My DEAR C—
The tidings of the Lord’s goodness, in speaking peace to your troubled soul, has filled my heart with joy and thanksgiving. I can truly rejoice in your joy, and be glad in the gladness of your heart. The Lord alone be praised for all His love and grace. What a reality the work of God’s Spirit in the soul is! He wounds that He may heal—He breaks down in power, that He may build up in grace. You have learned much in a short time, under your Divine Teacher. I trust you will diligently employ what you now know, for the Master’s glory, and the good of precious souls. You can now speak of the reality of peace, after trouble of conscience—of rest, after laboring under the weight and burden of sin—of joy, after passing through anguish of spirit. How often, of late, one has seen souls in all these conditions. The Lord is indeed working wondrously in many places, and in many, many souls. His name be praised.
There is another truth of great importance, which I trust you have been divinely taught, namely, that it is when we believe, and not before we believe, that we find peace. “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.” Mark the expression, “in believing.” As one has well observed, “Not for believing, as a price, or after believing, as a fulfilled condition, but in believing: the news itself making us glad as we believe it.” See that you have this simple truth, clearly, and firmly fixed in your mind. It must always be true. We are so constituted, that, in believing, a result is produced answering to the truth believed. If you receive a letter containing good news, what is the result produced on your mind? You are made glad. If containing sad news, what then? You are made sorry. Hence it is, that the moment the distressed soul is enabled to look to Jesus, in faith, it finds immediate relief. Why? because it believes that in Him, all its need is fully and eternally met. While looking to Him it never doubts. It sees the forgiveness of sins, through His precious blood— eternal life, and every blessing, through faith in His blessed name. In short, it finds all in Him, and in believing this, it has—it must have—perfect rest. It seeks to go no farther. Like the Psalmist, it now says, “This is my rest forever, here will I dwell; for I have desired it.” (Psalm 132:1414This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. (Psalm 132:14).)
“I rest in Christ, the Son of God,
Who took the servant’s form;
By faith I flee to Jesu’s cross,
My covert from the storm.”
He is Himself the only worthy object in the whole universe for your heart. Did you possess every other, but not Him, there would be an aching void within, and a dreary blank without. But possessing Him, the blessed Christ of God, the heart is full to over-flowing, and everything around is seen in the light of His countenance, over which no cloud can ever pass. This is the sunshine of the soul: without it all is darkness. His presence is the only sanctuary for the sinner’s soul, and His love the fullness and consummation of its blessedness.
And now, my dear C. that you are “perfectly happy in Jesus”—that you know Him as the Saviour of your soul; what use should you make of this knowledge? Should you keep it to yourself? Should you conceal it from others? Surely, no! While it would be quite wrong to assume anything like a superiority over others, because we are christians; or be unwisely speaking about the truth, so as to irritate others, still, we must be true witnesses for Christ as the Saviour, and bear decided testimony for the truth, as it is in Him. The proper season must be watched for, and it must be done in meekness, gentleness, and love. Seek to convince those that you speak to, that you humbly desire their good. Avoid everything that would be like a display of yourself. An unconverted person is easily irritated by the testimony of a young christian. It requires to be done with great humility, and in a spirit of prayerful dependence on Christ. But, in the first place, begin to speak with those more like yourself, as to age and circumstances; such as the members of your own family, and your own former acquaintances.
We have, in the case of “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother,” a beautiful, and instructive example, as to how service for Christ and souls may be commenced. “He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, we have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus.” (John 1:41, 4241He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. 42And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. (John 1:41‑42).) Now, my dear C, do you go and do likewise. Let this be, in the name of the Lord, your first mission. First find your own brother, tell him what you have found, and seek to bring him to Jesus. How simple! how natural! yet, how well fitted to gain the end. You will observe, that he simply states what he, himself, had found. When this is done in a happy spirit, it will tell home in power. It is not attempting to teach, or to preach to others, but the simple statement of a fact which now fills your own heart with new and heavenly joy. When done at a proper time, and with an evident desire for your brother’s good, he cannot be offended. He will see that it is the genuine flow of a full and a happy heart. You may be surprised to find how little he seems to care for what you think so precious and important. But be not discouraged. Remember what you were yourself, count upon God, persevere, and watch for his soul. Nothing is so well fitted, as this watching for your brother’s soul, to keep your own soul right. Because you will be anxious to live according to your profession. Inconsistency would soon weaken your testimony, and prove a stumbling-block to him. Now, all this is true and applicable, whether the object be one’s own brother, one’s own relative, one’s own friend, or one’s own neighbor. Everyone is our “own brother” in a gospel sense; and our work of loving service is never finished, so long as we find one who refuses to come to Jesus. But above all things, be much in prayer for your own unconverted brother, relative, friend, and neighbor. I do not believe that we are ever really interested in a person, until we pray for him. In prayer we become linked with the person that we pray for, before God, and in His presence, and this leads us to walk before the person, as we would before God. Oh! the innumerable advantages of prayer! They are infinite!
Allow me also to suggest, that you avoid everything like reasoning and argument; the enemy will seek to drag you into this, but, “the servant of the Lord must not strive.” (Look carefully at 2 Tim. 2:22-2622Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. 24And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. (2 Timothy 2:22‑26).) You would soon make enemies to yourself by argument and get unhappy in your own soul. Follow the example before you, “we have found the Messias.” This simple testimony when uttered from the heart, will have great power. It was enough for Simon. Through God’s blessing he was brought to Christ. Speak humbly; but firmly, of what you have found. That is, of what you know, possess; and enjoy. Avoid going beyond your depth. As opportunity occurs, you can speak of having found forgiveness, peace, joy, happiness, and full salvation.
The following extract will illustrate what I say. It was written by a little girl at school, to one very near and very dear to her heart, though personally far, far away. “I believe in Jesus, I have found Jesus, I know that Jesus loved me, and gave himself for me.” And now I know that I am saved. I am going to pray every day at— for you dear—, and for you dear—, and for others beside, that Jesus may bless you all. Oh! who can tell the effect of such an appeal, on the heart, it may be of a fond father, or a tender-hearted mother? especially when they see at the bottom of such a sweet letter, the familiar name of one so dear to them.
But now, my dear C, to conclude my long letter, let me press home upon your heart, the latter part of the example before us, namely, “And he brought him to Jesus!” Seek with all your heart to do this. Oh! be earnest. Give your whole heart to it. Let nothing divert you from your purpose. Make every other thing bend to this one point. It is a matter of life or death, heaven or hell. Oh! think! Can you think of your “own brother” on the broad road to destruction, and not strain every nerve to save him? Oh, be faithful—prayerful—watchful. Would any sacrifice of time, labor, or money be too great to save a beloved brother from endless woe? Have you done your utmost? You may be brought to feel as if the last arrow from your quiver had been spent in vain. Trust in God. His quiver is yet full of arrows. Burn before Him with consuming desire for your brothers’—your relatives’—your friends’—your neighbors’ conversion. And continue to burn as a living sacrifice before Him, until your own brother and every other brother are brought to Jesus. Oh! then, let the one great thought of your remaining days upon earth be, to bring sinners to Jesus; that His great name may be glorified in their salvation. Seek to bring them to the meetings, where they may hear about Jesus. As a noble-hearted evangelist lately said to me, “This I feel to be my grand commission, for the rest of my days, namely, to press upon sinners to come to Christ, and to press upon Christians to walk in Christ.” “As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.”
May your first mission be taken, your first service performed, and your first letter written, in the true spirit and power of your own joy in having found Jesus, and in burning zeal to bring others to Him.
So prays, ever, most affectionately,
Yours, in Jesus, until He come,
Oh, speak of Jesus! of that love
Passing all bounds of human thought,
Which made Him quit His throne above,
With God-like, deep compassion fraught;
To save from death our ruin’d race,
Our guilt to purge, our path to trace.
Yes, speak of Jesus! of His grace,
Receiving, pardoning, blessing all
His holy, spotless life retrace—
His words, His miracles recall;
The words He spoke, the truths He taught,
With life-eternal life, are fraught.
Oh, speak of Jesus! of His death;
For sinners, such as me, He died:
“‘Tis finish’d,” with His latest breath,
The Lord, Jehovah Jesus, cried;
That death of shame and agony,
Open’d the way of life to me.
Courtesy of BibleTruthPublishers.com. Most likely this text has not been proofread. Any suggestions for spelling or punctuation corrections would be warmly received. Please email them to: BTPmail@bibletruthpublishers.com.