What Has Come to Be Known as the First Great Awakening Happened During the Following Time Period:

Many of the early on Puritans and pilgrims arrived in America with a fervent religion and vision for establishing a godly nation. Inside a century the avidity had cooled. The children of the original immigrants were more concerned with increasing wealth and comfy living than furthering the Kingdom of God. The aforementioned spiritual malaise could be plant throughout the American colonies. The philosophical rationalism of the Enlightenment was spreading its influence among the educated classes; others were preoccupied with the things of this world.

When Theodore Frelinghuysen, a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church, came to begin his pastoral globe in New Bailiwick of jersey during the 1720's, he was shocked past the deadness of the churches in America. He preached the need for conversion, a profound, life-changing commitment to Christ, not only perfunctory participation in religious duties. Presbyterian Gilbert Tennent was heavily influenced by Frelinghuysen and brought revival to his denomination. Tennent believed the deadness of the churches was in part due to and so many pastors having never been converted themselves. His book On the Dangers of an Unconverted Ministry acquired quite a stir!

Origins of the Not bad Awakening

The upshot that has become known as the Great Awakening actually began years earlier in the 1720s. And, although the most pregnant years were from 1740-1742, the revival continued until the 1760s.

Many of the early colonists had come to the new earth to savour religious freedom, simply as the state became tamed and prosperous they no longer relied on God for their daily bread. Wealth brought complacency toward God. As a effect, church membership dropped. Wishing to brand it easier to increment church attendance, the religious leaders had instituted the Halfway Covenant, which allowed membership without a public testimony of conversion. The churches were now attended largely by people who lacked a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Sadly, many of the ministers themselves did not know Christ and therefore could non lead their flocks to the true Shepherd. So, suddenly, the Spirit of God awoke equally though from an intense slumber and began to touch on the population of the colonies. People from all walks of life, from poor farmers to rich merchants, began experiencing renewal and rebirth.

The faith and prayers of the righteous leaders were the foundation of the Great Awakening. Before a meeting, George Whitefield would spend hours--and sometimes all nighttime--bathing an event in prayers. Fervent church members kept the fires of revival going through their genuine petitions for God's intervention in the lives of their communities.

The early rays of the Groovy Awakening began with Theodore Frelinghuysen of the Dutch Reformed Church in New Jersey. Through his ministry, the hearts of his church members were inverse. It was the young people who responded kickoff and experienced the regeneration of condign new creations. They, in turn, spread the message to their elders. Thus began the outset spark of the Great Awakening.

In 1727, nearly the time that Frelinghuysen and Tennent were seeing a revival in New Jersey, Jonathan Edwards went to Northampton, Massachusetts to become assistant minister to his grandfather Solomon Stoddard. Stoddard had ministered at Northampton near sixty years and during that time had seen 5 periods of revivals or "harvests," every bit he chosen them. Stoddard recognized that a church goes through periods of spiritual refreshing and depression: At that place are some special Seasons wherein God doth in a remarkable Manner revive Faith among his People. God doth not always carry on his piece of work in the church in the aforementioned proportion...there be times wherein there is a plentiful Effusion of the Spirit of God, and Religion is in a more flourishing Status.

Jonathan Edwards, Begetter of the Great Awakening

Pictured Above: Portrait of Jonathan Edwards

The preacher's monotone voice filled the church in Northampton, Massachusetts. As the brilliant Jonathan Edwards spoke, he kept his eyes focused on the back wall of the church building. Gently, Edwards' words began to sink into the hearts of the assembly, and although his method of speaking lacked enthusiasm, his words were powerful. Revival followed.

During the 1730s, the church in Northampton felt the stirring of the Holy Spirit, moving them from their lukewarm apathy to an awakening of their souls. Delivering his almost famous sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," on July 8, 1741, in Enfield, Connecticut, Edwards helped spread the revival. A great commotion swept over the people and they began wailing, crying, and screeching loudly. Frequently Edwards asked the congregation to control themselves so he might finish his sermon. Equally a result of his preaching and the work of the Spirit, lives began to change and complete towns were transformed.

The nearly prominent theologian of the Great Enkindling was Jonathan Edwards. Not a powerful speaker, Edwards all the same managed to spread the revival. From his brilliant heed, he constructed one of the virtually impressive sermons ever preached. He also wrote many books and pamphlets describing the events he saw in his ain church. The simply son in a family unit of xi children, Edwards was born on October 10, 1703. At the young age of xiii, he entered Yale (non unusual during that era of history) and graduated in 1723. Iv years later Jonathan married the remarkable and virtuous Sarah Pierpont. Faithfully Sarah helped Edwards in his ministry and personal endeavors. In 1727, Edwards became the assistant minister at the Northampton church. When his gramps, Solomon Stoddard, died, Jonathan became the minister and served in that church for almost twenty-four years. He spoke boldly confronting the Halfway Covenant. Since many of the members who promoted the Halfway Covenant were merchants (or river gods, as Edwards called them), they were able to make most of the decisions for the community, thus giving them the ability over the rest of the populace. Edwards did much to assist convalesce the tyrannical practices that followed.

In the 1730's, when Jonathan Edwards became the minister at Northampton, he institute only spiritual deadness in the church. He was concerned nigh the immorality of the young people and began visiting them in their homes. In 1734 he preached a serial of sermons on justification by faith alone. "By December," wrote Edwards, "the Spirit of God began extraordinarily to set in. Revival grew, and souls did as it were come by floods to Christ." Over a six month period, Edwards recorded three hundred conversions. He wrote a book, Narratives of Surprising Conversions, describing the revival and its effects on the life of the town.

The Far-Reaching Revival

In his Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, Edwards emphasized that true religion must touch on the heart. In The Distinguishing Marks of a Piece of work of the Spirit of God, Edwards taught from I John 4 what the evidence of a true revival and work of the Spirit would be. The private would exist confirmed in the truth of the gospel, that Jesus was the Son of God and the Savior of people (vs. ii-3). The convert would avoid sin and worldly animalism (vs. iv-v). He would have a greater regard for the Holy Scriptures, accepting their truth and divine origins (five. half dozen). Finally, his life would show a love to God and his beau man (vs. 6ff.) Edwards' printed works describing and analyzing the revival in Northampton were read throughout the American colonies and Britain. They stimulated ministers on both sides of the Atlantic to begin praying and looking for a revival.

Dandy Enkindling Crowds - the people came "en mass"

George Whitefield, an Anglican evangelist and friend of John and Charles Wesley, non merely traveled throughout Britain bringing the gospel of Christ, only he also made seven trips to America betwixt 1738 and 1770. He was probably the most well-traveled homo in the colonies and drew large crowds wherever he spoke. A widespread revival was most clearly seen during his second journeying (1739-1741). Equally he toured the colonies, he would daily preach to large crowds in the open air; the crowds were too big for the churches.

Pictured Below: A Portrait of George Whitefield

Ben Frankin and George Whitefield

Benjamin Franklin was fascinated with Whitefield'due south speaking ability and the effects his teaching had on the people. Though Franklin never openly became a Christian himself, he did become a friend of Whitefield'due south and his publisher in America. He was impressed with the change Whitefield'due south gospel preaching brought on society. Franklin wrote that Information technology was wonderful to run across the alter presently made in the manners of our inhabitants. From being thoughtless or indifferent about religion, it seemed as if all the earth were growing religious and then that one could non walk through the town in an evening without hearing psalms sung in different families of every street.

The organized religion and prayers of the righteous leaders were the foundation of the Cracking Awakening. Earlier a coming together, George Whitefield would spend hours--and sometimes all nighttime--bathing an result in prayers. Fervent church members kept the fires of revival going through their 18-carat petitions for God's intervention in the lives of their communities.

While Edwards was the most prominent theologian of the time, by far the nigh influential and famous evangelist of the Corking Enkindling was George Whitefield. He was born in England and educated at Oxford, where he met and became friends with John and Charles Wesley. During his spare time at college, he visited the poor and those in prison. On June twenty, 1736, at the age of twenty-two, he became an ordained minister. God blessed him with an amazing ministry building, and wherever he spoke revival accompanied him. At the Wesley brothers' asking, he joined them in Georgia to go along his ministry. After a few months, he returned to England and again reached thousands through his preaching. He became well-known in both the Colonies and Great Britain. His preaching spread revival and a new birth to the hearts of those who listened.

Unfortunately, many ministers became jealous of his God-given ability. In Bristol, the churches refused to allow him the use of their buildings. Undeterred, Whitefield preached outside On more than on occasion he addressed 30,000 people. He spoke persuasively with a loud, commanding, and pleasant voice. With weighty emotion and dramatic power Whitefield presented the gospel message to the masses, spreading the calorie-free of Christ with vigor and enthusiasm. He too united the contained movements of the Great Awaking and leap the split colonies into a unit. Breaking through denominational boundaries he in one case said, "Father Abraham, who take you lot in heaven? Any Episcopalians? No! Any Presbyterians? No! Any Independents or Methodist? No, no, no! Whom take y'all there, and then Father Abraham? We don't know those names here! All who are hither are Christians--believers in Christ, men who have overcome by the claret of the Lamb and the give-and-take of his testimony. Oh, is that the case? And then God help me, God help united states of america all, to forget having names and to become Christians in act and in truth!" During his life, he made seven tours of the colonies and preached 18,000 sermons! At that place was hardly a portion of the colonies that did not feel his influence and love.

Old Lights vs. New Lights

Not everyone welcomed the behavior of the Great Awakening. One of the principal opinions of the opponents was Charles Chauncy, a minister in Boston. Chauncy was especially critical of Whitefield's preaching and instead supported a more traditional, formal style of religion.

Past well-nigh 1742, a debate over the Bully Enkindling had divided the New England ministry and many colonists into two factions.

Preachers and followers who embraced the new ideas brought along by the Keen Enkindling became distinguished as "new lights." Those who affirmed the old-fashioned, traditional church means were designated "old lights."

Effects and Results of the Smashing Awakening

The Corking Awakening in America in the 1730s and 1740s had tremendous results. The number of people in the church multiplied, and the lives of the converted manifested true Christian piety. Denominational barriers broke down as Christians of all persuasions worked together in the cause of the gospel. There was a renewed business with missions, and piece of work amidst the Indians increased. As more immature men prepared for service as Christian ministers, a business organisation for higher education grew. Princeton, Rutgers, Brown, and Dartmouth universities were all established as a direct consequence of the Cracking Awakening. Some have even seen a connection between the Corking Enkindling and the American Revolution --Christians enjoying spiritual liberty in Christ would come to crave political liberty. The Great Enkindling not merely revived the American church only reinvigorated American society every bit well.

The pregnant working of God during the Great Awakening was far-reaching. Truly converted members now filled the pews. In New England, during the time from 1740 to 1742, memberships increased from 25,000 to 50,000. Hundreds of new churches were formed to arrange the growth in church-goers. For the first time, the individual colonies had a commonality with the other colonies. They were joined under the banner of Christ. Clearly, their unity gave them strength to face the impending danger of state of war with England. Not only did the Keen Awakening unite the colonies religiously just likewise politically. After being freed from inner sin, the colonists likewise sought freedom from external tyrants. The motto of the Revolutionary War was, "No Rex just King Jesus!"

A magazine merely to report the revival
Thomas Prince of Boston founded the first regularly published mag in America, The Christian History, to report the news of the revival in the colonies.

Excerpts provided form Amy Puetz: The Great Awakening

Commodity Photograph Credit: WikimediaCommons

Sources

Great Awakening, History.com

First Bully Awakening, Wikipedia.org

The Great Awakening, Khanacademy.org

walkeroplace56.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1701-1800/the-great-awakening-11630212.html