To Dianthe (1763)

Dear Madam,

         I compassionate your soul under present gloominess, and especially as it seems to arise from the disappointments you met with, after you had received a promise-grant of your desired bliss. But whenever you have any applied promise, take this for a rule to judge of it, whether it be from the Lord or not. – If by the promise God is brought to you, and you to God, or if thereby you see, with adoring wonder and praise, the glory of infinite goodness, and if it has this happy effect upon you to excite the exercise of faith, love, hope, or any grace, that promise was most certainly from the Lord, and managed on your heart by the Spirit of grace, and the grace of the promise shall stand for ever fast, being supported for performance by almighty power, and guarded by eternal truth, and infinite faithfulness. You have no reason to judge, that such a promise was not from the Lord, because of after disappointments, as to the time wherein you expected its fulfilment; for it is God’s usual way, when he gives his children a promise of any bliss, to clothe that promise with darkness in providence, to give them thereby a greater opportunity for trust. When God gave to Abraham the promise of a Son, he clothed the promise with darkness in providence and called him to wait many years in faith and hope for its performance. He caused him to wait for it so long, till all hope of its fulfilment, in an eye of sense, was entirely gone, and Abraham must trust solely upon infinite ability and eternal veracity, and then was the performance seen to Gods greater glory, and his more abundant joy. It is true we are apt to make mistakes as to the Lord’s meaning in promises which he gives us of temporal blesings. Christ’s own Disciples, in various instances, mistook the words which he spake unto them when personally present with them; and we are apt to make mistakes, as to the Lord’s intention, in temporal promises, which are applied to our hearts by the Holy Ghost, and when this is the case with us, it always proves a great trial to faith and hope, and casts a damp upon both; and the grand enemy, when we are thus feeble, faint and weary, takes the opportunity to urge it upon us vehemently, “That as we have been mistaken in a promise relative to a temporal bliss, we may as well be mistaken in all the promises given us for spiritual and eternal happiness:”  And thus he would drive us away utterly from all confidence in the God of our mercy. In things relative to time-felicity, we look about us, and verily think, that this or [157] that thing would be most for God’s glory and our joy; and our desires being drawn out after it, we intreat the Lord to bestow it, and, perhaps, soon after that, or some other like promise is given us, “be it unto thee even as thou wilt:” upon this we are apt to form a persuasion that that very thing shall be given us; but when we do not see its performance, then comes on temptation to despondence; and if not mightily strengthened, we are ready to give up all, even the whole of our salvation, for lost. But in such temporal promises, which are not in the very things we wish to have a performance; the Lord intends to give us something better in lieu of them, and perhaps things that are quite contrary, which infinite wisdom sees more for God’s glory, and our felicity. We ask what we judge best for God’s praise and our bliss; he answers the mind of the prayer, and fulfils the intent of the promise as really when he gives things contrary to what we expected for our joy, as when he gives the very things which we desired most earnestly; so that when we have any promise for temporal things applied to our hearts, unto such influence as above, whereby we may certainly know that the promise was from the Lord; It is our duty instantly to credit his word, and to believe, “that there shall be a performance of those things which were told us from the Lord;” and yet to leave both the time, and manner of their performance entirely unto Him, who is infinite in wisdom and power, goodness and faithfulness; for not a jot or tittle shall fail of the promise, but we shall see its performance either in kind, or in kindness, in species, or value; and if the Lord cross hands with us, as to the particular blessings we wished, it is to bestow blessings that are far more rich, and so it shall be unto us, even as we will for God’s glory and our joy; and he will do for us more exceeding abundantly, according to his infinite bounty, although it should be by things which seem to us most contrary, to those we sought most earnestly. Excuse me for being so long on this thing, may the Lord thereby help you out of your present difficulty.

         Sad it is, that the enemy hath prevailed on you so far, as to gain your discredit of those promises which have been applied to your heart for your spiritual and eternal felicity; and not only this, but also to repulse the word of God, when it is bro’t to your mind. You cannot more gratify your soul’s grand adversary, he has you, as, and where he would have [you] be, all unbelieving, in deep perplexity; you hereby dishonour the God of grace and truth greatly; you grieve the Comforter who should relieve your soul, and cause him to be far away; and you wound and weaken your own faith exceedingly. Every fresh act of faith strengthens the habit of it in the heart, as every fresh act of unbelief strengthens the habit of that; of that which wounds faith to the heart. In its acts – Every fresh act of faith glorifies God, honours the Comforter, and strengthens the believer; as every fresh act of unbelief dishonours God, grieves the Comforter, and weakens the believer. As the former pours confusion upon the adversary, so the latter gives the honour of credit to the Father of Lies; and is it any wonder then, that while you yield to Satan and unbelief, you should be awfully fallen into a way of general doubting, as to your spiritual and eternal salvation?

         Let me then intreat you to attempt your duty instantly, to believe [158] on Christ afresh for all his salvation grace. By believing, I mean not first and primarily your believing your interest in him, and in all grace entirely, but your looking to Christ for Salvation, your coming to him, just as you are, in all your discerned unworthiness, weakness, and vileness, for all that salvation which is exhibited in him for the chief of sinners freely. And tho’ it is your duty to credit the promise of the God of Truth, that upon this your first and direct act of faith, or your thus believing in his Son, you shal have everlasting salvation, or that it shall be to you as the Lord hath spoken; yet if you cannot come at this persuasion, which would be for God’s glory, and your joy, it is the first direct act in casting your soul upon Christ, with an “If I perish, I perish, here I will rest upon Christ alone, that sure foundation for the whole of my salvation.” It is, I say, this first act that has the promise of eternal life every where annexed to it in the sacred word, and if you are enabled to put forth this first act of faith, you will soon feel the rock beneath you for a mighty support, to keep you from sinking deeper into unbelief; and the Lord often honours this act of faith with the sealings of the spirit in some word of promise, unto more or less persuasion of interest. Bring all your sins, and unbelief itself, that gigantic champion, to the Lord Christ, to be slain before him, say, “Lord, I believe, help thou against my unbelief:” And the Saviour will soon answer to his name, and according to his promise, he will in no wise cast you out, but receive you to the glory of God. He will undertake for you freely and faithfully, to save you eternally. And let this first direct act be your daily attempt until you can come at the second persuasive act. Only attempt your duty and you shall be blest, more or less, with power from on high, for its performance. This will cut the sinews of unbelief, and put Satan to flight. If they suggest that by reason of your vileness, it is in vain for you to attempt to come to Christ; tell them, I am ready to perish, and God has said, they shall come that are ready to perish, and whatever be the event I will flee unto Christ for refuge.” For this course will soon put them to silence, and you shall be blest with renewed peace. However, impossible it is, that you should ever perish in fleeing unto Christ for refuge – And oh, that you could receive with full persuasion, that strong consolation which God hath given to every of these refugees, these heirs of promise, by his great immutable word, and his inviolable oath, which he hath passed for their everlasting salvation! You say, “I do really experience, that this is the work of God, that we believe on him whom he hath sent.” By which I suppose you mean that we stand in absolute need of the power of God, to enable us to believe. I grant it, but this should not hinder our attempt to obey God’s commandment, “That we believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ,” but rather encourage it, as the power of God is engaged to enable us to perform it. And our Lord, in that text, this is the work of God, doth not intend that which he himself performs, but that, which by way of eminence, he requires of us to perform; in the attempt of which, his power for our performance, is and shall be made known. If you do not think with me herein, think as you can; but satisfied I am, that it is your immediate duty, and would be your great [159] privilege, to believe afresh, on the Lord Jesus Christ, just as you did at first, when you prest through the croud to touch the hem of his garment; to believe as if you had never done it yet. When faith is said to be God’s gift, we are not thereby to think that it is his act, but that it is his power, which enables us to act, which should encourage ou attempt. Indeed he gives the principle of faith, in which we are passive; but he commands the act of faith, and we ought not to stay till we know that we have the principle, before we attempt the act, but at his commandment, depending on his influence for our perfomance, we ought to be active in attempting to believe. And was it otherwise, we might be exhorted to wait for divine influence; but not to believe, as we are in a multitude of places: “Look unto me: -- Come unto me: -- Believe in me: -- Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ: -- Walk in Christ as ye have received him, &c.” However, attempt to believe, and see if it is not attended with an happy effect. (To be concluded in our next)

[161]

         You say, “Could I find myself animated with a celestial flame, did but a holy love to God predominate in my affections, I could thence draw comfortable conclusions.” I grant that we may have a secondary evidence of our interest in Christ, from our love to God, but our prime evidence is faith in Christ: “To as many as received him, to them gave he power, right, or privilege, to become the sons of God.” Let faith receive Christ first, as a compleat Saviour, held forth freely to the chief of sinners; and next, let it receive the glad tidings, that in this believing the grant of being a son, an heir of God, is given to that person, and then love to God will predominate; but faith, in its first act, not being repeated by a doubting believer, nor in its second act, made conscience of, as to the promise-grant, love must needs be languid; love cannot act, in such a case, by way of complacence, nor yet in vigorous filial obedience; it has no way then to transpire, but in the asending smoke of desire. We may know if our faith is of the right kind, in its first act, by this: If we come to Christ for holiness, as well as happiness, to God’s praise and our bliss, our faith is certainly that, for the nature of it, which works by love. And the more we live by faith, the more will love predominate; but we chill and starve love for the want of the exercise of faith, and then for want of love, we fear we have no faith, or none of the right kind. Faith is like the first mover in a complicated movement, like the spring of a watch, which sets and keeps all the wheels, the other graces, in motion. If faith flags, all the other graces are weak.   

         As to the manifestations of God’s favour, it must be confessed they vary exceedingly towards his dear children, but he loves them all, with the same invariable love with which he loves his first-born son; so that your conclusion, “That where the Lord bestows most of the gifts and graces of his holy spirit, those are the people he loves most, can only be true with respect to manifestation, his love in itself, being towards all his children, one infinite, invariable, eternal flame, and varied it is, in manifestation, by infinite wisdom, as is most for God’s glory, and their felicity. It is the same love that shines on one, and hides from another, and that casts its rays upon the same soul, at one time, and vails its glories from it at another season, just as may conduce to God’s praise and his eternal salvation. When darkness, thick darkness compasseth us about; it is the same love still, though it is love in a vail, as it is, when it casts on us its brightest glories which ravish and captivates our sight. It is true, “we cannot love an unknown Saviour;” but we are to distinguish between that knowledge of him, as a compleat, all-sufficient, suitable Saviour, which attracts our hearts into a supreme approbation of him, and an ardent desire after his salvation; and that knowledge of him which regards interest in his glorious person, and great salvation, unto love’s complacence in him, and his benefits as our own Lord Jesus that saves us to the uttermost. The former knowledge of Christ and his salvation, unto love of heart-approbation and desire you are blest with; though the latter knowledge of interest in [162] him, and his benefits unto love’s complacence, you want. That you have the former is evident, as you say, “Could I but believe, and assuredly know myself interested in the love of God, I should be happy indeed! an interest in that love, that immutable love of the Father of Angels, the Friend of man, is what my soul longs for; such a display of the beauties and glories of Immanuel, as will attract my most ardent affections away from all created things, and fix them eternally upon himself; such heavenly light, faith, and love to dwell within me, as will purify my heart, and consecrate all the powers of my soul to him whom Angels worship! Him whom Angels love! Is what I greatly want.”

         These are the heart-breathings of none but those who are the workmanship of the Holy Ghost, and of none but those who are created anew in Christ, unto knowledge of faith in, and love to Jesus. Thrice happy soul! born of God, and for him. Your ardent desire after the knowledge of God in Christ, conformity to his image, and an entire dedication to his praise, are to be satisfied initially and partially here, and completely and eternally hereafter! instead of wishing, under unbelieving darkness, that you had never had an existence, you have great cause to rejoice and bless God that you ever had your being in nature, and especially your new being in grace, to see, to enjoy, and praise the God of glory in Christ! for he that satisfieth the desire of every living thing, will in no wise famish the appetite of the new nature in his newborn children. They are creatures of an higher make, than any of this lower creation, made for the enjoyment and adoration of him, immediate and eternal vision! and their given appetite, is their time-preparation for their eternal feast, their vast inheritance in light! “God hath wrought them for the self-same thing.” And when the appetite and the feast, the heirs and the inheritance meet, the all-wise, all-glorious, and all-mighty Jehovah will be seen, adored, and praised by Saints and Angels, as having acted in the preparation of the one, for the other, every way becoming his glorious Self, his majestic state, as their heavenly Father.

         And do you say, “When death closes these organs of sight, and for ever shuts out from my eyes this familiar light of day, what, or where, or how I shall be in a separate state, is at present all dreadfully uncertain to me.” I reply, when you have done with the light of the creature-sun, the Lord will be your everlasting light, that will arise upon you in the bright refulgencies of his infinite glory, and will no more go down! Do you say, what shall I be at death? I answer, the spirit of a just one made perfect, in holiness unto full and eternal bliss! where? with the Lord! Or how? compleatly blest, beyond the conception of a mortal’s tho’t, the expression of an Angel’s tongue! the manner of existence of separate spirits, the spirits of the saints, for the glories of it is all-transcendent! their sensation and capacity of language are all-surpassing! far, far beyond all the happiness that embodied spirits have experienced in these, and the utmost stretch of their most elevated thought, and every way worthy of that God of glory who is the author of their unknown felicity! do you acknowledge, that the waters of life are to be had freely, and yet say, “The well is deep, and I have nothing to draw with!” [163] It is Satan and unbelief that shook your bucket of faith almost in pieces, and make it sadly leak. For faith is the bucket whereby we draw the waters of consolation, out of the full and inexhaustible wells of salvation! Go on to seek for the comforting spirit, even though your prayer should be shut out when you cry and shout. Pray always and faint not, for though the Lord seems to tarry, he will help you right early. – Great grace be with you.

                     I am most respectfully,

                                 Dear Madam,

                                             Your most humble Servant,

A.    D.

Text: Divine and Moral, Miscellanies, in Prose and Verse. Containing many Valuable Originals, Communicated by various Correspondents, and other Pieces extracted from different Authors, and antient Manuscripts. The Whole being such a Collection of Miscellaneous Thoughts, as will tend not only to please, but enlighten and profit the Reader, Vol. 3 (London: Printed for J. Fuller, in Newgate-Street, London; and T. Luckman, in Coventry. 1763), pp. 156-59; 161-63.