In South Carolina. 97 



offer of " a very profitable curacy in London," and yet, 

 strangely enough, the penniless young parson de- 

 clined it. Had he accepted it he would not have be- 

 come one of the illustrious evangelists of the eighteenth 

 century. About the middle of December he received 

 fresh letters from Charles Wesley, informing him that 

 he was just come over to England to procure laborers 

 for America, but " dared not prevent God's nomina- 

 tion; " and in a few days letters came to him also 

 from John Wesley, saying: "Only Mr. Delamotte is 

 with me till God shall stir up the hearts of some of 

 his servants, who, putting their lives in his hands, 

 shall come over and help us where the harvest is so 

 great and the laborers so few. What if thou art the 

 man, Mr. Whitefield? Do you ask me what you shall 

 have? Food to eat, and raiment to put on; a house to 

 lay your head in, such as your Lord had not; and a 

 crown of glory that fadeth not away." As he read, his 

 heart leaped within him and echoed to the call. Prov- 

 idence had opened a clear way before him : Dean Kin- 

 chin was already in charge of the prisoners at Oxford 

 and superintending the affairs of the Methodists ; Mr. 

 Hervey was ready to serve the cure at Dummer; he 

 was without a parochial charge, and with his soul set 

 on fire by the characteristic letter of Mr. Wesley, he 

 was determined not to confer with flesh and blood, but 

 to join, his friend in America. Accordingly, Charles 

 Wesley wrote in his journal, " December 22, 1736, I 

 received a letter from Mr. Whitefield offering himself 

 to go to Georgia." He expected to embark without 

 delay, but a series of unforeseen occurrences detained 

 him in England during the whole of the year 1737. 

 This was perhaps the most important period of his life, 

 and gave a bias to the whole of his subsequent career 

 7 



