Page:The Works of the Reverend George Whitefield, M.A., late of Pembroke-College, Oxford, and Chaplain to the Rt. Hon. the Countess of Huntingdon (1771 Volume 2).djvu/42

 had I entered the town, but I saw and heard the signals, such as blowing of horns, and ringing of bells for gathering the mob. My soul was kept quite easy. I preached in a large grass plat from these words, "And seeing the grace of, he exhorted them with full purpose of heart to cleave unto the ;" and as it happened, I finished my sermon and pronounced the blessing, just as the ring-leader of the mob broke in upon us, which I soon perceived disappointed and grieved them very much. One of them, as I was coming down from the table, called me coward; but I told him, they should hear from me another way. I then went into the house, and preached upon the stair case to a large number of serious souls; but these real troublers of Israel soon came in to mock and mob us. But feeling what I never felt before, as you know I have very little natural courage, strength and power being given us from above, I leaped down stairs, and all ran away before me. However they continued making a noise about the house till midnight, abusing the poor people as they went home, and as we hear they broke one young lady's arm in two places. Brother A they threw a second time into the pool, in which operation he received a deep wound in his leg. John C's life, that second Bunyan, was much threatened.—Young W H they wheeled in a barrow to the pool's side, lamed his brother, and grievously hurt several others. Hearing that two or three clergymen were in the town, one of whom was a justice of the peace, I went to them; but alas! I seemed unto them as one that mocked, and instead of redressing, they laid the cause of all the grievances at my door; but, by the help of my, I shall still persist in preaching myself, and in encouraging those (as I know no law of or man against it) who I believe are truly moved by the Holy Ghost. As I came out from the clergymen, two of the unhappy mobbers were particularly insolent, and huzza'd us out of town. "Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad," for now I humbly hope, I begin to be a disciple of ; since to suffer for, as well as to believe and preach his precious truths, and own his despis'd people, is now given to,

Yours, &c. G. W.