother’s trials: what a constant visitor
affliction is at your house. How many times hath death looked in, and
took away those of your family that were particularly dear to you all.
Nor is he easy, he is on the road again. The glorious conquerer of
death, has by his obedience and sufferings, his blood and death,
converted him into an angel of peace, a messenger of joy, sent to conduct
you to the upper and better house—
Far from a world of grief and sin,
With God eternally shut in.