Lewes.
I MUST drop a few scraps to the afflicted. God keeps his fire in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem; and he that is our Refiner, who kindles the flame and regulates the heat, was himself made perfect through sufferings. To subdue our inbred corruptions, to cleanse us from idols, and to purge away our dross, is the end aimed at. By inward corruptions, I mean deceitful lusts; by idols every thing that rivals God in our affections; and by dross and tin the best things of fallen nature, for such we take them to be, such as all knowledge except experimental knowledge, self-righteousness, human wisdom, vain confidence with which we abound for prosperity, superficial hopes and unrooted love, meekness, and a large stock of untried patience and fortitude-all which as a sort of counterfeit coin attend us, and promise much in prosperity, but in adversity they serve us as they did Peter and Samson. Hence it is that Peter tells us from his own experience, "That the trial of faith is much more precious than gold, though it be tried with fire."
But this I know that God's work will stand, God's grace, God's truth, and our experience of the power of it, will endure the fire. Each of these have their particular promise; hence we are said to be purified; made white, and tried we are purified by faith, made clean by blood, and made white by the righteousness of faith-all of which could not be done if faith could consume or fail. The word of God is pure, like gold seven times purified in a furnace of earth, because in the fulfilment of these the truth, the faithfulness, and immutability of God and his covenant appear. As to our experience it is the operation and the anointing of the Holy Ghost, and the kingdom stands not in word only, but in the power of the Spirit; the one is called the word of the kingdom, and the other the power of the kingdom, hence we read of the kingdom coming with power.
And as we are said to receive a kingdom which cannot be moved, therefore these things must stand the fire, though the dross and tin consume in the flame; and when this dross goes we are left with so small a treasure that we conclude that the gold, silver, and all the treasure is gone, as well as the base metal; but all that comes from Christ's fulness shall endure, shall reign, and shall abide with us to the end. The Spirit is God, and all God's work is perfect; nothing shall be added to it or taken from it, and God does it that men should fear before him. I shall only add my poor prayers, and conclude with the Apostle, "Let Patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing." Your's most respectfully,
W. H., S. S.
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