George-Whitefield-Field-Preacher

CHARACTERISTICS 331
in his vestry from the text, ' These that have turned the world
upside down, have come hither also.' ' That man shall come
no more here ; if God had called him to preach, He would
have furnished him with a proper text.' He judged rightly ;
for the man afterwards became an inconsistent clergyman ;
too would have been best at rag-fair.
Tormented as he must have been with all kinds of visitors
and all kinds of requests, had he kept an open door, he wisely
suffered but few to see him freely. ' Who is it ? what is his
business ? ' he would demand before his door was opened ; and
if the door was opened, he would say, ' Tell him to come
to-morrow morning at six o'clock, perhaps five, or immediately
after preaching ; if he is later, I cannot see him.'
Knowing that he sometimes preached an hour and a hah
/ or two hours, it prepares us for long prayers also ; and perhaps
if others had prayed as well as he preached he might have
borne with them. But he hated all unreality. In the middle
of an immoderately long prayer by the master of the house
where he was once staying, he rose from his knees and sat down
in the chair ;
when the drawler concluded, he said to him with
a frown, 'Sir, you prayed me into a good frame, and you
prayed me out of it again.'
We have seen that he was like old Mr. Cole in his use of
anecdotes, nor were they always without a touch of humour.
He was no more afraid of his congregations smiling than
weeping ; to get the truth into their hearts and heads was his
object. His observant habits gathered illustrations from all
quarters ; and the last book he had read was sure to colour his
next sermon.
He always ascended the pulpit with a pale, serious face,
and a slow, calm step, as if he had a great message for the
expectant thousands. Much preaching made him, not more
familiar with his awful themes, but more solemn ;
he
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