Hola. I normally blog over here, but I’m looking forward to posting some gear on PFR. I’m doing some work on George Whitefield and will be sharing some of it on PFR. God used GW in a massive way. Here’s a snippet from his bio in The New Dictionary of Theology (IVP):
Whitefield, George (1714–70), English evangelist, was born at Gloucester. While an undergraduate at Oxford he was converted and experienced the call to the ministry of the Church of England. Following his ordination he preached his first sermon and it was said to have driven fifteen hearers mad. Tremendous congregations flooded the churches to hear him, but being denied the constant use of these buildings he resorted to the open air. Needing help, he influenced John (and Charles) Wesley to undertake the outdoor ministry too. He preached twice and sometimes three times a day and proved able to make himself heard by crowds of 20,000, and this was his manner of life from the age of twenty-two until he died at fifty-five.
He carried his message throughout most of the English-speaking world of that time. Important in this labour were his seven visits to America and fifteen to Scotland, together with his frequent ministry in Wales. He preached repeatedly in almost all the counties of England, founded two large churches in London and ministered regularly to the nobility at the home of Lady Huntingdon. At first he organized his followers into societies, and during his lifetime he was known as ‘The leader and founder of Methodism’.
[...]
His ministry presents an unparalleled example of declaring the sovereignty of God combined with the free offer of salvation to all who would believe on Christ. A powerful urgency characterized his delivery; he often broke into copious tears as he pleaded with sinners. His major themes were the holiness of God and the sinfulness and helplessness of man, and justification through the atonement of Christ. He was a man of holy life, and as Wesley suggested when preaching at his funeral, history records none ‘who called so many myriads of sinners to repentance’.
Ferguson, S. B., & Packer, J. (2000, c1988). New dictionary of theology (electronic ed.) (721). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
March 25, 2009 at 5:50 pm |
[...] has started Praying for Revival. I gave a bit of an intro to Whitefield over [...]
March 26, 2009 at 12:14 am |
Yeah, Whitefield is incredible!
I listened to that John Piper biography of him… just unbelievable.
Would that God would raise up another Whitefield! (No, a generation of Whitefields!)
March 26, 2009 at 12:22 am |
yeah – that talk was gold! i’ve done a bit of reading on him in the past, but that talk has particularly triggered my interest… and also that he looks like a turtle!
March 26, 2009 at 8:48 pm |
[...] Dave wrote about the incredible George Whitefield yesterday. In the words of JC Ryle, “Never perhaps was there a man of whome it could be so [...]
March 30, 2009 at 6:15 pm |
[...] George Whitefield – Dave blogs a bio. Filed under Uncategorized . Don’t forget to SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: “It’s linktime!”, url: “http://www.thecrazyaustralian.com/its-linktime/” });. Scroll down for comments. [...]