_To Mr. G――――d._
_The Downs, on board the Friendship, September 15, 1769._
_My dear Mr. G――――d_,
I CANNOT forget your old readiness to serve and attend upon me. I cannot forget your last parting conversation. Alas! alas! how little do we know of the bitter cups that await us in the decline of life! May JESUS sweeten them with his love! He will, he will. This will make them palatable. This and this alone can make us cry from our inmost souls, “The cup which my heavenly Father hath given me to drink, shall I not drink it?” Though bitter, there is no death in this cup: on the contrary, nothing but life, nothing but life. Courage then, my dear Mr. _G――――d_, courage. Yet a little while and we shall see
All our sorrows left below, And earth exchang’d for heav’n.
Adieu. GOD bless you and yours. Hearty love to all that are so kind as to enquire after and pray for me. Pray go to Dr. _G――――ns_, and tell him I hope he got home well. I had a pleasant season at _Deal_ with him and some other servants of our common LORD. What will heaven be? I am lost in contemplation of it. And therefore must hasten to subscribe ♦myself, dear Mr. _G――――d_,
Less than the least of all,