ANOTHER CRITICAL SERMON BY GEORGE WHITEFIELD WHICH WILL MOST LIKELY LEAVE OUR FASTFOOD FREEWILL FRIENDS AND THEOLOGIANS SCRATCHING THEIR HEAD, WONDERING OUT OF WHAT BIBLE HE GOT THIS INFORMATION FROM, FOR THE DOCTRINE OF FREEWILL COMPLETELY DOWNPLAYS THAT ORIGINAL SIN IS SIN TO BE REPENTED OVER BEFORE IT EVER BECOMES AN ACT OF SIN AND IS INEXTRICABLY TIED TO THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD BY FAITH WHICH IS OUR TICKET INTO HEAVEN. IF WE AS AMERICANS OUR SERIOUS ABOUT OUR SOULS THIS SERMON IS A FOUNDATIONAL SERMON AND THUS A MUST HEAR TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE SALVATION OF OUR SOULS. ALSO IN THIS MESSAGE WE WILL HEAR THE PERSONAL TESTIMONY NATHAN COLE OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GEORGE WHITEFIELD’S PREACHING UPON HIS SOUL AND HIS HEARER’S SOULS. GEORGE WHITEFIELD WAS SO INFLUENTIAL TO THE AMERICAN COLONISTS THAT NATHAN COLE WROTE THIS: “ Then on a Sudden, in the morning about 8 or 9 of the Clock there came a messenger and said Mr. Whitefield preached at Hartford and Wethersfield yesterday and is to preach at Middletown this morning at ten of the Clock, I was in my field at Work, I dropt my tool and I had in my hand an ran home to my wife telling her to make ready quickly to go and hear Mr. Whitefield preach at Middletown, then run to my pasture for my horse with all my might; fearing that I should be too late; having my horse I wish my wife soon mounted the horse and went forward as fast as I thought the horse could bear, and when my horse got much out of breath I would get down and put my wife on the Saddle and bid her ride as fast as she could and not Stop or Slack for me except I bad her and so I would run until I was much out of breath; and then mount my horse again, and so I did several times to favour my horse; we improved every moment to get along as if we were fleeing for our lives; all the while fearing we should be too late to hear the Sermon, for we had twelve miles to ride double in little more than an hour and we went round by the upper housen parish.
On the Road to the Sermon
And when we came within about half a mile or a mile of the Road that comes down from Hartford, Wethersfield and Stepney to Middletown; on high land I saw before me a Cloud or fogg rising; I first thought it came from the great River, but I came near the Road, I heard a noise something like a low rumbling thunder and presently found it was the noise of Horses feet coming down the Road and this Cloud was a Cloud of dust made by the Horses felt; it arose some Rods into the air over the tops of Hills and trees and when I came within about 20 rods of the Road, I could see men and horses Slipping along in the Cloud like shadows and as I drew nearer it seemed like a steady Stream of horses and their riders, scarcely a horse more than a length behind another, all of a Lather and foam with sweat, their breath rolling out of their nostrils every Jump; every horse seemed to go with all his might to carry his rider to hear news from heaven for the saving of Souls; it made me tremble to see the Sight, how the world was in a Struggle; I found a Vacancy between two horses to Slip in min and my wife said law our cloths will be all spoiled see how they look, for they were so Covered with dust, that they looked almost all of a Colour Coats, hats, shirts, and horses. When I saw Mr. Whitefield come upon the Scaffold he lookt almost angelical; a young, Slim, slender, youth before some thousands of people with a bold undaunted Countenance, and my hearing how God was with him every where he came along it Solemnized my mind; and put me into a trembling fear before he began to preach; for he looked as if he was Cloathed with authority from the Great God; and a sweet sollume solemnity sat upon his brow And my hearing him preach, gave me a heart wound; By Gods blessings: my old Foundation was broken up, and I saw that MY RIGHTEOUSNESS would NOT SAVE ME;
