Robert Robinson, Hauxton, to John Robinson, Eriswell, 10 February 1770.

Hauxton Feb 10th 1770

My dear Sr

  If I am a letter in your debt I ought to ask your pardon, I do ask your pardon, you grant it I trust.  I have always esteemed you one of those rarest gifts of heaven to me, so scarce to find, so hard to prize enough, I mean a real friend.  Continue your affection my dear Sir.  continue it on the best model, love the unworthy, and be kind to the unthankful and the evil.  In regard to Miss H’s legacy, give yourself no concern about us, your integrity is far from being suspected by me, the only share I take is to pity you in the difficult discharge of a trust involving so many unfavorable circumstances.  Assure your brother K. of our entire approbation of your conduct, even supposing the legacy was of any importance.  Enough of the world—you complain of barrenness, you lament the loss of former consolations.  Will you allow me to ask you one serious question?  are you as earnest in seeking now as formerly?  are you as much afraid of sin?  as little fascinated with the world?  Ah!  that faithful witness within cries  give glory to God.—the Lord is righteous in all that is come upon us.—Go hide you in the dust for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty—say, I will bear his indignation for I have sinned against him.  The Lord says Ask and you shall have, will you charge him with insincerity and infidelity?  far be that from you  God is not a man that he should lie.  his name is FAITHFUL and TRUE.  and in righteousness doth he judge and make war even on his own children.  Where is the fault, in my friend or in his God?  Let God be true and every man a liar.  Tho your walk [be] carnal and sensual and devilish, your walk cold and spiritless and prayerless, your walk has grieved that tenderest, best of friends, did not you overhear him say I’ll go and return to my place, till he acknowledges his offence and seeks my face, in his affliction—O may I add the rest!  in his affliction he will seek me early!  Go my dearest brother fly to his arms, confess, forsake, pray, do every thing but despair.  Despair you must not, except you mean to offend him more.  hark he cries, O let him take hold of my peace, he may make peace with me, he shall make peace with me.  Go once more look your abused friend in the face, go tell him in the bitterness of honest repentance how you loathe yourself; tell him you have play’d the harlot wiith many lovers; tell him you deserve banishment, banishment only; tell him you are encouraged to avail yourself of that melting compassion that cries how shall I give thee up?  Go say to him I pray thee let me live.  In so doing you will experience in the sweetest of all senses, that your peace is like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.  A bold, obstinate, pacific obedience, like the ocean submissive but to one Lord, formidable to every opposer, delightfully rich to its possessor.  I ground all on that saying Draw nigh to God, and he will draw high to you.  O heaven upon earth!  a soul making approaches to its God, & God approaching to the soul! O how delightful!  if we can’t approach the inaccessible light where God dwells, yet to be labouring to diminish the distance.  Yes, after all, after all the deceitful world can tell us, after all the subtle tempter can suggest, after all our senses and passions in league with satan can urge, after all the intoxications of life, and all the allurements of death in disguise, happy are the people that are in such a case, yea blessed are they whose God is the Lord.  you know it my brother you know it, nor can it be said of you as of the Jews by Hosea, I have written to him the great things of my law, and they were counted as a strange thing.  You know these things if not by present sensation yet by bitter reflection, ‘tis that makes your case so pitiable, for if you be beaten it will be with many stripes, for you know the master’s will. 

  I have scribbled so far I ha’n’t room to tell you how we are, only in general.  Well, we live too much at a distance from God—the Lord forgive us and bring us near—Ah Eriswell!  Jer. 2, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 17, 31, 32, verses—present my best respects to Mrs R—Mr & Mrs K—and all friends, is old friend Curry gone over Jordan yet?  write soon, your’s ever

  R. Robinson

Text:  Crabb Robinson Correspondence, Vol. 1 (725-99), no. 22, Dr. Williams's Library.