_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.
[Picture: Signature of J. C.]
_LETTER IX_.