George Whitefield (25)
Works? Works? A man get to heaven by works? I would as soon think of climbing to the moon on a rope of sand!
George Whitefield
Sep 29, 1770 Newburyport, Massachusetts. From the sermon: "How willingly would I live forever to preach Christ, but I die to be with him."7.3K
If you could be brought once to love secret prayer, and to converse feelingly with God in his word, your heaven will begin on earth; you will enjoy more pleasure than in all manner of riches.
I must preach the Gospel of Christ, and this I cannot now do without speaking of election. Dallimore, Whitefield, II, p. 41
I desire to cast my crown at the feet of Jesus, and to cry grace! grace! Dear Sir, what a charming word is that? I am sure I can freely own, that all my salvation is of grace, unmerited, distinguishing, electing grace!
I'll tell you a story. The Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 1675 was acquainted with Mr. Butterton the [actor]. One day the Archbishop . . . said to Butterton . . . 'pray inform me Mr. Butterton, what is the reason you actors on stage can affect your congregations with speaking of things imaginary, as if they were real, while we in church speak of things real, which our congregations only receive as if they were imaginary?' 'Why my Lord,' says Butterton, 'the reason is very plain. We actors on stage speak of things imaginary, as if they were real and you in the pulpit speak of things real as if they were imaginary.' Stout, Divine Dramatist (239-240)
For my part I cannot see how true humbleness of mind can be attained without a knowledge of [the doctrine of election]; and though I will not say, that every one who denies election is a bad man, yet I will say, with that sweet singer, Mr. Trail, it is a very bad sign: such a one, whoever he be, I think cannot truly know himself; for, if we deny election, we must, partly at least, glory in ourselves; but our redemption is so ordered, that no flesh should glory in the Divine presence; and hence it is, that the pride of man opposes this doctrine, because, according to this doctrine, and no other, "he that glories must glory only in the Lord. Haykin, ed., Revived Puritan, pp. 97-98
Live above the world, and underneath you shall be God's Everlasting Arms.
O poor New England! There is a deep laid plot against your civil and religious liberties, and they will be lost. Your golden days are at an end. You have nothing but trouble before you. . . . Your liberties will be lost.
If one evil thought, if one evil word, if one evil action, deserves eternal damnation, how many hells, my friends, do every one of us deserve, whose whole lives have been one continued rebellion against God!
Congregations are lifeless because dead men preach to them.
People want to recommend themselves to God by their sincerity; they think, 'If we do all we can, if we are but sincere, Jesus Christ will have mercy on us.' But pray what is there in our sincerity to recommend us to God? ... therefore, if you depend on your sincerity for your salvation, your sincerity will damn you.
If you are going to walk with Jesus Christ, you are going to be opposed.... In our days, to be a true Christian is really to become a scandal.
Lord, help me to begin to begin.
New Quotes
My brethren, if you were left to yourselves, you would be overcome by every temptation with which you are beset.
The great and important duty which is incumbent on Christians, is to guard against all appearance of evil; to watch against the first risings in the heart to evil; and to have a guard upon our actions, that they may not be sinful, or so much as seem to be so.https://www.ccel.org/ccel/whitefield/sermons.xxi.html
Do not many of you love to make a lie? And if it is done in your trade; you therefore look on it as excusable; but whether you believe it or not, it is sinful, it is exceedingly sinful. Though you may value yourselves as https://www.ccel.org/ccel/whitefield/sermons.xxi.html
One great matter is to know what particular office and to what particular part Jesus Christ has called each of you... Different persons have different gifts and graces. Some have popular gifts fit for large auditories. Others move best in a more contracted sphere, and may be exceedingly useful in the private Societies. Those who are called out to act in a public manner, I think ought to give themselves wholly to the work... Others who can only serve privately, may mind their secular employ and give their leisure time to the service of the Church.Original letter in the British Museum, 29960. b. Lot 368.
If I was to paint man in his proper colors, I must go to the kingdom of hell for a copy; for man is by nature full of pride, subtlety, malice, envy, revenge, and all uncharitableness; and what are these but the temper of the devil? And lust, sensuality, pleasure, these are the tempers of the beast. Thus, my brethren, man is half a beast, and half a devil, a motley mixture of the beast and devil.https://www.ccel.org/ccel/whitefield/sermons.xxi.html
our pulpits ring of nothing more, than doing no one any harm, living honestly, loving your neighbor as yourselves, and do what you can, and then Christ is to make up the deficiency: this is making Christ to be half a savior, and man the other part; but I say, Christ will be your whole righteousness, your whole wisdom, your whole sanctification, or else he will never be your whole redemption.https://www.ccel.org/ccel/whitefield/sermons.xxi.html
Yet, though a man's own heart is so desperately wicked, he is told by our modern polite preachers, that there is a fitness in men, and that God seeing you a good creature, gives you his grace; but this, though it is a modern, polite, and fashionable way of talking, is very unscripturalhttps://www.ccel.org/ccel/whitefield/sermons.xxi.html
If you are disposed to sit down at Christ's feet, he will teach you by his Word and Spirit.
Lay yourself at the feet of the blessed Jesus. He can, he will, if you believe on him, abundantly pardon you.
Do you think he will have mercy on others, and not on you? But are you not sinners? And did not Jesus Christ come into the world to save sinners?
How sweet is rest, after fatigue! How sweet will Heaven be, when our toilsome journey is ended.
When an uncommon work is to be done, no doubt God will work upon His chosen instruments in an uncommon manner.
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