15 December 1743

Anne Dutton, Great Gransden, to Howell Harris, [Wales], 15 December 1743.

Great Gransden, Dec. 15, 1743.

My very Dear and much Honour’d Brother,

         I hope you recd my Last, with what I wrote at your Request: Which I have now put at the End of the Hurt of Sin. I have made bold, encourag’d by your brave Spirit for Christ, to send you, once more, some Books. Perhaps, my dear Brother, these may be the last you may ever receive from me. And if you can spread them among your People, I hope the Lord will make them a Blessing to some Souls; and you, in no wise, shall lose your Reward. Much has my Spirit been refresh’d by your Brotherly Kindness hitherto. And now, Brother, let me have Joy of you, in this fresh stance of your Love to Christ, to precious Souls, and poor me. The Lord Reward all your Labour of Love hitherto, an Hundred-fold! And a full Reward be given you of the Prince of Grace, when He comes in glory! – I long to hear from you. I forget you not in my Prayers. I hope the Lord will recover your Health, and spare you as a Blessing to his Church. I know you judge it far better to be Dissolved, and to be with Christ. But surely we have need of your Abode in the Flesh a while longer. Sometimes I think, you ripen so fast, that our Lord will gather you soon. Glad am I, that, under the rich Influences of Free Grace, you have been so mightily spirited for God, and borne upon the Wing in his Service. A rich, a massy Crown of Glory, awaits you at Christ’s Appearing. Oh dear Sir, go on still, to love and serve JESUS, to do and suffer for Him, till Time is done, and blest Eternity comes on. And then you shall serve Him perfectly and for Ever, without any Interruption, or Cessation, among the flaming Glories of the upper World! – And oh, my dear Brother, remember me, a mourning Sinner, that longs to love JESUS. Oh pray that our Lord will baptize me with Fire! I am ashamed and confounded at my little Love to Christ. I  am humbled, my Heart breaks, when I think how much there has been forgiven me, how much Favour bestow’d on me, how long I have been acquainted with the Prince of Grace, and yet that I love Him so little! Oh wretched Sinner that I am! I am no more worthy to be put among the Children. And yet Free Grace, has given me the Relation of a Child, that I deserve not a Name among the least and last in my Father’s House. I am glad my Heavenly Father, my Elder Brother, my glorious Sanctifier and Comforter, from an Infinity of Grace, know[s] how to bear with, and cure me; to heal all my Diseases, and to beautify me with those Graces, which I see upon others of the Family. Oh if Jehovah’s Grace, was not Free; infinitely, unchangeably, and eternally Free, the least Ray of it, had never shone upon vile, wretched Me! But if the Lord will be Gracious to the Chief of Sinners; who, or what shall hinder Him? I am fully persuaded, that the Grace of God, is infinitely sufficient for me. And I rejoice, I exceedingly rejoyce in this Grace. I cast my Soul, my needy Soul, upon this Grace. I know it will work Wonders; and I wait for its glorious Influences, to change me more and more, into the Love-Image of JESUS, the glorious First-born of the Family. But oh! I am pained with my present Unlikeness to Him; my base Heart, my ungrateful Carriage grieves me. – Oh my Brother, if you love me, pray for me, that my Lord will hasten, to make me like Him, to make me love Him. That I mayn’t always have such a contracted Soul, and so little in me, to delight and honour, my glorious Lord! my glorious Lover! – Great Grace be with, and upon you continually! – I remain,

                     Dear Sir,

                                 Yours most Affectionately, in our own Dear Lord Jesus,

                                                                     Anne Dutton.

My dear Love in the Lord to all the Saints with you.

P.S. In your last, Sir, you told me you had receiv’d six of my Letter-books bound, and twelve of the Penny Letter. I have now sent you,

         of Brief Acct &c, 1st & 2d Part, seven, one Shilling & sixpence Each.

         of Gentleman’s Letter-Book, seven, one Shilling each.

         of Meditations &c. seven, sixpence each.

         Of Letter to thse that love Christ &c. seven, threepence each.

         Of Hurt of Sin, one, sixpence.

I should have sent more of this last, but thro’ mistake, they are all sent into America.

         6 Letter-books bound -------                          0 – 9 – 0

         12 Penny Letter --------------                              0 – 1 – 0

         7 Brief Account 1st Part ------                              0 – 3 – 6

         7 Brief Account 2nd Part -----                              0 – 7 – 0

         7 Gentleman’s Letter --------                              0 – 7 – 0

         7 Meditations ----------------                               0 – 3 – 5

         7 Chastisements -------------                               0 – 2 – 4

         7 Letter to those that love Christ ---                  0 – 1 – 9

         1 Hurt of Sin -----------------                               0 – 0 – 6

                                                                                         1 – 15 – 7

If you can dispose of them, Sir, I beg you will keep a seventh Part of the Money for yr Trouble. Defray all Charges out of the rest, and remit what remains unto Brother Lewis for me, when you have opportunity.

My Husband is in America, & has taken some of my Books with him. Oh pray for his Preservation & safe Return, & for a Blessing upon the Books. My dear Brother Adieu. The Lord be with you!

Address: T0 | Mr Howell Harris | These

Postmark: none

Endorsed: Decr 1743 | Mrs Dutton (in Harris’s hand)

Text: C. M. Archives, Trevecka MSS, Letter 1056, National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth.