Page:The Works of the Reverend George Whitefield, M.A., late of Pembroke-College, Oxford, and Chaplain to the Rt. Hon. the Countess of Huntingdon (1771 Volume 2).djvu/351

 pray the to succeed and bless him. He can give your Excellency an account, how the work prospers on this side the water. That every wilderness in America may blossom like a rose, and that your Excellency's province may be like the garden of the, is the hearty prayer of, Your Excellency's most dutiful but obliged humble servant, G. W.     LETTER DCCCXXX. To the Reverend Mr. H.

Portsmouth, April 28, 1750.

My very dear friend and Brother,

YOUR letter should have had an immediate answer, if the least leisure had offered when in town. But there I am continually hurried, and had scarce time to eat bread. However, our gave me meat which the world knows not of, and enabled me to preach three or four times a day to great multitudes, and I trust with great blessings. Fear not your weak body; we are immortal till our work is done. labourers must live by miracle; if not, I must not live at all; for only knows what I daily endure. My continual vomitings almost kill me, and yet the pulpit is my cure, so that my friends begin to pity me less, and to leave off that ungrateful caution, "Spare thyself." I speak this to encourage you. Persons whose writings are to be blessings, must have some thorns in the flesh. Your disorders, like mine, I believe are as yet only to humble, not to kill us. Though I long to go to heaven, yet I am apt to think we are not to die presently, but live and declare the works of the. You by your pen, I by my tongue. May the glorious Emmanuel bless us both! I believe he will. Courage, my dear, very dear Mr. H; Courage. When we are weak, then are we strong.—But to your letter. I am glad Dr. S preaches, and that Mr. H, is at work. In working we shall be blessed. To him that hath, shall be given. How shall we contrive to meet. I purpose being at Oulney next Sunday sevennight, and in a day or two after at Northampton. I wish I could have a line from you. In the mean while I shall endeavour to get Dr. W. There is a glorious plan set on foot