58. “Letitia,” London. Judging from the earnest tone of your letter we cannot doubt the reality of the Spirit’s work in your precious soul. What you want, now, is settled rest of conscience in the finished work of Christ, and rest of heart in Himself as an object to fill and satisfy you forever. We judge you are quickened but not yet sealed. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty;” but you do not seem to be at liberty.
Further, where the Spirit of God is there is power; but you do not seem to have power. We fondly trust you may soon be led into the full blessedness which is treasured up for the believer in Christ. You must be led to the end of self, in every shape and form—to give up your own righteousness, your own doings, your own feelings, everything, in short, of yourself, and accept a full Christ. Then you will be “sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession.” All true believers are thus sealed. The Holy Ghost is the seal which God puts upon all those who truly believe in His Son. We must distinguish between the work of the Holy Ghost, and His indwelling, The former is seen in the very first dawn of true conviction or repentance. The latter is connected with simple faith in a risen and glorified Savior, “ In whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed.” That is called in 1 Pet. 1:2,2Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (1 Peter 1:2) “sanctification of the Spirit.” This is His personal indwelling in the believer. See Acts 19.
We are intensely interested in your case; and we pray that the great Shepherd and Bishop of souls may lead you, by His Spirit, to find in Himself all that rest and peace, joy, comfort, and strength, after which you so ardently long.
59. “L. M.,” London. You have our deepest sympathy in your peculiarly trying circumstances. May the dear Lord sustain and comfort you! May He give you to taste the deep blessedness of being “in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.” May He open your way to attend the meeting of His people, and the ministry of His word! Wait patiently on Him. Do not, on any account, act clandestinely. This will never do. You could not possibly expect blessing or profit while acting deceitfully. Be honest, be above board, cost what it may. It is often very good for us to be obliged to give up our own will, even in the matter of attending meetings. We reap much more profit in subduing our will than in attending a lecture. We shall be very glad to hear again from you and your young friend, and, in the meantime, we commend you very earnestly to God, and the word of His grace.
60. “J. B.,” Burnham. We can, most fully, appreciate the difficulty under which you labor; but we cannot possibly expect to walk in days like these, without encountering difficulties. We have looked at this “vexed question” in all its bearings, seen it in all its workings, examined it in the light of scripture, and we do not see any other way of dealing with it than that which has been adopted. We can thoroughly understand how one in your circumstances must be stumbled by it; but we feel assured that, if your eye is single, you will be led aright. The question must be looked at abstractedly, in the presence of God. The moment we think of the probable results, or of how it will affect persons, we are plunged in darkness and confusion. We do not think there is the least necessity for troubling newly converted souls with this matter, or indeed of troubling any save such as have been mixed up with it. We are only too thankful to ignore it altogether whenever we can. It is only vessels coming from a port where plague is raging that should be put under quarantine. But, where the question is raised, there is no other course possible save plain decision for Christ, cost what it may. You may rest assured, dear friend, that, in this business, as in all besides, “there is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen. The lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it;” and although this “path” may be obscured by the wrong and foolish actings of those who profess to be in it, still the single eye will surely find it, and the obedient foot will tread it. “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom: and to depart from evil is understanding.” We do, most earnestly, desire that you and hundreds of others of God’s dear people may have His mind in this matter, and be enabled to walk, with firm step and fixed purpose, in that path which He has marked out for us in this dark and evil day.
62. “A tried and tempted one,” Ilfracombe. Your case was named at the prayer meeting, and elicited the deepest sympathy. We have never heard more earnest prayer made for any one. Surely, our God will hear and answer. One dear friend was so deeply moved by your letter that he has written to you, and only waits to know your address, to forward his letter. May the dear Lord Himself lead you into the divine peace of His own most precious Gospel! Do, dear friend, let us hear from you again.
63. “S. P.,” Cotswold. Accept our warmest thanks, beloved brother, for your kind note and accompanying fragment.
SPECIAL NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS.
We have several communications now lying before us in reference to subjects which have been repeatedly gone into; and we here, once for all, beg to inform our friends that we shall not, in future, take any notice of questions which have already been answered.