George Whitefield and the Great Awakening
Last updated: 2026-04-10
George Whitefield was an influential 18th-century English Anglican evangelist and one of the founders of Methodism, known for his powerful preaching and pivotal role in the Great Awakening in both Britain and the American colonies. He was a champion of the Reformed doctrine of unconditional election and the necessity of the new birth, often engaging in theological debate with John Wesley on these very points.
📖 A Proclaimer of Sovereign Grace
George Whitefield was a man whose ministry was anchored in the glorious truth that salvation is entirely of the Lord. As a Particular Baptist, I hold that his zeal was not for a general, uncertain offer of salvation, but for the effective, irresistible calling of the elect—a theme central to the ministry of any Reformed preacher. Whitefield’s theology of grace mirrors that described in The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, emphasizing that Christ’s atonement effectively secured the salvation of His people. As Charles Spurgeon aptly notes in All of Grace (Spurgeon), the aim of such preaching is not to entertain or merely inform, but to lead the thirsty sinner to the fountain of life that is Christ alone.
Sources: All of Grace (Spurgeon) · The Death of Death in the Death of Christ
⚡ A Pattern for Gospel Ministry
Whitefield’s life and work illustrate the principles laid out in William Perkins’s The Art of Prophesying. He possessed a 'demonstration of the Spirit' that transcended mere human eloquence. While the world may remember him for his oratorical skill, his ministry was defined by a commitment to the Word as the only proper matter for preaching. He did not seek to advance the pride of man or his free-will, but sought to pull down human pretension, ensuring that the glory remained with the Triune God, as seen in The Art of Prophesying §1.
Sources: The Art of Prophesying
George Whitefield was a central figure in the Great Awakening who used the open-air pulpit to reach thousands with the message of the new birth. His preaching was powerful not because of human eloquence, but because it was saturated in the Holy Spirit, focused on the sovereignty of God's grace, and directed toward the immediate conversion of the sinner.
🔥 A Proclaimer of Sovereign Grace
Whitefield's role in the Great Awakening was characterized by an unyielding commitment to the Doctrines of Grace. Like the faithful ministers described in the Westminster Larger Catechism Q.159, he sought to make known the 'whole counsel of God' with fervent love for souls. He recognized that it was not his own passion, but the 'demonstration of the Spirit, and of power' that brought about the awakening of hearts. His preaching exposed the moralism of his day by insisting that sinners are dead in their transgressions and must be born again solely by the sovereign grace of God in Christ.
Sources: 1 Corinthians 2:4 · Westminster Larger Catechism Q.159
📖 The Manner and Power of the Pulpit
Whitefield embodied the principles found in The Art of Prophesying by William Perkins. He preached 'plainly, not in the enticing words of man's wisdom,' but with an earnestness that reflected his total dependence on God. Whether in a church or in an open field, he was always 'in season and out of season,' knowing that the Spirit of God uses the preaching of the Word as the primary means to drive sinners out of themselves and draw them unto Christ. He understood that without the Spirit, all human effort is vanity.
Sources: 2 Timothy 4:2 · The Art of Prophesying
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