PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The works of the Reverend George Whitefield, M.A., Vol. 6 (of 6) : Containing all his sermons and tracts, etc.
Whitefield, George, 1714-1770 · 155,592 words · 214 reading sections
Part 1
The Works of the Reverend George Whitefield, M.A. ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ Transcriber’s Notes │ │ │ │…
180 wordsSECTION 2THE WORKS OF THE REVEREND GEORGE WHITEFIELD, M.A.
Late of PEMBROKE-COLLEGE, OXFORD, And Chaplain to the Right Honourable, the Countess of HUNTINGDON.…
14 wordsSECTION 3CONTAINING
All his SERMONS and TRACTS Which have been already published:…
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A SELECT COLLECTION of LETTERS, Written to his most intimate Friends, and Persons of Distinction, in _England_, _Scotland_, _Ireland_, and _America_, from the Year 1734, to 1770, including the whole Period of his Ministry.…
34 wordsSECTION 5ALSO
Some other PIECES on IMPORTANT SUBJECTS, never before printed; prepared by Himself for the Press. To which is prefixed, An ACCOUNT of his LIFE, Compiled from his Original PAPERS and LETTERS.…
31 wordsSECTION 6LONDON:
Printed for EDWARD and CHARLES DILLY, in the Poultry; and Messrs. KINCAID and CREECH, at Edinburgh.…
16 wordsSECTION 7CONTENTS¹.
¹ The Sermons marked with a *, are now first published from the Author’s own Manuscripts. ⭘ SERMON XXXII. A Penitent Heart, the best New Year’s Gift. LUKE xiii. 3. _Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish._ ⭘ SERMON XXXIII. The Gospel Supper. LUKE xiv. 22, 23, 24. _And the servant said, Lord, it is done as t…
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MATTHEW xxvi. 75. _And Peter remembered the words of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice: and he went out, and wept bitterly._ ⭘ SERMON LIX. The true Way of beholding the LAMB of GOD. JOHN i. 35, 36. _Again, the next Day after, John stood, and two of his Disciples; and lo…
97 wordsSECTION 9SERMON XXXII.
A Penitent Heart, the best _New Year’s Gift_. LUKE xiii. 3. _Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish._ WHEN we consider how heinous and aggravating our offences are, in the sight of a just and holy GOD, that they bring down his wrath upon our heads, and occasion us to live under his indignation; how ought we …
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It is the nature of such repentance to make a change, and the greatest change as can be made here in the soul. Thus you see what repentance implies in its own nature; it denotes an abhorrence of all evil, and a forsaking of it. I shall now proceed _Secondly_, To shew you the parts of it, and the causes concurring ther…
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You, therefore, who have been swearers and cursers, you, who have been harlots and drunkards, you, who have been thieves and robbers, you, who have hitherto followed the sinful pleasures and diversions of life, let me beseech you, by the mercies of GOD in CHRIST JESUS, that you would no longer continue therein, but tha…
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And this, my brethren, is plainly revealed to us in the word of GOD, “The soul that does not repent and turn unto the LORD, shall die in its sins, and their blood shall be required at their own heads.” It is necessary, as we have sinned, we should repent; for a holy GOD could not, nor ever can, or will, admit any thing…
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O the folly and madness of this sensual world; sure if there were nothing in sin but present slavery, it would keep an ingenuous spirit from it. But to do the devils drudgery! and if we do that, we shall have his wages, which is eternal death and condemnation; O consider this, my guilty brethren, you that think it no c…
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Do not go away, let not the devil hurry you away before the sermon is over; but stay, and you shall have a JESUS offered to you, who has made full satisfaction for all your sins. Let me beseech you to cast away your transgressions, to strive against sin, to watch against it, and to beg power and strength from CHRIST, …
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Do not say, that your sins are too many and too great to expect to find mercy: No; be they ever so many, or ever so great, the blood of the LORD JESUS CHRIST will cleanse you from all sins. GOD’s grace, my brethren, is free, rich, and sovereign. _Manassah_ was a great sinner, and yet he was pardoned; _Zaccheus_ was gon…
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Now, my brethren; let me speak a word of exhortation to those of you, who are already brought to the LORD JESUS, who are born again, who do belong to GOD, to whom it has been given to repent of your sins, and are cleansed from their guilt; and that is, be thankful to GOD for his mercies towards you. O admire the grace …
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Shew them, O Father, wherein they have offended thee; make them to see their own vileness, and that they are lost and undone without true repentance; and O give them that repentance, we beseech of thee, that they may turn from sin unto thee the living and true GOD. These things, and whatever else thou seest needful for…
111 wordsSECTION 18SERMON XXXIII.
The Gospel Supper. LUKE xiv. 22, 23, 24. _And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the high-ways, and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, that none of those men which were bidd…
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That our LORD’s conversation was not trifling, but such as tended to the use of edifying, and that he behaved among the guests as a faithful physician, rather than as a careless, indifferent companion, is evident from the 7th verse of this chapter, where we are told, that “he marked how they chose the chief rooms;” or,…
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An instance of this we have in the 14th verse: “And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of GOD.” Happy they who shall be recompenced at that resurrection of the just, which thou hast been speaking of. A very pertinent saying …
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But the excuses they made, rendered their refusal inexcusable. “The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it:” Thou fool, buy a piece of ground, and then go see it! A prudent man would have gone and seen the ground first, and bought it afterwards. Why must he _needs_ go? At l…
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This then was the reception the servant met with, and such were the excuses, and answers, that were sent back. And what was the consequence? “So that servant came (no doubt with a sorrowful heart) and shewed his LORD these things.” However little it be thought of, yet ministers must shew the LORD, what success their mi…
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The servant again returns, but with a more pleasing answer than before, “Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.” The words bespeak the servant to be full of joy at the thoughts of the success he had met with. None can tell, but those who experience it, what comfort ministers have in seeing thei…
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Whatever they may think, we are persuaded, the great master of the house is angry with them, for being angry with us without a cause. He therefore now, by his providence, bids us “Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind,” or call in the p…
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Supported by this consideration, I am not ashamed to come out this day into the highways and hedges, and to confess that my business is to call the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind, self-condemned, helpless sinners, to the marriage-feast of the supper of the Lamb. My cry is, Come, believe on the LORD J…
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Tell me, ye that have been made to taste that the LORD is gracious, will you not recommend this feast to all? Are you not, whilst I am speaking, ready to cry out, Come all ye that are without, come ye, obey the call, for we have sat under the Redeemer’s shadow with great delight, and his fruit has been pleasant to our …
710 wordsSECTION 27SERMON XXXIV.
The Pharisee and Publican. LUKE xviii. 14. _I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: For every one that exalteth himself, shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted._ THOUGH there be some who dare to deny the LORD JESUS, and disbelieve the revelation he has be…
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But, however they disagreed in other things, they agreed in this, that public worship is a duty incumbent upon all: for they both came up to the temple. The very heathens were observers of temple-worship. We have very early notice of mens sacrificing to, and calling upon the name of the LORD, in the Old Testament; and …
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“The Pharisee stood, and prayed thus by himself.” Which may signify also praying inwardly in his heart; for there is a way (and that an excellent one too) of praying when we cannot speak; thus _Anna_ prayed, when she spoke not aloud, only her lips moved. Thus GOD says to _Moses_, “Why criest thou?” when, it is plain, h…
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The Pharisee is not here condemned for his fasting, for fasting is a christian duty; “when you fast,” says our LORD, thereby taking it for granted that his disciples would fast. And “when the bridegroom shall be taken away, then shall they fast in those days.” “In fasting often,” says the apostle. And all that would no…
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“The Publican standing afar off:” Perhaps in the outward court of the temple, conscious to himself that he was not worthy to approach the Holy of holies; so conscious and so weighed down with a sense of his own unworthiness, that he would not so much as lift up his eyes unto heaven, which he knew was GOD’s throne. Poor…
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The parable therefore now speaks to all who hear me this day: for that our LORD intended it for our learning, is evident, from his making such a general application; “For every one that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” The parable of the Publican and Pharisee, is but as…
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He that humbleth himself, whatever he be: if, instead of fasting twice in the week, he has been drunk twice in the week; if, instead of giving tithes of all that he possesses, he has cheated the minister of his tithes, and the king of his taxes; notwithstanding he be unjust, an extortioner, an adulterer, nay, notwithst…
806 wordsSECTION 34SERMON XXXV.
The Conversion of _Zaccheus_. LUKE xix. 9, 10. _And JESUS said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house; forasmuch as he also is the Son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost._ SALVATION, every where through the whole scripture, is said to be the free gift of GOD, t…
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But rich as he was, we are told, verse 3. that “he sought to see JESUS.” A wonder indeed! The common people heard our LORD gladly, and the poor received the gospel. The multitude, the οχλες, the mob, the people that knew not the law, as the proud high-priests called them, used to follow him on foot into the country; an…
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There is no seeing CHRIST in Glory, unless we run before the multitude, and are willing to be in the number of those despised few, who take the kingdom of GOD by violence. The broad way, in which so many go, can never be that strait and narrow way which leads to life. Our LORD’s flock was, and always will be, comparati…
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Thus it is the great GOD brings home his children. He calls them by name, by his word or providence; he speaks to them also by his spirit. Hereby they are enabled to open their hearts, and are made willing to receive the King of glory. For _Zaccheus_’s sake, let us not entirely condemn people that come under the word, …
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Having believed on JESUS in his heart, he now makes confession of him with his mouth to salvation. “_Zaccheus_ stood forth:” he was not ashamed, but stood forth before his brother Publicans; for true faith casts out all servile, sinful fear of man; “and said, Behold, LORD.” It is remarkable, how readily people in scrip…
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What therefore has been said of _Zaccheus_, may serve as a rule, whereby all may judge whether they have faith or not. You say you have faith; but how do you prove it? Did you ever hear the LORD JESUS call you by name? Were you ever made to obey that call? Did you ever, like _Zaccheus_, receive JESUS CHRIST joyfully in…
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What say you? Shall I go home rejoicing, saying, That many like sheep have went astray, but they have now believed on JESUS CHRIST, and so returned home to the great Shepherd and Bishop of their souls? If the LORD would be pleased thus to prosper my handy-work, I care not how many legalists and self-righteous pharisees…
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Some of you, I hope, have experienced this, and can say, I was lost, but I am found; I was dead, but am alive again: the Son of man came and sought me in the day of his power, and saved my sinful soul. And do you repent that you came to CHRIST? Has he not been a good master? Is not his presence sweet to your souls? Has…
730 wordsSECTION 42SERMON XXXVI.
The Marriage of _Cana_. JOHN ii. 11. _This beginning of miracles did JESUS in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him._ I HAVE more than once had occasion to observe, that the chief end St. _John_ had in view, when he wrote his gospel, was to prove the divinity of JESUS CHR…
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I cannot but dwell a little on this particular, because I am persuaded the devil cannot lay a greater snare for young christians, than to tempt them unequally to yoke themselves with unbelievers: as are all who are not born again of GOD. This was the snare wherein the sons of GOD were entangled before the flood, and on…
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You that are poor in this world’s goods, and thereby are disabled from helping, yet you may learn from the Virgin, to pray for one another. She could not turn the water into wine, but she could entreat her son to do it: and so may you; and doubt not of the LORD’s hearing you; for GOD has chosen the poor in this world, …
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But here I cannot help remarking what a sad inference one of our masters of _Israel_, in a printed sermon, has lately drawn from this commendation of the bridegroom. His words are these. “Our blessed Saviour came eating and drinking, was present at weddings, and other entertainments, (though I hear of his being only at…
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_Secondly_, he might do this to reward the host for calling him and his disciples to the marriage. JESUS CHRIST will not be behind-hand with those who receive him or his followers, for his name’s sake. Those who thus honour him, he will honour. A cup of cold water given in the name of a disciple, shall in no wise lose …
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_Fourthly_, Our LORD’s turning water into wine, and keeping the best until last, may shew forth the glory of the latter days of his marriage feast with his church. Great things GOD has done already, whereat millions of saints have rejoiced, and do yet rejoice. Great things GOD is doing now, but yet, my brethren, we sha…
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The LORD JESUS who shewed forth his glory above 1700 years ago, has made a marriage feast, and offers to espouse all sinners to himself, and to make them flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone. He is willing to be united to you by one spirit. In every age, at sundry times, and after divers manners, he hath sent forth…
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And now, sinners, what have you to object? I see you are all silent, and well you may. For if you will not be drawn by the cords of infinite and everlasting love, what will draw you? I could urge many terrors of the LORD to persuade you; but if the love of JESUS CHRIST will not constrain you, your case is desperate. Re…
556 wordsSECTION 50SERMON XXXVII.
The Duty of searching the Scriptures. JOHN v. 39. _Search the Scriptures._ WHEN the Sadducees came to our blessed LORD, and put to him the question, “whose wife that woman should be in the next life, who had seven husbands in this,” he told them “they erred, not knowing the scriptures.” And if we would know whence a…
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What does GOD in his written word do more or less, than shew thee, O man, how thou art fallen into that blindness, darkness, and misery, of which thou feelest and complainest? And, at the same time, he points out the way to what thou desirest, even how thou mayest be redeemed out of it by believing in, and copying afte…
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A desire to do the will of GOD is the only way to know it; if any man will do my will, says JESUS CHRIST, “He shall know of my doctrine, whether it be of GOD, or whether I speak of myself.” As he also speaks in another place to his disciples, “To you, (who are willing to practise your duty) it is given to know the myst…
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It was the want of the assistance of this Spirit, that made _Nicodemus_, a teacher of _Israel_, and a ruler of the _Jews_, so utterly ignorant in the doctrine of regeneration: for being only a natural man, he could not tell how that thing could be; it was the want of this Spirit that made our Saviour’s disciples, thoug…
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But perhaps you have no taste for this despised book; perhaps plays, romances, and books of polite entertainment, suit your taste better: if this be your case, give me leave to tell you, your taste is vitiated, and unless corrected by the Spirit and word of GOD, you shall never enter into his heavenly kingdom: for unle…
411 wordsSECTION 55SERMON XXXVIII.
The Indwelling of the Spirit, the common Privilege of all Believers. JOHN vii. 37, 38, 39. _In the last day, that great day of the feast, JESUS stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living …
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Thus, says St. _John_, in his first epistle, chapter v. verse 7. “There are three that bare record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one.” And our LORD, when he gave his Apostles commission to go and teach all nations, commanded them to baptize in the name of the Holy Ghost, as we…
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A great noise hath been made of late, about the word _enthusiast_, and it has been cast upon the preachers of the gospel, as a term of reproach; but every christian, in the proper sense of the word, must be an enthusiast; that is, must be inspired of GOD, or have GOD, by his Spirit, in him. St. _Peter_ tells us, “we ha…
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But you are the schismatics, you are the bane of the church of _England_, who are always crying out, “the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD;” and yet starve the people out of our communion, by feeding them only with the dry husks of dead morality, and not bringing out to them the fatted calf; I mean, the doctr…
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But what has light to do with darkness, or polite infidels with the Bible? Alas! as they are strangers to the power, so they are generally as great strangers to the word of GOD. And therefore, if we will preach to them, we must preach to and from the heart: for talking in the language of scripture, to them, is but like…
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JESUS CHRIST came down to save us, not only from the guilt, but also from the power of sin: and however often we have repeated our creed, and told GOD we believe in the Holy Ghost, yet, if we have not believed in him, so as to be really united to JESUS CHRIST by him, we have no more concord with JESUS CHRIST than _Beli…
840 wordsSource & rights
Public domain in the USA; original historical text digitized by Project Gutenberg.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.