[ CHAPTER 3 ] - ( CHRISTIAN LEADERS OF THE 18TH CENTURY ) - { PT. 3 }


 { PT.  3 } - Whitefield wrote: Above all, my mind being now more opened and enlarged, I began to read the Holy Scriptures upon my knees, laying aside all other books, and praying over, if possible, every line and word. This proved food indeed to my soul. I daily received fresh life, light, and power from above. I got more true knowledge from reading the Book of God in one month than I could ever have acquired from all the writings of men. Once he understood the glorious liberty of Christ's gospel, Whitefield never turned again to asceticism, legalism, mysticism, or strange views of Christian perfection. The experience received by bitter conflict was most valuable to him. Once he thoroughly grasped the doctrines of free grace, they took deep root in his heart, and became, as it were, bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. Of all the little band of Oxford Methodists, none seem to have gotten hold so soon of clear view of Christ's gospel as he did, and none kept it so unwaveringly to the end. At the early age of twenty-two, Whitefield was admitted to holy orders by Bishop Benson of Cloucester, on Trinity Sunday, 1736. He did not seek his own ordination. The bishop heard of his character from Lady Selwyn and others. He sent for Whitefield, gave him a little money to buy books, and offered to ordain him whenever he wanted, even though he was only twenty-two years old. This unexpected offer came to him when he was full of doubts about his own fitness for the ministry. It cut the knot and brought him to the point of decision. I began to think, he said, that if I held out longer, I would be fighting against God. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CHRISTIAN LEADERS OF THE 18TH CENTURY - ( CHAPTER 5 ) - { PT. 9 }

Image
  { CHAPTER  5 }  -  ( PT.  9 ) - May God deliver us from such a fearful expectation at this! Correspondence of this kind could hardly fail to do good to a young man in John Wesley's frame of mind. It undoubtedly led him to a closer study of the Scriptures, deeper self-examination, and more fervent prayer. Whatever doubts he may have had were finally removed, and he was ordained a deacon on September 19, 1725, by Dr. Potter, then bishop of Oxford, and later became archbishop of Canterbury. In the year 1726, John Wesley was elected Fellow of Lincoln College after a contest of more than ordinary severity. His recently adopted serious manner and general religiousness were used against him by his adversaries, but his high character carried him triumphantly through all opposition, to the great delight of his father. As tested as he apparently was at the time in his earthly circumstances, Samuel Wesley wrote, Whatever will be my own fate before the summer is over, God knows; but whatever
Read more

CHRISTIAN LEADERS OF THE 18th CENTURY - ( CHAPTER 5 ) - { PT. 4 }

Image
  ( CHAPTER  5 )  -  { PT.  4 } - The way of teaching was this: the day before a child began to learn, the house was set in order, everyone's work was appointed to them, and instruction was appointed to them, and instruction was given that no one should come into the room from nine to twelve, or from two to five, which were our school hours. One day was allowed for the child to learn his letters, and each of them did learn all their letters, great and small, in that time, except Molly and Nancy, who were a day and a half before they knew them perfectly, for which I then thought them very dull. However, the reason why I thought them so was because the rest learned so quickly. Your brother Samuel, who was the first child I ever taught, learned the alphabet in a few hours. He was five years old on February 10. The next day he began to learn, and as soon as he knew the letters, began at the first chapter of Genesis. He was taught to spell the first verse, then to read it over all over
Read more

CHRISTIAN LEADERS OF THE 18TH CENTURY - ( CHAPTER 5 ) - { PT. 8 }

Image
  ( CHAPTER  5 )  -  { PT.  8 } - Let us hear what John Wesley's mother says about Thomas a Kempis opinion that all mirth or pleasure is useless, if not sinful. She observes: I believe Kempis to have been an honest, weak man who had more zeal than knowledge by condemning all mirth or pleasure as sinful or useless, in opposition to so many direct and plain texts of Scripture. Would you judge of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of pleasure, or of the innocence or enmity of actions? Here is a good rule: what ever weakens your reason, impairs the  conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes away the desire of spiritual things--basically, whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind--that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself. Let us hear what John Wesley himself says in a letter on the opinion of Jeremy Taylor: Whether God has forgiven us or not, we know not; therefore, let us be sorrowful for ever having sinned. Samuel Wesley respond
Read more