29 September 1770 A.D. George Whitfield Preaches His Last Sermon
Dr. Rusten tells the story.
Rusten, E. Michael and Rusten,
Sharon. The One Year Christian History.
Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2003. Available at: http://www.amazon.com/The-Year-Christian-History-Books/dp/0842355073/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393302630&sr=8-1&keywords=rusten+church+history
Whitefield was born in
Gloucester, England on 14 December 1714.
He entered Oxford on 1734 and was, ultimately, ordained to the Church of
England. Ultimately, he was refused in some parish churches. He preached outdoors and in open fields. He made 14 trips to Scotland and 7 trips to
the USA. He preached sometimes 20 times
per week. One wonders when and where he
had time to study and reflect, but a reading list for a Savannah school
indicate he was acquainted with some great divines of the Church of
England. His sermons contain many
references to the Thirty-nine Articles, Homilies and Book of Common Prayer.
He rode by horse from Portsmouth,
NH, to Newburyport, MA. Passing through
Exeter, NH, people wanted him to preach.
He did. As Whitefield approached the platform, an elderly gentleman said
to him, “Sir, you are more fit to go to bed than to preach.”
Whitfield replied, “True,
sir.” Then, looking to heaven, he
prayed, “Lord Jesus, I am weary in thy work but not weary of it. If I have not
yet finished my course, let me go and speak for Thee once more on the fields,
seal Thy truth, and come and die.”
Whitfield mounted the platform,
stood for several minutes, and other took note. Whitefild said, “I will wait
for the gracious assistance of God, for He will I am certain assist me once
more to speak in His name.” He the
preached for two hours on the verse “Examine yourselves whether ye be in the
faith.” Towards the end of the sermon,
he said, “I go; I go to a rest prepared: my sun has give3n light to many, but
now it must set—no, to rise to the zenith of immortal glory. I have outlived many on earth, but they
cannot outlive me in heaven. Many shall
outlive me on earth and likve when this body is no more, but there—oh, thought
divine! I shall be in a world where time, age, sickness, and sorrow are
unknown. My body fails, but my spirit
expands. How willingly would I live
forever to preach Christ. But I die to be with Him.”
Exhausted, he rode off to the
parson of Rev. Jonathan Parson, pastor of the Old South Presbyterian Church in
Newburyport, MA. Tired and sick, he took
an early supper. A crowd gathered at the
parsonage wishing to hear him. He again
preached. He retired, but awoke at 2 A.M. with breathing difficulties. At 4
A.M., he awoke again, ambled to the window, claiming to an aide, “I can scarce breathe.” The aide went to get
the doctor. By 7 A.M., a Sunday, the
Rev. Mr. George Whitefield was dead.
Questions:
1.
We have
J.C. Ryle’s entry filed, but what were Mr. Whitefield’s strengths?
2.
What were
his weaknesses?
3.
Why was
he excluded from Church of England parishes?
4.
Has his
name been tarnished by poisoned wells?
Has he been unduly exalted by hagiographers? What was the true measure of the man?
5.
What of
his vision problem? Cause?
6.
What were
his doctrinal coordinates to the Reformed Articles, Homilies and Book of Common Prayer?
7.
What was
the theological tenor of the 18th century? In the churches and at OXBRIDGE?
8.
What was
the bibliography recommended by Mr. Whitefield for the Savannah charity? And for workers’ development?
9.
Why did
Rev. Charles Chauncey take issue with Mr. Whitefield?
10.
Did
Whitefield preach at Christ Church, New Bern, in 1742?
11.
What of
his marriage and what became of it?
12.
Why did he never take a parish, live, preach,
administer the sacraments and die with his people? Why the incessant need to itinerate?
Sources:
Towns and Porter. The Ten Greatest Revivals Ever. 126-130.
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