George Whitefield’s Impact on Revival

Although Whitefield himself spoke very little of the hardships he encountered, his “Journals” reveal the price he paid for the cause of Christ.  His zeal and determination took him on an amazing course of evangelistic labor.  After nine days of preaching in Philadelphia in the spring of 1740, he set out for New York.  A seven-hour journey on horseback brought him to the home of Mr. Tennent at Neshaminy, where a congregation of 5,000 awaited him.

“When I got there (he writes) my body, through heat and labor was so weak and faint, that my knees smote one against another, my visage changed, and I was ready to drop down as soon as I had finished my prayer.  But God was pleased to revive me.  Great numbers were melted. . . .” But despite his weakness, he traveled another eight miles that night and another sixteen the following morning. This brought him to the Dutch settlement of Shippack, where he reported:

Thursday, April 24. . . “It was seemingly a very wilderness part of the country but there were no less, I believe, than two thousand hearers. . . Traveling and preaching in the sun again, weakened me much and made me very sick; but by the Divine assistance, I took horse, rode twelve miles, and preached in the evening to about 3,000 people at a Dutchman’s plantation. . .”

Friday, April 25.  “Rose before day.  Sang and prayed with my friends.  Set out before sun rising, and reached Amwell, thirty-five miles from Shippack, where I was appointed to preach at six at night.  Some thousands were gathered by noon awaiting my arrival.  In my way thither, I was brought low by inward trials, and very great weakness of body, occasioned by the heat of the sun, want of sleep, and the length of the journey; but before I had preached six minutes, bodily and spiritual strength was given me, and the Lord set His seal to what He enabled me to deliver.  After the sermon, a friend took me five miles to his house for rest.”

But he was on his way again by eight o’clock the next morning and rode until four in the afternoon, in order to reach New Brunswick.  He ministered there to 2,000 on Saturday evening and twice on Sunday to crowds of 7,000 and 8,000.  On the Monday following, he reported that he “underwent great conflicts of soul last night and this morning,” but he traveled and preached again the next day, and on Tuesday went on to New York.

In reference to these experiences, Dr. John Gillies wrote in “Memoirs of the Life of Reverend George Whitefield” published in 1772:  “Sometimes he was almost dead with heat and fatigue.  Thrice a day he was lifted upon his horse, unable to mount otherwise; then rode and preached, and came in and laid himself along two or three chairs.”

John Foster in “Critical Essays” published in 1856, states:  “Whitfield’s career permitted him hardly a day of what could be called repose, till he found it in the grave at fifty-six. . . We repeatedly find him, during a state of languor which sometimes sunk him quite down to illness, prosecuting such a course of exertions, as would have been enough to reduce most strong men to that condition; for example, preaching in his ardent and exhausting manner, to vast audiences, several times a day, a number of days successively, when his debility was such that he could not, without much help, mount his horse, to go to his appointed places.  But his mind held such a predominance over his body, and the passion for preaching was so predominant in his mind, that as soon as he entered on preaching, he quickly became strong and animated.”

We desperately need revival in this hour!  What will it take?  Perhaps this glimpse into the past of one mightily used of God gives us a little idea.  What price are you willing to pay for revival in our generation?