Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-26
woEvANGELIsrs OF GEokGIA.
George WhiteiieId and Sam Jones Com
pared and COntrasted.

George WhitefieId and Sam Jones Com
pared and COntrasted.
Rec. W. A. Caadler IN Tecas Christian Adoo-
cate.
Georgia has been the headquarters OF
two of the most noted evangelists the
world ever saw. One she imported, the
other she produced. One was George
Whitefeld and the other is Sam Jones.
Both did what in modern times is called
evangelistic work in connection with
work for orphan asylums. Whitefeld es-
tablished an orphanage at Savannah, then
the capital of the colony; Jones resusci-
tated languishlng orphanage near At
lanta, the present capital of that State.
The personal appearance OF the two
presents sharp contrast. Jones is taller
than was Whiteteld. Whiteteld was of
fair complexion, with regular features,
eyes of dark blue, graceful bearing, and
altogether handsome person. Jones is
of very dark complexion, with angu-
lar features, restless, black eyes; a
man of careless bearing, and he was
never accused of being handsome.
Whlteheld had a voice that eXcelled in
melody and compass, and was finely mod
ulated. Jones has voice of no very no.
ticeable qualities, either good or bad.
Whiteheld was passionate in his delivery,
though finished in style, and could be
heard sometimes at a distance of two
miles, Jones is calm and coll0quial in
manner, taking ample time to preserve a
good style, but never taking the pains to
do so. He can be heard by his audience,
and TO hear him one must come much
closer than two miles. Whteheld
preached to greater audiences than were
addressed by any other speaker OF his
times; no man on our planet speaks to
audiences as large as those which Jones
addresses to-day.
Jones has some advantage over White
field. He is not submitted to the Derse-
cutlons which Whitelield suffered. Other
than an explosion of dynamite under his
stable, Jones has not been exposed to
much personal peril. Dangers beset
! Whiteheld often. Jones has the advan-
Jage of preaching last. If Whitefeld and
the influences he set in motion in the
eighteenth century had never been, Jones
would have Jared worse in the nineteenth
| century. The sermons of both abound
in abuse Of their audiences, and both are
| loved by the people whom they abuse
DIR. Franklin said Of Whiteheld: ut was
a matter of speculation with me to OBJ.
serve the influence of his oratory on his
hearers, and how much they admired and
| respected him Notwithstanding his com
mon abuse of them. by assuring them
that they were naturally half beasts and
! half devils" Jones calls his hearers
dogs, pups and the like, and tells some Of
| them he would not wipe his feet on them
and yet they stand by him.
They both preach long sermons and
make no apologies for it. Whiteneld was
wont to preach for an hour and a half
Jones does likewise, and informs his hear
ers "if any of you get your little tin cups
! fnlI hpfnFn | Annn rack ,
The period OF long sermons in the history
OF the church is the period OF reviva
power. A preacher whose sermon ii
only bearable by being short, delivers 8
sermon which might almost as well have
been left unsaid.
Both are severely dogmatic and Sc
verely orthodox. All the great revivalistl
were and are-Luther, Knox. Wesley
| Jonathan Edwards, Flnney, Moody, all
Plain people are beginning to understand
or rather always did understand, that Got
meant the Bible for popular use, and, there
| fore, it is easily understood in all essen
tial teaching. They have perforce Away
believed the consensus OF church dogma
set forth Its meaning, and that modern
times are not the days for dOgmaUic dis
coVeries. The great reviVals have pro
ceeded from dOctrinal TenOVatiOns, an(
not from doctrinal innovations.
The sermons of both denOunce will
warmth all forms OF wOrdliness, especial
ly worldly amusements, They discovered
that nothing is more harmful to the chill
dren of this world. When WhtetielC
preached in Philadelphia, in 1873, hI
broke up the dancing schools and CLOSED
the ball and concert rooms. Jones
wounds terribly these evils where he goes
So have all the great evangelsts. /
these things are so harmless, as somt
| claim. it is singular that they should b,
so unanimously condemned by thu
churches and by the hOlest men of al
ages. Liberalism in these things, as il
matters doctrinal, does not vindicate it,
excellency by revival fruits.
Jones and Whitefeld were led Int
evangelistic work. They did not sit down
to it with fOTethOught. He who says Il
| himself, "COme, now, will turn evan
gelist," will find it may not be 80 done.
\ The descendants Of the men who perse
cuted George Whiteteld now garnish his
tomb and sing his praises. The children Of
the men who abuse Sam Jones will build
! his monument. SOItis written, "W oe unto
you, we build the sepulchres of the proph.
| cts and your fathers killed them" IL is
the property of unbeliei to hush its con.
science for the persecution Of living
| prophets by praising dead ones.
! 1t is the destiny Of the prophet OF truth
| TO be slain to-day and canODIZed tO-mOr.
row. 1t belongs 10 false prophets TO dwell
| in kings houses and wear soft raIment
| They are but reeds waving in the wind
! and are saved the pain of breaking by
| facility in bonding.