The Life of the Rev. George Whitefield, Volume 1 (of 2)Tyerman, L. (Luke)
History
The Life of the Rev. George Whitefield, Volume 1 (of 2)
Tyerman, L. (Luke)
Whitefield, George, 1714-1770
"Saturday, July 7. I had an opportunity to talk with Mr.
Whitefield of those outward signs which had so often accompanied
the inward work of God. I found his objections were chiefly
grounded on gross misrepresentations of matter of fact. But the
next day, he had an opportunity of informing himself better; for
no sooner had he begun, in the application of his sermon, to
invite all sinners to believe in Christ, than four persons sunk
down close to him, almost in the same moment. One of them lay
without either sense or motion. A second trembled exceedingly.
A third had strong convulsions all over his body, but made no
noise, unless by groans. The fourth, equally convulsed, called
upon God with strong cries and tears. From this time, I trust,
we shall all suffer God to carry on His own work in the way that
pleaseth Him."
So much as it respects Wesley. What did Whitefield say? He writes:--
"Saturday, July 7. Settled some affairs concerning our brethren,
and had a useful conversation about many things with my honoured
friend Mr. John Wesley. Dined at my sister's. Preached at
Baptist Mills, to near the same number of people as last night,
and found that Bristol had great reason to bless God for the
ministry of Mr. John Wesley. The congregations I observed to be
much more serious and affected than when I left them; and their
loud and repeated Amens, which they put up to every petition,
as well as the exemplariness of their conversation in common
life, plainly shew that they have not received the grace of
God in vain. That good, great good, is done is evident. Either
this is done by an evil or good spirit. If you say by an evil
spirit, I answer in our Lord's own words, 'If Satan be divided
against Satan, how can his kingdom stand?' If by a good Spirit,
why do not the clergy and the rest of the Pharisees believe
our report? It is little less than blasphemy against the Holy
Ghost to impute the great work, that has been in so short a time
wrought in this kingdom, to delusion and the power of the devil."
On Sunday, July 8, Whitefield preached thrice--first, at the Bowling
Green, Bristol, "to about ten thousand people;" next, at Hannam
Mount, to nearly the same number; and, in the evening, at Rose
Green, to about twenty thousand.
On Tuesday, July 10, he writes:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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