Reverend and dear Sir,
BEFORE I saw, I loved you. Ever since our personal acquaintance, I have often thought, what a noble instrument you might be of turning many to righteousness, if your heart was entirely freed from the world, and inflamed with the love of God. Your vivacity of spirit, your warm imagination, the energy and strength of your endearing manner of writing, together with your loving, tender disposition, if once duly influenced by the spirit of God, could not fail of winning souls to Christ. Come out therefore my brother, my friend; come out from among your carnal connections, and “be thou separate,” saith the Lord Almighty. Throw off a false politeness, study the simplicity of Jesus Christ, and be despised for something. O pity, pity the church of England. See how too, too many of her sons are fallen from her articles, and preach themselves, not Christ Jesus the Lord. My dear friend, I could wish my head was waters, and my eyes fountains of tears, that I might weep day and night before the Lord. O let us beseech him to spirit up more of his faithful servants, to go out into the highways and hedges, and compel poor sinners to come in. Oh that dear Mr. T. may be one of them! How would the spirit of Christ and of glory rest upon his soul! Arise, arise, my dear brother, and gird up the loins of your mind. Arise, arise, and be not of the number of those who only fleece their flocks. Lift up your voice like a trumpet, and preach the truth as it is in Jesus. Dear Mr. T. forgive this freedom. My heart is full. I long to have the pure scripture truths, as delivered in our homilies and our articles, preached up universally. This is all that is contended for, by
Your most unworthy friend, brother, and servant in our dear Lord Jesus,
G. W.
LETTER XCIX.
To the Rev. Mr. D. W.
Philadelphia, Nov. 10, 1739.
Reverend and dear Sir,
I Love you, though I have been so ungrateful as not to write to you. I love you in the bowels of our common Master whose name we bear, and in whose glorious service we are both employed. Oh, dear Sir, what are we that we should be so highly favoured! Why are we honoured? Why are we called to the ministry, and others that are effectually called by grace, yet advanced no higher than private christians? I can only cry out, Oh the depth of God’s sovereign, electing, unmerited love. Even so Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight! Surely, dear Sir, the love of Christ must constrain us to spend and be spent for the good of souls. Never was the harvest greater; never were the labourers fewer. If we do not now lift up our voices like trumpets, the very stones would cry out against us. I could almost say, “the glory is departed from Israel; the ark of the Lord is fallen into enemies hands.” Oh let us endeavour, dear Sir, let us endeavour to bring it back, by preaching and living the truth as it is in Jesus. The light that has been given us, is not to be put under a bushel, but on a candlestick. Satan, indeed, by blasts of persecution, will do all he can to put it out. If our light be the light of Christ, those blasts will only cause it to shine the brighter. You have happily, dear Sir, experienced this. You, I believe, was both in Christ and in the ministry before me. I præ, sequar, etsi non passibus equis. The devil and all his hosts will set their battle in array against us. My Lord has given me a sling and a stone; stripling as I am, I will go forth then in his strength, make mention of his righteousness only, and by that lay prostrate the strong Goliahs. By your prayers I trust to be sent to Wales once more. The simplicity of that people much delights me. What shall, what can I do for them? My prayers they have, and whatever God shall enable me to do, they may demand a share from, dear Sir,