Preaching and Preachers

Preaching andPreachersWhitefield tells us that he was aware, actually in his OrdinationService, of the power coming down upon him. He knew it. He wasthrilled with the sense of power. The very first Sunday after hisordination he preached in his home-town of Gloucester, and it was anamazing service. It was so remarkable that people wrote to the Bishop-Bishop Benson-complaining against Whitefield, and asserting thatas the result of his sermon fifteen people had become insane. TheBishop was not only a wise man but a good man; so he replied sayingthat he wished all his clergy could produce some effect on people, formost of them had no effect at all. He was glad to hear of a man whohad some effect. Of course these people had not become insane; whathad happened was that they had come under terrifying and powerfulconviction of sin. People at that time, even as many medical doctorsand others today, were very ready to make the diagnosis of 'religiousmania'; but what 'actually happens is that the person, or persons, concernedhave been brought under tremendous conviction of sin by theHoly Spirit of God. The subsequent Journals of Whitefield, and thevarious biographies of him, contain endless accounts of his awarenessof the Spirit of God coming upon him while he preached, and alsoat other times.In my native country of Wales there were two remarkable men inthe eighteenth century, Howel Harris and Daniel Rowlands. Theirlives are equally eloquent in this respect. Howel Harris was a youngschoolmaster.He was convicted of sin at Easter-time in 1735, and wasin great trouble of soul until Whit Sunday when he was given assurancethat his sins were forgiven and he began to rejoice in this fact.However, three weeks later as he was sitting in the tower of a churchreading theScriptures, praying and meditating, he says, 'God began topour outHis Spirit upon me.' He describes how it came in ,'wave uponwave' until he could scarcely contain it physically, and tells how hewas filled with the love of God shed abroad in his heart. Now it wasfrom that mo~entthat Harris began to feel the impulse to evangelisehis heathen neighbours. At first he used to visitthe sick, and he wouldread good books to them. He did not utter a word of his own, he just3 20