John Ryland, Bristol, to Walter Wilson, London, 12 March 1809.

        It is true that, for many years past, I have been accustomed to set a high value upon Mr Stuckley’s Gospel Glass. I find by notes in the Margin of my copy, that my dear and honoured Father began to read it, with much atention, in the year 1745; who gave it to me in 1771.  In my youth, I often employ’d it in private, as a very valuable assistant in the duty of self examination; and frequently read parts of it to my friends, or recommended it to their perusal.  Of late years, my numerous avocations have prevented my looking into it so often, and I therefore wished to decline a particular recommendation of it, unless I could have found time to reperuse itt, witth an immediate view to that design.  however, I have no suspicion that my general idea of the work would be at all altered, by the most careful examination; tho I dare say a few expressions would, in the present day, appear rather low and ludicrous.  Candor, indeed, would make an allowance, for the change of language and taste in a hundred and forty years; but I well remember wishing, that in case of its republication, two or three of the coarsest phrases might be changed, as libale to just exception, and likely to be quite offensive to a fastidous reader.  The practice of sin, and the devices of Satan cannot be too fully exposed, but sometimes a milder phrase may take faster hold of the conscience than one more severe; and tho they are fools who laugh at sin, yet a wise reprover must take care not to give them a handle, who had much rather laugh at a quaint reproof than weep for themselves.  Nothing could be more remote from the object of the writer, than to excite anything like levity in the minds of his readers; tho he lived twenty years after he wrote this book, he was very ill at the time it was written, & to his own apprehension under sentence of death.  I hope the Editors have given a sketch of his history, from Mr Palmer’s Nonconformists Memorial, which I fear could not now be enlarged from any other source of information.  I pray that a divine blessing may attend the republication of this excellent, pungent and heart searching work; and may all the professors of evangelical religion be careful to depart from all iniquity, & adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things

                                                         John Ryland

Bristol March 12. 1809

Text: Walter Wilson MSS, MS. Montagu, d. 21, fol. 249, Bodleian Library, Oxford.