Account of the Life of Whitefield, Title page – Preface
A BRIEF and GENERAL ACCOUNT Of the FIRST PART OF THE LIFE Of the REVEREND Mr. GEO. WHITEFIELD, From his BIRTH, to his Entering into HOLY ORDERS.
Written by HIMSELF.
PHILADELPHIA: Printed and Sold by B. FRANKLIN, in Market-Street. M,DCC,XL.
PREFACE.
ALTHO' the following Account of what GOD has done for my Soul, will, undoubtedly, be differently judged of, by different People; yet, as, I truſt, a ſingle Eye to GOD'S Glory moved me to write, and as I find myſelf much preſſed in Spirit to publiſh it, I am not in the leaſt ſolicitous about the Treatment it will meet with in the World.
The Benefit I have received from Reading the Lives of good Men; the Examples we have in Scripture of the Sacred Authors compoſing their own Hiſtories; and, more eſpecially the Aſſiſtances I have received from the Holy Spirit, in bringing many Things to my Remembrance, which otherwiſe I ſhould have forgotten, ſeemed to me Reaſons ſufficient to juſtify my Conduct, in the Sight of GOD and all good Men.
Further, As GOD has been pleaſed of late to call me to a Publick Work, I thought his Children would be glad to know how I … trained up for it. And, tho' ſome may … this had been as well deferr'd till after my Death, or wrote by ſome other Perſon; yet, I thought it would be more beneficial, and be better credited, if wrote with my own Hand, and publiſhed whilſt I was yet alive.
In the Accounts of good Men, which I have read, I have obſerved, that the Writers of them have been partial: They have given us the bright, but not the black Side of their Characters. This, I think, proceeds from carnal Reaſoning, leſt mentioning the Perſon's Faults ſhould encourage others in Sin. It cannot, I am ſure, proceed from that Wiſdom which cometh from above. The ſacred Writers give an Account of their Failings, as well as their Virtues: Peter is not aſhamed to confeſs, that with Oaths and Curſes he thrice denied his Maſter; nor do the Evangeliſts make any Scruple of telling, that out of Mary Magdalen JESUS CHRIST caſt ſeven Devils.
I fearing, therefore, leſt my ſurviving Friends ſhould not be thus impartial in giving an Account of me, was reſolved (among other Reaſons) to give the following Account of myſelf, that thoſe who now have my Perſon too much in Admiration, ſeeing what once I was, may learn not to think more highly of me than they ought to think: That th…ſe who are awaken'd to a Senſe of Sin, may …t deſpair; ſince for this Cauſe I obtained Mercy that in me JESUS CHRIST may … …ort all long Suffering, for a Pattern to them who ſhould hereafter believe on him to Life everlaſting. And, finally, that all true Lovers of GOD may join in hearty Thanks and Praiſes to the moſt adorable Trinity, for Plucking ſuch a Firebrand out of the Burning.
As I have often wiſhed, when in my beſt Frame, that the firſt Years of my Life might be put down as a Blank, and had no more in Remembrance; ſo I could almoſt wiſh now to paſs them over in Silence. But, as they will, in ſome Degree, illuſtrate GOD's Dealing with me in my riper Years, I ſhall, as I am able, give the following brief Account of them.
AUGUST 1739.