Puritans and Revival III: Captivated Leaders

We’re back to our series on the Puritans and Revivals. In the last episode in this series, we looked closely at the time between the end of Puritan Era (1662) through the beginning of the Great Awakening (1735).

This week, we’re zeroing in on some of the leaders of these revivals.

Methodism and The Holy Club

What was Methodism? It was a movement, not a denomination at this point. Calvinistic Methodism was pro-revival and pro-evangelical gospel. It emphasized experiential Christianity.

The Holy Club was started by George Whitefield who was joined by John and Charles Wesley. They wanted to take their Christian walk seriously, unlike many in that day. So they stuck out as “methodical.” In its beginning, they were moralists, seeking to earn favor with God.

Leaders of the Revival

Whitefield was the first of the members of the Holy Club to become a believer. He was converted after reading The Life of God in the Soul of Man, A Sure Guide to Heaven, and A Call to the Unconverted. These books helped to lead Whitefield away from self-righteousness and to Christ.

At the same time, men like Howell Harris and Daniel Rowland were being brought to the Lord in Wales.

Griffith Jones, who some called the “morning-star of Revival,” was a pastor preaching these same truths. Jones called Rowland out in front of everyone and said, “Oh, for a word to reach your soul.”

William Williams, the great hymn-writer, was converted when he heard Harris preaching.

The four principles the Calivinstic Methodists held to were:

Conversionism: in the Anglican church, the “spiritual awakening” for them was in their baptism. But the Evangelicals recognized that baptism wasn’t conversion. Men and women needed to be born again.
Activism: very evangelical and mission-minded. Whitefield was aggressive in spreading the gospel.
Biblicism: Scripture is the ultimate authority.
Crucicism: these men did not preach on revival, but on redemption, the work of Christ, the gospel, and holiness. They preached the cross.

These leaders were influenced by Scripture and by other authors and spiritual mentors. These were men who were conquered by Christ and radically conformed their lives to Christ. The same Holy Spirit that dwelt in them dwells in us.

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