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
"With a gentle gale we sailed most pleasantly into the harbor; got
into public worship before they had finished the psalms; and sat, as
I thought, undiscovered. After service was over, a gentleman asked
me whether my name was not Whitefield. I told him 'yes;' he then
desired me to go to his house, and he would take care to provide
lodgings and necessaries for me and my friends. I went, silently
admiring God's goodness in answering my prayer so minutely. Several
gentlemen of the town soon came to pay their respects to me, among
whom was one Mr. Clap, an aged dissenting minister, but the most
venerable man I ever saw. He looked like a good old Puritan, and
gave me an idea of what stamp those men were who first settled New
England. His countenance was very heavenly; he rejoiced much in
spirit at the sight of me, and prayed most affectionately for a
blessing on my coming to Rhode Island."
In the evening, in company with Mr. Clap and other friends,
Whitefield visited Mr. Honeyman, the minister of the church of
England, and requested the use of his pulpit. "At first he seemed
a little unwilling, being desirous to know 'what extraordinary
call I had to preach on week-days,' which he said was disorderly.
I answered, 'St. Paul exhorted Timothy to 'be instant in season
and out of season;' that if the orders of the church were rightly
complied with, our ministers should read public prayers twice every
day, and then it would not be disorderly at such times to give them
a sermon. As to an extraordinary call, I claimed none otherwise than
upon the apostle's injunction, 'As we have opportunity, let us do
good unto all men.' He still held out, and did not give any positive
answer; but at last, after he had withdrawn and consulted with the
gentlemen, he said, 'If my preaching would promote the glory of
God, and the good of souls, I was welcome to his church as often
as I would, during my stay in town.' We then agreed to make use of
it at ten in the morning, and three in the afternoon. After this,
I went to wait on the governor, who seemed to be a very plain man,
and had a very plain house, which much pleased me. By profession,
I think he is a Seventh-day Baptist; he is a man of good report
as to his conduct and dealing with the world." As might have been
expected, the evening was spent in exposition and prayer, with a
crowded company, in the house of his friend Bowers, the gentleman
who first addressed him when coming out of church.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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