Wesley Corpus

MY DEAR MISS BISHOP,--I am glad you had such success in your labour of love. In all things you shall reap if you faint not. And the promise is, 'They shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.' I hope the building is begun, [See letter of Nov. 27.] and will be finished as soon as possible. What temper are your neighbours in? Do they bear with you? And do you confirm your love toward them? How does our little Society prosper? Are you all united in love? And are you all aware of that bane of love, tale-bearing and evil-speaking? Are the congregations as large as they have been for some time? Herein we may well say, What hath God wrought! See, I ask you many questions, because I have a mind you should say a great deal to me. How does your own soul prosper? Do you retain that little spark of faith? Are you going forward, and have you as strong a desire as ever to increase with all the increase of God? See the Lord, thy Keeper, stand, Omnipotently near! Lo, He holds thee by thy hand, And banishes thy fear! O trust Him, love Him, and praise Him! And for His sake love, my dear Miss Bishop, Your affectionate brother. To Miss Bishop, Near the Countess of Huntingdon's Chapel, In Bath. To Ann Bolton LONDON, November 16, 1770. MY DEAR SISTER,--To see even the superscription of a letter from you always gives me pleasure. I am glad you are still waiting for the kingdom of God: although as yet you are rather in the state of a servant than of a child. But it is a blessed thing to be even a servant of God! You shall never have cause to be ashamed of His service. What I peculiarly advise is, that you will never omit private duties, whatever hurry you may be in, and however dull and dry your soul may be: still they shall not be without a blessing. And therein you will receive power against that temptation, which to your tender spirit may be the most dangerous of any. On Sunday I am to preach a funeral sermon for that blessed man Mr. Whitefield at the Tabernacle and at Tottenham Court Chapel. [See next letter.]