“My dearest Madam—The postscript of your Ladyship’s letter engaged all my few poor attempts to answer that meaning of our only wise and true Instructor, who enjoins to this purpose in saying, ‘Freely ye have received, freely give.’ The state of your heart (as it appears to me) is in the Lord’s hands, preparing for his own appearance to your joy. The praying for anything but the faith we have not, and which only can reveal to our distressed souls that true and heavenly manifestation of our salvation, seems to have little meaning in it, as this must, and this only can, be the foundation of any lasting peace, or Jesus Christ the proper object of our everlasting praise. He must take us as sinners into favour, and no preparation that our own ideas form can alter the nature of our true condition. Let us pass through what we will, all can only prove our want of a satisfactory knowledge of him, as our Saviour; and when he has thus addressed our hearts he will become himself the true Leader and Teacher.
“With the truest esteem, and best wishes for your eternal welfare, I am, my dear Madam, your Ladyship’s most faithful friend,
“S. Huntingdon.”
Early in December, Mr. Whitefield made an excursion to Gloucester and Bristol, where he preached to great multitudes. He intended remaining some time in Gloucestershire, and proposed making an excursion into Cornwall, but a letter from Lady Huntingdon on the 12th of December, requiring his immediate return to London, obliged him to postpone his intention. We find him about this time submitting his journals to the correction of Dr. Doddridge, who gave him some excellent advice relative to this publication:—
“I thank you (says he to the Doctor) for your letter a thousand times: it has led me to the throne of grace, where I have been crying, ‘Lord, counsel my counsellors, and show them all that thou wouldest have me to do!’ Alas, alas! how can I be too severe against myself, who, Peter-like, have cut off so many ears, and by imprudence mixed with my zeal, have dishonoured the cause of Jesus? I can only look up to Him who healed the high priest’s servant’s ear, and say, ‘Lord, heal all the wounds my misguided zeal has given.’ Assure yourself, dear Sir, everything I print shall be revised: I always have submitted my poor performances to the correction of my friends. Time and experience, I find, ripen men’s judgments, and make them more solid, rational, and consistent, both in their conduct and writings. O that this may be my case! O that the blessed Jesus may enable me to hold on, and hold out, and keep me from flagging in the latter stages of my road.”
Dr. Doddridge also communicated his ideas on the same subject to Lady Huntingdon, who was of opinion that the journals, as corrected by the Doctor and others, should be reprinted.
On his return to London, Mr. Whitefield was occupied in his usual way, besides preaching very frequently at Lady Huntingdon’s to very numerous and brilliant assemblies. In a letter to Dr. Doddridge, he says, “Blessed be God, the prospect is promising. Last Sunday evening I preached to a most brilliant assembly indeed; they expressed great approbation, and some, I think, begin to feel. Good Lady Huntingdon is indeed a mother in Israel—she is all in a flame for Jesus.” To Howel Harris he says, “I am now waiting for Lord Bolingbroke and some others, who are coming to hear the glorious Gospel. Lord Lothian is in town. Our good Lady is going on, and every day increasing her reward in heaven.” And again to Mr. Hervey: “You will not be offended if I tell you that good Lady Huntingdon saw your letter: she was much pleased with it, and has a great regard for you. She goes on from strength to strength—the prospect of doing good to the rich that attend her Ladyship’s house is very encouraging. I preach twice a week, and yesterday Lord Bolingbroke was one of my auditors: his Lordship was pleased to express very great satisfaction. Who knows what God may do? He can never work by a meaner instrument.”
Horace Walpole, when writing to his friend, Sir Horace Man, at this time, says, in his scoffing way, “If you ever think of returning to England, as I hope it will be long first, you must prepare yourself with Methodism—I really believe by that time it will be necessary; this sect increases as fast as almost ever any religious nonsense did. Lady Fanny Shirley[52] has chosen this way of bestowing the dregs of her beauty; and Mr. Lyttleton[53] is very near making the same sacrifice of the dregs of all those various characters that he has worn. The Methodists love your big sinners, as proper subjects to work upon—and indeed they have a plentiful harvest.” Amongst the persons of distinction who attended at Lady Huntingdon’s house at this time, we find the following names:—Duchess of Argyle—Lady Betty Campbell—Lady Ferrers, whom Walpole styles “General my Lady Dowager Ferrers,” a woman of singular habits, and extremely odd in many respects—Lord Burlington—Bubb Doddington[54]—George Selwyn—Lady Sophia Thomas—the Duchess of Montagu[55]—Lady Cardigan—Lady Lincoln—Lord Holderness—Lord Townshend—Charles Townshend—Mr. Lyttleton—Mr. Pitt—Lord North—Countess of Rockingham—Mrs. Boscawen—Mrs. Pitt—Miss Rich—Lady Fitzwalter—Sir Luke and Lady Schaubs—Lady Caroline Petersham—Duke of Kingston—Lord Trentham—Lord March—Lord Haddington—Duchess of Queensbury—Duchess of Manchester—Mr. Hussey[56]—Mr. Hume Campbell[57]—Lady Hinchinbroke—Lord Sandwich,[58] &c.
After six weeks’ incessant preaching at Lady Huntingdon’s to large circles of the nobility, Mr. Whitefield, finding his health much impaired, thought that travelling and preaching in the country would do him good; he therefore made another excursion to Bristol, and from thence to Exeter and Plymouth, where he was agreeably surprised to find a great alteration in the people since his former visit. From Bristol he wrote thus to her Ladyship:—
“I came hither this evening, where I found my brother in the very temper I could wish, seemingly quite fixed to leave the world for God. His visit to town has been greatly blessed to him. Surely your Ladyship will never know, till the day of judgment, the great ends God had in view in calling you to London. I rejoice in the prospect of seeing your Ladyship happy amidst a crowd of your spiritual children, who will come to you, from time to time, to be built up in their most holy faith: you will suffer many pangs for them; but all shall work for your present and eternal good. I suffer much in my bodily health for preaching to the nobility; but thanks be to God that some seem to have a hearing ear and an understanding heart. My warmest prayers are continually ascending to the throne of grace for your Ladyship, and for all those who have heard the word, especially those honourable women that used to join with you in receiving the sacred symbols of the Redeemer’s blessed body and blood. My cry to our Lord in their behalf is this,
Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, of Wynnstay, in the county of Denbigh, Bart., representative of one of the most ancient and influential families in the principality of Wales, was at this time the bitter enemy and persecutor of all whom he suspected of being tinctured with Methodism; but the immensely blessed labours of the apostolic Howel Harris could not be checked by the persecuting spirit of the Welsh magistrates. “The gentlemen (says he), in part of Brecknockshire and Carmarthenshire, hunt us like partridges; but still the work prospers.” In a letter to one of his friends, Mr. Harris gives an interesting account of his continued labours, sufferings, and success in Wales:—
“Are you surprised (says he) at my silence? Could you but take a turn with me for two or three months, and see my labours and trials, your surprise would cease. However, I will inform you, that it is now about nine weeks since I began to go round South and North Wales, and this week returned home. I have visited, in that time, thirteen counties, travelled about one hundred and fifty miles every week, and discoursed twice a day, occasionally three or four times. In this last journey I have not taken off my clothes for seven nights together, being obliged to meet the people, and discourse at midnight, or very early in the morning, to avoid persecution. One man, near Wrexham, the week before I went thither, was obliged to pay twenty shillings to Sir W. W. Wynn, several of the hearers five shillings; and one of them, who had paid that sum before, was now fined ten shillings. This is the third time the poor people have been so served in that neighbourhood for assembling together. Near the town of Bala, where I was formerly like to be murdered, I had a severe blow on my head, but received no hurt. I never saw such crowds coming to hear; many hearts and doors have been opened lately; we know of several who have been awakened; and many speak with delight in coming to hear Mr. Whitefield when he visits us again.”
Mr. Whitefield and Mr. Harris having communicated to Lady Huntingdon the conduct of Sir W. W. Wynn, and the sufferings of the Methodists in several parts of Wales, through the intemperate conduct of the magistrates, her Ladyship lost no time in laying the particulars before Government; and, to the no small mortification of Sir Watkin, the different sums of money which he had exacted from time to time from the Methodists were ordered to be returned. The conduct of the Welsh preachers excited the indignation of this haughty and persecuting baronet, who vowed to take ample revenge upon every Methodist in Denbighshire; but before the lapse of many months the unhappy man was summoned to another world, having died suddenly in consequence of a fall from his horse when returning from hunting.
All the Welsh magistrates, however, were not alike culpable. Howel Harris being once expected near Garth, in Breconshire, the residence of Marmaduke Gwynne, Esq., that gentleman, alarmed at the reports he had heard respecting him, determined, as a magistrate, to put an end to his proceedings. Regarding him as an incendiary in Church and State, Mr. Gwynne prepared himself for an open attack, but said to his lady, on going out, “I’ll hear the man myself before I commit him.” Accordingly, he made one of the congregation, eagerly waiting to lay hold of anything that might be construed into a charge against the preacher. He had also the Riot Act in his pocket, which he was prepared to read, and thus disperse the people. Mr. Harris’s sermon, however, was so truly evangelical, so calculated to arouse the careless, to alarm the wicked, and to encourage the penitent, and his manner so zealous and affectionate, that Mr. Gwynne thought he resembled one of the apostles. He was so convinced of the purity of his doctrines and of the benevolence of his motives, that, at the end of the discourse, he went up to him, shook him by the hand, told him how much he had been misled by slanderous reports, avowed the intention he had formed of committing him, asked his pardon, and, to the amazement of the assembly, entreated him to accompany him back to Garth to supper.
The authority and countenance of Mr. Gwynne and his family now became highly important to the cause of religion. Regardless of public and private censure, he openly stood up in Mr. Harris’s defence, and made use of his extensive influence in promoting the spread of the Gospel. One of his daughters was soon after married to Mr. Charles Wesley.