A Letter To John Grace – December 23rd, 1864
My dear Friend, John Grace,
I cannot find among my books the last volume of Mr. Huntington’s Posthumous Letters, but I have four volumes published by Bensley in 1822.
Taken as a whole, one may say that they contain the very cream of vital godliness. Not being controversial, there is the absence of that sharpness which marks some of his other writings; and being struck off, as one may say, at a white heat according to his various feelings at the time, there is a freedom and a warmth about them, a reality and a power, which much commends itself to one’s conscience. It will be a sad day for the church of Christ in this country when the writings of the immortal Coalheaver are forgotten or utterly neglected; and there seems to be much fear of it, for there are only a few comparatively who read and value them. From no two authors have I derived such instruction and edification as Dr. Owen and Huntington. They have both condemned me, reproved me, cut me up, sifted, and almost emptied me—and also brought comfort, encouragement, life, and feeling into my heart. We have no such ministry now, take it for all in all, nor can we expect that matters will get much better—at least if Mr. Huntington is a true prophet.
Still, I believe that the Lord has a goodly number of those who fear His name; but they are, for the most part, in a low place as regards faith and godliness, and those who seem to be more blessed and favoured are for the most part heavily weighted with trials and afflictions. I must say for myself, that the path in which I am now walking is the roughest and most trying road which I have traveled for a good many years. Mr. Hart is right in what he says: “That traveler treads the surest here, who seldom sees his way”.
I am not out of the path; for indeed this has been, and is, my chief trial. I hope you may never be obliged to give up the ministry, or have to leave your own people and your own home. The Lord, I hope, keeps me continually looking up to Him to make every rough place plain, and every crooked thing straight; but it is one thing to be waiting, asking, and begging, and another to be blessedly receiving. Mr. Huntington tells us that, “the soul that has life may take comfort in the furnace”; but this is hard work, though I do believe that a living soul would sooner have the furnace, than be at ease in Zion.
I have been very busy with my Address (Gospel Standard); but with all my labour I cannot say much about it. No man and no thing are more than God makes them to be.
Yours affectionately in the truth,
J. C. P.
Jesus is LORD! 
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