To C. T. W.
Thirlmere: September 1900.
My thoughts are with you now—and my prayers. 'He had seven stars—in His right hand,' was the thought which comforted me at my own ordination, when I felt, as seldom before, my own hollowness and incapacity. We can shed light—we are safe—because we are 'in His right hand.' 'The eternal God is our refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.' We can never go beyond His love and care. In moments of perplexity and uncertainty, although we cannot feel His presence, He is there. 'In His right hand.' 'They that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars for ever and ever.'
May God give you the power to love and the power to pray! Much prayer and much love are needed for a successful ministry. Good-bye, and God bless you and make you a true and faithful pastor! Remember St. Paul's words: he dunamis en astheneia teleitai. edista oun mallon kauchesomai en tais astheneiais, hina episkenose ep eme he dunamis tou Christou; hotan gar artheno, tote dunatos eimi.
[Transcriber's note: The Greek phrases above were transliterated as follows: he—(rough breathing mark) eta; dunamis—delta, upsilon, nu, alpha, mu, iota, final sigma; en—epsilon, nu; astheneia—alpha, sigma, theta, epsilon, nu, epsilon, iota, alpha; teleitai—tau, epsilon, lambda, epsilon, iota, tau, alpha, iota; edista—eta, delta, iota, sigma, tau, alpha; oun—omicron, upsilon, nu; mallon—mu, alpha, lambda, lambda, omicron, nu; kauchesomai—kappa, alpha, upsilon, chi, eta, sigma, omicron, mu, alpha, iota; en—epsilon, nu; tais—tau, alpha, iota, final sigma; astheneiais—alpha, sigma, theta, epsilon, nu, epsilon, iota, alpha, iota, final sigma; hina—(rough breathing mark) iota, nu, alpha; episkenose—epsilon, pi, iota, sigma, kappa, eta, nu, omega, sigma, eta; ep—epsilon, pi; eme—epsilon, mu, epsilon; he—(rough breathing mark) eta; dunamis—delta, upsilon, nu, alpha, mu, iota, final sigma; tou—tau, omicron, upsilon; Christou—Chi, rho, iota, sigma, tau, omicron, upsilon; hotan—(rough breathing mark) omicron, tau, alpha, nu; gar—gamma, alpha, rho; artheno—alpha, rho, theta, epsilon, nu, omega; tote—tau, omicron, tau, epsilon; dunatos—delta, upsilon, nu, alpha, tau, omicron, final sigma; eimi—epsilon, iota, mu, iota]
To W. D. H.
Dale Head Post Office, Thirlmere, September 20, 1900.
My thoughts and my prayers are with you at this time. I remember how at my own ordination, when I felt as never before my own utter weakness and incapacity, the thoughts in the first chapter of the Revelation, of Christian ministers as 'stars in His right hand' comforted and supported me. In His right hand—with His power we can do all things. As the lesson for to-day says, he dunamis en astheneia teleitai, strength is perfected in weakness. hotan astheno tote dunatos eimi.
[Transcriber's note: The Greek phrases above were transliterated as follows: he—(rough breathing mark) eta; dunamis—delta, upsilon, nu, alpha, mu, iota, final sigma; en—epsilon, nu; astheneia—alpha, sigma, theta, epsilon, nu, epsilon, iota, alpha; teleitai—tau, epsilon, lambda, epsilon, iota, tau, alpha, iota; hotan—(rough breathing mark) omicron, tau, alpha, nu; astheno—alpha, sigma, theta, epsilon, nu, omega; tote—tau, omicron, tau, epsilon; dunatos—delta, upsilon, nu, alpha, tau, omicron, final sigma; eimi—epsilon, iota, mu, iota]
You will feel more, as years go on, the greatness of the task which you are undertaking—the overwhelming responsibility—the dread lest through any carelessness on your part one of the least of the sheep may be lost. But you will also feel more and more that you are 'in His right hand.' And if the eternal God is your refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms, you need not fear what the devil or man can do unto you. I pray that God may be with you and give you the spirit of prayer and the spirit of love. Your ministry will only be effective if you pray much and love much. And if you make mistakes, yet if you love much your sins will be forgiven.