_To Colonel G――――._
_Edinburgh, October 7, 1742._ _Honoured Sir_,
THOUGH I never had the pleasure of seeing you, yet I have often prayed for you, and can assure you I love you in the bowels of JESUS CHRIST. I hope you will not be offended with me, for troubling you with this. Your honoured lady tells me, you will not. Love, I am persuaded, inclines me to write, and I doubt not but you will receive it in the same spirit. Dear Sir, I rejoice to hear that you are a good soldier of JESUS CHRIST, and that you delight to fight the Redeemer’s battles. May you be covered with all his armours and filled with all his fulness! I have the pleasure often to go without the camp, and to bear a little of his sacred reproach, and I prefer it to all the treasures in the world. Weak as I am, my JESUS makes me more than conqueror through his love. He has brought mighty things to pass here, and gotten himself the victory in many hearts. I trust, there is not a day passes but some poor creature or another is plucked as a brand out of the burning. I wish I could hear GOD was more in the camp. Blessed be his name for raising you up, honoured Sir, to lift a standard for him. May you be endued with the meekness of _Moses_, the courage of _Joshua_, the zeal of _Paul_, and a large portion of the blessed spirit of CHRIST! I hope, honoured Sir, you will now and then remember me a poor sinner, and speak a word for me to the King of kings and LORD of lords, that I may not turn my head in the day of battle, but rather die for, than deny him in any wise. Neither you nor yours are forgotten by me. Indeed I am a poor creature, but happy, very happy in the once crucified, but now exalted JESUS. For his sake, and in his great name, I beg leave to subscribe myself, honoured Sir,
Your affectionate humble servant, &c.