George Whitefield
1715-1770
The Great Awakening
It was a Pentecostal season indeed, sometimes whole nights were spent in prayer. Often we have been filled as with new wine and often I have seen them overwhelmed with the Divine Presence and cry out, ‘Will God indeed dwell with men on the earth?!”
You might as reasonably expect to find a living man without breath, as a true Christian without the spirit of prayer and supplication.
In our days, to be a true Christian is really to become a scandal.
It is a poor sermon that gives no offense; that neither makes the hearer displeased with himself nor with the preacher.
Whoever reads the gospel with a single eye, and sincere intentions, will find, that our blessed Lord took all opportunities of reminding his disciples that His Kingdom was not of this world; that His doctrine was a doctrine of the Cross; and that their professing themselves to be His followers, would call them to a constant state of voluntary suffering and self-denial.
The spirit of grace is always accompanied with the spirit of supplication. It is the very breath of the new creature, the fan of the divine life, whereby the spark of holy fire, kindled in the soul by God, is not only kept in, but raised into a flame.
John Wesley tells of a dream he had. In the dream, he was ushered to the gates of Hell. There he asked, "Are there any Presbyterians here?" "Yes!", came the answer. Then he asked, "Are there any Baptists? Any Episcopalians? Any Methodists?" The answer was Yes! each time. Much distressed, Wesley was then ushered to the gates of Heaven. There he asked the same question, and the answer was No! "No?" To this, Wesley asked, "Who then is inside?" The answer came back, "There are only Christians here."
Study to know Him more and more, for the more you know, the more you will love Him.
I began to read the Holy Scriptures upon 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.
We can preach the Gospel of Christ no further than we have experienced the power of it in our own hearts.
God, give me a deep humility, a well-guided zeal, a burning love and a single eye, and then let men or devils do their worst!
We must all have the spirit of martyrdom, though we may not all die martyrs.
The reason why congregations have been so dead is, because they had dead men preaching to them. O that the Lord may quicken and revive them! How can dead men beget living children?
I would be so overpowered with a sense of God's Infinite Majestey, that I would be contrained to throw myself on the ground, and offer my soul as a blank in His hands, to write on it what He pleased.
It is easy to follow Christ when all things are safe. But your love to Jesus Christ would be seen more, if you must lose your lives, or deny your Jesus.
You might as reasonably expect to find a living man without breath, as a true Christian without the spirit of prayer and supplication.
In our days, to be a true Christian is really to become a scandal.
It is a poor sermon that gives no offense; that neither makes the hearer displeased with himself nor with the preacher.
Whoever reads the gospel with a single eye, and sincere intentions, will find, that our blessed Lord took all opportunities of reminding his disciples that His Kingdom was not of this world; that His doctrine was a doctrine of the Cross; and that their professing themselves to be His followers, would call them to a constant state of voluntary suffering and self-denial.
The spirit of grace is always accompanied with the spirit of supplication. It is the very breath of the new creature, the fan of the divine life, whereby the spark of holy fire, kindled in the soul by God, is not only kept in, but raised into a flame.
John Wesley tells of a dream he had. In the dream, he was ushered to the gates of Hell. There he asked, "Are there any Presbyterians here?" "Yes!", came the answer. Then he asked, "Are there any Baptists? Any Episcopalians? Any Methodists?" The answer was Yes! each time. Much distressed, Wesley was then ushered to the gates of Heaven. There he asked the same question, and the answer was No! "No?" To this, Wesley asked, "Who then is inside?" The answer came back, "There are only Christians here."
Study to know Him more and more, for the more you know, the more you will love Him.
I began to read the Holy Scriptures upon 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.
We can preach the Gospel of Christ no further than we have experienced the power of it in our own hearts.
God, give me a deep humility, a well-guided zeal, a burning love and a single eye, and then let men or devils do their worst!
We must all have the spirit of martyrdom, though we may not all die martyrs.
The reason why congregations have been so dead is, because they had dead men preaching to them. O that the Lord may quicken and revive them! How can dead men beget living children?
I would be so overpowered with a sense of God's Infinite Majestey, that I would be contrained to throw myself on the ground, and offer my soul as a blank in His hands, to write on it what He pleased.
It is easy to follow Christ when all things are safe. But your love to Jesus Christ would be seen more, if you must lose your lives, or deny your Jesus.