THE KING’S BUSINESS
480
Whitefield desired that he be brought up to his room. The stranger entered and after announcing his name, sud denly broke into a torrent of abuse and proceeded to belabor poor White- field with a heavy cane which he car ried.' The victim’s cries brought help and the intruder was thrown out. It turned out that Whitefield’s dinner guest was a member of a club and had been selected by them to attack Whitefield. Because of the way he was treated he could not carry out his purpose and returned to the club and confessed his failure, whereupon this second man swore he would punish Whitefield himself and accordingly set about doing so, as related. THE MOORFIELDS MOB. Moorfields (London) was given up to the devil on Whitsuntide; mounte banks, players, puppet-shows, etc., were in full possession. Whitefield determined to storm this stronghold of the enemy. He arrived on the ground at 6 o’clock in the morning and found 10,000 people already as sembled. He was dressed in his black gown, and the crowd forsook the shows to listen to this strange preach er. He preached from the words in John 3:14, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.” Many persons in the audience were melted to tears. He attempted to preach again in the afternoon, on “Great is Diana of the Ephesians,” but though the people crowded to hear him the irate showmen attacked him with rotten eggs, stones, and dead cats. He had to desist, but announced that he would preach again at 6 o’clock that evening. A tremendous crowd greeted him. One of the merry- andrews, mounted on a showman’s shoulders, attacked Whitefield with a whip. Next, a recruiting sergeant with his drum demanded passage through the crowd, which was readily
gave up keeping a diary at all. But the real cause of the determined oppo sition which he met was Undoubtedly the old offense of the cross. His Gos pel was too humbling to the proud unregenerate man, just as it was in Paul’s day and as it is in our own. On more than one occasion men at tended his meetings with pockets filled with stones with which to assault him; but instead of breaking Whitefield’s head, their own hearts were broken. While in Ireland one time, a crowd of Romanists arranged for one of their number to conceal himself in a sack just inside the door of the barn in which the preaching was to be held. As soon as the service was begun he was to unlock the door and admit his friends and they were all to set on the preacher. The meeting began with singjng and praying, and such singing and praying the poor plotter had never heard before. He decided to wait-and hear what sort of a man this terrible heretic was. Whitefield began to preach and the “old, old story,” so new and wonderful to the Romanist, caused him, forgetful of his errand, to break out in wails of distress. The congregation was amazed, at first, but soon discovered the sack and released its occupant, who gave every evidence of sincerity in his protestations of sorrow and declaration of acceptance of Christ as his Saviour. A CLUB AND A CLUB. On another occasion in England a young gentleman invited Whitefield to dine with him at his club. The invi tation was declined, and, instead, .the young man accepted an invitation to dine with Whitefield. After a seri ous, but eniovable dinner, the young man departed and Whitefield retired to bed. A message was brought up to his room saying a gentleman wished to speak with him. Thinking that it was an anxious inquirer,
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker