REV. HENRY MARTYN, B.D. 25 



Letter 7.— (Single Sheet of). 



Funclial, Madeira, 



September 30tli, 1805. 



Had I begun a letter to my dearest cousin at sea, I sbould 

 bave been able to send a more distinct and satisfying account of 

 myself. The state of confusion I am in here is beyond your 

 conception. Let me hasten to say that thro' the mercy of Grod 

 I am very well, and exceedingly happy in the prospect of my 

 work. I seem to be blessed with more intimate communion with 

 God, the nearer I approach to the place which I trust will be 

 the scene of it. The exertion of his power over my heart calls 

 for my highest praise — ^truly my soul may admire in silent 

 astonishment his Grod-like omnipotence ; he has suffered me 

 almost to sink in the deep waters of corruption, that I might 

 learn to know what is the exceeding greatness of His power 

 to usward who believe. God knows how dearly I love you, and 

 Lydia, and Sally,* and all his saints in England, yet I bid you 

 all an everlasting farewell, almost without a sigh. may God 

 grant in his mercy that I may be a pilgrim all my days, 

 dwelling with my heart and all my thoughts in heaven, and 

 staying here only for the work of Christ. 



Two days after I sent you my last letter from Cork, the wind 

 changed, and we were obliged to put in again, by which means 

 I received your letter and wrote an answer, but the pilot left the 

 ship before I was aware — for the very same day we went to sea 

 again — and a tedious and tempestuous voyage have we had. The 

 first part of it was the time of my trial. To describe the 

 variety of perplexing, heartrending, agonizing thoughts that 

 passed thro' my mind, which united with the sickness and 

 languor of my body to depress me, would be impossible. From 

 day to day I continued in the same state, rising in the morning 

 without strength or spirit to dress myself, vomiting quantities of 

 acrid bile before breakfast. All the arguments of God's word 

 came to me with irresistable force, but self-will is deaf to 

 reason — the soul without the influence of grace is in a state of 

 insanity. I felt disposed to throw away my honor, my integrity, 

 my life, my soul, for I did not know what. At length it was 

 suggested to me — ^think no more of anything but suffering in 



* His own second sister, Mrs. Pearson, who died in 1808. 



