Required reading
The Journals of George Whitefield (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue 'From a few Days after his Return to Georgia...' by reading up to the heading 'Hadley and Northhampton'.
My summary
This week we read of Whitefield's time in:
(i) Newport;
(ii) Bristol;
(iii) Boston;
(iv) Roxbury;
(v) Marble Head;
(vi) Salem;
(vii) Ipswich;
(viii) Newbury;
(ix) Hampton;
(x) Portsmouth;
(xi) York;
(xii) Hampstead;
(xiii) Maulden;
(xiv) Boston;
(xv) Charleston;
(xvi) Redding;
(xvii) Cambridge;
(xviii) Concord;
(xix) Sudbury;
(xx) Marlborough;
(xxi) Worcester;
(xxii) Leicester;
(xxiii) Brookfield;
(xxiv) Cold Spring.
Whitefield preaches here there and everywhere. He also spends time with ministers and even politicians.
An uproar at one of his meetings results in the death of five and many injuries.
What grabbed me
I was surprised by the seemingly minor reaction from Whitefield to the deaths of his hearers.
The whole incident is only really given two paragraphs in his journal:
'In the afternoon I went to preach at the Rev. Mr. Checkley's meeting-house; but God was pleased to humble us by a very awful providence. The meeting-house being filled, though there was no real danger, on a sudden all the people were in an uproar, and so unaccountably surprised, that some threw themselves out of the windows, others threw themselves out of the gallery, and others trampled upon one another; so that five were actually killed, and others dangerously wounded. I happened to come in the midst of the uproar, and saw two or three lying on the ground in a pitiable condition. God was pleased to give me presence of mind; so that I gave notice I would immediately preach upon the common. The weather was wet, but many thousands followed in the field, to whom I preached from these words, "Got out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in." I endeavoured, as God enable me, to improve what had befallen us. Lord, Thy judgments are like the great deep. Thy footsteps are not known. Just and holy art Thou, O King of saints.
In the eveing, I was weak in body, so that I could not say much at the house where I supped; but God, by His Blessed Spirit, greatly refreshed and comforted my soul. I drank of God's pleasure as out of a river. Oh that all were made partakers of this living water : they would never thirst after the sensual pleasures of this wicked world.'
The journal then moves on.
It seems to be a very different reaction when you compare it to the reaction Spurgeon had when a similar incident occurred under his ministry.
Next week's reading
Continue 'From a few Days after his Return to Georgia...' by reading up to the heading 'Philadelphia'.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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