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 returned to London and on Sunday, January 14, 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 crowded exceedingly, yet many hundreds stood in the church-yard, 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 Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire. Indeed, wherever he went, God abundantly confirmed the word of his messenger.

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 Aug. 14, he embarked: but he did not land in Pennsylvania till October 30. Afterwards he went through Pennsylvania, 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.

13. January 29, he added three desolate orphans to near twenty which he had in his house before. The next day he laid out the ground for the house, about ten miles from Savannah. February 11, he took in four orphans more, and set out for Frederica, in order to fetch the orphans that were in the southern parts of the colony. In his return he fixed a school, both for children and grown persons, at Darien, and took four orphans thence. March 25, he laid the first stone of the Orphan-house, to which, with great propriety, he gave the name of Bethesda; a work for which the children yet unborn shall praise the Lord. He had now about forty orphans, so that there were nearly a hundred mouths to be fed daily. But he was "careful for nothing," casting his care on Him who "feedeth the young ravens that call upon him.”

14. In April he made another tour through Pennsylvania, the Jerseys, and New-York. Incredible multitudes flocked to hear, among whom were abundance of Negroes. In all places the greater part of the hearers were affected to an amazing degree. Many were deeply convinced of their lost state; many truly converted to God. In some places thousands cried out aloud; many as in the agonies of death; most were drowned in tears; some turned pale as death; others were wringing their hands; others lying on the ground; others sinking into the arms of their friends ; almost all lifting up their eyes, and calling for mercy..

15. He returned to Savannah June 5. The next evening, during the public service, the whole congregation, young and old, were dissolved in tears; after service,

several of the parishioners, and all his family, particularly the little children, returned home crying along the street, and some could not help praying aloud. The groans and cries of the children continued all night, and great part of the next day.

16. In August he set out again, and through various provinces came to Boston. While he was here, and in the neighbouring places, he was weak in body. Yet the multitudes of hearers were so great, and the effects wrought on them were so astonishing, as the oldest men then alive in the town had never seen before. The same power attended his preaching at New-York, particularly on Sunday, November 2, almost as soon as he began, crying, weeping, and wailing, were to be heard on every side. Many sunk down to the ground, cut to the heart, and many were filled with divine consolation. Toward the close of his journey he made this reflection:-"It is the seventy-fifth day since I arrived at Rhode-Island, exceedingly weak in body: yet God has enabled me to preach a hundred and seventy times in public, beside exhorting frequently in private! Never did God vouchsafe me greater comforts: never did I perform my journeys with less fatigue, or see such a continuance of the divine presence in the congregations to whom I preached." In December he returned to Savannah, and in the March following, arrived in England.

17. You may easily observe, that the preceding account is chiefly extracted from his own Journals, which, for their artless and unaffected simplicity, may vie with any writings of the kind. And how exact a specimen is this of his labours both in Europe and America, for the honour of his beloved Master, during the thirty years that followed, as well as of the uninterrupted shower of blessings wherewith God was pleased to succeed his labours! Is it not much to be lamented, that any thing should have prevented his continuing this account, till at least near the time when he was called by his Lord to enjoy the fruit of his labour?—If he has left any papers of this kind, and his friends count me worthy of the honour, it would be my glory and joy to

methodize, transcribe, and prepare them for the public view.

18. A particular account of the last scene of his life, is thus given by a gentleman of Boston :

"After being about a month with us at Boston and its vicinity, and preaching every day, he went to Old-York, preached there on Thursday, September 27; then proceeded to Portsmouth, and preached there on Friday. On Saturday-morning, he set out for Boston; but before he came to Newbury, where he had engaged to preach the next morning, he was importuned to preach by the way. The house not being large enough to contain the people, he preached in an open field. But having been infirm for several weeks, this so exhausted his strength, that when he came to Newbury, he could not get out of the ferry-boat without the help of two men. In the evening, however, he recovered his spirits, and appeared with his usual cheerfulness. He went to his chamber at nine, his fixed time, which no company could divert him from; and slept better than he had done for some weeks before. He rose at four in the morning, September 30, and went into his closet; and his companion observed he was unusually long in private. He left his closet, returned to his companion, threw himself on the bed, and lay about ten minutes. Then he fell upon his knees, and prayed most fervently to God, That if it were consistent with his will, he might that day finish his Master's work. He then desired his man to call Mr. Parsons, the clergyman at whose house he was; but, in a minute, before Mr. Parsons could reach him, died without a sigh or groan. On the news of his death, six gentlemen set out for Newbury, in order to bring his remains hither, but he could not be moved, so that his precious ashes must remain at Newbury. Hundreds would have gone from this town to attend his funeral, had they not expected he would have been interred here.-May this stroke be sanctified to the church of God in general, and to this province in particular!"

II, 1. We are, in the Second Place, to take some view

of his character. A little sketch of this, was, soon after, published in the Boston Gazette; an Extract of which is subjoined:

"Little can be said of him, but what every friend to vital Christianity, who has sat under his ministry, will attest. In his public labours he has, for many years, astonished the world with his eloquence and devotion. With what divine pathos did he persuade the impenitent sinner to embrace the practice of piety and virtue! Filled with the Spirit of Grace, he spoke from the heart, and, with a fervency of zeal, perhaps unequalled since the days of the Apostles, adorned the truths he delivered with the most graceful charms of rhetoric and oratory. From the pulpit he was unrivalled in the command of an ever crowded auditory. Nor was he less agreeable and instructive in his private conversation. Happy in a remarkable ease of address, willing to communicate, studious to edify. May the rising generation catch a spark of that flame which shone with such distinguished lustre in the spirit and practice of this faithful servant of the Most High God!"

2. A more particular, and equally just character of him, has appeared in one of the English papers. It may not be disagreeable to you, to add the substance of this likewise :

"The character of this truly pious person, must be deeply impressed on the heart of every friend to vital Religion. In spite of a tender and delicate constitution, he continued, to the last day of his life, preaching with a frequency and fervour that seemed to exceed the natural strength of the most robust. Being called to the exercise of his function at an age, when most young men are only beginning to qualify themselves for it, he had not time to make a very consider. able progress in the learned languages. But this defect was amply supplied, by a lively and fertile genius, by fervent zeal, and by a forcible and most persuasive delivery. And though in the pulpit he often found it needful, by the terrors of the Lord to persuade men,' he had nothing gloomy in his nature, being singularly cheerful, as well as