"Monday, July 23. Preached this evening at Hackney Marsh, to
about two thousand people. I prayed and discoursed for above two
hours, and with greater demonstration of the Spirit than ever.
Every day have I more and more reason to rejoice in what God has
done for my own and others' souls. Thousands at the great day
will have reason to bless God for field-preaching.
"Tuesday, July 24. Despatched my private affairs, and preached
in the evening at Kennington Common, to about fifteen thousand.
"Wednesday, July 25. Preached this evening at Edmonton. The
congregation was large and attentive, and I rejoiced in having
an opportunity of offering salvation freely to the rich.
"Thursday, July 26. Preached to upwards of ten thousand at
Hackney Marsh, in a field where was to be a horse-race. I had
the opportunity of bearing my testimony against such unchristian
entertainments. Very few left the sermon to see the race, and
some of those soon returned. By the help of God, I will still go
on to attack the devil in his strongest holds. The common people
go to these diversions for want of knowing better.
"Friday, July 27. Preached at Kennington Common, to my usual
number of hearers. Went to Lewisham.
"Saturday, July 28. Visited the family of Justice Delamotte
at Blendon, where we exhorted and built up each other in the
knowledge and fear of God. Preached at Blackheath in the
evening, and came home rejoicing.
"Sunday, July 29. Preached this morning in Moorfields, to a much
larger congregation than we had last Sunday,[235] and collected
£24 9s.[236] for the school at Kingswood. Received the sacrament
at St. Paul's, and preached at Kennington Common in the evening,
where £20 was collected. God sent us a little rain, but that
only washed away the curious hearers. Nearly thirty thousand
stood their ground.
[235] Whitefield estimated his _last Sunday's_ congregation
at "about twenty thousand." It is only fair to say, that
Whitefield's estimates might be too high. In the _Gentleman's
Magazine_ for August, 1739, there appeared a letter, signed
"Thoninonca," stating that the writer was present when
Whitefield preached in Moorfields on July 29, and that, before
the audience was dismissed, he "made several marks where the
outermost of them stood; and, the next morning, he found the
distance of the farthest mark from the rostrum to be thirty-two
yards, and that of the nearest to it twenty-eight." He then
calculates "the space taken up by the standing congregation
to be 2827 yards;" and adds, "in a square yard, nine persons
may easily stand, and therefore 2827 square yards must contain
25,443 people." To this the editor appended a note: "Soldiers,
in close order, stand but four in a square yard, at which rule,
the circle will contain but 11,338."
[236] Let me here correct an error in the first and second
editions of "The Life and Times of Wesley." It is there stated
that Whitefield made only two collections for Kingswood School,
namely, one at Bristol on July 13th, and the other at Moorfields
on July 29th. To these, however, must be added the following.
Collections, on July 22, at Moorfields, £24 17s., and at
Kennington Common, £15 15s. 6d. And besides the one already
mentioned as being made at Moorfields on July 29, another, on
the same day at Kennington Common, amounting to £20, and another
of nearly £15, at Blackheath, on August 12.
"Monday, July 30. Was busied all the morning in directing those
to believe in Jesus Christ, who came asking me what they should
do to be saved? Preached at Plaistow. An uncommon power was in
the congregation.
"Tuesday, July 31. Preached at Newington, near Hackney, to about
twenty thousand people.
"Wednesday, August 1. Preached this evening at Marylebone
Fields, to near thirty thousand, and went afterwards to take my
leave of Fetter Lane Society. We parted in love.
"Thursday, August 2. Preached at Newington, to upwards of twenty
thousand people, and came home rejoicing to see what a great
work God has done in this city.
"Friday, August 3. Spent the day in completing my affairs and
taking leave of my dear friends. Preached in the evening, to
near twenty thousand, at Kennington Common. I chose to discourse
on St. Paul's parting speech to the elders at Ephesus, and
concluded with a suitable hymn; but could scarce get to the
coach, for the people's thronging me, to take me by the hand,
and give me a parting blessing.
"Saturday, August 4. Went in the morning to Deptford; prayed,
sung psalms, and gave a word of exhortation at two or three
houses. Preached at Blackheath, to about ten thousand, and went
to Blendon.
"Sunday, August 5. Expounded, prayed, and sung psalms at Mr.
Delamotte's door, with many who came last night from London.
Read prayers and assisted in administering the sacrament to
several hundred communicants in Bexley Church. Preached in the
afternoon, to about fifteen hundred, in Justice Delamotte's
yard; and again in the evening, to about twenty thousand, at
Blackheath.
"Monday, August 6. Preached in the evening at Chatham, to near
ten thousand people.
"Tuesday, August 7. Preached in the evening at Blackheath.
It rained very much the whole day; but there were about two
thousand present. I discoursed on the conversion of Zaccheus the
publican.
"Wednesday, August 8. At Deptford, went on board the ship; which
we now hallowed by the word of God, and prayer. Preached at
Blackheath, to near twenty thousand people, on the Pharisee and
the Publican.
"Thursday, August 9. Preached at Blackheath, to a very large
congregation, and went and lay on board the ship, in order to be
ready to finish my affairs in the morning.
"Friday, August 10. Finished my ship business, and preached in
the evening at Blackheath, to a yet greater congregation than
ever.
"Saturday, August 11. Began in the spirit of meekness to answer
the Bishop of London's Pastoral Letter. Preached in the evening
at Blackheath.
"Sunday, August 12. Preached, early in the morning, to some
hundreds, in Justice Delamotte's yard, most of whom came thither
last night, singing and praising God. Read prayers, heard a
truly Christian sermon from Mr. Piers, and assisted him in
administering the blessed sacrament, in his own church, to near
six hundred communicants. Preached at three in the afternoon,
to near three thousand, in Mr. Delamotte's yard, and to about
twenty thousand at Blackheath. At each place, the people were
exceedingly affected; and, at Blackheath, when I said, 'Finally,
brethren, farewell!' thousands immediately burst into strong
crying and tears. I continued my discourse till it was nearly
dark, and collected nearly £15 for Kingswood School.
"Monday, August 13. Finished, and sent to the press, my answer
to his lordship's Pastoral Letter. Rode with many of my dear
weeping friends to Erith; took my final and sorrowful farewell,
and went from thence in a boat, with my dear fellow-travellers
to Gravesend, where our ship was fallen down. Blessed be God for
detaining me in England by the embargo. Many others, as well as
myself, I hope, have reason to rejoice thereat.
"Tuesday, August 14. About eight last night, got on board the
_Elizabeth_, Captain Stevenson commander, bound from England to
Philadelphia. After much entreaty, went to Gravesend, and read
prayers, and preached in Mitton Church, near the town. Returned
to the ship by eight in the evening, and was much rejoiced at
retiring from the world."
And well he might. Eight months had elapsed since his return from
America to England. Strange had been his history. Unquestionably,
it is without a parallel. Much has been related; but much remains
untold. In the above condensed extracts from his journal, the reader
has seen how Whitefield spent his last few weeks in England. He
was full of joy, thankfulness, and hope; though all the while most
bitterly attacked both by the pulpit and the press. In his letters
he writes:--
"Matters go on most bravely in London. I think people are ten
times more affected than ever.[237] A great work of God is
doing here. The Lord Jesus gets Himself the victory everyday.
Free grace compels poor sinners to come in. As for my own soul,
God often gives me such foretastes of His love, that I am
almost continually wishing to be dissolved, that I may be with
Christ.[238] Had I a hundred hands, I could employ them all. The
harvest is very great. I am ashamed I can do no more for Him who
hath done so much for me. Every day affords fresh instances of
the power of His word. I am now about to attack Satan in one of
his strongholds, if I perish. To-night I preach, God willing,
where a horse-race is to be. I find my Master strengthens me for
the work.[239] Methinks, I could now sing my _Nunc Dimittis_
with pleasure, if my eyes could see my dear brother's salvation.
I hope you have conversed with Mr. Wesley. It will require
some degree of boldness to own either of us before men. God
vouchsafes to honour us: no wonder our names are cast out as
evil.[240] I rejoice there is a revival of true religion in
Scotland. The Spirit of God is moving thousands of souls in
England. God will work, and all oppositions must forward, but
not hinder it. I am no friend to sinless perfection. I believe
the being (though not the dominion) of sin remains in the hearts
of the greatest believers. At the call of Christ, I am now
going abroad, and expect to suffer many things before I return
home."[241]
[237] Date, July 23.
[238] " July 24.
[239] " July 25.
[240] Date, July 31.
[241] " August 3.
It is a remarkable fact, that, in Whitefield's sermons, the first
time he prominently refers to his doctrine of election, is in the
sermon he preached at Stoke Newington, on July 31, from Genesis
iii. 15.[242] In the same sermon, he also alludes to what, in the
extract just given, he designates "sinless perfection." These were
the principal points on which he and his friend Wesley afterwards
differed. Perhaps it is difficult to determine, with certainty,
the cause of his adopting these Calvinistic tenets; but it is a
curious coincidence, that he had recently entered into a hearty
correspondence with the Rev. Ralph Erskine, and that, within the
last two months, he had read Erskine's sermons.[243] In the "Life of
Sir Richard Hill," it is stated that Whitefield was not a Calvinist
until he went to America, in 1739. It was there, "he caught the tone
and imbibed the opinions of the great, the searching, but too gloomy
Jonathan Edwards. His 'Treatise on the Will' was too deep a book
for Whitefield, and the probability is, that the author himself was
somewhat out of his own depth when he wrote it.[244] No wonder that
when Whitefield first came into contact with Edwards, he 'winced a
little under his metaphysical probe;' but, at last, he adopted his
Calvinistic views, though it may be fairly doubted if he ever fully
understood them."[245] This is partly, but not perfectly correct.
There can be no doubt that, in America, Whitefield "caught the tone
and imbibed the opinions of Edwards;" but Whitefield was inclined to
Calvinistic doctrines before he met with Edwards, and it is almost
certain that he "imbibed" these from the sermons of his friends in
Scotland, Ralph and Ebenezer Erskine. Whitefield's Calvinism was
suddenly born in England, about the month of June, 1739; but it
was cradled and greatly strengthened in America, during the year
1740. From first to last, it was a confused sort of thing. Even
the Calvinistic author of the "Life of Sir Richard Hill" justly
acknowledges that "it may be fairly doubted" whether Whitefield
ever fully understood the Calvinism which he preached. To the end
of life, his theological erudition was comparatively small. His
forte was, not to discuss and defend "the five points," but, with a
full heart, to warn the wicked of their sin and danger, and to lead
and bring them to the all-sufficient Saviour. His throne was the
pulpit, not the professor's chair. He missed his way when he became
the defender of the philosophical niceties of the Calvinian creed.
Like Jonathan Edwards, he "was somewhat out of his own depth." I
must be excused for saying, once for all, he was led into error. I
totally disbelieve his Calvinian doctrines. But, having said as much
as this, and whilst sorrowing that his embracing those doctrines
should have occasioned a temporary breach of the friendship existing
between him and Wesley, it is an unquestionable fact that this
opened to Whitefield a wide field of usefulness, which, without
it, neither he nor Wesley could have occupied. Without this,
Whitefield could not have had the sympathy and co-operation of the
Presbyterians and Independents of America. It was this that prepared
the way for his popularity in Scotland. But for this, he would have
lacked the important patronage of the Countess of Huntingdon. This
was one of the prime sources of the immense influence he exercised
over Hervey, Berridge, Romaine, Venn, and many other contemporaneous
clergymen of the Church of England; and it also, to an untold
extent, enabled him to move and quicken the Dissenting ministers and
congregations of the land.
[242] Whitefield's Journal.
[243] A note of explanation, however, is necessary here. The first
edition of Whitefield's sermon on Genesis iii. 15, is widely
different from his sermon on the same text, published in his
collected works in 1772. In the former, the doctrines of election
and of sinless perfection are not mentioned. In fact, there is
scarcely any allusion to these doctrines in any of the sermons
preached by Whitefield prior to his second visit to America.
[244] Whitefield's Journal, June 9, 1739.
[245] "Life of Sir Richard Hill," p. 171.
In the foregoing extracts from Whitefield's Journals, some of the
sermons he preached are specified. Most of these were published;
and a few brief selections from them will, perhaps, best convey an
idea of the peculiarities of Whitefield's ministry at this important
period of his life.
On July 31, at Stoke Newington, his text was Genesis iii. 15, and
the following are two extracts from the sermon:--
"We must take care of healing before we see sinners wounded.
Sinners must hear the thunderings of Mount Sinai, before we
bring them to Mount Zion. They who never preach the law, it
is to be feared, are unskilful in delivering the glad tidings
of the gospel. Every minister should be a Boanerges, a son of
thunder, as well as a Barnabas, a son of consolation. There was
an earthquake and a whirlwind before the still small voice came
to Elijah. We must first shew people they are condemned, and
then shew them how they must be saved."
The next quotation is a good specimen of Whitefield's fiery
denunciation:--
"Are there any enemies of God here? The promise of the text
encourages me to bid you defiance. What signifies all your
malice? You are only raging waves of the sea, foaming out
your own shame. For you, without repentance, is reserved the
blackness of darkness for ever. The Lord Jesus sits in heaven,
ruling over all, and causing all things to work for His
children's good. He laughs you to scorn. He hath you in the
utmost derision, and therefore, so will I. Who are you that
persecute the children of the ever-blessed God? Though a poor
stripling, the Lord Jesus, the seed of the woman, will enable me
to bruise your heads."
In the sermon, at Blackheath, on August 7, respecting the conversion
of Zaccheus, the following passages occur:--
"I should think it no scandal to hear it affirmed, that none
but the poor attended my ministry. Their souls are as precious
to our Lord Jesus Christ as the souls of the greatest men. They
were the poor that attended Him in the days of His flesh; these
are they whom He hath chosen to be rich in faith, and to be the
greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Were the rich in this world's
goods generally to speak well of me, woe be unto me! I should
think it a dreadful sign that I was only a wolf in sheep's
clothing; that I spoke peace, peace, when there was no peace;
and prophesied smoother things than the gospel would allow. Hear
ye this, O ye rich! Let who will dare to do it, God forbid that
I should despise the poor! In doing so, I should reproach my
Maker. The poor are dear to my soul."
The next paragraph is an ample reply to the accusation that
Whitefield's preaching led to licentiousness:--
"What has been said of Zaccheus may serve as a rule whereby to
judge whether you have faith or not. You say you have faith; but
how do you prove it? Are you influenced by the faith, you say
you have, to stand up and confess the Lord Jesus before men?
Were you ever made willing to own, and humble yourselves for,
your past offences? Does your faith work by love, so that you
conscientiously lay up, according as God hath prospered you,
for the support of the poor? Do you give alms of all things
that you possess? And have you made due restitution to those
you have wronged? If you are not thus minded, do not deceive
yourselves. Though you may talk of justification, like angels,
it will do you no good; it will only increase your damnation.
You hold the truth, but it is in unrighteousness. Your faith,
being without works, is dead. You have the devil, not Abraham,
for your father. Unless you get a faith of the heart, a faith
working by love, with devils and damned spirits shall you dwell
for evermore."
On August 8, at Blackheath, Whitefield preached on the Pharisee
and Publican. Three extracts must suffice. The first contains
Whitefield's views on the use of forms of prayer, and praying
extemporary. Speaking of the Pharisee, he says:--
"He did not pray by form. His was an extempore prayer; for there
are many Pharisees who pray, and preach too, extempore. I do not
see why these may not be acquired, as well as other arts and
sciences. A man with a good elocution, ready turn of thought,
and good memory, may repeat his own and other men's sermons, and
may pray seemingly excellently well, and yet not have the least
grain of true grace in his heart. I speak this, not to cry down
extempore prayer, or to discourage those who really pray by the
Spirit. I would only hereby give a word of reproof to those who
are so bigoted to extempore prayer, that they condemn all who
use forms, as though not so holy and heavenly, as others who
pray without them. Alas! this is wrong. Not every one that prays
extempore is a spiritual, nor every one that prays with a form,
a formal man. Let us not judge one another. Let not him who uses
a form judge him who prays extempore, on that account; and let
not him who prays extempore despise him who uses a form."
The next quotation is on the prayer of the Publican, and is a good
example of the pith and point of Whitefield's preaching:--
"Methinks, I see him standing afar off, pensive, oppressed, and
even overwhelmed with sorrow. He smites upon his breast, his
treacherous, ungrateful, desperately wicked breast--a breast
now ready to burst; and at length, out of the abundance of his
heart, and with many tears, cries out, 'God be merciful to me a
sinner!' Not, God be merciful to yonder proud Pharisee! Not, God
be merciful to me a saint! for he knew 'all his righteousnesses
were as filthy rags.' Not, God be merciful to such or such an
one; God be merciful to me, even to me a sinner,--a sinner by
birth,--a sinner by thought, word, and deed,--a sinner as to my
person,--a sinner as to all my performances,--a sinner in whom
is no health, in whom dwelleth no good thing,--a sinner, poor,
miserable, blind, and naked,--a self-accused, self-condemned
sinner. What think you? Would this publican have been offended,
if any minister had told him he deserved to be damned? Would he
have been angry, if any one had told him, that, by nature, he
was half a devil and half a beast? No; he would have confessed a
thousand hells to have been his due; and that he was an earthly,
devilish sinner."