The Complete Cambridge Man

The Complete Cambridge Man

And “the scales fell off. . . .”

GEORGE WHITEFIELD, the great preacher and evangelist of the 1700s, kept a daily journal throughout much of his life. In it he chronicled how God was dealing with him personally, as well as writing about the fruits of his ministry.

On April 18, 1739, when he was twenty-four years old, he wrote about a recently converted Cambridge man:

Several persons came to see me, amongst whom was Mr. Benjamin Seward, whom God has been pleased to call by His free grace very lately. His circumstances both before and in conversion, much resemble those of St. Paul. For he was bred up at the feet of Gamaliel, being at Cambridge for some years. As touching the law, so far as outward morality went, he was blameless; concerning zeal, opposing the Church. My proceedings he could by no means approve, and he had once a mind, he said, to write against Mr. Law’s enthusiastic notions in his Christian Perfection.

But lately, it has pleased God to reveal His dear Son in him, and to cast him down to the earth, as he did Saul, by eight days’ sickness, in which time he scarce ever ate, or drank, or slept, and underwent great inward agonies and tortures. After this, the scales fell more and more from the eyes of his mind. God sent a poor traveling woman, that came to sell straw toys, to instruct him in the nature of the second birth, and now he is resolved to prepare for Holy Orders, and to preach Christ and those truths straightway in every synagogue, which once he endeavoured to destroy. He is a gentleman of a very large fortune, which he has now devoted to God.

I write this to shew how far a man may go, and yet know nothing of Jesus Christ. Behold, here was one who constantly attended on the means of grace, was exact in his morals, humane and courteous in his conversation, who gave much in alms, was frequent in private duties; and yet, till about six weeks ago, as destitute of any saving experimental knowledge of Jesus Christ as those on whom His Name was never called, and who still sit in darkness and the shadow of death. Blessed be God, that although not many rich, not many mighty, not many noble are called, yet some are.

Who would but be accounted a fool for Christ’s sake? How often has my companion and honoured friend, Mr. William Seward, been deemed a madman even by this very brother, for going to Georgia; but now God has made him an instrument of converting his brother. This more and more convinces me, that we must be despised, before we can be vessels fit for God’s use. As for my own part, I find by happy experience, the more I am condemned, the more God delights to honour me in bringing home souls to Christ. And I write this for the encouragement of my fellow labourers, who have all manner of evil spoken against them falsely for Christ’s sake. Let them not be afraid, but rejoice and be exceeding glad, for the Spirit of God and of glory shall rest upon their souls.

Reflection

Benjamin Seward had all the world has to offer—wealth, education, and social status. Yet he discovered that the only way to discover real satisfaction was through faith in Jesus Christ. Take a moment to consider your own life. What brings you satisfaction? You can experience the same satisfaction Benjamin Seward found by trusting the same Savior he did.

We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the special favor of the Lord Jesus.

Acts 15:11