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Abstract and Keywords
George Whitefield, the leading preacher of the Great Awakening, maintained a diary in which he recorded his travels to spread the word of the Lord. He edited and published these journals in regular installments so as to reach a wider audience. Though an Englishman by birth, he visited America seven times. This 1740 selection comes from his second trip to the Thirteen Colonies, which was very successful, in that he drew large crowds and made many converts. Yet in this selection we see that not everyone was inclined to hear Whitefield’s message, and that he himself was not always disposed to see all souls as equal.
Source: William Wale, ed., Whitefield’s Journals (London: Henry Drane, 1905), pp. 379–381.
Excerpt
Tuesday, January 1, 1740. Rode about ten miles, and where we baited, met with one who I had great reason to believe, was a child of God. It grieved me that I could stay no longer, but being in haste, we passed over a half-mile ferry. About sunset, we came to a tavern, five miles within the province of South Carolina. Here I immediately perceived the people were more polite than those we generally met with; but I believe the people of the house wished I had not come to be their guest that night; for, it being New Year’s Day, several of the neighbours were met together to divert themselves by dancing country dances. By the advice of my companions, I went in amongst them whilst a woman was dancing a jig. At my first entrance I endeavoured to shew the folly of such entertainments, and to convince her how well pleased the devil was at every step she took. For some time she endeavoured to outbrave me; neither the fiddler nor she desisted; but at last she gave over, and the musician laid aside his instrument. It would have made any one smile to see how the rest of the company, one by one attacked me, and brought, as they thought, arguments to support their wantonness; but Christ triumphed over Satan. All were soon put to silence, and were, for some time, so overawed, that after I had discoursed with them on the nature of baptism, and the necessity of being born again, in order to enjoy the Kingdom of Heaven, I baptized, the their entreaty, one of their children, and prayed afterwards as I was enabled, and as the circumstances of the company required. I and my companions then took a little refreshment; but the people were so bent on their pleasure, that notwithstanding all that had been said, after I had gone to bed, I heard their music and dancing, which made me look back upon my own past follies with shame and confusion of face; for such an one, not long since, was I myself. Lord, for Thy mercies’ sake, shew all unhappy formalists of the same favour, and suffer them not to go in such a carnal security till they, lift up their eyes in torment! Draw them, O draw them from feeding upon such husks. Let them know what it is to feast upon the fatted calf, even the comforts of the Blessed Spirit. Amen.
Wednesday, Jan. 2. Rose very early, prayed, sung a hymn, and gave a sharp reproof to the dancers, who were very attentive, and took it in good part. At break of day, we mounted our horses, and I think, never had a more pleasant journey. For nearly twenty miles, we rode over a beautiful bay as plain as a terrace walk, and as we passed along were wonderfully delighted to see the porpoises taking their pastime, and heard, as it were, shore resounding to shore the praises of Him Who hath set bounds to the sea that it cannot pass, and hath said, “Here shall your proud waves be stayed.” At night we intended to call at a gentleman’s house, where we had been recommended, about forty miles distant from our last night’s lodging; but the moon being totally eclipsed, we missed the path that turned out of the road, and then thought it most advisable, as we were in the main road, to go on our way, trusting to the Almighty to strengthen both our beasts and us. We had not gone far when we saw a light. Two of my friends went up to it, and found a hut full of negroes; they enquired after the gentleman’s house whither we had been directed, but the negroes seemed surprised, and said they knew no such man, and that they were new comers. From these circumstances, one of my friends inferred, that these negroes might be some of those who lately had made an insurrection in the province, and had run away from their masters. When he returned, we were all of his mind, and, therefore, thought it best to mend our pace. Soon after, we saw another great fire near the roadside, and imaging there was another nest of such negroes, we made a circuit into the woods, and one of my friends at a distance observed them dancing round the fire. The moon shining brightly, we soon found our way into the great road again; and after we had gone about a dozen miles, (Expecting to find negroes in every place), we came to a great plantation, the master of which gave us lodging, and our beasts provender. Upon our relating the circumstances of our travels, he satisfied us concerning the negroes, informed us whose they were, and upon what occasion they were in those places in which we found them. This afforded us much comfort, after we had ridden nearly threescore miles, and, as we thought, in great peril of our lives. Blessed be Thy Name, O Lord, for this, and all other Thy mercies, through Jesus Christ!
Thursday, Jan.3. Had a hospitable breakfast; set out late in the morning, passed over a three mile ferry near George Town; and for the ease of our beasts, rode not above nineteen miles the whole day. “A good man,” says Solomon, “is merciful to his beast.”