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
The night before the death of this excellent man, which took place
in his forty-second year, he exclaimed, "Oh, what a good God have I,
in and through Jesus Christ. I would praise him, but my lips cannot.
Eternity will be too short to speak his praises." The physician
coming in, he said to him, "Oh, what a mercy is it to be interested
in the atoning blood of Jesus. I come to the Lord as a vile sinner,
trusting in the merits and precious blood of my dear Redeemer. O
grace, grace, free grace!" His last words were, "I am going from
weeping friends to congratulating angels, and rejoicing saints in
glory. He is coming. Oh, speed thy chariot wheels; why are they so
long in coming? I long to be gone!" He left in his church more than
two hundred communicants.
Whitefield and Darracott were congenial spirits, and Darracott, like
his friend, had suffered much reproach in the cause of his Master;
he was what Whitefield called him, "a flaming and successful
preacher of the gospel." He had just at this time lost three lovely
children. "Two of them," says Whitefield, "had died on the Saturday
evening before the sacrament; but weeping did not prevent sowing.
He preached the next day, and administered as usual. Our Lord
strengthened him; and for his three natural, gave him above _thirty_
spiritual children; and he is likely to have many more. He has
ventured his little all for Christ; and last week a saint died who
left him and his heirs two hundred pounds in land. Did ever any one
trust in God, and was forsaken?" This interview with Darracott, and
with good old Mr. Pearsall, who had been a preacher of righteousness
before Whitefield was born, had an inspiring influence upon him. He
says, "I _began_ to take the field again at his dwelling for the
spring! I begin to _begin_ to spend and be spent for Him who shed
his own dear heart's blood for me. He makes _ranging_ exceedingly
pleasant."
Soon after this, Whitefield went again into Yorkshire. At Rotherham
he says, "Satan rallied his forces. The crier was employed to give
notice of a bear-baiting. You may guess who was the bear! However,
I preached twice. The drum was heard, and several watermen attended
with great staves. The constable was struck, and two of the mobbers
apprehended, but rescued afterwards." Sheffield and Leeds he found
to be a new and warmer climate. Lancashire, however, was still but
cold to him. All was quiet at Manchester, and he "humbly hoped some
had enlisted," but no great impression was then made. At Bolton, a
drunkard stood up behind him to preach; and the wife of the man who
lent him the field, twice attempted to stab the workman who put up
the stand for him. This roused him, and he bore down all opposition
by a torrent of eloquence, which quite exhausted him. In the night,
however, some rude fellows got into the barn and stables where his
chaise and horses had been put, and cut them very shamefully. This
conduct he called, "Satan showing his teeth."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account