CHURCH HISTORY II Lesson 24 Let The Winds Blow

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CHURCH HISTORY IILesson 24Let The Winds Blow
Thunders RoarThe Great Awakening in America
There is nothing more important for preaching
than the reading of church history and
biographies Dr M L-J
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Religious Condition in the Colonies
Spiritual Deadness
Dullness, dullness, deep seated boredom with the
gospel on the part of many people, and in the
stony ground of that dullness many new sins
sprang up Jonathan Edwards
The body of the rising generation is a poor,
perishing, unconverted (except the Lord pour down
his Spirit) an undone generation Increase
Mather, 1678
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Symbols of deadness and decline Half-way
Covenant
Theological Liberalism
Beginnings of revival
Theodore Frelinghuysen 1691-1747
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Gilbert Tennant 1703-1764
New Brunswick, NJ
Log College, Nashaminy, PA
Jonathan Edwards 1703-1758
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George Whitefield 1714-1770
Gloucester
Bell Inn
But I consider it was the Divine will that
placed me here, and therefore I rejoice. He is
unworthy the name of a Christian, who is not as
willing to hide himself when God commands, as to
act in a public capacity GW Journal, p. 104
Oxford Servitor
The Life of God in the Soul of Man Henry Scougal
What was Whitefields message and method?
Awakening vs. Conversion
January 1738 1st trip to Georgia
BETHESDA
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2nd trip Oct 31, 1739
1300 miles N/S
50 miles width
1,000,000 150,000 negro slaves

• EVANGELICAL
• Authority of scripture
• Necessity of new birth
• True conversion worked out in the believers life

Thus he had come to a position in which not
denominational adherence but evangelical
soundness was the criterion, and his work had
become non-denominational in character AD, Vol
1, pg 438
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Mr. Whitefield used to pray for my conversion,
but never had the satisfaction of believing that
his prayers were heard Papers, vol. 18, p 53
Benjamin Franklin
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NEW ENGLAND FALL 1740
Gov Jonathan Belcher
Mr. Edwards is a solid, excellent Christian,
but at present weak in body. I think I have not
seen his fellow in all New England
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Sarah Pierpoint Edwards to her brother, James
Pierpoint

• He spoke across class distinctions
• He engaged his body while preaching
• He preached from his heart
• He was a devout and godly man

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Results of the Great Awakening
POSITIVE
1. Conversions
2. Increase in churches and church membership
3. Increase awareness of the necessity of the
new birth
4. No tolerance for an unconverted minister

• Building of new evangelical schools
• Princeton
• Dartmouth
• Rutgers
• Brown

6. Calvinism strengthened and preserved in
American churches for another hundred years
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NEGATIVE
1. The answer to the churches problems lay in
revival alone, thus, men began to use mean to
promote it.
2. Focus on conversion experience rather than
the present and abiding fruit of the Spirit in a
persons life
I had rather wear out than rust out