ment: the New, I do not believe at all.' 'Do you believe, sir, a judgment to come?' He turned himself about, and replied, I know not what to say to that.' 'Alas, sir,' said I'if all these things should be true, what-?' which words, I believe, gave him great concern; for he seemed after to be very uneasy, grew delirious, and in a day or two departed. Unhappy man-how quickly he was convinced! The day after his decease he was carried to the ground, and I refused to read the office over him ;-but I went to the grave, and told the people what had passed between him and me: and, warning all against infidelity, I asked them, whether I could safely say,'As our hope is, this our brother doth?' Upon which, I believe, they were thoroughly satisfied that I had done right." This was equally creditable to the preacher and the people!

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A few days after this event, Whitefield preached his farewell sermon at Savannah; it being necessary for him to return to England. How much he loved and was beloved, although only as a wayfaring man turning aside to tarry for a night," may be judged from his own account. "I preached my farewell sermon, to the great grief of my dear parishioners, whose hearts were full as well as mine, which we all showed by many tears. But a sensible alteration appeared in their countenances, when I promised them solemnly, before God, to return as soon as possible."

Next day he went to Charleston, in South Carolina, to embark for England. Gillies says, that Commissary Garden entreated him to preach in the church. This is true: but Garden was the ecclesiastical, not the civil, commissary. I mention this, because his kindness to Whitefield was great at first. It is thus recorded in the revised journals: "The bishop of London's commissary, the Rev. Mr. G. received me very courteously, and offered me a lodging. How does God raise up friends wherever I go!" Gillies's account will now be better appreciated: "Mr. G. thanked him most cordially, (he had preached twice in the church,) and assured him that he would defend him with his life and property, should the same arbitrary proceedings commence against him, which Mr. Wesley met with in Georgia. He also said something about the colony

of Georgia, which much encouraged Whitefield; as if he thought its flourishing not far off;" and instanced Charleston This

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as now fifteen times bigger than when he came there." "life and fortune" friend put on a new face afterwards!

Gillies sums up Whitefield's labours in Georgia thus: "It had been his practice to read prayers and expound (besides visiting the sick) twice a day. On Sunday, he expounded at five in the morning; at ten, read prayers and preached; and at three in the afternoon; and at seven in the evening, he expounded the Church Catechism. How much easier it is for the clergy in England, Scotland, and Ireland, to find fault with such a faithful brother in the ministry, than to follow his example!"

The following note from Whitefield's diary will explain, in some measure, how he bore the hardships of his perilous voyage home. "During my stay (in Georgia) the weather was most intensely hot, burning me almost through my shoes. Seeing others do it, who were as unable, I determined to inure myself to hardships, by lying constantly on the ground; which, by use, I found to be so far from being a hardship, that afterwards it became so to lie on a bed." It was well it did: for all the way home, he had no bed, until he reached Ireland. Nor was this his only privation on the voyage. At the outset they were tossed from "bar to bar," for nearly a fortnight, by contrary winds. Their provision began to fail before they had accomplished a third of the passage: and when they reached Ireland, they were so worn out by famine and fatigue, that Whitefield says, "they were weak and hollow-eyed," even in the great cabin. On landing, however, he soon rallied, and preached with great power at Limerick and Dublin for some days. The account of his reception and success will be found in the chapter, "Whitefield in Ireland."

CHAPTER IV.

WHITEFIELD'S FIRST GREAT MEASURES IN LONDON, 1739.

THESE had so much influence upon his subsequent character and career, that I shall not interrupt their narrative, by his occasional excursions into the country, until his position in the metropolis is fully understood. That was, indeed, influenced by his proceedings in Bristol and Wales: but he would have become a field preacher, even if he had not begun at Bristol.

He arrived in London again at the close of 1738, after a perilous voyage. This sudden return was forced upon him; not sought by him. "I was really happy in my little foreign cure, and could have cheerfully remained among them, had I not been obliged to return to England, to receive priest's orders, and make a beginning towards laying the foundation of the orphan-house. And thus-the place where I intended to hide. myself in, became, through my being obliged to return for these purposes, a mean of increasing that popularity which was already begun ;-but which by me was absolutely unforeseen, and absolutely undesigned."

His diary at sea, written amidst hurricanes and famine, illustrates the truth of this explanation. "Had I my own will, I could wish myself a speedy passage, that I might return the sooner to those few sheep I have left in Savannah." It was thus with a single eye and a simple purpose, that Whitefield returned to London.

The first thing he did on his arrival, was, to wait on the archbishop of Canterbury, and the bishop of London. Dr. Gillies says, "he was coldly received by them :" Whitefield himself says, "I met with a favourable reception from both; but

was not so civilly treated by some of the clergy; for five churches have been already (in two days) denied me. However, I had an opportunity of preaching at St. Helen's and at Islington, to large congregations indeed; and in the evening (of that first sabbath) I went to a society in Fetter Lane, where we had, what might not be improperly called, a love feast; eating a little bread and water, and spending two hours in singing and prayers."

It was now Christmas, and he spent almost every evening in expounding to, and praying with, societies of this kind. On Christmas eve, he continued the exercise until four in the morning. "At six," he says, with his characteristic simplicity, " I went to another in Crutched Friars, and expounded as well as I could ;-but (no wonder !) perceived myself a little oppressed with drowsiness." He had been from four till six o'clock that inorning in a large meeting in Red Cross Street; which is memorable from the fact, that there, for the first time in his life, he ventured to pray extempore," before many witnesses." He mentions this fact in a note of his diary. "Dec. 25. The first time I ever prayed extempore, before such a number." Extempore preaching soon followed this prayer!

On new-year's day he writes thus: "Received the holy sacrament, preached twice, and expounded twice; and found this the happiest new-year's day that I ever saw. Afterwards spent the whole night in close prayer, psalms, and thanksgivings, with the Fetter Lane society." Well might Dr. Gillies say, of Whitefield and his friends," religious exercises seemed to be their meat and drink."

As might be expected, work of this kind offended many. It was shared, however, for a time, by some of the clergy. "Jan. 5th. Held a conference at Islington, concerning many things of importance, with seven ministers of Jesus Christ, despised methodists, whom God in his providence brought together. We continued in fasting and prayer till three o'clock; and then parted with a full conviction that God was about to do great things amongst us. Oh that we may be in any way instrumental to his glory! Oh that he would make the vessels pure and holy; meet for such a dear Master's use!"

Such were Whitefield's habits, and such the state of his mind, when he went to Oxford to be ordained a priest. "He was ordained," says Gillies, " by his good friend Bishop Benson." Benson deserved this epithet from Whitefield's biographer. It is well known, however, that he afterwards repented, for a time, of having " ever laid his hands upon George Whitefield:" but he repented of this repentance; and sent, from his dying bed to Whitefield, a present, with a kind request to be remembered in his prayers.

The ordinary explanation of all this seems to be warranted by fact. Benson had been tutor to Lord Huntingdon, and was thus naturally sent for to reason with the countess, when she became a methodist. Her Ladyship, however, reasoned with the bishop; and so plied him with articles and homilies in favour of her creed, and with the solemn responsibilities of his own office, that she offended him. "He rose up in haste (says my authority) to depart, bitterly lamenting that he had ever laid hands on George Whitefield; to whom he imputed, though without cause, the change wrought on her Ladyship. She called him back My Lord,' said she, 'mark my words: when you come to your dying bed, that will be one of the few ordinations you will reflect upon with complacency.""

As before, Whitefield was deeply affected by his ordination. He went from the altar to the pulpit that very day, "to begin to make proof" of his ministry; and preached twice in Oxford, and expounded at Carfax in the evening, and attended a prayermeeting at night.

On his return to London, he was alternately in the pulpit, and at these private meetings: and it is difficult to say which of the two spheres of labour had most influence upon his mind and movements at this time. It was certainly the crowding at church, that first suggested to him the idea of preaching in the open air. "When I was informed that nearly a thousand people stood out in the churchyard, and that hundreds returned home, this put me first upon thinking of preaching without-doors. I mentioned it to some friends, who looked upon it as a mad motion. However, we kneeled down and prayed, that nothing might be done rashly. Hear and answer, O Lord, for thy