George Whitefield

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hornj

Puritan Board Freshman
One of my favorite historical preachers is George Whitefield who was used greatly by God in the Great Awakening. Here is an interesting video about him:

[video=youtube;is9ztOI-h7c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is9ztOI-h7c&feature=plcp[/video]
[video=youtube;-z_aFD-EgbU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z_aFD-EgbU&feature=plcp[/video]

What do you all think of him?
 
Not a big fan.

Well, alright. Now someone has to ask Joshua for an explanation. Allow me to the honor.

Ahmm...

So, Joshua, why art thou not a big fan?

Personally, I don't know much about him except he cried a lot and was used by God.
 
Dallimore's Biography of Whitefield is tremendous. Might not agree with him on substance some of the time, historically fascinating, and compelling.
 
I had the BOT paperback collection of some of GW's sermons and it was inspiring. This was 25 years ago and I still remember being so impressed by his sermon on Jeremiah. 'They cry peace when there is no peace.' I've read that when he was approached with the request that he allow his sermons to be transcribed and published he said something like 'you can catch the words but you'll not capture the lightning.' Paraphrasing.
 
Not a big fan.

Not to side track but is there any thoughts on the board that the great awaking was not really a great awakening?

Mr. Winzer shot it down when someone made that suggestion, or linked to something that made it.

Indeed he did. Exactly what he said is worth keeping in mind. Mr. Winzer said: (Thread: Recovering the Reformed Confessions, Post 20)

While I sympathise with the book's criticism of revivalism, it is painful to hear that well attested and accepted movements like the Great Awakening is to be condemned as another quest for illegitimate certainty. Revivals are manifestations of religious principles, and should be tested according to the teaching which they promote, not outrightly rejected as if all religious experience is spurious.
 
Indeed he did. Exactly what he said is worth keeping in mind. Mr. Winzer said: (Thread: Recovering the Reformed Confessions, Post 20)

While I sympathise with the book's criticism of revivalism, it is painful to hear that well attested and accepted movements like the Great Awakening is to be condemned as another quest for illegitimate certainty. Revivals are manifestations of religious principles, and should be tested according to the teaching which they promote, not outrightly rejected as if all religious experience is spurious.

Thank you Tim. I shall look no further.
 
While I greatly admire what God did through that man, I believe that the video is oversimplified; the questions wasn't as simple as saying that most people considered non-converted pastors a good thing, actually the problem itself was on the issue of personal conversion.
The issue started with the second/third puritan generations and their lack of personal convictions, contrary to their parents. The half way covenant it's a great example of the difficult times on that period. Some New lights were completely bubble-heads like James Davenport and Woodberry and some Old Lights were very Biblical ministers and faithful servants. Because of that, we have to be careful on how we portrait these brothers in Christ after all , if we are going to meet them in Heaven, they could certainly show us that all we committed was historical slander.
 
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