thanks be to God, I hear my family is well, and that the Lord hath given them a plentiful crop. If your Ladyship lives, I believe you will hear of some souls being educated at
Georgia for God. Honoured Madam, my heart's desire and constant prayer is, that you may go on from strength to strength, and be continually growing in the knowledge of yourself and Christ Jesus your Lord. I must now add no more, but my repeated thanks for all your Ladyship's favours, and my repeated assurances of being, honoured Madam,
Your Ladyship's most obliged, obedient, and ready servant for Christ's sake, G. W.
LETTER DCCLXXXI. To Lady F S.
Honoured Madam, Estwood in Lancashire, Oct. 25, 1749.
SINCE I had the honour of writing to your Ladyship from Newcastle, fresh wonders of grace and mercy have been shewn us daily. I have now I think preached about thirty times in Yorkshire, and above ten times in Cheshire, and Lancashire. Congregations have been very large, and a solid, convincing, and comforting influence hath every where attended the word. In one or two places I have had a little rough treatment, but elsewhere all has been quiet, and many I hear are brought under concern about the welfare of their better part. At the importunity of many, I am now returning from Manchester (where I preached to many thousands) to Leeds; from thence I purpose going to Sheffield, and next week I hope to see good Lady Hn at Ashby, and the week following I hope to be in London. Thus do I lead a pilgrim life: God give me a pilgrim heart, and enable me to speak of redeeming love to a lost world, till I can speak no more! Surely this is a work that brings with it its own reward. It brings a heaven into the soul, and causes it, amidst all the scoffs and tauntings of a benighted, ill-natured, and ridiculing world, to rejoice with joy unspeakable, even a joy that is full of glory. "To me, (says the blessed apostle) to live is Christ." When a person can once say so in reality, then he begins to live indeed. Even death itself is then life, because death to such a one is
