Undated

My good Friend: — I have many reasons to remember your being last year at Bath. Among other things I sent you down the first lesson, which the great and good Master teaches all his scholars. I cannot tell how w ell you learned it. But I understand he is very kind to you, and is taking a great deal of pains to make you a proficient. He sees how desirous you are of going to heaven, with this and the other comfort by the way: you are apt to think, as I do, that, being such an infinitely loving Lord, he might very well spare it to you — you might keep it, and yet keep his love. But herein we form a wrong judgment of him. For he does all things well — yea, he intends to do better for you, far better than you can even imagine. He loves you more than you can possibly love yourself; and he will send you nothing but what is for your real and best interest, and he will let you find it so. His love is almighty, and it is unchangeable. What cannot he do, what will he not do, when his heart is set upon blessing his people? It is a common thing with him to bring spiritual good out of temporal evil: he can extract pleasure out of pain; yea, he can enrich by impoverishing, and turn losses into gain. Unto you it is now given, as a matter of his choice favor, not only to believe on him, but also to be conformed to him, by bearing his cross. This he is aiming at. He is going to advance you to great honor, and to make you comforted on every side. At this very time. he is training you up for it. He is now going to confer some of his special mercies, some of the greatest blessings he has to give on earth; which he bestows in so certain and fixed a way, that I know his mind and will concerning you, as plainly here in London as if I was with you at, and you

was to tell me all your thoughts: for, indeed, our Jesus is very communicative. He keeps nothing from his friends. — “And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?” &c. — Gen. xviii. 17, 18, &c. No. He is of my court, and I will make him of my cabinet: Abraham shall be my privy counsellor. And the same Lord has raised you and me to the same dignity. Thus our patent runs: — “Henceforth I call you not servants: for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth: but I have called you friends, therefore all things which I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” Our Divine Teacher still makes known to us what he doeth. He reveals his will, and lays open his heart. And, according to what I have discovered of it, your second lesson is this. May he breathe upon it by his Spirit and bless to your soul every line you read.

O that all within you may say, from a feeling submission to his loving correction — Lord Jesus Christ, not my will, but thine BE done!

The second lesson of the cross — or tJie exercise of faith in suffering.

1. They that have their portion in this life prosper in the world, they increase in riches, they come into no misfortune like other folk, neither are they plagued like other men.

2. But w hom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth,

3. He dealeth wdtli them as with sons, having chosen them all in the same election of grace, prepared for them the same inheritance, and decreed that they should go the same way to it.

4. He will not exempt one of them, no, not his only begotten Son, who went to his crown carrying his cross; and whom the Father did foreknow, them he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son.

5. Of this he has graciously forewarned them, that they might not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try them, as though some strange thing had befallen them: he has also promised to be with them, when they walk through the fire, and they shall not be burnt, neither shall the flames kindle upon them. And,

6. When they come out of the furnace, they shall find many blessed fruits of righteousness, which could not have grown or been ripened by any other means.

7. Art thou, then, O my soul, expecting the cross as thy portion, prepared to take it up as the honorable badge of thy discipleship, and ready to carry it daily, following Jesus?

8. Canst thou take it up in faith? Is this the right frame of thy heart,” God is my God, my Father in Jesus? He loves me with an unchangeable love, which influences all his dealings with me, and especially his present dispensation: for,

9. “He not only loves me with an everlasting love, but he is also now waiting to communicate it to me: my present cross is his way and means of bringing it to my heart, and of bestowing on me some of its richest blessings.”

10. True, it is painful to the flesh; but the flesh fighteth always against the Spirit, and is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be; and therefore the cross must be laid and must be kept upon it, in order to weaken its power, and also to strengthen the new man day by day.

11. There is a needs must for the daily cross to keep down pride, and to bring every high thought of self into a subjection to Christ Jesus, that we may be always learning of him to be meek and lowly.

12. Looking at the cross in this light, as the loving appointment of the Father’s will, and as the means of improving faith in the Son’s salvation, through the grace of the eternal Spirit, how dost thou, O my soul, find if when it comes?

13. How is it with thee when the cross is upon thy back, and thou art carrying a heavy, painful load after Jesus?

14. Dost thou see Him before thee, who went in the same way; and dost thou honor his promises, and rely upon his faithfulness to carry both thee and thy cross 1

15. When thou art chastised, and sharply, canst thou kiss the rod, and bless the kind hand which takes such pains to purge out thy corruptions?

16. And when the smart continues from day to day, dost thou so far profit from it as to be able to say from thy very heart, Father, THY WILL BE DONE 1 Happy soul! for then thou art a partaker of his lioUness.

IT. When it is the will of the Father to spare the child, what profit has appeared, after he has removed the cross for a time?

18. Are there any peaceable fruits of righteousness growing or ripening in the heart? Is there more joy and peace in the Son’s salvation, and more happy enjoyment of the Father’s love?

19. Has the Holy Spirit deadened the life of sense, by putting the cross upon it, and thereby produced more liveliness to spiritual and to eternal things?

20. Say, is the harvest good and plentiful? Do the graces flourish? Have faith and patience been in exercise, and improved? Has resignation to the Divine will been in practice, and the good of submitting to it learnt by experience?

21. Thrice happy soul to whom the cross is thus sanctified! yet a very little while, and faith and patience having done their perfect work, the cross will be no more, but the crown will be for ever.

My very dear friend, this is my present lesson; and though I am a dull scholar, yet I get on a little. I wish you may get before me; for I am told the Master takes great pains with you; and I believe it. I am very certain you must carry your cross all the way through this valley of Baca. And what can I wish you better than that you may find the rain filling the pools, and you may go from strength to strength? When the Lord strikes at your comforts (and mind, your cross grows out of your comforts), O that your heart may then feel submission, whatever nature feels! May all within you, guided and strengthened by grace, be able to say. Lord, take away what thou wilt, only take not away the light of thy loving countenance. When thou removest any of my comforts, let me not forget they were thine; thy free gift, lent me by thy love, and kept long for me by thy bounty. And now thou art pleased to require them. Lord, make thy will mine, and fill up the place which they had in my heart with thy precious love. So be it, Lord Jesus. Amen.

W. R.