tion of Whitefield's confessions is far more applicable; ludicrous, filthy, and shameless, as quite defiles paper, and is shocking to decency and modesty." Such a "perfect Jakes" of ribaldry never issued from the episcopal bench; and yet it found an editor in the vicar of Manaccan, in 1820!

I shall have occasion, more than once, to refer to both the bishop and the vicar. In the meantime, I cannot but allow Whitefield to speak for himself, on the subject of his early life. "It would be endless to recount the sins and offences of my younger days. They are more in number than the hairs of my head. My heart would fail me at the remembrance of them, was I not assured that my Redeemer liveth to make intercession for me! However the young man in the gospel might boast, that he had kept the commandments from his youth up,' with shame and confusion of face I confess that I have broken them all from my youth. Whatever foreseen fitness for salvation others may talk of and glory in, I disclaim any such thing: if I trace myself from my cradle to my manhood, I can see nothing in me but a fitness to be damned. I speak the truth in Christ: I lie not!' If the Almighty had not prevented me by his grace, and wrought most powerfully on my soul-quickening me by his free Spirit, when dead in trespasses and sins, I had now either been sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death,—or condemned, as the due reward of my crimes, to be for ever lifting up my eyes in torments. But such was the free grace of God to me, that though corruption worked so strongly in my soul, and produced such early and bitter fruits,-yet I can recollect, very early, movings of the blessed Spirit upon my heart. I had, early, some convictions of sin. Once, I remember, when some persons (as they frequently did) made it their business to tease me, I immediately retired to my room, and kneeling down, with many tears, prayed over the 118th Psalm."

It appears from the narrative, that, on this occasion, the mind of young Whitefield fastened chiefly upon the words, "In the name of the Lord will I destroy them." This, of course, he applied to his teasing enemies, who had "compassed him about like bees:" a coincidence likely to be noticed by an irritated boy, of quick perceptions. Even men are but too prone, when injured, to appropriate the Messiah's weapons to their own warfare;—as if revenge could be sanctified by the use of sacred language. But what is pitiable

in the boy, is contemptible in the man. This happened when Whitefield was only ten years old; but the following hint will account for the facility with which he turned to a psalm suited to his purpose. "I was always fond of being a clergyman, and used frequently to imitate the minister's reading prayers, &c." Such being his favourite habit at the time, he was sure to be familiar with the imprecatory psalms, of which so many occur in the book of Common Prayer.

We have seen that he was addicted to petty thefts. The manner in which he seems to have reconciled his conscience to them, is not peculiar to boys. "Part of the money I used to steal from my mother I gave to the poor, and some books I privately took from others (for which I have since restored fourfold) I remember were books of devotion."

"When I was about twelve, I was placed at a school, called St. Mary De Crypt, in Gloucester; the last grammar school I ever went to. Having a good elocution and memory, I was remarked for making speeches before the corporation, at their annual visitation. During the time of my being at school, I was very fond of reading plays, and have kept from school for days together, to prepare myself for acting them. My master, seeing how mine and my schoolfellows' vein ran, composed something of this kind for us himself, and caused me to dress myself in girl's clothes, (which I had often done,) to act a part before the corporation." Thus he contracted that taste for theatrical amusements, which gave rise to the well-known insinuation, that he learned his peculiar style of oratory upon the stage. This, however, is not the fact: his acting was confined to the boards of St. Mary De Crypt, and to his own chamber. But his fondness for this species of amusement was not left at the school. When seventeen years of age, he was not weaned from this folly. Even while at college he says, "I was not fully satisfied of the sin of reading plays, until God, upon a fast day, was pleased to convince me. Taking a play, to read a passage out of it to a friend, God struck my heart with such power, that I was obliged to lay it down again."

How deeply he deplored the cause and consequences of this habit, appears from the following remarks; "I cannot but observe here, with much concern of mind, how this way of training up youth has a natural tendency to debauch the mind, to raise ill passions, and to stuff the memory with things as contrary to the gospel of Christ, as darkness to light-hell

to heaven." This fatal " tendency" was but too fully exemplified when at school. "I got acquainted with such a set of debauched, abandoned, atheistical youths, that if God, by his free, unmerited, and special grace, had not delivered me out of their hands, I should have sat in the scorners' chair, and made a mock at sin. By keeping company with them, my thoughts of religion grew more and more like theirs. I went to public service only to make sport, and walk about. I took pleasure in their lewd conversation. I began to reason as they did, and to ask, why God had given me passions, and not permitted me to gratify them? In short, I soon made great proficiency in the school of the devil. I affected to look rakish, and was in a fair way of being as infamous as the worst of them." This, not oratory, was what young Whitefield learned from plays and acting. He fell into sins, of which he says," their dismal effects I have felt and groaned under ever since."

Of course, this progress in vice was gradual. During his first two years at school, he bought, and read with much attention, Ken's Manual for Winchester Scholars: a book commended to him by the use made of it by his mother in her afflictions. He was also a diligent scholar, and for some time made considerable progress in the Latin classics. But the amusements which alienated his heart from virtue, gradually impaired his taste for education. "Before I was fifteen, having, as I thought, made sufficient progress in the classics, and, at the bottom, longing to be set at liberty from the confinement of a school, I one day told my mother, that since her circumstances would not permit her to give me a University education, more learning, I thought, would spoil me for a tradesman, and therefore I judged it best not to learn Latin any longer. She at first refused to consent, but my corruptions soon got the better of her good-nature. Hereupon for some time I went to learn to write only. But my mother's circumstances being much on the decline; and, being tractable that way, I began to assist her occasionally in the publichouse, till at length I put on my blue apron and my snufferswashed mops-cleaned rooms, and in one word, became professed and common drawer for nigh a year and a half."

Thus he exchanged the confinement of a school for the imprisonment of an inn; and, as might be expected in such a place, he was twice or thrice intoxicated. It does not appear, however, that he was addicted to drinking. "He who was

with David when he was 'following the ewes big with young,' was with me here. For, notwithstanding I was thus employed in a common inn, and had sometimes the care of the whole house upon my hands, yet I composed two or three sermons, and dedicated one of them, in particular, to my elder brother. One time, I remember, I was much pressed to self-examination, but found myself very unwilling to look into my heart. Frequently I read the Bible, while sitting up at night. Seeing the boys go by to school, has often cut me to the heart. And a dear youth would often come, entreating me, whilst serving at the bar, to go to Oxford. My general answer was, I wish I could.

"After I had continued about a year in servile employment, my mother was obliged to leave the inn. My brother, who had been bred up for the business, married; whereupon all was made over to him; and I being accustomed to the house, it was agreed that I should continue there as an assistant. But God's thoughts were not as our thoughts. By his good providence it happened, that my sister-in-law and I could by no means agree; and, at length, the resentment grew to such a height, that my proud heart would scarce suffer me to speak to her for three weeks together. But, notwithstanding I was much to blame, yet I used to retire and weep before the Lord, as Hagar when flying from Sarah : little thinking that God, by this means, was forcing me out of the public business, and calling me from drawing wine for drunkards, to draw water from the wells of salvation for the refreshment of his spiritual Israel. After continuing for a long time under this burden of mind, I at length resolved (thinking my absence would make all things easy) to go away. Accordingly, by the advice of my brother and consent of my mother, I went to see my elder brother, then settled in Bristol."

During a residence of two months in Bristol, Whitefield experienced some awakenings of conscience. Once, in St. John's church, he was so affected by the sermon, that he resolved to prepare himself for the sacrament, and decided against returning to the inn. This latter resolution he communicated by letter to his mother; and the former was so strong, that, during his stay in Bristol, reading Thomas a Kempis was his chief delight. "And I was always impatient till the bell rung to call me to tread the courts of the Lord's house. But in the midst of these illuminations, something

surely whispered, this would not last. And, indeed, it so happened. For (oh that I could write it in tears of blood!) when I left Bristol and returned to Gloucester, I changed my devotion with my place. Alas, all my fervour went off. I had no inclination to go to church, or draw nigh to God. In short, my heart was far from him. However, I had so much religion left, as to persist in my resolution not to live in the inn; and, therefore, my mother gave me leave, though she had but a little income, to have a bed on the ground, and live at her house, till Providence should point out a place for me. "Having now as I thought, nothing to do, it was a proper season for Satan to tempt me. Much of my time I spent in reading plays, and in sauntering from place to place. I was careful to adorn my body, but took little pains to deck and beautify my soul. Evil communications with my old schoolfellows, soon corrupted my good manners. By seeing their evil practices, the sense of the divine presence, I had vouchsafed unto me, insensibly wore off my mind. But God would let nothing pluck me out of his hands, though I was continually doing despite to the Spirit of grace. He even gave me some foresight of his providing for me. One morning as I was reading a play to my sister, said I, Sister, God intends something for me, which we know not of. As I have been diligent in business, I believe many would gladly have me for an apprentice, but every way seems to be barred

up; so that I think God will provide for me some way or other, that we cannot apprehend.'

"Having thus lived with my mother for some considerable time, a young student, who was once my schoolfellow, and then a servitor of Pembroke College, Oxford, came to pay my mother a visit. Amongst other conversation, he told her, how he discharged all college expenses that quarter, and saved a penny. Upon that my mother immediately cried out, This will do for my son!' Then turning to me she said, 'Will you go to Oxford, George?' I replied, 'With all my heart.' Whereupon, having the same friends that this young student had, my mother, without delay, waited on them. They promised their interest to get me a servitor's place in the same college. She then applied to my old master, who much approved of my coming to school again. In about a week, I went and re-entered myself; and being grown much in stature, my master addressed me thus: 'I see, George, you are advanced in stature, but your better part must needs