Preparationism in the First Great Awakening?

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arapahoepark

Puritan Board Professor
Was there Preparationism in the First Great Awakening on either side of the Atlantic? How did Edward's views play into calling sinners and evidence conversion?
I saw it mentioned that @Alan D. Strange wrote something on preparation in New England but am unsure where to look.
 
My take was that there was some sense of Preparationism in America. I don't have primary citations off the top of my head, but I remember reading Solomon Stoddard (JE's grandpa) writing about revivals in his church. He mentioned that you can't expect regeneration at whim's notice, but you can do your best to preach and disciple and hope that when/if the HS comes, you'd be ready.

As for Edwards himself, it's tricky because his views on revivals developed as the Great Awakening went on. His Narrative was a reflection about the revivals in his town after the fact. I know that his sermon Sinners in the Hands was not intended to start any revivals. In fact, he preached the sermon before in his own church before his famous breakout at Enfield CT. But after it happened, he was more than glad to see massive conversions.

I do not recall Edwards' himself making "altar calls" in the same way that Whitfield did. Their preaching style was rather different. However, Edwards did invite Whitfield over to his church on numerous occasions and preach. Edwards did really appreciate Whitefield's sermons, even liberally shedding tears (I remember this from reading Marsden's biography, again sorry I can't quote exact page number; it was a library copy). Edwards was very much open to calling people on the spot, though he himself probably(?) didn't do it (very much if at all). This was one of the big reasons for the splits between Old Lights and New Light Calvinists in New England. The former only saw conversion as a process. The latter were willing to accept progressive conversion and/or instantaneous conversion as both viable procedures. There was no need to limit God's working in a person's soul.

Qualification: there is a subtle but important distinction between the kind of "calling" of Whitfield and later Finney. Edwards welcomed Whitfield's calling with open arms, but he would have disdained Finney's. The former makes the call but recognized that the Holy Spirit has the ultimate say. Finney basically manipulated the call as a way to "save" people's souls with or without the Holy Spirit.
 
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I am always confused as to why proper preparation is charged with being an "-Ism." When faced with the truth of Scripture, we should ready ourselves for its effects and pray for God to bless it in our souls.
 
My take was that there was some sense of Preparationism in America. I don't have primary citations off the top of my head, but I remember reading Solomon Stoddard (JE's grandpa) writing about revivals in his church. He mentioned that you can't expect regeneration at whim's notice, but you can do your best to preach and disciple and hope that when/if the HS comes, you'd be ready.

As for Edwards himself, it's tricky because his views on revivals developed as the Great Awakening went on. His Narrative was a reflection about the revivals in his town after the fact. I know that his sermon Sinners in the Hands was not intended to start any revivals. In fact, he preached the sermon before in his own church before his famous breakout at Enfield CT. But after it happened, he was more than glad to see massive conversions.

I do not recall Edwards' himself making "altar calls" in the same way that Whitfield did. Their preaching style was rather different. However, Edwards did invite Whitfield over to his church on numerous occasions and preach. Edwards did really appreciate Whitefield's sermons, even liberally shedding tears (I remember this from reading Marsden's biography, again sorry I can't quote exact page number; it was a library copy). Edwards was very much open to calling people on the spot, though he himself probably(?) didn't do it (very much if at all). This was one of the big reasons for the splits between Old Lights and New Light Calvinists in New England. The former only saw conversion as a process. The latter were willing to accept progressive conversion and/or instantaneous conversion as both viable procedures. There was no need to limit God's working in a person's soul.

Qualification: there is a subtle but important distinction between the kind of "calling" of Whitfield and later Finney. Edwards welcomed Whitfield's calling with open arms, but he would have disdained Finney's. The former makes the call but recognized that the Holy Spirit has the ultimate say. Finney basically manipulated the call as a way to "save" people's souls with or without the Holy Spirit.
Was the Marrow influential during this period among those favoring revival?
 
All the puritans taught preparation beginning with Perkins and Ames. Rutherford defended the doctrine against the Antinomians. Here are his words: "Another false ground is here laid by Libertines, That wee place worth and righteousnesse in Preparations; or, 2. That Preparations make us lesse unworthy, and lesse sinners. But Preparations are not in any sort to us money nor hire;* wee value them as dung, and sin; yet such sin, as sicknesse is in relati∣on to physick. 2. Preparations remove not one dram, or twen∣tieth part of an ounce of guiltinesse, or sin. Christ, in practice of Free-grace, not by Law, yea not by promise, gives grace to the thus prepared, and often hee denyes it also: Yea, and there is a good houre appointed by God, when Christ comes. Other Physicians take diseases so early as they can, lest the malice of the disease over-come art; but Christ lets sin of purpose ripen, to the eleventh houre, often to the twelfth houre: Hee knowes his art can over-take and out-run seven devils, most easily. The omnipotency of grace knowes no such thing, as more or lesse pardonable in sin;* yea of purpose to heighten grace, that sin∣fulnesse may contend with grace, and be overcome, the Gentiles must be like corn ripe, white and yellow, ere the sickle cut them down, and they be converted. Joh. 4.35. The boyle must be ripe ere it break; the sea full ere it turne; therefore the Lord appoints a time, and sets a day for conversion. Tit. 3.3. We our selves were sometime 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, mad; but the Lord hath a gra∣cious 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, when; When the kindnesse and man-love of God appeared, hee saved us. And, Jer. 50.4. In those dayes, and at that time, saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah, going and weeping, they shall seek the Lord. Zech. 12.11. And in that day, there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. Its good to lie and wait at the doore and posts of Wisdomes house, and to lie and attend Christs tyde, it may come in an houre that you would never have beleeved."
 
Here's Perkins:
"In the working and effecting of Mans sal∣uation, * ordinarily there are two special acti∣ons of God: the giuing of the first grace, and after that, the giuing of the second. The for∣mer of these two works, hath X. seuerall a∣ctions. I. God giues man the outward meanes of saluation, specially the Ministerie of the word: and with it, he sends some out∣ward or inward crosse, to breake and sub due the stubbornnesse of our nature, that it may be made plyable to the will of God. This we may see in the example of the Iaylour, Act. 16. and of the Iewes that were conuer∣ted at Peters sermon, Act. 2. II. This done, God brings the minde of man to a conside∣ration of the Law, and therein generally to see what is good, and what is euill, what is sinne, and what is not sinne. III. Vpon a se∣rious consideration of the Law, he makes a man particularly to see and know, his owne peculiar and proper sinnes, whereby he of∣fends God. IV. Vpon the sight of sinne, he smites the heart with a Legall feare, whereby when man seeth his sinnes, he makes him to feare punishment and hell, and to despaire of saluation, in regard of any thing in him∣selfe.

Now these foure actions, are indeede no fruits of grace, for a Reprobate may goe thus farre; but they are onely workes of preparation going before grace; the other actions which follow, are effects of grace."
 
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