LETTER DCCXLVII.
To the Rev. Mr. H——.
London, April 5, 1749.
Rev. and dear Sir,
YOUR kind letter would not have lain by me unanswered so long, had I not been necessarily employed in affairs of immediate consequence. At Lady H——’s request, I read part of it to some of the nobility, who approved of it very much. By your leave, I will put a sentence or two of it, without mentioning names, into a pamphlet I am now fitting for the press. I suppose you have seen it advertised. I want to own and publicly confess my public mistakes. O how many, how great have they been! How much obliged am I to my enemies for telling me of them! I wish you could see my pamphlet before it comes out. I just now wrote to Doctor S—— to see if he cannot meet me this day sevennight, or contrive some way for conveyance of my little piece to him. O that it may be blessed to promote God’s glory, and the good of souls! You will be glad to hear that our Lord has given us a good passover, and that the prospect is still encouraging among the Rich. I intend leaving town in about a week, and to begin ranging after precious souls.—But I shall wait for the doctor’s answer. You judge right when you say, “it is your opinion that I do not want to make a sect, or set myself at the head of a party.” No, let the name of Whitefield die, so that the cause of Jesus Christ may live. I have seen enough of popularity to be sick of it, and did not the interest of my blessed Master require my appearing in public, the world should hear but little of me henceforward. But who can desert such a cause? Who, for fear of a little contempt and suffering, would decline the service of such a Master? O that the Lord Jesus may thrust out many, many labourers into his harvest? Surely the time must come, when many of the priests also shall be obedient to the word. I wait for thy salvation, O Lord!—But I must bid you farewel. Praying that you may grow under the cross, and be enabled to flourish unconsumed in fire, I subscribe myself, Reverend and dear Sir,
Yours most affectionately in our common Lord,
G. W.