You would have been very welcome at our Conference. Mr. Pugh and Mr. Dodwell were present at it; and I believe are more determined than ever to spend their whole strength in saving their own souls, and them that hear them. I believe one of our Preachers that are stationed in the Leicester circuit will call upon you at Alexton; and I make no doubt but some of the seed which you have been long sowing No one should wish or pray No one should wish or pray for persecution. will then grow up. On the contrary, we are to avoid it to the uttermost of our power. "When they persecute you in one city, flee unto another." Yet, when it does come, notwithstanding all our care to avoid it, God will extract good out of evil. To-morrow, I am to set out for Cornwall. In about three weeks I expect to be here again. In the beginning of October, I generally move towards London; in the neighbourhood of which I usually spend the winter. I am, dear Sir, Your affectionate friend and brother. DCIII.-To Mrs. Rebecca Gains. MY DEAR SISTER, London, August 4, 1770. In this case, we I WAS glad to hear from you; and especially to hear that you are still athirst for God. O beware of setting up any idol in your heart! Give all to Him; for He is worthy. You did exceeding right in going to Jane Johnson. There is no end of shyness, if we stand aloof from each other. have only to overcome evil with good; and they are wisest that yield first. Promises of that kind are of no force. The sooner they are broken the better. You should take Molly S— in to board. O self-will! How few have conquered it! I believe it is a good providence for your account; she can pay but few visits. She fears God, and wishes to save her soul; and the visiting those that are otherwise minded will not profit her: She wants nothing but Christ. Surely you may tell anything to, My dear Sister, Your affectionate brother. 494 LETTER TO THE COMMANDING OFFICER IN LOWESTOFT. MY DEAR SISTER, DCIV.-To the Same. Near Dunbar, May 26, 1779. It was not your own desire to miss me at Alnwick, as well as at Newcastle; otherwise I might have blamed you, and supposed that your love was grown cold. But I do not believe that is the case; and it is still your desire to love God. What then should hinder your recovering His love, if you still walk in all his appointed ways? if you still contrive all the opportunities you can of hearing his word, of communicating, of prayer, reading, and meditation? It cannot be, if you seek Him, but you will soon find. He will return and abundantly pardon. Who knows how soon? Perhaps to-day; and why not at this hour? You ask what I think of that strange book. I think the writer was distracted; otherwise she could have no excuse. I am, dear Becky, MY DEAR SISTER, Your affectionate brother. DCV.-To the Same. London, January 5, 1785. You did well to write. Although I have not much time, yet I am always well-pleased to hear from a friend. If outward losses be a means of stirring you up to gain more inward holiness, you will never have need to repent of that loss, but rather to praise God for it. How soon will the moment of life be gone! It is enough, if we secure an happy eternity. Let brother Gains and you earnestly seek to be wholly devoted to God; and all things else will be added to you. I am, dear Becky, Your affectionate brother. SIR, DCVI. To the Commanding Officer, in Lowestoft. London, November 30, 1782. I AM informed by some of my friends in Lowestoft, that they have been frequently disturbed at their public worship by some Officers quartered in the town. Before I use any other method, I beg of you, Sir, who can do it with a word, to prevent our being thus insulted any more. We are men ; we are Englishmen As such we have a natural and a legal right to liberty of conscience. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant. DCVII.-To Mr. Richard Rodda. DEAR RICHARD, Bristol, September 9, 1782. You should take particular care that your circuit be never without an assortment of all the valuable books, especially the Appeals, the Sermons, Kempis, and "The Primitive Physic,” which no family should be without. Send for these, and, according to the rule of Conference, take them into your own keeping. You are found to be remarkably diligent in spreading the books: Let none rob you of this glory. If you can spread the Magazine, it will do good: The letters therein contain the marrow of Christianity. Your affectionate friend and brother. It is very remarkable, that you should have a prospect of doing good at Oxford ! And it is certainly a token for good, that you should find a Magistrate willing to do you justice. DCVIII. To the Same. Wallingford, October 24, 1789. MY DEAR BROTHER, You are a man whom I can trust: Whatever you do, you will do it with your might. Some years since we wanted a preaching-place near Coleford, in Somersetshire. A neighbouring Gentleman, Mr. Salmon, gave us ground to build on, and timber for the house, and desired me to use his house as my He is now by wicked men reduced to want. own. I am informed a master for a poor-house is wanted at Manchester. Pray inquire, and, if it be so, leave no means untried to procure the place for him. Apply in my name to B. Barlow, D. Yates, T. Philips, Dr. Easton, Mr. Brocklehurst, Stonehouse, and all that have a regard for me. Make all the interest you can. Leave no stone unturned. "Join hands with God to make a good man live." I hope you will send me word in London, that you have exerted yourself, and are not without a prospect of success. I am, dear Richard, Your affectionate friend and brother. DCIX.-To Richard Davenport, Esq. I AM afraid, Sir, I shall not have an opportunity of procuring you those tunes until I return to London. The Gentleman from whom I expected to procure them is not yet come hither, I have desired Mr. Swindells to beg your acceptance of two or three little tracts, which, perhaps, you have not seen, that I forgot to mention; one of which, if you have it not already, will probably give you pleasure. The title is nearly this: "A Letter to a Bishop, occasioned by some Late Discoveries in Religion." There are two parts of it. one thing, Sir?-Do not speak evil sometime stand in need of Him; May I request of you Jesus Christ: You may if you should, (I can say from a very little experience,) you will find Him the best friend in heaven or earth. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant. DEAR SAMMY, DCX.-To Mr Samuel Wells. London, January 28, 1779. ACCORDING to the Act of Toleration, 1. You are required to certify to the Registrar of the Bishop's Court, or the Justices, the place of your meeting for divine worship. This is all you have to do. You ask nothing at all of the Bishop or Justices. 2. The Registrar, or Clerk of the Court, is "required to register the same, and to give a certificate thereof to such persons as shall demand the same; for which there shall be no greater fee or reward taken than sixpence." “Gen I advise you to go once more to the Sessions, and say, tlemen, we have had advice from London: We desire nothing at all of you; but we demand of your Clerk to register this place, and to give us a certificate thereof; or to answer the refusal at his peril." Answer no questions to Justices, or Lawyers, but with a bow, and with repeating the words, "Our business is only with your Clerk: We demand of him what the Act requires him to do." If you judge proper, you may show this to any of the Justices. What I have written, I am ready to defend. P. S. You led the Justices into the mistake, by your manner of addressing them. Beware of this for the time to come: You have nothing to ask of them. DCXI.-To Mr. Gidley, Officer of Excise. MY DEAR BROTHER, London, January 18, 1776. I AM glad to hear that you are ordered to Exeter: There seems to be a particular providence in this. We have a small society there, which is but lately formed, and stands in need of every help; so that, I denht not, your settling among them will be an advantage to them.ge that you be not ashamed of a good Master, nor of the least of his servants. I am Your affectionate brother. DCXII. To the Same. Dublin, July 4, 1778. MY DEAR BROTHER, I AM glad to hear that the work of God begins to increase even in poor Exeter. If Jos. Jones is able and willing to preach morning and evening, I should have no objection to his labouring next year in your circuit. As to the house, it would, undoubtedly, be a means of much good, if it can be procured. All the difficulty is, to procure the money. We cannot do much, because of the building at LonBut "the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof." I am Your affectionate brother. VOL. XII. K K |