_To the Reverend Mr. C――――._
_Plymouth, Feb. 20, 1749._
_Reverend and dear Sir_,
I Had the pleasure of receiving your letters dated _December_ 29th and
31st. I thank you a thousand times for this, and all your other favours.
I did not think Mr. _H――――_’s friendship would hold long. It will be
time enough for me to speak to and of him, when I see _Bermudas_ again,
which I propose doing, GOD willing, as soon as possible. In the mean
while, I would only observe, that if I am a _Roman Catholic_, the
Pope must have given ♥me a very large dispensation. Surely Mr. _H――――_
has acted like one, to pretend so much friendship, and express it in
the strongest terms, and yet have nothing of it in his heart all the
while. But thus it must be. Dear Sir, we must be tried every way. _Hic
murus aheneus esto_, &c. As for any secrets that I told him, he is
very welcome to reveal them. You know me too well to judge I have many
secrets. May the secret of the LORD be with me! and then I care not if
there was a window in my heart for all mankind to see the uprightness
of my intentions. I long to have _Bethesda_ a foundation for the LORD
JESUS. If I can procure a proper solid person of good literature, who
will be content to stay two or three years, something may be done. I am
now in the _West_, and have begun to take the field. Great multitudes
flock to hear; and our LORD is pleased apparently to countenance my
poor unworthy ministrations. I have the pleasure of seeing the seed,
which was sown just before I embarked last for _America_, spring up,
producing an hundred-fold. May JESUS have all the glory! Perhaps (O
amazing love!) he has not done with me yet. I am better in bodily
health than usual, but expect to be sick again when I return to
_London_. Thither I must go in about a fortnight, to preach again to
some of the Rich and Great, as well as the Poor. I find it is a trial,
to be thus divided between the work on this and the other side of the
water. I am convinced I have done right in coming over now; and I keep
myself quite disengaged, that I may be free to leave _England_ the
latter end of the Summer, if our LORD is pleased to make my way clear.
I hope, as you say nothing to the ♦contrary, that all friends are well.
I beg to be remembered to them all in the kindest manner, and depend
much on their not forgetting to pray for, reverend and dear Sir,
Yours, &c.
_G. W._
♥ duplicate “me” removed
♦ “conrrary” replaced with “contrary”