Chapter VII

Mr. Whitefield arrives in England--Preaches at Lady
Huntingdon’s--Letters--Lord Chesterfield--Lord
Bolingbroke--Anecdotes of Mr. Whitefield’s preaching--Appointed
Chaplain to Lady Huntingdon--Christian Soldiers--Bishop
of Exeter--Colonel Gumley--Mr. Edwin--Lord St. John--Lady
Suffolk--The Court Beauties--Lord Chesterfield--Marquis of
Lothian--Lady Mary Hamilton--Anecdotes--Lady Townshend--English
Nobility at Lady Huntingdon’s--Sir Watkins Williams
Wynne--Persecution of the Welsh Methodists--Liberal Conduct of
the Government--Marmaduke Gwynne, Esq.

Lady Huntingdon had now become the open and avowed patroness of all the zealous clergy of the Church of England who dared to be singular in the unambiguous preaching of the Gospel, many of whom exposed themselves, particularly at this period, to much obloquy, abuse, and persecution. Her Ladyship became a shelter and the companion of all those who were so used. A difference on some doctrinal points caused a separation between Mr. Whitefield and Mr. Wesley, and their disciples soon after became divided. “They parted, indeed (says Dr. Haweis), like Paul and Barnabas; but the extent of the sphere of their usefulness was thereby enlarged.” Her Ladyship’s correspondence with Mr. Howel Harris, and several of the Welsh clergy who had been awakened under Mr. Whitefield’s ministry, was the means, under God, of leading her into more consistent views of divine truth, which she ever after maintained, and in the firm belief of which she ended her days. Her zealous heart embraced with cordiality all whom she esteemed real Christians, whatever their denomination or opinion might be; but from this period her connexions with ministers and Christians of the Calvinistic persuasion, according to the liberal sense of the Articles of the Church of England, became greatly enlarged.

Lady Huntingdon’s heart expanded towards all the children of God--she loved all those whom she had reason to believe loved her Divine Master--and considering herself as “a debtor both to the Greeks and Barbarians,” she was ready, had it been possible, to have visited the uttermost parts of the earth with the glorious truths of the Gospel of God our Saviour.

At what exact period Lady Huntingdon first became acquainted with Mr. Whitefield cannot now be ascertained with any degree of accuracy. But it must have been previous to his voyage to America in 1744. Her Ladyship had heard him preach several times in London, Bristol, and other places, and was personally acquainted with him at a very early period. In one of his letters from Boston, in the beginning of the year 1745, he speaks of her Ladyship’s kindness to him, and his joy at hearing that she continued steadfast and immovable in her profession of the faith once delivered to the saints. From Bethesda, in December, 1746, when writing to Howel Harris, he says:--

“Blessed be God for the good effected by your ministry at the
Tabernacle, of which I have been informed by letters from
Herbert Jenkins and Thomas Adams. The good Countess had been
there frequently, and was much pleased, I am told. She shines
brighter and brighter every day; and will yet, I trust, be
spared for a nursing-mother to our Israel. This revives me,
after the miserable divisions that have taken place amongst my
English friends. I trust the storm is now blown over, and that
the little flock will enjoy a calm. Her Ladyship’s example and
conduct in this trying affair will be productive of much good.
My poor prayers will be daily offered up to the God of all grace
to keep her steadfast in the faith, and make her a burning and a
shining light in our British Israel.”

And again, in June, 1747, when writing from New York, he begs to “return his most dutiful respects to good Lady Huntingdon, the Marquis of Lothian, &c.”

After four years’ absence he returns to England, and in one of his earliest letters, after landing at Deal, he says:--

“Words cannot express how joyful my friends were to see me once
more in the land of the living, for I find the newspapers had
buried me ever since April last.[40] But it seems I am not to
die, but live--O that it may be to declare the works of the
Lord!”

Howel Harris was at this time in London, having come thither with the Countess, whom he accompanied from Wales. Her Ladyship having now drank in the same spirit with Mr. Whitefield, requested Mr. Harris to bring him to her house at Chelsea as soon as he came on shore. He went, accompanied by Mr. Harris, and having preached twice, her Ladyship wrote to him, that several of the nobility desired to hear him. This was on the 20th of August, and the next day Mr. Whitefield sent the following letter to the Countess:--

“August 21, 1748.

“Honoured Madam--I received your Ladyship’s letter last night,
and write this to inform you that I am quite willing to comply
with your invitation. As I am to preach, God willing, at St.
Bartholomew’s on Wednesday evening, I will wait upon you the
next morning, and spend the whole day at Chelsea. Blessed be God
that the rich and great begin to have hearing ears. I think it
is a good sign that our Lord intends to give to some, at least,
an obedient heart. Surely your Ladyship and Madam Edwin[41] are
only the first-fruits. May you increase and multiply! I believe
you will. How wonderfully does our Redeemer deal with souls. If
they will hear the Gospel only under a cieled roof, ministers
shall be sent to them there. If only in a church or a field,
they shall have it there. A word in the lesson, when I was last
at your Ladyship’s, struck me--‘_Paul preached privately to
those who were of reputation_.’ This must be the way, I
presume, of dealing with the nobility who yet know not the Lord.
O that I may be enabled, when called to preach to any of them,
so to preach as to win their souls to the blessed Jesus! I know
you will pray that it may be so. As for my poor prayers, such as
they are, your Ladyship hath them every day. That the blessed
Jesus may make you happily instrumental in bringing many of the
noble and mighty to the saving knowledge of his eternal self,
and water your own soul every moment, is the continual request
of, honoured Madam, your Ladyship’s most obliged, obedient,
humble servant,

“G. WHITEFIELD.”

He delayed his departure from London to preach to the nobility at Lady Huntingdon’s: to her Ladyship’s invitation the following letter refers:--

“Ever since the reading of your Ladyship’s condescending letter
(says he), my soul has been overpowered with His presence who is
all in all. As there seems to be a door opening for the nobility
to hear the Gospel, I will defer my journey till Thursday, and,
God willing, preach at your Ladyship’s on Thursday. In the mean
while I wait upon or send to the Count, the Danish Ambassador’s
brother, who favours me with his company on Monday, to dine.
On Monday morning, from nine to near eleven, I will be at your
Ladyship’s, and wait to know your order concerning Tuesday. O
that God may be with me and make me humble! I am ashamed to
think you will admit me under your roof, much more am I amazed
that the Lord Jesus will make use of such a creature as I am.
Under a sense of this I write to you now. It is late, and my
poor body calls for rest. But as I am to preach _four_
times to-morrow, I thought it my duty to send these few lines
to-night. Quite astonished at your Ladyship’s condescension, and
the unremitted superabounding grace and goodness of Him who has
loved me and given himself for me, I subscribe myself, honoured
Madam, your Ladyship’s most obliged, obedient, humble, and
willing servant,

“G. WHITEFIELD.”

On the day appointed, Mr. Whitefield preached at Lady Huntingdon’s. The Earl of Chesterfield, and a whole circle of the nobility, attended; and having heard once, desired they might hear him again. “My hands (says he) have been full of work, and I have been among great company. A Privy Councillor of the King of Denmark and others, with one of the Prince of Wales’s favourites, dined and drank tea with me on Monday. On Tuesday I preached twice at Lady Huntingdon’s to several of the nobility. In the morning the Earl of Chesterfield was present; in the evening the Lord Bolingbroke. All behaved quite well, and were in some degree affected. Lord Chesterfield thanked me, and said, ‘Sir, I will not tell you what I shall tell others, how I approve of you,’ or words to this purpose. He conversed with me freely afterwards. Lord Bolingbroke was much moved, and desired I would come and see him the next morning. I did, and his Lordship behaved with great candour and frankness. All accepted of my sermons, and seemed surprised, but pleased. Thus the world turns round; ‘In all time of my wealth, good Lord, deliver me!’”

Mr. Whitefield never sought the patronage of the great, nor ever employed it for any personal end. To the credit of his first noble friends--the Marquis of Lothian, Earl of Leven, and Lord Roe--they sought his friendship because they admired his talents and appreciated his character. They were captivated by the preaching which won the multitude; and when they wrote to him, he answered them, just as he did any one else who sought his counsel or prayers, cautiously and faithfully. He paid them, indeed, the current compliments of his times; and if these ever amounted to flattery in appearance, they were followed by _warnings_ which no real flatterer would have dared to whisper. In his first letters to the Marquis of Lothian, he said, “You do well, my Lord, to _fear_ lest your convictions should wear off. Your Lordship is in a dangerous situation in the world. Come then, and lay yourself at the _feet_ of Jesus. As for praying in your _family_, I entreat you, my Lord, not to neglect it. You are bound to do it. Apply to Christ for strength to overcome your present fears. They are the effects of pride, or infidelity, or both.” These are not unfair specimens of Mr. Whitefield’s correspondence with the Scotch nobles who honoured him with their confidence. Upon some of the English noblemen, who were brought to hear him by Lady Huntingdon, his influence was equally great and good.

Among his friends were, also, “honourable women not a few.” These needed “strong consolation,” in order to resist the strong temptations presented by a frivolous Court, a witty Peerage, and a learned Bench, in favour of a formal religion. Nothing but “the joy of the Lord” could have sustained them in such a sphere. Happiness in religion was the best security for their holiness. They could not be laughed out of a good hope through grace. Wit and banter may make the fear of persisting seem a weakness or a fancy; but they cannot make hope, peace, or joy seem absurd. Neither the rough jibes of Warburton, nor the polished sarcasms of Chesterfield and Bolingbroke, could touch the _consciousness_ of peace in believing, or of enjoyment in secret prayer, in the hearts of those Peeresses who had found, at the Cross and the Mercy-seat, the happiness they had sought in vain from the world.

Few preachers possessed eloquence so well adapted to an auditory as Mr. Whitefield. His metaphors were drawn from sources easily understood by his hearers, and frequently from the circumstances of the moment. The application was generally happy, and sometimes rose to the true sublime; for he was a man of warm imagination, and by no means devoid of taste. In a company of noblemen and gentlemen, at breakfast, some years since, the conversation turned on powerful preachers, when Mr. Whitefield was naturally mentioned. The Rev. John Newton said--

“I bless God that I have lived in his time; many were the
winter mornings I have got up at four, to attend his Tabernacle
discourses at five: and I have seen Moorfields as full of
lanterns at these times as I suppose the Haymarket is full of
flambeaux on an Opera night. As a preacher, if any man were to
ask me who was the second I ever had heard, I should be at some
loss; but in regard to the first, Mr. Whitefield exceeded so far
every other man of my time, that I should be at none. He was the
original of popular preaching, and all our popular ministers are
only his copies.”[42]

As might have been expected, the spirit-stirring eloquence of Mr. Whitefield fixed the attention of the Countess, and she resolved to appoint him her Chaplain. Her Ladyship’s letter, with the offer of a scarf, and her patronage and protection, is thus acknowledged by Mr. Whitefield, on the eve of his departure from London.

“London, Sept. 1, 1748.

“Honoured Madam--Although it is time for me to be setting
out, yet I dare not leave town without dropping a few lines,
gratefully to acknowledge the many favours I have received from
your Ladyship, especially the honour you have done me in making
me one of your Chaplains. A sense of it humbles me, and makes
me to pray more intensely for more grace, to walk more worthy
of that God who has called me to his kingdom and his glory.
As your Ladyship hath been pleased to confer on me the honour
before mentioned, I shall think it my duty to send you weekly
accounts of what the Lord Jesus is pleased to do for and by me.
Glory be to his great name, the prospect is promising. My Lord
Bath received me yesterday morning very cordially, and would
give me five guineas for the orphans, though I refused taking
anything for the books. I send your Ladyship a little box of
my sermons, and the last account of God’s dealing with me,
and of the money expended for the Orphan-house, with my oath
before the magistrates of Savannah. I hope God intends to honour
your Ladyship in making you instrumental in doing good to the
nobility. His Providence, his peculiar Providence, hath placed
you at Chelsea. I am persuaded you will not quit that part till
he that hath placed you there plainly gives you a dismission.
I dare add no more, but my hearty prayers for the temporal and
eternal welfare of your Ladyship, and your whole household; and
I subscribe myself, honoured Madam, your Ladyship’s most obliged
humble servant,

“G. WHITEFIELD.”

Mr. Whitefield’s connexion with Lady Huntingdon, as her Chaplain, and his having preached to large numbers of the nobility at her house, now became generally spoken of in all circles, so that his popularity was considerably increased thereby. The manner in which he refers to this introduction amongst the great has been quoted against him as a proof of vanity. Why should it? “True (he says in his letters to Mr. Wesley and other private friends), the noble, the mighty, and the wise have been to hear me.” These are also the very words which Lady Huntingdon employed in her letters to Dr. Doddridge at the time. Was _she vain_, or flattered, because she rejoiced that a door was opened for the nobility to hear the Gospel? Besides, this new sphere did not divert him from any of his old work, nor at all change his spirit or purposes. At the very crisis of his elevation, he said to Mr. Wesley, “My attachment to America will not permit me to abide long in England. If I formed societies, I should but weave a _Penelope’s_ web. I intend, therefore, to go about preaching the Gospel to every creature.” His preaching so frequently at St. Bartholomew’s Church gave great offence to Dr. Gibson, then Bishop of London, and involved Mr. Bateman, the reader, in some unpleasant litigations with his Lordship: for that prelate had given strict injunctions to the clergy of his diocese to exclude all whom they were pleased to brand with Methodism; which is _literally preaching and zealously inculcating the Articles they have themselves subscribed_.[43]

The war in Flanders being now over, the British troops returned from the Continent. In a letter to Mr. Bateman, Mr. Whitefield says:--

“I was much delighted to hear there were so many Christian
soldiers among the King’s forces that came from Flanders. A
young Christian lady, under whose roof they were, while in
Scotland, told me that one or other of them were continually
wrestling with God.”

Some of these devout soldiers soon became known to Colonel Gumley,[44] and he presented them to Lady Huntingdon, who took a great interest in the welfare of those pious veterans. “I was truly amazed (says the Countess) with the devotional spirit of these poor men, many of whom are rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom.” Mr. Whitefield collected them together, and formed them into a small society at Edinburgh; and on his removal to Glasgow, addressed the following letter to the little band, a copy of which he sent to Lady Huntingdon:--

“To some devout Soldiers.

“Glasgow, Sept. 29, 1748.

“My dear brethren--It gave me no small satisfaction, when I was
lately at Edinburgh, to hear that several of you were enabled
to behave like good soldiers of Jesus Christ. I rejoice greatly
that you are made partakers of his grace; and I earnestly
entreat the Lord of all lords that you may grow and increase in
it day by day. This is the Christian’s duty--he must forget the
things that are behind; he must press forward towards the things
which are before: he must not stop till he arrives at the mark
of the prize of his high calling. I trust, my dear brethren, you
are all thus minded; and that whatever befalls you, you will,
through divine assistance, hold on and hold out to the end. If
I can be any way serviceable to you, be not backward to send
to me. I hear of others of your profession that have lately
enlisted under the banner of the ever blessed Redeemer. Happy
they! happy you! You have a good Captain, a good cause, good
armour, and an exceeding great reward. That you may at all times
quit yourselves like men, and be strong; that you may fight the
good fight of faith, and at length lay hold on life eternal, is
the hearty prayer of, my dear brethren, your affectionate friend
and willing servant, for Christ’s sake,

“G. WHITEFIELD.”

About this period Lavington, the inveterate enemy of Methodists and Moravians, having but lately been advanced to the bishopric of Exeter, delivered a charge to the clergy of his diocese. Some persons, from what motive it is difficult to say, circulated a manuscript copy of what his Lordship was _said_ to have delivered at the visitation, which contained such a declaration of doctrines and Christian experience as soon exposed him to the stigma of Methodism. This _pretended_ charge was soon after printed, and was the means of producing several pamphlets in reply and congratulation. This drew forth a “declaration” from the angry prelate, in which he charged the Methodist leaders with being the authors of the fraud. A gentleman, who appears to have had some influence with the Bishop, vindicated the character of Mr. Whitefield, and informed his Lordship that he knew nothing of the printing of his pretended charge, or of the pamphlets occasioned by it. When the former was sent to Mr. Whitefield in manuscript, as the production of the Bishop of Exeter, he immediately said it could not be his:--

“When I found it printed (says he), I spoke to the officious
printer, who did it out of his own head, and blamed him very
much. When I saw the pamphlet, I was still more offended;
repeatedly, in several companies, I urged the injustice as well
as imprudence thereof, and said it would produce what it did--I
mean a declaration from his Lordship that he was no Methodist.
I am sorry he had such an occasion given him to declare his
aversion to what is called Methodism; and though I think
his Lordship in his ‘declaration’ hath been somewhat severe
concerning some of the Methodist leaders; yet I cannot blame
him for saying _that he thought some of them were worse than
ignorant and misguided_, supposing that he had sufficient
proof, that they either caused to be printed, or wrote against
when printed, a charge which his Lordship had never owned nor
published.”

The Bishop’s “declaration” obtained a wide circulation; and the bitter invectives against the Methodists were not easily forgotten by those who longed for an opportunity to load them with calumny and approach. Although well assured that neither Mr. Whitefield or the Messrs. Wesley had any hand in the publication or circulation of the spurious charge, his Lordship had not candour to acquit them of the heavy charges which he brought against them. Jealous of the reputation of her Chaplain, and feeling the aspersions cast upon all the professors of the Gospel as most cruel and unjustifiable, Lady Huntingdon determined to interpose, and wrote to his Lordship of Exeter, demanding a candid and honourable renunciation of the charges contained in his “declaration.” Her letter contained an acknowledgment, on the part of the printer, that the publication of the charge was _solely_ his deed--that he had got the manuscript from one entirely unconnected with the Methodists--and that he was ready to verify his statement on oath when required.

The Bishop had the rudeness to suffer Lady Huntingdon’s communication to remain unnoticed, which drew forth a most spirited letter from her Ladyship, announcing her determination of making the transaction public, except his Lordship complied with her demand, and retracted the charge he had brought against her Chaplain and the Messrs. Wesley. This had the desired effect, and the Bishop sent the following recantation to Lady Huntingdon, which she caused to be inserted in the leading journals of the day:--

“The Bishop of Exeter, having received the most positive
assurance from the Countess of Huntingdon and other respectable
persons, that neither Mr. Whitefield nor Mr. Wesley, nor any one
in connexion with, or authorized by them, had any concern in the
fabrication and publication of a charge said to be delivered
by him to the clergy of his diocese, takes this opportunity of
apologizing to her Ladyship and Messrs. Whitefield and Wesley
for the harsh and unjust censures which he was led to pass
on them, from the supposition that they were in some measure
concerned in, or had countenanced the late imposition on the
public.

“The Bishop of Exeter feels that it is imperative on him to make
this concession to the Countess of Huntingdon; and requests
her Ladyship and Messrs. Whitefield and Wesley will accept his
unfeigned regret at having unjustly wounded their feelings and
exposed them to the odium of the world.”

Such was the recantation of this wily prelate, but it was only in the language of hypocrisy. He had cast all the odium of this transaction on the Methodist leaders, but had not the honesty _publicly_ to apologize for the error into which he had been betrayed, and the false, unjust, and injurious accusations which he had made. This implacable enemy of all Methodists had flattered himself that Lady Huntingdon would have been fully satisfied with the submissive apology which he wrote, and that it would obtain a circulation only among the Methodist body. But his Lordship’s indignation rose to its utmost height when informed that his humiliating concessions were made public by the Countess; and from that period he became the bitter and malignant reviler of her Ladyship and the Methodist leaders.

With the intention of giving Mr. Whitefield a wider field of usefulness, Lady Huntingdon now removed to London, and opened her house in Park-street for the preaching of the Gospel; supposing, as a Peeress of the realm, that she had an indisputable right to employ as her family Chaplains those ministers of the Church whom she patronized. Early in November, Mr. Whitefield returned from Scotland, and on the 10th of that month opened his ministry at her Ladyship’s residence, before a large circle of the nobility, and continued to preach there twice a week during the winter. “Good Lady Huntingdon (says he) is come to town, and I am to preach at her Ladyship’s house twice a week to the great and noble. O that some of them may be effectually called, and taste of the riches of redeeming love! About thirty have desired to come, and I suppose they will bring thirty more. I have heard of two or three more dear Christians among the _great ones_. I know you will pray the Lord of all lords to increase their number. Her Ladyship hath a great regard for all those in Scotland who stand up for vital religion. She intends to send you down the picture of poor Aaron, the late negro preacher.”

The Earl of Chesterfield, Lord Bolingbroke, the Earl of Bath, Lady Townshend, Lady Thanet, and many of the nobility attached to the Prince of Wales’s Court, were constant in their attendance on Mr. Whitefield’s ministry. Lord St. John was also very frequently at Lady Huntingdon’s house at this time, and was amongst the few “great ones” who had heard to profit.[45]

“My last (says Lady Huntingdon, in one of her letters, dated
February, 1749, and addressed to Mr. Whitefield) mentioned
the sudden illness of my Lord St. John. A few days after, her
Ladyship wrote to me in great alarm, and begged me to send
some pious clergyman to her Lord, who was most anxious to
receive the sacrament before his death, which was then fast
approaching. Mr. Bateman happening to be with me when the letter
came, went immediately to his Lordship, whom he found in the
last extremity. He grasped the hand of Mr. Bateman, on his
approaching his bed; enquired for me, and for you, to whom he
said he was deeply indebted. Mr. Bateman prayed and read some
chapters from the Bible; after which his Lordship expressed
his firm reliance on the Lord Jesus Christ, renouncing every
dependence on his own merit. His last words to Mr. Bateman
were--‘_To God I commit myself--I feel how unworthy I am--but
He died to save sinners, and the prayer of my heart now to Him
is, God be merciful to me a sinner!_’ Shortly after this his
Lordship’s imminent danger became apparent. At the request of
poor Lady St. John, Mr. Bateman remained with her expiring Lord,
who breathed his last about an hour after, whilst Mr. Bateman
was concluding a most importunate prayer on his behalf.

“This, my good friend (continues the Countess) is the
first-fruits of that plenteous harvest, which I trust the great
Husbandman will yet reap amongst the nobility of our land.
Thus the great Lord of the harvest hath put honour on your
ministry, and hath given my heart an encouraging token of the
utility of our feeble efforts. O that He may crown them still
more abundantly with his blessing! Some, I trust, are savingly
awakened, while many are enquiring. My Lord Bolingbroke was
much struck with his brother’s language in his last moments: I
have not seen him since, but am told he feels deeply. O that
the obdurate heart of this desperate infidel may yet be shook
to its very centre--may his eyes be opened by the illuminating
influence of Divine truth--and may the Lord Jesus Christ be
revealed to his heart as the hope of glory and immortal bliss
hereafter! I tremble for his destiny--he is a singularly awful
character; and I am fearfully alarmed lest that Gospel which he
so heartily despises, yet affects to reverence, should prove
eventually the savour of death unto death to his immortal soul.”

With the family of Lord Bolingbroke, Lady Huntingdon lived on terms of great intimacy. The impression made upon him by Mr. Whitefield’s preaching may be judged by his saying to the Countess, “You may command my pen when you will: it shall be drawn in your service. For, admitting the Bible to be true, I shall have little apprehension of maintaining the doctrines of predestination and grace, against all your revilers.” His Lordship’s sister, Lady Luxborough, the friend and correspondent of Shenstone, the poet, and his sister-in-law, Lady St. John, were amongst her most intimate friends. With them were associated Lady Monson, daughter of the first Lord Rockingham, and Anne, relict of Lewis Watson, Earl of Rockingham, all of whom were very frequent in their attendance on Mr. Whitefield’s ministry, whenever he preached at Lady Huntingdon’s. Lady Rockingham was a woman of general knowledge, of infinite wit and pleasantry, of a delightful temper, and with a mind most disinterested. She was cousin-german to Lady Huntingdon, and niece to Lady Fanny Shirley. A few years after the decease of Lord Rockingham, she became the third wife of Francis North, first Earl of Guildford, by which marriage he acquired the noble seat of Waldershare, near Dover, and a large surrounding estate of great value: her Ladyship possessed considerable influence in the higher circles, and had an extensive acquaintance with persons of genius in her day. She was often at Court, and lost no opportunity of recommending religion to the notice of the great.

Mr. Whitefield’s lectures to the “brilliant circle” at Lady Huntingdon’s were evidently as faithful as they were eloquent. The well-known Countess of Suffolk found them so. Lady Rockingham prevailed on Lady Huntingdon to admit this beauty to hear her chaplain; he, however, knew nothing of her presence: he drew his bow at a venture, but every arrow seemed aimed at her. She just managed to sit out the service in silence, and when Mr. Whitefield retired she flew into a violent passion, abused Lady Huntingdon to her face, and denounced the sermon as a deliberate attack on herself. In vain her sister-in-law, Lady Betty Germain, tried to appease the beautiful fury, or to explain her mistake--in vain old Lady Eleanor Bertie and the Duchess Dowager of Ancaster, both relatives of Lady Suffolk, commanded her silence: she maintained that she had been insulted. She was compelled, however, by her relatives who were present, to apologize to Lady Huntingdon: having done this with a bad grace, the mortified beauty left the place, to return no more.[46]

Just about this period Lord Chesterfield, who had been dismissed from the situation of Lord High Steward, with marks of strong resentment, was admitted into the Cabinet, very much against the will of the King, who had long considered him as a personal enemy. He had married the King’s sister, the natural daughter of George I., and having served his Majesty with steadiness for many years, seemed to have a right to expect particular favours, but in this he was disappointed. The secret cause of this disappointment was his behaviour towards the Queen and Lady Suffolk, which Lady Huntingdon often lamented:

“I fear (says her Ladyship) that neither influence nor offers
can ever recall Lord Chesterfield from the line of conduct he
has adopted towards the Queen and Lady Suffolk.[47] I wish it
were otherwise; my friendship would save him from this error,
as well as others more fatal; but it is God alone that can
open the eyes of his understanding, to see and know the things
which belong to his everlasting peace, as well as his upright
intentions towards his fellow-men, which would be rendered more
just and honourable thereby. I do sometimes hope well of him,
as of Lord Bolingbroke, and some others, and pray continually
that the grace and love of the Saviour may be magnified in their
renovation.”

The Marquis of Lothian now arrived in London to attend his Parliamentary duties, having been elected one of the sixteen Scotch peers successively returned to all the Parliaments of Great Britain since the union. He was accompanied by the Marchioness, then in a very declining state of health. She was a daughter of Sir Thomas Nicholson, Bart., of Kemnay, in the county of Aberdeen, and, from her parents, had imbibed those principles of religion which became so influential in after life.[48] Her Ladyship was one of those pious females of rank and influence who united with the Countess of Leven, Lady Balgonie, Lady Frances Gardiner, Lady Jane Nimmo, and Lady Mary Hamilton,[49] in establishing a meeting for prayer and reading the Scriptures, to be held alternately at each other’s houses, which continued to be well attended, and singularly useful for many years. It was strictly confined to a very select circle of women in high life, many of whom were ornaments to the Christian Church, and adorned the doctrine which they professed by a life of holiness, and deadness to the present evil world. Many years after, the then Countess of Northesk and Hopetown, the daughters to Lord and Lady Leven, the Countess of Buchan, Lady Maxwell, Lady Glenorchy, Wilhelmina Countess of Leven (formerly Lady Balgonie), with her excellent sisters, Lady Ruthven and Lady Banff, Lady Henrietta Hope, and Sophia, Countess of Haddington, were valuable members of this select band. These have all long since joined the general assembly and church of the redeemed from amongst men, and are now uniting in ascriptions of praise to Him who hath redeemed them to God by His blood.

Lady Huntingdon’s acquaintance with the Scottish nobility was much increased by the introduction, through the Lothian family, of several of the representative peers, most of whom were induced to attend the ministry of Mr. Whitefield at her Ladyship’s house. Amongst these, the Countess particularly notices Archibald, Duke of Argyle, cousin to the Marquis of Lothian, the Earl of Aberdeen, Earl of Lauderdale, and Earl of Hyndford, who had just then returned to England, after many years’ absence, having been appointed Envoy Extraordinary to the King of Prussia, from whose Court he proceeded, in the same character, to the Emperor of Russia; his Lordship’s mother, the Dowager Lady Hyndford, who was the intimate friend of Lady Huntingdon, the Duchess of Somerset, and the Marquis of Tweeddale, also a representative peer and Secretary of State for Scotland, were all very frequently at Lady Huntingdon’s about this period. The Marchioness was youngest daughter of John, last Earl of Granville, and sister to Lady Louisa Carteret, who married the Viscount Weymouth, cousin to the Duchess of Somerset, by whom they were introduced to Lady Huntingdon.

The following letter from Lady Huntingdon to Dr. Doddridge, written at this time, will give some idea of the success of the Gospel among the “great ones” who frequented her Ladyship’s circle:--

“London, 1748.

“My being ill has interfered with my answering yours; and
with it some interruptions arose which you would, I know, be
much pleased with. Religion was, I believe, never so much the
subject of conversation as now. Some of the great of this world
hear with me the Gospel patiently; and thus much seed is sown
by Mr. Whitefield’s preaching, and, I need not tell you, some
of the best. Oh! that it may fall in good ground, and bring
forth fruit abundantly. I am sorry to find that you are still
interrupted by the Moravians: many good souls are among them,
and, by-and-by, our Lord will separate them from the chaff. I
have sent Christian salutations to the Count Zinzendorff, and
expect to see him. If the Lord will allow me, I expect to speak
a word in the spirit of love and meekness, but with plainness,
to him, upon many points he establishes as fixed, on which, in
some particulars, the Scripture is silent; and in many others,
it is absolutely contrary to most of their avowed principles. A
hymn-book is lately published by them, which, to speak as I feel
towards them in love, can be thought of no other way but as the
product of the most wild enthusiasts upon the earth.

“I had the pleasure, yesterday, of Mr. Gibbon’s and Mr.
Cruttenden’s company, with that of Mr. Gifford, to dine with me.
Lord Lothian and Lady Frances Gardiner gave them the meeting,
and we had truly a most primitive and heavenly day; our hearts
and voices praised the Lord, prayed to Him, and talked of Him. I
had another lady present, whose face, since I saw you last, is
turned Zionwards. Of the honourable women, I trust there will
be not a few; patience shall have its proper work; and if we
love our Lord, we must be tender over his lambs, and lead those
gently who yet appear not to be so. I trust he will assist us to
keep fanning the flame in every heart: this, my friend, is our
joyful task for the best master we can serve, either in time or
eternity. Do not let our hands hang down; we must wrestle for
ourselves, and for all dead in their sins, till the day break,
and the shadows of time flee away. Many will be our attacks
from a world lying in the way of the Wicked One, from our evil
hearts, and the infirmity of our flesh; but let us remember we
know in whom we believe, and that the Captain that leads us is
nothing less than an Almighty Conqueror over all those, and that
nothing is too hard for Him. Remember, it will soon be over;
and let us withstand, for a moment, eyeing the recompense of
reward.

“My kind respects attend Mr. Doddridge. My family are obliged
by your kind enquiries. I am, Sir, beseeching your constant
prayers, your most sincere and affectionate friend,

“S. HUNTINGDON.”

Whilst Lady Huntingdon thus sought to promote the spiritual interests of the rich and the noble, she was not unmindful of those of her more humble neighbours; to them her house was constantly open, that they might be enriched with that “faith which comes by hearing, and which is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”--a practice which was regularly continued for several years. On the week-days her kitchen was filled with the poor of the flock, for whom she provided suitable instruction; and on the Sabbath the rich and the noble were invited to spend the evening in her drawing-rooms, where Mr. Whitefield and other eminent ministers of Christ proclaimed all the words of this life, and with eloquence which was exceeded only by their faithfulness and affection. The following anecdote, communicated by Lady Huntingdon to the late Mr. Barry, R.A., proves that Mr. Whitefield had other trophies besides the rich and noble, who had escaped eternal death through the blood and righteousness of the Son of God. Some ladies called one Saturday morning to pay a visit to Lady Huntingdon, and during the visit her Ladyship enquired of them if they had ever heard Mr. Whitefield preach? Upon being answered in the negative, she said, “I wish you would hear him; he is to preach to-morrow evening.” They promised her Ladyship they would certainly attend--they were as good as their word; and upon calling on the Monday morning on Lady Huntingdon, she anxiously enquired if they had heard Mr. Whitefield on the previous evening, and how they liked him? The reply was, “O my Lady! of all the preachers we ever heard, he is the most strange and unaccountable. Among other preposterous things (would your Ladyship believe it?) he declared that Jesus Christ was so willing to receive sinners, that he did not object to receive even the devil’s _castaways_! Now, my Lady, did you ever hear of such a thing since you were born?” To which her Ladyship made the following reply: “There is something, I acknowledge, a little singular in the invitation, and I do not recollect to have ever met with it before; but, as Mr. Whitefield is below in the parlour, we will have him up, and let him answer for himself.” Upon his entering the drawing-room, Lady Huntingdon said, “Mr. Whitefield, these ladies have been preferring a very heavy charge against you, and I thought it best that you should come up and defend yourself: they say, that in your sermon last evening, speaking of the willingness of Jesus Christ to receive sinners, you expressed yourself in the following terms: ‘So ready is Christ to receive sinners who come to Him, that he is willing to receive the devil’s castaways.’” Mr. Whitefield immediately replied, “I certainly, my Lady, must plead guilty to the charge: whether I did what was right or otherwise, your Ladyship shall judge from the following circumstance:--Did your Ladyship notice, about half an hour ago, a very modest single rap at the door? It was given by a poor, miserable-looking, aged female, who requested to speak with me. I desired her to be shown into the parlour, when she accosted me in the following manner:--‘I believe, Sir, you preached last evening at such a chapel?’ ‘Yes, I did.’ ‘Ah, Sir, I was accidently passing the door of that chapel, and hearing the voice of some one preaching, I did what I have never been in the habit of doing--I went in; and one of the first things I heard you say was, that Jesus Christ was so willing to receive sinners, that he did not object to receiving the devil’s castaways. Now, Sir, I have been on the town for many years, and _am so worn out in his service_, that I think I may with truth be called one of the devil’s castaways. Do you think, Sir, that Jesus Christ would receive me?’ ‘I (said Mr. Whitefield) assured her there was not a doubt of it, if she was but willing to go to Him.’” From the sequel, it appeared that this was the case, and that it ended in the sound conversion of this poor creature; and Lady Huntingdon was assured, from most respectable authority, that the woman left a very charming testimony behind her, that, though her sins had been of a crimson hue, the atoning blood of Christ had washed them white as snow.

That would-be wit and affected woman, Lady Townshend,[50] was one of Mr. Whitefield’s earliest and most strenuous admirers; she was always running from one extreme to another, always extravagant in ideas and conduct--she changed about from one opinion to another with singular velocity.

“Have you heard (says Horace Walpole) the great loss the Church
of England has had? It is not avowed, but hear the evidence and
judge. On Sunday last, as George Selwyn was strolling home to
dinner, at half an hour after four, he saw my Lady Townshend’s
coach stop at Carracioli’s chapel; he watched--saw her go in:
her footman laughed--he followed. She went up to the altar, a
woman brought her a cushion--she knelt, crossed herself, and
prayed. He stole up and knelt by her--conceive her face, if you
can, when she turned and found him close to her--in his most
demure voice, he said, ‘Pray, Madam, how long has your Ladyship
left the pale of our Church?’ She looked furies, and made no
answer. Next day he went to her, and she turned it off upon
curiosity; but is anything more natural?--no: she certainly
means to go armed with every viaticum--the Church of England in
one hand, Methodism in the other, and the Host in her mouth!”

Lady Townshend was attacked with severe illness, and her life was considered in danger; Lady Huntingdon, who was frequent in her attendance, informed Mr. Whitefield of her state, and, as she professed to be under serious impressions at times, he wisely considered that a letter at such a moment might be attended with lasting benefit:--

“London, Nov. 19, 1748.

“Honoured Madam--When I was lately in Scotland, Colonel Gumley
wrote me word, that your Ladyship was pleased to desire my poor
prayers. Before his writing, they had been put up to the throne
of grace in behalf of your Ladyship very frequently, and I would
then have written to you, had I not feared it would have been
making too free. Yesterday, good Lady Huntingdon informed me
that your Ladyship was ill; had I judged it proper, I would have
waited upon you this morning; but I was cautious of intruding.
However, the regard I bear to your Ladyship constrains me to
inform you, that my heart’s desire and prayer to God is, that
this sickness may not be unto death, but to his glory, and the
present and eternal good of your better part--your precious and
immortal soul. This, no doubt, is the end of afflictions--God’s
name and nature is LOVE; he cannot, therefore, chastise
us for any other purpose, than that we may be made partakers of
his holiness. Every cross and disappointment--every degree of
pain, brings this important call with it, ‘My son, my daughter,
give me thy heart.’ O that your Ladyship’s soul may echo back,
‘My heart, Lord Jesus, will I give!’ O that from a feeling,
spiritual, abiding sense of the vanity and emptiness of all
created good, you may, in a holy resentment, cry out--

‘Be gone, vain world, my heart resign,
For I must be no longer thine:
A nobler, a diviner guest,
Now claims possession of my breast!’

“Then, and not till then, your Ladyship’s mind will be at unity
with itself; then, and not till then, will your Ladyship, upon
truly rational principles, with cheerfulness wait for the
approach of death, and the coming of the Lord from heaven.
It is faith in Jesus--a true and living faith in the Son of
God, that can alone bring present real peace, and lay a solid
foundation for future and eternal comfort. I cannot wish your
Ladyship anything greater, anything more noble, than a large
share of this precious faith; and a large, yea, very large share
in the glorious Redeemer, ready to give to all that sincerely
ask for and seek after it. He waits to be gracious--He giveth
liberally--He upbraideth not. When, like Noah’s dove, we have
been wandering about in a fruitless search after happiness,
and have found no rest for the soles of our feet, he is ready
to reach out his merciful hand, and receive us into his ark.
His hand, honoured Madam, is he reaching out to you. May you
be constrained to give your heart entirely to him, and thereby
enter into that rest which remains for the happy, though
despised people of God. But whither am I going? I forget that
your Ladyship is indisposed, and I almost a stranger to you: I
will only make this apology--‘the love of Jesus constrains me.’
Hoping, therefore, your Ladyship will excuse the freedom I have
here taken, I beg leave to subscribe myself, honoured Madam,
your Ladyship’s most obliged humble servant,

“G. WHITEFIELD.”[51]

Some years before her death, which took place in 1788, Lady Townshend was again under serious concern for her eternal interests; several letters passed between her and Lady Huntingdon, only one of which has been rescued from oblivion; it is without date, but was written in 1775, the period of Lady Townshend’s illness:

“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,

‘Take their poor hearts, and let them be
For ever closed to all but thee.’”

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.