Page images
PDF
EPUB

LETTER XL.

To Mr. T-S

BELOVED OF GOD,

Peace and truth be with thee.

THY fimple narrative arrived fafe, and in the perufal of it I found a medley of sweets in it, and a medley of feelings in my own foul which accompanied the reading of it. I wondered, I admired, I grieved, I wept, and at times laughed quite out; I said, in my heart, this veffel hath made many tacks, spent much time in failing, and for ten years did not run one knot toward the defired haven, which is fo commodious to winter in. However, we are glad to find that Jonah is got fafe to land: you and I, my fon, are fubject to many epidemical diforders. which require many bitter potions, and much phyfic. Stiff necks, and ftony hearts; perverfe wills, and obftinate minds; the leprofy in the blood, and the plague in the heart-thefe require much probing, and a deal of medicine, and all little enough to restore us to health and keep us alive. Thou haft got a large track to look back upon,

plenty

plenty of room for reflection, and a vaft compass of this world to explore; one continued scene of prefervation, and the innumerable deliverances of an unknown God, muft at times be a foul-humbling confideration to thee, and is a confirmation of that wonderful paffage-preferved in Chrift Jefus, and called. However, I will be bold to fay, that thou haft been more roughly handled on shore than ever thou wert at fea; no captain, that ever thou failedft with, ever treated thee with that cruelty that thou haft experienced from the buffetings of thy old mafter the devil; all the lafhes of the cat were but fleabites, when compared to the chastisements and scourges of God; nor any dangers at fea fo perilous as that of hovering upon the brink of the bottomless pit, with a guilty confcience, and under the curfe of God: I know thou wilt agree with me in this. What pains, what patience, what long-fuffering and long-forbearance, what watchfulness and tender care, does the Almighty exercise in behalf of poor crawling worms of the duft, who are fuch enemies to him, such infamous rebels against him! But his decree is fure, his eternal love is fixt, and the price of our redemption is paid, and we must be brought to know it, to feel it, and to enjoy it, that we may be melted, purified, and humbled, and that our God may be glorified.

It is true, had all these thy fufferings been in defence of the gofpel, it had been an honour, and thou wouldest have borne, even on thy back, the

marks

marks of the Lord Jefus, but, alas, thou waft buffeted for thy faults; but even this hath worked for good, for we have had our fill of this vain and miferable world, and, whatever opportunity we may have to return, I believe we fhall never defire to go back.

Worldly profperity is feldom a furtherance of the good work within; if it was, God would not keep the generality of his people fo poor as he does: a ftate of abfolute dependance on him is beft for us, though proud nature doth not like to fubmit to it. It makes us industrious, watchful, and furnishes us with many petitions at the throne of grace; it makes his mercies fweet, and excites gratitude for the leaft favour; and, while the Almighty caufes his goodnefs to pass before us, we fee our figns, and many tokens for good, which encourage faith, and cause us to abound in hope; and, as he hath promifed us every needful supply, and hath put temporal as well as fpiritual bleffings into his covenant and in his promife, and hath appointed Chrift heir of all things pertaining to this life and to that which is to come, our portion is fafeft in his hand, and he fhall choofe our inheritance for us: he hath not intended to give us our good things in this life, he hath provided fome better thing for us, a treasure in the heavens, where no moth corrupts, where no thief approaches; therefore, having food and raiment, be therewith content, for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. S

VOL. II.

Be

Be not entangled with acquaintances, nor fuffer thyfelf to be brought into bondage by any one that makes a profeffion of religion, let him be who he may. There are but few, comparatively speaking, who know either law or gofpel in the power of them; they know neither the goodness nor the severity of God; they can neither fing of mercy nor of judg ment. It hath often been a grief to me to fee a young believer, juft verged out of darkness, running after every one he can find that makes a profeffion; one robs him, another wounds him, another ftumbles him. If fuch were to be ftill and quiet, keep themselves to themselves, and obferve the Lord's work with them, and what paffes between their own fouls and him, pay attention to his voice and watch his vifitations, compare fpiritual things with fpiritual, his word with his work, and give all diligence to make their calling and election fure,,we fhould not have fo many halting and doubting believers as we have; but they let the beft opportunity flip, and then the time comes, when they defire to fee one of the days of the Son of Man, and they shall not fee it. Such fimple fouls are often ensnared by the worst of hypocrites, they look up to one who appears to have great light, and they fee with his eyes, and go by his light, and what he fays is fure to be gospel; another appears to be all faith and.fervour, and they reft upon his arm; by and by this fhining light falls into error, and the fuppofed ftrong believer difcovers nothing but rafh prefumption; and then their right

eyes

eyes must be plucked out, and their right hands cut off: and how halt and maimed does fuch a poor foul feel himself to be; how is he staggered and stumbled; how enfeebled and discouraged is he, and how strongly do his natural affections bias him. Thus poor David fared when Abithophel, his counsellor and companion, was given up to Satan; and Paul, when Alexander and Demas turned their backs upon him; but God never forfook them. And truly our fellowship is with the Father and the Son Chrift Jefus, who will be with us through evil report and good report, and to hoary hairs and old age will he carry us. O that we may walk humbly with him! walk with him in peace and equity, and he shall shine upon our path, direct our steps, and pluck our feet out of every net. There is none like the God of Jefhuron, who rideth upon the heavens in our help, and in his excellency on the fkies. The eternal God is our refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; he fhall thruft out every enemy from before us, and shall say, Deftroy them. To his protection I commit thee, and under his fhadow may thy trust be, till every calamity be overpast. Amen and amen, fays thy willing fervant in Chrift Jefus,

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »