FIELD-PREACHING
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you able to stand in the open air, without any cover- inn- or defence, when God casteth abroad his snow like wool, or scattereth his hoar frost like ashes ? And yet these are some of the snsallest inconveniences which accompany lield-preachiaj;. Far beyond all these are the contradiction of sin'iers, the scoffs both of the great vulgar and tlie small : contempt and reproach of every kind ; often morq tl-an verbal affronts — stupid, brutal violence, somet.'-nes to the hazard of health, or limbs, or life. Bf cchren, do you envy us this honor ? \Miat, I pray you, would buy you to be a fiekl-preacher ?' When Mr. Weslej- had been accustomed to tield-preach- ing for more tlian twenty years, ha made the follow- ing remarks: 'One hour in Mooriields might convince any impartial man of the expediencj^ of field-preach- ing. What building, except St. Paul's church, could contain such a congregation ? and if it would, what human voice could have reached them there? B}^ re- peated observations, I find I can command thrice the number in the open air tliat I can under a roof. And who can say the time for field-preaching is over, while, 1. Greater numbers than ever attend ; 2. The convert- ing as well as the convincing power of God is emi- nently present with them?' One extract more, and this article must close. Mr. Weslej"^ thus describes these open-air services : ' I cannot say I have ever seen a more awful sight than when, on Kose Green or the top of Hannan Mount, some thousands of people were calnilv jiiined together in solemn waiting upon God, while^ ' " They stood, and under open air adored
The God wlio made both air, earth, heaven, and sky.'' '
And whether they were listening to liis word with at- tention still as night, or were lifting up their voice in praise as the sound of many waters, many a time have I been constrained to say in my heart, "How dreadful is this place !" This, also, " is no other tlian the house of God! this is the gate of heaven!"' (See Memoirs of Wedey, by Coke, Southcy, and Watson ; also Jack- son's Ceutenir;/ of Wesleyan Mcihndism.) Having now once adopted this mode of imparting instruction to the neglected classes of the community, Mr. AVesley never abandoned it to the end of his life ; and in a short time his brother Charles followed his example in the same self-denying labor of love, being urged thereto Iiy the indefatigable Whitcfield. Mr. Charles Wesley's first field-sermon was preached at ]Moorfields on June 24, 1739, his congregation amounting to about 1000, and in the evening of the same day he preached to multi- tudes on Kennington Common. A few weeks after- wards he preached to about 10,000 people in Moor- fields ; and for several years he followed with equal steps both his brotlier and Mr. Whitcfield in laborious zeal and public usefulness. It is not to be supposed that IMr. W'esley had not preached in the open air till the time he was induced by Mr. Whiteficld to do so at Bristol. He had done so in Georgia before Mr. Wliitc- field was ordainetl, but hs had no intention of resum- ing the practice in England until compelled to do so by the necessities of the case. He says, ' AVherever I was now desired to preach (in churches), salvation bj^
faith was my only theme Things were in this
posture when I was told I must preach no more in this, and this, and another church ; tlie reason was usually added without reserve, "Because you preach such doctrine." .... After a time I determined to do tlic same thing in England which I had often done in a warmer climate — to preach in the open air.' 'Be pleased to observe,' he adds, '1. That I was forliidden to preach in any church " for preaching sucli doc- trhie." 2. That I had no desire nor design to preach in the open air till after the prohibition. 3. That when I did, as it was no matter of choice, so neither of pre- meditation. There was no sclieme at all previously formed which was to be supported thereby. 4. Field- preaching was therefore a sudden expedient — a thing submitted to rather than chosen : and therefore sub-
mitted to because I thought preaching even thus be*< ter than not preaching at all.' Field-preaching, or, as it was called, tent-preaching, that is, preaching from a tent, was common in Scotland on summer sacramental occasions up till a very recent period. The practice still survives in some parts of the Highlands. Thou- sands from neighboring parishes used to assemble on the brae or in the quiet hollo\v, and listen to the word of life. But unhallowed scenes sometimes occuiTed, of which Burns's IIolij Fair is an exaggerated picture ; and such gatherings have been discontinued. Of late, however, field-preaching has been resorted to for a dif- ferent purpose — that of evangelization — so that the masses may be reached which have given up attend- ance at the house of God. Everj'where the result seems to be satisfiictory, and the practice is every year more and more extensively followed in Great Britain." — Eadie, Ecd. Cijdop. s. v. See Camp-meetixg.