[♦] ‘goal’ replaced with ‘gaol’
5. Being now about twenty-one years of age, he was solicited to enter into holy orders. Of this he was greatly afraid, being deeply sensible of his own insufficiency. But the bishop himself sending for him, and telling him, “Tho’ I had purposed to ordain none under three and twenty, yet I will ordain you whenever you come;” and several other providential circumstances concurring, he submitted, and was ordained on Trinity-Sunday, 1736. The next Sunday he preached to a crouded auditory, in the church wherein he was baptized. The week following he returned to Oxford, and took his Batchelor’s degree. And he was now fully employed, the care of the prisoners and the poor lying chiefly on him.
6. But it was not long before he was invited to London, to serve the cure of a friend going into the country. He continued there two months, lodging in the Tower, reading prayers in the chappel twice a week, catechizing and preaching once, beside daily visiting the soldiers in the barracks and the infirmary. He also read prayers every evening at Wapping-chappel, and preached at Ludgate-prison every Tuesday. While he was here, letters came from his friends in Georgia, which made him long to go and help them. But not seeing his call clear, at the appointed time he returned to his little charge at Oxford; where several youths met daily at his room, to build up each other in their most holy faith.
7. But he was quickly called from hence again to supply the cure of Dummer in Hampshire. Here he read prayers twice a day, early in the morning, and in the evening, after the people came from work. He also daily catechized the children, and visited from house to house. He now divided the day into three parts, alloting eight hours for sleep and meals, eight for study and retirement, and eight for reading prayers, catechizing, and visiting the people.—Is there a more excellent way for a servant of Christ and his church? If not, Who will go and do likewise?
8. Yet his mind still ran on going abroad. And being now fully convinced he was called of God thereto, he set all things in order, and in January 1737, went down to take leave of his friends in Glocester. It was in this journey that God began to bless his ministry in an uncommon manner. Wherever he preached, amazing multitudes of hearers flocked together, in Glocester, in Stonehouse, in Bath, in Bristol: so that the heat of the churches was scarce supportable. And the impressions made on the minds of many, were no less extraordinary. After his return to London, while he was detained by General Oglethorpe, from week to week, and from month to month, it pleased God to bless his word still more. And he was indefatigable in his labour: generally on Sunday he preached four times, to exceeding large auditories; beside reading prayers twice or thrice, and walking to and fro, often ten or twelve miles.
9. On December 28, he left London. It was on the 29th that he first preached without notes. December 30, he went on board; but it was above a month before they cleared the land. One happy effect of their very slow passage, he mentions in April following: “Blessed be God, we now live very comfortably in the great cabbin. We talk of little else but God and Christ: and scarce a word is heard among us when together, but what has reference to our fall in the first, and our new birth in the second Adam.” It seems likewise to have been a peculiar providence, that he should spend a little time at Gibraltar; where both citizens and soldiers, high and low, young and old, acknowledged the day of their visitation.
10. From Sunday, May 7, 1738, till the latter end of August following, he made full proof of his ministry in Georgia, particularly at Savannah: he read prayers and expounded twice a day and visited the sick daily. On Sunday he expounded at five in the morning; at ten read prayers and preached, and at three in the afternoon: and at seven in the evening expounded the church-catechism. How much easier is it for our brethren in the ministry, either in England, Scotland, or Ireland, to find fault with such a labourer in our Lord’s vineyard, than to tread in his steps?
11. It was now that he observed the deplorable condition of many children here; and that God put into his heart the first thought of founding an Orphan-house: for which he determined to raise contributions in England, if God should give him a safe return thither. In December following he did return to London: and on Sunday, January the 14th, 1739, he was ordained priest at Christ-Church, Oxford. The next day he came to London again: and on Sunday the 21st preached twice. But though the churches were large, and crouded exceedingly, yet many hundreds stood in the churchyard, and hundreds more returned home. This put him upon the first thought of preaching in the open air. But when he mentioned it to some of his friends, they judged it to be mere madness. So he did not carry it into execution, till after he had left London. It was on Wednesday, February 21, that finding all the church-doors to be shut in Bristol, (beside that no church was able to contain one half of the congregation) at three in the afternoon he went to Kingswood, and preached abroad, to near two thousand people. On Friday he preached there to four or five thousand; and on Sunday to (it was supposed) ten thousand. The number continually increased all the time he stayed at Bristol. And a flame of holy love was kindled, which will not easily be put out. The same was afterwards kindled in various parts of Wales, of Glocestershire, and Worcestershire. Indeed [♦]wherever he went, God abundantly confirmed the word of his messenger.
[♦] ‘whereever’ replaced with ‘wherever’
12. On Sunday, April 29, he preached the first time in Moorfields, and on Kennington-common. And the thousands of hearers were as quiet as they could have been in a church. Being again detained in England from month to month, he made little excursions into several counties, and received the contributions of willing multitudes, for an Orphan-house in Georgia. The embargo which was now laid on the shipping, gave him leisure for more journies, through various parts of England, for which many will have reason to bless God to all eternity. At length, on August 14, he embarked. But he did not land in Pensylvania till October 30. Afterwards he went through Pensylvania, the Jerseys, New-York, Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina, preaching all along to immense congregations, with full as great effect as in England; on January 10, 1740, he arrived at Savannah.