George Whitefield, Volume 2

Set against the backdrop of the 18th-century, Arnold Dallimore’s masterful biography of George Whitefield is a grand adventure. From Whitefield’s birth in 1714 to to his death in 1770, we witness the exciting life of one who has dedicated his entire life to preaching the Gospel.

Volume Two

In Volume Two, Dallimore picks up Whitefield’s increasing animosity with John Wesley. Specifically, Wesley has a problem with the doctrine of predestination, and Whitefield has a problem with Wesley’s doctrine of perfectionism. Whitefield arrived in London with a loss of followers resulting in a loss of money and friends. To get back on his feet, his remaining faithful followers would work on a weekly paper to be published titled The Christian’s Amusement. Construction of a meeting house would also begin for him to have a base of operations.

His old flame, Elizabeth Delamotte married William Holland. Whitefield would marry Elizabeth James, but he didn’t want marriage to affect his ministry. Naturally, this brought joy and sorrow to the husband and wife. Nevertheless, Whitefield’s reach can be seen due to his rigid discipline, strict regimen, purpose and order. Indeed, order and discipline were essential elements of his person and of his concept of the Christian life.

Trials and The Great Awakening

At the age of 29, Whitefield lost his firstborn son die to sickness. Revivals and riots made it increasingly difficult for him to divide his time between England and America. Whitefield was not loved by all, and one night shortly after his arrival in Plymouth, a man came to him seeking an interview. The man started beating up on Whitefield and a second attacker appeared. But because the assault aroused the people in the homes around him, the assailants fled. Whitefield believed that these men intended to murder him.

In addition to having great insight on Whitefield, Dallimore excels at framing history for an exciting read. The Great Awakening arose from a new and deeper consciousness of the presence of God. The message was carried chiefly through preaching. Numerous ordained men, their lives recently transformed by divine grace, felt the need to tell the good news to others. They gathered companies of people together for this purpose. By this means and by the witness of numerous men and women in their daily lives, there was a spontaneous spread to the revival. The awakening was manifest above all by a transformed life.

Oddities
Interestingly, Ben Franklin helped Whitefield with their “subscribers plan” to support his orphan house and ministry endeavors. Unfortunately, receiving anything in the mail was unreliable. When Whitefield began preaching to the 18th-century English nobility, he appealed first to their intellect with fundamental Biblical truth, stirring their minds and moving their wills.

I was always interested in Whitefield’s preaching, and Dallimore does not disappoint. These are standout quotes that helped me hear him: “And in the gathering before him several have become equally forgetful of their greatness before men as they see themselves as nothing before God. Possessions and prominence seem worthless in the light of the bankruptcy of the soul, and time has lost its importance as eternity comes into view… Those who come merely to waste an hour find their attention fixed and those who come to criticize have forgotten the man and are conscious only of the message he proclaims.”

Revival
In my review of Volume One, I noted how Whitefield’s biggest fault and sin was his failure to recognize the evil of slavery. Dallimore admits this and calls him out without hesitation. However, God was able to overcome his sins of egoism, his certain extremes of statement and attitude, and a tendency to place too much dependence on his impressions and to feel that there was something significant in his dreams.

Dallimore ends with the reminder that revival is the work of the Holy Spirit. And in God’s great sovereignty, he uses imperfect men like Whitefield to powerfully preach the Gospel. I am reminded of the freedom we have to preach the Kingdom of God. More than needing Evangelists or Evangelicals, I believe we all need to evangelize. And after reading Whitefield’s incredible example, I am inspired and invigorated to do the same.

I received a media copy of George Whitefield and this is my honest review. Find more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life. To read all of my book reviews and to receive all of the free eBooks I find on the web, subscribe to my free newsletter.