"The Lord is a sovereign agent, and may raise up the instru ments of his glory, from what churches or places he pleases; and glorifies his grace the more, when he does it from those societies whence and when it could be least expected. Though Mr. Whitefield be ordained, according to his education, a minister of the Church of England, yet we are to regard him as one whom God has raised up to witness against the corruptions of that Church; whom God is still enlightening, and causing to make advances toward us. He has already conformed to us, both in doctrine and worship, and lies open to light to conform to us in other points. He is thoroughly a Calvinist, and sound to the doctrines of free grace, in the doctrine of original sin, the new birth, justification by Christ, the necessity of imputed righteousness, and the operations of the Holy Ghost. These he makes his great theme, drives the point home to the conscience, and God attends it with great power. And as God has enlightened him gradually in these things, so he is still ready to receive more light, and so soon as he gets it he is more frank in declaring it.

"God, by owning him so wonderfully, is pleased to give a rebuke to our intemperate bigotry and party zeal, and to tell us, that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth any thing, but the new creature.'.

"P. S. Many with us are for preferring ministers, according to the party they are of; but commend me to a pious, Christexalting, and soul-winning minister, whatever be his denomination. Such are ministers of Christ's sending, and of such he saith, 'He that receiveth you, receiveth me, and he that despiseth you, despiseth me;' which is a rule of duty to us.”*

The complier lately received a transcript from the diary of a very worthy Christian in Edinburgh, who died about two years ago, in which are the following passages. "Sabbati, August 9, 1741. What is surprising, is that numbers of all ranks, all denominations, and all characters, come constantly to hear him, though his sermons abound with those truths which would be un welcome from the mouths of others. He is indefatigable in his works. Three hours before noon he appoints for people under distress to converse with him, when he is much confined. Then he writes numbers of letters. And this week he is to add a morning lecture to his work. I have reason, among many others, for blessing God for sending him to this place.

"Sabbati, August 30, 1741. Mr. Whitefield preached Monday morning and afternoon, Tuesday forenoon in the Canongate church, evening in the park, and gathered 251. 7s. 6d. for the poor Highlanders. Next day he went to Newbottle, and preached twice. On Thursday at Whitburn; Friday morning at Torphichen; Friday evening at Linlithgow; Saturday morning and afternoon, both at Falkirk. And this day he is at Airth. To-morrow he will preach twice at Stirling. Culross, Tuesday forenoon; Dumfermline, afternoon. Wednesday, twice at Kinross. Thursday, Perth. From Friday to Monday, at Dundee. Monday, Kinglassie, and come to Edinburgh on Tuesday. Blessed be God, he seldom preaches without some one or other laid under concern. Surely God has sent him to this place for good. The devil never raged more by his emissaries. It is remarkable, that there never was

The four preceding letters show the acceptableness and success of Mr. Whitefield's ministrations in most of the great towns in Scotland. As to smaller places, the following extract of a letter from the Rev. Thomas Davidson, (his fellow traveler) to the Rev. Mr. Henry Davidson of Galashields, dated Culross, December 3, 1741, will be an agreeable specimen.

"Our journey to the north was as comfortable as any we had. In several places, as he came along the Lord I thought countenanced him in a very convincing manner, particularly at a place called Lundie, five miles north from Dundee, where there is a considerable number of serious christians, who, hearing that he was to come that way, spent most part of the night be

a minister, no nor any other man, against whom the mouths of the licentions have been more opened. Since he came, I have found myself more desirous to be watchful, lest my foot slip at any time,and to guard against many things which before I thought indifferent.

"Thursday, October 27, 1741. Yesterday Mr. Whitefield left this place, to return to England. His departure was a great grief to many, whom the Lord has mercifully awakened under his ministry, the number of which, I believe, is very great. Mr. Whitefield alone, among about thirty young communicants that came to converse with him, found about a dozen who told him they were first effectually touched under his ministry; and gave very good accounts of a work of God upon their souls. Some of the most abandoned wretches are brought to cry, What shall I do to be saved?' I have often had the opportunity of conversation with him, and, I think, I never heard him, or conversed with him, but I learned some good lesson. I do not remember to have heard one idle word drop from him, in all the times I have been in company with him; and others, that have been much more with him, give him the same testimony. On Tuesday last, he preached and exhorted seven times. I heard him to my great satisfaction, the fourth time in the park. From that he went to the Old People's Hospital, to give them an exhortation; but, indeed I never was a witness to any think of the kind before. All the congregation (for many followed him) were so moved, that very few, if any, could refrain from crying out. I am sure the kingdom of God was then come nigh unto them, and that a woe will be unto them that slighted the offers of a Savior then made to them. From that, he went to Heriot's Hospital, where a great change is wrought upon many of the boys; for there, as well as in the Maiden Hospitals, fellowship meetings are set up, which is quite new there; for the boys at that hospital were noted for the wickedest boys about town. I was with him in a private house in the evening. When he came there he was quite worn out. However, he expounded there, which was the seventh discourse that day; and, what was very surprising, he was much fresher after he had done, than at the beginning.

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November 29, 1741. I had agreeable accounts of some of the children who were wrought upon by the ministry of Mr. Whitefield. I heard this day of a good many, that I heard not of formerly, who were not only laid under concern, but seemed to have a work of grace wrought upon their hearts, appearing by a most remarkable change in their conversation, and eager desires after farther degrees of knowledge of the Lord's ways, which leads them to attend every opportunity they can have for instruction.

"Sabbati, December 6, 1741. Since Mr. Whitefield's coming here, I find christians more free in conversation than formerly; which is a great mercy both to themselves and all about them; the experience of which I have had this past week, in several places where I have been. I had occasion to see a soldier, who was lately wrought upon by Mr. Whitefield's means. He seems to have come a great length in a little time, and gives a very judicious account of the Lord's dealings with his soul."

fore in prayer together. Although his preaching there was only in a passing way, having to ride to Dundee after it, and it was between three and four before he reached the place: yet he had scarce well begun, before the power of God was indeed very discernable. Never did I see such joyous melting in a worshipping assembly. There was nothing violent in it, or like what we may call screwing up the passions; for it evidently appeared to be deep and hearty, and to proceed from a higher spring."

As a conclusion of this article, concerning Mr. Whitefield's first reception and ministrations in Scotland, the reader will not be displeased to see the following extract from the papers of a gentleman deceased, who was eminent for learning and knowledge of the world, and who had a general acquaintance with those who professed the greatest regard for religion.

"Messrs. Ebenezer and Ralph Erskine corresponded with him for two or three years, and invited him to Scotland. But afterwards, reflecting, that if they held communion with an episcopal minister, because a good man and successful preacher, they could not vindicate their renouncing communion with such ministers in the Church of Scotland, they wrote to him not to come. However, on the invitation of some ministers and people of the established Church, he came and preached his first sermon in Mr. Ralph Erskine's pulpit at Dunfermline, (a town ten or twelve miles from Edinburgh, on the other side of Forth.) At a second visit to Dunfermline, he had a conference with all the seceding brethren, where he honestly avowed that he was a member of the Church of England, and as he thought the government and worship of it lawful, was resolved, unless violently thrust out of it, to continue so, rebuking sin, and preaching Christ; and told them he reckoned the Solemn League and Covenant a sinful oath, as too much narrowing the communion of saints, and that he could not see the divine right of Presbyterianism. On this the Presbytery came to a resolution to have no more to do with him; and one of them preached a sermon to show, that one who held communion with the Church of England, or the backslidden Church of Scotland, could not be an instrument of reformation. This, however, did not hinder multitudes, both of the seceders and established Church of Scotland, from hearing his sermons. His soundness in the faith, his fervent zeal and unwearied diligence in promoting the cause of Christ; the plainness and simplicity, the affection and warmth of his sermons, and the amazing power that had accompanied them in many parts of England, and in almost all the North American colonies, joined to his meekness, humility, and truly candid and catholic spirit, convinced them

there was reason to think well of him, and to countenance his ministry. Conversions had become rare, little liveliness was to be found even in real christians, and bigotry and blind zea were producing animosities and divisions, and turning away the attention of good men from matters of infinitely greater importance. In this situation an animated preacher appears singularly qualified to awaken the secure, to recover christians to their first love and first works, and to reconcile their affections one to another.

"The episcopal clergy gave him no countenance, though some few of their people did. And in the established Church of Scotland, some of the more rigid Presbyterians would not hold communion with him, on account of his connection with the Church of England, and his seeming to assume the office of an evangelist, peculiar, in their apprehension, to the first ages of the church: while some, who affected to be thought more sensible, or more modish and polite, were mightily disaffected with him for preaching the Calvinistic doctrines of election, original sin, efficacious grace, justification through faith, and perseverance of the saints; and for inveighing against the play house, dancing assemblies, games of chance, haunting taverns, vanity and extravagance in dress, and levity in behavior and conversation.

"Some gentlemen and ladies, who went to hear him, would not go a second time, because he disturbed them by insisting on man's miserable and dangerous state by nature, and the strictness and holiness essential to the christian character. But, upon many of his hearers in Edinburgh, of all ranks and ages, especially young people, deep impressions were made, and many of them waited on him privately, lamenting their former immoral lives, or stupid thoughtlessness about religion. and expressing their anxious concern about obtaining an interest in Christ, and the sanctifying influences of the Spirit. In the greater part of these, the impressions have appeared to be saving, from their circumspect, exemplary conduct since that time, or from their comfortable or triumphant deaths. Many Presbyterians begin to think more mildly and candidly than before of the ministers and members of the Church of England."*

*This year, 1741, he received the compliments of honorary Burgess Tickets from the towns of Stirling, Glasgow, Paisley, and Aberdeen. And in 1742, from Irvine. And 1762, from Edinburgh.

CHAPTER IX.

From his leaving Edinburgh, 1741, to his return to that city in the year 1742.

MR. WHITEFIELD having left Edinburgh in the latter end of October, 1741, set out for Abergavenny, in Wales, where, having some time ago formed a resolution to enter into the I married state, he married one Mrs. James, a widow between thirty and forty years of age; of whom he says, "She has been a house-keeper many years, once gay, but for three years last past a despised follower of the Lamb of God." From Abergavenny he went to Bristol, where he preached twice a day with his usual success. Upon returning to London, in the beginning of December, he received letters from Georgia concerning his orphan family, which, with respect to their external circumstances, were a little discouraging. On the other hand, he had most comfortable accounts of the fruits of his ministry in Scotland. This made him think of paying another visit there in the spring. Meantime he had the pleasure of seeing his labors attended with the divine blessing at London and Bristol. And from Gloucester he thus writes: -"December 23, 1741. Last Thursday evening the Lord brought me hither. I preached immediately to our friends in a large barn, and had my Master's presence. Both the power and the congregation increased. On Sunday, Providence opened a door for my preaching in St. John's, one of the parish churches. Great numbers came. On Sunday afternoon, after I had preached twice at Gloucester, I preached at Mr. F's at the hill, six miles off, and again at night, at Stroud. The people seemed to be more hungry than ever, and the Lord to be more amongst them. Yesterday morning I preached at Painswick, in the parish church, here in the afternoon, and again at night in the barn. God gives me unspeakable comfort and uninterrupted joy. Here seems to be a new awakening, and a revival of the work of God. I find several country people were awakened when I preached at Tewksbury, and have heard of three or four that have died in the Lord. We shall never know what good field preaching has done, till we come to judgment. Many, who were prejudiced against me, begin to be of another mind; and God shows me more and more that when a man's ways please the Lord, he will make even his enemies to be at peace with him. To-morrow morning I purpose to set out for Abergavenny, and to preach at Bristol, in Wilts, Gloucester and Gloucestershire, before I see London."