Georgia was then destitute of materials and workmen, and it was proposed to send them from Philadelphia at a great expense, I thought it would have been better to have built the house at Philadelphia, and brought the children to it. This I advised; but he was resolute in his first project, rejected my counsel, and I therefore refused to contribute. I happened, soon after, to attend one of his sermons, in the course of which I perceived he intended to finish with a collection, and I silently resolved he should get nothing from me. I had in my pocket a handful of copper money, three or four silver dollars, and five pistoles in gold. As he proceeded I began to soften, and concluded to give the copper; another stroke of his oratory made me ashamed of that, and determined me to give the silver; and he finished so admirably, that I emptied my pocket wholly into the collector's dish, gold and all."

*

No wonder that such a preacher should be admired and followed in a country where the habits of the people were devotional. On his second visit to Scotland, he was met on the shore at Leith by

'

*" At this sermon," continues Franklin, " there was also one of our club, who, being of my sentiments respecting the building in Georgia, and suspecting a collection might be intended, had, by precaution, emptied his pockets before he came from home: towards the conclusion of the discourse, however, he felt a strong inclination to give, and applied to a neighbour, who stood near him, to lend him some money for the purpose. The request was fortunately made to perhaps the only man in the company who had the firmness not to be affected by the preacher. His answer was, At any other time, friend Hopkinson, I would lend to thee freely, but not now; for thee seems to me to be out of thy right senses.'"

multitudes, weeping and blessing him, and they followed his coach to Edinburgh, pressing to welcome him when he alighted, and to hold him in

their arms.

Seats, with awnings, were erected in the park, in the form of an amphitheatre, for his preaching. Several youths left their parents and masters to follow him as his servants and children in the Gospel; but he had sense enough to show them their error, and send them back. The effect which he produced was maddening. At Cambuslang it exceeded any thing which he had ever witnessed in his career. I preached at two," he says, "to a vast body of people, and at six in the evening, and again at nine. Such a commotion, surely, never was heard of, especially at eleven at night. For about an hour and a half there was such weeping, so many falling into deep distress, and expressing it various ways, as is inexpressible. The people seem to be slain by scores. They are carried off, and come into the house, like soldiers. wounded in and carried off a field of battle. Their cries and agonies are exceedingly affecting. Mr. M. preached, after I had ended, till past one in the morning, and then could scarce persuade them to depart. All night, in the fields, might be heard the voice of prayer and praise. Some young ladies were found by a gentlewoman praising God at break of day she went and joined with them." Soon afterwards he returned there to assist at the sacrament. "Scarce ever," he says, 66 was such a sight seen in Scotland. There were, undoubtedly, upwards of twenty thousand persons. Two

Georgia was then destitute of mat
men, and it was proposed to s
ladelphia at a great exper
have been better to hav
delphia, and brought
advised; but he w

rejected my cou

contribute.

of his sermor he intende lently re

had in or fo As '

to

r

I'

isters

war with muching

& evening,

ament was ad I began to serve felt by numbers; upon me, that I was preach at one of the served the rest of the

them, and with his people. ching all day by one or another;

when the sacrament was over,

st of the ministers, I preached to the congregation. I preached about an hour half. Surely it was a time much to be remembered. On Monday morning I preached again to near as many; but such an universal stir I never

sar before.

from one

might

The motion fled as swift as lightning end of the auditory to another. You have seen thousands bathed in tears: some

at the same time wringing their hands, others al

most swooning, and others crying out and mourning over a pierced Saviour.”

The Erskines were astonished at all this. One of the associate presbytery published a pamphlet against him, wherein, with the true virulence of bigotry, he ascribed these things to the influence of the devil; and the heads of the seceders appointed a public fast, to humble themselves for his being in Scotland, whither they themselves had invited him, and for what they termed the delusion at Cambuslang. They might have so called it, with more propriety, if they had not been under a delusion themselves; for Whitefield perfectly understood their feelings, when he said, "all this,

use I would not consent to preach only for ill I had light into, and could take the so

que and covenant!" He made many other Lo Scotland; and there, indeed, he seems to e obtained that introduction to persons of rank, which in its consequences led to the establishment of a college for Calvinistic Methodism in England. But he aimed at nothing more than could be produced by his own preaching; it was neither congenial to his talents nor his views to organize a body of followers; and, in the intervals between his visits, the seed which he had scattered was left to grow up, or to wither as it might.

Wesley had other views: his aim, wherever he went, was to form a society. It was not till ten years after his former colleague had first visited Scotland, that he resolved to go there. A reconciliation had then taken place between them, -for enmity could not be lasting between two men who knew each other's sincerity and good intentions so well, -and Whitefield would have dissuaded him from going. "You have no business there," he said; "for your principles are so well known, that, if you spoke like an angel, none would hear you; and if they did, you would have nothing to do but to dispute with one and another from morning to night." Wesley replied, "If God sends me, people will hear. And I will give them no provocation to dispute; for I will studiously avoid controverted points, and keep to the fundamental truths of Christianity; and if any still begin to dispute, they may, but I will not dispute with them." He was,

however, so aware of the bitter hostility with which Arminian principles would be received in Scotland, that, he says, when he went into that kingdom, he had no intention of preaching there; nor did he imagine that any persons would desire him so to do. He might have reckoned with more confidence upon the curiosity of the people. He was invited to preach at Musselborough; the audience remained like statues from the beginning of the sermon till the end, and he flattered himself that the prejudice which the devil had been several years planting, was torn up by the roots in one hour." From this time Scotland was made a

part of his regular rounds. Surely," says he, "with God nothing is impossible! Who would have believed, five-and-twenty years ago, either that the minister would have desired it, or that I should have consented to preach in a Scotch kirk !"

He flattered himself egregiously when he accepted these beginnings as omens of good success, and when he supposed that the prejudice against him was eradicated. An old Burgher minister at Dalkeith preached against him, affirming that, if he died in his present sentiments, he would be damned; and the fanatic declared that he would stake his own salvation upon it. It was well for him that these people were not armed with temporal authority. "The Seceders," says Wesley, "who have fallen in my way, are more uncharitable than the Papists themselves. I never yet met a Papist who avowed the principle of murdering heretics. But a Seceding minister being asked, Would not you,

if