April 24. Came to Christopher Wigner's plantation in Skippack, where many Dutch people are settled, and where the famous Mr. Spalemburg resided lately. It was surprising to see such a multitude of people gathered together in such a wilderness country, thirty miles distant from Philadelphia.-Mr. Whitefield was exceedingly carried out in his sermon, to press poor sinners to come to Christ by faith, and claim all their privileges; viz. not only righteousness and peace, but joy in the Holy Ghost; and after he had done, our dear friend Peter Bohler preached in Dutch, to those who could not understand Mr. Whitefield in English." "Before Mr. Whitefield left Philadelphia, he was desired to visit one who was under a deep sense of sin, from hearing him preach. And in praying with this person, he was so carried beyond himself, that the whole company (which were about twenty) seemed to be filled with the Holy Ghost, and magnified the God of heaven." "April 25. Rose at three o'clock: and though Mr. Whitefield was very weak in body, yet the Lord enabled him to ride near fifty miles, and to preach to about five thousand people at Amwell, with the same power as usual. -Mr. Gilbert Tennent, Mr. Rowland, Mr. Wales, and Mr. Campbell, four godly ministers, met us here." "April 26. Came to New Brunswick.-Met Mr. Noble from New York, a zealous promoter of our Lord's kingdom. He said their society at New York was increased from seventy, to one hundred and seventy, and was daily increasing; and that Messrs. Gilbert and William Tennent, Mr. Rowland, and several others, were hard labourers in our Lord's vineyard." แ April 28. Had a most affectionate parting with our dear Mr. Whitefield, and our other brethren." The rest of Mr. Seward's journal was written mostly during his passage to England, where he arrived June 19, and with which it concludes. Mr. Whitefield, in the new edition of his Journals, 1756, observes," April 28, 1740. This was the last time I saw my worthy friend; for before my return to England, he was entered into his rest, having At Northampton, when he came to remind them of what God had formerly done for them, it was like putting fire to tinder. Both minister and people were much moved; as were the children of the family, at an exhortation which their father desired Mr. Whitefield to give them. After leaving Northampton, he preached in every town to large and affected congregations. And October 23, reached Newhaven, where he was affectionately received by Mr. Pierpent, brother-in-law to Mr. Jonathan Edwards, and had the pleasure of seeing his friend Mr. Noble, of New York, who brought him letters from Georgia. It being assembly time, and the governor and burgesses then sitting, he stayed till Lord's-day, and had the pleasure to see numbers impressed. The good old governor was affected in a particular manner, and at a private visit which Mr. Whitefield paid him, said, "thanks be to God for such refreshings in our way to heaven." On Monday morning he set forward, and preached with usual success at Milford, Stratford, Fairfield, Newark, and Stanford, where he was visited by some ministers under deep concern. This was on the borders of New York province, into which he now again entered, and preached at Rye and *The attention of the people in general was greatly awakened upon hearing the fame of him, that there was a remarkable preacher from England travelling through the country. The people flocked to hear him when he came to Newhaven. Some travelled twenty miles out of the country to hear him. The assemblies were crowded, and remarkably attentive; people appeared generally to approve, and their conversation turned chiefly about him and his preaching. Some disapproved of several things which he advanced, which occasioned considerable disputes. I heard him when he preached in public, and when he expounded in private in the evening, and highly approved of him, and was somewhat impressed by what he said in public and in private. He preached against mixed dancing and frolicking of males and females together; which practice was then very common in New England. This offended some, especially young people. But I remember I justified him in this in my own mind, and in conversation with those who were disposed to condemn him. This was in October, 1740, when I had entered on my last year in college. See Memoirs of Dr. Samuel Hopkins. King's-bridge, on his way to the city of New York, where he arrived October 30. Here for three days successively, and afterwards at Staten Island, Newark, Baskenridge, his preaching appeared to be attended with more success than ever. At Trenton he had a long conference with some ministers, about Mr. Gilbert Tennent's complying with an invitation to go and preach in New England. After prayer, and considering the arguments both for and against this proposal, they thought it best he should go; which, however diffident of himself, he was persuaded to do. And his ministrations were attended with an extraordinary blessing to multitudes, as is particularly narrated elsewhere.* What sort of reception Mr. Whitefield had in New England, will farther appear from the following letters of some eminent ministers of Boston, and adjacent towns, published by the Rev. Josiah Smith, of Charlestown, in the South Carolina Gazette. "Rev. and Dear Sir, October 1, 1740. "Your kind letter by Mr. Whitefield, and your other, are both now before me. You raised our expectations of him very much, as did his Journals more, and Mr. P. of New York, concurred with them; but we own now that we have seen and heard him, that our expectations are all answered, and exceeded, not only in bis zealous and fervent abounding labours, but in the command of the hearts and affections of his hearers. He has been received here as an angel of God, and a servant of Jesus Christ. I hope this visit to us will be of very great use and benefit to ministers and people. He has found his heart and mouth much opened to speak freely and boldly to us, and he finds it received with joy." * See Prince's Christian History, or, Historical Collections of the Success of the Gospel, Vol. ii. where the facts are set down in the order of time About this time Mr. Whitefield wrote his letter to some church members of the Presbyterian persuasion, in answer to certain scruples and queries which they had proposed.-See Works Vol. IV. By the same gentleman: "Rev. and Dear Sir, November 29, 1740. "Mr. Whitefield left us seven weeks ago; the last week we heard of him in Philadelphia. I hear that much of the presence of God is with him. He has left a blessing behind him, we hope with us. Our people, high and low, old and young, are very swift to hear. The excellent meekness of Mr. Whitefield's Answer to the Querists, will honour him to you." Another writes thus: "October 22, 1740. "Though it is always a singular pleasure to me to hear from you, yet your two letters by Mr. Whitefield, had a new circumstance of pleasure from the dear hand that presented them. I perceive you was impatient to know what sort of entering in he had among us. We (ministers, rulers, and people) generally received him as an angel of God. When he preached his farewel sermon in our common, there were TWENTY-THREE THOUSAND, at a moderate computation. We are abundantly convinced, that you spoke the words of truth and soberness in your sermon relating to him. Such a power and presence of God with a preacher, and in religious assemblies, I never saw before; but I would not limit the Holy One of Israel. The prejudices of many are quite conquered, and expectations of others vastly outdone, as they freely own. A considerable number are awakened, and many christians seem to be greatly quickened. He has preached twice at Cambridge; he has one warm friend there, Mr. the tutor, who has followed him to Northampton, and will, for aught I know to Georgia. But Mr. Whitefield has not a warmer friend any where, than the first man among us. Our governor has shewed him the highest respect, carried him in his coach from place to place, and could not help following fty miles out of town. I hope the religion of the y will fare the better for the impressions left on same gentleman writes, "December 2, 1740. he man greatly beloved, I suppose, may be with you now. That his visit here will be esteemed a disshed mercy of heaven by many, I am well satisfied. day gives me fresh proofs of Christ's speaking in A small set of gentlemen amongst us, when they he affections of the people so moved under his preachwould attribute it only to the force of sound gestures. he impressions on many are so lasting, and have been nsforming, as to carry plain signatures of a divine going along with him." other gentleman writes, "November 1, 1740. I received yours by the Rev. Mr. Whitefield, with n I coveted a great deal more private conversation I had opportunity for, by reason of the throngs of le almost perpetually with him. But he appears to ll of the love of God, and fired with an extraordinary for the cause of Christ, and applies himself with the indefatigable diligence, that ever was seen among us he promoting the good of souls. His head, his heart, ands, seem to be full of his Master's business. His urses, especially when he goes into the expository are very entertaining. Every eye is fixed upon him, every ear chained to his lips. Most are very much ted; many awakened and convinced, and a general usness excited. His address, more especially to the ions, is wonderful, and beyond what I have ever seen. nk I can truly say, that his preaching has quickened and I believe it has many others besides, as well as people. Several of my flock, especially the younger |