Wesley Corpus

To Sarah James Date: SHOREHAM, November 29, 1774. Source: The Letters of John Wesley (1774) Author: John Wesley --- MY DEAR SISTER,--I do not love you because you are without faults, but because you are desirous of being delivered from them. And I trust you will now find a great deliverance in a little time. For you are now taken into God’s school, into the school of affliction. The continued weakness and distress of Mrs. James (nay, and I fear Mr. James is not much better) is designed to humble and meeken your soul, to keep you dead to all below, and to teach you that grand lesson to say in all things, 'Not as I will, but as Thou wilt.' Only carry this point, and then I am not solicitous whether you have joy or not. See, the Lord thy Keeper stand Omnipotently near! Lo! He holds thee by thy hand, And banishes thy fear. Thou, poor sinner stay not to be any better, but take Him just as you are. Trust Him, praise Him now! The Lord take you with His sweet force! and then you will not forget, my dear Sally, Yours affectionately.