"FATHER, KEEP ME FROM CLIMBING!"
There’s a great book that eagerly sits on one of my bookshelves waiting to be read; “50 People Every Christian Should Know: Learning From Spiritual Giants of the Faith”, by Warren Wiersbe. Its been there for years, occasionally being thumbed through carelessly, and then placed back on the shelf by a ‘busy’ pastor who pines for the day that he could just sit down and read it for the shear enjoyment of reading, and not because he’s looking for a quick sermon illustration or lofty quote from Church royalty. The fifty names found therein are comprised of the super-saints that you would expect to find in such a volume; Jonathan Edwards, Robert Murray M’Cheyne, F.B. Meyer, Charles Spurgeon, G. Campbell Morgan, etc., but I find it somewhat disturbing that it doesn’t go back further than 1499 in its effort to highlight the ‘who’s who’ of Christianity. I would expect to find saints from every era of the church age in a work such as this, but only the Reformation time frame and its succeeding periods are examined, sadly. Are there no Christian’s worthy of note in the 1,400 previous years that we can glean spiritual truth from? Well of course, that is not the case, there are many, but obviously the post-reformation and Victorian eras have seen some truly great men and women of God be used by the Lord in incredible circumstances, and their exploits be recorded for our benefit and encouragement. In my mind, there is none so distinguishable and compelling, as the eminent English revivalist preacher, George Whitefield.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, a giant of a preacher in his own right, called Whitefield, “The greatest preacher that England has ever produced. (Wiersbe 39)” High praise indeed, coming from a man who was greatly respected by the Reformed movement, as well as other Christian traditions, and known reverentially as, “The Doctor”. While we may never, hear Whitefield’s name spoken of in pop-culture entertainment or social media ‘tweets’; George Whitefield has been described in the past as, “America’s first celebrity. About 80 percent of all American colonists heard him preach at least once. Other than royalty, he was perhaps the only living person whose name would have been recognized by any colonial American. (Miller)” His fame and notoriety, no doubt sprang from the zeal and passion for saving souls which fueled his evangelical preaching; which was on full display when he tried to convert all of the passengers aboard the ship that brought him to America, as he proclaimed, “Oh, that I may catch them with a holy guile. (Dallimore 35)”
George Whitefield was born to respectable family who owned a local inn, in the year 1714, in Gloucester, England. His father died when he was only two years old, and his mother entered into an unhappy marriage eight years later. Charles excelled in public speaking from an early age and, “He had the conviction that he would one day be a clergyman… (Wiersbe 39)”, even though he confessed to being a typically sinful youth. At age 15, “He continued to read his Bible even though he was not a professed Christian. (Wiersbe 39)”, but on several visits to a church in Bristol, he made vows to Christ, and had, “…some adolescent emotional religious experiences… (Wiersbe 39)”, but nothing impactful enough on his life to effect real change. It wasn’t until he began attending university, when he joined the “Holy Club”, begun by John and Charles Wesley, that Whitefield’s spiritual journey really began. At the time, the Wesley brothers had a limited understanding of the ‘new birth’ experience, even though they were a, “…moral and religious people… (Wiersbe 39)”, but John Wesley gave Whitefield a book that, “…opened his eyes to the miracle of the new birth... [which] Wesley himself knew nothing of a regeneration experience. (Wiersbe 40)” The book that made such an impact on his spiritual life was, “Henry Scrougal’s spiritual classic, The Life of God in the Soul of Man (Wiersbe 39)”, but it wasn’t until 1735 that Whitefield finally, “…cast himself on God’s mercy and experienced new life in Christ. (Wiersbe 40)” It was this message about the “new birth and new life” in Jesus Christ that would later become a key theme that God would develop in his heart, and it became the core teaching of his ministry and the impetus for the revivals that he would facilitate through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Whitefield, who did not descend from a wealthy family, as did many in the clergy of that day, was forced to work as a servant at Oxford University, in order to pay his own tuition, and when this, “…cross-eyed young servant… (Jones 145)” met the Wesley’s, he didn’t show much promise of the man he was to become. However, he studied his Bible methodically, along with the Greek and Latin translations, and Matthew Henry’s commentary became his constant companion as he read and studied it carefully throughout all of his travels. In 1736 he was ordained as a church deacon, and allowed to preach his first sermon, where relatives and friends in the congregation, “…were amazed at the power and spiritual wisdom of the young preacher… (Wiersbe 40)”. So different was his preaching style, that some strange reports circulated about his sermon, that it had driven fifteen people in the congregation mad. His preaching and popularity grew over the next two years and he found himself in front of audiences of hundreds, and later, even thousands, many of whom came to faith in Jesus Christ for the first time.
When he arrived in America in 1838, “No one could ignore him… Thousands of people responded positively to Whitefield’s emotional pleas to accept Christ.” (Jones 145)” Most famous of those of course, was none other than Jonathan Edwards, the great American theologian that actually, “wept for joy… (Jones 145)”, when he heard Whitefield speak, and the tidal wave of conversions that followed produced what is commonly called today in church history, “The Great Awakening (Jones 145)” which is known as the greatest revival in American history. It is recorded that, “Whitefield’s farewell sermon on Boston Common drew 23,000 people—more than Boston’s entire population. It was probably the largest crowd that had ever gathered in America (Miller)”, such was the impact of this incredible servant of God.
Whitefield seem to have a profound understanding of the importance of humility and hard work for a man of God in his position, and the dangers of pride and prestige that could accompany a powerful ministry like his own. He once prayed, “O Heavenly Father, for Thy dear Son’s sake, keep me from climbing! (Wiersbe 38)” Most of us complain about working a forty-hour work week, but this tireless servant preached on average, “…from forty to sixty hours a week, a total of more than eighteen thousand sermons, during thirty-four years of public ministry… crossing the Atlantic thirteen times… (Wiersbe 38)”. Indeed, long before Neil Young and the drugged-out hippies of the 1960’s would coin their mantra dedicated to a life of debauchery; Whitefield exclaimed that, “I had rather wear out that rust out… We are immortal until our work is done! (Wiersbe 38)” So you can see that his work ethic and devotion to the kingdom work that God had called him to was beyond reproach, and leaves us speechless to this day when we consider the labor and hardships that he endured for the sake of the gospel of Christ.
The time frame in which Whitefield’s revivals found their backdrop were significantly different from the era in which we live today. One might say, even polar opposites with regard to the emphasis on God’s place in society. We live in a decidedly ‘post-Christian’ era today, some believe, and the attention that our culture gives to the things of the church, biblical authority, morality and righteousness, sexual purity and chased behavior, godliness and ethical piety, etc., is severely lacking, if not absent. However, these religious characteristics ruled the day leading up to the time of Whitefield. The piety of the Victorian age is legendary, but it had a striking resemblance to our time in this respect; for all of the pomp and circumstance that occasioned it, they often lacked the true relationship with Jesus Christ of which Whitefield preached so passionately about. The early Pietists, who were inspired by the Jesuits, “…learned to deaden the thunder of Sinai and to heal the neuroses of remorse by developing the …science of right and wrong for the Christian conscience. (Shelley 321)”, but this can never replace the ‘New Birth/New Life’ experience which Whitefield’s gospel promised.
Eventually however, "Pietism made an enormous contribution… to Christianity worldwide. It shifted emphasis in eighteenth-century churches from avid controversy to the care of soul. It made preaching and pastoral visitation central concerns of the Protestant ministry. It enriched Christian music enormously. And it underscored the importance of a spiritual laity for a revived church. [but the]…Pietist’s dominant theme: regeneration… this spiritual rebirth was the true fulfillment of the Protestant Reformation… In this sense Pietism was the fountain of all modern revivals. (Shelley 329)
Returning to the key event in the life of George Whitefield, the tremendous revivals known as the Great Awakening; it is important to emphasis the key elements of his sermons which seem to caused such an emotional response from the people. It is said that, “Whitefield’s preaching was unforgettable. Using startling images, he could make his listeners feel the pain of sin and the terror of hell. Then with tears in his voice he could describe the love of Christ until his audience cried with him for forgiveness. (Shelley 336)” Wow, I was moved by just typing that quote, it’s hard to fathom how this must have been received by the coal miners and common people that Whitefield poured out his life for. Accounts circulate of the hardened coal miners of Bristol, England who, came out to hear him speak in the open air; men who, “…seldom dared or cared to enter a church. …his fervent oratory so moved these hardened and weary men that he could see the white gutters made by the tears falling down their black cheeks as they emerged from the coal pits. (Shelley 336)” It was George Whitefield then, that inspired his old friend John Wesley, to follow him into the fields, of which Wesley would later write, “I look upon all the world as my parish; I judge it my bounden duty, to declare unto all that are willing to hear, the glad tidings of salvation. (Shelley 337)”
The Puritans in America on the other hand, were split into two camps as a result of the Great Awakening; those who embraced the, “…call for personal conversion as the basis of church membership… inherited a spiritual awakening that, “…soon echoed throughout the Connecticut River valley…”, but the “…worldy puritans who continued in the Puritan sense of civic responsibility… (Shelley 345)”, did not experience this blessing. So it can be said that, “The Great Awakening knew both the frown and the smile of God. It restored both the tears of repentance to colonial Christianity and the joy of salvation. (Shelley 345)” What began as occasional breezes in the early 1720’s to late 1730’s, the Great Awakening eventually blew as a rushing mighty wind, when Whitefield began preaching in earnest in 1739, “…preaching his way through Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. In Philadelphia, he spoke out of doors, and even the worldly wise, Benjamin Franklin, was impressed… (Shelley 346)”.
So, what kind of fruit did George Whitefield leave behind in the wake of his preaching throughout the colonies of the new world? Much, to be sure! For one, in addition to the countless lives that he himself led to faith in Christ, he inspired an entire generation of preachers and evangelists to carry on with this message of, “…new light and inward witness… a new reformation in New England. (Shelley 346)” Perhaps, one of the greatest accomplishments that he helped to achieve was the formation of a new Christian nation, the United States of America itself, and the revolution of freedom that gave birth to it. There can be no doubt that the Great Awakening, occurring mere decades prior to the War of Independence, profoundly impacted the mindsets, philosophies, and civil rights awareness of colonial Americans. Their thirst for freedom and independence was fanned to flame by the fiery pulpits of men who had been set free themselves as a result of the Great Awakening. Especially important to the adherents of this new- found-faith in Christ, was the freedom of religious belief, which played a major role in the formation of our new nation. As a result, “…rationalists and revivalists could combine forces on the practical and legal issue of religious freedom… Their temporary alliance was successful. The birth of the United States of America brought the adoption of the First Amendment of the Constitution – ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…’ (Shelley 350)”.
In the end, it is difficult to agree on whether we should cheer George Whitfield on in his dogged determination to preach the gospel, to the detriment of himself and the people that cared for him, or to side with them in advising him to lie down and rest in order to care for the needs of his body. Later in life he would ignore the advice of doctors, choosing rather to continued his preaching tours like he did in the old days, ignoring the danger signs of asthmatic colds, which brought great difficulty to his breathing. Rather than resting, he climbed back on his horse like a heroic John Wayne type figure and rode on to the next town, “…preaching more rather than less, depending on the moment of preaching to bring out a “good pulpit sweat” that would grant him one more day’s reprieve. (Miller)” He did not change his pace in the least, even after a violent bout of retching and shivering that nearly killed him. Preaching several more times, in different cities, “Eyewitnesses described him as nearly collapsing, being helped onto his horse, and then plodding on despite the entreaties of friends and admirers. (Miller)” Just imagine this in the light of modern day evangelism and ministry expectations. This is unheard of! No one would be expected to do this today, nor would anyone today have the conviction and the courage to do this. It is an absolute mind-blower - the man is 55 years old and his body is completely spent, and yet he soldiers on, even after a friend exhorted, “‘Sir, you are more fit to go to bed than to preach.’ Whitefield ignored the warning and answered with a prayer: “Lord, if I have not yet finished my course, let me go and speak for Thee once more in the fields, seal thy truth, and come home and die!’ (Miller)” Well of course, we know that his prayer was soon answered after that, as he preached one final time on the ‘New Birth’, saying, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in faith!”
Obviously, this kind of selfless devotion and single-heart and mindedness, comes at a huge cost to anyone who loves and cares for you. Those who minister in this fashion could certainly be accused of being out of balance, and even in sin, in some circumstances. I will be very critical on Whitefield on this subject. Consider the following facts about Whitefield and his immediate family relationships:
1. Whitefield usually awoke at 4 A.M. before beginning to preach at 5 or 6 A.M. In one week, he often preached a dozen times or more and spent 40 or 50 hours in the pulpit. Regardless of what kind of relationship you have with your wife and children, this level of ministry overload will take a serious toll, if not corrected in time. Additionally, this is time primarily on the road, while he was on tour, so he’s not seeing his family at all during this time.
2. George Whitefield barely knew his wife before marrying her, after only spending a week together before marriage, (in addition to sharing correspondence together).
3. When his 4-month-old son died, Whitefield did not stop preaching; he preached 3 times before the funeral and was preaching as the bells rang for the service itself. This kind of disregard for one’s own family members is a tragic symptom of misplaced ministry priorities.
4. Whitefield said about having a wife: “I pray God that I may not have a wife till I can live as though I had none.” This is George’s justification for the way he treated his wife evidently, but I don’t think that is what Paul had in mind when he said this about marriage. Most agree that this mindset brought him a disappointing love life and a largely unhappy marriage.
5. As a result, his wife never accompanied him on his travels, believing that she was only a burden to his ministry and life. The ministry had become his mistress quite obviously, and we cannot serve two masters. Ministry and Marriage are not two separate masters, they are one and the same, under the single headship of the Lord Jesus Christ.
6. It was largely believed that Whitefield was not at all happy with his wife and her death set his mind at liberty. What a sad and quite sinfully selfish attitude for a minister of the gospel to have. This flies in the face of Paul’s exhortation, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her… husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. (NKJV Eph 5:25-28)”
Whitefield, though used by God in a powerful way for many years of his life, and produced much good fruit along the way; showed his imperfections as well, like the rest of us do. He displayed great towering capacities to share the truth of God’s word to a lost and dying world, but he also failed at the most basic commands that God has given in regards to loving our own family members. Still he should be commended for the incredible life that he lived and the legacy that he left behind for the succeeding generations of believers.
By Pastor Glen Mustian
Works Cited:
1. Dallimore, Arnold. George Whitefield: God’s Anointed Servant in the Great Revival of the Eighteenth Century. Wheaton, Il: Crossway Books. 1990. Print.
2. Jones, Timothy. Christian History Made Easy. Torrance, CA: Rose Publishing. 2009. Print.
3. Miller, Kevin. Issue 38: George Whitefield: 17th c. Preacher & Revivalist. Christian History Magazine. Worcester, PA: Christianity Today International. 1993. Print.
4. NKJV New King James Version. Holy Bible. Thomas Nelson. Nashville, TN: 2000. Print.
5. Shelley, Bruce. Church History in Plain Language. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Pub. 1995.
6. Wiersbe, Warren. 50 People Every Christian Should Know: Learning From Spiritual Giants of the Faith. Grand Rapides, MI: Baker Books. 2009. Print.
