George-Whitefield-Field-Preacher

Aberdeen 177
temper was cheerful and grateful. His disinterestedness
shone conspicuously in his refusal to accept a private
contribution which some zealous friends thought of giving
him. ' I make no purse,' he said ; 'what
I have I give away.
" Poor, yet making many rich," shall be my motto still.' All
that he cared for was his family ; he would rather bear any
burden than have it burdened. His pleadings on its behalf
had the usual effect, and some ' evil ' men soon had their
tongues busy. Thousands of prayers were offered for him,
and thousands of lies were spread abroad against him. It
was said that he was hindering the poor from paying their
debts, and impoverishing their families. But the fact was that
his largest donations came from the rich. He said to his
friends respecting all this slander, for he never noticed it
publicly, ' I would have no one afraid of doing too much
good, or think that a little given in charity will impoverish the
country.'
Edinburgh did not monopolise his labours ; Glasgow,
Dundee, Paisley, Perth, Stirling, Crieff, Falkirk, Airth, Kin^,
lassie, Culross, Kinross, Cupar of Fife, Stonehive, Benholm,
Montrose, Brechin, Forfar, Cupar of Angus, Inverkeithing,
Newbottle, Galashiels, Maxton, Haddington, Killern, Fintry,
Balfrone, and Aberdeen received a visit from him. His visit
to Aberdeen was at the oft-repeated request of Mr. Ogilvie,
one of the ministers of the kirk, and is thus described by
himself :—
' At my first coming here, things looked a little gloomy ; for the
magistrates had been so prejudiced by one Mr. Bisset, that, when applied
to, they refused me the use of the kirk-yard to preach in. This Mr. Bisset
* This alarm about impoverishing the country does not look so absurd
when it is remembered that in 1706 the total revenue of Scotland was only
£160,000.
13