Hard Work Made Easy
Dear Friend,—Yours came to hand, and I have just time to say that I intend, God willing, to be at P. on September 21st, and if I can be conveyed from there to G. on October 1st, I will very gladly come; but I must be at L. the day following. I dare not attempt to preach more than three times in the week days,[1] as too much exertion brings the jaundice upon me; so I am obliged to preach less, or lay myself upon the shelf. No thanks to me; for when I enjoy my dear Lord in his work, it is sweet employment indeed; but when Christ is not enjoyed, it is very hard work. Indeed, I do not find any work but what is hard when Christ is not enjoyed. I know, in every blessed respect, that he is the resurrection and the life. There is not a cross nor a trial of any description that we may be exercised with but the blessed enjoyment of his presence will make us solemnly cheerful therein. You have had your trials, and no doubt they have been great; but the Lord is much greater; and O how great is his mercy! You have had some sweet feelings of it, and that is better than thousands of worlds. Be thankful, my dear friend, that the Lord has been pleased to take your dear son to himself; and remember that many of God’s people have had their children taken from them, for whom they had no room for hope. O may the Lord make you thankful; for you have much more cause to rejoice than to mourn; and what still adds to the blessing, he has given you a name better than of sons or daughters, even an everlasting name, which shall not be cut off.—August 12, 1834.
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[1] He sometimes preached three times on the Lord’s day and five times during the week. Good John Busk, in one of his writings, says he once heard him seven times in one week.
William Gadsby (1773-1844) was a Strict and Particular Baptist preacher, writer and philanthropist. For thirty-nine years served as pastor for the church meeting at Black Lane, Manchester.
William Gadsby Sermons (Complete)
William Gadsby Hymns
William Gadsby, Perfect Law Of Liberty (Complete)
William Gadsby's Catechism (Complete)
William Gadsby's Dialogues
William Gadsby's Fragments (Complete)
William Gadsby's Letters (Complete)
