Ann Griffiths

Reference has been made to her letters. Their intrinsic worth, and their intimate connection with her hymns, make it unnecessary to give an excuse for a larger reference. They are the autobiography of a sacred passion, and exquisitely reflect the lights and shadows of a mind that lived within itself in Christ.

The letters were mostly written to a young friend in the ministry, and became a valuable means of unburdening a mind that was bowed down with an 58 exceeding weight of glory. They are the revealed secrets of an unresting heart, told in simple and devout speech.

The Bible was her fountain of life--a fountain of water clear and cool as the dewdrops of a June morning, embosomed in fadeless flowers of spring. She drank of the living stream, she carried away choice flowers of peace to lie close to her soul. Her piety had in it a sweet tyranny, which compelled each verse to yield the comfort she needed at the time. For instance, in one letter we read:

'I have had some trials like stormy winds, until I was nearly breathless on the steep paths of the hill; but I was brought up to the summit as by these two chains--"A man shall be as an hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest;" and--"Come, My people, enter thou into thy chambers: hide thyself as it were for a little moment." My spirit felt the peace and warmth for a while.'

And in another letter:

'Lately the following words were of great value and comfort to my soul--"Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand buckles, all shields of mighty men." In myself, I am but helpless and unarmed against my foes; but if I shall have the privilege of turning into the tower, I shall there 59 find armour and strength to run through the hosts. These words also were to me of great comfort--"For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell;" and again--"A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse." I am greatly bound to speak well of God, and to be grateful to Him for some degrees of the fellowship of the mystery. But this is my grief--I fail to stay--I am always forsaking Him. I see how great is my loss on that account: but more than all is the dishonour and disrespect thrown upon God. Grant me help to stay!

She could even reverently thank God for using His Word as an instrument of trouble, destroying the strong root of self-conceit, without doing the soul injury.

Her sacred passion brought with it a precious pain and grief. The very fervour of her devotion to Christ made her judge herself with all the severity of a Paul:

'For a long time I have been sorely troubled. I have many disappointments in myself continually; but I must say that all trials and all storms of every kind have wrought me to this: that is, they have brought me to see more of the corruptions of my nature and more of the Lord in His goodness and unchangeableness toward me. Lately I was far from the Lord in the backsliding of my soul; and yet I held up against His 60 ministry, as if I were not refusing to stay and walk in His fellowship. But for all my art, the Lord visited me in these words--"If I be a Father, where is Mine honour? and if I be a Master, where is My fear?" . . .

'In view of my path after forsaking God, and hewing out broken cisterns, this word anew raised me a little on my feet--"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want." I the one going astray, He the Shepherd; I unable to return, He the Almighty Lord. Oh! Rock of our salvation! entirely dependent upon Himself, saving and cherishing sinners! I would wish to be always under the treatment, be it ever so bitter.'

This is more cheerful, but still the spiritual element is of the same self-searching earnestness:

'I feel renewed affection toward the doctrine of the Gospel, because it shows a way to cleanse the unclean. I think I have no need to change my garment, only to be purer in it. I feel a stronger longing than ever I felt before to be pure; and these words are on my mind--"And the house, when it was in building, was built of stones made ready." I feel an earnest desire to be shaped by Him, until I am made fit for the heavenly building.'

The Rev. Thomas Charles, Bala, once made a remark to her that touched her soul to the quick. Considering the depth and rareness of her experiences, 61 and the marvellous dispensations through which God led her spirit, he said that she seemed very likely to meet with one of three things: either she would meet with severe trials, or her life would soon be ended, or she would fall back, When she heard of falling back, she burst into tears. That fear is touchingly echoed in these sentences:

'What presses most heavily on my mind at present is the sinfulness of permitting anything seen to have too large a place in my thoughts. I am reverently ashamed, and wonderingly rejoice, to think that He who humbles Himself in looking at the things of heaven has made Himself an object of love to a creature as poor as I am; and in view of such a dishonour upon God as to give the first place to second things, I simply think that I would prefer my nature to be crushed to death (if need be), on account of its weakness to bear the heat of fiery trials. I sometimes think I could joyfully endure that, rather than the glory of God should be clouded before my mind, through granting my material nature its pomp and its desires.'

Mercifully did the Providence of God respond to her prayer.

Her mind was eager to discern the vivid outline of Christian doctrine, but mostly in its practical relations. How modestly, how devoutly she takes herself to task in these words for having unwittingly ignored the personal office of the Holy Spirit!

'The most particular thing on my mind is the great evil and great danger of grieving the Holy Ghost. The following words have struck me--"Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you?"

'In penetrating somewhat into the wonders of that Person, and that He dwells and abides in the believer, I simply think that I was never possessed with the same degrees of reverent fear lest He should be grieved; and along with that it was given to me to see that one cause, and the chief cause, of this great sin having such a slight impression of uneasiness on ray mind was, that my thoughts about the Divine greatness of His person were too low. My whole conception of the Persons of the Trinity was too low; to think of it my mind is held with shame: but I owe it to myself to say that my mind has changed. I used to think of the Persons of the Father and Son as equal: but I held an opinion of the Person of the Holy Ghost as if He were an officer inferior to the Father and the Son. Oh! fanciful and mistaken opinion concerning One who is Divine, all-present, all-knowing, all-powerful to bring forward and perfect the good work which He has begun, according to the conditions of the covenant of grace, according to the decree of Three in One on behalf of the objects of heaven's morning Love! Oh! to be of their number! I thirst to rise higher in the belief that there is a personal indwelling of the Holy Ghost in my soul--a belief brought through revelation--not 63 fancifully, expecting to comprehend the form and manner in which He dwells; this would be idolatry. In considering the sinfulness in itself of grieving the Holy Ghost, and, on the other hand, in looking down to the depths of the Great Fall, and that I am dispossessed of every power, except of being able to grieve Him--my soul is sorely pressed. The following words are on my mind--"Watch and pray." As if the Lord were saying, though the commandment is strong, and thou art unable to fulfil one out of a thousand things there, on the ground where thy mind stands, go forth, prove the Throne of Grace; for "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much"--"My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Blessed be the God who fulfils His promises!'