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
“Last Saturday evening, and on the Lord’s-day, I preached at
Ulverstone. There Satan made some resistance. A clergyman, who
looked more like a butcher than a minister, came with two others,
and charged a constable with me; but I never saw a poor creature
sent off in such disgrace. I believe good was done in the town.
How I am to succeed at Whitehaven, your ladyship shall know
hereafter. I hear Mr. Wesley has been much abused in Ireland,
but that the mayor of Cork has quite overshot himself. I have
some thoughts of seeing Ireland before my return.”[284]
Whitefield reached Edinburgh on Friday, July 6th, having preached,
since he left London, two months before, above ninety times, and,
as he estimated, to a hundred and forty thousand people. He, at once,
commenced preaching in his open-air cathedral, the Orphan Hospital
Park;[285] and, on July 12th, wrote, as follows, to the Countess of
Huntingdon:――
“Though I am burning with a fever, and have a violent cold,
I must send your ladyship a few lines. They bring good news.
People flock rather more than ever, and earnestly entreat me not
to leave them soon. I preach generally twice a day,――early in
the morning, and at six in the evening. Great multitudes attend.
Praise the Lord, O my soul! Mr. Nimmo and his family are in the
number of those who are left in Sardis, and have not defiled
their garments. Your ladyship’s health is drunk every day.”
James Nimmo, Esq., Receiver-General of the Excise, was connected with
some of the first families in Scotland. His mother was a daughter of
Henry, Lord Cardross. His wife, Lady Jane Hume, was third daughter of
the Earl of Marchmont, and sister of Hugh, fourth Earl of Marchmont,
one of the executors of Pope the poet, and also of Sarah, Duchess of
Marlborough. Mr. Nimmo’s house was Whitefield’s Edinburgh home; and,
during his visit, Lady Jane Nimmo, in a letter to the Countess of
Huntingdon, remarked:――
“Greater crowds than ever flock to hear Mr. Whitefield. Dear
Lady Frances Gardiner is very active in bringing people to hear
him, to some of whom, there is reason to believe, the word has
been blessed. There is a great awakening among all classes.
Truth is great, and will prevail, though all manner of evil is
spoken against it. The fields are more than white, and ready
unto harvest, in Scotland.”[286]
Having preached twenty times in Edinburgh, Whitefield, on the 19th of
July, set out for Glasgow,[287] where, on the 23rd, he wrote:――
“Friends here received me most kindly, and the congregations,
I think, are larger than ever. Yesterday” (Sunday), “besides
preaching twice in the field, I preached in the College Kirk,
being forced by Mr. Gillies. It was a blessed season. I have met
and shaken hands with Mr. Ralph Erskine. Oh, when shall God’s
people learn war no more?”
On July 27, he returned to Edinburgh;[288] and, two days later, wrote
to Lady Huntingdon:――
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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