1.A 22. LETTER XXII
LETTER XXII.
Mr. Fletcher and Hester Ann Rogers -Their interview related Mr. Fletcher relates his experience Loses the blessing four times by not confessing it Confesses his folly He now pro fesses to be " dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God" Through Jesus Christ He then called on all to confess Christ Exhorted them to come to Him Many professed the blessing The blessed effect upon Mrs. Rogers The whole commended to the reader. MY DEAR M : You have doubtless read much of Mr. Fletcher, as well as of Hester Ann Rogers, both of whom were living and dying examples of " perfect love." The former, you know, wrote largely in its defence, and were it not that objections assume new aspects, no thing more need be said on the subject. My object has been, without stating these objections in a formal manner, to meet and obviate them.
I think, after all, the most irrefutable evidence of the truth and reality of this doctrine is to be found in the experience and life of those who have professed its enjoyment. And there is an interesting fragment of the experience of Mr. Fletcher, preserved in the " Extracts from the Journal of Mrs. Hester Ann Rogers," being the second part of her Journal, not published in this country, in which he narrates the manner of his coming into the possession of this great blessing; and as I cannot doubt that it will be read by you, my dear M., and by all others who take an interest in this subject, I take the liberty of presenting it, as an illustration of the truth of what I have advanced. Mrs. Rogers introduces the account thus :
" I was kept all the morning in solemn expectation of blessings in seeing and conversing with Mr. Fletcher; till just before he arrived it was suggested, Thou wilt be disappointed; thou art expecting from man, and not from God. Fora moment my faith seemed staggered : but 1 fell on my knees before the Lord, owning him aa the only source of all my hopes and happiness; and he o abundantly filled me with his love, that natnro was almost overpowered; and I felt as if I must have expired at his feet, had not tears relieved me."
She then proceeds to relate the interview she had with Mr. Fletcher, in the following words :
" During these happy moments of communion with my God, Mr. Fletcher, Miss Bosanquet, and Mrs. Crosby arrived. When I entered the room where they were assembled, the heavenly man was giving out the following verses, with such animation as I have seldom witnessed :
" Near us, assisting Jesus, stand;
Give us the opening heavens to see; Thee to behold at God’s right hand, And yield our parting souls to Thee.
" My Father, O my Father, hear, And send the fiery chariot down! Let Israel’s flaming steeds appear, And whirl us to the starry crown! 14 We, we would die for Jesus too,
Through tortures, fires, and seas of blood; And all triumphantly break through, And plunge into the depths of God!"
After this, he poured out his full soul to God in prayer. Indeed, his every breath seemed to be a continuance of prayer or praise, or spiritual instruction; and every word that fell from his lips appeared to be accompanied by unction from above.
" After dinner, he inquired respecting Miss L., saying he had seen my letters to her. I took out her last to me, which he desired me to read; and kindly explained several things he had written to her, which she did not clearly comprehend; particularly that (in his words) all who enjoy perfect love possess also the gift of prophecy. By this, he said, he did not mean the miraculous gift of foretelling future events; but the magnifying God, by speaking unto men with the new heart of "love, and the new tongue of praise; as on the day of Pentecost, those who were filled with the Holy Ghost glorified God by speaking of his wonderful works, as the Spirit gave them utterance. This utterance he called the gift of prophecy; and earnestly insisted, that we might all prove the same baptismal fire of love that descended on that day on the primeval Church, seeing the promise was unto them and to their children, and to all them that arc afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. That we, as they, if we assert our privilege, may, with great power, bear witness of the grace of our Lord Jesus, and spread the flame of love we feel, by speaking unto edification, and exhortation, and comfort, among all our acquaintance. One hundred and twenty such souls he believed would set the world on fire.
" But he observed, the reason why those perfected in love did not more fully spread the savour of grace waa, because they do not, in general, plead for a more abundant outpouring of the Holy Spirit, both in his gifts and graces. He then earnestly exhorted all present to seek this fulness of love, and this gift of utterance; and taking my hand, proceeded, Will you, my sister, be one who shall spread the sacred flame? Come, my friend, I will covenant with you; we will join to magnify the Lord, and bear our testimony before men and an-i-N. Will you r
" In deep humility, but filled with the presence and power of God, I answered, with flowing tears, In the strength of Jesus, I trill.
" Glory be to God! glory be to God! said he, many times over; and his holy oul was filled with praise Lord, strengthen thy feeble dust to keep this covenant even unto death!
" I had a solemn season of communion with God be fore the meeting in Mr. Smith’s parlour. When we came there, after singing and prayer, Mr. Fletcher stood up, and said,
" My dear brethren and sisters, God is here! I feel him in this place. But I am ashamed; I would hide my face in the dust. I have dishonoured my God, and denied my Saviour by not confessing him. I have grieved his Spirit. I have been ashamed and afraid to declare what he hath done for my soul; but I am sensible of my folly, and deeply humbled on account thereof, and he has restored my soul.
" Last Wednesday evening, He instructed and commanded me, by his word, Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ, I obeyed the voice of God, and now obey it, by declaring, to the praise of his love, I am freed from sin. Yea, I now bear witness, to the glory of his grace, I am dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ, who is my Lord, and reigns over every motion in my soul.
" I have received this blessing four or five times be fore; but I grieved the Spirit of God by not making confession, and as often I let it go. I lost it by not observing and obeying the order of God, who hath told us, With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation; which latter I neglected.
" Once the tempter suggested, What you feel cannot be the blessing; perfection is something higher. You are not delivered from mistakes, ignorances, real errors in judgment, in memory, &c. : therefore, though you nre delivered from sinful tempers, you ought not to make a profession that you are holy. I listened to these things, and soon discovered I had lost what God had bestowed.
(i When I had re-obtained the same glorious deliverance, the bait was offered under another form. The enemy now said, Wait a few days, or weeks, and see if the fruits of sanctification appear, before you profess so great a salvation. I had no sooner yielded to await for the fruits, but I began to doubt of the witness, which before I had felt in my heart; and was in a little time sensible I had lost both.
" A third time, with shame I confess it, I was kept from being a witness for my Lord, by the suggestion, Thou art a public character, a city set upon a hill; the world and professors have all an eye upon thee; and if some future trial should overcome thee, or if, as before, thou shouldest by any means lose the blessing, what a dishonour and reproach will it be to the doctrine of heart-holiness?
" A fourth time, Satan prevailed over a worm by, It is true, thou art now freed from sin, thou knowest that Gospel-perfection is perfect love; that love is the ful filling of the law, not of Adam, but of Gospel grace; and that many ignorances, mistakes, &c., are consistent with perfect love; but how many thousands will not believe this! How many affirm that every transgression of the Adamic law, the law of perfect innocence suited to Adam’s sinless nature, his perfect body and soul, every transgression of this law, is sin! and therefore, if thou profess thyself freed from sin, all these will give thy profession the lie. Enjoy, therefore, what God hath wrought in thy soul, and hold it last, without declaring publicly, I am freed from bin; I am holy; I am perfect in love. But again I found, He that hideth his Lord’s talent, and improveth it not, from that unprofitable servant shall be taken away even that he hath.
" Now, my brethren, you see my folly : I have confessed in your presence, and now I resolve in your presence also, henceforth I will confess my Master to all the world. And I declare unto you, in the presence of God the Holy Trinity, I am now dead indeed unto sin. I do not say, I am crucified with Christ, because some of our well-meaning brethren say by this can only be meant a gradual dying unto sin, for a man who is crucified is a long time in dying; but I profess unto you I am dead unto sin, and that as effectually as my original nature was free from righteousness. But then, if our good brethren the Calvinists will still insist, Every ignorance, every involuntary mistake, is sin, we will not quarrel; then, in this sense I am not freed from sin, for I am not freed from these things- But, if I may venture to believe my Lord Jesus, if love be the fulfilling of the law, then I know that these things are consistent with love, with a single eye, and a pure heart; and I there fore dare to reckon thus in the presence of you all; and I mean to declare myself henceforth, before men and angels, dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God through Jesus Christ.
" Mind, it is still through Jesus, and in Jesus, not independent of him, or separate from him. I have taken him to be my Prophet, Priest, and King; my indwelling Holiness; my All in all. He is all I want; and I wait for the more full and entire fulfilment of that prayer of Christ, Let them be one in us; even that pentecostal blessing, that baptism of the Spirit poured out on the whole Church now upon earth, that shall make us all of one heart and one mind. O for the pure primeval flame! O for the fulness of the dispensation of the Holy Ghost! O my brethren and sisters, pray, pray, pray, for this effusion of the Spirit! Wretde, agonize with God till it be given.
" Then he called upon all present to confess the Lord Jesus. And if any, said he, have not the gift of utterance, pray for it, and it shall be given. You are commanded to covet earnestly and to pray for gifts, not for vour own sake, but for that of the Church. A man without gifts is like the king in disguise; he appears as a subject only. You are Icings and priests uuto God : Put on your robes, and wear on your garter, conspicuous to all, HOLINESS TO THE LORD! Reckon yourselves now dead indeed unto sin.
" You who are hungering and thirsting after righteousness, what wait you for 1 Delay not. Unite your selves to Jesus, your Holiness, by believing; take to yourselves this great salvation; take it now. You must receive it by faith: Faith lays hold, and says, It is mine. As when you reckon with your creditor, with your host, and when you have paid all, reckon yourself free; so now reckon with God. Jesus hath paid all for thee; purchased not only thy pardon, but thine inward holiness. Now it is God’s command, Reckon thyself dead indeed unto sin; freed from sin, and alive unto God, now, this moment. O reckon now! Fear not; be lieve, believe, believe! and continue to believe every moment; for it is retained, as it is received, by faith alone. Whosoever thou art that wilt perseveringly believe, it will be as a fire in thy l>osom, and constrain thee to confess with thy mouth, thy Lord a&d King JESUS! and in spreading the sacred flame of love thou wilt b saved to the very uttermost
" My dear brethren, make a noble confession this night. Hide nothing from us of all that the Lord hath done for you. Yea, strengthen my hands, and let us offer the sacrifice of praise.
"After Mr. Fletcher ceased to speak, about thirty witnessed for Jesus, that they, through grace, were dead unto sin, and alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Numbers were so affected that they could not speak. I felt what was truly unutterable; I sunk into nothing; I was lost in the fulness of the Triune God!
" When the meeting was concluded, Mr. IT., taking hold of my hand, said, Glory be to God, my dear sister, for the testimony you have borne this night! and still holding my hand between his, he repeated several times, Glory be to God! I was so afresh filled witf^a weight of love, that I was constrained to retire, and vent my full soul in tears before the Lord."
I commend this truly interesting matter most heartily to you, my dear M., and to all who may condescend to read these letters, and to those more especially who either profess or are seeking after this invaluable blessing, and particularly that part of it in which Mr. Fletcher urges the necessity of declaring " what God had done for his soul." I fear many stumble here, not considering that God has pledged himself to keep those in " perfect peace" who cleave unto hh*. " with full purpose of heart."