Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IV. Whitefield's First Great Measures In London, 1739. These had so much influence upon his subsequent character and career, that I shall not interrupt their narrative, by his occasional excursions into the country, until his position in the metropolis is fully understood. That was, indeed, influenced by his proceedings in Bristol and Wales : but he would have become a field preacher, even if he had not begun at Bristol. He arrived in London again at the close of 1738, after a perilous voyage. This sudden return was forced upon him; not sought by him. " I was really happy in my little foreign cure, and could have cheerfully remained among them, had I not been obliged to return to England, to receive priest's orders, and make a beginning towards laying the foundation of the orphan-house. And thus—the place where I intended to hide myself in, became, through my being obliged to return for these purposes, a mean of increasing that popularity which was already begun;—but which by me was absolutely unforeseen, and absolutely undesigned." His diary at sea, written amidst hurricanes and famine, illustrates the truth of this explanation. " Had I my own will, I could wish myself a speedy passage, that I might return the sooner to those few sheep I have left in Savannah." It was thus with a single eye and a simple purpose, that Whitefield returned to London. The first thing he did on his arrival, was, to wait on the archbishop of Canterbury, and the bishop of London. Dr. Gillies says, " he was coldly received by them :" Whitefield himself says, " I met with a favourable reception from both ; butwas not so civilly treated by some of the clergy ; for five churches have been already (in two days) denied me. However, I had an opportunity of preaching at St. Helen's and at...