Here is a letter of encouragement to Charles Simeon, a young man taking a new and noteworthy post in the Church of England - Trinity Church in Cambridge (1782). He faced unusual and even illegal opposition from the start; opposition which lasted on and off for ten years.
At one point the churchwardens locked the church so that the people could not meet for an evening service and were left locked outside. People also locked their pews (church members rented seats annaually and had control of who could sit in them)to voice opposition to Simeon. Unmoved, Simeon made his own seats and filled the aisles with other people. He outlasted and won over the opposition, enjoying 54 years of faithful ministry in this perish.
The letter below was written as advice to Simeon from an older and wiser man. John Thornton was a well-respected Christian layman:
Dear Sir,
I was glad to hear the Books came so timely, and that the Bishop of Ely had sent you the presentation to Trinity Church; may a gracious God guide, direct and bless all your Ministrations, to the Redeemer's glory, and make you a blessing to many.
Permit me to use an uncommon freedom, and I hope you'll forgive me should you not be able to join issue in Sentiment with me. What I would recommend is to set off with only the usual Service that has been performed, as by that means I apprehend you'll gain upon the people gradually, and you can at any time increase your duty as you see occasion, and I should on the same principle advise against exhorting from House to House as heretofore you did. I assure you a subtle Adversary as often obtains his end by driving too fast as too slow and perhaps with religious people oftener.
Remember it is God who works and not you, and therefore if you run before the pillar and the cloud you will assuredly be bewildered.
The Lord ever was and ever will be with the small still voice, and therefore beware of noisy professors; they are far more to be dreaded than the Worldly-minded.
Watch continually over your own spirit, and do all in love; we must grow downwards in humility to soar Heavenward.
I should recommend your having a watchful eye over yourself, for generally speaking as is the Minister so are the people. If the Minister is enlightened, lively and vigorous, his Word will come with power upon many and make them so; if he is formal the infection will spread among his hearers; if he is lifeless, spiritual death will be visible thro the greatest part of the congregation; therefore if you watch over your own soul you may depend upon it your people will keep pace with you generally, or at least that is the way to the blessing.
It is sad tho' too common a mistake to be more regardful of others than ourselves, and we must begin at home; many regard watchfully the outward work and disregard that within.
Your Sermons should be written, well digested and becoming a Scholar, not over long but pithy, that those who seek occasion may find none except in the matter of your God.
May the God of all Grace grant unto us and all that are dear to us the repentance of Peter, the faith of Paul, and the love of John and be with you at all times and in all places and with
Dear Sir,
Your affectionate Friend
and hearty wellwisher,
John Thornton
From Charles Simeon, Pastor of A Generation by Handley Moule Christian Focus Publications pgs 38-39
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Friday, December 2, 2011
Lloyd-Jones on Driscollian Pastoral Deportment
Lloyd-Jones on Driscollian Pastoral Deportment
At the end of the First World War there was in England a famous clergyman who was known as 'Woodbine Willie'. Why was he called 'Woodbine Willie'? The explanation is that he had been a chaplain in the army and had been a very great success in that capacity. His success he attributed to the fact - and many agreed with him in this - that he mixed with the men in the trenches in a familiar manner. He smoked with them, and in particular he smoked their cheap brand of cigarette known as 'Wild Woodbine' commonly called 'Woodbines'. In pre-1914 days you could buy five such cigarettes for a penny. Now this cheap type of cigarette was not the brand of cigarette that an officer generally smoked, but the ordinary soldier did. So this man, whose name was Studdert-Kennedy, in order to put the men at ease, and in order to facilitate his work as chaplain smoked 'Woodbines', hence the name 'Woodbine Willie'. Not only that, he noticed also that most of the men could not speak without swearing, so he did the same. It was not that he wanted to swear, but he held the view that if you want to win men you have to use their language and you have to be like them in every respect. All this certainly made him a popular figure - there is no doubt about that. After the end of the Second World War he used to go round the country teaching this and urging that preachers must do this; and many tried to do so and began to do so. But the verdict of history on this was that it was a complete failure, a temporary 'stunt' or 'gimmick' that achieved notoriety for a while but soon entirely disappeared from the thinking of the Church. But it had a great temporary vogue.
From the standpoint of the New Testament it was based on a complete fallacy. Our Lord attracted sinners because He was different. They drew near to Him because they felt that there was something different about Him. That poor sinful woman of whom we read in Luke 7 did not draw near to the Pharisees and wash their feet with her tears, and wipe them with the hair of her head. No, but she sensed something in our Lord - His purity, His holiness, His love - and so she drew near to Him. It was His essential difference that attracted her. And the world always expects us to be different. This idea that you are going to win people to Christian faith by showing that after all you are remarkably like them, is theologically and psychologically a profound blunder.
(Lloyd-Jones, Preaching & Preachers, 139-140)
At the end of the First World War there was in England a famous clergyman who was known as 'Woodbine Willie'. Why was he called 'Woodbine Willie'? The explanation is that he had been a chaplain in the army and had been a very great success in that capacity. His success he attributed to the fact - and many agreed with him in this - that he mixed with the men in the trenches in a familiar manner. He smoked with them, and in particular he smoked their cheap brand of cigarette known as 'Wild Woodbine' commonly called 'Woodbines'. In pre-1914 days you could buy five such cigarettes for a penny. Now this cheap type of cigarette was not the brand of cigarette that an officer generally smoked, but the ordinary soldier did. So this man, whose name was Studdert-Kennedy, in order to put the men at ease, and in order to facilitate his work as chaplain smoked 'Woodbines', hence the name 'Woodbine Willie'. Not only that, he noticed also that most of the men could not speak without swearing, so he did the same. It was not that he wanted to swear, but he held the view that if you want to win men you have to use their language and you have to be like them in every respect. All this certainly made him a popular figure - there is no doubt about that. After the end of the Second World War he used to go round the country teaching this and urging that preachers must do this; and many tried to do so and began to do so. But the verdict of history on this was that it was a complete failure, a temporary 'stunt' or 'gimmick' that achieved notoriety for a while but soon entirely disappeared from the thinking of the Church. But it had a great temporary vogue.
From the standpoint of the New Testament it was based on a complete fallacy. Our Lord attracted sinners because He was different. They drew near to Him because they felt that there was something different about Him. That poor sinful woman of whom we read in Luke 7 did not draw near to the Pharisees and wash their feet with her tears, and wipe them with the hair of her head. No, but she sensed something in our Lord - His purity, His holiness, His love - and so she drew near to Him. It was His essential difference that attracted her. And the world always expects us to be different. This idea that you are going to win people to Christian faith by showing that after all you are remarkably like them, is theologically and psychologically a profound blunder.
(Lloyd-Jones, Preaching & Preachers, 139-140)
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
George Whitefield by Dallimore Vol 1
Click to buy from Amazon
Whitefield has taken over Spurgeon as my favorite historical figure to read. "He who walks with wise men will be wise" (Proverbs 13:20). We all would be wiser if we walked with Whitefield for at least one biography. I read Dallimore's one volume summary of Whitefield's life and had to read the two volume account. I just finished the first volume and am now going through the second volume.
Dallimore does a wonderful job painting Whitfield's life as well as the times and figures surrounding the great awakening. In first volume, in addition to telling the story of Whitefield, Dallimore gives short bio sketches of the Wesleys, Howell Harris, John Cennick, and many others in shorter sketches. He also details the rise of the Wesleys on the achievements/ministry of Whitefield and the disagreements between them (which is a fascinating side story).
I'll give an extremely brief summary of the first volume and then highlight a couple character traits that we should emulate in Whitefield.
Dallimore recounts Whitefield's parents, early life (little is known) and conversion; his meteoric rise to prominence through his preaching ministry in England which is cut short by a mission trip to Georgia; his evangelistic and organizational successes in Georgia; his return to England to raise funds to build an orphanage in Georgia; his unprecedented success in open-air preaching throughout England raising funds for the orphanage, all the while seeing communities change through the preaching of the Gospel (at this point the crowds were in the tens of thousands when he preached); his return to the States to start the orphanage which included two North to South preaching tours of the States, leaving awakening and Gospel change in scores of communities up and down the east coast in his wake.
The changes that God brought about through Whitefield's preaching are remarkable and, it could be argued, unprecedented since Paul. He definitely enjoyed unprecedented numbers of people that heard him preach; however, he also saw societies spring up from the people who were born again in these meetings. One example would be Boston. In his second trip to Boston at his final message, over 20,000 people came to hear the Gospel. What makes this astounding is that the whole city of Boston only had a population of 12-14,000. Dallimore goes on to document the long lasting effects of Whitefield's preaching in Boston. These were lasting changes because the inner nature of large segments of the population was changed. Large percentages of people were give a new nature by faith in Jesus Christ. Their motivations, desires, and entire lives changed. So the communities and cities were changed as well. It was a spiritual tidal wave of Gospel change. A poem was written chronicling this dynamic throughout New England and could be said of many other regions in which the Lord spread the wave of Gospel awakening.
"So the flood of emotion deep and strong
Troubled the land as it swept along,
But left a result of holier lives,
Tenderer mothers and worthier wives.
The husband and father whose children fled
And sad wife wept when his drunken tread
Frightened peace from his roof-tree's shade,
And a rock of offence his hearthstone made,
In a strength that was not his own, began
To rise from the brute's to the plane of man.
Old friends embraced, long held apart,
By evil counsel and pride of heart;
And penitence saw through misty tears,
In the bow of hope on its cloud of fears,
The promise of Heaven's eternal years,
The peace of God for the world's annoy,
Beauty for ashes and oil of joy" (John Whittier).
One benefit of having close friends is learning from their strengths. Whitefield had many obvious strengths and abilities that the Lord used to change history. I want to expand on two that were prominent in this first volume and then list a few others.
• Humility and Graciousness Amidst Unparalleled "Success"
Humility/Graciousness
This is one of the traits that made Whitefield so winsome to me as a person. Having such great talents in public speaking and such success in leadership and following it would have been a temptation to be puffed up. But we see the opposite in Whitfield in most situations. This is a testimony to the God whom the man served. Only God can change a heart and make it humble and gracious. You can only live out the meekness Jesus demanded when Jesus is living through you.
His graciousness was evidenced in his attitude toward Wesley. Although Wesley was his senior in age, Whitfield was Wesley's senior spiritually. While Wesley was still trying to grasp whether or not he knew Christ, Whitefield was preaching Christ to an audience that was regularly in the thousands. Wesley went to Georgia to reach the heathen and found out that he too was an unbeliever. Whitfield went to Georgia to preach the Gospel and found again an abundant harvest. Whitfield prodded and pleaded Wesley to follow him in open-air preaching. Wesley only reluctantly agreed.
Whitefield's gracious spirit to Wesley is illustrated in Kingswood, Whitefield's first abundant harvest. We see no sectarian spirit in Whitfield, no jealousy to keep a grasp on those who came to Christ through his evangelistic efforts. Kingswood was a coal-mining town that was disregarded by most of English society. The people there were looked down on; they were born, lived, and died in a dirty place mining coal amid the holes of the earth. There were no schools or churches. Because there were no churches, Whitfield knew he could not be criticized for preaching outside of a church building, so Kingswood was Whitfield's first experiment in open air preaching. And the Lord abundantly put His stamp of approval. Within just a month thousands met weekly for worship there. The coal mining town was revolutionized by the Gospel and scores of people met there from adjoining towns and villages to hear the Gospel preached.
"The first discover of their being affected was to see the wihte gutters made by their tears which plentifully fell down their balck cheekds, as they cam out of their coal pits. Hundreds and hundreds of them were soon brought under deep convictions, which, as the event proved, happily ended in a sound and thorough conversion. The change was visible to all . . . " (pg. 263-264).
At this time Whitefield had to return to Georgia to found an orphanage so he needed someone to help tend this large flock of people in England. He appealed to Wesley and Wesley reluctantly agreed. It was through this group of people that Wesley was able to gain a following that would form a denomination. He did it largely through preaching things that Whitefield disagreed with. He preached total perfection and trumpeted predestination as the devil's doctrine. The sowing of discord grieved Whitefield and he appealed to Wesley on numerous occasions not to make these issues a matter of fellowship. And yet Wesley continued to promote himself in this way, even sending sermons to be published in the States where Whitfield ministered that disagreed with his positions.
It is so refreshing to read how Whitefield appealed to Wesley during these times. He is so gracious and self-abasing even though Wesley's entire success had begun through Whitefield's efforts.
"Dear, honored Sir, if you have any regard for the peace of the church, keep in your sermon on predestination. But you have cast a lot! Oh! my heart, in the midst of my body, is like melted wax. The Lord direct us all!
. . . Indeed, I desire you all the success you can wish for. May you increase, though I decrease! I would willingly wash your feet . . .
. . . Oh, wrestle, wrestle, honoured Sir, in prayer, that not the least alienation of affection may be between you and your obedient son and servant in Christ,
George Whitefield" (Pg. 387).
What a flood of cold water this would throw on most of our squabbles in churches and Christian fellowships if this type of gracious spirit were always displayed in debate! Contrast this with Wesley's published sermon on Free Grace which was written against a doctrine which he knew Whitefield held with conviction:
"This is the blasphemy clearly contained in the horrible decree of predestination! And here I fix my foot. On this I join issue with every assertor of it. You represent God as worse than the devil; more false, more cruel, more unjust" (pg. 311).
Whitefield approached the emotionally charged line in the sand with grace and kindness. He appealed to his elder friend not to print such factious words in their fellowship within the church of England that had larger Gospel battles to fight like the new birth itself.
Amid unparalleled "Success"
Success in ministry can only be measured by Jesus, the Head of the church. Nevertheless, few folks have had such a wide sphere of influence through preaching than Whitefield. Where he went, thousands gathered to hear the Gospel, people were turned to faith in Jesus as Savior and their lives changed forever.
I want to quote the scene of Whitefield coming to town as told by Nathan Cole who came to hear Whitefield preach in a field in New England. This quote is worth the price of the book.
"Now it pleased God to send mr whitefield into this land & . . . i longed to see & hear him . . . & then one morning all on a Suding there came a messanger & said mr whitefield . . . . is to preach at middletown this morning at 10 o'clock i was in my field at work i dropt my tool that i had in my hand & run home and throu my house and bad my wife to get ready quick to go and hear mr whitefield preach at middletown & run to my pastire for my hors with all my might fearing i should be too late to hear him & took up my wife & went forward as fast as i thought ye hors could bear & when my hors began to be out of breth i would get down and put my wife on ye saddel and bid her ride as fast as she could & not Stop or Slack for me except i bad her & so i would run until i was almost out of breth & then mount my hors gain . . . fearing we should be too late to hear ye Sarmon for we had twelve miles to ride dubble in little more than an our.
i saw before me a cloud or fog i first thought of from ye great river but as i came nearer ye road i heard a noise something like a low rumbling thunder & i presently found out it was ye rumbling of horses feet coming down ye road & this Cloud was a Cloud of dust made by the running of horses feet it arose some cords into ye air over the tops of ye hills and trees & when i came within about twenty rods of ye road i could see men and horses slipping along - it was like a steady streem of horses and their riders scarcely a hors more than his length behind another - i found a vacance between two horses to slip in my hors & my wife said law our cloaths will be all spoiled and see how they look - & when we gat down to ye old meeting hous thare was a great multitude it was said to be 3 or 4,000 & when i looked towards ye great river i see ye fery boats running swift forward and backward - when i see mr whitefield come up upon ye scaffold he looked almost angellical a young slim slender youth before thousands of people and with a bold undainted countenance & m y hearing how god was with him everywhere as he came along it solemnized my mind and put me in a trembling fear before he began to preach for he looked as if he was Clothed with authority from ye great [G]od and a sweet solemnity past upon his brow and my hearing him preach gave me a heart wound & by [G]ods blessing my old foundations was broken up & i see my righteousness would not save me" (pg. 541)
The crowds that Whitefield spoke to would have puffed up most men. But the Lord showered His grace on this young man in his early 20's to actually exhibit a sprit of meekness and humility.
• Tireless Preaching of the Gospel Amidst Opposition
Whitefield preached the Gospel tirelessly and the Gospel brought saving faith in the hearts of the hearers. This dynamic did not sit well with the spiritually apathetic and often unregenerate clergy of his day.
Tireless Preaching
The strenuous schedule and physical exhaustion that I come across in the biographies of days gone by puts our current clergy to shame (I'm no exception). Our business hours mentality of ministry should be shot and buried six feet under. Usually Whitefield's first sermon was at 6 am and it seems most days he preached at least two more times. For years he rose at 4:00 am.
Dallimore quotes another biographer here:
"Sometimes he was almost dead with heat and fatigue. Thrice a day he was lifted up upon his horse, unable to mount otherwise; then rode and preached, and came in and laid himself along tow or three chairs.
Whitefield's career permitted him hardly a day of what could be called repose, till he found it in the grave at 56 . . . We repeatedly find him, during a state of languor which sometimes sunk him quite down to illness, prosecuting such a course of exertions, as would have been enough to reduce most strong men to the condition; for example, preaching in his ardent and exhausting manner, to vast auditories, several times a day, a number of days successively, when his debility was such that he could not, with much help, mount his horse, to go to his appointed places."
The Lord gave Whitefield great strength to labor long in many different harvest fields for His glory.
Preaching of the Gospel
The Gospel is almost a tag word today that is used to such an extent that it is loosing it's meaning. It is the Good News of Jesus. Whitefield rejoiced to preach this Good News evangelistically. To read an account of a sample schedule of his preaching engagements in one week read pages 289-290.
Amid Opposition
The Church of England was a career path for many - similar to that of the path of a lawyer of that day. It was understood that the minister would be moral, but not overly so. And so the youthful passionate appeals for conversion and the necessity of a life that matched that conversion was like fingernails screeching on a chalk board. It woke them up, yes, but when they woke, they were angry!
Everywhere Whitefield went he faced the opposition of the clergy of the Church of England. In fact, in Charlston, SC the Church of England leadership was so against Whitefield that he tried to take away his ordination. Although Whitefield spoke out against the unregenerate clergy and was not afraid to name names in pointing out the wolves in sheep's clothing, he carried no bitterness or ill-will toward these men.
Listen to his journal entry concerning Commissary Garden in Charleston:
"I did not feel the least resentment against him. No; I pitied, I prayed for him; and wished from my soul that the Lord would convert him as He once did the persecutor Saul" (pgs. 519-520).
The opposition did not change his attitude toward others and it also did not deter his efforts. This is but one example of the repeated attacks upon him and his character - most of which he did not even take time to answer.
Few Quotes:
"I began to read the Holy Scriptures on my knees, laying aside all other books, and praying over, if possible, every line and word. This proved meat indeed and drink indeed to my soul. I daily received fresh life, light and power from above. I got more true knowledge from reading the Book of God in on e month than I could ever have acquired from all the writings of men" (pg. 81).
"'I know not what to do,' he wrote to Stonehouse, 'for the want of a clock in the house' - a severe inconvenience for one who would allow no moment to be lost, but was still too poor to own a watch" (pg. 119).
"It is but for God to speak the word and the lion is turned into a lamb" (Whitefield on regeneration of obstinate men pg. 380).
"Ask yourselves again and again, whether you would preach for Christ if you were sure to lay down your lives for so doing" (pg. 400)
"Study, therefore, brethren, your hearts as well as books" (pg. 400).
"Press them to believe on Him immediately! Intersperse prayers with your exhortations, and thereby call down fire from Heaven, even the fire of the Holy Ghost,
To soften, sweeten and refine,
And melt them into love.
Speak every time, my dear brother, as if it were your last" (pg. 408).
Whitefield has taken over Spurgeon as my favorite historical figure to read. "He who walks with wise men will be wise" (Proverbs 13:20). We all would be wiser if we walked with Whitefield for at least one biography. I read Dallimore's one volume summary of Whitefield's life and had to read the two volume account. I just finished the first volume and am now going through the second volume.
Dallimore does a wonderful job painting Whitfield's life as well as the times and figures surrounding the great awakening. In first volume, in addition to telling the story of Whitefield, Dallimore gives short bio sketches of the Wesleys, Howell Harris, John Cennick, and many others in shorter sketches. He also details the rise of the Wesleys on the achievements/ministry of Whitefield and the disagreements between them (which is a fascinating side story).
I'll give an extremely brief summary of the first volume and then highlight a couple character traits that we should emulate in Whitefield.
Dallimore recounts Whitefield's parents, early life (little is known) and conversion; his meteoric rise to prominence through his preaching ministry in England which is cut short by a mission trip to Georgia; his evangelistic and organizational successes in Georgia; his return to England to raise funds to build an orphanage in Georgia; his unprecedented success in open-air preaching throughout England raising funds for the orphanage, all the while seeing communities change through the preaching of the Gospel (at this point the crowds were in the tens of thousands when he preached); his return to the States to start the orphanage which included two North to South preaching tours of the States, leaving awakening and Gospel change in scores of communities up and down the east coast in his wake.
The changes that God brought about through Whitefield's preaching are remarkable and, it could be argued, unprecedented since Paul. He definitely enjoyed unprecedented numbers of people that heard him preach; however, he also saw societies spring up from the people who were born again in these meetings. One example would be Boston. In his second trip to Boston at his final message, over 20,000 people came to hear the Gospel. What makes this astounding is that the whole city of Boston only had a population of 12-14,000. Dallimore goes on to document the long lasting effects of Whitefield's preaching in Boston. These were lasting changes because the inner nature of large segments of the population was changed. Large percentages of people were give a new nature by faith in Jesus Christ. Their motivations, desires, and entire lives changed. So the communities and cities were changed as well. It was a spiritual tidal wave of Gospel change. A poem was written chronicling this dynamic throughout New England and could be said of many other regions in which the Lord spread the wave of Gospel awakening.
"So the flood of emotion deep and strong
Troubled the land as it swept along,
But left a result of holier lives,
Tenderer mothers and worthier wives.
The husband and father whose children fled
And sad wife wept when his drunken tread
Frightened peace from his roof-tree's shade,
And a rock of offence his hearthstone made,
In a strength that was not his own, began
To rise from the brute's to the plane of man.
Old friends embraced, long held apart,
By evil counsel and pride of heart;
And penitence saw through misty tears,
In the bow of hope on its cloud of fears,
The promise of Heaven's eternal years,
The peace of God for the world's annoy,
Beauty for ashes and oil of joy" (John Whittier).
One benefit of having close friends is learning from their strengths. Whitefield had many obvious strengths and abilities that the Lord used to change history. I want to expand on two that were prominent in this first volume and then list a few others.
• Humility and Graciousness Amidst Unparalleled "Success"
Humility/Graciousness
This is one of the traits that made Whitefield so winsome to me as a person. Having such great talents in public speaking and such success in leadership and following it would have been a temptation to be puffed up. But we see the opposite in Whitfield in most situations. This is a testimony to the God whom the man served. Only God can change a heart and make it humble and gracious. You can only live out the meekness Jesus demanded when Jesus is living through you.
His graciousness was evidenced in his attitude toward Wesley. Although Wesley was his senior in age, Whitfield was Wesley's senior spiritually. While Wesley was still trying to grasp whether or not he knew Christ, Whitefield was preaching Christ to an audience that was regularly in the thousands. Wesley went to Georgia to reach the heathen and found out that he too was an unbeliever. Whitfield went to Georgia to preach the Gospel and found again an abundant harvest. Whitfield prodded and pleaded Wesley to follow him in open-air preaching. Wesley only reluctantly agreed.
Whitefield's gracious spirit to Wesley is illustrated in Kingswood, Whitefield's first abundant harvest. We see no sectarian spirit in Whitfield, no jealousy to keep a grasp on those who came to Christ through his evangelistic efforts. Kingswood was a coal-mining town that was disregarded by most of English society. The people there were looked down on; they were born, lived, and died in a dirty place mining coal amid the holes of the earth. There were no schools or churches. Because there were no churches, Whitfield knew he could not be criticized for preaching outside of a church building, so Kingswood was Whitfield's first experiment in open air preaching. And the Lord abundantly put His stamp of approval. Within just a month thousands met weekly for worship there. The coal mining town was revolutionized by the Gospel and scores of people met there from adjoining towns and villages to hear the Gospel preached.
"The first discover of their being affected was to see the wihte gutters made by their tears which plentifully fell down their balck cheekds, as they cam out of their coal pits. Hundreds and hundreds of them were soon brought under deep convictions, which, as the event proved, happily ended in a sound and thorough conversion. The change was visible to all . . . " (pg. 263-264).
At this time Whitefield had to return to Georgia to found an orphanage so he needed someone to help tend this large flock of people in England. He appealed to Wesley and Wesley reluctantly agreed. It was through this group of people that Wesley was able to gain a following that would form a denomination. He did it largely through preaching things that Whitefield disagreed with. He preached total perfection and trumpeted predestination as the devil's doctrine. The sowing of discord grieved Whitefield and he appealed to Wesley on numerous occasions not to make these issues a matter of fellowship. And yet Wesley continued to promote himself in this way, even sending sermons to be published in the States where Whitfield ministered that disagreed with his positions.
It is so refreshing to read how Whitefield appealed to Wesley during these times. He is so gracious and self-abasing even though Wesley's entire success had begun through Whitefield's efforts.
"Dear, honored Sir, if you have any regard for the peace of the church, keep in your sermon on predestination. But you have cast a lot! Oh! my heart, in the midst of my body, is like melted wax. The Lord direct us all!
. . . Indeed, I desire you all the success you can wish for. May you increase, though I decrease! I would willingly wash your feet . . .
. . . Oh, wrestle, wrestle, honoured Sir, in prayer, that not the least alienation of affection may be between you and your obedient son and servant in Christ,
George Whitefield" (Pg. 387).
What a flood of cold water this would throw on most of our squabbles in churches and Christian fellowships if this type of gracious spirit were always displayed in debate! Contrast this with Wesley's published sermon on Free Grace which was written against a doctrine which he knew Whitefield held with conviction:
"This is the blasphemy clearly contained in the horrible decree of predestination! And here I fix my foot. On this I join issue with every assertor of it. You represent God as worse than the devil; more false, more cruel, more unjust" (pg. 311).
Whitefield approached the emotionally charged line in the sand with grace and kindness. He appealed to his elder friend not to print such factious words in their fellowship within the church of England that had larger Gospel battles to fight like the new birth itself.
Amid unparalleled "Success"
Success in ministry can only be measured by Jesus, the Head of the church. Nevertheless, few folks have had such a wide sphere of influence through preaching than Whitefield. Where he went, thousands gathered to hear the Gospel, people were turned to faith in Jesus as Savior and their lives changed forever.
I want to quote the scene of Whitefield coming to town as told by Nathan Cole who came to hear Whitefield preach in a field in New England. This quote is worth the price of the book.
"Now it pleased God to send mr whitefield into this land & . . . i longed to see & hear him . . . & then one morning all on a Suding there came a messanger & said mr whitefield . . . . is to preach at middletown this morning at 10 o'clock i was in my field at work i dropt my tool that i had in my hand & run home and throu my house and bad my wife to get ready quick to go and hear mr whitefield preach at middletown & run to my pastire for my hors with all my might fearing i should be too late to hear him & took up my wife & went forward as fast as i thought ye hors could bear & when my hors began to be out of breth i would get down and put my wife on ye saddel and bid her ride as fast as she could & not Stop or Slack for me except i bad her & so i would run until i was almost out of breth & then mount my hors gain . . . fearing we should be too late to hear ye Sarmon for we had twelve miles to ride dubble in little more than an our.
i saw before me a cloud or fog i first thought of from ye great river but as i came nearer ye road i heard a noise something like a low rumbling thunder & i presently found out it was ye rumbling of horses feet coming down ye road & this Cloud was a Cloud of dust made by the running of horses feet it arose some cords into ye air over the tops of ye hills and trees & when i came within about twenty rods of ye road i could see men and horses slipping along - it was like a steady streem of horses and their riders scarcely a hors more than his length behind another - i found a vacance between two horses to slip in my hors & my wife said law our cloaths will be all spoiled and see how they look - & when we gat down to ye old meeting hous thare was a great multitude it was said to be 3 or 4,000 & when i looked towards ye great river i see ye fery boats running swift forward and backward - when i see mr whitefield come up upon ye scaffold he looked almost angellical a young slim slender youth before thousands of people and with a bold undainted countenance & m y hearing how god was with him everywhere as he came along it solemnized my mind and put me in a trembling fear before he began to preach for he looked as if he was Clothed with authority from ye great [G]od and a sweet solemnity past upon his brow and my hearing him preach gave me a heart wound & by [G]ods blessing my old foundations was broken up & i see my righteousness would not save me" (pg. 541)
The crowds that Whitefield spoke to would have puffed up most men. But the Lord showered His grace on this young man in his early 20's to actually exhibit a sprit of meekness and humility.
• Tireless Preaching of the Gospel Amidst Opposition
Whitefield preached the Gospel tirelessly and the Gospel brought saving faith in the hearts of the hearers. This dynamic did not sit well with the spiritually apathetic and often unregenerate clergy of his day.
Tireless Preaching
The strenuous schedule and physical exhaustion that I come across in the biographies of days gone by puts our current clergy to shame (I'm no exception). Our business hours mentality of ministry should be shot and buried six feet under. Usually Whitefield's first sermon was at 6 am and it seems most days he preached at least two more times. For years he rose at 4:00 am.
Dallimore quotes another biographer here:
"Sometimes he was almost dead with heat and fatigue. Thrice a day he was lifted up upon his horse, unable to mount otherwise; then rode and preached, and came in and laid himself along tow or three chairs.
Whitefield's career permitted him hardly a day of what could be called repose, till he found it in the grave at 56 . . . We repeatedly find him, during a state of languor which sometimes sunk him quite down to illness, prosecuting such a course of exertions, as would have been enough to reduce most strong men to the condition; for example, preaching in his ardent and exhausting manner, to vast auditories, several times a day, a number of days successively, when his debility was such that he could not, with much help, mount his horse, to go to his appointed places."
The Lord gave Whitefield great strength to labor long in many different harvest fields for His glory.
Preaching of the Gospel
The Gospel is almost a tag word today that is used to such an extent that it is loosing it's meaning. It is the Good News of Jesus. Whitefield rejoiced to preach this Good News evangelistically. To read an account of a sample schedule of his preaching engagements in one week read pages 289-290.
Amid Opposition
The Church of England was a career path for many - similar to that of the path of a lawyer of that day. It was understood that the minister would be moral, but not overly so. And so the youthful passionate appeals for conversion and the necessity of a life that matched that conversion was like fingernails screeching on a chalk board. It woke them up, yes, but when they woke, they were angry!
Everywhere Whitefield went he faced the opposition of the clergy of the Church of England. In fact, in Charlston, SC the Church of England leadership was so against Whitefield that he tried to take away his ordination. Although Whitefield spoke out against the unregenerate clergy and was not afraid to name names in pointing out the wolves in sheep's clothing, he carried no bitterness or ill-will toward these men.
Listen to his journal entry concerning Commissary Garden in Charleston:
"I did not feel the least resentment against him. No; I pitied, I prayed for him; and wished from my soul that the Lord would convert him as He once did the persecutor Saul" (pgs. 519-520).
The opposition did not change his attitude toward others and it also did not deter his efforts. This is but one example of the repeated attacks upon him and his character - most of which he did not even take time to answer.
Few Quotes:
"I began to read the Holy Scriptures on my knees, laying aside all other books, and praying over, if possible, every line and word. This proved meat indeed and drink indeed to my soul. I daily received fresh life, light and power from above. I got more true knowledge from reading the Book of God in on e month than I could ever have acquired from all the writings of men" (pg. 81).
"'I know not what to do,' he wrote to Stonehouse, 'for the want of a clock in the house' - a severe inconvenience for one who would allow no moment to be lost, but was still too poor to own a watch" (pg. 119).
"It is but for God to speak the word and the lion is turned into a lamb" (Whitefield on regeneration of obstinate men pg. 380).
"Ask yourselves again and again, whether you would preach for Christ if you were sure to lay down your lives for so doing" (pg. 400)
"Study, therefore, brethren, your hearts as well as books" (pg. 400).
"Press them to believe on Him immediately! Intersperse prayers with your exhortations, and thereby call down fire from Heaven, even the fire of the Holy Ghost,
To soften, sweeten and refine,
And melt them into love.
Speak every time, my dear brother, as if it were your last" (pg. 408).
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Whitefield compells Ben Franklin to give his Ben Franklins
I like Benjamin Franklin's description of Whitefield's appeal for money to build an orphanage in Georgia . . . Whitefield waited many months before he took the first offering in the states for an orphanage even though it was for the orphans within the states.
"Mr. Whitefield . . . preached up this charity . . . I refused to contribute [because of a disagreement on the location] . . .
I happened, soon after, to attend one of his sermons, in the course of which I perceived he intended to finish with a collection, and I silently resolved he should get nothing from me. I had in my pocket a handful of copper money, three or four silver dollars, and five pistoles in gold. As he proceeded I began to soften, and concluded to give the coppers. Another stroke of his oratory made me ashamed of that, and determined me to give the silver; and he finished so admirably that I emptied my pocket wholly into the collector's dish, gold and all."
George Whitefield, by Arnold Dallimore Vol 1 Pgs 481-482
"Mr. Whitefield . . . preached up this charity . . . I refused to contribute [because of a disagreement on the location] . . .
I happened, soon after, to attend one of his sermons, in the course of which I perceived he intended to finish with a collection, and I silently resolved he should get nothing from me. I had in my pocket a handful of copper money, three or four silver dollars, and five pistoles in gold. As he proceeded I began to soften, and concluded to give the coppers. Another stroke of his oratory made me ashamed of that, and determined me to give the silver; and he finished so admirably that I emptied my pocket wholly into the collector's dish, gold and all."
George Whitefield, by Arnold Dallimore Vol 1 Pgs 481-482
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Spurgeon on His Twin Boys
"Charlie and Tommy are good little boys;
When they're asleep, they don't make any noise."
From Spurgeon's Autobiography Vol 2 Chapter 16
When they're asleep, they don't make any noise."
From Spurgeon's Autobiography Vol 2 Chapter 16
Friday, August 5, 2011
William Grimshaw of Haworth
William Grimshaw of Haworth by Faith Cook; Banner of Truth Trust
William Grimshaw was greatly used of the Lord in the 1700's. His ministry was similar though not as broad in scope as men like Wesley and Whitfield. In fact, at one point Grimshaw was to be the administrative leader of the Methodist movement if John and Charles died before Grimshaw . . . But they both outlived him. He was a devoted servant of Christ who's life verse was played out throughout his ministry-"for me to live is Christ; and to die is gain."
I grew to love Grimshaw. The two character traits about this man that I enjoyed the most were his humility and his work ethic.
Humility: Grimshaw was down to earth. He was a humble servant and although greatly used of the Lord he considered himself and repeatedly referred to himself as an “unprofitable servant.” Once, when visiting a friend, upon realizing there were many visitors he retired for the night ahead of everyone and took the hay loft, realizing there were not enough bedrooms. The host woke early the next morning to find Grimshaw polishing his shoes. I fear this spirit has gone out of many of the Lord’s workmen in our day.
Work Ethic: The work ethic of the early Methodist preachers is a wonderful example. The Lord greatly poured out His Spirit during the Great Awakening and He greatly used the preaching of the Word in great doses (many “preachers” being sent to “preach” many times a day – viz Rom 10:14-15). We should learn that crying out for God’s awakening on our land should be accompanied by crying out to our land with the Gospel. The question of what is the cause and what is the effect is an interesting question. I think perhaps it is not possible to say. And so if we were to hunger and thirst for revival fires as Grimshaw, Wesley, and Whitefield; then we should preach the Gospel 30 times a week as they implored their students (272). Their audience was not always in the thousands. Grimshaw was known to announce on Sunday that he would be preaching the following week at such-and-such a time in the kitchen of so-and-so because he knew that they were not coming to hear him on Sunday (they were skipping church attendance).
A couple of my favorite quotes from the book show this tireless effort:
“Lord, grant that I shall never faint . . . till weakness, old age or death invalidate me. By the grace of God, I am determined never to flag while I can ride, walk, creep, or crawl” (Pg .272).
“Let me labour now; I shall have enough rest bye and bye. I cannot do enough for Christ Who has done so much for me” (Pg. 273).
I could highlight many other anecdotes and quotes to demonstrate the above two character traits. Let me mention a few other valuable qualities. He was extremely confrontational (perhaps severe by our standards) with his people yet they knew that he loved them. He excelled at discipleship, not leaving those he introduced to Christ to the wolves (read chapter 15 on this!). He loved Christ and loved to share the Gospel with sinners – this was his passion. I know I could personally learn from each of these.
Little has survived in concrete detail about his life compared to others that I have read from the same time period so I feel like I got to know him pretty well but only enough to want to learn more. Often Cook writes things like certainly Grimshaw would have been present . . . or . . . We should have no doubt that Grimshaw would have done this or that . . . So there are some gaps. But overall the quotes and accounts that have survived and that Cook has presented are enough to challenge any Pastor or Christian to work hard in the Gospel.
CHAPTER OVERVIEWS:
Chapters 1-2 overview the times and town of Haworth and what is known of Grimshaw’s parents and youth. It seems Faith Cook has to ad lib quite a bit from the sketchy knowledge of Grimshaw’s early years. The chapters are still very helpful in transporting you back into the times of the late 1700’s. Communication was slow and difficult. Grimshaw’s area was far North of London and not ‘in the loop’ in cultural, political, and even religious happenings.
His was a rough area of ministry as well. He chooses the clerical life of a minister some from a seriousness but mostly as a profession. He studied at Cambridge before going to Halifax as a cleric. Here he lived fairly free from care tending to his duties with little to no spiritual zeal or interest.
Two interesting stories:
It was said that someone going to be executed (by axe) in Halifax would be pardoned of their crime if they could slip out of the axe-man’s swing from the time the signal was given to chop and the chop came . . . And then beat this executioner’s pursuit to a river in the town.
The other story is worth quoting: “A young man in the parish had made one of the local girls pregnant. Instead of marrying the girl, the young man added to his offence by ridiculing her, putting her to public shame. Grimshaw was indignant at such behavior and determined to teach the fellow a lesson. So he dressed up as the devil donning a large and ugly mask, complete with horns. Knowing that the young man always came home over a certain stile, Grimshaw lurked in the shadows waiting for him. As the unsuspecting youth mounted the stile, this horrifying specter slowly rose up and laid hold on him with an iron grip. Believing that the devil himself had come to take him away for his misdemeanors, the youth cried out in alarm and begged for mercy. No, mercy would not be shown him; the apparition indicated that he must and would have him away to his infernal abode. At last, knowing full well the cause of the encounter, the youth promised to marry the girl forthwith and so the ‘devil’ was prevailed upon to release him (Pg. 16).”
Chapter 3 – The Pardoning Love of God
Grimshaw is struck with spiritual anxiety for his sin. Like Bunyan, Wesley, Luther and others he struggled for a long time with a sense of his sinfulness and God’s righteousness. He sought for God’s favor with all his might with no knowledge of Gospel grace. Cook recounts that this went on for seven years! He even despaired of how to counsel his people in this way. This was in a sermon: “My friends, we are in a damnable state and I scarcely know how we are to get out of it.” He wrote in a ledger all of his good deeds on one side and all of his bad deeds on the other and took stock at the end of the day to see if perhaps his good would outweigh the bad. This gave him no freedom of conscience that the Gospel brings. He did this for seven years! Now that is fruit ripe for the Gospel and one that had spent many years with the schoolmaster to bring him to Christ.
And so on a whim he saw a book at someone’s house by John Owen: The Doctrine of Justification by Faith. This book and the Gospel concept freed him and revolutionized his thinking for the rest of his life: “I was now willing to renounce myself, every degree of fancied merit and ability, and to embrace Christ only for my all in all. O what light and comfort did I now enjoy in my own soul, and what a taste of pardoning love of God! (pg. 28)”
Grimshaw gets married, has two children, looses his first wife (and suffers deep depression following his wife’s death) and marries a second time. His regeneration takes place between the two marriages.
Chapter 4 – Harbingers of Blessing in Yorkshire 1734-1742
In this chapter Cook brings us up to speed with what the Lord has been doing throughout Yorkshire surrounding Grimshaw during his seven years of conflict of soul. She briefly recounts two main vessels in God’s hand – Benjamin Ingham and John Nelson. Grimshaw was in the holy club with the Wesleys and actually went with them to reach American Indians in Georgia . . . although just as unconverted. He came to complete faith in Christ as the Wesleys did after seeing the faith of Moravian missionaries on the boat voyage. Ingham was greatly used throughout Yorkshire organizing many Methodist societies (50-100?) which would meet together once every couple months (2,000 + people). He eventually was not able to preach in Church of England churches and would organize and side more with the Moravians.
John Nelson was a Stonemason who placed his faith in Christ after hearing John Wesley preach. What a refreshing story! He ran home to share this new faith with anyone and everyone who would hear. Soon 17 friends and neighbors were also trusting in Christ. He worked all day as a stonemason and then after work ran to preach the Gospel with others – still dressed in his work clothes and leather. Here is a description from the time: “A washing tub, mouth downwards, served as a pulpit, and here among the huge rocks with which the house was surrounded, far from the din and tumult, Nelson preached and the people were much affected; a grey-headed man near eighty years of age, the owner of the house, listened with deep concern while the big tears trickled down (Pg. 44).”
Chapter 5 – Haworth – A Barren Wilderness
Faith Cook describes the lay of the land of Haworth as Grimshaw moved to become the curate in 1742. She describes the previous curates, the moral state of the people and the filthy health conditions. Life expectancy was little more than 25 years old at the time in Haworth. The church building (church of St Michael and All Angels) was surrounded by three taverns and gin (Grimshaw – “this liquid fire by which men drink their hell beforehand”) was much more popular than church as only a handful of the 2,200 or so inhabitants were ‘communicants.’
Chapter 6
Grimshaw’s first year of ministry is blessed abundantly. So much so that he they request for funds/permission to expand the sanctuary. The communicants raise from 12-50 or 60 in the first 13 months. Grimshaw worked tirelessly.
Chapter 7 – Full Assurance
Through two experiences Grimshaw gains full assurance that he is accepted in Christ. First, his relationship with a shoemaker/preacher, a Scottish man, named William Darney, who was an un-ordained and fearless man. Darney came to Grimshaw’s perish area and was not welcomed him at first. However, after hearing him speak, Grimshaw thoroughly enjoyed his company and he had a session with the Scottish preacher in private. Darney’s complete faith in Jesus and confident standing in that faith struck Grimshaw.
The second experience happened when he had labored one morning before eating and felt very weak in the pulpit. When he was dragged to a bed he suffered from legs and arms that were ‘cold as death.’ While folks tried to help him he stared at the ceiling and had some sort of vision/dream experience.. He had a vision at this point about whether or not he was going to completely trust in Christ or try to work to gain God’s favor too . . . he had to fully relinquish his own righteousness. He saw himself extended between heaven and hell wondering if he would trust Christ alone. At this point Jesus showed him His pierced hands and Grimshaw said he was healed and he sensed for sure he had completely relied on Christ.
Chapter 8 – Haworth: A Garden of the Lord
In the year and a half after the above time of full assurance, Grimshaw saw 120 people believe and show true signs of the new birth. These would be people from in and around Haworth. That is a huge number considering the small population of these towns.
In the chapter Cook follows some of the other helpers and lay preachers that Grimshaw used to help the work in Haworth and the surrounding area: Thomas Colbeck, William Darney (see above), Paul Greenwood. He also employed the use of written Gospel material. Some of his methods (using lay-men and preaching outside his own ‘jurisdiction’) were irregular practices but he did what was best for God’s kingdom rather than what was in vogue for the clergy of his day. People would travel up to 20 miles in the mountainous terrain to attend Grimshaw’s preaching in Haworth on a weekly basis.
Chapter 9 – Strains of Tremendous Eloquence
This is such an enjoyable chapter, especially for those who regularly preach or listen to the Word preached. Although no sermon’s survived to this day, Cook does a good job piecing together what we can know of his preaching. His main theme was the Gospel. His manner was simple and impassioned.
Grimshaw: “[Listen to] a minister who makes hard things easy and dark things plain. Many, to gain the vain admiration of the ignorant and the praises of men, affect in their preaching high-flying words, pompous language, rhetorical strains and philosophical terms. A sanctified heart in a minister is better than a silver tongue (pg. 90).”
If there were people in his perish that would not come and hear him speak he would announce that he would be holding a service in the next week and invite others to come to hear: “I know I am not welcome, but I will speak to every one under my care concerning his soul. If you will not come and hear, you shall hear me at home: and if you perish, you will perish [and in the broad Yorkshire dialect] wi’ t’ sound o’ t’ gospel i’ yer lugs (Pg. 96)!”
One more quote by Grimshaw: “I think, we are both agreed to pull down man, and when we have the proud chit down, to keep him down. For this is the main. – And never let him recover so much as his knees, till with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, the REDEEMER raise him (pg. 98).”
Chapter 14: Days of the Son of Man
The chapter title is how Whitefield described the Lord’s working in the field of Haworth and surrounding villages during these years (late 1740’s early1750’s). Cook describes thousands coming to Christ or coming to hear the Sermons delivered by Wesley and Whitefield in Haworth. She highlights as well, the joyful Lord’s Table observances they had. But a handful when Grimshaw came – now thousands. The church would be filled several times on a Sunday to administer the Lord’s Table. Then the visiting speaker would need to go outside in the churchyard to speak where thousands would listen without a sound – people would get upon rooftops and hang from windows and press in close to hear the Gospel message preached. Grimshaw records that one Lord’s Table service they ‘sipped away’ nearly 35 bottles of wine.
Grimshaw’s daughter, Jane died while away at John Wesley’s boarding school for children. The final words of the 12 year old were recorded by her nurse:
“He hath loved me, I cried,
He hath suffered and died
To redeem such a rebel as me.”
Chapter 22 What God hath Wrought
This quotes Wesley’s account of the Lord’s work in Yorkshire during the life and ministry of Grimshaw. Cook brings out how tirelessly Grimshaw worked, knowing that it was draining him of years. Although I could quote several similar sayings I like this one the best:
Chapters 23 and 24
The final two chapters take Grimshaw’s life verse and driving theme “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain” and recap his life and death. In chapter 23, “For me to live is Christ” Cook illustrates several aspects of Grimshaw’s character, his love for God, his generosity, his humility, and his communion with God. The accounts of Grimshaw’s humility and low view of himself are refreshing. He was unpretentious, according to Newton. “A stranger might be in communion with Grimshaw from morning till night, without observing anything which would lead him to suppose he was a minister; he would only think he saw and heard a pious, intelligent, plain man.” Grimshaw’s generosity was such that he seldom had money and in fact was often in debt. He gave away all his clothes but what he had on him one time. And contented himself with being able to die with nothing.
Grimshaw died well. He began to feel pain in his joints and stomach as well as severe headaches. He labored through these for some time until an epidemic broke out in Haworth. Instead of leaving because of his already weekend condition, Grimshaw stayed to help those in his parish who were ill. He caught this fever from someone he visited to comfort. Grimshaw knew that he would not recover and contentedly waited for his death. He maintained a faithful testimony to those who came to his bedside even though suffering severe fever for several days. His rebellious son John (age 27) visited him and seemed to be shaken by watching the peace with which his dad endured the pain of death. He gave his life to Christ on his deathbed three years later. His father’s death was a final testimony to a full life. On April 8th 1763 he entered his final rest and looked on Him Whom he served so tirelessly. He requested that he be buried in a poor man’s suit in a poor man’s casket with the words of Philipians 1:21 inscribed on the lid:
“For to me to Live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
William Grimshaw was greatly used of the Lord in the 1700's. His ministry was similar though not as broad in scope as men like Wesley and Whitfield. In fact, at one point Grimshaw was to be the administrative leader of the Methodist movement if John and Charles died before Grimshaw . . . But they both outlived him. He was a devoted servant of Christ who's life verse was played out throughout his ministry-"for me to live is Christ; and to die is gain."
I grew to love Grimshaw. The two character traits about this man that I enjoyed the most were his humility and his work ethic.
Humility: Grimshaw was down to earth. He was a humble servant and although greatly used of the Lord he considered himself and repeatedly referred to himself as an “unprofitable servant.” Once, when visiting a friend, upon realizing there were many visitors he retired for the night ahead of everyone and took the hay loft, realizing there were not enough bedrooms. The host woke early the next morning to find Grimshaw polishing his shoes. I fear this spirit has gone out of many of the Lord’s workmen in our day.
Work Ethic: The work ethic of the early Methodist preachers is a wonderful example. The Lord greatly poured out His Spirit during the Great Awakening and He greatly used the preaching of the Word in great doses (many “preachers” being sent to “preach” many times a day – viz Rom 10:14-15). We should learn that crying out for God’s awakening on our land should be accompanied by crying out to our land with the Gospel. The question of what is the cause and what is the effect is an interesting question. I think perhaps it is not possible to say. And so if we were to hunger and thirst for revival fires as Grimshaw, Wesley, and Whitefield; then we should preach the Gospel 30 times a week as they implored their students (272). Their audience was not always in the thousands. Grimshaw was known to announce on Sunday that he would be preaching the following week at such-and-such a time in the kitchen of so-and-so because he knew that they were not coming to hear him on Sunday (they were skipping church attendance).
A couple of my favorite quotes from the book show this tireless effort:
“Lord, grant that I shall never faint . . . till weakness, old age or death invalidate me. By the grace of God, I am determined never to flag while I can ride, walk, creep, or crawl” (Pg .272).
“Let me labour now; I shall have enough rest bye and bye. I cannot do enough for Christ Who has done so much for me” (Pg. 273).
I could highlight many other anecdotes and quotes to demonstrate the above two character traits. Let me mention a few other valuable qualities. He was extremely confrontational (perhaps severe by our standards) with his people yet they knew that he loved them. He excelled at discipleship, not leaving those he introduced to Christ to the wolves (read chapter 15 on this!). He loved Christ and loved to share the Gospel with sinners – this was his passion. I know I could personally learn from each of these.
Little has survived in concrete detail about his life compared to others that I have read from the same time period so I feel like I got to know him pretty well but only enough to want to learn more. Often Cook writes things like certainly Grimshaw would have been present . . . or . . . We should have no doubt that Grimshaw would have done this or that . . . So there are some gaps. But overall the quotes and accounts that have survived and that Cook has presented are enough to challenge any Pastor or Christian to work hard in the Gospel.
CHAPTER OVERVIEWS:
Chapters 1-2 overview the times and town of Haworth and what is known of Grimshaw’s parents and youth. It seems Faith Cook has to ad lib quite a bit from the sketchy knowledge of Grimshaw’s early years. The chapters are still very helpful in transporting you back into the times of the late 1700’s. Communication was slow and difficult. Grimshaw’s area was far North of London and not ‘in the loop’ in cultural, political, and even religious happenings.
His was a rough area of ministry as well. He chooses the clerical life of a minister some from a seriousness but mostly as a profession. He studied at Cambridge before going to Halifax as a cleric. Here he lived fairly free from care tending to his duties with little to no spiritual zeal or interest.
Two interesting stories:
It was said that someone going to be executed (by axe) in Halifax would be pardoned of their crime if they could slip out of the axe-man’s swing from the time the signal was given to chop and the chop came . . . And then beat this executioner’s pursuit to a river in the town.
The other story is worth quoting: “A young man in the parish had made one of the local girls pregnant. Instead of marrying the girl, the young man added to his offence by ridiculing her, putting her to public shame. Grimshaw was indignant at such behavior and determined to teach the fellow a lesson. So he dressed up as the devil donning a large and ugly mask, complete with horns. Knowing that the young man always came home over a certain stile, Grimshaw lurked in the shadows waiting for him. As the unsuspecting youth mounted the stile, this horrifying specter slowly rose up and laid hold on him with an iron grip. Believing that the devil himself had come to take him away for his misdemeanors, the youth cried out in alarm and begged for mercy. No, mercy would not be shown him; the apparition indicated that he must and would have him away to his infernal abode. At last, knowing full well the cause of the encounter, the youth promised to marry the girl forthwith and so the ‘devil’ was prevailed upon to release him (Pg. 16).”
Chapter 3 – The Pardoning Love of God
Grimshaw is struck with spiritual anxiety for his sin. Like Bunyan, Wesley, Luther and others he struggled for a long time with a sense of his sinfulness and God’s righteousness. He sought for God’s favor with all his might with no knowledge of Gospel grace. Cook recounts that this went on for seven years! He even despaired of how to counsel his people in this way. This was in a sermon: “My friends, we are in a damnable state and I scarcely know how we are to get out of it.” He wrote in a ledger all of his good deeds on one side and all of his bad deeds on the other and took stock at the end of the day to see if perhaps his good would outweigh the bad. This gave him no freedom of conscience that the Gospel brings. He did this for seven years! Now that is fruit ripe for the Gospel and one that had spent many years with the schoolmaster to bring him to Christ.
And so on a whim he saw a book at someone’s house by John Owen: The Doctrine of Justification by Faith. This book and the Gospel concept freed him and revolutionized his thinking for the rest of his life: “I was now willing to renounce myself, every degree of fancied merit and ability, and to embrace Christ only for my all in all. O what light and comfort did I now enjoy in my own soul, and what a taste of pardoning love of God! (pg. 28)”
Grimshaw gets married, has two children, looses his first wife (and suffers deep depression following his wife’s death) and marries a second time. His regeneration takes place between the two marriages.
Chapter 4 – Harbingers of Blessing in Yorkshire 1734-1742
In this chapter Cook brings us up to speed with what the Lord has been doing throughout Yorkshire surrounding Grimshaw during his seven years of conflict of soul. She briefly recounts two main vessels in God’s hand – Benjamin Ingham and John Nelson. Grimshaw was in the holy club with the Wesleys and actually went with them to reach American Indians in Georgia . . . although just as unconverted. He came to complete faith in Christ as the Wesleys did after seeing the faith of Moravian missionaries on the boat voyage. Ingham was greatly used throughout Yorkshire organizing many Methodist societies (50-100?) which would meet together once every couple months (2,000 + people). He eventually was not able to preach in Church of England churches and would organize and side more with the Moravians.
John Nelson was a Stonemason who placed his faith in Christ after hearing John Wesley preach. What a refreshing story! He ran home to share this new faith with anyone and everyone who would hear. Soon 17 friends and neighbors were also trusting in Christ. He worked all day as a stonemason and then after work ran to preach the Gospel with others – still dressed in his work clothes and leather. Here is a description from the time: “A washing tub, mouth downwards, served as a pulpit, and here among the huge rocks with which the house was surrounded, far from the din and tumult, Nelson preached and the people were much affected; a grey-headed man near eighty years of age, the owner of the house, listened with deep concern while the big tears trickled down (Pg. 44).”
Chapter 5 – Haworth – A Barren Wilderness
Faith Cook describes the lay of the land of Haworth as Grimshaw moved to become the curate in 1742. She describes the previous curates, the moral state of the people and the filthy health conditions. Life expectancy was little more than 25 years old at the time in Haworth. The church building (church of St Michael and All Angels) was surrounded by three taverns and gin (Grimshaw – “this liquid fire by which men drink their hell beforehand”) was much more popular than church as only a handful of the 2,200 or so inhabitants were ‘communicants.’
Chapter 6
Grimshaw’s first year of ministry is blessed abundantly. So much so that he they request for funds/permission to expand the sanctuary. The communicants raise from 12-50 or 60 in the first 13 months. Grimshaw worked tirelessly.
Chapter 7 – Full Assurance
Through two experiences Grimshaw gains full assurance that he is accepted in Christ. First, his relationship with a shoemaker/preacher, a Scottish man, named William Darney, who was an un-ordained and fearless man. Darney came to Grimshaw’s perish area and was not welcomed him at first. However, after hearing him speak, Grimshaw thoroughly enjoyed his company and he had a session with the Scottish preacher in private. Darney’s complete faith in Jesus and confident standing in that faith struck Grimshaw.
The second experience happened when he had labored one morning before eating and felt very weak in the pulpit. When he was dragged to a bed he suffered from legs and arms that were ‘cold as death.’ While folks tried to help him he stared at the ceiling and had some sort of vision/dream experience.. He had a vision at this point about whether or not he was going to completely trust in Christ or try to work to gain God’s favor too . . . he had to fully relinquish his own righteousness. He saw himself extended between heaven and hell wondering if he would trust Christ alone. At this point Jesus showed him His pierced hands and Grimshaw said he was healed and he sensed for sure he had completely relied on Christ.
Chapter 8 – Haworth: A Garden of the Lord
In the year and a half after the above time of full assurance, Grimshaw saw 120 people believe and show true signs of the new birth. These would be people from in and around Haworth. That is a huge number considering the small population of these towns.
In the chapter Cook follows some of the other helpers and lay preachers that Grimshaw used to help the work in Haworth and the surrounding area: Thomas Colbeck, William Darney (see above), Paul Greenwood. He also employed the use of written Gospel material. Some of his methods (using lay-men and preaching outside his own ‘jurisdiction’) were irregular practices but he did what was best for God’s kingdom rather than what was in vogue for the clergy of his day. People would travel up to 20 miles in the mountainous terrain to attend Grimshaw’s preaching in Haworth on a weekly basis.
Chapter 9 – Strains of Tremendous Eloquence
This is such an enjoyable chapter, especially for those who regularly preach or listen to the Word preached. Although no sermon’s survived to this day, Cook does a good job piecing together what we can know of his preaching. His main theme was the Gospel. His manner was simple and impassioned.
Grimshaw: “[Listen to] a minister who makes hard things easy and dark things plain. Many, to gain the vain admiration of the ignorant and the praises of men, affect in their preaching high-flying words, pompous language, rhetorical strains and philosophical terms. A sanctified heart in a minister is better than a silver tongue (pg. 90).”
If there were people in his perish that would not come and hear him speak he would announce that he would be holding a service in the next week and invite others to come to hear: “I know I am not welcome, but I will speak to every one under my care concerning his soul. If you will not come and hear, you shall hear me at home: and if you perish, you will perish [and in the broad Yorkshire dialect] wi’ t’ sound o’ t’ gospel i’ yer lugs (Pg. 96)!”
One more quote by Grimshaw: “I think, we are both agreed to pull down man, and when we have the proud chit down, to keep him down. For this is the main. – And never let him recover so much as his knees, till with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, the REDEEMER raise him (pg. 98).”
Chapter 14: Days of the Son of Man
The chapter title is how Whitefield described the Lord’s working in the field of Haworth and surrounding villages during these years (late 1740’s early1750’s). Cook describes thousands coming to Christ or coming to hear the Sermons delivered by Wesley and Whitefield in Haworth. She highlights as well, the joyful Lord’s Table observances they had. But a handful when Grimshaw came – now thousands. The church would be filled several times on a Sunday to administer the Lord’s Table. Then the visiting speaker would need to go outside in the churchyard to speak where thousands would listen without a sound – people would get upon rooftops and hang from windows and press in close to hear the Gospel message preached. Grimshaw records that one Lord’s Table service they ‘sipped away’ nearly 35 bottles of wine.
Grimshaw’s daughter, Jane died while away at John Wesley’s boarding school for children. The final words of the 12 year old were recorded by her nurse:
“He hath loved me, I cried,
He hath suffered and died
To redeem such a rebel as me.”
Chapter 22 What God hath Wrought
This quotes Wesley’s account of the Lord’s work in Yorkshire during the life and ministry of Grimshaw. Cook brings out how tirelessly Grimshaw worked, knowing that it was draining him of years. Although I could quote several similar sayings I like this one the best:
Chapters 23 and 24
The final two chapters take Grimshaw’s life verse and driving theme “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain” and recap his life and death. In chapter 23, “For me to live is Christ” Cook illustrates several aspects of Grimshaw’s character, his love for God, his generosity, his humility, and his communion with God. The accounts of Grimshaw’s humility and low view of himself are refreshing. He was unpretentious, according to Newton. “A stranger might be in communion with Grimshaw from morning till night, without observing anything which would lead him to suppose he was a minister; he would only think he saw and heard a pious, intelligent, plain man.” Grimshaw’s generosity was such that he seldom had money and in fact was often in debt. He gave away all his clothes but what he had on him one time. And contented himself with being able to die with nothing.
Grimshaw died well. He began to feel pain in his joints and stomach as well as severe headaches. He labored through these for some time until an epidemic broke out in Haworth. Instead of leaving because of his already weekend condition, Grimshaw stayed to help those in his parish who were ill. He caught this fever from someone he visited to comfort. Grimshaw knew that he would not recover and contentedly waited for his death. He maintained a faithful testimony to those who came to his bedside even though suffering severe fever for several days. His rebellious son John (age 27) visited him and seemed to be shaken by watching the peace with which his dad endured the pain of death. He gave his life to Christ on his deathbed three years later. His father’s death was a final testimony to a full life. On April 8th 1763 he entered his final rest and looked on Him Whom he served so tirelessly. He requested that he be buried in a poor man’s suit in a poor man’s casket with the words of Philipians 1:21 inscribed on the lid:
“For to me to Live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
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