My dear Brother,
WILL this find you in prison or not? Your last letter (which I received upon my arrival here) gave me some expectations that ere long you would be both in prison and bonds. By and by, I shall follow perhaps.—The Lord sanctify all his dispensations to us, and make us not only willing to be bound, but even to die for the sake of our dear Master. When I read how my letters, &c. are blessed to your comfort, it quite confounds me. Oh the free-grace of Christ Jesus our Lord! My dear Brother, let us continue instant in season and out of season.—Let us continually preach up free-grace, though we die for it; we cannot lose our lives in a better cause. As I am enabled, I remember you at the throne of grace; in general I sigh out my prayers.—But the spirit, I trust, makes intercession for me with groanings that cannot be uttered.
I have not had much enlargement in preaching, since I have been here; but my heart is often weighed down, and torn to pieces with a sense of my desperately wicked and deceitful heart. I can subscribe to what you say, “Was God to leave me to myself, I should be eminent for, and a ring-leader in sin.” I sometimes think my heart is more vicious and perverse than any one’s; and yet Jesus Christ will come and dwell in me.—Methinks I hear you say, “Glory be to free grace: All praise be given to electing love.”—Let all that love the Lord Jesus say, Amen! Pray write to me as often as possible.—God, I believe, is laying a foundation for great things in Georgia. I am building a large house, and taking in many children. Wrestle with God in behalf of, Brother,
Your’s eternally in Christ Jesus,
G. W.
LETTER CLXIII.
To Mr. H——.
Savannah, Feb. 4, 1740.
HOW is it with your heart? I hope the Lord Jesus leads you on from conquering to conquer, and gets himself the victory every day. I cannot but think that hereafter great things will be done in America. God seems to have given some earnests of it already. My next journal will acquaint you what they are. It often pleases me, to reflect how Christ’s kingdom is securely carried on in spite of men and devils, and that too by the weakest instruments in different parts of the world. Surely we shall unite at last, and that glorious time will come, when, with one heart and with one voice, we shall sing praises to him who sitteth upon the throne for ever. A glorious epiphany, I trust, will shortly be made in the hearts of many souls. My dearest Brother, let us do or suffer any thing, so we may be made instruments of beginning and carrying on so divine a work. As for my own part, I often stand astonished at the riches of free distinguishing grace, and I often feel myself so great a sinner, that I am tempted to think, nothing can be blessed which comes from such unhallowed hands and lips; but yet the Lord is with me, and attended his word with mighty power on Christmas day. Pray remember me to all friends. I expect you will receive the letters I sent from Philadelphia, ere this comes to hand. I depend on seeing your journal, and hope you will accept of my most cordial love from, dearest Brother,