_To Mrs. ――――._
_Boston, July 29, 1745._
_Dear Madam_,
YOU will be surprized to hear that a messenger of the prince of peace,
especially such a weak creature as I am, should beat up to arms. No
doubt you have judged me, as well you may; but providence seemed to
force me to it. You have now heard of the _Cape-Breton_ expedition,
which was carried on and finished with the greatest secrecy and
expedition here, before it could be scarcely known to you at home.
Worthy Colonel _P――――_ was fixed upon to command. The day before he
accepted of the commission, he purposed to dine with me to ask my
advice. I told him, “that I hoped if he did undertake it, he would
beg of the LORD GOD of armies to give him a single eye; that the means
proposed to take _Louisburgh_, in the eye of human reason, were no
more adequate to the end, than the sounding of rams horns to blow down
_Jericho_; that the eyes of all would be upon him; and if he should
not succeed in the intended enterprize, the widows and orphans of the
slain soldiers would be like lions robbed of their whelps; but if it
pleased GOD to give him success, envy would not suffer him to take
the glory, and therefore he should take great care that his views were
disinterested, and then I doubted not, if providence really called him,
he would find his strength proportioned to the day, and would return
more than conqueror.” He thanked me, and his Lady having given her free
consent, he commenced general. The sound now was to arms! to arms! new
recruits were eagerly sought after, and my worthy friend Mr. _S――――_
was appointed one of the commissaries. Being at his house, he told me
one evening that he was preparing the flag, and that I must give him
a motto, and that the people must know it too. I absolutely refused,
urging that it would be acting out of character; he replied, that the
expedition, he believed, was of GOD, and that if I did not encourage
it, many of the serious people would not inlist. I still refused; he
desired me to consider, and sleep upon it, and to give him my answer
in the morning. I retired, I prayed, I slept; and upon his renewing
his request in the morning, I told him, that since he was so urgent,
and as I did not know but divine providence might intend to give us
_Louisburgh_, therefore he might take this motto. _Nil desperandum
Christo duce._ Upon this, great numbers inlisted, and before their
embarkation, their officers desired me to give them a sermon: I
preached from these words: “As many as were distressed, as many as
were discontented, as many as were in debt, came to _David_, and he
became a captain over them.” Officers, soldiers, and others attended.
I spiritualized the subject, and told them how distressed sinners came
to JESUS CHRIST the Son of _David_; and in my application exhorted the
soldiers to behave like the soldiers of _David_, and the officers to
act like _David_’s worthies; then, I made no manner of doubt, but we
should receive good news from _Cape-Breton_. After this, I preached
to the general himself, who asked me if I would not be one of his
chaplains: I told him, “I should think it an honour, but believed,
as I generally preached three times a day in various places to large
congregations I could do my King, my country, and my GOD, more service,
by stirring up the people to pray, and thereby strengthen his and his
soldiers hands.” Through divine grace, I was enabled to persist in this
practice for some weeks; but at last news arrived that the case was
desperate. Letter upon letter came from one officer and another to
those who planned this expedition, and did not know the strength of the
fortress. I smiled, and told my friends, that I believed now we should
have _Louisburgh_;――that all having confessed their helplessness, GOD
would now reveal his arm, and make our extremity his opportunity. I was
not disappointed of my hope; for one day having taken a weeping leave
of dear _Boston_, and being about to preach a few miles out of the
town, news was brought that _Louisburgh_ was taken. Numbers flocked
with great joy from all quarters, and I immediately preached to them
a thanksgiving sermon from these words: “By this I know that thou
favourest me, since thou hast not permitted mine enemies to triumph
over me.” Here ends, dear Madam, my beating to arms. It is left to you,
to judge as you please of, dear Madam,
Yours, &c.
_G. W._
_Postscript._ I forgot to tell you, to the honour of worthy Madam
_P――――_, that during the time of the expedition, at her desire, I
preached in the General’s house, and took the liberty before sermon,
to ask her, how she came to give up the General? She answered, “That it
was GOD who enabled her to do it for his glory, and her country’s good,
and that now the General was gone, she had the pleasing reflection,
that thro’ divine mercy, home had never been made so disagreeable to
him by her conduct, as to make him wish to be gone.”