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George Whitefield's Passion for Christ
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By Ralph I. Tilley
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A Catholic Spirit Ever since his conversion to Christ, George Whitefield sought to live in fellowship with all true Christians and work in harmony with ministers who were evangelical in the faith. On both sides of the Atlantic, in a ministry which spanned some thirty-six years, Whitefield consciously and practically labored for a biblical oneness in Christ among all genuine believers. Undoubtedly his early mentors, John and Charles Wesley contributed to Whitefield's attitude on this matter. In the early part of his ministry, John Wesley preached a sermon entitled "Catholic Spirit." In this sermon Wesley appeals to his hearers and followers to pursue fellowship with all true Christians, guarding against a spirit of sectarianism. If such a oneness were to be achieved, Wesley knew that ancillary issues—which have the potential to divide true believers—must be minimized: I ask not, therefore, of him with whom I would unite in love, Are you of my church, of my congregation? Do you receive the same form of church government, and allow the same church officers, with me? Do you join in the same form of prayer wherein I worship God? I inquire not, Do you receive the supper of the Lord in the same posture and manner that I do? nor whether, in the administration of baptism, you agree with me in admitting sureties for the baptized, in the manner of administering it; or the age of those to whom it should be administered. Nay, I ask not of you (as clear as I am in my own mind), whether you allow baptism and the Lord's supper at all. Let all these things stand by: we will talk of them, if need be, at a more convenient season, my only question at present is this, "Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart?”[54] Wesley's view on this matter was reflected in Whitefield's. Whitefield sought to labor side-by-side in the Lord's vineyard with Presbyterians and Quakers, Anglicans and Baptists, Calvinists and Arminians, and many others from a variety of denominational and doctrinal persuasions. It grieved him whenever anyone—ministers in particular—manifested a bigoted attitude, causing disunity and unnecessary division in the Body of Christ. The following entries in his Journals from 1739-1740 reflect Whitefield's heart and passion for Christ as he labored to work with all likeminded people. January 19, 1739. ". . . spent the afternoon visiting some Dissenting brethren, who are Christians indeed.”[55] March 7, 1739. (Referring to Howell Harris, a minister): "He is of a most catholic spirit, loves all who love our Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore he is styled by bigots, a Dissenter. . . . The partition wall of bigotry and party-zeal is broken down, and ministers and teachers of different communions, join with one heart and one mind to carry on the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. The Lord make all the Christian world thus minded. For till this is done, I fear, we must despair of any great reformation in the Church of God.”56] March 23, 1739. "Dined with many Quakers at Frenchay, who entertained me and my friends with much Christian love.”[57] April 17, 1739. ". . . for almost every day persons of all denominations come unto me, telling me how they intercede in my behalf. And it shall now be my particular business, wherever I go, to bring all the children of God together, notwithstanding their differences, to join together. How dare we not converse with those who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?”[58] May 24, 1739. ". . . nothing confirms me more that God intends to work a great work upon the earth, than to find how his children of all denominations everywhere wrestle in prayer for me.”[59] May 26, 1739. "It much comforts me, wherever I go, to see so many of God's children, of all communions, come and wish me good luck in the Name of the Lord.”[60] September 19, 1740. "I saw regenerate souls among the Baptists, among the Presbyterians, among the Independents, and among the Church folks [i.e., Anglicans],—all children of God, and yet all born again—in a different way of worship: and who can tell which is most evangelical?”[61] While the above quotations are taken from only a brief time frame during Whitefield's labors, they represent an accurate and typical description of his attitude and relationship with ministers from other bodies. What a breath of fresh air!
Laboring for the Lord George Whitefield was one of the most diligent, industrious, and widely traveled itinerant evangelists of his or any generation. Living in an age before modern means of transportation, Whitefield traveled thousands of miles on horseback, by carriage and stage, by large oceangoing sail ships and small boats, not to mention traveling hundreds of miles on foot. He counseled and witnessed to countless individuals, as well as preached in scores of chapels and churches, in open fields and town squares to tens of thousands of onlookers and sincere seekers after God. He crossed the Atlantic seven times, and preached in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and the Bermudas. In America, he preached the gospel throughout the Colonies, traveling thousands of miles in all kinds of weather and over all kinds of terrain. He raised thousands of dollars for his orphanage in Georgia, preached thousands of sermons, and corresponded with scores of individuals. To read his Journals, Letters and Diary is to look over the shoulder of one of God's most amazing and tireless servants. The following entries from his Journals and Letters provide one with only a small window into the heart of this man who labored his entire lifetime with a passionate, unquenchable love for the Lord Jesus Christ and Christ's Church. 1737 (no date for month and day). "I now preached generally nine times a week. . . . I always preached gratis, and gave myself.”[62] January 3, 1738. (In preparing to sail for America). "Went on board, read prayers, and preached, visited the sick; and then took a final leave, as I thought of my friends. Spent the after noon in writing letters, and putting things in order.”[63] July 25, 1738. "My ordinary way of dividing ministerial labours has been as follows,— On Sunday morning, at five o'clock, I publicly expound the Second Lesson for the Morning or Evening Service as I see most suited to the people's edification; at ten I preach and read prayers; at three in the afternoon I do the same; and at seven expound part of the Church Catechism, at which great numbers are usually present. I visit from house to house, read public prayers, and expound twice, and catechise (unless something extraordinary happens), visit the sick every day, and read to as many of my parishioners as will come thrice a week.”[64] November 28, 1739. "I preached for an hour-and-a-half from a balcony, to upwards of ten thousand hearers, who were very attentive and much affected.”[65] January 24, 1740. "Went this morning and took possession of my lot [for the orphanage in Savannah, Georgia]. I called it Bethesda, that is the House of Mercy; for I hope many acts of mercy will be shewn there, and that many will thereby be stirred to praise the Lord, as a God Whose mercy endureth for ever.”[66] October 12, 1740. "Went with the Governor, in his coach, to the common [Boston], where I preached my farewell sermon to near twenty thousand people.”[67] June 3, 1741. "I have enjoyed the especial presence of GOD ever since I came to London. I preach three times daily. The LORD is remarkably with me. Congregations increase.”[68] October 27, 1741. "On Sabbath-day, the LORD enabled me to preach four times; and to lecture in the evening at a private house. Yesterday I preached three times, and lectured at night. This day JESUS has enabled me to preach seven times. Once in the church, twice at the girl's hospital, once in the park, once at the old people's hospital, and afterwards twice in a private house. Notwithstanding, I am now as fresh as when I arose in the morning.”[69] August 27, 1742. (Writing from Cambuslang, Scotland). This day fortnight I came to this place, to assist at the sacramental occasion with several worthy ministers of the church of Scotland. Such a passover has not been heard of. The voice of prayer and praise was heard all night. It was supposed, that between 30 and 40,000 people were assembled, and 3000 communicated. There were three tents. The ministers were enlarged, and great grace was among the people. I preached once on Saturday, once on the LORD'S Day morning, served five tables, and preached about ten at night to a great number in the Church-yard. Though it rained much, there was a great awakening. . . . On Thursday I preached twice at Grimock; on Friday three times at Kilbride, and again on Saturday once, and twice at Stevenson; on Sunday four times at Irvine. On Monday once at Irvine, and three times at Kilmarnock; on 'J' uejiJay once at Kilmarnock, and four times at Stewarton; on Wednesday once at Stewarton, and twice at the Mearnes; and yesterday twice at this place. I never preached with so much apparent success before.”[70] One could take almost any page from Whitefield's writings and discover a man who was constantly on the go with Christ and for Christ. Even when he was quite ill on occasions, he was counseling seekers and writing letters. While Whitefield published his Journals, many pamphlets and books, raised funds for and provided for hundreds of orphans, he will be remembered preeminently as a preacher. Thousands of his hearers were awakened and converted to Christ under his thunderous proclamation of the gospel. To listen to Whitefield preach was to listen to a man who preached with passion and conviction, upon whom rested the very Spirit of God. Kevin Miller remarks, "Anglican ministers of the day were controlled, dignified, even stuffy in preaching. Whitefield, though, was intense emotional, and even dramatic." Miller cites one listener's reaction to Whitefield's preaching: "I could hardly bear such unreserved use of tears . . . frequently so overcome, that, for a few seconds, you would suspect he never could recover." Whitefield's explanation? "You blame me for weeping, but how can I help it when you will not weep for yourselves, though your immortal souls are on the verge of destruction.”[71]
Conclusion In concluding this three-part series on George Whitefield's passionate love for the Lord Jesus Christ, I want to include a remarkable contemporaneous account of a man who traveled some distance to hear Whitefield preach. It is an eyewitness testimony of Whitefield's visit to Middletown, Connecticut, on October 3, 1740. It was written by Nathan Cole, who was a farmer and carpenter living in Connecticut. Now it pleased God to send Mr. Whitefield into this land; and my hearing of his preaching at Philadelphia, like one of the old apostles, and many thousands flocking to hear him preach the Gospel, and great numbers were converted to Christ, I felt the Spirit of God drawing me by conviction; I longed to see and hear him and wished he would come this way. I heard he was come to New York and the Jerseys and great multitudes flocking after him under great concern for their souls which brought on my concern more and more, hoping soon to see him; but next I heard he was at Long Island, then at Boston, and next at Northampton. Then on a sudden, in the morning about 8 or 9 of the clock there came a messenger and said Mr. Whitefield preached at Hartford and Wethersfield yesterday and is to preach at Middletown this morning at ten of the clock. I was in my field at work. I dropped my tool that I had in my hand and ran home to my wife, telling her to make ready quickly to go and hear Mr. Whitefield preach at Middletown, then ran to my pasture for my horse with all my might, fearing that I should be too late. Having my horse, I with my wife soon mounted the horse and went forward as fast as I thought the horse could bear; and when my horse got much out of breath, I would get down and put my wife on the saddle and bid her ride as fast as she could and not stop or slack for me except I bade her, and so I would run until I was much out of breath and then mount my horse again, and so I did several times to favour my horse. We improved every moment to get along as if we were fleeing for our lives, all the while fearing we should be too late to hear the sermon, for we had twelve miles to ride double in little more than an hour and we went round by the upper housen parish. And when we came within about half a mile or a mile of the road that comes down from Hartford, Wethersfield, and Stepney to Middletown, on high land I saw before me a cloud of fog arising. I first thought it came from the great river, but as I came nearer the road I heard a noise of horses' feet coming down the road, and this cloud was a cloud of dust made by the horses' feet. It arose some rods into the air over the tops of hills and trees; and when I came within about 20 rods of the road, I could see men and horses slipping along in the cloud like shadows, and as I drew nearer it seemed like a steady stream of horses and their riders, scarcely a horse more than his length behind another, all of a lather and foam with sweat, their breath rolling out of their nostrils every jump. Every horse seemed to go with all his might to carry his rider to hear news from heaven for the saving of souls. It made me tremble to see the sight, how the world was in a struggle. I found a vacancy between two horses to slip in mine and my wife said "Law, our clothes will be all spoiled, see how they look," for they were so covered with dust that they looked almost all of a colour, coats, hats, shirts, and horse. We went down in the stream but heard no man speak a word all the way for 3 miles but every one pressing forward in great haste; and when we got to Middletown old meeting house, there was a great multitude, it was said to be 3 or 4,000 of people, assembled together. We dismounted and shook off our dust, and the ministers were then coming to the meeting house. I turned and looked towards the Great River and saw the ferry boats running swift backward and forward bringing over loads of people, and the oars rowed nimble and quick. Everything, men, horses, and boats seemed to be struggling for life. The land and banks over the river looked black with people and horses; all along the 12 miles I saw no man at work in his field, but all seemed to be gone. When I saw Mr. Whitefield come upon the scaffold, he looked almost angelical; a young, slim, slender youth, before some thousands of people with a bold undaunted countenance. And my hearing how God was with him everywhere as he came along, it solemnized my mind and put me into a trembling fear before he began to preach; for he looked as if he was clothed with authority from the Great God, and a sweet solemn solemnity sat upon his brow, and my hearing him preach gave me a heart wound. By God's blessing, my old foundation was broken up, and I saw that my righteousness would not save me.[72] While every follower of the Lord Jesus Christ is not called to an international ministry of evangelism as George Whitefield was, it is the privilege of each Christian to love, serve, and follow Christ with his and her ALL! To be sure, Whitefield was human. But he was a man who loved passionately—he was passionately in love with the Lord Jesus. In reflecting upon the noticeable lack of a passionate love for Christ among Christians over a half-century ago, Dr. A. W. Tozer wrote, "Perhaps the most serious charge that can be brought against modern Christians is that we are not sufficiently in love with Christ. . . . It is rarely that we find anyone aglow with personal love for Christ.”[73] In closing, let me ask, Can any of us justifiably boast that we love Christ as we should? Is it not time to repent—to repent of our lukewarmness—to repent of our lack of a demonstrable, passionate love for our Lord? Are we not in need of a fresh baptism—a baptism of the very love of Jesus? In the words of the apostle: "I bow my knees before the Father [that you may] know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, . . .”[74]
- Soli Deo Gloria -
56. Ibid., 229.
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