George-Whitefield-Field-Preacher

] 9 4 GEORGE WHITEEIELD
practised before in Scotland. I entreat all to pray in an
especial manner for a blessing at that time.' A fortnight later,
when he had got to Cambuslang and shared in the much-
desired sacrament, he said :
' My
bodily strength is daily
renewed, and I mount on the wings of faith and love like an
eagle.' This second celebration was more remarkable than
even the first. It came about in this wise.
Soon after the first celebration, Webster, of Edinburgh, pro-
posed that there should be a second on an early day, and
Whitefield seconded him. McCulloch liked the proposal, but
must confer with his people before giving an answer. The
several meetings for prayer were informed of it, and they,
after supplication and deliberation, thought it best to favour
it. It was therefore resolved to dispense the Lord's Supper
again on August 15th. Meanwhile prayer-meetings were
arranged for through the whole of the intervening month.
Communicants came from distant as well as neighbouring
places, from Edinburgh and Kilmarnock, from Irvine and
Stewarton, and some even from England and Ireland. Great
numbers of Quakers came to be hearers—not partakers,
of course— so, too, did many of the Secession, and some of
the latter went to the table. Ministers arrived from Edinburgh,
Glasgow, Kilsyth, Kinglassie, Irvine, Douglas, Blantyre, Ruther-
glen, and Cathcart. Old Mr. Bonar, of Torphichen, who took
three days to ride eighteen miles, was determined to be present,
and when helped up to one of the tents which had been
pitched, preached three times with much energy ; he returned
home with the ' Nunc Dimittis ' on his lips. Between thirty
and forty thousand people were gathered in the glen on the
Sunday, and of these three thousand communicated. 1 The
1 It will help us to understand how widespread was the religious work at
this time, if we remember that the population of Glasgow was about twenty
thousand. Had every man, woman, and child gone from the city and joined