Letter To A Brother In Christ – July 6th, 1832
July 6th, 1832
My dear Brother,
Since I last wrote to you, I have been preaching in various places, many of considerable size, and to large concourses of people. One of the effects of the bishop’s threatened interference has been that he has been an excellent ‘trumpeter’ for me; and the newspapers, still continuing to make their remarks upon me, cause many to come and hear ‘the babbler’ out of curiosity.
What you say about religion in your parts is very unsatisfactory. It seems that you are without bold and faithful witnesses for the Lord. You do not tell me about men who take forth the precious from the vile. Real religion still seems to me very rare. Very few can give a good account of the Lord’s gracious dealings with their souls. Few understand the truth as it is in Jesus. I think there is but little religion in Abingdon and its vicinity, but I find very few places where there is more. True and vital godliness will ever meet with much opposition. The world ever did and ever will hate the truth; and why professors meet with little or no opposition, and even the children of God, is because they differ so little from the world. Their life and conversation give no offence, because they not only mix with formalists, but even with those who have no religion at all. The children of God are in such a weak state that they are not seen and known, and the religion of the rich and respectable is more doubtful to me from day to day. If they enter heaven, they must indeed go through much tribulation, and they, at present, seem to have little or none. I feel assured that my preaching would not be so well received as it is, if it were more consistent with God’s word, in plainness and faithfulness, saying to each individual, “You are the man!”
The Spirit’s great work in teaching, is to show us more what we are by nature, and what we are by grace; and if there be no deep discoveries of our vileness by nature, making known to us what hell-deserving sinners we are, we shall not be brought fully to understand the riches of God’s grace.
I hope that I shall find the Christian friends at Oakham more deeply established in the truth, more sensible of God’s love towards them, more humbled under a deep sense of their unworthiness, and in a much greater degree separated from the mere professors around them. God’s children need much humbling and stripping, much emptying from vessel to vessel; and a furnace, frequently, to take away the dross which gathers so very fast. You can find hundreds crying out, “Lord, Lord!” when you can scarcely find one who can tell you what the Lord has done for his soul.
I have as yet a very large congregation. There is a door open and effectual, and many adversaries. I am quite a “speckled bird” in these parts. My two most intimate friends, who visit me, and whom I visit, among the respectable, are Philpot and Husband, two ministers in the Church of England. There is scarcely another minister that I am intimate with; but these two are not ashamed of me.
Give my best love to Deborah, and tell her I shall be glad to hear from her own lips what the Lord is doing for her soul; what conflicts with, and victories over, Satan; what opposition from the world; what love-visits from Jesus; and what consolations, under all her tribulations for righteousness’ sake.
Yours most affectionately, in the best bonds,
William Tiptaft.
Jesus is LORD! 
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