_To Mrs. H._
_Oxon, July 14, 1737._
_Dear Mrs. H._,
IF you remember, I promised you a long and particular letter when
I was at _Gloucester_, and nothing hinders but I may now perform
it. Permit me then first, to begin this, as I would all my letters,
with thanks to you and kind Mr. _H._ for your inexpressible favours
conferred on the most unworthy of my master’s servants; and, withall,
to assure you, how incessantly I pray, that the GOD of all grace and
mercy, for the sake of his dear Son JESUS CHRIST, would reward you in
spirituals, for what you have done to me in temporals, and feed your
soul with his heavenly graces, as plentifully as you have fed my body
with nourishing food. But as, in all probability, this will be the
last letter I shall write to dear Mrs. _H._ before I sail, what can
I fill the remainder with better, than by exhorting you, to lay aside
every weight, particularly the sin that does most easily beset you,
and so run with patience the race set before you. I say, the sin
that most easily besets; for unless we lay the ax to the root, unless
we sincerely resolve in the strength of JESUS CHRIST to subdue our
favourite, our darling passion, and spare not one _Agag_, though ever
so engaging, ever so beautiful, all our other sacrifices will avail
us nothing. Suppose therefore, for instance, PASSION be our greatest
foible. A sincere person will never cease night or day, till he is
made meek and lowly in heart. But if it be asked, how he shall do
this? I answer, _first_, let him consider how odious it is in the
sight of GOD, and how contrary to the lamb-like meekness of the holy
JESUS. _Secondly_, Let him reflect how troublesome it must be to
others, (for alas what unnecessary disorders, what needless troubles
doth the passionate person occasion to all that are round about him?)
_Thirdly_, Let him consider how exceeding hurtful and unpleasant it
is to himself; how it ruffles and discomposes his mind; unfits him
for every holy duty, and in short makes him a torment to himself and
a burden to others. Well, after he has thus seen the deformity of his
darling passion, the next enquiry must be, how to get the mastery over
it. The first and grand thing, is to get a true and lively faith in
CHRIST JESUS, seeking for it by earnest prayer. To this, we must have
recourse in all our struggles; for it’s GOD alone, who can subdue
and govern the unruly wills of sinful men, and it is his grace which
alone can enable us to mortify our corrupt passions. But then we must
take care not to rest in general petitions for conquering this or that
corruption; but must descend to particulars. For instance, supposing
I am angry with a servant or husband without a cause; What must I
do? Why, take the very first opportunity of retiring from the world,
and after having bewailed my being angry, earnestly beseech the LORD
of all power and might to enable me to withstand such and such a
provocation for the future, and notwithstanding I should fail again
and again in the very same instance, yet I would again and again
renew my petitions to the throne of grace, and never cease praying
and striving, till instead of a blind, perverse, troublesome passion,
I had the lovely, calm, and delightful grace of meekness and humility
planted in its room. Now would dear Mrs. _H._ take some such method as
this (for I suppose by this time, she guesses to whom all this points)
I dare say, she would quickly find as much difference in herself as
there is between a wise man and an idiot.――And that she may both begin
and succeed in this method, is the earnest prayer of, Dear Mrs. _H._
Your affectionate friend, &c.
_G. W._