Wesley Corpus

You never 'take up too much of my time.' To converse with you even in this imperfect way is both agreeable and useful to me. I love your spirit, and it does me good. I trust God will still give you that hunger and thirst after righteousness till you are satisfied therewith. And who knows how soon--I am, my dear Lady, Your ever affectionate servant. To Mrs. Crosby CHESTER, March 18, 1769. MY DEAR SISTER,--The westerly winds detain me here, I care not how long: good is the will of the Lord. When I am in Ireland, you have only to direct to Dublin and the letter will find me. I advise you, as I did Grace Walton [See letter of Sept. 8, 1761, to her.] formerly, (1) Pray in private or public as much as you can. (2) Even in public you may properly enough intermix short exhortations with prayer; but keep as far from what is called preaching as you can: therefore never take a text; never speak in a continued discourse without some break, about four or five minutes. Tell the people, 'We shall have another prayer-meeting at such a time and place.' If Hannah Harrison [See letters of Nov. 26, 1768, and March 31, 1781 (to Lancelot Harrison).] had followed these few directions, she might have been as useful now as ever. As soon as you have time, write more particularly and circumstantially; and let Sister Bosanquet do the same. There is now no hindrance in the way; nothing to hinder your speaking as freely as you please [His wife was not near to open his letters.] to, dear Sally, Your affectionate brother. To John Valton DUBLIN, March 23, 1769,