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The Second Great Awakening
Selected Stories & Teachings From The
History Of Revival
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Lawyer-turned-evangelist,
Charles G. Finney, introduced the evangelistic invitation to come forward. He
would sometimes even call upon specific people by name to respond.
DURING THE FIRST HALF of the
1800's, the population of the United States grew from five to thirty million,
and the boundary of the nation moved ever westward. Revivals became the primary
means of Christianizing the growing and expanding population. These revivals at
the beginning of the nineteenth century became known as the Second Great
Awakening.
On the American frontier, camp
meetings came to characterize revivals. The first camp meeting revival was in
south central Kentucky. At a meeting in June, 1800, Presbyterian James McGready
and two other pastors preached for 3 days; on the fourth day, two travelling
Methodist ministers officiated and concluded with an emotional exhortation. Many
physically collapsed at what they called conviction of sin. People were
convinced they were experiencing a visitation of the Holy Spirit such as the
early church had known at Pentecost.
Strange manifestations
Another meeting was called for July at the Gasper River Church to wait "for the
Spirit to descend again." Some people came over one hundred miles to attend the
meeting; they prepared to camp out in wagons, tents, and makeshift shelters
until a revival came. When a great wave of emotional conversions occurred, the
people were convinced this was of God.
In August, 1801, Barton W. Stone
led a revival in Cane Ridge, Kentucky that became the most famous camp meeting.
The meeting lasted a week, and 23,000 people came. The preaching was simple,
lively, and persuasive, with preachers from different denominations sharing the
platform. The common people were deeply affected, and, as at the Gasper River
meeting, strong emotional responses were considered proofs of conversion. Often
these produced strange physical manifestations - some people fainted and fell to
the ground (were "slain in the spirit") or suffered uncontrollable shaking ("the
jerks"). There was dancing, running and singing - all of which Stone said were
manifestations of God's presence. The noise of the meetings was so great that
some said "the noise was like the roar of Niagara." Revival camp meetings swept
through Kentucky, Tennessee and many of the southern states.
Ecstasy or anarchy?
The revivals in the east were much more subdued than those on the frontier; many
of the eastern revivalists were highly critical of the emotional excesses of the
Cane Ridge camp meeting. One Presbyterian minister said the anarchy of the camp
meetings must have had some connections with the French Revolution!
Seven years to get through
In the east, Yale University experienced a revival of Biblical Christianity
under President Timothy Dwight, Jonathan Edwards' grandson. Christianity was
almost non-existent then at Yale, the campus church almost extinct. For four
years Dwight preached a series of weekly sermons on Christian belief; when he
finished the series, he started over again. Finally, in 1801, after seven years
of preaching, revival came to Yale. At least half of the student body was
converted to Christianity under Dwight's Presidency. One college tutor wrote
home to his mom, "Yale College is a little temple; prayer and praise seem to be
the delight of the greater part of the students while those who are still
unfeeling are awed with respectful silence."
Revival . . . from God or man?
The Second Great Awakening had a tremendous effect on American society by
spawning a large number of social reform movements. A great encourager of such
reforms was the evangelist Charles G. Finney. Finney was to bring in new methods
and a new attitude towards revival. Jonathan Edwards had viewed the 1735 revival
in Northampton as "a very extraordinary dispensation of Providence" a
"surprising work of God." Charles Finney, however, believed that "a revival is
not a miracle . . . It is a purely philosophic [i.e. scientific] result of the
right use of the constituted means." In the series of revivals Finney held from
1824-1837 (during what some call the Third Awakening), Finney instituted a
number of new measures which later evangelists would continue. These included
the inquiry room for counseling seekers, the anxious or mourners' bench for
those responding to the public invitation to Christ, preaching for an immediate
decision, emotional prayers which addressed God in a very familiar, informal
language, organized choirs and music, advertising and advanced preparation for
the revival meeting.
Origin of evangelistic
invitation
Finney believed that revival was not something sent down by God, but it could be
brought about if the right means were used. Man was free to choose his spiritual
destiny. Finney pressed for decisions. He was the first to have an "invitation"
calling people to the front to make a public witness of their conversion.
Dramatic changes result
Finney believed the gospel did not just get people saved, but it was also a
means of cleaning up society. He and his followers worked to make the United
States a Christian nation. Finney himself was a strong abolitionist and
encouraged Christians to become involved in the antislavery movement. Christians
became the leaders in many other social concerns such as education, prison
reform, temperance, Sabbath observance, and women's rights. The Second Great
Awakening resulted in the establishment of numerous societies to aid in
spreading the gospel, including the American Bible Society (1816), American
Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (1810), American Sunday School Union
(1817), American Tract Society (1826), and the American Home Missionary Society
(1826). The large numbers of Christian workers for social reform became so
influential they and the organizations they founded became known as the
Benevolent Empire. The Second Great Awakening had a greater effect on society
than any other revival in America. (GLIMPSES ISSUE #40)
GLIMPSES is
published 12 times per year by Christian History Institute, Box 540, Worcester,
PA 19490. Telephone 610-584-1893 Fax 610-584-4610. Ken Curtis, Editor. Writer,
Diana Severance, Klein,TX I.S.D. Copyright 1992 by Christian History
Institute. All rights reserved.
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