repeated by many of that place, who came to the ordination at Deal; so there was no resisting their importunity. We reached Ramsgate at about two, took some refreshment, and there I preached about four, not to a very large, but an attentive and affected auditory. This I did also the morning following; and was most agreeably entertained with the discourse and good memory of one in particular, who had been my fellow passenger, and frequent hearer many years ago, in the Wilmington, Captain Darling, bound to Piscataway, in New England. The people's behavior here was so undissembledly generous, frank, genteel, and christian, that I know not where I have been more pleased and delighted. Being quite uneasy, lest by staying longer I should be unready, if the wind should turn favorable, I went early on Sunday morning to Deal, and from thence immediately on board, and preached in the afternoon. This morning, I received a surreptitious copy of my Tabernacle farewell sermon, taken, as the short hand writer professes, verbatim as I spoke it. But surely he is mistaken. The whole is so injudiciously paragraphed, and so wretchedly unconnected, that I owe no thanks to the misguided, though it may be well meant zeal of the writer and publisher, be they who they will. But such conduct is an unavoidable tax upon popularity. And all that appear for Jesus Christ and his blessed gospel, must, like their master, expect to suffer from the false fire of professing friends, as well as the secret malice of avowed enemies. However, if any one sentence is blessed to the conviction of one sinner, or the edification of any individual saint, I care not what becomes of my character, though I would always pray to be preserved from bringing upon myself, or others, needless and unnecessary contempt.

"Monday, September 25. Weighed anchor last Tuesday morning, with a small favorable gale and fine weather. So many ships which had lain in the Downs, moving at the same time, and gently gliding by us, together with the prospect of the adjacent shore, made a most agreeable scene. But it proved only a very transient one. For by the time we got to Fairlee, the wind backened, clouds gathered, very violent gales succeeded, and for several days we were so tossed, that after coming over against Brighthelmstone, the captain rightly judging, turned back, as did many other ships, and anchored over against New Rumsey and Dungeness. Lord, in thine own time, thou wilt give the winds a commission to carry us forward towards our desired port !"

Reader! what was it, think you, that inspired this venerable evangelist with such a firm confidence in the goodness and mercy of God, towards his people in general, and himself in

particular? Nothing but an experimental knowledge of, and a steadfast belief in the most important doctrines of grace! For in a letter to a minister, written many years ago, he thus expresses himself:-"The doctrines I have preached, come with double evidence upon my mind day by day. I am more convinced that they are the truths of God: they agree with the written word, and the experience of ALL the saints in ALL ages. Nothing more confirms me in the belief of them, than the opposition that is made against them, by natural men. ELECTION, FREE GRACE, FREE JUSTIFICATION, without any regard to works foreseen, are such paradoxes, to carnal minds, that they cannot away with them. This is the wisdom of God, which is foolishness with men ; and which, the Lord being my helper, I intend to exalt and contend for more and more; not with carnal weapons, that be far from me; but with the sword of the spirit, the word of God. No sword like that." And he continued to preach, and earnestly contend for those God exalting, creature humbling truths. "Truths which," as a good man once said,* "lie at the fountain of God's glory and his people's comfort, not only to this period, but to the end of his life!"

At length they were enabled to clear the channel; and proceeding on their voyage, arrived safe on November 30, at Charleston, in South Carolina. They had a most perilous and trying passage; yet, on his arrival, Whitefield found himself in a much better state of health, than after any voyage he had made for many years. And his eagerness to promote the glory of God, and the good of precious souls, increased with his bodily strength, so that the same day he landed on the American shore, he preached at Charleston, where his reception was as hearty, or more so than ever. Here he was met by Mr. Wright, who brought him the welcome news that all things were in great forwardness at Bethesda.

In his memorandum book, is written the following:-" November, 1769. For the last week we were beating about our port, within sight of it, and continued for two days in five fathom hole, just over the bar. A dangerous situation, as the wind blew hard, and our ship, like a young christian, for want of more ballast, would not obey the helm. But through infinite mercy, on November 30, a pilot boat came and took us safe ashore to Charleston, after being on board almost thirteen weeks. Friends received me most cordially. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his mercies. Oh! to begin to be a christian and minister of Jesus!"

Mr. William Mason, author of the Spiritual Treasury, and many other valuable pieces, which have been made exceedingly useful to many of God's children.

When he reached Bethesda, he writes:--" January 11, 1770. Every thing exceeds my most sanguine expectations. I am almost tempted to say, it is good for me to be here; but all must give way to gospel ranging-divine employ !

"For this, let men revile my name,

I'll shun no cross, I'll fear no shame;
All hail, reproach!-

In another letter, Whitefield says, " And the increase of this colony is almost incredible. Two wings are added to the Orphan-house, for the accommodation of students; of which Governor Wright laid the foundation, March 25, 1769.”

The very great esteem which the whole colony entertained for Whitefield, and which at this time, in particular, they thought it their duty to express, appears from the following papers :

"COMMONS HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, Monday, January 29, 1770. Mr. Speaker reported, that he, with the house, having waited on the Rev. Mr. Whitefield, in consequence of his invitation, at the Orphan-house academy, heared him preach a very suitable and pious sermon on the occasion; and with great pleasure observed the promising appearance of improvement, towards the good purposes intended, and the decency and propriety of behavior of the several residents there; and were sensibly affected, when they saw the happy success which has attended Whitefield's indefatigable zeal for promoting the welfare of the province in general, and the Orphan-house in particular. Ordered, that this report be printed in the Gazette. "JOHN SIMPSON, Clerk."

Extract from the Georgia Gazette. "Savannah, January 31, 1770. Last Sunday, his excellency the governor, council and assembly, having been invited by the Rev. Mr. Whitefield, attended at divine service in the chapel of the Orphan-house academy, where prayers were read by the Rev. Mr. Ellington, and a very suitable sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Whitefield, from Zachariah iv. 10, For who has despised the day of small things? to the great satisfaction of the auditory; in which he took occasion to mention the many discouragements he met with, well known to many there, in carrying on the institution for upwards of thirty years past, and the present promising prospect of its future and more extensive usefulness. After divine service, the company were very politely entertained with a handsome and plentiful dinner; and were greatly pleased to see the useful improvements made in the house, the

two additional wings for apartments for students, one hundred and fifty feet each in length, and other lesser buildings, in so much forwardness; and the whole executed with taste, and in so masterly a manner; and being sensible of the truly generous and disinterested benefactions derived to the province through his means, they expressed their gratitude in the most respectful terms."

The following speech was delivered by an orphan, after Whitefield's sermon preached before the governor, and others, January 28, 1770.

"When I consider where I stand, and before whom I am about to speak, no wonder that, previous to my rising, a trembling seized my limbs; and now, when risen, a throbbing seizes my heart; and, as a consequence of both, shame and confusion cover my face. For what am I, a poor unlettered orphan, unlearned, almost in the very rudiments of my mother tongue, and totally unskilled in the persuasive arts of speaking, that I should be called to speak before such a venerable, august assembly, as is this day convened under Bethesda's roof? But, when I reflect, that I stand up at your command, reverend sir, to whom, under God, I owe my little all; and when I further reflect on the well known candor of those that compose this venerable, august assembly, my trembling begins to abate, my throbbing ceases, and a gleam of hope breaks in, that the tongue of the stammerer will, in some degree, be able to speak plain. But where shall I begin? and how shall I express the various emotions that, within the space of half an hour, alternately agitated and affected my soul? If the eye, as I have been taught to think, is the looking-glass of the soul; and if the outward gestures, and earnest attention, are indications expressive of the inward emotions and dispositions of the human heart, then a heartfelt complacency and joy hath possessed the souls of many in this assembly, whilst the reverend founder hath been giving from the pulpit such a clear, succinct, and yet withal, affecting account of the rise and progress of his Orphan-house academy, and of the low estate of this now flourishing colony, when the first brick of this edifice was laid. All hail that happy day! which we now commemorate, when about thirty-two years ago, in faith and fervent prayer, the first brick of this edifice was laid. Many destitute orphans were soon taken in, and without any visible fund, in the dearest part of his majesty's dominions, more than fifty laborers were employed and honorably paid; and a large orphan family, for these many years, has been supported, clothed, and brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. O could these walls speak! could every chamber, every corner of this fabric

speak! what agonizing supplications, what inwrought energetic prayers would they tell us they had been witness to; and also of the blessed fruits, of which we are now partakers! Behold! a once infant, deserted, and despised colony, not only lifting up its drooping head, and in some degree overtopping, at least, for trade, and increase and extent of commerce, vieing with some of its neighboring provinces. Behold! the once despised institution! the very existence of which, for many years denied, through the indefatigable industry, unparalleled disinterestedness, and unwearied perseverance of its reverend founder, expanding and stretching its wings, not only to receive a larger number of helpless orphans like myself, but to nurse and cherish many of the rising generation, training them up to be ornaments both in church and state. For ever adored be that providence, that power and goodness, which have brought matters to such a desirable and long expected issue! Thanks, thanks be rendered to your excellency, for the countenance you have always given to this beneficent plan, for laying the first brick of yonder wings this time twelve month, and for the favor of your company on this our anniversary. Thanks to you, Mr. President,* who have long been a fellow helper in this important work, and have now the pleasure of seeing the fruit of all your labors. Thanks to the gentlemen of his majesty's honorable council, and to the members of the general assembly, who so warmly recommended the utility of this institution. Thanks to you, sir, who first opened it by preaching. Thanks to you who left your native country, and without fee or reward, have for many years labored and watched over us in the Lord. Thanks to all who have this day honored us with their presence. And, above all, thanks, more than an orphan tongue can utter, or orphan hearts conceive, be under God, rendered unto you, most honored sir, who have been so happily instrumental, in the hands of a never failing God, in spreading his everlasting gospel."

TO MR. ROBERT KEEN.

February 10, 1770, Whitefield writes: "Through infinite mercy, this leaves me enjoying a greater share of bodily health than I have known for many years. I am now enabled to preach almost every day, and my poor feeble labors seem not to be in vain in the Lord. Blessed be God, all things are in great forwardness at Bethesda. I have conversed with the governor in the most explicit manner, more than once, concerning an act of assembly, for the establishment of the intend

The Hon. Mr. Habersham, president of his majesty's council and Mr. Whitefield's executor, in Georgia.