bear to die, though slain in so genteel a manner, without shewing some resentment against its artful murderer."

Again, "I thank you a thousand times for the trouble you have been at revising my poor compositions, which I am afraid you have not treated with a becoming severity. How many pardons shall I ask for mangling, and I fear murdering your THERON and ASPASIO. If you think my two sermons will do for the public, pray return them immediately. I have nothing to comfort me but this, that the Lord chooses the weak things of this world to confound the strong, and things that are not, to bring to nought things that are. I write for the poor--you for the polite and noble. God will assuredly own and bless what you write."

About this time he was very much afflicted, on account of the death of the Rev. Mr. Steward, a valuable minister, who began to be popular in the church, but was soon called to his everlasting rest. "When I met the workmen to contract about the building, I could scarce bear to think of building a Tabernacle. Strange! that so many should be so soon discharged, and we continued. Mr. Steward spoke for his Lord, as long as he could speak at all. He had no clouds, nor darkness. I was with him till a few minutes before he slept in Jesus."

March 1, 1753, he laid the foundation of the new Tabernacle, and preached from Exodus xx. 24. While the building was erecting, he preached abroad, in Moorfield, and Spitalfields, and made excursions to Chatham, Sheerness, and Braintree.

In April, he went, for a few days, to Norwich,* preaching

* A young man of the city of Norwich, of about eighteen years of age, was walking one morning, with a party of other young men, who had all agreed to make that day a holiday. The first object that attracted their attention was an old woman, who pretended to tell fortunes. They immediately em. ployed her to tell theirs, and that they might fully qualify her for their undertaking, first made her thoroughly intoxicated with spirituous liquor. The young man of whom mention was first made, was informed, among other things, that he would live to a very old age, and see his children, grand children, and great grand children, growing up around him. Though he had assisted in qualifying the old woman for the fraud by intoxicating her, yet he had credulity enough to be struck with these parts of her predictions which related to himself. 66 And so," quoth he, when alone, "I am to see children, grand children, and great grand children! At that age I must be a burden to the young people. What shall I do? There is no way for an old man to render himself more agreeable to youth, than by sitting and telling them pleas. ant and profitable stories. I will then, thought he, during my youth, endeavor to store my mind with all kind of knowledge. I will see and hear, and note down every thing that is rare and wonderful, that I may sit, when incapable of other employment, and entertain my descendants. Thus shall my company be rendered pleasant, and I shall be respected rather than neglected in old age. Let me see what I can acquire first? O! here is the famous

twice a day; the people flocked with the greatest earnestness, to hear. In the evening some riotous persons endeavored to disturb him, but in vain. It was about this time that he published his expostulatory letter to Count Zinzendorf, the bishop of the Moravians, in London.

In May, he took another circuit westward; and every where a gracious melting season appeared to be among the people. In about a fortnight, he rode THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY miles, and preached above TWENTY times.

His new Tabernacle was opened on Sunday, June 10, 1753, with a sermon in the morning, from the 1st of Chronicles, xxix. 9.

CHAPTER XV.

From his opening the new Tabernacle in Moorfields, to his preaching at the chapel in Tottenham-court road, 1756.

MR. WHITEFIELD having preached at his Tabernacle a few days with his accustomed earnestness and success, to crowded auditories, in the end of June, set out for Scotland.

In his progress, he enjoyed very pleasant opportunities at Oulney. He preached likewise at Leicester, Nottingham, and Sheffield. Multitudes every where were flocking like doves to their windows, to receive the word of eternal life.

In his way to Leeds, he preached at Rotherham* and methodist preacher, Whitefield; he is to preach, they say, to night. I will go and hear him."

From these strange motives the young man declared he went to hear Mr. Whitefield. He preached that evening from Matthew iii. 7. "But when he saw many of the pharisees and sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O, generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" Mr. Whitefield," said the young man, "described the sadducean character; this did not touch me. I thought myself as good a christian as any man in England. From this he went to that of the pharisees. He described their exterior decency, but observed that the poison of the viper rank. led in their hearts. This rather shook me. At length, in the course of his sermon, he abruptly broke off; paused for a few moments; then burst into a flood of tears; lifted up his hands and eyes, and exclaimed, "O my hearers! The wrath's to come! the wrath's to come!" These words sunk into my heart, like lead in the waters. I wept, and when the sermon was ended, retired alone. For days and weeks I could think of little else. Those awful words would follow me, wherever I went, The wrath's to come! the wrath's to come!" The issue was, that the young man, soon after, made a public profession of religion, and in a little time became a considerable preacher. He himself related the foregoing circumstances a few years since, to the Rev. Andrew Fuller, of Kettering.

*Rotherham, and its environs, had, for a considerable time, been ranked by serious people, among those parts of Yorkshire, which were least inclined to

Wakefield; at the former place, he had met with such disturbance from the mob, that he almost resolved to preach

favor the spread of evangelical religion; and when Mr. Whitefield attempted to disseminate divine knowledge in that neighborhood, his person and message was treated with contempt. The propagation of malicious falsehoods was encouraged, with a design to counteract the good effects of his ministry. Mr. Thrope, afterwards pastor of the Independent church at Masborough, near Rotherham, ranged under the standard of his most virulent opposers; and not content with personal insult, added private ridicule to public interruption. Public houses became theatres, where the fate of religious opinions was to be determined.

It was at one of these convivial resorts, that Mr. Thrope and three of his associates, to enliven the company, undertook to mimic the preacher. The proposition was highly gratifying to all parties present, and a wager agreed upon, to inspire each individual with a desire of excelling in this impious attempt. That their jovial auditors might adjudge the prize to the most adroit performer, it was concluded that each should open the bible, and hold forth from the first text that should present itself to his eye. Accordingly three in their turn mounted the table, and entertained their wicked companions, at the expense of every thing sacred. When they had exhausted their little stock of buffoonery, it devolved on Mr. Thrope to close this very irreverent scene. Much elated, and confident of success, he exclaimed as he ascended the table, "I shall beat you all!" But O! the stupendous depths of divine mercy! who would have conceived that a gracious Providence should have presided over such an assembly, and that this should be the time of heavenly love to one of the most outrageous mockers!

66

Mr. Thrope, when the bible was handed to him, had not the slightest preconception, what part of the scripture he should make the subject of his banter. However, by the guidance of an unerring Providence, it opened at that remarkable passage, Luke xiii. 3. Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish." No sooner had he uttered the words, than his mind was affected in a very extraordinary manner. The sharpest pangs of conviction now seized him, and conscience denounced tremendous vengeance upon his soul. In a moment he was favored with a clear view of his subject, and divided his discourse more like a divine, who had been accustomed to speak on portions of scripture, than like one who never so much as thought on religious topics, except for the purpose of ridcule! He found no deficiency of matter, no want of utterance, and he has frequently declared, "If ever I preached in my life by the assistance of the Spirit of God, it was at that time." The impression that the subject made upon his mind, had such an effect upon his manner, that the most ignorant and profane could not but perceive that what he had spoken was with the greatest sincerity.

The unexpected solemnity and pertinency of his address, instead of entertaining 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 apprehen. sion, his own hair stand erect!

When he had left the table not a syllable was uttered concerning the wa ger; 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 connexion 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,