Letter to ''My very dear Friend'' [Judith Wordsworth]
Title |
Letter to 'My very dear Friend' [Judith Wordsworth] |
Post Date |
April 17, 1766, Friday night |
Author |
Huntingdon, Selina Hastings, Countess of, 1707-1791. |
Recipient |
Wordsworth, Judith, 1738-1786 |
Date |
1766-04-17 |
Physical Description |
4 pgs total; 4 pgs text; address panel wanting |
Dimensions |
23 x 37 cm. |
Address From |
Chelsea, London |
Country From |
England |
Transcriber |
Wanda Smith |
Plain Text Transcription |
Letter 69 [Apl 17, 1766] [Address panel wanting] My very d[ea]r Friend How impatient have I felt myself to tell you that d[ea]r Mr Shirley got up in the Lock pulpit & has boar[sic] so glorious a testimony[?] that set all our hearts in a flame & expressly said he could count none a believer that the Spirit itself did not testify to be such that this was the very line between papist & prodestants[sic] & said away with all this stuff. Did God come down from heaven to leve the poor sinner at last to a mere prehaps [sic] in short the chappel had such an awe upon [it] & such authority was given to him that never did I hear any thing like to it. Madan, Romain[e], Hawe[i]s, Venn, Maxfield was there &c. Lady Smith went home distrest. O! [p. 2] the goodness of the Lord. At this time in the depth of my grieved spirit on this account he should prepare the last person I could expect to hear or see in this nation & my own relation to testifie against that abomination that was coming in & must have ended in the desolation of the church. The providence was remarkable. D[ea]r Jos[eph] was to have preached there but was oblig'd to set out to Bray in order to get Pewsey supplied & had he first boar[sic] his testimony he would have been excluded that pulpit whereas now the confirming Mr Shirley's testimony must establish his preaching there also. His ways are not our ways, his thoughts above ours. My poor heart is revived exceedingly by this infinite kindness of the Lord to us all. D[ea]r Jos[eph] & your sisters breakfasted with me this morning & happy I was to see them. He went to Bray & still has hopes of Bretby[?] which is more than I have. He will be at Bath Wednesday sevennight & then has promised [p. 3] to release you I have a bed in the air [in the air=airing] for you here & when you come up. A Mrs Beard I have sent for from Bath to be my servant & she might be usefull to you upon the road. Let me know & she shall not set out till that time. They say she is a converted woman & a very neat plain person. Don’t take any notice but to Mrs Shaw of it Strickland has been telling every thing out of my house to Mr Madan’s maid & others that she is the sadest creature that ever was, but I know I have done right. I have waited for a providence that appeared in her coming. My day of trial then is now over & I do thank the Lord for his time & way of doing it. I rejoice that Fletcher is coming & rather than the Chappel should be shut up & poor Shepherd offended for ever (if you approve but not else on any account). Sussex he preached that once hast the new awakened & should go to the Brethren to hear but you [p. 4] you must be the better judge & I speak this cautiously from your own words in your letter being misarable least you should think I could mind any creature or care for what they thought or said. You know I must feel I owe you too much on the Lord’s account as well as my own. Chapman has given Brandon his title for Bath. It will save him forty pounds a year & this I fear from his distress is the object too much. Mr Hicks goes to Sussex on Tuesday next. Ever & for ever my dear friend you ever, bounden & devoted and affectionate friend S: H. Chelsea Friday night Apl 17, 1766 The helpers send Mrs Wadsworth [incomplete sentence] |
Notes |
Address panel wanting. |
Catalog Link |
http://libcat.smu.edu/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=196884 |
Unique Identifier |
Huntingdon 04171766 |
Digital Resources Type |
Image |
Digitization Date |
Digitized: 2011 |
Digital Publisher |
Bridwell Library, Special Collections; Perkins School of Theology; Southern Methodist University |
Rights |
Permission to publish materials must be obtained from the Head of Special Collections of the Bridwell Library. |
Decade |
1760-1769 |
Location (Box, Folder) |
Box 1, File 17 |
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