The Life of the Rev. George Whitefield, Volume 2 (of 2) (part 4 of 4)
698 – Whitefield’s adulations, especially of those belonging to the higher classes of society, were often objectionable. Southey, noticing one of his letters to the Countess of Huntingdon, remarks: “Wesley would not have written in this strain, which, for its servile adulation, and its canting vanity, might well provoke disgust and indignation, were not the real genius and piety of the writer beyond all doubt. The language, however, was natural in Whitefield, and not ill suited for the person to whom it was addressed.” (Life of Wesley.) This animadversion is somewhat strong; but, a few passages in Whitefield’s letters to the nobility, almost justify the Poet-Laureate’s critique.
699 – Peter Edwards was one of Whitefield’s orphans, and, at the anniversary of laying the foundation of the Orphan House, on March 27, 1771, delivered a long address to the Governor of Georgia, many members of the Council, and a great number of the principal inhabitants of the province, assembled together in the Orphan House chapel, which on this day was opened, and solemnly dedicated to the service of God. The Rev. Edward Ellington, minister of the parish of St. Bartholomew, in South Carolina, read prayers, and preached a sermon from Matt. xviii. 20. Divine service being ended, the young gentlemen of the recently commenced academy recited passages from some of the best English authors; and the day’s proceedings were concluded with a speech from the tutor, Mr. Edward Langworthy. (“Whitefield’s Works,” vol. iii., pp. 503–509.)
700 – Lloyd’s Evening Post, February 6, 1771.
701 – In a foot-note, Titus Knight makes a statement which was doubtless true, though almost incredible; namely, that even after the arrival of the news of Whitefield’s death, Foote’s execrable comedy, “The Minor,” was acted in the theatre at Edinburgh.
702 – De Courcy, in the preface to his “Elegiac Lines,” remarks: “What a pattern of flaming zeal, and faithfulness in the ministry, was this servant of the Lord! With what unabated assiduity, fortitude, and patience, did he persevere in holding forth the word of life! How great was his disinterestedness of spirit! With what a catholic, loving heart did he embrace all of all denominations, who loved the Lord Jesus in sincerity!” In a foot-note to his poem, the author relates that, in his sermons, Whitefield often said, “The moment I leave the body, and plunge into the world of spirits, the first question I shall ask will be――Where’s my Saviour?”
703 – An elegy was published in the New York Gazette, of October 19, 1770, from which the following lines are taken:――
“Methinks, I see him in the pulpit stand, With graceful gesture and persuasive hand; Whilst, with attention deep, the list’ning throng Admire the words proceeding from his tongue, Struck by his arrows, harden’d sinners start, Their looks betray the anguish of their heart With terror fill’d, to God they lift their eyes, And fill His ear with penitential sighs.”
704 – Gillies’ “Memoirs of Whitefield.”
705 – Ibid.
706 – Ibid.
707 – The following appeared in one of the London newspapers:――“We hear that, on Sunday next, funeral sermons, on the death of the late Rev. Mr. Whitefield, who, it is said, died worth £30,000, will be preached at all the Methodist meeting-houses in and about London, particularly the Tabernacles in Tottenham Court Road and Moorfields. Yesterday, a caveat was entered at Doctors Commons by a principal creditor of the late Rev. Mr. George Whitefield.”
708 – Lloyd’s Evening Post of November 19, 1770, remarked: “The front of the gallery round the chapel was quite covered with black cloth, as were the pulpit, reading-desk, and communion-table, which had escutcheons of Mr. Whitefield’s arms and crest. The many thousands who attended was almost incredible, who, being clothed in black, chiefly out of respect to their much-loved minister, together with the hanging, had a most uncommon appearance.”
709 – Wesley had a reason for thus referring to himself and his brother Charles. At his Annual Conference, held in London within the last four months, he had announced his Theses, shewing in what way he and his preachers had “leaned too much toward Calvinism.” This hugely offended the Countess of Huntingdon and her friends, and led to the bitterest controversy in Wesley’s history.
710 – This was a dignified rebuke administered to the infamous Samuel Foote, and the admirers of his profane and filthy “Minor.”
711 – Lloyd’s Evening Post, March 1, 1771.
712 – Stevens’s “History of Methodism,” vol. i., p. 467.
713 – Gospel Magazine, 1771, p. 80.
714 – Mr. Zubley was first minister of the Presbyterian Church at Savannah, and entered upon his charge in 1760. He originally came from Switzerland, and preached in English, German, and French, as occasion required. He was a man of great learning, and died in 1781.
715 – Dr. Cooper was converted by Whitefield’s instrumentality, and became one of the most popular preachers in America. One of the publications of the period, in describing the scene in Brattle Street Church, when Cooper preached Whitefield’s funeral sermon, said: “Pews, aisles, and seats were so crowded, and heads and shoulders were in such close phalanx, that it looked as though a man might walk everywhere upon the upper surface of the assembly, without finding an opening for descending to the floor.”
716 – Mr. Brewer preached in Spitalfields, from Psalm xxxvii. 37; and Mr. Skelton, one of Wesley’s seceded itinerants, in Maid Lane, Southwark, from Acts xiii. 36. (Old Newspaper.)
717 – As a curiosity, the following may be added: “Yesterday morning, about eight o’clock, a man, mounted on a stool, at the Seven Dials, preached a funeral sermon on the death of his dear master, Mr. George Whitefield.” (_Lloyd’s Evening Post_, Monday, Nov. 12, 1770.)
718 – Cornelius Winter says that he himself composed and wrote the sermon preached by Mr. Ellington. (“Memoirs of Cornelius Winter,” p. 104.) The letters attached to Mr. Ellington’s name suggest the thought that Winter was also the publisher of the sermon.
719 – New Spiritual Magazine, 1783, pp. 849 to 851.
720 – “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. i., p. 92.
721 – Lloyd’s Evening Post, December 19, 1770.
722 – Belcher’s “Biography of Whitefield,” p. 446.
723 – Lloyd’s Evening Post, June 20, 1772.
724 – At the founding of the Royal Academy, in 1768, Nathaniel Hone was chosen one of the members, and maintained his reputation till his death, in 1784. The portrait in the second volume of this work is a faithful representation of a very fine engraving, published in 1769, and taken from the painting by Hone. The portrait in the first volume is copied from an engraving, published, by the authority of Whitefield himself, in his “Christian’s Companion, or Sermons on several subjects,” in 1739. (12mo. 335 pp.)
725 – Another testimony may be welcome. The celebrated Benjamin Franklin, in a letter to a gentleman in Georgia, wrote:――“I cannot forbear expressing the pleasure it gives me to see an account of the respect paid to Mr. Whitefield’s memory by your Assembly. I knew him intimately upwards of thirty years. His integrity, disinterestedness, and indefatigable zeal in prosecuting every good work, I have never seen equalled, and shall never see excelled.” (Belcher’s “Biography of Whitefield,” p. 447.)
726 – Rev. John Angell James.
727 – The Rev. Abel Stevens, LL.D.
728 – The following statistics are all taken from “The Methodist Almanac, for 1876; edited by W. H. De Puy, D.D.,” and published, under the direction of the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Transcriber’s Notes.
The following corrections have been made in the text:
Page viii: Sentence starting: Embarks for America——Letter.... – ‘Ophan’ replaced with ‘Orphan’ (Memorable Sermon there――Orphan House) – ‘Centotaph’ replaced with ‘Cenotaph’ (His Cenotaph――Proposed Monument)
Page 6: Sentence starting: “I arrived here, last Saturday.... – ‘Cambernauld’ replaced with ‘Cumbernauld’ (at Cumbernauld; and twice on)
Page 14: Sentence starting: He is followed by all sorts.... – ‘prefered’ replaced with ‘preferred’ (is preferred to him.)
Page 16: Sentence starting: In conclusion, Mr. Bisset writes:... – ‘Episopacy’ replaced with ‘Episcopacy’ (the cause of Episcopacy,)
Page 29: Sentence starting: On Sunday, August 22nd,... – ‘Mearnes’ replaced with ‘Mearns’ (and twice at Mearns;)
Page 30: Sentence starting: Whitefield came back to Edinburgh.... – ‘Edinbugh’ replaced with ‘Edinburgh’ (Whitefield came back to Edinburgh)
Page 31: Sentence starting: He speaks many things,... – ‘Ged’ replaced with ‘God’ (which comes from God.)
Page 191: Sentence starting: He became dissatisfied with.... – ‘Lllanidloes’ replaced with ‘Llanidloes’ (at an Association held at Llanidloes)
Page 200: Sentence starting: Similar resolutions were adopted.... – ‘Tweedale’ replaced with ‘Tweeddale’ (the Synod of Lothian and Tweeddale)
Page 202: Sentence starting: When I saw the pamphlet,... – ‘delaration’ replaced with ‘declaration’ (I mean a declaration from)
Page 238: Sentence starting: He gave £400 towards.... – ‘Janes’ replaced with ‘James’ (and Mr. Thomas James, of Cork,)
Page 249: Sentence starting: “Some young fellows,”.... – ‘emnity’ replaced with ‘enmity’ (is enmity against God.)
Page 285: Sentence starting: On leaving Edinburgh, Whitefield.... – ‘Alnwich’ replaced with ‘Alnwick’ (preached at Berwick, Alnwick, and Morpeth.)
Page 286: Sentence starting: I am returning to Leeds;... – duplicated word removed ‘next’ (at Sheffield next Lord’s-day.)
Page 292: Sentence starting: The premises were large.... – missing word added ‘of’ (as the offices of a body)
Page 340: Sentence starting: They made me weep,... – ‘we’ replaced with ‘me’ (They made me weep,)
Page 374: Sentence starting: Among others present.... – ‘Giffard’ replaced with ‘Gifford’ (Dr. Andrew Gifford, Assistant Librarian)
Page 393: Sentence starting: As already stated,... – ‘Welsey’s’ replaced with ‘Wesley’s’ (one of Wesley’s most valuable preachers)
Page 401: Sentence starting: Exhausted as he was.... – ‘proclaimes’ replaced with ‘proclaimed’ (and proclaimed the efficacy of)
Page 417: Sentence starting: Among his hearers was a youth,... – ‘Tuppen’ replaced with ‘Tupper’ (eighteen years of age, Thomas Tupper)
Page 419: Sentence starting: So did Mr. Darracott.... – ‘Darracot’ replaced with ‘Darracott’ (So did Mr. Darracott)
Page 442: Sentence starting: Accept a few lines of love.... – ‘the from’ replaced with ‘from the’ (returning from the borders of the)
Page 450: Sentence starting: This is the denomination.... – ‘bb’ replaced with ‘by’ (are retained by hire,)
Page 521: Sentence starting: The object of it was.... – duplicated word removed ‘the’ (in the transatlantic settlements)
Page 636: Sentence starting: Bisset, Rev. John,... – ‘Bissett’ replaced with ‘Bisset’ (Bisset, Rev. John,)
Page 637: Sentence starting: Dickinson, Rev. Jonathan,... – ‘Dickenson’ replaced with ‘Dickinson’ (Dickinson, Rev. Jonathan,) Sentence starting: Dorrel, Captain,... – ‘Dorrell’ replaced with ‘Dorrel’ (Dorrel, Captain,)
Page 639: Sentence starting: Hartford, Mrs. Frances,... – ‘Hartfort’ replaced with ‘Hartford’ (Hartford, Mrs. Frances,)
Page 640: Sentence starting: Llanelly,... – ‘Llanelley’ replaced with ‘Llanelly’ (Llanelly,)
Page 643: Sentence starting: Shackerley,... – ‘Shackerly’ replaced with ‘Shackerley’ (Shackerley,) Sentence starting: Shutlift, Rev. Mr.,.... – ‘Shutlif’ replaced with ‘Shutlift’ (Shutlift, Rev. Mr.,) Sentence starting: Sladdin, John,... – ‘Sladden’ replaced with ‘Sladdin’ (Sladdin, John,)
Page 644: Sentence starting: Topcliffe,... – ‘Topcliffe’ replaced with ‘Topcliff’ (Topcliffe,)
Footnote 20: – Footnote on page 28 was not referenced in the text.
Footnote 162: – ‘Princetown’ replaced with ‘Princeton’ (as president of Princeton College)
Footnote 225: – ‘Huntingdom’ replaced with ‘Huntingdon’ (“Life and Times of Countess of Huntingdon,”)
Footnote 261: – 1st footnote on page 242 was not referenced in the text.
Footnote 265: – 2nd footnote on page 247 was not referenced in the text.
Footnote 283: – Footnote on page 260 was not referenced in the text.
Footnote 343: – ‘Angel’ replaced with ‘Angell’ (by the Rev. John Angell James)
Footnote 573: – 1st footnote on page 523 was not referenced in the text.
Footnote 696: – Last footnote on page 607 was not referenced in the text.