Part 8

I have been just reflecting a little on that glorious Title and Office of our most blessed Lord, a _Surety_: the longer I live the more I feel the need of him as such; the bondage, sin, and misery I am daily and hourly experiencing, except a few sweet seasons of liberty in prayer, preaching, writing, and conversing about the precious things of God. It is well he became one with us, in the eye of the law, that he kindly undertook for us, and infallibly secured the payment of that obedience it demanded of us. This whole debt he took upon himself, and crossed our name from the bond, and addressed his divine Father for us, _Whatsoever my people owe thee_, _put that to my account_. The Father graciously accepted this, and has declared himself well pleased with it. Every blessed view of this gives me hope, peace, and rest. I am truly miserable but when this is shewed me, then I feel a sweet serenity of mind. O! precious Surety, O! glorious Redeemer, thy Person, thy Name, and thy Work, is very dear to my heart:

No other stay have I beside, If these should alter I must fall.

I need this to support me now, I shall need it as much when my heart and flesh fail. _When the Silver Cord is loosed_, _when the Golden Bowl is broken at the Cistern_, _when the Pitcher is broken at the Fountain_, _and the Wheel broken at the Cistern_, this glorious Saviour will then carry my regenerated spirit to God who gave it me, and this is as sure to my soul as that God has begun the good Work in it. He begins it with a view to carry it on, and he will perfect that which concerneth me, for his mercy endureth for ever.

I will now drop you a few thoughts on the sixth verse, with which I must close these letters, which I trust you will candidly read, and where I err, attribute that to me, but receive the truth as from that God whose I am, and whom I serve. Here are four symptoms of approaching dissolution; the first is _the loosing the Silver Cord_. By this is most probably meant the Spinal Marrow, and all the Nerves arising therefrom; with all the Filaments, Fibres, and Tendons that proceed from those Nerves; as there can be no motion or drawing performed in all the Body without these; and through the influence of the animal Spirits upon them; and although these belong to the spinal Marrow, and all draw together as it were, yet Solomon expresses it in one word, _the Silver Cord_, because the rest are but a continuation of the same thing. This is called the Silver Cord from its colour, for it appears to the eye a white, bright as silver; it is seated deep in the body; it lays lower and deeper, and safer than the Veins or Arteries, or other common conveyers in the Body, and it is reckoned the most excellent of all, so that some Philosophers have termed it the Foundation of Life. The loosing of this Cord, is an undoubted sign of death; sometimes this is only affected in one part, and is the cause of Paralytics, but when it happens to the head of the spinal Marrow, it hinders the influence of the spirits upon the whole Silver Cord, and consequently takes away all sense and motion from all the subjected parts, and gives a sure prognostic of death, especially in aged people. Thus the Silver Cord is loosed.

The next object worthy notice is, _the Golden Bowl broken_, by which some think is meant the Scull pan; or, as the Seventy translate it, the Repository of the Brain. The celebrated Dr. _Smith_ (to whom I am indebted for many of his ideas on Anatomy) says, there are two Membranes within the Skull, a thicker and harder, and a thinner and finer, which does more immediately encompass the Brain, and by an immediate contact, encircles the very Substance of it, which seems to me to be the Golden Bowl, so called, by way of eminence, which is broken. This is called Golden, for the same reason that the other is called the Silver Cord, in its colour. The Membrane is of a flavious colour, nearer to that of Gold; it is hidden, secret, and well defended; and requires much wisdom and time to find our all its secret caverns and mysterious branches, and also for its ductility; above all, it may be compared to Gold, for excellency and use. Now as long as man remains in his strength, this Golden Bowl is knit unto itself in all its parts, but in the event of extreme old age, when he is just giving up the ghost, it can no longer retain itself, by reason of its natural dryness, shrivelling into itself, or preternatural moisture, imbibing excrementitious humours, till it is over full, it often snaps asunder, and so recurs into itself, from whence the Brain must naturally subside, and all the parts cease from their several uses; upon this we perceive a change of the whole countenance; the nose appears very sharp, the eyes sunk into the head, the temples are pinched in, with all the other symptoms of approaching dissolution. This brings the house down indeed, when the animal faculty is so deeply affected. I think there is something very interesting in the idea of the body compared to a _Golden_ Bowl, not China, Earthenware, or Tin, but _Gold_, to shew how precious our bodies are in his sight who redeemed them; that he will take special care of them, collect all the various pieces together, and raise them up a glorious body by and by.

The third point worthy our consideration, is, _The Pitcher broken at the Fountain_. This must refer to something belonging to the vital faculty; it appears in sacred Scriptures, that the life of man consists in his blood; _For the life of all Flesh is in the Blood thereof_; and this most noble liquor of Life, hath a primary Seat or Fountain, where it is principally made, and from whence it is dispensed through the whole Body, and this Fountain is the Heart, _for out of it are the issues of life_. This part continually issueth out abundance of Blood, wherein is the life, to all the parts of the body.—This is a deep Fountain, it is the Fountain of Life, the first living, and last dying Part of Man. Within the Body of the Heart there are two firmly-divided Cavities, a right and left, called Ventricles; from these are certain vessels. Out of the right Ventricle, of the Heart, proceeds the great Vein, which sends forth Branches throughout the whole, and hath, at its entrance into the Heart, certain Portals, and also an Artery. Out of the left Ventricle proceeds a Vein, inserted into the Lungs, and also the great Artery, which disperseth its Branches throughout the whole Body, both whose Cavities are defended with the like Portals. How the blood passeth in and through these passages I have not time to describe, I wish I had. By the Pitcher, therefore, we must understand the true and proper concepticle of the Blood, namely, the Veins, which throughout the whole body, serve only as vessels to contain that noble liquor, and carry it back again to the Fountain. This is the Pitcher here intended. The Fountain is the right Ventricle of the Heart. But neither the Fountain nor Pitcher continues for ever; the Pitcher does not go so often to the Fountain but at last it comes home broken. The breaking of it in old age, is the failing of the Veins, their ceasing from their natural action and use; when they can no longer carry back, nor conveniently pass into the Heart that liquor, the blood they contain, it stops, it is stagnated, it dies in the Veins. This is _breaking the Pitcher at the Fountain_.

Finally, _The Wheel broken at the Cistern_. The Cistern is the left Ventricle of the Heart, as the Fountain is represented as the right; for the Blood being enlivened and ennobled in the right Ventricle, it remains only to be dispersed into these several parts it is to quicken, which it cannot consequently do, except it be received into this Cistern. The Wheel is that round, or circulation of the Blood which flows from the left Ventricle of the Heart. Take this part of the symptom of Death, the chasing of the Pulse; the instruments of pulsation decay, and can no longer perform that work which must necessarily be continued for the preservation of life; when that ceases to beat, the man ceaseth to live; thus the Wheel, which till now, run its constant round, is broken at the Cistern, heart and flesh now fail. O! that when this is your case and mine, we may have nothing to do but to depart and be with Christ. May our Spirits return to God who gave them, while the poor tabernacle returns to its original dust. Solemn thought!—But the Gospel opens to my wondering, pleasing view, the Resurrection of this Body, formed and fashioned like the glorious Body of my Jesus, who appeared on Mount Tabor, or Mount Lebanon, as perhaps we shall appear when he comes in glory. May this be your felicity and mine, _Amen_.

Do accept a few thoughts more upon this verse, of the evil days which may come on the mystical Body of Christ, which is drawn together, acts, moves, and is kept together by the strong Silver Cord of everlasting love. _I drew them with the Cords of Love_, _with loving kindness have I drawn thee_.—This keeps the whole Body together; and Paul tells us to _endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace_. Love is the bond; _put on charity_, _which is the bond of perfectness_. This is the Cord that draws us to heaven: this unites us in heart to Jesus. Love as a principle, and as shed abroad in the heart, unites us to his Truth, his Ways, his Ministers and his People. When this is sweetly felt, and especially in that degree the Apostle speaks of, when perfect, that is eternal love comes in, it casts out fear, which hath torment: to live under this influence is truly blessed, but such seasons are short, they are pleasant days truly; and in our first setting out, or some part of our pilgrimage, we do experience them truly blessed. So did Solomon, but he had some evil days, when his own corrupt heart overflowed with sin, which brought on a sad distance between God and his soul. This is also attended with a shyness to the Household of Faith, and very few pleasant seasons in God’s House of Prayer. No love is felt to Jesus, and scarce a desire after him; very little affection is felt to faithful ministers, as there is but little received under their message, which used to be so sweet to them, and their love to ministers so strong, for the truth’s sake. Thus, by contracted guilt, the cord of love is loosed, not in God, but in our exercise of this grace. So of those we once viewed saints, many we have proved to be nothing but hypocrites; some only mumping a living under the mask of religion; some lying in wait to deceive; some watching for our halting, to find something amiss in our conduct; and if they can catch any thing, it is marrow and fatness to their bones. Tattling, lying, backbiting, jealousies, and evil speaking. These things we begin to discover, and groan on account of them in Professors, till we can hardly help exclaiming with the Prophet, _There is none upright among men_, _the __best of them is a briar_, _the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge_. Very little spiritual love being now felt, the Silver Cord, appears to be loosed, not that the principle is lost, but God is teaching the Believer wisdom, and directing the principle of love to the proper object, even to the Household of Faith—not to every Professor, but only to those who stand manifest in our consciences, that they are taught of God; yet it must be acknowledged that while the heart is shut up from the exercise of love it is an evil, a trying day. Sin on the conscience, backsliding, getting into a worldly spirit, the affections being entangled with creature love—these things bring on evil days. O! what a mercy to have the heart right with God. When the soul is thus filled with love, it is always attended with an illuminated mind, a mind receiving the truth. Charity rejoiceth in the truth, believeth all things God hath said, as well as hopeth for what God hath promised. But it is possible to stumble upon the dark mountains; God may cause darkness to come on the mind, the judgment to be bewildered, and errors to creep in—the Golden Bowl may be broken.—Ephraim, says God, is oppressed and broken in judgment, either by evil men, who lay in wait to deceive, or by a curious spirit, which a Believer may be plagued with, till he has imbibed some error, which leads him into darkness, bondage, and misery. A sound judgment is valuable, like a Golden Bowl, but many of God’s children have got proud, and God has permitted Satan to lay a snare for their feet, _a haughty Spirit before a fall_, and into awful errors they have run, till days of trouble have come on, and they have found out their errors. Moreover, real contrition for sin; a heart affected with grief after the Saviour, mourning on account of him.—Compunction and godly sorrow of heart is precious, is valuable to God; with this sacrifice he is well pleased; this is a Golden Bowl broken indeed, in the best of senses. _Blessed are they that mourn_, _for they shall be comforted_. The Silver Cord of Love, the Golden Bowl of a sound Judgment, and an heart influenced by the Spirit of Grace, are in sweet connexion; these make a Believer shine in the Church—such are valuable characters, but they are few. _My soul desired the first ripe Fruit_.

_The Pitcher may be broken at the Fountain_. Our Lord Jesus is a never-failing Fountain in his Person, in his Offices, in his Love, and in his Work. He is the Fountain of all spiritual and eternal Life. What a deep, never-failing, abundant source of all good he is to his Covenant People. He is a fountain of Gardens for his Church, a Fountain of living Waters, and a Fountain opened for Sin and Unclearness. Faith wrought in the heart, may be compared to a Pitcher, which draws its supplies from that inexhaustible source of all blessings. It receives the Atonement into the conscience, it is the great Artery in the spiritual Body, which conveys peace and joy through the whole soul, as it receives the precious Blood from the heart of Christ, and every other blessing is in this one, _Jesus died for me_. While Faith is thus busied, the exercises of Religion, like a wheel, go their happy round to the Cistern of Gospel Ordinances; for a while Faith is thus exercised on Jesus, the mind, the soul is made willing, and rolls its happy round, like a wheel well oiled. Faith is going to the Fountain while the Believer is willingly running the way of God’s Commands. It is worthy our notice, that all the treasures of blessings in Christ, are compared to a Fountain; but in Ordinances, in Ministers, and Means, it is but a Cistern. Hence the folly of those who seek salvation in their round of duties; they forsake the Fountain, and cleave, in general, to those _Cisterns that can hold no water_. Faithful Ministers and Gospel Ordinances hold the Water of Life, and wisdom declares the man of understanding shall draw it out. This I dare say you can prove in your own experience; if your soul is, through faith in the Person and Work of Jesus, happy in his love—all the while the Pitcher of Faith is bringing you such supplies, you can come as regular to the Cistern of Gospel Ordinances, and as willing as a wheel, well set in motion, goes its round. In such days of the Power of Faith, we are made willing to believe, to do, to suffer, and to obey. Such days we have had, but we have had some evil days besides, some opposite reasons, when the Pitcher of Faith appeared to be broken, for all the good it did for us; it ceased to act, at least in the way it had done; it brought no grace, no love, no joy, no comfort; it was like a Broken Pitcher; not that it can cease to exist, as a principle, but only in its motions, ’tis weak, low, and of course the mind must be low, and the wheel move slowly, if it moves at all, in Ordinances, in Conversation, in Prayer, in Reading, and every other religious Exercise. Ah, my dear friend, have you not met with such days of evil? _but all things work together for good_, even those sins, those hindrances to our comfort, shall terminate right; for _the elder sin shall serve the younger_. Sin makes us pray, cry, groan, wrestle, entreat; this makes Faith grow and increase, and what belongs to God ascends to him, gravitates to its own centre. Faith comes from him, is busied about him, affections go to him, hope centers in him, patience waits on him, humility is precious to him; this is the fruit of his own Spirit, and we find by daily experience, that the Spirit goes to God who gave it, while all that is carnal in us will cleave to the dust, to sin, to the world, to all that is opposite to God; like loves its like, _that which is born of the Spirit_, _is Spirit_, and delights in spiritual objects; _that which is born of the Flesh is Flesh_, and is desirous of sensual gratification. This is the Believer’s affliction; but we shall soon be done with time, and commune upon an eternal scene, when all that belongs to the earth, to the dust, will return to it, and all of me, and belonging to me, will return to him from whom it came. The Lord carry on his Work in your soul and mine; and while we live, may we be enabled, through all, and by all our evil days, to distinguish between the Dust and the Spirit, the Old-Man and the New—to watch the operations of both; lament the one, and bless God for the other.

Yours in him,

[Picture: Signature of J. C.]

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_FINIS._