The Christian leaders of the last century

Front matter

THE

CHRISTIAN LEADERS

Wxt Da*± Centura;

I. At The Beginning Of The Eighteenth Century

Page Importance of the History of the Eighteenth Century — Political and Financial Position of England — Low State of Religion both in Churches and Chapels — Testimonies on the subject — Defects of Bishops and Clergy— Poverty of the Printed Theology — Wretched Condition of the Country as to Education, Morals, and Popular Litera- . ture— The " Good Old Times" a mere Myth n

II. In The Middle Of The Eighteenth Century

Improvement of England since middle of Eighteenth Century an undeniable Fact- Agents in effecting the Change a few isolated and humble Clergymen — Preaching the chief Instrument they employed — The Manner of their Preaching — The Substance of their Preaching 21

Chapter I

Whitefield's Birth-place and Parentage — Educated at Gloucester Grammar School- Enters Pembroke College, Oxford — Season of Spiritual Conflict — Books which were made useful to him — Ordained by Bishop Benson — First Sermon — Preaches in London — Curate of Dummer, Hants — Goes to America — Returns in a year — Preaches in the open air — Is excluded from most London Pulpits — Extent of his Labours for thirty-one years — Dies at Newbury Port, America, in 1770 — Interesting circumstance* of his Death

VI CONTENTS.

Chapter II

Page Estimate of Good that Whitefield did— Testimonies to his direct Usefulness— Indirect Good that he did — Peculiar character of his Preaching — Witnesses to his real power as a Preacher — Analysis of his seventy-five published Sermons — Simplicity, Directness, Power of Description, Earnestness, Pathos, Action, Voice, and Fluency, his leading Excellences — Inner Life, Humility, Love to Christ, Laboriousness, Self-denial, Disinterestedness, Cheerfulness, Catholicity — Specimen of his Preaching.. 44

IV. Chapter I. _

John Wesley — Reason why better known than many of his Contemporaries — Birth-place — Sketch of his Father and Mother — Educated at Charter-House and Oxford — Early Religious History — Ordained, 1725 — Lives at Oxford eight Years — Joins the Methodist Club — Sails for Georgia, 1736 — Returns to England, 1738 — Commences Field-preaching — Continues Working for fifty-three Years — Dies in 1791 — Singleness of Eye, Diligence, and Versatility of Mind — Arminianism 64

CHAPTER II.

Wesley's Preaching — Preface to Published Volume of Sermons — Extracts from Sermons Preached before the University of Oxford — Rules for the Guidance of his Helpers — Advice to his Preachers — Letter to the Bishop of Lincoln — General Estimate of Wesley's Merits 88 gMIt'am ©rtmsfjato of ^atoorth, an& ijt's ptmfetrjj.

CHAPTER I.

Born at Brindle, 1708 — Educated at Christ's College, Cambridge — Ordained, 1731 — Curate of Rochdale and Todmorden — Death of his W T ife — Minister of Haworth, 1742 — Description of Haworth — Style of his Ministry — His Manner of Life, Diligence, Charity, Love of Peace, Humility — His Ministerial Success 106

CHAPTER II.

Extra-Parochial Labour in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire— The Nature of this Labour Explained and Defended — Persecution at Colne — The Archbishop of York's Visit to Haworth — His Love to the Articles and Homilies — His Last Illness, Dying Sayings, Death, and Funeral 120

Chapter III

Literary Remains — Covenant and Summary of Belief— Letter to Christians in London — Anecdotes and Traditions — Influence in his Parish — Haworth Races Stopped — Mode of Discovering False Professors — Peculiarities in his Conduct of Divine Service — Testimony of Romaine, Venn, and Newton 133

CONTENTS. vil

Chapter I

Page Born at Hartlepool in 1714 — Educated at Houghton-le-Spring and Christ Church, Oxford — Character for Learning at Oxford — Ordained, 1736 — Curate of Lewtrenchard and Banstead — Lectures at St. Botolph's 1748, and St. Dunstan's 1749 — Troubles at St. Dunstan's — Morning Preacher at St. George's, Hanover Square, 1750 — Loses his Preachership, 1755 — Gresham Professor of Astronomy — Morning Preacher at St. Olave, Southwark, and St. Bartholomew the Great — Preaches before the University of Oxford — Gives great Offence 149

Chapter II

Rector of St. Anne's, Blackfriars, 1764 — Difficulties in the way of his Appointment — Letter to Lady Huntingdon — Usefulness at Blackfriars — Peculiarities of Address and Temperament — Last Illness and Dying Saying — Death, 1795 — Public Funeral — Literary Remains 163

VII. Darnel Iftotolanus an& f)ts ifttintstrg

CHAPTER I.

Born in Wales, 1713 — Educated at Hereford, and never at a University — Ordained, 1733 — Curate of Llangeitho — An Altered Man in 1738 — Extraordinary Effect of his Preaching — Extra-parochial and Out-door Preaching — License Withdrawn by the Bishop in 1763 — Continues to Preach in a Chapel at Llangeitho — Died 1790 — Account of his Portrait 180

CHAPTER II.

Analysis of his Preaching — Much of Christ — Richness of Thought — Felicity of Language — Large Measure of Practical and Experimental Teaching — Manner, Delivery, and Voice — Christmas Evans' Description of his Preaching — Testimony of Mr. Jones of Creaton — Specimens of Rowlands' Sermons — Inner Life and Private Character — Humility, Prayerfulness, Diligence, Self-Denial, Courage, Fervour — Rowland Hill's Anecdote 195

VIII. Chapter I

Born at Kingston, Notts, 1716 — Educated at Nottingham — Fails to learn the Business of a Grazier — Goes to Clare Hall, Cambridge, 1734 — Elected Fellow of Clare, 1742 — Curate of Stapleford, 1749 — Vicar of Everton, 1755 — Begins to Preach the Full Gospel, 1757 — Open-air Preaching — Itinerant and Extra-parochial Ministrations^ — Singular Physical Effect on some Hearers — Opposition and Persecution — Dies, 1793 — His Epitaph 216

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER II.

Page His Quaintness and Eccentricity — No Quaintness in his Outlines of Sermons — His Style of Preaching Defended — Specimen of his Quaint Thoughts — His Humility, Love of Christ, Kindness, Self-Denial, Shrewdness, Courage — His Sympathizing Letters 235

IX. 3§?enrg Venn anU f)t'a fftuustrg. chapter 1

Born at Barnes, Surrey, 1724 — His Ancestors — Curious Anecdotes of his Boyhood and Youth — Enters St. John's, Cambridge, 1742 — Fellow of Queen's, 1749 — Curate of West Horsley, 1750 — Curate of Clapham, 1754 — Change in his Religious Views — Becomes acquainted with Whitefield and Lady Huntingdon — Married, 1757 — Vicar of Huddersfield, 1759 254

CHAPTER II.

Mode of Working at Huddersfield — Effect of his Ministry — Fruits found in 1824 — Extra-parochial Labours — Friendly Relation with Whitefield — Health Fails — Wife Dies — Leaves Huddersfield for Yelling, r77i — Description of Yelling — Second Marriage — Description of Life at Yelling — Dies, 1797 268

Chapter III

rlis Preaching Analyzed — His Literary Remains Examined — Extraordinary Power as a Letter-writer — Soundness of Judgment about Doctrine — Wisdom and Good Sense about Duties — Prudent Management of his Children — Unworldliness and Cheerfulness — Catholicity and Kindliness of Spirit — Testimony of Cowper, Simeon, and Sir James Stephen , 285

X

Born at Exeter, 1714 — Educated at Exeter College, Oxford — Ordained, 1737 — Curate of Truro, 1746 — At First very ignorant of the Gospel — Mr. Conon's Influence — Effect of his Preaching — Opposition — Self-denial and Holy Life — Remarkable Effect on Soldiers — Private Unity Meetings — Died, 1761 — Literary Remains — Preaching. . . 306

XI

Born near Northampton, 1713 — Educated at Lincoln College, Oxford — Intimacy with John Wesley — Ordained, 1736 — Curate of Dummer, 1738; of Bidefbrd, 1740; and of Weston Favell, 1743 — Early Religious History — Correspondence with Whitefield — Studious Habit at Weston Favell — Literary Remains Analyzed — Correspondence— -Humour— Private Life — Charity— Self-denial— Died, 1758— Testimony of Romaine, Venn, Cowper, Cecil, Bickersteth, and Daniel Wilson 328

CONTENTS.

XII. Page

Born at Farnham, 1740 — Ordained, 1762 — Vicar of Broad Hembury, Devonshire, 1768 — Removes to London, 1775 — Dies, 1778 — Conversion, 1756 — His Preaching — His Writings as a Controversialist — His Hymns 358

Chapter I

Born in Switzerland, 1729 — Educated at Geneva and Leutzburg — Wishes to be a Soldier — Becomes a Tutor in England, 1750 — Private Tutor in Mr. Hill's Family, 1752 — Becomes Acquainted with Methodists — Inward Conflict — Ordained, 1757 — Vicar of Madeley, 1760 — Correspondence with Charles Wesley and Lady Huntingdon 385

Chapter II

Ministerial Labours at Madeley — Superintendent of Trevecca College, 1768 — Resigns Trevecca, 1771 — Laid aside by ill health, 1776 — Goes to Clifton, Newington, and Switzerland — Returns to Madeley, 1781 — Marries — Dies, S7S5— His Preaching — Writing — Private Character — Testimony of Wesley and Venn 405