LETTER DCXXXIV.
To the Reverend Mr. C.
Reverend and dear Sir, Plymouth, Feb. 20, 1749.
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 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
