Anne Dutton's
Letters on Spiritual Subjects
My very Dear Sister in Christ,
The sweet clusters of Canaan's grapes
brought to us in this wilderness, whet our appetite after the heavenly
country, that exceeding good land where we, at home with Christ, shall feast
upon Him, the Tree of Life, in the variety and perpetuity of His ever-new
and abundant fruits, unto growing joys and endless days. Then, oh, then,
"God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes; and there shall be no more
death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain
(inward or outward); for the former things shall be passed away." No wonder
that such a soul desires to depart and to be with Christ, which is far
better!
Let us, then, as heirs of God and joint heirs with
Christ, rejoice now in hope of approaching glory which awaits us. Our Lord's
joy will not be full, until He sees all His children brought in, converted
by grace and raised unto glory. When He thus sees us, the whole election of
grace and all our ineffable bliss, as the fruit of the travail of His soul,
He shall be satisfied, His heart contented, and delighted forever!
Such is the boundless grace of our altogether lovely and
infinitely loving Lord! And as for us, the beloved of the Lord, appointed to
salvation by Jesus Christ, when we are presented faultless before the
presence of His glory, it will be with exceeding joy—a joy far exceeding all
our present conception and expression. So great is the hope laid up for us
in heaven! And how great, then, should be our present joy in hope of future
glory!
But let us wait with patience our appointed time here on
earth. Shall not we, so highly favored to know that for us there remains an
eternal rest, be free to endure all the troubles appointed for us in this
present time, since the glory of God and our good are jointly concerned
under these light and momentary afflictions? Not a trouble passes
over us but we are called thereby to glorify God, in doing and suffering His
will.
Shall we desire to shun any cross which is to prepare us
for and to advance our crown? No! rather let us ask wisdom of God wisely to
improve our every day's affliction, for His glory. Thus, rejoicing in,
waiting for, and hastening unto, the coming of the day of God, let us spend
the little time that remains unto us, and soon our race will be run, the
prize won, and we shall enter into the joy of our Lord, to live with Him,
and reign in life by Him, to a never-ending eternity!