I AM surprized to find by your last kind letter, that my poor journals are not come to hand. My wife informs me that they were sent to, or by one Mr. E——, who was to send off goods the very next day. Perhaps it will please you to hear that Messrs. T—— and D—— supped with me last night; may the good Lord prosper the work of their hands upon them! I hope they will be introduced soon to the Marquiss of L——, and by him to Lord L——. I shall help them all I can. At the great day all things will be laid open. O how do I long for it! And yet, how ashamed shall I be to appear before my Lord, when I have done so little for him, and made such poor returns for his dying love! Would you think it? I am this day thirty-nine years of age. Did not my business require my attendance, I could lock myself up, and lie prostrate all the day long in deep humiliation before him, who hath vouchsafed to call me by his grace, reveal his son in me, and I trust made me the instrument, (O amazing love!) of calling some others to the experimental knowledge of the same unspeakable gift. My dear, very dear Sir, let none of my friends cry to such a sluggish, lukewarm, unprofitable worm, “Spare thyself.” Rather spur me on, I pray you, with an “Awake thou sleeper, and begin to begin to do something for thy God.” The Lord being my helper, I will. Do thou strengthen me, my Lord and my God, and I will go for thee, at thy command, to the uttermost parts of the earth! O break, break my heart, look to him, whom thou hast pierced.—Look and love, look and mourn, look and praise; thy God is yet thy God! Every day, Sir, we hear of fresh work; scores of notes are put up by persons brought under conviction, and God’s people are abundantly refreshed. Last night the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle; I cannot tell you half.—I am lost, I am lost in wonder. I must retire to give vent to my heart. For the present, my dear Sir, adieu! The Lord bless you and yours, and all my other dear friends. Ere long, I hope to spend an eternal new year with you in the Jerusalem which is above. That in the mean time, all things belonging to the old man may die in us, and all things belonging to the new man may more and more live and grow in us, is the earnest prayer of, my very dear Sir,
Yours most affectionately in our glorious Head,
G. W.
LETTER MXVIII.
To Lady H——n.
London, January 3, 1754.
Ever-honoured Madam,
ERE now, I hope your Ladyship is delivered from suspense, and that the danger concerning little master is entirely over. The concern I was in for your Ladyship when I wrote last, made me forget to speak about Mrs. H——. And indeed I cannot tell where she lodges. I could wish she was bettered by affliction.—But alas! though, why do I speak of others, when another new year is come, and I am bettered so little by all the Lord hath done for and in me? O that he may dig and dung round this barren fig-tree, that it may at length begin to bring forth some fruit unto God! But who can tell what this digging and dunging means? What temptations, afflictions and trials of every kind doth it include? And all little enough to keep these hearts in any tolerable order. Out of darkness he can and will bring light. That your Ladyship may experience this more and more every day, is and shall be the earnest prayer of, ever-honoured Madam,
Your Ladyship’s most dutiful, obliged, and ready servant for Christ’s sake,