Letters of Thomas Charles II: Doubting Love

In this week’s episode of The Whole Counsel Podcast, Dr. John Snyder discusses a letter from Thomas Charles to his future wife, Sarah Jones, also known as Sally. The letter is found in Thomas Charles’s Spiritual Counsels, published by Banner of Truth. Thomas Charles was mentored by John Newton and was a leader in Wales during the Evangelical Revival. Although we do not have Sally’s letter, we can infer its content from Thomas' responses. It seems Sally is troubled, worried that she does not love God or does not love him well enough. Thomas addresses this and a second matter: “Do you believe that God loves you?” as he attempts to uplift Sally’s heavy heart. Thomas’s responses help us in the dynamic of the Christian life that the old writers called communion. Communion is the constant interchange between the needy believer and our heavenly Father- an ongoing transaction between our needy souls and his infinite heart. In Christ we have all we need to enjoy this sweet communion with God. This letter helps with doubts and other issues that can bog us down and trouble our souls. Dr. Snyder addresses topics such as the Christian conscience, pride, and grief that will help us walk closer to our Father.