George-Whitefield-Field-Preacher

138 GEORGE WHITEFIELD
came and preached for him. After Whitefield's departure, he
attempted to preach, but failed. Humbly confessing to his
congregation the deception he had practised on himself and
them, he asked those of them who could pray to make inter-
cession for him. Still anxious and unsettled, he again resumed
his work ; for he judged that in the way of duty he would be
most likely to find light and peace ; nor was he left without
the blessing he so earnestly desired. A congregation which
had a pastor in such a state of mind could hardly fail to
receive Whitefield's word with great emotion; 'a great in-
fluence was observable ' among
them when he spoke, and
' the word came with a soul-convicting and comforting power
to many.'
The Commissary of Philadelphia told Whitefield that he
could lend him his pulpit no more. Thanking God that the
fields were open, he betook himself to Society Hill next day,
and preached in the morning to six thousand, and in the even-
ing to eight thousand. On the following Sunday morning, at
seven o'clock, ten thousand assembled to hear him, and gave
him one hundred and ten pounds for his orphans ; and yet
Philadelphia itself had only about twelve thousand souls. The
same day he went morning and evening to church, and had
the comfort of being treated as he treated others who did not
think with him. The minister preached upon justification by
works, and did his best to damage Whitefield's favourite
doctrine of justification by faith, though with ill success ; for
many hearers who had entered church on seeing Whitefield go
in, were more deeply persuaded than ever of the truth of
evangelical doctrines. Besides, such attacks made him look
like a persecuted man, and gave him something to answer
hence it was no wonder that, when he went from the church
to preach in the open air, fifteen thousand people came
together. A second collection of eighty pounds showed that