Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-08-06
CONNCNIcATED.
Whitfield and his acknowledgement Preach
IN


merce, writing from Newburyport, says
"On Sabbath, worshipped in the First Pres
hyterian Church-an imposing house, that
has stood for more than a century. Thirty
four ministers and missionaries have sprung
up from it--onc-half Of whom still live, and
are exertiug an unusual amount of moral
influence The monument erected to Whit
field, near the pull pit, and the fact that his
remains repose beneath it, give additional
solemnty Ia this house. Ii is. perhaps, not
strange that other towns, where Whitfield
had preached, craved his body-among which
WAS Portsmouth-and gentlemen from Bos
! ton, i'll Il manner pretty sovereign, made II
sort of demand for it. and seemed to claim. IA
their right 10 do AS they pleased; = but Rev.
Mr.. Parsons, the first pastor of the Church,
/ though he would not contend about the
/ body refused consent Ia any removal from
the place where he ind dtsirrd 10 be Ldid.
Whitfield was buried in his gown, cassock,
bands aud wig; and as late AZ 1884. the
body seemed Ia have been but little impaired,
although the skin was 'disrol"red and black
iSh' Some time anterior to 1887, n part of
Whitield's right arm was distracted by n
visitor, rs II present a. II friend IN England.
In September, 1919, Rev. Mr. Stearnes the
pastor, received box from England, with
the arm enclosed 1t was replaced and the
remains have since been more carefully guar
ded against such antiquarian depredators."
What n crowd Of delightful memories are
called mp by this brief notice of the body,
once tenanted by the living spirit, of this
distinguished servant of Christ. Two cen
turtles have nearly elapsed since Geo. Whit
field emerged from his obscurity ut Oxford.
and entering upon the work of the Gospel
ministry, exhibited that impassioned elo-
quence which moved and melted both the
Old World and the New After leaving Ok
Cord, and taking Deacons orders. he began
To preach at Bristol Five times a week he
addressed such gatherings of the people,
that it was with great difficulty he could
make his way along the crowded isles to the
reading desk Some hung upon the rails of
the organ loft, others crowded upon the leads
of the church, and all together made the
church so hot with their breath, that the
steam would fall from the pillars like drops
of rain" While at London it WAS neces-
sary to place constableS ut the doors, both
within and without, such multtudes assem-
BLEED; and, on Sunday mornings, in the latter
part Of the year, long before day, the streets
were filled with people going to hear him,
with lanterns in their hands.
| The tract of land called Moorfelds. which
WAS Just beyond the limits of the Old City
| Wall, in Whitfed's day, formed marsh
which was impossible the greater part Of
! the year. Having been partially drained Il
| Brick-kin was erected. and the first brick
| used in London was manufactured there. Ii
was subsequently laid out in walks, aud
called the City Mall" Though improved
| in name and appearance, II became the rally
| ing ground of all the rabble in London
wreStlrrS, boxers, mountebankS. the idle, the
lSsoIute and proiane, held here their daily
and nightly reyelS All London rang one
,lay with the announcement that Whitfield
would preach the day following, ut Moor
fields. This was in January, 1889.
1.-The thing being strange and new says
one, '.he found on coming out Of the coach,
M understandable number of people assem-
BLEED. Many told him that he would never
come out of that place alive. He went in.
however, between two friends, who, by the
pressure of the crowd, were soon parted from
him entirely, and obliged to leave him to the
mercy of the rabble But they, instead of
hurting him, formed lane, and carried him
along Ia the middle Of the fields, where Il
table had been placed. This, however, hay
ing been broken by the crowd, he mounted
II wall and preached to IN exceeding great
multitude in tones 50 melting that his words
drew tears and groans from the most aban-
Inned MoortelIs became henceforth one
Of the principal scenes of his triumphs.-
Thirty thousand people sometimes gathered
To hear him, aud generous contributions
flowed in tor his Orphan Home, which he
had established, under the auspices Of Lady
Huntington, his friend and patron, at Bethes-
da, in Georgia Ills preaching, however at
tins time, was not confined t. the lower clas-
.es exclusively, either ut Moorields or Kings
wood He was frequently brought in CON
tact with the higher circles in society, and
excited most powerful Influence upon the
CAV and the fashionable" Good Lady Hun
tington, he writes has come to town, and
have to preach twice II week at her house to
the G,rat and Nobie. o! that some Of them
might be cilectually called to taste the riches
of Ills Reckoning Son" On the day APP
pointed Chesterfield, Boingbroke, and a
circle Of the nobility attended, and having
heard him once they desired to come again.
Lord Chesterfield thanked mt" he says;
Lord Bollngbroke was moved, and asked Inc
To come and see him the next morning My
hands have been full of work, aud have
been among great company accepted my
sermons. Thus the world turns round. In
al time If my mr"fh, good Lord deiirer me-"
Methmiisni, uf which Whitfield was the
eloquent champion, began to invade the
higher circles. Under the auspices Of Lady
Huntington, prayer meeting was e-tab-
lish.d for those females who from the circles
Of rank and fashion became the followers of
the Lord. Among them were Lady Francis
Gardner; Lady Mary Hamilton daughter Of
the Marquis Of Lnthaire, who had attended
the ministry of Whitfield in Scotland; Lady
Gertrude Ilotham and Countess DELETE, sis
t-rs Of Lady Chesterfield; Lady Chesterfield
herself. and Ls!y Fanny Shrly, Of whom
Horace Wap"le wrote III his soothing way TO
a friend on the continent. "lfyou ever think
of returning to England, prepare yourself
with Mihmiism. This sect increases ~ fast
rs ever almost any other religious n"nsense
did. Lady Fanny Shirly has chosen this
way of bestowing the dregs OF her beauty,
arl Mr.. Lyttleton is very near making the
same sacrifice of the dregs Of all those yari-
Gus characters that he has worn. The Meth
odlsts love your biz sinners, and, indeed, they