Page:The Works of the Reverend George Whitefield, M.A. (1771 Vol 1).djvu/28

 men and angels, took the holy sacrament, upon the profession of being inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon me that ministration in the church. This I began with reading prayers to the prisoners in the county goal. Whether I myself shall ever have the honour of stiling myself a prisoner of the, I know not; but indeed, my dear friend, I can call heaven and earth to witness, that when the Bishop laid his hand upon me, I gave myself up to be a martyr for him, who hung upon the cross for me. Known unto him are all future events and contingences; I have thrown myself blindfold, and I trust without reserve, into his almighty hands; only I would have you observe, that till you hear of my dying for, or in my work, you will not be apprized of all the preferment that is expected by

Yours, &c. G. W.    LETTER XIV. To the Same.

Dear Friend,     Gloucester, June 23, 1736.

NEVER a poor creature set up with so small a stock. When the good Bishop, who ordained me on Sunday, gave out last year in his visitation charge, that he would ordain none under full three and twenty, my heart leap'd for joy, for then I thought my friends would not only be disappointed in their hope of having me enter into orders so soon; but that I should also have time (as was my intention) to make at least a hundred sermons, with which to begin my ministry; but this is so far from being the case, that I have not a single one by me, except that which I made for a small christian society, and which I sent to a neighbouring clergyman, to convince him how unfit I was to take upon me the important work of preaching. He kept it for a fortnight, and then sent it back with a guinea for the loan of it; telling me he had divided it into two, and had preached it morning and evening to his congregation. With this sermon I intend to begin, willing, next Sunday, not doubting, but that he, who increased a little lad's loaves and fishes for the feeding of a great multitude, will from time to time, in the proper use of appointed means, supply me with spi