"I have been enabled to preach twice every day, and to ride
several miles. The congregations have been everywhere very
large. God's presence has accompanied the word. People's hearts
have been enlarged. Within these few days, we have collected
near £100 for the poor orphans. Numbers of souls, I believe, are
under convictions. In some places, we have had near ten thousand
hearers."
In another letter, written at Colchester, eleven days later, he
tells Mr. Habersham, "I have been a circuit into Hertfordshire,
Essex, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Suffolk. The word is
attended with power, and the alarm in the country greater than
ever. Contributions increase. I am more and more convinced that
evangelizing is my proper business at present."
In a third letter, addressed to "Mr. Howell Harris, at Mr. Syms's,
in the Paved Alley, Leadenhall Market, London," and which has not
heretofore been published, Whitefield wrote:--
"COGGESHALL, _July 13, 1741_.
"I must snatch a few moments to write to my dear brother Howell.
I rejoice to hear that the Lord is with you. May He cause all
opposition to fall before you! He has been doing great things
for me since I left London. Surely you pray for me. I am much
strengthened in body and soul. On Wednesday night, I hope to be
in London, and to preach in the Tabernacle on Thursday evening.
May the Lord sanctify our meeting! I must away to preach. The
clock strikes ten. Adieu!
"Your affectionate brother and servant,
"GEORGE WHITEFIELD."
In a fourth letter, dated July 18, he writes: "God has mightily
blessed my journey in the country. Thousands and tens of thousands
have flocked to hear the word, and near £180 have been collected for
the Orphan House."
It is a curious fact, that Whitefield's congregations and large
collections were represented as a national evil. In the _New Weekly
Miscellany_, for August 8, 1741, Richard Hooker wrote:--
"About a fortnight ago, the Rev. Mr. Whitefield returned to
London, from his progress of three weeks through the counties of
Hertford, Essex, Bedford, Cambridge, and Suffolk, during which
time he preached six-and-forty times, with such good success,
that the common enemy may guess thereby what mobs may be raised,
in these and other places, to disturb the kingdom, whenever
there is occasion. In his journeys, he collected upwards of £180
for the Orphan House in Georgia; and, on Sunday, the 19th of
July, in the morning, he had a collection at his New Booth in
London, where there were several half-guineas, and other sums
of lesser value given; but what was collected in the whole is
uncertain; only it is observed, that whatever money is sent
out of the nation in a time of war, when taxes are so high,
and trade decays, is a weakening of the public. And, as the
old proverb saith, 'Every little helps' to bring on the common
calamity, all this looks like a judicial infatuation, at a
time when we have so many real objects of charity in our own
kingdom. It is observable, that he pays in none of this money
to the trustees for Georgia; so that he hath no vouchers for
what he receives, and is accountable to no one, but as he sees
fit. And as the late famous Jonathan Wild, the thief-catcher,
had a correspondent in Holland, one Johnson, who received from
him such goods as he could not sell in England, so the Rev. Mr.
Whitefield hath one, Habersham, in Georgia, to receive all such
money as he knows not how otherwise to dispose of."
Enough for the present of the redoubtable Richard Hooker.
Whitefield, forsooth, was endangering the nation! And Jonathan Wild
might have claimed him as a suitable companion! Abuse like this
was far from pleasant; but Mr. Hooker found it difficult to exist
without bespattering his neighbours.
Whitefield's Dissenting friends had built him a large "New Booth,"
as Mr. Hooker politely called the Tabernacle; but his restless zeal
could not be confined within limits so contracted. Wesley, though
ecclesiastically irregular in his ministerial labours, most rigidly
refrained from identifying himself with Nonconformists. Whitefield,
on the other hand, wished to be the helper of all Christian
denominations. The following letter, to Joseph Humphreys, deserves
attention:--
"COGGESHALL, _July 13, 1741_.
"I received your letter at Bury; but cannot think that matters
are quite ripe, or that you are duly qualified for settling a
church. God lets me see, more and more, that I must evangelize.
I find you are for settling. Do as God shall direct: I am easy.
I only wish you may find settled persons to be your assistants.
Without this, a church cannot be rightly ordered. I have no
freedom, but in _going about to all denominations_. I cannot
join with any one, so as to be fixed in any particular place.
Every one has his proper gift. Field-preaching is my place. In
this, I am carried as on eagles' wings. God makes way for me
everywhere."
Thus, already, Whitefield had determined the plan which he
steadfastly pursued to the end of life. He was an ordained clergyman
of the Church of England; but was always ready to preach for any
other church whatever. In this respect, there was always a marked
difference between him and his friends John and Charles Wesley.
For this, he had been partly trained in England, but especially in
America, where his preaching labours had been chiefly in connection
with Nonconformist churches, and had been greatly blessed.
On July 24th, Whitefield embarked, at Gravesend, for Scotland,
where he landed six days afterwards. During the voyage, he wrote
twenty-seven letters, ten of which were to boys and girls in his
Orphan House. One of the letters, addressed to "the Students under
conviction at the Colleges of Cambridge and Newhaven, in New England
and Connecticut," must close the present chapter:--
"DEAR GENTLEMEN,--With unspeakable pleasure I have heard,[450]
that there seems to be a general concern among you about the
things of God. It was no small grief to me, that I was obliged
to say of your college, that 'your light was become darkness.' I
heartily thank God for sending dear Mr. Tennent among you. What
great things may we not now expect to see in New England, since
it hath pleased God to work so remarkably among the sons of the
prophets? Now we may expect a reformation indeed, since it is
beginning at the house of God.
[450] By Gilbert Tennent's letter, dated "New York, April 25,
1741." See p. 476.
"A dead ministry will always make a dead people. Whereas, if
ministers are warmed with the love of God themselves, they
cannot but be instruments of diffusing that love among others.
This, this is the best preparation for the work whereunto
you are called. Learning without piety will only make you
more capable of promoting the kingdom of Satan. Henceforward,
therefore, I hope you will enter into your studies, not to get
a parish, nor to be polite preachers, but to be great saints.
This, indeed, is the most compendious way to true learning;
for, an understanding enlightened by the Spirit of God is more
susceptible of divine truths, and, I am certain, will prove most
useful to mankind. The more holy you are, the more will God
delight to honour you. He loves to make use of instruments which
are like Himself. I hope that the _good old divinity_ will now
be precious to your souls, and that you will think it an honour
to tread in the steps of your pious forefathers. They were
acquainted with their own hearts, and, therefore, from their own
experience, they knew how to succour others. O may you follow
them, as they followed Christ!
"I trust you will not be offended at me for sending you these
few lines. I write out of the fulness of my heart. I make
mention of you always in my prayers. Forget me not in yours; and
fail not to give thanks, as well as pray, for your affectionate
brother and servant, in our common Lord,
"GEORGE WHITEFIELD."
_FIRST VISIT TO SCOTLAND._