♦duplicate word “of” removedTo Miss ****.Sunday Morning.My dear Friend,IHAVE just time enough to wish that your soul may this day prosper, and that Godmay be found by you in all his ordinances. Oh that his love may be more and more shed abroad in your heart! And this it certainly will be, if you walk closely with him, and suffer not your imagination to lead you from your only true happiness. Oh strive continually after a constant recollection, and communion with God.—I know the unprofitable manner in which you will be employed this afternoon; but this need not hinder your heart from being with your Saviour; he will support and comfort you.—Take care that you run not into making observations, either on the persons, manners, or dress of your visitors: four young ladies in a house together, are in the utmost danger from this sin: and depend upon it, it is as contrary to Christian love as lying or stealing.Adieu.****My dear friend,IHAVE been thinking, since I saw you, of all the snares to which you are going to be exposed, and I sincerely pray that God may protect you in every danger, and hold up your goings inhis paths. But in order to gain this gracious protection, you must take the greatest care that you do nothing to grieve his blessed Spirit, and cause him to depart from you. And this anysinful compliance will certainly do: therefore when you are desired to do any thing unbecoming a christian, fear not (young as you are) to bear your testimony for God against an evil world. But do it in the spirit of meekness; and if by this means you draw upon yourself the appellations of whimsical, obstinate, and ridiculous, look upon the reproach as matter of rejoicing, and as adding a greater lustre to the crown you will hereafter receive. There is one temptation, which at your age is peculiarly dangerous, and that is a desire of being thought handsome. You must be ever on your watch against this; for it will raise a thousand tempers in your soul, as contrary to the mind which was in Christ as darkness is to light. There is nothing which is a greater counter-poise to this desire, than bringing the mind to be contented, nay even to rejoice that another should outshine us. Let MissFbe the means by which you acquire a conquest over this first born of female pride: set yourself every day to take delight in her beauty; to wish for its embellishment, and to be most pleased when she appears to the greatest advantage.—If when you read this you colour, and cry, “Dear! what can she mean? this is vastly odd!”—depend upon it there is something in your heart which makes the advice I have given highly necessary; and fail not, as you prize your peace of mind and increase of grace, to put it in practice. We should enjoy much more of the light of God’s countenance, and of that peacewhich passeth all understanding, if we would attend to, and watch against, those occasions of falling, which from their commonness we are apt to calllittle.—A soul is often cast into heaviness for hours, by an unguarded word.—You will not, my love, be angry with me that I deal thus freely with you: I watch over your soul in tender love; and though sensible of my own unworthiness, either to advise or persuade; though sensible of my own great and manifold sins and imperfections, I cannot desist from guarding you against all that may hinder your being made perfect in the love of God. I am,Your ever-affectionate,****November 30, 1754.ITHANK you, my love, for writing to me, and rejoice that you are happy: God never fails to hear those that call upon him, and is gracious above all that we can either ask or think. As to my illness, it is extremely troublesome, but I believe not dangerous: and I must continue to bear it for a good while longer, without attempting to remove it, because my apothecary himself knows not what to make of it: *however, I am just as I ought to be; I delight to do and to sufferthe will of God, and his mercies are sweet to my soul. I am in that happy state of resignation, that I have not a wish, but for an increase of grace and holiness. Sunday my soul longed after the sacrament, and the tears came in my eyes, because I could not go to church. But are the flowing streams of redeeming love confined to place or time? I found indeed they were not; for my soul was at home sweetly replenished with every blessing I could have hoped for at the altar. How much are those to be pitied who know not the love of God! How much are those to be pitied who set their hearts on any thing in this infant-state of existence! How poor, how low, how trifling is every thing, that does not look towards eternity! I have such an experimental sense of the nothingness of all worldly things, that they seem no more to me than dancing puppets; and I am sometimes ready to affront my brother andMr.****, by smiling at the important air with which they talk of theirbusiness, as they call it.—I think there is very little probability that I shall be fit to come to the wedding. Pray God keep your sister’s heart in this time of danger and distraction, and bless you both with the blessings of his children.****January 7, 1755.To theRev.Mr.****.Reverend Sir,YOUR character for candour and piety takes from me all fear that you should be offended at the address of a person unknown,eventhough this address is designed to point out something amiss in you; which it is absolutely necessary (for the good of your own soul, and for the eternal welfare of those who hear you) that you should amend.——Youbelieve!—Youfeelthe power, and live thelifeoffaith!—Oh why will you not strive that others may be partakers of like happiness with you?—I know your general manner of preaching: I myself have heard you; and while my ear has been delighted with your affecting delivery, your elegant language, and well-turned periods, my heart hasbledto think thatsuch talentsshould be so miserably perverted:bledforyou, and for thosepoor souls, whom this way of preaching lulls into a fatalsecurity. Pardon my freedom of speech; pardon my boldness towards you; but you yourself will acknowledge, that where the foundation is unsound, the building must fall; and no true foundation can be laid except Jesus Christ. Your own experiencemust tell you, that a divine power can alone change the heart; that all outward regularity of behaviour, all rounds and forms of devotion, and all moral duties, without this change are, utterly unavailing, and only like beautifying the outside of a sepulchre, which within is full of dead mens bones and of all uncleanness.Youare sensibletoo, that faith in a dying Redeemer is the only means given us by which this change of heart can be effected. To what purpose then is it to tellpoor, lost, undoneman, of thedignityof hisrationalnature, and the beauty ofvirtue?—Dear sir, for the sake of that God whom you love andadore,awaywith theseshadows, and substitute in their place realities. How would it delight the heart of several of your friends (who greatly love and esteem you, and who wish well to the gospel of Christ) to see you, with all the force of eloquence, labouring to convince your hearers of thesinof theirnature, their condemnation in the sight of God, and their utter incapacity to helpthemselves; and then proclaiming to them, “Behold theLambofGod, who taketh away thesinsof the world!”I am sensible of the difficulties you will have to encounter, in thus changing your manner of preaching: but though the battle be hard to fight, great will be the glory of the victory. ’Tis true, your enemies are strong and powerful; the devil, the world, all the wicked, and all the self righteous will be joined together against you: butlook up with an eye of faith, and see how many more are for you. Think of the holy angels rejoicing over every sinner converted by your means; think that the Captain of your salvation, your God and Redeemer, will be ever near to help, to strengthen and comfort you! And consider what unutterable joy your soul will feel, when at that period of time which is the most delightful to the true Christian, you can with firm confidence cry out withSt.Paul, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.”I am, (though your unknown and unworthy)Your truly affectionate friend.ToMr.G****.IAM much obliged to you for your letter to me; and if it will increase your joy to know that I love my Saviour more thanhealth, orlight, orlife, be assured that I do; and that I should think myself the most ungrateful and vile of all creatures if I did not. It is my constant and earnest desire every day, nay every hour, to increase in the knowledge and love of God, and to be saved not only from the guilt, but also from the powerof sin. I know that the grace of God through Christ is sufficient for me; I know that the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin; and I know (blessed be God for giving me that knowledge) that Ihaveredemption through his blood, even theforgivenessof my sins. Think now, what a wretch I should be, if I did not love this Redeemer, and if I did not wish above all things to be conformed to his image?—And in consequence of my thus loving God because he first loved me, I love every creature which God has made, and every soul of man, without any regard had to sects, names, or parties. TheMoravianchurch, though I am certain at this time it is over-run withdreadful errors, I love, pity, and pray for. Oh may the God of love and unbounded mercy, convince and restore it!—I thank you for the glorious advice you give me, of “living very near the cross:”thereis life indeed! Life freely given, to every soul that seeks it. And that you and I may ever partake of this life, is the hearty wish of, your****To theRev.Mr.****.November 30, 1755.Dear Sir,IAM much obliged to you for your apostolical letter, and for the truly christian joy youexpress for my baby’s happiness. That I have felt all that the greatest sensibility of temper is capable of feeling on such an occasion, is certain: but here has been my great comfort, that, in every thing which concerned the child, I have had neither will nor wish of my own. He was peculiarly dedicated to God, even before he was born: andsince, he has been daily, nay almost hourly offered up; and that not in word only, but in truth: and as it has pleased God to accept him as a sacrifice, rather than as a servant, I have nothing to say, but “thy will be done!” If I could have seen you, or any of my Christian friends at this time, when all the finest springs of human nature were on the rack, it would have been a great satisfaction; but it pleased God to with-hold all creature comfort from me; and though his own arm sustained me, it was in a manner not sensibly perceived by my soul: *so that I had the great blessing of bearing something of thecross. And this I look upon to be a particular blessing to me, because I have been so wholly led by love, that before this, I knew but very little of what it was tosufferthe will of God. In short, every dispensation of my heavenly Father towards me, is nothing but mercy and unbounded goodness. Iseeand Iadore.—The Lord Jesus bless and preserve you in body, soul, and spirit. Fail not to pray for,Your obliged and affectionate,****Monday, December 22, 1755.Dear Sir,ISEE with delight, that youare set upas a mark, for every one of thedevil’s tools to shootat: andhecertainly wounds the deepest by those, who, while they are working for him, imagine they are doing God service, and acting withChristian prudence. How often isthat wisdomwhich comes frombeneath, taken for that which comes fromabove! Andfearof man,secretdesire of preferment, and beingashamedof thecrossofChrist, dignified with the title of truediscretion, and caution not to give offence!—’Tis hard, indeed, to be wounded in the house of your friends; nothing, perhaps, is more painful to nature; but if they have called the master of the houseBeelzebub, how much more those of his houshold!—Those servants of Christ who are designed by him foreminent usefulness, must of necessity have the largest share of tribulation; for the highest place of honour under ourking, is that of the sharpest sufferings. I should not wonder if the tongues and pens of all your brethren (except two or three) were employed againstyou; and I am so far from being sorry (on your account) forMr.L.’s preaching against you, thatI look upon it as apreciousandblessed mark, and asealto the truth of your ministry.—Happy parting, indeed, with the world! And happy parting with every comfort in it, if nearer union with God is the consequence! Oh cease not to pray for me, that all things may thus work together for my good!—This poor dream of life will soon be at an end; andthen, if those who have only given a cup of cold water for the sake of Christ, shall not lose their reward, what an exceeding and eternal weight of glory attends those happy souls who constantly labour, and patiently suffer for him!I am, your obliged and faithful Friend and Servant,****The End of theThirteenth Volume.
♦duplicate word “of” removed
♦duplicate word “of” removed
♦duplicate word “of” removed
To Miss ****.
Sunday Morning.
My dear Friend,
IHAVE just time enough to wish that your soul may this day prosper, and that Godmay be found by you in all his ordinances. Oh that his love may be more and more shed abroad in your heart! And this it certainly will be, if you walk closely with him, and suffer not your imagination to lead you from your only true happiness. Oh strive continually after a constant recollection, and communion with God.—I know the unprofitable manner in which you will be employed this afternoon; but this need not hinder your heart from being with your Saviour; he will support and comfort you.—Take care that you run not into making observations, either on the persons, manners, or dress of your visitors: four young ladies in a house together, are in the utmost danger from this sin: and depend upon it, it is as contrary to Christian love as lying or stealing.Adieu.
****
My dear friend,
IHAVE been thinking, since I saw you, of all the snares to which you are going to be exposed, and I sincerely pray that God may protect you in every danger, and hold up your goings inhis paths. But in order to gain this gracious protection, you must take the greatest care that you do nothing to grieve his blessed Spirit, and cause him to depart from you. And this anysinful compliance will certainly do: therefore when you are desired to do any thing unbecoming a christian, fear not (young as you are) to bear your testimony for God against an evil world. But do it in the spirit of meekness; and if by this means you draw upon yourself the appellations of whimsical, obstinate, and ridiculous, look upon the reproach as matter of rejoicing, and as adding a greater lustre to the crown you will hereafter receive. There is one temptation, which at your age is peculiarly dangerous, and that is a desire of being thought handsome. You must be ever on your watch against this; for it will raise a thousand tempers in your soul, as contrary to the mind which was in Christ as darkness is to light. There is nothing which is a greater counter-poise to this desire, than bringing the mind to be contented, nay even to rejoice that another should outshine us. Let MissFbe the means by which you acquire a conquest over this first born of female pride: set yourself every day to take delight in her beauty; to wish for its embellishment, and to be most pleased when she appears to the greatest advantage.—If when you read this you colour, and cry, “Dear! what can she mean? this is vastly odd!”—depend upon it there is something in your heart which makes the advice I have given highly necessary; and fail not, as you prize your peace of mind and increase of grace, to put it in practice. We should enjoy much more of the light of God’s countenance, and of that peacewhich passeth all understanding, if we would attend to, and watch against, those occasions of falling, which from their commonness we are apt to calllittle.—A soul is often cast into heaviness for hours, by an unguarded word.—You will not, my love, be angry with me that I deal thus freely with you: I watch over your soul in tender love; and though sensible of my own unworthiness, either to advise or persuade; though sensible of my own great and manifold sins and imperfections, I cannot desist from guarding you against all that may hinder your being made perfect in the love of God. I am,
Your ever-affectionate,
****
November 30, 1754.
ITHANK you, my love, for writing to me, and rejoice that you are happy: God never fails to hear those that call upon him, and is gracious above all that we can either ask or think. As to my illness, it is extremely troublesome, but I believe not dangerous: and I must continue to bear it for a good while longer, without attempting to remove it, because my apothecary himself knows not what to make of it: *however, I am just as I ought to be; I delight to do and to sufferthe will of God, and his mercies are sweet to my soul. I am in that happy state of resignation, that I have not a wish, but for an increase of grace and holiness. Sunday my soul longed after the sacrament, and the tears came in my eyes, because I could not go to church. But are the flowing streams of redeeming love confined to place or time? I found indeed they were not; for my soul was at home sweetly replenished with every blessing I could have hoped for at the altar. How much are those to be pitied who know not the love of God! How much are those to be pitied who set their hearts on any thing in this infant-state of existence! How poor, how low, how trifling is every thing, that does not look towards eternity! I have such an experimental sense of the nothingness of all worldly things, that they seem no more to me than dancing puppets; and I am sometimes ready to affront my brother andMr.****, by smiling at the important air with which they talk of theirbusiness, as they call it.—I think there is very little probability that I shall be fit to come to the wedding. Pray God keep your sister’s heart in this time of danger and distraction, and bless you both with the blessings of his children.
****
January 7, 1755.
To theRev.Mr.****.
Reverend Sir,
YOUR character for candour and piety takes from me all fear that you should be offended at the address of a person unknown,eventhough this address is designed to point out something amiss in you; which it is absolutely necessary (for the good of your own soul, and for the eternal welfare of those who hear you) that you should amend.——Youbelieve!—Youfeelthe power, and live thelifeoffaith!—Oh why will you not strive that others may be partakers of like happiness with you?—I know your general manner of preaching: I myself have heard you; and while my ear has been delighted with your affecting delivery, your elegant language, and well-turned periods, my heart hasbledto think thatsuch talentsshould be so miserably perverted:bledforyou, and for thosepoor souls, whom this way of preaching lulls into a fatalsecurity. Pardon my freedom of speech; pardon my boldness towards you; but you yourself will acknowledge, that where the foundation is unsound, the building must fall; and no true foundation can be laid except Jesus Christ. Your own experiencemust tell you, that a divine power can alone change the heart; that all outward regularity of behaviour, all rounds and forms of devotion, and all moral duties, without this change are, utterly unavailing, and only like beautifying the outside of a sepulchre, which within is full of dead mens bones and of all uncleanness.Youare sensibletoo, that faith in a dying Redeemer is the only means given us by which this change of heart can be effected. To what purpose then is it to tellpoor, lost, undoneman, of thedignityof hisrationalnature, and the beauty ofvirtue?—Dear sir, for the sake of that God whom you love andadore,awaywith theseshadows, and substitute in their place realities. How would it delight the heart of several of your friends (who greatly love and esteem you, and who wish well to the gospel of Christ) to see you, with all the force of eloquence, labouring to convince your hearers of thesinof theirnature, their condemnation in the sight of God, and their utter incapacity to helpthemselves; and then proclaiming to them, “Behold theLambofGod, who taketh away thesinsof the world!”
I am sensible of the difficulties you will have to encounter, in thus changing your manner of preaching: but though the battle be hard to fight, great will be the glory of the victory. ’Tis true, your enemies are strong and powerful; the devil, the world, all the wicked, and all the self righteous will be joined together against you: butlook up with an eye of faith, and see how many more are for you. Think of the holy angels rejoicing over every sinner converted by your means; think that the Captain of your salvation, your God and Redeemer, will be ever near to help, to strengthen and comfort you! And consider what unutterable joy your soul will feel, when at that period of time which is the most delightful to the true Christian, you can with firm confidence cry out withSt.Paul, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.”
I am, (though your unknown and unworthy)Your truly affectionate friend.
ToMr.G****.
IAM much obliged to you for your letter to me; and if it will increase your joy to know that I love my Saviour more thanhealth, orlight, orlife, be assured that I do; and that I should think myself the most ungrateful and vile of all creatures if I did not. It is my constant and earnest desire every day, nay every hour, to increase in the knowledge and love of God, and to be saved not only from the guilt, but also from the powerof sin. I know that the grace of God through Christ is sufficient for me; I know that the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin; and I know (blessed be God for giving me that knowledge) that Ihaveredemption through his blood, even theforgivenessof my sins. Think now, what a wretch I should be, if I did not love this Redeemer, and if I did not wish above all things to be conformed to his image?—And in consequence of my thus loving God because he first loved me, I love every creature which God has made, and every soul of man, without any regard had to sects, names, or parties. TheMoravianchurch, though I am certain at this time it is over-run withdreadful errors, I love, pity, and pray for. Oh may the God of love and unbounded mercy, convince and restore it!—I thank you for the glorious advice you give me, of “living very near the cross:”thereis life indeed! Life freely given, to every soul that seeks it. And that you and I may ever partake of this life, is the hearty wish of, your
****
To theRev.Mr.****.
November 30, 1755.
Dear Sir,
IAM much obliged to you for your apostolical letter, and for the truly christian joy youexpress for my baby’s happiness. That I have felt all that the greatest sensibility of temper is capable of feeling on such an occasion, is certain: but here has been my great comfort, that, in every thing which concerned the child, I have had neither will nor wish of my own. He was peculiarly dedicated to God, even before he was born: andsince, he has been daily, nay almost hourly offered up; and that not in word only, but in truth: and as it has pleased God to accept him as a sacrifice, rather than as a servant, I have nothing to say, but “thy will be done!” If I could have seen you, or any of my Christian friends at this time, when all the finest springs of human nature were on the rack, it would have been a great satisfaction; but it pleased God to with-hold all creature comfort from me; and though his own arm sustained me, it was in a manner not sensibly perceived by my soul: *so that I had the great blessing of bearing something of thecross. And this I look upon to be a particular blessing to me, because I have been so wholly led by love, that before this, I knew but very little of what it was tosufferthe will of God. In short, every dispensation of my heavenly Father towards me, is nothing but mercy and unbounded goodness. Iseeand Iadore.—The Lord Jesus bless and preserve you in body, soul, and spirit. Fail not to pray for,
Your obliged and affectionate,
****
Monday, December 22, 1755.
Dear Sir,
ISEE with delight, that youare set upas a mark, for every one of thedevil’s tools to shootat: andhecertainly wounds the deepest by those, who, while they are working for him, imagine they are doing God service, and acting withChristian prudence. How often isthat wisdomwhich comes frombeneath, taken for that which comes fromabove! Andfearof man,secretdesire of preferment, and beingashamedof thecrossofChrist, dignified with the title of truediscretion, and caution not to give offence!—’Tis hard, indeed, to be wounded in the house of your friends; nothing, perhaps, is more painful to nature; but if they have called the master of the houseBeelzebub, how much more those of his houshold!—Those servants of Christ who are designed by him foreminent usefulness, must of necessity have the largest share of tribulation; for the highest place of honour under ourking, is that of the sharpest sufferings. I should not wonder if the tongues and pens of all your brethren (except two or three) were employed againstyou; and I am so far from being sorry (on your account) forMr.L.’s preaching against you, thatI look upon it as apreciousandblessed mark, and asealto the truth of your ministry.—Happy parting, indeed, with the world! And happy parting with every comfort in it, if nearer union with God is the consequence! Oh cease not to pray for me, that all things may thus work together for my good!—This poor dream of life will soon be at an end; andthen, if those who have only given a cup of cold water for the sake of Christ, shall not lose their reward, what an exceeding and eternal weight of glory attends those happy souls who constantly labour, and patiently suffer for him!
I am, your obliged and faithful Friend and Servant,
****
The End of theThirteenth Volume.