The Voice of Faith in the Valley of Achor: Vol. 1 [of 2]: being a series of letters to several friends on religious subjectsChurch, J. (John)
Religion
The Voice of Faith in the Valley of Achor: Vol. 1 [of 2]: being a series of letters to several friends on religious subjects
Church, J. (John)
Christian life; Church, J. (John), approximately 1780-approximately 1825 -- Correspondence; Clergy -- England -- Correspondence
This is certainly a very pretty description of the human nature of our
dear Lord, and I feel half inclined to suppose that our first parent
Adam, was a little like him in person—this is only a carnal notion, I
acknowledge, but I cannot forbear to indulge it. The psalmist David,
said of Christ, eight hundred years before he came, “Thou art fairer than
the children of men:” yet this dear visage and beauty was marred,
spoiled, more than any man’s; grief had so affected him, that when but
thirty, he looked like a man of fifty years of age. He was a man of
sorrows, and his most intimate acquaintance was grief; he saw such an
infinite evil in sin, the hourly insults poured upon God by the whole
world; he saw Jehovah slighted, ridiculed, abused, hated, and opposed;
his whole heart loved Jehovah, and this broke his heart, lay heavy on his
spirits, and caused him to say, as in his own common prayer book, the
Psalms, “Rivers of water run down mine eyes, because men keep not thy
law.” He saw the dreadful state his own children were in, and what he
had to endure to make an atonement for them. Every now and then one of
his soul pangs took him; hence we read of his being troubled in spirit,
agitated and troubled in soul. This was some time before his sufferings
in the garden. But while we admire his outward beauty as man, what vast
beauty possessed his mind—wisdom, prudence, chastity, holiness, zeal,
understanding, faith, hope, love, and joy; in the principle—mercy,
commiseration, pity, affection, patience, gratitude, and fidelity. Look
at his actions, and they all correspond with the holy principles of his
mind, and this holy nature was the image of God, the exemplar pattern and
likeness of the new man of grace in the souls of God’s children; but Oh,
what an exalted idea does the sacred pages give us of this blessed Jesus;
he was, he is God-Man. His body was but the casket, his divinity the
rich jewel it contained. He was united to the Son of God, to God the
Son, who is over all, God blessed for ever. He is God-Man, he possesses
every divine perfection; he is Jehovah, God and Lord; he is stiled,
Jehovah 330 times in the old Testament; he is called God 90 times in the
old Testament, and 25 times in the new. He has put away sin by his
obedience and sufferings; he is exalted above the heavens. How truly
beautiful and glorious he appears in the midst of heaven, wearing our
nature, but shining brighter than a million suns—the delight of the
Father and the Holy Spirit—the joy of saints and angels; and whatever was
his appearance on earth, we can form no idea of his human nature in
heaven. God bless you while young, with some very sweet views of him,
that he may be dear to your heart in youth and age, in life and death.
So prays your affectionate well wisher,
_Ruhamah_.
LETTER XXXVII.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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