George-Whitefield-Field-Preacher

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GEORGE WHITEFIELD
ing particular cases. Honour, too, was beginning to come to
early and faithful colonists. His friend Habersham, who came
over with him at his first voyage, and to whom he committed
the temporal affairs of the orphan-house, was now appointed
secretary of the colony ;
afterwards he became president of the
Council and Commons House of Assembly. Whitefield him-
self received from the new college of New Jersey, for which he
had greatly exerted himself before leaving England, the degree
of Master of Arts. Altogether a better reception was given
him by the country than he had received fourteen years before,
and that, as we have seen, was gratifying enough. His weak-
nesses still clung to him, that is, his weaknesses of the flesh,
and from this time he may be considered a confirmed invalid
who refused to be invalided ; but his strength of heart was not
at all diminished, and when he got as far north as Portsmouth,
he said in the quietest way, ' I am now come to the end of my
northward line, and in a day or two purpose to turn back, in
order to preach all the way to Georgia. It is about a sixteen
hundred miles' journey.' This was he who was ashamed of
his sloth and lukewarmness, and longed to be on the stretch
for God !
Yet again, when his ride of two thousand miles was
ended, scenes of wonder having opened all the way, and when
he had preached for nearly five months, he longed to have
time to spend in retirement and deep humiliation before that
He had learnt to be
Saviour for whom he had done so little !
humble.
Whitefield's tenth voyage was performed in the spring of
1755. About two months after his arrival in England his
friend Cennick died. ' John Cennick,' he said, ' is now
added to the happy number of those who see God as He
is. I do not envy, but want to follow after him.' If not
a strong Christian, Cennick was a very devout one ;
and
the
Church cannot forget her indebtedness to him for a few good