Wesley Corpus

To Hannah Ball Date: DORKING, February 17, 1780. Source: The Letters of John Wesley (1778) Author: John Wesley --- MY DEAR SISTER, - There is nothing strange in a particular union of spirit between two persons who truly fear God. [She had lost her old friend Samuel Wells. See heading to letter of Feb. 24, 1779, to her.] It is not at all uncommon: within few years I have known many instances of the kind. And I see not any reason why this union should be destroyed by death: I cannot conceive it is. I have myself, since her death, found a wonderful union of spirit with Fanny Cooper [Miss Cooper, whom Wesley went to see at Donnington Park in 1742. See letter of May 17 of that year.]; and have sometimes suddenly looked on one or the other side, not knowing whether I should not see her. So you may remember Mr. De Renty says to his friends, 'To die is not to be lost: our union with each other shall hereafter be more complete than it can be here.' And I have heard my mother say that she had many times been 'as sensible of the presence of the spirit of my grandfather as she could have been if she had seen him standing before her face.' So Mr. Hawes is gone: I hope in peace! Let us also be ready! - I am, my dear sister, Your affectionate brother.