LETTER DCCXIV.
To the Honourable Trustees of Georgia.
Gloucester, Dec. 6, 1748.
Honoured Gentlemen,
NOT want of respect, but a suspicion that my letters would not be acceptable, has been the occasion of my not writing to you these four years last past. I am sensible, that in some of my former letters, through hurry of business, want of more experience, and in all probability too great an opinion of my own sufficiency, I expressed myself in too strong, and sometimes unbecoming terms. For this I desire to be humbled before God and man, knowing that, Peter-like, by a misguided zeal, I have cut off as it were those ears which otherwise might have been open to what I had to offer. However I can assure you, honoured gentlemen, to the best of my knowledge, I have acted a disinterested part, and notwithstanding my manifold mistakes and imprudence, I have simply aimed at God’s glory and the good of mankind. This principle drew me first to Georgia; this, and this alone, induced me to begin and carry on the scheme of the Orphan-house; and this, honoured gentlemen, excites me to trouble you with the present lines. I need not inform you, honoured gentlemen, how the colony of Georgia has been declining for these many years last past, and at what great disadvantages I have maintained a large family in that wilderness, through the providence of a good and gracious God. Upwards of five thousand pounds have been expended in that undertaking, and yet very little proficiency made in the cultivation of my tract of land, and that entirely owing to the necessity I lay under of making use of white hands. Had a negroe been allowed, I should now have had a sufficiency to support a great many orphans, without expending above half the sum which hath been laid out. An unwillingness to let so good a design drop, and having a rational conviction that it must necessarily, if some other method was not fixed upon to prevent it. These two considerations, honoured gentlemen, prevailed on me about two years ago, through the bounty of my good friends, to purchase a plantation in South-Carolina, where negroes are allowed. Blessed be God, this plantation hath succeeded; and though at present I have only eight working hands, yet in all probability there will be more raised in one year, and with a quarter the expence, than has been produced at Bethesda for several years last past. This confirms me in the opinion I have entertained for a long time, that Georgia never can or will be a flourishing province without negroes are allowed. But notwithstanding my private judgment, I am determined that not one of mine shall ever be allowed to work at the Orphan-House, till I can do it in a legal manner, and by the approbation of the honourable trustees. My chief end in writing this, is to inform you, honourable gentlemen, of the matter of fact, and to let you know, that I am as willing as ever to do all I can for Georgia and the Orphan-house, if either a limited use of negroes is approved of, or some more indented servants sent over. If not, I cannot promise to keep any large family, or cultivate the plantation in any considerable manner. My strength must necessarily be taken to the other side. I would also further recommend it to your consideration, honourable gentlemen, whether or not as the Orphan-house was and is intended for a charitable purpose, it ought not to be exempted from all quit-rents and public taxes, as I believe is customary universally for such institutions to be? And as most of the land on which the Orphan-house is built, is good for little, I would humbly enquire, whether I may not have a grant for five hundred more acres that are not taken up, somewhere near the Orphan-house? My intention is, if you, honourable gentlemen, are pleased to put the colony upon another footing, (I mean in respect to the permission of a limited use of negroes) to make the Orphan-house not only a receptacle for fatherless children, but also a place of literature and academical studies. Such a place is much wanted in the southern parts of America; and if conducted in a proper manner, must necessarily be of great service to any colony. I can easily procure proper persons to embark in such a cause, and I do not know but several families would go over, supposing I could give them a probable prospect of a support upon their honest industry, I could say more, but I fear I have been already too prolix. I humbly recommend what has been urged to your consideration, and beg leave to subscribe myself, honourable gentlemen,
Your most obedient humble servant,
G. W.
LETTER DCCXV.
To the Countess of H——.
Bristol, Dec. 10, 1748.
Honoured Madam,
THOUGH I am afraid of taking too much freedom, yet the duty I owe to your Ladyship constrains me to send you a few lines from hence. I came hither last night, after having preached five times in Gloucester, and once in Gloucestershire. The glorious Emmanuel pleased to shine upon my administrations, and many told me they received a blessing. The bishop behaved respectfully when I was at sacrament at the cathedral, and my old tutor, Dr. R——, one of the prebendaries, was very cordial when I waited upon him. I told him that my judgment (as I trust) was a little more ripened than it was some years ago, and that as fast as I found out my faults I would be glad to acknowledge them. He said, as I grew moderate, the offence the Governors of the Church had taken against me, would lessen and wear off. Blessed be God, I am pretty easy about that: so that I can but act an honest part, and be kept from trimming, I will, through the divine assistance, leave all consequences to him who orders all things well. Thanks be to his great name, a wonderous change is wrought on Mr. L——. He came to see and hear me at Gloucester: his worldly shackles are dropping off apace, and his feet begin to be set in a large room. The news of his conversion hath reached Mr. W——, who wrote him a long letter; but to send dissuasives to a man that hath seen and felt so much, is like throwing chaff against a brass wall. He begged me to send his duty to your Ladyship when I wrote, as does my brother, at whose house I am. I trust he is coming forwards, and that he will at length fairly shake hands with the world, and act as one alive to God. I think your Ladyship meets with great encouragement. My continual prayer to the blessed Redeemer in your Ladyship’s behalf is, “that your bow may abide in strength, and the arms of your hands be strengthened by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob.” He is the rock of ages. He is the Lord our righteousness. In him is our strength found. Thanks be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for shewing your Ladyship the way to fetch continual strength and supplies from him! I could enlarge, but am streightened in paper. If Mr. C—— hath courage enough, I expect to see him, and then I shall have it in my power to send your Ladyship word how matters stand at Bath. In the mean while, I beg leave with all dutiful respects to subscribe myself, honoured madam.
Your Ladyship’s most obliged humble servant,
G. W.
LETTER DCCXVI.
To Mr. B——.
Bristol, Dec. 12, 1748.
My dear Tommy,
THE love I bear to you, will not suffer me to omit answering your letter the very first opportunity. I find you are in danger of being led into temptation. If only your preparations for business keep you from attending on the word preached, how will it be when you are totally immersed in it? O my dear man, let that promise of our Lord’s be written on the tables of your heart, “seek you first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all those things shall be added unto you.” If you act inconsistent with this, assure yourself your endeavours will be blasted; and God out of love will curse your temporal blessings. But enough of this. I hope a word to the wise is sufficient.—Since I wrote thus far, I have received a letter from good Lady H——n, desiring I would come up to town. I therefore propose to be with you, God willing, by Saturday night, and to preach at the Tabernacle next Sunday. Be pleased to apprize all friends of it. If you are at the tabernacle-house on Saturday evening, it would be very agreeable to,
Yours, &c. in great haste,
G. W.
LETTER DCCXVII.
To Mr. H—— H——.
London, Dec. 18, 1748.
I Can assure you, my not being able to write to you during my last excursion, has given me much concern. I love to be punctual. Journeying, preaching, and a train of business for the best of masters, has prevented my being so now. I have been at Gloucester, in other parts of Gloucestershire, and at Bristol, where I trust the sound of my Redeemer’s feet was heard behind me. My brother I hope is coming on. I like him better than I have for some years. He greatly regards you, and intends answering your kind letters. I proposed his meeting you here. What do you think of it? He likes it well. I wrote for him to come up next week. I expect to know by Wednesday or Thursday. If you could be here on a Lord’s day, or a Thursday, you might see our assembly at the other end of the town. I trust, abiding good will be done among some at least of the rich and great. I thank you a thousand times for your advice in respect to my health.—For near these two months past, my usual reachings have left me. I find that keeping from too much fatigue, under God, must be my cure. I will endeavour to keep within bounds every way. I have shewed the doctor’s letter to Lady H——, but she is of opinion, the journals as now corrected ought to be reprinted. In the multitude of councils there is safety; the language of my heart is,
Lord, teach me when I go astray,
And lead me in thy perfect way.
O that my zeal may increase with prudence. I have had too little of both. I am now thirty-four years of age, and alas! how little have I done and suffered for Him, who has done and suffered so much for me! Thanks be to his great name, for countenancing my poor administrations so much! I know not how it is, but perhaps it may be to display the riches of free grace, that notwithstanding the first zeal of most, I might add, all men of God, is generally mixed with much wildfire, yet their first times have been generally blest most, especially for awakening and converting souls. Blessed be our good God that Mr. H—— is coming out. May the Lord Jesus make him a spiritual father to thousands! I smiled when you said, he would avoid the name of Methodist, if he could. Alas, my dear man, he might as soon think to wash a blackmoor white. The Methodists are now as it were a skreen for others. Formerly, if a person was serious, or preached Christ, he was termed a Puritan, now he is a Methodist: But do you go on as you are able to bear it. Opposition shall follow you; without it, be as prudent as you will, your sincerity towards God and love for souls cannot be evidenced. Self, love of praise, and love of the world, must come down. Our Lord always does this, by way of sufferings inward or outward, or rather by both. One Mr. L—— of Gloucestershire, whom Mr. H—— knows, though he has begun to preach Christ but lately, yet is already warned to leave his cure. Our Lord will provide for him. He is a new creature indeed. I do not blame you for your conduct towards Mrs. D——. She is a good woman, and I believe thirsts for the Redeemer’s glory. I wish she would not write so much. And what shall I say more? I hope you have had enough from me now. My very dear Sir, when am I to hear that you are a preacher of Christ crucified? I long for the time, and earnestly pray that you may be freed from worldly hopes and worldly fears: for till then, I cannot believe a man, let his other accomplishments be ever so great, will be much owned and blessed by the great head of the church. I should be glad to know what my Lord of Exeter said. I thank the Lord of all Lords for giving you so much encouragement. Let this excite you to press forwards, and never fear what man or devils say of, or can do unto you. Dear, very dear Sir, my heart is enlarged towards you. I thank you, for remembering an unworthy worm before him who is the great high-priest and blessed apostle of our profession. As he enables, I shall return the favour, being, for his great name’s sake, very dear Sir,
Yours most affectionately,
G. W.
LETTER DCCXVIII.
To the Rev. Mr. H——.
London, December 18, 1748.
Reverend and dear Sir,
THOUGH I am not personally acquainted with you, yet I owe you much love. Thanks be to our great high Priest for giving you such light and heat, and enabling you to preach among poor sinners the unsearchable riches of redeeming love. Earth and hell will be up in arms against you; your own mother’s children will soon be angry with you, and many of the members of that church of which you are a minister, whenever you preach her doctrine with power and purity, will think it doing God’s service to cast you out. Thus it has been, thus it will be in all ages, so long as those two seeds of the woman and the serpent remain struggling in this lower world. Welcome, welcome dear Sir, into the field of battle! Now the common people will hear you gladly. Now the self-righteous will speak all manner of evil against you. I am told the corporation have rejected you for preaching Christ crucified. I wish you joy. May you, like blessed Paul, increase the more in strength, and be made a spiritual father to thousands! Excuse this freedom from one who loves you in the bowels of Jesus Christ. I thank you for your intended interview. Could no way be contrived for a private visit? however that be, assure yourself your interest will be much upon my heart, and if you will remember a poor unworthy worm before his throne, whose compassions fail not, you will much oblige, reverend and dear Sir,
Your most affectionate brother and servant in Jesus Christ,
G. W.
LETTER DCCXIX.
To Doctor D——.
London, Dec. 21, 1748.
Reverend and very dear Sir,
GLAD was I, yea very glad to receive your letter dated November 7th, though it did not reach me till last night. I thank you for it a thousand times. It has led me to the throne of grace, where I have been crying, “Lord, counsel my counsellors, and shew them what thou wouldst have me to do.”—Alas, alas! how can I be too severe against myself, who, Peter like, have cut off so many ears, and by imprudencies mixed with my zeal, have dishonoured the cause of Jesus? I can only look up to him, who healed the high-priest’s servant’s ear, and say, “Lord, heal all the wounds my misguided zeal has given.” Assure yourself, dear Sir, everything I print shall be revised. I always have submitted my poor performances to my friends corrections. Time and experience I find ripen men’s judgments, and make them more solid, rational, and consistent, both in their conduct and writings. O that this may be my case! O that the blessed Jesus may enable me to hold on, and hold out, and keep me from flagging in the latter stages of my road. I thank you, dear Sir, for your solemn charge in respect to my health. Blessed be God, it is much repaired since my return from Scotland, and I trust by observing the rules you prescribe (if I must live) I shall be enabled to declare the works of the Lord. But what shall I say concerning your present trial? shall I wish you joy? Surely I may with great propriety, since an inspired writer hath said, “count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations.” But at the same time, reverend Sir, I most earnestly sympathize with you, having had the same trial from the same quarter long ago. The Moravians first divided my family, then my parish at Georgia, and after that the societies which, under God, I was an instrument of gathering. I suppose not less than four hundred, through their practices, have left the tabernacle. But I have been forsaken otherways. I have not had above an hundred to hear me, where I had twenty thousand, and hundreds now assemble within a quarter of a mile of me, who never come to see or speak to me; though they must own at the great day that I was their spiritual father. All this I find but little enough to teach me to cease from man, and to wean me from that too great fondness which spiritual fathers are apt to have for their spiritual children. Thus blessed Paul was served, thus must all expect to be treated who are of Paul’s spirit, and are honoured with any considerable degree of Paul’s success. But I have generally observed, that when one door of usefulness is shut, another opens. Our Lord blesses you, dear Sir, in your writings; nay your people’s treating you as they are now permitted to do, perhaps is one of the greatest blessings you ever received from heaven. May patience have its perfect work, and may you be enabled to sanctify the Lord God in your heart! I know of no other way of dealing with the M——s, than to go on preaching the truth as it is in Jesus, and rest upon that promise, “Every plant which my heavenly father hath not planted shall be plucked up.” Seven years will make a great alteration. I believe their grand design is to extend their occonomy as far as possible. This I believe is now kept up by dint of money, and I am apt to think that the very thing by which they think to establish, will destroy their scheme. John Lapidee went on in the same manner in Maryland. His plan was raised as high, and fell as remarkably. God is a gracious Father, and will not always let his children proceed in a wrong way. Doubtless there are many of his dear little ones in the M——n flock; but many of their principles and practices are exceeding wrong, for which I doubt not our Lord will rebuke them in his own time. But I fear that I weary you. However, dear Sir, I must thank you for your sermon. It contains the very life of preaching, I mean sweet invitations to close with Christ. I do not wonder you are dubbed a Methodist on account of it. As it was designed for the poor, I wish it was cheaper. I think practical books cannot be too reasonable. The poor must have them cheap, and the rich will like them the better for it. And now methinks I hear you say, “But how is it at the other end of the town?” Blessed be God, the prospect is promising. Last Sunday evening I preached to a most brilliant assembly indeed. They expressed great approbation, and some I think begin to feel. Good Lady H——n is indeed a mother in Israel. She is all in a flame for Jesus. You may guess by a word or two in this, that she hath shewn me your last letter. I suppose she will write to you soon. But whither am I running? I quite forget myself. Love makes my pen to move too fast, and too long. Excuse it, dear Sir, and for Jesus’s sake never cease praying for, Reverend and very dear Sir,
Your most affectionate though unworthy younger brother, and willing servant in our common Lord,
G. W.
LETTER DCCXX.
Dear Mr. T——.
London, Dec. 21, 1748.
HAVE you not thought it unkind, that I answered not your letter before now. You will be pacified when I tell you, that not want of love but leisure hath been the cause of so long a silence. I will now redeem a few moments to pay this debt, and acknowledge a much greater debt of love that I owe, and intend indeed to be always owing to you and yours. Christ alone can pay you. He will. Whatever is done to his ministers, he looks upon as done to himself. What a blessed master do we serve! Thanks be to his great name, he continues to deal lovingly with me. I have been blessed in my late excursion into the country, and likewise since I came to town. The prospect of doing good at least to some of the rich, is very encouraging. I know you will pray, that the foolishness of preaching may be a means of bringing some of them to believe on him who justifies the ungodly. You find, that not gifts but grace, sovereign, all powerful grace alone, can reach the heart. But how is dear Mr. B——? Is he yet fled to the world of spirits? Since the Lord has been pleased to hinder his preaching, I think it was cruel to desire he should stay any longer out of heaven. Doctor Watts is now gone. Blessed be God we shall ere long follow
Where sin and pain and sorrow cease,
And all is love and joy and peace.
I am now thirty four years of age. Little did I think of living so long. And yet when I consider how I have lived, shame and confusion cover my face. O my dear Mr. T——, as you are preparing for the ministry, lose not one moment of time, but labour to be always on the stretch for Him, who was stretched on the accursed cross for you. Study books and men, but above all, study your own heart and the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Get your heart free from worldly hopes and worldly fears, and you will avoid thousands of those snares, into which young ministers for want of this too often fall. O let the language of your heart be, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world.” You will excuse this freedom. It proceeds from the love I bear you. Be pleased to present my cordial respects to your honoured father, your brother, and all enquiring friends, and accept of the same yourself in the most tender manner, from, my dear Sir,
Yours most affectionately in Christ Jesus,
G. W.
LETTER DCCXXI.
To Mr. B——.
London, Dec. 26, 1748.
My dear Brother,
AS soon as I received your kind letter, I was willing, but till now could not get leisure, to answer it. Accept my thanks, though late, and let the glorious Emmanuel have eternal thanks ascribed unto him, if he has been pleased to work upon your soul by any of my poor writings. Since that, I doubt not but you have experienced much of his love, and know more of God, even a God in Christ, and also of your own heart. In these two things consist all our happiness in time and for eternity. Blessed be his name for calling you to witness the efficacy of his death, and the unsearchable riches of his grace to poor sinners. My dear brother, it is an angelic employ. Go on in the name and strength of Jesus. He will not send you a warfare on your own charges. As your day is so shall your strength be. Only wait upon him, and eternal truth has declared, that you shall mount on wings like an eagle, you shall walk and not be weary, nay run and not be faint. Should providence bring me your way in the Spring, I shall rejoice to see and converse with you, and shall tell all that come in my way, of the present as well as future great salvation that is to be had in Jesus Christ. In the mean while, I entreat you to pray for me, and as enabled you shall be remembered by, my dear Brother,
Your affectionate brother and servant for Christ’s sake,
G. W.
LETTER DCCXXII.
To Lord B——.
London, Dec. 30, 1748.
My Lord,
I Had the honour of your Lordship’s letter. Gratitude constrains me to send my heartiest acknowledgments. Though absent from, yet I am often present with you. That benign, that sweet disposition of which your Lordship is possessed, must make you appear amiable to all who know you. Add but the christian to it, and then, O then, how happy will your Lordship be! Thanks be to God, that your Lordship begins to feel there is no being happy without real christianity. O that this conviction may be abiding, and that your Lordship may have no rest, till you find it in Him who is the Alpha and Omega, the author and finisher of our faith. He longs to make you happy, he is ready to receive you with open arms. He cries, “My Son, give me thy heart.” To engage you to love him more, he has let you have a worthy lady, who I am persuaded will be glad to go hand in hand to heaven. O that you may both walk in all the ordinances and commandments of the Lord blameless. No greater thing can be desired for you at the throne of grace by, my Lord,
Your Lordship’s most obedient, obliged humble servant,
G. W.
LETTER DCCXXIII.
To Lady B——.
London, Dec. 30, 1748.
Honoured Madam,
HAVE you not wondered at my not answering your Ladyship’s kind letter before now? But I am persuaded you are well assured, that a variety of avocations, and multiplicity of business for the best of masters, not want of respect, hath been the cause. My Lady, your family are always upon my heart. My constant desire and prayer to God is, that you all may be filled with all the fulness of God. As my Lord mentions nothing to the contrary, I hope your indisposition is removed, and that the language of your heart is, “what shall I render unto the Lord?” I know that the love of Jesus which you have felt, must necessarily constrain your Ladyship to live to Him, who lived and died upon the accursed tree for you. O how is the power of the Redeemer’s resurrection displayed in Lady H——n. She is a mother in Israel indeed. It would please you to see the assemblies at her Ladyship’s house. They are brilliant ones indeed. The prospect of catching some of the rich in the gospel net is very promising. I know you will wish prosperity in the name of the Lord. But how does good Lady D——, dear Mrs. C——, and Mrs. I——? All, I hope, putting off the old man, and putting on the new with greater earnestness than ever. O that I may begin to be in earnest! I am now thirty-four years of age. Is it not time for me to begin to spend, and be spent, for him who has loved me and given himself for me? I beg your Ladyship’s prayers, and the prayers of all your dear and honoured relations. I send them all my humble and hearty respects, and beg you will accept the same from, my Lady,
Your Ladyship’s most obliged humble servant,
G. W.
LETTER DCCXXIV.
To Mr. H—— H——.
Chelsea, Jan. 12, 1749.
My dear Brother,
I Can now send you but a few lines. Thanks be to God, that weeping doth not hinder sowing. I think it is cruel to wish our little ones back into this cold world again. Go on, Jesus will be better to you and yours than seven daughters. I hope Mrs. H—— joins with you in saying, “it is well.” But a word or two in answer to the other part of your letter. Cannot you be at Gloucester the 24th of this month? That would be abundantly more convenient for me than the 27th. I would appoint our English meeting at that time, and, God willing, would go with you to Builth, and after that to the west. I am now here waiting for Lord B——ke, and some others, who are coming to hear the glorious gospel. Lord L—— is in town. Our good Lady is going on, and every day increasing her reward in heaven. I have much to say when we meet. When will you leave off being a spiritual rake? For the present, adieu! Pray fail not being at Gloucester. In the mean while, let us ply the throne of grace in behalf of each other, and do you pray that an humble, child-like, obedient heart, may be given to, my very dear fellow-soldier,
Yours, &c.
G. W.
LETTER DCCXXV.
To the Reverend Mr. H——.
Chelsea, Jan. 13, 1749.
Reverend and very dear Sir,
YOUR kind and loving answer to my last poor scrawl, humbled me much before Him who alone worketh all things in and by us. But if he will work, who shall hinder? I trust the language of my heart to the ever-blessed Jesus is this,
If thou excuse then work thy will,
By so unfit an instrument;
It will at once thy goodness shew,
And prove thy power omnipotent.
You will not be offended if I tell you, that good Lady H——n saw your letter. She was much pleased with it, and has a great regard for you. She goes on from strength to strength. The prospect of doing good to the rich that attend her Ladyship’s house, is very encouraging. I preach twice a week, and yesterday Lord B——ke was one of my auditors. His Lordship was pleased to express very great satisfaction. Who knows what God may do? He can never work by a meaner instrument. O dear Sir, pray for me. I want humility, I want thankfulness, I want a heart continually flaming with the love of God. Blessed be his name for the share imparted to you. May you go on and increase with all the increase of God! I thank you for your kind invitation to your house and pulpit. I would not bring you or any of my friends into difficulties, for owning poor, unworthy, ill and hell deserving me. But if providence should give me a clear call, I should be glad to come your way. I rejoice in the prospect of having some ministers in our church pulpits that dare own a crucified Redeemer. I hope the time will come that many of the priests also shall be obedient to the word, and that of the honourable women there will be not a few. I know you will say Amen. For the present, my dear Sir, adieu. Remember me to the doctor, and Mr. H——, when you write to or see them, and assure yourself of a constant remembrance in the poor but sincere petitions of, very dear Sir,
Yours most affectionately in the best bonds,
G. W.
LETTER DCCXXVI.
To Dr. S——.
London, Jan. 17, 1749.
Very dear Sir,
I Received your last kind letter, soon after I had been informing dear Mr. H—— that I did not chuse to bring my friends into trouble; but that if providence should give me a clear call, I might accept of his invitation. This perhaps may never happen. But if it should, wherefore should dear Mr. S—— be so much alarmed? What if his people are prejudiced against me? Might not a sermon, under God, lessen their prejudices, and perhaps awaken some souls to a sense of the divine life? Such things have been done, such a thing, through the divine blessing, may be repeated again. The way of duty is the way of safety. Our Lord requires of us to confess him in his gospel members and ministers. To be afraid of professing the one, or publicly to own, associate with, and strengthen the hands and hearts of the other, especially when they are set for the defence of the gospel, is, in my opinion, very offensive in the sight of our common Lord, and can only proceed from a want of more love to him and his dear people. I am quite of your mind, my dear friend, that our Lord recommends to us the wisdom of the serpent, but then it is always to be blended with the innocence of the dove. How this is done, in effect, by disowning the open and avowed proclaimers of his eternal truths, I cannot I must confess at present see into. You say, “we are most of us too warm already:” but I hope you do not think, that being ashamed of any of your Lord’s ministers is an instance of it? Thanks be to God that Mr. H—— seems, as you express it, “to court the enmity of mankind;” it is an error of the right side. Better so than to be afraid of it. The Lord never threatned to spew any church out of his mouth for being too hot; but for being neither hot nor cold he has. It is too true, my dear Sir, “we have but few faithful ministers.” But is keeping at a distance from one another the way to strengthen their interest? By no means. I rather think those that hold the same principles at least, and are embarked in the same cause, should jointly and publicly appear for God.—And to tell you my whole mind, I do not believe God will bless either you or your friends to any considerable degree, till you are more delivered from the fear of man. Alas, how was you bowed down with it, when I saw you last! And your letter bespeaks you a slave to it yet. O my brother, deal faithfully with yourself, and you will find a love of the world, and fear of not providing for your children, have gotten too much hold of your heart. Do not mistake me. I would not have you throw yourself into flames. I would only have you act a consistent part, and not for fear of a little contempt be ashamed of owning the ministers of Christ. After all, think not, my dear Sir, that I am pleading my own cause. You are not in danger of seeing me at N——n. I only take this occasion of saying a word or two to your heart. You will not be offended, as it proceeds from love. You may shew this to dear Mr. H——. I salute him, the dear doctor, and dear Mr. H——, most cordially. I hope the seed is sown among the rich to some purpose. Last Thursday Lord B——ke was one of my hearers. Brethren pray for us; you are never forgotten by, very dear Sir,
Yours, &c.
G. W.
LETTER DCCXXVII.
To Mr. S——.
London, Jan. 18, 1749.
My very dear Mr. S——,
I Have received from you two very kind letters, the last of which made me to smile indeed. Alas, my dear man, what airy castles are you building? Were your sanguine expectations to take place, might I not justly say to my friends, “Quid vultis, ut peream?” But blessed be God, there is yet no danger. The gospel is not got so near the court as you imagine. However, some of the mighty and noble come twice a week to hear at good Lady H——n’s, and the prospect of doing good amongst them is very encouraging. One or two I trust are effectually touched. Pray on, and who knows what a great fire a little spark may kindle? I wish the Lord may answer your request, and give you a religious governor. I cannot see how I can serve dear Mr. B——. I should be very shy of asking any favours, supposing I had interest, lest I should be thought to preach for myself and not for Christ Jesus my Lord. I would fain convince all, that I seek not theirs but them. I am sorry you have met with so many losses of late; but all our losses will be found to be gain in the end. Blessed are they that love God! All things are even now working together for their good. About August I purpose, God willing, to embark for Carolina; though my friends say not, I believe they will be mistaken. Ere this reaches you, I hope God will have raised you up Pastors after his own heart. Pray remember me in the most endearing manner to all that I was acquainted with, and tell them I live in hopes of seeing them once more in the flesh. I heartily salute all, and am, very dear Mr. S——,
Yours most affectionately in Christ Jesus,
G. W.
LETTER DCCXXVIII.
To Lady H——n.
Bristol, Jan. 28, 1749.
Honoured Madam,
I Think it is now high time for me to trouble your Ladyship with a few lines. They come to thank your Ladyship ten thousand times for all favours, and to inform you that our glorious Redeemer orders all things well. On Wednesday, through winds, rain and frost, I reached Gloucester, and preached there the same evening. The next day we held out association, and, thanks be to God, affairs turned out better than expectation. I came hither this evening, where I found my brother in the very temper I could wish, “seemingly quite fixed to leave the world for God.” He tells me of a Colonel, who heard me once in the Summer, that now wants to know if his sins are forgiven. My brother’s visit to town has been greatly blessed to him. Surely your Ladyship will never know, till the day of judgment, the great ends God had in view in calling your Ladyship to London. I rejoice in the prospect of seeing your Ladyship happy amidst a crowd of your spiritual children, who will come to you from time to time to be built up in their most holy faith. You will suffer many pangs for them; but all shall work for your Ladyship’s present and eternal good. I suffer much in my bodily health for preaching to the nobility; but, thanks be to God, that some seem to have an hearing ear, and an understanding heart. My warmest prayers are continually ascending to the throne of grace for your Ladyship, and for all those who have heard the word, especially those honourable women that used to join with your Ladyship in receiving the sacred symbols of the Redeemer’s blessed body and blood. My cry to our Lord in their behalf is this,
Take their poor hearts, and let them be
For ever clos’d to all but thee.
I forgot to tell your Ladyship, that the Welch justices have ordered the twenty pounds, exacted of the Methodists by Sir W——, to be returned. I can add up more, but my most grateful acknowledgments for all kindnesses, and subscribe myself, honoured Madam,
Your Ladyship’s most dutiful and willing servant for Christ’s sake,
G. W.