Great Awakening - Tracy - XIX - Chapter 15 concluded

Required reading
The Great Awakening: A history of the revival of religion in the time of Edwards & Whitefield by Joseph Tracy (Available from Amazon or free here) - Conclude Chapter 15.

My summary
Today we finish reading about revival under Whitefield in Scotland.

Most of today's text is taken up with the great change in Cambuslang where Whitefield preached to as many as twenty thousand.

Sadly a good portion of today's reading is given to the comments of the Erskines and Seceders about Whitefield who they claim deceives the simple and even that he is Satanic.  Nevertheless a number of Seceders join in communion with those in Cambuslang.  And, in contrast, Whitefield and the ministers of Cambuslang make the Seceders a matter of special prayer.

In addition, Whitefield is given to letter writing and attacking claims that he did no good work in New England.

Also a couple of paragraphs at the end of the chapter mention revivals occurring without Whitefield in the remote Highlands and even in Holland.

What grabbed me
The Seceders sound like such Pharisees, particularly calling the revivals a work of Satan.

I have to say I agreed with Robe's opinion about the Seceders' published comments: 'Robe pronounced this act '"he most heaven-daring paper that hath been published by any set of men in Britain, these three hundred years past." "You declare," he says, '' the work of God to be a delusion, and the work of the grand deceiver. Now, my dear brethren, for whom I tremble, have you been at due pains to know the nature and circumstances of this work ? Have you taken the trouble to go to any of these places where the Lord has appeared in his glory and majesty ? Have you so much as written to any of the ministers to receive information of it ? Is it not amazing rashness, without inquiry or trial, to pronounce that a work of the devil, which, for any thing you know, may be the work of the infinitely good and Holy Spirit." '

Calling the work of the Spirit Satanic is most dangerous.

Next week's reading
Read Chapter 16 (The revival in New England - Conventions and testimonies).

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.