Chapter IX: Letter IX

_Valley of Achor_, _December_ 17_th_, 1817.

Mr. & Mrs. F.

MY DEAR FRIENDS,

I need not apologize, I hope, for troubling you with a few lines, as I trust you are born of God, and _love God as he is in Jesus_, though perhaps you feel at times much grief of heart, that you enjoy so little of the sweetness of believing in Christ. What a mercy God makes us manifest to each others hearts, that we belong to his family; but the witness of God is greater, this is infinitely preferable to any human testimony, however clear and pleasing it may be to us, in point of brotherly love, and we which believe, have the witness in ourselves, we can prove that God has done something for us; though this work may be under a cloud for a time, yet the Lord the Spirit renews it, clears it up, makes it plain, and encourages us to hope in himself till faith is lost in sight, and hope in full enjoyment. Blessed be God we are getting nearer home, and though we seem to lag and hang back, yet God declares he will save her that halteth, and her that he has afflicted, therefore, on his divine faithfulness let us hope for what he has promised to us, and our expectation shall not be cut off. This is a sweet encouragement to my soul, in my painful pilgrimage, but when I look to the promises, to Christ in the promises, and to his fidelity, I thank God and take courage. The Lord deals well with me in the land of my captivity, and I only want more faith to trust in him, greater submission to his will, a living upon him as he is set forth, a leaving all with him, to manage for me, and to favor me with the presence of the holy spirit, in his saving offices; as a spirit of revelation in my understanding, as a spirit of power on my will, as a spirit of faith in my heart, as a spirit of love in my affections, as a spirit of light in my judgment, and as a spirit of peace in my conscience; with his constant operations as a spirit of supplication, enabling me at all times to draw near unto God—this is that seven-fold operation of the divine spirit which we daily need. You have your trials as well as I have, and it is of very little consequence where we have them, whether in my state or in yours, none of the children of God are exempt from the blessed peace Christ has made, and of course they are not exempt from the tribulation he has promised—they both go together, and perhaps my present place, was the spot appointed from all eternity, where I was to enjoy the solid peace of the gospel; and this I trust I shall be much favored with before I return; it is in this pleasing hope I live, I have much to oppose and much to encourage that hope, our path-way dear brother is through fire and water, and our way to glory is up hill. Our spirits tire, flag, weary, get heavy and faint, but we go on from strength to strength, till we get home.

Your’s, truly,
_Ruhamah_.