LAMBETH, November 15, 1766.
I AM indebted much to my dear friend, but among other things I owe you a note of hand, which I am now ready to pay. I wanted to talk with you at — upon the temper and disposition of a true believer; but, being prevented there, I promised to send you my thoughts upon the subject, which I am the more ready to do to-day, because the reason of my making the promise not only still subsists, but is also increased. A temper directly contrary to the Christian is spreading among professors. I see the delusion grow, and I am a witness to the baneful effects of it. How many have you and I heard of who want to be something in themselves, and, rather than not be so, will be beholden to Christ to set them up with a stock of grace! They would gladly receive a talent from Him, that, by being faithful to grace given, and trading well with it, they may look with delight on their improvements, and thereby hope to get more grace and more glory. This is the Popish plan, the Arminian—very flattering to nature, exceedingly pleasing to self-righteousness, very exalting, yea, it is crowning free will, and debasing King Jesus. I would be more jealous than I am over you this in matter, if I had not seen how the Lord teaches you, and warns you of this rock. Your frequent indispositions are His sweet lessons, by which He would bring you to the true gospel-frame of spirit, which is this:—It is the proper work of the grace of Jesus, to humble the proud sinner, to make him and to keep him sensible of his wants, convinced always that he has not any good of his own, and cannot possibly of himself obtain any, either in earth or heaven, but what he must be receiving every moment out of the fulness of Jesus.
The devil fell by pride, and he drew man into the same crime. He promised him independence, and he still persuades deceived man to set up for himself. That is the scheme of all unawakened men—they are resolved to be happy in spite of God. The Spirit of Jesus is sent to humble this proud sinner, which he does by giving him a view of God’s holy nature and God’s holy law. This makes sin, and consequently the sinner, hateful; discovers his guilt and his danger; if he attempts to do anything to make God love him, the Holy Spirit humbles him for that very thing, by shewing him the sinfulness of his motives, and the imperfection of the action. Whatever he seeks to rest in, the Spirit of Jesus detects the false foundation, till He leaves him no resource but to believe in the only-begotten Son of God. So that when he comes to Jesus he is stripped of all, quite naked and blind, moneyless and friendless, empty of good as the devil and sin could make him. This is all the fitness and preparation for Christ which I know of. And when Christ is thus received, the same Spirit which would let him, the sinner, bring nothing to Christ, will now make him bring all from Christ, and so keep him sensible of his wants. He will teach the believer more daily of his poverty, weakness, unworthiness, vileness, ignorance, etc., that he may be kept humble, without any good but what he is forced to fetch out of the fulness of Jesus. And when he would go anywhere else for comfort, to duties, frames, gifts, and graces (for pride will live, and thrive too, upon anything but Jesus), His Spirit makes them dry and lean, and will not let him stop short of the Fountain-head of all true comfort. In short, he will glorify nothing but Jesus. He will stain the pride of all greatness and of all goodness, excepting what is derived from the fulness of the incarnate God.
I know one who learned this very slowly, but has had much pains taken with him; and to make what I have been saying more plain, I would illustrate it by his experience. He was a very, very vain, proud young man; knew almost everything but himself, and therefore was mighty fond of himself. He met with many disappointments to his pride, which only made him prouder, till the Lord was pleased to let him see and feel the plague of his own heart. At this time my acquaintance with him began. “He tried every method that can be tried to get peace, but found none. In his despair of all things else, he betook himself to Jesus, and was most kindly received. He trusted the word of promise, and experienced the sweetness in the promise. After this he went through various frames and trials of faith, too many to mention, and he is now got, where may Mrs. —, your dear sister, get, and as far beyond it as you can.
First.
He has been brought to a clear conviction, that all fulness of good is in Jesus, as clear as that all the sap in the branch is from the stock on which it grows, as that all the nourishment in the member is from the body. What has the branch or the member except what they receive? Now, this continual receiving from Jesus everything, saying, “You must go to Him, you must go to Him,” is a most humbling lesson! And my friend says it is nothing but this which crucifies his pride. He has been attempting for many years to be something, to do something of himself, but could not succeed: disappointed again and again, yet he would not give it up till God made him feel, in him, that is, in his flesh, dwelt no good thing; and now he writes folly, weakness, sin, on all that is his own; not only clearly convinced that all fulness of good is in Jesus, but also more than ever content it should be in him. “It pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell.” It pleases the Holy Spirit to testify of His fulness, and to glorify nothing but it: and by His teaching it pleases the believer. He is made quite satisfied that all fulness should dwell in that dear God-man: content to have nothing but what he must go to Him for; yea, happy to go to Jesus for those very things of which he himself is empty, and which he cannot have anywhere else. My friend’s heart glows, and his very countenance brightens up, and one catches fire at his words, when he is talking upon this subject. “O,” says he, “that you did but know what I experience in living upon the fulness of Jesus!—God’s will and mine are one in this matter—this subjection to His will is heaven regained; so I find it. I rest perfectly on the fulness, and I enjoy most sweetly what God has laid up in it for my use. My conscience has a peace that passeth all understanding, through faith in the blood of the Lamb. I see myself in Him perfectly accepted, perfectly justified, perfectly comely in His comeliness, perfectly happy in His love—all the desire of the soul satisfied with Jesus’ person and Jesus’ work. This, this is the death of pride. Here free-will, self-righteousness, a legal spirit, cannot work. The spirit and power of Jesus in this His glory make them hide their heads.”
This is living like a Christian. It is a life, in one respect, only below an angel’s; and yet, great and blessed as it is, I have heard my friend talk in a very uncommon strain upon a state even beyond this, which he calls heaven enjoyed, and that is—
Thirdly.
He is thankful that all fulness dwells in Jesus—not only is convinced of it, and content with it, but also blesses God for it being in Jesus. This is all they do in the highest heaven, and he has most of heaven who does this most like them. My friend describes his meaning thus: I live out of myself—I nothing have, I nothing am, but folly and sin—Jesus is my life; in Him is the fulness of its being, and of its comforts; whatever I want, I find it in Him. I experience day by day the kindness of His heart and the bounty of His hand. Blessings on Him, my heart enjoys what no tongue can describe. Whatever I go to Him for, He always sends me away with matter of thankfulness. Constant fellowship with Him endears to me His person more and more. Communion with God in His offices makes Him infinitely lovely. Partaking of His overflowing love, makes it everlastingly precious. And lying upon the fulness of these is the fulness of joy. Glory, glory be to God-Jesus for ever and ever: Heaven and earth say with my heart, Amen.
Thus does my friend illustrate the definition which I give you of the true Gospel frame of spirit. I hope we shall live to talk of it, and live to enjoy it more. Nothing else is worth living for. All means of grace are only useful as they help us to live thus. All providences, sicknesses, losses, successes, are only so far blessings, as they lead us more out of ourselves into the fulness of Jesus. My dear, dear Mrs. —, I can write to-day upon nothing else. I hope I write seasonably. When you open this letter, you will want this lesson. I am sure you will, and God bless it to you. I follow it with my prayers, and I can do no more; but our common Lord will hear, I know He will; and will accompany my poor words with His presence. To the care of His dear loving heart I commend you and yours. Wonder not I have not written before; I have been in a more preaching way this summer than I ever was in life, and travelled much more, and have had with me a sweet saviour of Jesus’ dear name. O, He is precious to my soul: how much, even now, I shall want time in eternity to tell: so precious, that I think I have not long to be here, or else the matchless Lover will make this earth a very heaven. But I say, I the vilest worm that ever crawled or escaped hell, not to set up, but Him the high, exalted, worthy Saviour. Again to him I commend you.—Yours truly in Him, W. R.