and I have been here thirteen already; so that I am
perfectly unable to engage in this work unless I would suffer myself to
be left behind here again; in which case, if this single ship should
miscarry in any part of her voyage, I should be just in the same
condition that I was left in here at first, and from which I have been so
wonderfully delivered." He owned the case was very hard upon me as to my
voyage; but laid it home upon my conscience whether the blessing of
saving thirty-seven souls was not worth venturing all I had in the world
for. I was not so sensible of that as he was. I replied to him thus:
"Why, sir, it is a valuable thing, indeed, to be an instrument in God's
hand to convert thirty-seven heathens to the knowledge of Christ: but as
you are an ecclesiastic, and are given over to the work, so it seems so
naturally to fall in the way of your profession; how is it, then, that
you do not rather offer yourself to undertake it than to press me to do
it?"

Upon this he faced about just before me, as he walked along, and putting
me to a full stop, made me a very low bow. "I most heartily thank God
and you, sir," said he, "for giving me so evident a call to so blessed a
work; and if you think yourself discharged from it, and desire me to
undertake it, I will most readily do it, and think it a happy reward for
all the hazards and difficulties of such a broken, disappointed voyage as
I have met with, that I am dropped at last into so glorious a work."

I discovered a kind of rapture in his face while he spoke this to me; his
eyes sparkled like fire; his face glowed, and his colour came and went;
in a word, he was fired with the joy of being embarked in such a work. I
paused a considerable while before I could tell what to say to him; for I
was really surprised to find a man of such sincerity, and who seemed
possessed of a zeal beyond the ordinary rate of men. But after I had
considered it a while, I asked him seriously if he was in earnest, and
that he would venture, on the single consideration of an attempt to
convert those poor people, to be locked up in an unplanted island for
perhaps his life, and at last might not know whether he should be able to
do them good or not? He turned short upon me, and asked me what I called
a venture? "Pray, sir," said he, "what do you think I consented to go in
your ship to the East Indies for?"--"ay," said I, "that I know not,
unless it was to preach to the Indians."--"