To Lady H——n.
London, Sept. 4, 1749.
Honoured Madam,
BY the providence of good and gracious God, I came to town on Thursday evening, after having had a pleasant circuit in the West. The day after I wrote to your Ladyship, I preached twice at Exeter, and in the evening I believe I had near ten thousand hearers. The Bishop and several of his clergy stood very near me, as I am informed. A good season it was. All was quiet, and there was a great solemnity in the congregation; but a drunken man threw at me three great stones. One of them cut my head deeply, and was like to knock me off the table; but, blessed be God, I was not discomposed at all. One of the other stones struck a poor man quite down. As I came from Exeter, I visited one John Hayne, the soldier that, under God, begun the great awakening in Flanders. He is in Dorchester [♦]gaol for preaching at Shaftsbury, where there has been, and is now a great awakening. Every where the work is upon the spread; and since I have been here, we have had some of the most awful, solemn, powerful meetings, as I ever saw at the Tabernacle. Congregations have been very large, and I have had several meetings with the preachers. On Saturday I had the honour of being almost all the day long with Lady F——, Lady H——, Lady C——, and the Countess of D——. Lady F—— and the Countess received the blessed sacrament before the others came: and I think they both grow. If I stay over Sunday, (as perhaps I may) I hope to have another day with them. I am sorry to inform your Ladyship, Mr. D—— died last Sunday about noon. He had been sick about a fortnight, was in doubts for a while, but two or three days before his death he rejoiced in God his Saviour. This morning I had the pleasure of a visit from Mr. P—— and two German ministers, who have been labouring among the Jews, and been made instrumental of converting many of them. They seemed to be dear souls. They have preached at the German chapel with great power. That your Ladyship may always enjoy a thriving soul in a healthy body, is the continual prayer of, honoured Madam,
Your Ladyship’s most dutiful, &c.
G. W.
[♦] “goal” replaced with “gaol”
LETTER DCCLXXVI.
To Mr. B——.