LETTER MXI.
To Lady H——n.
London, December 15, 1753.
Ever-honoured Madam,
THE mail not coming in regularly, your Ladyship’s letter did not reach me till Thursday afternoon. Yesterday morning I obeyed your Ladyship’s commands, and carried the inclosed to Mrs. G——, at St. James’s palace. I was much satisfied with my visit, and am much rejoiced to find, that she seems resolved to show out at once. The court, I believe, rings of her, and if she stands, I trust she will make a glorious martyr for her blessed Lord. O that your Ladyship could see your way clear to come up! Now seems to be the time for a fresh stir. Few have either courage or conduct to head a christian party amongst persons of high life. That honour seems to be put upon your Ladyship:—and a glorious honour indeed it is. Till Mrs. G—— can meet with company that is really in earnest, I think the closer she keeps to her God and her book, the better. The Lord strengthen, stablish, and settle her in his ways and will! I am yet kept in suspence about Mrs. W——y; and have been much concerned, lest by intense sympathy, your Ladyship should contract an illness yourself. But your Ladyship hath long since learnt, that as your day is, so shall your strength be. I pray the Lord of all lords to lengthen out your important life, and make your Ladyship ten thousand times more useful than ever, long after my worthless head is laid in the silent grave. If I should live to see my dear brother truly converted unto God, O how would it delight me! The distant prospect is so pleasing, that I could scarce contain myself at the news of it. I hope to hear from him soon, having written to him lately. On Tuesday I am to dine with Mr. J—— W——, who was yesterday for a few minutes at the Foundery: but I hear his lungs are touched. I cannot wish him to survive his usefulness. It is poor living to be nursed. But our Lord knows what is best for his children. I wish I might have the use of Weststreet chapel once or twice a week; many want to hear at that end of the town: the Messrs. W——y’s are quite welcome to all the help I can give them. I have no desire but to promote the common salvation among all.
From self and party spirit free,
Simply, O Lord, I’d follow thee.
Your Ladyship will still add to my innumerable obligations, by praying that such a mind may be given to, ever-honoured Madam,
Your Ladyship’s most dutiful, obliged, and ready servant, for Christ’s sake,
G. W.
LETTER MXII.
To Mrs. G——.
Tabernacle-House, December 17, 1753.
Dear Madam,
I WAS so well satisfied with the frame I found you in yesterday, that I could not refrain sending you a few lines to-day. O that you may have grace given you, to stand the first attacks that you must necessarily meet with from every quarter! Blessed be God, that you are determined to shew out at once, and to let all know, that you are determined not so much as to attempt to compromise matters between Christ and the world. One might as well attempt to reconcile light and darkness, heaven and hell. Happy they who set out on a disinterested bottom; it is the foundation which our great High-priest hath laid, and is a rock that will never fail. Never fear, Madam, though storms and billows, afflictions and temptations abide you; he that enabled the three children to pass unhurt through the fiery furnace, and kept his beloved Daniel from being devoured in a den of lions, can and will preserve you unspotted and undefiled, though surrounded on every side. My poor worthless prayers shall not be wanting for you night and day. Look up, dear Madam, determine to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified, and he will make your very enemies to be at peace with you. But faith must be tried, and grace, when given, must be kept in exercise. Welcome, welcome dear Madam, into the glorious kingdom of the children of God. O that all of Cæsar’s houshold were in the same situation! How would they exult in the happy change! A change from darkness to light, from bondage and misery to the most consummate liberty and happiness. For those whom the Son of man makes free, they are free indeed. Now, now may you sing,
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.
I could enlarge, but am afraid of being too bold. The freedom already taken, proceeds from unfeigned regard to our common Lord, to good Lady H——, and to yourself, for his great name sake. I just now informed her Ladyship of the honour done me yesterday, and of the providential call she seems to have to town. Her Ladyship is a mother in Israel indeed, a mirror of piety, detached from worldly hopes and worldly fears, and therefore no wonder that she so simply copies after her great Exemplar, and glories only in his blessed cross. Till you can find some like-minded, I believe you will find your God and your book the best company.—That you may be never less alone, than when you are alone, and that you may be continually directed so to speak and act, that you may win many souls among the rich and great to the ever-loving, ever-lovely Jesus, is and shall be the earnest constant prayer of, dear Madam,
Your most obliged and ready servant for Christ’s sake,
G. W.
LETTER MXIII.
To Mr. B——.
London, December 17, 1753.
Dear Mr. B——,
I AM sorry to find by your last, which came to hand on Saturday, that the tumults in your parts still continue at such an height. I heartily wish, that the kind and generous Justice who hath so laudably exerted himself, may have courage to proceed in a due execution of the laws, and I doubt not but the issue will be, that you will have peace. In the mean while, may the Redeemer enable you and all concerned to possess their souls in patience! I think the storm is too violent to hold long. The death of dear Mr. J—— W——, if that should be the issue of his present illness, I think is of a far more threatening nature. At present, I hear he is somewhat better, but if his distemper be a galloping consumption (as they say it is) there are but little hopes of his surviving long. But all things are possible with God. O that my tardy pace may be quickened, and my sluggish soul begin to be alive to God! He hath dealt bountifully with me since we parted. In various places the word ran and was glorified, and we had a lovely shutting-up of the Summer’s campaign in Gloucestershire.—I am now in my Winter quarters, moaning and bewailing myself, for not having done more when the days were longer. O for Spring, that I may spring afresh for my Lord! You and all must pray for me. I send you and yours, Mr. C—— and his son, and all enquiring friends (not forgetting poor Peggy) my hearty love. My wife joins with, dear Mr. B——,
Your very affectionate, sympathizing friend, and servant for Christ’s sake,
G. W.
LETTER MXIV.
To Mr. E—— P——.
London, December 17, 1753.
Dear Sir,
I DOUBT not but the receipt of this will fill you with surprize; yet I hope it will be a pleasing one. Last night after preaching, your son, who hath been lately confined, came to me and gave me a particular detail of his seemingly unhappy circumstances.—The narration affected me, and I asked him to stay supper; the company then with me I thought was what he wanted.—The consequence was, that he went home rejoicing in God; temptations subsided. I cannot help thinking, but that if he conversed with proper persons who knew his case, he might yet come forth as gold tried in the fire. His experience is somewhat uncommon, and perhaps when sufficiently humbled, the glorious Redeemer may exalt him. Satan hath certainly desired to have him to sift him as wheat; but I verily believe Jesus hath prayed for him, and therefore his faith shall not fail. As I know what unspeakable concern, tender parents must necessarily undergo for a child in such a way, I could not help sending a few lines to you. If the glorious Emmanuel, whose love constrains me to write, should vouchsafe to bless them to the consolation of you and yours, it would much rejoice, dear Sir,
Your sympathizing though unknown friend, and servant for Christ’s sake,
G. W.
LETTER MXV.
To C—— W——.
London, December 20, 1753.
My dear Friend,
I MOST sincerely rejoice in, and have given private and public thanks for the recovery of your dear yoke-fellow. My pleasure is increased by seeing your brother so well, as I found him on Tuesday at Lewisham.—O that you may both spring afresh, and your latter end increase more and more! Talk not of having no more work in the vineyard; I hope all our work is but just beginning. I am sure it is high time for me to do something for Him, who hath done and suffered so much for me.—Near forty years old, and such a dwarf! The Winter come already, and so little done in the Summer! I am ashamed, I blush and am confounded. And yet God blesseth us here. Truly his out-goings are seen in the tabernacle. The top-stone is brought forth; we will now cry Grace! grace! I must away. Our joint respects attend you all. I hope Mr. H—— mends; I hear that his brother is dead. Lord, make us also ready! My most dutiful respects await our elect Lady.—God willing, she shall hear soon from, my dear friend,
Yours, &c.
G. W.
LETTER MXVI.
To the Marquiss L——.
London, December 27, 1753.
My Lord,
A MATTER of some importance, is the occasion of my troubling your Lordship with another letter. The reverend Mr. G—— T—— of ♦Philadelphia, and the reverend Mr. D—— from Virginia (both eminent ministers of Jesus Christ) are just arrived. They are commissioned to apply for a general collection in Scotland, and to procure private contributions for the building and maintaining a presbyterian college in New-Jersey province. What I would therefore beg of your Lordship is, that your Lordship would do them the honour of permitting them to wait upon you, and that they may be also introduced to Lord L——. One Mr. D—— D——, who I believe was lately chosen a correspondent member of that society, over which your Lordship presides, and who is a steady friend to the interests of the Redeemer, if your Lordship is pleased to give leave, will come along with them. I shall wait for your Lordship’s answer, and then apprize them of it. In the mean time, I heartily wish your Lordship not the compliments, but the blessings of the season, even all those blessings that have been purchased for a lost world by the death and sufferings of an incarnate God.—Adored, for ever adored be his free grace, he vouchsafes to ♠manifest himself amongst us here. Conviction and conversion work seems to go on prosperously, and God’s people are abundantly refreshed. That your Lordship may continually drink of divine pleasures as out of a river, is and shall be the earnest prayer of, my Lord,
Your Lordship’s most dutiful, obliged and ready servant for Christ’s sake,
G. W.
LETTER MXVII.
To Mr. G——.
London, December 27, 1753.
Reverend and very dear Sir,
I AM surprized to find by your last kind letter, that my poor journals are not come to hand. My wife informs me that they were sent to, or by one Mr. E——, who was to send off goods the very next day. Perhaps it will please you to hear that Messrs. T—— and D—— supped with me last night; may the good Lord prosper the work of their hands upon them! I hope they will be introduced soon to the Marquiss of L——, and by him to Lord L——. I shall help them all I can. At the great day all things will be laid open. O how do I long for it! And yet, how ashamed shall I be to appear before my Lord, when I have done so little for him, and made such poor returns for his dying love! Would you think it? I am this day thirty-nine years of age. Did not my business require my attendance, I could lock myself up, and lie prostrate all the day long in deep humiliation before him, who hath vouchsafed to call me by his grace, reveal his son in me, and I trust made me the instrument, (O amazing love!) of calling some others to the experimental knowledge of the same unspeakable gift. My dear, very dear Sir, let none of my friends cry to such a sluggish, lukewarm, unprofitable worm, “Spare thyself.” Rather spur me on, I pray you, with an “Awake thou sleeper, and begin to begin to do something for thy God.” The Lord being my helper, I will. Do thou strengthen me, my Lord and my God, and I will go for thee, at thy command, to the uttermost parts of the earth! O break, break my heart, look to him, whom thou hast pierced.—Look and love, look and mourn, look and praise; thy God is yet thy God! Every day, Sir, we hear of fresh work; scores of notes are put up by persons brought under conviction, and God’s people are abundantly refreshed. Last night the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle; I cannot tell you half.—I am lost, I am lost in wonder. I must retire to give vent to my heart. For the present, my dear Sir, adieu! The Lord bless you and yours, and all my other dear friends. Ere long, I hope to spend an eternal new year with you in the Jerusalem which is above. That in the mean time, all things belonging to the old man may die in us, and all things belonging to the new man may more and more live and grow in us, is the earnest prayer of, my very dear Sir,
Yours most affectionately in our glorious Head,
G. W.
LETTER MXVIII.
To Lady H——n.
London, January 3, 1754.
Ever-honoured Madam,
ERE now, I hope your Ladyship is delivered from suspense, and that the danger concerning little master is entirely over. The concern I was in for your Ladyship when I wrote last, made me forget to speak about Mrs. H——. And indeed I cannot tell where she lodges. I could wish she was bettered by affliction.—But alas! though, why do I speak of others, when another new year is come, and I am bettered so little by all the Lord hath done for and in me? O that he may dig and dung round this barren fig-tree, that it may at length begin to bring forth some fruit unto God! But who can tell what this digging and dunging means? What temptations, afflictions and trials of every kind doth it include? And all little enough to keep these hearts in any tolerable order. Out of darkness he can and will bring light. That your Ladyship may experience this more and more every day, is and shall be the earnest prayer of, ever-honoured Madam,
Your Ladyship’s most dutiful, obliged, and ready servant for Christ’s sake,
G. W.
LETTER MXIX.
To Mr. W.——.
London, January 5, 1754.
My dear Mr. W——,
YOUR letter much affected as well as surprized me.—I may say of it as Dr. G—— says of the Apostle Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians, “It smelt of the prison.” Surely God’s thoughts are not as our thoughts, neither are his ways as our ways. How amazingly does he over-rule all things, for the spiritual and eternal good of those who love him in sincerity! Through his gracious and never-failing care, out of the eater cometh forth meat, and out of the strongest trial cometh forth unspeakable, spiritual sweetness. If this be the effect of affliction, then may the believer boldly say,
All hail reproach, and welcome pain!
Surely you may sing,
—— O happy rod,
Which brought me nearer to my God.
Now will you prove the strength of Jesus to be yours, now, will you find that your very enemies shall be at peace with you; ravens shall feed you, and the bread which you cast upon the waters many days ago, shall now happily be found. I sympathize most sincerely with your dear yoke-fellow, and parent. Blessed be God, we have a rich Saviour to go to.—A Saviour, who though infinitely rich in himself, yet for our sakes became poor. Rejoice then, my dear friend, for having an opportunity of being conformed to him. And whether your affliction be brought on you by any imprudent conduct, or by the immediate hand of God, cast not off I pray you your confidence in Christ. He is a compassionate high-priest. Perhaps this year, if we should live to the fall, we may have an opportunity of conversing about him face to face. In the mean while, let us pray for each other, and wait for that blessed time, when we shall be afflicted and tossed no more. I meet with my share of trials; but with thankfulness would I set up my Ebenezer; for hitherto my God hath helped me. Glory be to his great name, his word runs and is glorified more and more. The wilderness in various places blossoms like a rose. May the Lord revive his work in your parts! Mr. D—— and Mr. T—— have supped with me twice. I hope they will meet with wished-for success. My wife joins in sending love and cordial respects to your whole self, your mother, sister, and all that love the glorious Jesus in sincerity. That you all may increase with all the increase of God, is the earnest prayer of, my dear Mr. W——,
Yours most affectionately in our common Lord,
G. W.
LETTER MXX.
To Governor B——.
London, January 11, 1754.
Honoured Sir,
I HAD the favour of your last kind letter by the hands of Messrs. T—— and D——, whose work I pray the Lord of all Lords to bless and prosper. Was Lady H——n in town, they should have been introduced before now, but at present she is at Bath drinking of the waters of life freely, and communicating them freely to others. One of Cæsar’s houshold hath been lately awakened through her Ladyship’s instrumentality, and I hope others will meet with like blessing. Amongst the common people the gospel also runs, and is glorified in divers places. Our new tabernacle the Redeemer vouchsafes to fill with his presence, and gives us daily to hear that delightful music, “The triumphs of his word.” Winter quarters are made pleasant to me, but I long for my Spring campaign.—Perhaps it may be a Spring Voyage.—For I am now seriously thinking of a voyage to America, and live in hopes of seeing your Excellency once more on this side eternity. Lord Jesus, do thou shew me what thou wouldest have me to do! This, this I trust at present is the unfeigned language of my heart,
A life that all things casts behind,
Springs forth obedient at thy call.
I beg a continued interest in your Excellency’s prayers, that I may be kept from flagging in the latter stages of my road, and ripen for heaven every day and every hour. I am now thirty-nine years old, and little dreamt of being kept on earth so long; but I find we are immortal till our work is done. O that I may now begin to begin to work for Jesus! He is worthy, he is altogether lovely, he is the fairest among ten thousand. To his never-failing mercy and endearing love I most humbly recommend your Excellency’s whole self, always subscribing myself, honoured Sir,
Your Excellency’s most dutiful, obliged, and ready servant for Christ’s sake,
G. W.
LETTER MXXI.
To Mr. S——.
London, January 11, 1754.
Dear Mr. S——,
WHY did you not apprize me of your going? Why did you not let me have an opportunity of sending my packets after you to Portsmouth? You sailed only a day or two before I came there myself. However, I am glad to hear that you are safe arrived. May it be an earnest of your arriving ere long in the kingdom of heaven! Perhaps we may meet this Summer. I hope we shall see each other grown in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. You and I are much indebted to him. We have not a moment of time to lose. We ought to be continually saying, “What shall we render unto the Lord?” O for zeal! O for activity in his glorious service! A crucified Jesus! An incarnate God! What doth his love, his dying, yet never-dying love demand at our hands? Answer that question who can. It will nonplus men and angels. Blessed be his free grace, we find here that his name is Wonderful. Our new tabernacle is compleated, and the workmen all paid. What is best of all, the Redeemer manifests his glory in it. Every day, souls come crying, “What shall we do to be saved?” This I believe you will look upon to be the best news. But I can now no more. Accept this as a token of love unfeigned, from, my dear Mr. S——,
Yours, &c. in our common Lord,
G. W.
LETTER MXXII.
To Mr. B——.
London, January 19, 1754.
My dear Mr. B——,
ALL is well, and why? Because all things are of our Lord’s ordering. May he perfect his strength in your weakness, and the more the outward man decayeth, may you be strengthened so much the more by his holy spirit in the inner man!—Welcome flux, welcome fever, welcome the plague itself, if sanctified to bring us nearer to our God. Yet a little while, and he that cometh, will come, and will not tarry. I wish you much prosperity under the cross.—You must return the favour; I stand in need of much prayer. Perhaps ere long I may be called to occupy my business in the great waters. If not, God willing, you shall see me. In the mean while, pray give my love to all, especially to those mentioned in your last. God help them to hold on and hold out! In heaven they will sing the louder for being called by such an ill and hell-deserving creature as I am. Blessed be God, awakening work goes on here: every sermon preached this Winter hath been fetched out of the furnace.—But what are we to expect as christians and ministers, but afflictions? I thank you for your kind offer, and orders to command. Such I seldom comply with. Though poor, yet desiring at least to make many rich, I would have for my motto still. Some way or another, my God will supply all my wants. I am sorry that the volume of the Christian Library was forgotten. I shall write to my dear Mr. S—— to send you his, and yours may be sent to him. Whatever becomes of written christian libraries, I earnestly pray that your heart, my dear Sir, may be the library of Jesus Christ, and beg leave to subscribe myself,
Yours most affectionately in our common Lord,
G. W.
LETTER MXXIII.
To Mr. W——.
London, January 19, 1754.
Dear Mr. W——,
AS my embarking for America seems to be very near at hand, your question must necessarily be answered in the negative. However, I thank you for your kind offer, and earnestly pray that wherever you are called to labour, you may find the work of the Lord prospering in your hands. I did not know that there was any demur between you and those with whom you have been for some time connected; and I am sure, God is my witness, that I want to draw no man from them. People, money, power, are not my objects. I desire to know nothing but Jesus Christ, and him crucified, and to be a willing pilgrim for his great name’s sake. At present this is the language of my heart,
Lord, obediently I’d go,
Gladly leaving all below.
I intreat you to pray that my faith fail not. Lord, increase it for thy infinite mercy’s sake! We have blessed seasons here: the glory of the Lord fills our new tabernacle. If possible, I shall send the books you desire to Leeds. I hope you find your present illness sanctified. That is a sign of special love.—Adieu. I am in great haste. But with greater love, I subscribe myself, dear Mr. W——,
Yours most affectionately in our common Lord,
G. W.
LETTER MXXIV.
To Mr. ——.
London, February 2, 1754.
Dear Sir,
BY your writing, I guess you are a brand plucked out of the fire of the polite and gay world.—Happy deliverance! I intreat you to rejoice, give thanks, and sing,
Be gone, vain world, my heart resign,
For I must be no longer thine;
A fairer, a diviner guest,
Now claims possession of my breast.
I do not wonder to hear of your being under trials; you are to be made perfect by them. Right-hand and right-eye corruptions are not so easily cut off, or plucked out; but this must be done. Not one Agag, however beautiful, and importunate for life, must be spared: the sword of the spirit must be lifted up, and as an enemy to the Lord of life and glory, he must be hewn to pieces. Jesus, the ever-loving, ever-lovely Jesus, cannot away with idols:—And why? Because they rob us of our peace, estrange us from our God, and unfit us for the enjoyment of that better world, where I hope to see you encircled in the arms of redeeming love. Flee therefore, dear Sir, flee, I intreat you, youthful lusts. Jesus will give you wings and feet, and after all reward you, as though you fled in a strength of your own. O often, often contemplate, and dwell upon his dying for you. This will sweetly constrain you to be willing even to die for him, and powerfully constrain you to be ready to every good word and work. O that I may take this advice myself! You must pray that I may; a trial is at hand. In about three weeks I am bound for America.—A multiplicity of business lies before me; but to convince you that your correspondence is not troublesome, I snatch a few minutes to send you these lines, from, dear Sir,
Your affectionate friend and servant for Christ’s sake.
G. W.
LETTER MXXV.
To Lady H——n.
London, February 14, 1754.
Honoured Madam,
YOUR Ladyship’s kind letter came safe to hand.—I immediately sent for Mr. M——, delivered his, and saw it consumed. He hath the most grateful sense of your Ladyship’s great benevolence. It is, as your Ladyship suspects in relation to his wife; she is a Zipporah, a thorn in the flesh. Ministers must expect such things. I hope your Ladyship is enabled to bear with fortitude the scratches you must necessarily meet with in this wide howling wilderness. You have a Beloved to lean upon, who is mighty and willing to save. Blessed be his name, for giving you a heart to retire from the pomps and vanities of a dreaming and delusive world. Happy they, who can enjoy their God and themselves. This only the true christian can do. Such a one I believe your Ladyship to be.—My prayer to the Lord of all Lords in your Ladyship’s behalf, is that you may grow in grace, and abound continually in every good word and work. This is the only return I can make your Ladyship for the regard and concern you have expressed for me, as an unworthy minister of the Son of God. For his great name sake, I expect in a fortnight, once more to launch into the great deep, with about ten or twelve poor destitute orphans under my care. O my God, why am I thus honoured, to be employed as a pilgrim for thee? I trust this is the language of my heart,
A life that all things casts behind,
Springs forth obedient to thy call;
A heart that no desire can move,
But still t’adore, believe and love,
Give me, my Lord, my life, my all.
But whither am I going? Be pleased, honoured Madam, to excuse this freedom; your Ladyship’s kind letter constrains me to write thus. Honoured Madam, I thank you a thousand and a thousand times, for all your kind offers of serving me, and the church of God. At present (since you have so lately let the tabernacle have such an instance of your regard) I have only to beg the continuance of your Ladyship’s prayers, and to subscribe myself without dissimulation, honoured Madam,
Your Ladyship’s most dutiful, obliged, and ready servant for the dear Redeemer’s sake,
G. W.
LETTER MXXVI.
To Mrs. G——.
London, February 15, 1754.
Dear Madam,
WITH this I send you the promised pamphlet, which was written with a single eye to prevent fraud and superstition, and to promote the Mediator’s glory. Notwithstanding, I would advise you, dear Madam, not to let other people’s foibles drive you from the cross of Christ: he is altogether lovely.—And if persons were more taken up in contemplation of his loveliness, and their own deformities, they would not have so much time to talk of others, nor take so much pains to gain proselytes to any particular party under heaven. Such a practice is beneath the dignity of a free-born child of God.—His spirit breathes another kind of language, and teaches us to be all eye within. O that your heart may be filled with that wisdom which is from above, which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be intreated, without partiality, without hypocrisy, and full of faith, self-denial, zeal, disinterestedness, and good works! That Jesus, whom I believe you love, is able, dear Madam, to fill you with this wisdom. He hath promised, “if we ask, it shall be given.” Nay, he hath said, “that he giveth liberally and upbraideth not.” May you be enabled to lay hold on him in the omnipotence of prayer, and find grace to help in every time of need! Have you not found him faithful, in your intended visit to your friend? May you be made wise as an angel of God, to win her and others over to the ever-loving, ever-lovely Jesus! Pray, dear Madam, have you heard from Bath? There is a copy you may safely write after; but a perfect one is no where to be found but in our common Lord, the God-man Christ Jesus. To his tender and never-failing mercy do I most humbly recommend you, and, for his great name’s sake, most heartily subscribe myself, dear Madam,
Your most obliged and ready servant,
G. W.
LETTER MXXVII.
To Mr. S——
Lisbon Harbour, March 17, 1754.
My very dear Sir,
SURELY our God is a prayer-hearing, promise-keeping God. He delights to disappoint our fears, and even exceeds our hopes. On the seventh instant we left Gravesend; on the eighth we passed through the downs, and yesterday we anchored in this port. Through the channel we met not with the least obstruction, neither had we the least contrary wind all the way. Cape Finisterre, the Burlings, and the rock of Lisbon, (high-lands we desired to make) we came directly upon, and though the wind was very high, yet being for us, it was not so troublesome, but (like sanctified afflictions to the christian) drove us nearer to our desired haven. We are now lying before a large place, where we see hundreds going to worship in their way. We have just been at ours, and I trust I have felt something of that rest, which remains, even on this side eternity, for the people of God. You and yours are not forgotten by me at his throne. No, I remember you night and day, and am longing for that happy time, when we shall part no more. Though sent without a friend to return with me, yet I am not left alone. I thank the Lord of all Lords, for honouring me so far as to employ me on such expeditions as these. O my God, what am I, that I should be called to leave my native country, and to sacrifice not only my carnal but spiritual affections for thee! Thy presence on earth, thy presence in heaven, will make amends for all. Well! Blessed be God, this heaven is at hand. Yet a little while, and he that cometh, will come, and will not tarry. O that he may find us busy for him! I am persuaded this will be your case. Add, my dear Sir, to my manifold obligations, by praying that it may be mine also.—Fain would I be kept from flagging in the latter stages of my road; fain would I return to my native country (if I am to return) grown in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Indeed he is a good master. He hath given me the affections of all on board, and as kind a Captain as we could desire. What I meet with when on shore, you may know hereafter. I grudge your paying postage for my poor scribble, and yet I know not well how to prevent it. Be pleased to put it down to the amount of our common Lord, and if you have any leisure from working for the poor, and trading for him, let me have a line. I recommend you and them to the Redeemer’s never-failing mercy, and am, I trust with some degree of gratitude, very dear Sir,
Yours, &c.
G. W.
LETTER MXXVIII.
To Mr. B——.
Lisbon Harbour, March 19, 1754.
My dear Mr. B——,
HOW soon does the scene shift? At what a distance, in a few days, may we be removed from each other! On the sixteenth instant, that God whom I desire to serve in the gospel of his dear Son, brought me and my orphan charge to this harbour. As yet I have not been on shore, but expect to go to-morrow. At this distance, I see enough to bless the Lord of all Lords for calling me out of darkness into his marvelous light, and for redeeming me from this present evil world. O my dear friend, to an eye fixed on the ever-loving, ever-lovely Jesus, how little, unspeakably little do all sublunary things appear. I hope this will find my dear Mr. B—— crying out from the bottom of his heart, “indeed they are not worth a thought.” Well said, my dear Sir; let us then be laudably ambitious, and get as rich as we can towards God; such are durable riches. The bank of heaven is a sure bank. I have drawn thousands of bills upon it, and never had one sent back protested. God helping me, I purpose lodging my little earthly all there. I hope my present poor but valuable cargo, will make some additions to my heavenly inheritance. O free grace! That ever such an ill and hell-deserving wretch as I am, should ever be called out to leave his carnal and spiritual friends, for that friend of sinners the Lamb of God! These partings are indeed trying to nature; but heaven, my dear Sir, will make amends for all. There I hope to meet you and yours, whom I love in the bowels of Jesus Christ; there you shall be amply rewarded for all acts of kindness conferred either on me or mine. Increase my obligations, by continuing to pray for us, and accept this as a small tribute of thanks, and a testimony of love unfeigned, from, my dear friend,
Yours most affectionately in our glorious Head,
G. W.