Your sincere friend,
G. W.
LETTER XXXII.
To Mr. ——.
Deal, Jan. 21, 1738.
SUPPOSE I answer dear Mr. —— before I reach Georgia, Will he be angry? I fancy not. I had a mind to write to you again, before I received yours. For as you have been so liberal in your presents, it would be unpardonable in me, was I niggardly in my letters. No, my dear friend, I hope I never shall cease praying for you and yours, so long as I live. Hitherto I have not. I was praying for you just as I received yours: I am glad to hear you prayed before you wrote to me. Surely God will bless such a correspondence. O my friend, let us still wrestle with God, that we may be stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. For it is perseverance crowns our labours. He, and He only can be saved. The world, the flesh and the devil are three such potent enemies, that we must strive, we must persevere, if we will gain a conquest. Strive then; let us, my dear friend, strive as persons striving for eternity. Let us abstain from all appearance of evil, and avoid all company, that doth not directly tend to the promoting our spiritual welfare. Whether one of the societies you frequent, my dear friend, has a tendency that way, I leave you to judge. I think I have heard you say, it keeps you from family and secret prayer. If that is not a sufficient reason for absenting from it, I’ll say no more. I believe you to be sincere, and therefore, if you consult God by prayer and reading his word, your way will be made clear before you. I only add, that I could wish, instead of frequenting that, you would set up another society of a quite contrary nature on the same night of the week. I know Mr. —— had some such design on foot, and desired me to mention it. I wish you good success in this and every pious undertaking in the name of the Lord. May God reward you for all your kindnesses, and make you to abound in every good word and work! may you walk by faith and not by sight; and tho’ you are in the world, may you not be of it! I preach here, God willing, to-morrow; there’s likely to be a great congregation. O pray, that they may not be sent away empty, but converted by, dear Mr. ——,
Your affectionate friend,
G. W.