"GALASHIELS, _September 28, 1741_.
"MY LORD,--I have received your lordship's liberal benefaction
for the orphans, for which, and all other favours, you have my
hearty thanks. The innumerable instances of God's goodness
quite melt me down. The word of God prevails more and more.
Everywhere Jesus Christ is getting Himself the victory in poor
sinners' hearts. I trust, your lordship's daughters will feel
the power of Christ's blood. Happy they, who do feel it. They
are sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty. What a rich person
is the poorest Christian! He is joint-heir with Jesus Christ."
Another nobleman must be introduced. From the year 1741 to 1753, the
Earl of Leven and Melville was His Majesty's Commissioner in the
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland,--the head of a family
whose history had been closely connected with Presbyterian struggles
and triumphs. He was a senator of the College of Justice, and one
of the Lords of Police for Scotland. He married Mary, daughter of
Colonel Erskine, of Carnock; and died on the 2nd of September,
1754.[468] The following was addressed to him:--
"EDINBURGH, _October 2, 1741_.
[468] Annals of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland,
from 1739 to 1752.
"MY LORD,--Last night, I returned from the south country, and
received your lordship's kind letter. My invitation to Coupar
was in the name of many: who the persons were that signed the
letter, I cannot tell. I have sent it enclosed in this. Had I
known it to be more agreeable to your lordship, I would have
appointed the meeting at Melville; but, I fear, as public notice
has been given, it will now be impracticable. I cannot possibly
stay with your lordship all Tuesday, having to preach at Dundee;
but, in my return from Aberdeen, I hope to be at your lordship's
house. I am glad you intend to be at Kinglassie. I shall have
both sermons early; and hope the glorious Jesus will be with us
in going to Melville.
"O, my lord, I want a thousand tongues to shew forth the
Redeemer's praise. Having Him, though I have nothing else, I
find I possess all things. I have not forgotten your lordship
since I wrote last. You are and will be much upon my heart.
I have heard of the piety of your lordship's ancestors. Take
courage, my lord, and fear not to follow a crucified Jesus
without the camp, bearing His reproach. Beware of honour,
falsely so called. Dare to be singularly good; and be not
ashamed of Jesus or His gospel. Look to Christ by faith, and
your lordship's great possessions will not retard, but promote,
your progress in the divine life. What sweet communion will you
then enjoy with God, in your walks and gardens! They will then
be a little paradise to your soul."
Wherever he was, Whitefield never forgot his orphans in Georgia.
His establishment there was now large and prosperous. The buildings
were completed. The summer crops had been plentiful. The family
consisted of eighty-four persons, men, women, and children. Nineteen
others were employed in cultivating the estate. They had upwards
of a hundred head of cattle; and, during the year, had "planted
upwards of twenty acres, and had cleared twenty acres more, to
enjoy the conveniency of the air." "We live," wrote Mr. Habersham,
"entirely within ourselves, except a few necessaries which we cannot
do without, and are obliged to purchase elsewhere. Twice a day,
we eat _hominy_[469] of our own raising, and, at present, without
molasses. For dinner, we eat beef of our own stock, and peas for
bread, of all which we have plenty, and shall have for three months
to come. Our garden is very fruitful of greens, turnips, etc., and
we expect a good crop of potatoes. In short, we have a sufficiency
of wholesome food. Glory be to God! we daily see our heavenly
Father's hand supplying us in this wilderness land; but I must have
cash, not only to pay debts, but also to buy clothing and many other
necessaries."[470]
[469] Indian corn boiled in water.
[470] Whitefield's Works, vol. iii., pp. 444, 445.
While the honoured guest of the Earl of Leven and Melville,
Whitefield sent the following letter to his faithful superintendent
in Georgia:--
"MELVILLE, _October 5, 1741_.
"MY VERY DEAR FRIEND AND BROTHER,--I have, by the ship which
brings you this, sent you £70 worth of different sorts of goods,
to be disposed of, and the money to be applied to the use of the
Orphan House. I have also sent six hundred yards of cloth, a
present of my own, to make the boys and girls coats and gowns,
some whereof I have had made up here. The other things were
given by various persons. Amongst these, you will find some
damask tablecloths, which I desire you will sell, they being too
good, in my opinion, for our use. I have been enabled to pay my
brother, and also Mr. N----'s bill of £300.[471] There is yet
£200 to be paid; but very shortly, I hope to discharge that also.
[471] The following are the sums, which Whitefield collected for his
Orphan House, during his present visit to Scotland:--
1741. £ _s._ _d._
Private benefactions, in money 149 18 2
COLLECTIONS.
Aug. 12. Orphan House Park, Edinburgh 93 4 0
23. Ditto 38 13 1
26. Newbottle 9 5 6
29. Falkirk 5 10 0
29. Airth. 11 18 2
30. Stirling 21 17 0
31. Culross 16 16 6
31. Dunfermline 17 2 6
Sept. 1. Kinross 4 16 0
4. Perth 10 0 0
6. Dundee 14 14 0
10. Fintray 3 0 0
13. Glasgow 62 10 0
15. Ditto 17 19 6
17. Paisley 15 3 0
19. Inverkeithing 5 16 4
27. Galashiels 12 9 0
29. Maxtown 5 5 0
Oct. 1. Haddington 12 6 6
4. Kinglassie 5 0 0
13. Aberdeen 21 6 10
16. Montrose 9 13 4-1/2
18. Brechin 6 12 0
20. Forfar 2 0 0
-----------------
Total £572 16 5-1/2
"I have been in Scotland about two months; and God has been
pleased to bless my ministrations in an abundant manner. The
good that has been done is inexpressible. I am intimate with
three noblemen, and several ladies of quality, who have a great
liking for the things of God.[472] I am now writing in an earl's
house, surrounded with fine furniture; but, glory be to free
grace! my soul is in love only with Jesus.[473] I have some
thoughts of visiting Ireland. Whether I shall do that, or come
to America, in the spring, God only knows. I long to see you and
the rest of my dear family. Thousands of prayers are put up for
us, and thousands of lies are spread abroad against us."
[472] Among these were Lady Mary Hamilton, Lady Jane Nimmo, Lady
Dirleton, and Lady Frances Gardiner.
[473] Six weeks after this, Whitefield was married; but let that
pass. His meaning here, of course, was that in _comparison_ with
others he was "in love only with Jesus."
Of "the thousands of lies," the following, extracted from a letter
written not long after Whitefield's visit, may be taken as a
specimen:--
"Wherever he went, he had a gaping crowd around him, and had the
address to make them part with their money. He was a pickpocket,
and inflexible about the article of gathering money. He went off
to England with a full purse, but with a ruined reputation among
all except his bigoted admirers. Very few ministers enter into
the spirit of Whitefieldism."[474]
[474] Wakeley's "Anecdotes of Whitefield," p. 231.
Whitefield refers to the same sort of calumny in the following,
which was to a friend in Edinburgh:--
"MELVILLE, _October 5, 1741_.
"The calumnies of evil men are not to be regarded. I value
them not in the least. My largest donations have been from the
rich. The mites, which the lower sort of people have given, I
am persuaded will not prevent their paying their debts, and
will not impoverish their families. Mr. W---- wishes there may
be a contribution for myself; but I will not admit of any such
thing. I make no purse. What I have, I give away. Freely I have
received; freely I desire to give. 'Poor, yet making many rich,'
shall be my motto still. My great and professed design is to
bring poor sinners to Jesus Christ; but, as my orphan family is
now large, and has daily to be provided for, without the least
visible fund; and as I believe much glory will redound to God
from the Orphan House, I think it my duty to speak to those who,
for Christ's sake, are willing to afford help. I would have no
one afraid of doing too much good, or think that a little given
in charity will impoverish the country."
From Melville, Whitefield proceeded to Aberdeen, where he spent
several days; and here a strange scene occurred. The two ministers
of the Kirk were the Rev. Mr. Bisset and the Rev. Mr. Ogilvie, with
the latter of whom Whitefield had been in correspondence. In a long
letter, Whitefield writes as follows:--
"ABERDEEN, _October 9, 1741_.
"At my first coming here, things looked a little gloomy; for the
magistrates had been so prejudiced by one Mr. Bisset, that, when
applied to, they refused me the use of the kirkyard to preach
in. This Mr. Bisset is colleague with one Mr. Ogilvie, at whose
repeated invitation I came hither. Though colleagues of the same
congregation, they are very different in their natural tempers.
The one is, what they call in Scotland, of a _sweet-blooded_;
the other, of a choleric disposition. Mr. Bisset is neither a
Seceder, nor quite a Kirkman, having great fault to find with
both. Soon after my arrival, dear Mr. Ogilvie took me to pay
my respects to him: he was prepared for this, and immediately
pulled out a paper, containing a great number of insignificant
queries, which I had neither time nor inclination to answer.
The next morning, it being Mr. Ogilvie's turn, I lectured
and preached. The magistrates were present; the congregation
was very large; and light and life fled all around. In the
afternoon, Mr. Bisset officiated; and I attended. He began his
prayers as usual; but, in the midst of them, naming me by name,
he entreated the Lord to forgive the dishonour that had been
put upon him, by my being suffered to preach in that pulpit;
and, that all might know what reason he had to put up such a
petition, he, in about the middle of his sermon, not only urged
that I was a curate of the Church of _England_, but also quoted
a passage or two from my printed sermons, which, he said, were
grossly _Arminian_. Most of the congregation seemed surprised
and chagrined, and especially his good-natured colleague, Mr.
Ogilvie, who immediately after sermon, without consulting me,
stood up and gave notice that Mr. Whitefield would preach in
about half an hour. The interval being so short, the magistrates
returned into the sessions-house; and the congregation patiently
waited, big with expectation of hearing my resentment. At the
time appointed, I went up, and took no other notice of the
good man's ill-timed zeal, than to observe, in some part of my
discourse, that, if the good old gentleman had seen some of my
later writings, wherein I had corrected several of my former
mistakes, he would not have expressed himself in such strong
terms. The people, being thus diverted from controversy with
man, were deeply impressed with what they heard from the word of
God. All were hushed, and more than solemn; and, on the morrow,
the magistrates sent for me, and begged I would accept of the
freedom of the city."[475]
[475] It is a remarkable fact, that, during his first visit
to Scotland, in 1741, Whitefield received the compliment of
honorary burgess tickets from four of the principal towns of the
country--Stirling, Glasgow, Paisley, and Aberdeen. In 1742, the same
honour was conferred upon him by Irvine; and, in 1762, by Edinburgh.
For the present, poor Mr. Bisset was vanquished. Besides expounding
in private houses, Whitefield added five more sermons to the two
already preached; many of his hearers "were brought under great
convictions; and the people much regretted his departure."[476]
[476] Whitefield's Works, vol. i., p. 334.
Leaving Aberdeen on Wednesday, October 13, Whitefield began his
journey back to Edinburgh. On October 14, he preached at Stonhithe
and Benham; on the 15th, thrice at Montrose; on the 16th and 17th,
five times at Brechin; on the 18th, twice at Forfar; on the 19th,
twice at Coupar, near the residence of Earl Leven, whose guest he
was; and on the 20th and 21st, four times at Dundee, where, he says,
"the concern among the hearers was very remarkable." A week after
this, he set out for Wales, but, before he went, he preached and
lectured, in Edinburgh, in three days, not fewer than sixteen times.
Hence the following to John Cennick, his curate at the Tabernacle,
London:--
"EDINBURGH, _October 27, 1741_.
"MY VERY DEAR BROTHER,--Although it be past eleven at night,
I cannot miss a post. The Lord is doing great things here. On
Sunday last (October 24), the Lord enabled me to preach four
times, and to lecture, in the evening, in a private house.
Yesterday, I preached three times, and lectured at night.
To-day, Jesus has enabled me to preach seven times; once in the
Church, twice at the Girls' Hospital, once in the Park, once at
the Old People's Hospital, and afterwards twice in a private
house. Notwithstanding, I am now as fresh as when I arose in the
morning. Both in the church and park, the Lord was with us. The
girls in the hospital were exceedingly affected, and so were
the standers by. One of the mistresses told me, that she is
now awakened in the morning by the voice of prayer and praise;
and the master of the boys says, that they meet together every
night to sing and pray, and that, when he goes to their rooms,
to see if all be safe, he generally disturbs them at their
devotions. The presence of God, at the Old People's Hospital,
was wonderful. The Holy Spirit seemed to come down like a mighty
rushing wind. Every day, I hear of some fresh good wrought by
the power of God. I scarce know how to leave Scotland. I believe
I shall think it my duty to pay the inhabitants another visit
as soon as possible. Above £500 have been collected, in money
and goods, for the poor orphans. To-morrow, I shall leave this
place, and go through Wales in my way to London."
Before he left Edinburgh, Whitefield wrote another letter to Earl
Leven, which, considering the high office held by that nobleman
in the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, was somewhat
singular, but, at the same time, bravely faithful. His lordship had
given Whitefield a horse, for his long journey through Wales to
London.
"EDINBURGH, _October 26, 1741_.
"MY LORD,--It is now past eleven at night. All is wrapt in awful
silence. My soul is in a quiet, composed frame. I have been
giving your lordship's letter a second reading. The Holy Spirit
seems to be moving upon your soul; and I trust you will now
awake into a new world, and know what it is to live by faith.
O that the stone of infidelity, which before lay at the door
of your heart, may now be rolled away! O that you may rise,
be loosed from your corruptions, and go about doing good! My
lord, if you could be brought to love secret prayer, and to
converse feelingly with God in His word, your heaven would begin
on earth: you would enjoy more pleasure than in all manner of
riches. What will those avail, if you are not rich towards God?
As for praying in your family, I entreat you not to neglect
it. You are bound to do it. Apply to Christ for strength to
overcome your present fears. They are the effects of pride, or
infidelity, or of both. After once or twice, the difficulty will
be over.
"It rejoices me to think that I shall one day, perhaps, see a
church in Melville House. Happy, happy are you, my lord, in
having such a consort, who will forward you in every good word
and work. As God shall enable me, I shall bear you both upon my
heart. My riding upon your lordship's horse will often remind
me to pray for the donor. I should be glad to hear, from time to
time, what the Lord is doing for your soul. Since you have laid
your commands upon me, I shall write as often as possible.
"It is late; the clock has struck twelve. Methinks, I could
wish the cry was now made, 'Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!' My
soul longs to go forth to meet Him. This evening, I was greatly
refreshed in preaching on these words, 'This is my beloved, and
this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.' When shall I see
Him as He is? Well may your lordship say, 'He is altogether
lovely.' Eternity is too short to utter all His praise."
The reader has now the substance of Whitefield's own account of
his first tour in Scotland. Many anecdotes in relation to it still
exist, and the following may be taken as specimens.
When preaching at Dunfermline, it was known that Whitefield would
make a collection for his Orphan House in Georgia. A gentleman, of
some importance in the town, determined he would not be persuaded
by the great orator to be a contributor, and, before leaving home,
emptied his pockets of all his money. Whitefield, in the course of
his sermon, mentioned the excuses often made for not practising
beneficence, and, among others, dwelt upon the case of those who
designedly came to religious services without their cash. The
prudent gentleman at once borrowed of a friend half a guinea for the
collector.[477]
[477] "Life of Rev. John Erskine, D. D.," p. 194.
Whitefield's power of riveting the attention of his auditors
was marvellous. It is related, by one of his biographers, that
a gentleman, who had been to hear him in the Orphan House Park,
Edinburgh, was met, on his way home, by an eminent minister, under
whom he usually sat. The minister, indignant at the aberration of
this distinguished member of his flock, expressed his surprise that
he should have gone to hear such a rambling preacher as Whitefield
was. "Sir," replied the admonished gentleman, "when I hear you,
I am planting trees all the time; but during the whole of Mr.
Whitefield's sermon, I had no time for planting even one."[478]
[478] "Memoirs of Whitefield," by Seymour, p. 52.
In one of his journeys, Whitefield was told of a widow with a
large family, whose landlord had distrained her furniture, and
was about to sell it, unless her rent was paid. Whitefield's purse
was never large, but his sympathy was great, and he, immediately,
gave the five guineas which the helpless woman needed. The friend,
who was travelling with him hinted, that the sum was more than he
could reasonably afford; to which the gushing, if not perfectly
accurate, reply was, "When God brings a case of distress before
us, it is that we may relieve it." The two travellers proceeded
on their journey, and, before long, encountered a highwayman, who
demanded their money, which they gave. Whitefield now turned the
tables on his friend, and reminded him how much better it was for
the poor widow to have the five guineas than the thief, who had just
robbed them. They had not long resumed their travel, before the
man returned, and demanded Whitefield's coat, which was much more
respectable than his own. This request was also granted, Whitefield
accepting the robber's ragged habiliment till he could procure a
better. Presently, they perceived the marauder again galloping
towards them most furiously; and now, fearing that their lives
were threatened, they also spurred their horses, and, fortunately,
arrived at some cottages, before the highwayman could stop them.
The thief was baulked, and, no doubt, was immensely mortified; for,
when Whitefield took off the man's tattered coat, he found, in one
of its pockets, a carefully wrapped parcel containing one hundred
guineas.[479]
[479] _Gospel Magazine_, 1816, p. 172.
But enough of floating anecdotes, which may, or may not be true.
It must be owned that Whitefield rendered but little service to "The
Associate Presbytery," at whose invitation he went to Scotland; but
that was the fault, not of Whitefield, but, of the members of the
Presbytery themselves. His labours were almost entirely those of
an evangelist preaching in the fields, or of a brother minister,
belonging to another church, courteously admitted to the pulpits
of the established Kirk of Scotland. His services, however, were
none the less successful because not confined to the Seceders.
There cannot be a doubt, that, as the labours of the Wesleys and
of Whitefield were the means of quickening the religious life of
the Church of England, so the labours of Whitefield were, to a
great extent, the means of arousing the dormant energies of the
sister Church of Scotland. Whitefield, as well as Knox, deserves
a monument on the Calton Hill. Some evidence of this has been
already furnished, and much more will be found in succeeding pages.
Whitefield's own account of his first visit to Scotland may seem
extravagant, and scarcely deserving of implicit credence. To silence
such suspicion, the following extracts from letters written at the
time, will be as useful as they are welcome.
A week after Whitefield's departure, a friend wrote to him as
follows:--
"EDINBURGH, _November 5, 1741_.
"In the Tolbooth Church," (where the Rev. Alexander Webster
was minister,) "there has been at sacrament a hundred more
than usual, whereof about thirty young ones had never been
admitted before, and of these, eighteen were converted by your
ministry."[480]
[480] _Weekly History_, November 28, 1741.