The First Great Awakening: Jonathan Edwards (Lest We Forget: Revival in America)

By Daniel Farley

The series looks at an important part of the country''s past, a part long since forgotten; where we came from and how God guided our path despite our missteps along the way. Though the focus is on the First Great Awakening, Book #1, briefly touches on the Pilgrims, who willingly gave up everything they knew, in order to freely practice their faith and impart it to their children. But what was planted in the hearts of the early settlers and cultivated by sacrifice and hardships did not carry through to the generations that followed. As subsequent generations lost their way and departed from the nations roots the country went through a course correction in the form of an incredible revival, known as the First Great Awakening that reestablished God''s presence in their lives. The First Great Awakening was more than a religious revival it was a steppingstone that paved the way for the founding of a nation. Since the magnitude of the Awakening was so great we''ll look at it from the perspective of each of the major players: Jonathon Edwards, the scholar; George Whitefield, the orator; and William Tennent. The teacher. This first book examines the role of Jonathon Edwards who led the first wave and had a major role in the second. It includes his family, his ultimate legacy of faith and David Brainerd. Edwards had no equal among his peers. He was a brilliant theologian, philosopher, scientist and a meticulous researcher and prolific writer, esteemed, and celebrated, in both America and Europe, putting him in a class by himself. Notwithstanding his abilities he was quick to say the Awakening was all God and that it surprised even him. The Awakening started in Northampton, Massachusetts and soon spread to other communities. People were falling under the influence of God throughout the community; at home, at work, in stores, in conversations, it really didn''t seem to matter. God was everywhere. Edwards said, "it never was so full of love, nor so full of joy; and yet so full of distress as it was then." People hung on every word preached, some being in tears, some weeping with sorrow and distress, others with joy and love, others with pity and concern for the souls of their neighbors. As God''s presence filled the atmosphere, conversations about spiritual matters and the eternal dominated everyday life. People thronged to private homes for meetings. Few if any were left unconcerned by matters of eternal significance as people came to Christ on mass. Sometimes people didn''t even know what was happening to them as they found themselves helpless to prevent it as even the most hardened hearts became acutely aware of the dreadful nature of sin. "What do I have to do to be saved?" became a common refrain. As word spread, people came to Northampton to investigate and found the work to be even greater than what they had heard. In many cases they too were overcome with the presence of God causing the work to spread to other communities. Book #2 examines the role of George Whitefield, the orator who was instrumental in the second wave. Whitefield''s speaking abilities were such that upwards of 20,000 people at a time attended his meetings and it''s estimated that over 80% of the population heard him speak. Benjamin Franklin, said of the Awakening''s impact Philadelphia said, "It was wonderful to see the change soon made in the manners of our inhabitants. From being thoughtless or indifferent about religion, it seemed as if all the world were growing religious, so that one could not walk through the town in an evening without hearing psalms sung in different families of every street." In Book #3 we look at William Tennent Sr., the teacher, the founder and principal instructor of the Log College. While Tennent played a less visible role, he, more than anyone else, was used by God to train up a small army of revivalists that either stoked the fires that were already burning or lit fires of their own.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0D94XGLGW
• ISBN13: 9798329991987
• Release Date: July 2024
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 295 Pages
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.7" x 5.5"