Wesley Corpus

To Jane Bisson Date: NEAR LONDON, February 20, 1788. Source: The Letters of John Wesley (1788) Author: John Wesley --- MY DEAR SISTER, -- Your last letter gave me a very sensible pleasure. Indeed, so do all your letters. And I cannot but acknowledge every letter I receive from you unites you to me more than I was united before. There is something in your spirit that does me good, that softens and quickens me too: but at the same time that melancholy thought occurs, that you are at so great a distance from me, and that it is doubtful whether I shall ever have the satisfaction of taking you by the hand again. Yet I shall, if it be the will of Him that orders all things well, who orders all for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. And we know He cannot deny to them that fear Him any manner of thing that is good. Your speaking of trials makes me almost ready to cry out in the words of our poet, Secluded from the world, and all its care, Hast thou to joy or grieve, to hope or fear Shut up, as you are, in your father's house, and a little, retired, quiet island, and having food to eat and raiment to put on, what can you find to try you Speak, my dear friend, speak. Surely you will not deny me the pleasure of serving you, or at least of sympathizing with you, if I cannot help you. One of your trials I can easily foresee. With all your innocence and prudence, you cannot escape censure. In spite of all you can do, the good that is in you will surely be evil spoken of. And it is not unlikely some will join in the cry against you from whom you expected better things. But, as you are just entering into life, one would think you had hardly yet met with any who rewarded you evil for good, and gave you occasion to cry out, Ingratitude! sharp as the viper's tooth!