Wesley Corpus

To Ann Bolton Date: NEAR LONDON, August 3, 1782. Source: The Letters of John Wesley (1782) Author: John Wesley --- MY DEAR NANCY, -- I thought you had known the truth of the old saying, ‘A Friend is made for adversity.’ Very probably you have suffered more by keeping your sufferings to yourself. But still we know the Lord is King and ruleth all things both in heaven and earth. I am glad your brother's distresses are a little relieved. I shall not be sorry when he is entirely quit of Finstock. I never expected great things from it; but I thought he knew better than me. [See letters of Sept. 9, 1781, and Jan. 5, 1783.] I believe, if you feed the poor man three or four weeks with absolutely nothing but bread and milk, it will totally restore his senses. I have known it tried here, and the patient recovered entirely. Miss Ritchie is just alive; she is still hovering between life and death. I have divided Nottingham Circuit into two, and stationed Brother Warwick [Thomas Warwick (1778-1809), who appears in the Minutes for Leicestershire, was a laborious and successful preacher. See letter of March 6, 1788.] in the Derby part of it. Do not, my dear Nancy, again delay so long writing to Yours most affectionately.