YOUR kind letter I received at Bristol, but have not had time to answer it till now. You know what a moving life I lead. It is for one, who laid down his life for me. I want my last remove to come. Blessed be God for your recovery from your late indisposition. Many of God’s people will have reason to be thankful on your behalf. I trust I am; and earnestly pray the Lord of all Lords, that as your day is, so your strength may be. I thank you for minding the poor widows, and the other poor tabernacle petitioners. What an honour is put upon you! To be Christ’s almoner is no mean office. You shall be rewarded ere long before men and angels. Mrs. D—— shall share with you; and as you have been helpers of each others faith, so shall you be partakers of the same glory. May your latter end greatly increase, and may you be enabled to bring forth fruit even to a good old age! I hope good has been done at Bristol. We had three good seasons there. To-morrow I set out on a three weeks circuit through Wales. I have been here these two days for a little retirement: it has been very sweet. On Thursday I saw Mr. E—— I——, the dissenting minister I before spoke of, and found him very meanly apparelled. He is a most worthy man, and from his zeal for God some time ago, he sold fifteen pounds worth of his books to finish a small Meeting-house in which he preaches. He has but three pounds per annum from the fund, and about as much from his people. He lives very low, but enjoys much of God, and hath as great understanding in the figurative parts of scripture as any one I know of in the world. He is a Zachary, and his wife an Elizabeth. Four or five guineas might be bestowed on them. What a scene will open at the great day! How many rich Priests will stand confounded, whilst the poor despised faithful Ministers of Christ shall enter, after all their tribulation, into the joy of their Lord. I tremble for the one, I rejoice in the foresight of the happiness of the other. May my latter end and future state (however I may be disposed of in the mean while) be like theirs! I know you will say, Amen. But what am I doing? I am robbing the poor of your time. Away to your work in the strength of God, and whilst you are feeding others, may the Lord Jesus feast your soul! My heartiest respects attend Mrs. D——. She always shares in the petitions put up for you by, my very dear Sir,
Yours most affectionately in our common Lord,
G. W.
LETTER DCCLIX.
To Mr. I—— C——.
Carmarthen, June 5, 1749.
Dear Jemmy,
AS I have a peculiar love for you and your wife, I need not inform you that your letter, which gave me an account of her great illness, affected me much. I have not failed to remember her at the throne of grace, and I trust this will find her either relieved from her pain, or resigned to his will who orders all things well. Parting is hard to those who, like you two, have walked in love. But we can do all things through Jesus Christ strengthening us. She, when dead, will live for ever, and God will be to you better than seven wives. Pray salute the dear woman for me in the tenderest manner. O that she may be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, and be enabled to say, “the cup which my father hath given me, shall I not drink it?” I sympathize with poor Mrs. N—— as well as you. God comfort and support you all. We must all be tried. I am still in suspense about my wife: but, what is best, (Glory be to God!) the gospel runs and is glorified! I have been enabled to preach fourteen times within these eight days, and the word has every where fallen with weight and power. Yesterday was a great day here indeed. This morning I am going toward Haverford-west, and am to be at Abergavenny to-morrow fortnight. I know you will continually pray for me. You know under what character, even as the chief of sinners, but
Yours, &c.