George Whitefield - Philip - XV - Chapter 12

Required reading
Life and times of George Whitefield by Robert Philip (available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example) - Read Chapter Twelve, 'Whitefield at Cambuslang'.

My summary
Now we move back to Scotland with Whitefield.  We read about:
- the opposition by a Presbyterian, Adam Gibb, who calls Whitefield's work the work of Satan;
- the revival in Cambuslang;
- Whitefield's correspondence while in Scotland;
- the revival in Kilsyth;
- the opposition from the Erskines who describe Whitefield's work with the statement: 'Never, I think, did Satan appear as an angel of light, so evidently, as in the delusive spirit now spreading.'

What grabbed me
I am continuing to learn from the opposition of Godly men toward one another as I read this book.  Philip made a good comment about the two extremes which ministers can fall into, an overemphasis on either the visible or invisible church at the expense of the other: 'Gibb's grave charge against Whitefield was, that he preached Christ only as a Saviour: not meaning, however, that he did not enforce holiness of life; but that he taught a latitudinarian scheme of church polity, the tendency of which was, to "make men sceptics as to the discipline and government of the house of God." And there is some truth in this. Whitefield knew little and cared less about the visible form of the kingdom of Christ in the world. All his concern was, to see His spiritual kingdom set up in the hearts of individuals. But whilst it is well that this was his chief object, it was well too that others laid more stress than himself upon church government. Gibb laid too much; but Whitefield went to an equally unscriptural extreme.  Accordingly, Whitefield's societies, in general, subsided into other churches; especially in America.'

While we should be doing all we can to increase the invisible church, we should not forget the importance of increasing local visible churches which God uses as a display of his glory.  Both need to be given their due weight.

Next week's reading
Read Chapter Thirteen, 'Whitefield itinerating'.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.