Letter from Howell Harris

He that believeth not shall be damned! Are you shocked at the expression? But if the sound of this truth be so harsh, what will the experience of it be? What will it be to see the creation consumed by fire, the sun darkened, the graves opened, and the God of heaven, who called upon you here, freely offering you peace and pardon, now clothed with justice, coming in flaming fire to take vengeance on all who have slept away the day of their visitation. What will then be the state of those who could not deny their own wisdom, nor get over the stumbling blocks that were in their way, but would mind what did not belong to them, thou the Lord himself condescended to say, "What is that of thee, follow thou me."

The Life and Times of

Howell Harris by Edward Morgan

Characteristic of the Great Awakening

"With the heart man believes to salvation. Although a man has believed some body of divinity, unless those principles which he has believed in his head have taken root in his heart so that he loves God's Son , rejoices in His salvation, denies himself, takes up his cross, follows the Lamb through all manner of reproach, his knowledge only makes him boast. He is blind and can not see far. He has never felt the authority of God's grace within, and how can such a person love the Savior of the world?

Before a man's life can be changed the Gospel must penetrate the very citadel of his personality; its message must take root in his 'heart'. The authority of God's grace must be felt within. This was the distinguishing characteristic of the Great Awakening. In Wales, Rowland was one of the first to prove its reality.

From Daniel Rowland and the Great Evangelical Awakening in Wales

By Eifion Evans

Whitefield On Open Air Preaching

Let not the adversaries say I have thrust myself out. No, they have thrust me out. And since the self-righteous men of this generation count themselves unworthy, I go out into the highways and hedges, and compel harlots, publicans, and sinners to come in, that my Masters house may be filled. "George Whitefield"

All The World Is Your Pulpit Go Share Your Faith !

I profess to be a member of the church of England; but if they will not let me preach in a Church, I will preach anywhere. All the world is my parish; and I will preach wherever God gives me opportunity. You will never find me disputing about the outward appendages of religion. Don't tell me you are a Baptist, an Independent, a Presbyterian, a Dissenter: tell me you are a Christian. That is all I want. This is the religion of Heaven and must be ours upon earth.

"George Whitefield"

Whitefield on Preaching

If they will not let me preach Christ crucified, an offer salvation to poor sinners in a church, I will preach him in the lanes, streets, highways and hedges; and nothing pleases me better, than to think I am now in one of the devil's strongest holds.

"George Whitefield"

Whitefield on Open Air Preaching

To confine our communion within church-walls, and to think Jesus could not preach in a field as well as on consecrated ground; this is Judaism, this is bigotry: this is like Peter, who would not go to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, till he had a vision from God: and when his conduct was blamed by the disciples , he could not satisfy them till he had acquainted them with the vision he had seen. "George Whitefield"

Stirred To Preach Open Air

The Baptist of the Southern Colonies in particular benefited from Whitefield's influence. Baptist churches and Baptist people were few in the South at the time, unbelief was entering among them and a zeal for soul winning was rare. But moved by Whitefield's ministry many of these churches became firm in the faith, and a new fevor began to characterize them. They increased in number with great speed as men-many of them farmer preachers-preached the gospel in tents, in barns, and in the open air. Souls in great number were one to Christ. "George Whitefield"

Personal Witnessing

Every open air preacher should not only address the hundreds, but he should be ready to pounce upon the ones, and he should have others with him who have the same happy art. How much more good would come of preaching in the streets if every open air preacher were accompanied by a batch of persons who would drive his nails home for him by personal conversation!

"Charles Spurgeon"