The Life and Letters of the Rev. George Mortimer, M.A.: Rector of Thornhill, in the Diocese of Toronto, Canada WestArmstrong, John
Religion
The Life and Letters of the Rev. George Mortimer, M.A.: Rector of Thornhill, in the Diocese of Toronto, Canada West
Armstrong, John
Mortimer, George, 1784-1844
my communications do really convey such sentiments to your mind as those
which you express; for I dare not withhold from you the humbling
confession that, gratified and thankful as I should be for the discovery,
I cannot perceive the impress of truth on any of them. But I fear I
shall tire as well as disgust you with so much about self, and therefore
turn to some other subject.
TO THE SAME.
Madeley, December 29, 1818.
My dear Armstrong,
WITH respect to myself, I can say but little, excepting what must tend to
humble me in the dust before the Lord and my fellow men. I am still
stationary here, and from all that has transpired, both within and
without, I feel now convinced that whatever the duty of others may be,
mine is to remain at home; and, I think, I shall not easily be induced to
make any further effort to make my escape. I am now quite content to
remain quiet here, and while set aside by the Lord, as an instrument in
whom he has no such pleasure, can adore him for the greatness of his
tender compassions, which intervened as an effectual barrier, and kept me
from bringing chastisement upon myself and my family for my presumptuous
folly, in thinking of stretching out my unhallowed hand in supporting a
cause, which, perhaps, I should only have touched, to have impressed on
it a mark of indelible disgrace.
But amidst these feelings which humble me in the dust, and even confound
me before the Lord, I still find him most graciously condescending to
visit me, and still perceive abundant tokens of his love in my parish,
and in my family. All seems to wear a cheerful and exhilarating smile,
and if ever I was convinced that my being hindered in my plans was from
the Lord, I think it is now. The affection manifested by all classes
among my dear people, when it was known that I had given up the idea of
leaving them, was such as will long be remembered by me with gratitude
towards my kind and loving God: for it is He, and He alone, who can thus
give us the hearts of our people. O, may I serve in the Gospel of his
Son more faithfully than I have hitherto done!
TO THE SAME.
Madeley, February 26, 1819.
My dear Armstrong,
IF I recollect right, I just alluded in my last to the very striking and
unexpected change which has taken place in my brother —. The more I
think of it the more am I filled with astonishment and gratitude. Had I
been required to select an individual, which, in my estimation, was the
least likely to become a trophy to the powerful grace of our Redeemer, —
would have been the person upon whom I should have fixed. The grace,
however, of his so long despised Lord has at length triumphed, and he now
delights to build up the faith which he once so malignantly endeavoured
to destroy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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