_To Mr. S――――._
_London, March 11, 1749._
_My very dear Mr. S――――_,
I Wish you joy. I trust you may now say, “Now I begin to be a disciple
of JESUS CHRIST.” You know who has commanded us to rejoice and be
exceeding glad when men separate from our company, and speak all manner
of evil against us falsely for his name’s sake. Thanks be to GOD, you
have at length found out, that whosoever attempts to reconcile GOD and
the world, is attempting to reconcile two irreconcilable differences.
They are as opposite as light and darkness, heaven and hell. You have
nothing to do, but to go on doing, and then sing with an holy triumph,
_For this let men revile my name,_
_I shun no cross, I fear no shame;_
_All hail reproach, and welcome pain,_
_Only thy terrors, LORD, restrain._
You know he is faithful, who hath promised, “that he will never leave
nor forsake you.” Wait on him therefore, dear Sir, and you shall renew
your strength, nay you shall mount on wings like an eagle; you shall
walk and not be weary, you shall run and not be faint. Various are
the trials inward and outward that you will meet with. It is in the
spiritual as in the natural birth. The after-pangs are sometimes
sharper than those that precede the new-birth itself. If you are made
use of by JESUS CHRIST, no wonder that satan desires to have you, that
he may sift you as wheat. But fear not; JESUS prays for you; your faith
therefore shall not fail. How was _Paul_ humbled and struck down before
he was sent forth to preach the everlasting gospel? Prayer, temptation,
and meditation, says _Luther_, are necessary ingredients for a minister.
If GOD teaches us humility, it must be as _Gideon_ taught the men of
_Succoth_, by thorns. This I suppose is what dear Mr. _H――――_ means; he
has been conversant with Mr. _L――――_, and writes much therefore in his
way. I find he is for making thorough work of it, and digging deep in
order to build high. He is certainly right; but why we should not press
after and continually plead for assurance, which is every where through
the holy scriptures spoken of as the common portion of GOD’s children,
I cannot yet see. It is a false humility to be content without that
which GOD offers and promises to give. Let him give it in his own way
and time; but, “LORD give me a full assurance of faith, that I may
joy and rejoice in thee evermore!” should be the constant cry of your
soul. My dear Sir, I could enlarge, but I must away to our good Lady
_H――――n_’s. You must not expect to see her till _August_. I preached at
her Ladyship’s on _Thursday_, and am to do so weekly. I expect to leave
town in about a month. Pray let me see you if possible. A new scene
will open to you, now you begin to act publickly for CHRIST; but I must
bid you farewel. Adieu. May the LORD JESUS be with your spirit! Write
often, and you shall be answered, GOD willing, as speedy as possible by,
my very dear friend,
Ever yours whilst
_G. W._