DCLXVII. April 2, 1805. I RECEIVED my dear friend's epistle, and perceive that she is uneasy because she is at ease; troubled because she has no trouble, and disquieted because she is quiet. We must have a daily cross of some sort or other, and this seems to be yours, as ere now it has been mine. 'All prayer' is the only armour against this, and should be put up in every direction, as the case and state may require. lf in darkness, we should pray with David-" Enlighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death." If worldly minded, 'My soul cleaves to the dust, quicken me according to thy word." If under the power of Satan, Deliver my soul from the lion, lest he tear it in pieces." And, if dead, “I am free among the dead;" "A dead man out of mind, whom thou rememberest no more, and they are cut off from thy hand." To get life under such dead frames, he uses every argument--" Quicken me in thy way;" nacle service.-"Quicken me according to thy word;" that is, thou hast promised to bless us, and thy blessing is life for evermore. Quicken me in thy righteousness;" thou hast promised us life, and thou wilt appear just or righteous in fulfilling thy promises." "Quicken me according to thy loving-kindness;" I am not, cannot be, worthy of eternal life; it flowed at first from free love and undeserved tenderness and kindness; and do thou add to this life, not according to my deserts or demerits, but according to thy love. But always conclude with submission to the will of God; leave it with divine wisdom to grant or withhold; lest, like good king Hezekiah, we feel eternal death instead of life. When God began to quicken him, he drew wretched conclusions -that he should see man no more in the world, nor God in the light of the living; "From morning till night wilt thou make an end of me; as a lion so will he break all my bones." But, when the vision opened, and divine sensations flowed in, he changed his voice, and cried, "O Lord, by these things men live, (not die) and in all these things is the life (not death) of my spirit: the living, the living shall praise thee as I do this day the fathers to the children shall make I RECEIVED my dear friend's epistle, and perceive that she is uneasy because she is at ease; troubled because she has no trouble, and disquieted because she is quiet. We must have a daily cross of some sort or other, and this seems to be yours, as ere now it has been mine. 'All prayer' is the only armour against this, and should be put up in every direction, as the case and state may require. lf in darkness, we should pray with David-" Enlighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death." If worldly minded, My soul cleaves to the dust, quicken me according to thy word." If under the power of Satan, Deliver my soul from the lion, lest he tear it in pieces." And, if dead, “I am free among the dead;" "A dead man out of mind, whom thou rememberest no more, and they are cut off from thy hand." To get life under such dead frames, he uses every argument--" Quicken me in thy way;" nacle service."Quicken me according to thy word;" that is, thou hast promised to bless us, and thy blessing is life for evermore. 'Quicken me in thy righteousness;" thou hast promised us life, and thou wilt appear just or righteous in fulfilling thy promises." Quicken me according to thy loving-kindness; I am not, cannot be, worthy of eternal life; it flowed at first from free love and undeserved tenderness and kindness; and do thou add to this life, not according to my deserts or demerits, but according to thy love. But always conclude with submission to the will of God; leave it with divine wisdom to grant or withhold; lest, like good king Hezekiah, we feel eternal death instead of life. When God began to quicken him, he drew wretched conclusions -that he should see man no more in the world, nor God in the light of the living; "From morning till night wilt thou make an end of me; as a lion so will he break all my bones." But, when the vision opened, and divine sensations flowed in, he changed his voice, and cried, "O Lord, by these things men live, (not die) and in all these things is the life (not death) of my spirit: the living, the living shall praise thee as I do this day the fathers to the children shall make |