To Dorothy Furly (June 18, 1757)

To Dorothy Furly [Sunderland]
June 18, 1757

I am the more jealous over you because I know you are liable to be much influenced by fair words, especially when they are spoken by 88persons of sense and in an agreeable manner. And flesh and blood are powerful advocates for conformity to the world, particularly in little things. But, blessed be God, we have an unction from the Holy One ready to teach us of all things. O let us attend to this inward teaching, which indeed is always consonant with the word. Then the word, applied by the Spirit, shall be a light in all our ways and a lamp in all our paths.

1See Ps. 119:105.

Fight on and conquer! Change of place, as you observe, is but a little thing. But God has, in some measure, changed your heart, wherein you have great reason to rejoice. And, having received the first fruits of the Spirit, righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, patiently and earnestly wait for the great change, whereby every root of bitterness may be torn up.

You may profitably converse with even those honourable Christians if you watch and pray that they do not infect you 1) with mystical notions, which stand in full opposition to plain old Bible divinity, or 2) with their odd, senseless jargon of a ‘catholic spirit’, whereby they have themselves suffered great loss. The spirit of the world, I think, you are aware of already, and indeed there is danger in every approach to it.

I have heard from both Mrs. Gaussen

and Miss Bosanquet. There is a poor, queer old woman in Bristol (if she is not gone to paradise) with whom it might do you good to talk. John Jones knows her. Her name is Elizabeth Edgecomb. Peace be with your spirit.

I am, dear Miss Furly, Your affectionate brother and servant,
John Wesley