CHRISTIAN LEADERS OF THE 18th CENTURY - [ CHAPTER 4 ] - { PT. 6 }


 { PT.  6 } - The subject is one surrounded with considerable difficulty, and it is no easy matter to form a correct judgment about it. The common idea of many people, that he was a mere ordinary ranting Methodist, remarkable for nothing but great fluency, strong doctrine, and a loud voice, will not bear a moment's investigation. It is a fact that no preacher in England has ever succeeded in engaging the attention of such crowds as Whitefield constantly addressed around London. No preacher has ever been so universally popular in every country that he visited--England, Scotland, and America. No preacher has ever retained his hold on his hearers so completely as he did for thirty-four years. His popularity never warned. It was as great at the end of his day as it was at the beginning. Wherever he preached, people would leave their workshops in places of employment to gather around him and hear him, and they listened as if their eternal condition depended on it, for it did. This of itself is a great fact. To command the ear of the masses for a quarter of a century, and to be preaching constantly the whole time, is evidence of more than just ordinary power. It is another fact that Whitefield's preaching produced a powerful effect on people in every position of life. 

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