Puritan Belief

The Puritans are the men of God who started in the 16th century building on the purity of the gospel message that Salvation is by Grace alone.

George Whitefield Early Years

(1714 - 1770)
"...Some few mocked, but most for the present, seemed struck, and I have since heard that a complaint was made to the bishop, that I drove fifteen people mad, the first sermon." George Whitfield (More than 18 000 sermons followed)

It is said "his voice could be heard a mile away", and his open-air preaching reached as many as 100,000 in one gathering, the largest congregation before amplification.

Conversion
Whitefield like William Huntington had strong conviction of His sin to the point of sickness before the Lord did His work of salvation, He was only ~17 years of age.

Early Days
While his close friends Charles and John Wesley were in Georgia America urging him to join them. George Whitefield was in London and delayed the journey for a year where he often visited the prisoners in Oxford and travelled around London preaching so that no church was large enough to hold those coming to listen (Just think no advertising just word of mouth)

Finally he took to sea heading for Georgia for the first time. (He would spend another 782 days at sea during his life.) He loved Georgia and would preach many sermons yet had a deep concern for orphans and would collect funds and he also opened schools in Highgate and Hapstead as well as a girls school.

Upon returning to England he was not warmly received because of his connection with Wesley. Yet some did accept him and the crowds being drawn could not be contained which soon led to Whitefield being one of the first to embark on open air preaching in fields.

Open Air Preaching
His first sermon drew 200 people on Kingswood Hill but soon after some 10, 000 people would attend often standing in the rain. (After all this is England Not everyone enjoys Sunshine like Brisbane Australia :)

Although it must have been amazing for him to have so many people come to listen to him preach it was not all glorious.

"I was honored with having stones, dirt, rotten eggs and pieces of dead cats thrown at me."

The mornings attracted 20, 000 and evenings would attract 35,000 And he was my current age only 25 years old.

Only about 90 of his sermons can be found today and they fade in comparison to the likes of Charles Spurgeon yet it was said of him this.

"He could paint word pictures with such breathless vividness that crowds listening would stare through tear-filled eyes as he spoke."

While Preaching as many as 500 would fall prostrate, People were saved during his sermons as the gospel would bellow through the valleys. Yet there was no alter call.

Quotes from George Whitefield
"Man is nothing: he hath a free will to go to hell, but none to go to heaven, till God worketh in him to will and to do his good pleasure"

George Whitefields Passion Continues Tomorrow

Add Your Comment(6)

George Whitefield Early Years
Posted by Correy Tuesday, January 10, 2006

6 Comments:

Blogger Rand said...

This is a man of God I truly love. A man mightily used of the Lord, who ultimately, through solid doctrine, managed to do far better than his friend John Wesley.

Have you read his letter to Wesley, where he rebukes Wesley's rejection of the doctrines of Grace (among other things)? The letter is a work of art. Not only does it point to the Truth, it does it in a respectful, kind and even loving manner.

I look forward to meeting this fellow street preacher in the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Later,

January 10, 2006 4:10 PM   Edit
Blogger Rand said...

Here's the link brother:

http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/wesley.htm

Later,

January 10, 2006 4:57 PM   Edit
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks Rand,

Whitefields letter to Wesley was writen because of Wesley's sermon found here titled Free Grace

Armenians love to talk about Free Grace like Wesley's sermon and Antonio's blog title (Free grace theology) Yet if you were on a seat tied up with gaffer tape on your mouth ropes around your hands and legs and a blindfold on (or simply dead) and someone offered you free grace what good would it be to you, could you take it?

That is what is so great about the gifts and callings of the lord, they are irrevocable (Romans)

I am so glad the the Lord gave me irresistible grace and didn't dangle this free Armenian grace in-front of me.

T.U.L.Irresistible Grace.P

January 10, 2006 5:15 PM   Edit
Blogger Julianne said...

I love learning about heros of the faith. Thank you for writing these posts, PB.

BTW, the no A.C. thing is good, Rand.

PB,

Question: What exactly are you doing in Australia? Do you go to school? Graduated? Working? Missionary? Have you always lived there? Do you have an accent?

January 11, 2006 5:17 AM   Edit
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Julliane:
I am currently working for Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery adding functions to their website. The nursery is in Kyogle (Kyogle population: 3000 people) and a small farming community which is where I grew up. I am working from sunny Brisbane. (They say that it is beautiful one day perfect the next here.) So when it rains I always say that it is liquid sunshine.

I haven't been outside Australia but Australia is so big I have barely seen any of our cool places like Ayers Rock.

I did go to uni and did a super boring degree in electronics. I don't think you would understand my accent as it a strong Aussie one and we always put mate on the end of sentences... mate

January 11, 2006 9:52 AM   Edit
Blogger Rand said...

"and we always put mate on the end of sentences... mate"

LOL!!!

Don't worry about it PB, listen to one of my online sermons, you'll hear the Canadian "eh?" at the end of pretty much all my sentences!

;-)

January 11, 2006 11:01 AM   Edit

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