Wednesday was not lost. Whitefield himself shall describe its proceedings. "Went this morning to see and preach at Cambridge, the chief college for training up the sons of the prophets in all New England. It has one president, I think four tutors, and about a hundred students. It is scarce as big as one of our least colleges in Oxford, and as far as I could gather from some who well knew the state of it, not far superior to our universities in piety and true godliness. Tutors neglect to pray with, and examine the hearts of their pupils. Discipline is at too low an ebb. Bad books are become fashionable. Tillotson and Clarke are read instead of Sheppard, Stoddard, and such like evangelical writers; and therefore I chose to preach on these words: 'We are not as many, who corrupt the word of God;' and in the conclusion of my sermon I made a close application to tutors and students. A great number of neighboring ministers attended, as indeed they do at all other times, and God gave me great boldness and freedom of speech. The president of the college and minister of the parish treated me very civilly. In the afternoon I preached again in the court, without any particular application to the students. I believe there were about seven thousand hearers. The Holy Spirit melted many hearts. The word was attended with a manifest power; and a minister soon after wrote me word, that 'he believed one of his daughters was savingly wrought upon at that time.' Paid my respects to the lieutenant-governor, who lives at Cambridge, and returned in the evening to Boston, and prayed with and exhorted many people who were waiting round the door for a spiritual morsel. I believe our Lord did not send them empty away."
An elm under which Whitefield preached in Cambridge became distinguished; it being under its shade that Washington, thirty-one years after, first drew his sword in the cause of the Revolution, on taking the command of the American army. From this circumstance, it has been called the "Washington elm." The last time the late distinguished Dr. Holyoke, of Salem, Mass., was in Cambridge, then nearly a hundred years old, while passing this tree with a friend, he said that he heard Whitefield's sermon, being at the time a student in college.
On Thursday he preached the weekly lecture at Mr. Foxcroft's, the First church. But he says, "I was so oppressed with a sense of my base ingratitude to my dearest Saviour, that Satan would fain have tempted me to hold my tongue, and not invite poor sinners to Jesus Christ, because I was so great a sinner myself. But God enabled me to withstand the temptation, and since Jesus Christ had shown such mercy to, and had not withdrawn his Holy Spirit from me, the chief of sinners, I was enabled more feelingly to talk of his love; and afterwards found that one stranger, in particular, was in all probability effectually convinced by that morning's sermon. After public worship, I went, at his excellency's invitation, and dined with the governor. Most of the ministers of the town were invited with me. Before dinner, the governor sent for me up into his chamber. He wept, wished me 'good luck in the name of the Lord,' and recommended himself, ministers, and people to my prayers. Immediately after dinner, I prayed explicitly for them all, and went in his coach to the end of the town; but had such a sense of my vileness upon my soul, that I wondered people did not stone me. Crossed a ferry, and preached at Charlestown, a town lying on the north side of Boston. The meeting-house was very capacious, and quite filled. A gracious melting was discernible through the whole congregation, and I perceived much freedom and sweetness in my own soul, though the damp I felt in the morning was not quite gone off. In the evening I exhorted and prayed as usual at my lodgings; and blessed be God, I found a great alteration in my hearers. They now began to melt and weep under the word."
On Friday, the following day, he preached in the morning at Roxbury, from a little ascent, to many thousands of people, with much of the divine presence. Several came to him afterwards, telling him how they were struck with the word. Having dined with Judge Dudley, he preached to a still larger congregation from a scaffold erected outside Mr. Byles' meeting-house in Hollis-street. Wrote to several friends in England; gave a short exhortation to a large crowd of hearers; and then spent the evening with several ministers in edifying conversation, singing, and prayer.
Saturday, he preached in the morning at Mr. Welsteed's meeting-house, and in the afternoon to about fifteen thousand people on the Common. "But Oh, how did the word run! It rejoiced me to see such numbers greatly affected, so that some, I believe, could scarcely abstain from crying out. That place was no other than a Bethel, and a gate of heaven." After he had gone home to his lodgings he says, "The power and presence of the Lord accompanied and followed me. Many now wept bitterly, and cried out under the word like persons that were really hungering and thirsting after righteousness; and after I left them, God gave me to wrestle with him in my chamber, in behalf of some dear friends then present, and others that were absent from us. The Spirit of the Lord was upon them all. It made intercession with groanings that cannot be uttered."
On the day following, being the Sabbath, in the morning he preached at the Old South church, Dr. Sewall's, to a very crowded auditory, "with almost as much power and visible appearance of God as yesterday. Collected £555 currency for my little lambs; was taken very ill after dinner; vomited violently, but was enabled to preach at Dr. Colman's in the afternoon to as great, if not a greater congregation than in the morning. Here also £470 were collected for the orphan-house in Georgia. In both places all things were carried on with decency and order. People went slowly out, as though they had not a mind to escape giving; and Dr. Colman said 'it was the most pleasant time he ever enjoyed in that meeting-house through the whole course of his life.' Blessed be God, after sermon I perceived myself somewhat refreshed. Supped very early. Had the honor of a private visit from the governor, who came full of affection to take his leave of me for the present. Went, at their request, and preached to a great company of negroes, on the conversion of the Ethiopian, Acts the eighth; at which the poor creatures, as well as many white people, were much affected; and at my return, gave an exhortation to a crowd of people who were waiting at my lodgings. My animal spirits were almost exhausted, and my legs, through expense of sweating and vomiting, almost ready to sink under me; but the Lord visited my soul, and I went to bed greatly refreshed with divine consolations." Even at this early period such sufferings of his bodily system frequently followed his herculean labors.
Early on Monday morning, Sept. 29, Whitefield left Boston on an excursion to the eastward. At Marblehead, he "preached to some thousands in a broad place in the middle of the town, but not with much apparent effect." At Salem, he "preached to about seven thousand people. Here the Lord manifested forth his glory. One man was, I believe, struck down by the power of the word. In every part of the congregation, persons might be seen under great concern." He went on to Ipswich, where he was kindly "entertained at the house of Mr. Rogers, one of the ministers of the place." Of this family our evangelist was soon to know more than he had hitherto done. At about this period, John Rogers, aged 77, and Nathanael Rogers, were joint pastors of the First church at Ipswich; both of them were ardent promoters of the revival, as was also Daniel Rogers, of the same family. Whitefield learned with deep interest that his host was a descendant of the celebrated martyr, John Rogers. The next day he preached there to some thousands. "The Lord," says he, "gave me freedom, and there was a great melting in the congregation." At Newbury, in the afternoon, the Lord accompanied the word with power. The meeting-house was very large, many ministers were present, and the people were greatly affected. Blessed be God, his divine power attends us more and more." Wednesday, he preached at Hampton, in the open air, to some thousands. He was here very highly gratified with the conversation of Mr. Colton, the minister, and with the Christian simplicity of his excellent wife. The high wind prevented his being heard so well as he usually was, and he did not enjoy his accustomed freedom; still, "some, though not many, were affected." At Portsmouth, he "preached to a polite auditory, but so very unconcerned, that I began to question whether I had been speaking to rational or brute creatures. Seeing no immediate effects of the word preached, I was a little dejected; but God, to comfort my heart, sent one young man, crying out in great anguish of spirit, 'What shall I do to be saved?'"
From Portsmouth, our evangelist proceeded to York, in Maine, "to see one Mr. Moody, a worthy, plain, and powerful minister of Jesus Christ, though now much impaired by old age. He has lived by faith for many years, would have no settled salary, and has been much despised by bad men, and as much respected by the true lovers of the blessed Jesus." The next morning he was much comforted to hear, from Mr. Moody, that he would preach that morning to a hundred new creatures; "and indeed," says he, "I believe I did; for when I came to preach, I could speak little or no terror, but most consolation." He preached morning and evening. "The hearers looked plain and simple, and the tears trickled apace down most of their cheeks." He returned to Portsmouth that night, and the next morning preached to a far greater congregation, and with much better effect than before. "Instead of preaching to dead stocks, I now had reason to believe I was preaching to living men. People began to melt soon after I began to pray; and the power increased more and more during the whole sermon." This was still more clearly evinced after Mr. Whitefield's departure from the town.
Returning to Boston, through Salem, Marblehead, and Malden, in each of which places he preached, and being now in improved health, he preached, October 7, both morning and evening, "with much power," at Brattle-street. There had been for several days a report in circulation, that he had died suddenly, or was poisoned, and the people greatly rejoiced again to see him alive. At Mr. Webb's, the New North church, on the following Wednesday, he thought there was more of the presence of God through the whole ministration, than he had before, known at one time in the course of his life. He went there with the governor, in his coach, and preached morning and evening. "Jesus Christ manifested forth his glory; many hearts melted within them; and I think I was never drawn out to pray for and invite little children to Jesus Christ, as I was this morning. A little before, I had heard of a child who was taken sick just after it had heard me preach, and said he would go to Mr. Whitefield's God, and died in a short time. This encouraged me to speak to the little ones. But O, how were the old people affected when I said, 'Little children, if your parents will not come to Christ, do you come, and go to heaven without them.' There seemed to be but few dry eyes, look where I would. I have not seen a greater commotion since my preaching at Boston. Glory be to God, who has not forgotten to be gracious." He collected, after this sermon, £440 for his orphan-house, which was now more generally supported than ever before.