A LETTER

My dear friend.

I fear you will think me very unkind in not answering your letter before this. It was not for want of a willing mind. You know how my time is taken up; but that is not all, I have been waiting for a gracious gale from the south, to warm my heart and affections. My dear Lord sees fit to keep me in a waiting frame, but not always quiet. It is hard work to see another get the blessing, and we left to mourn under the hardness of our heart, and at times such insensibility as though we had no feeling, nor any desire after any good thing; yet I am not contented, it is as an aching void, which nothing in this world but the blessed Jesus can fill, and the language of my heart is, “How long, O Lord! how long wilt Thou keep me at this distance?” Still 1 have good hope through grace, and am not casting away my confidence as in times past; yet I cannot get that sweet enjoyment which my soul longs for, so as to lie as nothing at His feet, and my dear Lord to be all in all I desire, with the great apostle, to know and enjoy the heights, and depths, and lengths, and breadths of the love of my dear Jesus, which passeth knowledge. At the same time, I desire to submit to all his sovereign will, knowing He is too wise to err, and too good to be unkind. To me He is not unkind, but a gracious, tender Father; He has fed me all my life long, protected me and kept me from every evil, and, above all, has given me a little faith, although it appears to me to be less than a grain of mustard seed, that when I have done with this world He will take me to Himself; for He hath declared that He goes to prepare a place for all such as are brought from every other refuge to trust and rest wholly upon what He has done for salvation, and have been made to feel that they cannot of themselves do any one good thing, nor think one good thought. O be of good courage, for He has promised to work all our works in us, and to bring us off more than conquerors through Him Who hath everlastingly loved us; and when faith is enabled to enjoy Him as our salvation we are truly willing to give Him all the glory, and bless and praise Him that ever He should have mercy on such worms as we are. My pen runs on, for I judge you know something of these ins and outs. When you left _____, I thought the Lord had removed all my companions from me, but He has raised me up another, Mrs._____’ who is come to live near us; and since she came, the Lord has blessed her in a wonderful manner. She has labored under heavy temptations, for several years together, and the dear Lord, as her strong deliverer, has opened the prison doors, and said to the prisoner, “Go forth”; and I am a living witness of the effects of it. The gracious words that have dropped from her lips, under the blessed Spirit’s influence, have been, like the good old wine of God’s everlasting love, felt by us all. Truly I have felt the blessed influence, and have gathered much encouragement, seeing that she came here under such trouble. The Lord has blessed her indeed, and I know He is no respecter of persons, for He has promised to cast out none that comes unto Him by faith. O, that He may keep us waiting upon Him and seeking His face! for we shall reap if we faint not, and we cannot miscarry while He is the strength of our heart and our portion for ever. Yours in Christian love and affection,

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen