Anne Dutton's
Letters on Spiritual Subjects
Dear Brother and Sister,
As to my health, blessed be God, I am no worse. I dwell
in a fragile body, which I think sometimes is near its dissolution. But I
rejoice in that house, that building of God, eternal in the heavens, which I
know, through grace, is prepared for me. I in this tabernacle groan, being
burdened by reason of that sinfulness and weakness which attends and renders
me incapable either to know or serve the Lord as I would, and as perfect
spirits do; and this makes me long for the time when mortality shall be
swallowed up of life. We have no reason to be afraid of a separate state,
for "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord." Nor yet should the saints be
afraid to die, as if they should be forsaken and left to go through the last
trial alone. No, our God will be with us when we come to the river Death; He
will divide the water before us, and so marvelously appear in carrying us
through it that we shall take thence a memorial of His infinite grace and
faithfulness, as the children of Israel did when they passed through the
literal Jordan (Josh. 4:7).
We should come up from the wilderness, even to the last
step of it, leaning upon our Beloved, who has said, "I will never leave you
nor forsake you" (Heb. 13:5). These words, "never leave you," reach through
our whole lives, even unto death, yes, into death, through death, above and
beyond death, even to an endless eternity. And unless everlasting arms could
become weary, unchangeable love alter, and infinite faithfulness fail, we
have no reason to be afraid. No, not in "the valley of the shadow of death".
Our God will be "our refuge and strength, a very present help in that time
of trouble". And as He will be the strength of our heart when heart and
flesh fail us, so our portion forever, or our eternal lot.
And oh! who can count up a thousandth part of those vast
treasures of glory we have in His immense Being, as He has made over His
great Self to us in Christ! Why should we, then, who are the King's sons, be
lean from day to day? The Lord grant us true greatness of mind, that with a
princely spirit we may behave as heirs of glory under all our present
trials!
Wishing all prosperity, and begging a share in your
prayers, I commit you to Israel's Keeper.