Ever your’s in him who is our hiding place, and our shield,
Signature of J. C.
TO THEOPHILUS.
DEAR FRIEND,
I well remember some conversation which we once had upon the subject of the creation, and feeling my mind particularly imprest with that subject, I venture only to drop a word or two upon it, ’tis a mercy to be satisfied with what God has said; but some are daringly presumptuous, so that they can treat both the Deity and his revelation with contempt. I am glad you are delivered from that snare. The Mosaic account of the Creation has always been supposed to be too weak, simple, and incorrect for a philosophic mind; they vainly suppose the mind ought to have been led through the whole Planetary System, instead of being led to the glorious Work of Redemption, which reflects his highest honour and beauty; for here, and here alone, his brightest form of glory shines.
The six days work of Creation was to open to the eye of faith his works very gradually, that like thestars of a night, they might be seen one by one. The six days work, and the seventh day of rest, was no doubt designed to shadow forth the Seven Millenniums, which would include all time between the two eternities. The first day, from Adam to Enoch, had in it a revelation of the true light—the second, from Enoch to Abraham, including the division of the waters—the third day, from Abraham to David, including the separation of the nations of the world—the fourth day, represented the Thousand Years from Solomon to Christ, the time when the Shekinah appeared in the Temple: the Church, fair as the Moon, and the Prophets, the Stars, shone bright in the firmament. At the close of this, Christ the true Sun appeared. The fifth day was to point out the state of the church and the world, from Christ to the Reformation, when the great Whales of Anti-christian powers, troubled the seas. This lasted till the glorious Reformation, the beginning of the Sixth Day, in which we now are, and longing for the Seventh, the rest of Jesus and his Bride, in the den of Eden, the glorious Millennium. But infidels object to the Mosaic account of light, the finest emblem of Jesus—there is nothing in the account contrary either to reason or philosophy. I acknowledge the question which philosophers have asked, cannot be solved, the Bible has not engaged to satisfy vain curiosity, viz.What was that light that made its appearance before the Sun? A very learned man supposes it to have been an emanation of the sameSun that enlightens us, and which was created though it had not yet appeared in his glory, yet it shed sufficient light to make the Globe visible.—This is not a bad idea for a half-hearted Christian Philosopher.—Milton seems to lean this way when speaking of light—
To journey through the aerial gloom began,Sphered in a radient cloud, for yet the SunWas not, she in a cloudy tabernacleSojourn’d the while.
To journey through the aerial gloom began,Sphered in a radient cloud, for yet the SunWas not, she in a cloudy tabernacleSojourn’d the while.
This is a very pretty idea, nor is it at all contrary to reason any more than the cloud that followed the Israelites which contained a shade, a fire, darkness, and light at the same time. Yet the word of God is true, and to that we must adhere. As light without the sun was first formed, so it appears the great Creator collected these particles of light into one body, the Sun. The language of scripture often expresses the appearance of things to us, such as the Sun rising and setting, which at the same time, perfectly in the main point, agreeing with the Newtonian System of Philosophy. Did light appear first? was it not to notice the dispensation for the four first thousand years, till on the fourth day the Sun of Righteousness should appear? Was it not an emblem of all the light the Church of God has now, till the second appearance of the Son of God in our nature, and of that light which we have tillthe Saviour shines upon the soul, with healing in his beams? We have light to see ourselves and his glory, but we want him to shine with power, then we shallbe light in the Lord, till then, light and darkness must struggle together; and God divided them, to shew the difference between the Law and the Gospel—between the Flesh and the Spirit, between the Church and the World—between the Elect and the Reprobate—Christ and Anti-christ. See the light and darkness struggling; see it soon begins in Cain and Abel, and to this day it continues, and will for ever. The Elect and Reprobate are divided in election, in redemption, in calling, in principles, in practices, in death, judgment, and eternity. May this subject lead you and me to the Saviour, who is the light, the beauty, purity, loveliness, and glory of the Church. O may we see him, love him, adore him, and enjoy him, till we behold him in Heaven.
Permit me to notice further, that the Holy Ghost is pleased to represent various characters and things by these same terms, Sun, Moon, Light, and Stars,—which is really worthy our attention. He sets forth the Lord Jesus by that well known emblem, the Sun, and I think it is the finest figure in nature; and hence that very precious promise to those who are the called according to his purpose,Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his beams. Eternal sun, whose morning measures all our days, who hast graduallyrisen on my dear friend’s heart, shine brighter to perfect day, even to that blessed meridian when in our flesh we shall see God.
Sometimes the moon, in scripture, signifies the Church of God as inferior to Christ, the glorious sun, from whom they borrow all their light and truth; their frames and feelings inconstant, spotted in their hearts and lives, which is the cause of much grief to their souls, yet they are the light of this lower world, and their influence is great on the sea of this troubled state.
Light is sometimes used as an emblem of God’s word, as pure, glorious, pleasant, and comfortable, penetrating and purifying. While favored with this light, may we walk in it, lest darkness overtake us, as it is written,Give glory to the Lord your God,before he cause darkness.—By Stars, in scripture, sometimes the Spirit condescends to point out the Ministers of the Gospel, with all the Ordinances, which are designed, like the Star in the East, to lead to the grand end, the Babe of Bethlehem. These are fixed in the firmament of the Church, for adorning it, and for guiding the spiritual mariner to endless glory, amidst the nights of trouble and woe. These are held in the hands of Christ, kept, supported, and blest by him; and though constantly opposed and troubled, yet shineon, and shine forth. This is the mystery of the Seven Stars. But these are likewise used to point out other things in sacred writ. When God foretold the exaltation of Joseph, in a dream, he shewed him, in a second revelation, the sun, moon, and eleven stars, bowing down to him; which was afterwards explained by the venerable Patriarch finding an asylum with his son Joseph, and his brethren doing him homage in his state of exaltation.—And was it not a striking type of our truly-exalted spiritual Joseph? honored by the most dignified characters in our world, for kings shall submit themselves to him, and the whole Church of Jesus, the moon, with all the stars, ministers of the Gospel, that should bow before him, and Crown him Lord of all.
I remark again, that when the Saviour predicted the overthrow of Jerusalem, he foretold that the sun should be darkened, that is, that the Lord, who was the light of the Jewish Church, should withdraw his light, justly leave them in judicial blindness, in which they remain to this day—that the moon should be turned into blood, that is, their Synagogue, their Church, which was put to the sword, (at least the greatest part of them)—that the stars should fall—their doctors, rulers over the church and state—which they did. But Solomon, in his 12th of Ecclesiastes, verse 2, seems to borrow these metaphors of sun, moon, light, and stars,and applies them to the human frame, when sickness or old age has impaired it. Good Mr. Henry remarks on this passage—the decays and infirmities of old age are here elegantly set forth in figurative expressions, which have some difficulty in them to us now, who are not acquainted with the phrases and metaphors used in Solomon’s age and language. But the general scope is plain, to shew how uncomfortable, generally, the days of old age are. Then he proceeds, and says, that the sun, moon, stars, and light will be dim to old people, through the decay of their sight; their countenance is decayed, and the beauty and lustre of it is eclipsed—their intellectual powers and faculties, which are as light in the soul, are weakened—their understanding and memory fail them, and their apprehension is not so quick, nor their fancy so lively as it has been.—Light is often put for joy and prosperity—the days of their mirth are over, and they have not the pleasure either of the converse by day, or the repose of night, for both the sun and moon was darkened to them; then the clouds return after the rain, as when the weather is disposed to wet, no sooner is one shower blown over but another succeeds it, when one pain is a little abated another comes on—the gout, the rheumatism; and so these afflictions being common to aged persons, they are continually grieved.
That famous commentator, Patrick, observes onthis verse, that the words intimate the universal decay of the whole frame of nature, and a failing of the mind in all its faculties and powers—that something particular is signified by every word; that by the sun is meant the soul itself; by the light the understanding, by the moon his will, by the stars all the motion of the mind and memory, with all the affections and powers in the will. So the sense of the wise man is thus—the mind of man grows feeble in all its powers, the understanding dim-sighted, the memory forgetful, the reason weak and childish, giving even a feeble light, that can neither direct ourselves or others. The will listless in all its desires, dull about our greatest concerns, wavering and inconstant in all resolutions, and so on. But the interpretation first mentioned seems most consistent.
Surely then, my Brother, these are some of the evil days which are hastening on us, and though we may not live to see old age, yet, through affliction we may have all our faculties as much impaired as the most ancient person in the world; this has been very often seen.—What a mercy I do consider it, thathewho hath begun the good work in my heart, can carry it on without my aid, or the concurrence of my powers or faculties working with him. Say not it is my duty to do so and so, in and with the work of the Spirit:Thou,Lord, says the Church,shall work all our worksin us,and ordain peace for us. But while we would look forward to the evil days which must come on the body, may we not notice some evil days that our souls may meet with, when the all-healing, comfortable, soul-reviving, soul-cheering, heart-warming beams of Christ, the glorious Sun of Righteousness shall be with-held, and coldness, deadness, sickness, darkness, legality, and distance is felt; and such seasons have befel the brightest saints. Hence the mournful cry,Why hidest thou thy face,O Lord?thou hidest thy face and we are troubled, about our state, our feelings, our wants, our prospects, our way, our end. We always know when we feel him shine and when we do not, though, as it respects himself, he is just the same in his shining, but we are not sensible of it by reason of the cloud that cometh betwixt. When we feel this wretched state we are always ready to fly to means, though we ought never to neglect them; yet there is a proneness in us to cleave to something short of the main subject. But, alas, we find the moon of Ordinances is just as dark! We move backwards and forwards, like the door on its hinges, yet get neither dew nor rain, light, life, comfort, nor joy. At the table of the Lord we neither feel love nor pity for our dear Saviour. In singing his praises we have no heart, in associating with his people we get nothing from them; if they talk of joys, we have none! if of a broken-heart, we feel nothing but hardness—if of light or comfort, wefeel destitute of both—thus the moon gives no light. As to ministers, they don’t seem to touch our case, nor is their word cloathed with any power. We fancy they are very much altered in their preaching—we change them: the passions are stirred up for a little while, but we find we are in just the same state. Hence the spouse is represented as having lost her lover—she rises, runs, seeks, mourns, and is still disappointed.I sought him but I found him not. Then she went into the broad places of public worship, then into the streets, among the inhabitants; after this to ministers, to enquire,how?why? andwherefore? But, for a season, all was still dark, yes, very dark indeed: these stars seem to give but little light during such painful seasons: the scriptures of light shut up in their beautiful histories, promises, types, parables, and doctrines, where we could see Christ once in every part, and enjoy him; now, alas, it is not so, but it is as a spring shut up, and sealed from us. While this is attended with a lowering sky, and a continual dropping of rain; no bright clouds now return as they used to do, and how it is with us we cannot tell. Once if we felt a little dark or uncomfortable, it was soon gone, smiling hope used to spring up, or a promise sent home with power. The company of God’s people cheered us up, or a little access to God’s throne revived us. Seldom heard a sermon but we got something by it—and if a few storms of persecution, temptation or corruption,or family trials befel us, the Lord made a bright cloud after it; but, alas, it is not thus with us now, these clouds don’t return after the rain—thus
Afflictions like vapours may rise,Light, love, and delight may be gone;The sun may be dark in the skies,And hell with its legions come on!
Afflictions like vapours may rise,Light, love, and delight may be gone;The sun may be dark in the skies,And hell with its legions come on!
Ah, my dear Brother, these are dark days truly, but it shall not be always thus;to the upright there arises light in darkness—this light is sown for us, and shall spring up again.
But may I not here enquire, as on another occasion, the Prophet did,Shall there be an evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it?Is there not a cause?Why doth a living man(a quickened man)complain? Let us enquire the cause: Have you not been making too much of your comforts? Have you not been looking at them instead of the Saviour, living on them instead of his fulness?—and were you not too prone to slight those who had not attained the same consolation? And, if so, Can you wonder that God should permit a partial death to overtake you?—Or, perhaps, there may be other causes—a sad neglect of those means which are appointed for the spiritual health of the soul: as abstinence, or neglect of food, will soon bring the body into a pining, languishing condition, so, if the means of the knowledge of gracebe not diligently attended to and implored, our souls must get into a starving state. The indulgence of sensual pleasures may bring on deadness, darkness, and distance. See this in Sampson, while sleeping in the lap of Delilah, he was shorn of his strength; and he arose to shake himself as at other times, but he wist not that the Lord had departed from him. But perhaps the Lord has done this to shew his adorable sovereignty, as in the case of Job: hence his complaint,He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass,and he hath set darkness in my path. And so complains Jeremiah,He hath led me,and brought me into darkness,and not into light. Sometimes this is done to humble us, lest we should be exalted above measure. But, above all, the Spirit leads into these deep and painful feelings, to make us prize our adorable Redeemer, and see our continual need of being supplied from his fulness. He lets our cisterns run dry, that we may come and lay our vessels under the flowings of the blessed fountain of life, that from him we might receive grace for grace.
May great grace rest on you. I remainYour willing Servant in Christ,
Signature of J. C.
TO THEOPHILUS.
DEAR BROTHER,
IOWEyou 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 aglory 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, theBones, 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. TheFeetcompose 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; theLegsandThighsare like substantial and stately columns, forced in such a manner as is quite commodious to the acts of either walking or sitting. TheRibsturned 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. TheArmsare exactly proportioned to each other; these being the guards whichdefend, 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 theHands, and all terminated by theFingers, 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 calledNails, to preserve the tender part from dangerous impressions. Above all, isthe 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 theoutwardMan, the noble work of the great God our Saviour, who became man for our sakes.
It is equally as wonderful to notice theInsideof this house; with the amazing arrangement of Fibres that unite the several Limbs of the Body, tough and strong. The smallMembranesappointed, enwrap the fleshy parts, to part some, and form a connection with the others.Arteries, some of which ascend to the Head, others spread themselvesover 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 ofvessels, 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. TheSkin, like a curious surtout, exactly fitted, is superadded over the whole, formed of the most delicate net work. ThePoresare 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 thispurpose 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. TheThroat, theStomach, 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 theEye. 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. TheEyeso 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. TheEar. 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 ofsound, 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 placeBefore his eyes appear’d, sad, noisome, and dark;A lazar house it seem’d, wherein were laidNumbers of all diseas’d; all maladies,Of ghastly spasm, or racking torture, qualmsOf 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; despairTended the sick, busiest from couch to couch;And over them triumphant death his dartShook, but delay’d to strike, though oft invok’dWith vows, as their chief good, and final hope.Sight so deform’d what heart of rock could longDry-ey’d behold? Adam could not, but wept,Though not of woman born; compassion-quell’dHis best of man, and gave him up to tears.
—Immediately a placeBefore his eyes appear’d, sad, noisome, and dark;A lazar house it seem’d, wherein were laidNumbers of all diseas’d; all maladies,Of ghastly spasm, or racking torture, qualmsOf 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; despairTended the sick, busiest from couch to couch;And over them triumphant death his dartShook, but delay’d to strike, though oft invok’dWith vows, as their chief good, and final hope.Sight so deform’d what heart of rock could longDry-ey’d behold? Adam could not, but wept,Though not of woman born; compassion-quell’dHis 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 ofthe 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 CovenantHead; 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.
Signature of J. C.
TO MRS. D—.
Peckham,July11, 1814.
MY DEAR FRIEND.
MAY the Father of Mercies and God of all consolation be with you, as your all in all, the foundation of your soul, the shield of your faith, the helmet of your hope, the length of your days, the joy of your mind, the strength of your heart, and your portion for ever.
I think, a few months ago you requested, and I promised you, a few remarks on the 12th of Ecclesiastes. Having repeated it in the Pulpit in a Sermon, I will how endeavour to give you my opinionin the most literal and spiritual manner I can, with all due deference to superior judgments; and humbly submit my sentiments to the whole Church of Christ, which is the pillar and the ground of the truth.
It has been asserted that Solomon was the wisest of all men; here I beg leave to differ, I humbly conceive he was not so wise as Adam, before the fell; nor perhaps so wise as the Apostle Paul: but when it is said he was the wisest of men, it must be considered merely in a political point of view; as God blest him with much natural wisdom, so that he was able to manage the affairs of the Nation without a Parliament, and to try all causes without a Bench of Judges; this was indeed a great work, and the Lord fitted him for it, by a spirit of wisdom and understanding, which he requested of the Lord. He was the wisest man, therefore, in natural things, that perhaps ever lived since the fall.—He collected and framed three thousand Proverbs, and a thousand and five spiritual Songs. He was well versed in, and well explained the nature of Herbs and Animals of every kind. Solomon had several books to study, the Book of the Ceremonial Law, which is often alluded to in the Proverbs, the Book of the Moral Law, out of which he was taught his need of a Mediator, and a better righteousness than his own, to justify him before God, the Book of all the scriptures that were then extant. Intothese he was deeply led. He had the book of nature, and appeared to be a Master of all the Sciences of natural and spiritual Philosophy. He was well skilled in Astronomy, in Botany, and Anatomy; the last he shews his skill in, as this last chapter of the Preacher shews. This book was probably written in his old age, after his recovery from his fall, and God had healed his broken bones. Age and sorrow coming on him, he felt the decline of mortality, urges the necessity of spiritual knowledge and practice, while health lasts and God furnishes a man with opportunities, knowing that the mental faculties would soon decay, however bright they might have been. These are set forth in three verses. He then notices the decay of the human frame—its weakness, and how every limb and joint, every power and passion, every member and faculty is affected, either by age, sickness, or trouble. The Lord, indeed, sometimes sends for his dear people, suddenly. He snatches them away from the power of enemies, and the evil to come; but others are gently gathered, not hastily plucked. God takes down our tabernacle a pin at a time, and loosens the cords just as we are able to bear it; gives kind warnings, and then appears like a cloud of the latter rain. This gradual decay Solomon pays a particular attention to, he had noticed it in others, perhaps began to feel it himself; and having called the Body an House, he describes its timbers, its strong beams, its supporters;in the day when the keepers of the house shall trembleand the strong men bow themselves. The almost universally received opinion of theseStrong men,the keepers of the house, is, that they signify theHandsandFeet, which include theShoulders, theArms, andHands, theThighs, theLegs, and theFeet.—These Hands and Arms are the keepers of the house, for when the scripture speaks of preserving, defence, and deliverance, the Hands and Arms are generally mentioned, besides, they keep the house by providing for it, getting maintenance for the whole body.These Hands, says Paul,have ministered to my necessities: these protect the house, and also keep off an adversary; these tremble through age or infirmities, as experience shews; and this includes all weakness and inactivity of those parts in this condition, whether they are outward, as stiffness and contraction, or inward, as aches, pains, numbness, palsies, cramps, and tremblings. Thus the Keepers tremble. The wise Man then descends to notice the inferior, theFeet, containing these parts in connection, the Thighs, Legs, Ancles, and Feet. These are the strong men; sometimes they are called the Strength of a man; and the Spouse is setting forth the majesty and glory of her beloved, in his strength, by this text,His legs are as pillars of marble; and because the great strength of a Man lays in these parts, therefore in his infirm and weak condition, these parts must become more eminently weak. As the diseases which affect the superior part, also affect the inferior, as the rheumatism, gout, and such like, the keepersand the strong men are subject to a similarity of diseases; and the learned say they are in the original exprest nearly alike—The keepers of the house tremble,and the strong men shall nod,or shake.
The next part of this shakey house the Wise Man observes, is theGrinders; these cease, because they are few. Grinding, all men know to be performed by two hard bodies, the one immovable, on which the Grinding is made, the other movable; which by strong compression against the former, and by its motion, makes the grinding. The upper and the nether millstone, as the scripture calls them, the firm stander, and the strong mover. Now, similar unto these in a mill, there are for that grinding which is performed in the mouth, two jaw-bones, the upper and lower; the upper admits no movement at all, the lower is movable, and so both perform that act called mastication, or chewing. Out of these jaw-bones proceed a certain number of small bones, we callTeeth—these are the properstrictinstruments of grinding. By the ceasing of the Teeth, we must understand all those infirmities that are incident to them by reason of age, whether looseness, hollowness, rottenness, brokenness, blackness, or whatever else may be an impediment to them in their use; for as age comes on, the natural moisture at the root of the teeth is consumed, and a preternatural is distilled in its room: thus as the teeth drop out, and very few are left in it, the chewing in themouth ceaseth, more so than when there is none at all, for then the gums might act one against another. But when the grinders are few, they hinder those from working, and having no antagonists they are not able to work themselves, and so the whole grinding ceaseth, which is a great symptom of the decay of life, at least of a state of weakness.
The next great object which we are called to observe, is, theDecayofSight—Those that look out of the windows,are darkened. I believe none has ever questioned but this means the eyes, and the infirmities of them in old age. One may be said to look out of a window, when he looks through the glass of the window, or when he looks through the open casement. Now a man could not look through a window, if it was not made of glass, or something of the kind, neither could he perceive any thing with his eye were not the parts thereof which the passage is made of, the very same substance. The parts of the eye through whose bodies the visiblespeciesmust pass, that they may be discerned, are either the humours, or the tunicles; the humours are three, the watery, the chrystalline, and glossy humour, so Anatomists call them; and however they differ, yet they are all instrumental to vision. The tunicles or coats, through which the sight is made, are only two, though there are others which conduce to the sight, yet there are but two through which the beams of light pass; the first is as fineand curious as a Spider’s web, and being derived from the Brain and optic Nerve, it becomes a vestment for the humors, and is pellucid and transparent. The other is an hard and horny membrane, and encompasseth the whole body of the eye, without perforation, and on the back part, behind the sight of the eye is more obscure and dark, but on the fore part is far more plain and clear. Solomon observes theselookers out of the windows to become dark, that is, as age enfeebleth the eye the form and figure becomes more plane and depressed than it was before, and the chrystalline humor, which had a power of reducing itself, now becomes dry and altogether unfit for such an end, which must breed a confusion in the sight. As age comes on, and increaseth, it is well known the sight goeth away, the lookers out of the windows must be darkened. We have scarce any description in scripture of an old man and his infirmities, but the decrease of sight is mentioned, their eyes were dim, and they could not see.
I hope you will pardon this very short description of the eye, as it is a very large subject, and a vast deal may be said open it, which I reluctantly omit, lest I should swell this letter to a volume.—Thus my dear friend, our poor bodies in sickness and age, are compared to an old house, with its teams, pillars, and windows, terribly shattered; condemned by the Parish to come down. But Icannot let this letter pass without the promise of another. May your confidence increase, and abound more and more in this blessed truth,If this earthly house of our tabernacle is dissolved,we have a building of God,an house not made with hands,eternal in the heavens—there may we meet.—Amen.
I remain ever yours in Jesus,
Signature of J. C.
TO MRS. D—.
Peckham,July21, 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 buildingabove,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 Gospelnews, 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 againstus.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 terminatein 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 ofeyes 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 effectuallyat 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!
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 oftenleans 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 theSpirit, 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.
Signature of J. C.
TO MRS. D—.
Peckham,August4, 1814.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
GRACE and peace be yours. I am come to visit you once more with pen and ink, though I am not able to come in person to see you. This is a means of conversation the Almighty has afforded us, nor can we be too thankful for it, as we may write to each other on those momentous subjects which concern our never dying souls; nor can the pen be better employed than in stirring up each other’s mind, by way of remembrance. Time with us both is short; you are farther advanced in years than I am, but both are going to our Father’s house; let us therefore follow that advice of the Wise Man’s while we can,Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do,do it with all thy might,for there is no work,nor device,nor knowledge,nor wisdom,in the grave whither thou goest.
It is the work of faith to lay hold of eternallife. The knowledge of faith gives present peace; the wisdom of faith is to cleave to God, and the art or device of faith is to endeavour to gain all it can, to be useful to others. This faith leads us to think God’s thoughts, and approve of them; to do what Jesus has commanded—to carry our cases to God; to search diligently into his word, and to open the mouth for God when we have an opportunity.—Faith opens the mouth to God in prayer and praise, and for God’s glory, in a firm, warm, decided attachment to his cause, his people, his ways, his truth; and while we are favoured with health and means, let us improve them. The faculty of speech, the opening of the lips, and the exercise of the lungs, should be all employed in his service and to his glory, who died, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God. Age, infirmities, trials, and death itself, will soon put an end to these; let us therefore employ them while we can, and in the lively hope of glory, may we sing, with the excellentCowper,
And when this lisping stammering tongue,Lies silent in the grave,Then in a nobler sweeter song,I’ll sing thy power to save.
And when this lisping stammering tongue,Lies silent in the grave,Then in a nobler sweeter song,I’ll sing thy power to save.
Hence Solomon exhorts to these things in your favourite chapter, which I glanced at in my last letter. He reminds us of the solemn period to which we are all hastening,when the doors shall be shut in the street;the sound of the grinding be low,andhe shall rise up at the voice of the bird,and all the Daughters of Music shall be brought low.
I believe I have already intimated that Solomon, was well versed in the science of Anatomy; that he well understood the human frame, and perhaps much better than any before him. He had in the former verse spoken of the Animal System; in this fourth verse he proceeds to notice the Natural Faculties, inward and outward. A great writer says these words form but one sentence:The doors shall be shut in the streets,when the sound of the grinding is low. This Grinding is supposed to relate to almost every part in man, which is preserved, kept up, and supported by food, and respects the alteration which that food undergoes, that it may be really transubstantiated into our flesh. These are by Physicians called digestion or concoction. By thesoundof the Grinding is meant some natural symptoms which are expressive of digestion, and prove that all things are right in the bodily frame, which a want of digestion would prove to the contrary. The voice of the Grinding is the natural appetite of the stomach to meat and drink, and is what we call hunger and thirst after food, with the strength and power of the stomach to retain what it receives, and nourishes the whole body. This Grinding and its voice takes in at once all the excellencies of nature, while they are in power; but, as age comes on, all the indicators of strength and concoction must bedepraved, diminished, and abolished. Loss of appetite, with all its attendants, is the lowness of the voice of this Grinding; the doors of course are shut in the streets. When this is the case with a sickly, feeble, aged body, the mouth, the throat, in speaking, and the stomach in receiving food; the nostrils, and the eyes, which are called doors, these are all affected and must weaken as nature ceaseth to perform its original offices. Thus these doors are shut in the street when the Grinding is low. The Streets are the several passages of the body, which the matter of nourishment passeth through, and are the roads and highways to and from the places where the Grinding is performed. May not this expression likewise refer to the inability of the sick, feeble, and aged, to encounter with the noise and bustle of business; and to the doors and shutters shut, as a signal of the departure of some of the family; and the voice of singing, even of common cheerfulness is altered.
Solomon gives us another intimation of the weakness of the human body—listlessness of repose, easily awakened.He shall rise up at the voice of the Bird. His age, or sickness, is like the wealth of the rich man, it will not suffer him to sleep; in the night he may have some unquiet drowsiness, but the approach of morn, when healthy young people sleep sound, he shall be broad awake, and at the crowing of the cock, or the singing of a Bird,he shall be rising up from his sleepless bed. Hence the saying, The singing of Birds and the sighing of old Men are generally contemporaries—these are as soon weary of their lodgings, through the pains and wakefulness in the night season, as the Birds are for lifting up their pleasant notes.
The last remark in this verse is,The Daughters of Music shall be brought low. These Daughters are considered by those skilled in Anatomy, to be both active and passive, such as make Music and such as receive Music; the active make a Music themselves, or bear a part in it; the other delights in that of which they have not the least share in making. There are three several kind of organs that do more immediately, yet distinctly and gradually, conduce to the production of vocal Music; the first is the Lungs, which are the proper instruments of our breathing; the second sort of organs that conduce to music, are such as form the Breath into the Voice, or Respiration, the Tongue, the Palate of the Mouth, the Teeth, especially the four Front Teeth, and, lastly, the Lips: these form the sound into a Voice; the others that modulate this Voice into Music, are the cartilaginous parts of the Wind-Pipe; the head of the Wind-Pipe is very small, yet it has thirteen Muscles belonging to it, most of which are framed only for the modulation of the Voice. Some shut the Pipe, some open it, some dilate, some contract it, so that acting severally orjointly, according as there is occasion, they do wonderfully conduce to the variation of sound. This also has got five Cartilages some are moveable, some immoveable, some of one form, others of anther, that they may better contain the air and break the Voice into Melody. This is the Pipe to sing the high praises of God with, and which infinitely excels all the Instruments of Music: these are the active Daughters of Music which are brought low through age; the passive Daughters of Music are the organs of hearing; these are inward and outward; the outward Ear is spread abroad like a net, that it may gather and catch the sound as it rolls about the ocean of the air; the inward ear is a great secret, that no one can possibly understand—all have confessed their ignorance of this great matter; the first part we meet with is a thin strong membrane, which being placed over the Hole of the Ear, transversely, divides between the inward and the outward Ear; within this there are three Cavities, and three little Bones. So likewise there is implanted in the Ear a pure, subtil, and quiet air, with the filaments of the auditory Nerve; and then the whole Nerve itself. By the help of those several parts our hearing is thus performed; in age the several holes and Cavities of the Ears are stopped; the drum is unbraced; the hammer is weakened, the anvil is worn, the stirrup is broken, and the inward air is mixed and defiled; the filaments are dulled, the nerve itself is obstructed, so that therecannot but follow heaviness of hearing. Hence oldBarzillaicomplains to David, 2 Samuel, xix, 35,I am this day eighty years old,and can I discern between good and evil?Can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women?Wherefore should thy servant be yet a burden to my lord the king? Thus the habit and taste for Music is brought low. This appears to be the literal sense of this passage, and some of those unpleasant days which many of our fallen race see with grief; all must lament it as creatures, but yet Believers must rejoice, as new creature, that all their musical days are not at an end—no, but that they are only beginning, as son as they enter upon their Father’s house above, and in the resurrection morn their harps, their powers, will be sweetly tuned to the praise of electing grace and eternal love. Permit me here to insert those lines from the hymn just quoted.
Lord I believe thou hast prepar’d,Unworthy tho’ I be,For me a Blood-bought, free reward,A golden harp for me.’Tis tun’d and strung for endless years,And form’d by power divine,To sound in God the Father’s ears,No other name but thine.
Lord I believe thou hast prepar’d,Unworthy tho’ I be,For me a Blood-bought, free reward,A golden harp for me.’Tis tun’d and strung for endless years,And form’d by power divine,To sound in God the Father’s ears,No other name but thine.
In once more looking over this verse, my mind is impressed with other ideas, which I must commit to paper and send to my dear friend. We read insacred Writ of the Door of the Heart, and of the Door of the Lips, and of the Conscience: these Doors are all opened by the finger of God. The conscience is quickened to feel the native guilt of our sins; the heart, the mind, all the faculties of the soul are opened by the operations of the eternal Spirit; the Understanding is enlightened to perceive the glories of the Saviour; the Will is bowed down to chuse Jesus, the Affections are set upon him, the Thoughts love to retain him; thus the Door of the Heart is open. Hence the Spouse says,He put in his finger by the hole of the Door,and my bowels were moved for him,I rose up to open to my beloved. The Door, here, may signify Faith in her heart; the Hole of the Door, a principle of love, though not wide open, free, and at sweet liberty, yet, as a principle, it was there. The Lord Jesus putting forth his powerful grace in the heart afresh, stirred her up, opened all the faculties, and afresh quickened the Conscience, she was led forth in soul after him. This is opening the Door. Hence he addresses the Laodicean Church;Behold I stand at the door and knock;if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come into him. This text has been awfully perverted by the Arminians and Modern Calvinists of the day: they tell us that the Deity is knocking at the door of every man’s heart, begging to come in—waiting till the creature will open the door, and receive salvation! Alas! what a most miserable perversion of the text. The passagehas nothing to do with the World, it is an address to the Church in a backsliding state, as the 5 Chapter of Songs shews. The Church knew her Beloved’s voice, which is the Gospel. Every enlightened, quickened soul, understands the truth, whether it is drowsy or not; the soul is again made willing to receive Jesus, to seek most ardently the best of friends: this is opening the door, as we are made willing in the day, the time, the moment he puts forth his power. This is what the Church means bythe Beloved putting forth his hand by the Hole of the Door. The heart moved after him, the door of the lips is opened, in prayer, in entreaty, and when admittance is gained, they are opened in praise, and in speaking good of his name.They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom. Thus the doors are opened for the King of Glory to come in. These are everlasting doors and will never be fully shut against Christ, nor will his doors ever be shut against his Church. He manifests himself to us, and we entertain him with the fruits of his own Spirit. The Grinders cease in the best of senses. The worst oppressors we ever meet with is a broken Law and a tempting Devil, and accusing conscience, this is the trouble of the Spirit. Hence that fine passage,They shall cry to the Lord because of the oppressors.He shall send them a Saviour,a great one,and he shall deliver them. The manifestation of pardon eases the conscience; the testimony of the Spirit that we are complete in Christ’s righteousness,silences the Law, and the Saviour’s great Work, pleaded by himself as an Advocate with the Father, drives off the Devil. Thus these oppressors cease, because they are few. A Believer can bear and endure any thing while all is right within, between God and the soul; not that he is rid of the inbeing of his sins, or the temptation of Satan, these will often oppress him; nor will they fully cease till he lays down his poor body in the grave.
Another sweet priviledge,He shall rise up at the voice of the Bird. This is a most blessed truth in our experience, for the gospel attended with power stirs up all our faculties, and we follow hard after God. This voice as used by the ministers of the word, is calledThe time of the singing of Birds. The Gospel Dispensation is called a spring time, and when the love of Jesus is felt casting out fear, when the storms of sin cease, by the voice of pardoning mercy, this sweet text is well understood:My beloved spake,and said unto me,rise up my fair one,and come away,for lo,the winter is past,the rain is over and gone;the time of the singing of Birds is come. The Lord Jesus, and the blessed Spirit of all Grace, are called Birds, and their voice is heard, known, and felt.My Sheep hear my voice,and follow me. These leave all when Jesus speaks by the Spirit to their souls; while every kind promise, every sweet invitation, and every precious declaration, form the sweet voice of Jesus, in theword and in the souls of them that believe. The Ministers of the Gospel are called Birds, and when they are understood and the power of their message is felt, the soul yields the obedience of faith. Conscience, approving and taking part with the man, as his experience is genuine, is a Bird, and is called by Solomon,a Bird of the air; this accuses or approves as God the Spirit influences it.
Thus, in the best of senses, we read this text; but, alas! we must take another view of it, as alluding to some evil days the soul may experience in passing through this valley of Bochim, or Weeping. We find the saints of old at times had the Doors of their Hearts and Lips shut as well as open.—One said,I am shut up,I cannot come forth.—Another,I go bound in the Spirit: Another,I was dumb,and opened not my mouth. Ezekiel was dumb for seven days before the people, as a Preacher, and in the streets of Zion, that is among the inhabitants of Gospel Zion. This has been often experienced to their grief, shut up in prayer, either reluctantly going to the exercise, or else finding but little access there; hurrying through the act. Hence the charge against one of old,Thou restrainest prayer before God. Job did not say such did not pray, but they were not open, free, familiar, or staid at the throne till liberty was felt; but the act was performed merely to quiet conscience. At times in company, dumb almost about the things; andthough the voice, the lips, the tongue, the lungs, were sweetly exercised before,yet these Daughters of Music are brought low, for they neither sound with prayer or praise, or godly conversation, or reproof, or comfort, to any other! Thus these Doors are shut in the streets. Conscience is, however still awake, and the poor Believer is alarmed; is startled at the voice of that Bird, when listening to its accusation of sin committed, of duty neglected, of a worldly spirit of levity or covetousness, or of some corruption given way to, or permitted to lie on the conscience. Thus the voice of the Bird is heard, and it is well to listen to it, lest another day it should fill the soul with horror and sorrow. This is what David felt after a long series of months, with guilt on his conscience, till Nathan came with his Parable; but not knowing what it meant, he vows vengeance against the man that did it,That he should surely die. This was indeed true, for it was David’s wayfaring man, the man of sin, that came to steal the ewe Lamb; but David rose up at the voice of this Bird, and life went with the word to David’s soul,Thou art the man. He felt it, conscience was afresh awakened, and it is our mercy to have the life of God in the Conscience; for the main difference between the Christian and the mere nominal Professor, lays in this; the one has got all his religion in his Head, and if that was cut off, he would have none; the others lays in his Conscience, as pardoned by blood, and quickened by the Holy Spirit.
Another evil day we may find in this dark state, when so sadly shut up, is the fewness of them that preach all the truth as it is in Jesus: Hence the Church in her sad state ran to some who did not know her case; of course we find they ceased to give advice. She ran to others; they only rebuked her, and added affliction to her bonds, doubted her interest in the garments of Salvation. Hence she says,The watchmen found me;to whom I said,Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? Then again in the 5th Chapter,The watchmen met me,they wounded me;they smote me;they took away my veil from me: and sure I am that nothing can be more trying than for a soul in such intricate paths not to be able to find one to suit its case; and if they do, the word not being attended with power, they get neither light nor life. These are called Teeth in scripture, as they prepare food, break the bread of life, make all things plain, easy, and intelligible to the people; fixed in their Covenant Head, harmonize and agree in sentiment, at least in the main points, and engaged in the same work. These may cease by death—the Prophets,do they live for ever?—by removals in providence far from the abode of such a soul as I have been describing; or they may not be blest much to tried souls. They may be few in number, and those cease, as it respects their usefulness to some; so that, though they were onceas a lovely song,and as one who could play well on an instrument, yet they may getdry, barren, and lifeless; at least, apparently so for any use they may be to a soul in the above circumstances. The make us mourn, nor can the Daughters of Music make melody again till he shines. We are compared Instruments of Music, set in tune by the Spirit, but can make no Music till he touches the chords of the heart; then upon the instruments of ten strings, he gets praise. The Doors of his Heart, his House, his Table, and his Throne, will never shut against you, any of his children. The days of your Mourning will soon end, the voice of Jesus will call you at the glorious resurrection of the just, when you will rise up at that voice, and sigh and sin no more.—Hallelujah.