_DEAR BROTHER_,
I OWE you a long epistle, for the many kind letters I have received from
you. This acknowledgment of my debt is a part of payment. Being a
little confined through indisposition of body, I thought I would pen a
few thoughts to my dear friend, trusting they will be acceptable at this
time.
I am more than ever delighted with the pleasing theme the Gospel exhibits
of our most adorable Lord, of whom it is written, _that in all our
afflictions he was afflicted_; _that he was the subject of all sinless
infirmities_; _that he was a man like ourselves_, _sin only excepted_.
This is a sweet thought to me, under every pressure; and surely it proves
our union with him, and a participation of his Spirit, of course of the
same covenant privileges. What a Christ have we got! God with God, Man
with Man, very God and very Man; a kind brother, to feel with and for me,
under all my trials, and a God able to supply my every need; and what
adds a glory to this point is, that as God-Man he is the glorious
Mediator, commissioned to give all I need; for this purpose he hath
ascended upon high and received gifts for the rebellions! This is a most
charming consideration, it is the joy of my heart; I feel it so—and such
an High Priest became us: O! for an heart to bless him, to praise him as
I ought, as I wish to do! I long to be disembodied for this purpose. O
could my soul leap out of her dull clay, scarce should a harp above aim
at a sweeter, nobler song, _Unto him that hath loved me_. My dear
brother, I feel mortality, I am at times very glad of it: I have had much
sickness of late, it is a signal, it is a knock, it is a servant sent
with a message. Mark the command, _Look_, _as when the messenger
cometh_, _and shut to the door_: _is not the sound of his master’s feet
behind him_? I keep the messenger; I retire; I read the note, Thus saith
my Master, _Behold I come quickly_; I can send no answer back but
thus—_Even so come_, _Lord Jesus_. May I therefore esteem every pain,
every felt weakness, and every beating pulse, but as so many messengers
sent in covenant love, to remind me of my mortality—that this is not my
rest, that my whole bodily frame is but as a Shepherd’s tent, as Hezekiah
calls it, soon unpinned, easily taken down, and removed, as the Arabian
Shepherd’s tents were.—Hence the scriptures in a variety of places shew
that the body is but earth, dust and ashes, formed of it, lives on it,
and must soon return to it. The apostle calls the body an outward man,
which must decay, while the inward man, the hidden man of the heart, is
renewed day by day, by the secret influences of the Spirit. This work is
carried on by a continual application of Gospel promises, and tokens of
love: this inward man gets renewed day by day, till we arrive to perfect
day. This is going from strength to strength, and being changed from
glory to glory. This body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, the object of
God’s Love, and the purchase of the precious blood of Jesus. This frame
is called by Solomon, an house, built up in infinite wisdom, supported by
Almighty power, and is the noblest workmanship of Jehovah. Compared to
an house, the understanding faculty is the windows, the receptive
capacity is the door; and as the soul is converted to God, the will and
the affections is the throne, the principal seat of Jesus; the graces of
the Spirit is the furniture, and Father, Son, and Spirit, are the
glorious and ever blessed inhabitants thereof, where they will dwell for
ever. The Body, only, I am about to notice.
I acknowledge I am not much skilled in Anatomy, it is a science I never
learned, though I believe the best Anatomist is a person who can dissect
the human heart. Yet the body being the great work of God, I would view
it with wonder, with admiration, and praise. I dare say you are
sometimes amazed at this wonderful, curious-wrought frame; this wonderful
display of divine skill. Permit me just to notice only a very few
things, though you are so well acquainted with anatomy. I trust you will
correct me where I err, in considering this earthly house of our
tabernacle. I must refer you to the excellent Hervey’s description of
the human frame, in his 12th Dialogue of Theron and Aspasio, which I beg
you to read: that excellent author observes, first, the _Bones_, cast
into a variety of moulds, enlarged or contracted into a variety of sizes,
all strong, that they may bear up the fleshy machine, yet light, that
they may not depress the animal with an encumbering load. Insensible
themselves, they are covered with a membrane of exquisite sensibility.
The _Feet_ compose the firmest and neatest pedestal, capable of altering
its form and extending its size, containing a set of the nicest springs,
which help to place the body in a variety of graceful attitudes; the
_Legs_ and _Thighs_ are like substantial and stately columns, forced in
such a manner as is quite commodious to the acts of either walking or
sitting. The _Ribs_ turned into a regular arch, are gently moveable for
the act of respiration; they form a secure lodgment for the lungs and the
heart, and fortify them. The back bone is intended, not only to
strengthen the body, and sustain its most capacious store rooms, but also
to bring down that communication of the Brain, which is usually termed
the Spinal Marrow, and guards the silver cord. The _Arms_ are exactly
proportioned to each other; these being the guards which defend, and the
ministers which serve the whole body, are fitted for the most extensive
operations, firm with bone, yet not weighty with flesh; they bend inwards
or turn outwards, they rise upwards or stoop downwards, and they throw
themselves into whatever direction we please. To these are annexed the
_Hands_, and all terminated by the _Fingers_, which give a most graceful
appearance, yet destined to almost incessant employ; though the
extremities or the fingers are an assemblage of the finest fibres, most
acutely sensible; for this reason our Almighty Maker has overlaid them
with an horny substance called _Nails_, to preserve the tender part from
dangerous impressions. Above all, is _the Head_, a majestic dome,
designed for the residence of the Brain; ample to receive it, strong to
uphold it, and firm to defend it. This stately Capital, is screened from
heat, defended from cold, and at the same time much beautified by a
copious growth of Hair, which no ways encumbers the wearer. This is the
_outward_ Man, the noble work of the great God our Saviour, who became
man for our sakes.
It is equally as wonderful to notice the _Inside_ of this house; with the
amazing arrangement of Fibres that unite the several Limbs of the Body,
tough and strong. The small _Membranes_ appointed, enwrap the fleshy
parts, to part some, and form a connection with the others. _Arteries_,
some of which ascend to the Head, others spread themselves over the
shoulders; some extend to the Arms, and others descend to the Feet.
_Veins_, these are appointed to receive the blood from the arteries, and
reconvey it to the heart. _Glands_, whose office it is to filtrate the
passing fluid; an assemblage of _vessels_, complicated and intervolved
with seeming confusion, but with perfect regularity. _Muscles_, wove in
natures finest loom, seem composed of the slenderest fibres, yet indeed
with incredible strength; these, with their tendons, constitute the
instruments of motion; not like a sluggish beast, but quick as lightning.
_Nerves_, surprisingly minute tubes, derived from the Brain, which
gliding into the Muscles, set them on work, depress the power of
sensation through the body, or returning upon any impression from
without, give all needful intelligence to the soul. The _Skin_, like a
curious surtout, exactly fitted, is superadded over the whole, formed of
the most delicate net work. The _Pores_ are minute, and nervous fibres
are multiplied even to a progeny.—The Veins beautifying the human
structure, especially the most conspicuous parts of it; the pliant wrist
and the taper arm, are adorned with them, they spread vermillion over the
lips, and plant roses on the cheeks; while the eye, tinged with glossy
jet, or sparkling with the blue of Heaven, is fixed in an orb of polished
chrystal.
The grand means of keeping up this wonderful frame, is a point worthy our
attention; for this purpose it is furnished with the powers of nutrition.
_Teeth_, the foremost thin and sharp, fit to bite asunder, or cut off
such a portion as the mouth can conveniently manage: those which are
broad and strong are qualified to grind in pieces whatever is transmitted
to their operation. The _Throat_, the _Stomach_, with its various
operations and appendages, which are so admirably constructed, I leave
you to muse upon. There are but two things more I have time to notice.
High in the Head, and conspicuous, as a star in the evening, is placed
the _Eye_. This is one of the greatest works of our blessed Creator,
consisting only of simple fluids, inclosed in thin tunicles: it conveys
to our apprehension all the graces of blooming nature, and all the
glories of the visible heavens. The _Eye_ so particularly tender, that a
slight accident, scarce perceivable by any other part of the body, would
be very injurious to its delicate frame. It is intrenched deep in the
Head, and barricadoed on every side with a strong fortification of bones,
defended by two substantial curtains, hung on a slender rod, which
secures it from every troublesome annoyance. The _Ear_. The structure
of this organ is so wonderful that God claims it as his own work, _He
that planted the Ear_. Amazing nice and exact must be the formation and
the tension of the auditory nerve, since they correspond with the
smallest tremors of the atmosphere: these living chords, tuned by an
Almighty hand, receive the impressions of sound, and propagate them to
the Brain. These give existence to the charms of music, and the
entertainment of discourse. I must not enlarge—read the whole of that
Chapter, and no doubt you will be well entertained.
But while I would admire this noble work of God, I rejoice that Jesus has
taken my nature, and lives in it for ever; and that he will raise my
frame from the disgrace of corruption, earth, and worms, to glory,
happiness, and God. I am at the same time deeply affected with the
miseries of my fallen nature, in consequence of sin; this has injured all
its fine powers, damaged every room in this wonderful house, so that in
consequence of the bad tenants which occupy it, the Almighty landlord has
ordered us to quit it. We have received by many a pain, a writ of
ejectment, but being unwilling to leave this clay frame, though in such a
damaged state, the owner and builder of this house takes it down by
degrees, which, Solomon mentions in the following four verses. Ah! my
brother, what has sin done! the pains, miseries, strife, and agonies
introduced into our poor bodies, and distress into our souls. Permit me
here to mention that affecting description which the Angel gave to Adam,
soon after his fall, as represented by Milton.—
—Immediately a place
Before his eyes appear’d, sad, noisome, and dark;
A lazar house it seem’d, wherein were laid
Numbers of all diseas’d; all maladies,
Of ghastly spasm, or racking torture, qualms
Of heart-sick agony, all feverous kinds,
Convulsions, epilepsies, fierce catarrhs,
Intestine stone and ulcer, colic-pangs,
Demoniac phrensy, moping melancholy,
And moon-struck madness, pining atrophy,
Marasmus, and wide-wasting pestilence,
Dropsies, and asthmas, and joint-racking rheums.
Dire was the tossing, deep the groans; despair
Tended the sick, busiest from couch to couch;
And over them triumphant death his dart
Shook, but delay’d to strike, though oft invok’d
With vows, as their chief good, and final hope.
Sight so deform’d what heart of rock could long
Dry-ey’d behold? Adam could not, but wept,
Though not of woman born; compassion-quell’d
His best of man, and gave him up to tears.
From this sight let us turn, likewise, and consider the infinite love and
condescension of God our dear Saviour, who took all our infirmities, bore
our sickness, and knows how to sympathize with our poor natures in all
their sorrows; and such an High Priest became us; such a Saviour is
exactly adapted for all our miseries; and hence he is called a Physician
of value, he healeth all our diseases, and surely the mind is awfully
diseased with sin, nothing but his skill can penetrate into the depth of
the diseases of the mind; whatever may be the ailments of the body, they
are but emblems of the diseases of the soul; the blindness of ignorance,
the deafness of spiritual unconcern, the fever of concupiscence, the
jaundice of malice, the swelling tympany of pride, the vertigo of
inconstancy, the quinsey of cursing and blasphemy, the dropsy of
covetousness, the palsey of stupidity, the pleurisy of envy, the
rheumatism of discontent, the delirium of constant levity, the
moon-struck madness of passion and rage, with unbelief, hardness of
heart, temptations of Satan, and the stings of conscience, of whatever
disease we may feel we have got; these the adorable Physician heals. Let
us carry all our hard cases to him—_See Brown’s Tropology_. We are
always welcome to him, and though he may not seem to notice our case for
a season, yet he will in his own appointed time. This text has often
been very precious to my soul, _Therefore will the Lord wait that he may
be gracious to you—and therefore will he be exalted that he may have
mercy upon you_.
Finally, The earthly house of our tabernacle shall soon be dissolved, it
has got the plague in it, the plague of leprosy, and the house is
condemned to come down. Leviticus xiv. _He shall break down the house_,
_the stones of it_, _and the timber of it_, _and all the mortar of the
house_, _and he shall carry them forth out of the city into an unclean
place_, even to the grave, till the last trumpet shall sound, and the
tabernacle be raised again, beautiful and glorious, like the human nature
of our most glorious Covenant Head; and this will be thy lot, O
Theophilus, as sure as the trumpet of the Gospel ever quickened your
soul.
I shall add no more, but my prayers for you, as I trust I have your’s for
me.
[Picture: Signature of J. C.]
_LETTER VII_.