My Dear M^rs Bateman,
When I look at the date of your
very kind & Christian letter, I feel distressed that it should have
remain’d so long unanswer’d & seemingly neglected; it bears so much
the aspect of Ingratitude one of the worst of Crimes, that I could
not forgive myself if I were conscious I was guilty of it, & had
not a sufficient excuse to plead for my long silence.
Soon after I received your letter I was taken ill with a
violent nervous disorder which has continued so bad through the
Winter & Spring that it rendered me incapable of the pleasure of
answering the letters of my friends; for when my stomach was
free from pain for a few hours my head & eyes were so bad
[new page]
that I could not even bear the light nor see to do any thing.
I am now through Mercy getting {^better} but still very weak, I wish
the affliction may {^be} sanctified, & that God who has so graciously
Wisely & faithfully {^afflicted} me may be Glorified. Blessed be His
Name He does not willingly afflict, & when He does, it is that
we may be made partakers of His Divine & Heavenly Nature; &
if we suffer with Him we shall also reign with Him.
I want to come out of the furnace purified & to leave my
{?dross} & din behind; what an Infinite mercy is it for us that there
is a fountain opened for Sin & for uncleanness, & we may {^have} recourse unto
it at all times: the oftner we come the more welcome we are. Oh for
Faith to be making daily application of this Precious this Atoning Bliss
one drop of which, has Infinite Merit & Infinite Efficacy to atone for ten
thousand Worlds. I hope my dear M^rs Bateman & the partner of her
life are rejoicing in God their Saviour, & daily experiencing the [illeg]
of Religion to be pure & peaceable, that it is no cunningly devised fable
[new page]
or gloomy uncomfortable thing as some imagine; No blessed be God there
is a glorious reality in it, substantial joys which are unspeakable
& full of Glory. M^r Bateman has been in London, but has
not favor’d me with a call , I am not surprised at it in the
least, for from my seeming negligence He judged me unworthy
the favour. To forget your disinterested kindness would be the
height of ingratitude indeed; I have not & nope I never [damaged]
the more I think of it the more I am astonished: & to [damaged]
you I both feel & mean what I say, must beg the favour of [damaged]
to accept this triffle as a token of my gratitude & respect.
I must now bid you Adieu for the present, the Lords Presence be
Mutually with us all, & may we come to Him, even to His glorious
Seat of Love & Mercy in the Redeemer, is the sincere desire of her
who is, & always will be your truly affectionate friend & servant,
Maria Allwood
PS I hope you will present my respects to M^r Bateman M^rr M^rs & Miss
Clegg
[new page]
I hope I need not say a line from you will be truly acceptable
shall be glad to hear that you receive this safe, & that it meets
with your approbation; pray let me know if you & M^r Bateman
are well, & if you will do me the honor once more to stile me
one of your friends; if so, shall expect the pleasure of seeing Mr
Bateman the next time He comes to Town.
Russell St June 4th
1787
M^rs Bateman

My Dear M^rs Bateman,
When I look at the date of your
very kind & Christian letter, I feel distressed that it should have
remain’d so long unanswer’d & seemingly neglected; it bears so much
the aspect of Ingratitude one of the worst of Crimes, that I could
not forgive myself if I were conscious I was guilty of it, & had
not a sufficient excuse to plead for my long silence.
Soon after I received your letter I was taken ill with a
violent nervous disorder which has continued so bad through the
Winter & Spring that it rendered me incapable of the pleasure of
answering the letters of my friends; for when my stomach was
free from pain for a few hours my head & eyes were so bad
[new page]
that I could not even bear the light nor see to do any thing.
I am now through Mercy getting {^better} but still very weak, I wish
the affliction may {^be} sanctified, & that God who has so graciously
Wisely & faithfully {^afflicted} me may be Glorified. Blessed be His
Name He does not willingly afflict, & when He does, it is that
we may be made partakers of His Divine & Heavenly Nature; &
if we suffer with Him we shall also reign with Him.
I want to come out of the furnace purified & to leave my
{?dross} & din behind; what an Infinite mercy is it for us that there
is a fountain opened for Sin & for uncleanness, & we may {^have} recourse unto
it at all times: the oftner we come the more welcome we are. Oh for
Faith to be making daily application of this Precious this Atoning Bliss
one drop of which, has Infinite Merit & Infinite Efficacy to atone for ten
thousand Worlds. I hope my dear M^rs Bateman & the partner of her
life are rejoicing in God their Saviour, & daily experiencing the [illeg]
of Religion to be pure & peaceable, that it is no cunningly devised fable
[new page]
or gloomy uncomfortable thing as some imagine; No blessed be God there
is a glorious reality in it, substantial joys which are unspeakable
& full of Glory. M^r Bateman has been in London, but has
not favor’d me with a call , I am not surprised at it in the
least, for from my seeming negligence He judged me unworthy
the favour. To forget your disinterested kindness would be the
height of ingratitude indeed; I have not & nope I never [damaged]
the more I think of it the more I am astonished: & to [damaged]
you I both feel & mean what I say, must beg the favour of [damaged]
to accept this triffle as a token of my gratitude & respect.
I must now bid you Adieu for the present, the Lords Presence be
Mutually with us all, & may we come to Him, even to His glorious
Seat of Love & Mercy in the Redeemer, is the sincere desire of her
who is, & always will be your truly affectionate friend & servant,
Maria Allwood
PS I hope you will present my respects to M^r Bateman M^rr M^rs & Miss
Clegg
[new page]
I hope I need not say a line from you will be truly acceptable
shall be glad to hear that you receive this safe, & that it meets
with your approbation; pray let me know if you & M^r Bateman
are well, & if you will do me the honor once more to stile me
one of your friends; if so, shall expect the pleasure of seeing Mr
Bateman the next time He comes to Town.
Russell St June 4th
1787
M^rs Bateman