his emissaries _in_ all the grand displays of his favour to his dear
people, _in_ the open manifestation of his love, _in_ the accomplishment
of our redemption, _in_ the proclamation of pardon and mercy in the
gospel, and _in_ the operations of the ever-blessed Spirit on the hearts
of his chosen. It is the last point I now beg you to notice; there are
greater and more mischievous foes to this work than to any other, because
this opposition generally comes from a quarter where one would hardly
expect it; _some_ profest Christians deny it entirely; _others_ admit it
in part only, as an assistant to the creature. The apostle has addressed
such characters in this pointed speech. “Beware, lest that come on you
which was spoken by the prophet, ‘Behold ye despisers and wonder, and
perish, for I work a work in your days; a work in which you shall in no
wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.’” You may talk to many
about the works of creation and redemption, and they may give credit to
it; but if you talk to them about the work of God the Holy Spirit on the
heart, they will hiss like a serpent, and soon manifest their enmity to
you and the work itself. But, my dear friend, although God has been
pleased to begin, and is actually carrying on this work in our hearts,
have we not more formidable foes within: are not our inward enemies worse
than every outward foe? Let me appeal to your conscience. Do you not at
times give way to doubting, and God-dishonouring unbelief? Do you not
lie against your right, and offend the Lord in a fit of ingratitude, and
too often indulge your suspicions and your complaints? Is not this
giving place to satan, to harrass your mind, and keep up the distance
between God, and your soul; setting you at questioning the reality of a
work of grace in the heart, and begetting a fear in your soul that you
are nothing but an hypocrite? The world, perhaps, joins in it and says
the same: oh, you are nothing but an hypocrite. Perhaps providence seems
contrary, troubles befal you, the members of the same church are
permitted to suspect your religion, and condemn you only as an hypocrite.
Under this opposition I have sighed and wept. Yet will you believe it,
even this has done me much good: the fears of being an hypocrite, and
being found so in death and judgment, have driven me to pray that God
would _make_ me sincere and without offence. By persevering in prayer I
have obtained fresh light; the Lord has cast a ray on the track he has
led me; and by reading the word I have been enabled to compare my past
and present case with the word of God: this has often afforded me joy and
peace in believing: not that I make my experience a foundation of hope,
but I look upon some Bible parts of experience to be tokens for good,
way-marks, evidences, and infallible signs and proofs of the electing
love of God and of redemption from woe. The method I have found good to
adopt has been the following:—
First, I have considered the characters specified in the Bible, to whom
the promises and invitations belong: these persons are described clearly
by such terms, and couched in such words as the very weakest believer may
comprehend, sometimes as expressive of his feelings, and the views which
he has of himself, in himself; so that when faith is too weak to
apprehend what we are in Christ, it is busied about what we are in
ourselves, as described in the word, and as we are led to _feel_, _see_,
_lament_ and _acknowledge_ the same before God and man. For instance,
the word of God has set forth our state as dead, blind, captive,
alienated from God, filled with enmity, rebellion, pride and unbelief.
An acquaintance with these things as inherent in our nature is peculiar
only to God’s people: all men are by nature in this state, but the
children of God are the only persons who see it, feel it and lament it,
and prize the remedy God has provided. When I have heard or read sermons
and authors speak of the dignity and excellency of human nature, I have
felt disgusted, because I know, first, what the Bible has declared of
human nature, and secondly, I have had the painful feelings of these
things; I have felt my deadness, I have seen my blindness, I have felt my
bondage, and saw, with horror, my distance and want of conformity to God.
I have been brought into such circumstances as to feel my rebellion
against a holy and a just God, his law, his gospel, his people and his
sovereign dispensations: the Lord has shown me my pride of heart, and I
have felt shut up in unbelief; I have seen my weakness, and been led
captive by sin, satan and the world; and to this day feel the tyranny of
sin; though, blessed be God, sin is not my sovereign, it _rages_, but it
does not _reign_. A view, a deep heart-felt acquaintance with these
things is feeling the plague of the heart; and deep as our knowledge may
be of this desperate sore, not one half can ever be known by us. It was
a good saying of Mr. Whitfield’s, “There are two mysteries we can never
comprehend, the mystery of Godliness, as set forth in the gospel, and the
mystery of iniquity which works in the heart.” No one can possibly prize
the holy person and precious work of Christ, but those who are led by the
Spirit into an acquaintance with their own hearts. This knowledge of the
human heart distinguishes a believer from an hypocrite, and a mere carnal
professor; it is the most painful part of our experience, but it is very
useful. The full loatheth an honeycomb, but to the hungry soul every
bitter thing is sweet; and as the ever blessed Spirit leads us on to know
our desperate vileness, so we see the justice of God in our condemnation,
by the holy law which we have violated; we see the sin of Adam in a most
awful light, and view it imputed to us, and condemning us. These things
are better understood than it is possible to write them. I beg leave to
observe once more, this knowledge of the human heart is gradual; we saw a
little of it at our first setting out, but what do we see now. Hence the
command to _Ezekiel_, “Turn again, son of man, thou shalt yet see greater
abominations than these.” Oh! the patience and forbearance of God with
such hell-deserving sinners. Oh! the love of his heart, and the
greatness, freeness, and power of his grace, give, oh, give him the glory
for ever.
Yours, J. C.
LETTER XXVI.
“For the Spirit itself, _Himself_ beareth witness with our Spirits,
that we are the children of God, and if children, then heirs.”
To —
One of the very great errors of the present day in which we live amongst
our professing churches, is not giving to God the Holy Ghost, the glory
of his distinct personality in the Godhead, in perfect equality with the
Father and the Son, adoring and worshiping him as a person in God, and
making him the object of our faith, hope and love. We confess that he is
equally interested in our salvation, but do we give him equal praise? I
fear not. It is a mercy to be divinely led to understand the
personality, divinity, covenant offices and work of God the Holy Spirit;
the different characters he bears to his people, and in which he is
presented to our view in his own word as an advocate, reprover,
comforter, sanctifier, teacher, leader, sealer, glorifier and _witness_
of Jesus in his word, and to the hearts of his own dear people, for which
he is well qualified as the spirit of knowledge, a spirit of judgment,
and a spirit of truth; and he that believeth on the Son of God hath the
witness in himself, because the Spirit has taken the great things of
Christ, and shewn them to his soul; for all the spiritual knowledge we
have of Christ is by his teaching, and in no other way: the Holy Spirit
has borne his witness of Christ as God in the language of _Isaiah_, “His
name shall be called the mighty God and of his Sonship, and I saw and
bare record that this is the Son of God, and of the person, work and
offices of the Redeemer. He shall testify of me.” This he has
graciously done in the word, and to the souls of all his elect redeemed
ones in all ages. He also is a witness with, or to the hearts of his
people. Hence the apostle asserts that the Lord’s people are heirs of
God, and joint-heirs with Christ; being interested in God as the covenant
God of his people _in_ Christ, and _with_ Christ, as the head of the
Church, and heir of all things, and although they are put into the
possession of _some_ of the _all_ things to which they are heirs,—and
their spirits, or consciences, can witness the fact—yet there are sad
seasons, when we are permitted to doubt it ourselves, and in which this
may be disputed by Satan. We have indeed much to accuse ourselves of.
Sin has a voice against us—natural conscience has a voice, and is always
finding fault, and the devil is sure to accuse us right or wrong; and
declare we have no part in David, nor no inheritance in the Son of Jesse.
Till these accusers are borne down by better witnesses, and where the one
fails the other is sure to prove victorious. The first witness is our
spirit, an enlightened conscience—and the second is the holy
condescending spirit of truth, the infallible witness.—Good men have
called this twofold witness, the common and the uncommon, or the ordinary
and extraordinary witness. The former is at all times in the believer’s
heart, and by a ray of divine light, it is given him to discover it.
Conscience can bear witness of the work of God upon the soul, and draw
its inference upon a review of the Lord’s dealings with it, as Manoah’s
wife did. If the Lord had been pleased to have destroyed us, he would
not have done this, nor would he have told us such things as he has.
Conscience bears its testimony to the work of God on the soul _within_,
by comparing it with the word of God _without_, and this is done by
proving that our minds have been opened to receive God’s testimony of
Christ; what he is, and what he has done; and this not in a bare rational
way, however clear, but that we have so received him, as to believe in
him, desire him, call upon him, prize him, trust him, hold communion with
him, and most earnestly desire to live to his glory; and as we have
received him, so to walk in him, be conformed to his image, and spend a
blest eternity with him, to love all that he loves, and to hate all that
he hates. Conscience bears witness of our sincerity in these things.
This is the witness of conscience, and it is a mercy to hear it speak
amidst the host of witnesses against us. Satan’s accusation, as in the
case of Job before God, accusing him of hypocrisy, although God had
declared he was the most sincere character in the world—and in the
business of Joshua, the high priest, satan stood at his right hand to
resist him, as it had long before been predicted of Judas. “Set thou a
wicked man over him, and let satan stand at his right hand.” The world
is also waiting to accuse, longing for every opportunity to ridicule the
religion of the Son of God. Mere professors are all upon the watch, and
even preachers, who are inimical to truth. “My mother’s children were
angry with me—_not_ my father’s, but my mother’s, children—all my
familiars watched for my halting, they said peradventure he will be
enticed, and we shall prevail against him. The watchmen found me, they
smote me, they wounded me, they took away my veil from me.” Natural
conscience legally biassed, and external appearances in the dispensations
of Providence leads us on till we exclaim in the passionate language of
Jacob, “All these things are against me.” Falling amongst thieves, we
are stripped and wounded, and left half dead; or to keep up the metaphor,
these witnesses would swear us out of our eternal life. But blessed be
God, conscience can witness to the sincerity of our souls, the reality of
our faith _that_ it is unfeigned, the goodness of our hope _that_ it is
founded upon the person and work of Christ; _that_ our love to God, and
all that is dear to him is without dissimulation, and _the_ desires of
our souls are to Christ and the glory of his name. Yet, alas! what sad
seasons of darkness, doubts and fears come on till these clouds which
come betwixt, are dispersed by some precious manifestation of love; the
holy spirit creating in the mind some very precious exalted views of
Christ, clear apprehensions of the love of God, his secret purposes, and
decrees the glorious covenant of redemption, the gracious transactions of
each adorable person in the Trinity, respecting the salvation of the
church; the truth as it is in Christ producing holy meltings of soul, and
filling it with all joy and peace in believing; sometimes cloathing the
word with such power as fills the mind with extacy; suddenly visiting the
soul with light, life and love, and indulging us with sweet sensible
communion with Father, Son and Spirit: this is an infallible witness.
These things form no part of the salvation which is in Christ; yet they
are very valuable tokens of God’s high approbation of us in Christ: these
should be coveted by us—prayed for, that our joy might be full. This is
a spiritual baptism indeed, of which water baptism is an outward and
visible sign; this is being immersed in the spirit, and filled with the
spirit; and those who have not yet attained should tarry in Jerusalem
till they be endued with this power from on high. Peter calls it
rejoicing with joy unspeakable, and full of glory; and although many of
the Old Testament saints had glorious manifestations, yet this spiritual
baptism is more clearly revealed, and is peculiar to the New Testament
dispensation. If my reader complains he has not yet arrived at these
things, nor been thus favoured with such extraordinary witness of the
spirit, it is still our mercy to rejoice the holy spirit has began the
good work in our hearts, and as that is made manifest, it is the witness
of the spirit _to_ us that we belong to God; and while his gracious power
is afforded to conscience, it is the Spirit _with_ our spirit, bearing
testimony that we are his people, heirs of God, and joint heirs with
Christ; for as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of
God. The Lord be pleased to bless the reading of this simple statement
of this important work to your heart, that you may rejoice in Christ,
worship God the Spirit, be favoured with clearer views of the Father’s
love, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. This witness of the
spirit is the Lord’s secret with the righteous; it is the deep mystery of
faith, it is a path that no foot knoweth, and that the vulture’s eye hath
not seen; it is one of the mysteries the Saviour gives his disciples to
know, and which is hidden from the wise and prudent (in their own
esteem). This work is a mystery at times, even to the real possessor; in
fact, all he is, all he knows, all he feels, and all he meets with is
very mysterious to him; he is a complete paradox to himself and all
others—he is a riddle. This reminds me of what the excellent Erskine
says in his “Gospel Sonnets,” to which I must refer you, but cannot pass
by a few verses without transcribing them from his riddle.
To works, but not to working dead,
From sin, but not from sinning freed;
I clear myself from no offence,
Yet wash my hands in innocence;
I’m still at ease, and still opprest,
Have constant troubles, constant rest,
Both clear and cloudy, free and bound,
Both dead and living, lost and found.
My inward foes, that me alarm,
Breed me much hurt, yet little harm;
I get no good by them, yet see,
To my chief good they make me flee;
I’m innocent, yet guilty still,
I sin against, and with my will.
Though fain I’d be the greatest saint,
To be the least I’d be content;
Down like a stone I sink and dive,
Yet daily upward soar and thrive;
To heaven I fly, to earth I tend,
Still better grow, yet never mend;
Mine enemies that seek my hurt,
Of all their bad designs come short;
They serve me duly to my mind,
With favours that they ne’er design’d:
The fury of my foes makes me,
Fast to my peaceful refuge flee,
And every persecuting elf,
Does make me understand myself;
Their slanders cannot work my shame,
Their vile reproaches raise my name:
In peace with heaven, my soul can dwell,
E’en when they damn me down to hell.
I could quote a great deal more, but must request you to read the work
itself and you will find a scriptural description of the mystery of the
saint’s life, warfare and state; and while you are at times perplexed
about yourself, may you be led to enjoy the clear witness of the Holy
Spirit in your soul, this will comfort you in life, cheer you in death,
and let this be our daily prayer.
Witness _in_ us, _by_ us, _for_ us,
With thine agency divine,
Nor in that great day deny us,
When the saints in glory shine;
Then bear witness
Of our souls, that they are thine.—Amen.
Yours, J. C.
* * * * *
Thus I have compiled with the request of those who so earnestly solicited
a brief account of my life to the fortieth year. In a second edition I
shall see great reasons for omitting some things which I have inserted,
and introducing others of greater importance; also of correcting the
errors of this little work, in the hasty printing of it. {270} I have
been obliged to be thus brief, owing to a variety of circumstances. If I
am spared I shall add a third part to this work: at present, reader,
whether friend or foe, I bid you farewell, praying that we may experience
more grace in the heart, more knowledge in the understanding, and more
love to the Friend of sinners; that we may live more devotedly to his
glory; being redeemed from the hands of them which hate us, we may serve
him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives.—Amen.
* * * * *
END OF THE SECOND PART.
* * * * *
R. Weston, Printer, Crosby Row, Southwark.
* * * * *
FOOTNOTES.
{17} I beg leave to remark, the appearance of spirits in this lower
world has been the subject of much controversy. Some believe it, others
do not. Some ask the question, how can a spirit be seen? I ask another
question, how were angels seen by the people of God in old times?—Read
_Job_, iv. 12 to 18, and doubt the subject if you can. I refer you to
Dr. Watts on Separate Spirits, and the great Ambrose on the Ministration
of Angels.
{33} I should not have related this simple tale, but for a reason which
you will find in the Second Part of my History, of the dealings of God
with my soul in spiritual experience.
{51} An account of the present state of this school will be given in a
subsequent number.
{86} Of an external nature, but the blind pharisees who wrote them
forget their own hearts; I beg such to read _Matthew_ xv. from 1st to
20th verse.
{90} Not sacrament money, as hundreds know I have nothing to do with
that; though my accuser has, as I am informed.
{91} With a motley group of —.
{106} See Poem on Spiritual Birth, by Mr. Huntington.
{110} In the printed book this page is numbered 112, but is on the back
of page 109, so the page number has been corrected in this
transcription.—DP.
{114} _Numbers_, xxii, 29.
{117} Of Moses—_Acts_, xxi 20, to the end.
{124} And, of course, illegally.
{127} History of Little Faith.
{128} This reminds as of “_Non mi ricordo_!”
{164} I am well pleased to see an exposure of some of the errors in the
“Whole Duty of Man,” inserted in the “Gospel Magazine,” vol. 8, new
series; a book, the writer remarks, that has gone through more
impressions than any other work, the Bible and Common Prayer excepted—The
“Whole Duty of Man,” “New Week’s Preparation,” “Companion to the Altar,”
&c. are books forming no part of my small library: for of such books and
their admirers, it may be truly said—“They are blind leaders of the
blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” For, as Mr. Huntington solemnly
remarks—“If he is cursed of God, that causeth the blind to wander out of
the way, to what a curse must that man be entitled, that gives him his
hand to lead him into the ditch.” The author of that miserable
performance says, of parents’ duty to children “a duty that belongs to
their souls, is their bringing them to the sacrament of _baptism_,
whereby to procure them early right to all those precious advantages
which that sacrament _conveys_ to them.” This is a duty the parents
ought not to delay, it being most reasonable that they who have been
instruments to convey the stain and pollution of sin to the poor infant,
should be very earnest and industrious to have it _washed off as soon as
may be_. Yea, Mr. John Wesley says—“that he lost all the grace that was
given to him in his _baptism_, by then he was ten years old.” And who
can doubt it? On the Lord’s Supper, the above author says—“When thou art
about to receive the _consecrated_ bread and wine, remember that God now
offers to seal to thee that new covenant made with mankind, in his Son;
but then remember that this is all upon _condition_ that thou performest
_thy part_ of the new covenant.” On alms-giving it is stated, “that the
_motive_ is to be the hope of that eternal _reward_ promised to this
performance—to gain a _title_ to endless felicities, and to be sure to
make this our _sole aim_.” On the mercy of the gift of Christ to man, we
have a curious account. Speaking of the Son of God, “who came to make
known to us the whole _will_ of the Father, in the performance of which
we shall be sure to be _accepted_ and _rewarded_ by him.” Reader, what
mercy to be _better_ taught!
{169} One quotation more from the old “Whole Duty of Man.” That blind
author tells us, “Christ came to enable, or give us strength to _do_ what
God requires of us; this he doth by taking off from the hardness of the
law given to Adam (which was never to commit the least sin, on pain of
damnation) and requiring of us only an _honest_ and hearty endeavour to
_do_ what we are able, and where we _fail_, to accept of _sincere_
repentance.”
How directly contrary to the gospel method of salvation, as laid down in
the Holy Scriptures, and clearly stated in the Prayer Book of the Church
of England, is the above statement of the grand errand of Christ? “From
all blindness of heart, from all false doctrine, and contempt of thy
Word—Good Lord deliver us.”
{200} The printer lost count of the letter numbering here and this and
the following are all out but as in the book.—DP.
{229} Mr. Toplady.
{239} He that listens, the listener.
{270} In the book this page is clearly numbered 297, and has page 269 on
the reverse. It has therefore been renumbered to 270 in this
transcription.—DP.