To E. M., 1858.
Much-beloved friend,
I must begin with saying, Is it well with your soul? When did you see the
King? Are you free at court? Can you venture in the name of any other? Have
you sweet access by the faith of Jesus, and by His blood? The Father is
pleased when the Son is honored. Oh! for faith in exercise by the operation
of the Holy Spirit--to live in the fullness of Jesus in constant
self-emptiness.
I have been sweetly seeing how the needy sinner suits the
Savior; for what would He do with His fullness of grace--if He had not these
dependants to receive it? And what would we do, who cannot call one mite our
own--if we had not such a Savior, full of grace and love, to bestow it? We
would not match together half so well if we ourselves were not so needy and
helpless. We cannot put more honor upon Jesus, than by living upon His
royal bounty. He is the Covenant-Head, in which all covenant blessings
are treasured up for the covenant children, who are always to be poor as
poverty in themselves—but are freely welcome to all this store, which is the
ordained medium of communication. Unbelief is the great barrier by which
Satan works to keep us out of our privileges, and to rob God of His glory.
We may well cry out with tears, "Lord, I believe, help mine unbelief!"
I had a sweet season at the Lord's table yesterday. My
soul was touched to see my precious Jesus, the Lord of glory, in all His
suffering circumstances; to see Him crowned with the curse, nailed on the
tree of curse, and that between two thieves. What degradation! Oh! I could
hardly bear it. "They shall look upon him whom they have pierced, and they
shall mourn for him." It is very humbling—but very sweet to meditate on the
deep humiliation of that royal Sufferer! There it is that hope springs up,
mercy breaks out, and love flows to a vile sinner like me! "Christ has
redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is
written--Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree!" Galatians 3:13
"Oh! the sweet wonders of the cross,
Where God my Savior loved and died;
Her noblest life my spirit draws,
From His dear wounds and bleeding side."
Remember "the blood is the life." Seek to have much of
it, that it may not be with the soul "just alive," but "life more
abundantly!"
I have been much delighted with those words, "He healed
all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease among the people." May the
power of the Lord be present to heal you, if you have need of healing.
In the warm love of our unchanging Friend
and Lord, ever yours most affectionately,
Ruth—a debtor to mercy and love.