A Letter To Alfred Hammond – December 17th, 1866
Dear Friend in the Lord, Alfred Hammond.
I am glad to see how the Lord keeps alive His sacred work upon your heart, though I doubt not that, like most others of those who fear God, you have your changes. Indeed I believe, for my part, that the soul, when once made alive unto God, can no more be healthy than through air, food, and exercise, in the same way as the body. Breathing out desires, and breathing in the breath of the Spirit, hungering and feeding upon the bread of life, movements and exercises of each spiritual grace as faith, hope, love, patience, repentance, and godly sorrow for sin, meekness and humility, quietness and resignation, a falling into the hands and before the face of God, the renunciation of all our own wisdom, strength, and righteousness—these and similar exercises keep the soul alive and prevent it from settling on its lees or being at ease in Zion. These are the lessons which I am daily learning, and have been trying to learn for many, many years, but seem to have learned very little to profit. Still I have learned something of what I am, and something of what the Lord is; and I have learned in this school how vile I am, and how good is He. I feel myself utterly unworthy to occupy the position in which I am placed as a writer and preacher; still I desire to be faithful according to the measure of my light and grace. In this dark and gloomy day, stewards need to be faithful, as I have every reason to believe you are.
The Lord bless your aged father, yourself, and all near and dear to you by natural and spiritual ties, with every needful blessing. My love to you all.
Yours affectionately in the truth,
J. C. P.
Jesus is LORD! 
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