George Whitefield: A Biography, with special reference to his labors in AmericaBelcher, Joseph
Religion
George Whitefield: A Biography, with special reference to his labors in America
Belcher, Joseph
Whitefield, George, 1714-1770
During this visit of Whitefield to Edwards, some conversation
was held between them, of which, several years afterwards, as it
appears to us, far too much was said. Edwards took an opportunity,
privately, to converse with his friend about _impulses_, and
furnished him with some reasons for thinking that he gave too much
attention to such things. Whitefield did not appear offended,
neither did he seem inclined to converse much on the subject, or to
yield to the reasonings of his friend Edwards. The latter says, "It
is true, that I thought Mr. Whitefield liked me not so well for my
opposing these things; and though he treated me with great kindness,
yet he never made so much of an intimate of me, as of some others."
It seems also, that they conversed on the strong language which
the great evangelist was accustomed to employ as to those whom he
considered to be unconverted, and the duty of the people to forsake
the preaching of ministers whom he did not consider to be renewed
in the spirit of their minds. Whitefield told Edwards also, of the
design he had cherished of bringing over a number of young men from
England, to be ordained by the Tennents, in New Jersey; an object,
however, which he never accomplished.
It appears that after preaching at Northampton twice on the Sabbath,
Whitefield, accompanied by his friend Edwards, rode to the house of
the father of the last-named gentleman, the Rev. Timothy Edwards,
in East Windsor, Connecticut. At this place, as also at Westfield,
Springfield, Suffield, Hartford, Wethersfield, Middletown, and
Wallingford, he preached to large assemblies, generally with his
accustomed animation and power, and with the happy proofs of
success which he so frequently witnessed. During this week also,
he experienced a remarkable deliverance from great danger. He
says, "A little after I left Springfield, my horse, coming over a
broken bridge, threw me over his head, directly upon my nose. The
fall stunned me for a while. My mouth was full of dust, I bled a
little, but falling upon soft sand, got not much damage. After
I had recovered myself, and mounted my horse, God so filled me
with a sense of his sovereign, distinguishing love, and my own
unworthiness, that my eyes gushed out with tears; but they were all
tears of love. Oh, how did I want to sink before the high and lofty
One who inhabiteth eternity!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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