by the late Rev. Hugh Martin, D.D.
Lasswade, 20th April, 1875.
My Dear Friend, — Please do not be alarmed at my replying so quickly to your last welcome letter, nor think that I expect similar promptitude. The fact is, that my correspondence is so voluminous, that, if I did not reply almost immediately, I would get quite blocked. I returned from Glasgow communion a good deal fatigued, not having had scarcely any repose since I saw you, and my doctor tells me I must rest from preaching for a time, after the last few months’ work. But, as I cannot be absolutely idle, I begin a work to-day which I have been contemplating for some time, that of preparing for the press a volume, consisting of a series of discourses preached more than twenty years ago. The title of it is, “The Shadow of Calvary.” How solemn these words! Although thinking of them before, this is the first time I have written them, and how weighty I feel them to be! There will be sixteen discourses, five treating of our Lord in Gethsemane, three on His arrest, and eight on His trial. They will be very far from what I would wish; and, though I intend revising them carefully, they are but a feeble contribution towards the elucidation of this wonderful theme. Still, I desire to offer this little tribute of service to our adorable Lord, and may He bless the truths set forth in the book (if it come into existence), and accept my humble attempt to speak of His blessed name.
I am not to make this a long letter, but I must notice your question, “How can I expect to receive and enjoy that ‘healing of conscience,’ of which you wrote in your former letter, while my heart, helped by Satan, keeps whispering to me, your love of sin is unchanged?” Well, you ought to know what I would answer to that. I would answer, “You must, you can receive and enjoy that healing, though conscious of sin and Satan raging.” Let me point you to Romans 7th. Study the two “I’s” there. “In me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing,” no “hatred of sin,” which is certainly a “good thing.” Again, “It is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.” It is no more I that loves sin, it is the sin that dwelleth in me; and that bears no hatred to itself. Paul took his stand between these two “I’s” — I, my sin-inhabited flesh, and I, my willingly spiritual mind, and he made a clean and certain cut between them. “The captive exile hasteth that he may be loosed.” Now, therefore, do not allow yourself to be fettered in this snare of unbelief, that, because you are not what you would fain be, you have no right to Christ and His benefits. I think you work too much trying to unravel these snares, instead of taking the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and bringing it to deal with them. It has cut, and can cut many a harder knot than that you mention. The Lord give you understanding.
Yours etc.
Hugh Martin.