PART III.
A dialogue between Theogenes, Eusebius, and Theophilus.
Eusebius. THE doctrine of the spirit of love, cannot have more power over me, or be more deeply rooted in me, than it is already. It has so gained possession of my whole heart, that every thing else must be under its dominion. I can do nothing else but love; it is my whole nature, I have no taste for any thing else. Can this matter be carried higher in practice?
Theophilus. No higher, Eusebius. And was this the true state of your heart, you would bid fair to leave the world as Elijah did. For was there nothing but this divine love alive in you, your fallen flesh and blood would be in danger of being burnt up by it. What you have said of yourself, you have spoken in great sincerity, but in a total ignorance of yourself, and of the spirit of divine love. You are as yet only charmed with the sight, or rather the sound of it; its real birth is as yet unfelt, and unfound in you. Your natural complexion has a great deal of the animal meekness and softness of the lamb, and the dove; your blood and spirit are of this turn; and therefore a God all love, and a religion all love, quite transport you; and you are so delighted with it, that you fancy you have nothing in you, but this religion of love. But, my friend, bear with me, if I tell you, that all this is only the good part of the spirit of this world, and may be in any unregenerate man, that is of your complexion. It is so far from being a genuine fruit of divine love, that if it be not well looked to, it may prove a real hindrance of it, as it oftentimes does, by its appearing to be that which it is not.
You have quite forgot all that was said in the letter to you on the spirit of love. You may love it as much as you please, think it the most charming thing in the world, fancy every thing but dross and dung, in comparison of it, and yet have no more of it in you, than the blind man has of that light, of which he has got a most charming notion.
Eusebius. But if I am got no farther than this, what good have I from giving in so heartily to all that you have said of this doctrine?
Theophilus. Your error lies in this; you confound two things, which are entirely distinct from each other. You make no difference betwixt the doctrine, that only sets forth the nature, excellency, and necessity of the spirit of love, and the spirit of love itself; which yet are two things so different, that you may be quite full of the former, and at the same time quite empty of the latter. I have said every thing that I could, to shew you the excellency and necessity of the spirit of love: it is of infinite importance to you to be well established in the belief of this doctrine. But all that I have said of it, is only to encourage you to buy it, at its own price, and to give all that for it, which alone can purchase it. But if you think you have got it, because you are so highly pleased with that which you have heard of it, you only embrace the shadow, instead of the substance.
Eusebius. What is the price that I must give for it?
Theophilus. You must give up all that you are, and all that you have from fallen Adam; for all that you are and have from him, is that life of flesh and blood, which cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Adam, after his fall, had nothing that was good in him, nothing that could inherit an eternal life in heaven, but a seed of grace. Every thing else in him was devoted to death, that this incorruptible seed might grow up in Christ Jesus.
Theogenes. I am afraid the matter is much worse with me, than it is with Eusebius. For tho’ this doctrine, seems to have got all my heart, as it is a doctrine; yet I am continually thrown out of it in practice, and find myself as much under the power of my old tempers and passions, as I was before I was so full of this doctrine.
Theophilus. You are to know, my friends, that every kind of virtue and goodness, may be brought into us, by two different ways. They may be taught us outwardly by men, by rules and precepts; and they may be inwardly wrought in us. In the former way, as we learn them only from men, they at best, only change our outward behaviour, leave our heart in its natural state, only put our passions under a forced restraint, which will occasionally break forth, in spite of precept and doctrine. Now this way of learning goodness, tho’ thus imperfect, is yet absolutely necessary, in the nature of the thing, and must first have its time, and place, and work in us; yet it is only for a time, as the law was a school-master to the gospel. We must first be babes in doctrine, as well as in strength, before we can be men. But of all this outward instruction, whether from good men, or the letter of scripture, it must be said, as the apostle saith of the law, that it maketh nothing perfect.
The true profitableness of the written word of God, is fully set forth by St. Paul to Timothy: from a child, saith he, thou hast known the scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, which is by faith in Christ Jesus. Now these scriptures were the law and the prophets, for Timothy had known no other from his youth. And as they, so all other scriptures since, have no other good, or benefit in them, but as they lead us to a salvation, that is not to be had in themselves, but from faith in Christ Jesus. Their teaching is only to teach us, where to seek and to find the fountain of all light and knowledge.
Of the law saith the apostle, it was a school-master to Christ. The same thing is to be affirmed of the letter of the New Testament; it is but our school-master unto Christ. Nor can the thing possibly be otherwise; no instruction that comes under the form of words can do more for us, than sounds, and words can do; they can only direct us to something that is better than themselves, that can be the true light, life, spirit, and power of ♦holiness in us.
Eusebius. I cannot deny what you say, and yet it seems to me to derogate from scripture.
Theophilus. Would you then have me to say, that the written word of God, is that word of God, which liveth, and abideth for ever; that word, which was with God, which was God, by whom all things were made; that word of God, which was made flesh for the redemption of the world; that word which lighteth every man, that cometh into the world; that word, which in Christ Jesus is become wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification in us; would you have me say, that all this is to be understood of the written word of God? If this cannot possibly be, then all that I have said is granted, namely, that Jesus is alone that word of God, that can be the light, life, and salvation of fallen man. And how is it possible more to exalt the letter of scripture, than by owning it to be a true, outward direction to the one only true light, and salvation of man.
Suppose you had been a true disciple of John the Baptist, whose office was, to prepare the way to Christ, how could you have more magnified his office, than by going from his teaching, to be taught by Christ? The Baptist was indeed a burning and a shining light, and so are the holy scriptures; but he was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light, which lighteth every man, that cometh into the world.
What a folly would it be to say that you had undervalued the office, and the character of John the Baptist, because he was not allowed to be the light itself, but only a true witness of it, and guide to it? Now if you can shew, that the written word can have any other, or higher office, or power, than such a ministerial one as the Baptist had, I am ready to hear you.
Eusebius. There is no possibility of doing that.
Theophilus. But if that is not possible to be done, then you are to come to the full proof of this point, viz. that there are two ways of attaining knowledge, goodness, virtue, the one by outward, verbal instruction, either by men or books, and the other by inward light, goodness, and virtue, in our own renewed spirit; and that the former is only in order to the latter, and of no benefit to us, but as it carries us farther than itself, to be united in heart and spirit with the light and Spirit of God. Just as the Baptist had been of no benefit to his disciples, unless he had been their guide from himself to Christ.
But to come closer to this subject. From this twofold teaching, there necessarily arises, a twofold state of goodness. For such as the teacher, or teaching is, such is the goodness that can be had from it. Every effect must be according to the cause that produces it. If you learn goodness only from outward means, from men or books, you may be virtuous and good according to outward forms; you may do works of humility, works of love and benevolence, use times and forms of prayer: all this virtue and goodness is suitable to this kind of teaching. But the spirit of prayer, the spirit of love, and the spirit of humility, or of any other virtue, are only to be attained by the operation of the light and Spirit of God, not outwardly teaching, but awakening within us.
And now let me tell you both, it is much to be feared, you as yet stand only under this outward teaching; your good works are only done under obedience to such rules and doctrines as your reason assents to, but are not the fruits of a new-born spirit within you. But till you are thus renewed in the spirit of your minds, your virtues are only taught practices, and grafted upon a corrupt bottom. Every thing you do, will be a mixture of good or bad; your humility will help you to pride, your charity to others will give nourishment to your own self-love, and as your prayers increase, so will the opinion of your own sanctity. Because, till the heart is purified, and has felt the axe at the root of its evil, (which cannot be done by outward instruction) every thing that proceeds from it, partakes of its impurity and corruption.
Now that Theogenes is only under the law, or outward instruction, is plain from the complaint he made of himself. For notwithstanding his progress in the doctrine of love, he finds all his corrupt nature still alive in him, and himself only altered in opinion.
The same may be well suspected of you, Eusebius, who are so mistaken in the spirit of love, that you fancy yourself to be wholly possessed of it, from no other ground, but because you embrace it, as it were with open arms, and think of nothing but living under the power of it. Whereas, if the spirit of love was really in you, you would account for its birth, and power in you, in quite another manner, you would have known the price that you had paid for it, before the spirit of love was in you.
Eusebius. But, surely, Sir, imperfect as our virtues are, we are under something more than mere outward instruction. We expect all our goodness from the Spirit of God dwelling and working in us. We live in hope of the divine operation; and therefore your censure upon us seems to be too severe.
Theophilus. Dear Eusebius, I censure neither of you. So far from it, that I love and approve the state you are in. It is good for Theogenes, that he feels and confesses his natural tempers are not yet subdued. It is good for you also, that you are so highly delighted with the doctrine of love, for by this means, both of you have your true preparation for farther advancement. But tho’ your state has this difference, yet the same error was common to both of you. You both thought you had as much of the spirit of love as you ought to have; and therefore Theogenes wondered he had no more benefit from it; and you wondered that I should desire to lead you farther into it. And therefore, to deliver you from this error, I have desired this conference upon the practical ground of the spirit of love, that you may neither of you lose the benefit of that state in which you stand.
Eusebius. Pray therefore proceed as you please. For we have nothing so much at heart, as to have the truth and purity of this divine love in us. For as it is the highest perfection, that I adore in God, so I cannot desire any thing, but to be totally governed by it. I could as willingly consent to lose my being, as to find the power of love lost in my soul. Neither doctrine, nor mystery, nor precept, has any delight for me, but as it calls forth that spirit, which doth all that it doth, towards God and man, under the one law of love.
*Theophilus. I apprehend that you don’t yet know what divine love is in itself, nor what is its nature and power in the soul of man. For divine love brings perfect peace and joy, a freedom from all disquiet, all content and happiness. Love wherever it comes, comes as the restorer of every lost perfection, a redeemer from all evil, a fulfiller of all righteousness. Thro’ all the universe nothing is uneasy, unsatisfied, or restless, but because it is not governed by love, or because its nature has not reached or attained the full spirit of love. For when that is done, all complaining, murmuring, resenting, revenging and striving are suppressed. If you ask why the spirit of love cannot be displeased, cannot be disappointed, cannot complain, resent or murmur, it is because divine love desires nothing but itself; it is its own good, it has all, when it has itself, because nothing is good but itself, and its own working; for love is God, and he that dwelleth in God, dwelleth in love; tell me now, Eusebius, are you thus blessed in the spirit of love?
Eusebius. Would you have me tell you, that I am an angel? And without the infirmities of human flesh and blood?
*Theophilus. No; but I would have you judge of your state of love, by these angelical tempers, and not by any transient fervour. For just as far as you are freed from the folly of all earthly affections, from all disquiet, trouble and complaint about this or that, just so far is the spirit of love in you. For divine love is a new life, and new nature, and introduces you into a new world; it puts an end to all your former opinions and tempers, it opens new senses in you, and makes you see high to be low, and low to be high; wisdom to be foolishness, and foolishness wisdom; it makes prosperity and adversity, praise and dispraise, to be equally nothing. When I was a child, saith the apostle, I thought as a child, I spake as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things. Whilst man is under the power of nature, governed only by worldly wisdom, his life (however old he may be) is quite childish; every thing about him only awakens childish thoughts, and pursuits in him: all that he sees and hears, all that he desires or fears, likes or dislikes; that which he gets, and that which he loses; that which he hath, and that which he hath not, serve only to carry him from this fiction of evil, to that fiction of good, from one vanity of peace, to another vanity of trouble. But when divine love is in the soul, all childish images of good and evil are done away, and all the sensibility of them is lost, as the stars lose their visibility, when the sun is risen.
And now we are fairly brought to the one great practical point, on which our proficiency in the spirit of love depends. Namely, that all we are, and all we have from Adam, as fallen, must be given up absolutely, if divine love is to be brought forth in us. For as all that we are by nature, is in full contrariety to this divine love, so a death to ourselves is its only cure, and nothing else can make it subservient to good.
Theogenes. I now sufficiently see, how man stands in the midst of heaven and hell, under an absolute necessity of belonging wholly to the one, or wholly to the other, as soon as this cover of materiality is taken off from him.
For matter is his only wall of partition between them, he is equally nigh to both of them: and as light and love make all the difference there is between heaven and hell, so nothing but light and love wrought in his soul, can possibly keep hell out of it, or bring heaven into it.
I now also see the full truth, and certainty of what you said of the nature and power of divine love; viz. that it brings perfect peace and joy, a freedom from all disquiet, making every thing to rejoice in itself. That wherever it comes, it comes as the blessing and happiness of every natural life; as the restorer of every lost perfection; a redeemer from all evil; a fulfiller of all righteousness. So that I am now a thousand times more than ever athirst after the spirit of love. I am willing to sell all, and buy it; its blessing is so great, and the want of it so dreadful, that I am even afraid of lying down in my bed, till every power of my soul is given up to it, wholly possessed and governed by it.
Theophilus. You have reason for all you say, Theogenes; for were we truly affected with things, as they are our real good or evil, we should be much more afraid of having the serpents of covetousness, envy, pride, and wrath, kept alive within us, than of being shut up in a pest-house, or cast into a dungeon of venomous beasts. On the other hand, we should look upon the lofty eloquence, and proud virtue of a Cicero, but as the blessing of storm and tempest, when compared with the heavenly tranquility of that meek and lowly heart, to which our Redeemer has called us.
Theogenes. I could almost say, that you have shewn me more than enough of this monster of self, though I would not be without this knowledge of it for half the world. But now, Sir, what must I do to be saved from the mouth of this lion, for he is the depth of all subtlety, and deceiveth the whole world. He can hide himself, under all the forms of goodness, he can watch and fast, write and instruct, pray much, and preach long, give alms to the poor, visit the sick, and yet often gets more life and strength, and a more unmoveable abode, in these forms of virtue, than he has in publicans and sinners.
Enjoin me therefore, whatever you please, all rules, methods, and practices will be welcome to me, if you judge them to be necessary in this matter.
Theophilus. There is no need of a number of practices, or methods. For to die to self, or to come from under its power, is not, cannot be done by any active resistance we can make to it by the powers of nature. For nature can no more suppress itself, than wrath can heal wrath. So long as nature acts, nothing but natural acts are brought forth, and therefore the more labour of this kind, the more nature is fed and strengthened, with its own food.
But the one true way of dying to self, is most simple and plain; it wants no arts or methods, no cells, monasteries, or pilgrimages, it is equally practicable by every body, it is always at hand, it meets you in every thing, it is free from all deceit, and is never without success.
If you ask what this one, true, simple way is: it is the way of patience, meekness, humility and resignation to God. This is the truth and perfection of dying to oneself; it is no where else, but in this state of heart.
Theogenes. The excellency and perfection of these virtues, I acknowledge; but alas, Sir, how will this prove the way of overcoming oneself to be so simple and immediate, as you speak? For is it not the doctrine of almost all men, and all books, and confirmed by our own woeful experience, that much length of time, and exercise, and variety of practices and methods are necessary, and scarce sufficient to the attainment of any one of these four virtues?
Theophilus. When Christ our Saviour was upon earth, was there any thing more simple and plain, than the way to him? Did Scribes, Pharisees, Publicans, and Sinners want any length of time, or exercise of rules and methods before they could have admission to him, or have the benefit of faith in him?
Theogenes. I don’t understand why you put this question, nor do I see how it can relate to the matter before us.
Theophilus. It not only relates to, but is the very truth of the matter before us: for when I refer you to patience, meekness, humility, and resignation to God, as the one simple, plain, immediate, way of dying to yourself. I call it so, for no other reason, but because you can as easily and immediately, without art or method, have all the benefit of these virtues, as Publicans and Sinners by their turning to Christ, could be helped, and saved by him.
Theogenes. But, good Sir, would you have me believe, that my turning and giving up myself to these virtues, is as certain and immediate a way of my being possessed of their power, as when sinners turned to Christ to be helped, and saved by him? Surely this is too short a way, and has too much of miracle in it, to be now expected.
*Theophilus. I would have you strictly believe all this, in the fullest sense of the words. And also to believe, that the reasons why you, or any one else, are for a long time vainly endeavouring after, and hardly ever attaining these virtues, is because you seek them in the way they are not to be found, in a multiplicity of human rules, methods, and contrivances, and not in that simplicity of faith, in which, those who applied to Christ, immediately obtained that which they asked of him?
*Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. How short and simple and certain a way to peace and comfort, from the misery and burthen of sin! What becomes now of your length of time, and exercise, your rules and methods, and round-about ways, to be delivered from the power of sin, and find the redeeming power, and virtue of Christ? Will you say, that turning to Christ in faith was once indeed the way for Jews and Heathens to enter into life, and be delivered from the power of their sins, but that all this happiness was at an end, as soon as Pontius Pilate had nailed this good Redeemer to the cross, and so broke off all immediate union and communion between faith and Christ?
*What a folly would it be to suppose that Christ, after his having finished his great work, overcome death, ascended into heaven, with all power in heaven and on earth, was become less a Saviour, and gave less certain and immediate helps to those that by faith turn to him now, than when he was cloathed with the infirmity of our flesh and blood upon earth? Has he less power after he has conquered, than whilst he was only resisting and fighting with our enemies? Or has he less good will to assist his church, his own body, now he is in heaven, than he had to assist Publicans, Sinners and Heathens, before he was glorified? And yet this must be the case, if our simply turning to him in faith, is not as sure a way of obtaining immediate assistance from him now, as when he was upon earth.
Theogenes. You seem, Sir, to me, to have stepped aside from the point, which was not, whether my giving myself up to Christ in faith, would not do me as much good, as it did to them, who turned to him when he was upon earth? But whether my turning in faith and desire, to patience, meekness, humility, and resignation to God, would do all that as fully for me now, as faith in Christ did for those who became his disciples?
Theophilus. I have stuck closely, my friend, to the point before us. Let it be supposed, that I had given you a form of prayer in these words, O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world, or, O thou bread that comest down from heaven, or, Thou that art the resurrection, and the life, the light and peace of all holy souls, help me to a living faith in thee. Would you say, that this was not a prayer of faith in, and to Christ, because it did not call him Jesus, or the Son of God? Answer me plainly.
Theogenes. What can I answer you, but that this is a true prayer to Jesus, the Son of the living God? For who else but he, was the Lamb of God, and the bread that came down.
Theophilus. Well answered, my friend. When therefore, I exhort you to give up yourself in faith and hope, to patience, meekness, humility, and resignation to God, what else do I do, but turn you directly to so much faith and hope in the true Lamb of God? Must you not say, that faith and desire of these virtues, is the very same thing, as faith and desire of salvation through the Lamb of God? And consequently, that every sincere wish and desire that presses after these virtues, and longs to be governed by them, is an immediate, direct application to Christ, is worshipping and falling down before him, is giving up yourself unto him, and the very perfection of faith in him?
If you distrust my words, hear the words of Christ himself; Learn of me, says he, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Here you have the plain truth of our two points, fully asserted, first, that to be given up to, patience, meekness, humility, and resignation to God, is strictly the same thing, as to learn of Christ, or to have faith in him. Secondly, that this is the one simple, short, and infallible way to overcome, or be delivered from all the malignity and burden of sin expressed in these words; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
And all this, because this simple tendency of your heart, to sink down into patience, meekness, humility, and resignation to God, is truly giving up all that you are, and all that you have from fallen Adam, it is perfectly leaving all that you have, to follow, and be with Christ, it is your highest act of faith in him, and love of him, a declaration of your cleaving to him with all your heart, and seeking for no salvation but in him, and from him. And therefore all the blessing and deliverance from sin, that ever happened to any one from any kind or degree of faith, and application to Christ, is sure to be had from this state of heart, which stands continually turned to him in a desire of being led and governed by his spirit of patience, meekness, humility and resignation to God. O Theogenes, could I help you to perceive what a good there is in this state of heart, you would desire it with more eagerness, that the thirsty hart desireth the water-brooks, you would think of nothing, desire nothing, but constantly to live in it. It is a security from all evil, and all delusion; no difficulty or trial, either of body or mind, no temptation either within you, or without you, but what has its full remedy in this state of heart. You have no questions to ask of any body, no new way that you need enquire after; no oracle that you need to consult, for whilst you shut up yourself in patience, meekness, humility and resignation to God, you are in the very arms of Christ, your whole heart is his dwelling-place, and he lives and works in you, as certainly as he lived in, and governed that body and soul, which he took from the Virgin Mary.
Learn whatever you will from men and books, or even from Christ himself, besides, or without these virtues, and you are only a poor wanderer in a barren wilderness, where no water of life is to be found. For Christ is no where, but in these virtues, and where they are, there is he in his own kingdom. From morning to night, let this be the object you follow, and then you will fully escape all the religious delusions that are in the world, and what is more, all the delusions of your own selfish heart.
For when these tempers live and abide in you, as the spirit and aim of your life, then Christ is in you of a truth, and the life that you then lead, is not yours, but Christ liveth in you. For this is following Christ with all your power: you cannot possibly make more haste after him, you have no other way of walking as he walked, no other way of being like him, of truly believing in him, but by wholly giving up yourself to patience, meekness, humility, and resignation to God.
But observe. There is no way to attain this without a total despair of all human help. When a man is brought to such an inward, full conviction, as to have no more hope from all human means, than he hopes to see with his hands, or hear with his feet, then it is, that he is truly prepared to die to sin; that is, to give up all thoughts of having or doing any thing that is good, in any other way but that of a meek, humble, patient, total resignation of himself to God. All that we do before this conviction is in great ignorance of ourselves, and full of weakness and impurity. Let our zeal be ever so wonderful, yet if it is not led and guided by this conviction, it is full of delusion. For God must do all, or all is nothing; but God cannot do all, till all is expected from him; and all is not expected from him, till despairing of ever human help, we trust in Christ alone for a patient, meek, humble, total resignation to God.
And now, my dear friends, I have brought you to the very place for which I desired this day’s conversation; which was, to set your feet upon sure ground, with regard to the spirit of love. For all that variety of matters, through which we have passed, has been only a variety of proofs, that the spirit of divine love can have no place, in any fallen creature, till it wills and chooses to be dead to all sin in a patient, meek, humble resignation to the power and mercy of God.
And from this state of heart also, it is, that the spirit of prayer is born, which is the desire of the soul turned to God. Stand, therefore, steadfastly in this will, let nothing else enter into your mind, have no other contrivance, but every where, and in every thing to nourish, and keep up this state of heart, and then the light of heaven, and the love of God, will begin their work in you, will bless and sanctify every power of your fallen soul, you will be in a readiness for every kind of virtue and good work, and will know what it is to be led by the Spirit of God.
Theogenes. But permit me to mention a fear that rises in me. Suppose I should find myself so overcome with my own selfish tempers, as not to be able to sink from them, into this meek, humble, patient, full resignation to God; what must I then do, or how shall I have the benefit of what you have taught me?
*Theophilus. You are then at the very time, and place of receiving the fullest benefit from it. For tho’ this patient, meek resignation is to be exercised with regard to all outward things; yet it chiefly respects our inward state, the troubles, perplexities, weaknesses, and disorders of our fallen souls. When you are most sensible of these, seek for help no other way, but wholly leave and give up yourself to be helped by the mercy of God. And thus, be your state what it will, you may always have the full benefit of this short, and sure way of resigning yourself to God. And the greater your distress is, the nearer you are to the greatest and best relief, provided you have but patience to expect it all from God. For nothing brings you so near divine relief, as the extremity of distress; for the goodness of God hath no other name or nature, but the helper of all that wants to be helped; and nothing can possibly hinder your finding this goodness of God, and every other gift and grace that you stand in need of; nothing can hinder or delay it, but your turning from the only fountain of living water, to some broken cistern of your own making; to this or that opinion, division, or subdivision amongst Christians, carnally expecting some mighty things either from Samaria, or Jerusalem, Paul, or Apollos, which are only to be had, by worshipping the Father in spirit and in truth; which is then only done, when your whole heart and soul and spirit trust wholly and solely to the operation of that God, in whom we live, move, and have our being. And be assured of this, that we have neither more nor less of the divine operation within us, because of this or that outward form, but strictly in that degree, as our faith, and hope, and trust, and dependance upon God, is more or less.
*What a folly then to be so often perplexed about the way to God? For nothing is the way to God, but our heart; God is no where else to be found; and the heart itself cannot find him, but by its own love of him, faith in him, dependance upon him, resignation to him, and expectation of all from him.
*These are short but full articles of true religion, which carry salvation along with them, which make a true and full offering of our whole nature to the divine operation, and also a true and full confession of the holy Trinity in Unity. For as they look wholly to the Father, as blessing us with the operation of his own word, and Spirit, so they truly confess, and worship the holy Trinity of God. And as they ascribe all to, and expect all from this Deity alone, so they make the truest and best of all confessions, that there is no God but one.
*Let then Arians, Semi-Arians, and Socinians, who puzzle their laborious brains to make paper-images of a Trinity for themselves; have nothing from you, but your pity and prayers; your foundation standeth sure, whilst you look for all your salvation through the Father, working life in your soul, by his own word, and Spirit, which dwell in him, and are one life, both in him and you.
Theogenes. I can never enough thank you, Theophilus, for this comfortable answer to my scrupulous fear. It seems now, as if I could always know how to find full relief in this humble, meek, patient, total resignation of myself to God. It is, as you said, a remedy that is always at hand, equally practicable at all times, and never in greater reality, than when my own tempers are making war against it in my heart.
You have quite carried your point with me; the God of patience, meekness, and love, is the one God of my heart. It is now the whole bent, and desire of my soul, to seek for all my salvation in, and thro’ the merits and mediation of the meek, humble, patient, resigned, suffering Lamb of God, who alone hath power to bring forth these heavenly virtues in my soul. He is the bread of God, that came down from heaven, of which the soul must eat, or perish and pine in everlasting hunger. He is the eternal love and meekness, that left the bosom of his Father, to be himself the resurrection of meekness and love, in all the darkened, wrathful souls of fallen men. What a comfort is it, to think that this Lamb of God, Son of the Father, light of the world, who is the glory of heaven, and the joy of angels, is as near to us, as truly in the midst of us, as he is in the midst of heaven. And that not a thought, look, and desire of our heart, that presses towards him, longing to catch, as it were, one small spark of his heavenly nature, but is in as sure a way of finding him, touching him, and drawing virtue from him, as the woman who was healed, by longing but to touch the border of his garment.
*This doctrine also makes me quite weary and ashamed of all my own natural tempers. Every whisper of impatience, uneasiness, resentment, pride, and wrath, shall be rejected with a get thee behind me, Satan, for it is his, and has its whole nature from him. To rejoice in a resentment gratified, appears now to me, to be quite frightful. For what is it, in reality, but rejoicing that the precious Lamb of God is denied entrance into my soul? This is the strict truth of the matter. And to give up all resentment of every kind, and on every occasion, however artfully, beautifully, coloured, and to sink down into the humility of meekness under all contrariety, contradiction and injustice, always turning the other cheek to the smiter, however haughty, is the surest of all means, to have nothing but Christ living, and working in you.
*What a blindness was it in me, to think that I had no covetousness, because the love of pelf, was not felt by me! For to covet, is to desire; and what can it signify whether I desire this or that? If I desire any thing, but that which God would have me to be, and do, I stick in the mire of covetousness, and must have all that evil, and disquiet working in me, which robs misers of their peace both with God and man.
*Oh sweet resignation of myself to God, happy death of every selfish desire, be thou my guide, and governor wherever I go! nothing but thee can take me from myself, nothing but thee can lead me to God; hell has no power, where thou art; nor can heaven hide itself from thee. O may I never indulge a thought, bring forth a word, or do any thing for myself or others, but under the influence of thy blessed inspiration.
The sight, tho’ distant, of this heavenly Canaan, this sabbath of the soul, resting in meekness, humility, patience and resignation, under the Spirit of God, is like the joyful voice of the bridegroom to my soul, and leaves no wish in me, but to be at the marriage-feast of the Lamb.
Theophilus. Thither, Theogenes, you must certainly come, if you keep to the path of meekness, humility, patience, and full resignation to God. But if you go aside from it, let the occasion seem ever so glorious, or the effects ever so wonderful, it is only preparing for yourself, a harder death. For die you must, to every thing that you have worked or done under any other spirit, but that of meekness, humility and true resignation to God.
For these virtues are the only wedding garment; they are the lamps, and vessels well furnished with oil.
There is nothing that will do in the stead of them; they must have their full and perfect work in you, or the soul can never be delivered from its fallen, wrathful state. There is no possibility of salvation, but in this. And when the Lamb of God has brought forth his own meekness, humility and full resignation to God in our souls, then are our lamps trimmed, and our virgin-hearts made ready for the marriage-feast.
This marriage-feast signifies the entrance into the highest state of union, that can be between God and the soul, in this life. This birth-day of the spirit of love in our souls, whenever we attain, will feast our souls with such peace, and joy in God, as will blot out the remembrance of every thing, that we called peace, or joy before.
Need I say any more to shew you how to come out of the wrath of your evil, earthly nature, into the sweet peace and joy of the spirit of love? Neither notions, nor speculations, nor rules, nor methods can bring it forth. It is the child of light, and cannot possibly spring up in ♦in you, but from the light of God rising in your soul, as it rises in heavenly beings. But the light of God cannot arise, in you, by any art or contrivance of your own, but only in the way of that meekness, humility and patience, which waits, trusts, resigns to, and expects all from the inward, living, life-giving operation of the triune God within you; creating, quickening, and reviving in your fallen soul, that image, and likeness of the holy Trinity, in which the first father of mankind was created.
Theogenes. You need say no more Theophilus; you have confirmed us in a full belief of that great truth namely, “That there is but one salvation for all mankind, and that is the life of God, in the soul. And also, that there is but one possible way for man to attain this life of God, not one for a Jew, another for a Christian, and a third for a Heathen. No, God is one, human nature is one, salvation is one, and the way to it is one, and that is, the desire of the soul turned to God.”