Richard Whatcoat, Methodist Preacher

Whatcoat was born in 1736. His father died while he was a child, leaving a widow and five children. At 13 years of age, he entered his apprenticeship, and was known for his piety, or at least, for his avoidance of open sin. It is interesting to note that he considered this as having "little religion;" for when he went to another job where the master had no religious life, Whatcoat left in fear that he would fall.

When he came to his new place of employment, he began to hear the Methodist preachers. One in particular seemed to speak directly to him concerning the fall of man, and Whatcoat fell under conviction of sin. "Though I believed all the Scripture to be of God, yet I had not the marks of a Christian believer. And I was convinced that if I died in the state I was in, I should be miserable forever. Yet I could not conceive how I that had lived sos sober a life could be the chief of sinners." [How true-- this is a huge battle for the church in the affluent world. We think we are basically ok, and Jesus will give us a little push to true righteousness...]

Whatcoat one day heard a testimony that gave him hope; someone said to him, "I know God for Christ's sake has forgiven all my sins, and His Spirit witnesses with my spirit that I am a child of God."

Whatcoat says that his previous life of avoiding open sin, what he called sobriety, was nothing but filthy rags. [For if all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, there is no remedy but grace.] On Spetember 3, 1758, as he was reading his bible, he seemed to hear a voice whisper to him that he should read no more, for the more he knew, the more he would be accountable to, and what if he knew the will of God and still did not follow it? But he kept on, and came to the words of the testimony he had heard, about the Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God. "In the same instant, I was filled with unspeakable peace and joy in believing, and all fear of death and judgment and hell suddenly vanished away."

He has a word that I know speaks to me, and perhaps speaks to you, in the heady times after a dynamic conversion: "This joy and peace continued about three weeks, after which it was suggested to me, 'you have deceived yourself. How dare you think you are a child of God. And even if you are, this won't last. Your faith will fail.' This threw me into great confusion and heaviness, but it didn't last long. I dug deeper in to prayer and to reading and hearing the Word of God at all opportunities."

And as a good primitive Methodist preacher, Whatcoat has a word to say on perfection, being filled with the love of God. "Even though I was justified, I still find that I was not wholly sanctified... I paid more attention to the great and precious promises whereby we may escape the corruption of this world and be made partakers of the divine nature. I was much confirmed in my hope by hearing Mr. Mather speak often on the subject [PLEASE, METHODIST MINISTERS!! Speak often about being filled with love of God, the Second Blessing, Christian Perfection, Entire Sanctification. People are hungry for the truth of the Word!] I saw it was the mere gift of God, to be received by faith And after many sharp and painful conflicts, and many gracious visitations, on March 28, 1761, my spirit was drawn out and and engaged in wrestling with God for about two hours in a manner I never did before. Suddenly I was stripped of all but love, and prayer, and praise; and in this happy state, rejoicing evermore, and in everything giving thanks, I continued for some years, wanting nothing more for soul or body than I received from day to day.

With this powerful experience of the love of God for His creation, how could Whatcoat not want to share what he had found? Hed began to preach in the neighboring towns, exhorting people to repent and believe the good news. He did this for about 18 months, and then began to feel that he might be more useful as a travelling preacher. A little while later in 1769, he was accepted as a probationary preacher and assigned to his first circuit. In 1774, he was appointed to a circuit in Ireland. He had to count the cost-- not only his fear of sailing, but also that his mother was on her death-bed. But she fully supported and loved his work of preaching and so sent him away, not knowing if they would meet again on this side.

The Irish ministry was tough: "It took us eight weeks [to travel the circuit] and in that time we slept in nearly 50 different locations-- the ones that weren't cold were damp, and still others not very clean. We commonly preached 2-3 times per day, besides meeting the societies and visiting the sick, and we had no other food but potatoes and a little salt-meat." Whatcoat's health declined under this regimen, but 200 people were added to the rolls and many of them found salvation on Jesus' name.

Because of his declining health, Whatcoat had to quit preaching to recuperate. And he did recuperate; in 1784, Wesley sent Whatcoat to America with Thomas Vasey, Dr. Coke, and Francis Asbury. In 1800, Whatcoat was appointed Bishop with Asbury, because the fruit of Methodism was growing beyond what could be handled.

A convicting eulogy: "Whoever saw him light or trifling? Whoever heard him speak evil of anyone? Nay, hoever heard him speak an idle word? He was dead to envy, self-exaltation or praise; sober without sadness; cheerful without levity; careful without covetousness; and decent without pride. He died without enough money to pay the expenses of his sickness or funeral--if anyone had asked for payment!"

Richard Whatcoat died July 5, 1806 after a series of illnesses aggravated by his traveling laid him low.