_To Mr. ――――._
_Boston, Jan. 18, 1745._
_My dear Friend_,
BY this time I suppose you have heard, by your brother’s letter, how
good old Mr. _Moody_, in his honest way, said, I was welcome to all the
faithful ministers in _New-England_. But the good old man judged too
much by his own honest feelings. You see I am now at _Boston_, whither
I was brought from _Piscataway_ in a coach and four. The joy with which
I was received by the common people, cannot well be described; but
many of the ministers how shy?――And how different from what once they
were? When last in _Boston_, governor _Belcher_ was in the chair:
then, _reges ad exemplum, totus componitur orbis_, he honoured me
with great honour, and the clergy paid the nod, and obeyed. In many
I then perceived it was quite forced, and I think when at his table
I whispered to some and said, if ever I came again, many of those who
now seem extremely civil, will turn out my open and avowed enemies.
The event has proved, that in this respect I have been no false
prophet. You know where it is written, “There arose a king, who knew
not _Joseph_.” Freed therefore from their former restraint, many
have appeared in _puris naturalibus_. Some occasions of offence had
undoubtedly been given whilst I was here and preached up and down the
country.――Nothing however appeared but a pure, divine power working
upon, converting, and transforming people’s hearts, of all ranks,
without any extraordinary phænomena attending it. Good Mr. _T――――_
succeeded me; numbers succeeded him. Lecture upon lecture were set
up in various places; one minister called to another, to help drag
the gospel net; and by all the accounts that I can have from private
information, or good Mr. _Prince_’s weekly history, which I send you
with this, one would have imagined the millennium was coming indeed.
But you know, in this mixed state of things, wild-fire will necessarily
blend itself with the pure fire that comes from GOD’s altar. This the
enemy long waited for; at last it broke out and spread itself; and it
must be confessed, through the instrumentality of many good souls both
among clergy and laity, who for a while mistaking fancy for faith, and
imagination for revelation, were guilty of great imprudence. What these
were, I have not time now to particularize; I can only inform you, that
all is laid to me as being the _primum mobile_ though there was not
so much as the appearance of any thing of this nature when I left
_New-England_ last. But, maugre all, my poor labours are yet attended
with the usual blessings, and therefore I must entreat you as usual to
pray and give thanks in behalf of
Yours, &c.
_G. W._