One of the most cherished episodes for reformed Christians is Franklin’s recounting of his relationship to the Reverend George Whitefield. Franklin marveled at the fruit produced through Whitefield’s preaching: “It was wonderful to see the change soon made in the manners of our inhabitants …one could not walk through the town in an evening without hearing psalms sung in different families of every street.”
Franklin was impressed with Whitefield’s ability to move the masses to give to the mission of establishing an orphanage in Georgia. Although Franklin disagreed with the particulars and resolved not to give, he found himself listening to Whitefield preach, and being persuaded to give all that he had in his pockets. “I had in my pocket a handful of copper money, three or four silver dollars, and five pistoles in gold. As he proceeded I began to soften, and concluded to give the coppers. Another stroke of his oratory made me ashamed of that, and determined me to give the silver; and he finished so admirably, that I emptied my pocket wholly into the collector’s dish, gold and all.”
Franklin agreed to print copies of Whitefield’s sermons and journals. He greatly admired the booming, far reaching voice of Whitefield. He even opened his home to Whitefield, and claims that the two shared an intimate friendship. Franklin attended as many of Whitefield’s preaching events as he was able.
Have you ever read a George Whitefield sermon? He preached four times each day with the clear purpose of calling people to profess faith in Christ Jesus. Have you ever read George Whitefield’s journals? He was consumed with preaching the Gospel and was resolved to use every conversation and relationship to present Christ Jesus as one’s only hope for salvation. Whitefield never mentions Benjamin Franklin by name in his journals but does, at one point, thank God for a certain printer who was instrumental in broadcasting his sermons.
Did Benjamin Franklin ever embrace the central Gospel message of his friend, George Whitefield? Our best indication comes from Franklin’s testimony:
Some of Mr. Whitefield’s enemies affected to suppose that he
would apply these collections to his own private emolument; but
I, who was intimately acquainted with him (being employed in
printing his Sermons and Journals, etc.), never had the least
suspicion of his integrity, but am to this day decidedly of the
opinion that he was in all his conduct a perfectly honest man;
and methinks my testimony in his favor ought to have the more
weight, as we had no religious connection. He used, indeed,
sometimes to pray for my conversion, but never had the
satisfaction of believing that his prayers were heard. Ours was
a mere civil friendship, sincere on both sides, and lasted to his
death.
Franklin’s autobiography clearly establishes Moralism to be the religion of preference for this great statesman and founding father of our nation. Should not Christians today make as clear distinction between Moralism and Christianity as they do between Islam and Christianity, or Mormonism and Christianity? The better question is a personal one: Do you know the difference between Moralism and Christianity?
But the best question moves you to consider your own intimate relationship with God. Benjamin Franklin marveled at the transformation of lives through the preaching of the Gospel, he gave to charitable causes flowing from the preaching of the Gospel, but he never embraced Christ as his only hope in this life and the next. He enjoyed an intimate relationship with one of the greatest preachers in all history, yet never embraced Jesus.