My very dear Friend,
I Thank you heartily for your kind letter to me, and your kind benefaction to poor Mr. C——. That God, whom you both serve, will plentifully reward and bless you. I am in great hopes, enough will be raised to pay his debts, and that a provision will be made for his future subsistence. Rather than Elijahs shall want, ravens shall be sent to feed them. Your present circumstances almost distress me, and at the same time make me ashamed. I think it requires more grace heartily to say, “Father, thy will be done,” in such a situation, than to die a martyr forty times. But my dear friend, though your body is weak and confined at home, your pen hath been active, and your works walk abroad. I hear of them from all quarters. God hath blessed, and will bless them. Let that comfort you, and if health any way permits, pray write again. Fear not, my dear dear Man; let faith and patience hold out a little longer, and then the struggle shall be over. Yet a little while, and you shall join with that sweet singer Dr. Watts, who whilst on earth dragged a crazy load along, as well as you, for many years. As for my poor tabernacle, I wonder it is not dissolved every day; but we are immortal till our work is done. Now is my time for doing; my suffering time may come by and by. O for strength in a trying hour! Wherefore should we fear? Wherefore should we doubt? He that hath loved us, will love us to the end. This encourages me to hold on my way. Blessed be God, I have seen great things since I wrote last. The fields have been more and more white, ready unto harvest. I am now at Ashby with good Lady H——n. Her Ladyship has a great regard for you, and begs you would come and stay a week at her house. She will take great care of you. I think to remove hence on Monday, and should be very glad to see you in my way to London. However this be, we shall meet in heaven. There the wicked heart and wicked world will cease from troubling, and there the weary will enjoy an uninterrupted and eternal rest. This morning we have been remembering our blessed Redeemer’s death, and I was enabled to pray earnestly for my dear Mr. H——. I beseech the Father of mercies and God of all consolations to excite you to do the same for my dear old friend.
Yours most affectionately in our common Lord,
G. W.
LETTER DCCLXXXV.
To Lady H——n.
London, Nov. 21, 1749.
Honoured Madam,
YOUR Ladyship’s letter greatly rejoiced me, and stirred me up to pray afresh that our blessed Lord would give you to see of the travel of his soul, in the salvation of many at Ashby. I am persuaded your Ladyship was not sent there for nothing.—But it is always darkest before break of day. I desire to be thankful that your honoured Sisters are pleased to approve of me. Thanks be to God, I feel myself unworthy; but unworthy as I am, my poor prayers I trust will reach heaven in their behalf. This day, both they and your Ladyship were remembered at the Lord’s table. The Countess, Lady G—— and Lady F—— were there, and all I think are grown in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. What encouragement is this for your Ladyship to go and speak for God? All send their best compliments, and Lady F—— desired me to inform your Ladyship, that the man who was sent up has been taken care of. Blessed be God for putting it in your Ladyship’s power to help the poor sufferers of Cork. Last night I received a letter from Mr. L——, and purpose this night or to-morrow to write to him about what your Ladyship desires; I think he will be a proper person. Mr. W—— I believe is at his house. I pity those who have been persecuted in Ireland. The minister being taken so ill near your Ladyship, was an alarming providence. But who so blind as those that will not see? God honours your Ladyship, in making you instrumental to own and provide for those, who are cast out for his great name’s sake. Great shall be your reward in heaven. I hope you and your honoured sisters will have great comfort in the perseverance of the poor baker. He is a Jerusalem sinner, a proper object for free grace to fix on. A woman of fourscore, and a boy about eleven, have been lately awakened, and it is hoped converted, in Essex. May Jesus feed them all with bread that comes down from heaven! We have blessed seasons here, and our Lord gives us to see his stately steps. God prepare me for a suffering hour! Mrs. C—— has met with a heavy trial in the death of her only daughter, aged twenty. I hear she behaves like a christian under it. Happy they who know that promise belongs to them, “All things work together for good to those who love God.” How easy may Isaacs be given up by them? But I forget I am weary, when writing to your Ladyship. Pardon my taking up so much of your precious time. I wish your Ladyship, your honoured Sisters, and children, all the privileges of the new-born, heaven-born sons of God. This is the only return that can be made both to them and you, by, honoured Madam,