The Annals of the Poor Part 4

Shall I, to soothe the unholy throng, Soften thy truths and smooth my tongue, To gain earth's gilded toys, or flee The cross endured, my G.o.d, by thee?

What then is he whose scorn I dread.

Whose wrath or hate makes me afraid?

A man? an heir of death? a slave To sin? a bubble on the wave?

Yea, let men rage, since thou wilt spread Thy shadowing wings around my head: Since in all pain thy tender love Will still my sure refreshment prove.

Still shall the love of Christ restrain To seek the wand'ring souls of men, With cries, entreaties, tears to save, And s.n.a.t.c.h them from the yawning grave.

For this let men revile my name,-- No cross I shun, I fear no shame: All hail reproach, and welcome pain; Only thy terrors, Lord, restrain.'

"I trust, sir, that you see what a glorious high calling yours is, and that you are one of those who walk humbly with G.o.d, that you may be taught of him in all things. Persons in your place are messengers of the most high G.o.d. Is it too much to say, they should live like the angels in all holiness, and be filled with love and zeal for men's souls? They are amba.s.sadors, in Christ's stead, to persuade sinners to be reconciled to G.o.d. So that your calling is above that of angels: for they are _afterwards_ to minister to the heirs of salvation; but the sinner must be _first_ reconciled to G.o.d. And you are called on from day to day to intercede with man as his friend, that you may win souls to Christ. Christ is ascended up on high, to intercede with his Father for guilty sinners, and to plead for them the merits of his death. So that Christ and his faithful ministers, through the operation of the blessed Spirit, are co-workers together.

Yet without him we can do nothing: our strength is his strength, and his is all the glory from first to last.

"It is my heart's prayer and desire, sir, that you may, by a living faith, cleave close to that blessed, exalted Lamb of G.o.d, who died to redeem us from sin--that you may have a sweet communion with Father, Son, and Spirit--that you may sink deep in humble love, and rise high in the life of G.o.d. Thus will you have such discoveries of the beauties of Christ and his eternal glory as will fill your heart with true delight.

"If I am not deceived, I wish myself to enjoy his gracious favour, more than all the treasures which earth can afford. I would in comparison look upon them with holy disdain, and as not worth an anxious thought, that they may not have power on my heart to draw or attract it from G.o.d, who is worthy of my highest esteem, and of all my affections. It should be our endeavour to set him always before us, that in all things we may act as in his immediate presence; that we may be filled with that holy fear, so that we may not dare wilfully to sin against him. We should earnestly entreat the Lord to mortify the power and working of sin and unbelief within us, by making Christ appear more and more precious in our eyes, and more dear to our hearts.

"It fills my heart with thankful recollections, while I attempt in this weak manner to speak of G.o.d's love to man. When I reflect on my past sins and his past mercies, I am a.s.sured, that if I had all the gifts of wise men and angels, I could never sufficiently describe my own inward sense of his undeserved love towards me. We can better enjoy these glorious apprehensions in our hearts than explain them to others. But, oh, how unworthy of them are we all! Consciousness of my own corruptions keeps me often low; yet faith and desire will easily mount on high, beseeching G.o.d that he would, according to the apostle's prayer, fill me with all his communicable fulness, in the gifts and graces of his Spirit; that I may walk well-pleasing before him, in all holy conversation, perfecting holiness in his fear.

"If I err in boldness, sir, pray pardon me, and in your next letter confirm my hope that you will be my counsellor and guide.

"I can only recompense your kindness to me by my prayers, that your own intercourse with G.o.d may be abundantly blessed to you and yours. I consider the Saviour saying to you, as he did to Peter, 'Lovest thou me?' And may your heartfelt experience be compelled to reply, 'Thou knowest all things, and thou knowest that I love thee' supremely! May he have evident marks of it in all your outward actions of love and humanity in feeding his flock, and in the inward fervour and affection of all your consecrated powers: that you may be zealously engaged in pulling down the strongholds of sin and Satan, and building up his Church; sowing the seeds of righteousness, and praying G.o.d to give the increase: that you may not labour for him in vain, but may see the trees bud and blossom, and bring forth fruit abundantly, to the praise and glory of your heavenly Master. In order to give you encouragement, he says, whosoever 'converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death;' and that will increase the brightness of your crown in glory. This hath Christ merited for his faithful ministers.

"I hope, sir, you will receive grace to be sincere in reproving sin, wherever you see it. You will find divine a.s.sistance, and all fear and shame taken from you. Great peace will be given to you, and wisdom, strength, and courage, according to your work. You will be as Paul; having much learning, you can speak to men in all stations in life, by G.o.d's a.s.sistance. The fear of offending them will never prevent you, when you consider the glory of G.o.d; and man's immortal soul is of more value than his present favour and esteem. In particular, you are in an office wherein you can visit _all_ the sick.

Man's extremity is often G.o.d's opportunity. In this way you may prove an instrument in his hand to do his work. Although he _can_ work without means, yet his usual way is by means; and I trust you are a chosen vessel unto him, to prove his name and declare his truth to all men.

"Visiting the sick is a strict command, and a duty for every Christian. None can tell what good may be done. I wish it was never neglected, as it too often is. Many think that if they attend in the church, the minister to preach, and the people to hear, their duty is done. But more is required than this. May the Lord stir up the gift that is in his people and ministers, that they may have compa.s.sion on their fellow-sinners,--that they may never think it too late, but remember that while there is life there is hope!" Once more I pray, sir, pardon and excuse all my errors in judgment, and the ignorance that this is penned in; and may G.o.d bless you in all things, and particularly your friends.h.i.+p to me and my parents. What a comfort is family religion! I do not doubt but this is your desire, as it is mine, to say,--

'I and my house will serve the Lord, But first obedient to his word I must myself appear; By actions, words, and tempers show That I my heavenly Master know, And serve with heart sincere.

I must the fair example set; From those that on my pleasure wait The stumbling-block remove; Their duty by my life explain, And still in all my works maintain The dignity of love.

Easy to be entreated, mild, Quickly appeased and reconciled, A follower of my G.o.d: A saint indeed I long to be, And lead my faithful family In the celestial road.

Lord, if thou dost the wish infuse, A vessel fitted for thy use Into thy hands receive: Work in me both to will and do, And show them how believers true And real Christians live.

With all sufficient grace supply, And then I'll come to testify The wonders of thy name, Which saves from sin, the world, and h.e.l.l: Its power may every sinner feel, And every tongue proclaim!

Cleansed by the blood of Christ from sin, I seek my relatives to win, And preach their sins forgiven; Children, and wife, and servants seize, And through the paths of pleasantness Conduct them all to heaven.'

"Living so much in a solitary way, books are my companions; and poetry which speaks of the love of G.o.d and the mercies of Christ is very sweet to my mind. This must be my excuse for troubling you to read verses which others have written. I have intended, if my declining state of health permit, to go to --- for a few days. I say this lest you should call in expectation of seeing me during any part of next week. But my dear father and mother, for whose precious souls I am very anxious, will reap the benefit of your visit at all events.

"From your humble and unworthy servant,

"E--- W---."

Having read it, I said to the father of my highly valued correspondent,--

"I thank you for being the bearer of this letter. Your daughter is a kind friend and faithful counsellor to me, as well as to you. Tell her how highly I esteem her friends.h.i.+p, and that I feel truly obliged for the many excellent sentiments which she has here expressed. Give her my blessing, and a.s.sure her that the oftener she writes the more thankful I shall be."

The Dairyman's enlivened eye gleamed with pleasure as I spoke. The praise of his Elizabeth was a string which could not be touched without causing every nerve of his whole frame to vibrate.

His voice half faltered as he spoke in reply; the tear started in his eyes; his hand trembled as I pressed it; his heart was full; he could only say,--

"Sir, a poor old man thanks you for your kindness to him and his family.

G.o.d bless you, sir; I hope we shall soon see you again."

Thus we parted for that day.

PART V.

It has not unfrequently been observed, that when it is the Lord's pleasure to remove any of his faithful followers out of this life at an early period of their course, they make rapid progress in the experience of divine truth. The fruits of the Spirit ripen fast as they advance to the close of mortal existence. In particular, they grow in humility, through a deeper sense of inward corruption and a clearer view of the perfect character of the Saviour. Disease and bodily weakness make the thoughts of eternity recur with frequency and power. The great question of their own personal salvation, the quality of their faith, the sincerity of their love, and the purity of their hope, are in continual exercise.

Unseen realities at such a time occupy a larger portion of thought than before. The state of existence beyond the grave, the invisible world, the unalterable character of the dead, the future judgment, the total separation from everything earthly, the dissolution of body and spirit, and their re-union at the solemn hour of resurrection--these are subjects for their meditation, which call for serious earnestness of soul.

Whatever consolations from the Spirit of G.o.d they may have enjoyed heretofore, they become now doubly anxious to examine and prove themselves whether they be indeed in the faith. In doing this, they sometimes pa.s.s through hidden conflicts of a dark and distressing nature; from which, however, they come forth like gold tried in the furnace.

Awhile they may sow in tears, but soon they reap in joy.

Their religious feelings have then, perhaps, less of ecstasy, but more of serenity.

As the ears of corn ripen for the harvest, they bow their heads nearer to the ground. So it is with believers: they then see more than ever of their own imperfection, and often express their sense of it in strong language; yet they repose with a growing confidence on the love of G.o.d through Christ Jesus. The nearer they advance to their eternal rest, the more humble they become, but not the less useful in their sphere. They feel anxiously desirous of improving every talent they possess to the glory of G.o.d, knowing that the time is short.

I thought I observed the truth of these remarks fulfilled in the progressive state of mind of the Dairyman's daughter.

Declining health seemed to indicate the will of G.o.d concerning her. But her character, conduct, and experience of the Divine favour, increased in brightness as the setting sun of her mortal life approached its horizon.

The last letter which, with the exception of a very short note, I ever received from her, I shall now transcribe. It appeared to me to bear the marks of a still deeper acquaintance with the workings of her own heart, and a more entire reliance upon the free mercy of G.o.d.

The original, while I copy it, strongly revives the image of the deceased, and the many profitable conversations which I once enjoyed in her company, and that of her parents. It again endears to me the recollections of cottage piety, and helps me to antic.i.p.ate the joys of that day when the spirits of the glorified saints shall be re-united to their bodies, and be for ever with the Lord.

The writer of this and the preceding letters herself little imagined, when they were penned, that they would ever be submitted to the public eye; that they now are so, results from a conviction that the friends of the pious poor will estimate them according to their value; and a hope that it may please G.o.d to honour these memorials of the dead, to the effectual edification of the living.

"REV. SIR,

"In consequence of your kind permission, I take the liberty to trouble you with another of my ill-written letters; and I trust you have too much of your blessed Master's lowly, meek, and humble mind, to be offended with a poor, simple, ignorant creature, whose intentions are pure and sincere in writing. My desire is, that I, a weak vessel of his grace, may glorify his name for his goodness towards me. May the Lord direct me by his counsel and wisdom! May he overshadow me with his presence, that I may sit beneath the banner of his love, and find the consolations of his blessed Spirit sweet and refres.h.i.+ng to my soul.

"When I feel that I am nothing, and G.o.d is all in all, then I can willingly fly to him, saying, 'Lord, help me; Lord, teach me; be unto me my prophet, priest, and king. Let me know the teaching of thy grace, and the disclosing of thy love.' What nearness of access might we have, if we lived more near to G.o.d! What sweet communion might we have with a G.o.d of love! He is the great I AM. How glorious a name!

Angels with trembling awe prostrate themselves before him, and in humble love adore and wors.h.i.+p him. One says--

'While the first archangel sings, He hides his face behind his wings.'

Unworthy as I am, I have found it by experience that the more I see of the greatness and goodness of G.o.d, and the nearer union I hope I have had with him through the Spirit of his love, the more humble and self- abased I have been.

"But every day I may say, 'Lord, how little I love thee, how far I live from thee, how little am I like thee in humility!' It is, nevertheless, my heart's desire to love and serve him better. I find the way in which G.o.d does more particularly bless me, is when I attend on the public ordinances of religion. These are the channels through which he conveys the riches of his grace and precious love to my soul.

These I have often found to be indeed the time of refres.h.i.+ng and strengthening from the presence of the Lord. Then I can see my hope of an interest in the covenant of his love, and praise him for his mercy to the greatest of sinners.

"I earnestly wish to be more established in his ways, and to honour him in the path of duty, whilst I enjoy the smiles of his favour. In the midst of all outward afflictions I pray that I may know Christ and the power of his resurrection within my soul. If I were always thus, my summer would last all the year; my will would then be sweetly lost in G.o.d's will, and I should feel a resignation in every dispensation of his providence and his grace, saying, 'Good is the will of the Lord: Infinite Wisdom cannot err.' Then would patience have its perfect work.