I.
“THE Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” at the beginning of creation, and again in 1735, when Sin and Satan had reduced Great Britain to a state “without form and void” spiritually considered, God the Spirit “arrested” the five men—Whitefield, Cennick, Daniel Rowland, Howel Harris and William Williams—two in England and three in Wales—and thrust them forth to “stay the plague” and lift up the Redeemer as the only Refuge to which sin-bitten mortals might “look and live.”
Whitefield was but a youth of 21 when, in the Spring of 1735, Jesus was revealed to him as his personal Saviour. Like Jesus, whose Name and Kingdom he was used so mightily to spread, Whitefield was born in an Inn—a Tavern in Gloucester called the “Bell”—and this fact was, he says, a comfort to him in after life. Whitefield, of course, was denied the comforts of the Inn itself at His birth. His mother showed little evidence of being a gracious woman, but she was a tender mother and she had a premonition that George would be a great and unusual character—a power for good. Satan also knew this and he led the poor lad captive until a mightier than he said, “loose him and let him go.” Whitefield himself says he “was brutish; hated instruction; had an impudent temper; was much addicted to lying, filthy talking; cursing; swearing; thieving; Sabbath breaking and acts of uncleanness.” He loved cards, plays and romances. These, he says, “were but instances of sins more in number than the hairs of my head; my heart would fail me at the remembrance of them was I not assured that my Redeemer liveth to make intercession for me.” There was, however, a new principle implanted in young George’s soul in early life. “I can recollect,” he says, “very early the moving of the blessed Spirit upon my heart.” He was now but a boy of ten years of age and the two powers within strove for the mastery. His love for plays and other vanities persisted until, as a lad of twelve, God chastised him in love and began to weary him of evil and wean him from his sins of which he says, “their dismal effects I have felt and groaned under ever since.” The rest of his “teens” was spent in sinning and striving against sin, but in 1732 (when by the charity of friends and relatives he entered Pembroke College, Oxford) he had received from God gracious courage to suffer reproach for Christ’s sake rather than join in the then prevalent evils of College life. Indeed, he suffered physical agony through intense cold rather than be found in such company. He sought Christ, but it was by the deeds of the law beyond which he could not get. He envied a few zealous young scholars who met together for worship and mutual edification.
They first met in 1729 and were dubbed “the Holy Club.” Amongst them were free grace champions in their spiritual infancy. James Hervey, the gracious minister and well known author, and John Gambold, the young Welshman from Haverfordwest, who became a Moravian Bishop, were there. Even William Romaine was at Oxford, though he did not join the “The Holy Club.”
Whitefield’s first personal touch with them was brought about by the strangest of means—what men would call a coincidence. He interested himself in the tragedies and distress of the slums and heard of a sad event—a woman had attempted to cut her throat. In this connection the help of a man of grace and wisdom was needed—and his thoughts flew to Charles Wesley of whose acts of compassion he was aware, but whom he had never met. He sent a poor apple woman and charged her not to tell who had sent her, but she could not keep her secret. Young Charles Wesley immediately sent for George Whitefield and thus they first came together and joined forces in “The Holy Club.” The influence on Whitefield although well-meaning and sincere enough was to set him, with renewed energy, seeking salvation by the works of the law. He tugged and toiled and endured the tortures of self-imposed mortification until he found Cennick’s experience his own, for—
“The more he fought against sin’s power,
He sinned and stumbled but the more.”
Then in 1735 he fell helpless at Christ’s feet and entered into the spirit of the last two lines of Cennick’s verse “Till late I heard my Saviour say, Come hither, soul, I am the Way.” Now Whitefield commenced to point his fellow sinners to the redeeming blood and say, “Behold the way to God.” He left Oxford for Gloucester and from there he commenced his first efforts as an itinerating Evangelist.
We must now leave Whitefield for a time to introduce the two great Reformers of Wales—Howel Harris and Daniel Rowland, men so remarkable and endowed with such tremendous power from on high that, through their instrumentality and that of William Williams the great Hymnist, the benighted Principality—a whole Nation, was transformed from end to end as by an ever-spreading heath-fire. In a few brief years the “desert” that was Wales, “blossomed as the rose”—where sin and Satan had reigned and little but blasphemy and brutishness prevailed, the glory of the Lord shone forth and sinners by the thousand were snatched as brands from the burning. The mountains and valleys that shuddered at the swelling tide of iniquity now began to echo and re-echo with penitential cries to Jesus and songs of praise to the dear Redeemer. Even those who were not called by grace were made better citizens owing to the influence of the general Reformation which swept the country.
First then, we must notice Howel Harris, pioneer Reformer, and, like Lady Huntingdon in England, endowed with amazing ability for organization. At the period we speak of, he was a young school-master in a sin-stricken district of Wales. In 1735 the Holy Spirit “arrested” this dogged youth at Talgarth near the Black Mountains. He suddenly emerges from the prevailing darkness like an unknown orb on an almost starless night. He is gifted with a voice of tremendous power, the courage of a lion and the tenacity and determination of a mighty Reformer. Grace takes possession of his soul and love to lost sinners fires his breast so intensely that he goes from house to house at the behest of the Holy Spirit and ere long scores—then hundreds—then—thousands of sinners surge around him day after day to hear the thunder of Sinai as he denounces sin; the way of escape as he points sin-bitten sinners to the Saviour of the lost. He travels from village to village, facing hourly peril from violent persecution; stones are hurled at him; he is drenched with ditch water; he is struck till blood flows, but on—on—he goes committing his body and soul to the protection of his Redeemer. Little by little his fame spreads and the arrows from his quiver stick fast in the hearts of sinners throughout all the surrounding country. Seeking souls now travel miles to hear him and frequently his congregation is far too great for any building to hold. Let those who suspect him of false fire and carnal enthusiasm read the “Life of Whitefield;” of the Countess of Huntingdon or Charles Wesley. The last named, writing under date of May 8th, 1740, says of Howel Harris:—”He declared his experience before the Society. Oh, what a flame was kindled! No man speaks in my hearing as this man speaketh—what a nursing father God has sent us! He has indeed learned of the Good Shepherd to carry the lambs in His bosom—such love—such power, such simplicity, was irresistible.” And Whitefield says under date of January 27th, 1739:—”May I follow him (Howel Harris) as he does Jesus Christ! How he outstrips me.” Surely the testimony of these intimate friends of his and eye witnesses shall put critics to the blush—God moved him, God worked mightily through him and to God he gave the glory. His life is one of the most amazing records of divine grace and the power of God ever penned. In 1737 God forged, as it were, the second link in the golden chain which brought about the Great Awakening. Howel Harris states that he first heard of Whitefield in 1737 and he says he “felt his heart knit to him in a way that he had never felt the like to any living man before” and he contracted an everlasting love to him before they had seen each other. In 1738 Whitefield went to Georgia and God granted him success even where the Wesleys failed badly. On the ground prepared by Jonathan Edwards the foundation of the American Awakening is firmly laid; he returns at the close of 1738 and on the 20th December, having in America conceived a deep concern for Howel Harris in Wales, he writes him a touching letter and the following year, on March 8th, he journeys to Cardiff and meets him face to face. They are both young men aged 25 and Whitefield shall tell us exactly what happened.
“I was much refreshed by the sight of my dear brother Howel Harris, whom, though I knew not in person, I have long since loved in the bowels of Jesus Christ, and have often felt my soul drawn out in prayers on his behalf. A burning and shining light has he been in those parts,—a barrier against profaneness and immorality and an indefatigable promoter of the true gospel of Jesus Christ. About three or four years ago God has inclined him to go about doing good. He is now about twenty-five years of age. Twice he has applied, being every way qualified, for Holy Orders, but was refused under the false pretence that he was not of age, though he was then twenty-two years and six months. About a month ago he offered himself again, but was put off. Upon this he was and is still resolved to go on in his work; and indefatigable zeal has he shown in his Master’s service. For three years, as he told me from his own mouth, he has discoursed almost twice every day for three or four hours together; not authoritatively as a minister, but as a private person exhorting his Christian brethren. He has been I think in seven counties, and has made it his business to go to wakes, to turn people from such lying vanities. Many alehouse people, fiddlers, harpers, Demetrius-like, sadly cry out against him for spoiling their business. He has been made the subject of many sermons, and has been threatened with public prosecution; constables have been sent to apprehend him. But God has blessed him with inflexible courage; instantaneous strength has been communicated to him from above, and he continues to go on from conquering to conquer. He is of a most catholic spirit; loves all that love our Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore, he is styled by bigots a Dissenter. He is condemned by all that are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; but God has greatly blessed his pious endeavours. Many call and own him as their spiritual father, and I believe would lay down their lives for his sake. He discourses generally in a field, from a wall or a table, or anything else, but at other times in a house. He has established nearly thirty societies in South Wales, and still his sphere of action is daily enlarged. He is full of faith and of the Holy Ghost. When I first saw him my heart was closely knit to him. I wanted to catch some of his fire, and give him the right hand of fellowship with my whole heart. After I had saluted him and given a warm exhortation to a great number of people who followed us to the inn, we spent the remainder of the evening in taking sweet counsel together, and telling one another what God had done for our souls. My heart was still drawn out towards him more and more. A divine and strong sympathy appeared to be between us, and I was resolved to promote his interest with all my might. Accordingly we took an account of the several societies and agreed on such measures as seemed most conducive to promote the common interest of our Lord. Blessed be God, there seems to be a noble spirit gone out into Wales, and I believe, ere long, there will be more visible fruits of it. What inclines me strongly to think so is, that the partition wall of bigotry and party zeal is broken down. After much comfortable and encouraging conversation with each other, we kneeled down and prayed, and great enlargement of heart God was pleased to give me in that duty. This done, we ate a little supper, and then after singing a hymn we went to bed, praising and blessing God for bringing us face to face. I doubted not but that Satan envied our happiness. But I hope by the help of God we shall make his kingdom shake. God loves to do great things by weak instruments, that the power may be of God and not of man.”