London, February 28, 1795
MY DEAR SIR,
HOW one thing hangs upon another! The French revolution has produced a revolution in the franking business. I suppose this is the last frank that will pass between Scotland and me. My next letter per post will cos#t you money, and therefore I ought to wait till I can send you something worth paying for.
Mr. R*## is a good man, and his Address is a good one. It was much called for. Besides the impression at L***, about ten thousand were printed here. I hope Wednesday was a good day.* The churches, Sec. where the gospel is preached, were in general crowded, and I hope the business of the day will be still remembered by many; but the majority, I fear, are returning into their old courses. I preached from Psalm exxiii. I, 2. and Exodus xvii. 11.
I congratulate you on the visit the Lord favoured you with. Such favours call for a double
A Fast Day.
guard of watchfulness and prayer. The pickpockets are busy about our Bank, when the dividends are paying, and sometimes they who have received a good sum of money have been deprived of it before they returned home: but they seldom attempt to rob a poor man. Thus satan the arch-thief, lets a poor formal professor pass unmolested; but if he sees one whom the Lord has enriched, he watches him with a malicious eye, and longs to spoil him of his treasure. It seems he once formed a plan to rob Paul himself, upon such an occasion, 2 Cor. xii. But the Lord constrained him to send a messenger of his own, to defeatdiis own design, and to put Paul upon his guard. Messengers from satan, and thorns in the flesh, are gifts and mercies, if they preserve us from being exalted above measure. For there is that in our nature which can extract poison even from gracious manifestations and spiritual comforts. A man who has his dividend in his pocket, buttons up close, avoids a crowd, and looks and moves, as if he thought every person he meets may be a thief. Let us imitate them! May the Lord’s voice to Peter sound frequently in our ears, “Satan has desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat.” But if we are enabled to walk humbly and circumspectly, we shall walk safely.
The slips and falls (some very great) of the most eminent servants of God, are recorded for our admonition. Abraham, Lot, Noah, Aaron, David, Solomon, and Hezekiah were not novices, but men who had known much of his goodness; and their greatest faults were usually committed just after some signal deliverance, or some singular manifestation, or after they had been honoured by the performance of some important service. Lord, what is man! and what are we! Let us not be high-minded, but fear!
Such extraordinary views of divine things are very desirable, provided we can safely bear them: of which he who knows our frame is the proper judge. They have not been a part of my experience, though, I hope, I likewise rest upon the simple truth: but it is as hiies in the book. What I read I am enabled to believe, so far as to venture my soul and my all upon it. And I trust it has some general effect upon my temper, aims, and expectations; but not often much more at one time than another. My walk is chiefly upon even ground. I am seldom greatly elevated, or greatly depressed. I would be thankful for that word of our Lord to Thomas, “Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed.” For indeed, in the way of sensible impression, I have seen but very little.
I think the Roman Catholics in Ireland were long treated much like Israel in Egypt. I do not consider their toleration as any way connected with religion; and as a political measure I highly approve it upon this principle, that I am glad of liberty to worship God according to my light, and therefore am very willing that others should have the same liberty. Toleration, if considered as a matter of favour, is an insult upon conscience, and an intrusion on the prerogative of the Lord of conscience. I should be glad of a toleration to eat, if I might not eat without it; yet I should think it hard if I could not breakfast cr dine without the leave of Parliament.
Popery always shewed a persecuting spirit; and therefore when the Protestants got power on their side, as they were unwilling to run the risk of being again called to the honour of suffering for the gospel sake, and equally unable to trust in the providence of God; they entrenched themselves within a bulwark of cruel, unchristian, penal laws. The Jewish nation was a theocracy, and Idolatry was not only a sin against God, but a crime against the state, and therefore punishable with death. Protestants availed themselves of this precedent. “Call the papists idolaters, and then you may treat them as you please. 1’ear away their children from them — hinder them from worshiping God at all. Let any rebellious profligate son claim his father’s estate, if he will but renounce popery, he need not have any religion: he may be an atheist, provided he promises not to be a Papist. Oppress them as much as you can, and still if you do not murder them, you may admire your own mercy.” I abhor the treatment of the presbyterians in Scotland in Charles Il’s time; and I do not think much better of the severities against the papists in Ireland.
I did not wonder at the contempt the Lord poured upon the well-meant, but mistaken zeal of the protestant association of the year 1780. Can the Gospel of Christ authorize such things? Are these the fruits of love? Is it thus we do as we would wish to be done by? Surely the Son of man came not to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.
Thus much for the present. I commend you to the care and blessing of the Lord; and with Miss C.’s respects, I subscribe myself,
Your affectionate friend and servant,
J.N.