The respect with which Whitefield was treated in Scotland, not only by professing Christians, but in general society, was shown by the fact that he was presented with the freedom of some of the principal cities and towns which he visited. This privilege was given him in Stirling, Glasgow, Paisley, and Aberdeen, in 1741, and at Irvine and Edinburgh some years afterwards.
It is difficult, in such a world as this, so to live as that "our good" shall not "be evil spoken of." Mr. Whitefield has sometimes been charged with motives of a mercenary character, but his whole life showed the fallacy of such a charge. Dr. Gillies, his original biographer, received from unquestionable testimony the knowledge of a fact which ought not to be forgotten. During his stay in Scotland, in the year 1759, a young lady, Miss Hunter, who possessed a considerable fortune, made a full offer to him of her estate in money and lands, worth several thousand pounds. He promptly refused the offer; and upon his declining it for himself, she offered it to him for the benefit of his orphan-house. This also he absolutely refused.
Never could Whitefield be accused of moral cowardice. When the old Scotch Marquis of Lothian professed that his heart was impressed with the importance of religion, but wished to be a Christian in the dark, Whitefield said to him, "As for praying in your family, I entreat you not to neglect it; you are bound to do it. Apply to Christ to overcome your present fears; they are the effects of pride or infidelity, or both."
On his return from Scotland to London in 1741, Whitefield passed through Wales, where at Abergavenny he was married to a Mrs. James, a widow, some ten years older than himself. Of this marriage, as also of the death of his only child, we have already spoken. After preaching at Bristol twice a day for several days in succession, he returned to London in the beginning of December, where he found letters from Georgia, which, on account of the temporal circumstances of his orphan family, somewhat discouraged him. But to trace his progress, and to report all his labors, would be to extend our volume beyond its due limits.
He was soon again in the west of England, and writing from Gloucester, his native place, December 23, 1741, he says, "Last Thursday evening the Lord brought me hither. I preached immediately to our friends in a large barn, and had my Master's presence. Both the power and the congregation increased. On Sunday, Providence opened a door for my preaching in St. John's, one of the parish churches. Great numbers came. On Sunday afternoon, after I had preached twice at Gloucester, I preached at the hill, six miles off, and again at night at Stroud. The people seemed to be more hungry than ever, and the Lord to be more among them. Yesterday morning I preached at Painswick, in the parish church, here in the afternoon, and again at night in the barn. God gives me unspeakable comfort and uninterrupted joy. Here seems to be a new awakening, and a revival of the work of God. I find several country people were awakened when I preached at Tewkesbury, and have heard of three or four that have died in the Lord. We shall never know what good field-preaching has done till we come to judgment. Many who were prejudiced against me begin to be of another mind; and God shows me more and more that 'when a man's ways please the Lord, he will make even his enemies to be at peace with him.'"
In the following February he was still further encouraged by receiving letters from America, informing him of the remarkable success of the gospel there, and that God had stirred up some wealthy friends to assist his orphans in their extremity. He writes, "The everlasting God reward all their benefactors. I find there has been a fresh awakening among them. I am informed that twelve negroes belonging to a planter lately converted at the orphan-house, are savingly brought home to Jesus Christ." Nor were these things all which afforded him joy. Writing to a friend, April 6, he says, "Our Saviour is doing great things in London daily. I rejoice to hear that you are helped in your work. Let this encourage you; go on, go on; the more we do, the more we may do for Jesus. I sleep and eat but little, and am constantly employed from morning till midnight, and yet my strength is daily renewed. Oh, free grace! it fires my soul, and makes me long to do something for Jesus. It is true, indeed, I want to go home; but here are so many souls ready to perish for lack of knowledge, that I am willing to tarry below as long as my Master has work for me." It was at this period that he first ventured to preach in the fair in Moorfields, to which we have already referred. In this year he made also his second journey to Scotland, the particulars of which have been already given.
On his arrival from Scotland in London, October, 1742, Whitefield found a new awakening at the Tabernacle, which in the mean time had been enlarged. He says, "I am employed, and, glory to rich grace, I am carried through the duties of each day with cheerfulness and almost uninterrupted tranquillity. Our society is large, but in good order. My Master gives us much of his gracious presence, both in our public and private ministrations."
In March, 1743, he went again into Gloucestershire, where the people appeared to be more eager to attend on his ministry than ever before. "Preaching," says he, "in Gloucestershire, is now like preaching at the Tabernacle in London." And in a letter, April 7, he says, "I preached, and took leave of the Gloucester people with mutual and great concern, on Sunday evening last. It was past one in the morning before I could lay my weary body down, At five I rose again, sick for want of rest; but I was enabled to get on horseback and ride to Mr. T——'s, where I preached to a large congregation, who came there at seven in the morning. At ten, I read prayers and preached, and afterwards administered the sacrament in Stonehouse church. Then I rode to Stroud, and preached to about twelve thousand in Mr. G——'s field; and about six in the evening, to a like number on Hampton common." Next morning he preached near Dursley to some thousands; at about seven o'clock he reached Bristol, and preached to a full congregation at Smith's hall; and on the following morning, after preaching, set out for Waterford, in South Wales, where he opened the association which he and his brethren had agreed upon, and was several days with them, settling the affairs of the societies. The work in Wales, during his absence, had very greatly extended itself, not a few of the clergy having become converted, as well as their people. He tells us, "The power of God at the sacrament, under the ministry of Mr. Rowland, was enough to make a person's heart burn within him. At seven in the morning have I seen perhaps ten thousand from different parts, in the midst of a sermon, crying, Gugunniaut—bendyth—[glory—blessed]—ready to leap for joy." He continued in Wales some weeks, preaching with great apparent success, and in the latter part of April returned to Gloucester, after having, in about three weeks, travelled about four hundred miles, spent three days in attending associations, and preached about forty times. Among the interesting events of this journey may be reckoned the fact, that when he was at Caermarthen the quarterly sessions were held. When he was about to preach, the magistrates sent him word, that if he would stay till the court rose, they would attend on the service. He acceded to their proposal, and they were present, with many thousands more, including several persons of high rank.
After a few weeks spent in London, preaching to vast congregations in Moorfields, and exulting in his accustomed success, collecting too for his beloved orphans, so as to be able to pay all his debts, and to make a remittance to Georgia, we again find him at Bristol, and in a few days afterwards at Exeter. Among the clergymen who met him there was Mr. Cennick. As this gentleman was preaching during this visit in the High-street of the city, he was eloquently discoursing on the doctrine of the atonement by the blood of Christ, when a profane butcher in the crowd exclaimed, "If you love blood, you shall presently have enough of it," and ran to obtain some to throw on him. A Mr. Saunders, who was employed in conveying persons from one place to another, though an entire stranger to religion, from a sense of justice, determined to defend the preacher; and when the butcher came with a pail nearly filled with blood, he quietly took it from him, and poured it over the man's own head. This Mr. Saunders afterwards became an eminent Christian. He was, till extreme old age, the body-coachman of George III., with whom he frequently held Christian conversation, and died happily in 1799, at the age of eighty-nine.