The Life of the Rev. George Whitefield, Volume 2 (of 2)Tyerman, L. (Luke)
History
The Life of the Rev. George Whitefield, Volume 2 (of 2)
Tyerman, L. (Luke)
Whitefield, George, 1714-1770
Whitefield was busy writing for the press; and, as soon as he
had finished three of his pamphlets, he seems to have returned
to Piscataqua. Why he deferred going to his Orphan House, it is
impossible to determine; but he was happy, and hard at work. Hence
the following:――
“PISCATAQUA, _March 6, 1745_.
“I have sent a letter to Dr. C――――, with my Answer to Harvard
College, and my Answer to the Second Part of the Observations,
and also my Remarks upon the Charge of the Bishop of Lichfield.
May Jesus give them His blessing! I would have them printed so
as to be sold cheap. You may collect, or print them severally,
as you will. I cannot yet get time to prepare my sermons, or the
other part of my life, for the press. I am writing another New
England journal, which I will send, when I leave the country.
When that will be, I know not.
“America, I am afraid, begins to be too dear to me. The Lord
smiles upon me and mine, and makes us very happy in Himself, and
happy in one another. Here is a very large field of action. My
bodily strength is recovered; and my soul is more than ever in
love with a crucified Jesus.”
On the same day, Whitefield wrote to John Cennick, as follows:――
“Our Saviour wonderfully smiles on us here. The Lord helps me
to preach with the demonstration of the Spirit and with power.
My wife and I go on like two happy pilgrims, leaning upon our
Beloved. O help us to adore and praise free grace! We salute all
the conference and trustees, and every particular choir, and the
Societies in every place.”
For a season, Cennick succeeded Whitefield in the Tabernacle,
Moorfields; and he and others introduced into some of the Societies
“choirs,” or classes for singing “psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs,” after the manner of the Moravians. Indeed, Cennick already was
more of a Moravian than a Whitefieldian; and, in December 1745, openly
avowed his predilection. Thomas Adams, his colleague at the Tabernacle,
as openly opposed the sentiments which Cennick had advanced. The result
was, Cennick seceded, and joined the Unitas Fratrum. A large number
of the people, both in London and the provinces, followed his example;
and even those who remained behind wept at his departure, for he was
greatly beloved by all. Cennick’s secession was a severe shock to the
Connexion; but Whitefield and Cennick retained their friendship for
each other, and kept up an affectionate correspondence until Cennick’s
death, in 1755.[124][125]
Whitefield had been nearly five months in America, but had not visited
his Orphanage in Georgia. He had arranged, however, for Mr. Habersham,
the orphans’ chaplain, to visit him. Hence the following to a friend,
in London:――
“PISCATAQUA (sixty miles from Boston),
“_March 12, 1745_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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