Wakefield; at the former place, he had met with such disturbance from the mob, that he almost resolved to preach there no more. But he was now convinced of the rashness of such a step; for some who had been bitter persecutors, now gladly received him within their doors: acknowledging that God had made him instrumental in their conversion.

At Leeds he had great success; at York he was twice disturbed, and twice he preached in peace, and with much power. At Newcastle and Sunderland, great multitudes were deeply impressed. At five in the morning the great room was filled, and on the Lord's day the congregation without was immense. In short, so promising was the appearance, that he was inclined to wish he had not engaged to go to Scotland, and resolved to return as soon as possible.

Having spent a few days at Edinburgh and Glasgow, in his accustomed manner, with much acceptance, he returned to England, the 7th day of August.* He found his continual ex

taining the company, first spread a visible depression, and afterwards a sullen gloom, upon every countenance. This sudden change in the complexion of his associates did not a little conduce to increase the convictions of his own bosom. No individual appeared disposed to interrupt him; but, on the contrary, their attention was deeply engaged with the pointedness of his remarks; yea, many of his sentences, as he has often related, made, to his apprehension, his own hair stand erect!

When he had left the table not a syllable was uttered concerning the wager; but a profound silence pervaded the company. Mr. Thrope immediately withdrew, without taking the least notice of any person present; and returned home, with very painful reflections, and the deepest distress imaginable. Happily for him, this was his last bacchanalian revel! His impressions were manifestly genuine, and from that period, the connection between him and his former companions was entirely dissolved. Then by a sovereign, and almost unexampled act of divine grace, in a place where, and at a time when, it was least expected, "the prey was taken from the mighty, and the lawful captive delivered."

Hell mourns sincere, as for an only son!

A captive lost-and heaven the prize has won !

The people whom he had before so frequently reviled, became now the objects of his delight. He sought their company with avidity: and soon after, was joined to the Methodist society. His habitual seriousness, and uniform morality, soon endeared him to his new connections, and the specimens he gave of his talents, in his occasional exercises in private, flattered their hopes, that he would soon be called forth to public notice. In these expectations they were not disappointed; for he was quickly sent out by Mr. Wesley to "preach the faith which he once labored to destroy."

About two years after he was stationed for a season at Rotherham. Here his ideas became more enlarged in the doctrines of grace; which procured his dismission from the society. He was chosen pastor of the church at Masborough, where he exercised the ministerial function, thirteen years. On November 8, 1776, about the forty-sixth year of his age, he gently resigned his breath, without a struggle; and doubtless went triumphantly to the perfect worship and happiness of heaven!

After he had been in Glasgow, the following paragraph appeared in the Newcastle Journal, August 11, 1753. "By a letter from Edinburgh, we are informed, that on the 2d instant, Mr. Whitefield, the itinerant, being at Glas

ertions exceeding his strength. Yet he went forward, preaching twice or thrice a day, and once five times, often wishing to be with his divine Master in glory,

On his return to England, he went from Newcastle to Stockton, Osmotherly, York, and Leeds. He had a very refreshing season while assisting to administer the sacrament at Haworth, to a great number of communicants; and rode as far as Bos ton, Manchester, and Stockport. The eagerness of the people was wonderful: he preached in every town through which he passed, and came to London the latter end of September, having traveled about TWELVE HUNDRED miles, and preached ONE HUNDRED and EIGHTY times,

His stay in London was but short, for in the month of October he made a journey to Staffordshire. A scene of extensive usefulness seemed to open to him during his stay at Oulney; at which place, and many adjacent parts, he preached in one week. Also at Birmingham, and all around, the multitudes of hearers were very attentive. At a place not far from Dudley, called Guarnell, he was told of a whole company that were awakened by reading his sermons. He had the pleasure of meeting with others who had been awakened years ago; and heard of a notorious persecutor and drunkard, who had

gow, and preaching to an audience, near the play-house lately built, inflamed the mob so much against it, that they ran directly from before him, and pulled it down to ground. Several of the rioters have been since taken up and committed to gaol."

It would not have been worth while to transcribe this, were it not another specimen of the unaccountable liberties taken by some of the opposers of Whitefield, in telling their stories concerning him. The fact was this. Whitefield being informed that the players had lately come to Glasgow, and had met with some encouragement, took occasion in his sermon to preach against play-houses, and to represent their pernicious influence on religion and mo rality, especially in a populous, commercial city, and the seat of a university. But there was no riot. It was the proprietor of the play-house, at that time a slight temporary booth, supported by the old walls of the bishop's castle, who ordered his workmen to take it down.

Mr. Whitefield, in a letter to the Countess of Huntingdon, dated August 13, 1753, says, "At Glasgow, the man who owned the play-house was made so uneasy by the word preached, that he took down the roof himself. For this Satan owes me a grudge, and therefore it is put in the paper, that a mob was raised. But there was not the least appearance of any such thing. Our weapons are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of Satan's strong holds."

In another letter, dated August 23, 1753, to the right honorable Lady Frances Shirley, he says, "I have been of late, generally enabled to preach thrice a day, and in all appearance the word never was attended with more success. Satan rages and belies me, about the taking down the Glasgow play-houses; but I hope my letter, lately published in the Newcastle Journal, will set all things right. Thanks be to God, without the assistance of mobs and riots, which my soul abhors, the christian's weapons, through Divine assistance, are mighty to the pulling down of Satan's strong holds. Blessed be his holy name for any begun conquests there; surely his name is wonderful that hath done it."

MEMOIRS OF WHITEFIELD.

been powerfully convinced. It was, as he expresses it, his delight to break up new ground; and he sometimes found, to his comfort, that his way was prepared by the divine blessing on his writings, particularly at Alpenham, in Cheshire, and at Liverpool; where a person who had received benefit by reading his sermons, met him at the landing, and took him to his house. Here all was quiet, as well as at Chester, where he preached four times, having several of the established clergy in his congregations. But at Wrexham and Nantwich, where a meeting house had lately been pulled down, he was assaulted by the mob, and compelled to remove with his congregation to a place a little out of town.

Thus he continued traveling about, now and then returning to spend a few days in London. November 16, he thus writes from Gloucester: "After Lord's-day, I am bound from Bristol and Plymouth, and hope to get into my winter quarters, some Glad should I be to travel for Jesus time before Christmas. food." all the year round; it is more to me than On Sunday, November 25, he opened the new Tabernacle at Bristol, which he says, "was very large, but not half large enough; for if the place could contain them, nearly as many would attend as in London." He also preached twice in his brother's great house, to the people of quality.

my necessary

Though it was now so late in the year, he went to Somersetshire, and preached several times, in the open air. In the evening, "my hands and body," says he, "were pierced with cold; but what are outward things, when the soul is warmed by the love of God! The stars shone exceeding bright; and, by an eye of faith, I saw Him who calleth them all by their names. My soul was filled with holy ambition, and I longed to be one of those, who shall shine as the stars for ever and ever."

John Wesley, yet his personal friend, had at this time, by his diligence and zeal, brought his life into great danger. Notwithstanding their theological differences, Whitefield still retained the warm personal affection for him, which is implied in the following extract from one of his letters. He thus writes: "Bristol, December 3, 1753. I am now hastening to London, to pay my last respects to my dying friend. The physician thinks his disease is galloping consumption. I pity the church --I pity myself-but not him. Poor Mr. Charles will now have double work: but we can do all things through Christ strengthening us." His letters to both the brothers on this occasion, are very affectionate and sympathizing. In his letter to Charles Wesley, December 3, 1753, he says, "I cannot help sending after you a few sympathizing lines. The