George-Whitefield-Field-Preacher

48 GEORGE WHITEFIELD
not in the pen, but in the tongue ; and that it would have been
better for his reputation had he allowed only the reports of his
genius and of his triumphs to be kept as his memorial for
succeeding generations. As to the sermons, perhaps Franklin
was right ; but Whitefield would have been no more than an
idle name had we been without some of his writings, without
his journal, pamphlets, and some of his letters. With him it
was no consideration what might be thought of his powers.
During his life he never gave a moment to recollect whether he
had any literary reputation or not ; and least of all did he
hunger after posthumous fame. He published in the first
instance, because he wanted to clear himself of aspersions, and
his friends wished to have his sermons ; and in the second
instance, because he found that his sermons were often as useful
when read as when heard. Many weeping eyes, in England, in
Scotland, in America, in the hut of the emigrant, in the cottage
of the peasant, in the hall of the nobleman, once eagerly
searched for consolation and hope, and found them in those
pages which few now care to read, excepting curious orators, who
want to find out the secret of Whitefield's power. The two old
volumes have a touching interest when their history is remem-
bered. They speak of broken-hearted penitents and of
rejoicing believers ; and this alone suffices to lend them an air
of sanctity. But they are not without passion and directness.
Intellectual they are not ; their feebleness becomes their
wonder. It would be a profound satisfaction to the humble
spirit of their author to know that men regard them as 'weak
things ' ; for, remembering how they once prevailed over irre-
ligion and vice, and over cultivated, thoughtful minds, he
would simply say, ' Then hath God chosen the weak things
of the world to confound the mighty.' And God still uses
them unto salvation.
The sermons which had aroused Bristol and Bath were next