In the mid-1700s, the Lord Jesus poured out an extraordinary activity of power through His Spirit upon His people in Great Britain and the American colonies. At least tens of thousands of people were converted to Jesus, the two main societies were radically transformed, new Christian groups were established, masses of the poor were cared for and equipped to provide for themselves, and government institutions were influenced to promote the enforcement of righteousness and godliness in many places. Most importantly, the Lord Jesus Messiah was greatly praised, honored, and worshiped through the salvation and growth of thousands of souls.

But God didn’t accomplish these things simply through supernatural, immaterial means. He did so, as He almost always does, through His children and servants. Preeminently, as Scripture emphatically teaches, He transformed the minds and hearts of so many people through the preaching of His Word, as taught in the holy Scriptures. And who preached His Word? Preachers.

The Lord raised up droves of preachers during this period to bring about what has usually been called the First Great Awakening, but he especially used a select several men in America and Great Britain to preach the gospel, for the salvation of sinners, and the building up of His saints. Some such men were the well-known John and Charles Wesley, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, and some lesser known such as Gilbert Tennant and David Brainerd. These men were mightily used by the Lord to bring many dozens to thousands of sinners to a saving knowledge of Himself, and to bring His children to greater conformity to Christlikeness. But why did He use such men? Was it just due to arbitrary circumstances that showcase His power to use whatever kind of person He will to grant salvation? Certainly this is demonstrated in many instances during the awakening. However, when we look at these men, there are several character qualities, and skill sets, which are common among all of them. Given such a commonality with several of these men, all of whom were used in similar ways, it will benefit us greatly to understand what made them particularly useful to the Lord in the preaching and teaching of the gospel, so that we today can seek to emulate these qualities, in order to put ourselves in a position to be honored by the Lord with the privilege of seeing great numbers of people eternally benefited from our witnessing and example.

The main characteristics we see possessed by these men are as follows:

  1. A comprehensive education, centering on the study of holy Scripture
  2. Intense personal devotion to the study and application of Scripture
  3. Earnest and desperate devotion to set times of daily prayer
  4. Resolve to sacrifice personal comfort, reputation, and popularity for the sake of the gospel’s defense and advancement
  5. Reliance on the encouragement of like-minded brothers as close friends and supporters
  6. Condescension to the most common people in clearly and plainly explaining the loftiest and complex truths of Scripture
  7. Supreme delight in the honor of Jesus through the salvation of sinners, and the upbuilding of believers

Comprehensively and Biblically Educated

The first obvious distinguishing mark of the Great Awakening preachers was that they had been formally educated through classical liberal arts universities. The Wesley’s and Whitefield all studied at Oxford University. Jonathan Edwards was a graduate of Yale College, while David Brainerd began his theological education there. Finally, Gilbert and William Tennant, the main Presbyterian preachers of the Awakening, trained at their father’s Bible school in Pennsylvania, which also followed the classical and biblical education tradition.

Their several years’ of intense study supplied them with a wealth of knowledge from a vast array of sources. They became thoroughly familiar with logic, the general sciences of physics and math, western history, biblical languages, and especially the central parts of the Scriptures. This accounts for their great intellectual, rhetorical, and oratorical abilities.

Obviously, such an education isn’t necessary for the Lord to develop a gospel preacher, but their education came into effective use in their understanding, application, teaching, preaching, and writings about the teachings of Scripture.

Intense Devotion to Scripture Study

Of course, the chief subject of their study, upon their completion of university education, was the essential teaching of Scripture. It is most well-known that Whitefield would begin each day by studying a passage of Scripture on his knees. His early process in doing so first involved reading the passage in English, then studying the words in the original, then considering a Puritan commentary on it, and finally praying about each part of the passage. When Edwards was around 19 years old, he wrote down his resolution 28 that he would engage “to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.”

Likewise, both of the Wesley’s were earnest students of the Bible, as can be discerned by considering John’s concise, but thorough, commentary of the whole Bible, and also Charles’ many Scripture-saturated hymns, which are still sung today. In sum, all of the Awakening preachers daily read God’s Word reverently, prayerfully, and carefully, not only to find texts from which to teach and preach, but also for their own encouragement and instruction.

Delight in Diligent Prayer

The third main characteristic of these men was that they were men who were regularly, thoughtfully, and desperately praying at set times. It’s recorded that John Wesley regularly set aside a time in the middle of the day specifically for prayer, besides his morning prayer time, which likely was the similar practice of his brother.

Most notably, David Brainerd seems to have been the extraordinary pattern which most of these men looked to as an example. He was rigorously devoted to fasting from food in order to pray, and often spent a few hours in prayer, as well as whole nights. Aside from these special periods for prayer, he also records in his journal how he would pray while he was riding on horseback to and from his mission fields.

The main instrument that these men used to receive God’s power, and to wield the sword of the Spirit, was their intense, constant, and wise requests to their heavenly Father. No man who wants to be controlled by the Spirit and used to win sinners to the Lord will neglect this primary resource.

Resolve to Sacrifice Anything to Advance the Truth

Fourth, the Awakening preachers followed the example of the Lord Jesus in sacrificing whatever might have given them temporal benefit, in order to promote the spread and defense of the gospel. Both the Wesley’s and Whitefield endured the scorn, resentment, and insults of hardline Anglicans in their endeavor to preach the gospel apart from traditional church services, and at any time necessary. Also, Brainerd suffered unjust expulsion from Yale College after he conscientiously declared that one of its professors was ungodly. In the case of Edwards, he stood against the immorality of his community, as well as against the half-way covenant compromise that was practiced by the New England Congregationalist churches. In so doing, he was eventually forced out of his pastoral position. The Wesley’s and Whitefield stood against the compromise, coldness, and unbelief of the Anglican Church by open-air preaching and forming separate Methodist Societies.

Further, the Tennants of Pennsylvania and New Jersey defied their stubborn Presbyterian associates in their advocacy of itinerant preaching. Finally, all three of the Methodist leaders lived on little to nothing for most of their ministries, with Whitefield dying penniless, and devoting most of his income to his orphanage in Georgia.

Reliance on Like-Minded Brothers in the Gospel Ministry

All of them networked among other Bible teachers and preachers, corresponding through letters, and visiting each other as they had opportunity, in order to work together for the promotion of the gospel. During Whitefield’s first journey to the colonies, Edwards invited him to stay with him, and was greatly encouraged by his zeal and love for souls. Famously, he let him preach to his congregation, and was moved to weeping from the beauty of his preaching.

At least during the beginning of their ministries in England, the Methodist preachers (the Wesley’s and Whitefield) worked together in order to spread the gospel, and to form Societies. When Whitefield left for America, he even put John in charge of the movement, which sadly led to some conflict when John became opposed to promoting in any way the view of salvation that Whitefield preached and taught. Nevertheless, Charles eventually came to see the biblical accuracy of Whitefield’s so-called Calvinism, and later on assisted him in his ministry. In addition to working with Edwards, Whitefield joined hands with many like-minded Bible preachers, and was often invited to preach in church buildings, although he usually was forced to preach outside for lack of room. Also, he usually wasn’t in want of lodging, which was provided for him by sympathetic friends in the gospel.

For the most part, the gospel preachers of the awakening joined together to promote the spread of the gospel, and to follow up with converts through further Bible teaching and counseling.

Condescension to the Intellects of the Common People

They gave attention to making the grandest and most complex truths of the Bible understandable to common people. John Wesley’s motto was to “speak plain truth to plain people”. It’s testified also that most of Edwards’ sermons weren’t delivered in academic, high-fallutin’ language (although this is hard to see by today’s standards), but in terms that the average worker could understand. Likewise, Whitefield made sure that he spoke to his audiences in ways that were comprehensible to them. Finally, Brainerd had to go the extra mile to communicate the essentials of the gospel to Native Americans who didn’t speak English fluently, if at all. Although they possessed towering intellects, their main students were common farmers, artisans, butchers, miners, fishermen, and carpenters.

Supreme Delight in and Devotion to the Lord’s Honor through Salvation and the Church’s Upbuilding

Last and most importantly, the gospel preachers of the Awakening had an all-consuming passion to make the Lord and Savior known through winning sinners to Him, and by helping believers to mature. Reading their writings, and the testimony of acquaintances and friends, it’s clear that they were wholly devoted to their giftings and callings. Although they had severe faults, they nevertheless mostly proved themselves to be examples of growing consecration to their service of the Lord and others through their preaching, teaching, and administrating.

How You Can Promote Awakening Gospel Preachers

If you’re a man, you most likely won’t be used to as much of an extent as the Great Awakening preachers, were, but you can certainly be a gospel preacher able to be used by the Lord to bring many to salvation, and to build up your brethren. It’s really quite simple.

First, make your highest passion in your life to please the Lord in all things, so that you can be a shining witness to the unbelievers around you. Like Paul, set your mind on Jesus, and seek to know and imitate Him as much as possible. Let nothing stand in your way, and seek as your highest joy, your greatest delight, and your most precious treasure, to experience the presence, power, and love of Jesus in your mind and in your behavior. Second, devote yourself to prayer as your most important discipline. Seek the Lord’s face first thing in the morning, every day. Let this communion with the Lord lead you to searching for His guidance and wisdom in the holy Scriptures every day, preferably soon after waking up.

Third, attend not only to learning the Scriptures as your primary source of knowledge and wisdom, but endeavor to be informe and educated about the subjects and areas that will be most applicable for your station as a man, in your various roles. Fourth, conform to the attitude of Jesus in despising personal comfort, pleasure, prestige, popularity, or praise, if it prevents you from being faithful to His Word. Fifth, seek out other godly brothers who will be able to come alongside you for encouragement, warning, correction, comfort, and counsel, and be eager to share such benefits with them as well. Finally, be sympathetic, compassionate, and understanding toward the sinners around you, who are enslaved by sin and Satan. When you preach or witness to them, speak at their level, with some of their language, and make the good news clear to them as much as you’re able, without corrupting it. And obviously, this will require you to be bold and out-spoken in your compassionate appeals to them in the gospel. Seek to persuade them to repent, since you know the fear of the Lord (2 Cor. 5).

If you aren’t a man, you too have a responsibility to share the gospel with perishing sinners. You too can follow these virtues to be an able witness for the Lord. But also pray that the Lord would raise up men of God who are proud of the gospel, who are living the gospel increasingly, and who are able and eager to preach and teach it! This is one of the greatest needs for the body of Christ today. Oh, that He would raise up gospel preachers that will wake up sleeping saints, and resurrect dead sinners through the preaching of the Word of Messiah!