The secret of peace and power

(Letters of Ruth Bryan)

The work of the Holy Spirit is to bring us to be
experimentally nothing, and to make Jesus our
"all in all," thereby teaching us to live by faith
upon Him.

Oh, may you, by the Spirit's power, so lift up your
eyes from all but Jesus, that you will be conformed
to His image (2 Cor. 3:18). But do not expect to
receive any better account of yourself--rather a
worse one; for, as you get nearer the light, you
will see more of your own sinfulness. I do hope,
however, to hear you speak well of Him, and that,
as you feelingly cry out, "Behold, I am vile!" He will
melt your heart by responding, "You are absolutely
beautiful, my darling, with no imperfection in you!"

Oh, this wondrous Savior! He opens the secret of
our wanderings and transgressions--only to declare
how entirely He has put them all away by the
sacrifice of Himself! Oh, what mercy that He did
not say, "Let them alone, they have loved idols,
after idols let them go!" What mercy that by His
light, He has manifested our darkness. You shall
see greater things than these.

More of your own vile heart--and more of His loving heart.

More of your sin--and more of His great salvation.

More of your deformity--and more of His beauty.

Do not be considering so much how you love Jesus,
as how He loves you. Your love is but the effect; His
is the cause; and the more you have to do with the
cause, the more fully will the effect flow from it
(1 John 4:19, and John 15:9).

So with faith; if you would have it grow, it must be
by looking at Him, not at your faith.

In short, the more you "consider Him," and are continually
coming unto Him, the more lively and healthy will be the
graces of the Spirit in your soul; while yet you rejoice, not
in your fruitfulness--but only in Jesus and in what He has
done and suffered. If the Holy Spirit opens this to you, you
will find the secret of peace and power. It is all in
Christ! He says, "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come
away." Away from self, away from all besides--to be
absorbed in Him. We must learn . . .
 our weakness--as well as His strength;
 our emptiness--as well as His fullness;
 our ignorance--as well as His wisdom.

May your eye and heart to be fixed on Him. Then will your
course be steady, and you will not be greatly moved by the
many changes you will ever find within. Oh, press on after
a life of faith in Jesus, for it is next in blessedness to a life
of glory with Jesus. Beg of the blessed Spirit to draw your
faith out continually upon His precious Person and work. Oh!
may He cause you to come out of self continually, and find
your all in Jesus! The more you are brought so to live upon
Jesus, the more stability of soul you will experience. To Him
I commend you--may He be revealed more fully in your soul.