The Forgotten Great Awakening – The Revival of 1857-58.

“Never before has the salvation of God been so mightily revealed in our land; never, we believe, has the truth made such rapid advances among the people; never have the skies ‘poured down righteousness’ upon us as during the last few months. The highway of holiness has never before been trodden by so large a host of His ransomed ones at any period of the world’s history. In this visitation of mercy, our state has largely participated.” These words appeared in a religious periodical reporting the unusual visitation from God that was sweeping over the entire country in the Spring of 1858. By the time the Awakening had abated, conservative estimates record over one million new converts added to Protestant denominations in America.

Surprisingly, little is known about this major spiritual awakening in contrast to the Awakenings of 1734, 1797, and 1830. In the Awakening of 1857-58, God stirred the heart and soul of a nation heading into the bloodiest conflict in her brief history. Out of this Awakening came the ministry of D.L. Moody in Chicago as well as that of Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission. Out of this revival came both the Y.M.C.A. and the Sunday School movement. Anna Warner, stirred by the Awakening, penned words to the familiar song, Jesus Loves Me, This I Know. The invitational hymn “Just as I am without one Plea” became familiar to God’s people during this time of spiritual awakening. The words to the familiar hymn, "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus” were written during this revival by George Duffield upon the death of a preacher friend whose dying words were “Tell the men to stand up for Jesus.” William Bradbury composed the simple melody to “He leadeth me! O Blessed Thought.” A sixteen year old boy converted during the revival described his conversion in the hymn he composed, “My Jesus I love thee, I know thou are mine; For Thee, all the follies of sin, I resign.” An itinerant evangelist preaching during this time wrote the words, “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear, What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.” Fanny Crosby wrote many of her beloved hymns during this Awakening such as “Near the Cross” and “Blessed Assurance.” Phillip Bliss composed “Whosoever will may Come” and “Man of Sorrows” out of a heart stirred by this awakening.

Thankfully, a stirring history of this revival has been preserved for us in a carefully documented work by Richard Owen Roberts entitled, “The Event of the Century: The 1857-1858 Awakening.” Published by International Awakening Press, this work is a valuable resource for every serious student of revival. After a brief chapter where he defines his terminology regarding revival, Orr embarks on an informative and inspiring account of this great awakening from God. He contends that the awakening was not merely the result of desperate men turning to God at the last minute after the famous Bank Panic of 1857. Instead, the fervent and ongoing prayers of godly Christians concerned at the moral apathy and the general spiritual decline of the nation during the years leading up to the Panic of 1857 were the key to God’s visitation. He provides a fascinating documentation of the spread of the Revival from state to state until it had touched every part of the United States, Canada, and the nearby Caribbean provinces. He includes a very informative section on the impact of this Awakening on the African slaves in the Southern states and suggests that the revival may have come to prepare the souls of men who shortly would lose their lives in the Civil War. Additionally, he contends that the spiritual effects of the revival made possible a more smooth and gentle healing of the nation after the war than would have otherwise occurred.

Orr fills up each section with fascinating details and personal testimonies of those who were stirred. For example, D. L. Moody was a young shoe salesman during this time and attended one of the many prayer meetings that sprang up during the Awakening. He wrote his mother and said, “I go to meeting every night, and oh how I enjoy it. It seems as if God were here Himself. Mother, pray for me. Pray this work may go on, till every knee is bowed.” Moved by the needs around him, he began to consider what he could contribute as a layperson. Upon volunteering to help teach in the existing Sunday Scholars program, he was informed that there were not enough students to go around. However, he would be permitted to teach if he provided his own students. He came the following Sunday with 17 street urchins he had persuaded to attend. Soon, his class had grown to over 1,500 students.

Orr credits the revival to the prayers of God’s people and has an entire section describing the rise of the lay prayer movement and its spread across the nation. One of the most valuable sections is the actual description of how one of those prayer meetings was actually conducted. In describing the revival, Orr observes that it was not the result of the work of a famous preacher or evangelist. Further, it was unusual in that it involved the leadership of laymen to a greater degree than previous awakenings. Third, this awakening was unusually free from emotionalism or uncontrolled outbursts that had been associated with the earlier revivals. Fourth, there was no recorded evidence of the sign gifts (healing, tongues, etc.), rather the gifts that accompanied this awakening were those of church planter, preacher, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. Finally, there seemed to be an unusual unity and cooperation among genuine believers who were within the bounds of orthodox Protestant theology.

After reading this account I found my heart rejoicing in what God has done in the past. Further, I gained new appreciation and a fresh perspective on the familiar hymns and practices such as mid-week prayer meeting and Sunday School. As one reads the accounts of the prayer-meetings it is impossible to remain unmoved by the power of prayer to move the hand and heart of God. I closed the book with the prayer, “Lord, awaken my heart – and visit your people afresh.” May this be your prayer as well.