1. “Let The Winds Blow & Thunders Roar”: The Great Awakening in America “There is nothing more important for preaching than the reading of church history and biographies” Dr M L-J CHURCH HISTORY II Lesson 25

2. Great Awakening 1740-42... Early stirrings: Theodore Frelinghuysen 1691-1747 Solomon Stoddard 1669-1727 Mather’s of Boston Tennent’s of Pennsylvania Jonathan Edwards “This town never was so full of Love, not so full of Joy, nor so full of distress as it has lately been…I never saw the Christian spirit in Love to Enemies so exemplified, in all my Life as I have seen it within this half-year” JE

3. 1300 miles N/S 50 miles width 1,000,000 150,000 negro slaves 2 nd trip: Oct 31, 1739 EVANGELICAL: Authority of scripture Necessity of new birth Intent to spread the gospel True conversion worked out in the believer’s 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

4. 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

5. What about emotional excesses? “New Lights” vs. “Old Lights” What place emotion in conversion and worship, both public and private? 1736 Narrative of Surprising Conversions 1741 Distinguishing Marks of the Work of the Spirit of God 1742 Religious Affections Sarah Pierpoint Edwards

6. Results of the Great Awakening 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 5.Building of new evangelical schools: Princeton Dartmouth Rutgers Brown 6. Calvinism strengthened and preserved in American churches for another hundred years POSITIVE:

7. 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 person’s life “I had rather wear out than rust out” NEGATIVE: