Whitefield, Hopkinson, and the Quaker. Mr. Hopkinson, the intimate friend of Dr. Franklin, was the father of Francis Hopkinson, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and grandfather of Joseph Hopkinson, author of our national song, "Hail, Columbia." Dr. Franklin relates the following anecdote concerning his friend Hopkinson, which illustrates Whitefield's irresistible powers of oratory.

Mr. Hopkinson went with Dr. Franklin to hear Mr. Whitefield preach, and knowing that a collection was to be taken for an object of which he did not altogether approve, took the precaution to leave his money at home, so that he might be sure not to give any thing; but the eloquent appeals of Whitefield so moved and melted him that he tried to borrow some money from a Quaker to put into the collection. The Quaker in declining said, "At any other time, Friend Hopkinson, I would lend thee freely, but not now, for thee seems to be out of thy right senses." Franklin coolly says, "The request was fortunately made, perhaps, to the only man in the company who had the firmness not to be affected by the preacher."

Whitefield's Honesty.

Dr. Franklin says: "Some of Mr. Whitefield's enemies affected to suppose he applied the collections he took up to his own private emolument; but I, who was intimately acquainted with him,

being employed in printing his sermons and journals, never had the least suspicion of his integrity; and I am to this day decidedly of the opinion that he was, in all his conduct, a perfectly honest man ; and, methinks, my testimony ought to have the more weight as we had no religious connection. He used sometimes to pray for my conversion, but never had the satisfaction of having his prayers heard. Ours was a mere civil friendship, sincere on both sides, and lasted to his death."

Whitefield Franklin's Guest.

Whitefield, on one of his arrivals from England, wrote from Boston to Dr. Franklin that he expected soon to come to Philadelphia, but he knew not where he could lodge when there, as his old friend and host, Mr. Benezet, had removed to Germantown. Dr. Franklin replied thus: "You know my house; if you can make shift with its scanty accommodations you will be most heartily welcome." Whitefield replied that if Franklin had made that kind offer for Christ's sake he would not miss of a reward. Dr. Franklin rejoined, "Don't let me be mistaken in giving you the invitation; it was not for Christ's sake, but for your sake."

Franklin, and Whitefield's Works.

Dr. Franklin was the first publisher of Mr. Whitefield's works. In the Pennsylvania Gazette,

a paper published by Franklin, appeared the following notice, Nov. 15, 1739:

"The Rev. George Whitefield having given me copies of his journals and sermons, with leave to print the same, I propose to publish them with all expedition if I find sufficient encouragement. The sermons will make two volumes, and the journals two more, which will be delivered to subscribers at two shillings for each volume, bound. Those, therefore, who are inclined to encourage this work are desired speedily to send in their names to me that I may take measures accordingly."

They were ready for delivery to subscribers in May, 1740.

A copy of Whitefield's Journal in New England, published by Franklin, was sold at auction in Philadelphia, in 1855, for over thirty times its original cost.

Influence of Whitefield's Works.

Dr. Franklin says: "Mr. Whitefield's writing and printing from time to time gave great advantage to his enemies. Unguarded expressions, and even erroneous opinions delivered in preaching, might have been afterward explained or guarded by supposing others might have accompanied them, or they might have been denied litera scripta manet. Critics attacked his writings violently, and with so much appearance of reason as to diminish the number of his votaries and prevent their increase; so that I am satisfied that if he had

never written any thing he would have left behind him a much more numerous and important sect, and his reputation might, in that case, have been still growing even after his death. There being, then, nothing of his writing on which to found a censure, and give him even a lower character, his proselytes would be left at liberty to attribute to him as great a variety of excellences as their enthusiastic admiration might wish him to have possessed."

Letter from Dr. Franklin to Whitefield.

The following letter of Franklin to Whitefield is rare, and gives us an inside view of the man, and of his friendly relation to Mr. Whitefield:

"PHILADELPHIA, June 6, 1753.

"SIR: I received your kind letter of the 2d instant, and am glad to hear that you increase in strength. I hope you will continue mending till you recover your former health and firmness. Let me know whether you still use the cold bath, and what effect it has. As to the kindness you mention, I wish it could have been of more service to you.* But if it had, the only thanks I should desire is that you would always be equally ready to serve any other person that may need your assistance, and so let good offices go round, for mankind are all of a family. For my own part, when I am employed in serving others I do not

*Dr. Franklin had relieved Whitefield in a paralytic case by the application of electricity.

look upon myself as conferring favors, but as paying debts. In my travels and since my settlement

I have received much kindness from men to whom I shall never have any opportunity of making the least direct return; and numberless mercies from God, who is infinitely above being benefited by our services. Those kindnesses from men I can, therefore, only return on their fellow-men, and I can only show my gratitude for those mercies from God by a readiness to help his other children and my brethren. For I do not think that thanks and compliments, though repeated weekly, can discharge our real obligations to each other, and much less those to our Creator. You will see my notion of good works, that I am far from expecting to merit heaven by them. By heaven we understand a state of happiness infinite in degree, and eternal in duration. I can do nothing to merit such rewards. He that for giving a draught of water to a thirsty person should expect to be paid with a good plantation would be modest in his demands compared with those who think they deserve heaven for the little good they do on earth. Even the mixed, imperfect pleasures we enjoy in this world are rather from God's goodness than our merit; how much more the happiness of heaven! For my part I have not the vanity to think I deserve it, the folly to expect it, nor the ambition to desire it; but content myself in submitting to the will and disposal of that God who made me, who has hitherto preserved and blessed me, and in whose fatherly goodness I may well