96 History of Methodism 



In August James Hervey (Methodist) took his place 

 at Oxford, to enable him to comply with the request of 

 Thomas Broughton (Methodist), curate of the Tower, 

 to relieve him that he might assist Richard Hutchins 

 (Methodist) at Dummer, in Hampshire; and he was 

 employed two months in preaching in London church- 

 es and in London prisons, and with such success that 

 people from all parts of the vast city began to flock to- 

 gether to hear him. When he had been about a month 

 in the city, letters came from John and Charles Wes- 

 ley, and from Mr. Ingham, their fellow-laborer in 

 Georgia. His soul was fired, and he longed to join 

 them in America; but "all were agreed that laborers 

 were needed at home; that as yet he had no visible 

 call to go abroad; and that it was his duty not to be 

 rash, but to wait and see what Providence might point 

 out to him." The month of October Mr. Whitefield 

 spent with his " poor prisoners " at Oxford. In No- 

 vember Charles Kinchin (Methodist), now minister of 

 Dummer, in Hampshire, and expecting to be chosen 

 dean of Corpus Christi College, desired him to ex- 

 change places with him till that affair should be de- 

 cided. Going to take Mr. Kinchin's work, he prose- 

 cuted his plan, and generally divided the day into 

 three parts— eight hours for study and retirement, 

 eight hours for sleep and meals, and eight hours for 

 reading, prayers, catechising, and visiting the parish. 

 From these exercises he reaped unspeakable profit, 

 and claimed to have learned as much by an afternoon's 

 visit in conversing with the poor country people as in 

 a week's study. During his six weeks' residence at 

 Dummer, the temporary pastor of a small parish of 

 less than three hundred souls, two events occurred 

 which affected the whole of his after-life. He had the 



