May, 1869.
My Dear Brother And Sister In The Lord,-I am in debt to you a letter. Look at the passages in Song of
Solomon, at which I was looking this morning (a) chap. 2:16: " My Beloved in mine,, and I am His." It is like the burst of feeling of a young believer, rejoicing in his newly-acquired relationship to Christ. I love Him, and we understand one another; since I have chosen Him, He is mine, and I am His. (b) Chap. 6:3: " I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved is mine "-a more sobered expression, for she had learned a good bit more of what a poor thing she was, how fickle her will, how unworthy her grasp to be thought much of; but, just what she was, He had not turned away from her. She was His, and she loved Him. He was her Beloved, and if she was His, then He was hers too. It is a much more sober statement, with much less of feeling and experience, but more depth of faith, and more perception of the real rights of things. But there is yet a more sober statement of the same import a little further on (c), chap. 7:10, 11: " I am my Beloved's, and His desire is toward me; " and this is much nearer the rights of the case, " I pertain to Him whom I love, and His desire is toward me." The why and the wherefore of His desire being towards her, she states not.
The Song of Solomon is about persons of glory on earth, not in heaven, and so, not Christ the Head of the body, the Bridegroom of a heavenly bride, but the Lord, as root and offspring of David, and the land Beulah married to Jehovah, is in question in the Song. The Church is the bride, the Lamb's wife. But the why and the wherefore we know; the promises had been made to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and to these the servants of the Lord, the Messiah, would be faithful. I do not remember any passage about Old Testament blessing in which " counsel " is named as at the root; but there are many in which " covenant " and " promise " unconditionally are named. The naming of the counsels from before the foundation of the world, in God's own eternity, came out as one of the secret things reserved for the manifestation of what belongs to an earth-rejected Messiah when returned to heaven. I could wish we saw more now of the spiritual sense of personal relationship to the Lord which is found in His beloved in the Song. " Are my sins forgiven me? " is the language of piety now, and how few rise above that into the enjoyed relationship, into the known association with the Lord.
The work proceeds here, but it is very slowly moving. This does not trouble me, if what is wrought stands firm. Naturally one looks for it to be shown in a land like this, where the wildest notions upon every subject of religion are abroad. Yet God is God, and He has not forgotten His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, nor will He forget to gather a people out to wait for Him, and to say, " Come, Lord Jesus." I am reduced down to that as the basis of all my hope; or, if you please, have had to ascend right up to that, as the basis of faith, of hope, and of love and charity too.
God the destroyer of the works of Satan (see John's epistle) was my main stay this last winter, amid much weakness and feebleness and infirmity, and it is a blade we can use, sharp as it is; for He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and is in relationship known and owned by Him in grace to us-ward His children.
I felt deeply your disappointment this winter in no visitor, after expectation had been awakened. And I longed to come, but no steam-boat running, and my shattered state of body, and a hindrance, too, in the Lord's providence, made me feel that, how giver unwillingly I must give up the thought. But He is a great giver, and if He hides His hand from giving to-day, to-morrow He oft gives twofold. My daughter unites in Christian love to your wife and all saints.
Grace, mercy, and peace abound toward you, according to the fullness of God, the Father's love in Christ Jesus.
G. V. W.
P.S.-Yours to hand. I look up for Mrs.——Kindest love to her, and I may say to all.
I knew——would be scourged for not leaving all with the Lord. To stop one's own energy is most difficult of all. " If I could but find something to do " is oft our feeling. To leave all with God is another thing altogether.
Affectionately, G. V. W.