Chapter XXVI: Letter XXVI: Valley of Achor, Sept. 5th, 1818

Mrs. DUDLEY.

MY DEAR TRIED FRIEND,

The Lord accepts the will for the deed, from his dear people. You: would do me much good, if it lay in your power; but the Lord has enabled you to say, To will, is present with me; and the Apostle says, If there was a willing mind, it is accepted. David wanted to build an house for the Lord, but he had not liberty; yet the dear Saviour sent him word, it was well it was in his heart. The will was accepted.—Pious Mary had once anointed her Saviour, and she intended to do it again at his burial; but fearing she might not have the honor to embalm him, she came before hand, and anointed him to his burial. The Saviour accepted the will for the deed, and declared, wherever the Gospel was preached, this kind act should be noticed. So we find in our experience. We would love God—without a rival. We would know him as he is in Christ; perfectly; we would enjoy him uninterruptedly; we would hold perpetual communion with him; we would serve him, day and night; we would never dishonour him, grieve him, offend him, or slight him; we would never sin against him any more. But O, we cannot attain to this; how to perform _that_ which is good, we find we cannot. So we would comfort the saints, relieve the afflicted, cheer the disconsolate, plead for the truth, and support the cause of God. Bring into the way of truth all our dear friends; and if it was agreeable to the decrees of God, we would bring in all to the knowledge of the truth—however dark you may feel, however miserable you may seem, I hope the Lord will over-rule that, to bring you out of yourself, daily to die to self, daily to be looking to Jesus, and being satisfied that he is your eternal all, that he has taken away all your guilt, that he has bore all your sins, that he has obeyed for you, that he is your intercessor before the throne, that he lives to plead your cause, manage all your concerns, turn every apparent evil into good, will never leave you until he has done all the good he his promised unto you.

I am a little acquainted with your trials; much as I am tried myself, I would not exchange troubles with you. I thank you for your kind wish, that I may be favored with the divine presence, this is the general prayer of the Lord’s people, for me, and I am much honored with it. What shall I render to the Lord. I hope he is leading me to the knowledge of Christ, it is eternal life to know him; and God has promised us an heart to know him, so as to live upon him, make use of him, and give him all the glory. As this is so capital a blessing, so I must remind you that this is the work of the Holy Ghost, in the heart; and his sacred indwelling, is the presence of God. Let thy Presence go with me, prayed Moses. This was typified by the Cloudy Pillar, which abode upon, encompassed round, and led, protected, and cheered the Israelites, for forty years; and although they often rebelled, fretted, complained, and sinned against God, yet he bore with their manners, changed his conduct, tried them, and permitted them to be beset by enemies, yet he did not take away the cloudy pillar. You know how to apply this subject. I bless God the work is going on in your soul, and if the following things I see in you, and gather from your kind letter, are evidences of the work of God, my dear friend is in possession of it. A being quickened to see the misery of a fallen nature. Humbling views of your own nothingness. An earnest desire for communion with Christ, in his own ordinances. A patient, yet longing, waiting for pardoning love to be manifested to the soul, with power. A daily cross, felt from nature, sin, Satan, and the world. A grief of heart, that you cannot serve the Lord as you desire. Sympathy with the tried people of God. Gratitude for past experiences, of the power of God on the soul. A coming out of self daily, and leaning upon Jesus, the best beloved. This is the path—go on dear Friend—

Wrestle until your God be known,
’Till you can call the Lord your own.

Your’s, in him,
_Ruhamah_.