and God loves you (as I believe he does) you shall have thorns enough put into your nest. O that I may be enabled, even to the end, to evidence, that nothing but a pure disinterested love to Christ and souls, caused me to begin, go on, and hold out, in pursuing the present work of God! I have seen so many that once bid exceedingly fair, and afterwards,
Demas like, preferred the world to Christ, that I cannot be too jealous over myself, or others whom I profess to love. This is my motive in writing to you, love, even love unfeigned; love for Christ's sake, and the good of souls. O let no one take away your crown. If you marry, let it be in the Lord, and for the Lord, and then the Lord will give it his blessing. Only remember this, marry when or whom you will, expect trouble in the flesh. But I spare you. Seven years hence, if we should live and meet, we can talk better of these things. In the mean while, let us go on leaning on our Beloved. He, and He alone, can keep us unspotted from the world. Does the work prosper among you? It increases here. At Canterbury I find several souls are awakened. God willing, I leave it to-morrow. You must pray for me, and exhort all to continue their prayers also. I expect, one day or another, to see some glorious days in Ireland. I am called away.—For the present, adieu.
Yours most affectionately in our blessed Lord, G. W.
LETTER DCCCLXXI. To Mr. T.
My dear Mr. T, London, Nov. 30, 1750.
AS I love you in the bowels of Jesus Christ, and look upon you as an aged friend of the blessed Bridegroom, and my friend for his great name's sake, I cannot help dropping you a few lines. They are lines of gratitude; lines of thanks for all favours conferred upon me when in Scotland. They leave me pleasantly sojourning in my Winter quarters, and longing for the Spring that I may enter upon a fresh campaign. Now and then I make little excursions, and can inform you, that there is a sweet work begun and carrying on at Canterbury and Chatham. I long to hear that your son
