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
A very few weeks passed, and we find him in Kent. In a letter
written July 27, after his visit to that county, he says, "The
gospel flourishes in London. I am just returned from preaching at
Sheerness, Chatham, and in the camp." On the next day he set off
towards Scotland. On August 14, he writes from Sunderland, "How
swiftly doth my precious time pass away! It is now a fortnight since
I came to Leeds, in and about which I preached eight days, thrice
almost every day, to thronged and affected auditories. On Sunday
last at Bradford, in the morning, the auditory consisted of about
ten thousand; at noon and in the evening, at Birstal, to nearly
double the number. Though hoarse, I was helped to speak so that all
heard. Next morning I took a sorrowful leave of Leeds, preached at
Doncaster at noon, and at York the same night. On Wednesday, at
Warstall, about fifty miles off; on Thursday, twice at Yarm; and
last night and this morning, here." Wherever he labored, he heard
of the good effects of his preaching in those places last year, and
was constantly finding "many trophies of redeeming love." Such was
the effect of the two sermons he preached at Birstal, that "several
hundreds rode eight miles with him in the evening, singing and
praising God."
In a day or two after this, we find him at Edinburgh and Glasgow,
preaching, as usual, to vast crowds, and with his accustomed
success. At the former places especially, even politicians gave him
a cordial welcome, and thronged to hear him, while the newspapers
applauded him for his spirit-stirring exposures of "Popish
tyranny and arbitrary power." He preached twice every day in the
Orphan-hospital park, and blended with almost every sermon rousing
appeals to the Protestantism, courage, and loyalty of the Scotch.
At the close of one of his sermons he pleaded the cause of the poor
Highlanders, and collected at its close about three hundred dollars.
On his way back to London, Whitefield held a peculiarly solemn
and refreshing meeting with his friends at Leeds; and after it,
he braced his nerves by a tour of _mountain preaching_ in company
with his friend Grimshaw. But it was now late in October, and
as he found "these cold countries bringing on his last year's
disorder," and having, as he significantly says, "grown very
prudent," he returned to London, and dedicated Tottenham Court-road
church edifice. Another errand also had taken him to that city.
The new governor of Georgia had sent for him, to consult with him
before sailing to that colony. Whitefield met him, and was so much
delighted with him, that he wrote off to Bethesda to prepare them
for a _state_ visit. He says, "Waited upon his excellency, and gave
him, and all whom he pleases to bring, an invitation to Bethesda.
Dear Mrs. C---- will make proper provision." He went even farther,
and proposed that the governor, if possible, should be received at
Bethesda with military honors.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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