George Whitfield

He was passing through Exeter, New Hampshire, on Sept. 29, 1770. He was invited to preach at a local church, but when 6000 people showed up, the venue was moved outdoors. Some people in the crowd could tell George Whitfield (1714-1770) wasn’t feeling well. What they didn’t know is that his chronic asthma had reached a critical stage. Someone yelled out from the crowd, “You are more fit to go to bed than to preach.” Whitfield answered, “True, sir,” and proceeded to pray, “Lord Jesus, I am weary in Thy work, but not weary in it. If I have not finished my course, let me go and speak of Thee once more in the field, seal Thy truth, and come home and die.” His strength waned in the first few minutes of his sermon. He even paused and said to the crowd, “I will wait for the glorious assistance of God.” Then, it happened. The Spirit came down, and Whitfield preached for two hours. Many believe it was his best sermon. He then left on horseback, reached Newburyport, MA, preached one final sermon, and died. What a way to go! It is estimated that he spoke a thousand times every year for thirty years. Some have called him America’s first celebrity. Sarah Edwards wrote of him to her brother, “He is a born orator.” Even Benjamin Franklin, who had little use for his theology, said of him, “He’s a good man, and I love him.” Whitfield was not without his faults, as evidenced by the considerable debate in our time over his conflicting views of slavery. He once wrote in response to a critic, “Thank you for your criticism. If you knew about me what I know about me, you would have written a longer letter.” Several excerpts from Whitfield’s journal lead us into prayer: