George-Whitefield-Field-Preacher

SELF-MORTIFICATION 19
So he shut himself up in his study for five or six weeks (only
attending to necessary college business), and fought his
corruptions by almost incessant prayer. Extravagance was
added to extravagance. The narrative of our Lord's tempta-
tion among wild beasts made him think that he ought to
expose himself to the cold ; and at night, after supper, he
went into Christ Church Walk, knelt under a tree, and con-
tinued in silent prayer until the great bell rang and called him
to his college. Mortification next required the discontinuance
of a diary which he kept, and also abstinence from the use of
forms and even of audible speech in prayer, and cessation from
works of mercy. Its inexorable logic next required that he
should forsake all his friends, for is it not written that we are
'to leave all,' if we would follow Christ? and accordingly,
instead of meeting with his beloved brethren on one of their
weekly fast-days, Wednesday, he went into the fields for
silent prayer. The evening meeting also was neglected, and
on Thursday morning he did not make his usual appearance
at Charles Wesley's breakfast-table. This made Charles call
upon him to see what was the matter, and finding that it was
morbid anxiety, he counselled Whitefield to seek spiritual
direction from his brother John, whose skill he thoroughly
trusted.
The spell of Quietism was broken ; it was not potent enough
to hold such a spirit as Whitefield's long in bondage, and
silence was impossible under the interrogations of a loving,
anxious friend. With wonderful humility Whitefield sought
the aid of John Wesley, who told him that he must resume all
his external religious exercises, but not depend on them
advice which might have driven him mad, not a ray of com-
fort in it, not a drop of the love of God. And still the bewildered
inquirer, burdened with his great sorrow which no man
could remove, attended diligently upon his teacher j and the