an effectual door opened there, and I may add, there are many adversaries. Having such a prospect before me, it is with regret that I think of quitting this place now. For my own part, I only defire to follow Providence, and to fuffer, fo far as I know, all the will of God; but I am quite at a lofs how to act here, being pulled iffferent ways; but I am blind: may God direct me!

I beg you will pray for me, and believe me to be, Rev. Sir, your Son and Servant in the Gofpel,

W. PENINGTON,

LETTER

CCXCI.

[From the Rev. Mr. Wefley, to Lord

My Lord,

UPON

July 26, 1764.

PON an attentive confideration, it will appear to every impartial person, that the uniting of the serious Clergy, in the manner I propofed in a former Letter, is not a matter of indifferency; but what none can reject, unless at the peril of his own foul. For every article therein mentioned, is undeniably contained in the Royal Law, the Law of Love; and confequently the obfervance thereof, is bound upon every man, as indifpenfably neceffary to falvation. It will appear farther, that every single perfon may obferve it whether the other will or no. For many years, I for inftance, have obferved this Rule in every article. I labour to do so now, and will, by God's help, whatever others do, obferve it to the end.

I rejoice that your Lordship fo heartily concurs in doing what is in your power, to promote a general observance of it. Certainly this is not poffible to be effected by merely human means but it feems your Lordship has taken one

good

good step towards it, by communicating it to feveral. I am perfuaded, at the fame time, your Lordship's approbation and wifh is, that it might take place every where. The fame ftep I purpose to take, by fending to each of those Gentlemen, the substance of what I wrote to your Lordship, and defiring them to tell me freely, whatever objections they have against such an union. As many of thofe as are grounded on Reason, I doubt not, will be easily answered. Those only which spring from fome wrong temper must remain, till that temper is fubdued. For inftance: first, we cannot unite, says one, because we cannot trust one another. I answer to your Reafon or Understanding, no matter whether we can or no. Thus far we muft unite, truft or not, otherwise we fin against God: fecondly, I can trust you, why cannot you trust me? I can have no private end herein. I have neither personal hopes nor fears from you. I want nothing which you can give me; and I am not afraid of your doing me any hurt; though you may hurt yourself and the caufe of God. But I, cannot answer your envy, jealoufy, pride, or credulity, as long as those remain. Objections however cut off, will spring up again like hydrah's heads.

If your Lordship has heard any objections, I fhould be glad to know them. May I be permitted to afk, Have not the objections you have heard, made fome impreffion upon your Lordship? Have they not occafioned (if I may speak freely) your Lordship's ftanding aloof from me? Have they not fet your Lordship farther and farther off, ever fince I waited upon you at ? Why do I ask? Indeed not upon my own account. Quid mea? Ego in porto navigo. I can truly fay, I neither fear, nor defire any thing from your Lordship: to speak a rough truth, I do not defire any intercourfe with any perfons of quality in England. I mean, for my own fake: they do me no good, and I fear I can do none to them. If it be defired, I will readily leave all those to the care of my Fellow-labourers. I will article with them fo to do, rather than this fhall be any bone of contention.

W 2

Were

Were I not afraid of giving your Lordship pain, I would fpeak yet ftill further. Methinks you defire I fhould; that is, to tell you once for all, every thought that rifes in my heart. I will then. At prefent I do not want you, but I really think you want me. For have you a person in all England, who fpeaks to your Lordship fo plain and downright as I do? Who confiders not the Peer; but the Man? not the Earl; but the immortal Spirit? Who rarely commends, but often blames, and perhaps would do it oftener if you defired it: who is jealous over you with a godly jealousy, left you should be lefs a Chriftian by being a Nobleman? Left, after having made a fair advance towards heaven, you should measure back your fteps to earth again. O my Lord, is not fuch a perfon as this needful for you in the highest degree? If you have any fuch, I have no more to say, but that I pray God to blefs him to your foul. If you have not, despise not even the affiftance which it may please God to give you by, my Lord,

Your Lordship's ready Servant,

Meekly the fudden call obeyed,
His willing spirit to refign,
And only for his Saviour stayed,
To finish his own work divine.

The fouls whom most he prized below,
The dearest partners of his heart,
Free, and detatched, he let them go;
Refigned, and ready to depart:
'Tis all his gafping foul's defire,
To find his place prepared above;
And keep, with that enraptured quire,
A fabbath of eternal love.

The prayer is heard, and faved at last,
He drops the gross, corporeal clay,
The dreary, doleful vale is past,
And opens into glorious day;
Paft are his days to feel and mourn,
Accomplished is his warfare here,
His Father wills him to return,
And Ifrael's flaming steeds appear!

Triumphant while the foul afcends,
By minifterial spirits conveyed,
The numbers whom his grateful friends,
He by the unrighteous mammon made;
With kindred faints and angels bright,
In fhining ranks expecting stand,
And all the shouting fons of light,
Receive, and welcome him to land.

Happy the fouls he leaves behind,
If following him, as he his Lord,
As meek, and lowly, and refigned,
They hear the laft tranfporting word;

If ready through the Saviour's love,
When all the ftorms of life are o'er,
As fafe and fudden they remove,

And grafp their friend, to part no more.

ENCE, melancholy! hence! with all thy train
Of rifing fears, and anxious doubts remove;

Let not thy penfive eye deject the plain,
Nor fpread thy horrors o'er the filent grove.

Far mayeft thou wander from this blissful scene, Where al that's lovely, decks the varied lawn; Where fprings the laughing flower, the fragrant green, Where spreads the lake, and skips the wanton fawn.

Now fmiles the infant-morn ferenely gay;
Glitters the dew-drop on the bending blade;
Now grateful birds falute the blushing day,
And flocks unfolded seek the verdant glade,

As