Gospel Prism

George Whitefield was cross-eyed and faced much ridicule because of it

I’ve just begun reading Arnold Dallimore’s 2-volume work on George Whitefield. Thus far, it’s been a real joy and I’m only on page 107. There is so much to write about Mr. Whitefield here, that I figure it would be better if you read the book for yourself. But here are some quick points I’ve meditated on thus far…

1. Whitefield gets far less credit than he deserves.

It was his desire that his name might decrease and Christ increase. And so, he left little that detailed his life. Biographers failed to accomplish what Wesley biographers accomplished, which is a good, annotated record of Whitefield’s life. And for this reason, it often seems Wesley made a greater impact than Whitefield in both England and in America. But this simply is not the case.

2. Whitefield had a passion for God without the Gospel.

His zeal was so great to know God that he went through all sorts of self-inflicted trials to gain favor and acceptance from God. At this point, the doctrines of grace were not a part of his life and so he DID everything possible to gain merit, even to the point of virtual insanity. Oh what life is life for the religious without the Gospel. It is to be the most pitied of all.

3. Whitefield was 21 years old when he began public ministry.

People called him the ‘boy-person.’ But when he spoke his first sermon, 15 people were ‘driven mad’ by its severity (p. 97).

4. Whitefield was soaked in prayer.

His countless hours depending on the Lord through prayer is seriously an inspiration that I must take heart. He REALLY believed that unless the Lord was with Him, he would bring dishonor to God’s name. And so he prayer and pleaded with God for His mercy.

5. Whitefield cared for the poor and imprisoned.

Here was a man who understood that to love God and to walk in His ways also meant that he must not disregard the poor. Despite his own financial troubles, what he did have, he shared with the poor. Even though he was Oxford educated, he found that that training tempted him to lift his nose to the undereducated. He wrote: “The profit I reaped from…conversing with the poor country people was unspeakable. I frequently learned as much by an afternoon’s visit as in a week’s study” (p. 106)

More to come on George Whitefield…