The works of the Reverend George Whitefield, M.A., Vol. 2 (of 6)

THOUGH I have missed two posts, yet the only cause of my not writing was a fear of being troublesome, and too particular and prolix in the accounts sent your Ladyship in my last letters. Your Ladyship’s kind letter this afternoon, together with the inclosed, which I received yesterday, give me fresh occasion to renew that pleasing employ of acquainting your Ladyship with some more particulars. Every day we have new hearers, and I find some or another are almost continually brought under convictions, or are edified at the tabernacle. I have offered Mr. W—— to assist occasionally at his chapel, and I don’t know but it may be accepted. Your Ladyship will hear soon. O that I may learn from all I see, to desire to be nothing! and to think it my highest privilege to be an assistant to all, but the head of none. I find a love of power sometimes intoxicates even God’s own dear children, and makes them to mistake passion for zeal, and an over-bearing spirit for an authority given them from above. For my own part, I find it much easier to obey than govern, and that it is much safer to be trodden under foot, than to have it in one’s power to serve others so. This makes me fly from that, which at our first setting out we are too apt to court. Thanks be to the Lord of all Lord’s for taking any pains with ill and hell deserving me! I cannot well buy humility at too dear a rate. This is a grace after which your Ladyship pants, and with which our Lord will delight to fill you more and more. Your Ladyship’s letter convinces me, that those who know and do most, think they know and do least. If it were not so, grace itself would prove our bane, and goodness and zeal, through the pride and corruption of our hearts, be our destroyers. Honoured Madam, my hands and heart are continually lifted up for you, that you may abound evermore in every good word and work, and be cloathed with that humility which your Ladyship delights to wear every day; I mean that humble mind which was in Christ Jesus. I rejoice exceedingly in the comfort which your Ladyship has in Mr. B——. I shall take care to cultivate our acquaintance, and earnestly pray that it may be blessed to our mutual improvement. I trust he will be a good soldier of Jesus Christ, and doubt not ere long I shall hear of his receiving some wounds and scars of honour in the field of battle. After I left Mr. Z——, by appointment I went to Mrs. K——, to whom with the Countess, Lady G——, Mr. C——, and one Mrs. B——, I gave the blessed sacrament, and afterwards a word of exhortation. Our Lord was there, and your Ladyship &c. were remembered before him. On Tuesday next the blessed feast is to be repeated at the Countess’s house, and on Wednesday, God willing, I shall leave town for about five weeks. All I think are as hearty as ever, and I trust some will take deep root downwards, and bear fruit upwards. His Majesty seems to have been acquainted with some things about us, by what passed in his discourse with Lady Chesterfield. The particulars are these; her Ladyship had a suit of cloaths on, with a brown ground and silver flowers, which was brought from abroad. His Majesty coming round to her, first smiled and then laughed quite out. Her Ladyship could not imagine what was the matter. At length his Majesty said, “I know who chose that gown for you:—Mr. Whitefield; and I hear that you have attended on him this year and half.” Her Ladyship answered, “Yes I have, and like him very well;” but after she came to her chair, was grieved she had not said more; so that I find her Ladyship is not ashamed. O that she and all that have heard the gospel, may have grace given them to speak of their dear Redeemer, even before kings, when called to it, and not be daunted! I have also been with the Speaker about the poor people in Ireland. Mr. G—— introduced me, and opened the matter well. His honour expressed a great regard for your Ladyship, and great resentment at the indignities the poor sufferers underwent; but said, “Lord H—— or the secretary of state, were the properest persons to be applied to, and he did not doubt but that your Ladyship’s application would get their grievances redressed.” I wished for a memorial to acquaint him with particulars. He treated me with great candour, and assured me no hurt was designed us by the state. Mr. G—— was quite hearty, and has the utmost respect for your Ladyship. To-morrow I am to preach at Mr. W——’s chapel, and I suppose on Sunday also. O that I may be a freed-man, and ready to help all that preach and love the Lord Jesus in sincerity! I bless God for Mr. B——, and am exceedingly obliged to good Lady A——. I am ashamed of the length of this, but as it is on business, your Ladyship will excuse, honoured Madam,

LAST Monday I waited upon the Speaker of the House of Commons, with one Mr. G——, a dissenting minister, who opened our poor suffering brethren’s case in a proper manner.—The Speaker expressed great resentment upon hearing of the indignities they had met with, and said, that if it did properly belong to him, he would make a thorough search into the affair. But he wondered application had not been made to Lord H——, who was the King’s representative in Ireland. He at the same time wanted to be informed of more particulars. For want of a memorial, I could only shew him the contents of your letter. Two things therefore seem necessary. Be pleased to send a well-attested narrative of the whole affair, and wait upon Lord H—— yourself. A friend of mine intends writing to Lord Baron B——. Is he in Dublin? As soon as ever I hear from you, more may be done. In the mean while, the dear souls have my constant prayers, and shall have my utmost endeavours to serve them. I count their sufferings my own. Pray let me hear how they do. We have great peace here. The blessed Jesus manifests himself among us, and you know that his presence is all in all. Hearty Amens are given, when our friends are mentioned in prayer at tabernacle. To-morrow I am to preach at Mr. W——’s chapel. O that it may be for the Redeemer’s glory and his people’s good! I am a debtor to the Greek and to the Barbarian, to the wise and to the unwise, and think it my highest privilege to preach Christ and him crucified to all. I know you wish me prosperity. Strange! that the love of Jesus should unite hearts at such a distance, persons who never conversed with each other. But thus it is. Blessed be God, we belong to one family, are travelling to one country, are redeemed by the same blood, and are heirs of the same glory. O glorious prospect! How happy are all they that put their trust in the Lord Jesus! I commend you and yours to his everlasting mercy, and am, my very dear Sir,

A Few days ago I received your welcome letter dated November 1, at a time I was wondering that I did not hear oftener from you. Blessed be God for dealing so favourably with my dear families, and for giving the prospect of such a plentiful crop! I take it as an earnest that the Lord Jesus will be the Lord God of Bethesda, and let the world see that designs founded on him shall prosper. I shall not wonder to hear by and by that you are P——t. O that you and I, my dear man, may be cloathed with humility, and the more we are exalted by others, the more may we be abased in our own eyes! Then will the high and lofty One delight to dwell in us, and prosperity itself, that dangerous thing, shall not destroy us. O that something may now be done for the poor negroes. A good beginning now is of vast consequence. Pray stir in it, and let us exert our utmost efforts in striving to bring some of them to the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Mr. Z—— will readily concur in any proper measures for promoting so blessed a work. I sent him a copy of your letter, and the original to good Lady H——. This night I have agreed to take little Joseph and his sister. Mr. H—— A—— hath been with me, and I find he is desirous, as are all their relations, that I should take them, for they will be but poorly provided for here. I think they have a kind of natural right to be maintained at Bethesda, and I have written to Mr. B—— about it. I suppose in your next, you will acquaint me with particulars concerning their father, and how he hath left his affairs. I hear there is a very little infant, besides the other two. I would willingly have that likewise, if it could be kept till it is about three years old. I hope to grow rich in heaven, by taking care of orphans on earth. Any other riches, blessed be God, are out of my view. If the crop answers expectation, I would have Mrs. V—— and the other poor of Savannah reap the benefit. Pray let one ♦barrel of rice be reserved for them. O what cannot, and what will not God do, if we put our trust in him! O for faith! O for humility! May I learn of Jesus more and more! He deals bountifully with us here. We have had a blessed Winter indeed!—I am pretty well in health, but my wife at present is ill. We salute you and yours, and all friends, and wishing you the best of blessings, I subscribe myself, my very dear Friend,

Yours most affectionately in our dearest Lord,

G. W.

LETTER DCCCXI.

To Lady H——n.

London, Jan. 23, 1750.

Honoured Madam,

THOUGH I am wearied in walking to and from South-Audley-street, yet I must not omit sending to your Ladyship this night. I would have written on Saturday, but I waited to see the event of things. On Friday I preached at the chapel to a very crowded and affected auditory; Mr. W—— read prayers. On Sunday I read prayers, and he preached, and afterwards the sacrament was administred to about twelve hundred. More attended at the tabernacle than ever. Was it as big again, I believe on Sunday evenings it would be filled. This day hath been spent with the Countess, Mrs. K——, Lady G——, Colonel G——, Mr. H——, and Mr. G——. I gave them the communion, and afterwards preached. The public minister from Genoa came to hear me, and I believe it was a profitable season. Lady F——, I hear, holds on, and writes word to the Countess, that she wishes all were as happy as she hath been in reading Bishop Hall’s contemplations. Since I came home, I have received the inclosed paragraph that was sent to a friend from Portsmouth. O that it may humble and quicken me! Surely ranging is my province. Methinks I hear a voice behind me saying, “This is the way, walk in it.” My heart echoes back, “Lord, let thy presence go along with me, and then send me where thou pleasest.” Even so Lord Jesus, Amen and Amen! O that I had strength equal to my will. But indeed, honoured Madam, this body is a daily trial to me. Sometimes I can scarce drag the crazy load along. At present, I am too fatigued to enlarge. However, I would inform your Ladyship, that I do not leave town till Tuesday next. My wife hath been confined to her bed some days, but is now, blessed be God, upon the recovery. God willing, I hope to write to Mr. B—— and the poor baker soon. If your Ladyship wants any more books to dispose of, I hope your Ladyship will mention it in your next. Your Ladyship, Lady Ann, &c. were remembered heartily to-day. May the prayer enter into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth! I believe it will. I can only now commend your Ladyship and honoured relations to the God of all grace, and hasten to subscribe myself, honoured Madam,

I Wrote to you not long ago, but that is no reason why I should not drop you a few lines now. I hope they will find you and your dear yoke-fellow resigned to the dispensations of providence, and chearfully saying, “It is well.” I write thus, because Mr. H—— informed me in his last, that old Madam W—— was like to die. If she is yet alive, you will present to her my sincere love and service. I am endeavouring to prepare for my great change every day, by looking up to Jesus, and spending and being spent for the good of those souls for whom he shed his precious blood. Glory be to his great name, my labour is not in vain in the Lord. My work increases on my hands, and the prospect of being serviceable widens continually more and more. I beg the continuance of your prayers, and assure you that mine, such as they are, always attend you and yours and all my dear Carolina friends. O that the Indian land may become indeed wholly christian land! Is there any thing too hard for the Lord?—Ere long I hope to come and sow a little seed in your ground. May the Lord Jesus make my way plain before me! The bearer of this is named G——; he once preached, but has (some time past) greatly backslidden. To save him from ruin I have taken him in, and have now sent him to America. If he keeps close to God and his book, he may yet do well. If not—he has good parts, and is of a good family. You will take no notice of what I write concerning him. I write to you as a friend. I mention it, that if he should turn out wrong, as I pray God he may not, you may see I was not deceived. I hope you visit Bethesda, which I trust will be yet brought to something. May the Lord hasten the time, when we shall arrive at the Bethesda that is above, even that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens! I can now add no more, but my most cordial salutations to you, yours, and all, and subscribe myself, dear Sir,

I Received your kind letter, and am glad to find the storm is a little abated at Cork. I always thought it was too hot to hold long. I see by Mr. H—— that suffering grace is always given for suffering times. If they have honoured him so far as to give him some lashes, for preaching the everlasting gospel, I shall rejoice. Such an instance of persecution, I am persuaded will stir up the resentment of persons in power on this side the water. I beg for the dear people’s sake, you would continue your accounts. They direct me in my prayers, and excite also the prayers of others. On Monday, God willing, your letter shall be read, and in the strength of Jesus Christ, we will besiege the throne of grace once more, in our dear brethrens behalf. Surely we shall prevail. Neither will I stop, but use all endeavours to extricate our friends out of their troubles. Inclosed you have a letter to the Judge. You may send or deliver it as you think proper. I hope you will wait on Lord H——, and let me hear what he says. The Duke was spoke to, and last post I wrote to Lady H—— for the memorial, which if sent, shall be put into the hands of some that are very near his Majesty. Some honourable women are much your friends; Jesus makes them so, and when his people are distressed, if needful, a thousand Esthers shall be raised up. What are all these mountains in the sight of our great Zerubabel? Let him but speak the word, and they shall become a plain. I am glad my dear Mr. L——’s hopes begin to brighten. O for faith to look through every cloud! Ere long the sun of righteousness will shine upon us, and not one cloud be seen to intercept his blessed rays. I trust I can say, that we have lately felt many of his benign influences warming our souls, and the prospect of future usefulness increases daily. O for humility! O for gratitude and love! I have now preached three times in Mr. W——’s chapel, and each time the Lord was with us of a truth. Next week I leave town for about five weeks, but if you write, your letters will be sent to me. In the spring, I am apt to believe the cloud will move towards Ireland; but future things belong to him, before whom things past, present, and to come, are one eternal Now. Mr. C—— is much obliged to you for your kindness to his friend. He writes word, that you are a father to him. The Lord will reward you for all your works of faith, and labours which proceed from love. Perhaps it may do no harm, to let some know that application has been made, and is making to several in power here, and that they all express great resentment at the Cork proceedings. I find their afflictions are my own, and I pray God when they have gotten rest, they may not grow lukewarm, but like the churches of old, walk in the comforts of the Holy Ghost and be edified. O for that rest which remains for the people of God! It is just at hand. We have a blessed foretaste of it here: We shall have a full fruition in the Redeemer’s kingdom hereafter. I wait for thy salvation, O Lord! I can now only add my most cordial salutations, and beg the continuance of your prayers for, very dear Sir,

YOUR kind letter reached me this day, just as I came out of the country from preaching the everlasting gospel, and where the blessed Redeemer was pleased to visit and greatly refresh his people. Last Monday we had a like feast; and in this place the word has been attended with an alarming and quickening power. Contrary to my intentions, I have been prevailed on to stay all this week; so that I do not expect to be at Bristol till Monday or Tuesday next. A letter, if you are pleased to favour me with another, may find me there next week. I am sorry to hear you are ill of an ague; but this, and every thing we meet with here, is only to shake and free us of our corruptions, and to fit us more and more for a blessed hereafter. As long as we are below, if we have not one thing to exercise us, we shall have another. Our trials will not be removed, but only changed. Sometimes troubles come from without, sometimes from within, and sometimes from both together.—Sometimes professed enemies, and sometimes nearest and dearest friends, are suffered to attack us. But Christ is the believer’s hollow square; and if we keep close in that, we are impregnable. Here only I find my refuge. Garrisoned in this, I can bid defiance to men and devils. Let who will thwart, desert, or over-reach, whilst I am in this strong-hold, all their efforts, joined with the prince of darkness, to disturb or molest me, are only like the throwing chaff against a brass wall. O my dear Sir, what did I experience on the road this day! How did I rejoice at the prospect of a judgment to come, and in the settled conviction, that, to the best of my knowledge, I have no designs, no views, but to spend and be spent for the good of precious and immortal souls. O that I may be content to be poor, to make others rich! O that I may never be suffered to seek my own things, but the things of the Lord Jesus! His hand, without adding our carnal policy to it, will support his own cause, and make it more than conqueror over all. When fleshly wisdom, carnal reason, or human cunning is made use of, what is it, but, like Uzza, to give a wrong touch to God’s ark, and in the end provoke God to smite us? I love you, dear Sir, because I hope and believe you have a tenderness for all that belong to Jesus. I pray God to increase this spirit in you. For what we lose of this, so much we lose of heaven, and so far are we destitute of the mind that was and is in Jesus. A bigotted, sectarian, party spirit cometh not from above, but is sensual, earthly, devilish. Many of God’s children are infected with it; but then they are sick of a bad distemper. May the Spirit of God convince and cure them! But whither am I running? Excuse, dear Sir, the overflowings of a heart, at present, I hope, filled with the love of God. It is free, unmerited, distinguishing, infinite love, or it would never flow into my ungrateful soul. As our Lord enables, I shall remember all you desire. The King and his family I always remember in the most explicit manner. I hope you will succeed for Miles, and for the poor sufferers in Ireland. Learn of Esther, and go in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Your relations are in the same condition as mine. Are we not as brands plucked out of the burning? Free grace! free grace! I hope to spend an eternity with you in praising the Lord of all lords for it. You will remember me to all, chiefly to the friend of all. You know my name, “The chief of sinners;” but for Christ’s sake, very dear Sir,

WITH great pleasure (on my coming to Bristol last night) I heard of your Ladyship’s recovery from your late indisposition. May the Lord of all lords perfect the begun blessing, and give you to live many years to be an ornament to his church, and a blessing to his people. Since I wrote last, we have been favour’d both in Gloucester city, and in the country, with very pleasant and delightful seasons. I have preached about twenty times within these eight or nine days; and though frequently exposed to rain and hail, thanks be to the ever-loving, ever-lovely Jesus, am much better than when I left London. I hear that they go on well in London; and if we can be helped to keep a single eye, I am persuaded in the end we shall see greater things than ever. Every thing I meet with seems to carry this voice with it, “Go thou and preach the gospel; be a pilgrim, be a stranger here on earth; have no party, or certain dwelling-place; but be continually preparing for, and labouring to prepare others for, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” My heart at present echoes back, “Lord Jesus, help me to do or suffer thy will; only let me be kept by thy mighty power, and when thou seest me in danger of nestling, in pity, tenderest pity, put a thorn in my nest to preserve me from it.” Hitherto he has in mercy answered my prayer; and though sometimes painful to the flesh, I thank him for it with my inmost Spirit. But surely no one’s heart requires so much pains to be taken with it, as doth mine. Surprizing, that the friend of sinners should yet regard me! I must still cry, “Grace! grace!” At present, honoured Madam, I am lost in wonder. May the Lord Jesus be with your spirit, and with the spirit of your honoured sisters, whom I always remember. I doubt not but they were much concerned at your Ladyship’s illness. May they long live with you, to be fellow-helpers of each others faith, and to shine as lights in the world! I hope the work goes on at Ashby. How matters go on here, your Ladyship shall know hereafter. I purpose continuing at Bristol till Monday next. I believe my brother thinks it best to have your little orphan-boy as soon as possible. May the blessing of many ready to perish descend on your Ladyship! I must now add no more, but my most dutiful respects, and my sincere acknowledgements of being, honoured Madam,

WHAT shall I say? Really I can scarce tell what to say, because I have been so long silent to my dear New-England friends. But indeed were they to know my circumstances, they would pity me; for my hands have been continually so full of work, and my removes from place to place so frequent, that I often had scarce time to eat bread. However, I must now break through all restraints, and snatch a few moments to inform my dear Mr. W——, that I can set up my Ebenezer, and say, “Hitherto hath my God helped me.” Words cannot well express how bountifully he has been pleased to deal with me. The prospect of doing good in my native country, is more and more promising every day. Last fall, the Lord of the harvest was pleased to give us a most delightful seed-time in many places in the North of England;—in Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire, Nottingham, Newcastle, &c. the word of the Lord ran and was glorified, and I hear of fruit remaining in every place. At London this Winter, the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle, and since I have been in the country, we have had delightful seasons. I am now going Westward, and in about two months time purpose going to Scotland and Ireland, and then shall embark for my dear America once more. My health is much restored to me, and I only want an humble and thankful heart. O my dear friend, what cannot God do? Ought I not to spend and be spent for the good of souls? Ought I not to be always upon the full stretch for Him, who was stretched upon the accursed tree for me? Yes, the Lord being my helper, I will now begin to be in earnest. And O that I may hear that a prayer-hearing God has revived his work in dear New-England! You must let this serve as an historical letter, to be read to my dear friends. I would write to many, but indeed I have not time. I long as much to see them, as they can do to see me. I begin to count the days, and to say to the months, “Fly fast away, that I may once more spread the gospel net in dear America.” But my time and seasons are in thy hands, O Lord; do with me as seemeth good in thy sight, only let me love thee, and continue faithful unto death! You will remember me to my honoured friends and brethren in the ministry, and to all others as they come in your way. That grace, mercy, and peace may be multiplied upon you all, is the hearty prayer of, very dear Sir,

BLESSED be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, in mercy to his church and people, is pleased yet to hold your soul in life, and make your Ladyship instrumental in plucking sinners as brands out of the burning. All these things I look upon only as the earnests of good things to come. Goodness and mercy will follow your Ladyship all the days of your life, and you shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Lady Ann’s sudden shock proves that the old observation is true, “Seldom one affliction comes alone.” I rejoice to hear that her Ladyship is recovered, and pray the Lord of all lords so to sanctify it to her Ladyship’s better part, that she may be ready at a moment’s warning to go forth and meet the heavenly bridegroom. O to be always ready! to have nothing to do, but to die! Surely the Redeemer hath purchased this blessing for us. Doth not your Ladyship find it difficult to be resigned to live, and to continue so long absent from the Lord? But there is one consideration which may make life desirable to the greatest saint on earth; he may here do and suffer for Jesus, and call sinners to him; but in heaven all this will be over. Come life then, come death, Jesus may thy will be done in, by, and upon thy people! I know your Ladyship’s heart echoes back, Amen. But what shall I say to the opposition arising at Ashby? I trust it is a sign that good has already been done, and that more is still doing. The Searcher of hearts knows how highly I value your Ladyship’s letters; yet I think it honour enough to have leave to write to your Ladyship, without expecting punctual answers. O that I may gladden your Ladyship’s heart with glad tidings from the West! I believe I shall. I have been much helped in preaching here, and have heard of two that were thoroughly awakened when I was here last. Mr. H——, I think, does not lose ground. The persons that seem calculated to do him service, must be such as have a knowledge of themselves, of the world, and of God, whose practice proves their eye to be single, and their minds disinterested, and who have gone several stages before him to heaven. These would command respect from him; these he would hear, and to their judgment he would pay a great deference. The Captain, blessed be God, begins to be weary of his fine house; and I hope will be so uneasy in every worldly state, as to find no rest for the soles of his feet. May the glorious Jesus reach out the hand of his mercy, take him into the ark, and shut the door fast upon him! But I forget that your Ladyship is yet confined to your room. May the Lord Jesus make it a Bethel, a house of God, and a gate of heaven to your soul! He will, he will. I hear that the Tabernacle people are blessed in London. I am quite easy about that, and every other public concern, and desire nothing but to approve myself upright and disinterested in the sight of God and man. I hope your Ladyship will never find any thing to the contrary in, honoured Madam,

I Received your kind letter a few days ago at Bristol, and embrace this first opportunity of answering it. In London I was so continually busied with a multiplicity of avocations, that I could not possibly write to you from thence. However, it has pleased him, whose mercy endureth for ever, to give me and his dear people a very pleasant and warm Winter; and I trust much real good hath been done to precious and immortal souls. Just before I left town, I preached four or five times in Mr. W——’s chapel, and administred the sacrament twice or thrice. Congregations were very large, and the Redeemer caused much of his glory to pass before us. At Bristol, and in Gloucestershire, we have had delightful seasons. At the former I saw and dined with Mr. C—— W——y, who talked about my preaching in their new room. I said but little, having, as the Searcher of hearts knows, to the best of my knowledge, no view to head or gather a party, but only to preach Christ crucified to all. In this I am blessed, in this I find unspeakable freedom, and to this, the necessity I lie under of labouring on both sides the water, evidently calls me. I am now going Westward. Some time in April I purpose, God willing, to visit your parts again in my way to Scotland, and then we can talk over many things. I think it is high time that all reasonings pro and con about what is past, should be buried in utter oblivion. But I fear——However, this is my comfort—“The Lord reigneth.” Our business is to be guileless, and to go forwards, looking continually to that Jesus, in whose cause we are embarked. He will order all things well. I cannot do any thing at present for W—— D——. I tried my utmost for Mr. C——. If he turns out bad, woe be to him, after such providential interpositions. I have no intimate correspondence with Mr. S——, but hear by Mr. B——, that he is blest in the parts round about him. I see that he and all young preachers need the Apostle’s caution, to “Take heed, lest being puffed up with pride, they fall into the condemnation of the devil.”—And this I know, that no one will stand long in this work, unless he is disinterested, and looks for nothing but poverty, disgrace, and death. Whosoever is willing thus to lose his life shall find it; and, on the contrary, whosoever by sinister ends or practices seeks to save his life, the same (mark the end) shall lose it. For the present adieu! The Lord be with you and yours! Be pleased to remember me to all as they come in your way. Direct as usual; and cease not to pray for, dear Sir,