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
We resume Mr. Smith's account: "He said he would sit and read till I
came to him, which I did as soon as possible; and found him reading
the Bible, with Dr. Watts' Psalms lying open before him. He asked
me for some water-gruel, and took about half his usual quantity; and
kneeling down by his bedside, closed the evening with prayer. After
a little conversation, he went to rest, and slept till two in the
morning, when he awoke, and asked for a little cider; he drank about
a wine-glass full. I asked him how he felt, for he seemed to pant
for breath. He said to me, 'My asthma is coming on again; I must
have two or three days' rest. Two or three days' riding, without
preaching, would set me up again.' Soon afterwards, he asked me to
put the window up a little higher, though it was half up all night.
'For,' said he, 'I cannot breathe; but I hope I shall be better by
and by: a good pulpit sweat to-day may give me relief; I shall be
better after preaching.' I said to him, 'I wish you would not preach
so often.' He replied, 'I had rather wear out than rust out.' I then
told him, I was afraid he took cold in preaching yesterday. He said
he believed he had; and then sat up in bed, and prayed that God
would be pleased to bless his preaching where he had been, and also
bless his preaching that day, that more souls might be brought to
Christ. He prayed for direction whether he should winter in Boston,
or hasten to the southward; and he prayed for a blessing on his
Bethesda college, and his dear family there, for the Tabernacle and
Chapel congregations, and all connections on the other side of the
water; and then he laid himself down to sleep again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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