XVIII.
POWER OF FAITH.
VOICE FROM THE SOUTH.
"Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." — Matt. xii. 34.
"I feel an inextinguishable desire to communicate a knowledge of the unspeakable blessing which I have received through your instrumentality. My acquaintance with your writings commenced in 1846, at which time I read 'Holiness, with Notes by the Way.' It was the first book which gave me tangible views of the great doctrine of holiness. In that book I saw this blessing standing out before my hopes in a substantial, practical form. I commenced seeking it in earnest, and, as I now see, was on the eve of embracing it; but faith staggered, and the blessing seemed to take a position at a vast distance from me, so much so that I sometimes almost lost my hope of ever attaining it. Still my determination was to direct my desires and efforts towards it as long as life should last, spurred on by the fear that if I failed to attain it, my soul would be lost. I preached it with all the power I had; my arguments and appeals on the subject lashing me all the time with terrible effect.
"In this state of things, and while the subject of constant and painful doubts as to whether I was really justified before God, my brother-in-law, the Rev. I. T. W., now stationed in N____, N. C., sent me, by mail, 'Faith and its Effects.' This, my dear sister, was made my Joshua, to guide and urge me into the promised land of perfect love. In that blessed state I have been living since last night a week ago. I commenced reading 'Faith and its Effects,' last Tuesday evening. The reading was resumed Wednesday night before the hour of retiring, with no settled plan of seeking the blessing which the book describes. I had read on through the sixteenth Number, when my soul became alarmed in view of the danger and awful consequences of delay. I went to my knees with a fixed purpose to make an effort, and extend it as far as my ability should reach, and could say, when I knelt down: —
"'Already springing hope I feel,
God will destroy the powers of hell.'"
I commenced giving up all as best I could. My wife came up in my mind, and, after an earnest effort, I gave her up. Next came my library, which had often been a snare to me; this was also given up. Next came ________; he also was given up. Next, and last, my own will.
"Then passed before me various circumstances where I had resisted the will of God for my own gratification. Among other things, I had had, almost all through my Christian course, a stubborn opposition to praying all night long. I had been willing to pray two or three hours together, but to continue all through the lonely night seemed to be horrible. But, by the grace of God, I was conscious of giving up all without any reservation. The Holy Spirit then impressed upon my mind the duty and vast importance of believing the offering thus given up accepted and sanctified. God gave me grace, and this tremendous bar was passed. Next the Holy Spirit brought to my mind the duty of believing that God would keep by His power that which I had committed to Him, on condition that I would continue by faith to keep the offering in His hands.
"The exercise of this glorious faith, through the stupendous mercy of God, became a conscious reality. The solemn engagement was then made, and ratified between God and my soul, that His Spirit would lead, and that I, assisted by His grace, should follow on till time with me should be no more. And now, my dear sister, I am 'kept by the power of God through faith unto Salvation.' 'Satan cometh, and hath nothing in me.' Still he is permitted to tempt, but not to overcome. I had a terrible struggle with him last Saturday night. He had been whispering all day long that I ought to have a greater fullness and clearer light. I commenced my evening devotions before dark. Soon the cry of my soul was 'Light! LIGHT! LIGHT!' the words of my Saviour, meanwhile, sounding in my ear, 'If ye abide in Me and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.' The tempter, not questioning my sanctification, suggested that my request was within the limits of the promises, and that if I did not realize what I was praying for, my sanctification would necessarily die out. I was seized with horror at such an awful thought, and an agony ensued, calling into requisition every power of my mind, soul, and body. The roaring of the fiend, during this struggle, seemed to make Heaven and earth tremble. But when the struggle was at the height of its terror, these words came as from the lips of an angel: 'Blessed is he that is tempted; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life.' Immediately the battle was turned to the gate, and the tempter left me in the calm confidence of triumphant and unshaken faith. Next morning, resuming my devotions at an early hour, I rejoiced in full and certain assurance that my name is written in Heaven, and engraven on the palms of my Savior’s hands. Though your descriptions of this state are glowing, yet I can truly say, that the half was not told me."
"This perfect love, 'tis perfect, perfect bliss:
All is well, all is well.
Oh, what a happy happiness is this!
All is well, all is well.
To hear Him whisper, 'Thou art Mine,
And all in Me, My child, is thine,'
Oh, these are triumphs all Divine;
All is well, all is well."