I ought to take it very kindly that you are pleased to make any inquiry after such a one as I ought to reckon myself. It is no great humility for me to think that I and my preaching deserve to be buried in oblivion and infamy - that is, with regard to what I am in myself, and what of my preaching comes properly from me. However, it is no part of true humility to speak evil of what is wrought by the Spirit of God in us or by us. I wish I had much more of that kind to speak of than I have, which I might have were it not for my own perverseness and unbelief. It is the sad effect of unbelief to prevent Christ's doing many mighty works.

Though He has such bad materials to work upon in me, it seems to require more pains at His hand than is taken with some. The more that this is the case, the greater glory will appear in Him who is the great artificer in the kingdom of grace, who is able of stones to raise up children to Abraham. Nor is it in vain for a poor creature to wait upon Him in that empty, hungry, distressed way in which it is ordinary for me to wait upon Him. He with whom we have to do is one who brings the blind by a way that they know not, who makes darkness light and crooked things straight. And though it is a great thing to us, it is not a great thing in His eyes to make, in a short time, rich compensation (I mean not in the way of debt but of grace) for the waiting of many years.

I do not think it presumption to comfort myself with such expectations as that. Though I may be allowed to seem to toil long to little purpose, yet He may train me up for being at length used as an instrument in an acceptable time, when the wind of the Spirit shall blow with more apparent quickening power than at present, and when trembling at the Word of God shall not be so much out of fashion as it now seems to be. The Lord can soon give such a draught of souls as will be matter of astonishing triumph through eternity. Surely it is worthwhile to wait long upon the possibility of this and, with such a hope, "in the morning sow [our] seed and in the evening withhold not [our] hand".

I have said enough as to myself. I acknowledge myself obliged to have a deep concern for the success of the gospel in your hands, and am desirous of acting much more up to this obligation in the way of earnest prayer than the wretched prevailing of spiritual death frequently will allow. None ought more especially to thank God through Jesus Christ than I for the ample treasures of sin-conquering and fruit-producing grace.

It will be good news to hear of you having had much of the presence of God with your sacramental solemnity, which will probably be over before this comes to hand. I humbly beg to be remembered in your prayers.

1. John Love (1757-1825) was the well-known, godly minister of Anderston in Glasgow for the first quarter of the nineteenth century. During his previous ministry, near London, he was the first secretary of the London Missionary Society. Free Presbyterian Publications hope to republish his Sermons - an impressive series of discourses.