Page:The Works of the Reverend George Whitefield, M.A., late of Pembroke-College, Oxford, and Chaplain to the Rt. Hon. the Countess of Huntingdon (1771 Volume 2).djvu/42

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had I entered the town, but I saw and heard the signals, such as blowing of horns, and ringing of bells for gathering the mob. My soul was kept quite easy. I preached in a large grass plat from these words, "And seeing the grace of God, he exhorted them with full purpose of heart to cleave unto the Lord;" and as it happened, I finished my sermon and pronounced the blessing, just as the ring-leader of the mob broke in upon us, which I soon perceived disappointed and grieved them very much. One of them, as I was coming down from the table, called me coward; but I told him, they should hear from me another way. I then went into the house, and preached upon the stair case to a large number of serious souls; but these real troublers of Israel soon came in to mock and mob us. But feeling what I never felt before, as you know I have very little natural courage, strength and power being given us from above, I leaped down stairs, and all ran away before me. However they continued making a noise about the house till midnight, abusing the poor people as they went home, and as we hear they broke one young lady's arm in two places. Brother A—— they threw a second time into the pool, in which operation he received a deep wound in his leg. John C——'s life, that second Bunyan, was much threatened.—Young W—— H—— they wheeled in a barrow to the pool's side, lamed his brother, and grievously hurt several others. Hearing that two or three clergymen were in the town, one of whom was a justice of the peace, I went to them; but alas! I seemed unto them as one that mocked, and instead of redressing, they laid the cause of all the grievances at my door; but, by the help of my God, I shall still persist in preaching myself, and in encouraging those (as I know no law of God or man against it) who I believe are truly moved by the Holy Ghost. As I came out from the clergymen, two of the unhappy mobbers were particularly insolent, and huzza'd us out of town. "Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad," for now I humbly hope, I begin to be a disciple of Jesus Christ; since to suffer for, as well as to believe and preach his precious truths, and own his despis'd people, is now given to,

Yours, &c.
G. W.