Honoured Madam,
THOUGH I have missed two posts, yet the only cause of my not writing was a fear of being troublesome, and too particular and prolix in the accounts sent your Ladyship in my last letters. Your Ladyship’s kind letter this afternoon, together with the inclosed, which I received yesterday, give me fresh occasion to renew that pleasing employ of acquainting your Ladyship with some more particulars. Every day we have new hearers, and I find some or another are almost continually brought under convictions, or are edified at the tabernacle. I have offered Mr. W—— to assist occasionally at his chapel, and I don’t know but it may be accepted. Your Ladyship will hear soon. O that I may learn from all I see, to desire to be nothing! and to think it my highest privilege to be an assistant to all, but the head of none. I find a love of power sometimes intoxicates even God’s own dear children, and makes them to mistake passion for zeal, and an over-bearing spirit for an authority given them from above. For my own part, I find it much easier to obey than govern, and that it is much safer to be trodden under foot, than to have it in one’s power to serve others so. This makes me fly from that, which at our first setting out we are too apt to court. Thanks be to the Lord of all Lord’s for taking any pains with ill and hell deserving me! I cannot well buy humility at too dear a rate. This is a grace after which your Ladyship pants, and with which our Lord will delight to fill you more and more. Your Ladyship’s letter convinces me, that those who know and do most, think they know and do least. If it were not so, grace itself would prove our bane, and goodness and zeal, through the pride and corruption of our hearts, be our destroyers. Honoured Madam, my hands and heart are continually lifted up for you, that you may abound evermore in every good word and work, and be cloathed with that humility which your Ladyship delights to wear every day; I mean that humble mind which was in Christ Jesus. I rejoice exceedingly in the comfort which your Ladyship has in Mr. B——. I shall take care to cultivate our acquaintance, and earnestly pray that it may be blessed to our mutual improvement. I trust he will be a good soldier of Jesus Christ, and doubt not ere long I shall hear of his receiving some wounds and scars of honour in the field of battle. After I left Mr. Z——, by appointment I went to Mrs. K——, to whom with the Countess, Lady G——, Mr. C——, and one Mrs. B——, I gave the blessed sacrament, and afterwards a word of exhortation. Our Lord was there, and your Ladyship &c. were remembered before him. On Tuesday next the blessed feast is to be repeated at the Countess’s house, and on Wednesday, God willing, I shall leave town for about five weeks. All I think are as hearty as ever, and I trust some will take deep root downwards, and bear fruit upwards. His Majesty seems to have been acquainted with some things about us, by what passed in his discourse with Lady Chesterfield. The particulars are these; her Ladyship had a suit of cloaths on, with a brown ground and silver flowers, which was brought from abroad. His Majesty coming round to her, first smiled and then laughed quite out. Her Ladyship could not imagine what was the matter. At length his Majesty said, “I know who chose that gown for you:—Mr. Whitefield; and I hear that you have attended on him this year and half.” Her Ladyship answered, “Yes I have, and like him very well;” but after she came to her chair, was grieved she had not said more; so that I find her Ladyship is not ashamed. O that she and all that have heard the gospel, may have grace given them to speak of their dear Redeemer, even before kings, when called to it, and not be daunted! I have also been with the Speaker about the poor people in Ireland. Mr. G—— introduced me, and opened the matter well. His honour expressed a great regard for your Ladyship, and great resentment at the indignities the poor sufferers underwent; but said, “Lord H—— or the secretary of state, were the properest persons to be applied to, and he did not doubt but that your Ladyship’s application would get their grievances redressed.” I wished for a memorial to acquaint him with particulars. He treated me with great candour, and assured me no hurt was designed us by the state. Mr. G—— was quite hearty, and has the utmost respect for your Ladyship. To-morrow I am to preach at Mr. W——’s chapel, and I suppose on Sunday also. O that I may be a freed-man, and ready to help all that preach and love the Lord Jesus in sincerity! I bless God for Mr. B——, and am exceedingly obliged to good Lady A——. I am ashamed of the length of this, but as it is on business, your Ladyship will excuse, honoured Madam,
Your Ladyship’s most obliged, ready servant,
G. W.
LETTER DCCCIX.
To Mr. L——.
London, Jan. 18, 1750.
Very dear Sir,
LAST Monday I waited upon the Speaker of the House of Commons, with one Mr. G——, a dissenting minister, who opened our poor suffering brethren’s case in a proper manner.—The Speaker expressed great resentment upon hearing of the indignities they had met with, and said, that if it did properly belong to him, he would make a thorough search into the affair. But he wondered application had not been made to Lord H——, who was the King’s representative in Ireland. He at the same time wanted to be informed of more particulars. For want of a memorial, I could only shew him the contents of your letter. Two things therefore seem necessary. Be pleased to send a well-attested narrative of the whole affair, and wait upon Lord H—— yourself. A friend of mine intends writing to Lord Baron B——. Is he in Dublin? As soon as ever I hear from you, more may be done. In the mean while, the dear souls have my constant prayers, and shall have my utmost endeavours to serve them. I count their sufferings my own. Pray let me hear how they do. We have great peace here. The blessed Jesus manifests himself among us, and you know that his presence is all in all. Hearty Amens are given, when our friends are mentioned in prayer at tabernacle. To-morrow I am to preach at Mr. W——’s chapel. O that it may be for the Redeemer’s glory and his people’s good! I am a debtor to the Greek and to the Barbarian, to the wise and to the unwise, and think it my highest privilege to preach Christ and him crucified to all. I know you wish me prosperity. Strange! that the love of Jesus should unite hearts at such a distance, persons who never conversed with each other. But thus it is. Blessed be God, we belong to one family, are travelling to one country, are redeemed by the same blood, and are heirs of the same glory. O glorious prospect! How happy are all they that put their trust in the Lord Jesus! I commend you and yours to his everlasting mercy, and am, my very dear Sir,