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
Amid Whitefield's innumerable engagements and declining health,
Bethesda and his beloved America could not be forgotten. While
he was at Glasgow during this summer of 1751, he was greatly
delighted to hear that Mr. Dinwiddie, brother-in-law to the Rev. Mr.
M'Culloch, of Cambuslang, was appointed governor of Virginia. The
gospel had been much opposed there, and he thought the appointment
now made would greatly tend to check persecution.
Whitefield, as it appears to us, now very suddenly determined on
another voyage to America. He arrived in London from Edinburgh in
the early part of August, with improved health, the country air
having healed his hemorrhage. He took a hasty leave of his friends,
and set sail for Georgia, in the Antelope, Captain M'Lellan, taking
several orphans with him. He arrived at Savannah Oct. 27, and had
the happiness of finding the orphan-house in a prosperous condition.
Here, however, he did not stay long; as in November we hear of
him in his usual labors, and with his usual ardor engaged in his
constant work of preaching. Having formerly suffered much from the
climate of America in the summer, he determined again to embark for
London, which he did in April. We can scarcely trace his object in
this journey to and from America, except in some designs of the
government to place Georgia on a new footing.
In June, 1752, Mr. Whitefield was found in the society of the
Countess of Huntingdon at Bath, where he continued about three
weeks, preaching every evening to great numbers of the nobility.
Here he became acquainted with Mrs. Grinfield, a lady who attended
on the person of Queen Caroline. "One of Cæsar's household,"
he writes, "hath been lately awakened, through her ladyship's
instrumentality, and I hope others will meet with the like
blessing." He afterwards visited her at the palace of St. James,
and says, "The court, I believe, rings of her, and if she stands, I
trust she will make a glorious martyr for her blessed Lord."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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