_To Mr. S――――._
_Bristol, December 3, 1753._
WHEN I saw the seal of your last sweet letter, I guessed at the
contents of it. Blessed be GOD, I was not disappointed. The heart was
soaring aloft, mounting on the wings of faith and love, and had fled
out of sight of this poor and troublesome world. Thus may that GOD, who
is rich in mercy, pay and reward all that love ill and hell-deserving
me! The devil himself dares ♦not accuse us, for serving and loving
GOD or man, for these wages. They are wages of GOD’s appointing, GOD’s
promising, GOD’s paying. May my dear friend always find such payment!
I believe he will.
O LORD, enlarge our scanty thoughts,
To see the wonders thou hast wrought;
Unloose our stammering tongues to tell,
Thy love immense, unspeakable.
I rejoice in the promising prospect of the happiness of your brother’s
houshold. May it widen and spread over all! If I have any time, I hope
to send him a few lines. LORD, hasten the time when my poor kinsmen and
brethren after the flesh shall be joined to thee by one spirit! Till
then, help me, O LORD, to be continually crying out, “Why me, LORD,
why me?” Well may distinguishing grace, and the thoughts of everlasting
love, swallow up your whole soul. Strange! that GOD’s children should
not know their own bread. But these corrupt hearts of ours still verge
towards the law. Grace, omnipotent grace alone, can enable us to see
our compleatness in CHRIST, and yet excite us, from principles of
gratitude and love, to faithfulness and zeal, as though we were to be
saved entirely by them. Glorious mystery! Like the blessed angels, may
you and yours, my dear friend, be continually employed in looking into
it! This is what I have been preaching on last week in _Somersetshire_.
The fire there warmed and enflamed me, though I preached in the air
on _Tuesday_ evening at seven o’clock, as well as on _Wednesday_ and
_Thursday_. I purposed to go as far as _Plymouth_, but providence
hath brought me back, and I am now hastening to _London_, to pay my
last respects to my dying friend. It may be, that shortly Mr. _J――――
W――――_ will be no more; the physicians think his disease is a galloping
consumption. I pity the church, I pity myself, but not him. We must
stay behind in this cold climate, whilst he takes his flight to a
radiant throne, prepared for him from the foundations of the world.
LORD, if it be thy blessed will, let not thy chariot wheels be long
in coming. Even so come LORD JESUS, come quickly! Poor Mr. _C――――_
will now have double work. But we can do all things through CHRIST
strengthening us. The residue of the Spirit is in the Redeemer’s hands,
and he hath promised not to leave his people comfortless. Our eyes, O
LORD, are unto thee from whom cometh all our salvation. Here I could
enlarge, but I must send a few lines to _London_, which I hope to
reach myself some time this week. Be pleased to direct your next there.
My _Leeds_ friends have my cordial acknowledgements for their kind
enquiries concerning me. I hope this will find them all, with your dear
yoke-fellow, leaning on the Mediator’s bosom. There am I now reclining
my weary head. Adieu. The LORD JESUS be with your spirit.
Yours, &c.
_G. W._
♦ “nor” replaced with “not”