1.A 18. LETTER XVIII

LETTER XVIII.

These graces viewed in a cluster From perfect love issues joy, peace, long-suffering Gentleness and meekness Temperance and fidelity Heart emptied of anger and every evil temper If those who indulge in impatience profess this blessing they are deceived How to deal with such persons But all are not deceived Humility the characteristic of the sanctified soul An appeal to M. for the truth advanced illustrated from Charles Wesley’s poetry. MY DEAR M : We have seen how the fruits of the Spirit adorn the sanctified Christian, and make him appear altogether lovely to the eye of every spiritual beholder. Let us endeavour to view these graces in a cluster, woven, as it were, together in a beautiful garment, not in deed of " many colours," but so intermixed that they will sweetly blend in each other, so as to form one harmonious robe, which will cover the holy man from head to foot, that he may appear " like the king’s daughter," not only all glorious within, but also outwardly " without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing." In the first place, LOVE sits at the head, as queen of the graces, leading her fair daughters, " joy, peace, long-suffering," <fec., in the beautiful train; while TEMPERANCE closes the line with her growing influence over all the minor graces, and sets them off to the greatest possible advantage, making them all keep their proper places, doing obeisance to their divine Head and Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. From this " perfect love," which exists in the sanctified soul as a living fountain, issues JOY in the Holy Ghost, the soul " rejoicing evermore," even in the midst of sorrows, temptations, crosses, and disappointments; while PEACE sits calmly in the depths of the heart, amidst all the turbulence raging round about him; and LONG-SUFFERING comes in to aid in maintaining an equilibrium in the soul, while attracted this way and that by contrary forces; then, when upon the point of yielding to a fit of temporary impatience, in steps GENTLENESS, guided by MEEKNESS, and by her soft and winning voice soothes all the passions to submission to the dictates of GOODNESS, teaching them all the happy art of working in harmony one with the other, regulating the whole with kind reciprocity of feeling, and interchanging offices of friendship, and creating within the soul the sweetest harmony of mutual attraction and co-operation, FIDELITY guiding and applying all the energies of the sanctified soul to the specific object for which God has called us from " darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God." Thus is the heart emptied of anger, evil desire, and every unholy affection, and garnished with these heavenly graces of the Holy Spirit; while the person so adorned and beautified with these exhibits in his external deportment all the consistency which arises from a symmetry of character, formed by the Hand of the Master Work man. From the internal fountain of the heart, continually fed from the perennial Fountain of all goodness, all wisdom, all power, and all love, flow out unceasingly those pure streams of "peace and joy in the Holy Ghost," which keep the wheels of life in perpetual activity; so that the person thus furnished moves around in the circle of obedience to the commands of God, striving, " as far as possible, to live peaceably," doing good, according to his power, to all men, both to their souls and bodies, using all possible means to " please his neighbour for his good to edification" and salvation.

Now allowing the truth of this representation that it is a real, and not a fanciful picture the objection which I have often heard made against those who profess this blessing of sanctification, that they are proud, hasty, easily of fended, impatient, &c., has no foundation in truth. How can a person that is meek and gentle which implies, and necessarily includes, the deepest humility be at the same time proud and impatient, seeing these virtues and vices are antipodes to each other? That there may be those who profess the blessing, who exhibit those unholy tempers, I allow. What is the consequence? They are deceived. They either act the hypocrite, or are mistaken in their experience. If the former, there is little hope in their case, for " the hope of the hypocrite shall perish." And of all characters in the world, a hypocritical professor of religion is the most to be dreaded. If the latter, a little friendly conversation, conducted in the true spirit of Christianity, with that humility that the objector so much commends, and that brotherly kindness in which he thinks his fellow-professor is wanting, may set him right, by convincing him of his error, which, when convinced of it, no one will be more ready to acknowledge, bewail, and rectify, than the sincere Christian. But do not let him, for his own sake, as well as for the sake of the person he suspects, approach him with a lordly dictation, or denounce him with a harsh dogmatism, as though he were sent to " lord it over God’s heritage," and to determine ex cathedra, as with unerring certainty, on the states of all with whom he may come in contact, lest he betray that very pride he professes so much to abhor, and so severely to condemn in others; but let him go rather in the spirit of humility, and, with the utmost tenderness, enter into a familiar Christian conversation with the person concerned, convince him by his spirit and manner that he seeks his good, and not merely tantalize him with critical inquiries. In this way, if sincerity preside in both their hearts, he may be instrumental of "converting a sinner from the error of his ways, and of hiding," or cancelling, " a multitude of sins." But I cannot allow that all who profess this blessing give evidence of their deception by an exhibition of the marks of pride and impatience. That which may be taken for pride may be no thing more than a just indignation at sin, at littleness of soul, at absurdity, and probably at the petulance displayed by the fastidious critic, all of which loudly calls for the reprobation, with suitable language and gesture, of the holy, well- informed Christian. Jesus Christ himself, though among the meekest of men, and who proved his humility by condescending to take " upon him the form of a servant, and become obedient to death, even the death of the cross," rebuked the hypocritical lawyers and Pharisees with the utmost sternness, manifou <1 his abhorrence of the wickedness of Herod, by calling him a " fox," and denounced the jus>t judgments of God upon that " wicked and adulterous generation," while he turned away from the Sanhedrim in the synagogue, who were watching him for evil, " with anger," that is, a just indignation, " being grieved for the hardness of their hearts." No doubt his enemies thought him a proud heretic because he would not stoop to humour their prejudices, but strongly rebuked them for their obstinacy, their pride, and arrogancy. At any rate, humility, a humiliating view of himself, of his gifts and attainments that humility which disclaims all merit in anything he has done, does, or may do; that humility which excludes all boasting, except in the cross of Christ which keeps him low at the feet of Jesus which annihilates self in view of the in effable glory of God; yea, that humility which makes him actually feel " less than the least of all God’s saints" which makes him willing to wash the feet of the saints, or to do the meanest offices for any of God’s people, and teaches him to prefer others before himself this humility distinguishes the sanctified Christian, and shines out in all his words and actions. Do you not, my dear M., know this to be true by your own experience? When the Lord appeared for your deliverance, did you not feel the depth and reality of those words of the poet, which he puts into the mouth of a soul panting after this " second rest?"

" Open my faith’s interior eye;

Display THY OLOBT from above; And all I AM shall SINK and die, Lost in ASTONISHMENT AND LOVI."

Yes, when the " interior eye" of the mind is so fully opened as to see clearly the depth of that pollution which cleaves to the soul, and at the same time to behold the inefiable "glory from above," which surrounds the Godhead of Jesus Christ, a ray of which is now darted down into the labouring soul, the contrast is so great that we sink down and sing, As less than nothing in his sight,
And feel that Christ is all in all." In all such the prayer in the following lines is answered :

Save me from PRIDE, the PLAGUE EXPEL;
Jesus, thine HUMBLE self impart;
O let thy mind within me dwell,
O give me LOWLINESS of heart."

Sprinkle me, Saviour, with thy blood,
And all thy GENTLENESS is MINE." Did you ever feel less in your own estimation, more unworthy, more helpless, more undeserving of the least notice of God’s compassionate eye, than you did in that moment when the Lord took your feet from the mire and clay in which you felt yourself sinking deeper and deeper every step you took, and placed them upon the Rock of Ages? And have you not continued ever since, in the same spirit of humility, singing, as you sung at the first moment of your participation of this blessing, the following expressive language of OUR favourite poet?

Confound, o’erpower me by thy grace;
I would be by MYSELF ABHORR’D :
ALL might, ALL majesty, ALL praise,
ALL GLORY be to Christ my Lord."

O how do these words thrill in the heart of the sanctified believer! He sings yes, you, my dear M., sing them with an increasing de light, because they so exactly express the feelings of your humble heart; and just so long as you continue to enjoy this inestimable blessing, you will continue their use, from a feeling sense of their truth and adaptedness to your condition. In the next verse you will perceive the poet’s idea of Christian perfection. Hear him, or rather sing him, and the next time I have the pleasure of seeing you, I must ask the favour of your singing those two, and the following verse for my edification :

" Now let me gain perfection’s HEIGHT;

Now let ME into nothing fall, As less than nothing in thy sight, And feel that Christ is ALL IN ALL-" With these words I bid you adieu for the pre sent, by simply adding my earnest prayer, that you may lie down and rise up protected by the everlasting arms.