Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-07-19
whiteneld and his Contemporaries.

The great Reformation OF the slxVeenIh
century wakened zeal hitherto unknown
for the spread of the gospel, manifest
most especially in the labors OF Schwartz
in India, and in the Moravian societies
which sent missionaries to Greenland, to the
West Indies, and to the red men OF our own
forests. John Eliot carried on this enter
prise with little intermission until his death
In 1904. The name of this great apostle to
the Indians will go down to the latest gen
GRAFTON. Before the middle of the eigh
teenth century the era Of revivals was ush
cred in by remarkable outpourings OF the
Spirit in the United States and England
under Jonathan Edwards and the Tennents
and under Whitefield and the Wesleys. II
was wider in its range and more radical in
its results than any awakening known to the
Christian world since the great keforma-
ton. Whitefield landed on our shore In
NAV, 1873, and for more than thirty years
following, this elo quent cosmopolite con-
trived to divide his labors between the old
and the new world. He traversed the states
from Georgia to Maine, preached to i'm.
mense throngs in the principal cities and
villages great revivals resulted from his
labors. In his work he was aided and
sometimes accompanied by such men a.
Revs, Gilbert and William Tennent Aaroi
Burr, and others whose names brighten the
early history of the church in the America
Many localities are still pointed out as hav.
ing furnished pulpit to Whitefeld one Of
deeply interesting character on account oil
its later association is the Washington elm at
Cambridge. DIR. f. A. IIolyoke, LID, OF
Salem, who was student at Harvard Col
lege at the time, was present at Whlteteld's
preaching and when at the age OF almos'
one hundred years he visited Cambridge for
the last time, while passing this venerable
tree, he remarked that he had distinct rec.
objection of the sermon that he heard
Whitefeld deliver under that tree.
While these gracious drops were falling
on the colonies, a genial shower was refresh
ing Great Britain. The illustrious Lady
Huntington, in the zenith of her usefulness,
shone conspicuous in the religious movement
of her day With wealth at her command,
with her heart devoted to the Master and
his cause, the triumph of the Cross under
her vigorous and well-directed leading loos
ened the shackles of formality; and the vi
tai feeling of Jealous, Christian activity per.
meated the dissenting congregations and
their pastors. Such holy men as DIR. Dodd-
ridge, Watts, Berridge, Fletcher, Romano,
Vim, Hill, Ingram, Hervey, were raised up
at this time the zeal enkindled in theil
hearts would have warmed the established
Church, had it not been dislodged by ecclesi-
astical power. The inextinguishable fire,
being forbidden to burn on the usual altar,
visited and blessed other places. Field
preaching succeeded rejection from the
churches, and at length the Countess OF
Huntingdon, very much against her will
was, in order to carry forward her work,
obliged to violate ecclesiastical orders, and
shelter herself and her companions in zeal
under the Act of federation. In order to
accommodate the multitude, she erected
chapels, even parting with her jewels to fur
nish funds for that worthy purpose. In or
der to bring the gospel into contact with her
equals in rank, she organized drawing-room
meetings, and having made Whiteheld her
chaplain, the great of the earth were brought
under the power of his ministry. Not onl!
the courtly Chesterfield and the political
Duchess Of Marlborough, but the infdel
Bolingbroke, attended these meetings, and
listened to the preachers whom she patron
lied and commended. A wonderful success
attended these efforts A few of the nobl,
were called, but there was indeed hallowed
work among the poor and middle classes
work whose power and range the judgment
day only will disclose.
power of Gods spirit at that time, close
this article. A certain Mr.. Thorpe, with
some chosen friends, at convivial resort
undertook to mimic Mr.. Whitefeld for
amusement. 1t was agreed that each indi-
vidual in turn should open the Bible, and
from the first text that appeared to the eye
should make an impious attempt to preach
To inspire each indiviual with desire for
excelling, wager was agreed upon. Three
of these Goddess young men in turn mounted
a table and exhausted their wit and buf-
foonry, at the expense of everything sacred
1t devolved upon MIR. Thorpe to close this
indecent scene. Much elated and confident
of success, he assembled the table and with
a laugh exclaimed: Il shall beat you all J.
But through the stupendous depths OF di-
vine mercy, when he opened the Bible that
remarkable passage in Luke xiii B attracted
his attention, -" Except ye repent, ye shall
all likewise perish" No sooner had he ut
tered these words than his mind was affected
in very extraordinary manner. The sharp
est pangs of conviction seized him; con-
science denounced tremendous vengeance
upon his SOUL In moment he was IA
vore,. with clear view of his subject, and
divided his discourse more like divine
accustomed to expound the sacred text than
like one who never thought of religious
topics except to ridicule them. He declared
afterwards that many of his sentences made
his own hair stand erect. Having closed,
he Immediately withdrew in the deepest
distress, never again to mingle with his
former profane companions, but to seek
pardon and redemption through the blood
once trampled upon and afterwards to pre-
pare himself for the Gospel ministry. He
ohnuap naatnr pf tha M Hapt ahnrnI
at Masborough, where he preached with
great acceptance thirteen years, and died
November Sth, l776, aged forty-six years
In this instance, by a sovereign and almos,
unexampled act of divine grace, " The prey
was taken from the mighty, and the lawful
captive delivered" yet it is but one OF
many instances where the scotfer came To
scoff, but went away to pray.-Mrs. Z. r
RnrreM