Journal of a Voyage from Gibraltar to Georgia, Journal 3 · Part 40
St. ALBANS and LONDON.
Saturday, May 26. Had a comfortable Night's Reſt, which much refreſhed me. Preached at ſeven in the Morning to about Fifteen hundred People in a Field near the Town with great Power, and got ſafe to London by two in the Afternoon.— Bleſſed be GOD, this has been a Week of fat Things. — Many further Inroads have been made into Satan's Kingdom.— Many Sinners convicted, and many Saints much comforted and eſtabliſhed in their moſt holy Faith. I find there are ſome Thouſand ſecret ones yet living amongſt us, that have not bowed the Knee to Baal, and this publick Way of acting brings them out. It much comforts me, whereever I go, to ſee ſo many of GOD's Children, of all Communions, come and wiſh me good Luck in the Name of the LORD. I perceive People would be every where willing to hear, if the Miniſters were ready to teach the Truth as it is in JESUS. LORD, do thou ſpirit up more of my dear Friends and Fellow Labourers to go out into the Highways and Hedges, to compel poor Sinners to come in. Amen.
Received an excellent Letter from the Rev. Mr. Ebenezer Erſkine of Scotland, Brother to Mr. Ralph Erſkine, acquainting me of his preaching laſt Week to Fourteen Thouſand People. Bleſſed be GOD, there are more Field-Preachers in the World beſides myſelf. The LORD furniſh us all with ſpiritual Food wherewith to feed ſo great Multitudes.
Preached in the Evening at Kennington Common to about Fifteen Thouſand People, and we had an extraordinary Preſence of GOD amongſt us. Oh! that all who object againſt this Way of Preaching, would come and ſee, — all ſincere Perſons muſt go convicted away.
Sunday, May 27. Preached this Morning at Moorfields to about Twenty Thouſand, and GOD manifeſted himſelf ſtill more and more. My Diſcourſe was near two Hours long. My Heart was full of Love; and People were ſo melted down on every Side, that the greateſt Scoffer muſt have owned that this was the Finger of GOD. Went twice to public Worſhip, received the bleſſed Sacrament, and preached, as uſual, in the Evening at Kennington Common, to about the ſame Number of People as I did laſt Lord's Day. Perceived I was a little hoarſe; but GOD ſtrengthned me to ſpeak ſo as not only to be heard, but felt by moſt that ſtood near me. Glory be to GOD on high.
Monday, May 28. Preached, after earneſt and frequent Invitation, at Hackney, in a Field belonging to one Mr. Rudge, to about Ten Thouſand People. — I inſiſted much upon the Reaſonableneſs of the Doctrine of the New Birth, and the Neceſſity of our receiving the Holy Ghoſt in its ſanctifying Gifts and Graces, as well now as formerly. GOD was pleaſed to impreſs it moſt deeply upon the Hearers. Great Numbers were drowned in Tears; and I could not help expoſing the Impiety of thoſe Letter-learned Teachers, who ſay, We are not now to receive the Holy Ghoſt, and count the Doctrine of the New Birth, ENTHUSIASM. Out of your own Mouths will I condemn you, you wicked and blind Guides. Did you not, at the Time of Ordination, tell the Biſhop, that you were inwardly moved by the Holy Ghoſt, to take upon you the Adminiſtration of the Church? Surely, at that Time, you acted the Crime of Ananias and Sapphir… … You lyed not unto Man, but unto GOD.
Tueſday, May 29. Went to publick Service at Weſtminſter Abbey. Afterwards diſpatched Buſineſs for my Orphans, and preached at Kennington to a moſt devout Auditory with much Sweetneſs and Power. The Subject I treated of, was our LORD's Miracle of the Loaves and Fiſhes; and I hope he who fed ſo many Thouſands with bodily Bread, did feed my Hearers Souls with the Bread of Life which cometh down from Heaven.
Wedneſday, May 30. Waited upon the Biſhop of Briſtol (who treated me with the utmoſt Civility) and received his Lordſhip's Benefaction for Georgia. At the Requeſt of many, I preached in the Evening at Newington Common, to about fifteen Thouſand People. A moſt commodious Place was erected for me to preach from. The Word came with Power; and ſeeing a great Multitude, I thought proper to collect for the Orphan-houſe. Sixteen Pounds nine Shillings and four Pence were gathered on that Occaſion. Bleſſed be the Lord for thus proſpering the Work of my Hands upon me.
Thurſday, May 31. Was taken very ill this Afternoon; but GOD was pleaſed to ſtrengthen me to go to Kennington, where I preached to my uſual Congregation; and three of my Brethren in the Miniſtry were pleaſed to accompany me, which filled the People with exceeding great Joy. Thou LORD of the Harveſt, ſend forth, we beſeech Thee, more Labourers into thy Harveſt.
Friday, June 1. Dined at Oldford, — gave a ſhort Exhortation to a few People in a Field, and preached in the Evening at a Place called Mayfair, near Hyde-Park Corner. — The Congregation, I believe, conſiſted of near Eighty Thouſand People.— It was, by far, the largeſt I ever preached to yet.— In the Time of my Prayer there was a little Noiſe? but they kept a deep Silence during my whole Diſcourſe. An high and very commodious Scaffold was erected for me to ſtand upon; and though I was weak in myſelf, yet GOD ſtrengthned me to ſpeak ſo loud that moſt could hear, and ſo powerfully, that moſt, I believe, could feel. All Love, all Glory be to God, through CHRIST.
So weak, ſo frail an Inſtrument,
If thou, my GOD, vouchſafe to uſe;
'Tis Praiſe enough to be imployed,
Reward enough, if thou excuſe.
If thou excuſe, then work thy Will
By ſo unfit an Inſtrument;
It will at once thy Goodneſs ſhew,
And prove thy Pow'r Omnipotent.
Saturday, June 2. Sent another Quaker to be baptized by Mr. Stonehouſe. Collected by private Contributions, near Fifty Pounds for the Orphans, and preached in the Evening to about Ten Thouſand at Hackney, where twenty Pounds twelve Shillings and four Pence were gathered on the ſame Occaſion. Before I went out to preach, I was very ſick and weak; but ſuch Power was given me from above, that I continued preaching for an Hour and an Half, and was ſo aſſiſted, that the People were diſſolved into Tears, and wept moſt bitterly. It rained ſome conſiderable Time, but almoſt all were unmoved; and I was ſo enlarged, by talking of the Love and Free Grace of JESUS CHRIST, that I could have continued my Diſcourſe till Midnight. This Promiſe, They that wait on the Lord ſhall renew their Strength, is fulfilled in me daily. Oh … Grace in CHRIST JESUS our LORD.
Sunday, June 3. Preached at Moorfields to a larger Congregation than ever, and collected Twenty Nine Pounds Seventeen Shillings and Nine Pence for the Orphan-Houſe; went twice to publick Worſhip, received the Sacrament, and preached in the Evening at Kennington Common, to the moſt numerous Audience I ever yet ſaw in that Place, and collected Thirty Four Pounds five Shillings. When I mentioned my Departure from them, they were melted into Tears. — Thouſands of Ejaculations and fervent Prayers were poured out to GOD on my Behalf, which gave me abundant Reaſon to be thankful to my dear Maſter. Oh what marvellous great Kindneſs has GOD ſhewn me in this great City! Indeed I have ſeen the Kingdom of GOD come with Power, and cannot but ſay, Bleſſed are the Eyes which ſee the Things that we ſee, and hear the Things which we hear; for many righteous Souls have deſired to ſee the Things which we ſee, and to hear the Things which we hear, and have not heard them. I now go, I truſt, under the Conduct of GOD's Holy Spirit, to Pennſylvania and Virginia, and from thence to Georgia, knowing not what will befal me, ſave that the Holy Ghoſt witneſſeth in every Place, that Labours, Afflictions, and Trials of all Kinds abide me. O my dear Friends, pray that none of theſe Things may move me, and that I may not count even my Life dear unto myſelf, ſo that I may finiſh my Courſe with Joy, and the Miniſ…ry which I have received of the LORD JESUS. Into his Hands I commend my whole Spirit, Soul and Body; his Will be done in me, by me, and upon me, for Time, and for Eternity. Let me do or ſuffer juſt as ſeemeth good in his Sight. Only do thou, O LORD, give me that Wiſdom which dwelleth with Prudence, that I may never ſuffer for my own Miſconduct, but only for Righteouſneſs Sake.— Reward, O LORD, my dear Friends for all their Works of Faith, and Labours of Love.— Forgive my Enemies; and grant we may all effectually be called by thy Free Grace, and after Death be tranſlated to sit on thy Right Hand.— Prepare me for the fiery Tryal wherewith I muſt be tried, and make me faithful to the Truſt committed to my Charge. May I carefully watch the Flock over which the Holy Ghoſt hath made me Overſeer, and may I, in all Things, behave … a good Steward of the manifold Gifts of GOD. — May the paſt Mercies make me humble and truly thankful, and may I be prepared for theſe greater Things which I am yet to ſee.— May the Soul of all to whom I have preached be precious in thy Sight, and may we all meet to be one another's Joy, and Crown of rejoycing in the Day of the LORD JESUS; though abſent in Body, may we be preſent in Spirit, and always have Reaſon to tri…ph becauſe of the Truth. May we go on from conquering to conquer, and ſee Satan, like Lightning, fall from Heaven. May GOD pour into our Hearts a Spirit of Prayer and Supplication, and may our Prayers aſcend up as an acceptable Sacrifice, through JESUS CHRIST. To whom with Thee, O FATHER, and Thee, O HOLY GHOST, three Perſons, and one GOD, be all Glory, Might, Majeſty, and Dominion, now, and for evermore. Amen.
Captain of my Salvation, hear!
Stir up thy Strength, and bow the Skies;
Be Thou the GOD of Battles near;
In all thy Majeſty ariſe!
The Day, the dreadful Day's at Hand!
In Battle cover thou my Head:
Paſt is thy Word: I here demand,
And confident expect thine Aid.
Now arm me for the threatning Fight,
Now let thy Power deſcend from high,
Triumphant in thy Spirit's Might,
So ſhall I every Foe defy.
I aſk thy Help; by Thee ſent forth
Thy glorious Goſpel to proclaim,
Be Thou my Mouth, and ſhake the Earth,
And ſpread by me thy awful Name.
Steel me to Shame, Reproach, Diſgrace,
Arm me with all thy Armour now,
Set like a Flint my ſteady Face,
Harden to Adamant my Brow.
Bold may I wax, exceeding bold,
My high Commiſſion to perform,
No… ſhrink thy harſheſt Truths t' unfold,
But more than meet the gathering Storm.
Adverſe to Earth's rebellious …hrong
Still may I turn my fearleſs Face,
Stand as an Iron Pillar ſtrong,
And ſtedfaſt as a Wall of Braſs.
Give me thy Might, thou GOD of Pow'r;
Then let or Men or Fiends aſſail!
Strong in thy S…rength, I'll ſtand a Tower
Impregnable to Earth or Hell.
The End of the Firſt Volume.
End of the text · George Whitefield, Journal of a Voyage from Gibraltar to Georgia (1739)