The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-08-30
THE GATE CITY.
TUESDAY, AUG. 80.



There was bright, rosy boy, with the
blue apron, in an inn, struggling with the
confusion of great thoughts within him,
which be could not either exclude or com.
prehend. There was the poor servitor of
Pembroke College, choosing the meanest
drudgery, wearing the coarsest clothing,
eating the worst food and but little of it,
standing in the biting frost until be had
no feelings in his feet or fingers, and try
ing hard to fast the whole forty days OF
Lent. These we're the glimpses they had
Of the childhood and> youth of George
evangelist such as the world had never
known since Peter the fisher preached at
Pentecost.
Housed from selfrighteousness and
opening his heart to the love of the Sa.
vior, he went on his first work of preach.
ing. Church after church was closed
against him, but he went into the open
air and proclaimed to listening thousands
the unsearcbable riches of Christ. The
effects which followed were extraordinary
As be stood forth, bis young manly coun-
tenaDce seemed to bespeak hearing; and
when once his voice was heard, SO exquis
itely was his voice tuned, and SO success
fully was it welded, high aud low we're
subject to its spell. Add to his elo-
quence the earnestness which the heat
of holy passion kindled, and they would
not wouder at his influence His power
4 a trft he, hao
Men saw the scenes he painted. Da-
yid Hume vas held unclaimed By his elo-
qaeuce until he forgot 10 sheer. The
phdosophic Franklin was moved like
common man; and the artificial Chester
field was startled, for once, into an i'm.
pulse of real feeling, and sprang forward
To arrest the fall of the blind beggar
whom the speaker pictured on the cliff
Alone, he went to Bartholomew Fair,
and commenced to preach. The show
men gave up their pursuits. A deaf old
woman, who had at first obstructed bin,
was found clambering up the pulpit
stairs. that she might not lose syllable
of his sermon. The persons who heard
him wcps and trembled.
The tears made little rill of cleanliness
down the cheeks of the King wood GOLFERS.
Children hung upon his lips with loving.
earnest eyes; but perhaps the most touch
ing illustration of his influence was the
case of a little boy who sickened after he
had heard him preach, and whose soul
cred out in the pauses OF pain, lie. ne
90 TO MIR. Whittield's God" This was
not the power of what was called the
pocket handkerchief nor dissembled tears.
Whitfield could not help being al ora sor,
bat he aimed to be an evsngel, and so
great was his success that he was said in
one week TO have had Thousand letters
from persons who had been blessed by his
ministry.
HIS work was preaching, and he knew
it. The physicians once prescribed for
him j. eipetual blister. He said that he
had tried perpetual preaching, and he
foundjt answered as well. When winter
ca4e TO stsp his journeys, he mourned
OVER il lise u smt'en child, aud wheu
spring returned he bounded on to his be
loved labor. He SAID he hoped to Gle ia
the pulpit, or at least soon after he
came out of it. After thirty-four years
OF successful labor, the evangel gathered
himself up for his final discourse. The
people listened long, as if they knew that
for another Elijah there waited chario.
OF FIRE.
He then requested another minister tc
speak TO them, and with the candle 10 his
hand was ascending the stairs, but sud
denl7 he turned, as with sense of NOR.
tality rapidly finishing. and of moments
more precious than gold, and addressed
them from the stairs until the candl,
bnrned down into the socket as he held il
in MS baud The next morning he wa
not. In the night the messenger came
and, like his Master. he assembled from
mountain of prayer. Such was Georg
Whitfield, and ages yet unborn. as the
read the moral Of his life, will bless Coz
for that prince of preachers, that noblest
grandest emblem Of the revelation aDge
flying in the midst of heaven with tb
everlasting Gospel OF peace Il Function
Lecture on CIV esley and his Times"