George Whitefield & John Wesley

culture John Martin & Silas Anderson look at the architects of the 18th century transatlantic ‘great awakening’ HEROES 18: george Whitefield & John Wesley george Whitefield: being interested in the ‘I will not be a velvet-mouthed subject, one could not preacher’ help being pleased with the discourse: a pleasure eorge Whitefield of much the same kind (1714-80) was cross- with that received from an g eyed. Some saw it excellent piece of music.’ 3 as a mark of divine favour. franklin once conducted Whitefield, undoubtedly an experiment: he could the greatest preacher of distinctly hear what the 18th century ‘great Whitefield was saying from awakening’, used his squint a distance of 500 feet to enthral huge crowds. He from the preacher’s also used his voice, which podium in Market Street was so full of expression philadelphia. that people wept just hearing him speak of preaching style ‘Mesopotamia.’ 1 It may come as no He preached an estimated surprise, then, that 18,000 times and his Whitefield came under listeners totalled much criticism for being 10,000,000; he would preach for an hour, often unhelpfully emotive in his preaching. a listener four times a day. He could be heard by crowds from Scotland observed that he spoke with ‘such numbering as many as 30,000. as well as being vehemence upon his bodily frame’ that those instrumental in the american ‘great awakening’, listening ‘felt a momentary apprehension even for historians today agree he was influential in the his life’. 4 In reality Whitefield simply spoke as if people of the disparate ‘new World’ colonies what he was saying was entirely real to him. He coming to see themselves as americans. 2 preached as though what he was preaching about gloucester-born Whitefield was probably the first was entirely true to him. being theatrically-minded, ever transatlantic celebrity. benjamin franklin, US this meant that Whitefield’s sermons overflowed founding father, was a friend of Whitefield’s. with exuberance and energy, not because he was despite disagreeing with much of what he said, he acting and trying to convince people of something could not help but marvel at Whitefield’s ability to that wasn’t true, but because what he was saying deliver a message so eloquently to such large was so real that he could not help but it let it burst groups of people. ‘Every accent, every emphasis, out of him. Whitefield himself had the following to every modulation of voice’ he wrote, ‘was so say in response to critics of his method of perfectly well-turned, and well-placed, that without preaching: 40 ISSUE 47:1 John Martin is cMf Head of communications. Silas Anderson is a medical student at bristol University. Silas anderson considers Whitefield’s ‘”pray, inform me Mr butterton, what is the relevance today for students reason you actors on stage can affect your congregations with speaking of things imaginary, cclesiastes teaches us that ‘there is a time to speak and as if they were real, while we in church speak of E a time to be silent’. 6 Whitefield did a lot of speaking, and things real, which our congregations only receive perhaps it can be said in truth that there were times when he as if they were imaginary?” should have been silent. Jonathan Edwards, for example, had “Why my lord,” says butterton, “the reason is particular concerns for his ‘deeply unqualified appeals to very plain. We actors on stage speak of things emotion, his openly judging those he considered imaginary as if they were real and you in the pulpit unconverted, and his demand for instant conversions’. 7 speak of things real as if they were imaginary.” Whitefield was first and foremost a sinner saved. Medical and “therefore,” added Whitefield, “I will bawl, I will nursing students can learn much from the hearty not be a velvet-mouthed preacher.”’ 5 outspokenness of Whitefield; we are far too often silent when What he was saying was real to him and he we should be speaking truth. wanted to convince those listening of its reality are you so convinced of the truth of the gospel that you too. no prevaricating, no stifling of truth, no want to do nothing more than tell people about it? do your beating around the bush. Whitefield spoke reality, convictions of the truth claims of the gospel affect every whether his audience wanted to hear it or not. area of your life, including how you go about living for Jesus as a medical student? Or are you tempted to be a ‘velvet- background mouthed preacher’, dampening the truths of the gospel to Whitefield was the son of a not very affluent accommodate the views of those around you? innkeeper. His brilliant mind secured entrance to I know I am far more often guilty of being silent than Oxford. lacking any parental means of support he I am of saying too much. became a ‘servitor’, paying his way by carrying out menial tasks for more affluent contemporaries. a bout of sickness and reading a book titled The Life Whitefield & Wesley of God in the Soul of Man saw Whitefield crying out at Whitefield’s urging, another diminutive man with to god for salvation and his new-found faith soon a massive voice would also preach in the open air. propelled him into preaching. John Wesley (1703-1791) and his brother charles In 1738 he went to Savannah, georgia, as a parish (1707-1799) were members of the Oxford Holy club. minister but quickly noticed the dire needs of the term ‘Methodist’ originated as a nickname for orphans; he thought they would be his life’s work. these ultra-serious young men. It was charles, its He raised funds for building of the bethesda founder, who was instrumental in Whitefield’s orphanage in 1740. back in the old country, with conversion. the Holy club practised a regime of church of England pulpits closed to him, Whitefield demanding austerity. they met daily for three hours took to preaching in parks and fields, a hitherto to pray, recite psalms and read the greek new unknown stratagem. It put him in touch with a testament. their rhythm of life included praying for sizeable segment of the population who were a few minutes during every waking hour. they fasted beyond the reach of the Established church. While two days a week and visited prisons. Whitefield, who he never lost sight of the needs of orphans he became the leader for a time, would walk penitently arranged for others to take on this work. in the winter cold and suffered frost bite. ISSUE 47:1 41 xxxxxxxxxxxHEROES + HERETICS John Wesley: John’s georgia sojourn ‘a brand plucked ended in fiasco. His High out of the fire’ church style failed to endear oday, Wesley’s him to the colonists. He fell faith story tends to in love with a Miss Sophia t be better known Hopkey, who jilted him. than Whitefield’s. behind When he tried to ban her the story of her sons from Holy communion her stands the great family took legal action and Susannah Wesley, home- he fled the colony. educator and spiritual giant, married to the Aldersgate reverend Samuel Wesley. then on 24 May 1738 a She bore 19 children, of depressed John Wesley which only nine survived recorded in his diary the beyond infancy. born into decisive moment in his a non-conformist family, journey of faith: she and Samuel ‘In the evening I went very embraced High unwillingly to a society in anglicanism as young Aldersgate Street, where one adults, and Oxford-educated Samuel was rector was reading Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to the of Epworth, lincolnshire, from 1696. Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was One incident, a rectory fire in 1709, would embed describing the change which God works in the heart itself forever in John’s memory. the five-year-old through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely was stranded in an upper bedroom but lifted to warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for safety just before the roof collapsed. He would use salvation, and an assurance was given me that he a phrase from Zechariah 3:2 (KJV) ‘a brand plucked had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me out of the fire’ to trace the hand of god in his life. from the law of sin and death.’ 8 In 1735 John and charles set sail for Savannah, Methodists still celebrate aldersgate day. georgia. On the voyage the brothers met a group of for Wesley it was the springboard to a new life. Moravian settlers. the atlantic is notorious for storms a formerly High-and-dry anglican now testified and a storm blew and snapped the mast of the ship. the doctrine of personal salvation by faith and the English passengers panicked while the Moravians the inner witness of the Holy Spirit. It was in high calmly prayed and sang hymns. Wesley saw that contrast to prevailing deist theology in the these people possessed something he lacked. anglican church which perceived a ‘clockwork universe’ — god may have set the world in motion USA but did not intervene it in. Wesley’s great insight the power of lively singing was a lesson learnt and was that god could be known in experience. the Wesley brothers left one important legacy, the publication of Psalms and Hymns, the first anglican separation hymnbook published in the americas. Hymns and Wesley linked up with george Whitefield, his friend hymnbooks would be pillars of their ministries.

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