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George Whitefield
M.A.,

Field-Preacher

By

JAMES

PATERSON GLEDSTONE

'

Every one hath

In this I

his proper gift.

is

Field- Preaching

my plan;
'

am

carried as on eagles' wings

God makes way for me everywhere

SECOXD EDITION

NEW YORK

AMERICAN
150
1901

TRACT SOCIETY x*x

NASSAU STREET

PREFACE

THE
now long

favourable reception which was given to

'

my

'

Life

and Travels of George Whitefield published

out of print, 1 and the need that was
life

in 1S71,

felt

in certain

quarters for a briefer

of the great field-preacher, which

nevertheless should be

full,

though without excess of

detail,

have led
in

me

to prepare this book.

viz.
:

The main

idea

is

the

same

both books,

'To

reveal a great heart, stirred with the

purest emotion, ever desiring absolute perfection in goodness

and unintermittingly seeking

it,

resolved

to

leave

nothing
itself

undone by which others might become partakers with

the great salvation,

of

and impatient of

all

impediments, whether

ecclesiastical or social, that threatened the

its

consummation of

hopes.'
I.

The

greatness of Whitefield's labours

life

is

not easily realised,

outline
it.

and not even a three-volume

could
this

One

month's labours are recorded in

brief

sentence

'he
/

preached to ten thousand persons every day

days.'

for twenty-eight

That

fact will

bear a great deal of analysing.

The

far-reaching influence of his preaching can only be imagined

by

remembering

that

his

vast

congregations

were
e.g.

often

gathered together in thinly populated districts

'

Haworth

See extracts from some reviews at the end of

this

volume.

vi

PREFACE
village, the

on the Yorkshire moors, Cambuslang the Scotch

backwoods of the American

settlements

persons
am

coming
hear

long distances, at great cost of time and trouble, to

him.

He

said of

his

forest-preaching

' I

hunting after

poor sinners in these ungospelized wilds.

to hear,

People are willing

his horse,

and

am
a

willing to preach.'

He mounted

and rode
contact.
II.

to

point where

he and they could come into

It will

be noticed

that,

although Calvinism

is

generally
its

supposed to have a deadening influence upon the hearts of

disciples, Whitefield

was always aggressive and

in

advance of

his brethren in the

i

adoption of new methods of doing good.

in

He

led

the

way

field-preaching,

in

the

employment of

'

laymen

as preachers, in organising the

new Welsh converts

and he seems also
for his congre-

into a General Association of Methodists,

to

have been the

first

to prepare a

hymn-book

gation at the Tabernacle.

courage,
III.

He

was a pathfinder.

His

zeal,

and

faith

kept him foremost.

Some
of

suggestion
evangelistic

may be found
to

in this life as to the

relation

pastoral

work.

Whitefield
;

was

frequently invited to labour in

given
It

districts
is

and, in the

main, with very satisfactory results.

true that his

work

was

fiercely assailed,
it is

and

that

he passed through a storm of

obloquy, but
close of his
together.

also true that the storm abated towards the

life,

and

that his

opponents and he came nearer

by his contagious
zeal,

They had been

stirred

and

both he and they had mellowed in charity.

instances he went uninvited,

In multitudes of

and

his

work, done on the raceleft

its

course, in the field, or in the market-place, just

results

PREFACE
for the settled pastor to gather
;

vii

which was perhaps the easiest

method.
IV.
his
life

The
;

ethical value of his social

work was

individualistic during

the
for

and
;

political

appeared afterwards.

He
must

worked
work

the

units

the units in their aggregation

It

for

the body politic.

for

were as idle and unjust to

blame him

not personally inaugurating large reforms as to

for not

blame the Apostle Paul

procuring the franchise for

Roman

Christians.

He

was

in the line of progress,

and

his at

labours continue in

new forms of

usefulness.

He

aimed

making new men, the new men must make the new

State. /

And no doubt
success of

the

social

and

political

and

international

Christianity

would come sooner and be greater

for personal conver;

were Christians to labour more zealously

sions.

To
heart

get a
is

man

new home
'

is

a good thing

to get

him

new

better.

This ought ye to do, and not to leave

the other undone.'

V.

No

careful student of his

life will

conclude that he had

no formative influence because he was neither a constructive

theologian nor the founder of a
better than either of these.
sect.

He

was more and

He
;

was the means of calling

multitudes from death unto

selves into societies

life

and then they formed themas they

and churches
it

saw

best.

In the

coming days of Church union

heart of the evangelical

may appear
far

that the greatest

movement was

before his time,

said

when, as a young
persuaded
there
is

man

of twenty-seven, he

'

am

no such form of

Church government
all

prescribed in the book of

other forms whatsoever.'

God
'

as excludes a toleration of

that the

power of

religion

may

viii

PREFACE
!

revive

Nothing but that can break down the partition

wall

of bigotry.'

Or, in other words, nothing but that can unite

Is not that the ideal of Christian fellowall

Christians as such.

ship toward which

the churches are

moving

As regards
as

sectarianism

YVhitefield

was a centrifugal

force,

regards
for

true Christian union

larger idea as
it

he was centripetal.

He

lived

the

is

to

be realised and embodied by love.

marvellous
influence
interest.

VI.

The

secret

of Whitefield's

has
It

been and always

will

be a problem of absorbing

cannot be given on the page of a book, but might perhaps be

discovered

by one who should reverently, prayerfully, and

travel

sympathetically

with

him

day by day through

his

mighty labours
in his

for the salvation of souls,

and watch with him

hours and days of prayer.

A
it.

rapid reading of this or

of any other book will not discover

fellowship,

Imagination, sympathy,

and imitation must be

'life

employed.
Christ
in

He

was

"

mystic.
itself

His was a
loving

hid with

God,' pouring
perfectly

out in

service

through

an organism

adapted to the work of preaching.

As

his oratorical genius

was
he

in

full

bloom

as soon as he

began to preach, so also was

wholly consecrated to the will of

God and

filled

with the

Spirit

from the time of

his

new

birth.

The outward demonhence there never

'

stration never

exceeded the inward

reality,

was a

halt,

never a break, never a decline.

He

went from
in Zion.'

strength to strength, until he appeared before

God

As we read
i

the fierce and scornful language in which he was

assailed from so

many

quarters,

and

notice,

on the other

side,

the multitudes of

all classes,

including crowds of the aristocracy,

PREFACE
some of them
to hear him,
it

ix

Christians of the warmest devotion,

who came
the

suggests the inquiry whether, by

people, rich

all

means

used, the English

titled,

and poor, but

especially the

are as deeply and as widely influenced by the gospel

now

as

they were a hundred and

hatred and
the

fifty

years

ago.

If

the

intensity of the

opposition directed against

him
he
of

accurately

indicated
it

enormous
is

influence

which

wielded, as

certainly did,

the prevalent indifference

to-day to the

preaching of the gospel the measure of the

is

feebleness

that

neglected

One

thing

is

certain

the

whole Church of
Spirit
;

God

needs a fresh baptism of the Holy

and thankful

shall

we

be,

if

it

be soon given.

Let

me add

a word

of sincere

thanks to

my

friend

the

Rev. G. A. Suttle, the Minister of Tottenham Court Chapel,

fur this

many
book

valuable services given to

;

me

in the preparation of

to

Mr. Robson and Mr. Casstine, of the

Homes

for

Little

Boys, Swanley, for the pains they took to obtain the

beautiful photograph (p. 300) of a medallion of Whitefield in

my

possession; to Mr.

J.

Thomson,

of Grosvenor Street,

VV.,

for the excellent

reproduction of a very rare full-length portrait

years of age, painted

of Whitefield

when he was twenty-nine

;

by Francis Kyte
procuring

and

to

Mrs. Bellows, of

Gloucester,
it

for

me

an etching of the Bell Inn, Gloucester, as

was

in ^Vhiteiield's time.
J.

P.

G.

CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I714-I735HIS
I.

PARENTAGE ANT) CHILDHOODAT OXFORD -AMONG METHODISTS HIS CONVERSION

....
.

PAGE

THE
I

CHAPTER
1736.

II.

HIS ORDINATION AS

DEACON ESSAYS

IN

PREACHING

25

CHAPTER

III.

March, 1737 March,

APPOINTED

1738.

CHAPLAIN

TO

POPULARITY

FIRST

THE VOYAGE

GEORGIAN
. .

COLONY
.

EARLY
.

40

CHAPTER
1738.

IV.

ROUGH EXPERIENCES

IN

GEORGIA

SECOND
V.

VOYAGE

59

CHAPTER
December, 1738
FETTER

April, 1739.

LANE MEETINGS ORDAINED CHCRCHES OPEN-AIK PREACHING

PRIEST EXPELLED
.
.
,

THE
.

6S

xii

CONTENTS
PAGE

CHATTER
May
IN

VI.
1739.
. .

to

August,

MOORFIELDSON COMMONS AT FAIRS AND RACES

89

CHAPTER
August, 1739

VII.
1741.

March,
AMERICA
.
.

THIRD VOYAGE ITINERATING BREACH WITH WESLEY

IN

FOURTH
.

VOYAGE
.

.112

CHAPTER

VIII.
1744.

March, 1741 August,

LOSS OF POPULARITY

FIRST

THE DISSENTERS

......
VISIT

TO SCOTLAND- CONDUCT OF
l66

CHAPTER

IX.
1748.

August, 1744July,
FIFTH
IN

VOYAGE ADVENTURES AND CONTROVERSIES WANDERINGS

AMERICA

INVALIDED

IN

BERMUDAS SIXTH VOYAGE

X.

225

CHAPTER

July, 1748-1752.
APPOINTED CHAPLAIN
A SLAVE-OWNER

TO THE COUNTESS OF

HUNTINGDON
.

STONED

BEFORE A BISHOP

245

CHAPTER

XI.

1753-1770.

chapel-building

attacks

by

enemies infirmities

death the

results of his

work

....
. . .

his
287

Index

-35'

CHAPTER
1714-1735
HIS

PARENTAGE AND CHILDHOOD

METHODISTS

AT

OXFORD

AMONG THE

HIS

CONVERSION

THE
had
five

Rev. Samuel Whitefield, a clergyman of the Church

of England,

who

first

held a living in Wiltshire, and

in

afterwards one at
great-grandfather

Rockhampton,
of George

Gloucestershire, was the

Whitefield.

Samuel Whitefield

daughters
sons,
living
'

two of whom were married to clergymen

after his father,

and two
to

one of whom, named

at

succeeded

the

Rockhampton.
of

The

other

son,

Andrew,

described as
children,

a private gentleman,' had a family of fourteen

eldest

the

whom
;

was Thomas.

Thomas was
removed
to

established as a wine-merchant in Bristol, where he married

Elizabeth Edwards, of that city

afterwards they

Gloucester to keep the Bell Inn,

now

the Bell Hotel.

They

had seven children

one daughter and

N.S.), 1714.

six

sons

their youngest,

George, was born in the Bell Inn on

December
little

16th, O.S.

(December
1

27th,

Some

time about Christmas,

7 16,

the father died, and his fair-haired

boy was

left

without one remembrance of him.

faithful heart,

The mother had

to

a tender,

commendable prudence,

a great desire for the

welfare of her children,

and much willingness

2

deny herself
l

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
George always held her
in reverent affection.

for their sakes.

With the fondness of a mother

tell

for her last-born, she

used to

him

that,

even when he was an infant, she always expected

children.

more comfort from him than from any other of her

Only one event of Whitefield's
early childhood
is

on record.

When he was
one of
his

about four years of age he had the measles, and

left

through the ignorance or neglect of his nurse the disease

eyes

dark
is

blue

they were, and

lively

with

squint, which, however,

said not to have marred the extreme

sweetness of his countenance, nor diminished the charm of his

glance.
\

That defective eye obtained

scoffers

for

him
'

in later years

among

and

railers the

nickname of Dr. Squintum.'

Circumstances were not very favourable to the formation of

a noble character in the boy.

He

says that he 'soon gave

pregnant proofs of an impudent temper.'

of the worst of juvenile sins
;

He

fell

into

some

occasionally he transgressed in a
his tutor, masters,
off to

more marked way.

and and

As Augustine deceived
committed
thefts

and parents with falsehoods, so that he might get

plays,

shows

and

also

from

his parents' cellar

lying, evil-

table, so Whitefield stained his

childhood with

speaking,

and petty

thefts,

which he perpetrated on

his
;

mother
this

by taking money out of her pocket before she was up

'

he

thought, at the time, was

no

theft at

all.

He

also says that he

entertain-

spent

much money
age.'
'

'

in plays,

and

in the

common

ments of the
were his
sin,

Playing at cards and reading romances

heart's delight.'

Sabbath-breaking was a

common

and he generally behaved

present.

irreverently at public worship,

when he was

As might be

expected, he was fond of

playing wild, roguish tricks, such as running into the Dissenting

meeting-house, and shouting the

devoted minister

name
!

of the learned and

old Cole
!

'

Old Cole

old Cole

'

Being

asked, one day, by one of Cole's congregation, of what business

he meant

to be,

he

replied,

'A

minister; but I would take

EARLY FAULTS AND

good care never
to
tell

SINS

stories in the pulpit like the old Cole.'

A wild,

merry lad he was, with no restraint upon him, exceptnot

ing a wise regulation of his mother, by which he was

allowed to take any part in the business, although

he did

sometimes

sell

odd
;

quantities over the counter

and wrongfully
which often

keep the money

overflowing with animal

spirits,

led him into mischief, in the execution of which his power of

concealment so signally
'

failed
says,

him
'

that

he was always detected.

It

would be

endless,'

he

to recount the sins

and offences
have
not clear.
fun,

of

my younger
'

days.'

But why he should,

'

in later years,
is

classed his

roguish tricks

with

graver faults

They may
conscience
tolerant,

really

have been worse than simple

or his
in/

may have
working

become morbidly sensitive

latter.

and

even of play, probably the

in

But there were

spirit.

other forces

his

impetuous,
;

fiery

Good

thoughts struggled with sinful ones

'

conscience failed not to

f rebuke

him

for his faults,

and smite him with heavy blows.

grotesque caricature of a saint sprung out of the contention.

bad, neither would he be thoroughly good.
;

He would not be He compromised

feared God,
his

he

tried to
sin.

blend

light

and darkness; he

and loved

Some
poor

of the

money

stolen from
tarts

mother was devoted

to higher
!

ends than buying

thefts
till,

and

fruits

it

was given

to the

His

were not confined

but extended to

to raids

upon

his mother's pocket

;

and

property outside the Bell Inn

afterwards restored fourfold

but then

he stole books
!

and they were books of devotion

to him,

The
but

Bible was not

it

unknown

any more than a romance

was as much the book of

his curses as of his prayers.

last

His quick temper

expression for
vulgar cursing.

he was hasty tempered to the

11 8th

sought

itself in

the imprecatory Psalms, as well as in

him

The burden of the and once, when he had been

Psalm was

familiar to

teased by some persons who

'took a constant pleasure in exasperating him,

he immediately

4
retired to his

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
room, and, kneeling down, with many
tears,

prayed the whole Psalm over, finding

relief to his feelings in

the terrible refrain of the tenth, eleventh,

1

and

twelfth verses

But in the name of the Lord,

will

destroy them.'

Church

might be a place

for irreverence,

and the

service a thing to be

mocked
All

at

yet he

was always fond of being a clergyman, and

frequently imitated the minister's reading prayers.

the

man can

be traced in the boy

delight

in

the

emotional and exciting, a ready power of appropriating and

applying to himself and to his enemies the words of Scripture,

fondness for using

his

elocution,
as

and aptness of
as

imitation.
is

And

a strange

contrast,

well

resemblance,

there

between the
side in St.

man and

the boy,

when they

are placed side by

Mary de

Crypt, Gloucester.

In the church where

the infant was baptized and the boy often mocked, the deacon of twenty-one preached his
first

sermon
his

to a

crowded audience.

When
time,

he was ten years old

mother married a second

was 'an unhappy match
it

her

husband being Mr. Longden, an ironmonger of

Whitefield says that
it

Gloucester.

as for temporals, but

God

overruled

for good.

It set

my

brethren upon thinking more than otherwise they would have

done, and

made an uncommon impression upon my own

heart

in particular.'

At the age of twelve he was placed

at the school of St.

Mary de Crypt,
went
to
;
'

'the last

grammar
last

school,'

he

says,

'I ever

from which we may suppose that he had tried not

a few schools before.

The

school changed him not a

Plays
still

whit in his earliest characteristics.

and,
if

fascinated

him

he did not read them in school, when he was there

very probable that he did

and

it is

he spent whole days away

His
;

from school studying them, and preparing to act them.

enthusiasm
master,
for

acting spread to his schoolfellows

and the
scholars'

either

because he sympathised with

his

AT SCHOOL
tastes, or

thought

it

useless to resist them, not only

composed

plays for the school, but had a theatrical entertainment for the

corporation on their annual visitation, young Whitefield being,

on one occasion, dressed

in girls' clothes to act before

them.

The annual
and
must
sat
fine
St.
its

oration before these visitors was also

'

commonly

entrusted to the boy from

elocution

the Bell

and

his

good memory
lively school

won him much

notice.

Mary de Crypt have been while

benches

this vivacious scholar

on

the master writing

plays, the

boys learning

them, and the worthy city aldermen seeing them acted.

Whitefield has given an opinion
says
:

upon

his education.

He

'

cannot but observe, with

much concern

of mind,

how

this training
ill

up

of youth has a natural tendency to debauch the mind, to raise

passions,

and

to stuff the

memory with
was

things as contrary to the gospel of Jesus

Christ as light to darkness, heaven to hell.

However, though the

I

first

thing

had

to repent of

my

education in general, yet

must always
and

acknowledge that
,

my

particular thanks are

due to

my

master for the great

pains he took with

me and

his other scholars in teaching us to write

speak correctly.'

The
.<

future saint

and preacher was

still

indicated

amid

all

this mirth.

Part of the

money
'

received for his good acting

for

and

reciting

was spent upon

Ken's Manual
affected

Winchester
his

Scholars,' a

book which had

it

him much when

brother used to read

for

in his mother's troubles,

it,

and which,
soul.'

some time

after

he bought

'was of great use to his

Before he was fifteen he longed to be free even from the

mild discipline of his

his

last

grammar school
and
as

and by pressing
she could not
spoil

mother with the sage argument

to the University,

that, since

send him

more learning might

for

him

for a

tradesman,

it

would be best

him
all

to halt at his

present attainments, he got his

own way on
day
for

points but one

writing
lesson.

he

must

go

to

school

every

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
and the lad of
fifteen

Adverse circumstances soon compelled the discontinuance of

the solitary lesson,

had

to take

on

his

part, apparently, with

some

little

regret,

but with commend-

able industry

to the dress and

work of a

common

drawer in

his mother's inn.

She who had hitherto been so jealous over

her

son's

associations

must have been hard pressed with

poverty before consenting to such a step.

unaffected by the family misfortune.

Nor was

the boy

His honour prompted

him

to

be of use, and to shun the greater contempt of being a

burden, by enduring the lesser shame of wearing a blue apron

and washing mops and cleaning rooms.

work

His

religious ten-

dencies were strengthened by frequent reading of the Bible

at the close of his day's
it.
;

indeed, he would

sit

up

to read

Sometimes the care of the whole house came upon him

still

but

he found time to compose two or three sermons, one

of which he dedicated to his elder brother.

The

first

lessons

of experience were being wrought into the heart of a quick

learner,

whose waywardness was receiving

of the inn
filial

its first

stern rebuke.

The work
sense of
calling

made him long

for school again, but his

idle,

duty never suffered him to be

disliked.

even

in

which he

Tin; sight of the boys going to

;

school often cut him to the heart

frequently

and
go

to a

companion, who

came
'

entreating

him

to

to Oxford, his general

answer was,

wish

could.'
to leave the inn
;

A year
took
it;

later his

mother was obliged

'

then

a married brother,

brothers

who had been bred up to. the business,' and to him George became an assistant. The agreed well enough. Not so the brother-in-law and
For three weeks together George would not

sister-in-law.

speak a word to her.

He

was wretched, and much to blame

that
his

and

at

length,

thinking

absence would
his
his

make

all

things easy,

and being advised so by

see

mother and brother,

brothers.

he went to Bristol to

one of

This, he

TRANSIENT EXPERIENCES
thinks,
ness,

was God's way of 'forcing him out of the public busicalling

and

him from drawing wine

for

drunkards to

draw water out of the

His
spiritual Israel.'

wells of salvation for the refreshment of

At

Bristol

he experienced the

first

of those rapturous

feel-

ings with which, a few years later, his soul

became absolutely
to

penetrated and possessed, then refined and gloriously illuminated,

and

in

which
the
:

it

was
it

finally

sacrificed

God

his

Saviour.

From

first

was no weakness of
thy soul

his to feel

with half his heart

'with

all

and mind and

and

strength'
activity.

was

to

him an easy condition of

religious feeling

He now
self.'

had much sensible devotion, and was

longed

filled

with

'unspeakable raptures,' sometimes 'carried out beyond him-

He

after

the

sacrament

he pondered he was
to
all

the

'Imitation of Christ,' and delighted in

tience to hear the church bell calling

it;

impa;

him

worship

his

former employment dissatisfied him, and he often wrote to his

mother, telling her he would never return to
his fervour
his
it.

Yet with

all

heart

knew not
;
'

'the

peace of

God which

passeth
'

all

understanding
;

something secretly whispered,

not from this time that he dates

this will

not

last

'

and

it is

his conversion.

He
and

admits that

God was
knew

in the tumult of

devotion, but not as he afterwards

Him the God

of

peace and

rest

love.

Two
bably
its
it

short

months

sufficed to
left

end the

spiritual fever.

Pro-

would have

him had he continued

at Bristol,

but
his

decline he ascribes to his return home.

associations
;

Once among

old

his

delight

in

churchgoing and in prayer

ceased

the only remnant of good he retained was his resolu-

tion not to live in the inn,

and no doubt

his firmness

on

this

point was mainly due to his antipathy to his sister-in-law and

to his love for his mother, who, with true motherly affection,

welcomed him

to the best she could give

him

her own

fare

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
floor.

and a bed upon the

revived again
;

His old love

for play-reading
'

his vanity

made him more

his

careful to

adorn

his

body than deck and beautify

fellows,

soul'; his former school-

whom

he had done
him.

his share in misleading,

now

did

theirs in misleading
'

But God,' he

says,

speaking in harmony with those Calgifts

vinistic views

which he afterwards adopted, 'whose

and

callings are without repentance,

would

let

nothing pluck

me
to

out of His hands, though

the Spirit of grace.

was continually doing despite

He

saw

me

with pity and compassion,

;

when
for

lying in

me, " Live," and even gave

me.
I,

said

"

He passed by me He said unto me some foresight of His providing One morning, as I was reading a play to my sister, Sister, God intends something for me that we know
my
blood.
I

not

of.

As

have been diligent

in business I believe
;

many

would gladly have

to

me

for
I

an apprentice
think

but every way seems

provide for

be barred up, so that

or other that

God

will

me some

way

we cannot apprehend."
which must have resulted

The

deterioration of character

from his being without employment, and without any purposes

for the future,

was happily averted by an accidental

his

visit

paid
ser-

to his
vitor at

mother by one of

former schoolfellows, now a

Pembroke

College, Oxford.

When

it

was incidentally

mentioned

in the conversation that

the visitor had paid his

last quarter's

expenses and received a penny, Mrs. Whitefield

eagerly caught at the news,

and cried

out,

'

This
'

will

do

for

my
to

son

;
'

and turning
George?'

to

George she
replied,

said,
all

Will

you go

Oxford,

He
made

'With

my

heart.'

Appli-

cation was at once

for the help of the

kind friends who

son were soon
to secure

had

aided

their

visitor,

and

mother and

rejoiced to

know

that interest

would be used
College. was,

George

a servitor's place in

Pembroke
it

His learning, such as

had not been kept bright

REFORMA TION
during his service in the inn, his
visit to Bristol,

and

his idle

time under his mother's roof, and so the genial schoolmaster

had

to

be applied to again to take back his former pupil.

He
and

gladly consented,

and

this

time the pupil, animated by the

object,

hope of gaining an honourable

successfully.

worked

diligently

At

first

his

morality and

religion

were not

improved equally with

atheistical youths

his learning.

knot of debauched and

their

atheism probably founded on their^

immorality which did not like to retain the knowledge of

God

succeeded

in

inveigling

him.
;

His thoughts about religion he reasoned that

them.
if

grew more and more

given him passions,
look rakish, and
sport
it

like theirs

God had
to

must be

to gratify

He
it

affected to

when he went

to public service
thrice

was only

and walk about.

Twice or

he got drunk.
infor-

Then

a reforming impulse

came upon him, and upon

mation given

by him to

his

master of the principles and

practices of his companions, their proceedings were stopped.

Efforts after a better
life,

relapses into sin, meditations

upon

serious

books,

particularly

Drelincourt's

'

The

Christian's
for

Defence against the Fears of Death,' dutiful service done

his mother, and, finally, a firm resolution to prepare for taking

the sacrament on his seventeenth birthday,

history at school for the
first

marked

his

moral

twelve months.
to
flit

Strange fancies

now began

through his mind.

Sinai,

Once

he dreamed that he was to see

afraid
to

God on Mount

and was

meet

Him a
a
call

circumstance which impressed him

it

deeply; and when he told

'

to a 'gentlewoman,' she said,

George, this
looks

is

from God.'
says,

He
his
'

grew more
hypocrisy
'

serious,

and

his

such,

he

was

were
and

more

grave than

the feelings

behind them.

The gentlewoman's
it

words also helped

to increase his impressionableness,

'

is

not surprising to learn that errand

for

one

night, as

he was going on an
strong

his

mother,

an

unaccountable but very

io

GEORGE WHI'IEFIELD
made upon
his heart that

impression was
quickly.'

he should preach
mother, upon hear-

It is as little surprising that his

ing from

him what had come

out,

into his mind, should have turned

shortupon him, crying

hold thy tongue.'

'What does

the boy

mean?

Prithee,

He

resumed, though in a

much more
life.

sober way, the

reli-

gious practices of his Bristol

rebuke administered to
to regard his

him by one of
fully

his brothers,

who had begun

and sinner

alternations from saint to sinner

regular, did

to saint as pain-

him much good, by checking

plainly

his spiritual

pride and by increasing his self-distrust and watchfulness.

His

brother told
family

him

the

Whitefields were an outspoken

last long,

that

he feared the new zeal would not

not

through the temptations of Oxford.

Perhaps his prophecy

it.

might have been

fulfilled

had he not spoken

in

Whitefield went
eighteen years old.

to

Oxford

1732,

when he was

nearly

Some ot

his friends, as promised,

;

used their
friend

influence with the master of

lent

Pembroke College another

to defray the

him
;

ten

pounds upon a bond,

expense of

entering
diately.

while the master admitted

him

as a servitor

imme-

Once

within the college walls he was not the lad to

play with his chance of success.

His humble station had no

;

thorns for his pride.

To

be a servitor was no new thing

perhaps he

felt

himself advanced by having his fellow-students

of boors

to wait upon, instead

and drunkards.

Pembroke
and
young

College was far before the Bell Inn, both for reputation
society
;

and

then, was there not before the eye of the

student the prospect of an honourable and useful station in

life ?

Might he

not, at the least,

become an ordinary clergyman

that,

in his

Church

Might he not pass beyond

and

attain to
?

the dignity of a very reverend, or perhaps of a right reverend

There might be present indignity

certainly

in
it,

his position,

as there

was nothing ennobling

in

yet

he would not impa-

AS SERVITOR
tiently

u
have been rather too

and with

silly

haughtiness throw away future honour by

discarding

humble work.

He may

destitute of that high-spiritedness

which made Johnson, not

many weeks
away a
door
pride
;

before Whitefield's coming to Pembroke, throw

pair of shoes

which gentle kindness had placed

at his

indeed, an equal division of their respective qualities of

and humbleness between the two students might have

been an advantage to both.

The young servitor lightened the burden of friends who money securities, toiled at his classics, adhered to his late religious practices at the grammar school, and thus laid
stood as his
a good foundation for a manly
life.
'

Law's

'

Serious Call to a
'

Devout

Life,'
'

which had already

overmatched

Johnson and

made him

think in earnest of religion,' and his treatise on

'Christian Perfection,' were the

means of

stirring

still

more

profoundly the already excited mind of Whitefield.

aloof from the general
tions of

Standing

body of

students, resisting the solicita-

many who

lay in the

same room with him, and who

riot,'

'would have drawn him into excess of

and

practising daily

devotions with the regularity of a monk, what wonder that he

was soon thrown amongst the

ning their
before
tual

'

Methodists,'

who were

begin-

new he came

life,

and

whom

he had always defended, even

to Oxford, or

life

in the University,

knew them ? If there was spirihow could one who had so strangely,
and public worship,
call ?
It
fail

though ofttimes so inconsistently, followed prayer, meditation,

sermon-writing, almsgiving;
to feel
its

touch and answer to

servitor,
fellow,'

its

was inevitable that the

'

who had come

to

be looked upon as a

singular,

odd

notwithstanding

all his merits,

should turn Methodist

and accordingly he joined the band of devout young men

some time between

'

hiS nineteenth
for

and twentieth

year, after his

soul

had longed

above a twelvemonth to be acquainted

with them.'

12

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

The
first

Methodists were John and Charles Wesley, Mr.

Morgan, commoner of Christ Church, and Mr. Kirkham, of

Merton College but the nickname was fastened on the little company while John was in Lincolnshire, assisting his father,
;

the rector of Epworth.

When

he returned to Oxford

in

1730

he took his brother Charles's place at the head of the band,

and became

for

ever after

the chief figure of Methodism.

'

University wits called him the

Father of the Holy Club.'

When

Whitefield joined the Methodists, which was about the

end of 1734 or early in 1735, they were fifteen in number, and included Mr. Benjamin Ingham, of Queen's College Mr.
;

T. Broughton, of Exeter

and Mr. James Hervey, of Lincoln

he joined them.
Their

College
his

and

it

was

in this wise

Wesley and
their

associates

were marked
their

men.

austerities,

devoutness,

and

charitable
;

labours
their

among
way

the poor,

attracted general attention

and on

to St.

Mary's

every week to receive the sacrament they had to pass through

a crowd of ridiculing students, congregated to insult them.

The sight of this shameful insolence awakened his sympathy, moved his courage, and prepared him to take up his cross.

He

often saw the persecution endured by the few,

and never

without wishing to follow their brave example.

tunity

An

oppor-

of

becoming acquainted with them offered

in

itself.

poor

woman

one of the workhouses made an unsuccessful

;

attempt to commit suicide

and Whitefield, aware of Charles

Wesley's readiness for every good work, sent a message to him

by an apple

woman

of Pembroke, asking

him

to visit

her.

The messenger
not to
tell

was, for

some unaccountable
her.

reason, charged
;

Wesley who had sent

That charge she broke

and Wesley, who had often met Whitefield walking by

himself,

pondering the deep things of God, and was aware of his pious
habits, sent

him an

invitation to

come and

breakfast with

him

the next morning.

Whitefield gladly went, and that morning

FRIENDSHIP OF CHARLES WESLEY

the

13

two students formed a

life-long,

honourable friendship.

Forty years afterwards Charles wrote of their meeting with

much

tenderness and warmth

'Can

the

memorable day

forget,

When

first

we by Divine appointment met?

the thoughtful student roves,

Where undisturbed

In search of truth, through academic groves

modest, pensive youth,

who mused
art,

alone,

Industrious the frequented path to shun.

An
I

Israelite,
I

without disguise or

saw,

loved,

stranger as

and clasped him to my heart, my bosom friend caressed,

received an angel-guest.'

And unawares

Charles Wesley put into the hands of his guest Professor

Francke's treatise against the 'Fear of Man,' and the
Parson's Advice to his Parishioners.'
departure.
'

Country

Whitefield then took his

The most
varying

interesting part of the spiritual

life

of Whitefield

begins at this point, up to which there has been an uncertain,

war

carried

on

against

sin,

coupled with many

defeated attempts to attain to a severe form of external piety.

After

the period just to be opened

in

to

our view he never

becomes entangled

doubts concerning the Divine method

of saving sinners, and never hesitates between rival plans of

practical living.

He

tried all the three great plans of

being a

Christian and of serving

large sections of

God which have

;

gained favour with

mankind

and finding
felt

satisfaction in the

one

which he ultimately adopted, he

wards to leave
it.

no temptation ever
seen, he has

after-

Already, as

we have

had large

experience of the effects upon conscience and heart of the

method which theologians

he
life.

call

'

salvation by works

'

and

yet

is

neither at peace with God, nor established in a godly

He

is

more

satisfied that

he

is

on the

right track,

and

14

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
be outwardly holy have stood a good
trial
is still

his resolutions to

but he

asking and seeking.

While

in this state of

mind Charles Wesley both helped and

his books,

hindered him

helped him with

and hindered him

faith in the
'

by his example, which was that of an honest, anxious mind,

ignorant of the salvation which

comes by
'

Son

of

God.

The
'

great Methodist, his

never-to-be-forgotten

friend,

as Whitefield affectionately calls him, brought

him within

sight

of the
led

fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ,'

and then

him down a by-path, which brought him

to the low levels

of Quietism, where he nearly perished.

Charles Wesley did

to set

not conduct him thus

that direction
pupil, as
;

far,
'

and never intended

was the

him

in

it

was

the blind leading the blind.'

first

The
safe

we

shall presently see,

'

to

become a

teacher

he knew

the liberty of the sons of God,' while the

in chains

Wesleys were struggling

Shortly after the
little

he had broken.

memorable
'

breakfast, Charles lent

him a

book

entitled

The
'

Life of

God

in the

Soul of Man,' by

the Rev.
within

Henry Scougal, M.A., which created no small wonder

that

him by teaching

some

falsely

placed religion in

going to church, doing hurt to no one, being constant in the

duties of the closet,
to give

and now and then reaching out

their

hands

alms to their poor neighbours.'

The
joy.

positive teaching

of the
'

book

filled

him with unspeakable

is

When jie.xead

that true religion

us,

a union of the soul with God, or Christ

formed within

a ray of Divine light instantaneously darted in

that

upon

his-soul,

and from

moment, but not

till

then, did he

know that he must be a new creature.' The doctrine of the new birth, a birth which he had now experienced in his own
soul,

became one
his
life.

of the

main themes of

his

preaching to the

end of

Charles Wesley

now introduced him

'by degrees to the rest

of the Methodists,' and the introduction led

him

to

adopt the

LIVING
whole of their plan of
living.

BY RULE
To
live

15

by rule was the fundafor

mental principle of their theology,

as

yet

they

knew

nothing of the mighty power of joy and peace which

come
light

through believing upon the

name

of Jesus.

Thus Whitefield
and once

was led astray from

the scriptural truth

which had poured

into his understanding,

and gladness
time

into his heart,

inflexibly

more

tried,

though

this

more

and
It

more

thoroughly, his old

as
if,

scheme of

salvation
all

by works.

seemed
all

like Luther,

he must know

that he could
'

do and

that he could not

do before he could

count

all

things but

loss for the excellency of the

knowledge of Christ
virtue,

Jesus.'

The
drank,

redemption of time became a primary

his

and he hoarded
ate, or

moments

as

if

they were years.

Whether he
do
all

or whatever he did, he endeavoured to

to the glory of

God.

The sacrament was

received every Sunday at Christ

Church.

Fasting was practised on

Wednesday and

Friday.

Sick persons and prisoners were visited, and poor people were

read

to.

An

hour every day was spent

his

in acts of charity.

His studies were soon affected by

for

morbid

state of
its

mind,

such a system as he was living under allowed

faithful

disciple

no

room

for

change or diversion.

Every

hour

brought round a weary step of the moral treadmill, which must

be taken, or conscience would be bruised or wounded

Whitefield

and

had suffered enough from conscience

its

to feel a
his

quivering fear of

pains.
'

No

books would now please

disordered taste but such as

entered into the heart of religion

and led him

Christ

directly into

an experimental knowledge of Jesus

and

Him

crucified.'

How

he came to write these

it

words, which are quoted from his journal,

say.

would be hard
it

to

When

he wrote them he must have known that

was

the lack of the knowledge of Jesus which had

slave.

made him a

Once

fully

and openly connected with the

'

Holy Club,' he

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
to share
in
its

had soon

troubles.

'

Polite

students

'

shot

barbed words at him,

mean ones withdrew

their

pay from him,

and

brutal ones threw dirt at him.

Friends became shy.

The

master of the college rebuked him, and threatened to expel

him.
Daily contempt was poured upon him.
to

His tutor alone

his

forbore

torment him.
;

At

first

he did not accept

reproach calmly

it

shook his feeble strength.

for

When
receive
to
all

he
the

went

to

St.

Mary's,

the

first

time,

to

sacrament publicly on a week-day

University that he had
Wesley,'
greatest

'commenced Methodist' 'Mr. Charles

I

sure

sign

the

he

says,

'

whom

must always mention with the

walked with

deference and

respect,
I

church even to the college.

gladly have excused

confess to

me from the my shame I would

to his

him

and the next day, going

room, one of our

to

fellows passing by, I

was ashamed to be seen

knock

at his door.'

The

displeasure of the master of his

to expel
it

college,

and the master's threat

him

if

he ever visited
'

the poor again, surprised him, as well

might.

Overawed,'

he

says,
lips,

'

by the master's authority,

spoke unadvisedly with

I

my

and

said,

if

it

displeased him,

would

not.

My
I

conscience soon pricked

me

for this

sinful

compliance.
first

immediately repented, and visited the poor the

tunity,

oppor-

and told my companions

I

if

ever

was called

to a stake

for Christ's sake,

would serve
viz.,

my
'

tongue as Archbishop
first.'

Cranmer served his hand,

of

make

that burn

His

fear

man

gradually wore

off,

and he

confessed the Methodists

more and more

publicly every day,' walking openly with them,

to bear

and choosing rather

contempt with them than 'to

enjoy the applause of almost Christians for a season.' The advantage of his trials was that they inured him to

contempt, of which he was to get a full share, and lessened His inward sufferings were also of an uncommon his self-love.
kind, Satan seeming to desire to
sift

him

like

wheat

and the

SPIRITUAL CONFLICTS
reason for
this,

17

Whitefield thinks, was to prevent his future

All along

blessings from proving his ruin.

desire, a

he had an intense
Jesus

hungering and

thirsting, after the humility of

it

Christ.

Imagining that

would be instantaneously infused

into his soul, he prayed night

and day

to receive

it.

'

But as

Gideon,' he says, 'taught the

men

of Succoth with thorns, so

God
The

spirit

am taught
if

yet in

any measure blessed with poverty of

true, strong temptations.'

it

me

by the exercise of

strong temptations

came

in

reality

from his mistaken

his incessant selfall

though eagerly accepted views of

religion,

inspection, his moral police regulations, his abstinence from

change

in reading,

and

his daily persecutions, the

combined

influence of which brought

horrible fearfulness
felt

him

into a terrible condition.

his
soul.

A
He
he

and dread overwhelmed

'an unusual weight and impression, attended with inward

lie

darkness,'

upon

his breast

and the load increased

real possession of him,

until

was convinced that Satan had

his

and

that

body, like Job's, was given over to the power of the evil
All

one.

power of meditating, or even thinking, was taken

But
let

from him.
'

him

tell his

own

tale:

My memory

quite failed me.

My

could fancy myself to be like nothing so

whole soul was barren and dry, and much as a man locked up in
I felt

iron armour.

Whenever

kneeled

down

great heavings in
till

my

body,

and have often prayed under the weight of them

me.

the sweat

came through

At
if I

this

time Satan used to terrify

It

me

discovered his wiles.

being

me much and threatened to punish my duty as servitor, in my turn, to

at night, to see

knock
rooms,

at the gentlemen's
I

rooms by ten
I

who were
stair I

in their

thought the devil would appear to

me

every

went up.
I

And
'

he so troubled
only knows

me when

lay

down
I

to rest, that, for

some weeks,

scarce slept above three hours at a time.

God

how many

nights

have

lain

upon

my

bed groaning

and bidding Satan depart from me in the name of Whole days and weeks have I spent in lying prostrate on the Jesus. ground, and begging freedom from those proud, hellish thoughts that used But God made Satan drive out to crowd in upon and distract my soul.
under the weight
I felt,

Satan.

For these thoughts and suggestions created such a self-abhorrence

3

i8

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
I

within me, thai

never ceased wrestling with

God

till

He

blessed

a victory over them.

their turns, that I

Self-love, self-will, pride,

was resolved

either to

and envy buffeted die or conquer. I wanted

it

me with me in
to see
terrify

sin as

it

was, but feared, at the same time, lest the sight of

should

me
'

to death.

Having nobody

to

show me a
like,

better way, I thought to get peace

I

and

purity by outward austerities.

off eating fruits

Accordingly, by degrees,

began to leave

and such

and gave the money

I I

usually spent in that

way

to the poor.

Afterwards

always chose the worst sort of food, though

fasted twice a

my

place furnished
I

me

with variety.
it

week.

My

apparel

unbecoming a penitent to have his hair powdered. I wore woollen gloves, a patched gown, and dirty shoes, and therefore looked upon myself as very humble.'
was mean.
thought

He

was exhausting what he

by works.

calls

'

the

legal

system,'

sal vation

He

felt

pride creeping
;

in, in spite

of him,

behind every thought, word, and action

sincere not to admit that
all his

and he was too

labours must prove fruitless

while that remained unbroken.

its

Here Quietism
!

offered

him

aid.

Whitefield a Quietist

As

easily

change a comet

into a fixed star.

The power was

to
'

not in him to dream sweet

in the

dreams of heaven, nor

mediaeval saint, his
soul

swoon away
spirit

ecstasy of a

and

divided asunder as by the

definitions,

sword of the

Spirit

of God.'

The

depths,
to his

and

stages of Quietism were not

what attracted him

new

system

these were an esoteric doctrine to him.

satisfactory

All that he
relieving

wanted was some ready and

his

method of
in

conscience of an intolerable burden, and of attaining to a

religious
life
;

truly

and reading
that he that
as
is

one day

Castaniza's

'Spiritual

Combat,'

'

employed

in mortifying his

will is as well

employed

though he were converting Indians,'

will.

he

set

himself rudely to the task of mortifying his

He

began as an Englishman, with a rough, unsparing hand and

an honest

heart.

He

sighed for no canonisation, he coveted

no marvellous revelations.
had
to do,

To
it

mortify his will was

all

that

he
?

and how

else could

be done but by mortification

SELF-MORTIFICATION
So he shut himself up
attending
to
in his study for five or six

19

weeks (only
fought
his

necessary

college

business),

and

corruptions by almost

incessant prayer.

Extravagance was

added
tion

to extravagance.

among

wild

The narrative of our Lord's temptabeasts made him think that he ought to
;

expose himself to the cold

and

at night,

after

supper, he

went into Christ Church Walk, knelt under a

tree,

and con-

tinued in silent prayer until the great bell rang and called him
to his college.

Mortification next required the discontinuance

of a diary which he kept,

and

also abstinence from the use of

in prayer,

forms and even of audible speech

and cessation from

works of mercy.
should forsake
'to leave
all,'

Its

inexorable logic next required that he

all his friends, for is it

if

not written that

we

are

we would

follow Christ?

and accordingly,

instead of meeting with his beloved brethren on one of their

weekly fast-days,
silent prayer.

Wednesday, he went

into

the

fields

for

The evening meeting also was neglected, and on Thursday morning he did not make his usual appearance at Charles Wesley's breakfast-table. This made Charles call
upon him
morbid
to see

what was the matter, and finding that

he counselled Whitefield
to

it

was

anxiety,

seek spiritual

direction from his brother John,

trusted.

whose

skill

he thoroughly

The
to

spell of

Quietism was broken

spirit

it

was not potent enough

hold such a

as Whitefield's long in bondage,

and

silence

was impossible under the interrogations of a loving,

anxious friend.
the aid of

With wonderful humility Whitefield sought

told

John Wesley, who

him

that

he must resume

all

his external religious exercises,

but not depend on

them

advice which might have driven him mad, not a ray of comfort in
it,

not a drop of the love of God.

And

still

the bewil-

dered inquirer, burdened with his great sorrow which no

could remove, attended diligently upon his teacher
j

man

and the

20

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
As they stand here
before our eye, one side of each

teacher, as was natural to him, confidently undertook to guide

him.

character, unconsciously displayed by that luminous sincerity

which distinguished equally both these remarkable men, comes

clearly
in

and boldly

into relief.
gifts

The

elder, while

abounding

some of the

divinest

which can adorn humanity

readiness to forgive, patience, justice

is

confident, assuming,
;

and

gratified in being

above

his fellows

the younger, while

restless with impetuosity, impatient,

if

quick to engage in conflict

not

first

to

provoke

it,

is

teachable, reverent,

and generous
yet

to

rivals.
'

The thought
to

of rivalry between
'

them
its

is

unborn; the

Father of the Holy Club

is

instructing

youngest member.

Wesley meant

do Whitefield good

service,

and

partially

succeeded when he urged him

to return

to

'

externals,' as

Methodists called acts of devotion and charity.

Only a few
he had won,
soul was

days after returning to his duty amongst the poor, Whitefield

added

to the

one convert, James Hervey,

his wife, while

whom
his

two more, a prisoner and

tormented and
afflicted.

own

Lent soon came, and

its

fastings

and hardships brought and then

Whitefield's spiritual conflicts to their fiercest vigour,

to their joyful cessation.
for this

The

externals of the Methodist rule

season were duly observed.

No meat

was eaten by
;

the brethren except on the Saturday and the Sunday

but
the

Whitefield

surpassed

them,

and often

abstained

on

Saturday

and on other days, Sunday alone excepted, he

without sugar, and coarse bread.

lived

on sage

tea,

In the cold

mornings, the biting east wind blowing, he walked out until

part of one of his hands

became quite

black.
for

When

Passion

Week came
it

he could scarce creep upstairs

weakness, and

then seemed to be time to send for his tutor, a kind, con-

siderate

man, who immediately took the common-sense plan

of calling in a doctor.

SPIRITUAL FREEDOM
1

21

Salvation by works

'

had nearly

killed

him

Quietism had

nearly driven

him mad.

Was

there not another way, which,

combining the excellences of the two plans, might bring him

out of darkness into God's marvellous light
?
'

Might he not
the hands of a

render his soul into the hands of

faithful
'

God

as into

Creator,'

and

still

devote himself with diligence to

every good word and work,' thus getting the repose combined
?

with the activity which his nature in a special degree needed

Both sides of the

spiritual life of
'

Holy
soul,

Scripture.

The

life

of

man are fully recognised in God was undoubtedly in his

'

and would have expanded

had he not been
it

rapidly, imparting to

him

daily

joy,

told that

it

must grow
;

in certain stunted

forms, or
it

was not of God

at all

and the attempt

to cripple

produced an inevitable agony.

life

No

life,

least of all

the

divine

of the soul, will quietly suffer

servitor

its

laws to be violated.

The poor
forgotten.
Spirit

was taught that truth

in

a way never
to

to

be

Ever afterwards he was careful

go whither the
free

might lead him, and hence his career was

from the

deformities of a forced asceticism

spiritualism.
cruelly,

and the vagaries of a wild

sometimes almost
it

Not
his

that he did not sternly,

rest

deny

body

and comfort, and urge

'

on

to

work
so

not that he was without

experiences

'

of spiritual things

rapturous, so excited, so absorbing, that,

compared with
saints

them, the feelings and devotional exercises of most appear

tame and
it

flat

but

there

was

health,
his

there

was

naturalness in

all.

His abounding labours,

'weariness

and

painfulness,' were always for the salvation of others, never

for his

own

his

agonies of soul were like those which the

felt for his

apostle declared that he

brethren

'

a travailing in

birth until Christ should be

formed

in their hearts.'

Left alone in his sick-room he

felt

again the blessedness of

which he had tasted one memorable draught.

What book he

had

been reading, or what devotional exercises he had been

22

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
in

engaged

when he

felt

himself free again, does not appear.

He
'

simply says
About the end of the seventh week,
spirit

after

having undergone innumer-

able buffetings of Satan and

day under the

many months' inexpressible trials by night and of bondage, God was pleased at length to remove the

me to lay hold on His dear Son by a living faith, and by giving me the spirit of adoption, to seal me, as I humbly hope, even to the day of everlasting redemption.'
heavy load, to enable

Then catching

fire at

the

remembrance

of what he

had

felt,

he exclaims in his journal

'

hig with, glory,

But oh, with what joy, joy unspeakable, even joy that was full of, and was my soul filled when the weight of sin went off, and
broke
in

an abiding sense of the pardoning love of

faith
!

God and a full assurance of Surely it was the day of my upon my disconsolate soul At first my joys espousals, a day to be had in everlasting remembrance. were like a spring-tide, and, as it were, overflowed the banks. Go where
I

would,

could not avoid singing of Psalms almost aloud

!

afterwards

it

became more settled, and, blessed be God saving a few casual has abode and increased in my soul ever since.'

intervals,

Justification

by

faith

had become an experience; and he

felt

henceforth preached
truth.

what he had

and

tasted

of this

Oxford had by

this

time become a 'sweet retirement,' and

that,

it

was with much reluctance

on a

partial recovery,
till

he yielded he should
life

to the advice of his physician to

go to Gloucester

be quite restored.

Oxford was associated with his better

life.

Gloucester with his baser

'

However, he determined either

to

make
as

or find a friend,' a person of like

mind with himself;

and

soon as he reached

home he

resolved, after impor-

tunate prayer, to

go and see an acquaintance, evidently a

woman

of literary tastes (to

whom

he had formerly read

such-like
'

'

plays,

Spectators,

Pope's Homer, and

books

'),

with the

intention of winning her for Christ.

She received the word

FIRST CONVERTS
gladly,

23
is

and soon became a

fool for Christ's sake,'

his record

in his journal.

One

friend

was not enough.

Others, young

persons, were brought under the

power of

this

new

teaching,
experi-

and the Methodist Oxonian soon repeated the Oxford

ment, and gathered his converts into a society.

All had the

honour of being despised.

Bristol, to

Similar success was not attained at

for three

which he went

weeks

his

way was hindered

by prejudices against himself, and only one young

woman

became 'obedient
At Gloucester

to the faith.'

friends were lost

and won.

Some who were

still
;

expected to give him pecuniary help

he was
It

a servitor

turned their backs on him, and disappointed him

but others,

whom

he had accounted enemies, though he had never spoken

to them,

became generous
first

friends.

was the time of

his

learning

lessons of trust in that Almighty Friend

upon

whose bountiful and loving care he

whole of a poverty-stricken
life,

cast himself throughout the

to

and

whom

he committed
loving heart.

many orphan

children, the foundlings of his

own

He

was a philanthropist, made by the man Christ Jesus.

physician had hoped, by getting his patient
to divert
!

The good Oxford

away from the University,

application to religion.

Vain hope

him from a too intense The patient simply purand engagements

sued, in the spirit of joyous liberty, duties

which had previously been an anxious burden.

all

He

cast aside

other books, and, on his bended knees, read and prayed over

the

Holy

Scriptures.

'

Light,
;

life,

and power came upon him,

'

stimulating
all

him

still

to search

every search brought treasure

fresh treasure caused fresh searching.

Experience confirmed

his faith in the doctrine of the

living Comforter, the

Holy

Spirit,

who was
seemed

to

him a
with

Power of God.
was

He

filled

the Spirit from the time he was born again.

Another of

his characteristics

his capacity of deriving

unfailing pleasure

from one

pursuit, his

independence of the

24

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
if

changes which most of us must have

grave and out of the asylum.
Christ from the beginning.

we

are to keep out of the

He
the

was

utterly consecrated to
in the unsearch-

His change was

ableness of one Person.

From

first effort

he put forth to

the last (and he laboured without respite for thirty-four years),

he never flagged

in his ardent

attachment to the same

truth,

expressed in the same words, looked at from the same standpoint.

earliest
;

His

latest letters

contain the self-same phrases as his

as

and they are given with

much

feeling as
'

if
'

they

were quite new.

They were newer every day. the Grace word that comes ,to him when his soul is comforted and strengthened, when sinners are converted, when marvellous was sweeter, richer, deliverances are wrought out for him

fuller,

more

glorious the
it

more he contemplated

it.

The

truth

was the same, but

was inexhaustible, and

its

power over

him immeasurable.
was
like

His perpetual, never withering freshness

of soul will often strike us as

we

follow

him

to the. end.

He

'a tree planted by the rivers of water, whose leaf

never withered, and whatsoever he did prospered.'

CHAPTER
1736
HIS ORDINATION AS

II

DEACON

ESSAYS

IN

PREACHING

was time for the irregular soldier to become a captain of ITthe The homes of the poor and the gaols of Lord's host.
Oxford and Gloucester had been, along with the
the finest training schools for the
halls of Oxford,

coming

leader.
all

What

progress

he had made were

in learning

does not appear;

other considerations
All learning was

lost in his

supreme pleasure
and

in religion.

nothing in comparison of the knowledge of

God and
its

of His
;

Son Jesus

Christ,

in that

knowledge he was well instructed

nor was he ignorant of his

sinfulness.

own

heart,

of

weakness and

What

natural fitness he had for speaking

none
had

could
voice,

fail

to perceive,

when once they had heard

his rich, sweet

and saw the

artless grace of all his

movements.

He

not waited for a bishop's ordination and licence to preach the

gospel to the poor
;

but a licence was ready so soon as he found

'peace with

God

through our Lord Jesus Christ.'

lightly

White-field did not

take on
toil

him the vows of

tin-

ministry.

He

was well pleased to

among

the lowest,

and

only at the suggestion of friends did the question of his receiving orders

come

into his mind.

St.

It

immediately recalled
'
:

to

him
lest,

the solemn words of

Paul to Timothy

Not a novice,

26

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
fall

being puffed up with pride, he

the devil.'
day,
'

into the

condemnation of

question which he must answer on ordinationtrust that

Do you
to take

you are inwardly moved by the Holy

this office

Ghost

upon you

and administration ?
tears,
;

'

filled

him with trembling.

said,
'

With strong crying and

he often

Lord,

am

a youth of uncircumcised lips

yet.'

Lord, send
far as to

me

not into the vineyard

He

even went so

ask

the prayers of his Oxford friends, that

God would confound the

him
at

prayers of his Gloucester friends to have

once in orders
'

but they, as might have been expected, replied,

Pray we the

Lord of the harvest

His harvest'

to

send thee and many more labourers into

still

Timidity

held

its

ground

he continued to

pray against becoming a keeper of souls so soon.

As he had longed
them
insulted, but
their daily

to

be with the Methodists when he saw

first

was staggered when the

to his lot, so

experience of
'

shame came
'

he was desiring
it.

the office

of a bishop

while fearing to enter upon

His sensitive

nature was quick to feel the presence of

to

difficulties,

and frank
by

acknowledge them

and hence his course was fashioned, not

and
insensibility to criticism, but

by blindness
the

to objections

commanding

influence of 'the things of God.'

Wesley said

of him, that
'

In whatever concerned himself, he was pliant and flexible

to

in this case

he was easy

be entreated, easy to be either convinced or persuaded

but he was immovable in the things of God, or wherever his conscience

was concerned.

None could

persuade, any more than affright, him to

vary in the least point from that integrity which was inseparable from his

whole character, and regulated

all his

words and

actions.'

When friends
for

were urging him to be ordained, he was pleasing

himself with the persuasion that he could not enter holy orders

two more

years,

because Bishop Benson had expressed his

resolution not to lay

hands on any one who was under twenty-

three years of age.

That he strongly desired

to

do what yet he

A
would not do, because
not fully convinced,
ran in his dreams
;

DREAM
judgment and
his conscience

27

his

were

is

evident from the way in which his mind

for

though he

calls the
it

dream spoken of

in

the next sentence 'a notice from God,'

was undoubtedly the

ministry.

consequence of his
says

state of

mind about the

He

Long ere I had the least prospect of being called before the bishop, I dreamed one night I was talking with him in his palace, and that he gave me some gold, which seemed to sound again in my hand. Afterward this dream would often come into my mind ; and, whenever I saw the bishop at church, a strong persuasion would rise in my mind that I should very shortly go to him. I always checked it, and prayed to God to preserve me from ever desiring that honour which cometh of man. One afternoon it happened that the bishop took a solitary walk as I was afterwards told to Lady Selwyn's, near Gloucester, who not long before had made me a present of a piece of gold. She, I found, recommended me to the bishop and, a few days after, as I was coming from the cathedral prayers, thinking of no such thing, one of the vergers called after me, and said the bishop desired to speak with me. forgetful at that time of my dream I immediately turned back, considering what I had done to deserve his lordship's When I came to the top of the palace stairs, the bishop took displeasure. me by the hand, told me he was glad to see me, and bid me wait a little till he had put off his habit, and he would return to me again. This gave me the opportunity of praying to God for His assistance, and for His
'

providence over me.

coming again into the room, the bishop told me he had heard of my behaviour at church, and inquiring my age, " Notwithstanding," says he, " I have declared I would not ordain any one under
'

At

his

my

character, liked

three-and-twenty, yet

I shall

think then

it

my

duty to ordain you whenever you

present of five guineas, to buy

come

for

holy orders."

He

made me a

a book, which, sounding again in

my

hand, put

me

in

mind

of

my dream

whereupon

my

heart was filled with a sense of God's love.'

Whitefield determined to offer himself for ordination the next

Ember

days.

That determination made, the next question

;

was as to

his place of labour

and here contending

useful,

interests

disturbed him.
friends wished to

At Gloucester he had been

have him with them.

and

his

But when he went up

out a
still

to Oxford, his old friends there

made

more urgent

28

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
them
:

case on behalf of his staying with

John and Charles

Wesley had

sailed to

Savannah

to act as chaplains to a

new

colony there, and to attempt the conversion of the Creek

Indians; the prisoners in the gaol needed some one to supply
their lack of service
;

Whitefield had been as useful at Oxford

as at Gloucester

Oxford was one of the schools of the prophets,

and every student converted was a parish gained.

urged, application for

To remove

any objection of a pecuniary nature which might have been

money

aid was

who was a

great friend of Methodists,

made to Sir John Philips, and who at once said that

if

Whitefield should have twenty pounds a year from him, even

he did not stay

at Oxford,

but thirty pounds

its

if

he

did.
for

Oxford
long
;

prevailed over Gloucester, but

triumph was not

all

English-speaking people

came and claimed

their right in

him

and

his large, brave heart

was not slow to respond.

is

Wesley

uttered the fine saying,

the

'The world

my

parish

'

Whitefield,
state-

most nearly of any man, made the saying a simple

fact.

ment of
for the

Meanwhile devout and conscientious preparation was made

approaching ordination, which was
to

be on Trinity
Whitefield
in

Sunday.

The preceding day was

spent

by

abstinence and prayer.

I retired to a hill near the town, and prayed two hours, in behalf of myself and those who were to On Sunday morning I rose early, and prayed over be ordained with me. St. Paul's Epistle to Timothy, and more particularly over that precept, "Let no one despise thy youth;" and when the bishop laid his hands upon my head, if my vile heart doth not deceive me, I offered up my and afterwhole spirit, soul, and body to the service of God's sanctuary wards sealed the good confession I had made before many witnesses, by partaking of the holy sacrament of our Lord's most blessed body and blood.'
'

In the evening,' he says,

'

fervently for about

Elsewhere he says
'This
for,
is

a day

'

(June 20, 1736)

about noon,

much to be remembered, O my soul! was solemnly admitted by good Bishop Benson, before
'

THE GOOD OF SOULS

many
witnesses, into holy orders, and was, blessed be
after

29

God
I

kept comto

posed both before and

of the office

imposition

of

hands.

endeavoured

behave with unaffected devotion, but not suitable enough to the greatness
I

was

to undertake.

At

the

every question from the bottom of

my

heart,

same time I trust I answered and heartily prayed that God

might say Amen.

action.

/ hope

the

Let come what

will, life or death,

good of souls will be my only principle of \f depth or height, I shall hencepresence of

forward live like one

who

this day, in the

men and
Church.

angels,

took the holy sacrament, upon the profession of being inwardly moved by
the
I

Holy Ghost
began with
I

to take

upon me that ministration

prayers
to

in the

This

leading

the

prisoners in

the

county gaol.

Whether

myself shall ever have the honour of styling myself a prisoner

;

of the Lord,
witness, that
to

be a

I know not but, indeed, I can call heaven and earth to when the bishop laid his hand upon me, I gave myself up martyr for Him who hung upon the cross for me.'

The words we have

to

italicised faithfully describe the ministry

which he was

this

day

set apart

'
:

/ hope

the

good of souls
preach in the

will be

my only principle of action.' Many of Whitefield's friends pressed him

in

to

afternoon after his ordination, but

he could

not.

He

had

been

Gloucester a fortnight, partly with the intention of

composing some sermons.

so
that

He

wanted 'a hundred

at least,'
re-

he might not be altogether without ministerial

sources, compelled always to go from the study to the pulpit

with a newly forged weapon

other

but, alas he found, like many who have attempted the same thing, that sermons cannot easily be made without the helping excite;
!

beginners

ment of expected and appointed work.

enough
in his heart,

He

had matter
mentioned
his

but nothing would flow from his pen.

all
;

He

strove

and prayed, but

a clergyman
of feeling

to

no purpose.
that

He

his case

to

but
his

gentleman showed

refinement

and

sympathy with a young man's

life,

anxiety and fear on the threshold of public

by

telling

Whitcfield that he was an enthusiast.

He

wrote to another,

and

this

time the response was kind, assuring him of the

30
writer's

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
prayers,

and explaining
in this

to

him why God might be

last

dealing with

him

manner.

At

he thought he found
'
:

the cause of his inability

explained

by these words

We
; ;

essayed to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit suffered us not

and by the words spoken

to Ezekiel

Thou
'

shalt

be

dumb

but when I speak unto thee, then shalt thou speak.'

This

made him

quite easy
little

he did

'

not doubt but that

He who

increased a

lad's loaves

and

fishes for the feeding of a

great multitude would,

spiritual
to.'

from time to time, supply him with

food for whatever congregation he should be called

after his ordination, while

The morning

Speak out.' How he used came these words into his mind that permission, and how his one sermon grew until he had
'

he was praying,

preached more than eighteen thousand times, or more than

ten times a
if

week

for four-and-thirty years for illnesses

allowance be made

and long voyages

it

considerably more, and fed

be our next duty to
is,

multitudes beyond computation,

trace.

will

On

the Sunday after his ordination, that

first

on June

27,

1736, Whitefield preached his

in the old familiar

sermon.

It

was delivered

church to a large congregation, which had

assembled out of curiosity to hear a

townsman

its

subject

was

'

The

Necessity and Benefit of Religious Society.

feeling of

awe crept over him as he looked upon the crowd

of which had been familiar to
efforts in

of faces,
infancy.

many

Former

public speaking

him from his when a boy, and

his labours in exhorting the poor,

to

proved of immense service

him, removing

what

has
first

often

overwhelmed bold and

capable speakers on their

strangeness
to

appearance

the sense of
'

utter

the work;
;

his soul

was comforted with the

he proceeded, the
he
fire

presence of the Almighty

kindled,
authority.'
fear

and

as

forsook

him,
;

and

spoke with

gospel

few mocked

but there could be no doubt

FIRST SERMON
about the power of the new preacher.

31

complaint was soon

made
by
his

to the

bishop that fifteen persons had been driven

mad
Nor

sermon.

The bishop only

replied, that

he hoped the

madness might not be forgotten before another Sunday.

is

that

first

sermon without another touch of

first

interest.

It

was

not prepared, in the

for
'

instance, for St.

'

Mary de

Crypt, but
for its

a small Christian society

fact

which accounts

being on such an unusual topic for beginners, and for the

thoroughly Methodistical thoughts found at
as
it

its
it

close.

Just
its

had been preached

to the society

was

sent by

author to a neighbouring .clergyman, to show him

the author was to preach.

how

unfit

He

kept

it

a fortnight, and then

it,

sent

it

back with a guinea

it

for the loan of

it

saying that he

had divided

into two,

and preached

to his people

morning

and evening.

On Tuesday
polite sinners.

he preached again, and repeated his attacks on

Before he returned to Oxford on the Wednes-

day, Bishop

Benson added
of
five

to all

his past

kindnesses
with
a

one

more

present

guineas,

which,

quarter's

allowance

now due from

Sir

John

Philips,

enabled him to pay

his ordination

expenses and take his bachelor's degree.

servitor's
arts.

For another week he wore the

habit,

and then

assumed the gown of a bachelor of

The
to

Methodists,

who had
installed

received

him with

great joy

on

his return to Oxford, his

him

as their

chief,

and committed
poor
life.

charge

the religious oversight of their work, and the charity-money

which they collected and used

for

prisoners.

A
;

sweet

repose rests upon this part of his

Heart and mind

inter-

were

at

peace

studies were pursued with satisfaction

course with religious friends was free and congenial; private

Christian duties, prayer, praise,
to his

and meditation, charmed him

for the

room

work was
last

to

be done

defence and spread

of truth.

Our

glimpse of him in his 'sweet retirement'

32

GEORGE WHITEEIELD
him poring over Matthew Henry's Commentary, and

sees

then writing to a friend

down

at Gloucester

Herewith I have sent you seven pounds to pay for Mr. Henry's ComDear Squire Thorold lately made me a present of ten guineas, so that now (for ever blessed be the Divine goodness !) I can send you
'

mentary.

more than
I

thought

for.

In time

hope

to

pay the apothecary's

bill.

If

forget your favours, I shall also forget

receiving this

money

and gracious God

the sons of men.'

for

Say nothing of your only give thanks, give hearty thanks to our good His infinite, unmerited mercy to me, the vilest of

my God.

trivial

circumstance called him forth from his study

before he was twenty-two years old.

The

curate of the

Tower

Chapel, London,
into
to

who was an

intimate friend, having to go

Hampshire

to officiate there for a short time,

asked him
Whitefield

fill

his place during his

absence from home.

for

complied with the request, and took coach

London on

Wednesday, August
His
ing
first

4,

1736, with

much
in

fear

and trembling.

sermon

in the metropolis

was preached on the followBishopsgate Church.

stairs

Sunday afternoon, August

8th,

His youthful appearance as he went up the pulpit

provoked, as he in his sensitive state of mind thought, a

general
sneer,

which,

however,

was exchanged

for

solemn

seriousness

when he got

into his sermon.

;

He

again conhis

quered himself and his congregation

and the people, on

respect,

coming down from the

blessed

pulpit,

showed him every

and

him

as he passed along.

No

one could answer the

question which was

now on

every one's lips

'

Who

was the

preacher to-day?'
short

Attention had been gained, and the two

visit

months of the London

were quite long enough to

secure a crowded chapel at the

ordinary

such a

Any man might have been sure of perfect quietness in place, and of returning home as unknown as when he
Tower every Sunday.
;

entered the city

and no doubt such would have been White-

BORN A PREACHER
field's

33

case but for his wonderful powers and for that blessing

from above which went whithersoever he went.

The

usual

wearisome time which

in striving with self

ability
it

and worth spend

in self-culture,

till

is

well mastered, in grappling with

prejudices, and, not improbably, with positive injustice,

was a
in

time never known to Whitefield.

youth, his sun rose to
its

He came

to

manhood
For him

zenith at early morn.

to

preach was at once to spread excitement, and draw together

masses of people
hold

and when they came he never

His

lost

his

upon
;

them.

manner

always

charmed,

never

offended

whereas the utmost mental power and personal

worth of many preachers can hardly sustain the patience of

their hearers

through a half-hour's sermon.

;

His thought was

always marked by good sense

with inanity.
his heart as

no one could be disgusted

fresh,

His emotion was always

;

streaming from

from a perennial fountain

and, unless the hearer

could not

feel,

could not be touched by tenderness or awe, he

was sure

to find his soul

made more

sensitive.

The

hearts of

most were melted

like silver in

in the intense heat of the preacher's fervour

a refiner's furnace.

During

his stay at the

Tower he preached and catechised

and
in

once a week, and

the
infirmary

visited the soldiers in the barracks

;

daily

every
;

morning and evening he read

prayers at

Wapping Chapel
'

and on Tuesday he preached

at

Ludgate prison.
town,' he says,

Religious friends from divers parts of the

'attended the word, and several young

men

came on Lord's Day morning under serious impressions, to The chapel was hear me discourse about the new birth.
crowded on Lord's Days.'

Here a

letter
all

reached him from his old friends the Wesleys

which told

that they were doing in Georgia,

and made him

be

long to go and join them.

But

difficulties

stood in the way.

to

He had

no

'

outward

call,'

and

his health

was supposed

34

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
He
strove to

unequal to a sea-voyage.

throw

off the

new
His
in

thoughts and feelings, prayed that the Lord would not suffer

him

to

be deluded, and asked counsel of

his friends.

friends were not less sensible in advising than he

had been

asking for advice.

They,

too, laid
;

emphasis on the absence of

a definite call from abroad

at

they urged the need of labourers

home, and begged

their friend to avoid rashness

and wait

further for an intimation of the will of

God.

Their counsel
that
it

was received with

was best to do
present,

all

respect,

and Whitefield, agreeing

and

so,

banished Georgia from his mind

heartily with his preaching

for the

and went on

visiting

until the return of his friend

from the country.

Then he went back

weeks more, and
sumed.

to his delightful life at

Oxford

for a

few
re-

for the last

time his quiet duties were

to presage the

His
;

state of

mind seemed

wonders of
its

his ministry

his heart

burned with even more than

former

fervour

and other students having received a

life,

similar impulse

to their spiritual

Whitefield's

room was

daily the scene of

such religious services as distinguished the Church immediately after

the

descent of the

Holy Ghost

at Pentecost,

when
Christ.

little

bands of devout disciples met to pray and to

encourage each other in the profession of the name of Jesus

Kindness waited on him during these few weeks, as

during the rest of his
rich
life.

it

did

His power to win the hearts of

and poor, which,

as Dr.
in

Johnson would have

said,

always

kept his friendships

repair,

had constrained the heart of a

the least solicitation, sent

gentleman

in

London who, without

for the poor,

him money

and

also as

much

for himself as

sufficed to discharge a small debt contracted for

books before

he took his degree.

Lady Betty Hastings, sister of the Earl of Huntingdon, also assisted both him and some of his Methodist friends, thus beginning an intimacy between him

AS A COUNTRY PARSON
and her family which
lasted as long as

35

he

lived,

and grew

deeper towards the end.

Things were beginning

to give

promise of the future

the

dim

outline of his career was distinguishable.

;

College quiet-

ness had been broken

first

attempt

at

public work had

been successfully made.

Georgia had come before his mind

for

and although banished

a while

it

was soon

to return, an

the next time with an imperative message.

In

November another

call to

preach came to him, sent upon

a principle which has been extensively put in practice by a

large section of clergymen in the
early Methodist preachers,

Church of England.

The

who were
'

the true predecessors, in

'

a spiritual

line,

of the later

Evangelical School
to
set

of the

Church
the

of England, were the

first

the

example, which

evangelicals have largely copied,

their

of always seeking
their pulpits
it

men

of

own

religious views to

fill

when they had

occasion to be from home.

Thus

was that the Methodist

'

clergyman of Dummer,

in

Hampshire,

being likely to be
for the

chosen Dean of Corpus Christi College,' sent

Methodist

deacon of Pembroke
to

to preach for him, while

he himself went

Oxford

to attend to the

pending promotion.
his friends,

The young
and the two

deacon asked, as usual, the advice of

exchanged places.

Trouble now arose from an unexpected quarter.

He who
'

had

felt

himself to be the vilest of

men

could not

brook

'

having intercourse with the poor,

illiterate

people of the future

intellectual
all

Dean

of Corpus Christi

Amidst the moral and

barrenness of his

new

charge, Whitefield would have given

'

the world for one of his Oxford friends, and of

mourned

for lack

them

like a dove.'

To overcome
Law

his

unholy aversion he
fictitious character,
'

gave himself to prayer and to the study of a

'

Ourania,' which William

has sketched in his

of humility

Serious

Call to a

Devout

Life,' as a pattern

The

unlovely

36
rustics

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
became more pleasant
to his eye,

and he found, what

was
of

everybody finds who goes among the poor with a warm heart,
that their conversation, artless, honest,

and

fresh,

full

instruction

and stimulus

his

new
the
visit

friends

successfully conIt

tended

for his heart against

old

ones.

became no
they often

unpalatable

duty to

go and
in

them,

seeing

taught him as

much
'

an afternoon as he could learn by a

week's private study.

He

imbibed the
all
'

spirit
all

of the apostle,

who was ready

St.

to

become
;

things to

men,

if

by any

means he might save some

Paul,

the

spirit, too,

of a greater than

whom

'

the

common
set

people heard gladly.'

of

His friend had also

his work,

him a good example

method

in

which he wisely followed.

Public prayers were read

twice a day

in the

morning before the people went out to

;

work, and in the evening after they returned

children were also

catechised daily, and the people visited from house to house.

His day was divided into three parts

eight hours for study eight for reading

and retirement, eight

prayers, catechising,

for sleep

and meals, and

and

visiting the parish.

During
in

this visit

he had an invitation to a profitable curacy

his

London, no doubt through

London

labours, but
difficult

it

was

declined.
trying,

more

attractive,

because a more

and more

sphere of labour, was Georgia, to which he was

now

called in a

way earnest enough

and
plain

to arouse all the

enthusiasm of

his ardent soul,

enough

to leave

him without a doubt

that

God

willed that he should go.

in

predisposition in favour

of the

new colony was

process

of formation when, in

December, news came of the return of Charles Wesley.

there

Next

came

a letter from his old friend, stating that he had

come
field,

over for labourers, but adding, with reference to White'

dare not prevent God's nomination.'

few days

elapsed,

and a

letter

came from John, couched

in stronger

and

less diffident

language than Charles had used.

So strange and

A CALL TO GEORGIA
events in
life

37

unexpected are the changes which come over the course of

that Wesley,
visit
it,

who was
is

shortly to leave

America

and never again

could write

in this

urgent and confident

way

'

Only Mr. Delamotte

with me,

till

God

shall stir

up

the hearts of

some

of His servants, who, putting their lives in

their hands, shall

come

over and help

us,

where the harvest

if

is

so great and the labourers so few.

What

thou art the man,

Mr. Whitefield
Whitefield's

?
'

Another of

his letters,

by presenting

to

mind nothing but heavenly rewards, was

co-operation.
'

still

better calculated to secure his

Do you

ask

me,' he says, 'what you shall have?

to put on, a not,

Food
in

to eat

and raiment

house to lay your head

such as your Master had

and a crown of glory

that fadeth not away.'

As Whitecall.

field read, his heart

leaped within him, and echoed to the

The call was heaven-sent, if any call has ever been. The United States, then a line of English colonies on
and he
as largely in their kindness

the

Atlantic coast, were to share largely in Whitefield's labours,

and generosity

and

that

hand which was beckoning him

effectually

to their shore to

was quietly and

England.

undoing the

ties

which held him

Mr.

Kinchin obtained the appointment of Dean of Corpus

Christi,

and could take Whitefield's place

at

as the leader of
to

Methodism
cure
of

Oxford.

Mr.

Hervey was ready

be a necessity

serve

the

Dummer.

No

place would suffer from Whitefield's departure,

to
for

and there seemed

from the

him

to help Georgia,

which was a young, increasing colony, enjoying much favour

home government.

Besides, there were

felt

many Indians

near the colony, and Whitefield

sionary
spirit.

the stirrings of a mis-

and

in a

way

that

The decision was given in favour of Georgia, made alteration almost out of the question.
resolution was

Neither Oxford friends nor Gloucester relations were this time

consulted, but a firm, personal

made which

nothing was

to

be allowed to

assail.

Relations were informed

33

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

;

of his intentions
to bid

but told that he would not so

much

as

come

them

farewell,

unless they promised not to dissuade

him

for

he said that he knew his own weakness.

his

However,

weakness so

far

gained upon him as to send

him down

to Gloucester

on

New Year's

Day, 1736-37, after he

;

had said goodbye

to his friends at

Oxford

and
in

his strength

had so much increased that he succeeded

purpose.

abiding by his

Bishop Benson welcomed him as a

'

father,
I

approved

of his design, wished him success, and said,

that

do not doubt

God

will

bless you,
his
'

and

that

you
first

will

do much good
and

abroad.'

But

own

relations at

were not so passive.

his credit hers.

His mother wept

Others

sore,'

which was both to

base words,

tempted

him with

which must have

it
;

buttressed his citadel instead of undermining

they

'

urged
at

what pretty preferments he might have

home.'

if

he would stay

He showed

no wavering, and the opposition ceased.

was marked by that constant industry
last.

This farewell

visit

which distinguished him to the

He

preached often

enough
gations,

'

to

grow a

little

popular,'

and

to gather large congre-

which were moved by the word of God.

In three

weeks he went to Bristol

to take leave of his friends there,

and

again he preached, undertaking duty this time in an unexpected

way.
It

being his custom, go where he might, to attend the

daily services of the Church, lie

went

to St. John's to hear a

sermon.

When
his

prayers were over,

and the psalm was being

to preach.

sung, the minister

'

came

to

him and asked him

Having
alarm

notes about him, he complied.'

The

next day

the same thing was repeated at St. Stephen's, but this time the
'
'

excited by his preaching was so widespread, that, on

all

the following Sunday, crowds of people, of

'

denominations,

Quakers, Baptists, Presbyterians, &c.,' flocked to the churches

to
officiate,

where he had
admission.

and many were unable him

to

find

The

civic authorities paid

respect, the

mayor

HOL V JEALOUS V
'For some time following he preached
all

39

appointing him to preach before himself and the corporation.

the lectures on

week-days, and twice on Sundays, besides visiting the religious

societies.'

As

always, so now, he preached with

;

power and

with the

Holy Ghost and the new doctrines

with the prevalent teachings of the

faith

new as compared times of by

justification

and the new

birth,

'

made
It is

their

way

like lightning into

the hearers' consciences.'

jealousy with which,
to hear him,

touching to mark the holy

excitement and eagerness
!

amid the

city's
'

he entreated a

friend,

Oh

pray, dear Mr.

fully

that

God would

always keep

me humble, and
all

convinced
is

that I

am

nothing without Him, and that

earth,

the

good which

done upon

God

doth

it

Himself.'

CHAPTER
March, 1737
APPOINTED CHAPLAIN

III

March,

1738

TO THE GEORGIAN

COLONY

EARLY

POPULARITY

FIRST VOYAGE

EORGIA,
dated June
9,

the last colony founded in America by England,

in

-T was named C"*

honour of George
It

II.,

and held a charter

keep
in

1732.

was an outpost,

to

check the

Spaniards and the French.

Its first settlers

were poor English,

'slums,' Jews,

debtors out of gaols and dwellers in

London

and convicts from Jamaica.

Then came

English,
;

Scotch,

and Moravians
also

company

of a higher type

there
their

were

Saltzburgers

from Germany, driven from

cruelty to a

homes
in

by

Roman
not

Catholic

colony

where' Catholics

were
the

permitted to come.
of

The

government was

hands

twenty

one

Trustees,

many

of

whom
semi-

were Presbyterians.
active philanthropist,
political,

General Oglethorpe, the romantic and

was

the

first

governor of

this
spirits

semi-philanthropical settlement.

Ardent
'

were

prohibited, and no one might hold

slaves.

The Trustees

refused

to

make

a law permitting such a horrid crime as

slavery,' says the

Governor.

Close to the white

men were

25,000 Creek Indians, whose rights were respected and their

goodwill conciliated.
stituting a

The Trustees
40

honestly aimed at con

colony morally sound and useful.

GEORGIA
To keep
settlers,

41

the sanctions of religion before the minds of the

a chaplain, by

name Bosomworth, was

sent out with

the

first

company

but unfortunately he

was a hypocrite,

and, taking to himself a native

raised an
fully

woman

as wife, through her he

armed opposition among the Indians, and unsuccess-

sought to destroy the whites.

The moral

condition of

the colony, not over

good

to begin with, rapidly deteriorated,

to

and a native
saying
'
:

chief,

when urged

embrace

Christianity, refused,
!

Why,

these are Christians at Savannah

!

these are
('Chris-

Christians at Frederica
tian
tell
'

Christian
in).
!

had smuggled drink

!

'

much drunk!' Christian beat men

!

Christian

lies

Devil Christian

Me

no Christian

'

To

this

strange mixture of

men and women came John and

5,

Charles

Wesley on February
both signally failed
Neither of them
that

1736.
at

With the best of intentions they

Savannah, Charles at Frederica.
is

John

knew

the liberty which

'

in Christ Jesus,

and

same

pitiless legalism, or

methodism,' which they applied

to themselves, they strove to enforce

result that they

on the

colonists, with the

were hated, abused,

resisted,

and persecuted.
he ought,

John says

that after having preached there, not as

but as he was able, one year and nine months, he shook off
the dust of his feet

and

left

Georgia.

Charles had been glad

to sail again even sooner than John.

Thus

the colony was

without a chaplain, and the experience of the Trustees might

have made them decide

guides.

to

meddle no more with

spiritual

Yet

'

James Oglethorpe,

Esq.,

and the Honourable Trustees'

received the
ness,

young preacher, George Whitefield, with kindbefore them early in March, 1737,
in

when he appeared
an appointment

desiring

their

colony of Georgia.

The

Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London both

approved of Whitefield's design
;

the former prelate, however,

:

expressing himself in these ungracious words

'

shall take

42

GEORGE WH1TEF1ELD
go
to

particular notice of such as

Georgia,

if

they do not go

out

of any sinister

view.'

On

which Whitefield remarks

'This put

me upon

inquiry what were

my

motives in going:

and, after the strictest examination,

my conscience
earth,
I

answered

Not
be

to please

any man

living

upon

nor out of any

believe to

sinister

view; but simply to comply with what

will,

Thy
It

God, and to promote Thy

souls.'
sail to

glory,

Thou

great

Shepherd and Bishop of

was not an easy thing to

sixty years ago.

a distant land a hundred

and

prolonged

stay,

enforced by the slow

despatch of business, or by the absence of favourable winds,

often gave the traveller
farewell to his friends
;

more than one opportunity of saying

and, even

when embarkation

fairly

took place,

it

was no guarantee that he was

at

finally gone.

calm might land him

any port on the British shores, and

to

from thence he was sure

communicate with

his

friends.

Thus

it

happened

that Whitefield, after his appointment, con-

tinued three weeks in London, waiting for Mr. Oglethorpe,

who was

expecting to

sail

every day

and

then, at

last,

quietly

betook himself to Stonehouse, in Gloucestershire, to supply the

place of a clerical friend,

who went

to

London on

business.

Of course
His
in

the time spent in the metropolis was devoted to

preaching, and Stonehouse was to prove a happier Duraraer.

meetings

in

private

houses and

the

public

services

the church were both attended by overflowing congregaIt

tions.

was a time of much

he says,
'

spiritual gladness with

him.

'

I found,'

uncommon

manifestations granted

me

from above.
all the

Early in the morning, at noonday, evening, and midnight, nay,

long, did the blessed Jesus visit

day

Could the trees of a certain wood near Stonehouse speak, they would tell what sweet communion I and some dear souls enjoyed with the ever-blessed God there.
refresh
heart.

and

my

Sometimes, as
that I thought

I
it

have been walking, my soul would make such sallies would go out of the body. At other times I would be so
infinite majesty, that I

overpowered with a sense of God's

would be con-

MEETINGS AND PARTINGS

strained lo throw myself prostrate on the ground,

43

blank in His hands, to write on never to be forgotten.

It

and otier my soul as a what He pleased. One night was a time happened to lighten exceedingly. I had been
it

expounding
it

to

many

people, and

some being

afraid to go

home,
stir
!

thought

my

duty to accompany them, and improve the occasion, to

to

prepare for the second coming of the Son of

soul feel
?

man

but oh

them up what did

my

On my

return to the parsonage-house, whilst others were

rising

from their beds, and frightened almost to death, to see the lightning

run upon the ground, and shine from one part of the heaven to another,

and another, a poor but pious countryman, were in the field praising, to, and exulting, in our God, and longing for that time when Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in a flame of fire O that my soul may
I

praying

be in a like frame when

He

shall actually

come

to call

me

The
says,

gentleness

and sweetness of spring

;

also

had

their

attractions for

him

it

was early

in

May, and the country, he

'looked to
I

me

like a

second paradise, the pleasantest

thought of leaving
better

place

ever was in through

Stonehouse people, with

my life.' The whom he agreed

all
'

and

better,'

touched
a friend
:

his affectionate heart not a

'

little,

and he wrote

to

I believe

we

shall part weeping.'

There had been

but a month's short intercourse with them, and they were the
flock of another pastor
;

but

it

was Whitefi eld's way

if

to love
life-

people and to labour for them as

time, never jealous of

he had known them a

any one, nor dreaming that any one could

his leave

be jealous of him

and when he took

tears,'

on Ascension

Day, 'the sighs and

he

says,

'almost broke

my

heart.'

The

guest

whom
;

Stonehouse was sorry to part with, Bristol

indeed the people there, gratefully rememvisit to

was glad to receive

bering Whitefield's
his

them

in

February, insisted upon

of their enthusiastic

coming

to see

them

again.

The account
like

reception of

him reads more

an extract from the journal

of a conquering general, or from that of a prince on a progress

through his provinces, than that of a young clergyman, twenty-

two years

old.

Multitudes on foot and

city gates
;

many

in

coaches met

him a mile outside the

and as he passed along the

44
streets in the

GEOkGE WHITEFlELD
midst of his friends, almost every one saluted and

blessed him.
regret,

The

general joy was deepened when, to his

own
was

Mr. Oglethorpe sent him word that their departure for

longer.
Bristol

America would be delayed two months

completely under the spell of
the doctrines he preached.
its visitor,

or rather of

him and
five

The

rich forsook their comforts

and

pleasures, to jostle

and push among the crowd which

Quaker

times every week besieged the church where Whitefield was

to preach.
his

The

quiet

left

the unimpassioned talk of

meeting-house to

feel

the thrill of oratory.

left his

The uncom-

promising Nonconformist

chapel for the church, where

he had too often

failed to find the heart-searching preaching

satisfy his wants,

which alone could

but where he was

now

pierced as with arrows, and healed as with the balm of Gilead.

The

idle worldling,

who seldom made an

to say.

effort to

be interested go and hear

in anything,

shook

off his supineness at least to

what the stranger had

for a place

The

vicious

and depraved strove

where they might hear the love of

God toward

sinners, the greatness

and preciousness of the work of His Son

in the hearts of

Jesus,
all

and the mighty help of the Holy Ghost

live a

who would

holy

life,

spoken of with a tenderness and

to

an earnestness
condition.
feeling of a

befitting

themes so dear

them

in their abject

The broken-hearted rejoiced in the sympathetic teacher who knew all their sorrow. The mixed
T

mass of hearers
into every
loft,

filled

the pews, choked the aisles,

rails

swarmed

nook and corner, hung upon the

of the organto

climbed upon the leads of the church.

As many had

turn away disappointed as had gained admission.

preacher's words

And
it

the

were
lasted,

more than a pleasant sound, much

and soon forgotten when
ceased
;

enjoyed while

it

they struck into heart

and conscience, turning the wicked man

alive,

from his wickedness, that he might save his soul

and

awakening the generous emotiuns of

all.

PRACTICAL RELIGION
Whitefield began with
his congregations as

45

he continued
benevolent

and ended with them.

use of
is

He made
felt
it

a practical,

them

for

he

that our profession of love to

God
to

but a mockery, unless

'

be
is

connected with love

not
in

one another, and

in truth.'

love

which

word,

but

in

deed and

He

did not preach to please his hearers,

to

and they must not come

to

be pleased.
as
their

They must come

privilege
in

know
;

their

duty,

as

well
thrice

the

Gospel
to

and

so,

twice

or

every week,

he appealed

them on behalf of the

prisoners in Newgate,
yet

and made
work
in

collections.

Howard had not

begun

his holy

our gaols

but the temporal and spiritual wants of prisoners

never failed to
Methodists.
for the

move the sympathy of Whitefield and the early The first band of Methodists had a special fund prisoners in Oxford gaol, and when Whitefield left the
it

University he had the disposing of

the prisoners.
visitor at

and the chief charge of

he was a regular
charit-

In
;

London and
and
of the
'

in Gloucester

Newgate

in Bristol

he pursued the same

able plan.

The author
'

Life

and Adventures of Oliver

was the character
but Goldsmith

Goldsmith

imagines that

Dr. Primrose
;

which suggested prison philanthropy

much
Joseph
|

more

likely got the suggestion

from the Methodists, who had

been already
Alleine,

at

work

in prisons

some

thirty years.

an intimate friend of Wesley's grandfather, preached

to prisoners a

hundred years before the

charity

'

Vicar of Wakefield

was written.

The same comprehensive

During
his stay at Bristol

was displayed towards the

poor of Georgia, whose faces Whitefield had not yet seen.

he paid a

visit

to Bath,

where

his

preaching produced as deep an impression as in the

sister city,

and where some

and
If

rich ladies gave

for the

him more than a hundred

flock.

sixty

pounds

poor of his future

parting from the simple peasants of Stonehouse was hard.

46
it

GEORGE WHITE El ELD

could not be easy to tear himself away from
Bristol,

which
if

offered

him both ample means and

for love

affectionate regard,

he

would continue
cared nothing
'June
;

to minister in its churches.

For the money he

he cared everything.

21st,'

he says, 'I took

my

last farewell

of Bristol.

But when

came

them it might be that they would " see my high and low, young and old burst into such a flood of
to tell
;

face
tears

no more," as I have
gushed out
;

never seen before

like water.

drops

fell

from their eyes like

in the

rain, or rather

Multitudes, after sermon, followed

me home weeping
morning
till

and

the next day I talking

was employed from seven

spiritual advice to

midnight, in

and giving

awakened

souls.'

As he had heard

that a great

company intended
morning

to see

him

out of town he departed early

in the

for Gloucester,

then he went to Oxford, and forward to London.

Thus he

had two or three leave-takings

was not approved of by

at various places.

This popularity inevitably brought trouble.

all
;

His doctrine

and

thus,

under the pressure of from

friends,
It

aspersions from enemies

and

entreaties
'

he was

induced to publish his sermon on

a

Regeneration.'

contains

statement of

the

ordinary evangelical
;

views upon that only two sentences

subject, given in very ordinary language

would be

likely to catch the

eye of any one

who might

read the

sermon with a previous understanding of the preacher's views.

Once he makes
be well
tion.'
if

a side-hit at metaphorical interpreters

'
:

It will

they do not interpret themselves out of their salva-

In another sentence he states a view which he and his

contemporary Methodist friends

to their

honour be

it

said

always carried into practice, as well as urged in their preaching

;

he says

'

The sum

of the matter

is

this

Christianity

includes morality, as grace does reason.'

true
religion
in

Elsewhere he defines
'
:

these strikingly noble words

universal

morality founded

upon the love of God and

faith in the

Lord

Jesus Christ.'

'The only Methodism,' he

exclaims, 'I desire

RELIGION AND MORALITY

to

47

know

is

a holy method of dying to ourselves, and of living to

God.'

committed,

The prophets themselves, to whom, in ancient time, was among other exalted duties, the task of guarding the morality of the Hebrew nation, of protesting against every use
and of the temple
service

of the ceremonial law

which would

degrade religion into a superstition, and the apostles, who

never failed to link the plainest and humblest of duties with the
loftiest

doctrines they taught, were not

more jealous

that reli-

gion and morality should not be divorced from each other, than

were Whitefield and the Wesleys.

The ground
whole
life

of the moderns
in his

was taken up

clearly

and boldly by Whitefield

his

sermon
for a

just referred to,

and throughout

was never

moment
lay,

forsaken.

The

great strength of the

new movement

not in the advocacy of any peculiar doctrine, but in the

union of doctrine and precept, of privilege and responsibility.

It

was a true expression of the apostle's argument

to the

Church
So

at
far

Rome the
from
its

doctrine of grace united with purity of

life.

resting alone or principally

upon a

particular doc-

trine,

Whitefield and Wesley were divided upon doctrine, the

their

one holding with Arminius, the other with Calvin; yet

work, even after the rupture between them, was not hindered

much vigour and as Some would have morality without religion, but these men proclaimed everywhere that religion is the root of morality that every man needs the renewing power of the Spirit of God in his heart and that
or destroyed, but carried forward with as

much

to the profit of

mankind

as ever.

the

'fruit

of the

Spirit

is

love,

joy,

peace,

long-suffering,

gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.'

Whether
forcing

friends

and enemies did Whitefield a

service by
;

him

to publish, has

been much questioned

step.

indeed,

nearly every one has

that he did himself

condemned the

Franklin thought

an abiding

injustice,

because his power lay

48

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
;

not in the pen, but in the tongue

better for his reputation

and

that

it

would have been

his

had he allowed only the reports of

genius and of his triumphs to be kept as his memorial for

succeeding generations.

As

to the sermons, perhaps Franklin

was
idle

right

but Whitefield would have been no more than an

of his writings, without

name had we been without some

and some of

his journal, pamphlets,

his letters.

With him

it

was no consideration what might be thought of

his powers.

During

his life

he never gave a moment

or not
;

to recollect

whether he

had any
hunger

literary reputation

and

least of all did

he
first

after

posthumous fame.
wanted

He

published in the

instance, because he
his friends

to clear himself of aspersions,

;

and

wished to have his sermons

and

in the

second

instance, because

he found that

his

sermons were often as useful

eyes, in

when read
of the

as

when heard.

Many weeping

England,

in

Scotland, in America, in the hut of the emigrant, in the cottage

peasant, in the
hall

of the nobleman,

once eagerly

searched for consolation and hope, and found them in those

pages which few

now

care to read, excepting curious orators,

want to find out the secret of Whitefield's power.

who The two old

is

volumes have a touching interest when

bered.

their history

rememand
of

They speak
;

of

broken-hearted

penitents

rejoicing believers

and

this

alone suffices to lend them an air

of sanctity.
Intellectual

But they are not without passion and directness.

they are
not
;

their

feebleness

becomes

their

wonder.
spirit

It

would be a profound

satisfaction to the

humble

of their author to
;
'

know

that

men

regard them as 'weak

irre-

things
ligion

for,

remembering how they once prevailed over

and

vice,

and over
'

cultivated, thoughtful

minds, he

would simply

say,

Then hath God chosen

the

weak things
still

of the world to confound the mighty.'

And God

uses

them unto

salvation.

The sermons which had aroused

Bristol

and Bath were next

POPULARITY AND CONTEMPT

preached
August.
in

49
of

London, whither Whitefield went about the end

in

If his life
shall

Bristol

had been busy and excited

enough, what

be said of the 'torrent of popularity and

it,

contempt,' as he calls

that swept through the metropolis

in perfect retirement

His intention was

to

remain

and devote

himself, until the time of his departure for Georgia, to his

much-

loved employment of reading and praying over the word of

God upon
amain.
(societies

his

knees

but his soul had not long tasted the

sweetness of this repose

The

stewards and

when invitations to preach poured in members of the religious societies

moral, and social work) were
for a

which did

religious,

remarkably fond of hearing him, and

attracted
large

good reason
large

he

congregations,

and

got

collections.

Friendly clergymen

only too soon

to forget their admiration

it

wanted help
worker.

in their services,

and sought

from

this willing
;

The churches could

for

not hold the people

thousands

went away

want of room.

Then

the churchwardens and

effect of his

managers of the charity schools, perceiving the

preaching, that
is

to say,

its

money-effect, thought that they

must have a share of the

harvest,

and began

to plead with

him

for the benefit of the children.

For three months the stream

of people

flowed steadily towards any church in which he

;

might

be ministering

and sometimes constables had

to

be

placed both inside and outside the building, to preserve order.

Nine times a week did Whitefield engage

of preaching.
early,

in his delightful

work

On Sunday morning
to walk

it

was

his habit to rise very

and during the day

churches at which

many

miles between the

various

he was expected.

These

early

sacraments, which called

says,
'

him out before daybreak,

St.

'were,'

he

very awful.

At Cripplegate,

Anne's, and Foster Lane,

crucified,

O how
day,

often have

we seen Jesus Christ

!

and

evi-

dently set forth before us

On Sunday
5

mornings, long before

you might see

streets filled with

people going to church,

50

GEORGE WHITEF1ELD
them conversing

with their lanthorns in their hands, and hear

about the things of God.'

The

ordinary congregations, too,

which were not composed of such persons as these devout

communicants, but of
hearing for eternity.'
all

kinds, heard the word 'like people

Such popularity quite disturbed the usual order of

things.

On

sacramental occasions fresh elements had sometimes to be

consecrated twice or thrice.

The

stewards had larger offerings

table, their collec-

than they could conveniently carry to the

tion boxes or bags not having
tional time.

been made

for

such an excep-

newsagent,

who heard

of what was doing in

the religious world, thought that he was as

much

entitled to

turn

an honest penny as the stewards

and one Monday

newspaper of a

morning, when Whitefield was quietly taking breakfast with a

friend at the Tower, his eye caught sight in the

paragraph to the

effect, that
;

there was a

young gentleman going

at St. Swithin's,

volunteer to Georgia

that

he had preached
(which was

and collected and

eight pounds, instead of ten shillings

in halfpence
all

three

pounds of which was

quite true)

that he was to preach next

Wednesday

before the societies

at their general quarterly meeting.

The paragraph chagrined

to the

Whitefield very much.

He
;

was not yet inured

annoy-

ances of public

life,

and he requested the

printer not to put

him

in his

paper again
'

but his only comfort was the printer's

it,

saucy answer,

that he was paid for doing

and
full

that

he would

not lose two shillings for anybody,' and a

church

Bow

Church

it

was

on the following Wednesday.

and usefulness increased, opposition increased

As

popularity

proportionately.
it

The ground which

it

took was extraordinary,

being actually urged that these crowds which followed

Whitefield interfered with the attendance at church of regular

parishioners
;

further, that the

pews were spoiled

next,

that

he was a

spiritual

pickpocket

and

finally,

that

he made use

THE CLERGY
of a charm to get the people's
true.

51

money

which

was perfectly

And

the

clergy

some
;

of them, at
spiteful.

least

listened
it

and admired, grew angry and

who had The charmer,

was rumoured, would be silenced by the bishop, upon the

the pickpocket would be hindered

complaint of the clergy

from plying his thievish

arts.

But Whitefield was not a man

to

tremble under a threat, or

yet

grow pale

at a

rumour.
;

He
well

had a native pugnacity, not

his

humbled and subdued

that he could
fight as

and quickly did he show

as

enemies

preach and

pray,
at

and

that

silencing

him would be a

difficult thing.

He

once waited

upon the bishop, and asked whether any complaint had been lodged against him the bishop answered that there was none.
;

He

asked his lordship whether any objection could be made

to his doctrine,

and the bishop

has

replied,

'

No

for

know

clergyman who
sermon.'
grant
since

heard you

preach

a plain

scriptural

Whitefield then asked his lordship whether he would

licence,

him a

and the answer was,

to

'

You need

none,

you are going

Georgia.'
?
'

'Then,' said

Whitefield,

'you would not forbid

me

The bishop gave

a satisfactory

answer, and Whitefield took his leave.

Whitefield, too prone at this time to judge others, had, in
part,

broken with
;

his profession.

Some

of

them he had cenchurches against

sured

and they had replied by shutting

their

him.

Others attempted to crush him by means of pamphlets.

He

was denounced

for
'a

fraternising

with

Dissenters;

one

clergyman called him

inveighed
together.'

pragmatical rascal,' and 'vehemently

against

him and the whole body of Dissenters

it

His intimacy with Dissenters,

whole of
his

is

true,

was

great,

and
it

lasted throughout the

to

life.

were honourable

both parties concerned.

The grounds of The piety and

to

zeal of the preacher

drew the pious of other denominations

hear him

and

in their houses, to

which they kindly invited

52

GEORGE WHITEF1ELD
'

him, and he as kindly went, they assured him,

trine of the

that

if

the doc-

new

birth

and

justification

by

faith

were powerfully
in

preached in the Church, there would be but few Dissenters

England.'
Whitefield found their conversation
'

savoury,'

and

thinking that his practice of visiting and associating with

them
to

was agreeable
bring

to Scripture,

he judged that

'

the best

way

them over was not by bigotry and

and undissembled holiness of
of these

railing,
life.'

but moderation

and

love,

The end

London

labours, which were only part of

an interlude, came at Christmas, 1737.

Anxious

to get to his

Georgian charge, and an opportunity offering by a transport

ship,

which was about

at
;

to sail with a

number
him

of soldiers, he

determined

once

to start.

His purpose wounded the hearts

;

of thousands

prayers were offered for

the people would

embrace him

in the

church

wistful looks

would follow him as

celebrated the

he went home.
final parting.

solemn, weeping

communion

He

left

the charity schools one thousand pounds richer by

his labours,

and he carried more than three hundred pounds

with him for the poor of Georgia.

He

ever,

from the

first

voyage to the thirteenth, crossed the Atlantic guarded by the

prayers of thousands, and freighted with their benevolent
gifts.

On December 28th Whitefield

went on board the Whitaker
at

left

London, and on the 30th

His labours now

Purfleet.

were divided between the ship and the shore, the former containing the

companions of

his voyage,

the latter having the

presence of friends,

he got out

to sea,

who followed him from point to point, till and who were always ready to engage him in
Great kindness and prudence marked

some
his

religious duties.

conduct among the

men

of the ship from the

first

day he

went on board.

He

attended them in sickness, taught them,

officers,

and catechised them. To the

both naval and military,

he showed marked deference, and allowed not his zeal to carry

WINNING SOLDIERS AND SAILORS

him
tion.

53

into any unwise attempts to force religion

upon

their atten-

He

was as attentive to teach a few soldiers or a few

women

the catechism as he had been zealous for the crowds of

London.

At night he would walk on the deck

that he might
officers

have an opportunity of speaking quietly to some

whom
into

he wanted

to gain over to the service of

God, or go down

the steerage where the sailors were congregated, that he might

be as one of them.
of the ship gave

He

soon became a favourite.

free use of his

The

captain

him the

cabin,

the military

captain was friendly, and so were the rest of the officers.

length, prayers were read daily in the great cabin
;

At

and, at the

request of the captain, Whitefield preached to the 'gentlemen.'

Until they

left

Deal on January 30th, he also regularly preached

on shore

in a house,

and the congregations became so

to

large

that the preaching

'

room had
'

be propped up.
'

It

seems that

running

'

and buying

run goods
'

was a
;

'

sin that did

most

easily beset the

field

Deal people

of that day

and though White-

took care to show them 'the absolute unlawfulness' of

still

their deeds, yet they

waited on his word.

The same morning

that

he sailed from Deal, John Wesley

arrived there from Georgia.

On

reaching shore, Wesley learned

that his friend was in a vessel in the offing,

bound for Georgia. From some cause or other, Wesley deemed it necessary to takesome steps to know whether Whitefield ought to continue his
voyage. His

method of deciding the

difficulty

was by

sortilege,

a practice which he long continued, but one which Whitefield

never followed.

He

even resorted to

it

in the dispute

between

himself and Whitefield on the subjects of election and freegrace.

In a

letter

addressed to Wesley, in reply to Wesley's

sermon on
'

free-grace, Whitefield said

about the Deal

lot

The morning

sailed

from Deal to Gibraltar you arrived from Geoigia.

opportunity to converse with you, though the ship

Instead of giving

me an

was not

far off the shore,

you drew a

lot,

and immediately

set

forwards to

54

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
I

You left a letter behind you, in which were words to this effect saw God, by the wind which was carrying you out brought me in, I asked counsel of God. His answer you have inclosed." This was a " Let him return to piece of paper, in which were written these words London."
London. " When
:

'

When

received this,

was somewhat surprised.

lot,

Here was

good

man
I

I knew that my call was to Georgia, and that had taken leave of London, and could not justly go from the soldiers who were committed to my charge. I betook myself with a friend to prayer. That passage in the First Book of Kings, chapter xiii., was powerfully impressed upon my soul, where we are told, " That the prophet was slain

me he had cast a London. On the other hand,

telling

and

that

God would have me

return to

lion, that was tempted to go back (contrary to God's express order) upon another prophet's telling him God would have him do so." I wrote you word that I could not return to London. We sailed immediately.

by a

Some months
lot, yet,

after I received
this effect
:

letter

from you

at Georgia,

wherein you

wrote words to

perhaps,
in

"Though God He suffered me to have

I

never before gave

such a

me

a wrong

lot at that time, to try

what was

your heart."

should never have published this private

transaction to the world did not the glory of

God

call

me

to

it.'

It

was

well, for the

sake of every one, and for the sake of

religion, that Whitefield

was not so superstitious as

his friend,

and

that he

was not turned from a sober purpose by a ridiculous

to

chance.

His return

London would have demanded

this
: :

public
'

explanation,

and what could he have said but

lot,
;

John

Wesley drew a
return
to

on which were these words

"

" Let
all

him
the

London

and so

am
as

here

'

Then

sensible part of his congregation

would either have

foolish as

lost confi-

dence

in

him, or have

become

himself; and

enemies,

who were

rapidly multiplying,

would have assailed

him with

irresistible force.

All his prayers, resolutions, tears,

and ponderings, would have been covered with shame and

confusion,

and he could never have become a

only the decided and consistent.
lots,

leader, since

men
self,

will follow

Wesley him-

notwithstanding his blind faith in

his

would not have

been turned from

friend,

purpose by a dozen of them drawn by a

far

had he been so

and so openly committed as was

DEL TGHT IN NA TURE

Whitefield.
difficulty

5 5

One
'

short answer

would have cut through the

lots for himself,

My

friend

may draw
will

but not for

me

at this rate

everybody

be trying to divine
will

my

duty,

and the contradictory answers

embarrassment.'

leave

me

in

hopeless

So few are the

to the

references, in Whitefield's journal or letters,

manners of the people among

whom

he stayed, or to the
it

scenery through which he passed in his travels, that

is

pleasure to extract any that he made, as a proof that his was

not a dull soul without delight in nature, without responsiveness to the soft sweetness of a southern sky, or to the wildness

and majesty of a storm.

The
is

following account of his feelings

as he approached Gibraltar
'Saturday,
all

given in his

first

journal

Though the weather was exceedingly grew more and more pleasant in the evening, and our ship sailed at the rate of nine miles an hour, and as steady as though we were sitting on shore. The night was exceedingly clear, and the moon and stars appeared in their greatest lustre so that, not having patience to stay below, I went upon deck with friend H and praised God for His wonderful lovingkindness in singing Psalms, and gave thanks for the blessings, and asked pardon for the offences, of the week, and then had a long intercession. It is worth coming from England to see what we have beheld this day.
February
iSth.

pleasant

the day, yet

it

'

'

Sunday, February 19th.

Slept better to-night than

!

have a long while

;

Keeper of Israel Read prayers in the great cabin was enlarged in expounding both the lessons to the soldiers and had prayers, and preached one of the sermons God enabled me to make since I came on board, on open deck in the afternoon. All the gentlemen attended benches were laid for the people ; and the ship sailed smoothly, and the weather was finer than I can express, so that I know not where I have performed the service more comfortably. And, indeed, I have been so delighted these two days with our pleasant sailing and the promontories all
blessed be the
; ;

around

us,

that I could not avoid thanking

God

for calling

me

abroad,

and

up all to praise Him, " who by His strength mountains, and is girded about with power.'"
stirring

setteth fast the

On
field

February 20th the Whitaker reached Gibraltar.

thought
it

\\*hitc-

was

'

the world in epitome

;
'

he might have

56

GEORGE WH1TEFIELD
;

added, the Church too

Lights' and

for Dissenters

and Churchmen,

'

New

'Dark Lanthorns,' Jews and

Roman

Catholics,

were on the rock.

The

'

New

Lights

'

were an interesting

company

of soldiers, gathered into a society by a sergeant,

who

for twelve years

first

had been

their leader.

Their meetings were

held in 'dens and mountains and caves of the rocks,' but

afterwards,
their

on applying

for leave to build

little

sanctuary of

own, the minister of the church and the governor wisely

free use of the church.

and generously gave them the

few days sufficed to

make Whitefield
sailors,

as popular with the

soldiers as

he had been with the

with the townspeople

soldiers

as he was with the garrison.

Officers

and

crowded the
where

church when he preached

and

at the governor's table,

he had dreaded being treated with more than sober hospitality,

'

all

the officers behaved with such a decent, innocent

manner

that they pleased

him very much.

They were
;

studious to

oblige him,
to

and

solicitous for

him

to stay

but his face was set

go

to Georgia.

Many
for

of the inhabitants pressed him to

his

stay with them,

and

sake treated the

friends

who

journeyed with him with marked kindness.

None
While

of this popularity was

won

at the

expense of

fidelity.

all

were crowding to hear him, he eagerly embraced the

opportunity of reproving them for the sin of drunkenness, the

sin of the place,

and

for profane swearing.

His presence and

labours created so

much

excitement that even the chief of the

latter subject.

Jews came
this,

to hear

him on the

Not knowing him and con-

Whitefield next day attended the synagogue, and was

astonished

when
well,

the presiding elder

seat, as a

came

to

ducted him to a chief

mark

of honour for his having

preached so

according to Jewish ideas, against the sin of

profaning the Divine name.

The Roman

Catholic Church

was also visited

simplicity

but everything there was contrary to the

which the plain Methodist loved.

CONFLICTS
The
day of

AND COMFORTS
and on the

57
last

stay at Gibraltar lasted thirteen days,

it

many came
in

to Whitefield, weeping, to tell

him what

God had done

cake, wine,
figs,

for their souls, to

ask for his prayers, and to

promise him theirs

eggs,

return.

Others sent him presents of

for his voyage.

and other necessaries

officers,

Two
in the

hundred

soldiers,

women,

and others stood on the

'

beach to see him go on board, and wish him

good luck

name of the Lord.' The results of his work he

fallen

thus

were quite stark blind have received their sight

summed up Many that many that had

'
:

back have repented and turned unto the Lord again

that were

many
bold
;

ashamed

to

own

Christ openly have

waxen

and many

that were saints

full

have had

their hearts filled

with joy unspeakable and

of glory.'

His labours on the ship

soldiers.

also reformed the swearing captain

and many of the

In the next portion of the voyage fever broke out on the

ship,
field

and carried

off

two of the worst men on board

for several days.

White:

was struck down

To

a friend he writes

'

How

goes time

can scarce

tell

for I

have been some time

past, as
visit

one would think, launching into eternity.

God

has been pleased to

me
it.

with a violent fever, which He, notwithstanding, so sweetened by

Indeed,

I was enabled to rejoice and sing in the midst of had many violent conflicts with the powers of darkness, who did all they could to disturb and distract me and though I was once reduced to the last extremity, and all supernatural assistance seemed to be suspended for awhile, and Satan, as it were, had dominion over me, yet God suffered not my faith to fail, but came in at length to my aid, rebuked the tempter, and from that moment I grew better. Surely God is preparing

Divine consolations, that

I

me

for

something extraordinary

for

He

has

now

sent

me
;

such extraI

ordinary conflicts and comforts as I never before experienced.

thought, on the brink of eternity.
;

was, as I

had heaven within me I thought of nothing in this world I earnestly desired to be dissolved and go to Christ but God was pleased to order it otherwise, and I am resigned, though I can scarce be reconciled to come back again into this vale of misery. ... I would write more, but my strength faileth me. We hope to be at Savannah on Monday.'
I

58

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

Whitefield's farewell

sermon

to the soldiers

was preached on

May

6th,

and caused much weeping.

On

the evening of the

following day he reached Savannah, where he was

welcomed

by Mr. Delamotte, the friend

whom

Wesley

left

behind him,

and some other

and joined him

'

pious souls,'

who were

rejoiced at his arrival,

in thanksgiving

and prayer.

CHAPTER
1738

IV

ROUGH EXPERIENCES

IN GEORGIA

SECOND
at

VOYAGE knew

WHITEFIELD,
Wesley had
left
it.

on

his

arrival

Savannah,

nothing of the circumstances under which his friend

The whole
to act as

story
if

was related

to him,

and he wisely determined

kind had occurred
in
;

nothing of an unhappy
it

he would not even make any record of

his

journal.

Full of loving anxiety to do his work well,

that

and

heartily

believing

the

gospel

he preached

could

promote peace and harmony, he never gave a thought to

the

unhappy

past,

in

which

his

friends

had,

though

not

without provocation, received harsh treatment, but began early

and zealously
the

to preach
after

and

to teach.

At

five

o'clock

on

morning

his

arrival

he read public prayers, and

expounded the second lesson

adults

to a congregation of seventeen

and

twenty-five children.
in

Such was the exchange

for

crowded churches
keen enemy,
wait

England

In the afternoon of the same day, Mr. Causton, Wesley's

sent

word

that

he and the magistrates would

to wait

upon Whitefield, but Whitefield chose

fail

upon them,
by

courtesy which could hardly

intercourse.

to

prepare the way for

kindly

The

interview
50

was

marked

much

6o

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
civility
'

'

shown

to the

new chaplain

and the principal part

his
it

of the conversation was

upon the place of

;

settlement.

The
that

magistrates were as diplomatic as civil

for

was resolved

the

place

should

be

Frederica,
for

where a house and

they themselves

tabernacle were to be built

him

then
and

would not run the

he
'

risk

of any trouble with

him
as

but
as

that

should

serve at Savannah, when,

long

he

Thus they avoided raising a contention with him, by not arbitrarily sending him away from the principal place. They had evidently learned the secret of conceding for the
pleased.'

sake of getting
needless.

but, in the present case, their caution

was

The

ship-fever

had not quite

left

Whitefield when, with his

usual promptness, he arranged the plan of his work and

made

a beginning.

His

first

week

in

Savannah was spent

in con-

finement, and, on the second Sunday, his attempt to officiate

broke down before he reached the second service

but on

the following Tuesday he was out at his pastoral work,

and

made a call on Tomo Chici, to become a Christian, on

such bad wretches.

the Indian king,

who had

refused

the ground that Christians were

that

There can be no doubt, however,

though much
zeal,

he had no
Indians.

fitness,

for

preaching to the

For oratory there was

little

scope

in

Georgia, where a

congregation of one or two hundred persons was the largest

that

could be

mustered

but

there

was ample room

for

industry, for humility, for gentleness,

and

for self-denial

and

Whitefield, by his assiduous cultivation of these graces,

that
'

showed

he cared more

for charity

than for the

gift

of speaking

with the tongues of

men and
it

of angels.'

Oratory was nothing

to

him

as an art

was supremely valuable as a talent to

be used for his Lord, an instrument by which hearts might be

drawn

to

the cross.

He

went among the

villages,

like

AMONG THE SETTLERS

travelling missionary in a

61

heathen country

made himself

the

friend of every one in them,

men, women, and children, no

;

matter what their nation or their creed

praised their industry

invited

and success
in

reproved their faults

and

them

to trust

Him who

could save them

from their

sins.

He

was

scrupulously careful
prejudices of any,
love.
It is

not to offend the religious or

national

and strove

to

draw

all

by the cords of

easy to believe that a chaplain whose heart was

touched with the colonists' every sorrow, who entered into

their difficulties,
sit

who came

to cheer

them

at their work,

and

as

one of them
his knee,

in their huts,

where the children gathered

soil

round
crops,

and the workers talked about the

friend.

and the
London,

was loved as a personal

As such they looked

Bristol,

upon him.

The

love which

won Dummer,
its

and Gibraltar was simply repeating

His dauntless and brotherly
f
spirit,

inevitable conquests.
still

which

retained a touch

the asceticism of his Oxford days,

endure the worst hardships of colonial

intensely
hot,
'

life.

made him resolve to The weather was

his

sometimes burning him almost through

seeing others

shoes

and

do

it

who,'

he

says,

'

were as

unable, I determined to inure myself to hardiness by lying

on the ground, which, by

hardship, that afterwards
this

use, I

found to be so
so to
lie

far

from being

it

became

on a

bed.'

With

endurance he combined the charming quality of gratitude any kindness either

settlers

for

to himself or his friends.

village
field

The
he
at

in

the

had but a hard

for

lot.

Their

children offered the

best

Whitefield's efforts,

and

once arranged

to begin schools for them.

'

also,'

he says,

'

inquired into the state of their children, and found

there were

many who might

prove useful members of the colony,

if

there

was
can

a proper place provided for their

effect this

maintenance and education. Nothing but an orphan-house, which might easily be erected at, or

near, Savannah,

would some of those

that are rich in this world's

good

62
contribute towards
it.

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
May God,
occasion.'
in

His due time,

stir

up the

wills of

His
on

faithful

people to be ready to distribute, and willing to communicate

this

commendable

The

following extract shows the need of the flock

'
:

and the
visiting

tender-heartedness of the shepherd

Began to-day
in

from house to house, and found the people

appearance

desirous of being fed with the sincere milk of the word, and
solicitous for

my

continuance amongst them.

them, because
I

Poor creatures

My

heart ached for

saw them and

their/

children

scattered abroad as sheep having

no shepherd.'

The

first

of these extracts points to the inference that the

idea of an orphan-house for the colony was Whitefield's own,

and many of
of
it
;

his friends

who helped him gave him

the credit

but he was frank in undeceiving them, and in giving the

praise to Charles

Wesley and the humane governor, General

Oglethorpe.

Before he had thought of going abroad, they had

the necessity of

seen and

felt

some provision being made

them unprovided

for

the orphans,

who must

inevitably be thrown

upon the colony

for.

when

their parents died

and

left

scheme somewhat

like the

one which was ultimately adopted

the

was devised, but, though

Wesleys made

its

practical

accomplishment impossible, yet the idea was not abandoned.

Whitefield was

entreated
;

by

his

friend
call

Charles

Wesley

to
in

remember the orphans

vain upon him.

and such a

was never made

God,

He

'resolved, in the strength of

all

to

prosecute the orphan-house design with

Trustees, acting

his might.'

The

no doubt

at the suggestion of

Oglethorpe,

favoured him.

When

he reached

his charge

he found that the condition of

the kindness of the Trustees

the orphans was deplorable,

all

notwithstanding.

Some were
rear them.

quartered here and there with

for a

such families as had promised,

to take

money

consideration,
in service

them and

Others were en^a^ed

DETERMINES TO BUILD AN ORPHAN-HOUSE

when they ought
to

63
at

have been at school, and were kept

that educating

work so long and so hard,

position was impossible.

them

in their present

bad example
at all

the

The morals of all were corrupted by learning of those who had learned anything
There was but one
feasible

was forgotten.

plan

for

curing the mischief: a

home must be
to

built,

and the children

it.

must be lodged,
until

fed, clothed,

and taught

in

Meanwhile,

he could return

England

to take priest's orders,

and

procure a grant of land from the Trustees, and beg money

enough

to build

the home, and

give

it

start,

he wisely

did what he could to ameliorate the condition of them and

of
all

other children by establishing schools in the villages.

influence of the orphan-house, the establishment

The moral
of which was
as

now

his fixed purpose,

was

to prove as great

and

happy over Whitefield as over the

to receive as

destitute children.
It

He

was

much

as he gave.

was

to be a standing

appeal to his tenderness and test of his

to his effort,

faith,

a constant spur

and an anchor

to his excitable

mind, which might

have spent

itself

upon

trifles,

because unable to cope with the

legislative

statesmanlike

work which the

It

mind of Wesley
seas.

gloried in mastering.

was

to

become

the ballast of a noble

ship which had to carry high

sail in

dangerous

So

far as

good
was

to himself

was concerned, there was no reason why he

'

should have been sent to his

really

little

foreign cure,' in which he

happy, and where (such was his humility and care-

lessness about popularity) he could have cheerfully remained,

excepting to undertake the charge of the orphans.

this,

Saving

he did nothing

in

Georgia which he might not have done

elsewhere,

and done

better.

But

it

is

remarkable to observe

how

the door of America was closed against Wesley, whose

talents

were

most serviceable when concentrated on

one

place; while Whitefield received a charge which supplied a

constant motive to him to range through every country where

64

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
to hear his

he could get a congregation

work.

message and help

priest or

his

He

was meant
;

for

more than a parish

founder

of a denomination

he was an evangelist of nations.

The

journal of Whitefield on Wednesday,

May

24th,

and
work

the journal of Wesley on the

same day, present a

striking

contrast as well between the condition of

mind

as the

of these

much
;

attached friends.

It

was a quiet day with

Whitefield

and doubtless could Wesley have seen him going

people with a contented heart, welcomed and

among

the

honoured, he would have been both surprised and gratified

with his unexpected success.
of anguish,
It

was a day of excitement,

his conversion
;

and of joy with Wesley, the day of

would have

and could Whitefield have known what was going on

Aldersgate Street, London,
joyful praise,
it

in

filled his

mouth with

though he might have been surprised that not

until a time so late

had

his

former religious teacher

come

to

experience the same spiritual change that had taken place in

himself long before.

While Whitefield, by
humility,

his

unceasing labours, his unfeigned

and

his judicious conduct,

was laying the foundation

the
to

of an

enduring affection

between

whole colony and

himself,

he acknowledged himself

be largely indebted to

his predecessors.

Delamotte was much beloved by the poor,

his return

to

whom

he was devoted, and

'

home was an

occasion

of grief to them.

The good Mr. John Wesley

is

has done in
'

America, under God,

inexpressible,' says Whitefield.

;

His

name
such a

is

among the people and he has laid foundation among the people that I hope neither men
very precious
will ever

nor devils

be able to shake.
after

Surely

must labour

most

heartily, since I

It is pleasantest to see

come how he was welcomed

visits,

such worthy predecessors.'

in the villages
;

how

they of Savannah delighted in his

even enduring

his rebukes without

murmuring

how

at Frederica nearly the

A DANGEROUS VOYAGE
whole of the inhabitants

65
in

a hundred and twenty

serve the place,

number
all activity

came

to hear

him preach, and the settlement was

to build a preaching-room, to

pro tempore

of a church

how

the sturdy Highlanders of Darien, settled

under the pastoral care of a worthy minister named McLeod,

crowded the house

of a single day's
settled, after

in

which he preached to them

;

at the

end

visit

and how

the

Salzburgers

who were
a place

weary wanderings over land and

sea, at

which

their grateful hearts called Ebenezer, received

him with

brotherly love.

Their lands were the best cultivated in the

crops.

colony,

and yielded the best

any

Their differences were

referred not to

court, but to the

judgment of

their

two

pastors, Boltzius and Gronau,

to

whom

they loved devotedly, and

whom

they looked

up as

fathers.

Their orphan-house,

founded on the model of Professor Francke's, of Halle, was a

model of the one he was purposing

lambs', he called

to

build

close of his visit the seventeen orphan children

and
'

at the
little

the

them

came

and shook hands with him.

On

Sunday, August 27th, he preached his farewell sermon

to his people, who, sorrowing to lose him, were comforted by

his assurance that

he would not delay

his return to them.

On

the following day the chief magistrate, Mr. Causton,

recorder,
called to take
their

and the
general
;

leave

of him.

The

demonstrations of affection for him overwhelmed him

and he

took the
tears.'

first

opportunity of

'

venting his heart by prayers and

The voyage was

performed.

to

prove one of the most dangerous that he

When

they had been a

east,
slit

month

at sea they
all

were

caught by a gale from the

their wits' end.
Sails

which put

the sailors to

were

and tackling

rent.

The
the

sea

broke over the vessel with such violence that not a dry spot

was

left

anywhere, and

Whitefield,

who

slept

in

most

secure part, wrapped in a buffalo's hide, was drenched twice

6

66
or thrice in

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
one
night.

His composure and

faith in

God made
say,
'

so deep an impression on the crew that

they would

How

should we have been blaming and cursing one another had not

Mr. Whitefield been amongst us

The storm

left

the vessel sadly

disabled,

besides

having

destroyed or washed away a large portion of the provisions.

There was the prospect of a tedious voyage and much hard

ship,

and so
;

it

turned out.

Contrary winds prevailed for a

long time

at the

end of October the passengers were allowed

Their constant food for a long time

a quart of water a day.

was
'

salt

beef and water dumplings, which, says Whitefield,

all

did not agree with the stomachs of

amongst

us.'

With a

humble, constant recognition of the working of the Almighty

in all things he held

on

to the close of this distressing voyage.

Three days

before

they

sighted

land,

most of

those

in

the cabin had begun to be

weak and

to look hollow-eyed.
!

He

exclaims

Amen!'
flour

May we patiently tarry God's leisure On November nth they were reduced to
'
:

Amen

an ounce

or two of salt beef, a pint of

muddy

water,

and a cake made of

each man.

and skimmings of the

pot, as the allowance for

Cold weather had also

they did not

set in,

and, to add to their distress,

know where

they were, there being only a prevalent

opinion that they were off the coast of Ireland.

That day

was closed with the appropriate prayer,

that

'

man

liveth

not by bread

alone.'

May we now learn And the next day,

day hath
visited

Sunday, November 12th, opened with the grateful ascription,

'

Blessed be the Lord

!

God

of Israel,

who

this

a distressed people

They had entered Carrickaholt Bay, in the mouth of the Shannon, and were hospitably received and succoured by Mr. MacMahon, whose house stood at the head
'

of the bay.

At Limerick and

at

Dublin he was kindly received by the

at

heads of the Episcopal Church, and

both places he preached

J/0 IV

TO

PREACH
His passion
never
fell

67
for the souls

with great power and marked

of

effect.

men was

as a

hunger and a

thirst that

left

him.

At

the table of the primate an expression

from the

lips of

Dr.

Delaney,

Dean

of St. Patrick's, which he never forgot,

and never

failed to act
it

upon

'
:

wish,

whenever

go up into

a pulpit, to look upon

as the last time I shall ever preach, or

the last time the people

may

hear.'

On
some
was

December 8th he reached London, accompanied by

friends,

who had gone

to

meet him on

his way.

Wesley
arrival
us,'

at Oxford; and, as

soon as the news of Whitefield's

'

reached him, he hastened up to London, and

God

gave

he

says,

'

once more to take sweet counsel together.'

close of such a year of travel
for

At the

and

labour, Whitefield
this

had some reasons

verse
'

winding up his journal with

emphatic

Give me Thy strength, O God of power Then let winds blow, or thunders roar, Thy faithful witness will I be,
'Tis fixed
!

can do

all

through Thee

CHAPTER V
December, 1738
FETTER LANE MEETINGS

April,

1739

ORDAINED PRIEST EXPELLED CHURCHES OPEN-AIR PREACHING

could have been

THE

NOTHING
welfare of

more opportune

for

the

Methodism
at the

in

England than the had no time

arrival of

John Wesley
for Georgia.

at

Deal

same time
fire

that Whitefield sailed

to

The newly "kindled

at

burn

low.

Wesley

once began his labours with energy, decision,

and courage, and excited great opposition on the part of the

clergy.

Then he went

with

Ingham

to

Hernhuth,

to

have

fellowship with the Moravians,

whom

he regarded with holy

not.

envy as possessors of

spiritual truth

which he understood

On

his return

he experienced that conversion which has been

of.

already spoken

Charles had already undergone

it.

Thus

both his great co-workers preceded him into the kingdom of

God.

The
all

close of

1738 saw the beginning of the united

work of

the three, and for

closely blended together.

prayed and spoke in the

the

some time their lives were They preached in the same rooms, same meetings, and presided over
for the nurture

same

private societies,
life.

which were formed

of the Christian

The day

after Whitefield's arrival in

68

London he waited on

FIRST USES EXTEMPORANEOUS PRAYER

the Archbishop of Canterbury

69

and the Bishop

of

London, and

was favourably received

their pulpits

but some of the clergy denied him

five in

two days.

He

also

went

to a

meeting of

the Methodist Society, which had been formed in Fetter Lane,

and joined them

in their love-feast.

There were

at this time

other religious societies besides those

which were springing

out of the labours of the Methodists, and to

some of them,
London, he

known

as the Religious Societies in the City of

left for

had preached before he

Georgia, getting

them welcome
in

collections for their works of charity.

Formed
Popish

1675, they

had a wide range of

houses of

activity,

foiling

machinations,

hunting down thieves, closing markets on Sundays, suppressing

ill-fame,

proceeding against notorious

swearers,

relieving the sick, burying the poor, sheltering orphans, establishing schools for the education of children

and putting the

children out to trades, and seeking to form, through the pulpits

of the
spirit.

city,

a healthy public opinion and an earnest public

their original
still

They had declined much from

and
to

warmth

of religious zeal and energy of action, yet they

friends of charity,
first

were the
of his

them Whitefield owed some

one of these
Street,

popularity in the

city.

It

must have been

to

societies that

he was
at

preaching in

Redcross

on Christmas Day,
first

four

o'clock in the morning,

prayer.

when he
four,

used extemporaneous

laborious day must that Christmas

with

its

first

sermon
a
'

at

its

second

at

Day have been, six when the

'

preacher
mental,

felt

little

oppressed with drowsiness

;

its

sacra-

and three more sermons

of a

and not an
Besides,

unworthy

anniversary

man's

baptism.

Whitefield
to

had
two

preached twice on Christmas Eve,

societies

and expounded

one

of

them the

society at Fetter

Lane

and then
No

continued with

many

other brethren in prayer, singing, and

four o'clock in the morning.

thanksgiving, until nearly

70

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
felt

wonder he
society
at

'

little

oppressed with drowsiness

at

'

That
of the of

Fetter

Lane was
its

present the
fire.

heart

Methodist movement,
Christmas
Eve,
1738,

central

The engagements

were only an example of the pro-

longed, fervent, and, one would have thought, exhausting, but

Whitefield says, refreshing and invigorating, devotions which

the brethren engaged in there.

Sympathy of thought and

close
together,

feeling

drew the band of men

break forth upon

and

their

souls

glowed with a passion of

later,

religious zeal

which must, sooner or

the land for

good or

evil,

or both, while the opposition from

It

without

only

fanned the flame.

First-fruits

was a hopeful and

dangerous

time.
in the

of
'

the

coming

movement
'

abounded

meeting

first

watchnight meeting

(?)

in

which the leaders and a company of

the departure of the old year

sixty brethren celebrated

and the coming of the new.

'

Wesley says, as we were continuing power of God came mightily upon us, insomuch that many cried out for exceeding joy, and many fell to the ground. As soon as we were recovered a little from that awe and amazement at the presence of His majesty, we broke out with one voice, "We praise Thee, O God; we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord "
'

About

three in the morning,'

instant in prayer, the

'

Five

nights

afterwards,

eight

'

ministers
in

of Jesus

Christ,

despised Methodists,
together,'

whom God

His providence brought

met

at Islington

to confer

upon

several things of

importance, and continued in fasting and prayer until three

o'clock,

when they parted

things.'

with

'

the conviction that

God was

about to do great

The whole
Lane

of the second night

in the

after that Whitefield spent at Fetter

same devout

engagements, and the next day was got through with one
hour's sleep.
'

There was a great deal of Divine influence

among us,' he says. Amid these numerous engagements,

the object of his return

OPEN-AIR PREACHING SUGGESTED

to
of.

71

England, to receive ordination as a

priest,

was not

lost sight

At the end of December he was appointed by the Trustees

be minister of Savannah.

to

With the

fire

of the Fetter
;

Lane
laid

meetings burning in his soul, he returned to Oxford

and on

January

14, 1739,

had the hands of good Bishop Benson

on him.
the

The bishop sent Lord Huntingdon, evidently for benefit of Lady Huntingdon, an account of the ordination,

and added
'

hope

this will give

some
I

satisfaction to

my

lady,

and

that she will not

Though mishim (Mr. Whitefield) a very pious, wellmeaning young man, with good abilities and great zeal. I find his Grace of Canterbuiy thinks highly of him. I pray God grant him great success in all his undertakings for the good of mankind, and a revival of true
have occasion to find
fault

with your lordship's old tutor.

taken on some points,

think

religion
I

and holiness among us

in these degenerate

days

in

which prayer
will

am

sure your lordship

and

my

kind, good

Lady Huntingdon

most

heartily join.'

noticeable incident was his

visit

to Dr. Watts,

now an

old man,

who
air,

received

him 'most

cordially.'

But the most

important fact of the month was the thought of preaching in

the open

which was suggested

to

him by a crowd

of a

thousand people having been unable to gain admission to

Bermondsey Church, where he preached one Sunday

noon.
to
It

afterit

met with no encouragement when he mentioned

;

some

of his friends
it

they thought

it

was a

'

mad

notion.'
at

However,

would have been carried out the next Sunday

Ironmongers' Almshouses had not the preacher been disappointed in his congregation, which was small enough to hear

him from the

within

pulpit.

He

took two sermons with him

one
;

for

and the other

this

for without.

What were

his impressions

about

untoward circumstance he nowhere says

most
for

probably he had humble and self-reproachful

having run before there

thoughts

seemed

to

be need.
as

Such intense and lons;-continued work

he rushed into

72

GEORGE
his return

JI

V// TEE/ELD
fail

upon
to see

home could

not

to tell
is

upon him, and

his

entry in his journal on February 6th

such as one expects

'

Went

to St. Helen's,
in

where

all

and was so deserted

written notes
;

soul, that

on a sudden I was taken so ill in body, I would have given anything for my

yet

and before

had done

God gave me to trust in Him for strength and assistance, I was warm in heart and strong enough in body to
all

continue to offer Jesus Christ freely for a considerable time to

that

would lay hold on

Him

by

faith.'

At

this

time we hear the sound of those peculiar Aniens,

which have distinguished the children of Methodism down

to
this late day.
'

Many seemed
Aniens

to to

feel

what was spoken,

sentences.'
at

and

said

hearty and loud

my
him

The

next day another keen attack struck

shall see this

Windsor.
life

We
to

weakness showing
if

itself all
its

through his
existence,

the last

and

we keep

in

memory
we

and not
night

allow ourselves to think,

as

follow

him day and

expressed

through his ceaseless

toils,

that

we

are with a

man who
by
Sir

has
J.

no

infirmities

who,

as

it

has been

Stephen in
gifted with
shall

his

'Essays in Ecclesiastical

Biography,'
'

'was

an incapacity of fatiguing or being fatigued

we

form a juster estimate of the heavenly fervour which

frailness,

triumphed over his own

difficulty.

and then over every outside

;

He

was often fatigued beyond endurance

the delight he had in

but the
work,

sight of his congregation,

his

and the strength which comes from above, quickened

to speak

him

with freedom and power.

'Freedom and

power,'

these were the two qualities in his preaching which he prized before
all

others.

short tour in the provinces gave

him

his

first

taste of

direct hostility, the

mob and

the

Church being of one mind

first

in

openly opposing him.

It also

gave him his

truth

taste of the

sweets of field-preaching.

There was

in

half of

the

KINGS WOOD COLLIERS

field started

73

exclamation which a not devout observer uttered when White-

from London

'
:

believe the devil in hell

;

you

all

'

that
fire,

was the untrue half

is

in

'

Whitefield has set the

kindle a flame in the

town on
country'

and now he

is

gone

to

that was the true

and
at

half..

There was alarm among the

Bath and
preach
Bristol before
in the

powers of the Church

his arrival there;

in the cities of

his application to

Abbey

Church

Bath on behalf of the orphan-house was met with

a positive refusal, although the bishop had given the Trustees

of Georgia a promise, before Whitefield sailed for Georgia,
that

such a service might be held.

The

refusal

came

not,

however, from the bishop.

Similar treatment at Bristol, to

results.
;

which he

at

once withdrew, led to most important

Long
by

ago,

Kingswood was a
it

royal chase near Bristol

in

Whitefield's time

had become a

colliery district, inhabited

men

of a rough, ungodly type,

than one, three, or four miles away.

who had no church nearer They were regarded as so

first

many

Indians,
to

and when Whitefield

'
:

went
to

to

Georgia

it

was said

him

If

you have a mind

in

convert Indians,
they were
still

there are colliers

in their sins

enough

Kingswood.'

And

and misery when he returned.

Even he might

have

failed to

undertake their evangelisation had he not been

almost compelled.

When

clergymen were cold, and the chan-

cellor of the diocese

captious,

and churches

scarce,

he had

time and inducements to carry out those loving wishes towards

the colliers, which

had

stirred his heart for a long

time
its

nor

was the desire to attempt open-air preaching without

weight

on the same

side.
St.

Understanding that the minister of

willing to

Mary

Redcliffe was

lend

his

church

for

sermons to be preached on
first

behalf of the orphan-house, Whitefield applied

of

all

to

him, and the answer was a

civil refusal

the church could not

be lent without a special order from the chancellor.

To

the

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
chancellor Whitefield went.

The

reply from

him

was, 'that

he would not give any positive

hibit

leave, neither

would he pro;

any one that should lend Whitefield a church

but he

would advise him to withdraw to some other place

heard

till

he had
or

from the bishop, and

not

preach

on

that

any

other occasion soon.'

Whitefield asked

him

his reasons.

He
thing

answered,

'

Why

will

you press so hard upon

dislike.'

me ?
:

The
'

has given a general

Whitefield replied

Not the
for

design of the orphan-house.

Even those
that.

that disagree with

me

in other particulars

approve of

And
?
'

as

the

gospel,

when was

it

preached without dislike

The

dean,

when

called

upon soon

after the interview with the chancellor,

replies,

gave the same ambiguous

'

with the same plain meaning

;

Mr. Whitefield, we would rather not say yea or nay to you

but
us

we mean

nay,

and
were

greatly wish that

you would understand

so.'

The

societies

still

open, so was Newgate, and then

last

there were the colliers.

These

were visited on a Saturday

first

afternoon (February 17, 1739) for the

after his interviews with the chancellor
field
v.
1,

time, the very day

and the dean.

White-

took his stand on

2,

and

3,

to as

Hannan Mount, and spoke upon Matt. many as came to hear upwards of two
;

hundred attended.
his novel situation,

He

does not say what were his feelings

in

nor what were the impressions upon his

in his journal
is,
'

audience.

His only remark

is

Blessed be

God
!

that the ice

now

broke, and I have

is

now taken
?

the field

Some may
ledge.'

censure me, but

there not a cause

Pulpits are

denied, and the poor colliers ready to perish for lack of know-

Now

he was the owner of a pulpit that no man could

gift.

take from him, and his heart rejoiced in this great

He

had broken through

the lost sheep.

all

conventionality,
Bristol

and gone

straight to

But

all in

was not so dark on Sunday

morning

as

it

had been on Friday night and Saturday.

Three

THREATENED WITH EXCOMMUNICATION

preached, one being that of
St.

75

pulpits were placed at his disposal, and from two of them he

Mary

Redcliffe,

where he had

such a congregation as his eyes had never yet seen, and he

preached with

'

liberty.'

But the most enjoyable part of the

societies.

day was

its

close,

which was spent with two of the

the parish church of
St.

Monday opened

Philip

and Jacob,
of

and gave him a noble congregation, and a

eighteen pounds for his orphan-house.

collection

Perhaps these quick, decisive movements put the chancellor

on

his mettle

for

on the Monday a summons came from

Whitefield's appearance before the
in

the apparitor,
chancellor.

commanding
With
this

document

his

pocket,

Whitefield
Street,

spent a joyful night

among
at

his friends in

Baldwin

and

on Tuesday morning,
chancellor,

ten o'clock,

he waited upon the

his

who
'

plainly told
I

him

that

he intended to stop
sir,'

proceedings.
'

have sent
answer.'

for the register here,

said he,

to take

down your

The

first

question was, by what

authority Whitefield preached in the diocese of Bristol without

a licence.

Whitefield replied that he thought that custom was

grown obsolete.
clergyman

And
'
:

then becoming questioner in turn, he

asked the chancellor

this

And

why, pray

sir,

did not you ask the

question

who preached

for

you

last

Thursday

'

He

said that

was nothing

to Whitefield.

He
;

then read over

that forbid

part of the ordination

office,

and those canons

any

minister's preaching in a private house, &c.

and asked what

Whitefield had to say to them.

He

answered, that he appre-

hended
of the
did.

that those canons did not belong to professed ministers

Church of England.
also a canon, said

The
I,

chancellor replied that they

Again Whitefield resorted

is

to the
sir,

ad hominem method
all

'There

forbidding
;

clergymen

to frequent taverns

and play

at cards
'
:

why

is

not that put in

execution

'

Said the chancellor

it

Why
?
'

does not some one

complain of them, and then

would

The

chancellor next

76

GEORGE WHTTEFIELD
false doctrine,

accused Whitefield of
proper answer
'
:

whereupon he received a
I

cannot hut speak the things

know

and

am
'

resolved to proceed as usual.'

'Observe

his answer, then,

Mr. Register,' said he.

I

Then, turning

to Whitefield,

he added

am

resolved,
till

sir, if

you preach or expound anywhere

licence, I will first suspend,
I

in this

diocese,

you have a

and then

excommunicate you.

And what

do

clergy and laity of the city of Bristol.'

name of the How much truth there

is

in the

was

in the
it

whole statement appeared on the afternoon of the

was made.

day that

The

laity

of Bristol,

who were
in

said to

want the silencing of Whitefield, congregated

thousands
;

round

St.

Nicholas' Church, hoping to hear him preach

but

the lecturer sent

word

that orders were given

by the

clergy-

man

that he should not preach in his church.

laity

The

societies

remained open, and the

night.

crowded

their

meetings that

The second

interview with the chancellor was followed by

first,

the same action as the

and with more encouraging

'
:

results.

On
that

the following day the journal relates

All the church

doors being

now

shut, and, if open, not able to contain half

came

to hear, at three in the afternoon I

went to Kings-

wood among
us a fine day,

the colliers.

God

highly favoured us in sending

and near two thousand people were assembled

I I

on

that occasion.

preached and enlarged on John

iii.

3 for

near an hour, and,

hope, to the comfort and edification of

those that heard me.'

Two

days afterwards he stood upon

the same spot, and preached to a congregation of four or five

thousand with great freedom.

the

The

bright sun overhead,

and

immense throng standing around him formed a picture which filled him with holy
'

in awful silence,

admiration.'

It is

important to
field

know what were

his feelings

when he met

these

immense

congregations, whose

numbers had grown

from two hundred to twenty thousand, and what were the

THE POWER OF TEARS

effects of his

yy

preaching upon his audience.

His own words

are

'

hear of a Jesus

Having no righteousness of their own to renounce, they were glad to who was a friend to publicans, and came not to call the

righteous, but sinners, to repentance.

affected was, to see the white gutters
fell

down

their black cheeks, as

The first discovery of their being made by their tears, which plentifully they came out of their coal-pits. Hundreds

and hundreds of them were soon brought under deep convictions, which (as the event proved) happily ended in a sound and thorough conversion. The change was visible to all, though numbers chose to impute it to anything
rather than the finger of God.
iust

As

the scene
it

was quite new, and

had

begun

to

be an extempore preacher,

often occasioned

many inward

conflicts.

not, in
I

Sometimes when twenty thousand people were before me, I had apprehension, a word to say, either to God or them. But was never totally deserted, and was frequently (for to deny it would be

my own

lying against

God) so assisted, that I knew by happy experience, what our Lord meant by saying, " Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
the prospect of the adjacent fields, with the

The open firmament above me,

sight of thousands

and thousands, some in coaches, some on horseback, and some in the trees, and at times all affected and drenched in tears together, to which sometimes was added the solemnity of the approaching evening, was almost too much for, and quite overcame, me.'

The overpowering emotion of which he speaks, and the which made white gutters on the begrimed faces of the colliers, were the answer to his own passionate feelings.
tears

Seldom did he preach without drenching

and the
must
who,
effect

his

audience in

tears,

was due quite as much

to his

unrestrained
Especially

manifestation of strong feeling as to his words.

this characteristic

have struck the hearts of rough men,

for, at last

after

having been long uncared

to

saw a

clergy-

man

willing

endure fatigue and shame

for

the sake of

preaching to them.

He

spoke as having nothing to keep

to

back from them, as having nothing

all

be ashamed

of, least

of

of those tender yearnings of divine compassion which had

constrained him to

come

to them,

and instead of assuming

78

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

feel,

a placid composure which he did not

he

let

his

whole

manner express what was

'

in

him.
a sermon without weeping more or
'

hardly ever

knew him go through

Cornelius Winter,

less,' said his friend,

and

truly believe his

were the

His voice was often interrupted by his affection ; and I have heard him say in the pulpit " You blame me for weeping, but how
tears of sincerity.
:

can

help

it,

when you

will not

weep

for yourselves,

though your immortal

upon the verge of destruction, and, for aught you know, you are hearing your last sermon, and may never more have an opportunity to have Christ offered to you?" His freedom in the use of his passions often put my pride to the trial. I could hardly bear such unreserved use of tears, and the scope he gave to his feelings, for sometimes he exceedingly wept, stamped loudly and passionately, and was frequently so overcome that for a few seconds you would suspect he never could recover ; and when he did, nature required some little time to compose herself.
souls are

Much
The

of his

power

lay in
love.

this

abandon, but

it

was the

abandon of quenchless
visit to

Bristol

was interrupted
;

for a

few days to

make
first

an excursion into Wales

but although

this

was the

appearance of a famous, avowed Methodist among the Welsh,

Methodism was already amongst them, both

spirit.

in

mode and
and
in

Clergymen had gone beyond parish boundaries, preachfounded upon the rules which Dr.
for the societies in

ing to large congregations in churches, in churchyards,

fields
;

religious societies,
laid

Woodward had
scattered here

down

London, were

doctrines

number of thirty; the great and holy commandments of the gospel were taught
and there
to

the

with power which

fell little, if

at

all,

below that which marked

the ministrations of Whitefield.

work were

Griffith

The two prime movers in the Jones and Howel Harris. Griffith Jones,
was a man of ardent
preacher in the
greatest

rector of Llanddowror, Carmarthenshire,

piety

and noble courage, and the

Principality in his day.

He
wakes,

preceded the Methodists in the

fairs,

work of preaching

at

and other

riotous gather-

HOWEL HARRIS
ings of the people.
parishioners, without the consent of their clergyman, to

79

In some cases he would be invited by

come
his

and preach
bably

to

them

in

which case the clergyman would pro-

make
air

sure of the church key,

and compel both

people and their favourite preacher to take their stand in the

open

next he would lodge an accusation in the EccleGriffith

siastical Court.

Jones had twenty years of

'

litigation.
'

By the establishment
his greatest work.

of

Welsh Circulating Schools

to

he did

His plan was

for

send a schoolmaster into

a locality that

wished

instruction, to teach reading the

Bible in the

Welsh tongue, psalmody, and the catechism.

schoolmaster would pass to another, to

From one

district the

do the same work.

Jones

testifies

that in

Wales not one

Dissenter in ten separated from the Church of England for

any other reason than

'

for

want of

plain, practical, pressing,

and zealous preaching, in a language and dialect they are able

to understand.'

For the same reason Methodism obtained a

strong footing.

Howel
rience,

Harris, born the

same year

as Whitefield, was not

gifts,

unlike the great evangelist in disposition, in

in

expe-

and

in
all

whole-hearted consecration

to

the

Saviour.

Ignorant of

the disputed points of religion, he lived in the

simple faith that

God

loved him, and would, for His

freely

own

name's sake, love him

to

the

end.

Oxford having

proved a disappointment to him, he returned to Wales, and

began

in his

own

home-parish, Talgarth, Brecon, to

in the houses.

visit

from

house to house, and then to preach

The

effects

were marvellous, and, as a consequence, he had to encounter

the opposition of the clergy, the magistrates, and the mob.

Yet the work grew

counties,

there was a general reformation in several

and places of worship were everywhere crowded.

When

the news of Whitefield's labours in

felt

London reached
'

him he

his

heart united

to

the evangelist

in

such a

So

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
as he

manner

had never

felt

the like with any one before.

to

To

his great joy a letter

came

him from Whitefield soon

after his return

from Georgia.
'

London, December,
to

173S.
I

'

My dear

Brother,

Though

am unknown
;

you

in person, yet to hear

have long been united to you

the

in spirit

and have been rejoiced

how
!

good pleasure of the Lord prospered in your hands. Go on, go on that sent you will assist, comfort, and protect you, and make you more than conqueror through His great love. I am a living monument of this

He

and shine

and wish you may be the spiritual father of thousands, kingdom of your heavenly Father. Oh, how shall I joy to meet you at the judgment-seat How you would honour me if you would send a line to your affectionate though unworthy brother, George Whitefield.'
truth.
I love you,

as the sun in the

'

To

this letter

Harris replied the day after

its

reception,

assuring Whitefield of his profound love for him, telling

him

some good news of

'

the
to

work of God
it

in

Wales, and saying:

in vain.'

Were you

to

come

Wales

would not be labour

This devoted young Welshman had several times offered himself for

holy orders, and been refused because he preached as

a layman, and so he was shut up to this way, or to silence.

We

can see from these brief sketches what was the state
the

of

things in
extent, in

Church of England
their

in

Wales, and, to

some

was frowned upon by

The preaching of the godly clergy own brethren, and welcomed and supported by Nonconformists. The Spirit of the Lord was
Nonconformity.

moving
away
wood.

in

this land, as

well as in

America and

in

Scotland

and England.
for

We

can also understand why Whitefield broke

a few days from the thousands of Bristol and Kings-

His soul and the soul of Harris leaped

fire.

to

each other

like flames of

An

incident of the short passage to Wales

to

is

much
'

too

characteristic of the times

be omitted.
Passage, and

Contrary winds

delayed Whitefield at the

New

he says

At

A GAMBLING CLERGYMAN
the inn there was an

81

unhappy clergyman, who would not go

it.

over in the passage-boat because I was in

I,

Alas

thought

this very

temper would make heaven

he saw

itself

unpleasant to

that

man,

if

me

there.
I

was told that he charged

after,

me

with being a Dissenter.

saw him soon

shaking his

elbows over a gaming

table.'

mind and taken

Shuffle in
'

the boat.

The clergyman had changed his The image of him recalls Parson
!

Roderick Random,' and shows, alas

in the

that, at that

time,

some parsons

north and

some

in the west

were

painfully alike in character

and

in uselessness.

The Welsh

visit

was very

short,

and was marked with those

experiences which Whitefield was to

for the rest of his
life.

know
the

as

common
hall,

things

First of to

all,

the church at Cardiff was

denied,

and he had

resort

to

town

where he

preached from the judge's seat to a small audience of four

hundred people.
but some

No
it

outrage was attempted in the building,

of the baser sort

outside

amused themselves by

trailing a

dead fox around

very

trifling

annoyance

to a

preacher with such lung power, and

heard in spite of the shouting

who could make himself and noise. Then there were

as

melting meetings of a more private sort with the religious

societies
;

and on the whole he had reason,

he

says, to

think that there was 'a most comfortable prospect of the

spreading of the gospel in Wales.'

On

his return to Bristol

he had to

suffer

meaner opposition

than any he had met with before.

delighted to preach to the prisoners,

Newgate, where he had

and where, by

his gifts,

he had relieved much

distress,

was closed against him.

teacher,

Un-

willing to lose their friend

and

many

of the prisoners

sent a petition to the mayor, praying that he might be allowed

to

come among them

their

as usual

but the mayor would not grant

them

request.

Mr.

Dagge, the keeper, a convert and

friend of Whitefield, remonstrated,

7

and urged

that Whitefield

82

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
;

preached agreeably to Scripture

but the only answer was to

appoint another clergyman to the post of chaplain

forbade his denying the poor unfortunates
all

for shame

religious aid.

This disappointment was cause

expelled Methodist,

for

great

rejoicing to the
:

who wrote

in his journal

'

Some preach
:

Christ out of contention,

and others of goodwill

however,

Christ

is

preached.'
in the

His persecution had ample compensation

of which he had
for labour

become

conscious,

and

in the

new power new opening

which he had found since

his arrival in the west, the

fields giving

him room enough

for

any congregation, and the

all

people delighting to meet him there in

cold and snow of

weathers, even the

March not being able

and
in the

to

keep them away.

villages,

At Bath,
daily

at Bristol, in

neighbouring

he was
if

engaged

preaching to thousands
if

in the

churches

he

could gain admission to them, and

pole or in the
fields,

not, then

under the May-

or in any

open space where the people

it

had a
ful

right to assemble.

Then
their

was that he

felt

the wonder-

influence which pervades mighty audiences, possessed with

attention
to

one concern, bending

engaged
in

one

subject,

and

one

common

service.

His favourite congregation

was the Kingswood one, which met on the Sunday.

crowds standing
in awful silence,
side, was,

The
strik-

and the echo of

says, very

their singing

running from side to

ing.

he

solemn and

Weariness and sickness often oppressed him, yet he

always found strength

when

the

task faced

him.

He

was

already beginning to learn the curative properties of effort,

and

to trust for invigoration to

what exhausted him.

his side.

Then,

too, there

was popular sympathy on

was closed, and
to address a

He

had but to

take his stand anywhere, and an audience was before him.

When Newgate
o'clock

his sister's

room, where he had

been accustomed

congregation as early as six

on Sunday morning, could not accommodate a fourth

EARLY MORNING PREACHING

of the people

83

who came, some gentlemen gave him

first

the use of

a bowling-green, and his

congregation in that novel church

first

was

five

thousand.

This was his

attempt at preaching in

the open air early in the morning.

Its success,

and the kindand

en-

ness of friends

who had come

to his rescue, cheered

couraged him ; his heart was

full to

breaking of grateful emotions.

Pressed by repeated invitations, he next presented himself

in a very different part of the city,

where many dwelt who

neither

feared

God

nor

regarded

man, and

preached to

thousands in a yard of the glass-houses, declaring both the

threatenings and the promises of the Almighty, so that none

might either presume or despair.

His courage and

tact

were sometimes severely

tried,

but

more

at

Bath than

Bristol,

by the scoffing which he heard as

he passed through the crowd, and by the laughter which

greeted

him when he mounted a

;

table for his pulpit.

The

merriment never lasted long

zeal

for that true love

and unusual

which carried him

to

such congregations bore him strongly

and patiently on with

his work,

and

it

was not in human nature

to the passions of his

to continue trifling with

one so superior
to

audience.
spell

Whoever came

annoy must

either

submit to the
stay,

which soon caught the most of the audience, and

either a willing or

an unwilling hearer, or go away disappointed

the last

of his sport.

To

we

shall find that Whitefield

was

never beaten, hazardous and questionable as some of his

afterwards were.

efforts

His convictions on the power of preaching,

penned

after

he had hushed and awed a jeering crowd at

'
:

Bath, give in part the secret of his confidence

Men may

say

what they please, but there

preaching, which,

is

something in

this foolishness of

when attended with a Divine

bend or break.
Lord, and like a

energy, will
" Is not

make
word

the most stubborn heart

like fire, saith the
?
'

My

hammer that

breaketh

the rock in pieces

"

84

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
The time when he must
leave the city was near
;

and

that

his

work might not

fall

to the ground, or

come

to a stand after

his departure,

he again and again requested Wesley to come

it

from London and carry

that he ought to go.

on

but Wesley could not be sure

Bristol,

His inclination was not towards

and on

resorting to his practice of bibliomancy,

many
:

passages

of Scripture had a sinister meaning.

This was one

'

Get thee

up

into this mountain,

and die

in the

mount whither thou

His journey was
Charles could

goest up, and be gathered unto thy people.'

next proposed to the society in Fetter Lane.

not bear the mention of

at haphazard,

it

but an appeal to a Bible, opened

brought him under the power of these strong

I take

words

'
:

Son of man, behold

;

from thee the desire of

thine eyes with a stroke

yet thou shalt not

mourn

or weep,

neither shall thy tears run

down

'

and thinking that they were

Still,

a voice from heaven, he held his peace.

the brethren

were not

satisfied,
lot.

and, to settle the

difficulty,

an appeal was
a

made

to the

This said he must go.

Many wanted

Divine confirmation of this supposed Divine announcement,

and the
thrice,

rest

consenting to the suggestion, a Bible was opened

hit

and some strange passages were

upon

one was
in

this

'
:

And Ahaz

slept with his fathers,

and they buried him

the city, even in Jerusalem.'

The
of

journal of Whitefield contains the following entry for

Saturday,

March
and

31st: 'I was

friend,

much

refreshed with the sight

my honoured
hither,

Mr. John Wesley,

I

whom

desired to

come
to

whom

had now the pleasure of introducing

at Bristol.

my

friends,

he having never before been

to water

Help

him,

Lord Jesus,

what Thy own

right

hand hath

planted, for

Thy

mercy's sake.'

Wesley writes
I

in his journal

'Saturday, 31st.

In the evening
I

reached Bristol, and met

first

Mr. Whitefield there.

to this strange

could scarce reconcile myself at

in the fields, of

way of preaching

which he

set

WESLEY LEARNING OF U'HITEFIELD

me
an example on the Sunday
;

85
life
(till

having been

all

my

very lately) so tenacious of every point relating to decency and

order, that I should have thought the saving of souls almost a
sin, if it

had not been done

in a church.'

The
in

freer
all

and more

impetuous nature of Whitefield stands out

distinctness

from the statesmanlike nature of the founder of Wesleyan

Methodism, as the two friends begin the work of Sunday.

Whitefield had seen, more by the instinct of his quick emotions

than by the reasoning of his mind, the value of his irregular

work, and already had
able to
its fruits

approved

it

to

him

as accept-

God

and

that

day he went out confident and joyful,

while Wesley was bewildered and half inclined to turn away.

True

to his cautious, practical

mind, Wesley adopted

its

field-

preaching only when he had seen

worth, just as he took up

the class-meeting idea from others, and only consented to lay

preaching because

it

had been started by men more headlong

not to hinder a work of God.
;

than himself, and these supported by the wisdom and piety of

his mother,

who warned him

Others moved, he quickly followed

ticable,

and,

if it

was found prac-

passed on and took the lead.

Whitefield took

him the round of

less

his

work on April

1st,

and

any heart
quailed

less

bold and

devoted than Wesley's must have

when he saw what was expected of him.

They began
service,

at the bowling-green with the usual

Sunday morning
ever.

which was attended by a larger audience than

They

went

to

Hannam Mount, where

numbers.

the colliers

and others came

to

in unusually great

They passed on

Rose Green,
either of

and here the congregation was more enlarged than

the

other

two.

Twenty-four coaches and

many horsemen
says,
'

mingled with the crowd, and though the wind was not so
favourable as usual,
cry aloud,
'

was strengthened,' Whitefield

last farewell.'

to

and take my

Prayers, blessings,

and

good wishes were showered on him

as they returned to the

86
city.

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
At seven, Whitefield went
he had
to take his leave of
to
it

one of the

societies,

and found the room and the way

to

so crowded

that

mount a

ladder,

and come

at the

door by climb-

ing over the tiling of an adjoining house.

The morning of those who came to

on both
left,

the following day was spent in talking with take their leave,

and

tears

were freely shed

sides.

Crowds were hanging about the door when he

friends

and a company of twenty

;

accompanied him out of

gifts

the city on horseback

and

if

he was leaving no small

gift

behind, he also was carrying away a substantial

of two

hundred pounds

for his orphan-house.

He

travelled

by way

of Kingswood, where the colliers,

says,

unknown

to him, had, he

'prepared an hospitable entertainment, and were very

forward for
I

me

to lay the

first

stone of their school.

At length

complied, and a

man

giving

me

a piece of ground, in case

I

Mr.

should refuse to grant them any,

laid a

stone,

and then kneeled down, and prayed

might not prevail against our design.'

God

that the gates of hell

This became the famous

Kingswood School, the

have been educated.

original of the institution in

which the

sons of successive generations of Wesleyan Methodist ministers

Whitefield had not been gone three hours from Bristol,

his
vile

when

friend Wesley submitted, as he

says, to

than he had on the preceding day,

societies,

make himself more when he preached to

highways the glad
;

one of the

by proclaiming

in the

tidings of salvation to about three

thousand people
fearlessly

and on
Within

the following Sunday

he stepped

into the severe

path that Whitefield had shown him a week before.

three weeks of Wesley's assuming the lead of the Methodist

movement, scenes such

created

as Whitefield's preaching
:

had not yet

became common

some

of the hearers were seized

;

with

fearful

agony and cried out

then they as suddenly

shouted for joy.

WHITEFIELDS CURATE
On
April 9th Whitefield, after having paid a second
to Wales, reached his native city.
interest in
fied

87
visit

Early friends

who took an
grati-

him and

his

work must have been peculiarly

both

with his vast

in

humble manner

and extending influence and with the which he bore his successes and there
;

was also one, who had not been counted of that number, who

had more joy than any of them.

Dissenting minister.

It

was

'

old

Cole,' the

Some one had

told the

good man the

one of the

smart saying of the youth of thirteen about stories in the

pulpit,

and when he heard Whitefield

he quietly remarked
tell
'
:

tell

one

in

city pulpits,
field

I find that

young White-

can

now

stories as well as

old Cole.'

He
'

used to
in his

subscribe himself Whitefield's curate, and follow

him

excursions into the country to preach after him.

These are

days of the Son of man, indeed

'

he would exclaim, as he

followed up the younger man's work.

fully in

He

had an end

beauti-

keeping with his zeal and the simplicity of his char-

acter.

One
;

evening, while preaching,

he was struck with

till

death
his

he then asked

for a chair to lean on,

he concluded

sermon.
'

That

finished, they carried

him
exit

upstairs,

and he

died.
story,
'

blessed

God

! '

exclaims Whitefield,
will,

when

telling the
'
!

if

it

be Thy holy

may my

be

like his

It

was not unlike.

Passing through Chafford, Painswick, Stroud, Stonehouse,

Cheltenham, Badsey, Evesham, and Bengeworth, and preaching in bowling-greens, in town-halls,

and

in fields, as

he went,

he came to Oxford.

Here, through his going to exhort one of

fell

the societies, the vice-chancellor

foul of him.

The

society

had before been threatened,

hortation
;

if

they continued to meet for exall

and when the

'

were

upstairs,

and on the point

of bidding Whitefield goodbye before he started for London,

the vice-chancellor sent for

him

to

he demanded

to

know

if

Whitefield had his

come down. In a passion, name in any book

88
there.
'

GEORGE WH1TEF1ELD
Yes,
sir,'

was the

reply,
:

'

but
'

I
;

intend to take

it

out

soon.'

The

vice-chancellor said

Yes

and you had best take

heels.

yourself out too, or otherwise

I will lay

you by the

What

do you mean by going about and alienating people's

from
their proper pastors ?
;

affections

Your works

are

full

of vanity and

nonsense
in this

you pretend

to inspiration.

If

you ever come again

lay

manner among these people,

and these
shall follow.'

I will

you

first

by the

heels,

Then he turned

his

back and

went away.

Whitefield turned, and having prayed with his

friends, set out for

London.
at

Letters from Savannah, contain-

ing

good news, met him

Uxbridge, and

made him

desire an

early departure to the people of his charge.

His eleven weeks' labour

which
is

in the country

had kindled a

fire

not extinguished to this day.

CHAPTER
May
IN

VI

to

August, 1739

MOORFIELDS

ON

COMMONS

AT

FAIRS

AND RACES
was favourable

MR. STONEHOUSE, Methodism,

to

vicar of Islington,

but his churchwarden was of another

mind.

As soon

as

Whitefield arrived in London, the vicar

gave him the use of his pulpit for a week-day service.

The

churchwarden would dispute Whitefield's

of the prayers he entered the church,
licence,

right.

In the midst
Whitefield's

demanded

and forbade

his

preaching without one.

No

licence

was forthcoming, nor was the preacher sorry by being

in priest's orders

for that,

though

and holding the

London, he

living of

Savannah,

which was

in the diocese of

felt

that he

had

legal

standing ground.
in the church.

For peace' sake he determined not

to preach

When
now

the

communion
and preached

service was over he

there, feeling assured

withdrew

to the churchyard,

that his Master

Bristol.

called

him out

in

London
Spirit,
'

as well as in

In a

letter,

written to a friend that day, he said that

his

Master had, by His providence and

compelled him
I

to preach in the churchyard at Islington.

To-morrow

am

to

repeat that

mad

trick,

and on Sunday to go out

is glorified.

into Moorfields.

The word
preach
till

of the Lord runs and

People's hearts

seem quite broken.

I

God

strengthens

me

exceedingly.

sweat through and through.'

He

evidently was

go

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
would not have announced
his intention to preach in

well satisfied with being driven to adopt his country practices,

or he

Moorfields on the second day after his expulsion, or withdrawal, whichever

it

may be

called,

from Islington Church.

The news
the city
that
;

of his going to Moorfields soon spread through

it,

and many, on hearing

said that

if

he ventured into
alive.

domain of the rabble he would never come out

first

Moorfields, which had been the

brickyard of London,
site

next the exercise ground of the city archers, then the

of
its

Bedlam, and afterwards the City Mall, where fashion took

daily stroll,

had

fallen into possession of the roughest part of

itself

the population, simply by this part's presenting

in the

presence of fashion, and desiring to share, in

the shade of the trees

its

peculiar way,
paths.

and the smoothness of the

The

partnership was quietly declined.

To

this place

and

to this

people Whitefield

felt

himself called to take his message of love

29th,

and peace.

On
'

Sunday morning, April

assembled in the

an

'

exceeding
;

great multitude

fields to

hear him

but to
pre-

while away the time before his arrival there was a

little

liminary sport in breaking to pieces a table which had been

placed for his pulpit.

In due time he drove up in a coach,

friends,

accompanied by some
side,

and with one of them on

either

attempted to force his way to the place where the table

ought to have been found.

His body-guard was soon detached

at the

from him, and he was

left

mercy of the congregation,

for

which

at

once parted and made an open way

fields,

him

to the

middle of the

and thence

for there

was no pulpit there

fields,

to the wall

which divided the upper and lower

his stand.
It

upon

which he took

was a novel

sight to the preacher

that

mass of London rabble

as

his eye

ranged over

it

it

was a more novel

sight to the people

that

young clergyman
as he lifted him;

of twenty-four, in gown, bands,

self

and cassock,

up before them.

His

tall,

graceful figure

his

manly and

FIRST SERMON IN MOORFIELDS

commanding bearing
attention
;

91

his
;

clear,

blue eyes, that melted with

tenderness and kindness

his raised hand,

which called

for

everything about him declared him a

;

man who was

capable of ruling them

and they were

willing to listen to him.

When

he spoke, and they heard his strong but sweet voice,

exquisitely

modulated to express the deepest, strongest passion,

or the soberest instruction, or the

most indignant remonstrance,

they stood charmed and subdued.

Then
in
;

his

message was so

solemn and so gracious, something

interested for time
if it
it

which every one was

it

and

for eternity

and he delivered
was
;

as

were

all real
it,

to him, as indeed

it

as

if

he believed
it,

and loved
did.

and wanted them

also to accept

as indeed

he

No

scoffer durst raise his shout,

no disturber durst
ye know neither
'

meddle with

his neighbour, as the thrilling text flew all around,

it,

every one hearing

'Watch, therefore,

for

the day nor the hour in which the

as the preacher, with finger
.shall like

Son of man cometh

'

and

pointed upwards, cried,

shall

There

be a day
a scroll
all

in

which these heavens

be wrapped up

the

elements melt with fervent heat

this earth

and

things therein be burnt up,

and every

soul of every tribunal of

nation

summoned

to appear before the dreadful

the righteous Judge of quick and dead, to receive rewards or

punishments according

to

the deeds

done
all

in their bodies.'

Quietness and attention reigned through

for

the host while,

perhaps

an hour and a

half,

he spoke of the wise and he had a pleasant egotism,

the foolish virgins,

and then

for

which
direct

for a

moment

turned men's minds to himself only to

them onward

to the

Master

entreated them, with a

:

last

entreaty, not to reject his

'

message because he was young

to me,'

Oh

do not turn a deaf ear

lips,

he begged

'

do not
!

reject the

message on account of the meanness of the messenger

youth of uncircumcised
but the Lord has chosen
sent to invite you

am

a child, a

me

that the glory

might be

all

His own.

Had He

by a learned Rabbi,
something.

you might have been tempted

to think the

man had done

But

now God

has sent a child that cannot speak, that the excellency of the

92
power may.be seen
sight of such

GEORGE U'/IITEFIELD
to be not

of man, but of God.

;

Let letter-learned
vile
if

Pharisees, then, despise

my

youth
it
;

care not
I

how

appear in the

any of you should be set upon your watch by this preaching, you will have no reason to repent that God sent a child to cry, " Behold, the Bridegroom cometh " O, my
glory in

men I

and

am

persuaded,

brethren
glory

the thought of being instrumental in bringing

some of you

fills

me

with fresh

zeal.
;

"Watch, watch and pray"

upon

for

Once more, therefore, I entreat you the Lord Jesus will receive all that call
cry, "
;
!

to

Him

faithfully.

Let that
in

be continually sounding

your ears
in

were assured
forth to

this

was the night

" Behold, the Bridegroom cometh and begin now to live as though you which you were to be summoned to go

Him.'
will

Whitefield,

it

be seen, preached up to his congregation

he gave them the

best.

Think of a theme so

lofty,

of a

manner

so bold yet so humble, of a spirit

for

moved

with such yearning

a crowd, hundreds of

whom had come

for sport,

and

score's

for violence

and crime.

He

saw
for

in

them men who had been

Christ had died.
privileges
;

made in the image of God, and summoned them to their high

on them
their

whom
;

He

duties

and

he laid

solemn

responsibilities

he pleaded with them,

;

and wept over them as with a mother's love

judgment and heaven and
hell to their

he opened

view

he called upon

them

to forsake sin

and come

to

God he
;

offered

them pardon

and reconciliation and eternal

life

through the blood of Christ.

And
At

the roughs were transformed into saints

five o'clock in

the evening of the same day he met, on

1

Kennington Common,
thousand,

an

audience
class

computed

at

twenty

and of a higher
in

of

people than

he had

addressed

the morning.

The

wind, which was favourable,

;

carried his words to the furthest hearer

lis-tened

the whole

company

with as

much decorum

as a congregation in a church,

joined in the Psalm and the Lord's Prayer, and dispersed,

evidently touched
'

and moved by what they had heard.

Criminals were executed here, and in old prints the congregations are

represented as fringed with

many

of

them hanging on the gallows.

EFFECTS OF HIS PREACHING

All his time was
to Georgia,

93

now devoted

to preparation for the voyage

and

to open-air preaching.

All went well between

civility

him and the Trustees, who received him with much

agreed to everything he asked
;

and gave him a grant of

five

hundred acres of land,

to

him and

his successors for ever, for

liberality of the
at

the use of the orphan-house.

The

Trustees

was

rivalled

by that of the congregations

for in nine

Moorfields and

Kennington Common,

days he collected from them

his

almost two hundred pounds.

The common was

church

on Sunday evening and during the week, and

at the close of

the services he stood on the eminence from which he had

preached, to receive the

gifts

of the people,

who crowded

to

him from below.

pounds nineteen

Moorfields was his church on the Sunday

morning, and after his third service there he collected fifty-two

shillings

and sixpence, more than twenty

pounds of which was

in half-pence.

He
and

declares that he was

that

nearly weary of receiving their mites,

one man could

not carry the load home.

The

evident emotion of the people

while he preached, their awe, their silence, their tears, and the
generosity with which, evening after evening, they responded
to his appeals for his orphan-house,
faith

showed

that

he had

their

and sympathy, and

that his

word was bringing

forth fruit.
to

Letters

came
;

telling

him how

useful his preaching

had been

the writers

and many persons waited on him

to receive further

private instruction.
alteration
for

He

even says that he could

mark an

the better in the congregation at Kennington

Common, which had from the first been exemplary. No doubt many came from anything but religious motives, as where is
the congregation which
curious, the foolish,
is

without the
not

idle,

the formal, the

who do

come
if

to be

and who would be

greatly startled

they

made any better, were ? The second

of about
;

congregation at Moorfields, which was composed

twenty thousand people, most likely had

many

sightseers

and

94
so,

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
most
likely,

had the congregation on the common, on the

evening of the same day

to consist of

a congregation which was

and
forty

reckoned

between

thirty

thousand persons on foot

besides

many horsemen, and about

was such as

eighty coaches.

The

sight

that evening

surprised

even Whitefield, well-

accustomed as he had become

Quick, enterprising men,

to look down upon vast crowds. who perhaps would have had as

much

pleasure,

if

not a

little

more, in erecting stands on a

racecourse, or stalls at a wake, saw that a sunshiny day for

trade had come,

and soon provided accommodation

scaffolds,
it.

in

the

shape of waggons,

and other contrivances

and the

audience gladly paid for

collection at every service
official

There was a pew-rent and a

but with this advantage, that no

brought the collecting-box round, and no hearer was

to

compelled
hearing.

occupy a stand or go without the privilege of

It is said that

the singing of these congregations could be

off,

heard two miles

and Whitefi eld's voice nearly a

felt

mile.

Much

as Whitefield

the importance of his work, deeply

persuaded as he was that

God had

called

him

to

it,

and

encouraging as were the sympathy and help of the people, he

was not able to throw

off

some sense

of discomfort arising

from his being an outcast from the sanctuary and pulpits of

his

Church, and from his having to gather his money for the

orphan-house in such an irregular way.

feeling manifests itself in

Something of

this

an entry

in his journal while

:

he was

in the first flush of his out-door popularity

'

doubt

not,'

he says,

'

but

many

self-righteous bigots,

when they

see

me

spreading out

my

hands

to offer Jesus Christ freely to all, are

ready to

cry out, "

How

glorious did the Rev. Mr. Whitefield look to-day, when,

neglecting the dignity of a clergyman, he stood venting his enthusiastic

ravings in a

gown and
!

cassock upon a
if this is

common, and
be
vile,

collecting mites from that

I

the poor people

"

But

to

Lord grant

may be

ONE OF WHITE FIELD'S GANG'

more
vile. I

95

know

this foolishness of

preaching

is

the conversion and edification of numbers.

yea, and will rejoice.'

Ye

scoffers,

made instrumental to mock on I rejoice,

;

The

intenseness of his feeling while writing those words

let

was not the calm satisfaction of one who could afford to

others scoff or praise as they might please of a
tion,
;

it

was the struggle

his

man who felt acutely the disadvantages of and who was determined to accept them
flesh

new

posi-

only because
;

they were associated with duty and heavenly privilege

there

was a conflict between the

It is

and the

Spirit.

not an unwelcome release to get disengaged from these

eager, excited congregations, to follow the preacher,

and mark

how he attempted

to fulfil the precepts

he had publicly taught.

He
No.

does not appear to disadvantage when seen nearer at hand.

received a letter dated from Bethlehem Hospital,

One day he

50, signed

Joseph Periam.
;

Periam was supposed

'

to

be
his

mad, but in a new way

he was

Methodically

mad
to

;
'

and

tender relations, father and

sister,

had sent him

Bethlehem
of the

Hospital until the

fits

should leave him.

The
all

officials

hospital treated him, on his reception, with the gross cruelty

which one-while was practised towards

mind.

who were
declined

of

weak

They thought he ought

to have a

huge dose of physic,

it,

but Periam, knowing that he was quite

fou:

well,

when

or five attendants

'

took hold of him, cursed him most

heartily,

put a key into his mouth, threw him upon the bed,

and

said (though Whitefield

had not then

either seen

him

or

heard of him), "

You

are one of Whitefield's gang,"

and so

drenched him.'

Orders were given that neither Whitefield,

;

nor any of Whitefield's friends, should see him

but Whitefield
in

and

his friend

Seward were both admitted when,

answer to

Periam's request, they went to the hospital.

They thought
sister

him sound, both

different opinion,

in

body and mind.

cited three

His

was of a

and

symptoms of

his madness.

96
First, that

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
he fasted for near a fortnight.
Secondly, that he
Thirdly, that he had

prayed so as to be heard four storey high.

sold his clothes,

and given them

In his
first

to the poor.

The

fact

is,

he

was a

literalist.

religious anxiety, reading

one day
sell all

about the young

man whom

our Lord

commanded
the

to

and give
taken

it

to the poor,

he thought that the words must be

literally

so he sold his clothes, and gave

his

money

to

the poor.

At length Whitefield and

friends

secured

Periam's release, on condition that he should be taken to

Georgia.

Accordingly he went with Whitefield to America

there he married one of the orphan-house mistresses.

After a

few years both of them died, and two of their sons, promising
boys,

became inmates of the

institution.

The

ship Elizabeth, in which Whitefield had taken berths for

himself and eleven others, was detained

by an embargo

until

August, and during the odd weeks thus accidentally thrown

into
his

hands he laboured with tremendous energy, and

fulfilled the

abundantly

animated charge which Charles Wesley

of nine verses
:

addressed to him in a
'

poem

Brother in Christ, and well-beloved, Attend, and add thy prayer to mine
;

As Aaron called, To minister in

Faithful,

yet inly

moved

things divine.

and often owned of God,

;

Vessel of grace, by Jesus used

Stir

up the
gift

gift

on thee bestowed,

The

by hallowed hands transfused.'

'

It is

not strange to

mental
he

efficacy, in the

come upon so strong a statement concerning sacrapoem of a man who was such a High Churchman that
in consecrated

made

careful

arrangements to be buried

ground

but

alas for

human
is

ignorance, that piece of St. Mary-le-bone churchyard in

is

which he

laid

said to be the only piece not consecrated.

DR.

DODDRIDGE
;

9/

Go where the darkest tempest lowers, Thy foes' triumphant wrestler foil
Thrones, principalities, and powers,

Engage, o'ercome, and take the

spoil.

The weapons of thy warfare take, With truth and meekness armed
Mighty, through God,
hell's

ride

on

kingdom shake, Satan's strongholds, through God, pull down.'

Not

to follow

him

step by step,

we may

still

single out

some

experiences which will illustrate his

spirit that

own mode
It

of action, the

impelled him, the opposition he met with, and the

encouragements that cheered him.

was

at

Northampton,

the third place at which he stayed for preaching on one of his

short excursions from
able,

London, that he met with the

pious,

and accomplished Dr. Doddridge, who was

striving with

unwearied industry to keep the lamps of learning and religion

burning
to those

among
*

the Dissenters.
civility

The

doctor,

whose attention

forms of

and complaisance which are usual

is

among
received

well-bred

people,'

duly noted by his biographer,

Whitefield

most courteously

perhaps
in

more cour-

teously than joyfully, for he

had not always thought favourably

his

of his visitor,

and some of

brethren were not so well

inclined as himself to the

'several angry letters,'

new

sect,

and

due time sent him

reproaching him
rate,

for his 'civility' to the

Methodist leaders.
offered,

At any

the chapel pulpit was not

and Whitefield had

to take his stand at the starting-

post

on the common.

Bedford had a clergyman, the Rev. Mr. Rogers, who had adopted Whitefield's plan of open-air preaching;
his pulpit
to

was the steps of a windmill

three thousand people.
land.

and there Whitefield preached

to

Good news came

8

him from

Scot-

Ebenezer Erskine, the father of United Presbyterianism,

98

GEORGE WH1TEF1ELD
ill

wrote to say that he had preached to fourteen thousand people.

Yet Whitefield was

at ease,

even when other ministers were

moving

in the path

he had chosen.

The

great need of the

country called for more help, and in his burning love for souls,

he prayed,

'

Lord, do

Thou
to to

spirit

up more of my dear
Amen.'

friends

and fellow-labourers
to

go out into the highways and hedges,

compel poor sinners

come

in.

His soul was

also stirred within

so he
new

calls

them

him
'

to testify 'against those vile teachers'

those,

and only

who

say

we

are not

now
con-

to receive the

Holy Ghost, and who count the doctrine

Out of your own mouths Did you not

of the

birth enthusiasm.

I will

demn
the

you, you blind guides.

tell

at the time ot

ordination

the bishop that you were inwardly

to take

moved by

Holy Ghost

upon you the administration of the

you acted the crime of Ananias
"Surely," says Bishop Burnet,
'

Church?

Surely, at that time,

and Sapphira over

again.

"you
time

lied not only unto man, but unto God."

These words might

about
this

have had reference to a pastoral

letter written

by the Bishop of London, on

in

'

Lukewarmness and Enthusiasm,'

but from
after

which the people of London and Westminster were specially

;

warned against the enthusiast, George Whitefield

the 'civil' reception the bishop gave

him two days

he
far.

penned them, we may

infer

that there

was peace thus

But count Whitefield wrong, or count him

other clergymen, the heart
out, sick

right, in assailing
is

warms

to

him

as he

seen going
;

and weak,

to preach in the rain or the sunshine

his

eyes overflowing with tears, while to his weeping congregations

he explains his favourite doctrines of the new birth and

fication

justi-

by

faith

his heart so

moved when he
till

gets

upon the

love

and

free grace of Jesus Christ, that,

though an hour and

midnight.

a half has passed by, he would fain continue

hint from

A
and

him

to the congregation at Moorfields, that

it

he must

soon leave the country, makes

weep

as for a brother,

WHITEFIELD AND WESLE Y AT BLACKHE A TH

ejaculations

99

and prayers

for

him
to

are poured out on every side.

The numbers who

Kennington
as almost to

flocked

hear him increased, and at

their

Common
drown

one Sunday

weeping was so loud

his voice.

In the early part of June he preached mostly at Blendon,

Bexley,

and Blackheath

and had great enjoyment

in

the

fellowship of
Bexley),

many

friends

(among

whom

was the vicar of

It

who were

of the

same mind

as himself.

was on a

Thursday evening

that 'he introduced,' he says, 'his

honoured
at

and reverend
heath.'

friend,

Mr. John Wesley, to preach

in his journal

Black-

Wesley says

'

went with Mr. Whitefield

to Blackheath,

where were,

believe,

twelve or fourteen thousand people.

He
I

little

surprised me, by desiring

me

to preach in his stead

which

did (though nature recoiled) on

is

my

favourite subject,

"Jesus Christ, who of God righteousness, sanctification, and redemption."

compassion
for the rich that

made unto
I

us wisdom,

was greatly moved with

were

there, to

whom

made

a particular

application.
their coaches

Some

of

them seemed

to attend, while others

drove away

from so uncouth a preacher.'

Whitefield continues in his journal

him ten thousand times more success than He has given we spent the evening most agreeably together, with Christian friends, at the " Green Man." About ten we admitted all to come that would. The room was soon filled. I exhorted and prayed for near an hour, and then went to bed, rejoicing that another fresh inroad was made upon Satan's territories, by Mr. Wesley's following me in fieldpreaching in London as well as in Bristol. Lord, speak the word, and great shall the company of such preachers be. Amen. Amen.'
'

The Lord
!

give

me many

After sermon

Towards the end of the month

scheme
for hindering

his

enemies devised a new

reports

him.

Whenever he journeyed
killed, or

were circulated that he was wounded, or

suddenly.

had died
an

Coming

to

Blackheath

one

evening, after

excursion into the country, he found,

not his usual twenty

ioo

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
Wherever he went he
to see

thousand, but one thousand, and the rest had stayed at home,

because of a report that he was dead.

found the people

alive.

much

surprised

and rejoiced
at

him
His

Another blow

fell

on him

the

same time.
to allow

friend, the vicar of Bexley,

was forbidden

h'im his

pulpit.

That night he preached on Blackheath,

text,

to as large a

congregation as ever, from the

'And

they cast
for

him

out,'

and recommended the people

storm.

to

prepare

gathering

Matters were a

little

threatening

when he

visited

Tewkesbury

on July 2nd.
at

He had
raised

created great excitement at Gloucester,

Randwick, and at Hampton Common.

The

bailiffs

of

Tewkesbury had
also,

much

opposition to his coming thither

and had him, on

his arrival at his inn, attended

off

by four

constables.

These were quickly sent

by a lawyer, a friend

of Whitefield,

who demanded

their warrant,

and found

that

they had none.

Three thousand people attended an evening

service outside the liberties of the town.

The
his

next morning he waited upon one of the

for

bailiffs to

ask

reason
it

sending the constables.

The

bailiff replied

that

was the determination of the whole council, and that

the people had been noisy,

'

and
'

reflected

upon the

bailiffs.

The

noise,' Whitefield answered,

was owing
to

to their sending

the constables with their staves,

apprehend

me when

should

come

into the town.'

The

bailiff retorted

in anger,

that a certain judge

had declared
if

his determination to take

'

Whitefield up as a vagrant

he preached near him.

'

He

is

very welcome,' said Whitefield,

to

do

as

he

pleases, but I

apprehend no magistrate has power to stop

even in the
bailiff; streets,
if

my
sir,'

preaching,
said

think

proper.'

'

No,

the

'if

you preach here to-morrow, you

shall

have the

constable to attend you.'

first

Whitefield went away, telling him

that he thought

it

his

duty as a minister to inform him

THE BAILIFFS AT TEWKESBURY

that magistrates were intended to be a terror to evildoers,

101

and
to

not to those

who do
&c.

well

he desired him
next

to

be as careful

appoint constables
assemblies,

to attend at the

horse race,

balls,

Whitefield

and

his

friends

then

left

for

Evesham, where he met with sympathising

threat from the magistrates, that,
liberties,
if

friends,

and a

he preached within their

they would apprehend him.

;

Next morning, however,

quiet.

he did preach

and the magistrates were

Passing on

to Pershore, he was kindly

welcomed by the incumbent, and,

field in

apparently, from

him procured the loan of a

Tewkes-

bury
of a

then at

five in the

evening he turned, with a company

hundred and twenty horsemen, towards Tewkesbury,

all

which he found much alarmed, people from

the streets.

parts crowding
field,

He

rode right through the town to the

six

and

preached to about

thousand hearers

the

bailiffs

wisely

refrained from keeping their threat,

and no constable came

within sight.

Immediately

after the

sermon he took horse, and

reached Gloucester near midnight.

The
full

exciting day's

work

had begun

at

seven o'clock at Evesham, and he was preaching

'

next morning at ten, with a

heart

of love to his dear

countrymen.'

What

trials

he had were counterbalanced by the happy he

;

effects of his labours, visible in the places

visited.

Kings-

wood had put on a

had formerly been the
blasphemy

different

appearance

the colliers,

who

terror of the

neighbourhood, were to be

heard singing hymns in the woods, instead of pouring out

;

the school

had been carried on

so successfully by

Wesley, that in July, when Whitefield visited the place, the

roof was ready to be put up.
fruits

Methodism was
It

yielding

its first-

of purity, of honesty,

of quietness, and of godliness,

among

the humbler classes.

would have been

cases,

gratifying

had any record been kept of particular

have served as examples of the
rest.

which might
however,
is

This,

ro2

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
we
are

wanting, and

mainly guided by general

statements

about the

spirit

and behaviour of the congregations where he

Curious hearers were
that

had preached somewhat continuously.

dropping
fairly
off,

and the

vast

number

remained may be what they

after

supposed to have had a profound

interest in

heard.

The numbers were

countless

who came

the

services to ask for counsel as to

'city of destruction,'

how

they might leave the

which they had too long inhabited.

incident, related in the letter of a

Quaker

to Whitefield,
their

One may
into
at

serve

to

show what thoughts were finding

all

way

humble homes throughout

preach at Badsey

the land.
spirit, after

The

old

clerk

Breferton could get no rest in his

;

hearing Whitefield

he

set to

work

to

compare what he had

articles,

heard with the Church homilies and

singular agreement between them.
cup,' with

and found a
'

The

landlord of

Counter-

whom

he got into conversation upon the subject,

set

informed him that he too had found Whitefield's doctrines

forth in

some old books which he possessed, the

This
fact

refuse of a

clergyman's library.
afterwards, the clerk,
at the landlord's
;

was remembered when, shortly

tailor

who was a

by

trade,

went to work
was
left, all

he borrowed the

last

book

that

the rest having been lent, and did not read above a page or two
before
'

the truth broke in

upon

his soul like lightning.'

for his

His

fingers itched for the

book more than

with him.

work, and he was

allowed to take

it

home

second of the books

in his

which he borrowed so strengthened him

he
felt

new

faith, that

as

if

he could die

for

it.

Always well esteemed

before,

he was now threatened by

his

neighbours with the loss of

custom and

livelihood.
life

This wandering
as
it

which Whitefield was

living,

acceptable

was

to the people

(who on one occasion

'

at least

rung the

bells

and received him

to his

own

conscience,

God ') and satisfactory was viewed with much displeasure by

as an angel of

ADMONISHED BY BISHOP BENSON

others.

103

Even Bishop Benson

sent

him an

affectionate adin

monition to exercise the authority he had received

the

manner

it

was given him, by preaching the gospel only to the

Whitefield

congregation to which he was lawfully appointed.

replied within four days,
trary to his

and denied that he was acting con'As

'

commission of preaching wherever he could, or

for declining the
chill at

that he inveighed against the clergy.

work

in

which

am

engaged,' he said,
it.

my

blood runs
it is

the very thought of

to act as
I

am

as

much convinced

my
I

duty
can

do, as that the sun shines at noonday.

foresee the consequences very well.

one sense, thrust us out of the

will

They have already, in synagogues. By and by they

But,

think

it

is

doing

God

service to kill us.

my

lord, if

you and the

rest of the
will take

bishops cast us out, our great and

us up.'
raised,

common
that
it

Master

So much excitement and strong feeling had been

was not always commercially wise
their

for inn-keepers to

admit Whitefield to
'

houses

and

at

Abingdon he was
for

genteelly told

'

by one of them, that there was no room

Whitefield had just thrown

him and

his party.

Matters were worse at Basingstoke the

himself, languid

next evening.

and weary, upon the bed, when

sion

to use his
;

own odd

expres-

he was
let

'

refreshed with the news that the landlord would

not
the

them

stay

under

his roof.'

Probably resentment was

for

occasion

of the

expulsion

one of the landlord's

last

children

had been touched by Whitefield's preaching the

time he visited Basingstoke.

He and

his friends

went

out,

amid the mockery and gibing of the crowd,

another inn
;

to

seek for
itself

and when they got one, the crowd amused

fire

by throwing

rockets around the door.

It

was too
;

late to

preach, and Whitefield sought his

there about an hour

from the

own room he had been when the constable handed him a letter mayor, warning him against making a breach of the

104

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

Whitefield immediately wrote an answer, saying that
his.

peace.

he knew of no law against such meetings as

If

'

you

thai

no law can be produced, as a clergyman, I think it my duty to inform you ought to protect, and not anyways discourage, or permit others
an assembly of people meeting together purely to worship God.
,

lo disturb,

To-morrow

hear,

there

is

to

be an assembly of another nature

he

pleased to be as careful to have the public peace preserved at that, and to

prevent profane cursing and swearing, and persons breaking the sixth com-

and

mandment, by bruising each other's bodies by cudgelling and wrestling if you do not this, I shall rise up against you at the great day, and be
;

a swift witness against your partiality.'

Whitefield followed his letter

next morning, and

had an

interview with the mayor, which must have endangered his

gravity
this

much more

than his temper.

His object was

:

to see

prohibitory

law,

but the mayor broke out

'

Sir,

you

sneered

me

in the letter
sir,

you sent

last

night

though
'

am

butcher, yet,

'

Whitefield interposed
desire to
:

honour you

as a magistrate,

and only

know what law could be

produced against
'

my
if

preaching
'

in

my
to

opinion there

is

none.'

Sir,'

said the mayor,

you ought

preach in a church.'

'

And

so I would,
said
'
:

your minister would give

believe you have

me

leave.'

The
of

mayor
view
the
;

Sir, I

some

sinister
'

ends in

why do you go about making a disturbance?

sort followed,
for the

More

same

and the mayor, who found himself a

fair to
'

poor match

ready preacher, and had a

'

attend,

cut short the interview by saying that he

field

had wrote Whiteyet,

if

another

letter,

which he would send him

he

pleased.

Whitefield thanked him, paid him the respect due

to a magistrate,

and took
in the
'

his leave.

The

letter
'

which followed
style.

was very much

though-I-am-a-butcher

Whitefield replied in his most serious manner, and had less

success than he probably would have

gained

had he

tried,

what he could so

well

use

when he chose

humour

and

RE VELS A T BA SINGSTOKE
geniality.

05

But

he could not keep down

his

tremendous

earnestness, or, rather, he could not bring into action along

with

it

the lighter qualities which have their part to play in the

life.

intercourse of

His soul was absorbed

in the

one thought

of winning the people for his Saviour.

The crowds which

day were resolved
to

were to assemble

at the revel the next

have

their coarse pleasures

to

and

sins

nor do the authorities

seem

have had any serious intention, except that of hindering

the preacher

and

sheltering them.

There seems reason

to

believe that Whitefield had purposely

revel,

come on

the day of the

;

and

if

he did, his wisdom may be questioned

for the

people had time to become exasperated before his

that conquering influence

arrival,

and
his

which he generally threw over

to

audiences had no

fair

chance

exert

itself.

Landlords,

showmen,

cudgellers,

wrestlers,

and

their

attendant rabble
;

were sure to be active on the side of their interests

the whole town had been set against

and thus
it.

him before he entered

his work,

However, being resolved

eight o'clock in the

to

go on with

he went

at

morning

into a field to preach.

alive,

One had
that the

said that he should never

come out

and another

drum should beat close by him, but nothing occurred to hinder him from speaking freely against revelling. Only in going to
and
fro

from the

field

did he meet with any unpleasantness

called

the rabble

and the boys saluted him and

to take his departure, but,

him 'strange

names.'

He mounted
'

he says

As I passed by on horseback, I saw a stage and as I rode further, I met divers coming to the revel which affected me so much I had no rest And therefore, having asked counsel of God, and perceiving in my spirit. an unusual warmth and power enter into my soul, though I was gone above a mile, I could not bear to see so many dear souls, for whom Christ had died, ready to perish, and no minister or magistrate interpose. Upon this I told my dear fellow-travellers that I was resolved to follow the example of Ilowel Harris in Wales, and Id bear my testimony against such lying
;

io6

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
my own
private person, be

vanities, let the consequences, as to

what they

would.

They immediately

consenting, I rode back to town, got upon the

stage erected for the wrestlers, and began to

ways.

Many seemed

ready to hear what

show them the error of their had to say but one, more
;

zealous than the rest for his master, and fearing conviction every time
I

attempted to speak,
'

set the

boys on repeating their huzzahs.

in a

My

soul, I perceived,

was

sweet frame, willing to be offered up,

;

some of those to whom I was about to speak but all While I was on the stage, one struck me with his cudgel, which in vain I received with the utmost love. At last, finding the devil would not permit them to give me audience, I got off; and after much pushing and thronging me, I got on my horse with unspeakable satisfaction within myself, that I had now begun to attack the devil in his strongest holds, and had borne my testimony against the detestable diversions of this
so that I might save
!

generation.'

There had been more danger

in Basingstoke than

he saw,

and

it

was well that he went

to

an inn and not

to a friend's
ruffians

house, as had been expected.

band of twelve

had and

been lying

in wait in that quarter of the

town where he was

'

expected to sleep, determined to give him

prevent his making disturbances
;
'

a secret blow

and one of them had the

friend of

audacity to confess their intentions to a Quaker

Whitefield

J.

Portsmouth

the

day

after Whitefield left the

town.

Nothing daunted by
were
sent
after

his late peril

him

full

particulars of

which

he,

within

week,

made another

experiment, almost as bold, which was more successful.

He
the

announced

that he

would preach

at

Hackney Marsh, on
race.

day of a horse-race, and ten thousand gathered around him,

hardly any of

whom

left

him

for the

Some who

left

returned very quickly, and to them he addressed a few words

specially.

Before any censure for rashness or recklessness

is

pronounced

upon him
and

for these efforts,

it

should be well understood that

that

he did not boast of them

he did not covet notoriety

that he did not act without either prayer or consideration.

BEGINNING TO BE A CHRISTIAN
He
both feared that his
faith

107
to

might

fail

him before he went

Hackney Marsh, and entreated a

said,

friend to pray that his zeal

'

might be tempered with knowledge.

'

It

would grieve me,' he

should

bring sufferings causelessly upon myself.'

It is

almost needless to say a word about the state of mind

in

which such labours were carried on.

joy and peace,
to a

They bear
clear

their

own
ever-

testimony to secret
lasting glory,

hope of

and

to

an unquestioning belief of the gospel

of the

they could
of

come only from one who had much

'

mind

Him

who,

though

He

was

rich, yet for

our sakes became

poor.'

Yet one or two sentences from

his letters well deserve

to
for

be linked to the story of

his toils

and

sufferings.

'

As

my own

soul,

man, and gives

God me often

mightily strengthens

me
I

in the

inward
I

such foretastes of His love that

am

almost continually wishing to be dissolved that

Christ.
'

may be

with

But

I
is

am

only beginning to begin to be a Christian.'

I

The

harvest

very great.
so

am ashamed
;

can do no more
retalia-

for

Him, who hath done

but gratitude.

much for me
is

not by way of

tion,

Fain would I love

my

Master, and will

;

not go from
is

Him

His service
light.'

perfect freedom

His yoke

easy; His burden

Controversy always attends deep religious movements, and,

its

abuses apart,

it

may be

hailed as a blessing.

It

tempers

the assumptions of the proud, gives clearness to the

dim conwere the

ceptions of both parties, and helps to hold the religious world

in

equipoise.

Neither Whitefield nor

his

views

worse

for the assaults they sustained,

any more than the formal

calls

party of the

Church was damaged by the arousing

was

which

rang in their ears like the shout of the hosts of God.

dist wildfire

Metho-

for there
in

wildfire flashing in those strange

congregations which assembled in Fetter Lane, on Kennington

Common, and

Bristol

needed

regulating
at

and subduing,

and bishops and clergy were soon

hand

to help.

10S

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
first

The

shaft

was shot

at

Whitefield, soon after his arrival

;

from Savannah, by a brother clergyman

taken of
shalt
it,

but no notice was

'
:

except in one sentence in the journal

for

Thou

answer

me,

O
it
'

Lord.'
to

The Bishop

of London, Dr.

Gibson,

now thought

be his duty to check him, and wrote

a pastoral letter on
latter

Lukewarmness and Enthusiasm.'

sin in his eyes than the

The

was evidently a greater

for the

former

and but

new enthusiasm,
allowed
it

the old lukewarmness would

probably have been

its

ancient

comfort and ease.

;

The

appeal addressed to

was not very arousing

it

was

dignified, proper,

and

paternal, after the ecclesiastical fashion.

To cope
opened

with the Methodists was more stimulating, and the

bishop braced himself for his task as one

his
'

who

relished

it.

He
:

Caution

'

with a definition of enthusiasm

'

strong persuasion on the

in

mind of persons

that they are guided,

an extraordinary manner, by immediate impressions and

impulses of the Spirit of God.

And
Holy

this

is

owing

chiefly to

the want of distinguishing aright between the ordinary

and

extraordinary operations of the

Spirit.'

After discussing

the subject generally, he culled from such parts of Whitefield's

journal as were then published illustrations of eight dangerous

phases of the

new

teaching.

'

God

forbid,'

he says,

'

that, in this profane

and degenerate age, everyof.

thing that has an appearance of piety and devotion should not be considered in the most favourable light that
time,
it

it is

capable

But, at the same

is

surely very proper that

men

should be called upon for some

:

reasonable evidences of a

Divine commission

I.

When

they

tell

us of

extraordinary communications they have with God, and more than ordinary

assurances of a special Presence with them.

II.

When

they talk in the

language of those
III.

who have

a special and immediate mission from God.

When

they profess to think and act under the immediate guidance

IV.

of a

Divine inspiration.

When

they speak of their preaching and

expounding, and the

V.

effects of

them, as the sole work of a Divine power.

VI.

When

they boast of sudden and surprising effects as wrought by the

in

Holy Ghost,

consequence of their preaching.

When

they claim the

CONTROVERSY WITH BISHOP GIBSON

spirit

109

of prophecy.

VII.

When

they speak of themselves in the language

and under the character of Apostles of Christ, and even of Christ Himself. VIII. When they profess to plant and propagate a new gospel, as unknown
to the generality of ministers

and people

in a Christian country.'

'The Rev. Mr. Whitefield's answer,' which appeared only

twelve days after the
or three days in the
'

Pastoral Letter,' was written in

two
It

midst of preaching engagements.

first

opens with some remarks on the

are feeble

part of the letter, which

better

and wide of the mark, and would have been

omitted.

He

is

strong and effective on his

in

own ground, and

little

has

little difficulty

defending positions which, in these days

ques-

of subjective religious thought, would have been

tioned.

He

rejects,

of course, the idea of having extraordinary

operations of the Spirit in the working of miracles, or the

speaking with tongues

but lays claim to the ordinary

continue.

gifts

and influences which

know, by
his

still

He

contends that he can

in

own

joy and

peace and satisfaction

is

any

particular work, whether the

Holy Ghost
heart
;

with him, graciously

and

effectually

moving

his

that a general influence

;

or operation of the Spirit must imply a particular operation

that the

Holy Ghost may

direct

and

rule our hearts in the

minutest circumstance.

He

claims for himself a Divine comsit

mission in his work, and forces the bishop to

of two horns of a dilemma
mission,

upon one

deny

the priest's Divine com;

own Divine right and authority as bishop or contend for his own commission, and thus admit the validity of the priest's, who is ordained by his hands. The
and thus
his

charge of

boasting

that

he spoke of

his

preaching

and

expounding and the

effects

of them, as the sole work of a

Divine power, he rebuts by asking whether his lordship would

have the preacher ascribe anything to himself?

count against him
gets an animated answer, which

The may

fifth

well
lord,

make any preacher

of truth feel serious

'

Where,

my

no
is

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
?

the enthusiasm of such a pretension

in the

been a preacher

Church of England

Has your lordship for so many years,

and have you never seen any sudden or

sequent upon your lordship's preaching

surprising effects con?

Was
lord,
?
'

this

my
I

case,

should

not have reason to doubt,

my

whether

had

any more than a bare human commission

In the sixth

count the bishop had laid his finger on a very weak place in
Whitefield's creed
to his
;

nor can Whitefield do more than appeal

is

own

sincere persuasion that he

it

right.

He

had gone
that)

so far astray as to prophesy (for

was nothing short of

in his journal, that there certainly

would be a

fulfilling

of those
;

things which

God by His

Spirit

had spoken
;

to his soul

that

he should see greater things than these

and

that there were

many promises to be fulfilled in him, many souls to be called, and many sufferings to be endured before he should go hence.
In his answer he declares that

God

has in part

fulfilled his

hopes of success

that his enemies are fulfilling his expecta;

tions of sufferings

and

that

some passages of

Scripture are
really believes

so powerfully impressed upon his

mind

that

he

God
most,

will fulfil

them

in

due time.

Whitefield himself
;

came

to see that
if

he was mistaken
all,

in these views

and he expunged
from
his

not

the obnoxious

passages

revised

journal, as well as declared his mistake frankly

and

fully.

He

also did the

same thing with the grounds of the seventh count,

But on

which were a thoughtless use of Scriptural language.

the question of the last charge, which related principally to the

doctrine of justification, he not only boldly announced Solifidianism, but

as

adhered to

it

to the last.

He
in

was as impatient
connection with

Luther of any mention of good works

justification.

Works ought
;

to

come

as the fruits

and evidences

of justification
to

but were not, even in the most limited sense,

it.

be called a condition of

host of pens

became busy upon

the contested points,

AN APPEAL
some
taking
Whitefield's side,
to

in
the opposite.

some

Their

effusions

add nothing

our knowledge.
first

In closing the journal which contains an account of his

open-air preaching, Whitefield

made

a tender appeal to others

who might be
'

constrained to do as he had done.

He

says

cannot but shut up this part of

my journal

with a word or two ot

exhortation to
stir

my dear fellow-labourers,
to

whosoever they are,

whom God shall

streets,

up

to

go forth into the highways and hedges, into the lanes and

to

compel poor sinners

it is

come

in.

Great things
to

God

has already done.

strong convictions

For

unknown how many have come

me under

of their fallen state, desiring to be

awakened

to a sense of sin,

and giving
Lord's

thanks for the benefits

God

has imparted to them by the ministry of His

!

word.

O my

dear brethren

have compassion on our dear

Church, which

and let them not If you are found faithful you must undergo perish for lack of knowledge. persecution. Oh, arm people against a suffering time remind them again and again that our kingdom is not of this world, and that it does not become Christians to resist the powers that are ordained of God, but patiently to suffer for the truth's sake. Oh, let us strive together in our prayers, that we may fight the good fight of faith, that we may have that wisdom which cometh from above, and that we may never suffer for
; ;

He

has purchased with His

own blood

our

own

faults,

but

only for righteousness' sake

then will

the spirit

of Christ and of glory rest upon our souls, and

suffering here,
hereafter.

being made perfect by

we
!

shall

be qualified to reign eternally with Jesus Christ

!

Amen
is

Amen

That appeal

as
if

much needed
difficulty of

to-day as ever, for the people

must be sought,

they are to be found.

passing through popularity and

Conscious of the

applause without moral injury

and

by

this

time competing

engravers were multiplying his portrait as fast as they could,

and
to

rival

publishers were contending for his journals

selfishness as
still

anxious
he went

subdue such pride and

dwelt in him,

longing to

know himself

better,

and much worn down with the

months and a
half,
I

gigantic labours of the past seven

on board the Elizabeth,

saying,

'

Blessed be

God

am much

rejoiced at retiring from the world.'

CHAPTER
August, 1739
THIRD VOYAGE

VII

March,
IN

1741

ITINERATING

AMERICA

FOURTH VOYAGE

BREACH WITH WESLEY

MY
notice

family,'

as Whitefield called

the eight men,

one

boy, two children, and his friend Mr. William Seward,

who accompanied

him, had characters in

it

worth a passing

Periam,
got to

the methodical
;

madman, whom we know

Seward, the rich layman

A\ ; hitefield

and Gladman, a sea captain, end of

whom

know

at the

his last visit to Georgia.

Seward was a gentleman of Evesham, thoroughly inspired with

Methodist enthusiasm, who, to his
Whitefield's
wife's mortification,

became

companion
in his

in travel to help the

good work.

He

was a Boswell
early death

admiration and fussiness, and but for his

interesting facts

would have preserved many

which

are

now

lost.

field

from a double motive

Master.
ship

Gladman was a convert who followed Whitelove to the man and love to his Distress brought him under Whitefield's notice. His

had been wrecked on a sand-bank near the Gulf of

After ten days spent in that situation by

Florida.

him and

his

crew, they sighted a vessel,

and hoisted a

signal

of distress, pulled to

which she answered.

Gladman and

part of his

men

her in a boat, and begged a passage for the whole number,

LETTER-} VRITING
which was promised them
;

1 1

but, as
sail

soon as they put

left
;

off for the

sandbank the vessel made

and

them

Thirty days

more were spent

into
to

in their

confinement

then they built a boat,

which he and

five others

stepped, with the determination

;

make

their escape or perish

the rest were fearful of such a

frail

craft

and stayed behind.

Boat and crew came safe

to

Tybee

Island, ten miles off Savannah, whither

Gladman was
breakfast.

brought, and where Whitefield invited

him

to

deliverance

so

great

prepared him to receive the kindly

counsels which were given him over the breakfast-table, and as

host

and guest soon afterwards returned

vessel,

to

England

in the

same

Gladman became, through

to return with Whitefield

further instruction, a

Christian of deep conviction and firm faith.

satisfy

Nothing would
second voyage

him but

on

his

to Georgia.

The
become

versatile preacher,
all

who was
men, and

well gifted with ability to

to

things to

all

make himself contented

if

in all places,
felt

had been on board ship but two days when he

he
Present duty was the only
;

almost as forgetful of what he had passed through as

in the world.

had never been out

thing that ever pressed hard

upon him

past bitterness he

quickly forgot
,

future troubles he left with

lived
it

God.

He

lived

one

day

at a time,

and

thoroughly.

He

framed refutations

for his
.

'family,' instituted public prayer

morning and evening,

took to letter-writing and the reading of some very strongly

flavoured divinity
gift
;

and

at the

same time indulged

one around him

his favourite to follow his.

and passion

of exhorting every

Lord and Master.

again lend his cabin.

In this last-mentioned work he had the

occasional help of a Quaker, to

whom

he would now and

|

The

only grief was that the Quaker was

not explicit enough upon justification by faith and upon the

objective

work of the Saviour.

Methodists, yet

Letter-writing was a great pastime of the

H4

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

letters

none of them have written any

worth preserving, either

All that

for their literary merit or their theological grasp.

was

attempted was to comfort and cheer each other in the conflict

with earth and hell
ences.'
;

and hence

their letters

abound

in

'

experi-

Whitefield wrote sixty-five letters

none of them long,

months' voyage

some of them mere notes

to backsliders

during

his three

they were addressed to converts

who wanted

reproof, to students

who wanted encouragement, who wanted

This was the work of a

cheering in their espousal of the cause of Christ, to ministers

who wanted words

of brotherly love.

man
'

of only twenty-four years of age.

them,' he says to

Howel Harris about his congregations, show word the kingdoms of the upper world, and the transcendent glories of them and assure them that all shall be theirs if they believe on Jesus Christ with their whole hearts. Press on them to believe on Him immediately. Intersperse prayers with your exhortations, and thereby call down fire from heaven, even the fire of the Holy Ghost,
'

Show

iliem in the

map

of the

" To

soften, sweeten,

and

refine,

And
lt

melt them into love."

if it

Speak every time,

possible, every

my
"
'

dear brother, as
it

were your

last

weep

out,

if

argument, and, as
!

were, compel them to cry, " Behold,

how he

loveth us

As America
are

is

approached, he begins to show that great things

shaping themselves in his

;

mind, his world-wide work

suggests itself
friend
'
:

and with

his usual

promptitude he writes to a

intend resigning the parsonage of Savannah.

I
;

The
I shall

orphan-house
at a distance

can take care

of,

supposing

should be kept

besides,

when

have resigned the parish,

be more
ever call
I

at liberty to take a tour

round America,
I

if

God

should
:

me

to

such a work.

However,

determine nothing

wait on the Lord.'

The voyage was

soul,

useful,

both to his body and soul

to his

however, in a very distressing way.

His journal from

DEEP EXPERIENCES
August
to

115

November

is

almost as dismal and painful as the

'

early parts of
night.'

Brainerd's.

Tears were his

meat day and

his state of

One

extract will suffice to

show what was

:

mind
'

until

towards the end of the voyage

I underwent inexpressible agonies of soul for two or three days at the remembrance of my sins, and the bitter consequences of them. Surely my sorrows were so great that, had not God in the midst of them comforted my soul, the load would have been insupportable All the while I was assured God had forgiven me but I could not forgive myself for sinning against so much light and love. Surely I felt something of that which
!

when turned out of Paradise David, when he was convicted of and Peter, when with oaths and curses he had thrice denied his Master. I then, if ever, did truly smite upon my ungrateful breast and cry, God be merciful to me a sinner I ate but very little, and went
felt
;

Adam

his adultery

At length my Lord looked upon me, and with that look broke my rocky heart, and floods of contrite tears gushed out before my whole family, and indeed I wept most bitteiiy. When in this condition I wondered not at Peter's running so slowly to the sepulchre,
mourning
all

the day long.

when loaded with

guilt quite

the sense of his sin.

Alas

a consideration of aggravated

took off

my

chariot wheels,

and

drove so exceeding heavily,

I

that

was

always to see myself such a sinner as

Lord, what

am, and as

I did then,

without seeing the Saviour of sinners, I should not so

look up.
is

much

as be able to

man

The
affect

old Puritan theology, of which he had been a student

this voyage, to

from the time of his conversion, began, during

his views in

a very decided way.

Until this time the

broad, plain statements of Scripture had sufficed for a foundation for his teaching.

The

calls

to repentance
life for

and

faith,

the

assurances of pardon and eternal

to

as

God, the commandments binding every

many as man to

will turn

purity of

heart

and

life,

the simple declarations of the unspeak able joye

wherewith the Saviour has loved

willingness
to

help

all

who

message he had delighted to

spite of the views

and His power and Him, constituted the proclaim, and which, indeed, in
us,

look

to

he was presently

to embrace,

he proclaimed

to the

last.

He

had been a primitive Christian.

But now he

1 1

GEORGE VH1 TE FIELD

J
;

must have a system of theology deny

he must hold with the

;

free-

grace men, or with the predestinarians

will,

he must believe in

free-

or

it

he must accept the dogma of imputed

it.

righteousness, or reject

book

written

by Jonathan Warn,

called

'The Church
from

of England- Man turned Dissenter,

to

and

Arminianism the
extracts
'

Backdoor

Popery,'

which

contained

The Preacher^ by Dr. Edwards, of Cambridge,

strengthened him much.'

He

tells

Harris that, since he saw

him,

God

has been pleased to enlighten him more in that

comfortable doctrine of election, and

now

their principles

agree, as face answers to face in the water.

to

When

he returns
' ;

Wales he

will

be more explicit than he had been

for

God
is

forbid,

my

dear brother, that we should shun to declare the

whole counsel of God.'

His Calvinism was not

system of

(as

it

never

in the purest hearts) a cold

divinity, but a strong

persuasion that, only by the acceptance of such dogmas and an

earnest proclamation of them, could the glory

and the honour

be given to the

God

of our salvation.

Whitefield was
salt

won

over to Puritanism by the truth which has been the

of that

man must in no sense be a saviour to himself; he may watch and read and pray he may practise good works the more the better he may nay, he must seek to perfect
system
;

it

holiness in the fear of God, for every consideration of gratitude

and

love, every holy

and tender
;

tie

which binds him

to

his

Father in heaven, demands

but he must not say a word

about these being conditions

for the reception of

is

any favour
provided

from above.

All

is

retrospective, all
;

of God.

He

as

the

phrase

is a Saviour

should be saved by the Saviour.

He also determined who He gave His people to the

His people,
in a

Redeemer, and the Redeemer

that should never be broken.

to

covenant

But

for the centering of every-

thing in God, Whitefield would have cared nothing for his

favourite theories.

PHIL A DELPHIA
While he was plunging into Calvinism, and determining
be more outspoken on the five points
fulfilling

1 1

to
at

happily he was slow

his

this

purpose

another mind, not less resolute, not

less bold,

and much more acute than

own, was as

swiftly

and irrevocably rushing

ism.

into the opposite system of Arminian-

separation between himself

if

and Wesley was already

speak out, and hide
crack-

inevitable

each adhered, as he was sure to do, to his own

convictions.

That determination

'

to

none of the counsel of God,' was an extension of a

already
to

made

in

the foundations of
for

Methodism, which was

a day to come, though

grow wider and longer

that

many

never so wide
across
it.

divided friends could not shake hands

Thankful

for his voyage,

and timid about facing the

diffi-

culties of public life

on shore

the
many

responsibility of preaching

to large congregations, the temptations of popularity,

and the

opposition of such as differed from

fearless
for

him

yet again
ship's

joyful

and

because he knew that

prayers were being offered

him, he landed at Lewis Town, about one hundred and

miles

fifty

from

Philadelphia.
in

The

provisions

had

run out, as they used to do

those

days,

and the kind

thoughtfulness of WhitefieWs English friends,

who had

sent

a good stock on board for him and his family, saved both crew

and passengers from possible

Whitefield,

starvation, or a very lean dietary.

accompanied

by

his

friend

Seward,

had a

pleasant ride through the woods to the Quaker town, Philadelphia,

which then numbered probably eleven or twelve

thousand inhabitants, one third of

whom

were Quakers (half

the inhabitants of the State of Pennsylvania were of the

faith).
It

same
the

was a long, straggling place, the houses pleasantly

midst of orchards
;

built in the

the market-place unpaved

still

stocks, the pillory,

and the whipping-post

in

standing

The

last-named instrument of justice was

active operation, two

nS women
a

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

month being whipped
at
it.

Benjamin Franklin had

his printing-office opposite the market-place,

and within

sight

of the whipping-post.
in great prosperity,

The Pennsylvania
editor.
its

Gazette was rejoicing

its

through the shrewdness and industry of

famous proprietor and

Poor Richard's Almanac had

wit

but a few years before given

citizens for the

and wisdom

to the

good

sum

of fivepence, and

give twenty dollars for a single

now some are willing to number of it The people

!

were quiet, peace-loving, tolerant, and not so intellectual as the

Bostonians.
Vital godliness was said to be low

among them.
;

Their desire to hear the great Methodist was intense

for his

immense fame had reached

Whitefield's
to his charge,
first

their

town before him.

letters

duty was to deliver some

to

committed

and then

go on board the Elizabeth, which

to see his family.

had arrived the night before him,

received him 'very

He

next

paid his respects to the proprietor and the commissary,

civilly.'

who
in

The day

following,

which was

Sunday, he preached to a large congregation, and took part

other services.

The churchwardens

treated

him

better than
all

their brethren in

England had done, and the clergy of

denominations showed him great courtesy.

different
in

Feeling was so

from that which he had

left

behind him, that whereas

England the only proper place

for a

sermon was thought

to
it

be a church, in Philadelphia the people preferred hearing

elsewhere,

and asked him

to gratify their taste,

which he was

not slow to do.

fellowship

The Quakers were

little

very friendly, and their

cheered him not a

around was peaceful, and balmy with brotherly

/[

The atmosphere all love. Aged

youths

Mr. Tennent, who had an academy

for

for training pious

the ministry, about twenty miles from the city,

and was

himself blessed with four sons of Christian reputation and

i

influence, three of

whom

were ministers, came into the

lie

city to

speak to him.

The

week's stay which

made was

as quiet

J9EJVJA MIN

FRA NKLlN
in

t i

and agreeable and when he

as

any he ever made

all

any place.

All places

of worship were open to him,

left

ministers favourable to

him

the ordinary religious buildings to preach

from the steps of the court-house to congregations no building

could hold, and which listened in solemn silence while the

prolonged twilight of the

late

autumn days
in his work.

filled

the sky, he

must have

felt

an unusual joy

Once when

the

night was far advanced,

and

lights

were shining in the windows

felt

of most of the adjoining houses, he

all

as

if

he could preach

night

and indeed the night

after,

which was Saturday, the

people, not feeling the pressure of a

coming day's work, seemed

so unwilling to go away after they had heard an hour's sermon,

that

he began to pray

afresh,

and afterwards they crowded

his

house to join in psalms and family prayer.

Franklin was a constant and delighted hearer.
self-controlled

Calm and
if

under most circumstances,

his
;

temperament

caught

fire at

the glowing words of Whitefield

and

he did

not become a convert to his views, he became an attached and

lifelong
visit that

personal friend.

It

seems

to

have been during

this

Whitefield triumphed so signally over Poor Richard's

prudence.

The

story

is

well

known, but too good

to

be

omitted here.
house, for

Whitefield consulted Franklin about the orphanstill

which he was
obtained.

making

collections

wherever

money could be

Franklin approved the scheme,

but urged that the house should be built in Philadelphia, and

not in a settlement which was thinly populated, where material

and workmen were

it

scarce,

and which was not so prosperous

this counsel,

as

had been.

Whitefield did not heed

but deter-

mined

to follow his

own

plan.

This made Franklin decide

not to subscribe.
'

happened soon
I

after,'

he

says,

'

to attend

one of his sermons,

in the
I

course of which
silently resolved

perceived he intended to finish with a collection, and

I

he should* get nothing from me.

had

in

my

pocket a

26

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

As he proceeded
I

handful of copper money, three or four silver dollars, and five pistoles in
gold.

hegan to
silver

soften,

and concluded

to give the

Another stroke of determined me to give the

copper.

his oratory
;

made me ashamed
!

of that, and

and he

finished so admirably, that I

all At this sermon was also one of our club who, being of my sentiments respecting the building in Georgia, and suspecting a collection might be intended, had, by

emptied
there

my

pocket into the collector's dish, gold and

precaution, emptied his pockets before he

came from home.

felt

Towards the

conclusion of the discourse, however, he

a strong inclination to give,

stood near him to lend him some money was made, perhaps, to the only man in the company who had the firmness not to be affected by the preacher. His answer was " At any other time, friend Hopkinson, I would lend thee freely but not now, for thee seems to me to be out of thy right senses."

and applied

to a neighbour

who

for the purpose.

The

request

'

Anecdotes seldom bear

dates,

and we can only

fit

some of Most

those which are told of Whitefield into the right part of space,
the right locality, not heeding the right year of time.

probably

it

was near about the time of

this visit that the

far the

observant Franklin tried to find out

how

preacher
near

could be

heard,

when one

night
'

he was preaching
curiosity to learn

Franklin's shop.
far

He
and

says

had the

how

he could be heard, by retiring backward down the

river, I

street

towards the

found

his voice distinct

till

came
it.

near Front Street,

when some
was

noise in that street obscured

Imagining then a semicircle, of which

the radius, and that
I
it

my

distance should be

filled

with auditors, to each of

whom
me
to

allowed two square

feet, I

computed

that he might well be

heard by more than thirty thousand.

This reconciled

the newspaper accounts of his having preached to twenty five

thousand people

in the fields,

and
I

to the history of generals

haranguing whole armies, of which

It

had sometimes doubted.'

visit
'

has been said that Whitefield's

'

threw a horrid
'

gloom
But

over the town, and for a time put

a stop to the
thing.'
'

dancing schools, the assemblies, and every pleasant

if

the innocent town was so oppressed by the

terror-

FUTURE PUNISHMENT
exciting preacher,'
it

12

showed a strange pleasure

guest,

in always
his words.

making him

its

welcome

and hanging upon

The

truth

is,

terror

was not the power he wielded, but

loving,

urgent,

yearning

tenderness,

which could not endure

in his sins.

the

thought of any man's perishing

Whatever
they
lie

fault

may

be found with some of his views

and

exposed on

unmasked by sophistry it never can be honestly charged upon him that he pictured the
every side, unguarded by argument,

torments of the great condemnation in flashy colours, or with

morbid pleasure
with a
spirit

every allusion to the casting out was

testified also of the joy of

filled

which

welcome.

It is

not meant that he was silent on the awful question of future

punishment
in his case,

for,

seeing he firmly believed in

it,

silence would,
his nature

have been mental reservation, and

was

too frank and too transparent to keep anything back.

ing the terror of the Lord, he persuaded men.

Know-

All his beliefs

had power over him, fashioning

his ministry
,

his character,

and determining
he

but his soul lived mostly on the radiant side of

his visions of love,

his creed,

and from
tell

and peace, and

joy,

went forth to

what he had seen.

And

if

the people of

Philadelphia walked under a cloud while Whitefield enjoyed

their free

and generous
on

hospitality,

it

was a cloud which

'

burst

in blessings
all

their head.'

That

silent night,

when

the houses

around the preaching-stand had

lights in their

windows,

near which sat or stood some listener, was a night of penitence

for

one

lost

soul, of a class

which used often to find

their

come now to any pastor. Next morning, before it was light, she came to Whitefield's house, and desired to join in prayer and when devotions were over, left the following letter with him
way
to the

Man

of Sorrows, but which too seldom

'

Oh, what

shall I say to express

my
;

thanks

and from you through Jesus Christ

the instrument of beginning in

(for the

my

soul

I owe to my good God, in good work) which you have been and if you have any regard to a

122

GEORGE U'HITEFIELD
naked wretch,
will
in

poor, miserable, blind, and

that's not only dust but sin, as I reject

am

confident
is

you have, you

I,

no wise

my humble
life.'

request,

which
saking

that

even

I,

may

lay hold of this blessed opportunity of for-

all,

in order to persevere in a virtuous course of

The
the
'

trembling, hoping penitent

terror-inspiring
'

had not long been gone when

child of seven,

man was approached by a

him
little

who came

to request

to take her to Georgia, as she

had
!

heard that he was willing to take

children with

him

Three months before

his arrival at

Philadelphia, a

letter

had come from Mr. Noble, of

a second

New

York,

who wrote
after

in his

own

name, and the name of many others, inviting him to that

place
;

letter

came immediately

his

arrival,

repeating the request.

He

determined to go.

Friends lent

him and
,

his party four horses,

and they rode on through the and Brunswick, where

woods, stopping at Burlington and Trent Town, at which

places he preached with great freedom,

they met with

Gilbert

Tennent, the eccentric Presbyterian

minister of the place,

Baptist,

who

imitated the rude dress of the

terrible

and preached with

power.
fiery

Nothing that
sarcasm and
Whitefield's

Whitefield
I

could say could surpass the

;

thundering denunciation of Tennent

indeed,

sermons must have been

fire,

like refreshing

showers after a prairie

when he came into

stern
in

the neighbourhood of Tennent's labours.

The

preacher

had delivered

his

soul

of

faithful

message

the spring of this

Ministry,'

year on

'The Danger of an
it

Unconverted
testimony

and had printed

It

for

an abiding

among

the people.
'

was based upon the pathetic

words of the Evangelist,

And

Jesus,

when He came

out,

saw

much
/
'

people,

and was moved with compassion toward them,

This
determined the evangelical

because they were as sheep not having a shepherd.'

sermon was epoch-making,

day

for

it

character of the Presbyterian ministry in America from that

to the present.

GILBERT TENNENT
Tennent joined Whiten eld's
party,

123
off with

and rode

them

to

New

York, to join in the preaching campaign, the journey

being shortened by each traveller's telling the rest what

God
most
the
I

had done

for

his

soul.

Mr. Noble received them

night

'

affectionately,'

and
'

that

Tennent

preached
'

at

meeting-house,

but never before,' says Whitefield,

heard

such a searching sermon.

He

went to the bottom indeed,

and did not daub with untempered mortar.

He

convinced

me

more and more

,

that

we can preach the gospel of

the power of
it

Christ no

further than
heart.

we have experienced

in

our

own

Beingdeeplyconvictedof sin, and driven from time to time

off his false

bottoms and dependencies by God's Holy

Spirit at

his first conversion,

he has learned experimentally

to dissect the

heart of the natural man.

Hypocrites must either soon be

his

converted or enraged at
thunder, and
I

preaching.

He

is

son of

find doth not fear the faces

of men.'

New York
was
even

was not so tolerant

as

Philadelphia.

The
it

Commissary denied Whitefield the use of

asked
for,

his pulpit before

that,
'

and

angrily

informed him

his

assistance was not wanted.

Whitefield replied, that

in the

if

they
of

preached the gospel he wished them good luck

the Lord,

name

and

that, as

the church had been denied without

fields, for all

being asked

for,

he should preach in the

places

were alike to him.'

To

the fields he went that afternoon, and

though some seemed inclined to mock, they soon grew more

serious.
/

An

attempt to get the town-hall was unsuccessful

but Pemberton, the Presbyterian minister, was glad to have

him

in his meeting-house,

which was crowded night

profligate learned to look

after night;

and some who had been

past lives with shame.

upon

their

That Whitefield, along with

his fine

indignation at the unfaithfulness of unworthy men,

the sacred office of pastor

who held
per-

and

teacher,

and

his ardent zeal to

save

all

men, had a touch of censoriousness, and perhaps

124

GEORGE WH1TEFIELD
him
as he got
;

emptoriness, this latter quality growing upon

older, while the
spirit

former declined, cannot be denied

for

but his

must also have had rare reverence

upstart,

age and goodness.

He

was no young
to

who, thinking himself so

competent

guide the people, delighted to treat

;

much more old men and

diffidence in

their views with neglect

he never looks more dignified and

in his

manly than when, with respect

his heart,

manner and
like old

he meets some aged Samuel,

Mr. Tennent, or

old Mr. Pemberton,

learner.

and takes

his

place as a listener and

After leaving

New

York, his sensitive mind, which

cherished the
ness,

memory

of the least kindness with fond faithfulof humility in the

became uneasy about some fancied want

presence of Mr. Pemberton, and he sought to

make amends

in

a letter which must have touched the good man's heart deeply.

A
will

letter written to his

mother, when he reached

New

York,

show

his relation

to the old

home

circle,

and how con-

stantly the
his

one absorbing topic of salvation by Christ was on

his

pen and

tongue

'

NEW York,
brought
it.

November

16, 1739.

'

Hon. Mother, Last

I

night

Gud

me

hither in health

and

Here is likely to be some opposition, and consequently a likelihood that some good will be done. New friends are raised up every day whithersoever we go the people of Philadelphia have used me most courteously, and many, I believe, have been pricked to the heart. God willing I leave this place next Monday, and In about a in about a fortnight think to set out for Virginia by land. twelvemonth I purpose returning to England expect then to have the
safety.

must not omit informing you of

happiness of seeing

me
will
;

suffer for
it
!

my

Master's sake.
spirit

Oh

that

God may

enable you to rejoice in

rejoice
is in
;

If

you have the

of Christ, you will

if

not,

you

be sorrowful.

Oh

my

honoured mother,

my

soul

distress for

you

flee, flee I

beseech you, to Jesus Christ by

go.

faith.

Lay

hold on
Arise,

Him, and do not

let

Him

God

hath given you convictions.

yourself.

and never rest till they end in a sound conversion. Dare to deny My honoured mother, I beseech you by the mercies of God in Christ Jesus, dare to take up your cross and follow Christ. 'I am, honoured mother, your ever dutiful, though unworthy son, George Whitefieed.'
'

A LOG-COLLEGE
The
them
field

125

return of the party from

New York
who
in
lived,

was a preaching

tour, under the direction of Tennent,

due time brought

to

Neshamini, where his father

to preach.
It

and where White-

was announced

may

serve to keep alive an

that, in

interest in his feelings

amidst his labours, to mention

the early part of the service, the three thousand people

who

were assembled to hear him seemed unaffected, that

this

caused

him
had

to 'wrestle'

much

for

them

in himself,

and

that at night he
circle

to

withdraw

for a while

from the conversation of the

of holy men, to recover in private his composure and joy.

Then
for

they talked together of what plans would be the best

promoting the kingdom of our Lord.

The

best

plan,

however, was already in operation in that log-house which

stood hard by, old Mr. Tennent's Academy, 'the College,' as
it

was contemptuously called by such as thought that learning

could not be nursed in such rude quarters, whatever might

become of any
good men had

piety
just

which sought

its

shelter.
it

Seven or eight
;

gone

forth
;

were almost ready to follow

for the instruction of

work more and a foundation was being laid

to their

from

many
'

was so hot about the

the

Pharisee-teachers

new

birth,

had here a
all
felt

The minister whose soul who knew nothing of work which thoroughly commanded
others.
'

his heart.

They

sure that

it

was

right.

Out of the

log-house, which the dauntless, vehement, sarcastic Tennents

built in faith, rose Princeton College.

His wandering

life,

the excitement which his presence always

all to

caused, and the curiosity of

to bring to his notice

see

and hear him, were sure

some

of

some of the oddest phases of life, and the saddest and tenderest too. One day he was taken

to see a hermit,

who had

lived a solitary life for forty years

a hermit, but not a misanthrope.

The

old

man

talked with

much
field

feeling of his inward

trials,

and when asked by Whitein so close

whether he had not many such

a retirement,

126

GEO AGE WHITEFIELD

' :

he answered with pathos and beauty

tree
el

No wonder

that a single

which stands alone

is

more exposed

to storms than

one

that grows

among
in

others.'

He

rejoiced to hear of what was

visitor

being done

England, and kissed his

when they parted

to live
daily.

the old man to continue

little

solitary, the

young man

and

think and feel with the eyes of thousands on

hitch
;

him

in life

might once have made the preacher the

also

hermit
all

for

had not he

shunned human

society, neglected

ordinary comforts, and wrestled with his troubles alone, as

it

the single tree which has no fellows to shelter the storm

?

contends with

German came to him as he was passing said Thou didst sow some good seed Town, and a grain of it fell into my German yesterday in She wants to speak with thee, that she may daughter's heart. know what she must do to keep and increase it.' The daughter, who was standing hard by, came at her father's call,
next day a
street,

The

along the

and

'

and both stood weeping while Whitefield exhorted

fulness

to watch-

and prayer and closeness

Wonderful
gentleness

of

fellowship

with

the

Saviour.

and sympathy must have

little

graced him

whom

repentant

prodigals,
fear,

children,

and

women

could approach without

and

whom

old

men

loved

as a son.

The good people

sending him

of Philadelphia

showed

their appreciation

of their visitor, not only

by crowding

to his services, but

by

presents for his family,

which was to proceed to

Savannah by sea while he went by land, preaching wherever he

could get a congregation.
Franklin's newspaper for

November

contained the intelligence that

'

On

Thursday

last,

the Rev. Mr. Whitefield

left

this

city,

and was

accompanied
Willing's

to Chester

by about one hundred and

fifty

horse,

and preached

there to about seven thousand people.

On
;

Friday he preached twice at

at Newcastle, to

Town

to

about

five

thousand

on Saturday,

PREACHING IN THE RAIN

about two thousand
five

127

and the same evening at Christiana at White Clay Creek, he preached twice, resting about half an hour between the sermons, to about eight thousand, of whom about three thousand, it is computed, came on
hundred
;
;

Bridge, to about three thousand

on Sunday,

horseback.
air.'

It

rained most of the time, and yet they stood in the open

Meanwhile
His heart was
Harris,

his
in

interest in other workers

was not abated.

in

England with the Wesleys,

Wales with

and

in

Scotland with the Erskines.

correspondence
for a trip over

with the Scotch brothers was preparing the

the border

way

some

day.

He

writes to
;

Ralph

Ralph
majesty

was the
fearless,

gentle, sensitive, poetical brother

Ebenezer, the bold,

its

dignified one,

who preached

the truth in

The

cordial

and tender love which

bear you will not permit

I

me

to

neglect any opportunity of sending to you.

soul for raising you and several other burning
for
is,

bless the

Lord from
lights, to

my

and shining
.

appear

Him

in this

midnight of the Church.

My

only scruple at present

" whether you approve of taking the sword

in defence of

your religious

was with him, They, I think, took up arms, which I think to be called you Cameronians. Some few passages contrary to the spirit of Jesus Christ and His apostles.
rights?"
I

One

of our English bishops, I remember,

when

in

your sermon before the Presbytery, I thought, were a

little

suspicious of

favouring that principle.'

Another

difficulty,

besides the question of appealing to arms

to decide religious belief, stood in the

way of a union between

the English priest and the Scotch Presbyters. the divinity of their

The

latter

held

form of Church government and the

sacredness of their ordination in so exclusive a way as practically to

excommunicate a minister of any other Church.

Whitefield refers to this in another letter to the same friend.

He
'

says
have but one objection against your proceedings
all

think

your

insisting

only on Presbyterian government, exclusive of

other ways

of worshipping God.

Will not

this, clear sir, necessarily

lead you (when-

128

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
all

ever you get the upper hand) to oppose and persecute

that differ from

/'

Church government, or outward way of worshipping God ? Our dear brother and fellow-labourer, Mr. Gilbert Tennent, thinks this As for will be the consequence, and said he would write to you about it. my own part (though I profess myself a member of the Church of England). and if I see a man who loves the Lord Jesus in I am of a catholic spirit sincerity, I am not very solicitous to what outward communion he belongs.'
you
in their
;

His

fears

about opposition,
;

if

not about persecution, proved

it.

only too true

he himself was to get no small share of

spirit

The denominational

and the

spirit

catholic clashed as

soon as ever they met.

To

get again

upon

his track southwards.

Once away from

hospitality,

White Clay Creek and William Tennent's

a ride through forest,

he had

swamp, and
life

partially cleared country,

seeing and sharing in the

lay

of the sparse population which

scattered along his route.

to
travellers,

Gentlemen were as glad

to

show kindness
to

where few human beings were

it
;

be seen, as

travellers

were to receive

and thus the

private house

generally that of a military

man

was as often
sometimes the

the resting-place for the night as the tavern.

But taverns were

a welcome lodge, though noisy guests might sleep in the next

room, or the bed be made in the kitchen

for

way was dangerous enough

Crusoe nature
like

to gratify

anybody with a Robinson

out and howl

the evening wolves would come

could pleasantly recall the

a kennel of hounds round the travellers.

Odd
past,

meetings

with people

who had some connection

talk

with the old country,

and whose
again
else
;

now and
everything

happened.

The

congregations

were

like

now

usual

twenty,

enjoyed,

now a hundred in place of the now the family whose hospitality was being and now a stray visitor who came in nobody knew
a handful of forty,
in

how, and
together.

every case the Negroes of the house were got

IN THE FOREST
The account
passing.
'

129
to realise

of crossing the

Potomac helps one

the condition of the whole

land through which they were

'

Potomac,' Whitefield says,

is

a river which parts

It
is

the two provinces, Maryland and Virginia.

broad.

six

miles

We
fast,

attempted to go over

it

but, after

we had rowed
at the

about a mile, the wind blew so violently, and night was coming

on so

that

we were obliged

to

go back and

lie

person's

house who kept the

ferry,

where they brought out

such things as they had.'

pleasantly at

Christmas
;

Day was

spent very

Newborn Town
it

public worship was attended,

the sacrament was received, a congregation was gathered to

hear the word, and heard

with tears

the hostess provided

a Christmas dinner, and would take no fare from the traveller

when he
Carolina

offered

it.

New

Year's

Day was

spent in riding
just within

and

at sunset a tavern
;

was reached, which stood

South

but another kind of visitor than a parson, and

especially a Methodist parson,

would have been more welcome

when

the house had a goodly

together for a dance
!

company

of neighbours

who had

come

Such a company, however, must

it

have a word of exhortation, and he gave

morning.

both night and

The morning proved

as delightful as the night was

travellers rode

to prove disagreeable.

For twenty miles the

along the shore of a beautiful bay, as level as a terrace walk,

the porpoises that were enjoying their pastime
for

making

sport

them

all

the way.

Whitefield's heart

rejoiced to

hear

shore resounding to shore, across the noble expanse, the praise

Him who hath set bounds to the sea that it cannot pass. Then they rode into the forest, and had to take their chance among the roads and by-roads. As night came on the moon
of

was too beclouded

to

show them where the by-paths

led from

the main road, and thus

the path to a house where

they

purposed seeking lodgings was missed.

for
it

There was nothing

but to push on

till

some

resting-place could be reached,

10

i3o

GEORGE WHTTEFIELD
far before
it,

and they had not gone

they saw a
full

light.

Two

of

them went up towards

and saw a hut

of Negroes, of

whom

they inquired about the

gentleman's house to which

they had been directed.

said that they

The Negroes seemed surprised, and were but new-comers, and knew no such man.
of the more timid hearts
infer

This

made one

that

these

Negroes might be some of a company which had made an

insurrection in the province,

and had run away from

Soon another
travellers,

their

masters.

All the rest adopted his suspicion,

it

and therefore
great fire

thought

best to

mend

their pace.

was seen near the roadside, and the

there was a second nest of rebels,

imagining that

made

a circuit into the

woods, and one of them observed Negroes dancing round the

fire.

The moon now shone

way again
into the

out clearly, and they soon found

for

their

main road, along which they rode

twelve miles, expecting at every step to

come upon more

fires

and more Negroes, when they had the good fortune

large
'

to see a

plantation,

the

master of which gave them lodging.

travels,'

Upon

our relating the circumstances of our

'

says

Whitefield,

he gave

us

satisfaction

about

the

Negroes,

informed us whose they were, and upon what occasion they

were in those places in which we found them.'

Two
time,

short

days more and a morning carried him safe into Charles

(abbreviations in

Town
and

names had not begun

called by
fifty
its

at

this

Charleston was

still

full

name), and a ride of

seven hundred and

miles was over.

His absence from Charles

still

Town had
of changes.
;

not been long, but

sufficiently

so

to

allow

He
visit

himself was
this,

changed into a field-preacher

and

in

consequence of

Commissary Garden, who, on the preceding

had promised
to

to America,

defend him with

life

and

fortune, was

changed

into a cold friend

and then

into a hot

enemy, who refused the

use of the English Church.

However, there were the Inde-

AMONG THE ORPHANS

polite congregations
'

131

pendent meeting-house and the French Church, where 'very

were as plainly addressed as the Kings-

wood

colliers.

The
slaves.

rest of

the

distance

to

Savannah was performed by

five

water, in
'

an open canoe, steered and rowed by

'

Negro

The poor slaves,' he says, were very civil, diligent and laborious.' The first night they slept on the water, and
the second on the shore, with a large
beasts.
fire

to

keep away wild

At noon on the second day they reached Savannah,

joyful

and had a

meeting with the family, which had been

there three weeks.

He

looks more like a settled family

arrival,

man

during the three months after his

other part of his
life.

than during any

The huge

congregations, which would

left

not allow of
too
is

five

minutes' leisure with him, are

behind

so

the anger of opponents.

The poor orphans

and
feels

are around

him, and his

humane

heart thinks
if

for

them with

unwearied tenderness, as

they were the lambs of his

own

home.

He

busies himself about

is

them

daily,

and watches the

as

progress of the work which

as they can have,
lonely, without
after his arrival
five

to

make them

good a home
and

now

that the dear old places are silent

father or mother.

On

the second morning

he went to see a

tract of land, consisting of

left

hundred

acres,

which

Habersham, whom he had

schoolmaster of Savannah when he returned to England, had

chosen as the
'The
it

site

of the orphanage.

land,'

he says,
off

'is situated

on the northern part of the colony,

soil in it
;

about ten miles

very good.

Savannah, and has various kinds of

acres, through the diligence of
it

a part of

Some
;

He
and
it

has also stocked

built a hut
all

with cattle and poultry.

my friends, are cleared. He has begun the fence,

I choose to have will greatly forward the work. town because the children will then be more free from bad examples, and can more conveniently go upon their lands to work for it

which

so far off the

is

my

design to have each of the children taught to labour, so as to be

qualified to get their

own

living.

Lord, do Thou teach and excite them

32

GEORGE WHITEF1ELD
meat which endureth to everlasting life. Thursday, morning and took possession of my lot. I hope it ground, and God, in answer to our prayers, will show that
this
I

to labour also for that

January 24th. Went

is

cast in a fair

He
of

has given us a goodly heritage.

;

called

it

Bethesda, that

is,

the house

mercy

for I

hope many

acts of

mercy

will

be shown there, and that

many

will thereby

be stirred up to praise the Lord, as a

God whose mercy

Negroes could

endureth for ever.

possibly look

Tuesday, January 29th.

Took in three German orphans,

No new
to instruct them.

the most pitiful objects, I think, that I ever saw.

more despicable, or require more pains

Was

all

the

money

have collected to be spent in freeing these three

it

children from slavery,

would be well
all

laid out.
if

have also
in,

in

my

house

near twenty more, who, in

ignorant
of

probability,

not taken

would be as
the
Indians.
all

God and

Christ,

comparatively speaking,

as
this

Blessed be God, they begin to live in order.

blessings to them, for

Continue

and

other

Thy

infinite

mercy's sake,
30th.

Lord,

my

strength and

my

Redeemer.

Wednesday, January
laid

Went

this

day with the

carpenter and surveyor, and

out the ground whereon the orphan-

house

It is to be sixty feet long and forty wide ; a yard is to be built. and garden before and behind. The foundation is to be brick, and is to be sunk four feet within, and raised three feet above, the ground. The house is to be two story high with a hip roof; the first ten, the second

nine feet high.

In

all

there will be nearly twenty

commodious rooms.

Behind are to be two small houses, the one for an infirmary, the other for There is also to be a still-house for the apothecary and I a workhouse. trust ere my return to England, I shall see the children and family quite
;

settled in

it.

I find it will

be an expensive work

but

it

is

for the

Lord

Christ.

He

will take care to defray all charges.

The money
and
I

that will be
;

spent on this occasion will keep

many

families from leaving the colony

there are near thirty working at the plantation already,

as

would employ

many more

if

they were to be had.

Whatsoever

is

done

for

God ought

to

Monday, February 4. be done speedily, as well as with all our might. Met, according to appointment, with all the magistrates, and the former
trustee of the orphans,

who heard

the recorder read over the grant given

me by
that
is

the Trustees,
I

Lord, grant that

and took a minute of their approbation of the same. and my friends may carefully watch over every soul
!

or shall be committed to our charge

Whitefield

did

not

wait

until

the

orphanage was ready

before beginning his philanthropic work, but at once hired a

large house,

and took

in all the

orphans he could find

all,

in the

colony

and

that he might get

he went

to several of the

THE FOUNDATION-BRICK
settlements and brought them
'

133

a great
;

gratis

home himself. He says that many also of the town's children came to school and many poor people who could not maintain their
upon application had leave given them
to

children,
little

send their

ones for a
till

month

or two, or more, as they could spare

family consisted of between sixty and
in

them,

at length

my

seventy.

Most of the orphans were

up with
lice. I

poor case, and three or

four almost eaten

in
I

likewise erected an infirmary,

gratis.

which many sick people were cured and taken care of

have now by me' (he writes
this six years afterwards)

'a

list

of upwards of a hundred and thirty persons

the surgeon's hands, exclusive of

who were under

family.

my

private

This

surgeon
put

furnished with

all

proper drugs and utensils, which

me

to

no small expense.'

The

foundation-brick of the 'great house,' as he calls the

orphanage, was laid by himself on Tuesday, March 25, 1740,

without any
mallet

parade even without a

full

silver trowel or
faith.

a mahogany

but with

assurance of

The workmen were

the spectators, and knelt

prayer.

They sang
that

down with him to offer the dedication hymn together, and he gave them a
to

word of exhortation, bidding them remember

work

heartily,

knowing

they worked

for

God.

Forty children were then

under his

care,

and

nearly a hundred

mouths had

to

be sup-

plied with food.

But

all

was not

at rest.
;

His very friendships were

to cause

him

his greatest troubles

and the
his

first

signs of

them appeared

while he was

busy

among

family; there a letter and a

journal from John Wesley reached him.

self

That Whitefield him-

had been anxious about the respective views of Calvin and

speak out the conclusions he had come
friend,

Arminius has been told already, and also that he had deter-

mined

to

to.

For

once he was behind his

ness to contention.

and

it

was an honourable slow

Wesley, while at Bristol, had been accused

134

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

anonymous, of not preaching the gospel,
This led him to

in a letter, apparently

because he did not preach up election.

consult the lot as to whether he should preach and print his

sermon on
print
'

free-grace,

and the

lot
;

he drew said

'

preach and

and accordingly he did so

in

but at Whitefield's request,

who was then

as his friend

England, he desisted from publishing so long

in the country.

remained

Soon

after Whitefield sailed the

sermon appeared.
;

Wesley
that
all
is,

also adopted into his creed the doctrine of perfection

'

free,

full,

and present salvation from

all

all

the guilt,

the

power, and
(l

the in-being of

sin.'

His

letter to

Whitefield at

Savannah was upon

perfection, asking
latter.

their respective doctrines of election

to give

and

him

up the former and embrace the

;

To

this Whitefield

could not consent

he answered

him
I

'

could

now send
I

a particular answer to your last

but,
is

my

honoured

friend

and brother,

for

once hearken to a child,

who

willing to

wash

your
if

feet.

beseech you by the mercies of

God

in Christ Jesus

our Lord,

you would have

my

love confirmed toward you, write no

more tome
knowledge,

about misrepresentations wherein

at present

we

differ.

To

the best of

my

no

sin has

dominion
I

over me, yet

I feel

the strugglings of in-

dwelling sin day by day.

interpretation of the passage

can therefore by no means come into your

mentioned

in

the letter,

and

as explained in

your preface to Mr. Halyburton.

perseverance of those

The

doctrine of election, and the final

who

are in Christ, I

convinced Will

of, if

possible, than

why, then, should we dispute,

it

am ten thousand times more when I saw you last. You think otherwise when there is no probability of convincing?
;

not in the end destroy brotherly love, and insensibly take from us

that cordial union

subsist

between us
!

us divided

against you

and sweetness of soul which, I pray God, may always How glad would the enemies of the Lord be to see How many would rejoice, should I join and make a party And, in one word, how would the cause of our common
?

Master every way

doctrine
!

suffer

by our raising disputes about particular points of

us offer salvation freely to
all

Honoured
it

sir, let

by the blood of
us freely

Jesus

and whatever
to others.

light
I

God

has communicated to us,

municate

have

lately read the life of Luther,

last [tart of his life

nowise to his honour, that the

comand think it was so much taken up

let

PLEADING FOR UNITY

in disputing

135

with Zuinglius and others,

who
I

in all probability equally loved

the Lord Jesus, notwithstanding they might differ from

him

in

other points.
;

Let

this,

dear

sir,

be a caution to us
to
it

hope

it

will

be to

me

for,

by the

blessing of

God, provoke me
lists

as

much

as you please, I do not think

ever to enter the

differ.

of controversy with you on the points wherein

we

Only I pray to God, that the more you judge me, the more I may love you, and learn to desire no one's approbation but that of my Lord and
Master Jesus Christ.'

Unfortunately he did not abide

by these

truly

Christian

purposes, neither was Wesley so forbearing as he ought to

have been.
Whitefield's kind heart was busy with another

good work
That

while

he was gathering

the

orphans

to

his

house.

month's ride through Maryland, Virginia, and Carolina had

brought him near slavery and
all its

revolting accessories
to

and

he was pained

at

the heart.

It

would not do
;

be

silent

about the wrongs of such as had no helper

he took pen
three

in

hand, and wrote to the inhabitants of those

expostulating with

states,

them on

their cruel treatment of their slaves.

to

But Whitefield was absolutely blind

s lavery

the

wickedness

of

as sla very

it

was only the brutal conduct of some of

to

the masters that appeared wrong

to

him.

At

his first visit

Georgia

he

expressed

his

persuasion that

the

colony

must always continue

of

feeble, if the

people were denied the use

rum and

slaves

and he afterwards dishonoured himself by

his slaves for the

becoming a slave-owner, and working

of the orphanage.

good
in

There
;

is

little

or

nothing to be said
it

extenuation of his conduct

in his day, that

for

though

was a popular notion

it

slavery

was permissible,

was not the notion

of every one

and he might have come

had he pondered

to a better understand-

ing of the subject

it.

Among

his

Quaker
but

and Moravian friends there were some who could have led him
into the light,

had he spent time

in conferring

with them

his incessant preaching

gave him no opportunity for thinking

136

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

He
for

and forming an independent conclusion.

paramount.

had only one

first

thought, and cared nothing for a second, because the

It

was

might have been impossible

for

him

to preach,
;

and

at the

same time plead

the freedom of the Negroes

but at least he might have kept his

own hands

clean,

and have
sentence

given a practical rebuke to his neighbours' sins.

in his letter

One

shows that

his

mind might have

for Christians to

arrived at a just

conclusion but for the hurry which called him away to other
things
'
:

Whether

it

be lawful

buy

slaves,

and

thereby encourage the nations from whence they are brought

to

be

at perpetual

war with each other, But that was

if

I shall

not take upon

me
to

to determine.'
;

just the thing

he was bound

determine

and

his

convictions on the unlawfulness of

in

war

for religious

ends had any depth

case,

them, which hardly

appears to

have been the

he must have concluded that

of the

war

for enslaving

men who were

same
in

flesh

as their

captors

and buyers, and of equal value

less justifiable

the sight of God,

It

must be much

than religious wars.

may be

safely affirmed that the lash

was never used on the farm where

Negroes did not go home
evening meal.
is

the orphan-house stood

that the children were not brutalised

that the

by the sight of cruelty

and

weary and sore to grind their corn

slavery
is still

for the

But

slavery,

however

its

condition

mitigated.

On

the day of the appearance of the letter to the slave-

owners, Seward chronicled in his journal a story which well

illustrates
'

the quality of Negro

human
for

nature.

He

says

Heard

of a drinking club that

to

had a Negro boy attending

their

them,

who used

mimic people
do

diversion.

The

gentlemen bid him mimic our brother Whitefield, which he

was very unwilling

up,

to

but they insisting upon

I
lie

it

he stood
;

and

said,

" I speak the truth in Christ,

will all

not

unless

you repent, you

be damned."

This unexpected speech

since.'

broke up the club, which has not met

A LOVE-LETTER
Within
six

137

days of the ceremony at Bethesda, Whitefield was

called northward

by the claims of the orphans, who must be

for

maintained

and nothing could be found

them

in

Georgia.

He

sailed in his sloop,

and no sooner got on board than he

was addressed to an English

devoted his time to the writing of as strange and loveless a

love-letter as ever

was penned.

It

lady at Blendon, no doubt Miss Elizabeth Delamotte, sister of

Mr. Delamotte, who

first

welcomed him

to Georgia,

and was

enclosed in one addressed to her parents, in which they are

asked whether they think their daughter a proper person to be

his

helpmeet

in his work,

i.e.,

be the matron of his orphanage.

'

He
the

declared that his heart was free from

calls

that foolish passion

which the world

Love.'
'

His

letter to

Miss
'

E
to her.

was

in

same

strain

he makes

no great profession

She,

however, did not care to be wooed for a housekeeper instead

of a wife
;

and Whitefield stood a rejected

suitor,

but not a

disappointed lover, for he subsequently learned that at the

time of his offer the lady
state
'

(in spiritual things)

was

in

a 'seeking

only

besides,

he was not

in love.

The

sloop

made The

a quick passage to Newcastle, from whence

Philadelphia

Whitefield hastened his journey to

by way of
the

Willingtown.

truth

had not been inactive during

;

absence of
others
it

its

eloquent preacher

some

it

had conquered,
hostility.

had hardened and driven into open

well as in

All

around Philadelphia, as
religious excitement;

the city, there was

much
active

and many ministers who had been of

class,'

the

'Pharisee-teacher

had

become

earnest,

labourers,

and were following up Whitefield's work.

The
before
;

minister of

Abingdon passed through a very

spiritual

great

trial

he entered into the

his honesty of

peace enjoyed by Whitefield

and had

conduct

attests his sincerity of

mind.

He

been

for

some

years a preacher of the doctrines of grace with-

out knowing the power of what he taught, until

Whitefield

138

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

for him.

came and preached

After Whitefield's departure, he

attempted to preach, but

failed.

Humbly

confessing to his

congregation the deception he had practised on himself and

them, he asked those of them

cession for him.
his
Still

who could pray

in the
;

to

make

inter-

anxious and unsettled, he again resumed

work

for

he judged that
light

way of duty he would be

nor was he
left

most

likely to find

and peace

without

the blessing he so earnestly desired.

congregation which
fail

had a pastor

in

such a state of mind could hardly

to
in-

receive Whitefield's

word with great emotion; 'a great

'

fluence was observable

'

among them when he

spoke, and

the

word came with a soul-convicting and comforting power

he

to

many.'

The Commissary
fields

of Philadelphia told Whitefield that

could lend him his pulpit no more.

Thanking God

that the

were open, he betook himself to Society Hill next day,

in the

and preached

morning

to six thousand,

and

in the even-

ing to eight thousand.

On

the following

Sunday morning,
orphans

at

seven o'clock, ten thousand assembled to hear him, and gave

him one hundred and ten pounds

Philadelphia
itself

for

his

and yet

had only about twelve thousand

souls.

The

same day he went morning and evening

think with him.

to church,

and had
did not

the comfort of being treated as he treated others

who

The
his

minister preached
best
to

upon

justification

by

works, and did

damage

Whitefield's
ill

favourite
;

doctrine of justification by faith, though with

success

for

many
in,

hearers

who had entered church on

seeing Whitefield go

were more deeply persuaded than ever of the truth of

Besides, such attacks

evangelical doctrines.
like a

made him look

the church

persecuted man, and gave him something to answer

it

hence
to

was no wonder
in

that,
air,

when he went from

fifteen

preach

the open

thousand

people

came

together.

second collection of eighty pounds showed that

THE WORLD GROWING RELIGIOUS

more than
curiosity, or a

139

desire to

hear a reply, had

moved

them

to

come.
Franklin to tipplers there was one subject of conver-

From
sation.

The

tipplers,

Whitefield

says,

'

would mutter

in

coffee-houses, give a curse, drink a bowl of punch,

and then
morality/
all

cry out

against

me

for

not
the

preaching up more

franklin

was amazed

at

way
;

in

which people of

denominations went

to hear

him

he speculated on the extra-

ordinary influence of Whitefield's oratory on his hearers, and

on

their admiration

and respect

for him, notwithstanding they

were often told they were half beasts and half devils.

He

wondered

to see the

change soon made in the manners of the

inhabitants
religion,
it

how,

from being thoughtless or indifferent about

if all

seemed as

the world were growing religious;

so that no one could walk through the town of an evening

without hearing psalms sung in different families of every

street.

The

indiscreet zeal of

Seward might, during

this visit,

have

cost both

him and Whitefield,

whom

he seems

to

have fawned

upon, very serious consequences.

Excited at finding that a

proprietors of the assembly

son

of

Penn was one of

the

rooms, he obtained the key of the rooms from the keeper,

under a promise that he would take the consequences, and

then

locked the door, to drive out

all

the people to hear

Whitefield.

This freak cost him a good deal of abuse, a

threat that he should

be caned, and the maintenance of the

his follies

keeper's family.
field's

Another of

was to trumpet White-

praises in the newspapers by writing both advertisements

and paragraphs.

He

gave his own colouring

in the

New York
made
it

papers to his exploit with the assembly rooms, and

appear that the rooms

authority.
'

had been closed by some one

:

in

His disingenuous paragraph was as follows

Philadelphia
that,

We

hear from

since

Mr. Whitefield's preaching

there, the dancing-school

and concert-room have been shut up as incon-

Mo

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
;

sistent with the doctrines of the gospel

at

enraged that they broke open the door.

very sect whose

It is

which some gentlemen were so most extraordinary that such

devilish diversions should be supported in that city,

first

and by some of
says,

that

principles are an utter detestation of them, as appears

from William Penn's

step in a dance
is

"No

Cross, no
'

Crown,"

in

which he

"every

a step to hell."

Circumstances called both Gladman and Seward away from

Whitefield's side before

New York
much

was reached

and

it

cannot

be regretted that the

latter,

as Whitefield was attached

to

to him, never returned. 1

to bring

They were despatched

England

over some one to take charge of the orphanage in

Whitefield's absence, to acquaint the Trustees of Georgia with

the state of the colony, to procure an allowance of Negroes

that
is,

slaves

also a free

title

to the lands,

an independent
at

magistracy,

and money

for building the

church

Savannah.

Seward died
rioter

in 1741, in Wales, as the result of

a blow from a

a martyr,
New
healthy

his

work

for Whitefield unfinished.

Sick and weary, Whitefield preached his way from Phila-

delphia to

York, where his friend Mr. Noble received him.

A strong,
field

man might flatter

himself that he had achieved

marvels, could he say that he had done as

did there under weakness of

much as Whitebody and much loneliness of

late,

heart.

The
is

services were early

and

numerous, sometimes

Here
'

a scene in Benjamin Franklin's shop, occasioned by this para23, 1740.

graph.

May

Called

at

Mr. Franklin's the

printer's,

and met

and several other gentlemen of the Assembly, who accosted me very roughly concerning a paragraph I had put in the papers, alleging it to They much insisted that my paragraph insinuated as if the be false.
Mr. P

gentlemen were convicted of

their error

by Mr. Whitefield's preaching,

;

which they abhorred. I told them I thought no one would construe it so but if they did, it was an honour to them, for that I myself was formerly as
fond of them as they could be, but, blessed be the Lord, that
vinced to the contrary,'
phia,

'Journal of a Voyage from Savannah to Philadelin travel

was con-

&c, by William Seward, Gent., companion Mr. George Whitefield,' 1740.

with the Rev.

FAINTING CONGREGATIONS
in

141

the fields,

and attended by crowds which few speakers

could have

made

hear.

Brotherly

kindness

was there

to

cheer him, and the generosity of the people,

three

who gave him

It

hundred pounds,

stirred all his gratitude.

first

was here,

too, that

he received the

of those childish letters from his

in

dear orphans, which were afterwards to reach him both

England and America.

Savannah
Still

He

does not say what they contained,

but only that in a packet of letters from Charles

'

Town and
orphans.'

were two or three

letters

from

my

little

feeble

and low
to

in spirits,

he preached

his

way back
to the

from

New York

Philadelphia,

and was welcomed

;

house of Anthony Benezet, the friend of the Negroes

tell

but to

how he preached and was preached

and cared
for the

against

how he comwho came

in to repeat a tale

forted the sin-stricken

large

Negroes,

numbers
told.

to ask for his counsel,

would be

already

new

feature,

however,

was beginning
it

to

manifest

itself in

his congregations,

though

was not very

remarkable until he reached Nottingham, where the Tennents

and other men of a

similar

spirit

had been labouring with

to

much
the

success for

some

time,

and

which he was invited

the
inhabitants.

in

strongest

terms by some of

Thinly

populated as the place was, nearly twelve thousand people

were assembled, many of them having come from a great

distance
;

indeed,

it

was

common
last left

for a great

number

to

go with
;

him

as far from their

homes

as they conveniently could

and

on the morning when he

Philadelphia, two boats, that

plied the ferry near Derby, were

in the

employed from three o'clock

morning
to hear

until

ten in ferrying passengers across

who

wanted

him

as often as possible.

He

had not spoken

long before he perceived numbers melting; as he proceeded

the influence increased,
till

at last,

both in the morning and

afternoon, thousands cried out, so that they almost

his voice.

drowned

142

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

Oh, what strong crying and
!

-.

tears,' he says, were shed and poured Some fainted, and when they had got a Lord Jesus Others cried out in a manner little strength, would hear and faint again. And after I had almost as if they were in the sharpest agonies of death. finished my last discourse, I myself was so overpowered with a sense of God's love, that it almost took away my life. However, at length I revived, and having taken a little meat, was strengthened to go with Messrs. Blair, Tennent, and some other friends, to Mr. Blair's house, about
'

forth after the dear

twenty miles from Nottingham.

singing psalms and hymns.

In the

way we

refreshed our souls

by
to

We

got to our journey's end about midnight,

where, after

God by
Thine?'

prayer,

we had taken a little food, and recommended ourselves we went to rest, and slept, I trust, in the favour as well
Oh, Lord, was ever love

as

under the protection of our dear Lord Jesus.

like

The

next day, at Fog's Manor, where Blair was minister,

the congregation was as large as that at Nottingham, and as

great, Whitefield says,
'

if

not a greater, commotion was in the

hearts

of the
in

people.

Look where

would,

most

were

drowned

tears.

The word was

sharper than a two-edged

sword, and their bitter cries and groans were enough to pierce
the hardest heart.

Oh

what
struck

different visages

were there to
others

be

seen.

Some were

pale
lying

as

death,

were

wringing their hands,

others

on the ground, others

sinking into the arms of their friends,

and most

lifting

up
!

their eyes towards heaven, and crying out to

I

God

for

mercy

could think of nothing, when

looked upon them, so

like

much

as the great day.

last

They seemed

persons awakened by the

trump, and coming out of their graves to judgment.'

in the
all

His affectionate nature was beautifully shown

many
kinds

thoughtful letters and messages which he addressed to

of friends during the time that the sloop waited at Newcastle

for a fair

wind

to take

him

to

Savannah.

But the affection he

orphans

was wont to inspire was strongest

in the hearts of the

his return to

and

his

dependent

family,

and on

Savannah with

the five hundred pounds that he had collected

among

the

A REVIVAL IN THE ORPHANAGE

him, and wept over
\

143

northern Churches, each in turn hung upon his neck, kissed

him with

tears of joy.

Next day the house was a miniature Nottingham-Fog-Manor

The excitement began with a man who had come with him from the scenes of his preaching triumphs, and who became much stirred up to pray for himself and others.
congregation.

Whitefield also went and prayed for half an hour with

the

some
to

of

women

of the house and three

sins.

girls,

who seemed

be

weary with the weight of their

At public worship young

After service, several of his
little

and old were

parishioners,

all all

dissolved in tears.
his

family,

and the

children, returned
refrain

home

crying along the street, and

some could not

most
in the

from

praying aloud as they went.

Weak and
;

exhausted he lay down

for a little rest, but the condition of

house conlifted

strained

him

to rise again

and pray

and had he not

his

voice very high, the groans and cries of the children would

have prevented his being heard.

hour,

This lasted for nearly an

and the concern increasing rather than abating, he

wisely desired

them

to retire.

They did

so,

and then began

to pray in every corner of the house.

storm of thunder and

time added to the

lightning which burst over the

town

at this

solemnity of the night, and reminded them the more vividly of

the

coming of the Son of man.

All were not quiet even the

next day.

And no

marvel,

when we consider how profoundly

in the result of Whitefield's trip

interested every
to the North.
their life
;

one had been

His success was

their

home,

their

comfort,

and

his failure their return to

want and misery.

His

coming opened the fountain of

by

all hearts,

and natural gratitude

rose quickly into higher religious emotions under his influence,

whom God had

wrought penitence, broken-heartedness,

total strangers,

and reformation among

among rugged
till

sailors,

and among opposers, who owed him nothing

they

owed

him themselves.

144

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
His
last

His return to Savannah introduces us again to the Wesley

trouble.

day on board the sloop,

to friends in

May

24, T740,

was

partly spent in writing

England, John Wesley

anions? the

number.

He

said

'

Honoured

sir, I

cannot entertain prejudices against your principles and

conduct without informing you.

The more
the

most

experienced

men, and

experiences of

examine the writings of the the most established

Christians, the more I differ from your notion about not committing sin, and your denying the doctrines of election and the final perseverance of the saints. I dread coming to England, unless you are resolved to oppose these

truths with less

warmth than when

was there

last.

dread your coming

in a

over to America, because the work of

God

is

carried

on here, and that

most glorious manner, by doctrines quite opposite to those you hold. Here are
thousands of God's children

who will

not be persuaded out of the privileges

purchased for them by the blood of Jesus.

perienced ministers
direct
all

Here
it

are

many worthy

ex-

who would oppose

!

your principles to the utmost.

think
best to stay here,

God

me what

to

do

Sometimes

I
:

where we

work goes on without divisions, and with more success, because all employed in it are of one mind. I write not this, honoured sir, from heat of spirit, but out of love. At present I think you are entirely inconsistent with yourself, and therefore do not blame me if I do not approve of all you say. God Himself, I find,
think and speak the

same thing

the

teaches

my

friends the doctrine of election.

it
;

Sister

hath lately been

convinced of

and

if

mistake not, dear and honoured Mr. Wesley

hereafter will be convinced also.

From my
I I

soul I wish you abundant

success in the

made a may never see you again till we meet in judgment then, if not before, you will know that sovereign, disThen you will know tinguishing, irresistible grace brought you to heaven. God loved you with an everlasting love, and therefore with loving-kindness
of the Lord.

name
;

long to hear of your being

spiritual father to thousands.

Perhaps

did

He draw

you.

Honoured
I

sir,

farewell.

My

prayers constantly attend

both you and your labours.

neglect no opportunity of writing.

My next
The Lord
to the end,

journal will acquaint you with

fills

new and
I

surprising wonders.

me

both

in

body and

soul.

am

supported under the prospect of

present and future trials with an assurance of God's loving

yea, even to all eternity.'

me

The

brotherly spirit

is

still

there, but in a

more decided
it

attitude towards the disputed question and the treatment

TROUBLES WITH WESLEY

-j

145

should receive, his intercourse with the northern Presbyterians having

made him change

thus much.

The

counsel to modera-

tion and to avoid teaching doctrines on which the Methodist

leaders were divided was, notwithstanding his resolution,

made

during his
himself.
'

last

voyage, to speak out, honourably acted upon by

He

wrote to a friend in London, beseeching him to

desire dear brother Wesley, for Christ's sake, to avoid disI

;

'

puting with him.

division between us

think

had rather die than

to see a
if

and

yet,

how can we walk

letter,

together

we

oppose each other?'

In another

which was written on

if

June
he

25th, he

beseeches Wesley, for Christ's sake, never,

'

possible, to speak against election in his sermons.

says,
'

No

one,'

can say that

ever mentioned

it

in public discourses,

whatever
let

my

private sentiments

may

be.
;

For Christ's sake

will

us not be divided

among

ourselves

nothing

prevent a division as your being silent on this head.'

runs into

much Then he
so

a pleasanter strain, where his heart was most at

I

home
I

'
:

should have rejoiced at the sight of your journal.

long to sing a

your soul.

hymn of praise for what God has done for May God bless you more and more every day,
to

and cause you

Before these

triumph

in every place.'

last

words reached Wesley, he

letter,

replied, in a

very short but kindly 'The

against case
it.

to the letter of

May

24th

is

quite plain.
is

There are bigots both

for predestination

and

God
it,

sending a message to those on either side.

But neither

will receive

unless from one of their

own

opinion.
I

Therefore, for a

time, you are suffered to be of one opinion,

and

of another.

But when

His time

is

come,

one mind.
with joy.'

do what man cannot, namely, make us both of Then persecution will flame out, and it will be seen whether
will
lives

God

we count our

dear unto ourselves, so that we

may

finish

our course

We

look in vain, however, for any response to the entreaty

not to follow a public course of hostility to his old friend.

1

p
The
in spirit

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
fashionable people of Charleston,

now considerably
visit to

changed

and manner by the preaching of Whitefield,

were anxious again to hear him before his intended

New

England.

He

set

sail,

and came

to

them

fresh

from the
'

excitement of Savannah, where, to use his

stately steps of

own metaphor,

the

our glorious

Emmanuel

often appeared.'

Com-

missary Garden having denied him the use of the church, he

preached
minister,

in the

meeting-house of his friend the Independent

and

for this alleged irregularity the

commissary cited

him to appear before him.

and appealed home.
-people of Charleston

Whitefield denied the authority,

To
'

preach his

last

sermon

to

'

the dear

he went from

his bed,

and was carried

to the chapel, the intense heat

having quite exhausted him.

Many
and

of the rich people

;

all

around showed him great respect

his departure

hospitality

and on the day of

from Charles-

ton he rode to the house of Colonel Bee, of Ponpon, forty

miles from town, which was reached at midnight.

The

next

morning he was too weak

to offer family prayer, but at

tree to

noon

he rode a mile and preached under a great

auditory.
further

an attentive

Weakness hindered
'

either a

second sermon or any

said,
'

advance that day.

Surely,'

he

it

cannot be

long ere this earthly tabernacle will be dissolved.

hart panteth after the water brooks, so longeth

As

the

my

soul after

the

full

enjoyment of Thee,

my

God.'

The

next

day he
life.

travelled

and preached, but the

that

effort

almost cost him his

set his

Sometimes he hoped
/

God would

imprisoned soul

at liberty.

The thoughts

of his Saviour's love to him, and

that

the

Lord was

his righteousness,

melted him into

tears.

dear friend and companion wept over him, and seemed not

unwilling to take his flight with

him

into 'the

arms of the
from their

beloved Jesus.'

The poor Negroes, who had

learnt

master that the sufferer was a friend of their race, crowded

around the windows, expressing by

their looks

and attentions

WEAK BUT
great concern.

WILLING
by and wept.
'

147

says Whitefield,
'

The master who hoped

to

sat

But, alas

his time of departure

was come,

alas

in a short time I perceived

was enabled

walk about.'
a

my body grow stronger, and He got back among the

felt.

beloved

orphans

in

very prostrate condition, and could

hardly bear up under the joy and satisfaction which he

The

arrival of

some Charleston

friends

somewhat revived him,

of body and concern

but again he was cast

down by weakness

of mind; and one night, just as he began family prayer, he was

struck, as
soft
lips.

he thought, with death.

prayer

A
my

few broken accents, a

spirit
'

'

Lord

Jesus,

receive

fell

from

his

Yet he was

still

appointed to

life.

The

next day was

Sunday, and feeble indeed must he have been to give up, as

he

did,

the thought of officiating.

in,

More

friends,

however,

had come

and when he
visitors to

solicited

a Baptist minister

who

was among the

preach for him, that gentleman

peremptorily refused, and urged (so great was his faith for

another

!)

that

God would

strengthen

him

if

he began.

And
his

Whitefield stood

rebuked.

The

willing heart
effort,

mustered the

body's broken powers for another prayer begun

and hardly had

'

a gun.'

when one of the visitors dropped as if shot by The power of God's word, as the visitor himself

explained his conduct, had entered his heart.

He

soon arose,

and

sat attentively to

hear the sermon.

The

influence quickly

spread abroad, and the greatest part of the congregation was

under

deep

concern.

When
?
'

Whitefield
'
:

and

his

friends
tell

returned home, the Baptist minister said

Did

not

you

God would
feeling that

strengthen you

Whitefield

bowed
'

his

head,

he was

justly reproved,

and prayed, when he

Dearest Lord,
distrust

recorded the events of the day in his journal,

for

Thy
of

mercies'
little

sake,

never

let

me

Thee

again.

O me

faith!"
visit

Pressing invitations to

New England

having come to

48

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
in

him from the Rev. Dr. Colman and Mr. Cooper, ministers
Puritans, he left his family again,

Boston, and feeling desirous to see the descendants of the

and

sailed

first

to Charleston

Rhode and thence accompanying him. By

to

Island,
this

several

Charleston

friends

time his frame had recovered

something of

its

former vigour, through the cooler weather

and the

fresh sea breezes, yet

he was not sanguine of recovery.

He
'

wrote to Wesley
Last night
I

This morning
blessing.

had the pleasure of receiving an extract of your journal. took a walk and read it. I pray God to give it His
things,
I

Many

trust,

will

prove

beneficial,
all

especially

the

account of yourself; only give

severance, when, by your

me

leave with

humility to exhort you

not to be strenuous in opposing the doctrines of election and final per-

own

confession,

"you have not

the witness of

I the Spirit within yourself," and, consequently, are not a proper judge. told me one day that " he was convinced ot remember dear brother E

the perseverance of the saints.

I told

him you was

not.

He
I

replied, but

he will be convinced when he hath got the Spirit himself.

God

has
I

now

for

some years given me

this living witness in

am assured my soul.
I

When
k <

have been nearest death,

I

my

evidences have been the clearest.

can say

have been on the borders of Canaan, and do every day

nay,
I

almost every

moment

long

for the

appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ;

soul

not to evade sufferings, but with a single desire to see His blessed face.
feel
air

His blessed Spirit daily

filling

my

and body, as plain as

I

I feel

the

which

breathe, or the food

I eat.

...

wish

I
it

knew your

principles

fully.

effect

Did you write oftener and more than silence and reserve.'

frankly,

might have a better

Whitefield was thoroughly consistent in his pleadings for

peace.

His complaint that Wesley was

his

silent

and reserved

came from
* '
'

deep

dislike of

having anything hidden.

'

To
of

walk with

naked hearts together

was

his

conception

brotherliness

and

friendship,

and

his patience

was taxed by

the cooler temperament of his friend.

Longer consideration
was a sign
like

might have led him

of unwillingness

to believe that Wesley's silence

to dispute,

but an ardent nature

his

cannot understand such profound self-possession.

The day

FIRST VISIT TO
after

NEW ENGLAND
to

149

he wrote to Wesley he wrote

a friend in Bristol, and

said

'

hear there are divisions

among

you.

Avoid them
I

if

possible.

The
But

doctrines of election and final perseverance

to

hold as well as you.

r then they are not

/

Such a proceeding will only prejudice the cause you would defend. Pray show this to your other friends. Exhort them to avoid all clamour and evil speaking, and with meekness receive the engrafted word, which is able to

be contended for with heat and passion.

save your soul.'

Rhode
sat in the

Island was expecting

its visitor.

He

reached Newservice,

port just after the beginning of

Sunday evening
;

and

church undiscovered, as he thought

but friendly

eyes had marked him, and, after sermon, a gentleman asked

him whether

Then

the

name was not Whitefield. Yes, it was.' unknown friend would provide lodgings for him and
his
'

his party.

Soon a number of gentlemen, chief of them

all

old
his

Mr. Clap, an aged Dissenting minister, who had held

charge for forty years, and was
works,
the
,

came

to

pay their

much esteemed for his good respects to him. The minister of

to Whitefield's preaching in

Church of England consented

pulpit.

his

attend Divine worship.

Bristol
to feel
;

The Assembly one day adjourned its sitting The same respect was shown him

to
at

but his heart was cold in his work, and others seemed

little.

When
and two

he had approached within four miles

of

Boston, he

was met by the governor's son, several other

ministers
to his
;

gentlemen,

the
;

brother-in-law

of

Dr.

Colman

received

him

house

the governor of Massa-

chusetts, Jonathan Belcher, was gratified that he had come,

\

and gave him

wavered
;

his special friendship, a friendship that never

the commissary was polite, but declined to give

him

the use of the church.

A
'
:

famous divine, who was said to be

prejudiced against him and also his enemy,

in the street,

when he met him

you
here.'
'

remarked

am

sorry to see

And

i5o

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
is

so

the devil,' replied Whitefield.

fields

Once again were

his

the

meeting-houses and the

before
will

to

be

sanctuaries.

But
it

we mingle with
which came
to

the crowds which thronged them,

be necessary to pay some attention

to several packets of
after his

letters

him

at

Boston immediately

arrival.

The

friends from

England wrote him strange

cries of

things.

The

Methodist camp was distracted with the

two sections

of theologians, holding respectively the views of Wesley and

Whitefield.
tested

To have

his favourite doctrine

of election con;

and spoken against had troubled Whitefield

its

to see a

new
him
him

doctrine, that of perfection, exalted in

still

place, ruffled

more

and the news which came

word of expostulation.
in

to

Boston made
Harris

offer his first

To Howel

he expressed his fears for his place

English converts.
'

the affection of his

Society, I fear, are
for

Some
;

of Fetter

Lane

running into sad

especially mine.

errors

but

this

happens

our

trial,

Those

that before, I suppose,

would have

plucked out their eyes

shy, and avoiding me.
fidelity

for

me, now,

suspect, I shall see very

to

My

coming

England
to

will try

my

to

my

Master.'

His manner
:

Wesley was the

impatience of an unheeded affection

'

Honoured
25th.
I

Sir,' he began,

'

this is sent in

answer to your
it

letter
is

dated

March
the

think

have

fur

righteousness, joy, and peace in

privileges
sin.

some time known what the Holy Ghost. These,

;

to

have from

believe, are
free

of the sons of
I

God

but
sir,

cannot say

am

indwelling

am

sorry,

honoured

to hear

by many
I

letters that

you

seem

to

own
:

a sinless perfection in this

life

attainable.

think

cannot

answer you better than a venerable old minister in these parts answered a Quaker " Bring me a man that hath really arrived to this, and I will pay
I' his expenses, let

him come from where he will." I know not what you do not expect to say indwelling sin is finished and destroyed Besides, dear sir, in me till I bow down my head and give up the ghost. what a fond conceit it is to cry up perfection, and yet cry down the But this and many other absurdities you doctrine of final perseverance

may

think

TROUBLES WITH WESLEY

will run into,
it

151

because you will not

own

election, because

you cannot own

then,
is

without believing the doctrine of reprobation.

I

What,

there in
if

reprobation so horrid?
rightly explained.

see

no blasphemy

in

holding that doctrine,

If_God might have passed by all, He may pass by sorne^_ Judge_whether it is not a greater blasphemy to say, "Christ died for souls now in hell." Surely, dear sir, you do not believe there will he a general gaol delivery of damned souls hereafter? Oh, that you would stud)- the covenant of grace Oh, that you were truly convinced of sin and brought to the foot of sovereign grace! Elisha Cole, on "God's Sovereignty," and "Veritas Redux," written by Dr. Edwards, are well worth your reading. But I have done. If you think so meanly of Bunyan and the Puritan writers, I do not wonder that you think me wrong. I find your sermon has had its expected success it hath set the nation a disputing. You will have enough to do now to answer pamphlets two I have already seen. Oh, that you would be more cautious in casting lots Oh, that you would not be too rash and precipitant If you go on thus, honoured sir, how can I concur with you ? It is impossible I must speak what I know.'
!

"i

"

That

'

great blasphemy,'

if

blasphemy
himself,

it

be,

was not
in

alto-

gether avoided

by

Whitefield
call

who,

the

most

impassioned way, would

he could
recurs
let

upon

his hearers to tell

him how
no phrase
passages.

souls perish for

whom

Christ died
his laid

with greater

frequency in

tenderest

Neither need

much emphasis be
seemed
It

on the doctrine of comin

reprobation, which he

to regard with unruffled

placency and satisfaction.

his talk,

was only

in his letters
it

and

and

that only for a brief period, that

got such

honourable mention.
Clay,'
this

His sermon on 'The Potter and the

have been supposed to be built upon
far

which might

fairly

conception of election and reprobation, rests on a

foundation

different

the
'A

old

foundation

of

all

theology.

Every son of

man
;

is,

in the sight of

God,

'

only as a piece of

marred clay

'

being marred, he must necessarily be renewed

short

by the Holy Ghost.

the whole discourse.

word of application

'

winds up

The Boston meeting-houses were

filled

to

the

utmost of

r52
their large

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
dimensions by the congregations which crowded to

hear the famous clergyman.

terrible

and unaccountable
it

panic seized one of the congregations as

was awaiting

his

appearance.

Some

threw themselves out of the gallery, others

leaped from the windows, and some of the strong trampled

upon the weak.

fusion.

When

he came

it

was a scene of wild conpreach on the common.

;

His invincible presence of mind did not forsake him,

his intention to

and he announced

Many thousands

followed him through the rain into the field

left

but there were five dead persons

behind

in the meeting-

house, and others were dangerously wounded.

The

calamity,

which weighed heavily on

his spirits, in

nowise damaged his

popularity, because, notwithstanding the lamentable selfishness

shown by some of the people

a real desire to

in the meeting-house, there

was

know

the truth.

Neighbouring towns were not forgotten.

sions extended over one

One
to

of his excurmiles,

hundred and seventy-eight

yet

and

had

sixteen preachings,

he returned

Boston without

being in the least fatigued.

several visits from him,

The
made

students of Cambridge had

and

his language to
in the

them

was, accord-

ing to his after confession,

most public manner

both from the pulpit and the press, both harsh and uncharitable.

He

suffered himself to be guided too

and there are always plenty of alarmists

much by hearsay who can find nothing

many

but heresy in tutors and worldliness in students.

One
hood.

of his greatest pleasures was to meet with the

aged, devout ministers

who were
income

in

Boston and

its

neighbour-

There was old Mr. Clap, of Rhode Island, a bachelor,

all

who gave away

stood the friend

his

to the

poor and needy, and

of children, servants, and slaves, through a

ministry of forty years.

There was also old Mr. Walters, of

Eliot,

Roxburg, whose ministry, with that of his predecessor,

the apostle of the Indians, had lasted in the

Roxburg congre-

AGED MINISTERS
gation one hundred and six years.

153

There was the Rev. Mr.

Rogers, of Ipswich, a lineal descendant of Rogers the martyr,

who

lived
:

to

hear three of his sons and a grandson preach

all

the gospel

they were

labouring in Whitefield's day.

plain,

At

York was one Mr. Moody, a worthy,

minister
of Jesus
Christ,

and powerful

though

now much impaired by

still

old age, says

Whitefield.

Puritan habits

obtained

in

New
'

England.
in

Whitefield

relates with satisfaction that the

Sabbath
is

New England
in the

begins on Saturday evening, and

in

perhaps

better kept

by the ministers and people than

any other place

known

(!)

world.'

The
five

generosity of Boston was not behind that of any place.

At Dr. Sewall's meeting-house an afternoon congregation gave

hundred and
day, at

fifty

pounds

to the

orphanage

and on the

same

Dr. Colman's meeting-house, a second afternoon

congregation gave four hundred and seventy pounds. 1

The

immense number of people

without giving,
it

slowly,

and

as if unwilling to depart

left

the meeting-house.

The
life.

minister said that

in that place

was the pleasantest time he had ever enjoyed

throughout the whole course of his

There must have

'

been something thoroughly good

in these

Lord Brethren.'

By what power
five

of compression Whitefield contrived to get

into the

different

services
is

Sunday when he had those

is

noble collections

not clear, and the perplexity

letters

increased

on finding that three

bear the date of that autumn day.

Well might his animal

legs

spirits

be almost exhausted, and his

be almost ready to sink under him at night.

the longest, relieved the day with a

One

of the

letters,

good-humoured
were

piece of banter, sent to a brother whose

weak mind had been

;

disturbed by Whitefield's neatness of dress

very different from the Oxford days,
1

for things

when he neglected himat this

The currency

in

New

England was so much depreciated

time

lliat

.100 sterling was equal to ^'550 Massachusetts currency.

154
self that

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

he might be a good Christian.

Now
its

his dress

and

everything about him was kept in scrupulous order.

Not a

paper in his room was allowed to be out of

place, or put

up

irregularly

every chair and piece of furniture was properly

arranged when he and his friends retired for the night.

He

thought he could not die easy

gloves were mislaid.
'

if

he had an impression that his

could not but smile

'

he

wrote to his friend

!

'to
me

find

you wink

at

the decency of

my

dress.

Alas

my

brother,

have known long since

to

what
I

it is

to be in that state you are, in

my

opinion, about to enter into.

myself once thought that

Christianity

required
for

go nasty.

I
:

neglected myself as

much

as you

would have me
I

above a twelvemonth

but

when God gave me

call
it,

the spirit of adoption, I then dressed decently, as

;

you

out of principle

and

am more and more

But
I

convinced that the

Lord would have me

to

act in that respect as I do.

am

almost ashamed

mention any such thing.'

that so

The second letter of that day's date informed his friend, many persons came to him under convictions and for
In the third

advice, that he scarce had time to eat bread.

letter
'

he says

letters?

Dear Brother Wesley, What mean you by disputing in all your May God give you to know yourself, and then you will not plead
absolute perfection, or
call

for

the doctrine of election a "doctrine of

;

devils."

My

dear brother, take heed

false

see

Beware of a
all

peace

strive to enter in at the strait gate,

you are in Christ anew creature. and give

sure.

diligence to

make your
if

calling

and election

Remember you
little,

are

but a babe in Christ,

so much.

Be humble,

talk

think and pray

truth.
I

much.

Let

God
I

teach you, and

He

will lead

you into
error,

all

love

you

heartily.

pray you

may be kept from

both in principle

If you must dispute, stay till Salute all the brethren. and practice. you are master of the subject ; otherwise you will hurt the cause that you defend.'

The commotion caused

current

in

Boston by

his presence

and
died
the

preaching was not diminished by a report which

during
or

was very

one of

his

excursions,
;

that

he

had
all

suddenly,

had been poisoned

the

people were

JONATHAN EDWARDS
more rejoiced
him.
to see

155

him

for their late fear that they

zeal,

had

lost

Everything fanned the flame of

in

hoth in the people

visit

and

the

preacher,

and the end of the

was more

remarkable than the beginning.

little

The

touching words of a

boy,

who

died the day after he heard Whitefield preach,

furnished the ground of one of Whitefield's strongest appeals

to old
'

and young

immediately before he died the child said

I shall

go to Mr. Whitefield's God.'

Old people bowed

their

heads

in grief,

not in anger, when the preacher, with a tenderall,

ness that desired the salvation of

said

'
:

Little children,

if

come to Christ, do you come, and go to heaven without them.' The last congregation, which consisted of about twenty thousand, assembled on the common,
your parents
will

not

and the myriad

faces,

thoughtful, eager, attentive, the great

weeping, and the darkening shades of evening which, towards

the close of the service, was coming on
fast,

recalled Blackover,

heath scenes of a year before.

His labours

Governor

Belcher, whose attentions had been most kind and uninterrupted, drove him,

on the Monday morning,

in his

coach to

Charleston Ferry, handed him into the boat, kissed him, and
with tears bade

him

farewell.

Whitefield returned with five

hundred pounds

for his orphans.

Whitefield's intention

on leaving Boston was

to

proceed to

Northampton

to

see Jonathan Edwards,

whom

he describes
in

as 'a solid excellent Christian, but at present

weak

body.'
five or

great revival

had taken place

in

Northampton some

six

years
all

before,

and Whitefield's ministrations quickened

afresh
fact

the feelings of that

all

memorable season.

In point of

he was, through

his travels in

New

England, largely

entering into other men's labours,

said
so.

and he frankly and gladly

did not

Yet the two great

Whitefield did not

men

come
very

very close

together.

make a

confidential friend of

Edwards,

and

Edwards

gave

Whitefield

necessary

156

GEORGE WHITEEIELD
about his notions on
impulses,

cautions

and

his

habit of

judging others to be unconverted.

other as servants of the
other's work.

They, indeed, loved each

in

same Lord, and rejoiced

sitting

each

Edwards might be seen

weeping while

his visitor preached.

From Northampton he passed on

Haven he dined with

to other places.

At

New
tears

the rector of the college, Mr. Clap.

The aged governor

of joy.

of the town also received

him with

His preaching here was upon the subject of an

too hastily and too severely.
Fairfield,

unconverted ministry, and he did not altogether avoid his

Cambridge

fault

of censuring

Riding through Milford, Stratford,

and Newark,

at

each of which he preached, he came to Stanford, where his

words smote with unusual

his track,

effect.

Many

ministers

hung upon

and

at Stanford

two of them confessed, with much

sorrow, that they had laid hands on two

young men without

asking them whether they were born again of

God

or not.

An
as

old minister,

who could not

and
his friend

declare his heart publicly,

called Whitefield
his

Mr. Noble out, to beg, as well

choking emotions would allow him, their prayers on

his behalf.

He

said that although he

had been a

scholar,

and had preached the doctrines of grace a long

believed that he had never
soul.
felt

time,
in his

he

the power of

them

own

At

this

point Whitefield set up his

'

Ebenezer

'

and gave

God

thanks for sending him to

It

New
;

England, of which he
;

speaks in the highest terms.

was well settled

it

large towns

were planted

all

along the east of

meeting-houses abounded

no such thing as a
found
;

pluralist or non-resident minister

could be

the colleges had trained

in private

many men
life
;

of

God

God was
Spirit

honoured

and public

and the Holy

had

often been poured out upon churches and people.

It

was with but a desponding

heart,

and not expecting any

DEPRESSION AND SUCCESS

great movings of soul

157

among
that

his hearers, that

he rode towards
encourage
to

New

York.

His companion, Mr. Noble,

tried to

him, by assuring

him

his

last

visit

had done good

from God.
for.

many, and bade him look

first

for great things

The

service

was an earnest of things not looked

Pember-

ton's

meeting-house contained an anxious congregation on

Friday morning, some being hardly able to refrain from crying

out
;

and

at night the

excitement was greater

the depths
;

still.

On Sunday

his soul

was down

in

before going to evening

service he could only cast himself

on the ground before God,

confessing himself to be a miserable sinner, and wondering

that Christ
to the

would be gracious

to

such a wretch.

On

his

way

meeting-house he became weaker, and when he entered

the pulpit he would rather have been silent than have spoken.

The who

preparation for his work was such as only devoutest souls,

feel

a constant need

for

the

comfort and aid of an

effect

invisible Friend,

can have

and the
it

of the sermon was

marvellous.

Scarcely was

begun before the whole congrecrying arose from

gation was alarmed.

Loud weeping and

every corner of the building.

agitation that they
field
fell

Many

were so overcome with

their friends.

into the

arms of

White-

himself was so carried away, that he spoke until he could

hardly speak any longer.

Larger congregations came the next day, and the feeling

was

still

intense,

in the evening he bade them farewell, and

ten

carrying with

him a hundred and

pounds as

their gift to

his orphanage,

passed across to Staten Island.

At Newark
fell like
if

the scenes of

New York
like fire.

were renewed.

The word
'

hammer and
die,

Looking pale and sick as

to the ground,

ready to
I

one cried as he staggered

be saved
to
?
'

What must

do

to

Whitefield's

host

from

Charleston,

who
affec-

seemed

be accompanying him because of a personal

tion for him,

and not because of thorough

religious

sympathy

158

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

was struck down and so overpowered that
left

with him,

his
all

strength quite
the night after.
tian,

him

it

was with

difficulty

he could move

From

that time he
to the

became an exemplary
last.

Chris-

and continued such

Whitefield was

now

thoroughly spent, and could only throw himself upon the bed

and

listen

to

his

friend

Tennent while

he

recounted a
of the

preaching excursion he had lately made.

The power

Divine Presence passed on with them to Baskinridge, where

weeping penitents and rejoicing believers prayed side by

side.

The apathy

of

many was changed

joy.

into

deep alarm, and the

alarm passed into exultant

Whitefield reached
first

Philadelphia

exactly

a year after his

visit to

that city.
for

The

season of the year, November,

services,

was too

late

comfortable open-air

and

the

Philadelphia people, having once suffered from inconvenience,

had made provision against

not been long gone

it

for the future.

Whitefield had

when they determined

to build a house

which should be

at the disposal

of any preacher

who had
first

anything to say to them, but his accommodation was their

object.

Persons were appointed to receive subscriptions

;

land was bought

and the

building, which

was one hundred

feet

long and seventy broad, begun.

it

When

Whitefield returned,

was well advanced, though the roof was not up.

raised,
in

The

floor

was boarded, and a pulpit

of preaching the
first

and he had the

It

satisfaction

sermon

it.

afterwards became, by

common
and
is

consent, an
the

academy

as

well as a preaching place,

now

Union Methodist Episcopal Church.

;

This

visit

was similar to the previous one

were noticeable.

only a success

and a

failure

congregation did not cry.

the recorder, a

man

of

The failure was that once his The success was with Brockden, more than threescore years, who came
In his youth he had
cares

under the power of Whitefield's words.

had some

religious

thoughts,

but

the

of

business

A RECORDER CONVERTED
His avowed
belief,

159

banished them, and he at length sunk almost into atheism.

however, was deism, on behalf of which

he was a very zealous advocate.

did not so

At Whitefield's
what

first

visit

he

much

as care
visit

to see

his oratory

was

like,

and

at the

second

he would not have gone to hear him

but for the persuasion of a deistical friend.

He

went

at night
steps,

when Whitefield was preaching from the court-house

Not

upon the conference which our Lord had with Nicodemus.

many words

were

spoken
that

before

his

interest

was

awakened by the conviction

to
his

what he was hearing tended

it

make people good.

wife or

He

returned home, reaching

before

any of

his

family.

First his wife entered,

;

and
but

expressed her hearty wish that he had heard the sermon

he said nothing.

Another member of the family came

;

in,

and

made

the

same remark

still

he said nothing.
again.
'

third
he,

returned,

and repeated the remark

'

Why,' said

with tears in his eyes,

have been hearing him.'

The

old

man
have

continued steadfast in the truth, and was privileged to

spiritual joys as

deep as

his teacher's.

When
family

Whitefield

came

to

Savannah and
to their

learnt that

his
at

had

been

removed

permanent

home

Bethesda, he went thither.

The
a

great house, he found,

would

not be finished for two months longer, in consequence of the

Spaniards having captured

schooner

laden with
for the

bricks

intended for

it,

and with provisions intended

workmen

and

children.

He

found also that a planter, who had learned

of Christ at the orphanage, had sent the family rice and beef,

and

that the Indians

had often brought

left.

in large supplies of

venison when there was no food

The work

of religion,

which was dearer to him than even feeding the orphan,

prospered

among

the children,

among the labourers, and among

his
all his

the people round about.

His heart was contented with

work, although he was five hundred pounds in debt, after

160

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

gifts

exhausting labours and the generous

of his friends.

He

now appointed Mr. Barber

of the
institution,
its

to take care of the spiritual affairs

and

intrusted to
affairs.

James Habersham the

institution

charge of

temporal

The

anticipated,

in its cheerful

tone and wise management, those well-ordered

schools which in later times have brightened childhood's years

in

thousands of instances.

Religion was the great concern

but

due weight was

its

laid

upon the connection between

or
at

its

emotional and

practical parts.

Praying might not exempt

from working

in the fields

some

trade,

and

spiritual

delights might not supersede

method

in labour

and humility
bene-

of heart.
factors
;

The orphans
daily

often sang a
to the
to

hymn

for their

they sang

praise

of their

Redeemer
in

and always before going

work they joined

intended to teach them that they must work for their

living.

hymn own

Whitefield had carried about with him, and shown to several

New England
Christmas Eve,

ministers,

the draft of a letter which he had

written in reply to Wesley's

sermon on

'

Free-Grace,' and on
the orphan-house to

1740, he sat

down

at

finish the letter,

and send

it

to his friend.
;

The sermon was

denunciations of

a noble specimen of eloquence

Calvinistic doctrines almost

its thrilling

produce the persuasion that they

to

are as horrible
be.

and blasphemous as Wesley believed them

zeal

The headlong

of the

preacher allows

no time,
;

permits no disposition, to reason.

You must go with him you

listen to

must check your questions, and

it

him.

At the end

seemsas

if

the hated doctrines were for ever

consumed
in

in

a flame of argument and indignation.

The

letter

reply

can boast no such qualities

it

never

rises

above the

level of

commonplace.

It

was headed by a short preface touching the

publication and expressing the persuasion

probable effect of

its

that the advocates of universal

redemption would be offended

BREACH WITH WESLEY

that those

161

on the other side would be rejoiced

sides

and

that the

lukewarm on both
carnal reasoning
'

such

as were

'

carried

away with

would wish

that the matter

had never been

brought under debate.

The second were

very properly, but

very unavailingly, asked not to triumph, nor to

make a

party

and the

first

not to be too

much concerned

or offended.

One
at

paragraph was sadly

illustrative of the

keenness with which

men who have

weaknesses.

enjoyed each other's confidence can strike

'I know,' Whitcfield says, 'you think

was eminently

called the friend of

God

meanly of Abraham, though he and I believe, also, of David, the

man
sent

after

God's own heart.

No

me
!

not long since, you sho..ld

wonder, therefore, that in the letter you tell me, " that no Baptist or Presbyliberties of Christ."

terian writer

whom

you have read knew anything of the

What

neither Bunyan, Henry, Flavel, Halyburton, nor any of the

New

England and Scots divines ? See, dear sir, what narrow-spiritedness and want of charity arise from your principles, and then do not cry out against election on account of its being " destructive of meekness and love."
'

It

was a small matter what Wesley might think of Abraham

or David, but Whitefield should have abstained from alluding

to opinions expressed in private.

The

last part

of the letter

was a wonderful compound of sense,

Dear, dear

love,

and assumption.
be not rash

'

sir,

oh be not offended

For

Christ's sake

Give yourself to reading.

carnal reasoning.
salvation,

Study the covenant of grace.

little

Down

with your

Be a

child,

as you have done in the late

and then, instead of pawning your hymn-book, if the doctrine of

hymn-book, and making man's you have in this sermon,

universal redemption be not true; instead of talking of sinless perfection,

as

salvation

you have done in the preface to depend on his own

will
.

to that

free-will, as

you
.

compose a hymn
it

in

praise

of sovereign, distinguishing love.

And

often

fills

me

with pleasure to think

at the feet of the

how

shall

behold
it

you casting your crown down

filled

Lamb, and
show you

as

were

with a holy blushing for opposing the Divine sovereignty in the

will
!

manner you have done. But I hope the Lord you go hence. Oh, how do I long for that day
12

this before

62

GEORGE WHITE'FIELD
letter

The
its

made

a shorter passage across the Atlantic than

writer generally did;

and having,

in

some unexplained
ends without either

way, fallen into the hands of the Calvinistic party in London,

was instantly printed, and used

for their

Whitefield's or Wesley's consent.

great

many

copies were

given to Wesley's Foundry congregation, both at the door,

and

in the

Foundry
'

itself.

'

Having procured one of them,'

naked
what
fact to the
I

says Wesley,

I related (after preaching) the

r

congregation, and told

v em,

will

do

just

believe

Mr. Whitefield would, were he here himself.

tore
it

it

in pieces before
;

them

all.

Upon which I Every one who had received

did the same

left.

copy

Oh! poor Ahithophel!

of

so that, in two minutes, there was not a whole "Iln; omnis effusus labor /'"

Apprehensive

some

difficulties

that

awaited him

in

England, Whitefield took ship at Charleston, along with some

friends, in the

middle of January.

During the whole voyage

yearning for
;

he was
a
full

anxious for the future.

One day he was

his

restoration of friendship with the Wesleys

the next he

was meditating the publication of

answer

to the

sermon

on
it

'

Free-Grace,' and consoling himself with the thought that

in

was written

much

love

and meekness

a third day he
'

seemed

to hear the Divine voice saying to him,

shall set

Fear not,
;
'

speak out, no one

upon thee

to hurt thee

another

day he was writing

to Charles

Wesley deploring the pending

as
if

separation, expostulating with

him and John

that he
to

they could

undo the
brother.

past,

and declaring

would rather stay on the

oppose him and
his

sea for ever than

come

to

England

He knew

not what to do, though he

knew

perfectly
it

well what he wanted

the

old friendship to be what

had

once been, and

every dividing thing,

whether raised by him

self or the brothers,

done

utterly away.

Nor were

his longings
It is painful

for

peace stronger than those of Charles Wesley.

to observe the

way

in

which the two friends strove, with un-

BREACH WITH WESLEY

availing effort, against

163

a tide which they

felt

was hurrying

them

into trouble

and sorrow.

Four months before Whitefield

'

wrote his reply to the sermon on

Free-Grace,' Charles, just

recovering from a severe illness, sent

for peace,' in

him a

letter,

'

labouring

which he used the strongest and most affectionate

opposing him
that his soul was

language

he declared that he would rather Whitefield saw

at

him dead
set

his feet than

upon peace, and drawn

after Whitefield

by love stronger

than death.

When

Whitefield reached England, the meeting

'

between them was most touching.

It

would have melted

after

any

heart,' says Whitefield,

that,
if

'

to

have heard us weeping,

prayer,

possible,

the

breach might be prevented

1

Soon

afterwards, however, he submitted his letter, which

to the

had had printed before leaving America,

his friend,

judgment
:

who

returned
its

it

endorsed with these words

up thy sword

into

place.'

But not

so.

That

evil fortune

which made Wesley preach and print a sermon on one of the

profoundest subjects, under the provocation of an anonymous
letter,

and

at the

dictation

of a lot

which prevailed over

to

Charles' loving letter,

print his reply,
still

and tempted Whitefield

pen and

hovered near, and soon triumphed over

the counsel of love and

awhile.

wisdom which was heeded only

for

At

first

he said that he would never preach against

the brothers, whatever his private opinion might be.

his doctrines

Then

seemed

to

him

to

be too important to be held

back

and when he went

to the

Foundry,

at the invitation of

Charles, to preach there, he so far

forgot

himself,

though

Charles was sitting by him, as to preach them, according to

the testimony of John,
'

in the

most peremptory and offensive

to

manner.'

When
'

John,

who had been summoned

London,
to

met him, he was

say, that

so far

from listening to compromise as

different gospels,

Wesley and he preached two

and him

therefore he not only would not join with him, or give

[64

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

the right hand of fellowship, but would publicly preach against him wheresoever he preached at all.' He next ungenerously accused Wesley of having mismanaged things at Bristol, and

perverted the school at Kingswood to improper uses, foreign

to the intention with

which

it

had been undertaken.

all

It

was

easy for the accused to answer

that

was alleged against

at the

him

but, unfortunately,

he took occasion,

same

time, to

indulge in most irritating language towards Whitefield.

He

assumed an
would have
It

air of superiority,

of patronage and pity, which

ruffled

many a

cooler

man

than his former friend.

'
:

was more taunting than kind

to write

How

easy were

it

for

me

to hit

many

other palpable blots in that which you call

!

en answer to

my sermon
!

And how above measure

all
;

con-

mptible would you then appear to

impartial men, either

E'^ense or learning

But

spare you

mine hand

shall not
!

be upon you

the

Lord be judge between me and thee

The
if

general tenor, both of

my
all,

public
as even

and

private exhortations,

when
would

touch thereon at
testify, is,

my

enemies know,

they

" Spare the young man, even Absalom, for

my

sake

"
!

It

may be

safely affirmed that the

left to

two friends would not

themselves.
their

have quarrelled had they been

They were
converts.

the unwilling heads of rival parties

'

among

own

Many,
'

know,' said Charles Wesley in his letter to White-

field,

desire nothing so
at the

much
head of

as to see

George Whitefield
is

and John Wesley

different parties, as
effect
it
;

plain

from their truly devilish plans to

but,

be assured,
Whitefield,

my
as

dearest brother, our heart

his

is

as your heart.'
letters,

we have seen from

;

American

received embittering

news from home

and on

his arrival his ear

was assailed by

reports from brethren

who were

already openly opposed to

Wesley and those who held

the anger of Wesley

his views.

True, there was also

on account of Whitefield's indefensible

Breach with Wesley

breach of confidence
did more
;

165 of partisans

and

that

and the meddling

damage than
thus

the doctrines in dispute.

:

The

matter

may be summed up
1.

Wesley was wrong

in the

beginning

In attacking Whitefield's views at the taunt of an anonymous

;

enemy
of a

he struck the
2.

first

blow,

and struck

it

without

suffi-

cient cause.
lot.

In printing and publishing his sermon because

In using irritating language to his opponent.

3.

Whitefield was wrong

3.

i.

In yielding his mind to the influence

of inflaming representations sent to

him from England, and

2.

made

to

him when he returned home.

In exposing private

opinions and deeds.

In preaching his peculiar views in the

chapel of the Wesleys.

It
is

but a sad task to record these things, and the high

character of the chief actors

makes

it

all

the

more

painful.
;

Happily, the course of events soon took a different direction

and the shadow

resting

upon the

close of this chapter

and the

opening of the next

away.

will

soon be seen breaking and vanishing

CHAPTER
March, 1741
LOSS OF

VIII

August,
VISIT

1744

POPULARITY

FIRST

TO SCOTLAND

CONDUCT
at

OF THE DISSENTERS

ON
The
for the

March

25, 1741, Whitefield wrote to

Habersham

the Orphanage a dark yet hopeful account of his

trials.

divisions

among

the Methodists affected his congregations

so greatly that from twenty thousand they dwindled

down
in

to

two or three hundred, and he was a thousand pounds

orphans, and not worth twenty pounds of his

debt
;

own

he

was even threatened with arrest for three hundred and

fifty

pounds drawn
'

for in favour of the

orphan-house by his

late

dear deceased friend and fellow-traveller, Mr. Seward.'

His

bookseller,
for him.

who had made hundreds by him,

Yet
his faith

refused to print

never failed, neither did his charity.

He

says:
;
'

'I

am

enabled to strengthen myself in the Lord

my

God
if

and

early

one morning, a morning that succeeded

earnest prayer on the night before, a friend

came
'
:

to inquire

he knew where a lady of his acquaintance might lend three

Whitefield replied

or four hundred pounds.

it

Let her lend

it

to me,

and

in

a few months,

God

willing,

she shall have

again.'
fully

All the circumstances were told her,

and she cheer-

put the

money

into his hands.

166

CAST OUT
He
was an outcast
for awhile.

167

Every church was closed

against

him

the Wesleys could not have him in their pulpits,

seeing he preached against

them by name

there was

no way

of gathering a congregation but by taking his

stand in the
battle-

open

air daily

and he determined

to begin

on the old

ground

Moorfields on
trees.

Good

Friday.

Twice a day he

walked from Leadenhall one of the

to Moorfields,

and preached under

His own

converts forsook

him

some
;

of

them would not deign him a look

as they passed

by

others

put their fingers into their ears, either to preserve them from
the contamination of one Calvinistic word, or to ward off the

witchery of that charming voice which never charmed in vain.

Thus he held on
his

his

way amid contempt and

hatred, not
for

doubting that he must again win the hearts of the people

Lord and Master.

'

He

called

Cennick
'

to his aid

from

Kingswood, and
him.
It

a few free-grace Dissenters

stood firmly by

was decided by them

congregations,

to build a large

wooden shed
he should

for the

which would serve

until

return to

America

and accordingly, they borrowed a piece of and

set

ground

in Moorfields,

a carpenter to work upon the

erection, which,

by the name of the Tabernacle, was opened

two months of ^Vhitelield's landing
it

and

filled

within

in

Crowds were gathered together in morning lectures. But it had one drawback
England.
of opposition to his old
fresh

to hear early

in standing so

near the Foundry, and Whitefield abhorred the appearance

friends

the Wesleys.
;

However, a

awakening began immediately

;

the congregations grew

rapidly

and

at the people's request,

he called

in the help of

number

of laymen, necessity reconciling

him

to the idea.

Here

again, as in open-air preaching, he

was the forerunner

of Wesley.

His experience
his

at Bristol, to

which he paid a

visit

before

Tabernacle

in

London was

erected, was

similar to that at

68

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
The house
first

London.
for

at

Kingswood which he had founded,

which he had preached and begged, and which was assoholy works

ciated with his

among

the colliers, was denied

tales

him.
strife.
Still

Busybodies on both sides carried

and

stirred

up

He
there

listened too

much

to them,

and a breach ensued.

the hearts of these

was something stronger

in

mistaken, angry Methodists on both sides, than abhorrence of

their respective tenets
;

for Whitefield gratefully records that,

though different

in

judgment, they were one

in affection

that

both aimed at promoting the glory of their

that they agreed in endeavouring
'

common Lord

and

to convert souls to the ever

blessed Mediator.'

As

for Whitefield himself,

no part of

his

career displays his completeness of devotion to the

Lord Jesus
which he

more

perfectly than this, in

which he took the ingratitude of

meekness,
in
in

his spiritual children with sorrowful

welcomed rebukes
his

as a 'very
for the

little child,'

which he carried

burden of debt

orphans without once regretting his

to intercede with

responsibility, in

which he found time

'

one

friend to write to his

dear

little

orphans, both boys and

girls,'

and

to

thank another

for his

kindness to them, in which the

peace and comfort of his heart through the gospel never failed

him

for

an hour.

All his healthfulness of soul got free play

itself.

when once the storm had discharged

profound
relief that

It

was with

he wrote

to his friend the

Independent
'

minister of Charleston, saying that

the battle

he thought
that the

the heat of

was pretty well

over,'

and

Word

of

God

was running and being

glorified.

That kind hand which had

difficulties,

supported him through so

leaned like a
day,

many

and on which he

little child, cleared his way surprisingly. One when he found himself forsaken and almost quite penni-

less, his

suspense was broken by a stranger coming and putting

a guinea into his

'

hand

then

something seemed

to

say,
this

Cannot

that

God, who sent

this

person to give thee

FIELD PREACHING HIS PLAN

guinea,

169

make

it

up
;

fifteen

hundred

?
'

And

the inward voice

circuit in

was not untrue

Wiltshire,

soon he was making his apostolic

other
counties,

Essex, and

and everywhere
'is

his

orphans found friends.

plan
;

'Field preaching,' he said,

my
I

in this I

am

carried as

on

eagles' wings.

God makes
increases.

way

for

me

everywhere.

The work

of the

Lord

am

comforted day and night.'

In

London he saw such

its

triumphs of the gospel as he had never seen in England

before.

The whole kingdom

also

was opening
list

doors to

him

and soon he was

to have such a

of subscribers to
;

his charity as

perhaps no one else ever held in his hand

he

could count on helpers in every county in England and Wales,

in large districts of Scotland,

and

in

America from Boston

to

Savannah.

The
which

friendly relation

between Whitefield and the Erskines,

from Whitefield
with
true
in the first instance,

begun by a brotherly
letter

letter

Ralph
after

Erskine,

Scottish

caution,

answered only
correspondent,

making

inquiries about his open-hearted

invitations to
their

from Scotland.

now caused pressing The Erskines and

difficult task

be sent

friends

had

just
its

seceded from the Church of Scotland, on the ground of

corruptness,
lishing a

and had the

In

of founding and estab-

new church.

this task

they were naturally anxious

to
in

to get all possible help,

and looked with high expectation

the

mighty preacher who had achieved such wonders

England and America, and whose theological views harmonised

perfectly with their own,

and with those of

their fellow-country-

men

generally.
else
it

He
in

was more intimate with them than with

any one
pleasure

Scotland, and had often said

to
visit

how much
Accordingly,
said,
'if

would afford him

in

them.

Ralph wrote

very

urgent
;

terms:

'Come,' he

possible, dear Whitefield

come, and come to us

also.'

He

strongly deprecated Whitefield's appearing in the pulpits of

170 the kirk, lest Presbytery.'

it

GEORGE WHITEF1ELD
should be
'

improver! against the Associate

letter,

On
its

the day of receiving this

it,

Whitefield

wrote to Ebenezer, and, referring to

fall

said that he could not as an occasional

in

with

suggestion.

'

come only
all

preacher, to preach the simple gospel to

who

are willing to
in

hear me, of whateyer_jienomination.

to join a reformation in
I

It will

be wrong

me

Church government any

further than

have

light given

me

from above.'

The answer

of Ebenezer

was creditable

to his

candour

after expressing his pleasure

:

on hearing the good news of Whitefield's success, he said

'

How

desirable

would

Scotland, to see

Him

it be to all the sincere lovers of Jesus Christ in " travelling in the greatness of His strength " among
!

us also in your ministrations

All intended by us at present

is,

that

when you come

to Scotland, your

the hands of our corrupt clergy

way may be such as not and judicatories, who are

it

to strengthen

carrying on a

course of defection,

worming out
it.

a faithful ministry from the land,

and the

power of religion with

Far be

from us to limit your great Master's

commission to preach the gospel

the gospel to all promiscuously

to every creature.

We,

ourselves, preach

who

are willing to hear us.

But we preach

not upon the call and invitation of the ministers, but of the people, which,
I

suppose,

is

your

own

practice

now

in England.'

Whitefield thought that the Associate

little

Presbytery was
if

'

too hard

'

upon him, and

said that

he was neuter as
till

to the

particular
light,

reformation of Church government

it

he

had further
to

would be enough

he would come simply

preach the gospel, and not to enter into any particular

connection whatever.
visit

Had none

but the Erskines sought a

from him, there can be no doubt that he would have

to

gone

Scotland to preach only in connection with them,

all

while abstaining from

interference with the points in dispute

;

between them and the Kirk

as their rivals to see him.

but Kirk people were as anxious

opportunity was thus

An

made

for

him

to

go

to

any party who would have him, only the Erskines

claim,

had the

first

and must have the

first visit.

HIS 'DEAR LAMBS'

Full of cafes he took his passage from

171

London
gets

to

Leith.

Chief of
that

all

cares,

and

yet

chief of

all

earthly joys,

was
to

distant

family.
to

He

hopes,
'

when he
begs

aboard,

redeem time
rejoiced
particular

answer his

dear lambs'

letters.'

They had
to

him
in

exceedingly.
the

He

Mr.

Barber

be

accounts

and

not without

reason, since

slander was soon busy with a tale about personal ends which

Whitefield was serving.

hats

He

sends word that he has ordered

and shoes
's

for the children,

and intends

to

send brother
shortly.

H
1

order and other things with

some cash very

Lord bears

But the arrears hang on

bear
all

me

yet.

My
I

my

burden

may He

yours for you.

am

persuaded

He

will.'

When

he sailed he found time to

gratify

his desire

about

the orphans,

and ten of

his short letters are preserved.

letters

They
parts

cannot compare with such charming

to his little daughter,

as

Irving wrote

and now and again the harshest

a

of his creed appear in

most unpleasing form

every
line

but love
gentle
best

keeps breaking through

light

to lend
It

its

own
in

to

the hearts

of the

little

ones.

was
:

his

manner

that he wrote

to a child at

Boston
;

nor

'My dear Child, I thank you for your letter I neither forgot you my promise. O, that God may effectually work upon your heart
The
little

betimes, for you cannot be good too soon, or loo good.

;

orphans
early

Georgia are crying out, "

What

shall

we do

to

be saved? "

How
!

was Jesus
did

in the temple, first

little
!

hearing and then asking questions

in

How

He

love the

children,

arms and bless them

heaven,

how did He take them up And when He was just ascending

His sacred

to the highest

how
Let

tenderly did
all this

He

speak to Peter, and bid him "feed His

lambs."

encourage you to come to Him.'

Sifting the rest of

the correspondence,

we come upon

sentence in a

letter to

the students at

Cambridge and
American
'

New
tour,

Haven
which

in

America,

who had partaken

of the religious influence

so sedulously diffused by Whitefield during his

is

worth a place

every student's room,

Hence-

172

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
therefore,
I

forward,

hope you

will

enter into your studies,

not to get a parish, nor to be polite preachers, but to be great

saints.'

The Mary and Ann,

field at

after a pleasant passage,

landed Whitefirst

Leith on July 30, 1741, ten years before Wesley

visited Scotland.

He

was come
'

to a generation
lifeless,

which Ebenezer
lukewarm, and

Erskine described as
upsitten.'

being generally
little

Yet there was no

warmth about the stranger

whom
for.

the Associate Presbytery and the Kirk both struggled

Persons of distinction welcomed him, and urged him

to

preach in Edinburgh on the day of his

arrival.

But he

stayed in the city only an hour, and went thence, as Ralph

Erskine phrases

it,

'

over the belly of vast opposition,' and

at

came

to Ralph's

house

Dunfermline

at ten o'clock at night.

Next morning guest and host conferred together alone on

Church
his

matters,

when Whitefield admitted

;

that

he had changed

views of ordination

at the
'

time of his ordination he

knew no
in that

better way, but now,

for a

he would not have

it

again

way

thousand worlds.'

As

to preaching,

he was

firm in his resolution to

go wherever he was asked, into the

Kirk or into the meeting-house.

Were a
invitation

Jesuit priest or a

Mohammedan

to

give

him an

he

would gladly

comply, and go and

to Cennick, telling
lovingly.'

testify against

them

Whitefield wrote

him
:

that Erskine

had received him 'very

He

says

'

preached to his and the townspeople

'

this

was

the day after his arrival,

and
at

in

the

meeting-house

in the afternoon of
'

a very thronged

assembly.

After

had done prayer and named

all

by opening the Bibles

witness to before.
as

once surprised

my me

text, the rustling

;

made

a scene

never was

Our conversation after sermon, in the house, was such They urged a longer stay, in order became the gospel of Christ. to converse more closely, and to set me right about Church government and I informed them that I had given the Solemn League and Covenant. notice of preaching at Edinburgh this evening, but, as they desired it,
.
. .

CONFERENCE WITH THE SECEDERS

I

173

would in a few days return and meet the Associate Presbytery in Mr. Ralph's house. This was agreed on. Dear Mr. Erskine accompanied me, and this evening I preached to many thousands in a place called
Orphan-house Park.

The Lord was

there.'

The proposed conference took

house on the sixth day

place at Ralph

Erskine's

after Whitefield's arrival in the country.

There were present Ralph and Ebenezer Erskine, Alexander

Moncrieff,

Adam
also

Gib,

Thomas and James

Mair, and Mr.

Clarkson

two

elders,

James Wardlow and John Mowbray.

Ralph called the

with prayer.

'tryst,'

and Ebenezer began the proceedings

Some
that

of the venerable

men had come

in

with the

persuasion

they would Presbyterian

;

succeed
the

making Whitefield
portion

an

Associate

wiser

hoped

for

nothing more than to stagger his faith in

any and every

theirs,

form of Church government which was different from

to

keep him

in

suspense,

and

in

the meanwhile to secure

his services in their

meeting-houses for the establishment of

also

their cause.
it

These
affair
;

meant

his conversion, but

knew

that

must be an

beyond the power of a morning's

would be enough
to enter into

sitting of

any Presbytery
with

it

an alliance
meeting
seceders

him.

Whitefield

had evidently come

all alliances.

to the

determined to keep himself from

The

were separating from the Established Church on the ground

that

no

persons

holding

'

unscriptural
; '

tenets

should

be

admitted members of the Church

unscriptural tenets was so
rigid

and the interpretation

to

as

mean

that

any man

who
for

differed

from them

in his views of

Church government

should not hold

communion

with them.

Hence

their reason

wishing to convert Whitefield was plain.

felt at

Nor need any

;

surprise be

such stickling for Church government

they

were

in

an unenviable position of separation, and thus naturally

anxious to prove their zeal for order as well as for orthodoxy.

It

was thus that the conversation turned upon Church govern-

174
merit,

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
though Whitefield went away with the impression that

they also wanted to bring

him round

to the

Solemn League
the mist.

and Covenant

That was most

'

likely a spectre in

To

Whitefield's question,
to

Whether, supposing Presbyterian

in

government
mount,
it

be agreeable to the pattern shown

the

excluded a toleration of Independents, Anabaptists,

and

Episcopalians,

among whom

there

are
:

good
Sir,

men,'
has

Ebenezer Erskine

replied, with fine dexterity

'

God

made you an instrument

souls
to

of gathering a great multitude of

the

faith

and profession of the gospel of Christ

;

throughout England, and also in foreign parts

is
fit

and now
is

it

that

you should be considering how

that

body

to

be

organised and preserved,

following the

which

cannot

be

done without
who,

example of Paul and

Barnabas,

when

they had gathered Churches by the preaching of the gospel,

visited
city
;

them

again,

and ordained over them elders

in every

which you cannot do alone, without some two or three

in

met together
Lord.'

a judicative capacity in the

name

of the

Whitefield answered that he could not see his

But,
it

way

to anything but preaching.

was urged, supposing he

fall

were to

die, the flock

would be scattered and might

a prey

to grievous wolves.

Then he
that

fixed himself

on a

resolution,
his

which,

with
it

the

views

he had expressed about

ordination,
'

was, no doubt,

made

sure he could never reach.

;

communion of the Church of England,' he said none in that communion can join me in the work you have pointed to neither do I mean to separate from that
I

am

of the

'

communion
indeed,

till

am

either cast out or excommunicated.'

All tempers were not cool under the reasoning that went

on

how could

nine Scots, each one holding to the skirts

of his sacred Church, keep cool

when

dealing with a prelatist

it

The interview ended

in a

scene.

While

was being con-

tended that one form of Church government was divine,

U'HITEFIELDS ECCLESIASTICAL POSITION

Whitefield, laying his
it

175

hand on
But

his heart, said

'
:

do not

find

here.'

Alexander Moncrieff replied, as he rapped the Bible

that lay
It is

on the table
evident
is

'
:

find

it

here.'

that

Whitefield's

ecclesiastical

position
1.

for

the future

to

be judged of by these three things:

That

he did not believe that any form of Church government was of

divine
origin.
2.

That

his ordination to

be a priest of the
accord
with
3.

Church of England did not any longer

he was not
cast
off, if

his

conceptions of ordination to the ministerial functions.

free to leave the

That

Church of England

he must be

the connection must cease.

The
to

unfortunate close of the conference was a great sorrow

to Whitefield,

Ralph Erskine, who wrote

and

plainly,

but

kindly, told

him

that he

was

'

sorrowful for being disappointed

light, as
;

about Whitefield's lying open to

appeared from his

also for his

declining conversation on that head

and

coming

harnessed with a resolution to stand out against everything

that should be

advanced against

'

(presumably the Estabto rest

lished Church).

Ralph must not be allowed

under the
'

shade of bigotry which the words attributed to him,

the Lord's people,' would cast over him.
the

We

are

He may

have used

very words in
the

that

warm

discussion,

of bells and
of

expectation

of sermon

when the ringing and the firmness

;

Whitefield

threw

him

into

confusion

but

in

calmer

moments, when meeting

his seceding

followers at the table

his better self,

of the Lord, he could speak as

say,
'

became
all

and

We

are far from thinking that

are

Christ's friends

that join with us,

and

that all are

His enemies

that

do

not.

No, indeed.'
brothers

Had

the Presbytery consisted only of the two

disruption

and young David Erskine, the son of Ebenezer, no would have come about neither would Ralph
;

have been provoked to insinuate

the orphan-house was making

in a letter to Whitefield, that

'

him temporise.

Indeed, dear

176
sir,'

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

Whitefield replied, 'you mistake,
if

you think
I

temporise

on account of the orphans.

very thought of
it.'

Be

it

far

from me.

abhor the

There was commotion

division,

in all classes of society,

and no small

about

this

appealed to the

man

the riches

new preacher who depicted scenes, who heart and conscience, and who offered to every Some of Divine grace with solemn urgency.
on
the
;

were against him

ground that

his

character was

not sufficiently established

called

and even

his friends

commonly
of the
in

him

'that godly youth.'

Yet he was on a flood-tide

of popularity in the Scottish capital.

He

had the ear

At seven

people from

the

poorest

to the noblest.
in the fields,

the

morning he had a lecture

by
'

which was attended

the

common

people and by persons of rank.'

The

v ?ry

children of the city caught the spirit of his

devotion,

and

would hear him eagerly while he read

of his orphans.
x\

to

them the

letters

At Heriot's Hospital the boys, who had been

in the city, established fellowship
;

'

d as the most wicked

meetings

among themselves
all

indeed,

children's

meetings

sprung up

over the

city.

Great numbers of young

men
aged

met
of

for

promoting

their

Christian

knowledge

and

Christians,

who had long maintained an honest

were
stimulated
to

profession

Christianity,

seek

closer

brotherly

communion.
Great as was the danger of
himself with
humility
in the
this

time,

Whitefield

bore

midst of applause, with love

towards his enemies,

and with patience and meekness so

injuries,

exemplary under the reproaches, the

and the slanders

which were heaped upon him, that one minister thought that

God had sent him to show him how to preach, and especially how to suffer. In the pulpit he was like a flame of fire among men he was most calm and easy, careful never to
give
offence,

and never courting the favour of any.

His

Aberdeen
temper
shone

177

was

cheerful

and
in

grateful.

His
to

disinterestedness

conspicuously

his

refusal

accept

private

contribution which

some zealous
purse,'

friends
;

thought of giving
I

him.

'

make no
for

he said

'what

have

give away.
still.'

" Poor, yet making

that

many
was
it

rich," shall
;

be

my motto

All

he cared

his family

he would rather bear any

its

burden than have

burdened.

His pleadings on
'

behalf

had the usual

tongues busy.

effect,

and some

evil

men

'

soon had their

offered for him,
It

Thousands of prayers were

lies

and thousands of

were spread abroad against him.

was said that he was hindering the poor from paying

debts,
his

their

and impoverishing

their families.

But the
rich.

fact

was that

largest

donations came from the

all

He

said to his
it

friends

respecting
'

this

slander,

for

he never noticed

publicly,

would have no one

little

afraid of doing too

much

good, or think that a

country.'

given in charity will impoverish the

Edinburgh
Dundee,
lassie,

did

not

monopolise
Stirling,

his

labours

Glasgow,

Paisley, Perth,

Crieff,

Falkirk, Airth, Kin^,

Culross, Kinross,

Cupar of

Fife,

Stonehive, Benholm,
Inverkeithing,

Montrose, Brechin, Forfar, Cupar of Angus,

Newbottle, Galashiels, Maxton, Haddington, Killern, Fintry,

Balfrone,
to

and Aberdeen received a

visit

from him.

His

visit

Aberdeen was

at the oft-repeated request of

Mr. Ogilvie,

one of the ministers of the

himself
At
:

kirk,

and

is

thus described by

first

'

my

coming here, things looked a

little

magistrates had been so prejudiced by one Mr. Bisset, that,

to,

gloomy for the when applied

;

they refused

me

the use of the kirk-yard to preach

in.

This Mr. Bisset

This alarm about impoverishing the country does not look so absurd
it

when

is

remembered

that in 1706 the total revenue of Scotland

was only

160,000.

13

178
is

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
Mr. Ogilvie,
at

colleague with

whose repeated
is

invitation I

came

hither.

Though
blooded,

colleagues of the same congregation, they are very different in

their natural tempers.

The one

what they

call in

Scotland of a sweetis

the

other of a choleric disposition.

Mr. Bisset

neither a

Seceder nor quite a Kirk man, having great fault to find with both.
after

my

arrival, dear for

it,

Mr. Ogilvie took

me

to

pay

my

respects to

Soon him he
;

and immediately pulled out a paper containing a great number of insignificant queries, which I had neither time nor inclination to answer. The next morning, it being Mr. Ogilvie's turn, I lectured and preached the magistrates were present. The congregation very large, and light and life fled all around. In the afternoon Mr. Bisset officiated I attended. He began his prayers as usual, but in the midst of them, naming me by name, he entreated the Lord to forgive the dishonour that
was prepared
;

had been put upon and that

all

Him by my

being suffered to preach in that pulpit

might know what reason he had to put up such a petition, about the middle of his sermon he not only urged that I was a curate of the Church of England, but also quoted a passage or two out of my first
printed sermons,

which he said were grossly Arminian.

Most of the

congregation seemed surprised and chagrined, especially his good-natured

colleague, Mr. Ogilvie, who, immediately after sermon, without consulting

me
in

in the least, stood

up and gave

notice that Mr. Whitefield

would preach

about half an hour.

The

interval being so short, the magistrates returned

and the congregation patiently waited, big with resentment. At the time appointed I went up, and took no other notice of the good man's ill-timed zeal than to observe, in some part of my discourse, that if the good old gentleman had seen some of my later writings, wherein I had corrected several of my former mistakes, he would not have expressed himself in such strong terms. The people being thus diverted from controversy with man, were deeply impressed with what they heard from the Word of God. and on the morrow the and more than solemn /ill was hushed,
into the sessions-house,

expectation of hearing

my

magistrates sent for

treatment

me, expressed themselves quite concerned at the had met with, and begged I would accept of the freedom But of
this enough.'

of the city.

The

spirit

of love

had been remarkably developed and

;

strengthened in Whitefield since his return from America

troubles,

his

keen and undeserved as they were, had proved a

spirit.

kindly chastening to his

The
to

fine

frankness of his

nature and the sincerity of his religion were shown at Aber-

deen

in a letter

which he wrote

Wesley asking

his forgive-

MARRIAGE
ness for a wrong he
felt

179
in another to in

he had done him, and

Peter Bohler,
inoffensive

whose
in his

name he had mentioned

famous
letter to

a very

way

Wesley from Bethesda.

In the case of Bohler he had not sinned openly, but he knew

that

he had broken the law of charity

faults are

in his

own

heart

and

such

much

to the true Christian.

for the
;

His Scotch excursion did much

little

kingdom

of God,

if

for the Associate Presbytery

it

also brought

him more
was wel-

worldly honour than he had ever before known.

He

comed

to their

houses by several of the nobility, and became

the friend, correspondent,

and

religious helper of the

Marquis

of Lothian, the Earl of Leven, Lord Rae,

ton,

Lady Mary HamilDirleton.

;

Colonel Gardiner, Lady Frances Gardiner (wife of the

Colonel),

Lady Jean Nimmo, and Lady

to
five

Lord
the

Leven gave him a horse

orphans.

perform his journeys on

Scotch people gave him above

hundred pounds

for his

Riding his

gift-horse,

he took his way from Scotland to

his

Wales

to

be married.

Not a word has been found about

his

courtship.

Whether he preached on

journey or not, does

not appear, but in ten days (Nov. 14, 1741) he was at Aber-

gavenny, ready to be joined in matrimony to Mrs. James, a

widow of about
past

thirty-six
'

years of age (he was twenty-six),

neither rich nor beautiful,

once gay, but

for three years last

despised
the

follower

of the Lamb,' one of

whom
in

he
his

cherished

hope

that she

would not hinder him

work.

Wesley,

who speaks

of her in his journal but a

;

month
he
calls

before the marriage, had a favourable opinion of her

her 'a

woman

of candour and humanity,' and,

we may add,

courage,

seeing she compelled

some complainers, who had

an Eden-like story told about

been

free

with their tongues in Wesley's absence, to repeat

everything to his face.

There

is

the marriage with the matronly housekeeper, which, though not

180
to

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
be depended upon,

may

serve to brighten a prosaic event.

Ebenezer Jones, minister of Ebenezer Chapel, near Pontypool,

was most happy

in his marriage.
;

His wife was a

woman

of

eminent piety and strong mind

they were married in youth,

and years only deepened

first,

their affection.
say,

Mrs. Jones died

of the

and the

afflicted

widower would
'

when speaking

joys of another world,

I
it

would not
is

for half a

heaven but find

their

her there.'
happiness,

Whitefield,

said,

was so enchanted with

when
to

visiting at their house, that

he immediately
soon paid
his

determined

change

his

condition,

and

addresses to Mrs. James.

And

she seems to have been as

good a wife

to

him

as perhaps any

woman
and

could have been.

Home-life they could never know so long as he would preach

all

day,
until

and

write letters at night,

this practice

he kept

up

he died.
;

There was probably no cessation of preaching

only a few
tell

days after the celebration of the marriage he wrote to

an

Edinburgh friend that

God had been

to

pleased to work by his

later still

hand since

his

coming
up

Wales.

Three days

he was
in

in Bristol, building

religious societies,
;

and preaching

large hall
at

which

his friends

had hired and Mrs. Whitefield was

he could conveniently take her

Abergavenny, staying

till

with him on his journeys. 1

His appeal from the jurisdiction of the commissary

Charleston was

of

now

returned to him from the Lords,

who saw

through the commissary's enmity; and there was an end of

that trouble.

Bristol

had another distinguished

visitor at this time.

Savage was

detained in

Newgate

for a debt of eight

pounds

his best friend

in

was Mr.
It is

Dagge, the tender gaoler, whose virtues Johnson has praised

almost certain that Whitefield sometimes sat
able table with that strange guest.

high terms,

probably not knowing that he was praising a convert of Whitefield's.

down

at the keeper's hospit-

WHITSUNTIDE IN MOORFIELDS
His work now
lay
in

1S1

Bristol,

where he began 'a general

monthly meeting
that place
first

to read corresponding letters,'

and between
his

and London
in

the same

district in
;

which he won

successes

itinerant

preaching

and everywhere
ever.

the

desire to hear the truth

was more intense than

Finally,

he went to London, taking his wife with him, and probably

lodged with some Methodist friend, one carefully chosen, as he

was careful about the houses he went

to,

nor was

it

every one

who could have

wanted
to

his presence.

To one London
he replied
:

brother

who

have him and his

wife,

'

tells

know not what to say about coming to your house for me you and your family are dilatory, and that you do
;

brother S
not rise some,

times
for

till
;

nine or ten in the morning.

This, dear Mr.

will

never do

me

and

am
to

persuaded such a conduct tends

much

to the dishonour

of God, and to the prejudice of your

in business.

own

precious soul.

Be not

slothful

Go

bed seasonably, and

it,

rise early.

time

pick up

the fragments of
prayer.

that not
less

Redeem your precious one moment may be lost.

man, and more with

Be much
God.'

in secret

Converse

with

To
tation,

this wise circumspection,

and the

fact that

he was always

the guest of

men

of

undoubted piety or of untarnished repuhis

may

in part

be ascribed

triumph over

all

the base

slanders of his enemies.

He

spent the winter 1741-42 mostly in preaching in his

tabernacle,

wooden
which he

London.

Everything was

helping to

prepare him for another of those daring religious forays of

is

the most brilliant captain

this

was the enterprise

he attempted

to

beat
is

the

devil

in

Moorfields
:

on Whit-

Monday.

The

soldier

the best historian here

'

London, May
I

11, 1742.

'

With

this I

send you a few out of the many notes

have received from

pressed to deter-

persons

who were

convicted, converted, or comforted in .Moorfields during

the late holidays.

For many weeks

found

my heart much

82
to venture to

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
preach there
at this

mine

season, when,
I

il

ever, Satan's

children keep
fields is

up

their

annual rendezvous.
I

must inform you that Moortold,

a large spacious place, given, as

for all sorts of

have been

by one
in.

Madam

Moore, on purpose
for

people to divert themselves

all

For many
heart
at

years past, from one end to the other, booths of

kinds have been erected

like.

mountebanks,

players, puppet-shows,

and such

With a

bleeding with compassion for so

his will,

many thousands

led captive

by the devil

on Whit Monday,

at six o'clock in the

morning, attended by a
lift

large congregation of praying people, I ventured to

up a standard among

them
them.

in the

name

of Jesus of Nazareth.

Perhaps there were about ten

not for me, but for Satan's instruments to amuse Glad was I to find that I had for once, as it were, got the start of almost all immediately flocked I mounted my field pulpit the devil. preached on these words: "As Moses lifted up the I around it. They gazed, they listened, they wept and I believe that serpent," &c.

thousand in waiting

many
;

felt

themselves stung with deep conviction for their past

sins.

All

was hushed and solemn. noon but what a scene

sense of the word,
harvest.
all

Being thus encouraged,

!

ventured out again at

The

fields,

the whole fields, seemed, in a bad

white, ready, not for the Redeemer's, but Beelzebub's,

drummers, trumpeters, All his agents were in full motion Merry Andrews, masters of puppet-shows, exhibitors of wild beasts,
,

players, &c.

&c.

all

busy in entertaining their respective audiences.

less

suppose there could not be

pulpit

than twenty or thirty thousand people.

side,

My

was

fixed

on the opposite
St. Paul, I
I

and immediately,
called, as
:

to their great

mortification, they found the

number of

their attendants sadly lessened.

it

Judging that, like

Ephesians."

should

now be

were, to fight with

the
the

beasts at Ephesus,

preached from these words

easily guess that there

You may
I

"Great is Diana of was some noise among

was honoured with having a few stones, rotten eggs, and pieces of dead cat thrown at me, whilst engaged in calling them from My soul was indeed among lions but their favourite, but lying, vanities. far the greatest part of my congregation, which was very large, seemed for
craftsmen, and that
!

awhile to be turned into lambs.

This encouraged

me

to give notice that

would preach again at six o'clock in the evening. I came, I saw, but what thousands and thousands more than before if possible, still more deeply engaged in their unhappy diversions but some thousands among them

waiting as earnestly to hear the gospel.

This Satan could not brook.

One

of his choicest servants was exhibiting, trumpeting on a large stage; but as

me in my black robes and my pulpit, I think all to him and ran to me. For awhile I was enabled to lift up my God's people kept voice like a trumpet, and many heard the joyful sound. praying, and the enemy's agents made a kind of a roaring at some distance At length they approached nearer, and the Merry from our camp.
soon as the people saw
a

man

left

THE TABERNACLE SOCIETY

Andrew, attended by others who complained
pounds
ders,
less that

183

that they

had taken many

day on account of

my

preaching, got upon a man's shoul-

and advancing near the

pulpit,

attempted to slash

me

with a long,

heavy whip several times, but always with the violence of his motion

tumbled down.
his

Soon afterwards they got a

recruiting sergeant

with

I gave the word drum, &c, to pass through the congregation. of command, and ordered that way might be made for the king's

marched quietly through, and a large body, quite on the opposite side, assembled together, and having got a large pole for their standard, advanced towards us with steady and formidable steps till they came very near the skirts of our hearing, praying, and almost undaunted congregation. I saw, gave warning, and prayed to the Captain of our salvation for present support and deliverance. He heard and answered, for just as they approached us with looks full of resentment, I know not by what accident they quarrelled among themselves, threw down their staff, and went their way, leaving, however, many of their company behind, who, before we had done, I trust were brought
officer.

The ranks opened

while

all

then closed again.

Finding their

efforts to fail,

over to join the besieged party.

ing and singing
three hours.

think

continued in praying, preach-

for the

noise was too great at times to preach

about
full

We

then retired to the Tabernacle, with

my

pockets

of

notes from
praises

persons brought under concern,

spiritual

and read them amid the

and

acclamations of thousands

who

joined with the holy

angels in rejoicing that so

many

sinners were snatched, in such an unex-

pected, unlikely place and manner, out of the very jaws of the devil.

This

was the beginning of the Tabernacle society. Three hundred and fifty awakened souls were received in one day, and I believe the number of
notes exceeded a thousand
retire to join in
;

but

mutual praise and thanksgiving

'

must have done, believing you want to to God and the Lamb with
Yours, &c.
'

G. Whitefield.'

Bare
'

facts

support the

statement

that

some

had

been

plucked from the very jaws of the

devil.'

Whitefield married
;

who had been living in open adultery one man was who had exchanged his wife for another, and given fourteen shillings to boot and several were numbered in the
several

converted

society
at

whose days would

But
:

in all

probability have been

ended
is

Tyburn.
letter

his

exploits were not ended.

Here

second

84

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
'

London, May
;

15, 1742.

'

My

DEAR Friend,

Fresh matter of praise

!

bless ye the Lord, for

He

was begun on Monday was not quite over till Wednesday evening, though the scene of action was a little shifted. Being strongly invited, and a pulpit being prepared for me by an honest Quaker, a coal merchant, I ventured on Tuesday evening to preach at Mary-le-bone Fields, a place almost as much frequented by boxers, gamesters, and such like, as Moorfields. A vast concourse was assembled together, and as soon as I got into the field-pulpit their countenance bespoke I opened with these words the enmity of their heart against the preacher. " I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God
hath triumphed gloriously

The

battle that

unto salvation to every one that believeth."

for the pulpit

preached in great jeopardy

being high and the supports not well fixed in the ground,
I

it

tottered every time

friends

moved, and numbers of enemies strove to push my to throw me down. But the Redeemer stayed my soul on Himself, therefore I was not much moved, unless with compassion for those to whom I was delivering my Master's message, which I had reason to think, by the strong impressions that were made, was welcome to many. But Satan did not like thus to be attacked for as I was in his strongholds, and I narrowly escaped with my life passing from the pulpit to the coach, I felt my wig and hat to be almost off. A young I turned about, and perceived a sword just touching my temple.
against

the supporters in order

rake, as I afterwards found,

was determined
it

to stab

me

but a gentleman,

seeing the sword thrusting near me, struck

up with his cane, and so the Such an attempt excited abhordestined victim providentially escaped. the enraged multitude soon seized him, and had it not been for one rence of my friends who received him into his house, he must have undergone a The next day I renewed my attack in Moorfields but, severe discipline. would you think it ? after they found that peltings, noise, and threatening.* would not do, one of the Merry Andrews got up into a tree very near the Such pulpit, and shamefully exposed his nakedness before all the people. a beastly action quite abashed the serious part of my auditory, whilst hundreds of another stamp, instead of rising up to pull down the unhappy I must own at wretch, expressed their approbation by repeated laughs. I thought Satan had almost outdone himself; but first it gave me a shock recovering my spirits I appealed to all, since now they had such a spectacle before them, whether I had wronged human nature in saying, after pious Bishop Hall, " that man, when left to himself, is half a devil and half a
; ;
;

beast;"

or, as the great

Mr.

Law

expressed himself,

"a

motley mixture
I

of the beast

and devil."

Silence and attention being thus gained,

con-

cluded with a

warm

exhortation, and closed our festival enterprises in

reading fresh notes that were put up, praising and blessing God amidst thousands at the Tabernacle for what He had done for precious souls, and

ADAM
;

GIB'S

'WARNING'

185

on account of the deliverances He had wrought out for but being about to embark in the I could enlarge
Scotland,
I

me and His people, Mary and Ann for

must hasten to subscribe myself,

'

Yours, &c.
'

G. Whitefield.
girls,

'

P.S.

cannot help adding that several

little

boys and

who were
&c,
I

fond of sitting round

me

on the pulpit while

but,

preached, and handing to

me

people's notes, though they were often pelted with eggs, dirt,
;

thrown at me, never once gave way

struck turned up their
little

on the contrary, every time

was

weeping eyes, and seemed to wish they could receive the blows for me. God make them in their growing years great and living martyrs for Him who out of the mouths of babes and sucklings
perfects praise
!

Whitefield,

accompanied by

his wife,

now went from

;

the

excitement of

London

to that of

Scotland

and, happily, the

voyage afforded him a few days for quieter engagements, before

rushing into the heat of an immense revival.

Most of his time

landed
at

on board ship was spent in

secret prayer.

He

Leith

on June

3,

1742,

amid the

blessings

and

tears of the people,

many
But

of

whom

followed the coach up to Edinburgh, again to

out.

welcome him when he stepped

all

hearts were not glad for his return.

The

Associate

Presbytery

still

smarting under the rebuff of the preceding

year, driven to the greater

vehemence

for their

testimony the

more they saw

the
'

it
'

unheeded, and made the more contentious by

low estimate of their
'

foreigner's
full

holy contendings
unfriendly.

'

were

of wrath.

Even the Erskines were

But

the most conspicuous

enemy was Adam Gib,

of Edinburgh,

one of the venerable nine with

whom

Whitefield

had the
to
it

amusing

interview

at

Dunfermline.

Gib was resolved

soul, and,

expose Whitefield, and thus to deliver his own

might be, the souls of the poor deluded, devil-blinded people

that

crowded

to hear the deceiver.

at

Accordingly he 'published,
6,

in the

New Church

Bristow,

upon Sabbath, June

1742,

"

Warning against countenancing the Ministrations of Mr

86

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
;

George Whitefield
certain sound.

"
' '

and

certainly the trumpet gave

'

no un-

The Warning caused such

to print,

a commotion that

Gib was urged

and taking

this as

a hint from Provi-

dence that he should

finish his holy task,

'

he expanded a short
'

sermon of eight pages into an

getting

Appendix of
and
way,

fifty-seven

thus
if

ample scope

to

make

his charges,
in his

to prove them,
'

that were possible.

field

Gib shows,

own
;

that Mr. White-

was no minister of Jesus Christ

were scandalous
of disorder
;
;

that his call

and coming and

to Scotland

that his practice

was disorderly
his

and

fertile

that his whole doctrine was,

success must be, diabolical ; so that people ought to avoid

him, from duty to God, to the Church, to themselves, to fellow-

men,

to posterity,

and

to him.'

Whitefield was not soured by such detraction and abuse, but

wrote to Ebenezer Erskine, to say

that their difference as to

how much concerned he was

off their

outward things should cut

with each other.

sweet fellowship and

communion

He

pro-

tested that his love for Erskine greater than ever

it
;

and Erskine's brethren was

their zeal for

that

he applauded

God, though

was

not, in

some

respects, according to knowledge,

and was
had no

frequently levelled against himself;

and

that his heart

resentment
'

in

it.

Meanwhile the people, not heeding Gib's

filled

Warning,' flocked to the Hospital Park and

the shaded

wooden amphitheatre which had been erected

a day they

for their

accom-

modation. Twice a day Whitefield went to the Park, and twice

came

to hear him.

A
little

congregation

moved by deeper

religious feeling than that to hear his voice in a

which agitated Edinburgh was anxious

village called
five

Cambuslang, on the south side of the Clyde,

about

miles from Glasgow,

and now a suburb of

that city.

Wonderful things were beginning

parish of nine

to take place in that small

hundred

souls.
its

The Rev. William McCulloch,

who had been ordained

minister on April 29, 1731, was a

CAMBUSLANG REVIVAL
man
of considerable learning

187

and of

solid,

unostentatious piety,

slow and cautious as a speaker, and more anxious to feed his

people with sound truth than to

declamation.

move

their
in

passions with

The news

of

the

revivals

England and
;

America had awakened a

detail to his

lively interest in

him

he began to
felt

people what he knew, and they, in their turn,

as interested as he did.

A
fields

dilapidated church and an over-

flowing congregation next compelled the good pastor

flock to resort to the
for

and

his
if

worship; and nature, as

fair

anticipating their wants,

had made a

temple of her own

in

a deep ravine near the church.

side,

The
from
it

grassy level by the burnin the

and the brae which

mass of people

rises

form of an amphi-

theatre,

afforded an admirable place for the gathering of a

;

large

and there the pastor would preach the

colliers,

same doctrines which were touching rugged Kingswood

both hemispheres

depraved London roughs, and formal ministers and professors

of religion
in
;

but he dwelt mostly on

regeneration.

The sermon

over,

he would recount on a
in the

Sabbath evening what was going on

elsewhere,
science.

kingdom of God

and then renew

his application of truth to the con-

The
;

great evangelist

had

also

been heard by some of

the people
influence.

nor could they forget his words, or throw off their

On
they

his previous visit to Scotland,

when he went

to

Glasgow,

had stood on the gravestones of the high

churchyard

in that

immense congregation which trembled and

Others, again, had read the sermons after
if

wept as he denounced the curses and offered the blessings of

the

word of God.

they were printed, and had been as vitally affected as

they

had heard the

religious leaven

thrilling voice

which had spoken them.

The

was touching the whole body of the people

five

and

at the

end of January, 1742,

visit

months before Whiteround the

field's

second

to

Scotland,

Ingram More, a shoemaker,

petition

and Robert Bowman, a weaver, carried a

88

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
up a weekly
lecture,

parish, praying the minister to set

and

ninety heads of families signed

it.

The day which was most

Then wounded
lectures,
fifty

convenient
day,

for the

temporal interests of the parish was Thurslecture was given.

and on Thursday a
to call at

souls began
fort,

the

manse

to ask

for

counsel and comof

and

at last, after
;

one of the Thursday

them went
in his

and

all

that night the faithful pastor

was engaged

good work.

Next came a

daily sermon, followed by

;

private teaching, exhortation,

field

and prayer

and before White-

got there to increase the intense feeling

and honest conaccording to

viction which were abroad, three hundred

souls,

the computation of Mr. McCulloch,

'

had been awakened and

he believed,

convinced of their perishing condition without a Saviour, more

than two hundred of
converted and brought

whom
home

were,

hopefully

to God.'

The

congregations on
All

the hillside had also increased to nine or ten thousand.

the work of preaching and teaching did not devolve upon one

man
help.

ministers from far

and near came

to see
all to

and wonder and

hinder hypocrisy
as

Great care was taken by them

;

and delusion from spreading

by
faithful

and indeed the work,

examined

men, presented every appearance of a work of the

It

Holy Ghost.
conditions.

embraced

all classes, all

ages,

and

all

moral

Cursing, swearing, and drunkenness were given up

sins,

by those who had been guilty of these

under
its

and who had come

It

power.

It

kindled remorse for acts of injustice.

It

compelled restitution for fraud.

revengeful.
It

won

forgiveness from the

imparted patience and love to endure the

It

injuries of enemies.

bound

pastors
It

and people together

raised an altar in the
fire

with a stronger bond of sympathy.

household, or kindled afresh the extinguished

religion.
It

of domestic

made men
their

students of the word of God, and

effort into

brought them in thought and purpose and

com-

munion with

Father in heaven.

True, there was chaff

CAMBUSLANG REVIVAL
among
the wheat, but the watchfulness
it,

189

and wisdom of the

away.

minister detected
years afterwards

and quickly drove

it

And

for long

humble men and women, who dated

their contheir

version from the work at Cambuslang, walked

among

neighbours with an unspotted Christian name, and then died

peacefully

and

joyfully in the

arms of One

whom

they had

learned in revival days to call Lord and Saviour.

The most remarkable

absence of
terrible

thing in the whole

movement

is

an

experiences.

The

great

sorrow which

swelled penitential hearts was not selfish,

fear of future

and came from no

punishment, but from a sense of the dishonour

they had done to

the

God and

their

Redeemer.
work
in

Cambuslang meetings was

first

at

The influence of many a parish, and

visible.

Whitefield's

ride

from Edinburgh into the west was through

places where the greatest

commotion was

When

he

came

to

Cambuslang he immediately preached

to a vast con-

gregation, which, notwithstanding Gib's warning against hearing

sermons on other days than the Sabbath, had come together on

a Tuesday
at

noon.

At

six in the

evening he preached again,

and a
side

third time at nine.

at

No

doubt the audience on the brae-

was much the same

each service, and we are prepared to

its

hear that by eleven at night the enthusiasm had reached

highest pitch.

For an hour and a half the loud weeping of the

the stillness of the

company

filled

summer
or

night, while

now and

again the cry of

some strong man,

and
fro

more susceptible woman,

rang above the preacher's voice and the general wailing, and
there was a swaying to

where the w ounded one

r

fell.

Often the word would take

effect like shot piercing

a regiment

of soldiers, and the congregation was broken again and again.

It
it.

was a very

field of battle, as

Whitefield himself has described

Helpers carried the agonised into the house, and, as they

passed, the crying of those

whom

they bore

moved

all

hearts

with fresh emotion, and prepared the way for the word to

make

19
fresh triumphs.

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
When Whitefield ended his sermon, McCulloch

took his place, and preached till past one in the morning; and even then the people were unwilling to leave the spot.

Many walked
sound of
as he lay

the fields

all

night,

praying and singing, the

their voices

much

rejoicing the heart of Whitefield

awake

in the

neighbouring manse.

The

following

Sunday was sacrament day, and he hurried

back to Edinburgh to do some work there, before joining in

the great

and solemn ceremony.

He
On

says that there was such

a shock in Edinburgh on Thursday night and Friday morning

as he

had never

felt

before.

Friday night he came to

to

Cambuslang, and

on Saturday he preached

more than
as

twenty thousand people.

days.

Sabbath, however, was the day of

it

New
first

converts had looked forward to

the time

of their

loving confession of their Redeemer,

and aged

Christians were assembled with the freshness of their early

devotion upon them.

Godly pastors had come from neighbour-

ing and also from distant places to assist in serving the tables,

and

to take part in prayer

and exhortation.

All

around the

inner group of believers

for a

who were

to partake of the sacrament

host, scarcely

remembrance of our Lord was a mighty

outwardly devout.
'

less earnest or less

in

Two
'

tents were erected

the glen

seventeen hundred

tokens

were issued to those

who wished to communicate. The brae, and when Whitefield began to

go to one of the tents to preach.

tables stood

under the

serve one of

them the

people so crowded upon him that he was obliged to desist and

All through the day, preaching
;

by one or another never ceased

and

at night,

when

the last

communicant had partaken,

and
still

all

the companies,

still

unwearied,

ready to hear, met in one congregation, and Whitefield,

at the request of the ministers,

preached to them.

His sermon

was an hour and a half long, and the twenty thousand were
not tired of hearing
it.

CAMBUSLANG REVIVAL
Such a day might
repose, but his was
well have

191

been followed by quietness and

to cry for leisure,

no heart

whatever his

body might do.

The

following

Monday was
among

sure to be just

such a day as he could most thoroughly enjoy, for the day

after

communion Sunday
sanctity than the

has had

Presbyterians almost

more
their

Sunday

itself.

Preachers have preached

it

most

effective

sermons on that day, and

was a memorsays,

able time at Cambuslang.

'fled as

'The motion,' Whitefield

seen thousands bathed

swift

as lightning

from one end of the auditory

in

to

another.

You might have

tears.

Some

at the

same time wringing

was
like the

their hands, others almost

swooning, and others crying out and mourning over a pierced

Saviour.
It

Passover in Josiah's time.'

the

The sermon preached by him on

Isa. liv. 5

Sunday night was upon

'

'

For thy Maker

is

thy husband

and was a sermon

any other
;

more frequently
yet
it.

referred to by his converts than

we look

in vain for a single passage of interest or

is

power
;

in
is

The thought

meagre and the language tame

there

a total absence of the dramatic element which abounds in

his

all

treatment of narrative and parable.

But, remembering

how
it

perfectly his heart realised the idea of union with

his personal devotion to the will of

God,

and how intense was

becomes
his

God,

easier to

understand the unfailing unction with

which
fail

common
to the
'

thoughts were clothed.

He

could hardly

to have power,

when

entreating sinners to yield to

God and

be joined
or boast,
is

Lord

Jesus,

who could

say,

without affectation

The hopes
I

of bringing more souls to Jesus Christ

the only consideration that can reconcile

me
?

to

life.

For

this

cause

can willingly stay long from

my
my

wished-for home,
I

my
self

wished-for Jesus.

But whither

am

going

forget

my-

when

writing of Jesus.

His love

fills

soul.'

His

qualities of

meekness and

self-restraint

were as hardly

tested by the

meddlesomeness of would-be advisers as by the

k;2

GEORGE WH1TEFIELD
Willison, of

blind rage of enemies.

Dundee, a minister of
:

the Kirk, was jealous over

him on two points

first,

as to the

question of episcopacy
private devotion.

and secondly, as
first,
'

to

his

habits

of

As

to the

Whitefield told his corre-

spondent that he thought

sectarian
spirit,'

his
his

letter

breathed

much
:

of a

and with

wonted charity added

'

To which
to

hoped dear Mr. Willison was quite averse.

,

answer

Mr.

dear
is

sir, it is

very satisfying to

As for my my own soul. Morning

if

and evening retirement

I

certainly exceeding
I

good

but

through weakness

of body, or frequency of preaching,

cannot go to
It is
if

think

my
it

spirit is
;

not in bondage.
did not use
it,

not for

God in my usual set times, me to tell how often I use

I

secret prayer

if I

nay,

in

one sense

did not pray without

ceasing,

would be

difficult for

me

to

keep up that frame of soul which,

If the

by the Divine blessing, I your hands become more

I

daily enjoy.
full,

work of God

prospers,
better

and
what

you

will then, dear sir,

know

mean.'

As soon

as

news of the Cambuslang work came from the

west, the Seceders called a Presbytery, which, with a prompti-

tude that showed

as

their prejudices

and condemned
fast

their act

rash

and ignorant, appointed a

highly

for

the

diabolical

delusion which had seized the people.

The

notions of Gib
the

were

evidently

popular; for

between

nth

of

July and the 15th

the

date of the act of the Presbytery

no examination of the work could have been made. Whitefield

What would

Willison have thought of Whitefield,

if

he had heard the

not?

following vagabond anecdote, which ought to be true,

if it is

Some

time after the quarrel upon the

five

points between Wesley and Whitefield,

and their happy reconciliation, the two combatants slept together in the same bed (Methodist preachers sometimes slept three in a bed !), at the Wesley knelt down and prayed before lying close of a toilsome day. down to rest, but Whitefield threw himself upon the bed at once. George,' During the said Wesley in a reproachful tone, is that your Calvinism ? night Whitefield awoke, and found his friend fast asleep on his knees by rousing him up, he said 'John, is that your Arminianism ?' the bedside
' '
'

A FAST FOR THE REVIVAL

expressed
friend
:

193
letter

himself

with

much composure

in

to

'The
it ?

Messrs. Erskine,' he says, 'and their adherents, would you think

fast to

have appointed a public

humble themselves, among other

things,
it,

for

my

being received

in

Scotland, and for the delusion, as they term

;

Cambuslang, and other places and all this because I would not consent to preach only for them, till I had light into, and could take, the Solemn League and Covenant. But to what lengths may prejudice carry even good men From giving way to the first risings of bigotry and a party
at
!

spirit,

good Lord, deliver us

And

the charity of this large-hearted

in the

man was

not words
in
full

on paper; he could believe

spite of personal

goodness of another,

wrong done
evil

to himself,

and wait with

confidence the time when

should be overcome with good

Soon

after the fast,

which was proclaimed from Dunfermline,

he had a short interview with Ralph Erskine, and brotherlylove so prevailed that they
said,
'

embraced each
things.'

other,

and Ralph

We

have seen strange

Whitefield's faith in the

power of love
justified

to bring brethren to a right state of

in the case of violent

mind was

even

Adam

Gib, who,

when an
no

old man,

confessed to his nephew

that he wished that

copies of his pamphlet against Whitefield were on the face

of the earth,

and

that, if

he knew how
'
:

to recall them, every

copy should be obtained and burnt was too

temper.
hot,' said he,

My

blood

at that

time

'and

was unable

to write with

becoming

The

strain

made upon

Whitefield by his exhausting labours

brought back again the spasms of sickness with which he had

been so frequently seized

friends,

in

America.

Writing to one of his

friends thought
I

he said
off;

'
:

Last night

some of my

was going
I

but

am, as they

call

how did Jesus fill my heart! To-day it, much better. In less than a month we
Cambuslang

are to have another sacrament at

thing not

14

94

GEORGE WHITE EIELD

I

practised before in Scotland.

especial

entreat

all

to pray in an

manner

for a blessing at that time.'

A fortnight later,
in the
is

when he had got

desired

to

Cambuslang and shared

said
'
:

muchdaily

sacrament, he
I

My

bodily strength

renewed, and
eagle.'

mount on

the wings of faith

and love

like

an

This second celebration was

first.

more remarkable than

even the

It

came about

in

this wise.

Soon

after the first

celebration, Webster, of Edinburgh, pro-

posed that there should be a second on

Whitefield seconded him.

an early day, and

McCulloch

liked the proposal, but

must confer with

several
after supplication
it.

his people before giving

an answer.
it,

The
they,

meetings for prayer were informed of

and

and

deliberation, thought

it

best to favour

It

was therefore resolved

to dispense the Lord's

Supper
were

again

on August

15th.

Meanwhile

prayer-meetings

arranged for through the whole of the intervening month.

Communicants came from

places,

distant as well

as

neighbouring
Irvine

from

Edinburgh and Kilmarnock, from

and

Stewarton, and

numbers of
of course

some even from England and Quakers came to be hearers

did

Ireland.

Great

not

partakers,

so, too,

many

of the Secession, and

some

of

the latter went to the table.

Ministers arrived from Edinburgh,

Glasgow, Kilsyth, Kinglassie, Irvine, Douglas, Blantyre, Rutherglen,

and Cathcart.

Old Mr. Bonar, of Torphichen, who took

one of the tents which had been

three days to ride eighteen miles, was determined to be present,

and when helped up

to

pitched, preached three times with

much

energy

he returned
thirty

home
and

with the

'

Nunc

Dimittis

'

on

his lips.

Between

forty

thousand people were gathered

in the glen
1

on the

Sunday, and of these three thousand communicated.

1

The

the religious work at Glasgow was about twenty thousand. Had every man, woman, and child gone from the city and joined
It will

help us to understand

how widespread was

this time,

if

we remember

that the population of

THE COMMUNION AT CAMBUSLANG

energy of the truth which was
all

195

day long preached by several

ministers in different parts was so great that possibly a thousand

more would have done so

procure tokens.
tables

if

they could have had access to

The

staff of ministers

were assisted at the

by several elders of rank and distinction.

if

There was
not
all,

not wanting that power which perhaps must,

had

come hoping

to

find.

Whitefield himself was in a visible

ecstasy as he stood in the evening serving

at ten at night,

some

tables

and
been
the

his great

audience in the churchyard could

heed only
favourable

his
all

words,

though the weather, which had

day, had broken,

and

it

rained

fast.

On

following morning, at seven o'clock, Webster preached with

immense

effect,

and Whitefield followed

in the

same manner

later in the day.

The

greater the

work the hotter the opposition and the more

furious the denunciations of opponents.

The

Seceders _were
zeal,

running greater and greater lengths in misguided

and

were beginning to
for

the

among themselves. This was a chance Kirk presbyters, some of whom had no love for the
split

prelatist,

excepting as
;

he

fortified

their

falling

Church, to

launch out at him

of the ministers

and they began

to call to account

some

who had employed him.

flag of the

The Cameronians,
They
and

who
a
'

rallied

round the blue

'

Covenant, rivalled in

Declaration

the

'

Act of the Associate Presbytery.

'

called their

document

Testimony of the

The Suffering Remnant

'

Declaration,

Protestation,

of the anti-Popish, anti-

Lutheran, anti-Prelatic, anti-Whitefieldian, anti-Erastian, antiSectarian, true Presbyterian

Church of Christ

in

Scotland.

the people of

Cambuslang, the whole would not have made more than

of the neighbouring places, notably Kilsyth, under the

two-thirds of one of the congregations assembled to hear Whitefield in that

village.

In

many

fostering care of that wise

and devout minister, James Robe, a similar work

of grace was proceeding.

96

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
at

Published against Mr. George Whitefield and his encouragers,

and against the work

and the ignorance and
tained
its

Cambuslang and other places

amply

injustice of the declaration

sus-

pugnacious
crafty

title.

A
his

more

way of damaging

his reputation

and impeding
in

work was
to

hit

upon by one or more persons

America,
to

who wrote

friends in Scotland

what they pretended

be

true accounts of the condition of religion in

New

England.

One

of the letters was written to a minister in Glasgow,

and

another to Mr. George Wishart, one of the ministers of Edinburgh.

Both

letters

were published without the names of

offered for public acceptance, the

their writers,

and were
its

one

upon the word of

Wishart.

publisher, the other

upon the word of

The

first

was deemed worthy of an answer, which

Whitefield wrote at Cambuslang, where he had fixed his headquarters for

some

time,

and whence he made constant excurhis services.

Its authority
that,

sions to places that

effectually

wanted

was
if it

shattered

when Whitefield pointed out

at
all, it

had come from America

since
its

had been tampered with

arrival
in

for

reference was

made
yet

in

it

to a

sermon

London on May ist; published written on May 24th, and no mode

was
swift

the letter itself was

of transit in those days

enough

to carry

news across the Atlantic and back

letters were, indeed,

in twenty-three days.

The
his

more of an
bearing

assault

upon Whitefield, through Tennent, than of an attempt

to assail

him through

own work.

The
and
real

letter

Wishart's imprimatur only repeated the old

cry, that Whitefield

filled

had taken people from

their business,
:

every one's

mouth with Tennent, and

talk
his

about religion

its

attack was

upon

work and

friends, only the

in the

people in Scotland
light.

were asked to regard Whitefield

same

Whitefield

summed

the whole
:

manner up

in a

manly, impartial paragraph.

He

says

ENEMIES
'

197
in

There has been a great and marvellous work

New

England

but, as
of

it

should seem, by the imprudences of some, and the over-boiling zeal

places,
in

others,

some irregularities have been committed in several Mr. Tennent himself, in a letter to Mr. Parsons, printed
Gazette, has borne his testimony against as strongly as

which

the Boston

any of these eminent

in old

ministers.

This

is

nothing but what

is

common.

It

was so

England

some few years

called
;

ago.

Many young

persons there ran out before they were

l

I checked them in hemanner myself, and found, as they grew acquainted with the Lord Jesus and their own hearts, the intemperance of their zeal abated, and they became truly humble walkers with God. But must the whole work of God be condemned as enthusiasm and delusion because of some disorder ?

others were guilty of great imprudences.

strictest

'

The

opposition to Whitefield was of various kinds.

Some

sincere souls were anxious for pure religion, which they con-

founded with

their familiar, quiet services

some put Church

government

in too high a position relative to spiritual religion;

some were

angry, disappointed,

and envious, they would gladly

bitterly assailed
;

have had a monopoly of the preaching they

and, in the dark background, were

some who hated

the

the preacher
malignity.

and

his message,

and struck

at

him with a deadly

How

strong in the grace of

God must

man have been who

bitter,

never quailed before the storm, never became

and never

allowed his labours for men's salvation to relax in the least

degree
!

The
1

labour of defending

is

work, as well as doing

it,

was

How much

Tennent himself was sobered

in

judgment upon some

questions, though not at all in his

letter
'

published in the
late

way of expressing himself, appears in a Boston Evening Post, July 26, 1742. He says
:

The

method of

setting

up separate meetings upon the supposed

is
it

unregeneracy of pastors in places

All that fear

enthusiastical, proud, schismatical.

most dangerous engine to bring and confusions. The practice of openly exposing ministers, who are supposed to be unconverted, in public discourses, by particular application of such times and places, serves
to

God ought

oppose

as a

the Churches into the most

damnable

errors

only to

pmvoke them,

instead of doing

them good, and

to declare our

own

arrogance."

198

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

all
left

not

in

Whitefield's hands.

Webster, of Edinburgh,

vindicated the work in the west of Scotland with great calmness and charity towards adversaries.

His words,

after those

of the Cameronians and

Associate Presbyterians, were like

summer

breezes after an east wind.

'

Jonathan Edwards also

in

wrote his
land,' &c.

Thoughts on the Present Revival

New

Eng-

The

short retirement which Whitefield

managed

to snatch

from the revival work was devoted to domestic concerns, as

well as to the defence of preaching

and

its fruits.

His mother

had sought
his sister's

home in house had come into

a

temporary

his

house

at Bristol

his possession to

and the event

as
if

probably
he

so delighted

him
:

that he

must write

welcome her

had been present

Honoured Mother, I rejoice to hear that you have been so long under roof. Blessed be God that I have a house for my honoured mother to come to. You are heartily welcome to anything my house affords as long I am of the same mind now as formerly. as you please. If need was,
'

my

indeed, these hands should administer to your necessities.

I had rather want myself than you should. I shall be highly pleased when I come to Bristol and find you sitting in your youngest son's house. O that I may

sit

with you in the house not

made with hands,

will

eternal in the heavens

Ere long your doom, honoured mother,

be fixed.

go hence and be no more seen. Your only daughter, I paradise of God: methinks I hear her say, "Mother, come up hither." May His Spirit enable you to Jesus, I am sure, calls you in His word.
say, "

You must shortly trust, is now in the

Lord,

lo I

come."

.'

The orphans were

The

still

a great, though

pleasant

burden,
sources.

troubles having overtaken the institution from two

magistrates had' been

acting

with a high

hand

both

towards the masters and the children, but General Oglethorpe

had proved a warm and

also raided the coast,

useful friend.

The Spaniards had

to be carried to a

and the orphans had

place of safety.

News

of these alarms and troubles

came

with

ORPHANAGE ACCOUNTS
successive posts,

199

and he had

to wait for reassuring letters.

In

the long suspense he kept a quiet mind.

His philanthropic
assaults.

effort

laid

him open
the

to all

kinds

of

In America and at

home

money was
last

in every

enemy's mouth.
write

Accordingly, one of his

the

works was to
in

'A Continuation of
and
to

Account of the Orphan-house

Georgia,'
receipts.

give a statement of his disbursements

and

The

latter

was satisfactory
all

and from the former we

far as to

learn

that the

workmen were

discharged, having fulfilled

their contract,

and carried on the work so

;

make

every

part of the house habitable

that the stock of cattle

was some;

thing considerable, and in a flourishing condition

last

that the
;

Parliament had resolved to support the colony of Georgia

that they

had altered
:

its

constitution in two

material

points,

namely, these

they had allowed the importation of rum, and

;

free titles to the lands

and

that

if

they should see good hereit

after to grant a limited use of Negroes,

must

certainly, in

all

outward appearance, be as flourishing a colony

Carolina, but that in the

as

South

meantime a

tolerable

shift

might be

made

with white servants.

Hunting and shooting

their

for

much

of

their food, killing

some of

own

stock,

growing their own

vegetables, helped by the kindness of nearly all

around them,

and receiving constant remittances from England, the inmates

of the orphan-house were always provided
faith that
for.

Whitefield's

God would

not see them want was never put to

to tell

shame
to
its

and he delighted

how

the house had answered

fire,

motto,

the burning bush,

which, though on

was

never consumed.

Winter was coming on

to think of returning to

fast,

and

it

was time

for Whitefield

London

to the only chapel

which he

could

call his

own

in all other places

he was dependent upon

other clergymen, and, failing their support, must betake himself to

Nonconformist chapels or

to the fields.

At the end of

2oo

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
Edinburgh to
in less
:

October he took horse, and rode post from

London

than

five days.
its

dear to him

the writing

The city he left was now very name would make him say, O
'

Edinburgh! Edinburgh!

think

shall

never forget thee!'

He
ever

passed from a great contention with heart as peaceful as

rested
in

human bosom.
;

He

went

chastened

and

humbled

to Scotland

he returned
that his

in the

power of quietness

and confidence, persuaded

was not the task of doing

anything but preach the Lord Jesus, as he knew and loved

Him.
found

He
the

had

tried

the

disputing
in

way
the

in

the

Arminian

struggle,

and the quiet way

latter
far

the Scotch contendings, and

to

preferable

former.

No

small

influence

among men was

still,

justly in

store for

one who, feeling

that disputing embitters the spirit, ruffles the soul,

it

and hinders

from hearing the

small voice of the

Holy Ghost, could

he was now on
to himself,
I

say, as Whitefield did

to Wesley, with

whom

the best of terms, but quoting Wesley's

'

own words
die.'
'

Let the King

live for ever,

'

and controversy
if

care not,'

he said

to another friend,

the

name

of George Whitefield
in
it.'

be banished out of the world, so that Jesus be exalted

On

his arrival in

London he found

the Tabernacle enlarged

and 'a new awakening begun.'

called them,

In his winter quarters, as he

he found himself as busy as he had been on the

in the
;

common and
till

market-place.

He worked

from morning

midnight

and was

carried through the duties of each day

with cheerfulness and almost uninterrupted tranquillity.

society

The

was large and

in

good

order,

and

daily

improvements

were made.
It

was

at

this

time

that

the

congregation

began to be

sprinkled with visitors of distinction.

Hitherto, Whitefield's

intercourse with the nobility had been confined to those of

Scotland, but

now

English peers and peeresses, led by

the

Earl and Countess of Huntingdon, and by the Earl's

sisters,

NOBLES AT THE TABERNACLE

the Ladies Hastings, began to mingle with the

201

humbler

orders,

among whom his efforts had won such astonishing success. The low, wooden Tabernacle was sometimes, during this winter of 1742, entered by the Duke of Cumberland, the 'hero of
Culloden,' and by Frederick, Prince of Wales.
too,

Lord Hervey,
asses'

wretched

in health,

which he supported by drinking

milk, his ghastly

countenance covered with rouge, would some-

times

sit

on

its

benches.

The Duke
is

of Bolton,

Lord Lonsdale,

and Lord Sidney Beauclerk, who hunted the fortunes of the

old and childless, but
best

known

as

the
also

father

of Dr.

Johnson's

friend,
all

Topham

Beauclerk,

came.

Most

remarkable of

was the haughty face of the Duchess of

Marlborough, 'great Atossa

'

Who
Finds

with herself, or others, from her birth

all

her

life

one warfare upon earth.

'
!

Shines, in exposing knaves, and painting fools,

Yet

is

whate'er she hates and ridicules

Her

letters

to

the

Countess

of

Huntingdon are very

;

characteristic of her pride

and revenge

they show also that

she did want to be good, but not to give up being wicked.

She says
'

My
feel

dear Lady Huntingdon

very sensibly
all

is

always so very good to me, and

I

I really

do

your kindness and attention, that

must accept

your very obliging invitation to accompany you to hear Mr. Whitefield,

though
for

am

still

suffering from the effects of a severe cold.

in religious

my

improvement

knowledge

is

very obliging, and

that I shall be the better for all your excellent advice.

Your concern I do hope God knows we all

need mending, and none more than myself.

changes
in

have lived to see great

and now mercy from God, as I never expect any at the hands of my fellow-creatures. The Duchess of Ancaster, Lady Townshend, and Lady Cobham were exceedingly pleased with many observations in Mr. Whitefield's sermon at St. Sepulchre's Church, which has made me lament ever since that I did not hear it, as it might have been for good, alas the means of doing me good I do want ; but where among
acted a conspicuous part myself

the world

have

hope, in

my

old days, to obtain

202
the corrupt sons

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
and daughters of

I to find it ? Your ladyship and kindness, and I often wish I had a portion of it. Women of wit, beauty, and quality cannot hear too many humiliating truths they shock our pride. But we must die we must converse with earth and worms. Pray do me the favour to present my humble service to your excellent spouse. A more amiable man I do not know than Lord Huntingdon. And lielieve me, my dear madam, Your most faithful and most humble servant,

Adam am

must direct me.

You

are all goodness

'

'

'

S.

Marlborough.'

In a second letter to the Countess she says

and recollections almost kill me, and I am I detest and abhor. Now, there is Lady Frances Saunderson's great rout to-morrow night all the world will be I do hate that woman as much as I do hate a there, and I must go.
'

When

alone,

my

reflections

forced to

fly

the society of those

her.

no other purpose than to mortify and spite know, but I confess all my little peccadillos to you, for I know your goodness will lead you to be mild and forgiving, and perhaps my wicked heart may gain some good from you in the end. Lady Fanny has my best wishes for the success of her attack on that crooked, perverse, little wretch at Twickenham.'
physician
;

but

must go,

if for

This

is

very wicked,

'

Another

occasional

hearer

at

the Tabernacle

was

the
less

Duchess of Buckingham, the

patient than she under reproof,

rival of

Atossa in pride, but

and hating Methodist doctrines

with

all

her heart.

To Lady

Huntingdon's invitation to attend

:

one of Whitefield's

services, she replies

'

thank
;

your

ladyship

for

the

information

concerning

Methodist
perpetually
It is

preachers

their doctrines are

most repulsive, and strongly tinctured with

towards
their

impertinence

and

disrespect
all

superiors,
all

in

endeavouring to level

ranks, and

do away with
is

distinctions.

monstrous

to

be told that you have a heart as sinful as the

common
;

wretches that crawl on the earth.

This

highly offensive and insulting

and
so

cannot but wonder that your ladyship should relish any sentiments
at variance
infinite

does

much me

with high rank and good breeding.

after

Your ladyship
health.
I shall

honour by your obliging inquiries

my

ABUNDANT LABOURS
be most happy to accept your kind offer of accompanying
favourite preacher,

203

me

to hear your

and

shall await

your arrival.

The Duchess
;

of Queens-

berry insists on

my

patronising her on this occasion

consequently she will

be an addition to our party.'

The

list

of Whitefield's noble hearers

of

is

increased by the

names of the Earl

Hinchinbroke.

Oxford,

Lady
and

Lisburne,
last

and Lady
two
ladies,
it.

With the exception of the

his teaching

none of them accepted

lived according to

To

gratify their taste for the highest

oratory, or to please the

pious Countess
that brought

who

invited their attendance, was the motive

them

to so strange a place.

l^
ground
in

In the spring,
Gloucestershire,

Whitefield

started for his old

and found preaching there

His friends
in the

to be like preach-

ing in the Tabernacle.

county had been

in

roughly handled of

late, yet

he stood unmolested on a spot

Dursley from which his friend

the

Sunday

before.

Adams had been driven but On Hampton Common, from the top of
who
first

a knoll named, after the preacher

pulpit,
'

honoured

it

as his

Whitefield's tump,' he preached

amid much solemnity

at

to a congregation of ten

thousand
at

and when he stood

it

noon on old Mr. Cole's tump

ing
time,'

Quarhouse,

was an
great

'

alarm-

and

his

soul

enjoyed

exceeding

liberty.

Perhaps the memory of departed worth helped to expand his

susceptible heart.
his voice
after
;

His native
until

city

delighted in the sound of

and not

one o'clock on the Monday morning,

for

he bade them farewell, before starting

Wales, could

he

lay his

weary body down to

five,

rest.

Sick and unrefreshed he

rose again at

and, mounting horse, rode to meet a con-

gregation which had

of a risen Lord.'

come

at seven,

'

hoping to

feel the
;

power

He

read prayers and preached

then rode

on

to

Stroud, where he preached in a field with

uncommon
At
six in the

freedom and power to twelve thousand people.

evening

he

preached to the

same

number on Hampton

204

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
;

Common

and

still

his

word was
societies

with
in

power.

general

love-feast of the religious

Hampton was
is

next

presided over by him, and that engagement closed the day.

All that

he has to say about such abundant labours

simple loving
spirit
'

beautito

fully like the

in

which he delighted
soul was

be
to

about
Jesus
;

'

his

Father's business,'

My
;

kept close
to

my

bodily strength renewed

and

went

bed about

midnight very cheerful and very happy.'

a congregation of

The next morning some thousands was trembling and rejoicing

Uursley
;

under

his

word
with

at

and

at night

he was

in Bristol,

speaking

wonderful

power

to

full

congregation at

Smith's Hall.

The

following morning he met as large a conplace,

gregation in the

same

and then

set out for Waterford, in

South Wales.

Only three months previously, January

5,

1743, four clergyto confer

men and

three laymen had

met

at the

same place

together on the best

way of organising Welsh Methodism.

and a plan of
classifying the

Whitefield was chosen moderator,

various kinds of workers was decided upon.

This was the

germ of Welsh

Calvinistic

Methodism, and
as

in point of arrange-

ment English Methodism,

organised

by

Wesley,

at

conference in London, eighteen months

it.

later, closely

resembled

One

of the resolutions passed at

this

first

Welsh Conwas

ference reveals in a curious

to the Established
this
'
:

way the

relation of

Nonconformity
It

Church and of Methodism

account

to both.

That those brethren who scruple

the

to receive the sacra-

ment

in

Church, on

of

the

impiety
;

of the

administrators and the usual communicants there

the Dissenters, on

and among

account
it

of

their

lukewarmness, should
the

continue to receive
clear

in

the Church, until

Lord open a

way

to separate

from her communion.'

to

Whitefield had

come

Waterford a second time to preside

over the second General Association of Methodists in

Wales

WELSH CALVINISTIC METHODISM

(April,
its

205

1743).

Judging from the amount of business done,

gifted with

members were
with a

some
at

capacity for work.

White-

field

opened the Association

'

noon, on the day after his

arrival,

close

and solemn discourse upon walking with

God

'

then they betook themselves to business, and despatched

several important things,

among which was

till

his

appointment

to

the moderatorship whenever he was in England.

There was

an interval from seven

ten

o'clock,

from which hour they

next day they sat
'

worked

till

two

in

the morning.
;

The

till

four in the afternoon

little

refreshment followed and

of

some

warm

talk

about the things

God,' and then

Whitefield

preached to them a sermon upon the believer's

rest.

These
for

the refreshment soul prepared them

midnight,
finished,

for the

body and the refreshment

another
sitting,

the
until

for

which lasted

when the whole business of the Association was and feeling that God had been with them in all that

they had done, they did not forget to bless

before parting.

Him

for

His help

Wales did honour

to her visitor.
'

At Carmarthen, which
polite

Whitefield describes as

one of the greatest and most

places in Wales,' the justices,

sessions, desired

who were assembled

till

at the great

him

to stay
at

they rose, and they would

come

to

hear

him

the cross.

They came, and many

of quality.

thousands with them, including several persons

On

another day, when he was crossing Carmarthen Bay in the

ships hoisted their flags,

ferry, several

and one

fired a salute.

Yet such attentions never turned him from

of seeking
sailors
all

his great

purpose

the

lost,

and between the days when

justices

and

honoured him, he mentions with

satisfaction that at
at

Jefferson he preached to a

Kingswood congregation, and

Llassivran

to a Moorfields one.

As soon

as

London was
in

reached

he

wrote
his

to

his

friend
stay

Ingham
there
for

Yorkshire,

announcing

intention

to

month, and

^06
in

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
more
he,

the holidays once

;

to attack the prince of darkness in

'

Moorfields

for,

said

many

precious souls have been

:

captivated with Christ's love in that wicked place

sinners

Jerusalem

bring most glory to the Redeemer.'

that

Besides, there

was a bond of sympathy between

Bethesda.

wicked place and

Many

a load of copper, sprinkled here

and there
for the

with golden guineas, and whitened with a few

shillings,

crowns and

had been gathered from among the crowd

;

orphans

and the old kindness towards the preacher and

extinct.

his

adopted ones was not

Moorfields

lifted the last straw

of obligation in England from Whitefield's back on the second

occasion of his getting

free.

The

incessant

toil

was making

itself felt

on that slim body

In about three

which contained a

spirit

of seraphic devotion.

weeks, he says, he travelled about four hundred miles, spent

three days in attending two associations, preached about forty
times, visited about thirteen towns,

and passed through seven

counties
it

No wonder

weariness and feebleness hung about

rate, the

for a time,

but preaching was continued at the same

only relief being in the shorter distances travelled.

heart
all

The

loving
itself

made
It

light of the body's

weakness, and enjoyed for

the

more deeply the

secret consolations

which come from

above.

became so

full

of heaven that Whitefield sometimes

lie
;

longed when in public to

he might give

God

thanks

down anywhere, that on his face and when in private he wept for

hours the tears of his consuming love for his Lord.

'

In perils by mine

through which he and his friends were

Wiltshire

had

for

own countrymen was another experience now called to pass. some time been in commotion through the
'

animosity of several clergymen, and Whitefield

felt

himself

obliged to put the facts before the Bishop of Sarum, who,

however, does not seem to have interfered to stop the disgraceful

proceedings.

Churchwardens and overseers were

strictly

PERSECUTING THE METHODISTS

forbidden to
let

207

the Methodists have anything out of the parish

they obeyed the clergy, and told the poor that they would

punish them,
joining the

if

in

no other way they could stop them from

new

sect.

Most of the poor, some of them with

the threat,

large families, braved

and

suffered for their con-

stancy the loss of goods and

friends.
;

few denied that they

that they

had ever been

Trouble arose

to

meetings

and some promised

would go no more.
in

Wales

also,

and Whitefield appealed

to the

Bishop of Bangor against having certain good people indicted

for

holding a conventicle

when they met

With some

to tell their religious

experiences to each other.

effect

he urged that a

continuance of such treatment must inevitably drive hundreds.

if

not thousands, from the Church, and compel them to declare

themselves Dissenters.

But the -greatest

rioters,

difficulty

was with the Minchin-Hampton

who were
of higher

of the poorer class, aided

rank.

and abetted by
was directed

those

Their special

hatred

against one

Adams, a convert of

Whitefield's,

and a preacher
'

to his neighbours,
dear,

who proved

to

be to Whitefield

my

very
a

steady old friend.'

On
him

a July Sunday afternoon,

hundred of them came with

their

rough music, forced

their

way

into his house, carried

to a skin-pit full of stagnant

it,

water and the creeping things which breed in

and threw
in

him
twice,

in.

friend of his

who

expostulated was thrown

then beaten and dragged along the kennel.

Adams

quietly returned to his house to pray,

to cheerfulness

and exhort

his brethren

under suffering

but in half an hour the mob,

time,

anxious for more sport, entered his house a second

dragged him downstairs, and led him to Bourn brook, and

threw him
in

twice, cutting his leg severely against a stone.

Meanwhile the constable and

justices never

heeded the appeals

made

for

their

interference,

but countenanced the lawless

2o8

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
The
clergy was satisfied with the

suppression of Methodism.
outrages.

Preaching was

for

a time suspended.

Whitefield
it

now

consulted with

London
and

friends as to the line of action

all

would be best

to take,

wisely determined to claim the

for a rule of

protection of the law.

in the

He

and they moved

for the rioters

Court

King's Bench to lodge an information against five of

the ringleaders.

Counsel

prayed that the rule

it

might be enlarged until the next term, and

interval

was granted.

The
way;

was employed by the two sides

in a characteristic

the rioters increased their offences, and the Methodists stirred

up the

liberality of friends to

bear the expenses of the

trial,

and
to

the hearts of the faithful in England, Wales,

and Scotland,

keep a day of fasting and prayer

It

for its right issue.

must have added

to the

excitement of a Methodist's

coming

to a town, in those days

when such
'

great liberty

'

on

one side 'was enjoyed under the mild and gentle government
of

King George,'

to see

how

the

Church and the roughs would

in the belfry
text,

receive him.
at

There must have been great glee

Ottery when, just as Whitefield announced his

the

ringers pulled the ropes

peal, in

and made the

bells utter a clanging

which the

finest voice

became
profound

useless as a whisper.
satisfaction
in

And

there

must have been

the

parsonage

when the clergyman

told an admiring circle

how

he had demanded of the arch-Methodist, as he and

his friends

made
riot.

for the fields,

where they might worship

in

peace, his

authority for preaching,

and

called his meeting illegal

and a

The

rabble of Wedgbury, too, must have been delighted

fell

when a sod
and prayed.

on the reverently-bowed head of Whitefield,

his clasped hands, as

and another struck

he stood among them

But happily the clergy and the blackguards,

evil in

if

united for

some

places,

had not a national union.

If Ottery

was

inhospitable, St. Gennis prayed for Whitefield's

coming

and

ACCIDENT
his
visit

209

renewed the days

to his call,

of Cambuslang.
its

Exeter also
third of

answered
its

many

of

clergy,

and nearly a

inhabitants, turning out to hear him.

He

thought that on
society
;

the whole a healthy change was passing over

prejudices were falling off;

that

and

that people were beginning not

feel,

only rationally to discern, but powerfully to

of the gospel.

the doctrines

The

expectation of a son's being born to

all

him now

filled his

heart with

a father's pride

and, as well as his notions of

public duty would permit, he was thoughtful for his wife's

comfort and
delicate

safety.

But

his

was not the best of keeping

;

for a

woman
to

to

be committed to

one day he nearly

killed

both her and himself.

his his

In expectation of the birth he restricted

the neighbourhood, and even indulged
far as to

work

London and

domestic affections so
according to advice.

take Mrs. Whitefield for a

driver, if a fine

drive,
rider,

But he was a poor

and soon drove

into a ditch fourteen feet deep.

Mrs.

Whitefield put her hand across the chaise, and

herself

thus

saved

and him from being thrown

out.

The

horse went

down

as though held by a pulley, probably because the ditch

narrowed very much towards the bottom.

Bystanders shouted
;

out that they were killed, and ran to the rescue

one of them

seized the horse's head, two or three pulled Mrs. Whitefield

up the

side of the ditch,

and

others, with a long whip,

drew

the preacher from the back of the horse, on to which he had

scrambled.
conversation
fortable

Doubtless the accident broke off a close religious

;

for Whitefield says that,

I

'

being both in a comthat

I

frame,

must own

to

my shame

felt

rather

regret than thankfulness in escaping what I thought would be

a kind of translation to our wished-for haven.

love
!

But, oh amazing

we were so strengthened,

that

the chaise and

horse

being taken up, and our bruises being washed with vinegar in

a neighbouring house, we went on our intended way, and came

15

210

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
rejoicing in

home

never risked that

God our Saviour.' mode of translation

news reached him

It

would appear that he

again.

A
and

month

afterwards, in October, 1743, his son was born;

in the country to

as soon as the

which
to

he had made a short preaching

excursion, he

hastened

London.
baptized

When
him

the infant was about a week old, his father

in the Tabernacle in the presence of a great

congregation.

his

The little one was not born in a sumptuous house indeed, home was not furnished when he came, and his father had
;

to

be content with borrowed furniture to complete his

little

stock in hand.

The
'
:

simple, grateful,
like itself

humble heart of the

to

mighty orator was just

friend in Gloucester
letter,

when he wrote
I

an old

This afternoon

received

your kind

and thank you a thousand times

for

your great generosity

of

in

lending
will

me some
come

furniture,

having

little

who
little

repay you.
will

Next week, God

willing,

my own. my dear
it

know
and
cir-

wife

one

to Gloucester, for I find

I leave,

beyond my

cumstances to maintain them here.

God

willing, this

day seven-night.
wife's

My

brother will receive a letter about

little

my

coming.
child's life

She and the

one are brave and

well.'

The

was short as a dream.

Within three weeks

his

Whitefield was sitting at the 'Bell' in Gloucester, then

brother's house, writing an account of his death
!

He

con-

fessed

and deplored

his
its
:

own need

of the chastisement.

His

letter is

touching for
It

disappointed love and humbled con-

fidence.

runs thus

'Last night, February

mean

to

bury

occurred to

8, 1744, I was called to sacrifice my Isaac my own child and son, about four months old. Many things make me believe he was not only to be continued to me, but to

be a preacher of the everlasting gospel.

ambitious of having a son of
mitted to give

Pleased with the thought, and

my own

so divinely employed, Satan

I

was

perI

me some wrong

impressions, whereby, as
. .

now

find,

misapplied several texts of Scripture.

Upon my coming

here, without

vj

'

-^

ire

--^-g^
clayV^liS;',; (RKOW.
1900.

^Whirffidd^

DEATH OF
and
immediately called
mercies for giving
all to

HIS SON

211

knowing what had happened, I inquired concerning the welfare of parent child, and by the answer found that the flower was cut down. I
join in a prayer, in
it

which
to

blessed the Father of

me

a son, continuing

me

so long,

and taking

it

from
till

me

so soon.

All joined in desiring that I would decline preaching

;

was buried but I remembered a saying of good Mr. Henry, weeping must not hinder sowing," and therefore preached twice the next day, and also the day following, on the evening of which, just as I was closing my sermon, the bell struck out for the funeral. At first, I must
the child

"

that

acknowledge,
strength,

it

gave nature a

little

shake, but looking up,

text
for

recovered
I

and then concluded with saying that this been preaching, namely, " All things work together

on which
to

had
that

good

them

love

God," made me

as willing to go to

my

son's funeral as to hear of his

birth.

Our parting from him was solemn. We kneeled down, prayed, and many tears, but I hope tears of resignation and then, as he died in the house wherein I was born, he was taken and laid in the church where I
'

shed

was baptized,

first

communicated, and

first

preached.

.'

There was one sermon,

tenderness and love

at least, with

which he often melted

his vast congregation into tears,

which would lose no force of

heart,

now

that his always affectionate

which might nourish the orphans of other fathers and mothers,

was denied the delight of fondling a child of

his

own

the
and

sermon on Abraham's
struggling of faithful

offering

up

Isaac.

All the grief

Abraham during

the three days' journey

to the land of Moriah, with Isaac, the burnt-offering,

side,

by his
with

was henceforth painfully

real to Whitefield while,

trembling voice and glistening eye, he pictured them to his

hearers.

All could see the vision of

The good old man walking with his dear child in his hand, and now and then looking upon him, loving him, and then turning aside to weep. And,
'

perhaps, sometimes he stays a

little

behind to pour out his heart before

Then methinks I see him and servants again, and talking to them of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, as they walked by the way. Little did Isaac think that he was to be offered on that very wood which he was carrying upon his shoulders; and therefore Isaac innocently, and with a holy freedom
God,
for

he had no mortal

to tell his case to.

join his son

2i2

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
;

for good men should not keep their children at too great a distance spake unto Abraham, his father, and said, " My father " and he, with

equal affection and holy condescension, said, " Here

am

I,

my

son.

..."

Come,

all

ye tender-hearted parents,

who know what

;

it is

to look over a

dying child, fancy that you saw the altar erected before you, and the wood
laid in order, and the beloved Isaac bound upon it fancy that you saw the aged parent standing by, weeping. For why may we not suppose that Abraham wept, since Jesus Himself wept at the grave of Lazarus? Oh,

what pious, endearing expressions passed now alternately between the Melhinks I see the tears trickle down the patriarch's father and son cheeks and out of the abundance of the heart he cries, " Adieu adieu
!

my son

The Lord gave be the name of the Lord Adieu as my own soul
! !

thee to me, and the Lord calls thee

!

away blessed
;

Adieu,
adieu
!

my

Isaac

my only

son,

whom

love

"

I see

Isaac at the same time meekly

resigning himself into his heavenly Father's hands, and praying to the

Most

High

to strengthen his earthly parent to strike the stroke.'

Then, when men had well entered into the greatness of the

human

sacrifice,

and were under the dominion of

their finest

and purest emotions, the preacher said

4

I see

your hearts affected,

see your eyes weep.

And

indeed,
!

who

can

refrain

weeping

at the relation of

such a story

But, behold

show you a

mystery hid under the sacrifice of Abraham's only son which, unless your
hearts are hardened, must cause you to
fully too.
I

weep tears of love, and that plentiwould willingly hope you even prevent me here, and are ready
is

to say,

"It

the love of

God

in giving Jesus Christ to die for

our sins."

Yes, that

is it.'

The

evangelist

had an ever-changing experience

and before
all his

his grief for his

son was assuaged he was putting forth

energy to secure justice for his poor persecuted converts at

Hampton, going from place

collecting
Assizes,

to place preaching, pleading,

and

money.

The
3,

trial,

which came

off at

Gloucester

on March

1744, was anticipated by the defendants

with

much confidence, because they reckoned that the gentlemen and the jury would be prejudiced against the Methodists.
Whitefield

entered

court

when

the

second

witness

was

being examined, and was the object of every one's attention,

THE DISSENTERS
while,

213

amid much
In

laughter, the defendants' counsel

went on

to

describe the Methodists after the fashion which best suited his

bad

case.

spite,

however, of hard swearing, of oratorical

rioters un-

pleading,

and of the genteel influence which the

doubtedly had at their back, the jury found the defendants

guilty of the

whole information lodged against them.

Our narrative must now run back for a few months, that we may note the attitude of the Dissenters towards Whitefield. Many of them had shown him much kindness, but, with the
exception of Doddridge and Watts, their leaders looked upon

him with contempt, or

was some reason.
their opinions

dislike, or fear.

And

for the fear there

Dissenters were only permitted to hold

under great disadvantages, and were studiously

the State.

kept

down

in

In consequence, there was a great

to

^desire

on the part of most of them

keep on friendly terms

with the Established Church, and not to risk in any wise the

good opinion of

its

bishops and clergy.

Theirs
felt

was the

worldly-wise, cautious spirit of

men who

that any false

step might multiply their disabilities, not the fearless spirit of

those
field,

who could

safely dare to

assume any

position.

Whiteidle

the dread of orderly bishops

and the reproach of

clergymen, they therefore carefully shunned.

To

consort with

him would have exposed them

of Dissent and the

to

double odium

the

odium

odium of Methodism.
ground with
safe, in

Great weight must also be attached to their laudable desire

to grapple
it

on

safe

all

forms of religious error

lie

and
to

was not deemed

dealing with Deism, to

open

the

charge of enthusiasm.

Only the calm, argumentative

preacher, such as Butler, or Waterland, could be heard against

the wit and arguments of Woolston, Shaftesbury, Collins, and

Tindal.
sensible

feverish fear, only paralleled

by that which any

man might now have

all

of being esteemed a fanatic,

agitated nearly

Christian apologists, of being suspected of

214

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
zeal.

any sympathy with ardent devotion and burning

reasonable
faith,

a faith well buttressed with arguments on

the evidences of religion,

and

quiet,

sedate religious habits,

if

were supposed to constitute the proper,

Christian.

not the perfect,

Any such

passion as glowed in the hearts of the

early Methodists,

and avoid.
if

common sense and reason must condemn To have anything to do with the most religious,
up the
if

not the most learned or the most intellectual, class of that

time,

was

virtually to yield

right of speaking

on

religion.

Who

dare write against Collins,

he had shaken hands with

reproach of Chris-

Whitefield or Wesley
tianity,

the enthusiasts, the

its
?

men whose

very profession of Christianity

made

it

require a fresh apology from

its

accomplished defenders to

equally able assailants

Doddridge, who had

many

friends in the

Establishment,

and who

also took a lively interest in all public

movements

affecting the

honour of

religion

and the

welfare of mankind,

stands out as a noble exception to the somewhat timid body

with which he was allied.

His sound and varied learning,

together with his solid judgment, covered

that he

him from the sneer

was a poor enthusiast, while

his

humble
in

piety

com-

pelled

him

to

countenance the new party

the Church.

Persuaded of the usefulness of Whitefield's ministrations, he

did not fear to entertain the Evangelist and to bid him
speed.

God

His magnanimity surpassed that of Watts, who was

'

very cautious with the

erratic curate.'

He

even went to the

extent of supplying Whitefield's place as preacher at the Taber-

nacle
'

and Watts wrote saying

sorry that since your departure
I

am

have had many questions asked

the Dissenters, so low thereby.
;

me
I

about your preaching in the Tabernacle, and sinking the character of

a minister, and especially of a tutor,

find

among

many

of our friends entertain this idea

but I can give no answer,

there.
I

as not

knowing how much you have been engaged

pray

God

to

guard us from every temptation.'

DR.

DODDRIDGE'S FRIENDLINESS

215
liberal,

Doddridge, always thoughtful, conscientious, and

knew what

the Methodists were,

and what they were doing

among
tion
;

the rude, ignorant, and irreligious part of the populato

and was not

be moved out of his position either by

ominous shakes of the head, or by open opposition on the

part of his co-religionists.

When

the hackneyed charge of

enthusiasm was levelled against them, his noble reply was

'

In some extraordinary conversions there

may be and

often

is

a tincture

of enthusiasm, but, having weighed the matter diligently, I think a

man

had better be a sober, honest, chaste, industrious enthusiast, than live without any regard to God and religion at all. I think it infinitely better that a man should be a religious Methodist than an adulterer, a thief, a swearer, a drunkard, or a rebel to his parents, as I know some actually were who have been wrought upon and reformed by these preachers.'

On

Whitefield's

first

visit

to

Northampton, Doddridge was

only polite in personal intercourse, but on the second, he

opened

his pulpit to him,

which daring charity soon brought

Nathanael Neal, an attorney, and
said, in

a rebuke from London.

son of Neal, the historian of the Puritans,

serving letter, dated October 11, 1743:

a time-

'

It

was with the utmost concern that

received the information of Mr.

Whitefield's having preached last

week

in

your pulpit, and that

attended

the meeting of Coward's Trustees this day,

when

that matter

was canvassed,

and that I now find myself obliged to apprise you of the very great uneasiness which your conduct herein has occasioned them. The Trustees
. . .

are particularly in pain for

it is

it

with regard to your academy, as they

know

an objection made to it by some persons in all appearance seriously, and by others craftily ; and yet they are afraid of giving their thoughts
even in the most private manner concerning
it,

lest

it

should be

made an
(excusing

occasion of drawing them into a public opposition to the Methodists, as

they are likely to be in some measure by your letter to Mr.

Mason

your prefixing a recommendation of a book of

the Trustees), which letter they have desired

theirs,

without the advice of

me

to inform

you has given

them great

offence.'

216

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

quick

answer

returned

from

Northampton, and on
says
:

October 15 th Neal wrote again.

'

He

am

not insensible,

sir,

Mr. Whitefield, and your

a matter of difficulty for

that the respect many of your people bore to own acquaintance with him, must have made it

regards on his coming to

you to have avoided showing him some polite Northampton and I greatly rejoice in being
;

furnished with so particular an account of the circumstances attending his

visit that

may

enable

me

to say

you were so

far at that

time from seeking

all

his preaching in

your pulpit, that you took several steps, and indeed

that
if I

you thought you could prudently venture on, and such as might, they had succeeded, have been sufficient to have prevented it which
;

doubt not

will,

and

am

sure ought, to have

some weight with

I

those

who censure
I
is

this step

on the ground of imprudence.

these circumstances

could only wish that

were able

to

make

known

as far as that censure

likely to extend.'

Doddridge continued
sure
'

'

imprudent,'

and dared
to the task

'

the cen-

so that

Neal returned again

letter
is

of remonplainly tells

strating.

His third

more
plain

direct,

and

the feelings which he

had only hinted

is

at before.
;

The answer
of
it

of Doddridge

and honest

in

one part

he says
shall

'

always be ready to weigh whatever can be said against Mr.

;

Whitefield, as well as against any of the rest

actual demonstration before I can admit

and though

must have
all

him

to be a dishonest

though

I shall

never be able to think

I

all

he has written and

heard from him nonsense, yet

am

not so zealously attached to

man, and I have him as to

be disposed

to celebrate
is

him

as one of the greatest

men

of the age, or to

think that he

the pillar that bears up the whole interest of religion

if

among
appease

us.

And

this

moderation of sentiment towards him will not

I

my

angry brethren, as
for

am

sensible

it

will not abate the

enmity

which some have

many

years entertained towards me, I must acquiesce,

and be

patient

till
;

the day of the Lord,

in

when

the secrets of

all

hearts shall

be made manifest
to the part I

which

do from

my

heart believe that with respect

have acted

in this affair I shall not be

ashamed.'

Two
spirit

sentences, in which the devout, tender,

itself,

and humble
in

of Doddridge expresses

are,

when taken

con-

ASSAILED BY THE BISHOPS

nection with

217

many
'

similar expressions of Whitefield, a sufficient

explanation of the firm

Christians
:

union

between these distinguished

least
;

I
'

am my

one of the
yet

of God's children,' said

that
;

Doddridge,
Indeed,
I

and

a child

and

is

my

daily

joy.

feel
;

love to

Him
at

increase
as
it

struggle forwards

towards

Him

and look
in the

Him,

were, sometimes with

life,

tears of love,

when,

midst of the hurries of

cannot

speak to

Him

otherwise than by an ejaculation.'

different

Other persons of a
in station than Neal,

communion, and more exalted

were trying as well as he what could be

to

done

in a secret
in

way

damage the Methodists

in general,

and Whitefield
Doddridge from
intended victim
or

particular.

his friend
;

The mean attempt to was probably never known

to
his

sever
to its

but this other meaner work of an enemy,

did

rather
26,
:

enemies,

come

knowledge.

On

January

1744, the following

advertisement appeared in

London
'

in general,

Whereas some anonymous papers against the people called Methodists and myself and friends in particular, have been for some weeks printed in a large edition, and handed about and read in the religious societies of the cities of London and Westminster, and given into the hands

of

many
let

private persons, with strict injunctions to lend

their
I

them
after

to

no one,

nor

them go out of

hands
find

to any,

and whereas,

having had

the hasty perusal of them,

many

queries of great importance con;

and as it appears that one and a copy, when applied for, was refused me, and I know not how soon I may embark for Georgia, 1 am therefore obliged hereby to desire a speedy open publication of the aforesaid papers, in order that a candid, impartial answer may be made thereto by me.
cerning

me and my
little

conduct contained therein

paper has

or no connection with another,

'

George Whitefield.'

Rumour was
papers
;

not silent about the authorship of the secret

no

less a

personage than the Bishop of London was

Whitefield, accordingly, with the

singled out as their writer.

218

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

Bishop himself to ask
for information

frankness and courage which always distinguished him, wrote

to the
:

'

London, February

i,

1744.

'My Lord,therefore
I I

Simplicity becomes the followers of Jesus Christ, and

it

think

my

duty to trouble your lordship with these few

lines.

suppose your lordship has seen the advertisement published by me, about

four days ago, concerning

some anonymous papers which have been handed

about in the societies for some considerable time.

to

As

think

it

my

duty

answer them,

should be glad to be informed whether the report be

true that your lordship

composed them,
answer.

that I

may
lord,

the better

know

to

whom

may

direct

my

sight also of one of the copies, if in

oblige,

your lordship's keeping, would

'

much

my
'

Your

lordship's

most obliged,

dutiful son

and servant,
if

George Whitefield.
;

'

PS.

-The bearer will bring your lordship's answer

me
with a
line,

or

your lordship
left

please to favour

be pleased to direct for me, to be

with

Mr.

J.

Syms.'

To this
after
it

letter the

Bishop sent no answer

at all;

but two days

was sent

to

him
:

his printer left the following suggestive

note for Whitefield

'

February

3,

1744I

'Sir,

My name

is

Owen.

am

a printer in
I

Amen

Corner; and

waited upon you to

let

you know that

have had orders from several of

the bishops to print for their use such numbers of the " Observations upon " with some additions as the Conduct and Behaviour of the Methodists

they have respectively bespoken.

And
'

will not fail to wait

is

upon you

with one copy as soon as the impression

I

finished.

am,

sir,

your most obedient, &c.'

The
in a
'

contents of the

anonymous pamphlet

are not difficult

to discover

from Whitefield's 'Answer,' which he addressed

Letter to the Right Reverend the Bishop of London,

in the

and the other Right Reverend the Bishops concerned

publication thereof,'

namely, of the pamphlet.

Whitefield

charged the pamphlet with having an intention to represent

the proceedings of the Methodists as dangerous to

Church and

ASSAILED BY THE BISHOPS

State, in order to

219

procure an Act of Parliament against them,

to secure themselves

or to oblige
that
is,

them

by turning Dissenters,
Toleration Act.

putting themselves under the

His

answer to such an attempt was the same as he gave to the

Scotch Presbyterians
leave the
will
'
:

As

yet

we

see

no

sufficient reason to
;

Church of England and turn Dissenters

it

neither

we do

till

we
to

are thrust out.'

The pamphlet charged

this

the Methodists with breaking the statute law by their field-

preaching

and

be quite sure of the law on

all

point,

Whitefield perused

the Acts of Charles II. in which the

word

'

field

'

is

mentioned.

His conclusion was, that Acts

against field-preaching related only to seditious conventicles

and of

this offence

Methodism was not

guilty.

Then Whiteof reaching

field enters

upon

a defence of his favourite

mode

the multitude, by quoting the example of our

apostles,

Lord and the

and pungently inquires

it

'
:

would humbly ask your

lord-

lordships whether
ships'

would not be more becoming your

put

characters

to

your clergy on preaching against

revelling,

cock-fighting,

and such
who,

like,

than

to

move

the

Government

against

those

out

of love

to

God and
our Lord

precious souls, put their lives in their hand, and preach unto

such revellers repentance towards

Jesus
?

God and

faith in

What

if

the Methodists by " public advertisement do

. .

invite the rabble? "

These

rabble,

my
and

lords,

have precious

and immortal

souls, for

which the dear Redeemer shed His

great
rich.

precious blood, as well as the

lords, are the publicans

These,

my
it.

and

harlots that enter into the king-

dom of heaven, while self-righteous To show such poor sinners the way
the power of Christ's resurrection,

formal professors reject

to

God,

to

preach to them

and

to pluck

them

as

fire-

brands out of the burning, the Methodist preachers go out

into the highways

and hedges.
be more

If this
vile.

is

to
Is
it

be

vile,

by the

help of

my God

I shall

...

not ridiculous,

22o

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
lords,

my

even in the eyes of worldly men, and does

it

not

render the author of this pamphlet justly liable to contempt,

to charge the Methodists with breaking

canons and rubrics,

the

which

is

really not

their fault

when

at

same time he

knows

that the generality of the clergy so notoriously break

both canons and rubrics, and that too in the most important
articles,

such as not catechising,

?

pluralities,

non-residence,

&c, every day themselves

others, to

With what
bishops

face can he

do

it ?

The Rev. Thomas Church,

the

vicar of Battersea,

came, among
'

rescue

of the

with a

Serious and

Expostulatory Letter to the Rev. G. Whitefield.'

a few questions

He

raised

which throw some

light

upon

Whitefield's

ecclesiastical position.

There were

irregularities in curtailing

the liturgy, or not using the

Common

Prayer in the
?

fields

what had Whitefield to say about them

That when, and

only when, his ecclesiastical superiors should arraign him at the

bar of the proper courts would he give any answer at
question.
all to

the

There was

his

non-residence at Savannah
?

what

could he say in defence of that

He

replied

'

wish every non-resident minister in England could give as good an

I

account of their non-residence as

can of

my

absence from Savannah.

When

came over

to

England

to receive priest's orders,

and

collect

money

an orphan-house, the honourable Trustees, at the request of many, presented me to the living of Savannah. I accepted it, but refused the stipend of fifty pounds per annum which they generously offered me.
for building

Neither did
I

put them to any expense during

my

stay in England,

where

had collected a sufficient sum wherewith I might begin the orphan-house, though I should have left England However, I was more sooner had I not been prevented by the embargo. easy, because the honourable Trustees I knew had sent out another
thought
it

my

duty to abide

till

minister,

who

arrived soon after

left

the colony.

Upon my second
and the care of

arrival in Georgia, finding the care of the orphan-house,

the parish, too great a task for me, I immediately wrote over to the honourable Trustees to provide another minister.

In the meanwhile, as most of

my

parishioners were in debt, or ready to leave the colony for want of

I

being employed, and as

believed that erecting an orphan-house would be

SHAMEFULLY TREATED AT PLYMOUTH

the best thing
I

221
duty

could do for them and their posterity,

thought

it

my

from time to time to answer the invitations that were sent

Christ Jesus in several parts of America,

me

to preach

and

to

towards carrying on the orphan-house.

The Lord

stirred

make more collections up many to be

I

ready to distribute and willing to communicate on this occasion.

always

came home furnished with provisions and money, most of which was expended upon the people, and by this means the northern part of the
colony almost entirely subsisted for a considerable time.

And now,

sir,

judge you whether

my

non-residence was anything like the non-residence

When I was absent from my parishioners, was not loitering or living at ease, but preaching and begging for them and theirs ; and when I returned, it was not to fleece my flocks, and then go and spend it upon my lusts, or lay it up for a fortune for myself and
of most of the English clergy.
I

relations.'

The

family at Bethesda, long wishful to see him,

and the

thousands living between Savannah and Boston, who wished

again to hear

him and

sent

him urgent requests

to

to

come

among them,
America; and
was
to
sail

constrained
in

him

take

his

fifth

voyage to

June, 1744, he took passage in a ship which

from

Portsmouth.

Second

thoughts,

but

not

better ones, led the captain to refuse

for fear

him a berth

in his ship

he might spoil the

sailors.

He

then betook himself

to Plymouth,
sail

and secured a passage

to

in a mast-ship that

was

to

under convoy

Piscataway in
the

New

England.

The
and

journey from

through the midst of

as he

London to warm
to

sea-port was a pleasant one,

friends

and loving converts

went from place to place he encouraged believers and

sinners

called

repentance.

Plymouth was not

at
it

first

altogether gratified with the distinction that rested

several weeks.
It

upon

for

was presumed that Whitefield would be

sure to appear on the

Hoe on
But the

the night of his arrival, and to

oppose him and draw away

a bear and a drum.

his congregation
first

some one brought

his arrival

announcement of

was

false

news, and both crowd and bear were disappointed.

The

following night brought

him

and

his first taste of

Plymouth

222
civility

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
was the bursting open of
his

room door by

several

men

under pretence of a hue-and-cry.

inn to private lodgings
;

He

then withdrew from the

but this was no protection against the

fast

purpose of a

little

knot of

young men, who had

resolved,
if

probably in a bragging
to injure him.
laid a

spirit, to

put indignity upon him,

not

One

of them, a lieutenant of a man-of-war,

for

wager of ten guineas that he would do the business

the Methodist preacher, and went and assailed

him with a

gold-headed stick as he lay in bed.

Thinking he was some

Nicodemite, Whitefield had permitted the coward to come up

to his

room.

The

cry of

murder raised by Whitefield and

at last

his

landlady and her daughter

retreated to the
stairs

made him

afraid,

and

as he

chamber door, the landlady helped him down-

with

a push.

Then

a second bully

whole band were outside listening to the

scuffle

no doubt shouted
stairs as

the
out,

'Take courage,
stairs

am

ready to help you,' and, rushing up-

while his friend was escaping, took one of the

women by
almost

the heels

and

threw her so violently

upon the

to break her back.

By

this

time the neighbourhood was

'

alarmed, and thus the sport of the young

to

gentlemen

'

came
to

an end.

The house door was

shut,

and Whitefield went

sleep meditating on the propriety with which

the Litany to pray

we

are taught in

'

From sudden

death, good Lord, deliver

us!'

Preaching called Whitefield out next morning, and he went

to
it,

saying to his friends

who

counselled the prosecution of

the offenders, that he had better work to do, a restraint for

which he
popularity,

is

to

be commended.

The

assault

increased his

curiosity drawing
'

two thousand more to hear a

man who

had

like

to

have been murdered in his bed.'

to

There was undoubtedly some danger

be apprehended.

Once his voice

arrested the attention of a

field in

band of workmen who

were passing near the

which he preached, and thinking

HENRY TANNER
him mad, they
ever, failed
filled their

223

pockets with stones to pelt him, and

arranged to throw him from his block.

Their resolution, how-

charm of

when they came to stand for a little while under the and one of them Henry Tanner, his eloquence
;

a ship-builder

at least

went home with a serious heart and

a resolution in
hear
'

it

that

he would come again the next night and

night

more.

The

next

the

sermon was on the

as
it

text

Beginning

at Jerusalem,'

and contained,

was sure

to

do

in the hands of a pictorial preacher,

and one who sought the

was

recovery of

'

Jerusalem sinners

'

with the greatest devotion, a

life.

description of the cruel

murder of the Lord of

It

an admirable topic
to the conscience
life
1

for admitting a close application of truth

and when the

last

sad scenes in our Lord's

to his congregation
:

had been portrayed, Whitefield said

are reflecting
their

You who imbrued

his eyes fell

on the cruelty of these inhuman butchers,

hands
in

innocent blood.'
;

As he spoke
in

on the young ship-builder

to

and

then, while speaker

and hearer seemed

be only with each other

the conart the

sciousness of each other's glance, he

added

'
:

Thou

man.'
with

The his own

effect

was great and manifest; and Whitefield,

on any passing event,

swift aptitude for fastening

and

for

preaching to one person in the midst of a multitude

it,

without any one but that person knowing of

went on to
third time

speak words of tenderness and encouragement.

did the young

man come

to hear,

and

this

time to enter into

in turn ventured to

joy and peace in believing.

By and by he

preach the gospel, and his ministry of

sixty-five years,

mostly

exercised at Exeter, was one which could boast that hardly

one of
last

its

sermons had

fallen

uselessly to the ground.

His

end was according

as

to

an earnest and oft-repeated prayer,

and such
to die.

strength failed

became a good servant of the Lord Jesus Christ him in the pulpit, and he was carried thence

224

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
evangelist laboured bravely amidst his troubles, whilst

The
a

contrary

wind hindered him from

sailing;

and

as

had

happened a hundred times

yielded to his love

before, prejudice

and opposition

and

effort.

Freely and of themselves

some
sur-

who had been opposed

rounded with walls
people, with
for

offered

him a piece of ground

a society room.

Great companies of

him

in

the midst, would return

from the dock

at night singing
ferry,

and praising God.

The

ferrymen, too, at the

set

had an

interest in the religious

toll
'

work which had been

on

foot,

and would not take

from the crowds which passed

forbid that

over to hear the sermons.

the

God

we should

sell

word of God,'

said the kind-hearted fellows.

Though

Whitefield was leaving the country, Christ's work

;

was not interrupted

lay-preachers,

in every

county where he had laboured,

who knew

the grace of

God

as a living

power

in their hearts,
lives, joyfully

went about, sometimes

at the

hazard of their

proclaiming the good news of redeeming love.

efficient,

In eight years a new ministry, and one of the most

had been called into and towns.

for

existence,

and penetrated

into villages

Even the press-gang aided

fair

in diffusing the truth,

Methodists were looked on as

game, and the Methodist

anywhere.

soldier

was not ashamed of

his Saviour

CHAPTER

IX

August, 1744July, 1748

FIFTH

VOYAGE ADVENTURES AND CONTROVERSIES

AMERICA
INVALIDED
IN

INGS IN

BERMUDAS

WANDER SIXTH

VOYAGE

THE and

fifth

voyage was diversified with nautical adventures

discussions.
at this time,

theological

The
1

usual

dangers

of

ocean travelling were

August,

744, increased by

the men-of-war which were cruising for

spoil.

France and

England were

at

their

old
fleet

folly

of treating each other as

fifty

natural enemies.

The

of one hundred and

ships

which sailed out of Plymouth Sound was therefore attended

by several convoys, and a good deal of nervousness was
evidently abroad.

Whitefield was in poor

in

health,

suffering

from a violent pain

increased
his

his

side,
six

and the tedious voyage

weeks
Isles,

trouble.

Fully

were

consumed

between Plymouth and the Western

they lay floating in a calm for days
;

and

off the islands

then, as the

wind sprung
sent a vessel

up a

little,

there

came a mishap which might have

to the

bottom.

Orders were given to tack about, to take

advantage of the breeze, and one of the ships, missing her

stays in turning, ran directly against the

Wilmington, on the

16

226

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
sat Whitefield, his wife

deck of which
singing a
suffered
cries

and

friends

around him,

hymn.
groans

The Wilmington, being

of

the larger vessel,

that the awful.

no damage, while the other was so broken

her apprehensive

and

crew

were

Presently they
field's

captain
'

came up with informed them

is

the convoy, and of what had

when Whiteto

happened, they

answered,

This

your praying, and be d

you

Shocked by the

profanity, the praying

men

got together, and

'

Whitefield expressing their feelings, cried out,

God

of the sea,

and God of the dry

land, this

is

a night of rebuke and blas-

phemy

show Thyself,
;

God, and take us under Thy own

immediate protection

be Thou our convoy, and make a

those

difference between those

Thee

not.'

who fear Thee and The next day a violent gale parted

who

fear

the Wilmington
rest of

from the convoy, which was seen no more during the

the voyage

circumstance which, with one day's exception,

Until

proved rather agreeable than otherwise to Whitefield.

the adventure of that day

comes

in its

proper order, we

may

go into Whitefield's cabin and consider the thoughts which he

is

planning for the benefit of the Bishop of London, and the

bishop's brethren,

who wrote
or, at

the
rate,

anonymous pamphlet once

gave authoritative counte-

before mentioned,

any

nance to

it.

The pamphlet complained

of the irregular practices of the

Methodists, and then proceeded to inquire whether the doctrines they taught or the lengths they ran

beyond what was

practised

among
effects

the religious societies or in other Christian

dis-service to religion.

Churches would be a service or

startling

The
and

of

Whitefield's

preaching,

the

crying

fainting

and convulsions, such

as appeared at
;

Cambuslang,

were

laid

upon him

as a reproach

and

it is

well to

know what

he himself thought of them.

Referring to a question in the

:

pamphlet on the subject, he says

EXTRA ORDINA R Y CONVERSIONS

'

227

Would

not one imagine by this query that these itinerants laid

down

such things as screamings, tremblings,

co-operation of the

&c,

as

essential

marks of the

Holy Spirit ? But can any such thing be proved ? Are they not looked upon by these itinerants themselves as extraordinary things, proceeding generally from soul distress, and sometimes, it may be,
from the agency of the
despair
?

evil

spirit,

who

labours to drive poor souls into

Does not

this
?

appear from the relation given of them in one of

the journals referred to

Are there not many

journal,

relations of the co-operation

where no such bodily effects are so much as hinted at? And does not this give ground to suspect that the "due and regular attendance on the public offices of religion, paid by (what our author calls) good men, in a serious and composed way," is little better than a dead formal attendance on outward ordinances, which a man may
of the Spirit in the

same

all his lifetime, and be all the while far from the kingdom of Did ever any one before hear this urged as an evidence of the co-operation of the Spirit ? Or would any one think that the author of the

continue in

God?

observations ever read the relations that are given of the conversion of
several in the

Holy Scriptures ?

For may we not suppose,

my
ii.

lords, that

many were

cast into

sudden agonies and screamings (Acts

37)

when

"they were pricked to the heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved ? " Or what would
this
in,

author think of the conversion of the jailor (Acts

x. 29, 30),

"who

sprang

and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved ? " Or what would he think of Paul, who, trembling and astonished (Acts ix. 6), said, " Lord,

Thou have me to do ? " and was afterwards three days without and did neither eat nor drink ? Is it not to be feared that if this author had been seated upon the bench, and heard this apostle give an
what
wilt
sight,

account of his

own
all

conversion, he would have joined with Festus in crying

out with a loud voice, "Paul,

much
?

learning doth
is

make

thee

mad?"

And
and

are not

these things, and whatever else

Is not

recorded in the Book

of God, written for our learning

for ever
?

God

the same, yesterday, to-day,

arm and display His power in bringing sinners home to Himself as suddenly and instantaneously as in the first planting of the Gospel Church ?

And may He

not now, as well as formerly, reveal His

With

this

important deduction from the instances quoted

by Whitefield of persons undergoing great agony of mind at

the time that they were turned from their
to the

own way
there was

of living

way appointed by the Lord

that

miracle

to alarm

his explanation

may be

accepted.

The pamphlet

228
further

GEORGE WHITEF1ELD
complained of Whitefield's notions of
justification,

and

of the height to which he carried them.

The gravamen

of the
jus-

charge

is

directly against the

supposed immoral tendency of

tification

bestowed solely upon the ground of another's merit,

dealt with
;

and has been already

in Whitefield's
tification

but

all

the conceptions which

mind stood

related to the conception of jus-

severely

may now have our consideration. His system was logical. The atonement was so much suffering enat the
;

dured on the part of our Lord

Father on behalf of so
righteousness
is

hands of His angry

'
:

many
of,

sinners

he says
to

When
and

Christ's

spoken

we

are

understand Christ's
all

obedience and death

all

that Christ has done,

all

that

Christ has suffered for an elect world, for

that will believe

on Him.'

The

position of our

Lord was

that of a substitute

the view which has always

Spirit, to

been

effectual,

through the Holy

the conversion of souls.

The
sense

sins of the elect

:

were

laid

on

Him

in

the most

literal

He

was there as a
;

sinner in the Father's sight,

and before the Father's law

it

and

upon the head of such a One

should be poured.

was meet that the indignation

The

active obedience of our Saviour con-

stituted the extra righteousness in the moral world, which, not

being required for Himself, since

sinless,

He

was always pure and

might be imputed to any who would believe on Him.

.nature 'He

Whitefield's

words are

'
:

In that nature

'

i.e.,

our

human

obeyed, and thereby

fulfilled

the whole moral

law in our stead; and also died a painful death upon the Cross,

and thereby became a curse

for,

or instead

of,

those

whom

the Father had given to Him.

As God

He

satisfied at the
;

same time
and

that

He
in

obeyed and suffered as man

and, being
perfect,

God and man

puted.'

one person,

He

wrought out a

full,

sufficient righteousness for all to

whom

it

was to be im-

The language

in which, in his favourite

and

thrilling

sermon on 'The True

Way

of Beholding the

Lamb

of God,'

THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST

he describes the sufferings of the Redeemer,
melting and attractive for
its
is,

229

in

some

parts,
It

tender sympathy of love.

has one short clause which seems to indicate that Whitefield

was not quite

'

satisfied with

what he said

The
it

paschal lamb was further typical of Christ,

its

great Antitype, in
fire.

that

was

to

be killed in the evening, and afterwards roasted with

So

Christ, our Passover,

was

sacrificed for us in the evening of the world,

first slain

only with this material difference, the paschal lamb was

roasted, whereas the holy Jesus, the spotless

and then

roasted in the
the cross.

fire

of His Father's wrath

Lamb of God, was burnt and before He actually expired upon

to

To

satisfy
I

you of

this, if

you can bear

be spectators of such an

awful tragedy, as
I

desired you just

now

to

go with

me
of

to the entrance, so

must now entreat you

to venture a little further into the

same garden.

But

stop what
is

is

that

we see? Behold
wrath
!

the

Lamb

Cod

undergoing the

Of the people, even of His diswas ever sorrow like unto that sorrow wherewith His innocent soul was afflicted in this day of His Father's fierce anger? Before He entered into this bitter passion, out of But how the fulness of His heart he said, " Now is My soul troubled."
most
direful tortures of vindictive
ciples, there

none with Him.

Alas

is

it

troubled

now?

His agony bespeaks

it

to be

exceeding sorrowful,

even unto death.

crying and

It extorts
all

sweat, yea, a bloody sweat.

His

face,

His

hands, His garments are

over stained with blood.

It extorts strong

many

tears.

See
laid

how

the incarnate Deity

lies

prostrate before

His Father, who now

agonises in prayer!

on

Hark!

with an "If

it

be possible,
tell

See how He Again and again He addresses His Father Tell me, ye let this cup pass from Me!"
the iniquities of us
all.

Him

blessed angels,

me, Gabriel, or whatsoever thou

art called,

who
;

wast

sent from heaven in this important hour to strengthen our agonising Lord,
tell
tell

me,

if

ye can, what Christ endured in this dark and doleful night

yourselves
felt

me what you

when you heard

this

and same God-man,

whilst expiring on the accursed tree, breaking forth into that dolorous, unheard-of expostulation, " My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken

Me ? " Were
silence
fill

you not

all

struck

dumb

And

did not a universal awful

heaven

itself

when God

the Father said

unto

His sword,
;

" Sword, smite My fellow " ? Well might nature put on its sable weeds well might the rocks rend to show their sympathy with a suffering Saviour and well might the sun withdraw its light, as though it was shocked and confounded to see its Maker suffer. But our hearts are harder than rocks, otherwise they would now break and our souls more stupid than any part of the inanimate creation, or they would even now, in some degree at least, sympathise with a crucified Redeemer, who for us
;

2 5o

GEORGE WHITEEIELD
for our salvation,
fitly

men, and

was thus

roasted, as

it

were, in the Father's

wrath, and therefore

styled the

Lamh

of God.'

Note the short

clause, 'as

it

were.'
settle

Congregations had no time to

theological

down upon
and
begun

Whitefield's
fault with

mistakes

or inconsistencies,

find

them.

Before the questioner had well

to

consider
if

what hope of acceptance with

repent and believe
souls to leave his
'

God any one

durst cherish

the atonement was only for the elect, his soul was called to
;

for Whitefield

was too wise

:

at

winning

application

'

to the last

he would put an
getting prac-

application to every paragraph rather than

tical results.

fail in

Love was stronger than

'

logic.

In his sermon

on

'

The Lord Our Righteousness he

doubts and struggles

rushes straight in

among
:

his hearers' his

doubts and troubles which

own rebukes and

pleadings have created, and exclaims

'

Who
?

you
will

knows but Beg of God

it

the Lord
to give

may have mercy

faith
;

on, nay, abundantly pardon

you

and

if

the Lord gives you that, you

and His all. You need For are you sinners? so am I. Are you the chief of sinners? so am I. Are you backsliding And yet the Lord for ever adored be His rich, free, sinners? so am I. and sovereign grace is my righteousness. Come, then, O young men, who, as I acted once myself, are playing the prodigal, and wandering away afar off from your heavenly Father's house, come home, come home, and leave your swine-trough. Feed no longer on the husks of sensual delights Your heavenly Father now calls for Christ's sake arise and come home you. See yonder the best robe, even the righteousness of His dear Son, awaits you. See it view it again and again. Consider at how dear a rate it was purchased, even by the blood of God. Consider what great need you have of it. You are lost, undone, damned for ever, without it. Come, Indeed I will not, like the elder then, poor guilty prodigals, come home.
by
receive Christ with His righteousness

not fear the greatness or

number of your

sins.

brother in the gospel, be angry

no, I will rejoice with the angels

in
!

heaven.

And O

that

God would now bow

;

the heavens

and come down

in

Descend,
mercy,

Son of God, descend

and as Thou hast shown

me
Thy

such

let

Thy

blessed Spirit apply

Thy

righteousness to

some young
best

prodigals

now

before Thee, and clothe their naked souls with

robe

A FALSE ALARM
Here we have, though he might formally have denied
the doctrine of the Fatherhood of God.

231
it,

But see the tender,

passionate pleading

The
rupted

writing

of theological

letters

was very rudely

Wilmington was

inter-

one day.

The good

ship

toiling

through the Atlantic without her convoy, when, to the alarm

of
all,

Whitefield included, two ships were sighted which the

captain took to be enemies, bearing

down on them

with

all

the
for

sail

they could crowd.

Preparations were at once

;

made

an engagement.
;

Guns were mounted

chains were put

;

about the masts

the great cabin was emptied of everything

hammocks were
then
set

slung about

the sides of the

all

ship.

Mrs.

Whitefield dressed herself to be prepared for

events,

and

about making cartridges.

All but one stood ready

for fire

and smoke.
told

Whitefield retreated to the hold of the

ship
liking

when
his

that that

was the chaplain's place

but not
his

quarters,

and being urged by one of

New

England
crept

friends

to

say something to animate the men, he

to

on deck, and beat

arms with a warm exhortation.

His words warmed the hearts of braver men.

dreaded enemy, when
were two friends
!

On came

the

lo

a nearer view showed that

they

The

chaplain had another kind of

enemy

to fight with,
'

and

gladly betook himself to his desk

and

his quill to write

Some

Remarks upon a

late

Charge against Enthusiasm, delivered

in

by the Right Reverend Father

God, Richard, Lord Bishop

of Lichfield and Coventry, in a Triennial Visitation of the

same
year

in

1741

and published
a
Letter
to

at their request in

the present

1744.

In

the Rev.

the

Clergy of that
is

Diocess.'

The

position taken by the bishop

almost the

same

as that chosen by Dr. Gibson,

'
:

and the reply was the one

it

with which we are familiar

Though

is

the quintessence of

enthusiasm to pretend to be guided by the Spirit without the

23-

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
it

written word, yet

is

every Christian's duty to be guided by

the Spirit in conjunction with the written word.'

At the end of eleven weeks the Wilmington came within

sight of port.

The

long confinement had

made

Whitefield imin spite

little

patient to land; and, with

some

friends,

he eagerly and,

of remonstrance, transferred himself from the ship to a

fishing-smack that had

come

alongside,

and which,

it

was

said,

would distance the ship by several hours.

him.
It

His haste delayed

soon grew dark, the pilots missed the bar of York

its

harbour, and the smack and

all

passengers were tossed about

night.

Exposure increased the pain of a severe attack of

colic,

nervous
time.

from which he had been suffering for some

He

was also so hungry that he could almost have

boat,

gnawed the boards of the

and perhaps wood might have

pleased him, as he

done him no more harm than the raw potatoes, the only food
on board, of which he partook
lay shivering, to hear a
freely.
It

fisherman, in answer to a question

'

about what was going on ashore, say that the

New-lights

'

were expecting one Mr. Whitefield, and that the day before

many had been praying

the

for his safe arrival.

Towards morning
into the

men found

the

inlet,

and Whitefield was received

house of a physician, formerly a notorious Deist, but converted at Whitefield's last American
his arrival
visit.

Half an hour
colic,

after

he was put to bed, racked with nervous

toes,

con-

vulsed

from his waist to his

and a

total

convulsion

was expected every moment.

As

his wife

and
to

friends stood

around him, weeping, he begged them not

Fearing that he might
fall

be distressed.
that

into a delirium,

and say things

were wrong, he told them

a baneful influence

so

anxious was he never to exert

that

such a thing must not surprise

for four

them.

Happily the worst did not come, yet

days

he could not bear the sound of a footstep or of a voice.

As soon

as he was

somewhat

better, the minister of York,.

SERIOUS ILLNESSES
old Mr.

233
to

Moody,

called to bid
to

him welcome

America, and
consented.
;

then

urged him

give

them a sermon.
to

He

Meanwhile news had gone

Boston that he was dying

and
he

when

it

reached that city two of his friends started for York,

to nurse

him

if

he were

alive, or to

attend his funeral

in

if

were dead.

On

their arrival they

found him

the pulpit

Soon a relapse came

agony of body,
to preach

on, through his catching cold,

and

his

friends again thought that his

lay in

end was come

yet while he

his greater pain

was that he had been

announced

and could not

go.

The hour

of service
to preach

drew near; the minister who had been appointed

was leaving the house
said to his friend
for church,

when
'

of a sudden Whitefield

and doctor,

pended

by the help of
die.'

come home and

grave.
It

Doctor, my pains are susGod I'll go and preach, and then And he did go, pale as death, and

looking to the astonished congregation like one risen from the

was taken

for a last

sermon by both people and open

to

preacher.
his view,

The

invisible things of another world lay

to

and expecting

be with
for

his

Master before morning,

he spoke with peculiar energy

an hour.
for a

The

effect of his

word was, he

says,

worth dying

thousand times over.

But nature was hard pressed by the

effort,

and when, on
fire,

his

return home, he was laid on a bed before the

animation

seemed

to

be suspended, and he could hear

'

his friends say to

;

each other,
first visitor

He

is

gone

! '

Gradually he recovered

and the

who would
Sitting

see him, yea or nay, was a poor

Negro

woman.
aspect

on the ground beside him, and looking

its

earnestly into that kind face which always wore

gentlest

when such
'

as she approached

it,

she said in her broken

English,

Master, you just

go

to

heaven's gate, but Jesus

;

Christ said, Get you down, get you

here yet

but go

first

and
that
it

call

down you must not come some more poor Negroes.'

The

sick

man prayed

might be as the simple-hearted

234

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
it

Negress wished
filled.

to

be

and prayer and wish were

ful-

In about three weeks, though

still

very weak, he was able to

that since
his

proceed to Boston.

Here he was convinced

departure for England a glorious work had been going on,

both in Boston and in almost

there

all

parts of
follies,

New

England.

That

had been

irregularities

and

an unhappy mixture he could not but

evil.

of

human

infirmity
;

with

Divine work,

sorrowfully admit

but good predominated over

What
at

reproach was incurred, either justly or unjustly, was thrown

upon him

and many clergy who had before met him

Governor Belcher's table

of governor

Belcher
pulpits.

was not now

in the post

and

'

paid him the nod,' were shy and distant,

and refused him

excitement in the

their
city,

There was

certainly

great

and party

feeling ran high.

great

number
him.

of strongly-worded pamphlets

had appeared against

'

Some
'

of the clergy began to publish

halfpenny
professors,

testi-

monials

against

him,

and the

president,

and

students of Harvard College joined in the assaults.

assailed a

But they

man who was

to

too good not to wish to be better,

his faults.

and too candid

be afraid of confessing

Their

exposure of real blame on his part only gave him the opportunity to

acknowledge (which he did with beautiful humility)

;

wherein he had offended

and

their

shameful treatment of
of his friends, that they

him

in other respects so

roused

many

came

to

him

to say that they would, with his consent, build in

a few weeks

the outside of the largest place of worship in

America

for his use.

The democratic

feeling

was too strong

for ministers to control.

He

gratefully declined their offer as

unsuited to his taste and work.

instances, his humility saved him.

Here, as in so

many

other

There were strange instances of the

effect of his preaching.

One morning

the crowd was too dense to be penetrated,

and

A SCOFFER CAUGHT
he was obliged
to

235

go

in at the

window.

Immediately
hostile to the

after

him came the high

lights,'

sheriff,

who had been

face, as
it

'new

and the

sight of

whose
'

appeared through the

out,
'

window, almost made the astonished people cry

also

Is Saul

among

the prophets
his

Another day

friend

Mr. Prince told him he should

shortly be visited

by a very pensive and uncommon person,

ready
wit,

one of good

parts,

and

lively imagination,

who, to

procure matter for tavern amusement, had often gone to hear

Whitefield preach, and then returned
friends,

to his

bottle

and

his

and recounted what he could remember,

it

at the

same

time adorning

with further exposition.

He

went once too

easily into

often for his fun.

The crowd which bore him

Dr. S
solid rock

's

meeting-house as Whitefield entered, was like a

to return with

behind him, when he wished

sufficient

what
he

he thought was

food for sport.

Obliged to

stay,

kept looking up at Whitefield and waiting for anything he

could ridicule.

But soon he began

to feel miserable
it

under

what he heard, and when he withdrew,

Prince and confess his
sins,

was to go to Mr.

and

his desire to ask Whitefield's

pardon, only he was afraid to see him.

Mr. Prince encour-

aged him to venture.

the door
for

He

went, and Whitefield, on opening

his
life.
'

him, saw in

pale,

pensive,

and

horrified

countenance, the story of his

said,
'

In a low, plaintive voice he

'

Sir,

can you forgive

Whitefield with a smile.

all

me ? Yes, sir, very readily,' said The visitor thought that the tale of
to

his

wrong-doings would make that impossible; but Whitesit

field

asked him to

down, and then spoke

him such

comfort as the gospel has provided for broken hearts.

The
course
as

stay

among

his

longed than usual.

is

New England friends was more proUpon the renewal of his journeys his
Such glimpses of him, however,
to

not easily traced.

get lend fresh

we do

charm both

him and

his work.

236

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

is

One day he
the

to

be seen
the

at a settlement of

Delaware Indians,

converts

of

devout

Brainerd,

preaching to

them

through an interpreter, and watching with that kindly interest

which the orphans

at

Bethesda knew so

well,

a class of

fifty

Indian children learning the Assembly's Shorter Catechism.

Soon afterwards we

find

him

at Philadelphia,

welcomed by

twenty ministers of the city and neighbourhood, who own

him
the

as their spiritual
;

father

surrounded

with enthusiastic,

solemn congregations

and

offered by the gentlemen

who had
hundred
if

management

of the

free

temple there,

eight
in

pounds a year and

he would become
treated as he

liberty to travel six

months
an

the year

a minister in the
that of the

city,

offer

which he

had done

Boston people.

We

see

him
his

availing himself of his short stay in the city to write to

mother, and
written
to

tell

her that, though for two years she had

not

him

doubtless

his

incessant

and

distant

wanderings had helped to hinder her

her was as great as ever;

his

attachment to

and then some snatches of news

about the 'golden bait' which 'Jesus had kept him from
catching at
;
'

about his door of usefulness which opens wider

and wider

about his wife being very weak through a mis-

carriage, or she

would have enclosed a few

lines in his letter;

and about the many mercies he receives from God.

rejoiced
called his
in

He
he

roaming the woods, hunting

;

for

sinners, as
little

work

and next we

find

him among a

band of

Christians in the
first

backwoods of

Virginia.

These men were

Relations and

gathered together in a remarkable way.

friends in the dear old country, Scotland,

had got a volume

of those Glasgow sermons which had helped to kindle the

revival in the valley of the Clyde,

and sent them across the

waters.

When

the precious
great forest,

book was received under the

owner, Samuel Morris, called

shadow of the
his friends

its

and neighbours

to rejoice with him,

and share

his

THE CHURCH IN VIRGINIA

feast.

237

own house was soon crowded to excess, a had to be built, and many quiet, solemn evenings were spent in it, tears flowing from many eyes as
As
his

meeting-house

freely as if Whitefield's pathetic voice

were speaking the words

a wider range,
distant
little

that were only read.

The sermons soon took

and upon invitation Morris carried them

groups of colonists,

to

who could not enjoy such teaching

it

in

the churches, which by law they were expected to frequent.

The

little

church of Lutherans, as

was

called, lifted

up

its

head, like a flower refreshed with rain,

others also
'

when Whitefield came

engaged themselves

to the Lord.'

Somewhere on
left

the road his wife, with a Boston young lady,

him, to travel to Georgia, and tidings came to him that

'

they

traverse

the

wood

bravely.'

Whether he
'

felt

lonely
'

without her with

whom

he had been

more than happy

he
his
at

nowhere says
troubles
as

but then he never said as

comforts.

his

We
in

next

much about come upon him

Most
he wrote

Bethesda, where he wintered

letters to friends in

1746-47.
letters

likely his

London

the only

at this

time
not

would have contained

London
friends

news about

his dear family,

in the

had

needed counsel and comfort

midst
said

of troubles which had arisen at the Tabernacle.

So he

not a word about his

own heavy burden

with the orphans, but

added another load

to all that his tender heart already carried.

Bethesda had long wished to see him, and as soon as he

crossed
its

threshold the cry

came from London

love was his

to return

and

succour his distressed flock there.

direct his people to

AYhat could he do but

One whose
eyes,'

own

daily sup-

port?

'Oh, that your

he exclaims, may be looking

:

towards and waiting on the blessed Jesus

from

Him

alone

can come your salvation

He

will

be better to you than a

thousand Whitefields.'

The same

generosity which

made him

accessible to

all

in

238
trouble

GEORGE WHITEF1ELD
made him most
grateful for

any help afforded him

in

carrying out his benevolent purposes.

In a letter he shows
:

both his kindness and his perverted notions about slaves

'

God has put it into the hearts of my South Carolina friends to contribute liberally towards purchasing a plantation and slaves in this province,
which
I

purpose to devote to the support of Bethesda.

is

Blessed be God,

the purchase
tion of six
fit

made.

I last

week bought

at a very

cheap rate a planta-

hundred and forty acres of ground ready cleared, fenced, and and everything that will be necessary for provisions. One Negro has been given me. Some more I purpose to purchase this
for rice, corn,

week.'

While benefactors were thanked with exuberant gratitude,

detractors
receipts

were quietly faced with an audited account of

in behalf of the orphan-house.

and disbursements
affair

very serious

was auditing
liability

in these days, before the introFirst,

duction of limited

companies.

Whitefield and

Habersham were put upon oath

the
bailiffs

that the accounts laid before

contained, to the best of their knowledge, a just

'

and
and

true account of

all

monies collected by, or given

to

them, or any other, for the use and benefit of the said house
that the disbursement

had been

faithfully applied to

and

for the use of the same.'

Then comes

the statement of the

: '

auditors, given

upon

oath, in

which they say

It

doth not

appear that the Rev. Mr. Whitefield hath converted any part
thereof to his
said

own

private use

and property, or charged the

house with any of

his travelling, or other private expenses

but on the contrary, hath contributed to the said house

valuable benefactions.'

many

The
sion.

return of spring saw

his

him mounted

for

another excurto

The news of settlement and when

;

coming spread from settlement

the early light of the fresh spring morn-

ings

flushed

the

sky,

farmers and

planters bestirred them-

selves,

and prepared

for a ride to the distant preaching-place.

A FOREST CONGREGATION
Many
of
tall

239

a lonely forest path and highway, striped with shadows

trees

and bands of sunshine, was enlivened by groups

solitary riders

of

horsemen and
piety,

some

of

them men of staunch

and
instruction,

who longed

after religious stimulus

and

were going to the open glade as devoutly as ever David went

up

to

sad countenance,
selves

Mount Zion others of them men of heavy heart and who were getting their first insight into them;

and the mysteries of

;

religion,

and were uneasy

as they

saw the vision

easy
life,

and others again men of thoughtless and

spirit

and

who supposed
is

that religion might very well be left to a

more

serious time than joyous days of health

vigour,

when
the
the

the blood
preacher.

warm, but who had a fancy to hear the far-famed

bands of
trees

travellers.

Nor were wives and daughters absent from As they tied their neighing horses to

and hedges, and formed themselves

All hearts were

into a great congre

gation, few sights could

be either more picturesque or more

impressive.

more

or less accessible

to the

glowing eloquence of the evangelist,

who pleaded

before them,

with tears and earnest words, the claims of his gracious and
exalted Master

on the

trust

and love

of every soul of

man.

Holy thoughts were

worldly, as well as

carried

back home by many of the

;

by many of the devout

and the plantation

and farm began

But the
cool

to give signs that a God-fearing

it.

man

lived in

the pvincipal house on

evangelist's health

soon began to

suffer

when

the

spring changed to sultry summer.

American summers

always exhausted him, and that of 1747 formed no exception.

By

the middle of
but,

May
'

the heat was trying his

'

wasting taberI

nacle,'

he

says,
till

through Christ strengthening me,

drop.'

intend persisting

The

condition of the southern

colonies was so destitute,

and

his sense of the love of

our Lord

so vivid, that he carried out his purpose, and in five weeks

made a

circuit

of five hundred miles

but by that time fever

240

GEOXGE WHITEFIELD
and
gravel griping him.
;

was consuming him, convulsions shaking him, and nervous

colic

At length

that

which he dreaded

came upon him

gone. It
is

he could not preach.

His chief solace was

with an infinite pathos that the burdened, harassed,

persecuted

man

writes

'
:

Tis hard

to

be

silent,

but

must be
his

tried every way.'

Compelled

to hold his peace,

he made

way

as far north as

New
follow

York, and there again resumed his

beloved work.
be to recount,

To

him from

this point

would simply

with

an alteration of the names of places,

the experience of alternate sickness

and
has

partial recovery,

of

preaching
us.

and

its

pleasures, which

just

been before

His attention had

his heart

to

be given

to things in to

London, though
he sometimes

had become so united

America
it.

that'

thought he should never again leave

quarrelled with
nacle,

Cennick,

who had
to

Howel

Harris, the chief

manager of the Taberthe

is

during Whitefield's absence,

Whitefield's letter
to

had gone over

Moravians.

him upon

that

step

highly creditable
says
:

both

to his charity

and good

sense.

He

'

am
I

sorry to hear there are yet disputings amongst us about

brick

was in hopes, after our contests of that kind about seven years ago, such a scene would never occur again but I find fresh offences must come, to search out and discover to us fresh corruptions, to try our faith, teach us to cease from man, and to lean more upon Him who by His infinite wisdom and power will cause that " out of the eater shall come forth meat,
walls.
;

and from the strong sweetness." I am glad you find yourself happy in the holy Jesus. ... It has been my meat and drink to preach among poor sinners the unsearchable riches of Christ. Mayst thou continue and abide
in this place.'

It is
if,

pleasant to

unhappily,

know that old divisions were being healed, new ones were breaking out. The letter just

GROUNDS OF CHRISTIAN UNION

quoted from, and others presently to be referred
sustain the generous eulogy of his friend Charles
to,

241

amply
:

Wesley

'

When Satan strove the brethren to divide, And turn their zeal to " Who is on my side?" One moment warmed with controversial fire,

He He
The Nor

felt

the spark as suddenly expire

felt

revived the pure ethereal flame,

all that bowed to Jesus' name, more would for opinions fight With men whose life, like his, was in the right.'

love for

ever

On September
said
:

11,

1747,

he wrote to John Wesley,

and

'

Not long ago

I received

others, I believe,

came
is

to hand,

answer.
union.

My

heart

Nothing

shall

letter, dated in February last. Your and I hope ere now you have received my really for an outward as well as for an inward be wanting on my part to bring it about, but I
till

your kind

cannot see

how

it

can possibly be effected

we

all

think and speak the

/
/

same

things.

I rejoice to

hear that you and your brothers are more mode-

rate with respect to sinless perfection.

will convince

Time and

experience, I believe,
is

you that attaining such a

state in this life

not a doctrine of/

the everlasting gospel.

As

for universal

redemption,

if

we omit from
fairly,

each/

side the talking for or against reprobation,

which we may do
all

ana
*

agree as
will

we

already do in giving a universal offer to

taste the

poor sinners thai

well.'

come and

water of

life, I

think

we may manage very

Thus reprobation sank

struggle.

into oblivion

really died without a

still

The same day he

letter to Charles.

wrote a shorter but perhaps

warmer

At the end of
to Bethesda.

his

summer's labours he turned

riding tired him, but

his face again

little

still

he

felt

that,

near as he had been to the kingdom of heaven, some of his

friends

had prayed him back again into the world.

gratitude for the success of his

His heart
'

was

all

word

the barren

wilderness was

made

to smile all

the way.'

What he

did

during the winter of 1747-48, whether he went about Georgia

17

243

GEORGE WHITEEIELD
little

preaching to

companies, as

in

the days

when he
affairs

first

entered the colony, at the same time watching the

of the
It

orphan-house, or rested to recruit himself, cannot be told.

is

certain that in the spring following he

was much weighed

down
debts

with travelling,

with care, and with his orphan-house

was,

in fact, in

such poor health that his friends advised

him

to try the air of

Bermudas
air,

'

So sweet the

so moderate the clime,

None

sickly lives, or dies before the time.'

Were we
literal

to judge of the clime of the

Summer

Islands by

Whitefield's labours in them, Waller's praise might be taken for

truth; but Whitefield was an energetic invalid.

The

diary of his two months' stay

on the island

is

an agreeable

renewal of that journal which he unfortunately ceased too soon

to write.
Its

only remarkable difference from his general run

the half-amused
great

of narrative

is

way

in

which he records the

wonder of the

men

at his preaching without notes.

clergyman invalid who could preach twice a day and travel

considerable distances was a great marvel, but a clergyman

who used no minutes

'

'

in the pulpit

was a

greater.

There was

only one greater degree of marvel possible, and that would

have been a clergyman preaching from notes to Kingswood

colliers

on

Hannam Mount,

to

London

rabble at Moorfields
full

Fair, to thirty

thousand Scotchmen who were

of anxiety

about their salvation, and holding them in rapt attention.

One
'

entry from the journal

may be

given

Sunday,

May

15th.

Praise the Lord, O

!

my
I

soul,

and

all that is

within

thee praise His holy

name

This morning
;

preached

my

farewell sermon

it was quite full, and as the president said, at Mr. Paul's meeting-house above one hundred and fifty whites, besides blacks, were round the house. what Attention sat on every face; and when I came to take my leave, oh I believe there a sweet unaffected weeping was to be seen everywhere.
!

MISTAKES CONFESSED
were few dry eyes.

243

The Negroes without

affected,

doors,

heard, wept plentifully.

My own
yet
heart.
it

heart

was

and though
is

have parted from friends so often,

I find

every fresh parting almost

Surely a great work

begun

unmans me, and very much affects my in some souls in Bermudas. Carry
send

on,

O
so,

Even

Lord and if it be Thy Lord Jesus. Amen.

;

will,

me

to this dear people again

The voyage home was

ful

not to be without alarms, though

it

proved, on the whole, both rapid and pleasant.

Those dread-

men-of-war were hanging about

first

like

hungry sharks, and on

the

day of the voyage one of them gave chase; and when

the

Betsy

approached

the

English

Channel,
at,

where they

swarmed, 'a large French vessel shot twice

and bore down

upon
and

us.

We

gave up

all

for gone.'

But some pang of com;

passion or a panic seized the

left his

Frenchman

he turned about

trembling prey unhurt.

Whitefield might not preach during this voyage, because his

health was so impaired.

He
I

says

'
:

This may spare

if it

my

lungs,
for

but

it

grieves

my

heart.
I

long to be ashore,
little in

was

no

other reason. Besides,

can do but
is

respect to

my

writing.

You may
the cabin

guess
!

how
'

it

when we have
write,
Call,'

four gentlewomen in
his abridge-

'

However, he did
Serious

and finished
he
;

ment
'

of

Law's

which

endeavoured

to

gospelise.'

His journals,

too,

were revised

and

in reference

to that work, he

makes some remarks which

will illustrate his

ingenuousness of temper.
notice

The

revision

had brought under

his

many

things that his maturer

judgment and calmer,

of.

though not
'Alas, alas

less earnest, spirit

could not but disapprove

things have I judged

!'

he

says,

'in

how many

and acted

wrong.

have been too rash and hasty

in giving characters, both of places

I

and persons.

Being fond of Scripture language,

have often used a style

too apostolical, and at the same time I have been too bitter in
Wild-fire has been

my

zeal.

mixed with

it

and
I

I I

find that I frequently wrote

spoke

in

my own

spirit,

when

thought

and was writing and speaking by the

assistance of the Spirit of

God.

have likewise too much made inward

244
impressions

GEORGE WHITEFIELD

my rule of acting, and too soon and too explicitly published what had been better kept in longer, or told after my death. By these things I have given some wrong touches to God's ark, and hurt the blessed
This has cause I would defend, and also stirred up endless opposition. humbled me much since I have been on board, and made me think of a saying of Mr. Henry's, "Joseph had more honesty than he had policy, or he never would have told his dreams." At the same time, I cannot but bless and praise and magnify that gracious God, who filled me with so much of His holy fire, and carried me, a poor weak youth, through such a torrent both of popularity and contempt, and set so many seals to my unI bless Him for ripening my judgment a little worthy ministrations. more, for giving me to see and confess, and I hope in some degree correct and amend, some of my mistakes. I thank God for giving me grace to embark in such a blessed cause, and pray Him to give me strength to hold on and increase in zeal and love to the end.'

He
work.'

had been made

'

to prove the truth of

one of

his

wise

remarks,

God

always makes use of strong passions for a great

Strong passions have great dangers

beginning to understand

Less robust in health

but he was now how to rule them with a firm hand. than when he last returned from America,
;

and

less

disposed to contend with those that differed from him,

less zealous or self-sacrificing,
all

but not a whit

first tints

only showing the

of mellow ripeness in
soil

goodness, he stepped again

upon English

on July

6,

1748.

CHAPTER X
July, 1748-1752

APPOINTED CHAPLAIN TO THE C3UNTBSS OF HUNTINGDON

SLAVE-OWNER

STONED BEFORE A BISHOP

THE
in

English newspapers, Whitefield learned on his arrival

England, had interred him as early as April in that

the people he found a

year.

From

welcome the very reverse

before.

of that which had pained

him seven years

Thou-

sands received him with a joy that almost overcame both him

and them.
the dust.

Their love and devotion to him humbled him to

The damaged

fortunes of the Tabernacle instantly

the pulpit

revived
affairs.

when he resumed

and the management of

assisted

One church

also, St.

Bartholomew's, was open to him

and there he preached

in

to

immense congregations, and

administering the sacrament to a thousand communicants.

Moorfields was as white as ever to the harvest.

Many
and
his
friends.

tender memories were awakened by the return

affectionate

home

heart yearned towards

his

family

and
all

Though
his
first

his

mother had remained

silent
letter

during

his long absence,

and he had vainly entreated a

from

her,

one of
fctler

acts

was to remember her, and announce by a

his

arrival.

kindly

greeting was

sent

to

Wesley.

Hervey, one of Whitefield's converts, the author of 'Medi245

246
tations

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
among
the Tombs,' was complimented on his appearto

ance as an author, and encouraged

writings were so adapted
to

persevere, because his

the

taste

of the polite
taste too.

world.

Times have
him.

greatly

changed since then, and

in

Thus

he tried to keep his place

hearts that

had once received

An
this

unexpected

return.

call was made upon him on the occasion Howel Harris had instructions to take him,

of
as

soon as he landed, to the house of the Countess of Huntingdon,

at Chelsea.

That remarkable woman was already acquainted

with the power of his oratory over popular assemblies, for she

had often seen and

felt

it

now

she wanted to see what

it

could avail in her drawing-room upon the hearts of high-born

ladies

does not appear what kind of an /[ audience he had when he preached in her house the first two

and gentlemen.

It

'

times, but after the second

service

the

Countess wrote to
if

inform him that several of the nobility wished to hear him,

he would come again.

In a few days a brilliant circle was

all

gathered round him, and he spoke to them with

unaffected

his usual

earnestness

and natural gracefulness, while they

listened with attention

and some degree of emotion.

The
his

Earl of Chesterfield thanked him,

studied, high-mannered
said,

and paid him one of

at the close.
'

compliments

Sir,'

he

will

not

tell

you what

I shall tell others,

how

approve

of you.'

The wife of Lord Chesterfield and two of his sisters, Lady Gertrude Hotham and the Countess Delitz, became conlifelong

sistent

disciples

of the

new

teaching.

The

Earl

himself went so far as to allow Whitefield the use of Bretby

Hall in Derbyshire for meetings.

prevailed

Bolingbroke was afterwards

upon

to

come
to

'

he

sat like

an archbishop,' and

at

the conclusion condescended to assure Whitefield that he had

done great
In a
letter

justice
to

the Divine attributes in his discourse.

said
'
:

Lady Huntingdon he

Mr. Whitefield

is

DISTINGUISHED HEARERS
the most extraordinary

247

man
I

in our times.

He

has the most

commanding eloquence
also,

ever heard in any person.'

this

Hume,

became an admirer of
and peers
;

eloquence, which had a charm

for colliers

in his

opinion Whitefield was the most

;

ingenious preacher he had ever heard

it

was worth going

twenty miles to hear him.

He

gives a remarkable instance of

the effect with which Whitefield once employed apostrophe,

not, of course, in the

drawing-room of Chelsea.

'Once

after

a solemn pause, he thus addressed his audience:

is

"The
and

attendant angel

just about to leave the threshold of this sanctuary,

ascend to heaven.

And

shall

he ascend and not bear with him the news of

one sinner amongst

all this

multitude reclaimed from the error of his

way?"

To

give the greater effect to this exclamation, Whitefield stamped with his
lifted

foot,

up

his

hands and eyes

to

to heaven,

and cried aloud, "Stop,

Gabriel, stop, ere you enter the sacred portals, and yet carry with you the

news of one sinner converted

saw or heard
in

God."

This address was accompanied

it

with such animated, yet natural, action, that

surpassed anything

ever

any other preacher.

Within a fortnight the Countess added Whitefield's

the

name

to

number
and

of her chaplains, of

whom Romaine
will shortly

was the

first

This work among the nobility

again
;

demand

attention
that,
visit

in

the

meantime we notice
Wales
this

in a few

words

besides a flying
to Scotland,

visit to

autumn, he paid a third

where he had to mourn the death of many of

his

foremost friends, and endure the usual ecclesiastical torment

about Church government.

The Synods

of Glasgow, of Perth

and

Stirling,

of Lothian

and Tweedale, and a Presbytery

they thought, had a holy con-

Edinburgh

wrangled,
from
'

or, as

tending, about him, whether ministers should be prohibited

or

discouraged

employing
the

him.

blackened,' he says,

more the

The more I was Redeemer comforted me.'

'

The

hearts of the multitude responded to

him

as before

and

his visit

gave him great cause for joy and thankfulness.

248

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
to

One symptom began

and began
to preach,

show

itself

on

his return,

which was

premonitory of sad mischief.

When
on
his

he went into Scotland,

he suffered from a very severe hoarseness,

Topcliff,

and when he reached

friend
for
it.
'
:

way back, he wrote

I

to a

Though
for
;

do not preach, yet

Riding
I

hope

am

preparing

Reading, prayer, and meditation are the three necessary

it.

ingredients
recruited

and

getting

proper rest have

me

but

am

apt to believe I have strained myself

inwardly.
it is

I feel

sensible pain in

my

breath.

But no matter

who bore inexpressible pain for me.' That pain was to become a grievous burden through many It was too late now to take the| years of incredible labour.
for

a good Master,

prudential measures which he

felt

were necessary even before

he started for Scotland.

As

soon

as

he reached London, November ioth, Lady

to town,

Huntingdon came
and

and made arrangements

great

for

him

to

preach in her house to

his

't he

and nobl e.'

As

her

name

become inseparably
life, it is

associated from this time forward

to the

end of his

time to indicate her religious position.

24,

Lady Selina Shirley was born on August

years

1707

seven
was
for

before

Whitefield

and

was

married
3,

to

Theophilus,

ninth Earl of Huntingdon, on June

heartily into the pleasures

1728.

She entered
station,

and duties of her high

politics,

often at Court, took a lively interest in

and cared
to

the poor on her husband's estate.

She determined
life

win the

favour of the Almighty and everlasting

simply by her

attention to moral maxims, without any reference to our

Lord

Jesus Christ, in
that

whom

alone

is

life.

It

happened, however,

Lady Margaret Hastings, one of her husband's sisters, came under the influence of those new doctrines which were
winning such remarkable triumphs
;

and not only

so,

she

became an
family

earnest
friends.

and

affectionate teacher of

them

to her

and

Among

other things she one day

made

THE COUNTESS OF HUNTINGDON

remark
it

249
;

to the
' :

Countess which produced a deep impression

was

this

That since she had known and believed

for life

in the

Lord Jesus Christ

as

and

salvation, she

had been

as

happy

an

angel.'

tend to

The Countess knew that she herself could preno such joy. The thought haunted her, and made
life,

her resolve to live a more religious

notions,

which, according to her

was to multiply her good works and increase her

This brought her no
;

austerities.

relief.

dangerous
;

illness

then
pect

fell

upon her
terrible

she was brought nigh to death

;

the pros-

was

her

conscience

was

restless

and no
calm
it.

remembrance of her almsgivings and

fastings could

Then Lady
fresh
is

Margaret's words
force,

came back

into her

mind with
and she

meaning and
life

and she learned

that Jesus Christ

our

and our

salvation.

Her

illness left her,

arose to enter

upon a career

as remarkable as that of any

peeress in England.

The change was soon

as the

manifest; nor were Court beauties, such

to see
it.

Duchess of Buckingham, well pleased

They

thought that the Earl might very properly exert his authority
to

unconvert her; for

it

was not to be borne that the Methodists

should gain a Countess.

The

Earl did not care to undertake

the task, but thought that a conversation with his former tutor,

Bishop Benson, might do her good, and accordingly recom-

mended her to see his lordship. much harder task than he had
Scriptures,
to

The bishop came, but

anticipated.

to a

Turning

to the

the

articles

and the homilies, the neophyte

style

preached to him his duties in a

ears
:

not familiar to bishops'

;

she would not relax her devotion

ruffled,

he must increase
in haste

his.

The kind man was

blamed
in her for the

and was departing

and

in

anger at having ever laid hands

on Whitefield,

whom

he

conversion of the Countess,

'

when

the lady said

:

own

firm way,

My

lord

mark my words

when you

are on your dying bed, that will be one of the few ordinations

you

will reflect

upon with complacence.'

250

GEORGE WHITEEIELD
Earl of Huntingdon,

The
feelings,

who

rather yielded to his wife's

religious zeal than

toned

it

down
13,

to

harmonise with his colder

died on October
of

1746, leaving the Countess in

command

immense

wealth,

and

free to carry out her wishes

without interference from any one.

Everything favoured her

assumption of that position she was soon to gain, and towards

which she took her

first

decisive step, when, in

1748, she

appointed Whitefield her chaplain.

her
gifts,

Liberal to profusion in

arbitrary in temper, Calvinistic in creed,

consummate

in administrative ability,

devout

in spirit,

and thoroughly con\

secrated to the glory of Christ, she was unmistakably the proper

leader of the Calvinistic side of the Methodist body, whether
in or

out of the Established Church.

Whitefield might be

its

great preacher, but he could not,

party.

and cared not

to

form a

The Countess must form any

letter to
:

organisation that might

be required, or guide any movement.

In a
Wesley, Whitefield thus refers to the question

of union

'

What have you

I
;

thought about a union

find
I

am

afraid

an external one

is

impracticable.
I

by your sermons that we

believe

differ in principles

more

than

thought

attachment to
consequently
I

and America

we

are

upon two

different plans.

My
;

will not

permit

me

to abide very long in

England
societies

should but weave a Penelope's

I

web

if I

formed

and
I

if I

should form them

have not proper assistants

to take care of

them.

\
\

intend, therefore, to go about preaching the gospel to every creature.

I

You,

suppose, are for settling societies everywhere

meet.'

but

more of

this

when we

About

this

time Whitefield ceased to be moderator of the

Calvinistic Methodists,

and henceforth

his efforts

and those of

Lady Huntingdon were directed, with much success, to the object of giving an evangelical ministry to the Church of England.

The
to

following are
in

some of the
the

great

and noble who came

the preaching

drawing-room of the Countess of

LORD BOLINGBROKE
Huntingdon
:

251

The Duchess of Argyll, Lady Betty Campbell, Bubb Doddington, George Selwyn, the Duchess of Montagu,
Mr.
Pitt,

Lady Cardigan, Lord Townshend, Charles Townshend, Mr.

Lyttleton,

Lord

North,
taught
first

Lord
found

Sandwich.
other

The

doctrines

which

Whitefield

believers

besides the Countess.

The

Earl of Bath, formerly Mr.

St.

Pulteney, was one of these.

Lord

John, half-brother of

Bolingbroke, seems to have been a convert.

His
'

last

words,
I

spoken

to the

clergyman who attended him, were,

;

To God
is,

commit myself
be merciful to
far

feel

how unworthy

am

but
to

save sinners, and the prayer of

my

heart

now

He Him

died to

God

me

a sinner.'

Bolingbroke was only moved so \1

by

his brother's death as to offer himself as a

;

champion of
to stand as
.

the Calvinistic doctrines

not that he cared for them, but they

had a philosophical

side,

and he would not object

'

the philosopher of Calvinistic Methodism.

You may comCountess

'
;

mand my pen when you

shall

will,'

he said

to the

it

be drawn in your service.

I

For, admitting the Bible to

be

true,

shall

have

little

apprehension of maintaining the

all

doctrines of predestination and grace against

your

revilers.'

What would have been

and
his lordship

the issue of a contest between Wesley

five points ?
first

on the

The

eccentric

Lady Townshend was one of the

;

to

admire Whitefield's oratory

and probably she did so quite

as

much because such

her freakish

admiration was unusual

among

her friends

as because the oratory

was noble and commanding.

course,

When
she was

fancy pointed to an opposite

equally ready to dislike

and disparage her

favourite.
;

With

equal

facility

could she turn Papist as Methodist

it

a cathedral

or a tabernacle for her place of worship,

if

mattered not which,

she pleased her whim.

Once Whitefield cherished some

illness

hope of her conversion, through a serious

had; and as
late as

which she
to her,

1775,

Lady Huntingdon wrote

252

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

in

when she was again

up.

similar

condition,

and evidently

indulged in hopes such as had previously buoyed Whitefield

She seemed

to prefer

Methodism

for times of trial.

The Countess

of Suffolk was neither so calmly impartial as

Bolingbroke, nor so obligingly changeful as Lady Townshend.

Her circumstances
the time that

the

loss of her

husband and only son

at

Lady Guildford took her

to the Countess's to

hear the Methodist chaplain, might have been thought favourable to her acceptance of the truths of religion
:

but she was

stung and enraged by every word which Whitefield, ignorant

both of her presence and her condition, said.

Her

self-control

gave way as soon as he withdrew, at the close of the service.

She then abused Lady Huntingdon

of the illustrious congregation,

to her face, in the presence

'

and

denounced the sermon as

a deliberate attack upon herself.'

present

Her

relatives

who were

Lady

Betty Germain, Lady Eleanor Bertie, and the

of Ancaster

Dowager Duchess
to pacify her, to

attempted
;

in vain alternately

by explaining to her that she was mistaken, and by command.

Thinking herself
insulted, she

silence her
for

would not
prevailed

some time hear reason

to apologise,
for her rudeness.

but at length she was

upon

though only with a bad grace, to

Lady Huntingdon

She was never seen again

among

Whitefield's hearers, nor did she ever really forgive the

;

Countess

on her death-bed she denied the Countess

her.

per-

mission to

come and speak with Lady Fanny Shirley, an aunt

of

Lady Huntingdon, the

rival

friend

and neighbour of Pope, and the

conspicuous

of

Lady Mary
Methodist
in

Wortley Montague, became, through the

Delitz, a
circle,

efforts

of the Countess

member

of the aristocratic

and had her change of mind duly chronicled

the

gossiping letters of Walpole.

'

If

'

as I

hope

you ever think of returning to England,' he writes to Sir Horace Mann, it will be long first, you must prepare yourself with Methodism.

'MAKE A BISHOP OF HIM'

I really believe

253

by that time

it

will

be necessary

this sect increases as fast

almost as any religious nonsense did.

this

Lady Fanny
;

Shirley has chosen

is

way

of bestowing the dregs of her beauty

and Mr. Lyttleton

very

near making the same sacrifice of the dregs of

that he has worn.
jects to

all

those various characters

The Methodists

love your big sinners, as proper sub-

work upon

and indeed they have a plentiful harvest.'

Delitz,

To

the Countess

Whitefield

writes
his

in a

manner
to

which shows that

'society' as a
attire,

he

only

cared
souls.

for

introduction

means of winning

'Ceiled houses, gaudy

less

and

rich furniture,

do not make the world appear

wilderness to a
of Nazareth.'

mind enlightened

to see the beauties of Jesus

There can be no doubt that Walpole spoke the

about the rapid increase of Methodism and
sinners
;

truth,

both

its

love for big

its

and some one who shared

his

alarm at

advance,

through the popularity and success of Whitefield, even ventured to suggest

restrained.
'

to

the king that the preacher the best way,' said the king,

should be
'

I believe

will

be

to

make a bishop of him.' The Countess of Huntingdon

thus
'

told Mr. Barry, R.A., a story

sinners.

which confirms the sneer about big

:

He

reports

it

Some ladies called one Saturday morning to pay a visit to Lady Huntingdon, and during the visit she inquired of them if they had ever
heard Mr. Whitefield preach.
said, I

Upon
;

being answered in the negative, she

is

wish you would hear him

he

to preach

to-morrow evening

at

such a church or chapel, the

material.

name

of which the writer forgets

nor

is it

were as good as

They promised her ladyship they would certainly attend. They their word and upon calling on the Monday morning on
;

her ladyship, she anxiously inquired

if

they had heard Mr. Whitefield, and

how they liked him. we ever heard, he is

preposterous things

The

reply was,

"Oh, my

lady, of all the preachers

the most strange and unaccountable.

Among

other

would

your ladyship believe

it ?

he

declared that

Jesus Christ was so willing to receive sinners that

receive even the devil's castaways.

He

did not object to

Now, my
?

lady, did

you ever hear of

such a thing since you were born

"

To which

her ladyship

made

the

254
following reply
:

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
"There
I
is

something,

acknowledge, a

little

singular in
;

do not recollect to have ever met with it before but as Mr. Whitefield is below in the parlour, we'll have him up, and let him answer for himself." Upon his coming up into the drawing-room, Lady Huntingdon said: "Mr. Whitefield, these ladies have been preferring a very heavy charge against you, and I thought it best you should come up and defend yourself. They say that in your sermon last evening, in speaking of the willingness of Jesus Christ to receive sinners, you expressed That so ready was Christ to receive yourself in the following terms sinners who came to Him, that he was willing to receive even the devil's Mr. Whitefield immediately replied, "I certainly, my castaways." whether I did what was right or lady, must plead guilty to the charge
the invitation, and
:

otherwise, your ladyship shall judge from

the

following circumstance

Did your ladyship notice, about half an hour ago, a very modest single rap It was given by a poor, miserable-looking aged female, who at the door ? I desired her to be shown into the parlour, requested to speak with me. I believe, sir, you when she accosted me in the following manner 'Ah, sir, I was Yes, I did.' preached last evening at such a chapel?'
: ' '

accidentally passing the door of that chapel, and hearing the voice of

some

one preaching,
in
;

did what
first

have never been

I

in the habit of

doing I went

and one of the

things

heard you say was, that Jesus Christ was

for

so willing to receive sinners, that he did not object to receive the devil's

castaways.

Now,

sir, I

have been on the town

many

years,

and

am

so

worn out

in his service, that I think I

may

with truth be called one of his

'

castaways.

Do you think, sir, that Jesus Christ would receive me ? Mr. Whitefield assured her that there was no doubt of it, if she was but From the sequel, it appeared that it was the case, willing to go to Him. and that it ended in the sound conversion of this poor creature, and Lady
Huntingdon, was assured, on 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.'

Whitefield's labours

among

the rich were relieved by the

more congenial work

which
than
it

of visiting

some of the

provincial towns.

From Gloucester he wrote

is

a letter to the Trustees of Georgia,

its

painful to read, for

defence of slavery

nay, worse

that, its entreaty that slavery

exist.

might be introduced where

did not already

becoming

so great that

all

The profit of the slave trade was now who had any interest in its extension

DR.

WATTS
griefs

255

were clamouring to have restrictions removed.

spirit

The mercenary

was blind and deaf to the

;

and wrongs of the poor

African

and

it is

deplorable that Whitefield, one of the most

generous and self-denying of men, should have been affected

with the popular tone of thought and feeling.
said,
It
'

was often

when

slavery was the

it

'

domestic institution

of America,

that

contact with

too

frequently dulled

conscience, and
;

turned anti-slavery
letter

men

into pro-slavery

men

and from

that

which, under the

first

burst of indignation at the sight of

shameful
Carolina,

cruelties, Whitefield
it

wrote to the inhabitants of South

to the rule.

would seem that he was no exception

is

Whitefield

seen, at the

end of 1748,

in kindly

and close

communion with the two foremost Nonconformists of his day. On November 25th, he called at Lady Abney's to see Dr. Watts, who described himself as a waiting servant of Christ.' He helped to raise the venerable man to take some medicine
'

and within
the
'

half
'

an hour of

his

departure from

the house,
into the joy

servant

had ceased

his waiting,

and entered
on December

of his Lord.
Whitefield's letter to Doddridge,
21st, is full

of brotherly sympathy with the doctor in his trouble through

the Moravians,
field

who had

disturbed his congregation.

White-

had

felt all

the annoyance of having his work

damaged and

broken by meddling men, and could thoroughly enter into

Doddridge's feelings.

He

speaks as a chastened, humbled,

submissive, charitably-minded man, not blaming his troublers

more than he condemns

the
blessing,

himself,

and

gratefully

acknowledging

personal benefit that their

conduct,

under the Divine

had been

to him.

It is

with touching humility that

he

refe.s to those

dark days when he came from America and

turned against him.
divided

found
'

his converts

He

says

The Moravians

first

my

family, then
I

after that the societies

which, under God,

my parish at Georgia, and was an instrument of gathering.

256
I

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

less

suppose not

than four hundred, through their practices, have

I

left

the

Tabernacle.

But

have been forsaken other ways.

have not had above

a hundred to hear

me where

had twenty thousand, and hundreds now

assemble within a quarter of a mile of

me who
to teach

never come to see or

I

speak to me, though they must

father.

own

at the great

day

was

their spiritual

All this I find but

little

enough

me

to cease

from man,

and to wean me from that too great fondness which to have for their spiritual children.'

spiritual fathers are apt

It is

not less pleasant to find Whitefield and his old tutor

together again at Bristol.

Dr.

was now a prebendary,

gladly.

and when Whitefield

called

upon him he received him

;

They talked about the Church and Methodism and Whitefield told him that his judgment was riper than it had been at the
outset of his career,

and

that as fast as he found out his faults

he should be glad to acknowledge them.

bishops and other dignitaries would wear away

The prebendary

replied that as Whitefield grew moderate, the offence of the

a change which
was
is

Whitefield would have hailed with satisfaction, though he was

content to be under displeasure

his great anxiety

to act

an honest part

and keep from trimming.

by
fatherly oversight,

This

the last

glimpse we shall get of the kindly man,

no

slight service

his

who did Whitefield when misguided

earnestness and anxiety in religion might have ruined Whitefield's

energies for
winter's

life.

The
revisit

work among the

nobility
to get

damaged

Whitefield's

health not a

little.

He

was glad

away

into the west, to

some of

his

former places of labour

Bristol,

Plymouth,
10,

Exeter,

Gloucester.

Between January 28 and March

1749, this feeble, suffering

man performed

a journey of six
in

hundred

miles, preaching as frequently as

he ever had done

the days of health, and, notwithstanding the

unseasonable
air.

time of the year for open-air services, often in the open

His

life

was a

faithful
'

embodiment of some of
for
life,

his

happy
life
;

sayings

such

as,

do not preach

but from

NOT A SECTARIAN
'Like a pure
is

257

crystal, I

would transmit

all

the glory that

as

God
what

pleased to

pour upon me, and never claim

It

my own
'

is

His sole property.'

was with much reluctance that he

'

thought of turning from his beloved

ranging

to

renew

his

work

in the Countess's house.

The same
his

diffidence which
life,

made him

shrink from encountering the shocks of

when
to

he approached the American coast on

second

visit

America, made him write to his friend Hervey

Lady Huntingdon writes me word that " the prospect of doing gcod at Thither I am now bound. return to London is very encouraging." I go with fear and trembling, knowing how difficult it is to speak to the My dear brother, fail not to great, so as to win them to Jesus Christ.
'

my

pray for me, that

may hold on and hold

out to the end, and in prosperity

and adversity, press forward with an even, meek, and lowly mind towards
the'

mark

for the prize of

our high calling in Christ Jesus.'

In quite the same

spirit

he says

to the

same

friend, a few

weeks

later

You judge right when you make a sect, or set myself at

'

say,

it is

your opinion that

I
;

do not want
let

to

the head of a party.

No
may

the
I

name

of

Whitefield die, so that the cause of Jesus Christ

live.

have seen

enough of popularity to be sick of it, and did not the interest of my blessed Master require my appearing in public, the world should hear but little oi

me

henceforward.'

To one
grow so

brother minister he says

;

'

am
;

glad your children

I

fast

they

become
last.

fathers

soon

wish some
is

may
I

not prove dwarfs at

word

to the wise

sufficient.
:

have always found awakening times

blossoms, but not always so

like spring times

many
for

much

fruit.'

But other work than preaching demanded

it

his attention

was no

idle

word which he spoke

to his old tutor,

his
faults

when he

told

him

that

he wottld acknowledge

as fast as

he found them out.

The Bishop
18

of Exeter, Dr.

Lavingtpn,

258

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
him with a
fine

furnished

opportunity of retraeting
;

many
more
and

blameworthy words and deeds

remarkable than
humility.
this

and no part of
exhibition 1747,
'

his life

is

for

its

of frankness

The bishop

wrote, in

absent

in

America, a treatise on

when Whitefield was The Enthusiasm of the

Methodists and Papists,' in which he attempted to draw a

parallel

the

between the old Church and the new sect, or rather new men of his own Church. The subject was tempting and the argument adopted valid, if everything to an enemy The syllogism was Everything belonging to Popery be evil.
;
:

belonging to Popery

is

bad
;

the enthusiasm of the Methodist

therefore the enthusiasm

and Papists
Methodists
is

is

the

same

of the

bad.
traced

The

identity of Methodist

and Popish
Dominicans,

enthusiasm
malevolence
Franciscans,

is

with

much
shown

patience

and astounding

through

nine

characteristics.

and

Jesuits are
!

to

be the true forerunners

of Whitefield

and Wesley

There

is

only one thing more painful than the reading of

it

such unscrupulous attacks, and

is
'

the assurance of Arch-

deacon More that the assertion that

latter

Bishop Lavington

in his
I

days repented of his writings against the Methodists,

to

know

be without foundation, as

far as

his

conversation

could afford assurance to the contrary.

always spoke of them as a fraternity

To

the very last he of hypocrites

compounded

and

enthusiasts.'

A
man
calls
spirit

crushing answer might have been penned by any honest

;

but Whitefield's
his
is

'

Remarks upon
and

the Pamphlet,' as he

reply,

are better

than any formal

;

answer.

Their

something wonderful

it

is

impossible to turn

from perusing the bishop's slanders and abuse, to read Whitefield's

reply, without feeling

how good and

blessed a thing

is

an honest, forgiving
Methodist preachers,

heart.
like St.

Lavington had said that the

Anthony, were attended by 'a

BISHOP LA VING TON'S ATTACK

sturdy set of followers, as their guards,
their clothes,

259

armed with clubs under

such as should speak

menacing and

terrifying

lightly of their apostle.'

'You

add,' says Whitefield,

'

"

have heard
it

it

often affirmed

"

and

so

might the heathens have said that they heard

child,

often affirmed, that

when

the primitive Christians received the blessed sacrament, they killed a

and then sucked

It is

its

blood.

young But was that any reason why they

some of the Methodist preachers set of followers, armed with clubs and other weapons, not as their guards, but opposers and persecutors and who have not only menaced and terrified, but actually abused and beat many of those who came to hear him whom you, I suppose, would call their apostle. Both Methodist preachers and Methodist hearers, too, for want of better arguments, have often felt the
should believe it?
true,

indeed,

have more than once been attended with a sturdy

weight of such

irresistible

power, which,
I

literally

speaking, hath struck

had it not been for some superior, invisible guard, must have struck them dead. These are all the sturdy set of armed followers that the Methodists know of. And whatever you may unkindly insinuate about my being aware of a turbulent spirit, a fighting enthusiasm amongst them, because I said, " I dread nothing more
verily believe,

many

of them dumb, and

than the

false zeal

of

my

friends in a suffering hour,"'

think

many

years'

experience

may

convince the world that the weapons of their warfare, like

those of their blessed

but, thanks be to

Redeemer and His

apostles,
ridicule

have not been carnal

God, however you may

His

irresistible

power,

they have, through Him, been mighty to the pulling

strongholds in

down

of Satan's

many

a sturdy sinner's heart.'

Whitefield confessed

that
first

'

there
;

is

generally

much

too
;

much
'

severity
far
in

in

our

zeal

at least there

was in mine

also that his

and Seward's treatment of Archbishop Tillotson

too severe.

was by

We

condemned
I

his state,

when we
if

ought only,
called to
doctrines.
heartily,
it,

a candid manner, which

would do again

to
I

have mentioned what we judged wrong in his

do not

justify

it.

condemn myself most

would
go on,
still

and ask pardon

alive.

for

it,

as I believe he (Seward)

do,
sir,

were he now

But then, do not you

;

to imitate us in our faults

let

the surviving Methodists

260

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
for

answer
turbed.'
'

themselves

let

Seward and Tillotson

lie

undis:

Whitefield adds, on the subject of desiring persecution

Whatever can be produced out of any of

I

my writings
all

to

prove

that

have desired or prayed

death,

for
it

ill-usage,

persecution,

martyrdom,

&c,

retract

with

my

heart,

as

proceeding from the overflowings of an irregular, though well-

meant
'

zeal.'

He

also thanks Lavington for pointing out the

'

very wrong expression

about the

'

hosannas of the multitude.'

'Your remark,' he
be a
the

says, 'runs thus:

I

"Very
it

profane, unless

it

false print for huzzas."

could wish

had been
to

so,

but

word was

my own

and though not intended

convey a
I

profane idea, was very wrong and unguarded, and

desire

may be
before

buried in oblivion, unless you, or

some other kind

person, are pleased to remind

me

of

it,

in order to lay
all,

me

low

God and
in
rest,

man.'

The

last

admission of

that he was

wrong
all

making public the

lot

Wesley cast

in private, is

worth
it

the

and does honour

of the summer,

to Whitefield's

candour

is

perfect

atonement

for his fault.

The whole

and the

early part of the

autumn,

of 1749, were spent in a tour through the west and through

Wales, thousands answering his

call,

and coming

as of old,

even when the rain rendered an open-air service both uncomfortable

and dangerous.
house
at

For two days he sought retirement

in

his wife's

Abergavenny (she was now on her way

from Bethesda

to join him),

and found
to

it

'

so very sweet,' that

he would have been glad never

have been heard of again. which

exhibits so

From thence he wrote many sides

to his brother at Bristol a letter

of his
:

life

and character

that

it

demands

a place in his biography

My very dear Brother, Enclosed you have a letter from out good Lady Huntingdon, whom, I suppose, you will have the honour of Both before and ever since I left receiving in a few days under your roof. Bristol, I have been frequently thinking of the unspeakable mercies that
'

A BROTHER'S LOVE
the infinitely great

261

and glorious God is pleased to pour down upon us. Surely the language of both our hearts ought to be, " What shall we render
unto the Lord? "
lives to

For

my

part, I

am

lost in

wonder, and want a thousand

let

spend in the Redeemer's

entreat

service.

Oh,

not

my

dear brother be

angry
lime.

if I

him

at length to leave off killing,

concern for your eternal welfare so affects

and begin to redeem, me, that it often brings

grace, to wrestle in
soul
is

bodily sickness upon me, and drives

your behalf.

Even now,

whilst I

me to a throne of am writing, my
day when you

agonising in

prayer for you, hoping

I shall see that

will

have poured out

have

on you a
pierced,

spirit of

grace and of supplication, and look to

to

Him whom we

and be made
all

mourn

be done,

resolutions,

spiders' webs.

Nature
it

is

mourneth for a first-born. Till this all schemes for amendment, will be only like a mere Froteus, and till renewed by the Spirit of
as one

God, though

may

shift its scene, will

be only nature

still.

Apply

then,

my
'

dearest brother, to the fountain of light

and

life,

from whence every

good and perfect gift cometh. A worthy woman, in all

probability,

is

going to throw herself under

will

God

into your hands.

A considerable addition
all for

then be

made

to

your

present talents,

and consequently a greater share of care and circumspecimprove

the glory of

tion necessary to

Him who

hath been always

preventing and following you with His blessings.

otherwise than a pious husband,
ever met with in hurt enough
;

Should you prove any

afflictions I

it

will

be one of the greatest

my

life.

At present you can only hurt

yourself,
I

which

is

but then, forgive me,

my

dear brother,

am

jealous over

you with a godly jealousy.

will follow this letter with

My

tears shall be turned into prayers,

and

strong crying unto

God

in

your behalf.
;

My
;

retirement here these two days hath been very sweet

but to-morrow I

begin a three weeks'

Next Sabbath I am to be at Carmarthen the Friday following at Haverford West. For the present, adieu. That you may take Christ to be your all in all, and that the remainder of your
circuit.
life

may be one continued

is

sacrifice

of love to
of,

precious blood for you,

the hearty prayer

'

Him who hath my dear brother,

shed His

Yours most affectionately

'George Whitefield.'

These prayers appear

regard of

to

have been answered.

dis-

His work among the rich was done with a scrupulous

all

self-interest.

To

a friend,

who thought
if

that

Whitefield had carried religion very near the Court,

into
it,

not quite

and

that he might

have influence enough to secure the

appointment of a religious governor to some colony where a

262

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
if

governor was wanted, he replied that he should be very shy to

ask favours, even

he had

interest at Court, lest

he should be

thought to preach for himself and not for Christ Jesus, his
Lord, and because he would fain convince
not theirs, but them.
all

that

he sought

Yet he would use

his influence with

if it

equal freedom in other quarters, and especially

was

for

any one

in

more than

usually

humble circumstances.
this

Such a
tour,

worthy object came under his notice during

obscure Dissenting minister,
to finish the

an

who had

sold part of his library

meeting-house in which he preached, whose dress

was very mean

as well

it

might

be, seeing

he had but three

his

pounds per annum from a fund, and the same sum from
people

who

lived very low, but enjoyed

much

of God, and

who was something

as

of a poet

for Whitefield

found that he had

good an understanding of the

'

figurative parts of Scripture as

any one that

he knew of

in the world.'

How

could he

for-

bear using his interest with a rich and benevolent friend for

such a

'

poor, despised, faithful minister of Christ

'

So he hints

that four or five guineas might be bestowed on this Zachary,

who had

also a faithful Elizabeth.

it

hard task was

for

him

to inspire other hearts with as-

much moral courage

well as by example,

as always bore

up

his

own.

By word,

as

by reproach, and by loving persuasion, he

the fearful from the fear of man, which

would

try

to free
full

hindered their
Jesus Christ.

and self-denying consecration

to the will of

One
that

of the most difficult cases he ever

had

to

manage was
refinement.

of Dr.

Stonehouse, of Northampton, an

eminent physician, a friend of Doddridge, and a

man
of

of great

Many were
it

the

expostulations

the

bold

evangelist before the shrinking

stand, but at last

man

could be brought to a firm

was done.

On

the day of his arrival at Bristol after a month's circuit

this

he gives

account of his work

NOT ONE DRY MEETING

'

263

Yesterday

God brought me

here, after having carried

me
I

a circuit of
suppose, to
eight

about eight hundred miles, and enabled

me
I

to preach,
in

upwards of a hundred thousand

counties,

souls.

have been

Welsh
in

and

think

we have

not had one dry meeting.

The work

Wales

is

much upon

the advance,

and

likely to increase daily.

Had my

dear Mr. Hervey been there to have seen the simplicity of so

souls, I

am

persuaded he would have said, M Sit aniiiia mea

many dear cum Methohave been

distis!"

But every one to his post.

During
till

this excursion

kept happy inwardly, and well in body

the latter end of last week,

when

the Lord was pleased to lay His hand upon me. so that I was almost

brought to the crave.

But lie that wounds heals

also.'

Soon afterwards Whitefield resumed

a
little

his

work

in

London

for

while,

and then returned

all

into the west,

where Methodist

doctrines

were agitating

minds, and where he was an

his reply to the first

especial object of interest,

on account of

part of Bishop Lavington's pamphlet.

The journey

has as

many
a
life,

incidents as would form the remarkable parts of

many
life

but in this career they are in danger of being passed over as

commonplace.

It

would be a

rare thing in the

of any

clergyman were he, on being recognised as he passed through

a town, to be asked and entreated by a humble,

unknown

woman

to stay

and give the people a sermon

and upon con'

senting to do so, soon to find himself surrounded

with a great

company.'
place was

And
still

the next day the congregation at the

same

greater.

This happened
it.

at

Wellington when

Whitefield rode through

All along his

way he found the good seed of past sowing

At

times springing up and promising an abundant harvest.

Plymouth the wonderful power which attended

was making things look quite new.
the bishop had been useful to

his first visit in reply to

His pamphlet
;

some
Yes

its

candour and simplicity

deserved nothing
if

less.
it,

The

bishop,
'
:

when asked by some one

Whitefield writes like an
;

he had seen

replied,

honest man, and has recanted several things

but he goes on

264
in

GEORGE WHITEF1ELD
the

same way

yet.'

His loidship also promised a second

part of his pamphlet, which in

due time appeared

Wesley,
it.

but as

it

was mainly

directed

against

in

Wesley's

hands

Whitefield was content to leave

and among
St.

The bishop was troubled with Methodists in his own his own clergy, the Rev. Mr. Thompson,
Gennis, being one of these undesirable 'sons.'

diocese,
vicar of

When
off

Lavington threatened him to his face that he would pull

his

gown, Thompson immediately pulled

it

it

off himself,

and

throwing
'

at the feet of the

astounded bishop, exclaimed,

a

can

preach
it

the

gospel

without
for him,

gown.'
try to

The bishop
soothe him.

thought

was best to send

and

Next he had the mortification of seeing Whitefield welcomed

to

Thompson's house, from whence he had thought

to banish

him, and the two friends fraternising with such cordiality as only
feel.

men whose endangered

friendship has stood firm can

The bishop was

not, however, to

go without

his gratification.

In his presence, and in that of

I

many

of his clergy, Whitefield

was for the fourth time violently assaulted while preaching the
gospel.

The blow

of a cudgel at Basingstoke, the

thump

of a

sod from a Staffordshire heathen, and the pelting with the

refuse of a Moorfield's
fair,

were followed by a stunning blow

from a great stone, which struck deep into Whitefield's head,

and almost
awful

rolled

him

off the

table,

from which, amidst an

at

stillness,

he was addressing ten thousand hearers

for him, struck a
at the

Exeter.

second stone, also meant

poor

man
fell

quite to the ground.

third,

aimed

same

object,

and did no damage.

This was done

in the
lie,

presence of the
that Methodist

man who had

unblushingly repeated the

preachers were often attended with

carrying clubs under their clothes to

a set of sturdy fellows

make

the congregations

reverence their preaching apostle

nor did he

mount

the table

STONED BEFORE A BISHOP

to express his

265

shame and

regret at being the witness of such

an outrage, neither did he act the part of the kind Samaritan

to the injured

man. The only

alleviating thought to this story

is

that the bishop

to the assault.

and

his clergy

do not seem

to have

been accessory

Whitefield, never wishful to magnify his deeds

and
that

sufferings,
it

nor to exaggerate another's

fault,

simply says

was

'

a drunken

man who threw

'

three great stones at

him

but the assailant must have been tolerably sober

to hit his

when

once he aimed so well as

next time threw with such force as

neither do drunken

man on the head, and the to lay a man on the ground

to

men

often

manage

carry three large

stones into a dense crowd. 1

Weak and

suffering, yet a

moral conqueror, Whitefield

call at

re-

turned to London, not forgetting on his way to

Dorchester

Gaol to comfort John Haime, a soldier who had headed a

1

It

would have been more becoming a Christian bishop had Dr. Laving-

ton tried to reform the heathen of Exeter, instead of wasting his time in

slandering others

who

did his neglected work.

For the sake of truth

'

it

should be stated that the city had a band of ruffians called

Rabble,' or
'

Church

The God-damn-me Crew,' who

carried persecution to every

length short of death.

clerk,
\

In 1745, the crew, led by a bailiff, a sexton, a parish'

laced themselves in

and several tradesmen, and encouraged by many gentlemen,' who windows to see the obscene sport, abused the Methowould, neither the mayor nor the magistrates interfering to They kicked the men and subjected them to every abuse and They rubbed the faces of the women with lamp-black and oil
;

dists as they

stop them.
indignity.

they beat their breasts with their clenched

fists

they stripped them almost

naked, then turned the

rest of their clothes

over their heads, and in that

condition kicked or dragged them along the street, or rolled them in the
gutters or in

mud-heaps prepared

for

them.

To

save herself from one of

the

mob who

attempted even worse outrage, one

woman

leaped from the

hours, and in

gallery of the meeting-house to the floor.

The

riot lasted for

the presence of thousands.

See

'An Account

of a late Riot at Exeter,' by

John Cennick, 1745; and 'A brief Account of the late Persecution and Barbarous Usage of the Methodists at Exeter,' by an Impartial Hand, The riot occurred in 1745 Eavington's Treatise was written jn 1746. Whitefield was assaulted in 1749. 1747
;
;

266
revival

GEORGE
movement among
for his zeal
'

Iff//TEE/ELD

his

comrades
in

in

Flanders,

and since

his return

home had preached

Methodist fashion, and been

!

rewarded

by a place among knaves and felons

'

Whitefield's

grand catholicon

under both

public

and

domestic

trials

preaching was
;

now used by him

of
1

with unin a

remitting diligence

and

in the

autumn

749 we find him

new

district,

and among a people as

different

from those of the

west of England as Yorkshire moors are different from Devonshire lanes

and orchards. and

It

was the splendid autumn season

'

when he

first

clambered up that steep road

fall

winding between

wave-like hills that rise

on every side of the horizon,

if

with a long, illimitable look, as

they were a part of the line

of the great serpent, which, the Norse legend says, girdles the

world
piety

; '

and was received

at bleak little

Haworth, sacred both

to

and genius, by William Grimshaw, the incumbent.

standing half a mile from the church, and

The

old parsonage (not the one in which the Brontes afterwards

lived),

commanding
Worth, and
the

from

its

windows a wide view of the

door the interlacing
hills

valley of the

from

its

towards

Keighley,

sheltered valley at their feet,

and the swelling moors, traced

with winding roads, that

lie

bordering on the moors of Ilkley,

like the sturdy

was

solid

and weather-beaten,
it.

man who

then

inhabited

We
it

do not know whether

lay

his eye often lingered

his

on the beauty and grandeur that

at the

around

home perhaps
;

most

would be a hurried glance that he would

give,

when

he halted for a

moment on
and
it

the doorstone, as he went

;

forth to preach, or returned

from the same duty

for

he was an

untiring apostle of the truth,

would be

little

time that he
to

could find for

soften

communion

with nature.

His work was

and change the rugged, hardened sinners

all

of the village,

and of
carry

the district round, as far as his iron strength could

;

him

and

for that

he must only exchange the saddle

for the pulpit

where he made

his

sermons

where he preached

THE VICAR OF HA WORTH

them.

267

An

all-absorbing thing was the enjoying

and teaching
sin to holiness,

those truths which had turned his

own soul from

and which had changed a clergyman, a mere

professional,

who

had entered holy orders with the unholy wish

living

to get the best

he could, into a loving shepherd, who sought the lambs

in

and the sheep by night and day,

he might save that which was he preach

summer and winter,

in weariif

ness and painfulness, nor ever thought of his sacrifice,

lost.

so be

Thirty times a week would

in cottage or church, or

on

hillside

it

was an

idle

week when he preached but twelve

satisfied

times.

Neither was he
;

simply to preach, to get through his subject

he would

dwell with unwearied patience on each part of his message,

loving the tenderness
that the feeblest
'

and mercy of which

also love
his

it

spoke, and anxious

it.

mind should
'

and understand
he
only,

Affectionately

desirous

of

people,

would

have

imparted to them, not the gospel of

God

but also his

own

soul,

because they were dear to him.

Truer and kinder

shepherd never tended flock than

this overseer of the flock

among

the

hills.

Much

has been said about his eccentricities,

but these were

little

noticed by his people,

who lived

daily in the

light of his shining purity,

and received

in their every sorrow

and

in their every joy the

sympathy of

his faithful heart.

His church always presented a remarkable appearance on

the Sunday.
that day.

The shepherding

of the

week made a

full

fold

Weavers and farmers, shepherds and labourers, came

district to
felt

from the remotest parts of his wild

grace and truth, and listened as
if

hear his words of

they

the power of another

first

world upon their

spirits.

When

Whitefield

visited them,
in

which was

in

September, 1749,

six

thousand people stood

the churchyard to hear him,

and above a thousand communi-

cants approached the table with feelings of

great a

awe and

joy.

So

number could have been

district

collected together in this

desire
to

thinly-populated

only

by a strong

hear

268

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
and by a deep and
real interest in the great

an unequalled preacher, whose fame was familiar through the

lips of their pastor,

subjects on which he discoursed, as the congregations at

Cam'

buslang and in the American woods were called together.

was,' says Whitefield, 'a great

It

day of the Son of man.'

to
all

Whitefield paid his

first

visit

Leeds

at the request
;

of

one of Wesley's preachers and of

Wesley's people

he was
to

welcomed by
hear him.

all,

and had a congregation of ten thousand

visited

About the same time he

Armley, Pudsey,

and

Birstall. 1

Proceeding northwards, he met

Charles Wesley returning

from Newcastle, where Methodism had already won a remarkable triumph, and where he had been confirming the believers.

Charles

immediately turned his horse's head round towards

Newcastle, and went (a pleasant sight to see) to introduce his

brother in Christ to the Methodist pulpit in that town.

He

wrote a

letter giving

an account of what took place which

reflects the highest credit

upon the
work
:

spirit

in

which the three

friends were

now doing
moments

their

'

snatch a few
rejoice to
;

before the people

come

to tell

you what you

at

will

know

that

the Lord

is

reviving
to

His work as

the

His Church; so that G. W. and myjjroth pr n ,ntU_are one a threefold cord which shall no more be broken. The week before last I waited on our friend George to our house in Newcastle, and gave him full possession of our pulpit and people's hearts as full as was in my power to give. The Lord united all
beginning
that multitudes are daily

added

Tradition long retained a story about the preaching at Birstall.

Nancy
Birstall

Bowling, a pious old maid of Heckmondwike,

at the

who

died sixty years ago

advanced age of eighty, used to

tell

how

the

wind blew from

towards Heckmondwike when Whitefield preached, and that his voice could
be heard on Staincliffe Hill, a mile and a half from where he stood, crying,
'

earth, earth, hear the

;

Word

of the

Lord

! '

The

story must have been

lold her

but most likely she heard him preach, as she was ten years old
died,

when he

MRS. GRACE
our hearts.
I

MURRAY
. . .

269

for some days. He was At Leeds we met my brother, who gave honest George the right hand of fellowship, and attended him everywhere to our societies. Some at London will be alarmed at the news but it is the Lord's doing, as they, I doubt not, will by and by

attended his successful ministry

satisfied.

never more blessed or better

acknowledge.'

'

Brother Charles

'

and 'honest George did something more

'

at

Newcastle than preach

to

they got Mrs. Grace Murray, a

widow,

whom Wesley

was engaged, married

to

John

Bennet, to the great anguish of Wesley's heart.

Whitefield

played only a secondary part in this blamable transaction, and

under the

strain

it

caused he kept the two brothers together.

Wesley showed astonishing

magnanimity towards
which Charles

all

con-

cerned, but especially towards Charles

and Mrs. Bennet.

refers,

This second
after

visit

to Leeds,

to

was

a ride with Whitefield through part of Lancashire and

Cheshire.
It

part of

made
their

the Established and Dissenting

clergy very angry,

and

churches and chapels echoed with

the thunder of their displeasure.

It

was November now, and, says Whitefield,

'

indeed

it

begins to be cold abroad.'

his

Winter was warning him home to

Tabernacle

so he only called at Sheffield, Nottingham,

and Ashby on

his

way southwards.

At

Sheffield, then

a town

of ten thousand inhabitants, he unwittingly gave the Wesleys

a most appropriate return for their kindness at Leeds

and

Newcastle.

In 1743 Charles had been stoned there, and the

pulled

society house

down by

a mob, while the constable

later

looked on approvingly.

Three years
still

Charles found the

;

hardened sinners

at Sheffield

the

same

and
'
:

felt

himself

constrained to warn them from the awful words

Except the

Lord of hosts had

unto

left

unto us a very small remnant, we

should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like

Gomorrah

'
!

God

filled

his

mouth with judgments

270

GEORGE WH1TEF1ELD
had no deeper
soul.

against them, which he trembled to utter, and they to hear;

yet he
his

satisfaction than that of having delivered

toiled,
is

own

Other labourers

then

came
visit

Whitefield,

the success of whose preaching

thus noticed by Charles

:

Wesley, eighteen months after Whitefield's

'At two
I

I rejoiced

to

meet some of

my

dear children in Sheffield.

encouraged them by that most glorious promise

"Behold He cometh

with clouds, and every eye shall see Him." The door has continued open ever since Mr. Whitefield preached here, and quite removed the
prejudices

of

our

first

opposers.

Some

of

them were convinced by

him, some converted and added to the Church.

"He

that escapes the

sword of Jehu

shall Elisha slay.'"

He

was no mighty man, glorying in

his strength,

these conquests over fierceness, rage,

and

hate, but

who won one who

passed his days in humble watchfulness and dependence upon

heavenly
aid.

When
'

others were wondering at his unflagging

afraid of declining in the latter stages

devotion, he was

more
him.

of his road than of anything else.'

self-satisfaction in

There was not a grain of

after

He

was hungering and thirsting

simplicity
interests

and godly

sincerity.

He

was subjecting
his Lord.

all
'

personal
If souls

to the glory

and kingdom of

were profited he desired no more.'

Every expense was con-

tracted with miserly vigilance, that he might have the

more

to

give to the poor,

in every sacrifice

and

for the furtherance of the gospel.

And

made,

in every

reproach endured, there was

before his soul the image of his humbled, homeless, suffering

Redeemer, cheering and reviving and defending him.

He

had struggled upwards to a glorious height of consecration and and

love, yet

was he ever mindful of the

past,

when

self-will

fear of

contempt marred the beauty and excellence of

for the
sir,'

his

piety,
sin.

and anxious
'

day of

his final

emancipation from
friend,
'

Oh,

my

dear
I

he exclaims to a
first

this pretty
;

character of mine

did not at

care to part with

'twas

INTIMATE WITH CONTEMPT

laughed at by
all.

271

death to be despised, and worse than death to think of being

But when

began

to consider

Him who
I

endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself,

longed
to drink of the
I

then

same cup

and blessed be God, confor

tempt and
twice

are pretty intimate,

years.'

and have been so

cluster of
'

above

l/

seven

Humility was now one of

all

the

most

conspicuous

among
I
it

that

radiant

virtues
I

and

graces which crowned his head like stars.

learn from
'

Oh, that
!

may
out,
all,

all

see to desire to be nothing

'

he

cries

and

to think

my

highest privilege to be an assistant to

I

but

the head of none.

find a

love of

power sometimes
to

intoxicates even God's

own dear
zeal,

children,

and makes them

spirit

mistake passion for

authority given

and an overbearing
For

for

an
it

them from above.

have

my own
it

part, I find

much

easier to

obey than govern, and that

to
it

is

much
power
at

safer to

be trodden under foot than

others so.
setting out

in one's

to serve

This makes

me

fly

from that which

our

first

we

are too apt to court.

Thanks be
ill

to the

Lord

of

all
!

lords for taking any pains with

I

and hell-deserving
dear a
in
rate.'

me

cannot well buy humility

to
'

at too

He

went

golden seasons

'

in

London,

the winter
in the

1749-50.

Large congregations were gathered together

at
six

Tabernacle,

in

the

morning.

The

nobility
forgotten.

were

preached
tells

to,

and poor people and orphans not

that he
'

He

Lady Huntingdon
;'

hopes to write to the poor

orphan-house he sends

baker soon

and

to

Habersham
to take
is

at the
'

word
and
it

that

he has agreed

little

Joseph and

his sister,'

also that he hears there

little
it

infant beside the other two,

too,
if
it

that he

would

willingly

have

could be kept

till

was about three years old;

'for,'

says he, 'I hope to

earth.'

grow

rich in

heaven by taking care of orphans on

further instructed to let Mrs.

Haber-

sham

is

(probably some

widow) and the other poor of Savannah reap the benefit of the

272
crop,
if
it

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
answers expectation.
'

Pray

let

one

barrel ol

rice

be reserved for them.'

Something now induced him

chapel.

to offer to

preach

in
;

Wesley's

His
four

friendly

advance was kindly met

times
to

and

he

preached

or

five

large

congregations,

and

administered the sacrament twice.

Tabernacle, and preached

Wesley also came

to the

for Whitefield,

and administered
a
measure

the sacrament to twelve hundred communicants.

His work among the

satisfying

nobility,,

which was
spiritual

in

fair

even to him, with his

conceptions of the
at Court,

work of God, was now the subject of conversation

as well as in private circles.

The

following anecdote, which he

communicated
were observed.
'

to

the

Countess, will show

:

how

his

friends

He
to in

says

His Majesty seems

by

have been acquainted with some things about

his

us,

what

passed
:

discourse

with
-suit

Lady

Chesterfield.

The
brown

particulars are these

her ladyship had a

of clothes-on, with a

which was brought from abroad. His Majesty Her and then laughed right out. At length his Majesty ladyship could not imagine what was the matter. " I know who chose that gown for you Mr. Whitefield and I hear said Her ladyship that you have attended on him this year and a half."
ground and
silver flowers,

coming round

to

her, first smiled,

answered

to her chair
is

"Yes, I have, and I like him very well " but after she came was grieved she had not said more so that I find her ladyship
; ;

not ashamed.'

Early in 1750

London was

several times

shaken with earth-

quakes

and the

state of excitement into

which

it

and other

causes threw the people, gave Whitefield a grand opportunity

for displaying the fulness of his love in

and the strength of

his faith

God. and on the 8th of March there came another, at a quarter There was no more harm done past five in the morning.
first

The

shocks were

felt

on the 8th of February,

than the rocking of the houses and the tumbling

down

of

some chimneys; but men's

hearts failed

them

for fear.

There

EARTHQUAKES IN LONDON
was talking about judgment and the
last

273

day.

soldier,

bolder and more fanatical than the rest of the people, an-

nounced the coming overthrow of a great part of the

a certain night between twelve and one o'clock.
fled the city altogether, while others

city

on

Multitudes
fields

crowded the

and

open places

for safety

from

falling houses.

The Methodist

chapels had enormous congregations.

Whitefield sought his

congregation
soldier's

in

Hyde Park on

the

dreaded night of the

all

prediction.

He

warned and entreated them

to

much more stupendous and important than that which they now expected every moment to see. Neither moon nor star shed
prepare for the coming of the Son of man, an event

any

light

upon audience
still

or preacher,

and only one voice was

heard in the
ness.
It

darkness, like a voice crying in the wilder-

spoke of mercy and judgment, and could hardly

in vain.

have spoken

The
health,
his
'

winter in
if

London had been

;

very trying to Whitefield's

it

refreshing to his heart

daily trial

throughout the whole of

body was a

to him,

and sometimes he could

It

scarce drag the crazy load along.'

was with delight that

off into

he saw spring return, and that he went

for a

the west
full

time of ranging.

He

went with

his

hands so

of

work, and

moved

so rapidly from place to place, that he could

hardly find time to eat.

He
for

found

it

exceedingly pleasant,
'

and hoped now,

to

in his Master's strength,

to begin beginning
in six days

spend and be spent

Him

'

Twelve times

did he preach at Plymouth, and the longer he preached, the

greater
Still

became
more

the congregations
satisfied.

and the mightier

'

his word.

he was not
;s,

He

wanted
;

more tongues, more

had he been
all.
it

bodi

souls for the

Lord Jesus

'

gifted

with ten thousand, Christ should have had them

It

was inevitable that

his flaming zeal, kindled as

was by

the love of the Lord Jesus, and burnin

r

only for His glory,

274

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
fire all

should

the district through which he passed.

to the

Glouces-

ter, Bristol,

Plymouth, and Cornwall right

Land's End,
to travel in

were

all

ablaze with religious fervour.

He seemed
to
in

the strength of the

crazy

Holy Ghost, and

coming

be independent of that

body which had oppressed him

at his
;

London.

Friends
at

were jubilant

and when he was speaking

little

Bideford, where there

all

was one of the best

St.

flocks in
fell

England, the bold vicar of

Gennis almost

under
the

the
\

mighty power of

God which came down upon

fail

people.

Such exertions
physical mischief.

as

he put forth could not

felt

to

do him
last

That pain which he

;

as he

came

from Scotland was not inactive

it

now and
It

again pierced
in

him, and stayed his headlong pace.

had plagued him

;

London when he was preaching

he was over the
himself so
first

four times a day

and when

burst of effort in the west, and thought

it

much

better for the change,

returned upon him

with increased

power.

He

had continued vomitings which

.'almost killed him,' he says; and yet the pulpit was his only
cure, so that his friends
off
'

began

to pity

him
!

less,

and

to leave

that ungrateful caution, " Spare thyself

"

He

does not appear to have permitted one day's rest to his

to

body when he returned May, 1750, he

was lying
ill,

London from

the west.

Early in

started for

Ashby, where Lady Huntingdon

whom

he hoped God's people would keep out of

heaven as long as possible by their prayers.

He

had some

pleasant interviews with Doddridge, with Stonehouse (now a

clergyman, and not afraid to attend Whitefield's preaching in

the
fields,

nor to take the evangelist's arm down the

street),
first

with Hervey and Hartley.

a series of
little

At Ashby there began the

of

incidents in this town which well illustrate

his was.
'

what kind of a
says,

life

The kind people

of Ashby,' he

'stirred

up some of the baser

sort to riot before her

ADVENTURES BY THE WAY

ladyship's

275
;

door while the gospel was preaching

people,

and

on

Wednesday evening some

narrowly escaped

on

their

return

home,

being

murdered.

Her

ladyship

has just

received a message from the justice, in order to bring the

offenders before
him.'

After
at

passing

through
his

Nottingham,

Mansfield,

and Sutton,

which places

message was

reverently listened to by vast numbers, another rough reception

was given to him

at

Rotherham.

The

crier

was employed

to

give notice of a bear-baiting.

At seven o'clock on a Saturday

round him; then

morning the 'bear' had

the

his congregation

drum sounded, and

several

watermen came with great

;

staves to the baiting.

The

constable was struck

two of the

mobbers were apprehended, but afterwards rescued.

the most active opponents of Whitefield
at

One
who

of

Rotherham, but
also

afterwards one of his best friends, was one Thorpe,

thought to make merry with his public-house friends at the

evangelist's expense.

He and

three others engaged to

com-

pete, in a public-house, for a wager, at

mimicking Whitefield.

His competitors took their turn

table, saying,
'

first
all.'

then he jumped on the

shall beat

you

According

to the

terms

of the contest, he opened the Bible at haphazard, and took the

first

text that his eye fell

all

upon, which was

this,

'

Except ye

repent, ye shall

likewise perish.'

The words

pierced his

conscience at once, and instead of mimicking, he began to

preach in right earnest, neither thoughts nor language failing

him.

His audience hung their heads

to

in silence

and gloom

none attempted
remarks which
terror.

interrupt
his

him

as

he went on to make
with

filled

own mind

amazement and

His sermon

which
room

he always affirmed was preached

by the help of the

the table, and
one.
left

Spirit of

God ended, he descended from

in

the

silence, without noticing

any

Afterwards he joined Ingham's society, then Wesley's,

finally

and

becoming an Independent,

settled as the pastor of

276 the Independent

rivalled

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
Church
at

Masbro.
in

The people

of Bolton
;

those of

Rotherham

rudeness and
;

violence

drunkard stood up behind Whiter! eld to preach

twice attempted to stab the person

and a woman

who

erected the preaching-

stand in her husband's

field.

At Newby Cote, from whence

treatment he had received at

he wrote the

letter detailing the

Bolton, he had to
after writing
it,

append

to his letter, at seven

'
:

on the morning
This
last

a postscript which ran thus

his
teeth.

night

Satan

hath

showed

Some

persons got into the

barn and stable, and have cut

horse's
tails.

my
do,

chaise and one of the

if

What would men

they could

'

It

was

reserved for 'a clergyman at Ulverstone,

like a
insults

who looked more

last

butcher than a minister,' to render the

of those

which Whitefield bore during

this journey.

He came

with two others, and charged a constable to take Whitefield

into

custody

'

but,'

adds Whitefield,

'

never saw a poor

the poor pilgrim

creature sent off in such disgrace.'

Thus

went on from town

to town,

from county to county.

bright side.
Sheffield hardened
visit,

The journey had

also

its

sinners were visibly altered in their looks since the last

and received the word with such gladness

that
to

away because they could not come near enough

many went hear. The

filled

moors around Haworth were thronged on Whit Sunday with

thousands of people, and the church was thrice almost
with communicants.

Increasing
at

in

power as he went, he

reached Edinburgh
'

the end of two months, during which

Whitefield's house was often the village inn, and there he was exposed

to

annoyance both from drunkards and gamblers.

in

One

night the
set of

room
felt

in

which he and a friend slept was next to that

were carousing
;

which a

gamblers

and

their foul

language so troubled him that he

he

must go and reprove them.

In vain did his friend try to dissuade him.

effect.

He
and

went and spoke, but apparently without any

lay

When

he returned

down

again, his friend said,

fell

'What
asleep.

did you gain by it?'

'A

soft

pillow,'

he answered, and soon

VISITING

THE DYING
forty

277

time he had preached more than ninety times, and to perhaps

as

many

as

one hundred and

thousand people.
;

His coming was hailed with joy in Scotland

gregations than ever waited on his word
striking,
;

larger con-

and

results,

not so

but quite as useful, followed his efforts as formerly.

first

His general plan was to preach twice every day, the

early in the morning,

time

and the second

in the evening at six

but one day he preached thrice, and another day four times.

This exertion proved too much.

Ralph Erskine and he met,

quiet
;

and shook hands.

parting was rather
I shall

The pamphleteers were

more

and many
'

of his enemies were glad to be at peace with him.

affectionate than ever,' he says,

The
'and

have reason to bless

God

for ever for this last visit to

Scotland.'

His active

life

did not altogether remove him from the quiet

sphere of an ordinary pastor; and sometimes

we

find .him

comforting the dying, and preparing them for their change.

Such work awaited him on

ceived her

his

return

to

England.

The
re-

Honourable Miss Hotham, daughter of Lady Hotham,

last

religious teaching

from him, and passed into

see Whitefield kneeling

the joy of her Lord.

at her bedside,

It is striking to

and praying

'as low as he could,'

and then

giving her the

communion.
and the beginning of
1

The end
to

of 1750

751 do not appear

;

have been so
is

stirring as other times in Whitefield's life

but
as

the fact
ever,

that his public labours, well

numerous and exhausting

work
at
all,

when he was
and

enough

to

were consider-

ably overshadowed by personal affliction and the affliction of

his wife
friends.

At

first,

and

for

some

short time after

quiet.

his return

from Scotland,

all

was most pleasant and most

He looks at home in his

he entertains

house adjoining the Tabernacle. There

beloved friend Hervey
to breakfast with
;

his dearly

Wesley, too,

comes up one morning

him, and then to

278

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
'

pray with him.

His

heart,' as

Wesley

says,

'

was susceptible
I

of the most generous

and the most tender

all

friendship.

have

frequently thought that this of

ing part of his character.

others was the distinguish-

How

few have we

known
! '

of so kind

a temper, of such

large

and flowing

affections

Charles

Wesley, too, had the same judgment on this point, and said
of

him
'

For friendship formed by nature and by grace, His heart made up of truth and tenderness,

He
It is in

lived, himself

on others to bestow.'
his,
'

the spirit of this beautiful expression of

It is

my

comfort that those

who

are friends to Jesus shall live eternally

together hereafter,' that he

comes

in

from the Tabernacle to

;

enjoy the conversation of his friend

and by and by goes

a

down

to

Ashby

to see the

Countess and four clergymen who

are enjoying her hospitality.

He

says that she looks like

'

good archbishop with

'

his chaplains

around him.'

'They have
all

the sacrament every morning, heavenly conversation

at night.'

day,

and preaching

He

calls this living at

Court indeed.

Nor
good

is

the heavenly conversation without wit and pleasantry,

for Whitefield

was one of the cheerfullest of men.

'Strong
artless

sense, a generous expansion of heart, the

affability,

most

but captivating

the brightest cheerfulness,

says,
'

and the

promptest

wit,'

Toplady

made him one

we
is

of the best

companions
But
so
it is

in the world.'

only for a few days that

sec

him spending a

life
is

free

from the strain of preaching to thousands.

fields,

He

hardly withdrawn from the

ing in them.
nestling
'

yet

longing to die preach-

His favourite caution

never out of mind
this
;

to ministers

'

Beware of

is

and although he has won

he
is

converts

in

short

stay

at

Ashby,

soon

off

to

London, and plunged

w

into all the excitement of his countless

labours.

ILLNESS OF LADY HUNTINGDON

Two
fever,

279

months' work brought on a violent and dangerous

which confined him

to his

room

for

two weeks.

He
Half
;

soon was well enough to engage again in his work; but he had
thought to cast anchor in the haven of eternal
regretfully
rest.

he received the summons

'

to put out to sea again

but his thought for himself was quickly forgotten in the old
passion of his soul

love
them

of others

and
still

he wished that he

might

live to direct

to the

haven he had almost sighted.

near her third

His

wife,

too,

was

in very delicate health,

confinement, and after that event she

continued for some

fell

time in a precarious

state.

Not a word

from his pen

about his third

still-born.

child,

which, like the second, was probably

Trouble next
her affected

fell

upon Lady Huntingdon, and what

She
was,

affected

him.

indeed,

unwell

at

the

same

time as Whitefield, but in January, 1751, she became

worse,

much
he
sister-

and he was sent

for to see

her at once.
better,

When

arrived at
in-law,

Ash by, he found her somewhat

lying

but her

Lady Frances Hastings,

'
:

dead

in the house.

He
be
I

remarks concerning her

silently,

She was a

retired Christian, lived

and died suddenly without a groan.

!

May my

exit

like hers

Whether

right or not, I

cannot help wishing that

it is

may go
to
live

off in the

same manner.
sudden

To me

worse than death

to

be nursed, and see friends weeping about one.

is

Sudden death

glory.'

Whitefield's preaching this winter

was as remarkable as on
comforting mourners, in
the

any previous winter

cheering
the

for its efficacy in

faithful,

and

in

converting

impenitent.

When
to

he finished and started

for Bristol, in

March, he wrote

a characteristic letter to his friend Hervey, urging him to

come

Lady Huntingdon

at Bristol

'

for,'

he

says,

'

she will have

!

nobody

to give her the

'
:

sacrament unless you come

'

White-

held proceeds

ventured the other day to put out a guinea

280

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
It

to interest for you.

was

to relieve

an excellent Christian,

who, by living very hard and working near twenty hours out of
four-and-twenty, had brought himself very low.

He

has a wife
I

and four
one
for

children,

and was above two guineas

for you.

in debt.

gave

for myself

and one
in

We

shall

have good interest

our

money

another world.'

This year his mind was

much

relieved

about Georgia,

because the introduction of slaves was at length permitted by

the Government.

The

pertinacity of those

who wanted

to

make money out

feelings

of their fellow-men out-wearied the better

and

holier principles of those

rights,

who saw

in the trade a
;

violation of

human

a political and social curse

and

free

scope was given for the capture of Negroes in Africa and for
their introduction into his

America.

Whitefield's remarks

upon

new
just

acquisition are too strange, as

coming from one who

had

helped the poor indebted Christian, to be omitted.

a sigh of regret that he never appears to have

They cause
his

met

contemporary, that beautiful character, John Woolman, the

certainly

American Quaker, who

would have talked and prayed

him

into a different state of mind.

'

Thanks be

to God,'
I

he says, 'that the time for favouring that colony

seems to be come.
for the

think

now

is

the season for us to exert our utmost

good of the poor Ethiopians. We are told that even they are soon And who knows but their being settled to stretch out their hands to God. in Georgia may be overruled for this great end ? As for the lawfulness of keeping slaves I have no doubt, since I hear of some that were bought with

Abraham's money, and some that were born in his house. And I cannot help thinking that some of those servants mentioned by the apostles in their It is plain that the Gibeonites were epistles were or had been slaves. doomed to perpetual slavery, and though liberty is a sweet thing to such as
are born free, yet to those

may

not be so irksome.

who never knew the sweets of it, slavery perhaps However this be, it is plain to a demonstration

that hot countries cannot be cultivated without Negroes.

What

a flourish-

ing country might Georgia have been, had the use of them been permitted
years ago
!

How many

white people have been destroyed

for

want

of

SLA VER V IN GEORGIA

them, and

28
all
!

how many thousands

'

of pounds spent to no purpose at

Henry ? been in America, I believe he would have seen the lawfulness and necessity of having Negroes there. And though it is true that they are brought in a wrong way from their own country, and it is a trade not to be approved of, yet as it will be carried on whether we will or not, I should think myself highly favoured if I could purchase a good number of them, in order to make their lives comfortable, and lay a foundation for breeding up their posterity in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. You know, dear sir, that I had no hand in bringing them into Georgia though my judgment was for it, and so much money was yearly spent to no purpose, and I was strongly importuned thereto, yet I would not have a Negro upon my plantation till the use of them was publicly allowed in the colony.' (It will be remembered that he had a hand in urging on the alteration of the law. Now this is done, dear sir, let us reason no more about it, but diligently improve the present opportunity for their instruction. The Trustees favour it, and we may
'

Had Mr. Henry

Matthew

'

never have a like prospect.

It

rejoiced

my

soul to hear that one of

my

poor Negroes in Carolina was made a brother in Christ.

but
fall,

How know we

we may have many such God willing, I intend

instances in Georgia ere

to see

it be long? In the what can be done towards laying a

foundation.'

In a copy of the
found,

earliest

orphan-house accounts may be

on the same
for so

page

which

records

the

pounds paid
entry

many

horses, cows, calves,

number of and pigs, an \^

And

this

'For two servant s bought of George Cuthbert, j \2.' was done sincerely in the name of philanthropy and
nor does one protest from any quarter appear to have
it.

religion,

been raised against

to occur that

To

Whitefield himself

it

never seemed

the brotherly love he

showed
to the

to

Negroes perof slavery,

sonally was a spirit utterly

opposed

spirit

and

that soon or later

one must destroy the other.

Love and

slavery never can co-exist in peace.

And
this

little

did he dream

what a ghastly
slavery

failure this

attempt to unite Christianity and

would prove

to be.

From

dark deed flowed,

for

more than a

century, a river of wrong, misery,

and shame.

In

the original Declaration of Independence of the United States

there was a clause reprobating
the

enslavement of African

282

GEORGE WH1TEFIELD
to restrain
it,

Negroes, but at the instigation of South Carolina and Georgia,

which had never attempted

slaves,

the importation

of

and

still

wished to continue

the clause was struck

It

out.

Georgia became one of the worst of the slave States.

offered, in 1831, a

reward of

five

thousand dollars

for

William

Lloyd Garrison, the leader of American Negro Emancipation, which was a bribe
South, whence
to

any

ruffian to seize

him and convey him

alive.

it is

certain he never

would have come out

The reward was on his head for thirty-four years, when Lincoln's
Proclamation of Emancipation annulled
it.

But Providence had

a strange revenge for Whitefield's fault, for in the house next

to that in

which he died

at

Newbury

Port, Garrison

was born,
S.C.,

and over the ramparts of Fort Sumter, Charleston,

which the
first

from
flag,

shot was fired by the South on the Federal

Garrison and a band of Abolitionists, invited by the Govern

ment
as the

to

be present, had the joy of seeing that

liberty for
all,

flag raised

again

symbol of

black and white alike.

the

In

New
was
over-

England, which had shared so largely in

generated the force that destroyed slavery.

revival,

The good

came

the

evil.

Nevertheless, evangelist

and ministers should

not to give

be warned by
their support,

this painful part of Whitefield's life

either directly or indirectly, to anything,

is

under
lest

any pretext whatsoever, that

thereby they do more
good.

a violation
all

of justice,

harm than by

their labours they

do

Whitefield might not have been able to prevent the

introduction of slavery into Georgia, but he would have been

honoured

for failing in

an attempt

to stop

it,

and he need not

have availed himself of the right to hold

slaves.

On March

30,

75

1,

Whitefield writes from Plymouth: 'I

It

suppose the death of our Prince has affected you.

a shock.'

has

The Prince of Wales counted many of given me Lady Huntingdon's friends among his political supporters,
and she
herself,

before

her

conversion,

often attended

his

IN IRELAND
Court.

283

Her absence from Court

by the Prince
;

after her

conversion was not

unnoticed
Charlotte

and inquiring one day of Lady

was,

Edwin where she

'

he received the laconic,

mocking answer,
Prince

suppose praying with her beggars.'

head,

The
'

shook

his
I

and

turning
think
I

to

her

said,

Lady
to

Charlotte,

when

am

dying, I

shall

be
to

happy
lift

seize the skirt

of

Lady Huntingdon's mantle,

me up

with her to heaven.'

From
effort

January, 1751, to December,

1752, there occurred

life

nothing that deserves detailed record in a

like this,

where

was generally

at the full stretch,

and where
joys,

sufferings,

both mental and bodily,

as

well

as

abounded.

We
;

are prepared to hear of journeys

and voyages made with the

promptness of a general
of weariness

at the

head of an attacking army

and

and sickness paid

said about

as the price for the risks run.

few pages of Whitefield's

is

letters carry
it,

us into Wales, where,

since nothing

we must imagine what work he

and where the people
having prepared his

did
of

and

into Ireland,

where he was received into the house

banker,

Mr.

Lunell,

a Dublin
everything,

welcomed him,
way.

apparently,

Dublin was soon aroused by his earnest words, and

'Moorfield's auditories' rewarded

him

for his toil, as they stood

with solemn countenances,Jike

eternity.

men who

were hearing as for

Athlone and Limerick, where, as a hunger-bitten,

he had preached fourteen years before, next

weary

traveller,

heard his voice.

Then Waterford and Cork, where he

midst of a populace which

stood

unhurt in the

had shamefully

treated the Methodists

whom
;

the Wesleys and their helpers

had gathered

into a society.

Hundreds

in that city

prayed
td

him

to continue

among them
if

and many Papists promised

;

leave their priests

their pleading

he would consent to the request

alike ineffectual.

but

and promising were

He

was

soon

in

Dublin again, and as quickly away

to Belfast

and

284

GEORGE WN/TE FIELD

What
stay

other places in the north.

of Cork,

the efforts of the people

and the

tears

of the people of Dublin could not

procure

a
large,

few days

longer

the

importunity of the
that attended

people of Belfast

won from him.

The numbers

were so

and the opportunities for good were so promising,

had not come among them sooner.

that he grieved he
all

And

the while

he had been performing these journeys and

labours in the heat of summer, and under physical weakness

which caused violent vomiting, attended with great

blood after preaching
in the
!

loss of

Yet

in five days

he was at Glasgow,

house of his old

cross.

friend,

Mr. Niven, a merchant, who

of

lived
still

above the
burned

The enthusiasm

Cambuslang days
in

in the hearts of the peasantry

and the weavers

the country, and by three o'clock

in the

morning many of

them were on

their

way

to the city, to hear

him on

the day of

his farewell preaching.

In Edinburgh, whither he went next,

the selecter society living in the capital evinced, along with

the poor

and the degraded, a strong desire

body was almost worn
in

to receive his

message.
prostration,

More work brought on more haemorrhage and more

till

his

out.

Riding recruited
for

him

and he was no sooner

voyage
to

London, than he took ship

his fourth

America, his seventh across the Atlantic.

his constitution

vDr.

Doddridge thought
labour.
for

was quite worn out

in

with

After
his

spending

the

winter

America,

he
in

embarked

eighth voyage in the spring,

and was

England preaching and journeying as usual the whole of

the

summer.
'

His
the

special

object

in

returning

so

soon

was

to

put

orphanage upon a proper

for the winter of

footing.'

He

retired to

London

1752

but at the end of

what exertion and triumph did that laborious repose come

For about twenty-eight days he preached

less

in

Scotland to not

than ten thousand a day.

'

His progress through the north

a sublime

of

England towards

London was

march.

From

MISSING FACES
Sheffield

285

he wrote that since his leaving Newcastle he had

in

sometimes scarce known whether he was

earth.

heaven or on

As he swept along from town

to town, thousands

and

thousands flocked twice and thrice a day to hear the word of

life.
'

gale of Divine influence everywhere attended

till

it.'

He

continued his work

he reached Northampton, where he

took coach for London.

city,
it

No wonder
that

that,

on

his arrival in the

seemed

as

if

the broken tabernacle of the

spirit

body must
the

release the ardent

quickened

it.

Moreover,

inner

life

was as intense as the outward was active and busy.

dear friend,' he exclaims to a correspondent, 'what
love
is

'Oh,

my
!

manner of

this,
I

that

we should be

called the sons of

God

Excuse me.
;

must pause awhile,

my

eyes gush out

tears.

with water

at present they are

almost fountains of
!

But

thanks be to

God
1752,
is

they are tears of love

Looking round upon the

Christmas,

circle of Whitefield's friends at

we miss some
not there
;

kind, familiar

faces.

His

mother's face

she had died a year before, while

he was paying
not there
;

his last visit to America.

at

Doddridge's face

is

he died

Lisbon, and the news of his decease

followed Whitefield
battlefield

to

America.

Like the soldier on the

who can but drop

lift

a word of pity for a fallen com-

rade,
1

and

up a prayer

for himself, Whitefield

could only say,

Dr. Doddridge,
!

I find, is

gone

Lord

Jesus, prepare
is

me

to

follow after

'

The

face of

good Bishop Benson

His
:

not there

he died on August 30, 1752.

of the Countess of

last
'

days verified the remark

lord,

Huntingdon

My

mark my words

when you
his his

are on your dying bed, Whitefield's will be one of the

'

few ordinations you will reflect upon with complacence

On

dying bed he sent Whitefield a present of ten guineas for

orphan-house as a token of his regard, and begged to be

in his prayers.

remembered
sister is

The

face of Whitefield's only

not there.

Her house

in Bristol

had been

his

home,

286

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
also his early
;

and

Sunday morning preaching-room, while

that she

in

that city
into

and when she died he believed

not there.

had entered

'the rest that remaineth for the people of God.'

The

face of

Ralph Erskine
6,

is

His death occurred on

November

1752; and when the intelligence was brought to

Ebenezer, he said with great emotion,

'And

is

Ralph gone?
in

He
for

has twice got the start of

is first

me

he was
start

first

Christ,

and
;

now he

in glory.'

But the

was not a long one

Ebenezer Erskine was now an old man, and worn with

heavy labours.
quietly
toil,

On June
;

2,

1754,

he followed his brother

after

and gently

as

one sleeping and resting himself

he went to

his reward.

CHAPTER
1

XI

753-i-770

CHAPEL-BUILDING

ATTACKS

BY

ENEMIES

INFIRMITIES HIS
WORK

DEATH

THE RESULTS OF

HIS

NO
that

small portion of the year 1753 was spent by Whitefield

in

what he called cross-ploughing the land

is

and what

work was
field

well

enough known without our following him

But while he thought that he was the

from

to field.

happiest

man who,

being fond neither of money, numbers, nor

'

power, went on day by day without any other scheme than

general intention to promote the

common

salvation

amongst

people of
to the

all

denominations,' his attention was forcibly called

for his

work of providing a permanent place of worship

followers in

London.
;

The churches were

as inaccessible to

Methodists as ever

but had they been open probably few

would have cared

to enter

them, for the freedom

preferable
to

of the the
still

Tabernacle was in their estimation

alterable forms of the

unthe

Church.

The Tabernacle was

wooden building
division

that was hastily erected at the time of the

between the Calvinists and Arminians.

first

The

idea of

a permanent building seems to have been the Countess of

suggested by

Huntingdon

but Whitefield

was slow

to

move.

In the winter of 1752, she and Lady Frances Shirley

287

288

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
their side,

again urged the work upon him, and this time he was brought
to

and began

to collect

money.

His people

re-

sponded with

their usual liberality,

and contributed a hundred

and seventy-six pounds on one Sunday.

With eleven hundred

first

pounds
the

in hand, he,

on March

i,

1753, laid the

brick of

new Tabernacle, which was to be eighty feet square, and The ceremony was performed with built round the old place.
and Whitefield preached a sermon from the
I

great solemnity,
text,
'

In

all

places where
thee.'
its

record

My

name,

I will

come unto
Tabernacle
it

thee

and

bless
to

Three months
congregation
;

later the

was ready

receive
it

and he opened

by

preaching in
or more.

morning and evening,

to four

thousand people

In the spring of this year Whitefield came into serious

collision with the

Moravians.

The

reports of their proceedings

'

and of

their financial position

which he published in

An

Ex-

postulatory Letter' to
ears

Count Zinzendorf, were brought

to his

by one

whom

Peter Bohler stigmatises as an apostate

but there can be no doubt that Whitefield had his information

from more sources than one

the
letter, his

and as Bohler was

assailed in

phrase must be somewhat discounted.

A man

might be an apostate from Moravianism, and yet a true witness.

Whitefield opened his letter with a protestation that a real
regard for his king and country, and a disinterested love for
his Saviour

and

his Saviour's

Church, would not

let

him keep
an

silence longer with respect to the shocking things of which he

had heard, and the offences which had swelled

enormous
bulk.
received, there

to such

According to the statements which he had

had been much foolishness and some wicked-

ness practised by the Brethren, and they were seriously in debt.

But these are things that need not be further named here. Whitefield evidently acted with candour and kindness, and his
remonstrances did the Brethren good.

ILLNESS OF WESLEY
His open-air preaching was concluded
beautiful to be left without notice.
this year in

289

a way too
in Bristol

He had opened
name
as that in

another chapel, called by the same

London,

and then
that

started for Somersetshire.

He writes, on December
at
;

1st,

on the Tuesday before, he had preached

in
;

seven in the
that all

evening to a great multitude

the open air

was

hushed and exceeding solemn

brightness
calls
;

that the stars

shone with great

seen

that then,

if

ever,
;

he had by

faith

Him who
filled

them

all

by

their

names

and

that his soul

was

with
shall

holy ambition, and he longed to be one of those

shine as the stars for ever and ever.

who

His hands and body had

asks,

been pierced with cold; 'but what,' he

things

'are outward

when

the soul within

is

warmed with
his

the love of

God ?
joy,
it

Much and
seemed
friend

sincerely as he desired

crown and

at this

time as
ill

if

another were to precede him.

the

His

Wesley was

of what

physicians
pitied

thought was

galloping
himself,

consumption.
but not Wesley.

Whitefield

the Church

and

He

almost grieved to think that

he must stay behind in 'this cold climate,' while Wesley took

'

his

flight

to

radiant throne

prepared for him from the

foundations
'

of

the
'

world.'

Then, again, he thought how

be
pitied,

poor

Mr. Charles

was

to

upon whom double

of sorrow,

work would come.

The

time was

full

and

it

gave Whitefield and the Countess an excellent opportunity

Bristol

Lord Chesterfield contributed twenty pounds towards the erection of Tabernacle but begged that his name might not appear in any
;

way.
feeling

Sainte Beuve says that he feared ridicule

and very

likely that

made him wish his name to be withheld. He seems also to have been afraid of Lady Huntingdon's importunities, and a little impatience
is

with her

perceptible.

'

Really,' he said,

'

there

is

no

resisting youi

ladyship's importunities.
astic

It

would

ill

become me

to censure your enthusiis

admiration of Mr. Whitefield.

;

His eloquence
by anybody.'

unrivalled, his zeal

inexhaustible

and not

to

admire both would argue a

total

absence of

taste,

and an

insensibility not to be coveted

20

2QO

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
The Countess and another
London, went from Bath
state.

to serve their friends.

lady, just

arrived in Bath from

to Bristol, to

inform Charles of his brother's dangerous

diately started for
fell

He imme;

London, and found John

Prayer was

at

Lewisham

he
the

on

his

neck and wept.

now

offered in

all
;

Methodist societies

for the recovery of their great leader

and
the

Charles records that a change for the better came

when

people were praying for him at the Foundry.

Hope, however,
written his

had been relinquished by

all

and Wesley had

epitaph, which was a longer composition than Whitefield had

penned
field

for his

own tombstone, but

similar in spirit.

White-

wrote from Bristol to both the brothers, but enclosed

John's letter in Charles's.

To John he

wrote

If seeing you so weak, when leaving London, distressed me, the news and prospect of your approaching dissolution hath quite weighed me down. A radiant throne awaits you, I pity the Church, and myself, but not you. and ere long you will enter into your Master's joy. Yonder He stands
'

with a massy crown, ready to put

of saints and angels.
dissolution

it

on your head amid an admiring throng

I,

But

I,

poor

that have been waiting for

left

my
here

these

nineteen years,
is

must be
it

behind to grovel

below

Well, this

my
sir,

comfort,

cannot be long ere the chariots

are sent even for worthless me.

If prayers can detain them,

;

even you,
is

reverend and very dear

shall not leave us yet

fall

but

if

the decree
kiss

gone

forth that

you must now

I

asleep in Jesus,

may He

your soul
If in the
;

away, and give you

land of the living,

to die in the

embraces of triumphant
last respects to

love.

hope
sir,

to

pay
!

my

you next week

if

not,

reverend and dear

farewell

My

heart
for
!

is

too big, tears trickle

I pra, sequar, etsi non passibus aquis. down too fast, and I fear you are too
underneath you be Christ's everlasting

weak
arms

me to enlarge. May commend you to His

never-failing mercy.'

Wesley disappointed
his health.

his friends' fears

by slowly regaining

He who seemed

so nigh to his rest returned to

work

for

almost forty years longer, and,

his

among

other services,
It

preached the funeral sermon of

brother Whitefield.

was the cause of sincere joy

to Whitefield to see his fellow-

17SITS
labourers spared to stand

LISBON
;

291

by his side

he prayed that the

latter

Wesleys might both spring up afresh, and their

increase

end

more and more.

'

Talk not of having no more work

all

in the vineyard,'

he wrote to Charles; 'I hope

I

our work

is

but just beginning.

thing for

am

sure

it

is

high time to do some-

Him who
little

hath done and suffered so

Near

forty years old,

and such a dwarf!

in the
!

much for me. The winter come

I

already,

and so

done

summer

am ashamed

blush,

and am confounded
affliction

This winter of

for the

Wesleys was one of much

;

physical prostration to Whitefield also

every sermon, he says,

was fetched out of the furnace.

/
I

He

itinerated

between Ports-

mouth and Scotland and back

in this state.

When
his

spring
via
for

came he
making

sailed

with

twenty-two

orphans for Georgia,

;

h Lisbon.
I

This was his ninth voyage

it

and

reason

by way of Lisbon was that as a preacher and a he might see something of the superstitions of For
this

Protestant
the

Church of Rome.
the pageantry
the
factory,

purpose he could have chosen

;

no better season and no better place

all

he was
week.

in

time for

and

activity of Easter

gentleman

of

whose brother had received good through

Whitefield's preaching,

welcomed the
wishes
of

evangelist to his house,

gratifying his wishes.
curiosity.

and afforded him every opportunity of

Nor were
for
it

these

the

idle

Whitefield

delighted in travelling for the the sake of seeing

sake of preaching and also

things.

men and

He
that

thought that
fresh

expanded a man's mind to see strange places and

;

customs

and there can be no doubt

due
in

his

own wide
nations.

charity was

no small degree
of
all

to his intercourse with

men
At
and

of
first

all

classes,

Churches, and of
for the

many

he did not care

;

much

distinctions

between

Churches

Baptists

and when Quakers, Independents, Presbyterians, showed him equal kindness wherever he

292
travelled,

GEORGE WHITEE1ELD
and displayed the
less.

great qualities of purity

it

and

love,

he cared yet
to find.

more

impartial Christian

would be hard

He
it

expected perfection in none, and hailed every

in
all.

tendency to
present
so

Even Lisbon was

judgment

to

do more than

him with
that

things to be hated

and shunned.

Amid
St.

much

was

against

his

and conscience,
singing in

there were things to delight his taste.

The

Domingo Church by

the

Dominican
'

friars

while the queen

sweet.'

performed her devotions there, was

most surprisingly

The

action of the preachers, a great

number
'

of

whom

he

heard, struck

him

as

most

graceful.

Vividi oa//i,

vivida

manus, omnia vivida?

pressive
gesticulation

He
and

thought, as he beheld their im-

heard
truth

their

tender

tones,

that

English preachers,
well to be a
let
little

who have
more

on

their side,

would do

fervent in

their

address,

and not
that
is

falsehood and

superstition

run away

with
to

all

pathetic
all

and

affecting.

The

city

was a scene

make him

eye and ear.

There were images of

saints with lanterns

burning in front of them, and churches hung with purple

damask trimmed with

hurrying

gold.

There were the

richest
altars,

and
or

noblest of the land bowing before the

gorgeous
their

from

church to church to
spectacle
feet

offer

sacrifices.

There was the

nobles,

of

the

king,

attended with

his

washing the
ier

of twelve

poor men, and of the

queen and
poor women.

royal

daughters

doing the same to twelve

There were processions of penitents, headed

friars

by preaching

bearing crucifixes in their hands, which

they held up before the eyes of the devotees as they exhorted

them

to fresh acts of sacrifice.

His soul was moved with pity

as he saw by moonlight

one night some two hundred penitents,

dressed in white linen vestments, barefooted, and with heavy

chains attached to their ankles, which
they passed along the streets
;

made

a dismal noise as

some

carried great stones on

HIS WIFE'S LONELINESS

their backs,

293
skulls in their

and others dead men's bones and

hands

most of them whipped and lashed themselves with

flat

cords or with
effects of their

bits of iron.

Even

in the

moonlight the

heavy penances could be seen on their red and

It

swollen backs.

struck

him

as a horrible sight, in the

same

church where he so greatly admired the singing, that over the

great

window were

the heads of

many

Jews, painted on canvas,

who had been condemned by

pelling people to
!

the inquisition, and carried out

''Strange

from that church to be burnt.

'

way
'

this

of

com-

come in he exclaimed. Such was not Thy method, O meek and compassionate Lamb of God But bigotry is as cruel as the grave.' The whole time was, as he
!

said, instructive,

though

silent.

His wife was not with him

this voyage,

indeed she seems to

after their

have performed but one long journey with him

riage.

mar-

Her health was unequal to the trials of an American summer; and it would have been useless for her to have travelled with him as a companion from place to place.

He

could but leave her to her

own

resources

and the kind-

ness of his friends

not
and
life,

a pleasant position for a wife, but

the best in which he could place her, unless he relinquished

his evangelistic work,
his

that

would simply have overturned

his

whole plan of

and violated

most solemn convicvisit

tions.

He

implored one of his London friends to

his
fre-

wife frequently.

'Add

to

my

obligations,'

he

said,

'by
in

quently visiting

my

poor

wife.

Kindnesses shown to her

my

absence

will

be double kindnesses.'

With a

family, but not with his wife,

he arrived

at Bethesda,

which he found

in a flourishing state, as

was also the colony.

He
and

had a hundred and

six persons, black

and

white, to pro-

vide for

and

to guide

and he seems

to

have known the ages

capabilities

and condition of

often to have sent specific

all at the orphan-house, and and peremptory directions concern-

294

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
Honour,
too,

ing particular cases.

early

was beginning

to

come

to

and

faithful colonists.
first

His friend Habersham, who came

voyage, and to

over with him at his

the temporal
affairs

whom

he committed

of the orphan-house, was

;

now appointed
Whitefield him-

secretary of the colony

afterwards he

became president of the

which he

Council and
self received

Commons House

of Assembly.

from the new college of

New

Jersey, for

had greatly exerted himself before leaving England, the degree

of Master of Arts.

Altogether a better reception was given

before,

him by the country than he had received fourteen years

and
that, as
still

we have

seen,

was gratifying enough.

is,

His weakflesh,

nesses

clung to him, that

time he

his

weaknesses of the

and from

this

may be considered
;

a confirmed invalid

who
at all

refused to be invalided

but his strength of heart was not

far

diminished, and when he got as

in the quietest way,
line,
'

north as Portsmouth,
to the

he said

am now come
It is

end of

my

northward

and
all

in

a day or two purpose to turn back, in

order to preach

the way to Georgia.

about a sixteen

hundred
his sloth
for

miles' journey.'

This was he who was ashamed of

to

and lukewarmness, and longed

Yet again, when
his ride of

be on the stretch

God

two thousand miles was

all

ended, scenes of wonder having opened

the way, and

to

when
have

he had preached

for nearly five

months, he longed

time to spend in retirement and deep humiliation before that

Saviour for

whom

he had done so

little

He had

learnt to be

humble.
Whitefield's tenth voyage was performed in the spring of

1755.
friend

About two months

Cennick
to the
died.
'

after

his arrival

in

England
'

his

John

Cennick,'

he

said,

is

now

added
is.

happy number of those who see God

to follow after him.'
;

as

He

do not envy, but want

If not

a strong Christian, Cennick was a very devout one

and the good

Church cannot

forget her indebtedness to

him

for a few

DEATH OF JOHN CENNICK

hymns which he added
tiful

295 tender, beauin his pocket-

to her treasury.
dimitiis,'

Some
them
:

lines,

headed

'

Nunc

were found
of

book when he died.

'

Here

are

some

never

am

forsaken or alone

Thou
I

kissest all

my

tears

and

griefs
all

away

Art with

me

all

night long, and

I

the day

have no doubt that

shall

belong to Thee,

And
I

be with Thee to eternity.

would not Thee offend

I

Thou know'st my heart

Thy
time depart

Nor one
But

short day before

let

am weary and dejected too, me to eternal Sabbath go.'

Whitefield found the Methodists very lively in England, and

had the pleasure of hearing

But enemies were also

that

several

clergymen were

preaching those truths which he had done so

pagate.
alert.

much
it

to pro-

He

found

difficult to

keep clear of

collision with Wesley's friends, his

own admirers

and they being,

as usual, as careless about unneighbourly acts

as their leaders were anxious to love

and serve one another.

He

also

had open

and dangerous opposition from

It

some

ruffians in the metropolis.

was to be expected that one who

eclipsed the best actors of the day in grace of action

and natural

ness of expression (Garrick said he would give a hundred

guineas to be able to say

at

'

Oh

'

as did Whitefield),

and who,
unsparing

the

same

time,

assailed

theatre-going

with

severity,

would be attacked

in turn.

The

trouble with adit

mirers of the stage this time was of a complicated kind, and

is

difficult

to say

how much
and

they were to blame

for play-

houses, a bishop

his vestry,

and Roman

Catholics,

who

hated King George, are mingled in a strange medley in the

story.
all

It is possible to get

consistency only by supposing that

these hated the Methodist for special reasons of their own,

this

and were, by

common

feeling,

banded against him.

Even

296

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
make enemies wondrous kind for The Seven Years' War was also raging, and feeling Some religious people, apparently the Dissenters, a chapel, called Long Acre Chapel, near the playwas an unconsecrated building, duly licensed
its

hatred of the same thing will

a season.
ran high.

had

built

houses.

It
;

for

preaching

minister was the Rev.

John Barnard, an InMr. Barnard asked

dependent, one of Whitefield's converts.

Whitefield to preach in his chapel twice a week, and Whitefield

consented to do so on the understanding that he might use

the liturgy
'

if

he thought proper

for

he judged that he might

innocently preach the love of a crucified Redeemer, without

giving any just offence to

bishop or

Jew or Gentile, much less to any Every one was not overseer of the Church of God.
;

of his mind.

band of roughs were hired

chapel door.

to disturb

him

while he preached, by making a noise with a copper furnace,

bells,

drum, &c,

at the

Part of their pay

came

from some gentlemen of the vestry of the Bishop of Bangor

and Dean of Westminster, Dr. Zachary Pearce

their

and they did

work to perfection.

of silencing the obnoxious preacher than stones through the

They used more dangerous means drums they threw

;

windows

at him,
;

and always missed him,

though some one

else suffered
his

they rioted at the door, and

abused him and

chapel.

congregation as they were leaving the

serious,

Things were

though Whitefield with

his

strong sense of

humour

called their behaviour 'a serenading

//

from the sons of Jubal and Cain.'

to a magistrate

An
that

appeal

made by him

procured protection for a time.

less

An

appeal to
his

Dr.

Pearce was

successful
;

prelate

forbade

preaching in the chapel again

less.

but his inhibition was use-

Whitefield continued his work.

The
;

bishop's vestry

now revived the persecution by the mob made repeated appeals to this exemplary
the
violence,

and Whitefield
overseer
Several
to

stay

and he appealed

in

vain

persons

RIOTS

AT LONG ACRE CHAPEL

297

were seriously injured, and he himself was threatened with

death.
laid

Once when he entered

and
unavoidable

the pulpit, he found a letter

'a certain,

upon the cushion, which threatened him with

stroke,

sudden,

unless

he desisted from
law.'
It

preaching and pursuing the offenders by

determination, formed with the advice of

was

his

some members of

the Government, to prosecute the offenders, that

assail

made them
stroke.

him

in this

cowardly way

and

it

is

certain there were

some with audacity and wickedness enough to give the For some unusual purpose a man followed him into the
of the Tabernacle while the

pulpit

Long Acre
let

trouble was at

its

worst

and
field

it

was generally supposed that he was an

assassin.

Whiteits

dared the worst, and

the prosecution go on, until

preparation to enter the King's

Bench
in

terrified his

enemies.

One

of them also had previously

come under

better influences,

and regretted the part he had taken

mit violence.

paying ruffians to com-

The
last

letters to the

Bishop of Bangor are important

for

more

than the information they give of the rioting.

They

give us a

explanation and vindication of the course Whitefield had

followed for so
death.

many

years,

and which he followed

to

to

his

The

letters

of the bishop

Whitefield were not

it

published,

because Whitefield thought that

would be a

breach of courtesy to proclaim their contents, and his lordship,

fearing exposure,

had

signified his intention to use his right as

;

a peer to hinder them from appearing

but

it

is

easy to see

what

their substance

must have been, from the answers they

received.

Dr. Pearce had charged Whitefield with unfaithful:

ness to the Church of England, and the reply was

For near these twenty years
liturgy.

'

past, as thousands

can

testify, I
all

have conoccasions

scientiously defended

her homilies and articles, and upon

spoken well of her

I

Either of these, together with her discipline,

am

so far from renouncing,

much

less

from throwing aside

all

regard

to,

298
that
I

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
earnestly pray for the clue restoration of the one, and daily lament

wanton departure of too, too many from the other. But, my lord, what can I do? When I acted in the most regular manner, and when I was bringing multitudes even of Dissenters themselves to crowd the
the

churches, without any other reason being given than that of too
followers after me,
I

many

was denied the use of them.

souls, that

Being thus excluded,

thought

and many thousands of ignorant

perhaps would neither go to

I

church nor meeting-houses, being very hungry after the gospel, myself bound in duty to deal out to them the bread of
ambitious to serve
affections
life.

Being further

and

left

my God, my king, and my country, I sacrificed my my native soil, in order to begin and carry on an orphancolony of Georgia, which, through the Divine blessing,

house
is

in the infant

put upon a good foundation.

This served as an introduction, though

the

without

my
in

design,

to

my
;

visiting

other parts of

his

Majesty's

dominions

North America

and

serious in that foreign clime will

humbly hope that many made truly be my joy and crown of rejoicing in the
I

day of the Lord Jesus. Your lordship judgeth exceeding right when you say, " I presume you do not mean to declare any dissent from the Church of England." Far be
'

it

from

me

no,

my

loid, unless thrust out, I shall never leave her,

it

and
I

even then

(as I

hope whenever

happens

it

will be

an unjust extrusion)

shall continue to
for restoration of

adhere to her doctrines, and pray for the

her discipline, even to

my

dying day.

her truly Protestant and orthodox principles, especially

much wishedFond of displaying when Church and

State are in danger from a cruel and Popish enemy, I am glad, my lord, of an opportunity of preaching, though it be in a meeting-house: and I think it discovers a good and moderate spirit in the Dissenters, who will quietly attend on the Church service, as many have done and continue to do at

Long Acre Chapel, while many, who

ful sons,

suppose style themselves her

faith-

by very improper instruments of reformation, have endeavoured

us.'

to

disturb

and molest

Another extract from the

great pain

letter

cannot be read without

by any one who holds that the acceptance of creeds

ought to be made in simple,

or the subjection to canons

literal

honesty, without qualifications or reservations of any

Whitefield's answer to the bishop might be irrefragable

kind.
if

treated

should not be

upon the ground on which he placed it but made dependent upon the customs of any
;

truth
class

of men, otherwise the law of God

is

made void by human

CANONS AND CUE EDS

tradition.

299
his appealing so

Neither were matters

mended by

solemnly to the Almighty, as he did

'

in the following

words

But,
let

my

lord, to

come nearer

to the point in

hand

and

for Christ's

sake

not your lordship he offended by ray using such plainness of

as in the presence of the living

speech I would,

God, put

it

to

your

lordship's conscience

whether there

is

one hishop or presbyter in England,

Ii

Wales, or Ireland, that looks upon our canons as his rule of action?
they do,

we

are

all

perjured with a witness, and consequently in a very

bad sense of the word irregular indeed.

laws are invented and compiled by
ciples

When
of
little

canons and other Church

hearts and bigoted prin-

men

on purpose

to

hinder persons of more enlarged souls from doing

good, or being more extensively useful, they become mere briita fulmina

and when made use of only

that honestly appear for their king, their country,

up the hands of a zealous few, and their God, like the withes with which the Philistines bound Samson, in my opinion they may very legally be broken. ... As good is done, and souls are benefited, I hope your lordship will not regard a little irregularity, since at the worst it
as cords to bind
is

only the irregularity of doing well.'

Impossible as
well-doer,

it

is

to withhold

sympathy from an

irregular

who was singled out as the object warnings and the mark of scoundrels' brickbats,
playing,

of pastoral

while card-

gambling, idle clergymen

is

were passed by without

rebuke or punishment, there

irregular.

no gainsaying that he was

is

To

judge his conscience

not our

office

but

it

would have made one inconsistency the

less in his life

had

he severed himself from a Church with which he could hold

but a nominal connection so long as he persisted in his
irregularities
;

and

it

would have been a yet happier thing had

forms as to make the warmest
its

no Church been so
zeal
it

rigid in its
in

and the tenderest love

strange

communion
its

things which
constitution.

could not tolerate, and yet remain true to

It is

when

the best Christian

becomes the most objec-

tionable

member

of a Church.

Early in 1756, the year which our narrative has

now

reached,

a great change passed over Whitefield's personal appearance.

300

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
graceful figure which was familiar on

The
knew
a

many

common

and park and market- cross of England, which Londoners

so well as he rapidly walked their streets,

and country

people recognised as he dashed along their lanes, attended by

knot of brethren

on horseback,

in

haste to meet

some
which

mighty congregation, or rode slowly along, pondering

his next

sermon or

silently

communing

with

God

that

figure

was associated with the godly young man who entranced and

awed

his

countrymen

was now changed, when

The

he was

forty-

two years

old, into the heavy, corpulent,

unwieldy form, which

for us in their

several painters

and engravers have preserved

likenesses of the great preacher. 1

observation of the

common
happy
days.

people

lines, as It is

they

who heard him knew him in

gladly has pictured

his earlier

him

in

and

in his later

the bold and active young preacher

whom we
as

see

when we hear him described by a poor man

'preached
like

one who

lion.'

It is

the stout

man
as

of middle age
'

whom we
face

see

when another

describes
2

him

jolly,

brave

man, and sich a look with him.'

And no doubt
'

his kindly
jolly,

and rounded form did make him seem

'

brave
to

man
1

but the truth

is,

that this change was

;

owing wholly

These likenesses were a great bugbear to him he especially disliked which he is represented with his hands lifted above his head, an He used to attitude which he seldom assumed, and but for a moment. say that he should hate himself were he the sour-looking creature they They all agree in painting him with a massive represented him to be. chin and a large mouth, pinched tight at the corners, and long, flexible
that in
'

'

lips,
2

capable of expressing anything

the orator's
;

lips.

The words

are those of an aged Oxfordshire peasant, and were spoken

in
'

answer to the question, whether he remembered Whitefield's appearance. he was a jolly, brave man and what a look he had sure,' said he, when he put out his right hand thus, to rebuke a disturber as tried to stop Ay,
'

him, under the pear-tree.

The man had been very

barrels

threatening and noisy

but he could not stand the look.

Off he rode, and Whitefield

din."
'

said,

" There he goes; empty

make most

An American

said he

was

'

a cheery, a very cheery old gentleman.

PERSONAL APPEARANCE
disease.
It

301

was neither

less

work nor
he says
:

less care that

'

made him
for

seem so

hale.

As
and

for work,

have been enabled

to preach twice

thrice a
last

day to many, many thousands

these two

months

past.
I

And

yet

cannot

die.
;

Nay,
but
it

they

tell

me

grow

fat.

dread a corpulent body

breaks in upon
cure,
it

me

like

an armed man.'
his complaint.

Preaching

failed to

rather increased,

When
an

advised by

a physician to try a perpetual

quinsey, he changed the receipt

blister for

inflammatory

and

tried perpetual preaching;

and he vigorously and perseveringly applied the same remedy

to corpulency, flux,

and asthma, but not with the same

heavy burden of
It

success.

He was doomed He had care

give those

to carry a

flesh.

as well as work.
at the
:

had been

his plan

to

who helped

orphan-house no certain income,

if

or a very slender one

he said that

they loved

him they

would serve him disinterestedly; he asked nothing

exhausting
toils

for his

own

but food and raiment, and judged that others

should be equally devoted.

phants,

This surrounded him with syco-

who pretended
at the

to

be as high-minded as he wanted to
his

see them,

and who humoured

impatience of contradiction,
in

but

who

same time served themselves

an under-

handed way.

He

could be roughly honest himself, and might

it

well have borne with

among
its

the managers of his institution

the smooth deceit which crept into office turned

upon him

and pierced him, when

time came.

When

Whitefield had got one permanent chapel in London,

feel that
it

he began to

would be useful

to

have a second,

in

another part of the

city.

The

foundation-stone of Tottenham
laid

Court Chapel was accordingly

by himself on

May

10,

1756, and the building opened for worship on

the

same

year.

It

became the mother of

souls.
It

November 7th, many chapels, and

difficult

the birthplace of

many

was now becoming a

question for the increasing

number

of Methodists, who, like

302

GEORGE WHITEF1ELD
to

Whitefield and Wesley, nominally adhered to the Established

Church, and called themselves Churchmen,

standpoint.

determine their

and

faith,

Churchmen they might be in name and spirit but Churchmen in modes of action they were not.
part of the
;

As Methodists they were no

neither would
senters.
to

Church of England,
not Dis-

she recognise them

yet they were

They did not

feel the objections of the feel

Independents

Episcopacy;

they did not

;

the scruples of Baptists

about the baptism of infants

of Quakers to forms

they did not feel the repugnance

;

and sacraments of every kind

they did

not feel the abhorrence of Presbyterians to prelates and the

liturgy.

Neither State nor Church had

made any

provision

for this

new
;

people.
it

The

action of the

Church had already

determine
fall
its

been taken

now remained

for the State to

mode
tion

of procedure.

It quietly let

Methodism
the

into the

ranks of Dissent, politically considered.

Act,

There was a Tolera-

and the worshippers

in

new

tabernacles

and

chapels that were beginning to multiply might avail themselves

of
its

protection.

Hence

it

has followed that this movement,

which arose

at Oxford,

which was impelled and guided by

duly ordained clergymen, and which might have crowded the

Church of England with

oldest

vast congregations

of devout and

holy people, has become more and more identified with the

and

most extreme forms of

dissent

in

this

land.

Whitefield's chapels

and those of the Countess of Huntingdon

liturgy in

are

all

Independent chapels, the use of the

some

of them not hindering either minister or congregation from

declaring that they regard the union of State

and Church as
which Wesley

an unholy

alliance,

damaging
State.

to the

Church and burdensome

society
so solemnly counminister,
;

and

useless to the

Even the

established,

and the members of which he

selled to abide loyal to the

Church of which he was a

all

has gradually gone the way of

dissenting societies

it

has

METHODISTS AND THE TOLERATION ACT

also declared firmly that
to
it

303

will

not return to the ancient fold,

It
is

which

it

has

been invited back.

thus happening

that

Methodism, which never contemplated any severance

at
all, is

from the Church

aiding to bring about the dissolution

Its

of a bond which has existed ever since the Reformation.

numbers are multiplied by

and
lay preachers

tens of thousands

its

chapels
;

throng every town, and stand in every village in England

ministers

its

and helpers are legion

baptism
its

and the Lord's Supper are duly administered within

its

pale

adherents are married and buried by their

own

spiritual

teachers.

denomination or denominations constituted and

managed
or

in this

way

are not likely to long for other pastures

is

and another

fold.

Nor

their unwillingness to

be absorbed,

appended as an

auxiliary,

decreased by some petty annoy-

ances, remnants of former days, to which they are subjected.

Their social disadvantages in villages and country

injustice with

districts, the

which

their children are forced into

High Church

day schools, and the rudeness which too often shocks and
pains

them

at

the parish churchyard,

serve to excite

their

anger and

hostility.
is

As Englishmen they cannot help asking

what
their sin, that they

themselves what

their fault,

should

be thus treated
of

and when they see

that

it

is

only their love

services,

Methodism and
all

their attendance

upon

its

they

cleave

the
all

more
this

closely
to

to

their

denomination.

How

distant does

seem

be from the day when Whitefield

in

strove to put his

new chapel
Church

Tottenham Court Road under

herself

the protection of the Countess of Huntingdon, and thus to

preserve

it

for the

and when the Countess

as at the idea of

was annoyed
ministers

at

nothing so

much

one of her

becoming a Dissenter.

Berridge of Everton wrote

this chapel,

to her twenty years after the

after the

opening of

and seven

death of Whitefield, in a strain which shows that

even

at that time,

although she had practically been a Dis-

304
senter
for

GEORGE WHITE EIELD

forty

years,

she

disliked

her position, and was

it.

impatient

when any one

told

her the bare truth about

little

But Berridge was an honest man, and minded

how any

one resented
was
'
:

his plain speaking.

His language to the Countess

However

rusty or rickety the Dissenters

may appear

to you,

God

hath

His remnant
for the

among them

therefore

lift

not up your hand against them

Lord's sake, nor yet for consistency's sake, because your students

gown and band can make a clergyman. The bishops look on your students as the worst kind of Dissenters and manifest this by refusing that ordination to your preachers which would be readily granted to other teachers among the
are as real Dissenting preachers as any in the land, unless a
;

Dissenters.'

There are other passages

in the

same

letter

which describe,

almost with the accuracy of prophecy, the course of future

events in

Methodism and
his

in the Establishment,

and which

might afford food

for profitable

thought even

yet.

With regard
Huntingdon
about putting
to
it

to

new

chapel, Whitefield wrote to

Lady

say that

they had consulted the

Commons

under her ladyship's protection, and that the

answer was
'

No nobleman

can license a chapel, or

;

in

any manner have one put

in his

dwelling-house

that the chapel

must be a private one, and not with

it

doors to the street for any persons to resort to at pleasure, for then

and used as such without the consent of the parson of the parish, and when it is done with his consent, no minister can preach therein, without licence of the bishop
becomes a public one
;

that a chapel cannot be built

of the diocese.'

'

There seems

then,'

he
;

says,

'

to

be but one way, to license

it

as our other houses are

and thanks be

to Jesus for that liberty to

which we have.'

That licensing does not seem

it

have been

made

at once, for

was

in

1764 that as owner, both of the

Tabernacle, Moorfields, and Tottenham Court

Road Chapel,

PRACTICALL V
he registered them
of
St.

AN INDEPENDENT MINISTER
in

305

the registry of the

as
'

Dean and Chapter

Paul, London,

meeting-places of certain congrega-

tions of Protestant Dissenters

from the Church of England

calling themselves Independents.'

He

thus

became the owner

of

two Independent chapels, and was practically an Independent

while

minister,

remaining a clergyman of the Church of

England.

There was the same crush of

hearers,

when

the place was

opened, as there had been at the Tabernacle.

Many

great

people came, and begged that they might have a constant

seat.
trap,'

neighbouring physician called

that

it

'

Whitefield's soul-

and by

name

it

was commonly known among the

foolish scoffers.

Among
in

the distinguished visitors

who were
decorum

accommodated
and

Lady Huntingdon's pew, Lord

;

Chesterfield

might not unfrequently be seen

self-possession were as
if

and once

his rigid

much overpowered by
among
iti
!

the eloquence

of the preacher as

he had been a peasant

at a

Cambuslang

preaching or a Welsh miner

shouting,
'

a host of his countrymen

'

Gogoniant bendith

Whitefield,

who was
occasion
peril of

unrivalled in description,

could easily make his hearers see

;

with his eyes,

and

feel

with his heart

and on

this

he was giving a vivid and horrifying picture of the

sinners.

He

carried his audience out into the night,

and nigh

to a dangerous precipice,

where

in

the feeble light might be

seen,

dim and

staggering,

the form of an old man, a blind

beggar, deserted by his dog.

in hand, vainly
is

The

old

man

stumbles on,

staff

endeavouring to discover his way.

;

His face

towards the
;

cliff

step by step he advances

his foot trembles

on the edge
as he

another

moment and he
starts the

will lie

mangled

in the

valley below,

when up

agonised Chesterfield, crying

'

bounds forward

to save him,

Good God

he

is

gone

Oratory so perfect and so exciting could not

fail

to bring

some

actors

among

the motley throng that listened to him.

21

3o6

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
was that the sermon was preached best when
All
its

Foote and Garrick might sometimes be seen side by side

their opinion

preached
off,

for the fortieth time.

weaknesses were cut

;

and

all its ineffective

parts suppressed

all

its

impressive

passages were retained, and improved to the uttermost, and

his

memory holding
his tone

with unerring accuracy what he wished

to
its

to say,

and look and gesture were adapted

art.

utterance with perfect

Yet he was not bound by memory,

it

but seized upon any passing circumstance, and turned

account.

to

The heavy thunder-cloud hanging on

flash of lightning

the horizon,
for his

and the
field

which rent

its

bosom, were,
of the

congregations, his most vivid

emblems

coming day
rebuke
;

of wrath.

scoffer's levity

would point

his stern

and

a penitent's tear seen in some

bedimmed

eye would prompt a

word of loving encouragement.

It

was more than the oratorical display which attracted

'

to

the

soul-trap

'

Shuter,

who

was pronounced by Garrick the

Shuter had a warm,

greatest

comic genius he had ever seen.

felt

kind heart, and must have

his better nature

It

moved by

the

humanity of the teaching of Whitefield.

to

was he who came

the rescue of a remarkable play which was rejected by

Garrick, Powel,

and Colman

Goldsmith thanked him with

tears in his eyes for having established the reputation of his

'

Good-Natured Man,' when they had deemed

it

unfit for

production on the stage.

Conquer.'

He

also acted in

'

She Stoops

to

At the time of

his first

coming
in
'

to hear Whitefield

he was acting the part of Ramble

The Rambler.'

The

name

of the play tempted Whitefield into that playing upon

in the use

words to which he was somewhat addicted, and

of which he did not always exhibit the best

taste.

Seeing
this

Shuter sitting in the front of the gallery

they were by
fixed his eye

time

known

to

each other personally

in his

he

upon him,
to the

and exclaimed

warm

invitation to sinners to

come

SHUTER THE COMEDIAN

Lord Jesus
'
:

307

And

thou, poor Ramble,

also.

who

hast long rambled

from Him, come thou

to Jesus.'
vice,

Oh, end thy ramblings by coming

ser-

Shuter went to Whitefield at the close of the

said to

and

him

'

I
?

thought
'

should have fainted

this

how
in

could you serve

me

so

But neither

pointed appeal,

nor

many

others to which he listened, succeeded in drawing

his unsatisfying life to a nobler career.

him from
the

His part

production of Goldsmith's plays,

which appeared two

that

years before

White field's death, shows There

is,

he continued

to

follow his old calling.

however, an anecdote told

of him which proves that the old thoughts and feelings were

not extinguished,
him.
of
his,

if

they were not sufficiently strong to rule

intimate friend

The Rev. Mr. Kinsman, who was an

and had
tried
in

hard to wean him from his profession,

met him one day

been preaching so

Portsmouth, and said to him that he had

often,

and

to such large congregations, that

air for his health.

his physician advised

change of

'

And

I,'

said Shuter,

'

have been acting

till it

ready to die

but oh,

how

would have been in the service of God but in whose service have my powers been wasted ? I dread to think of it. I certainly had a call once, while studying my part in the Park, and had Mr. Whitefield received me at the Lord's table but the caresses of the great, who, when I never should have gone back unhappy, want Shuter to make them laugh, are too seducing. There is a good and moral play to-night but no sooner is it over than I come in with my farce of " A Dish of all Sorts," and knock all the moral on the head.'
different

our conditions
;

Had you

fallen,

When his friends rated him

is

as a Methodist, because they

:

had

seen him with Mr. Kinsman, he said

'

precious

method
Lady

mine

no, I wish I were

if

any be

right,

they

are.'

Huntingdon
actor.

gives us yet another glimpse of this kind-hearted

:

Writing from Bath to Lady Fanny Shirley, she says

visit

'

have had a
to call

from Shuter the comedian,

whom

saw

in the street,
I

and asked

on me.

He was

wonderfully astonished when

announced

3o8

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
name.

my

We

had much conversation

but he cannot give up his pro-

fession for another

more

respectable.

lie spoke of Mr. YVhitefield with

talents.

much
I

affection,

some other
think he

time,
is

and with admiration of his when he had more leisure

far

He

promised to come

for conversation.

Poor fellow

not

from the kingdom.'

Much
but
let
it

has been said of Whitefield's efforts for his orphanits

house, and of the success with which he pleaded

claims

not be thought that he never sent the collection-box

round

for

any other

object.

He

would help others when debt

the

and anxiety pressed

upon

himself,

money which would

have freed him being cheerfully sent to meet other wants.

often preached for the French

He
who

Protestants in

Prussia,

had suffered much

as

at the

hands of the Russians, and collected

for

much

as fifteen

hundred pounds

them (one pound then

and the King of
hundred and

was equal

to four now).

Many

of the nobility attended his

chapels while
Prussia
sent

he was making

this effort,

him

his

thanks

for

it.

At another time he
five

collected in his chapels,

on one day,
But on

sixty

pounds, for
sufferers

'

the relief of the

German
this

Protestants

and the

by

fire at

Boston.'
.

occasion he resorted
:

to a strange stratagem
'

At the

close of the sermon, he said

We

will sing a

hymn, during which those who do not choose

on
this awful

to give their mite

occasion

may sneak
*

off.'

Not
was

one

stirred

he then ordered the doors to be closed, and,

pulpit, held the plate himself
!

descending from the

a
in

It

common

make a collection for the orphan hospital Edinburgh, when he visited Scotland. He also made a
thing to

levy on the generosity of the

practical charity, as

Glasgow people, and taught them

all

he did

who heard him.

is

Franklin's

We

are not quite sure that this anecdote

'

authentic

it

is

inserted

here upon the authority of

Sketches of the Life and Labours of the Rev.

George

YVhitefield,' issued

by the Committee of the General Assembly of

the Free Church of Scotland.

STONED IN DUBLIN
story of the

309
the collection at

man who borrowed money

is

for

Philadelphia
this

matched by a

story of Whitefield's

power

in

Scotch

city.

An

laid a

wager with

who knew Whitefield's influence, another who was going to hear him with
officer,

a prejudiced mind,

that he

would

feel

himself obliged to

give something, notwithstanding his dislike.

The wager was

to

accepted

and the challenged man went

But Whitefield so moved

church

with

empty pockets.
was
fain to

his heart that

he

borrow from his neighbour, and his bet was

lost.

In May, 1757, Whitefield was the most highly honoured

man

in

Edinburgh, the next month he was mobbed and

Several Scotch towns had previously
this year

stoned in Dublin.

made

him a freeman
Commissioner.
the

and

he received the marked respect

of the ministers of the General Assembly and of the

Lord High

From

the aristocracy of Scotland he went to

Ormond and
their

Liberty Boys of Ireland, and at their hands

received the last violence to which he was to be subjected.

It

was

custom

to

meet and

fight

on Oxmanton Green, on

Sunday, but when Whitefield had appeared once on the ground,

and then came a second

against him, after he

time,

they turned their

to a vast

strength

had preached

multitude,

and

stoned him

as, all

alone, he was returning

home.

He
'

writes to

a friend that every step he took a fresh stone struck him, and

made him
breathless,

reel

backwards and forwards,

all

till

he

was almost
thought he

and

over a gore of blood.'

'

He

should have gone off

in this

bloody triumph

to the

immediate

presence of his Master.'

Hatless,

wounded, and bleeding, he

found a brief shelter

bringing

in a minister's house,
'

and some

friends

him a coach, he rode

further

in gospel

triumph through the

streets of Papists,'

oaths, curses,

and imprecations of whole

injury

and without
assault,

reached Wesley's room.

all

This

of which
to

he bore the scar

all

his

life,

was entirely

owing

his

having exhorted

ranks to be faithful to the

3 io

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
Christ,

Lord Jesus

and

to

King George, not

to his having

spoken against Popery.

To

escape the danger of open-air preaching was to encounter

all

the danger of ministering in two large chapels

the winter

through; and in the winter

1757-58 Whitefield suffered so

the short allowance,' as he called

much
it,

that

he was put upon

'

of preaching but once a day,

little

and

thrice

on a Sunday.

With
;

so

to do,

he began

to

examine things that were near him

and finding

that

round

his chapel there

was a most beautiful

spot of ground, he designed a plan for building twelve alms-

houses upon

it.

Some

other

'

good

folks

'

agreed with him,

and soon one hundred pounds of the necessary four hundred

were in his hand.

The houses were

to

be

for godly

widows,

who were
money.

to

have half a crown a week from the sacrament

cost of building

The

them was defrayed by

in

private

subscriptions,

the

public

being kept

ignorance of the

scheme

until the

whole sum was promised.

first

In June, 1758,
'

the houses received their

inmates, and stood as

a monu-

ment

that the Methodists were not against

travels of
;

good works.'
at Gloucester,

The summer
difficulties

1758 were begun

it is

and
ever

continued into Wales

and

grievous to mark the increasing-

under which they were undertaken.

traveller, but,

No
is

trifle

hindered this willing

four,

although he
:

only forty-

he

is

compelled to say to a friend

'

This tabernacle makes

me

to groan.

The
and
if

one-horse chaise will not do

for

me

as

it

will not quarter, I

am

shaken to pieces.
;

Driving likewise

wearies me, and prevents

that rides the fore-horse

my
is

reading

the road be bad

I

my

servant
to

dirtied exceedingly.

have therefore sent

Mr. S

's

my

dear

sir,

about the postchaise, and desired him to beg the favour of you, to look at it, and let me know your thoughts. This is giving

you trouble, but you are

my friend.'

Possibly the weakness of the body added to the fervour of the

spirit,

and increased the

interest of the congregations.

ACTORS
When
he
visited Scotland in

1759
in

his

elevei mth visit

he
by

/
\

exhibited

his

disinterestedness

ked a very marked

way,

refusing, either for himself personally or for his orphan-house,

the estate, both

money and

lands, valued at seven thousand

pounds, of a Miss Hunter, which she offered him.

From

the account already given of the kindly feeling of

Shuter, the comedian, for Whitefield,

and of the

visits

paid by

the chief of actors to the Tabernacle and

Tottenham Court

Chapel,
field's

it

might be supposed that actors were among White;

friends

that

is

to say, that they

admired

his talents,

and respected

his character

and

his calling, while refusing to

;

yield to his warnings

and

entreaties to seek another profession

but such was not the case.

talent

To

be inferior to him in histrionic

would not calm the

fretful

temper which most of them

had.

Garrick would doubtless have been better pleased had

the public called Whitefield the Garrick of the pulpit,

and not

himself

'

the Whitefield of the stage.'

He

could not always

disguise his pleasure

when another
feelings

actor was burlesqued and

mimicked, and

his

would hardly be more generous

Dr. Johnson, guided no doubt
his day, never

towards a Methodist preacher.

by what he saw and knew of the actors of

made

a truer remark than when he observed, that the stage made

'

almost every other man, for whatever reason, contemptuous,

insolent, petulant, selfish,

and

brutal.'

To

these qualities he

might have added

are the

for a description of the staff of actors

who

most

brilliant in

the history of the English stage

envious, faithless, deceptive.

Foote

first

of

all

entertained

the play-house goers by imitating Whitefield's appearance

and

manner

of speaking.

Finding himself so successful, he next

'

wrote a comedy, called the

Minor,' which affected to

in
it

kill

Methodism by
There
is

ridicule,

and took the chief part

it,

himself.

not one happy line in

and
in

it

is

as destitute of wit

as of piety.

There was something

the

impudence of the

312

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

both author and
performer
think you of one of those itinerant field-orators, who,
at

opening sentence worthy of

'

What

though

declared

enmity with

common

sense,

have the

address to poison the principles and, at the same time, pick

the pockets, of half our industrious fellow-subjects
?
'

'

Whitefield, on hearing of the merriment of the town at his

expense,

simply

said,

'

All

hail

such contempt

! '

But

his

friends were not content to

remain inactive.

The Rev. Mr.

the
for

Madan

wrote to Garrick on the intended representation of the

play at Drury Lane.

Lady Huntingdon waited upon

Lord Chamberlain, the Duke of Devonshire, and applied

its

suppression altogether

most proper request, apart from

;

anything that was levelled against Methodists

for its impurity

condemned
had the
evil

it.

Yet

his

lordship could only assure her that

it

tendency of the play been found out before

was

licensed, licence

would have been refused

as

it

was, he could

do nothing immediately.
Garrick,

The Countess

next

appealed to
it

who promised
and added

to use his influence in excluding

'

for

the present,
that
it

that

had he been aware of the offence

it

was calculated

to give,

should never have appeared

the
offence

with his concurrence.'

Nevertheless

was con-

tinued, yet not to the detriment of Whitefield's ministry,

which

drew crowds of the

aristocracy.

Foote showed
at

his brutality

by bringing the play upon the stage

Edinburgh within two

indecency, combined

months

after Whitefield's

death

but

its

with the heartlessness of caricaturing a

man who had

just dead,

never

entered the city but to bless

the theatre after the
first

it,

and who was

emptied

night,

and made many a pulpit

Mr. Squintum, as Foote,

The

favourite dish of the pocket-picking

alluding to Whitefield's defect, called the greatest of the field-orators, was

a cow-heel.

He would

cheerfully say, as he sat

down

to

it,

'

How surprised

would the world be, a cow-heel only upon

if

they were to peep upon Dr. Squintum, and see

his table.'

DELIGHTS IN OPEN-AIR WORK

thunder out rebukes.

313

Edinburgh had more

self-respect than

London.
Whitefield was this same year brought into contact with the
notorious Earl Eerrers, cousin of
tried

Lady Huntingdon.
of his steward,
to

He

was

by

his peers for the

murder

Mr. Johnson.

His execution was delayed from April 16th

interval

May
and

5th,

an

which he spent
all

in careless self-indulgence,

in indif-

ference to

the

religious

solicitude

shown

in

his behalf.

Lady Huntingdon
very politely

restrained

him a

little,

and kept him from

His
words
all

appearing utterly shameless.

;

He
'
:

twice received Whitefield

last

but his heart was unmoved.

before the bolt was drawn were

errors
;

O
is

God, forgive

me

my
all

pardon

all

my

sins.'

An

unusually sad and weary tone

perceptible in nearly

Whitefield's letters

of 1761, nor did

he write many.
;

For
to-

weeks he did not preach a single sermon

the ability
little

say

but a few words was gratefully received as a

his

reviving in
dis-

bondage.

He

was beginning

to

know what nervous

his friends

orders are, and was thankful

when

were prudent,
for

and did not press him

to

preach much.

His prayer was

silence

resignation, so long as the

Lord Jesus enforced

of his

upon

him.

As
it

to

the

cause

weakness and sickness, he

thought

was the

loss of his usual voyages,

which certainly
toils

had always been an acceptable cessation of the

ing, if

of preachtoils

they often brought the quieter and less exhausting

of writing.

Thus he proceeded

slowly from place to place,

getting as far north as Edinburgh,

where he had

to say,
It

'

Little,

very

little,

can be expected from a dying man.'

was

his old

enjoyment, field-preaching,

which revived him again.

The

open sky above

sight

his

head, the expansive landscape, and the

all

and sound of

nature's charms, refreshed him, as an

live

imprisoned Indian would

of the
prairie.
'

new

life at
I

the sight and touch

to

How

gladly

would

bid adieu

ceiled

314

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
!

houses and vaulted roofs

open-air work.
prostrated

'

he exclaimed when he resumed his

Yet
as

his revival

was only temporary

winter

him

much

as ever,

and he was glad

to

make
feeble

arrangements for sailing to America the following summer.

The

condition and wants of Bethesda, and his

own

health,

seemed

to

tell

him

that

he must attempt another

voyage.

He

accordingly persuaded his friends, Mr.

Robert

Keen, a woollen-draper in the Minories, and Mr. Hardy, to

accept the
his other
office of trustees to the

two London chapels and

told

all

concerns in England.

He

them

that their

com-

pliance with his request would relieve

him of a ponderous load

which oppressed him much.

sibility,

When
;

they accepted the respon-

he entreated Mr. Keen not to consult him about anyfor,

thing, unless absolutely necessary

I trust

he added,

'

the Lord,
in
all

and

believe,

will

give you a right

judgment
;

things.'

In this confidence he was not mistaken

his friends

proved true to him and to the cause which he served.

before

But
be

we

see

him on board ship

at

Greenock, where he emis

barked

for his eleventh

voyage, there

one assailant

to

answered (there was a constant fusillade of pamphlets kept up

against him),

and a

faithful labourer to

be

laid in his grave.

filled

The
Where
was

assailant

was Dr. Warburton, who since 1759 had

the place of

good Bishop Benson,

as Bishop of Gloucester.

Whitefield had found kindness and help he was

fierce

now

to

encounter
totally

and uncompromising
to the doctrines of

hostility.

Warburton

opposed

Methodism, and the

success they had gained in the land was a sufficient reason for
his attempting to

demolish them.

Even before the death

of

the charitable Doddridge, he showed his dislike of enthusiasm

in

a characteristic
in

way

by rating Lady

Huntingdon and

Doddridge
the dying

Lady Huntingdon's house, where he was paying

a farewell
visit

man

before his departure for Lisbon.

Neither the politeness due from guest to hostess, nor the con-

A SSA ILED BY BISHOP WA RB UR TON

sideration

31

due

to a feeble

friend,

could restrain his vehement

at

temper.

On

another occasion he provoked a skirmish

his

Prior Park

afterwards

own

residence

where

he met Dr.
Dr.

Hartley, Dr. Oliver, Mr. Allen,

and Lady Huntingdon.

Hartley having
abilities,

spoken

in

laudatory

terms of Whitefield's

and

respectfully of his doctrines,

Warburton remarked,

'Of

his oratorical

powers and their astonishing influence on

:

the minds of thousands, there can be no doubt

they are of
I

a high order

but with respect to his doctrines,

false.'

consider

them pernicious and

The

conversation
that

grew into a
Warburton,
left

debate, and the debate

became so warm

pressed by argument and sorely ruffled in temper, hastily

the room, no doubt leaving as

many marks

as he carried with
effective

him.
at
'

He

was now to

strike a heavier

and more

blow

the false

and pernicious

doctrines,'

which were spreading

and triumphing on every hand.

The work he wrote was

operations of the

called a vindication of the office

and and

Holy

Spirit

from the insults of

infidelity

the abuses of fanaticism.

As by Bishop Gibson,
more warmly

at

whose

hands Warburton had received ordination

so by Warburton, the fanatics were

to the priest's office,

assailed than
is

the infidels.

Indeed, the word used by Warburton

;

less

courteous than Gibson's

'enthusiasts';
fanatics

with Gibson the Methodists were

are
'

with

Warburton they

'fanatics.'

Nay,

on the

title-page is

changed into

fools

'

in the pre-

face

it

was more than he could do

to treat a

Methodist with

fairness

and

charity.

His book might have done one great service to the Church

had

it

been devoted only

to

the discussion of a question

to his conclusions

which he introduces as but a stepping-stone

against the
infidels

and the

fanatics,

namely, the inspiration

of

Holy

Scripture.

His sober, thoughtful view of that great

subject might have saved Christianity from

many

a reproach

316

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
it

had

been commonly adopted by the believers of our

to reach

faith.

But the conclusion he wanted

was something subver-

sive of the Methodistical belief

concerning the operations of

;

the

Holy Ghost upon the heart of man

view which

substantially the

same
'

Bishop Gibson

had

advanced

against

enthusiasm,' but supported by a greater

show of reasoning.

To

these views Whitefield wrote an answer, in the form of a

letter to

a friend, which he called

'

Observations on some

fatal

mistakes in a book lately published, and entitled, &c.'

fairly

He

and exactly summed up the bishop's reasoning by saying

it

that, in effect,

robbed the Church of

us

its

promised Comforter,

and thereby and

left

without

any supernatural influence or

Left
that
in
this
is

Divine operations whatsoever.

yet told
is

forlorn

state,

by the bishop
in the
'
:

charity

the one thing

which

to

abide

Church

for ever, Whitefield asks with

pertinence and force

heights
;

Now, can human

all
its

reason, with

all

its

can calm philosophy, with

all
its

depths

or moral

suasion, with
kindle,

insinuating arts, so

much

as pretend to

much
'

less

to

maintain and blow up into a settled,

fire,

habitual flame of holy

heart
?

such a spark as

this in the

human
felt

Upon
'

our ability to do without the Holy Ghost he

remarked with a pungency which Warburton must have

keenly
:

Supposing matters to be as

this

writer represents

them,
rule at
is

do not see what great need we have of any established

at least in respect to practice, since corrupt nature
sufficient of itself to help

all,

abundantly

us to persevere in a

religion attended with ease

and honour.

And

I verily believe

that the Deists throw aside this rule

of faith

entirely, not
its

barely on account of a deficiency in argument to support

authenticity, but because they daily see so

many who

profess

to hold this established, self-denying rule of faith with their

lips,

persevering

all

their

lives

long in nothing else but an

endless and insatiable pursuit after worldly ease and honour.'

BELIE VE IN THE HOL V GHOST

'
:

317

He

proceeds
for

The

Scriptures are so far from encouraging us

last

to plead

a diminution of Divine influence in these

faith is

days of the gospel, because an external rule of

established, that,

thereby
this

on the contrary, we are encouraged by

very established rule to expect, hope, long, and pray for larger

and more extensive showers of Divine influence than any

former age hath ever yet experienced.'
It
is

not without interest to observe that Whitefield's

discussion was with a bishop, and

first

and

last

upon the doctrine

of the

Holy Ghost.
and

Years of labour had only strengthened

his persuasion that the

Comforter

still

abides personally with

believers,

that without

His action upon the heart no man

Christ Jesus. notice the death of his
7,

can be led into the new

Before Whitefield
friend

life in

sails

we must

Grimshaw, which occurred on April

1763.

Probably

they met at Leeds, as Whitefield travelled north in March, for

he seldom got so near Havvorth without affording himself the

pleasure of preaching there.
as well as happy, effects
felt there.

No

such startling and appalling,

his ministry as

had ever attended

the very voice of

were

It

was as

if

God were

speaking,

when once he

cried out to a
:

man who had

I

seated himself on
for thee
'

the tower of the church

'

Man,

have a word

that

man was

afterwards found

among Grimshaw's

converts.

More

solemn was the

effect of his

words on another occasion.

which used to be erected

He
for

was standing on the

scaffold
;

these outside gatherings

worship had been offered by the

congregation

the time for the sermon had

all

come
first

all

eyes were

turned upon him and

ears waiting for his

words,

when
his

he was seen
they waited
;

to

spend a few moments

in silent prayer.
lifted

Silently

then looking round upon them, he

up

hands and earnestly invoked the presence and working of the

Holy Ghost.

little

while longer, and he announced with

text
:

solemn voice and manner the solemn

'It

is

appointed

318

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

men once
to die,

unto

but after this the judgment.'

'

He

paused, and while he did so

a wild shriek of terror arose from

amidst the mass.'

Some

confusion followed, but Whitefield

still,

exhorted the people to remain

into the
in
'

while

Grimshaw pressed
Hastening back
:

crowd

to see

what had happened.

said as

a few

minutes, he

he approached the scaffold

Brother Whitefield, you

;

stand amongst the dead and the

;

dying

an immortal soul has been called into eternity

is

the

destroying angel

passing over the congregation

told that
text

cry aloud
their
:

and spare not

'

The people were then

one of

number had
'

died.

second time the

was announced

It is

appointed unto

men once

to die.'

Again, from the spot

where Lady Huntingdon and Lady Margaret Ingham were

standing, arose a second shriek
;

and a shudder of awe ran

terror of the scene, but

through every heart when

it

was known that a second person

had died.

Not overcome by the

strengthened by the secret Helper whose grace he had implored,

Whitefield

commenced

again,

and proceeded,

'

in

a strain of

tremendous eloquence,' to warn the impenitent of

position.
silent,

their perilous

Fear and eager interest were in

all

hearts as the

motionless congregation listened to his word.

this

Such preaching as

might lead to the opinion that

;

Whitefield was always either solemn or vehement

but really
faithful as

no one could have

of the moors.

tried

more ways than he

faithful

and

he was, he was not always

It

enough for the

stern preacher

was

common

for

him

to expose the mistakes

and pretensions of professors of

religion,
it

and

getting

on that

topic before Grimshaw's congregation,

his

occurred to him that

;

remarks could hardly be appropriate to them

he therefore

proceeded to say that as they had long enjoyed the ministry

of a faithful pastor, they must surely be a sincerely godly people,

when Grimshaw

interrupted him, and cried out,

;

'

Oh,

sir,

for
;

God's sake do not speak so

pray you do not

flatter

them

DEA TH OF GRIM S HA W
I fear the greater part of

319

them are going

to hell with their eyes

open
If

Grimshaw was not mistaken

in this

judgment, which was

probably spoken early in his ministry, a great change must

have passed over

afterwards assured

his congregation

through his labours.

He

Romaine

that not fewer than twelve

hundred
in the

people were in

communion

with him

most of whom,
to

judgment of
Christ.

charity,

he could not but believe

not hold the

be one with

The church could

to

number who some-

times

came
for

communicate, and one congregation would withfill

draw

another to

its

place.

In one instance, when

Whitefield was present, thirty-five bottles of wine were used

in the

ordinance.
carried

The complaint which

ing most fatally.

Grimshaw

off

was putrid
it

fever,

caught by him in visiting his

flock,

among whom

was work-

For one-and-twenty years had he proved

;

himself a good minister

district of his travels

not one soul was there in

all

the

with whose spiritual condition he was

unacquainted
his

and

after

he died no parishioner could hear

name without tears. It may have been Grimshaw that Whitefield was thinking of when he said, Others can die, but I
'

specially

cannot.'
times.

Weak and weary he

Ready
to
fall,

preached

in

Scotland several

as

it

seemed, yet able to do something, he

sixth time

sailed for

America the

on June

4,

1763,

and

after a

twelve week's voyage landed in Virginia.

The war between

England and France had kept him absent from America eight
years.

Jesus,'

he
I

says,

'

hath made the ship a Bethel, and

after for

enjoyed that quietshore.

ness which

have in vain sought

breath
short,

some years on
hopes since

oath to be heard, even in the greatest hurry.

love.

All hath been

Not an harmony and

last relapse

But

my

is

and

have

little

my

of

much

turther public usefulness.

few exertions,

like the last struggles

3 20 of a dying

GEORGE WHITEEIELD
man, or glimmering
flashes of a taper just

burning out,
will

is all

that

can be expected from me.

But, blessed be

God, the taper

be lighted

up again

in heaven.'

From

Virginia he proceeded northwards to Philadelphia,

;

New

York, and Boston

the cold as to be able to preach thrice a week.

and was so much strengthened by There was

such a flocking of

all

ranks in

New York
It

to his preaching as
this city that
;

he had never seen there before.

was in

he

gained one of his greatest oratorical conquests

and a com-

parison of the anecdote with that which relates Chesterfield's

excitement
people.
of

will serve to

show

his

mastery over

all classes

of

On this New York

occasion he was preaching before the seamen

nautical tone and manner that were irrehe thus suddenly broke in with, " Well, my boys, we have a clear sky, and are making fine headway over a smooth sea, before a light breeze, and we shall soon lose sight of land. But what means this sudden lowering
'

when suddenly, assuming a

sistible,

of the heavens, and that dark cloud rising from beneath the western horizon

Hark
waves
rages

don't you hear distant thunder

?

Don't you see those flashes of

lightning

There

is

a storm gathering

every
!

man

to his duty
!

How
!

the

arise
!

The tempest The air is dark and dash against the ship What The ship is on her beam ends Our masts are gone
!

next

"

'

This appeal instantly brought the

shout,
'

sailors to their feet with a

Take

to the long boat to

His power

engage the attention of ship-builders was as

great as that of exciting sailors,

one builder declaring that he

plank down

could build a ship from stem to stern every Sunday under the

sermon

at the parish church, but could not get a

when

Whitefield preached.
his success

Still,

was not uniform, only he would have success

If the fault

if it

could be gained.

were in his own heart, he from above.

If the

would pray, while he preached,

for help

A SLEEPER AROUSED
fault

321
it
;

were

in

his hearers,

he would correct

if

they were
;

thoughtless, he would charge

them with

it

as they sat

if

they

were stupid and uninterested, he would ask them whether he

were preaching to

men

or to stones.

Dr.

Young

is

said to

have
his

sat

down and wept when

j

his royal hearers slept during

sermon

but Whitefield would have done something very

different

most likely what

he did to a small American con-

gregation on a rainy day.

curious student from Princeton

(New
first

Jersey) College was present,

and has
This

told the story.

The

part of the

sermon made no impression upon the student,

'

and he began

to say to himself,

man

is

not so great a
super-

wonder
ficial

after

all.

His ideas are

all

commonplace and
that.'

mere
sat
in

show, and not a great deal even of

congregation seemed as uninterested as himself, one old

The man
and

who

front of the pulpit having fallen

;

sound asleep
;

Whitefield

now stopped

his face
'

darkened with a frown

If I
rest

changing his tone, he cried out,

had come

to

speak to

you

in

my own name, you

up and
say,

might

your elbows on your

sleep
;

knees, and your heads

in a while look

upon your hands, and

and once

But
to
his

have not come to

in the

"What does the babbler talk of? " you in my own name. No I come
:

you

ring
fixing

name of the Lord hand and foot down with a

'

of Hosts
force that
!

'

here he brought
made the building The congregation

and

must and

will

be heard
'

'

started,

and the old man awoke.

eyes on him,
'

Ay, ay/ said Whitefield,

his

meant
stones

to
;

do

it.

am

not

have come to
I

have waked you up, have I ? I come here to preach to stocks and you in the name of the Lord God of
I
I will,

Hosts, and

must, and

have an audience.'

There was

no more sleeping or indolence that day.

Other things besides preaching
filled his

mind when,

after a

long delay in the north of the colonies, caused by bad health

and the unsettled

state of the Indians,

he travelled

to Bethesda,

22

322

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
it,

and reached add

as he

had so often done

It

before, in time to
his wish

spend Christmas with the orphans.

to

had long been

to the

orphanage a college
;

like

New

Jersey, for the

training of gentlemen's sons

and now, along with the pleasure

peace and plenty of his cherished
his

which he
retreat,

felt

in seeing the

he had the satisfaction of thinking that

second
the

project

would

be

accomplished.

He

memorialised
in

governor, James Wright, Esq.,

setting forth

his petition

that in addition to his original plan,

which he had carried out

these

many

years at great expense, he

had long wished to make

further provision for the education of persons of superior rank,

who might
State
;

thus be fitted for usefulness, either in Church or

that

he witnessed with pleasure the increasing prosperity

of the province, but saw with concern that

many gentlemen,

who would have

vinces

preferred having their sons educated nearer

to send

home, had been obliged

;

them

to the northern proinstitu-

that a college in Georgia

would be a central
district,

tion for the

whole of the southern

and might even

count upon

many youths being

;

sent from the British

that a considerable

West
of

India Islands and other parts

sum

money was soon

to be laid out in purchasing a large

number
and

of Negroes, for the further cultivation of the orphan-house

other additional lands, and for the future support of

'

a worthy,

able president, professors and tutors, and other good purposes

intended

he therefore

prayed

his

Excellency

and

the

members of

his Majesty's Council to grant

him

in trust

two

thousand acres of land on the north fork of Turtle River, or

lands south of the river Altamaha.

This memorial was sup-

ported by an earnest

'

Address of both Houses of Assembly,'

which bore the signature of James Habersham as president.

His Excellency gave a favourable answer, and referred the
matter to the
support
it.

home

authorities

and Whitefield returned

to

AN OLD MAN AT FIFTY

Work and
sickness

323

had wrought a
his

striking

change

in his

appearance when

he ended

twelfth voyage.
is

That

his

health must have been grievously broken

evident from his

'
:

touching appeal to his friends Keen and Hardy

friends,'

Stand,

my
into

he

said,

'

and

insist

upon my not being brought

action too soon.

The poor
to
all.'

old shattered barque hath not

I

been

in

dock one week,

for a long while.

scarce

know what

I write.

Tender love

Asthma had now

felt

firmly seated

itself in his constitution,

and he
till

sure that he should never

in

breathe as he would,

he breathed

yonder heaven.

Wesley was painfully struck when he met him towards the

close of the year in
journal,
'

London.

'I breakfasted,'

he says

in his

with

Mr. Whitefield, who seemed to be an

old, old

man, being

fairly

worn out
years
;

in his Master's service,

though he
that
I,

has hardly seen

fifty

and

yet

it

pleases

God

who

am now

in

my

sixty-third year, find

no
I

disorder,

no weakness,

no decay, no difference from what

only that
later
I

was

at five-and-twenty,
hairs.'

have fewer teeth and more grey

in his journal
'
:

month
Bigotry

Wesley again wrote

Mr. Whitefield called

upon me.
comes.'

He

breathes nothing but peace and love.

before

cannot stand

him,

but

hides

its

head wherever he

The
heaven.

silver

cord was not even yet to be loosed, although the

to

body appeared
chapels.

be ready

for

the grave,

and the soul

the

for

Lady Huntingdon was increasing

She had one
at Brighton,

number

of her
to

which was partly due

Whitefield's preaching under a tree behind the

White Lion
Tunbridge

Inn

she had another at Norwich

;

and a

third at

Wells

and when she had got one finished

it.

at Bath, Whitefield

must needs open

on October
witty
6,

He went and preached

It

one of the sermons

which many of the
It

1765.

was a chapel

in

and the learned were

to hear his expositions of truth.

'

had also a strange corner, called

Nicodemus's Corner,' into

324

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
whom
she had persuaded
in

which Lady Betty Cobbe, daughter-in-law of the Archbishop

of Dublin, used to smuggle bishops,
to

go and hear Whitefield, but who did not want to be seen

such a place as an unconsecrated chapel.

just inside the

The

curtained seats

door were both convenient and

secret.
?

And how was

the plan for a college at Bethesda prospering

First of all Whitefield waited a

long time, to give the

home

authorities the fullest opportunities for maturing their thoughts;

but by delay they intended hindrance, not help.

He

therefore

memorialised his Majesty, praying that since the colonists were

deeply interested in the scheme, and were impatiently waiting
for information,

something might be done.

Now came

the

intricacies of 'red-tape.'

The
to

original
'

memorial of Whitefield,
colonial

supported

by the
was

'

Address

of

the

Houses of
for

Assembly,

remitted

the

Lords Commissioners
it

Trade and Plantations, and they sent

Canterbury,

to the

Archbishop of

who

effectually frustrated

its

intention by a bigoted

demand
but a

that the charter of the college, were

it

one granted,

should contain a clause making

obligatory to appoint

none

member

of the
this

Church of England

to the office of head-

master.

To

demand

Whitefield offered respectful but

uncompromising opposition.
privilege for a

He

would have no exceptional

Churchman
;

he would not have the daily use

His
is

of the liturgy enjoined

article

he would not have one doctrinal

letter to the

entered in the charter.

archbishop

stating

and defending

his views

as

noble and catholic a

its

production as ever came from his pen, while

himself and his
toils

references to

are as pathetic as they are modest.

Why

did he object to a compulsory clause respecting the master?

Was he opposed
and
their choice

to the

Church

of

England

By no means
communion,
like

the majority of the wardens were sure to be of that

would be sure

to

fall

upon a master

them-

selves in belief; but choice

and compulsion were very

different

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
things.

AND EQUALITY
No
;

325

Did he

dislike the liturgy ?

he loved
it

it,

and had

injured himself by his frequent reading of

in

Tottenham

Court Chapel
in the

moreover,

it

had been read twice every Sunday

first

orphan-house from the day of the

institution of the
?

house.

Did he disbelieve the doctrinal

articles

No

on the

contrary, his acceptance of

them was

as literal

and honest as

man

could

give,

and he had preached and upheld them

question turned upon freedom or

everywhere.

The whole
As
for
for

compulsion.

the

orphan-house,

Whitefield

thought

that an institution to

which Dr. Benson had made a dying

bequest,

and

which he had offered his dying prayers, had

the archbishop also.

some claim upon

or the

All that he could say could not

move

either the archbishop

Lord President;

for

was not the memorialist a Methodist?

thought and action
?

and was he not pleading

reply to their remarks
said that,
in

for liberty of

In

upon the disputed

all

points, Whitefield

addition to
at

the reasons already given, his

trifle
'

truthfulness was

stake,

and he might not

been
to

with

it.

From

the

first,

whenever he had

asked

upon what

bottom the intended college was

repeatedly and readily replied,
'

be founded,' he had

Undoubtedly upon a broad

far as to say

bottom
that
it

'

he had even gone so

from the pulpit

other,'

should be upon 'a broad bottom and no

and

how could he now withdraw from his word ? More than that, most of the money which he had collected for the orphanhouse had been given by Dissenters, and could he be so basely
ungrateful as to deny
their liberality

them admission

to the very place

?

which

had created and sustained

he

If

it

were asked

by what warrant he had said that the college should stand only

on a

liberal charter,

replied,

'

Because of the known, long-

established, mild,

and uncoercive genius of the English Govern-

ment

because of his Grace's moderation towards Protestant

;

Dissenters

because of the unconquerable attachment of the

326

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
;

Americans to toleration principles

habitual feelings

because of the avowed

and sentiments of

his

own

heart.'

He

wrote

as feeling that his very piety

and

salvation were involved in

the position he assumed,

are well worth preserving
'

and
:

his last

words

to the archbishop

If I

know anything

of

my own

heart,

have no ambition to be looked

a founder of a college
;

upon

at present, or

remembered
it

for the future, as

but I would fain,

may

please your Grace, act the part of an honest man,

a disinterested minister of Jesus Christ,

and a

truly catholic,

moderate
I

presbyter of the Church of England.

In this way, and in this only, can

hope
all

for a continued heartfelt

enjoyment of that peace of

God which

passeth

understanding, whilst here on earth, and be thereby prepared to stand

with humble boldness before the awful, impartial tribunal of the great

Shepherd and Bishop of souls

at the great day.'

~^
in

His plan was defeated.

In order to uphold his reputation

America, he published his correspondence with the arch-

bishop,

and sent

it

to the

Governor of Georgia

for circulation.

To come
a public

as near his idea as possible,

he now proposed

to

add

academy

to the orphan-house,

and

to

form a proper

trust, to act after his

decease, or even before, with this proviso,

fresh

that

no opportunity should be omitted of making a

for

application

a college
in

charter,

'

upon a broad bottom,

it

whenever those

power might think

for the glory of

God

and the

interest of their king

and country

to grant the same.'

Thus

his beloved

Bethesda would not only be continued as a

be confirmed as a seat and

house of mercy

for orphans, but

nursery of sound learning and religious education to the latest

posterity.

Great and worthy aspirations, which were

doomed

to

disappointment
In 1768
six

students of

St.

Edmund

Hall,

Oxford, were

expelled from the university for holding Methodistical tenets,

for taking tures, for

upon them
singing

to pray, read,
in

and expound the

houses,

Scrip-

hymns

private

and

for

being

tradesmen before entering as students.

But

their judges

did

METHODISTS EXPELLED FROM OXFORD

not escape public censure.
It

327

was
;

to

be expected that the

Methodists would be against them

they were also opposed by

men
field

of equal standing in the Church with themselves.

White;

could not

let

the matter pass without notice

and he

wrote and published a letter to Dr. Durell, the vice-chancellor,

besides showing the students

much

private sympathy.

As

to

the charges, what evil or crime worthy of expulsion, he asked,

could there be in having followed a trade before entering the

university?

and whoever heard of

its

being accounted a

disparagement to any great public character that he had once

been a mechanic

Why, David was a shepherd, and even

But the delinquents had

Jesus of Nazareth was a carpenter.

been found guilty of praying.

And how
But
it

could

that,

he

demanded,

disqualify

them

for the private or public discharge

?

of their ministerial functions

that they

was extempore prayer

!

had used.

Extempore prayer a crime

It

was not

a crime to be found in any law book, neither had any one

been called before the bar of any public court of judicature

answer
praying
for
for
!

to

it

for at least a century.

it

Expelled for extempore

Then

was high time there were some expulsions

sin of the

extempore swearing, which was surely the greater

two.

But these men sang hymns.

;

Yes, he replied, and so

did David
St.

and

this very exercise of praise are

we taught by
to

Paul to
;

cultivate.

Praise

Well, Catholic students might

? if

sing
less

then

why not

Protestants
?

Ought Protestants
the

be

Duke of Cumberland allowed his pious soldiers to sing, why should the ViceChancellor of a University forbid his pious students ? Or was
devout than Papists
there

And

more harm
Oxford

in hearing a psalm-tune than in listening to

the noise of box

and

dice,

which was not an unknown sound

even

at

Thus

far his polemics.

We

must now follow him

to other

engagements.

As

if

with an expectation of soon dying, he

now

328

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
to

began

collect his

numerous

letters

and

to

them we are
life.

indebted, along with his journals, for the best story of his

He felt that another voyage to America,

on account of Bethesda's
affairs,

whither he must go again

last

would probably be the

and he begged
his papers
in a
It

his friends
letters, that

and

Keen and Hardy to let him have he might revise and dispose of them
he paid
his fourteenth

proper manner.

was

in

June and

July, 1768, that

and

last visit to

Edinburgh, always a dear

city to him.

He

thanked

God

for ordering his steps thither.

The
'

congrega-

tions in the

orphan-house park were as large and attentive as

a godly youth
his enemies.

those which he addressed when he was called

by

his friends,

and a

'

minister of the devil

'

by

Great was their affection for him, and his only danger was that
of
'

being hugged to death

'

for there

were friends of twenty-

seven years' standing, and spiritual children of the same age,

who remembered
their first love
;

the days of old.

Spirit of

They were seeking

to

after

and the

God seemed
open
;
'

be moving

amongst them.

He

often got into the

to call his there.
'
'

air

upon what he
he exclaimed

was beginning fondly

a king of

throne

and indeed he was

!

men when

to die there
'

'

then checking himself, he added,

Too

great,

too great an

honour
as

to

be expected

'

No
;

doubt the parting was as painful

to call parting

any he had ever known

'

and he was wont

days

execution days.'
after his return to

Soon

London, Mrs. Whitefield was seized

9,

with an 'inflammatory fever,' and died on August

1768.
'

He

preached her funeral sermon from

Romans

viii.

20,

For
by

the creature was

reason of

made Him who hath

subject to vanity, not willingly, but

subjected the
:

same

in

hope.'

Speaking of her fortitude, he observed

'

Do

tree?

you remember my preaching in those fields by the old stump of a The multitude was great, and many were disposed to be riotous. A

DEATH OF
first I

HIS WIFE

329
near, with

addressed them firmly

but

when a desperate gang drew

the most ferocious and horrid imprecations

to
fail.

think

and menaces, my courage began My wife was then standing behind me, as I stood on the table. I She pulled my gown, and, looking up, said, hear her now.
for

"George, play the man

to the

your God."

My confidence

returned.

spoke

multitude with boldness and affection.

affected/

They became

still,

and

many were deeply

He
He

afterwards called her death an 'unexpected breach,' and

'

said that he felt the loss of his

right

hand

'

daily.

might quickly have followed

his wife

to the grave, for

within a

month

of her death he burst a vein by hard riding and

frequent preaching.

Rest and quietness were enjoined upon

him
in

until the flux

it

was quite stopped.

not easy to

The

fact

is,

he had been

Wales, and
the

was

keep himself within bounds

Moreover, he had been
for

among

fiery,

rapturous Welsh.

attending a significant ceremony

the education of godly young

the opening of a college

for

men who

aspired to be ministers.

The Countess

of

Huntingdon had
;

some time purposed

founding such an institution

birthday, August
24, 1768,

and on the anniversary of her

Trevecca House, in the parish of

Talgarth, South Wales, was dedicated by her to a

new purpose,
Whitefield
it
;

and was afterwards known

as

Trevecca College.
to

opened both the college and the chapel attached

and on

the following Sunday, he preached in the court before the

college, to a congregation of

some thousands.

The

college

was removed to Cheshunt, Herts, August

24, 1792.

The
it

winter of 1768-69 was spent by Whitefield in

last

London

was the

but one he lived to

it

see.

He

was well enough

to

preach frequently;
;

was always with the same power of the

Spirit

and as we
it

shall not again find

him among
some

his

London
and

friends,

may be

best

now

to notice

of his habits

characteristics

which have not yet been

mentioned.

We
for

know how

neat and punctual he was in his younger days, and

It

he was not different as an old man.

was a great

fault

330
his

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
meals to be but a few minutes
sitting
late
;

and he would

suffer

no

up

after ten o'clock at night,

and no lying
rise

in

bed

after four in the

morning.

He

would

up abruptly
'

in the

midst of a conversation at ten at night, and say,

forget

But we

ourselves.

Come, gentlemen,

it

is

time for

all

good

folks to

be at home.'

Whether any one or no one

sat

down
His

to table with

him, and whether he had but bread and cheese

or a complete dinner, the table must be properly spread.

love of exactness

and order was the same

hand.

in

business trans-

actions

every article was paid for at once, and for small

articles the

money was taken

but
quickly

in the

His temper was

being
patient

soon

ruffled,

appeased.

Not

enough one day to hear an explanation of a fault from some

one who was studious
it

to please,

he gave much pain, and saw

;

by the

tears

which he started

this instantly

touched him
said,
will
'

with

grief,

and bursting

into tears himself,

he

shall

live to

be a poor peevish old man, and every one

be tired

of me.'

His commands were given kindly, and he always

right.

applauded when a person did

It is painful to learn that in his later years his

confidence in

mankind was much shaken.

fortunes, he yet

Always true

to his friends in all

was doomed

to feel the treachery of

many;

and on
ness.

that account he

seemed

to dread outliving his useful-

The same
vanity,

experience

made him
to
say,

exacting,

and almost

harsh, with
their

young men who wanted

as

be ministers.

To

curb
in

he would

he would place
then
refer

them
the

humiliating

circumstances,

and

to

young

Roman
trifling

orators,

who,

after

being applauded, were sent upon

in

errands.

He
or

would keep them

no encouragement.
tailor,
;
'

suspense, and

afford

them

little

answered him that he was a

to rag-fair,

One man, who was dismissed with, Go

'

and buy old clothes

and very

likely rag-fair

was

his proper destination.

He

said of another

who had preached

CHARACTERISTICS
in his vestry

331

from the

text,

'

These

that

have turned the world

'

upside down, have

come

hither also.' called

That man
to preach,

shall

come
would
;

no more here

if

God had

him
text.'

He

have furnished him with a proper

for the

He

judged

rightly
;

man

afterwards

became an inconsistent clergyman

he

too would have been best at rag-fair.

Tormented
and
all

as

he must have been with

all

kinds of visitors

kinds of requests, had he kept an open door, he wisely

suffered but few to see

him

freely.

'

Who
'

is

it ?

what

is
;

his

business
if

'

he would demand before

his

door was opened

Tell

and

the door was opened, he would say,

at six o'clock,
is later, I

him

to

come

to-morrow morning
after preaching
;

perhaps

five,

or immediately

if

he

cannot see him.'

Knowing
if

that he
it

sometimes preached an hour and a hah

;

/ or two hours,

prepares us for long prayers also

and perhaps

others had prayed as well as he preached he might have

borne with them.

But he hated

all

unreality.

In the middle

of an immoderately long prayer by the master of the house

where he was once staying, he rose from

in the chair
;

his

knees and sat down

when

the drawler concluded, he said to

him with

a frown,

'Sir,

you prayed
it

me

into

good frame, and you

Mr. Cole

prayed

me

out of

again.'
like old
in his use of

We
He

have seen that he was

anecdotes, nor were they always without a touch of humour.

was no more afraid of

;

his congregations

smiling than
his
all

weeping
object.

to get the truth into their hearts

and heads was

from

His observant habits gathered

;

illustrations

quarters

and the

last

book he had read was sure

to colour his

next sermon.

He
and a

always ascended the pulpit with a pale, serious

slow,

face,

calm

step, as

if

he had a great message

preaching

for the

expectant thousands.

Much

made him, not more

;

familiar with his awful themes, but

more solemn

and towards

332 the close of

life,

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
he sometimes entreated
his friends to

mention

nothing to him which did not relate to eternity.

On
;

Sabbath
;

morning

his preaching
it

was explanatory and doctrinal

in the
in

afternoon

was more general and hortatory

still.

and

the

evening

it

was more general

In the morning he was

calm and conversational, occasionally making a modest show

of learning
;

in the evening

he was

oratorical,

and attempted

by every
save
his

art of persuasion

and every and

its

terror of denunciation to

hearers

from

sin

punishment.

Then

his

perfect elocution

and graceful gestures were

in full play, his

It is

uttermost acting never appearing unnatural or improper.

difficult to believe that

any preacher could successfully put a

fold of his

invariably did

gown over his eyes to express grief, yet Whitefield it when he was depicting in his own vivid way
and grieving over
it.

the downfall of Peter,

-.-

He seemed
;

to

have no particular time

it

for preparing for the

pulpit,

although before entering

he loved to have an hour or

two alone
Bible,

and on Sunday mornings he generally had Clarke's

was remarked also that
time
but
filled

Matthew Henry's Commentary, and Cruden's ConcorIt

dance within reach.

his
state

at this

of

mind

was

more

than

usually

devout

ordinarily,

indeed,

the intervals of conversation

were

up with private ejaculations of praise and

standing
suppress.

prayer,

notwith-

his love of pleasantry, which he did not care to

His was an honest,

all

real life

from beginning to end

he was himself at

times and everywhere.

He
went.

did not love to be

If

known and observed wherever he

it

he ever was fond of popularity, he was weary of

long before he became old, and often said that he almost

'

envied the

man who

could take his choice of food at an

eating-house,

and pass unnoticed.'

It is said that

when he wrote

his pamphlets,

he shut himself

up

in

his

room, and would see no one until his work was

HIS PRINTED WORKS

done. wrote a

333

Besides the productions of his pen already noticed, he

'

Recommendatory Preface

to

the

Works of John
it

Bunyan,' which would have been more appropriately called a

recommendation of Puritans and Puritan

Early in his ministry he began

divinity

contains

not one discriminating remark on the writings of the dreamer.

some
into

'

Observations on select
questions,'

passages

of Scripture,

turned

catechetical

which

are

much

like

questions

that
;

an

ordinary

Sunday

school teacher would put to his class

discontinued.

but they were soon

'

more elaborate work was

Law

Gospelised,'

which means

'an attempt to render Mr. Law's " Serious Call,"

more

useful to the children of

God, by excluding whatever

is

not truly evangelical, and illustrating the subject more fully

from the Holy Scriptures.'

evangelical garb now, though

We

never hear of

Law

in this
it.

we do hear of him without

'

He
ing's

has been preferred ungospelised.

A Communion
fifty-nine

Morn-

Companion,' which he compiled, contained extracts from

Bishop

Ken and Bishop Wilson and

favourite.

sacramental

hymns and seventeen doxologies taken from

the
'

several authors

book was a public

Whitefield also published

Pious Aspirations for the use of Devout Communicants,' a

book of quotations from a work of Professor Rambach, of

Giessen University. Whitefield published several prayers, some
of

which are most appropriate

are a leaf of

in petition

and language.

Their

titles

Church

history,

and the

petitions contained
life

in

some

are as plain an index to passing conditions of

as

are the peculiarities of the psalms.

persons desiring and seeking after

They were composed for the new birth, for those

life,

newly awakened to a sense of the Divine

spiritual desertion, for those
for

for those

under

under the displeasure of relations

the cases of servants, Negroes,

being religious

then

come

labourers, rich

men, the

sick, travellers, sailors,

and persons

in

a storm at sea.

334

GEORGE WHITEFfELD
'Hymns
for Social Worship,'
'

In 1753 Whitefield published a collection of

hymns from
the

various authors,

more

particularly
in

designed

for

use

of the

Tabernacle
its

Congregation

London.'

He

drew most of

hundred and seventy hymns

from Watts, and many from the Wesleys.

The book, which

Spiritual
thirty-six

was

quickly
'

followed

by Wesley's

'

Hymns and

Songs

and a Moravian

Hymn
and
of

Book, passed through

editions in forty-three years.

to the 'Courteous Reader,'

It

contained a preface addressed

as like the author as Wesley's
is

is

famous preface
himself has
left

to his

book

1779
to

like him.

Whitefield

no great hymn

the Church, though the

all its

Methodist revival gave the English Church in

the greater

branches

number
them

of

its

best

hymns.

Watts, John

and

Charles Wesley, Doddridge, Cennick, Olivers, Toplady, and

others, all of

either taking

an active part

in the

movement

or

coming within the range of

its

influence, have expressed for

us the humblest grief of our repentance, the fullest trust of our

faith,

and the brightest expectation of our hope

has given us not a verse worth retaining.

but White-

field

Emotional, like

Charles Wesley, he yet had none of that fervid poet's music.

One

gift in

a supreme degree

is

enough

for

any man

and as

a preacher he was the greatest of

all his

brethren, the most

competent of

his

contemporaries being judges.

The

only direct association of Whitefield's

brilliant

name

with the

names of the

and

gifted

men

of his time has already

It

appeared in the narrative of his preaching triumphs.

principally statesmen

was

Pitt

and Fox among the number, never

who went to hear him. Hogarth disgraced his genius indecent caricatures of him Pope by abusing him in some by Not one of the celebrated Literary Club, Garrick the Dunciad. Oglethorpe makes excepted, was ever seen in the soul-trap.'
Burke
;
'

a kind of link between the Club and the Tabernacle. of Whitefield, he was also a friend of Goldsmith
;

friend

and some-

THE LAST HYMN OF THE EVANGELISTS

times he and

335

Topham
Temple

Beauclerc would turn in of an evening

'

to drink a glass of

wine with

Goldy,' at his chambers in Brick

Court, Middle

the chambers
get
it,

which he bought with

the proceeds of the play that Shuter lifted into popularity. the easy ways of many of these sons of genius,
sipping,

But

their wine-

when they could

their comfortable

suppers at

the 'Turk's Head,' their gaiety and their sins, sufficiently explain

how

it

was that

in all Whitefield's career not

one of them crossed

his path.

They

talked about him, as they talked about every;

thing

and everybody

they theorised about

it

his

popularity

Johnson was sure that

of his manner.

was

'

chiefly

owing

to the peculiarity

He

would be followed by crowds were he

were he to preach from a

to

wear a night-cap

in the pulpit, or

tree.'

For a while

but the night-cap would not have

made

grasping

men

give of their beloved

money

to the orphan-house, nor

hardened sinners go home as gentle as lambs, nor worldly

wretches,
life,

who had been

lift

living only for the

body and

for this

begin to

up

their

abject souls to look towards the

!

splendours and joys of a heavenly kingdom

We
is

turn again with

him
his

to the places

which he had loved

to us.
It

to frequent,

and where

form has become familiar

Whitefield

the last interview between

in his journal

and

Wesley

that

Wesley records

on Monday
'
:

(their old

meeting

day), February 27, 1769.

able

conversation with

He says I had one more agreemy old friend and fellow-labourer,

to

George Whitefield.

His soul appeared

;

be vigorous

still,

but his body was sinking apace

and unless God interposes

with His mighty hand, he must soon finish his labours.'

this is

And
with

a pleasant

picture

of the

now

aged,

grey-headed

evangelists,

who

in

their youth

had

fired

the nation

religious enthusiasm,

which
'

is

sketched by Charles Wesley in

I

letter to his wife

Last Friday

dined with

my

brother at

George's chapel.

Mrs, Herritage was mistress, and provided

336
the dinner.

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
Hearty Mr.
Harris.
:

Adams was
It

there

and

to

complete

our band,

Howel

was indeed a
all

feast of love.

My
last

brother and George prayed

we

sang an

hymn
up

in the chapel.'

They were never

all

together again in this world.

'

Their

hymn
in the

in

'

George's chapel

carries the soul

to that

house

heavens, and

we seem

to hear

it

renewed again

there.

The
in

parting solemnities were exceedingly awful, when, early

Whitefield,

September, 1769,

accompanied by Cornelius
friends.

Winter, took his last farewell

thirteenth voyage

of his English
;

His

by similar delays

much resembled his first it was hindered it was made dangerous by similar high gales.
when
sailing, of

He
The

took to his old employment

reading the
letters.

History of England, composing sermons, and writing

greatest respect was
;

shown him by both captain and

passengers

and

all

attended service.
'

He

only wanted some-

body about him with

his

little

more

brains,'

he

said,

and then

comforts would have been complete.

reception
at

His

Charleston

was

very hearty,

and he

preached the day after landing.

Bethesda was

in a satisfactory

condition; he admitted ten orphans in the spring of 1770.

They were what he

the trouble

called his prizes.

;

The peace and

and

happiafter
tears,

ness of the place were his daily joy

all
it

and thus Bethesda,

to the
it

had cost him,

it,

after all his prayers,

and pleadings
his last days.
for years
;

for

was to minister largely

comfort of

His health continued better than

had been

and when summer approached he

in

started

on

his
in

old preaching circuit

the north.

Invitations

crowded
if

upon him

and he

travelled

from place to place as

the

vigour of his youth were renewed.

During one month,

July,

he travelled

five

hundred

miles, riding

and preaching during

which he penned

the heat of every day.

How
at

like the

language of his youth

is

that

New York

to his friend

Keen

B VENTIDB
'

3l y

whut a new scene of usefulness is opening in various parts of this new world All fresh work where I have been. The Divine influence hath been as at the first. Invitations crowded upon me, both from ministers and people, from many, many quarters. A very peculiar providence led
!

me

lately

to

place

where a horse-stealer was executed

thousands

The poor criminal had sent me several letters, hearing I was in the country. The sheriff allowed him to come and hear a sermon under an adjacent tree. Solemn solemn After being by himself about an hour,
attended.
! !

His heart had been softened seemed full of solid, Divine consolations. An instructive walk I went up with him into the cart. He gave a short exhortation. I then stood upon the coffin, added, I trust, a word in
I

walked half a mile with him

to the gallows.

before

my

first

visit.

He

season, prayed, gave the blessing,

and took

my

leave.'

This was not the

first

execution he had been present

the service of the pulpit,

at.

He

pressed
to

all

things into

and was

wont

make even

the final scenes of a criminal's career give

effect to the

urgency and solemnity of his appeals and warnafter

ings.

At the close of a sermon, and

say, ivith his eyes full

pausing for a

moment, he would
almost too big
for

of tears and his heart

words
Sinner,

'
:

am

going
it;

now
I

to

put on

my
the

condemning

cap.

must do

must pronounce
fell

sentence upon you.'

terrible curse,
fire,
'

Then,

like a peal

of thunder,

Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting

prepared for the devil and his angels.'

It

was now eventide with him

only

one week

of

life

remained.

There was a hush and quietness gathering round

the close of his marvellous ministry, which

seemed

to tell of

coming
was

rest
;

for

the weary

and broken

servant.

Opposition

silent

none spoke or wrote a word against him.

The

people, as

if

they expected to see his face no more, clung to

let

him, and were unwilling to

villages,

him leave

their

towns and

through which he was

still

attempting to travel on his

evangelistic work.

But

it

was not always he could meet them

together
;

when they had assembled

shaken to
its
lull.

fur

the

body was being

'poor
efforts

They

were, he said, but

he

33&

GEORGE WHITE FIELD

for a

could make to serve his Lord.

stand
strong
fast
!

warm

heart

to

in

the faith

to quit

ourselves like

men and

be

'

To

the letter which contains this prayer, he sub-

scribed himself, as was

now

his

way,
It

'

Less than the least

last

of all, George Whitefield.'

was the

he penned,

and

well did

it

harmonise with one of the strongest wishes he

to

had ever made known

God

the wish to

be humble.
at

On

Friday,

September 28th, he preached

Portsmouth,

and on the following morning

started for Boston, travelling

fulfil

by

way of Exeter and Newbury

Port, in order to

an engage-

ment

at the latter

place on the Sunday.

let

But the people of

his

Exeter could not

him pass without

giving

them a

sermon

and he yielded
one remarked
fit

to their entreaties.

He

had ridden

fifteen miles that

morning, and, as he was more than usually

to

uneasy,
'Sir,

him before going out

to

to

preach,

you are more

'

to
;

go

bed than

to preach.'

Whitefield

remarked,
together,

True

sir

then turning aside, he clasped his hands

said,
'

and looking up,

Lord
If I
for

Jesus, I

am

weary

in

Thy

work, but not of

Thy

work.

have not yet finished

in

my

course, let

me

go and speak

Thee once more

die.'

the

fields, seal

Thy
for a

truth,

and come home and

went
preached

The Lord
on a
two

heard his request.

He

out, and, taking his stand

in the
first

hogshead

pulpit,

fields

for nearly

hours to a large congregation, at

effort,

slowly and with great

'

then with

all

his

wonted animation and power,

'

his

countenance,' says a spectator,

sun.'

shining like the unclouded

Then he
tired,

dined, and went forward to

Newbury Port with

In the evening

a dear old friend, the Rev. Jonathan Parsons.

he was

and

after

an

early supper, of

which he partook

very sparingly, begged Mr.

staying, to

Parsons, at whose house he was

retire to rest at

have family prayer, so that he might

in front of the

once.
hall

Meanwhile the pavement

house and the

to hear

became crowded with people who wanted

some

THE LAST NIGHT

words of grace and truth from
equal
his lips; but

339

he

felt

himself un-

to the task of addressing

'

them, and said to another

;

clergyman,

Brother, you must speak to these dear people

cannot say a word.'

To

his

friend

and companion, Mr.

said,

Richard Smith, who

'

slept in the

same room with him, he

to me.'

I will sit

and read

till

you come
as,

But there were the

waiting people to be passed,

to his

with candle in hand, he went

bedroom

and

his

heart strove with

him

to say

some-

thing.

He

halted on the staircase, turned towards them, and

began an exhortation.

Tearful eyes were lifted up to him,

'

while his words flowed on and ceased not

until the candle,

in its socket.'

which he

still

held,

burned away, and went out

When

his friend

entered his room, Whitefield was found

reading the Bible, with Watts' psalms lying open before him.
After committing himself into the hands of God, he went to
rest,

and

slept,

with the

window

half-open,

till

two in the

morning, when an attack of asthma seized him.

of his work as
if

Yet he talked

many days more were

left to

him

he must

have two or three days' riding without preaching, and then he

would be

all right, or,

he thought, his preaching the next day

would make him better

his old

remedy, a

'

pulpit-sweat
relieve

'

he
;

used to sweat through and through

would
It

him

he
his

would rather wear out than

habit to rise in the night
panting, he sat up in bed

rust out.
;

had long been

and pray

and

this night,

weary and

and prayed God

to bless his preach-

ing on the past day, and his forthcoming

services

on the
the

Sunday

to

bring more souls to

Christ

to

give

him

direction in the

way he should
to smile

take,
;

whether he should winter

at Boston, or hasten to the

south

to

remember Bethesda and

at the

his dear family

on the congregations

TaberEnglish

nacle

and Tottenham Court Chapel, and on

all

his

friends.

He

lay

down
'

again to sleep

but in an hour he called

his friend for help.

My

asthma

my

asthma

is

coming

on,'

34o

GEORGE WHITE EIELD

said.
air.

he

At

five o'clock

he rose to open the window wider for

more

few minutes afterwards he turned to his com'

panion, and said,

am

dying.'

He

ran to the other window,

relief.

panting for breath, but could get no

in his chair,

They

seated

him

wrapped

his cloak

round him, and did

their

utmost

to restore him.
seal,

But the end was come.

flight,

The

device on his
it

of wings outspread for

and the motto

bore,

'x

Astra

petamus,' had long expressed his ardent desire to pass even

beyond

the stars; and at

30, 1770,

six

o'clock

on Sunday morning,
itself.

September

he entered heaven
to his

The end was conformable

an evangelist and died
strangers.

hope and prayer.

He
his

was

in a foreign land, although not

among
last

He

was a

field-preacher,

and preached
his

sermon
ness,

in the fields.

He

had feared outliving

his

useful-

and was permitted a reviving of

strength before he
fifty-six,

departed at the comparatively early age of

thirty-four years of exertion.
for

and

after
;

He

had expected

to die silent

God to enable me to bear so many testimonies for Him during my life, that He will require none from me when I die.' And so it was.
he
said,
(

It

has pleased

His dying prayer

that very

for the salvation of souls

was also answered

day.

When

he preached

at

Portsmouth on the

previous Friday, a young sail-maker

named Benjamin Randall

heard him, and was, as he had often been before, greatly impressed with his words and
tears.

Randall, however, was hard

fascinated him.

and

bitter

even against the

man who
main

But

about noon on the Sunday a stranger rode into the town, and
halting at the different corners in the
street, cried in
!

a clear

but subdued voice,

'

Whitefield is dead
this

Whitefield
o'clock.'

is

dead I
voice

He

died at

Newbury Port
the
is

morning at six
soul,
'

A
is

also cried in

young man's

Whitefield

dead.

Whitefield

in heaven, but I
I

am

on the road

to hell.

He

was a man of God, and yet

reviled him, and spoke reproach-

MS FUNERAL
fully of

341

him.

He

taught

me

the way to heaven, but I regarded

!

him

not.

that I could hear his voice again

shall I again hear
it till

But

ah, never,

no, never

in the

judgment of the great

day he

shall

appear as a swift witness against me.'

He

yielded

himself to God.

On
terian

Tuesday, October 2nd, Whitefield was buried, according

to his wish, in front of the pulpit of Mr. Parsons, in the Presby-

Church

at

Newbury

Port, the

mighty host of mourners

present, six thousand nations,

fitly

members and

ministers of

many denomi-

representing the catholicity of his heart and the

his labours.

magnitude of
to the

When

the coffin was placed close

mouth of the

vault, the

Rev. Daniel Rogers, of Exeter,

pulpit, offered prayer,

one of

his sons in the faith,

all

ascended the

and confessed before

his

vast obligations to
to the grave.
'

him whose
His emotion

body they were about

to

commit

conquered him, and as he cried

out,

O my

father,

my

father

and stood and wept, the people mingled

their tears with his.

They

tried to sing a

hymn, but weeping choked many

;

voices.

sermon was then preached

;

the coffin was lowered into the

;

vault
still

another short prayer was offered

and the congregation,

in tears,

passed along the streets to their homes.

of grief were

The outward demonstrations The bells of Newbury sincere.

in

numerous and

Port were tolled, and the ships

the harbour fired their guns, and hung their flags half-mast

high.

Funeral sermons were preached in the principal In Georgia

all

cities

of America.

the black cloth in the stores was

bought up for mourning by the sorrowing people.

the church
at

They hung

Savannah

in black,

and

the

Governor and

Council led the procession which attended to hear the funeral

sermon.
In London, where the news of his death was received
5th, the

on November
which went

same

grief

was

felt

and expressed.

The

London Chronicle of November 19th

to

says that the multitudes

hear his funeral sermon by Wesley, in Totten-

342

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
the Tabernacle,
all

ham Court Chapel and

and
in

exceeded

all

belief;

churches and chapels of

orders there were similar

commemorations of him.
Lovers of absolute, unvarying consistency, and lovers of
or apparent contradictions,
real

may measure him by

the

room he
but

had

for diverse
;

things.

He

loved privacy, but always lived

his time,

in public

he was the foremost philanthropist of

slaves to

owned
them
use
;

fifty

maintain his orphans, and bequeathed

in

his will to

Lady Huntingdon

in trust for the

same
to the

he was slim
if

in person, but occasionally

stormed in his

preaching as
last,

he were a giant ; he was weak, but worked

life

and crowded a long

into a short

one

he was the

favourite preacher of colliers

and London roughs, but was an

;

equal favourite of peers and scholars

he believed

in

a limited with a

atonement

for

sin,

but proclaimed the love of

all feel

God
for

tenderness which

made

that Christ

had died

them

he was a clergyman of the Church of England, and also

practically
lies

an Independent minister, but,

;

at his

own

request,
in

buried in a Presbyterian church

he was a Calvinist

doctrine, but chose an

Arminian

to preach his funeral sermon.

really

Nominally narrow and exclusive, he was

liberalising influences

one of the most

of his age, and beneath his apparent

his

inconsistencies

and behind

ever-changing

life

there was

a true unity.

From

his first

sermon

to his last

he had one
salvation of

motive
souls.

the

love of Christ
all

and

one aim

the
of

Nor through

his distractions did

he ever turn aside

for

moment from

his great work.

The

hostility of

mobs, the
the

bitterness of controversy,

the

unfaithfulness

friends,

opposition of the clergy and bishops, the seductions of popularity

and the

praise of the

titled,

all

failed to

make any

impression upon his resolution to preach Christ to every soul

that he could reach.

Two

questions are

almost sure to

be upon

the

reader's

RESULTS OF HIS WORK

tongue.
First,

343
?

what became of the orphan-house

preaching
?

Secondly,

where are the

answered.
I.

results of his

These

shall

now be

The orphan-house,
left

with

everything

connected with

it,

was

to the

Countess of Huntingdon, Mr. Habersham to

act in her

absence from America.

Arrangements had been

on an academy along

made
aries,

in Whitefield's lifetime for carrying

It

with the orphanage.

sent from

became

also a

home, whence missionstarted

England by Lady Huntingdon,

on

mission work
accidentally
Whitefield,

among the Indians and the settlers. It was burnt down about two years after the death of
rebuilt,

and

but not upon the original

it,

site.

Other

changes of fortune happened to

one of which was the

as a
trustee,

appointment of Franklin,
'

its

early opponent,

because he was an honest man.'

its

Its original charter

appointed

continuance as long as there were three members to celefalls

brate the anniversary, which

on
its

St.

George's Day.

This

provision might once have sealed

'a Protestant, a Catholic,

fate.

Three members,

and an

Israelite,'

who
all

apparently
prisoners of

constituted the whole board at

that time, were

St.

war on board a British man-of-war when

round.
of the

George's

Day came

Remembering
tree in

the charter,

they begged permission

captain to go ashore

and celebrate the anniversary

under an oak

Tunbury, Georgia.

He consented, and
S.

the

ceremony was duly performed.

Mr. Joseph

Fay succeeded,

during the time he was president of the institution, in repurchasing the old
site,

and placing the orphanage upon

brick of Bethesda with his

it

again.

In 1870 a new building was begun, making the fourth since

Whitefield laid the
first

own hand.
poem,

Whittier
1

falls

into a strange mistake when, in his fine

The

Preacher,' he says
'Alas for the preacher's cherished schemes
Mission and church are
!

now

but dreams

344

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
Nor prayer nor
fasting availed the plan

To honour God
Of all

through the wrong of man.

his labours

no trace remains
lifting his

Save the bondman

hands

in chains.'

Hallowed traces of
;

his

labours remain in every place he

;

visited the reproachful bondman only is gone and had the liberal-minded Quaker known and realised all the facts, he

would have penned a glowing tribute

love,
in

to Christ's

abounding
for us

which forgives our

sins

and mistakes, and

fulfils

nobler forms our purposes and prayers.

II.

The

results
direct.

of Whitefield's work
Little

may be
life,

classed as

indirect

and

can be

affirmed positively of the

bearing of his work upon political and social

but

it

must

have corresponded to the religious

effect.

Men
in

like Pulteney,

Chatham, and Fox were not uninfluenced

action by the words they heard at

their

political
;

Lady Huntingdon's

while

among
of
its

the people Whitefield saved to the nation thousands

finest

men and women.

In America he saw, during

his last visit, the beginnings of the

War

of Independence,

and

sympathised with the feelings of the colonists.

Whether he
;

would ultimately have sided with them no one can say

he was

spared the pain of the strife; but there can be no doubt which
side his converts were

on and which part they played.

greatly influenced
is

One

of the

men whom he

was the Rev. Alex-

ander Craighead, and he again

Presbyterian patriots

said to have aroused the

who framed

the Mecklenburg Declaration,

later

which was copied only one year

Declaration of Independence.

by the Philadelphia

Thus Calvinism became once

often

more the stone of stumbling on which tyranny has so

been broken.
i.

Among

indirect results

must be placed the impetus which

His preaching
to

he undoubtedly gave to philanthropic work.

prisoners

and

his

constant pleadings for orphans, for perse-

RESULTS OF HIS WORK

persons, accustomed
all

345

cuted Protestants on the Continent, and for other distressed

classes of people to kindly thoughts

and generous deeds

for the

wretched and the forlorn.

If his

collections be taken in

present equivalent,

they will appear

enormous.

He

created, not altogether, but largely, the feeling

in its active

upon which philanthropy

forms must

live.

The

benevolent objects of present religious work received recognition in

every city and village,

when

the connection between

acceptance with
necessity for
out.

God

through our Lord Jesus Christ and the

clearly pointed

good works was repeatedly and

was the introduction

Justification

to feeding the hungry,

clothing the naked,

It
is

and housing the orphan.

that

equally
of

significant

the great
closely

missionary move-

ments

our time
;

followed

upon the Methodist

reformation

and

in that reformation

who was

there

among

the hosts of preachers

and

evangelists to be

compared with

Whitefield for

over so wide a circuit

enterprise ? Whose foot ranged Whose sympathies were enlisted for If he did not go to the heathen who so many objects ? worship idols of wood and stone, he went to those who were

missionary
?

debased by the lowest vices

the

and when, under

to

his leadership,

Church had conducted them

a holy

life

and pure enjoy-

ments, her attention was next directed to the heathen beyond.

Whitefield accustomed the Church to the idea of aggression

upon the kingdom of darkness

he taught her that

all lost

and

forgotten people are the inheritance of her Lord.

The Church
and Venn

Missionary Society, the child of the evangelical fervour of the

followers of Whitefield
is

Newton, Thornton,
century's

Scott,

the strongest foreign missionary society in the world, and

its first

the history of

work

just

completed would

have been a book exactly

Again,
it

after Whitefield's heart.

needs but a simple statement of facts to show that

Whitefield's preaching

and

his catholic spirit (the latter

more

346

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
first

than the former) have tended in no small measure to produce

in

England, as they

did in America, a true love of spiritual

for religious equality.

freedom and an honest reverence

his labours

In

among

all

denominations he affected no conAll were equally,

descension, he
truly brethren.

never played the patron.

Neither to benefit himself, nor to forward any

of his plans, would he place one denomination before another.

His conduct with regard to Bethesda College proves indisputably that he believed in religious equality, and would not
support or countenance anything
else.

Could nothing more than

not lived in vain
;

this

be

said,

then Whitefield has

life

since the

power

of a

consists not so as in

much
and

in the formation of parties and sects

and schools

the anticipation of the truest and

in the preparation of the

holiest things of future days,

world for their advent.

Churches

may be
field

cemeteries of the dead railed off from the living, or

loving messengers of Christ going about doing good.

Whitelatter.

found them

generally the former,

inspiration,

and

left

them the
this

He

was a breath, an

which

to

day

thrills

evangelical Christendom.
2. Still, the demand is sure to be made for facts and figures. What did he accomplish ? is the question asked. The answer
is
:

(i)

That

his converts

were to be found wherever he had

travelled, nay,

even beyond that extensive range, and were to

be counted by tens of thousands.

His preaching was remark-

able for challenging the strongest characters,

and

either con;

quering them or else rousing their active opposition

neutrality

was

not easy in

his

presence.

Among
'

his

converts
of

were

Thomas
praise
;
'

Olivers, author of the

hymn The God

Abraham

ginia;

Samuel Davies, of the Presbyterian Church in VirThomas Rankin, of Dunbar, one of Wesley's best
;

helpers

Robert Robinson,

the famous

Baptist minister of

RESULTS OF HIS WORK

Cambridge, and author of
ing
' '

347
bless-

Come, Thou Fount of every

'

Andrew Kinsman,

Whitefield's

dear Timothy,' a mighty

preacher of the

Word

Cornelius Winter, the spiritual father

;

of William Jay, of Bath

Henry Tanner, a

useful preacher at
in

Exeter
parts

John Edwards, of Dublin, who preached

;

many
and
of

of England, Scotland, and Ireland

'

John Fawcett, a
binds
'

Yorkshire preacher, author of

'

Blest

is
'

the
;

tie that

Lord, dismiss us with

Thy

blessing

Thomas Adams,

Minchin Hampton, the

faithful

fearless witness, the able minister, the

friend

Samuel Cooper, one of the most popular

converts were ministers

preachers in America.
(2)

That a great number of

his

properly trained for their ministerial work,

truth

who handed

the

down

to children's children.

Such,

e.g.,

was James Hervey,

the once popular author.

In the neighbourhood of Boston in

at

America alone there were

one time twenty ministers who

owned him
had a
(3)

as their spiritual father.

Some

of the ministers

spiritual history not less

wonderful than his own.

That he was the

;

first

of the evangelical clergy in the

sect,

Church of England

and had they formed a separate

This

instead of a party in a church, no one would have asked what

are the results of his labours.
is

the party which holds the letter

Whitefield's legacy to

mankind
Other

strictly in

sometimes
faith

not more than

practice he

that.

parties, again, to

whose

and

would have taken serious exception, have imbibed

his spirit of zeal

and

love,

and and

closely resemble

him

in all that

makes

his character lofty

his life beautiful.

The

wholefirst

Church of England has been moved by the wave which

lifted

on

its

breast only a small section of her people, though

in different directions.

parties
(4)

have drifted

That he helped

to revive

and increase the Churches of

to them,

the Dissenters.
shire at least
it is

His own chapels belong

affirmed,

and

in

Yorkall

on competent authority, that

the

348

GEORGE WHITEFIELD
this

chapels in which his preaching and that of other evangelicals

was welcomed continue to

day to be centres of
it

spiritual

influence, while such as rejected

extinct. pulpits.

have declined or become

supplied

Whitefield's

lay-preachers

many

of their

In

many

favourite
if

Nonconformist preachers, down

not now,
it is

even to a generation ago,

not

difficult to trace

the influence of his popular oratory

the doctrinal

solidity, the

pungent application, the tender and passionate appeal, the

solemn warning.

Nonconformist ministers proclaim our Lord's

atonement

for sin, while possibly differing as to the nature of

;

the atonement
spirit

they insist upon a personal and vital union of

;

with Jesus Christ

feeling that

they invoke the help of the Holy

Ghost,

without His power

upon preacher and

But they say
little

hearer no spiritual good can be done.

about predestination, and nothing

died for an elect world.
(5)

at all

about Christ's having

That the Church of Scotland was made

visits to

alive again

by

his

numerous

Scotland, and by his impassioned appeals

to the

slumbering and the dead.

Scotch journeys were nearly

always an unmixed joy to Whitefield because of the good

he did

and

it is

noticeable that, sixty years ago, the foremost

ministers

and the great bulk of the members of the Scotch

Dissenters,

Church assumed the position of the English

and

made
(6)

of themselves 'a Free Church.'

That the Church

in Wales, of all denominations, received

a remarkable impetus from Methodism, and that Whitefield

was the
pality.

first

to join

hands with the earnest men of the

Princi-

The

early representations of the Methodists as to the

religious condition of the country

cannot be relied upon, but

the following comparative table was carefully prepared by Dr.

Rees, and published

in

his

volume on Nonconformity

in

Wales.
in

It

gave the

number of Nonconformist congregations

1716, 105 in 1742, 171
in

Wales

as

no

in

1775, 993 in

RESULTS OF HIS WORK

1816, 2,927 in 1861.
tions
It
is

349

now

3,456, besides the congrega-

connected with 91 Wesleyan Methodist, and 32 Primitive

Methodist, circuits.
1

The

great

increase

between 1775 and

181

81 6 was owing to the separation of the Calvinistic Metho-

dists

from the Established Church, which took place

to

in

and from 1816

1899 the increase

is

the result of the zeal

and labours of the Churches, crowned with the blessing of God.

Broadly stated, the result of Methodism in Wales has been the

changing of a nation of ignorant,

irreligious

a nation of conscientious Nonconformists,

convictions in spite of

Churchmen into who adhere to their

much

persecution and disadvantage.

Whitefield neither desired nor sought the Nonconformity; but,

as in the case of Scotland, an intense religious
life

would have

freedom of action.
(7)

That

in

America he founded the Presbyterian Church

to
triple

of Virginia,

and helped more than any man

the

ministers of the

New York Synod

a hundred

within seven years, and to

bring

into

existence
less

and

fifty

Congregational

Churches in

than twenty years.

He

gave a welcome in
to

1769 to two of Wesley's preachers who were sent

Richard Boardman and Joseph Pilmoor

America
preaching

and
in

his

prepared the way for the formation of the Methodist Episcopal

Church, one of the strongest churches

the world.

His

labours materially aided the building of Princeton College and

They also produced the same effect upon Church government in America, which we have seen to have
Dartmouth College.
been produced
life

in Scotland,
;

England, and Wales.

The spiritual

would not be fettered

and the union between Church and

State was broken.

What

did Whitefield accomplish

It is true that

he did not
will

organise his converts into a

new denomination, but some

them
beliefs

think that he did a nobler service by encouraging

to join

any existing Church

to

which their

and sympathies

350

GEORGE U'MTEFIELD
He
;

might draw them.

was chiefly the means of rejuvenating

the
Presbyterian,

the Episcopal, the Independent,

Baptist Churches

and the

even the Society of Friends was quickened

he
frequently

by

his

labours,

and

preached

for

Wesley's

societies.

The

catholic spirit of the

itself.

work

is

perhaps more

than the work

He

also

founded churches and inauguHis

last

rated religious revolutions by a sermon.

as

sermons,

we have

seen,

touched the heart of a young

all

man named
founded

Randall; his death sealed

the holy impressions as with the

shortly afterwards

mark of God
in the

and

that

young man

United States the Free-will Baptist Church, a Church

always

opposed

to

slavery,

and now

nearly

one hundred

thousand members strong.

His works do follow him.

Only

this year (1900) the pastor of

Tottenham Court Road Chapel

received a donation towards the cost of rebuilding that structure

from a gentleman
that colony

in

Australia

who had been converted

to this record of his
!

in

by reading one of Whitefield's sermons.

Could
its fruits,

his
it

hand add one word

would be
this

life
!

and
For

'

Grace

Grace

Grace

'

his sake, then, and especially for the sake of

Him who came

bringing grace and truth with

last

Him,

it

shall

be inscribed as the

word here

GRACE.

INDEX.
Aberdeen, 177-8
Acting,
5

Belcher, Jonathan, receives

W.

to

W.'s

opinion concerning,

Boston, 149; bids farewell to W.,

Actors, their opinion of W.'s preaching,

155 Benson,
ordains
with,

Dr.,

sends for W.,

27

306-7; caricature

W. 311
,

W., 28;

further relations
;

12

Adams,

Thomas, 207, 212, 336,

2,

347 Anecdotes,
16S,

119-20, 125, 126, 166,

note,

192
264,

233,
note,

235,
272,
note,

253,
276,

and Lady38, 71, 103 Huntingdon, 249 the death of, 2S5 Bermondsey, W. preaches at, 71 Bermudas, W. at, 242
;

263,

268

Berridge, Rev. John, 303

300

note, 305-9,

312

317of,

Bethlehem Hospital, 95
Bexley,

21, 33 1 - 2 Associate Presbytery, the views

W.

denied the

church

at,

100
Birstall,

127

first

negotiations

of with

W., 127; W.
for,

invited to preach

Bibliomancy, 84 W. preaches

at,

268

169-70
;

W.
;

preaches

for,

Bishops, the, assail W., 217-219;

Bisset,

172
185

confers with

ing them, 173-6

;

W. about joinangry with W.,

answered by W., 218-20 Rev. Mr., preaches against

condemns the Cambuslang

revival, 192

W., 178 Blackheath,

Blair,

W. and Wesley
W.,

at,

99

Rev. Mr., 142

179, 288

Barber, Mr., appointed one

Superintendents
of

of the

Bohler, Peter, and

Bethesda,

160; and the Bethesda accounts,

171

Bolingbroke, Lord, hears W., 246; offers to defend Calvinism, 251

Bolton, the

Duke

of,

201

Barry, Mr., his story of W.'s preaching. 253 Basingstoke,

Bonar, Rev. Mr., at Cambuslang,

194

W.

ill-used at,

103-6

Bath, 45, 323

Boston (U.S.), W.'s first visit to, 149 ; effects of W.'s preaching at,

Bath, Earl
Bedford,

of,

251

234-6
Brainerd, Rev. D.,

Beauclerk, Lord Sidney, 201

W.

teaching the

W.

at,

97

converts

of,

236

352
Bristol,
;

INDEX
W.'s early
preaching
at,

38-9 W. denied the use of the churches at, Wesley 73-4 preaches in the open air at, 85-6 ;
;

the tabernacle at, 289 Brockden, Mr., the conversion

Colman, Dr., invites W. to New England, 148 Coward's Trustees, their treatment of Dr. Doddridge, 215-16 Cumberland, the Duke of, at the
Tabernacle, 201

of,

158-9 Brought on, Rev. Mr., 12 Buckingham, the Duchess of, 202 Bunyan, John, 151, 161, 333

Dagge, Mr.,

tries

to retain

W.
;

as

preacher at Newgate,
Deal,

81

and

Calvinism, as held by W., 11516; Wesley denounces, 160; W.

defends, 161-2; its power, 344 Cambridge (U.S.), 152 Cambuslang, the great revival at, 186-92 a day of humiliation for
;

Savage the poet, 180 W. and Wesley at, 53 Deism, 213 Delamotte, Mr., in Georgia, 37 welcomes W. to Savannah, 58 ; beloved by the poor, 64 W.
; ;

seeks

his

sister

in

marriage,

the revival

at,

192-3

the second

137
Delitz, Countess,

celebration of the Lord's Supper

at,

becomes an active

194-5

the

Cameronians
'

Methodist, 252-3
Dissenters, the,

assail

the

work

W.

friendly

with,

at,

195

Cameronians, the Declaration,' &c,

of the, 195 Cardiff, 81

51

97

work of Doddridge amongst, some of, hostile to W.,

;

213-17

W.
;

brings

many

to

Carmarthen,
Castaniza's
'

W.

honoured

church, 298
at,

W.

practically one

205

of,

Carolina, slavery in, 135, 282

Spiritual Combat,' 18

304-5 301-4

Methodists become,
in

Causton, Mr., and W., 59, 65 Cennick, John, aids W., 167 ; joins
the Moravians, 240
;

Dissenters,

the,

Wales,
for
;

80,

348-9 Doddridge, Dr., assailed

tenancing W., 214-17

coun-

his death, 295

at,

Charleston,

changes

130
at,

W.
146

and Dr.
of,

cited before

Mr. Garden

Warburton, 314; the death

285 Dublin,
stoned

Chesterfield, Earl of, 246, 289, 305

Lady, 272 Church, Rev. Thomas, 220 Clap, Rev. Mr., 149, 152
Chesterfield,

W.
at,

entertained

at,

66
at,

309
acts as

Dummer, W.
pulpits
the

clergyman
at,

35-6
Dunfermline,

Clergy,
against

the,

close

their

W.,

W.

preaches

172

51

persecute

Methodists, 207 conduct of some

Cole,

W.

W. and
meet
Durell,
at,

the Associate Presbytery

assails the

of,

2 1 9-20

173-4
Dr.,

prosecutes

six

Rev. Thomas, and the boy

his love of anecdotes,
;

W., 1,2;
2
;

Methodist students, 327

signs himself W.'s curate, 87

his

death,

87

his

'

tump

'

at

(^uarhouse, 203

Ecclesiastical, the, position of W., 174-5, -298-9, 3 U 4 5

INDEX
Edinburgh, W.'s first arrival at, W.'s first sermon in, 173 172 excitement about W. in, 176; W.'s last W.'s love for, 200
; ;
;

353
at,

Fog's Manor, excitement

Foote,

142
preach,

Samuel, hears
;

W.
'

305-6
Foundry,

comedy of the
the,

Minor

'

by, 311-12

visit

to,

328
Elizabeth,

Wesley
;

tears

W.'s

Edwards,

marries
I

letter

at,

162

nearness of the

Thomas

Whitefield,

Edwards, Dr., 116 Edwards, Jonathan, and W., 155,

198
Election,

Tabernacle to, 167 Francke, Professor, on

of Man,' 13;
his

'

The Fear

orphan-house,

65

W. and

the doctrine

of,

Franklin,

116; controversy between W. and Wesley respecting, 133, 144, 148, 160-165
Eliot,

the apostle of the Indians,

152
'

Enthusiasm and Eukewarmness,' Bishop Gibson's pastoral letter on, 1 07- 1 Enthusiasm, Dr. Doddridge on, 215 Bishop of Lichfield on, 231 ; Bishop Lavington on, 257-60
;

Benjamin, on W.'s sermons, 47-8 W. preaches in front of his shop, 119 yields to W.'s power, 119-20; notices W. in his newspaper, 126; wonders at the effects of W.'s preaching, 139 scene in the shop of, 140 is
;

appointed a trustee of Bethesda,

343

Garden,

Erskine,
his

Ebenezer, informs

W.

of
of,

success,
;

97

description

127
the

W.

replies to,

on joining
170
;

Associate

Presbytery,
to

replies

again

W., 170; dedraw

;

Commissary, becomes opposed to W., 130 Garrick, David, 306, 311, 312 Garrison, William Lloyd, 280-2 Georgia, the Wesleys in, 33 W. invited to go to, 36 formation of the colony of, 40-1 W. appointed
; ;

scribes the religious state of Scot-

chaplain

to,

41

slavery in, 254,

land, 172

tries to

W.

into

2S0-2
Gib,

the

Secession,

174
;

unfriendly
grieves for

Adam,

in

the

Associate

towards W., 185

the
loss
of,

W.
;

Presbytery,

173;

writes against
so,

186

and Seceders

W., 185-6; repents of doing

193
Gibraltar,

appoint a day of humiliation for W.'s work, 192 ; death of, 286
Erskine, Ralph, W.'s love
negotiations
entreats
for,

W.
Dr.,

at,

55-7

127

Gibson,

writes against

W.,

between, and

W.,
the

108-10
1 12-13 born at, 1 a Methodist Society formed at, 22-3 W. ordained at, 25-9 W. preaches his first sermon at, 30 W.'s child dies at, 210-1 Goldsmith, Oliver, 45, 306-7

127

W.

to

join

Gladman, Captain,
Gloucester,

Secessionists, 170; entertains YV.,

W.

death of, 286 173 Evangelical School,' the, 347 Exeter, W. stoned at, 264-5
;

'

Ferrers,
69, 70

Earl, 313
in,

Eetter Lane, Methodist meetings

'

Grace, Free,' Wesk-y"s sermon on,

133-4, 160;

W.

on, 161

24

554

INDEX
;

Grimshaw, Rev. William, character and labours of, 266 death of, 317-19

Huntingdon, Countess of, attends the Tabernacle, 200 letters from the Duchess of Marlborough to, 201-2 letter from the Duchess of Buckingham to, 202 invites
;

Habersham, James,
site

chooses the
131
;

W.
247

to preach at her house,

of the orphan-house,

appoints
;

W.

246 ; one of her chaplains,

life,

appointed

manager
160
;

of

the

her religious

248-50

orphan-house,
President of the

appointed

services at the house of, 250-4,

Commons House
at,

of Assembly, 294

272 ; illness of, 279 life at Ashby, 278 ; the relation of, to
;

Hampton
8,

(Minchin), riots

207-

212
74> 85

Hannam Mount,

303; and the 'Minor,' 312; her chapel at Bath, 323; founds Trevecca College, 329
Dissent,

Hardy, Mr. Charles, a trustee of W.'s chapels, 314 Harvard College, 234 Harris, Howel, character and work, 79 W. follows the example of, 105 letter of W.
>

Hyde

Park,

W.

preaches

in,

at

midnight, 273

'Imitation of Christ,'
Impressions,
cautions

Jonathan
against,
1

Edwards
55-6
;

to,

114; sings a

hymn

W.

with W.,

W.

sees his mistakes about, 210

336
Hastings,

Indians, the,

Lady

W.

visits,

Betty, 34

Haworth, W. at, 266-7, 3 I 7 _I 9 Haime, John, 265 Henry, Matthew, W. and the commentary of, 32 Hervey, James, one of the first Methodists, 12; a convert of W.,
20
;

Ingham, Benjamin, Ireland, W.'s visits

Islington,
;

12,

236 68
283, 309

to, 66,

70 W. yard of, 89

Methodist ministers at, preaches in the church-

W.

to,
;

an author, 245 letter from 263 lives in W.'s house,

; ;

Johnson,
Jones,

Dr., 11, 311, 335

Griffith,

Rev.

his

work

in

277 Hervey, Lord, 201

W.

uses his friendship, 279

Wales, 78-9
Justification,

W.

on,

228-30

Hinchinbroke, Lady, 203

Holy Club,' Holy Ghost,

'

the, 15 the,

Keen, Mr. Robert,

operations
of,

trustee

of

108-10

W.

on,

109-10,

151,

W.'s chapels, 314 Ken's Manual for

'

Winchester

231, 316-17; Bishop

Warburton

Scholars,' 5

on, 314-15

Kennington Common,
;

W.

on, 92,

Hotham, the Hon. Miss, 277

Hume, David,

his opinion of

W.'s

preaching, 247

Humility, W.'s prayer for, 17 ; evidences of W.'s, 147, 271, 338

99 collections at, 93 Kingswood, condition of, 73 W. preaches to the colliers of, 74, 76, "]"], 82 W. lays the foundation of a school at, 86 effects of W.'s
; ; ;

Huntingdon, Earl

of,

71

teaching upon the colliers

of,

101

INDEX
Kinsman, Rev. Andrew, 307, 347 Kirk of Scotland, W. and the, 170,
172
98, 205
;

the Tabernacle built

in,

167

W.

preaches
;

in,

at

Whitat,

suntide, 181

the collections

205

LAVINGTON, Bishop,
YY.,

writes against

257-60; threatens the Rev. sees W. Mr. Thompson, 264 stoned, 264-5 tne bad state of
;
>

W. on the connexion between religion and, 46-7 Morgan, Thomas, 12

Morality,

Moravians,

the,

W.
his

accuses,
friends,

of
;

his diocese, 265 note

drawing away

255

Law, William, his Serious Call and 'Christian Perfection,' 11;

'

W.

exposes their

faults,

288

Morris,

Mr.

Samuel,

founds the

his estimate Ourania,' 35 of human nature, 184 gospelised his

'

Virginian Church, 236-7

by W., 243 Lichfield, Bishop

231

Neal, Nathanael,

of,

W.

answers,

Lisbon,

W.

visits,

291-3

his letters to Dr. Doddridge, 215-16 Negroes, W.'s remembrance of the, 128 W.'s adventures among,
;

Lisburne, Lady, 203

130;

W.

rebukes their owners

miserable condition in

Long Acre Chapel, riots at, 295-9 London, W.'s early efforts in, 32,
49 Lonsdale, Lord, 201
;

for their

Maryland, Virginia, and

lina,

Carofor

the religious societies

of,

69
33

135

the

love of
to,

some
in

W.,

Ludgate prison,

W.

preaches

146; preaches mudas, 242

at,

Ber-

in,

Newark

(U.S.), extraordinary effects

of W.'s preaching

157

Marriage,
201-2

W.'s, 179 Marlborough, the Duchess

New
of,

Birth, the,
;

W.

passes through,

14

preached in Scotland, 186

New
in,

England, W.'s
;

first

visit

to,

Maryland, slavery

135

147-57
preaches

letters

upon the conto,

;

Mary-le-Bone
in,

fields,

W.

dition of religion in, 196-7

184
at

New

York,

W.

invited
in,

122

McCulloch, Rev. W., his work Cambuslang, 1S6-91, 194

joined by W., 12
living,
14,

arduous labours
ful effects

140 wonderof W.'s preaching, 157

122

Methodists, the, at Oxford, 12; are

;

Noble,

Mr

their rules of

15

under the Tole-

Northampton racecourse, 97 Nottingham (U.S.), W.'s preaching

at,

301-4 Ministers, W.'s influence

ration Act,

141

among,
OGILVIE, Rev. Mr., 177
Oglethorpe,
prisoners,

137. 347 Minor,' the, 311-12

General,
;

befriends

Moncrieff, Rev. Alexander, 173

Moody, Rev. Samuel,

Moorfields,

153, 233

W.'s

first

sermon

in,

90-2
of

his
for

W.

second, 93 ; the love the conrrretrations at,

40 founds the Georgian receives W., 41 colony, 40-1 C. Wesley and, plan an orphana link between W. house, 62 and the literary world, 3 ^ \
;
; ;

356
Open-air preaching,
of,

INDEX
Oxford, W.'s
threatened
cellor
of,
life

W. first thinks W. begins, 74 W. justifies, 2195 W. induces Wesley to adopt, 85, 99 W. begins in London, 89 W. exhorts others
71
; ; ; ;

at,

by
87
;

the

10-24; W. is Vice-Chanof

expulsion

Methodist students from, 326 Oxford, the Earl of, 203

in America, 126, 236-8 resumed in England by W., 167; W.'s plan, 169; its happy influence upon W., 313 W. glories in, 328 Oratory, W.'s estimate of, 60, 292

to

use,
;

in

Pearce, Dr.

Z.,

and the Long Acre

disturbances, 296

Pemberton, Rev. Mr., W.'s apology

W. 124 meeting-house
to,
;

preaches
of, of,

in

the

characteristics

of

W.'s,

90,

Penn,

Wm.,

son
the

157 140
of,

331-2
247
note
;

Hume's estimate of W.'s, Lord Chesterfield's, 289

Perfection,
150, 161

doctrine

134,

Rolingbroke's, 246

Ordination, W.'s, 25-9; his change

of view, 172, 175

Periam, Joseph, is taken from Bethlehem Hospital by W. 95 sails

, ;

with
origin,

W.

to Georgia,

96
visit

Orphan-house,

its

62

the
;

Philadelphia,

W.'s
leaves,

first

to,

scheme adopted by W., 63 influence upon W., 63; W.

lects

its

117;

W.

amid a great
the excitement
;

colsite

money
;

for the,

93

its

company, 126 ; concerning W.,

built for,

131
131

work before the opening,

W.
of,

lays
;

the

foundation-

a hall 138-9 158; the conversion of the recorder of, 15S-9 W. in;

brick

133 manager, 140

of,

W. W.

sends

for a

vited to

become a minister

in,

loved by the

Philips, Sir John, his annuity to

236 W.,
at,

children
life

at,

160, 199;

142; opened, 160; W. in danger

of,
;

of arrest for the debts

166

W. prays for help for, 167 W.'s tender interest in the children,
171
;

28 Plymouth, W.'s adventures 221-4 Prayer, extemporaneous, W.

uses,

first

69

subscribers to, 169

troubles

Prisons,
74, 81

W.

labours

in, 31, 33, 45,

from debts, from managers, from magistrates, and from the

Spaniards,

Puritans and Puritanism in America,

198;

W.
;

writes

an
the

148-51
Puritan theology, 115

account

199 congregations and,

audited,

of,

Moorfields'

206
;

accounts

W.'s 238 knowledge of the working, 293 W.'s plan of paying the officials,
;

Quakers and W.

44,

102,

106,

113, 141, 184, 194

Queensbury, the Duchess

Quietism,

of,

203

301

W.

purposes to add a col-

W.

and, 18, 19
at,

lege to the house, 321-2, 324-6;

its history last visit to, 336 W.'s death, 343 Ottery church bells rung against W., 208
;

W.'s

Races,

W.

preaches

103-6
of,

after

Reprobation, the doctrine

defends, 150-51;

W.

W.

relinquishes,

241

INDEX
Rhode
Rogers,
Island, 149

3=7

Rev.

Mr.,

of

Ipswich

(U.S.), 153 Rogers, Rev. Mr., of Bedford, 97

Stonehouse, Rev. Mr., S9 Stonehouse, Dr., 262, 274 Suffolk, Countess of, 252

Tabernacle,
Saltzburgers,
Savannah,
5865
;

the,

the, 40, 65
life

167
in,

attended

is built for W., by the nobility,

W.'s pastoral W.'s second visit

to, 131
in,

Scotland, result of W.'s

work

34S

200-3; W.'s son is baptized at, 210 ; Doddridge preaches at, 214 Wesley preaches at, 272 W. lives
;
;

Scougal, Rev. Henry, 14 Selwyn, Lady, 27 Sermons by W. 30, 90-2, 211-12, 228-9
,

at the

house adjoining, 277

made
W.'s

a permanent building, 2S7

191,

funeral

sermon
Rev.

at,

341-2
visits

Tennent,
the

Win,

W.,

Sewal,

Dr.,

W.

preaches

in

meeting-house of, 153 Seward, William, his

house and college, 125 Tennent, Rev. Gilbert, his manner

;

118

his

character,

of preaching, 122; conducts

to

W.

visits Philadelphia, 117; unwise zeal, 139-40; his death and its consequences to W., 140, 166

112; 112;

sails

with

W.

to

America,

his

York, 123 views on the Scotch Seceders, 128 letters concerning his work and W.'s in
;

New

America, 196-7 Tewkesbury, 100

Charles Wesley opposed 269; W.'s spiritual triumph at, 270 Shirley, Lady Fanny, 252 Shuter, Mr. Charles, his love for
Sheffield,
at,

Thompson, Rev. Mr., 264, 274

Thorpe, Rev. John, 275
Toleration Act, the, and the Methodists,

Tottenham
301
;

301-4 Court

Chapel
at,
;

built,

W., 306;
307

his religious indecision,

Slavery, forbidden in Georgia, 40

its

effects,

factory

135; W.'s unsatisviews on, 135-6 W.

;

305 registered as an Independent Chapel, 304-5 Tower Chapel, 32

congregations

pleads for

its

introduction
;

into

Townshend, Lady, 251 Trevecca College, 329

Virginia,
slavery
in, in,

Georgia,

254-5

is

introduced,

280-2
Smith, Rev. Josiah, of Charleston, 146
Sortilegium
is

135

the

Presbyterian church

Voyages, W.'s, his

practised

first,

230, 349 52 second,

;

by Wesley,

65;
fifth,

third,

53-4; 133-4
Sovereignty, the Divine, 115-16
St.
St.

112-17; fourth, 162; sixth, 225-32 ; 243-4 J

eighth, 284 ninth, 294; eleventh, 319;
; ;

seventh, 284

Gennis, 208, 264, 274 John, Lord, 251

291

tenth,

twelfth, 322

thirteenth,

336

St.

Mary de Crypt,
a boy, 4
;

Gloucester,
of,

in, as

school

W. W.

Wales, Methodism
348 Wales, Prince
of,

in,

78-81, 204,

preaches his

first

sermon
at,

in,

50

Slonehouse,

W.

labours

42

201, 282-3

558

INDEX
10;
his
life

Walpole, Horace, 253 Warburton, Bishop, on the work of the Holy Spirit, 314-17
Watts, Dr. Isaac, 71, 214, 255 Webster, Rev. Alex., of Edinburgh,
194, 198

there,

11-22;

his

new

birth, 14;

persecutions,
;

16;

adopts Quietism, 18
teristics

his charac-

and

habits, 2, 3, 55, 85,

123,

142,

148,

152-4,

261-2,

Wellington, 263 Wesley, Charles, and W. at Oxford, thinks Georgia, 36, 41 12-19; his verses of an orphanage, 62

277-8, 30S, 311, 329-332; ordained deacon, 28 first sermon,

;

30-1
to

visits

London, 32
36
; ;

invited
to

Georgia,
41

appointed

Georgia,

labours at Stone-

on W.,
to

13, 96, 241,

prevent

breach

278 strives between his

;

house, 42; great success at Bristol, 43-6 ; on morality and religion,

brother and
castle,

W., 162;

at

New;

46-7
2 3^>

his
5

printed sermons, 48,

268; and his brother's his intended marriage, 269

dangers at Sheffield, 269 and the last meeting with W. 335
;
,

f^St excitement in 35 London, 49 breaks with the clergy, 51 and Dissenters, 51,
; ;

97. 213-17, 295-9, 304-5; sails

for

Wesley, John, at Oxford, 12-19

Georgia,
;

52

at

Gibraltar,

Georgia, 33, 36, 41, 64; seeks to prevent W. from sailing to

55-7
146,

his illnesses, 57, 60, 72, 140,

193,

206, 232-3,

239, 248,
310, 313,

America, 53 his conversion, 64 meets W. 67; is refused the churches, 68 joins W. at Bristol, 84 learns from W. to preach in sermon the open air, 84-6, 99 on 'Free-Grace,' 133; sermon
: ;

256,

274,
first

279,
visit to

284,

Savannah, 5865 sails for England, 65 arrives in London, 67 extemporaneous

329;
; ;

prayer, 69

ordained

priest,
air,

71;
;

preaches in the open

74

his

described,

160-1

occasions

a
his

breach between

W.

and, 134
134,

breach with W.,

14S-151, 154, 160-5; is from marrying Mrs. Grace Murray,

,

144-45, hindered

emotion while preaching, 77-8, visits Wales, 140-2, 337 82, an d Howel yS, 80, 87, 204-5
;

Harris,

79,

105,

114,

336;
(see

his relation to the

Quakers
School,

269; preaches for W. 272; on W.'s disposition, 278; serious illness of, 289 on W.'s appearance, 323 last meeting with W., preaches W.'s funeral ser335 mon, 341 Whitefield, Andrew, 1 IVhitefield, George, childhood, 1 his appearance as a child, 2 as a young man, 91 in middle life,
; ; ;
;

Quakers)
of

lays

the

foundation

Kings wood

86

preaches in Islington churchyard

in Moorfields, 89; and Joseph Periam, 95 ; his connexion with the Erskines (see Ebenezer and

and

Ralph Erskine)
103
son,
;

at Basingstoke,
;

at races, 103

and Dr. Gib115;

(see

108;

his

theology,

breach

with Wesley,

John
;

299 323
ing,

at

the close of
;

life,

300,

early faults, 3
4,

love of act5
;

Wesley), his courtship, 137 marriage, 179; his domestic

his
life,

school
;

life,

assists

293

his

influence
;

through

in the Bell Inn, 6

enters Oxford,

ministers, 137, 347

the physical

INDEX
effects of his
;

359
309
at
;

preaching in America,

in Ireland, 283,

writes to
;

in England, 227 ; in 141-3, 157 Scotland, 186-92; first visit to

Count
Lisbon,

Zinzendorf,

288

visits

291

Long Acre
;

New
built

England,
for,

147

loses

his

popularity, 166-7; the Tabernacle

167
;

resigned

under

Chapel, 295 ; builds Tottenham Court Chapel, 301 is heard by actors, 305 stoned in Ireland,
;

reverses, 168

invited to Scotland,
to Scotland, 172
;

169
his

first visit

309 311;
;

is

mimicked on the
Earl
Ferrers,

stage,

visits

313;

ecclesiastical
;

position,

175,

appoints trustees to his chapels,

2 98-9, 301-5

in Moorfields
fields,
life,

and
;

314; assailed by

Bishop

War-

Mary-le-Bone tempts on his

296-7
;

181-5

at-

106, 184, 264,

burton, 314; opens a chapel at Bath, 323 and his proposed

;

Adam
>

against,

186-95
ronians,

warning 185 ; at Cambuslang, assailed by the Cameand the nobility, 195

Gib's
;

college,

324-6

defends

the

students of St.
;

Edmund
; ;

Hall,

327 death of his wife, 328 opens Trevecca College, 329 his writings,
his last

200-3,

246,

250-3,

272,

305;

defends the

Hampton
;

Methodists,

333 and literary men, 334; meeting with the Wesleys,

;

at

at Hampton, at Ottery, and Wedgbury, 207 good effects of his preaching, 209; birth and

212

335

sails

from England
;

for the

last time,

336
;

attends an execu-

tion,
last

death of his son, 209 is assailed by the bishops, 217-21 ; at Ply;

337 his last journey and sermon, 338 his death,

; ;

339-40

his

funeral,

341

the
;

221-4 bishops, 226-7 atonement, 228

;

mouth,

answers
his

the

view of the answers the

231 ; at ranges the
;

history of his orphan-house, 343 the results of his work, 343-50

Whitefield,

Mrs.
1

(W.'s
;

mother),

bishop

of

Lichfield,
;

her marriage, 1-2

S
; ;

her character,
5, 7,

Boston (U.S.), 234 woods, 235-9; at Bethesda, 241 Bermudas, at 242 ; confesses his mistakes, 243, 259-60 appointed chaplain to the Countess of Huntingdon, 246-7 Bishop Lavington writes against, 257-60;
; ;

her treatment of W.,

marries

wishes

W.

Mr. Longden, 4 to go to Oxford, 8

her farewell to

W., 38;

letters
;

from

W.

to, 124, 198,

236, 245

her death, 285

Whitefield, Rev. Samuel, Whitefield,
1

answers the bishop, 259 assaulted visits Haworth, at Exeter, 264 266-8, 276, 317-19; at Leeds,
;
;

Thomas,

Willison, Rev. Mr., 192

Winter,

Cornelius, describes

W.'s
on

268

at

Newcastle, 268

inter-

between Wesley and Mrs. Grace Murray, 269 his Christian graces, 270-1 his success at Sheffield, 269-70 preaches for Wesley, 272 in Hyde Park, 273 on the north road, 274-7 >
feres
;
;

emotions, 78 ; sails with his last voyage, 336 Wishart, Rev. George, 196

W.

Woodward,

Dr., 78

Zinzendorf, Count, 228