that, I expounded on our Lord's transfiguration, at the house of one Mrs. Harvey, sister to dear Mr. Smith, of Charleston. The house was exceedingly full, and it was supposed above three hundred stood in the yard. The Lord enabled me to lift up my voice like a trumpet. Many wept. Mr. M- -r returned from the funeral with me, and attended the lecture; as did the three counsellors, with whom I conversed freely. May God reward them, and all the dear people of the island, for those many favors conferred on me, who am the chief of sinners, and less than the least of all saints!

"Sunday, May 22. Blessed be God! the little leven thrown into the three measures of meal, begins to ferment, and work almost every day for the week past. I have conversed with souls loaded with a sense of their sins; and, as far as I can judge, really pricked to the heart. I preached only three times, but to almost three times larger auditories than usual. Indeed the fields are white ready unto harvest. God has been pleased to bless private visits. Go where I will, upon the least notice, houses are crowded, and the poor souls that follow, are soon drenched in tears. This day I took, as it were, another farewell. As the ship did not sail, I preached at Somerset in the morning to a large congregation in the fields; and expounded in the evening, at Mr. Harvey's house, around which stood many hundreds of people. But in the morning and evening, how did the poor souls weep! Abundance of prayers and blessings were put up for my safe passage to England, and speedy return to the Bermudas again. May they enter into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth! With all humility and thankfulness of heart, will I here, O Lord, set up my Ebenezer : for hitherto surely thou hast helped me! Thanks be to the Lord for sending me hither. I have been received in a manner I dared not expect; and have met with little, very little opposition, indeed. The inhabitants seem to be plain and open hearted. They have loaded me with provisions for my sea store; and in the several parishes, by a private voluntary contribution, have raised me upwards of ONE HUNDRED POUNDS Sterling. This will pay a little of Bethesda's debt, and enable me to make such a remittance to my dear yoke fellow, as may keep her from being embarrassed, or too much beholden in my absence. Blessed be God, for bringing me out of my embarrassments by degrees! May the Lord reward all my benefactors a thousand fold! I I hear that what was given, was given exceedingly heartily; and people only lamented that they could do no more."*

* Bermudas is placed by itself in almost the middle of the Atlantic ocean. It has been justly celebrated by Waller the Poet, and the late Bishop Berkeley, who resided there for some time.

After having transmitted to Georgia what was given to him for the Orphan-house, and dreading to go back to America in that season of heat, for fear of relapsing, and having pressing calls to England, he took the opportunity of sailing in a brig, and in twenty-eight days arrived at Deal." The next evening, July 6, 1748, he reached London, after an absence of nearly four years.

CHAPTER XIV.

From his arrival in London, 1748, to his going to Ireland in the year 1751.

ON Whitefield's visiting a few of his friends, immediately after his return, he found himself in no very agreeable situa tion. His congregation at the Tabernacle was sadly scattered. And as to his outward circumstances, he had sold all his household furniture, to help to pay the Orphan-house debt, which yet was far from being canceled. But under all these discouragements, he was still supported. His congregation was soon recruited, and received him with the greatest joy. And at this time a very unexpected thing happened to him. The Countess of Huntingdon, before his arrival, had ordered Mr. Howel Harris to bring him to her house at Chelsea, as soon as he came on shore. He went and having preached twice, the countess wrote to him, that several of the nobility desired to

During this voyage, among other letters, he wrote the following:"June 24, 1748, (on board.) Yesterday I made an end of revising all my Journals. Alas! alas! in how many things I have judged and acted wrong. I have been too rash and hasty in giving characters both of places and persons. Being fond of scripture language, I have often used a style too apostolical, and at the same time I have been too bitter in my zeal. Wild-fire has been mixed with it, and I find that I frequently wrote and spoke in my own spirit, when I thought I was writing and speaking by the assistance of the Spirit of God. I have, likewise, too much made inward impressions my rule of acting, and too soon and too explicitly published what had been better kept in longer, or told after my death. By these things I have hurt the blessed cause I would defend, and also stirred up needless opposition. This has humbled me much, and made me think of a saying of Mr. Henry-Joseph had more honesty than he had policy, or he never would have told his dreams.' At the same time, I cannot but praise God, who fills me with so much of his holy fire, and carried me, a poor weak youth, through such a torrent, both of popularity and contempt, and set so many seals to my unworthy ministrations. I bless him for ripening my judgment a little more, for giving me to see and confess, and I hope in some degree to correct and amend some of my former mistakes."

At this time also he finished his "Abridgment of Mr. Law's Serious Call;" which he endeavored to make more useful, by excluding whatever is not truly evangelical, and illustrating the subject more fully from the Holy Scrip

tures.

hear him. "Blessed be God," he says, in his reply, "that the rich and great begin to have a hearing ear: I think it is a good sign that our Lord intends to give, to some at least, an obedient heart. How wonderfully does our Redeemer deal with souls! If they will hear the gospel only under a ceiled roof, ministers shall be sent to them there; if only in a church, or a field, they shall have it there. A word in the lesson, when I was last with your ladyship, struck me,-Paul preached privately to those that were of reputation. This must be the way, I presume, of dealing with the nobility, who yet know not the Lord." This is characteristic; and his answer to a second note, respecting the time, is still more so. "Ever since the reading your ladyship's condescending letter, my soul has been overpowered with His presence, who is all in all. When your ladyship styled me your friend, I was amazed at your condescension; but when I thought that Jesus was my friend, it quite overcame me and made me to lie prostrate before Him, crying, Why me? why me? I just now rose from the ground, after praying the Lord of all lords to water your soul, honored madam, every moment. As there seems to be a door opening for the nobility to hear the gospel, I will defer my journey, and, God willing, preach at your ladyship's. Oh that God may be with me, and make me humble! I am ashamed to think your ladyship will admit me under your roof; much more am I amazed that the Lord Jesus will make use of such a creature as I am;-quite astonished at your ladyship's condescension, and the unmerited superabounding grace and goodness of Him who has loved me, and given Himself for me."

Lord Chesterfield and Bolingbroke* were among his auditors at Chelsea: the countess had done well in inviting those persons who stood most in need of repentance. The former complimented the preacher with his usual courtliness; the latter is said to have been much moved at the discourse: he invited Whitefield to visit him, and seems then to have been not disinclined to pass from infidelity to christianity.

"

* This celebrated infidel and tory, was one day reading Calvin's Institutes. A clergyman (the Rev. Mr. Church, who died curate of Battersea) of his lordship's acquaintance coming in on a visit, Lord B. said to him, "You have caught me reading John Calvin; he was indeed a man of great parts, profound sense, and vast learning; he handles the doctrines of grace in a very masterly manner." "Doctrines of grace !" replied the clergyman, "the doctrines of grace have set all mankind together by the ears.' I am surprised to hear you say so ;" answered Lord B., "you who profess to believe and to preach christianity. Those doctrines are certainly the doctrines of the Bible, and if I believe the Bible I must believe them. And, let me seriously tell you, that the greatest miracle in the world is the subsistence of christianity, and its continued preservation, as a religion, when the preaching of it is committed to the care of such unchristian wretches as you."

Lady Huntingdon, pleased, perhaps, by the applause which was bestowed upon the performance, appointed Whitefield one of her chaplains. He, at this time, writing to Mr. Wesley, says, "What have you thought about a union? I am afraid an external one is impracticable. I find, by your sermons, that we differ in principles more than I thought, and I believe we are upon two different plans. My attachment to America will not permit me to abide very long in England, consequently I should but weave a Penelope's web if I formed societies; and, if I should form them, I have not proper assistants to take care of them; I intend, therefore, to go about preaching the gospel to every creature."

In September, 1748, he visited Scotland the third time, and was received with a hearty welcome. Multitudes crowded to hear him, both at Edinburgh and Glasgow. "I have reason," says he, "to believe some have been awakened, and many quickened and comforted. My old friends are more solidly so than ever; and a foundation, I trust, has been laid for doing much good, if ever the Lord should call me thither again. Two Synods and one Presbytery, brought me upon the carpet; but all has worked for good."

These were the Synods of Glasgow and Perth, and the Presbytery of Edinburgh. What happened in the Synod of Glasgow, may be seen in a pamphlet, entitled, "a fair and impartial Account of the Debate in the Synod of Glasgow and Air, October 6th, 1748, against employing Mr. Whitefield," published at Edinburgh the same year, and supposed to be written by the Rev. Dr. Erskine, who was then minister at Kirkintillock. The short history of the matter is this: A motion was made, tending to prohibit or discourage ministers from employing Whitefield. The speeches made in support of the motion were upon the following topics: His being a priest of the Church of England-That he had not subscribed the Formula-His imprudences-Chimerical scheme of the Orphan-house-Want of evidence that the money he collects is rightly applied-Asserting that assurance is essential to faith -Encouraging a dependence on impulses and immediate revelations-Declaring, on slender evidence, some people converted, and others carnal and unregenerated-Often, indeed, pretending to repent of his blunders, and retract; but as often relapsing into them-And lastly, his being under a sentence of suspension by Commissary Garden, from which he had appealed to the High Court of Chancery, and made oath to prosecute that appeal in a twelve month; and yet it was never prosecuted.

On the other hand, the ministers who were against the motion, spoke in this manner: "I blush to think (said one) that,

any of our brethren should befriend a proposal so contrary to that moderation and catholic spirit which now is, and I hope ever will be, the glory of our church. I am sensible, that many things in the Church of England need reformation; but I honor her, notwithstanding, as our sister church. If Bishop Butler, Bishop Sherlock, or Bishop Secker, were in Scotland, I should welcome them to my pulpit. In this I should imitate Mr. Samuel Rutherford, as firm a Presbyterian as any of us, who yet employed Bishop Usher. There is no law of Christ, no act of Assembly, prohibiting me to give my pulpit to an Episcopal, Independent, or Anabaptist minister, if of sound principles in the fundamentals of religion, and of a sober life. Our church expressly enjoins, Act. XII, April, 1711, that great tenderness is to be used to foreign Protestants. The requiring strangers to subscribe our Formula, before they preach with us, would lay as effectual a bar against employing those of Congregational principles, or Presbyterian non-subscribers, as those of the Church of England."

"As to Mr. Whitefield (said another) there are few ministers whose characters have been so well attested, by the most competent judges, both at home and abroad. One thing I cannot but observe: those who have spoken most warmly against Mr. Whitefield in this debate, acknowledge they have made little or no inquiry into his character: whereas those on the other side have made a careful inquiry; and that inquiry has turned out entirely to their satisfaction. With regard to his imprudences, there is a great difference betwixt blunders owing to a bad heart, and those that are owing only to a misinformed judgment; especially, when the mistakes that occasioned them have misled several great and good men. Whether Mr. Whitefield's scheme of the Orphan-house be prudent or not, it is demonstrable it was honestly meant. The magistrates of Savannah published, three years ago, in the Philadelphia Gazette, an affidavit that they had carefully examined Mr. Whitefield's receipts and disbursements, and found that what he had collected in behalf of the orphans had been honestly applied; and that, besides, he had given considerably to them of his own property. As to his maintaining that assurance is essential to faith, encouraging an unwarrantable regard to impressions, and being too hasty in pronouncing men carnal or converted, his sentiments in these particulars, have been altered for upwards of two years. And now he scarce preaches a sermon, without guarding his hearers against relying on impressions, telling them that faith, and a persuasion we are justified, are yery different things, and that a holy life is the best evidence of a gracious state. The retractions are owing to a real