66. Letter Dlxiii.
LETTER DLXIII.
T o Mr. ――.
Boston, Jan. 18, 1745.
My dear Friend, BY this time I suppose you have heard, by your brother's letter, how good old Mr. Moody, in his honest way, said, I was welcome to all the faithful ministers in New-England. But the good old man judged too much by his own honest feelings. You see I am now at Boston, whither I was brought from Piscataway in a coach and four. The joy with which I was received by the common people, cannot well be described; but many of the ministers how shy?—And how different from what once they were? When last in Boston, governor Belcher was in the chair: then, reges ad exemplum, totus componitur orbis, he honoured me with great honour, and the clergy paid the nod, and obeyed. In many I then perceived it was quite forced, and I think when at his table I whispered to some and said, if ever I came again, many of those who now seem extremely civil, will turn out my open and avowed enemies. The event has proved, that in this respect I have been no
false prophet. You know where it is written, "There arose a king, who knew not Joseph." Freed therefore from their former restraint, many have appeared in puris naturalibus. Some occasions of offence had undoubtedly been given whilst I was here and preached up and down the country.—
Nothing however appeared but a pure, divine power working upon, converting, and transforming people's hearts, of all ranks, without any extraordinary phænomena attending it. Good Mr. T―― succeeded me; numbers succeeded him. Lecture upon lecture were set up in various places; one minister called to another, to help drag the gospel net; and by all the accounts that I can have from private information, or good Mr. Prince's weekly history, which I send you with this, one would have imagined the millennium was coming indeed. But you know, in this mixed state of things, wild-fire will necessarily blend itself with the pure fire that comes from God's altar. This the enemy long waited for; at last it broke out and spread itself; and it must be confessed, through the instrumentality of many good souls both among clergy and laity, who for a while mistaking fancy for faith, and imagination for revelation, were guilty of great imprudence. What these were, I have not time now to particularize; I can only inform you, that all is laid to me as being the primum mobile though there was not so much as the appearance of any thing of this nature when I left New-England last.
But, maugre all, my poor labours are yet attended with the usual blessings, and therefore I must entreat you as usual to pray and give thanks in behalf of Yours, &c.
G. W.