18. A particular account of the last scene of his life, is thus given by a gentleman of _Boston_: “After being about a month with us in _Boston_ and its vicinity, and preaching every day, he went to _Old-york_, preached on _Thursday_, _September_ 27, there; proceeded to _Portsmouth_, and preached there on _Friday_. On _Saturday_ morning he set out for _Boston_; but before he came to _Newbury_, where he had engaged to preach the next morning, he was importuned to preach by the way. The house not being large enough to contain the people, he preached in an open field. But having been infirm for several weeks, this so exhausted his strength, that when he came to _Newbury_, he could not get out of the ferry-boat without the help of two men. In the evening, however, he recovered his spirits, and appeared with his usual chearfulness. He went to his chamber at nine, his fixt time, which no company could divert him from: and slept better than he had done for some weeks before. He rose at four in the morning, _September_ 30, and went into his closet; and his companion observed he was unusually long in private. He left his closet, returned to his companion, threw himself on the bed, and lay about ten minutes. Then he fell upon his knees, and prayed most fervently to God, ‘That if it was consistent with his will he might that day finish his Master’s work.’ He then desired his man to call Mr. Parsons, the clergyman, at whose house he was: but in a minute, before Mr. Parsons could reach him died, without a sigh or groan. On the news of his death, six gentlemen set out for _Newbury_, in order to bring his remains hither, but he could not be moved, so that his precious ashes must remain at _Newbury_. Hundreds would have gone from this town to attend his funeral, had they not expected he would have been interred here.――May this stroke be sanctified to the church of God in general, and to this province in particular!”
II. 1. We are in the second place, to take some view of his character. A little sketch of this, was soon after published in the _Boston Gazette_: an extract of which is subjoined: “In his public labours he has for many years astonished the world with his eloquence and devotion. With what divine pathos did he persuade the impenitent sinner to embrace the practice of piety and virtue! He spoke from the heart, and with a fervency of zeal, perhaps unequalled since the days of the apostles. From the pulpit he was unrivalled in the command of an ever-crowded auditory. Nor was he less agreeable and instructive in his private conversation: happy in a remarkable ease of address, willing to communicate, studious to edify. May the rising generation catch a spark of that flame which shone with such distinguished lustre in the spirit and practice of this faithful servant of the most high God!”
2. A more particular, and equally just character of him, has appeared in one of the _English_ papers. It may not be disagreeable to you, to add the substance of this likewise: “The character of this truly pious person, must be imprest on the heart of every friend to vital religion. In spite of a tender constitution, he continued, to the last day of his life, preaching with a frequency and a fervor, that seemed to exceed the natural strength of the most robust. Being called to the exercise of his function at an age, when most young men are only beginning to qualify themselves for it, he had not time to make a very considerable progress in the learned languages. But this defect was amply supplied, by a lively and fertile genius, by fervent zeal, and by a forcible and most persuasive delivery. And though in the pulpit he often found it needful, by _the terrors of the Lord to persuade men_, he had nothing gloomy in his nature, being singularly chearful, as well as charitable and tender-hearted. He was as ready to relieve the bodily as the spiritual necessities of those that applied to him. It ought also to be observed, that he constantly enforced upon his audience every moral duty, particularly industry in their several callings, and obedience to their superiors. He endeavoured, by the most extraordinary efforts, of preaching in different places, and even in the open fields, to rouse the lower class of people, from the last degree of inattention and ignorance, to a sense of religion. For this, and his other labours, the name of George Whitefield, will long be remembred with esteem and veneration.”