February 14, 1765
Feb. 14, 1705.
My dear Friend: — I shall be filling up
this paper with. First, Thanking my
dear Master for his great kindness to you. From my heart I praise him — may you and yours give him the whole glory of his temporal and spiritual blessings.
Secondly, I pray him to continue his kindness to you — a thankful temper always has fresh matter for thankfulness. To praise him for the past, is the sure way to secure future mercies. Prayer and praise live and die together.
Thirdly, I tell you of his goodness to me. I am nothing but a miracle of his goodness — the most astonishing that ever was! all, all from my first breath to this I am now drawing, is mere mercy and grace, and so it will be for ever and ever. My ministry is wonderful, that such a dumb dog should speak — such a very devil in flesh should feel what he says of that eternally precious Jesus, and he the means of making others feel it, and should have no doubt of feeling it blessedly to eternity. Oh, what delightful views do these things give me of my sweetest Lord and dearest Jesus! He seems willing I should preach more, and have a church in the city; but he will not let it come too easily, lest we should have whereof to glory. We are at law about it, and are like to be a great while, but in the mean time he is doing all things well. The very moment all things are ready, the church will be opened; and if it never is, he does not want me there, with which I am satisfied.
Fourthly, Does all this teach you and me to trust this dear Lamb of God? It should teach us, I hope it does. How safely may we trust his faithfulness; how happily rest upon his almighty love. All things for the good of soul and body are promised to him that believeth. O that the Lord may increase your faith and mine! In an hour of need may you find him very, very near to your heart, and filling you with joy and peace in believing.
To Jesus I commend you and youi*s most heartily, being tied to you in him by the bonds of his everlasting love. Jesus bless you. Amen. W. R.