The CHRISTIAN HISTORY. Quinta Press Meadow View, Weston Rhyn, Oswestry, Shropshire, England, sy10 7rn Visit our web-site: www.quintapress.com ISBN 1 897856 Taken from a copy held in the Congregational Library, Gordon Square, London This Volume follows on from The Christian’s Amusement, The Weekly History and An Account of the Most Remarkable Particulars Relating to the Present Progress of the Gospel. The Christian History should not to be confused with the contemporary American revival accounts of the same name. Layout copyright © Quinta Press 2018 second proof-reading draft 1 THE Christian History: Or, a general ACCOUNT OF THE PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL, In England, Wales, Scotland, and America: So far as The Rev. Mr WHITEFIELD, his Fellow- Labourers, and Assistants are concerned. Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Luke ii. 10. LONDON: Printed and sold by John Lewis, in Bartholomew- Close, near West Smithfield. 1747. Where may be had, All the Letters relating to the Pro- gress of the Gospel, that have been printed since the last arrival of the Rev. Mr Whitefield in England. 2 the christian history second proof-reading draft 3 (3) THE Christian History. The copy of a letter from Brother Joseph Williams, to Brother Howell Harris, at Trevecka, near the Hay, Breconshire. Kidderminster Jan. 17, 1746. My honoured brother, and dearly beloved in the Lord, HAVE now something to impart to you, which I I am sure will rejoice your soul. Our dear Lord is visiting and watering his plantation here. I would hope your gleanings are better than all our harvest but after a long season of barrenness, we may well esteem the success God has already given, and is giving to dear Mr Fawcett’s ministry, a joyful harvest of souls. The dear man was given to us twenty-two months ago, in answer to fervent inces- sant prayer; for which purpose, by the space of more than two years, (all which time our church lay in a distracted destitute state) many of us met twice a week in a corner. His way was clear’d to us by a train of providential interpositions, which I could trace in five or six remarkable instances, and which A 2 we 4 the christian history (4) we esteemed a hopeful pledge, that as our dear Saviour sent him, so he would be with him. As soon, and as fast as he could, he visited his flock individually, con- sisting of more than two hundred and fifty families, putting close searching questions to their consciences, in order to awaken them to serious consideration. He gathered together the lambs of the flock, amoun- ting to more than two hundred and fifty, whom he divided into six classes; all which he catechises once a month, distributing to each proper catechisms, and other books, by way of reward, as they arrive at such and such degrees of proficiency. He is instant in season and out of season, encouraging all our pri- vate meetings, for the purposes of godly edification, of young men by themselves, and young women by themselves, besides mix’d assemblies, many of which he animates by his presence and assistance. He preaches the Gospel of Christ with power, and more and more in the simplicity thereof, as he finds that is the preaching the Lord chiefly owns; and consi- derable numbers are taken in the gospel-net. He hath received to the Lord’s table, after careful exa- mination, above sixty souls; many of whom received their first serious impressions under his mi- nistry; and great numbers are ripening apace for the sacred supper. Three remarkable drunkards, two of whom were abominable swearers, are, I trust, born again. They are become, in our Saviour’s sense, like little children; and now spend those evenings they were wont to spend in tippling and carousing, in religious exercises. One poor woman I have heard of lately, a washer- woman, who hath wash’d for my family a great many years, owned to him, that whereas she had formerly accustomed herself to pray and read, and trusted in her duties to bring her to heaven, being pressed with poverty and anxious cares through the death second proof-reading draft 5 (5) death of her husband, she had cast off fear, and refrain- ed prayer before God, till whilst he was preaching on the jaylor’s question, she was awakened to see her sin- ful undone state; whilst he was preaching on the apo- stle’s answer, she was enlightened to see what need she stood in of a Saviour; and whilst he was upon the Saviour’s invitation, ‘Come unto me,’ &c. she was enabled to cast herself into his arms. One time, un- der perplexity and fear in her chamber, she heard a a voice, saying, ‘Behold the Lamb of God that was, slain!’ At another time, in like circumstances, she heard the same voice saying, ‘The blood of Je- sus Christ cleanseth from all sin.’ Formerly, when at work for us, my wife several times asked her to come in and join with us in family-worship, and she could not leave her business: but now, for some months past, she desires and embraces such opportu- nities. This very week, going to speak with Mr Faw- cett, I was told he was engaged; and when, after waiting a while, I went to him in his study, he told me a young man had been with him who dis- covers marks of a true penitent. He is an appren- tice, and is used somewhat hardly by his master; but even with regard to that as well as other trou- bles, scriptures have from time to time been impres- sed upon his mind, which have afforded him sweet consolation. My eldest daughter, who has been married some years, was, I trust, savingly wrought upon when she was not above fourteen or fifteen years old, at the death of her aunt, Mrs Hannah Houseman, who made a triumphant exit in the year 1735. I have now six young persons in my family; two daugh- ters, three servants, and a young gentlewoman, the only child of a pious father, who has boarded her at my house, at the distancc of more than one hundred miles 6 the christian history (6) miles from his own, purely for the sake of Mr Faw- cett’s excellent ministry: and I doubt not but the good man’s pious intention, and prayers for the con- version of his daughter, are fully answered. I have also had for many months well-grounded hopes con- cerning the elder of my daughters, and all my three servants, but was still in doubt about my youngest. Several times I attempted to coverse with her, but her excessive bashfulness, being about seventeen, would not suffer her to talk freely about her soul- concern. Whereupon some weeks ago I put a letter into her hand, in which, after an intimation of my hope that both her sisters were in Christ, and how desirous I was of equal hope concerning; her, I said, ‘Perhaps you cannot tell me in words what you ‘have felt and experienced of a religious nature, but ‘you can tell me in writing,’ &c. It was some time before she could bring herself to write me an answer: however, last week she put a letter into my hand, which gave me so much delight that I can’t forbear sending you a copy of it. ‘Dear Papa, ‘I am very sorry I have been so long in an- ‘swering your letter, and I must own it is a great, ‘fault in me: but I hope you will not think that I ‘have been neglectful and thoughtless about it, for ‘indeed it has occasioned me many anxious thoughts. ‘And now I have begun to write, what shall I say? ‘how, or in what manner shall I express myself? ‘But I know I need not be over-concern’d about ‘that, for as you have the tender concern of a fa- ‘ther, you will overlook infirmities. My dear papa, ‘you desire to know in what state I am; and I ‘cannot but take great pleasure in reviewing the ‘tender concern you shew for me. You tell me ‘you hope that my sisters are in Christ; and it is ‘well second proof-reading draft 7 (7) ‘well for them: and O that you could say the same ‘of me, that I am in Christ too! But, O I have a ‘hard rocky heart to be softened, a stubborn will to ‘be subdued, and a nature all depraved, corrupted, ‘filthy and abominable in the sight of God, which ‘can be cleansed only in the blood of Christ, in the ‘precious blood of the Redeemer of lost sinners! And ‘O how shall I have an interest in this precious blood? ‘I hope I do desire and pray for it with all my heart. ‘I hope I do. But O my “heart is deceitful above ‘all things, and desperately wicked!” I find it so in ‘a very great degree: and yet I cannot say I have felt ‘nothing else besides a hard heart; for I have some- ‘times had my heart drawn out in love and desires ‘after Christ and holiness. And thoughts and views ‘of the felicity and glory in Christ’s presence above ‘has rapt up my soul! But O, I must take up my la- ‘mentation that it has not been more so with me! ‘for it is my sins that have hindered Christ’s presence, ‘from my soul.