To Mr. William Percival.

free and loving to you? Is your soul as much alive as ever? Are the consolations of the Holy One small with you; or are they as frequent and as plentiful as ever? Write as particularly as you can, to Yours most affectionately.

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DCCCXXXVII. — To Mr. William Percival, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. DEAR BILLY, LONDON, February 17, 1787.

YOU cannot be too watchful against evil speaking, or too zealous for the poor Church of England. I commend sister Percival for having her child baptized there, and for returning public thanks. By all means go to church as often as you can, and exhort all Methodists so to do. They that are enemies to the Church are enemies to me. I am a friend to it, and ever was. By our reading prayers we prevent our people’s contracting an hatred for forms of prayer; which would naturally be the case, if we always prayed extempore. I am, with love to sister Percival,

Dear Billy,

Your affectionate brother.