National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-02-24
clerical ReMiiMi essences.
THE REV. GEORGE wHITEFIELD.

~ successful preacher OF the glOri-
GUS gospel was called away to his
final rest, one hundred years ago
the 3Oth day of September last
there probably is not u person now
on earth, who remembers to ever
have seen his face, or heard his
voice. Were it possible, would i!
not be truly gratifying to meet with
some intelligent man or woman, who,
! IN youth, had personally known him,
and 10 receive from them any &C.
count, however brief, Of their early
and abiding impressions in regard
to his personal appearance, or any.
thing they either saw him do, or
heard him sayi
In the course Of my somewhat
pr0tractrd life and ministry, | have
been favored with two such oppor.
tunities, and will now give ~ short
account Of them.
Ny first informant was the Hon.
Nathaniel Niles, Of West Fairlce,
with whom. in his old age, and ms
early ministry, was intimately ac'
quainted. He was ~ man of pro-
found knowledge and extensive in.
tluence, in his day; eccentric, very,
but truly wise and good. lie was
graduated at the College in New
Jersey, in 1906, and died October,
3lst, 1928, i'll the SSth year of his
age.
He once told me that, when he
was u member OF that College. Mr..
Whitefeld, notwithstanding u strong
prejudice which existed therc,a among
many of the people, against, hin,
as u disturber of che peace of sOcie.
ty,had at the request OF some friends,
come there to preach. There was
u great gathering of the people to
hear him; the students were in the
gallery of the church, in favorable
position to see and hear him. When
the great preacher arose in the pull
pit, all were waiting with anxious
couriosity and desire, to catch every
word he should utter. Being weari.
ed by his abundant Iabors, he began
his Discourse, and was proceeding
rather moderately. The students,
after listening tor II while, began, in
derislon, to whisper to each other,
$50 that is the famous Wllitefield !
What dc you think of him - One
venerable old man, in IL pew direct.
~ before the pulpit, gazed and list
ened attentively for short time,
and then, as his manner under ordi.
nary preaching was, laid down his
head and went to sleep. Whitetield
saw him, and paused. A dark cloud
came over his expressive counters
ance. Silence filed the house. Down
came his uplitted hand and foot,
with startling crash. The pro,
found sleeper was aroused, and look.
ell up.
"Ah" said the mighty preacher,
"yOu have walked up! had l come
here in my own name, you might
have slept on; but have come here
in the name of the Lord of hosts,
and wiU be heard.'
From that point. he spoke with "A
pathos and power which command
ed universal attention, and effected
every heart.
| subsequently had IA pleasant in,
terview with lady who had been
acquainted with the Rev.
Mr.. Whitcheld, and had listened to
his truly affecting address, on the
very evening before he died. had
gone to Williamsburg, II new settle.
inent in the northern part of Maine,
to preach "A sermon, ut the installa-
ton of my friend, the Rev. Joseph
Underwood. 1t was, ] think, in the
month of October, 1888. The ser
vice WAS held in u new and capac.
)us barn, belonging to Moses Green.
eaf, Esq, the gentleman who pre-
'arcd and published map Of that
state.
was entertained at his house.
lis widowed mother, Il very intelli.
GENT and accomplished old lady, in
he 10Th year of her age, then resi-
lent of his family, in the course CT
conversation, informed me that she
VAS IA daughter of the Rev. Johna.
han Parsons, formerly pastor of
,hurch in Newburyport.
"Then," said |, lit was at your
'wn fathers, house, was it not,
hat the Rev. George Whitcfield
lied She said it was, and that
HE we'll remembered him. and the
attending his decease.
She was Lydia Parsons, and then
II the 10th year of her age.
At my request, she proceeded to
1--WE me some of her personal recol.
nctions of that deeply interesting 7
ccurrence. | cannot now give the
arrati n in her words, but it was, 4
n substance, this:
Mr.. Whitr6eld had been, for some
lays or weeks, necessarily and zeal. =
usly engaged i'll ministerial laborS,
II that part of the country. On
the 10Th day OF Scptem-
'er, 100. he preached at Exeter. y.
L., and her father had gone there
o hear him. aud to bring him home t
D preach to his people, the next e
lay. Those two good men, aud
,reat preachers, loved each other. i
Nth a pure heart, tervently. The !
oncourse of people at Exeter was I
o great that no house in the place F.,
ould contain them, and they were j