Letter to Brother Ow

Letter to Brother Owen

Stanford, Ind., Feb. 24, 1874.

Letter from James H. Oliphant to Brother Owen

My Dear Brother Owen

I have had some thoughts upon Rom. viii, 28: 'And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.' In the few verses following he gives as a basis for this conclusion the ancient purposes of God developed in our delivery from sin.---When we can feel that ' all things work together for good' to us , it is, and should be, a source of great comfort to us. As before remarked, in a few verses following, he reasons from the purposes of God, that all things will work for good to us, and in the thirty-second verse he rests the conclusion on the preciousness if Jesus and his relationship to God, saying, 'He that spared not his own Son , but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him freely give us all things?' Or, if his love to us was such as to cause him to give his 'only Son,' what blessing will he withhold from us?--- It is a source of comfort for us to know that Jesus was dear to the Father, for his giving him up to death for us (he being beloved by him) is sure evidence that God is intent upon good to us, and that God did greatly love him is evident from Prov. viii, 30:---'Then I was by him, as one brought up with him, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him.' Ere time began Jesus was loved of God, and was daily his delight. 'As one brought up with him,' signifying the close intimacy and oneness which subsisted between them. And when we remember that God is perfect we must know that his love is constant, pure---never ebbing and flowing---and in his presence is fullness of joy. O consider the happiness of our dear Saviour then! It was to this he referred. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.' 'No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.' [John xvii, 5; i, 18.] In this last verse he is called 'the only begotten,' as if he would call our minds to the tenderness of God's love to his Son. Also, 'in the bosom of the Father,' shows that God's love to Jesus was intense, and when Jesus was born, angels were dispatched to tell the news. When he was baptized the Eternal Jehovah testified his love to him, saying, 'This is my beloved Son , in whom I am well pleased' [Matt. iii, 17.] And when he was transfigured on the mount, [Matt. xvii, 5,] God declared him to be his beloved Son. It was to this that Peter referred. 'For he received from God the Father honor and glory,' 'And this voice, which came from heaven, we heard in the holy mount.' [II Peter i, 17, 18.] 'The Father loveth the Son,' 'Therefore doth my Father love me.'---[John iii, 34; x, 17.] No tongue can tell how much Jesus was beloved of God. He was his Son, and more, his only Son, in whom was found no guile. Obedient in all things, sinless; possessing all wisdom and fullness; free from pride, (brother, which so much afflicts us,) 'yea he was altogether lovely.' Abraham loved Isaac, Jacob loved Joseph, and David loved Jonathan, but all their love was poor when compared with the eternal love of an Eternal God towards an only Son, who was altogether lovely. O I would that we could know more of this subject! The dear Son of God is the only being in immensity that can rescue fallen man, and he only by becoming a curse for us; and, much as God loved his Son, he so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him might not perish, but have eternal life. 'But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.' {Rom. v, 8.] The writer's idea here is, that God's love to us was exceeding great, and that it is thus commended to us in that he gave his Son for us. 'He spared not his own Son,' who was so innocent.---O! what love to us poor sinners is set forth here, that Jesus should be made of 'no reputation,' become so poor as to have no place to lay his head; yea, more, to hear all the reproaches of wicked men, and to be delivered according to the determinate counsel of his Father. In the garden he prays, 'if possible, let this cup pass from me---not my will but thine be done.' O! will God forsake his Son for his enemies? Eternity has witnessed his union to and delight in him. O, my soul! think on the scenes of this day when thou art cast down. Jesus must tread the wine-press of the wrath of God alone---there are none to help, he is taken, crucified for us, bore our sins, became a curse for us. \par \par \par 'This was compassion like a God, \par \par \par That when our Saviour knew, \par \par \par The way of pardon was his blood, \par \par \par His pity ne'er withdrew.' \par Now, if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life,' that is, if God loved us while black with sin so well as to sacrifice his Son for us, we shall much more share his love and care now. 'Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.' [Isa. liii, 4.] Another consoling thought is, Jesus is so joined to us as to entitle us to the love he shares from his Father. 'And ye are complete in HIM, which is the head of all principality and power.' [Col. ii, 10.] 'Wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved, that is, as we stand in Jesus we are the delight of his Father, loved as Jesus is loved; joint heirs with him in the riches of heaven, we are clean, washed in his blood and clad in his righteousness. We are the bride of his bosom, the flock of his pasture. He is our Shepherd, yea, he is the link that binds us to God, and we are loved of God for his sake. Then how shall he not also with him freely give us all things? \par Now, my dear brother Owen, in yours to me you seem to complain of being away off, where there are few that love the truth. You seem to fear that God hath forsaken you. Oh, remember that he forsook Jesus for a small moment but afterwards exalted him to heaven. Let us try not to complain of our sad state when such promises are ours. In the garden Jesus sunk in deep waters, when his soul was exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; but when he was brought before his enemies he was comforted, and when he was crucified he bore it patiently. But, my brother, the precious drops that came from his side were not wasted or lost, for in this he was sealed or annointed to set captive sinners free. O the thought that Jesus stooped, even to death, the death of the cross for me! What love must have been in his heart for us, and it was this love that prompted him to come to us, even when we were dead in sin and quicken us into life, and it is this for which he still preserves us. Now, what is there that we should fear if religion is waning among us and others are wicked? This should not give us trouble for ourselves, for 'all things work together for good' to us, if we love God. But we do not always feel certain that we love God.---But, again, our consciences are tender of sin. We take no delight in sin; we love the brethren; we are glad when we feel poor, and we rejoice when Jesus pays us a visit. O how we love to sit together in heavenly places! We love to feel a spirit of prayer. We pity such as are seeking Jesus, and often the very breathings of our heart is prayer for them. We weep over the distresses of Zion and pray God to visit her, and O! how our hearts leap for joy when we feel that Jesus has come among us. If we know ourselves these are some of our feelings, and it is true that we love God. Yes, we can say with Peter, 'Thou knowest I love thee.' Then the promise is, ' all things work together for good' to us. Among the all things is our dark and cloudy days; when hopes are so small; when we are down among the pots; when we cannot see a syllable of our title to heaven; also the seasons of unbelief, when we are destitute of all sense of love to good; no spirit of prayer or love; wedded to carnality, also the reproaches of others and our unpopularity; or, if we try to preach and find ourselves in the dark, it tends to humble us at the feet of Jesus. Even our pride and vanity, and envy, and all our hateful qualities, if seen by us, shall work for good to us. Indeed there is no distress, sorrow, disappointment, affliction or misery but is included. Blessed Jesus! O help me to love thee more and serve thee better. Even in death we may, if we love him, hope for his care. O what joyful creatures should we be when we know that these light afflictions, which are but for a moment, will result in an eternal weight of glory. Brother Owen and family, let us seek to know more of Jesus, to follow more closely his examples, to gain a more intimate acquaintance with him, for his lips are most sweet, speaking away all our troubles and doubts from time to time. Blessed be God for the unspeakable gift of Jesus; for since he has given him he will withhold no good thing.

Yours, in hope of eternal life.

James H. Oliphant