LETTER DCCCCXXXVII.
To Mr. S——.
London, Nov. 11, 1752.
My dear Friend,
THROUGH the good providence of an ever-lovely, ever-loving Redeemer, I came safe hither last night. My Sunday’s work, sickness, the change of weather, and affecting parting from friends, so enfeebled this tottering tabernacle, that I was in hopes on the road the imprisoned soul would have been set at liberty, and fled to those blissful regions,
Where pain, and sin, and sorrow cease,
And all is calm and joy and peace.
At Northampton I took coach, and am now, blessed be God, arrived at my Winter quarters. My poor wife I found an invalid. Our Lord can restore her, for he came to heal our sicknesses, and bear our infirmities. I hope this will meet my dear friend and his wife leaning on this all-sufficient, never-failing Emmanuel. I have remembered you ever since my departure, and now, with groanings that cannot be uttered, pray that your souls, and the souls of all the dear people around you, may prosper and increase with all the increase of God. O, my dear friend, what manner of love is this, that we should be called the sons of God! Excuse me. I must pause a while.—My eyes gush out with water. At present they are almost fountains of tears. But thanks be to God, they are tears of love. O what shall I do for Him who hath loved and given himself for ill and hell-deserving, ungrateful, unfruitful me! Add to my obligations by praying for me! My unfeigned love to Mr. L——. If I can, he shall soon hear from me. With the box for Mr. G——, I shall send a few pictures, which you may present to Mr. and Mrs. N——, as you think best. O that the blessed and divine image of the adorable Jesus may be stamped in most lively colours on all our hearts! It will, it will. Jesus is the author, and he is also the finisher of our faith. Let us not be faithless but believing. Let us not trust in ourselves, but in him who hath promised never to leave nor forsake us. I can no more. The Lord be with you and yours.—My hearty love to all that love Christ Jesus in sincerity; accept the same in the most tender manner from, my very dear friend,
Yours most affectionately in our common Lord,
G. W.
LETTER DCCCCXXXVIII.
To Mr. J——.
London, Nov. 11, 1752.
My dear Friend,
LAST night the glorious Emmanuel brought me hither, after having given me and his dear people many blessed seasons in Scotland, and the North of England. O that with all his other mercies, he may vouchsafe to give me a thankful and humble heart! This morning I have been talking with dear Mr. A——, and cannot help thinking, but that you have run before the Lord, in forming yourselves into a public society, as you have done. I was afraid poor Mr. C—— would not do. Mr. A——’s visit was designed to be transient, and I cannot promise you any settled help from hence. I am sincere, when I profess, that I do not choose to set myself at the head of any party. When I came last to Ireland, my intention was to preach the gospel to all.—And if it should ever please the Lord of all Lords to send me thither again, I purpose to pursue the same plan. For I am a debtor to all of all denominations, and have no design, if I know any thing of this desperately wicked and deceitful heart, but to promote the common salvation of mankind. The love of Christ constrains me to this. Accept it as wrote from that principle. That He, who is the wonderful counsellor, may in all things direct and rule your hearts, is the earnest prayer of, my dear friend,
Yours most affectionately,
G. W.
LETTER DCCCCXXXIX.
To the Reverend Mr. H——.
London, Nov. 14, 1752.
My very dear Friend,
I Am quite sorry that I missed seeing you, but glad and thankful that you condescended to write to me. I find you are resolved to outdo me in love; this I would prevent if possible. May the glorious Jesus shed abroad his love abundantly in your dear heart, by the Holy Ghost, and give you to increase with all the increase of God. He will bless you for vindicating the honour of his sacred volumes in your last pamphlet, for which, as well as for all other unmerited favours, I most heartily thank you. I have just now read it, and doubt not of its being greatly blessed and owned, and going through many editions. I cannot discern any errata or inaccuracies in the composition. Surely God hath raised my dear friend up, to let the polite world see how amiable are the doctrines of the gospel. Why will you weary the world, and your friends, by delaying to publish your other long wished-for performance? Glad shall I be to peruse any of the dialogues. The savour of the last is not of my mind. Pray let them see the light this Winter. They will delight and warm many a heart. O that we may have a warm season at the Tabernacle! My country circuit was exceedingly delightful. When the weather altered, my health was much affected; but a little rest hath already in some degree repaired it. You and I perhaps are not to see heaven as yet: I have waited for it long, but alas! my appointed time is not yet come. Thanks be to God, there is such a thing as having a heaven upon earth; Christ in us is the heaven of heavens. My dear, very dear friend, good night. I am called away. My love to the Doctor. O that he was wise! How glad should I have been to have seen dear Mr. H——! My kind respects await your mother and sister. My wife, who is quite an invalid, joins heartily with me, who am, my very dear Sir,
Yours most affectionately in our common Lord,
G. W.
LETTER DCCCCXL.
London, Nov. 21, 1752.
My dear Nat,
YOUR letters have all been brought safe to hand, and have given me no small satisfaction. I doubt not but the Lord, whom you seek, will in his own time come and visit the temple of your heart. Fear not, neither be dismayed. Be found in the way of duty; go on feeding his lambs, and you shall find, that the great Shepherd and Bishop of souls will bless and comfort you. I know not of a more profitable situation, that you could be in than at present. Next year, God willing, you will have a fellow-student. I have agreed with him, as I wrote you from Edinburgh, for three years at least. I am of your mind in respect to boarders. As affairs stand, I think the less the family is at present, the better. Nothing seems to be wanted but a good overseer, to instruct the negroes in sawing and planting. Let me know how Mr. M—— behaves, and whether the Lumber trade is begun. I have consented to Mr. E——’s going to Mr. Z——, and to Margaret’s leaving Bethesda. You will see what I have wrote to Mrs. W——. Pray make George and the children to write often. He should not have written to me, Honoured Master, but—Sir. I am glad to hear that some of the children promise well. Surely some good will in the end come out of that institution, I am only afraid of its growing too great one day or another, in a worldly way. O that I may be directed to such managers, that will act with a single eye to God’s glory, and his people’s good! I have great confidence in you. I am glad you live in peace. May the Prince of peace cause his grace and mercy to be multiplied upon you! I shall be glad to live to see you a preacher. It is a delightful employment, when done out of love to Jesus: that sweetens all. In about ten weeks I have travelled above a thousand miles, and was enabled to preach sometimes twice and thrice a day to many thousands. I trust a great blessing was left behind with the word preached. O that Georgia’s wilderness may blossom like a rose! It will, when God’s set time is come. Never mind a few evil reports. No one need be ashamed of Bethesda children. Blessed be God, they are taken care of, and the Lord will reward you. Ah my dear Nat, you are highly honoured. I hope you often bow down before the blessed Redeemer, and out of the fulness of your heart say, “Why me, Lord? why me?” Pray, pray, I beseech you continually, that you may be cloathed with humility. How many young men have I known ruined for the want of it! “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” Pray that I may have an humble and thankful heart. I would vie with a seraph, if I could, in humility and thankfulness. Adieu. The Lord be with you! My wife sends her love; accept the same from, my dear Nat,
Your most assured friend for Christ’s sake,
G. W.
LETTER DCCCCXLI.
To Mr. V—— B——.
London, Nov. 22, 1752.
My dear Mr. V—— B——,
I Hope this will find you and your yoke-fellow parents of a living and well-formed child. May the Redeemer sanctify it from the womb, and cause it to live to his glory, and your comfort! I see you are taught to live more and more by faith. This may be tried, but never disappointed. The Lord Jesus never did, and never will forsake those who put their trust in him. I believe Mrs. W—— will not suffer you or yours to want any thing that Bethesda affords. I thank you for your kind offer, but suppose ere now you have been enabled to purchase some negroes, and go upon your own land. If not, I have written to Mr. B—— to make what agreement you shall mutually judge to be most proper: I cannot say more at this distance. It is hard to determine any thing four thousand miles off. God willing, I hope to see you next year; though it is difficult to leave thousands and ten thousands, who gladly receive the gospel, to come to a wilderness, where it has been, alas! too, too often most wretchedly despised, and slighted by many. But I trust we shall yet see better times. Happy they who have learned to live on Jesus; and by keeping up a daily and hourly fellowship with him, can maintain a comfortable frame, when all is cold and dead around them. This is the happiness I wish my dear Mr. B——. May it increase day by day, moment after moment! Then, if we never should see each other again on earth, we shall meet, never to part again, in the kingdom of heaven. I am endeavouring to call as many thither as I can. Power seems to attend it, and many seem to have their faces set Zion-ward. May they and we be kept from looking back! Jesus is able to keep us. To his almighty never-failing mercy do I commend you, as being, my dear Sir, for Christ’s sake,
Your most affectionate friend, brother, and servant,
G. W.
LETTER DCCCCXLII.
To Mr. L——.
London, Nov. 28, 1752.
My dear Friend,
YOUR letter came safe to hand yesterday. The contents of it humbled and gladdened me, and led me directly to my knees, to intercede for you and yours, and all the dear people at Leeds, who are either seeking after, or have actually found redemption in the blood of Jesus. Many here, blessed be God, are in like circumstances. Our Lord seems to ride triumphantly on in the chariot of his everlasting gospel; and the shout of a king is indeed amongst us. Blessed are the eyes that see the things which we see. What shall we render unto the Lord? Our two mites, a vile body, and a sinful soul, are all that he requires: and shall he not have these? Yes, I trust the language of both our hearts is this:
Be gone, vain world, my heart resign,
For I must be no longer thine;
A nobler, a diviner guest,
Now claims possession of my breast.
As this is your case, I wonder not at your being so solicitous for your dear children’s welfare. The Lord give you faith and patience, and help you in every respect so to behave, that you may win them over to the choice of true and undefiled religion! Courage, my dear brother, courage.—Who knows, but they may be made willing in a day of the Redeemer’s power? He that hath given your dear yoke-fellow a heart to seek after the pearl of great price, can make your children like-minded. But faith must be tried, patience must be exercised, and our stubborn will brought into a chearful resignation to the holy sovereign will and good pleasure of God.
What though thou rulest not,
Yet heaven, and earth and hell
Proclaim God sitteth on the throne,
And ordereth all things well.
A variety of business prevents my enlarging. I should not have troubled you with such a speedy answer, had you not seemed to desire it, as a token of my love. I think it is cordial and unfeigned. None of you are forgotten by me before the throne. There, my dear friend, let us meet often. Remember it is a throne of grace; we may, therefore, come with boldness. Jesus is our advocate, even Jesus Christ the righteous. I thank you ten thousand times for all respect shewn me for his great name’s sake, and command you (since love will make you wait for orders) to believe me to be, my dear Sir,
Your very affectionate friend, brother, and ready servant in our common but dearest Lord,
G. W.
LETTER DCCCCXLIII.
To Mr. ——.
London, Dec. 5, 1752.
My dear Friend,
HOW does love meet love! Your long expected letter came last night, and as the box of books hath been gone some days, I answer you before day this morning. My dear friend, good-morrow! Blessed be God, that the day dawns, and that the day-star hath risen in your heart. May the Redeemer give you a Benjamin’s mess every hour! He is our great Joseph, and loves to say to his guilty brethren, “Come near me.” Out of his fulness we may all receive even grace for grace. O how does he continually watch over us for good! I thought the obstructions that lay in my way to York, were not for nothing. Our times are in our Lord’s hands. We are immortal till our work is done. This, this shall be the cry of my soul:
Lord, at thy command I’ll go,
And to the world will gladly tell,
That they a risen Christ may know,
That they the love of Christ may feel.
Assured of such a bidding, we may say with Luther, “If there was as many devils lying in wait, as there are tiles on the houses, we need not fear.” Who knows but in Spring we may have a fair field fight? We can do all things through Christ strengthening us. Methinks I long to range in your parts, and come to Leeds again. The persons mentioned need not bid me to remember them. I cannot forget either them or you night or day. O that we may make some large advances in the divine life, before we see each other. When will that be? Perhaps in Spring; perhaps not till we meet in heaven.
There we shall see Christ’s face,
and never, never sin;
There, from the riches of his grace,
Drink endless pleasures in.
Hasten, Lord, that blessed time! Till then, grant us, we beseech thee, an heaven upon earth! Such we have at the Tabernacle indeed. Last Lord’s-day we had, if possible, a more blessed sacrament than the former.
How sweet, how awful was the place,
With Christ within the doors,
When everlasting Love display’d,
The choicest of his stores!
I must break off this delightful subject. Farewel. Pray for us. Remember me in the kindest manner to all. My wife heartily joins with
Yours, &c.
G. W.
LETTER DCCCCXLIV.
To Mr. S——.
London, Dec. 9, 1752.
My dear Brother,
IF your heart was full, so was mine when we parted. Such seasons make me long for that happy time when we shall neither part from each other, nor depart from the blessed Jesus any more. Our wanderings and tossings, fightings without, and fears within, will then all be over. Here the church is, and will be militant; in heaven it shall be altogether triumphant. Let us go on, my dear brother, fighting the good fight of faith. Ere long we shall be called to lay hold on life eternal. Christ is our captain; we are therefore assured of conquest.
A feeble saint shall win the day,
Though death and hell obstruct the way.
Endeavour to obstruct they will, and young converts little know how resolutely, how unweariedly. The way to heaven is a round-about way: we must go through a wilderness. God suffers this, to prove and try us, and to shew us what is in our hearts. Humility must be taught us, as Gideon taught the men of Succoth, with briars and thorns: these will frequently fetch blood from the old man. O that we may be made willing to have him bleed to death! “Away with him, away with him; crucify him, crucify him.” May this be the language of your heart and mine! To have this prayer answered, what trials must we necessarily meet with from the devil, the world, the flesh, and even from God’s own children? All little enough to lead us into that mortified, pacific, resigned, and disinterested mind, which was in Christ Jesus. The more we suffer, and the less we are esteemed for doing, or attempting to do good for his great name’s sake, the more we are conformed to his blessed example. In heaven, justice will be done to all. Strange! that we cannot wait more patiently till the great day of retribution. Lord, help us to walk more by faith, and less by sense! “Help, O help us to leave ourselves and all with thee.” I know you will say, “Amen!” But I forget myself. How willingly does the pen write, when love, love for Christ’s sake dictates and indites! I thank you for enquiring after my welfare: thanks be to God, I am as well as a poor, but happy pilgrim can expect to be. The shout of a king is amongst us. The glory of the Lord fills the Tabernacle; and we hear every day of persons brought under fresh awakenings, as well as of God’s people being comforted. We have had two most awful sacramental occasions. Help me to cry, Grace! grace! I shall be glad to hear that the gospel runs and is glorified at Wakefield. Who knows but the last may be yet first? Is any thing too hard for the Lord? Continue to remember us at the throne of grace; and accept this speedy answer as a token of respect and love unfeigned, from, my dear brother,
Yours, &c.
G. W.
LETTER DCCCCXLV.
To Lady H——n.
London, Dec. 15, 1752.
Ever-honoured Madam,
I Think it a long time since I heard from, or wrote to your Ladyship. My hands are full of work; and I trust I can say, the Lord of all lords causes his work to prosper in my unworthy hands. More blessed seasons we never enjoyed. Our sacramental occasions have been exceedingly awful and refreshing. I cannot help crying out night and day, Grace! grace! Last week we had another repast in South Audley-street. Lady F—— grows surprizingly. She increases much in the knowledge of herself, and of Jesus Christ. May she and all that profess to love him, increase with all the increase of God! I have glorious news from Yorkshire. Inclosed your Ladyship hath a letter, which I hope will please you. Ships will be going to Philadelphia soon after Christmas. Has your Ladyship read the awful account of the hurricane in South-Carolina? I do not find that it hath reached Georgia. Happy they who have laid up treasure in heaven, and have fled to Christ for refuge; such are safe from every storm. This is your Ladyship’s happiness; and blessed be God, this is the happiness of unworthy, ill, and hell-deserving me. Lord, why am I a guest?
Through all eternity to Thee,
A grateful song I’ll raise;
But O eternity’s too short,
To utter all thy praise.
Business prevents my enlarging.—I commend your Ladyship, and all your concerns, to the tender mercies of a never-failing Redeemer; and beg leave to subscribe myself, with all possible gratitude and respect, ever-honoured Madam,
Your Ladyship’s most dutiful, obliged, and ready servant for Christ’s sake,
G. W.
LETTER DCCCCXLVI.
To Mrs. K——.
London, Dec. 16, 1752.
Dear Mrs. K——,
YOUR kind letter lies by me unanswered, because I had written to your dear husband just before it came to hand. Ere now I hope he hath received it with the books, and is with you, and the other true followers of our most adorable Redeemer, pressing forwards towards the mark of the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus. O that nothing may hinder us in this heavenly race! O that we may remember Lot’s wife, and never look back! Alas! what is there in this world worth looking back upon? It is nothing, less than nothing. Thanks be to that precious Christ, who hath redeemed us out of it. To Him that hath thus loved us, be ascribed all honour and glory now and for ever! My obligations to bless and magnify our Lord increase daily. It would delight you to see, how his glory is manifested among his poor despised ones. To-morrow we are again to celebrate the memorials of his dying love. O that we may be prepared according to the preparation of the sanctuary! Blessed be God for a compleat and an everlasting righteousness to appear in; this is the wedding garment; this every poor sinner is cloathed with, that truly puts on the Lord Jesus. Well may such despise outward ornaments, and trample upon the pride of life. Such things are food only for those that know not God. Go on then, dear Mrs. K——; go on, all ye my female fellow-soldiers, who are lifted under the Redeemer’s banner. As your day is, so shall your strength be. Look up continually to Jesus; and be so good as always to remember, when before his throne,
Your assured friend and ready servant,
G. W.
LETTER DCCCCXLVII.
To Governor B——.
London, Dec. 20, 1752.
Honoured Sir,
WITH great pleasure and satisfaction, I received and read your kind letter, and took the first opportunity of transmitting the inclosed to good Lady H——n, who is now near Bristol. If the ship which brings this, doth not sail soon, I believe your Excellency will have an answer by the same conveyance. She is an elect lady indeed; one who hath fairly renounced the world, and scorns to divide her affections between it and her God. Her Ladyship corresponds with the Dutchess of ——, but I fear that the latter doth not glory in the cross of Christ, so much as might be wish’d. You know, honoured Sir, that we must have true self-denial, and a disinterested spirit, before we can be sincerely willing to be accounted fools for Christ’s sake. And yet there is no going to heaven without it. Blessed be God, your fight, honoured Sir, is almost over; the days are now coming wherein you must necessarily say, “I have no pleasure in them.” The 71st psalm, translated by Dr. Watts, seems to be sweetly adapted to your circumstances. Part of it was lately sung for your Excellency, by many true followers of the Lamb.
I.
Still hath his life new wonders seen,
Repeated every year;
Behold his days which yet remain,
We trust them to thy care.
II.
Cast him not off, should health decline,
Or hoary hairs arise;
And round him let thy glories shine,
Whene’er thy servant dies.
I doubt not but the Lord Jesus will say, Amen. Whether I shall have the pleasure of seeing you on this side eternity, is uncertain. It was no small self-denial for me to leave America without going to the Northward; but the cloud moved towards England. Here (O amazing condescension!) the glorious Emmanuel vouchsafes still to own and bless my feeble labours. In Scotland, Wales, and the parts in and near Yorkshire, we have seen blessed days of the Son of Man. I am now in my Winter quarters, longing for Spring, to take the field again. Had I a thousand tongues and lives, Jesus should have them all. I am sorry, quite sorry that not one of his ministers could venture over the Atlantick for New-Jersey College. Two general collections have lately been made upon other occasions in Scotland. What a pity, when all circumstances concurred, that such a favourable opportunity should have been lost? I can only lament that, which I did all I could to prevent. And now, honoured Sir, I must bid you farewel. Ere long I hope to see you in a better world: perhaps we may meet again in this. Dear America is much upon my heart. Thanks be to God, Bethesda is now put on a good and flourishing foundation, and I hear hath escaped the late hurricane in South-Carolina. Great are thy judgments, O God;—and great are thy mercies also! both past finding out. To the infinitely great and gracious I AM, do I most earnestly commend both you and yours, and with ten thousands thanks for all your unmerited favours, I beg leave to subscribe myself, honoured Sir,
Your Excellency’s most obliged, dutiful, and ready servant for Christ’s sake,
G. W.
LETTER DCCCCXLVIII.
To Captain G——.
London, Dec. 20, 1752.
My dear Captain,
ONE would imagine, that you and I were never to meet any more on this side eternity. I often, often think of you, and long to see and converse with you; but God only knows when. We are now about to erect a new Tabernacle eighty foot square, which I fear will detain me in England the ensuing Summer. Pen cannot well describe, how white the fields have been, and how ready to harvest, in Wales, Scotland, and the North of England. I could sometimes scarce tell, whether I was in or out of the body. Grace! grace! I am now in Winter quarters, where our Lord gives us fresh conquests, gained by his word every day. We do not dispute, but love. I find more and more that truth is great; and however seemingly crush’d for a while, will in the end prevail. But there must be a kind of death upon every promise, and upon every thing that is done for God. Thus hath it been with Georgia and Bethesda. O that we may learn to wait! Then shall we certainly see the salvation of God. I pity our dear friends in Charles-Town. O God, how great are thy judgments, as well as thy mercies! May they hear the rod, and who hath appointed it! My soul is distressed for them. May this severe correction make them truly great! When you send any thing to Savannah, I should be obliged to you, if you would send a few things to Bethesda. Our Lord will bless you for it. I hope there are now above twenty negroes at work upon the new plantation. May the Lord Jesus convert them, and every other member of my family! And O that I may be converted myself more and more every day and hour! I am ashamed of my being such a dwarf in religion, and of my having so little of the mind of Christ. I hope you, my dear old friend, do find his grace sufficient for you, to keep your heart above the world, and continually alive to God. My prayer for you is, that you may have power to get wealth, and grace to improve it for the Redeemer’s glory, and his people’s good: then you will be rich for both worlds, and God, even your own God, will give you and yours his blessing. Why do you not write to dear Mr. S——? He is a heavenly-minded man indeed, and my bosom friend. I suppose Mr. D—— will acquaint you of my having been at his house; we are kind friends still: he and his very much regard you. What cannot God do? How faithful is he to those, who “seek first his kingdom, and the righteousness thereof.” Let these words be written over your store-house door; or rather let them be written on the table of your heart. I can add no more. A variety of business demands my attention. My dear man, farewel. Had I wings, I would fly and see you, and my other never to be forgotten Philadelphia friends. Continue to pray, and perhaps I may yet come sooner than expectation. My wife joins in sending love to you and your houshold. Accept the same in the most endearing manner, from one that loves you more than a brother, even
Yours, &c.
G. W.
LETTER DCCCCXLIX.
To Mr. C—— W——.
London, Dec. 22, 1752.
My dear Friend,
I Have read and pondered upon your kind letter with some degree of solemnity of spirit. In the same frame I would now sit down to answer it. And what shall I say? Really I can scarce tell. The connection between you and your brother, hath been so close and continued, and your attachment to him so necessary to keep up his interest, that I would not willingly for the world do or say any thing that may separate such friends. I cannot help thinking, but he is still jealous of me and my proceedings; but, I thank God, I am quite easy about it. Having the testimony of a good conscience, that I have a disinterested view to promote the common salvation only, I can leave all to him, who I am assured will in the end speak for me, and make my righteousness as clear as the light, and my just dealing as the noon-day. I more and more find, that he who believeth doth not make haste; and that if we will have patience, we shall find that every plant, which our heavenly Father hath not planted, however it may seem to have taken very deep root, shall be plucked up. As I wrote to good Lady H——n, so I write to you, dear Sir.—I bless God for my stripping seasons. I have seen an end of all perfection, and expect it only in him, where I am sure to find it, even in the ever-loving, ever-lovely Jesus. He knows how I love and honour you, and your brother, and how often I have preferred your interest to my own. This, by the grace of God, I shall still continue to do. My reward is with the Lord. If he approves, it is enough. More might be said, were we face to face. When this will be, I cannot tell. Several things, especially our design of building a new tabernacle, which I hope will succeed, detain me in town this Winter. God only knows what course I am to steer in the Spring. I would be a blank;—let my heavenly Father fill it up as seemeth him good. I am glad you are with our elect Lady; she will shine indeed in heaven as a common friend. O how amiable is a truly catholic spirit! Lord, make us all partakers of it more and more! I beg the continuance of your prayers: I need them much. God willing, you shall have mine in return. That you and yours may increase with all the increase of God, is the earnest request of, my dear friend,
Yours, &c.
G. W.
LETTER DCCCCL.
To Lady H——n.
London, Dec. 22, 1752.
Ever-honoured Madam,
WITH great pleasure I received your Ladyship’s letter, which hath drawn me to the Father of Spirits, that the meek, lowly, loving, zealous, and heavenly-minded temper which was in Christ Jesus, may be stamped more and more upon your Ladyship’s heart. A growth in these blessed graces and fruits of the divine Spirit, I am persuaded is what your Ladyship desires above all things under heaven, and I doubt not but all the trials and afflictions you meet with, both from friends and foes, will be sanctified to the promoting this glorious end. Many of these I meet with; but if I come purified out of the furnace, and am at length any way conformed to my dear and blessed Exemplar, I rejoice, yea and will rejoice. Experience, if attended with this effect, cannot be bought too dear. But alas, how unwilling is the old man to be crucified and slain! How hard is even the mind that is renewed in part, how hard to be brought off low and selfish and party views. With how much reluctance doth it give up the uppermost place, and submit to be accounted in the church, as well as in the world, less than the least of all. Yet this is a lesson the witnesses of Jesus must learn. O that I had learnt only my A B C in it! I beg the continuance of your Ladyship’s prayers, for which I thank your Ladyship a thousand times. May the Lord of all lords return them seven-fold into your bosom, and give your Ladyship success in your endeavours to serve the persons mentioned in your last! It is but for your Ladyship to try. I shall observe your Ladyship’s hints about Mr. ——. I believe our visits will not be very frequent.—But I am easy, having no scheme, no design of supplanting or resenting, but I trust a single eye to promote the common salvation, without so much as attempting to set up a party for myself. This is what my soul abhors. Being thus minded, I have peace; peace which the world knows nothing of, and which all must necessarily be strangers to, who are fond either of power or numbers. God be praised for the many strippings I have met with: it is good for me that I have been supplanted, despised, censured, maligned, judged by, and separated from my nearest, dearest friends. By this I have found the faithfulness of him, who is the friend of friends; by this I have been taught to wrap myself in the glorious Emmanuel’s everlasting righteousness, and to be content that He, to whom all hearts are open, and all desires are known, now sees, and will let all see hereafter, the uprightness of my intentions towards all mankind. But whither am I going? I run too fast. Your Ladyship’s kind letter hath extorted this from me. I will weary your Ladyship no longer, but hasten to subscribe myself, what I really am, ever-honoured Madam,
Your Ladyship’s most dutiful, obliged, and very chearful servant for Christ’s sake,
G. W.