The period of time titled as "The Great Awakening" presupposes the contrast of a great sleeping! The world is filled with contrasts. Up and down, in and out, love and hate, peace and war, good and evil, light and darkness, life and death, and God has a purpose in them all. (Ecc. 3).From the time of the Reformation, there was a markable increase in learning both in the world and in the Word. Yet with all the learning, for some it only proves what the apostle Paul writes, "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." (II Tim. 3:7). A century ago, British poet Alfred Lord Tennyson lamented, "Knowledge grows but wisdom lingers."
The church had learned many truths in Scripture, but it had not gone far enough. What it failed to learn was, that it is not membership in an earthly kingdom that qualifies for membership in a heavenly one. It is not head knowledge that would bring about salvation, but rather a change of heart. Jonathan Edwards noted that a change of heart would change the life, but a changed life was not always a sign of a changed heart.
And it is a relationship with God, brought about by a change of heart that qualifies someone for membership in the true Church of Jesus Christ. This change of heart is that which only God Himself does in the life of a believer, and when He does do it, it is a remarkable event in the life of that person. We might say, that that person woke up to the truth. Let God change the heart of a multitude at the same time, and we can term it a Great Awakening!
Historically, we can trace the events of what is termed as the Great Awakening back to the 1730's. In America, it would begin in Northhampton, Massachusetts under the leadership of Jonathan Edwards (1703-1764). This revival would predate that which began in England. Edwards was born in America, and after graduating at the head of the class from Yale University by age 17, Edwards took over the pulpit of his father-in-law. In 1734, Edwards preached a sermon on justification by faith, and revival begins. By 1736, there were 300 new converts in that small town, and by 1740-42, there were 25-50,000 in church in New England.
Edwards had the reputation of a "fire and brimstone" preacher because he believed that people could not appreciate the Love of God, unless they understood the Wrath of God. Edwards was a strong Calvinist but with a weak preaching style. Though he was nearsighted, and spoke in a monotone voice, his hearers would be under such conviction, they would grab the pews and cry out to be saved! Thus we can learn that the power for a revival is in the message, not in the messenger.
Some fruits of a revival are recognized in a renewed sense of the Majesty of God; there is a desire toward perfection; to not judge other Christians; and a new sense of moral and social duties. This would soon be the experience of many across the ocean.
In England, it could be said that the church for the most part had lost its vision for truth, and its effectiveness in meeting the spiritual and physical needs of society. This gave way to a rise in reasoning and philosophies that swept through the church replacing the Gospel of Christ with a gospel of rationalism. Civilization for most became a daily lot of poverty, hunger, sickness, and oppression. With cheap gin there was national alcoholism. Prostitution, and human abuse were common living conditions.
In England the leaders of the revival would come from a fellowship gathering at Oxford University. The fellowship gathering nicknamed "the Holy Club", was formed by a group of students interested in the pursuit of righteous living according to biblical standards. Some of its members included George Whitefield (1714-1770), Charles Wesley (1707-1788), and his brother John (1703-1791). Other revival centers of activity focused in the countries of Wales, and Scotland.
Whitefield grew up as a gambler, a thief and a liar. He loved the theater, and trained for it. He had an enviable voice, and he used it to his advantage in preaching the Gospel in open air meetings after being converted to Christ. He talked plainly with concern for people's souls, pleading for their salvation. He went to mining camps, and at the first meeting 1-200 people gathered. Next 2,000 gathered, then 4,500 then 14, 20, and 30,000 people would attend.
When John Wesley was converted, it was just three days after his brother Charles. After being refused a pulpit in the Church of England, they followed the path of Whitefield and preached in open air meetings. While they traveled together and are both noted as prolific preachers, Charles is most remembered for composing some 7,270 hymns. In his lifetime, John is said to have traveled some 250,000 miles, with 45,000 miles per year of that on horseback. He wrote 233 books, and edited 23 collections of hymns. John edited a monthly magazine, and organized lay ministers, and sent them out preaching.
While George Whitefield, and the Wesleys remained friends, they could not travel together because of their difference in doctrine. George was a Calvinist, while John and Charles taught Arminian doctrines. This factor would prevail upon the thoughts of any who would wish to learn from this occasion of revival in church history we call the Great Awakening. The world is full of contrasts, and that God in His infinite Wisdom and Mercy, would choose by His Grace and Purpose, to bless the results of the contrary preaching of these men, to bring tens of thousands into His Kingdom.
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