Wesley Corpus

1774 To Joseph Benson, Edinburgh [1] LONDON January 8, 1774. DEAR JOSEPH,--Many persons are in danger of reading too little; you are in danger of reading too much. Wherever you are, take up your cross and visit all the Society from house to house. Do this according to Mr. Baxter’s plan, laid down in the Minutes of the Conference [See Minutes for 1766; works, viii. 302-3, 315]. The fruit which will ensure (perhaps in a short time), will abundantly reward your labor. Fruit also we shall have, even in those who have no outward connection with us. I am glad you ' press all believers ' to aspire after the full liberty of the children of God. They must not give up their faith in order to do this; herein you formerly seemed to be in some mistake. Let them go on from faith to faith--from weak faith to that strong faith which not only conquers but casts out sin. Meantime it is certain many call themselves believers who do not even conquer sin, who are strangers to the whole inward kingdom of God and void of the whole fruit of the Spirit. We must not go on at Dunbar in this manner. Rather we must quit the place. For who will pay that debt On Tuesday I was under the surgeon’s hands, but am now (blessed be God) quite recovered [See next letter].--I am, dear Joseph, Yours affectionately. To James Hutton LEWISHAM, January 8, 1774. DEAR JEMMY,--On Tuesday I was tapped by Mr. Wathen [See letter of Dec. 31, 1773], and now (blessed be God) I am well and easy. I hope yours is an hydrocele; because, if so, it admits of an easy remedy. The being tapped, if you have a skilful surgeon, is no more than being let blood. I expect dominucete’s fumes will do you neither harm nor good [Hutton wrote to the Moravian Society on Jan. 16 resigning his position as Chairman on account of his deafness. See Benham’s Hutton, p.496. Domine stekan a corruption of Dominus tecum]. If you can spare half an hour on Monday, I shall be glad of your company. I will endeavor to be at Mr. Atwood’s [Wesley dined with Atwood on various occasions, See Journal Index], house (one of the King’s musicians) by two o'clock on Monday. He lives at Pimlico, just behind the Queen’s Gardens.