LETTER CCCCLVIII.
To the Reverend Dr. C, in Boston.
Edinburgh, Sept. 24, 1742.
Reverend and dear Sir,
TO my great and abundant satisfaction, I received your long wished for letter of June 3. It was late at night ere it came to hand; but I could not go to rest without reading it. I read, and rejoiced, and prayed for the writer with my whole heart. O reverend and dear Sir, God only knows how closely I am knit to the dear ministers and people of New-England. They are ever upon my heart, and it rejoiced me to find I was not forgotten (unworthy as I am) by them. Dear Sir, I am glad to hear that the work still goes on; be not surprized, if you are forsaken. Paul was served so, and when I came to England most of my old friends and spiritual children were exceedingly prejudiced against me. Our great high-priest sees these trials to be necessary for us, to try our faith, and teach us to cease from man. I hope they have produced this blessed effect in some measure upon my soul. There seems to be such a scene in Philadelphia, as we have had in old England. I have wrote to Mr. T. He in a late letter thinks me too charitable; but my conscience doth not reproach me for that. My principles are still the same. I embrace the calvinistical scheme, not because Calvin, but Jesus Christ, I think, has taught it to me. I go on preaching the cross and power of the Redeemer, and desire to say as little as possible about others, lest thereby I should divert people's minds from the simplicity of the gospel. I have often found that opposing, instead of hurting, makes erroneous people become more considerable. This made me wish, that the Boston ministers would not take up so much time in speaking against the Exhorters. It will only set the people the more upon following after them; but I cannot well judge at such a distance, and indeed I find I am such a poor creature, that I scarce know any thing yet, as I ought to know. At the same time, I will not deny what I have received; no, this would be dis-*honouring my dear Saviour. He makes me daily more and more happy in himself, and I continually rejoice in his great
