_To the Rev. Mr. S――――, in London._
_Savannah, June 26, 1740._
_Rev. and dear Sir_,
AND is one of the priests also obedient to the word? Blessed be GOD,
the Father of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, who hath translated you from
darkness to light; from the power of Satan to the service of the
ever-living GOD. Now know I, that our glorious _Emmanuel_ has not
commanded us to pray in vain. Surely we shall never taste of death,
till we see our dear LORD’s kingdom coming with greater power. He
seems to be thrusting out more labourers into his harvest. Glory be
to his free grace that you are one of the happy number. O dear Sir,
rejoice and be exceeding glad; and let the love of JESUS constrain you
to go out into the highways and hedges to compel poor sinners to come
in. Some (even that are true lovers of the Lamb) may say “this is not
proceeding with a zeal according to knowledge:” but I am persuaded,
when the power of religion revives, the gospel must be propagated in
the same manner as it was first established, “_itinerant preaching_.”
Go on, dear Sir, go on, and follow your glorious Master without the
camp, bearing his sacred reproach. Never fear the scourge of the
tongue, or the threatnings that are daily breathed out against the
LORD, and against his CHRIST. Suffer we must, I believe, and that
great things. Our LORD, by his providence, begins to shew it. Ere
long, perhaps, we may sing in a prison, and have our feet set fast
in the stocks. But faith in JESUS turns a prison into a palace, and
makes a bed of flames become a bed of down. Let us be faithful to-day,
and our LORD will support us to-morrow. O dear Sir, though I know you
not, yet my heart is enlarged towards you, and I make mention of your
name in my prayers. I pray GOD to give you strength to bear the heat
and burden of every day, and to enable you to preach with such wisdom,
that all your adversaries may not be able to gainsay or resist.
Blessed be his holy name, I drink deep of his love every moment. A
greater power than ever attends my poor labours; and several of my own
houshold, both boys and girls, I really believe, are coming savingly
to JESUS CHRIST. I am now about to go to _Charles-Town_; a work of
GOD is begun there. Who knows but I may see my dear brother _S――――_
in _America_? But future things belong to GOD; to his grace and love I
commend you. Keep close to your dear JESUS, and pray that a child-like,
humble spirit, may be given to