Page:The Works of the Reverend George Whitefield, M.A., late of Pembroke-College, Oxford, and Chaplain to the Rt. Hon. the Countess of Huntingdon (1771 Volume 2).djvu/72

 thousands that flock to the preaching of Christ's gospel! If brother C is in London, pray salute him in my name, and all the dear dear brethren and sisters, wishing you all thousands and millions of blessings, and earnestly intreating an interest in your prayers for me the chief of sinners. I subscribe myself, my dear brother E, Yours most affectionately in the most adorable Redeemer, G. W.  Postscript. I must tell you one thing more. There is a ferry over to Plymouth; and the ferrymen, which were like Levi the publican at the receipt of custom, are now so much my friends, that they will take nothing of the multitude that come to hear me preach, saying, " forbid that we should sell the word of ." O! the hearts of all men are in the hand of the ! LETTER DLIX. To Mr. .

On board the Wilmington, Oct. 20, 1744.

My dear Friend,

YOU know in what a poor state of health I was, when I embarked. The length, and seeming tediousness of the voyage, hath occasioned no small addition to the violent pain in my side; however, blessed be, in a week or two after we sailed, we began to have a church in our ship. Two serious New-England friends finding how I was served at Portsmouth, came from thence to Plymouth in order to bear me company. We had regular public prayer morning and evening, frequent communion, and days of humiliation and fasting. Being time of war, and sailing out with near 150 ships, we had several convoys. Their taking leave of each other at their several appointed places, was striking: but ours was ordered to convoy us all the way. We were soon, and have been often alarmed. Once with the sight of a Dutch fleet, whom we took for an enemy; and again at the sight of Admiral Balchen, who rode by us receiving the obeisance of the surrounding ships, as though he was Lord of the whole ocean.