George-Whitefield-Field-Preacher

INTIMATE WITH CONTEMPT 271
death to be despised, and worse than death to think of being
laughed at by all. But when I began to consider Him who
endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, I then
longed to drink of the same cup ; and blessed be God, con-
tempt and I are pretty intimate, and have been so for above
twice seven years.' Humility was now one of the most
conspicuous among all that radiant cluster of virtues and
graces which crowned his head like stars. ' Oh, that I may
learn from all I see to desire to be nothing
!
' he cries out,
' and to think it my highest privilege to be an assistant to all,
but the head of none. I find a love of power sometimes
intoxicates even God's own dear children, and makes them to
mistake passion for zeal, and an overbearing spirit for an
authority given them from above. For my own part, I find it
much easier to obey than govern, and that it is much safer to
be trodden under foot than to have it in one's power to serve
others so. This makes me fly from that which at our first
setting out we are too apt to court. Thanks be to the Lord
of all lords for taking any pains with ill and hell-deserving
me ! I cannot well buy humility at too dear a rate.'
He went to ' golden seasons ' in London, in the winter
1749-50. Large congregations were gathered together in the
Tabernacle, at six in the morning. The nobility were
preached to, and poor people and orphans not forgotten. He
tells Lady Huntingdon that he ' hopes to write to the poor
baker soon
;' and to Habersham at the orphan-house he sends
word that he has agreed to take ' little Joseph and his sister,'
also that he hears there is a little infant beside the other two,
and that he would willingly have it too, if it could be kept till
it was about three years old; 'for,' says he, 'I hope to grow
rich in heaven by taking care of orphans on earth.' Haber-
sham is further instructed to let Mrs. V (probably some
widow) and the other poor of Savannah reap the benefit of the
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