should be so froward as to oblige the God of love to strike me with his rod. But oh the goodness of the Lord! His rod, as well as staff, do comfort and build up my soul. I would not but be tried for ten thousand worlds. Blessed be God, I am enabled to clasp the cross, and desire to glory in nothing more. Dear brother, help me with your prayers. Our victorious Jesus makes his power to be known; many have I seen struck quite down by the power of the word. The holy Ghost hath often come like a mighty rushing wind. Satan has desired to sift us as wheat. But our Lord still shews me, that the orphan-house will go on and flourish. It is often a great weight upon my soul; but through your and my dear friends prayers, the Lord I am persuaded will still support it.
Yours eternally in Christ Jesus,
G. W.
LETTER CCXII. To Mr. N, in New York.
My dear Brother, Savannah, Aug. 15, 1740.
YOUR letter rejoiced my heart. May our dear Lord's kingdom be advanced more and more every day! O that I may meet you at New-England! Blessed be God that Mr. M is yet alive. Salute him from me; I hope to see him before I die, and so be taught the way of God more perfectly. I thank you for your kind hints; I have always paid great deference to dear Mr. N's judgment: indeed I love him in the bowels of Jesus. God has been pleased to bring me low, for some time, by inward weakness, and faintness of spirits. The first strength that is given me to write, I make use of in writing to you. The Lord is purging me, that I may bring forth more fruit. I long to die, not that I may be rid of crosses, but that I may be with Christ. He draws me more and more to him every day. I have had many close domestic trials of late. But these words, "David strengthened himself in the Lord his God," came with sweet power to my soul. I find, the nearer I come to Christ, the closer my trials are. I have been sometimes through weakness kept from preaching; but when I have spoken, the word
