Second Great Awakening Part Two - Gasper River

Account from Rev. John Rankin, who gave pastoral oversight to Gasper River:

“On Friday morning, at an early hour, the people began to assemble in large numbers from every quarter, & by the usual hour for preaching to commence, there was a multitude collected, unprecedented in this or any other new country of so sparse a population. The rising ground to the west & south of the meeting house, was literally lined with covered wagons & other appendages--each one furnished with provisions & accommodations, suitable to make them comfortable on the ground during the solemnity.

When I came in view of this vast assemblage with their new & singular preparations which they had made to qualify them to attend & sustain the meeting without interruption to themselves or other, I was astonished. . . . [On the evening of the following Monday] inquirers began to fall prostrate on all sides, & their cries became piercing & incessant--Heavy groans were heard, and trembling & shaking began to appear throughout the house; and again in a little time, cries of penitential & confessional prayer sounded through the assembly--Toward the approach of night, The floor of the meeting house was literally covered with the prostrate bodies of penitents, so that it become necessary to carry a number out of doors & lay them on the grass or garments, if they had them.”
*Excerpt from The Gasper River Meeting House by Thomas Whitaker

Accounts from Rev. James McGready:

Account #1:
”Here a surprising multitude of people collected, many from a very great distance: even from the distance of 30, 60, and 100 miles. There were 13 wagons [sic] brought to the meeting-house, in order to transport people and their provisions. On Friday and Saturday there was a very solemn attention. On Saturday evening, after the congregation was dismissed, a few serious exercised Christians were sitting conversing together, and appeared to be more than commonly engaged, the flame started from them and overspread the whole house, until every person appeared less or more engaged.

The greater part of the ministers, and several hundreds of people remained at the meeting-house all night. Through every part of the multitude there could be found some awakened souls, struggling in the pangs of the new birth, ready to faint and die for Christ, almost on the brink of desperation. Others again, just lifted from the horrible pit, and beginning to lisp the first notes of the new-song, and to tell the sweet wonders which they saw in Christ. Ministers and experienced Christians were everywhere engaged in praying, exhorting, conversing and trying to lead inquiring souls to the Lord Jesus. In this exercise the night was spent till near the break of day. The Sabbath was a blessed day in every sense of the word.--The groans of awakened sinners could be heard all over the house, during the morning sermons, but by no means so as to disturb the assembly. It was a comfortable time with many at the table.”
*Excerpt from The Gasper River Meeting House by Thomas Whitaker

Account #2:
"In July the sacrament was administered in Gasper River Congregation. Here multitudes crowded from all parts of the country to see a strange work, from the distance of forth, fifty, and even a hundred miles; whole families came in their wagons; between twenty and thirty wagons were brought to the place, loaded with people, and their provisions, in order to encamp at the meeting-house.

On Friday nothing more appeared, during the day, than a decent solemnity. On Saturday matters continued in the same way, until in the evening. Two pious women were sitting together, conversing about their exercises; which conversation seemed to affect some of the by-standers; instantly the divine flame spread through the whole multitude. Presently you might have seen sinners lying powerless in every part of the house, praying and crying for mercy. Ministers and private Christians were kept busy during the night conversing with the distressed. This night a goodly number of awakened souls were delivered by sweet believing views of the glory, fullness, and sufficiency of Christ, to save to the uttermost.

Amongst these were some little children-a striking proof of the religion of Jesus. Of many instances to which I have been an eye-witness, I shall only mention one, viz. A little girl. I stood by her whilst she lay across her mother's lap almost in despair. I was conversing with her when the first gleam of light broke in upon her mind-She started to her feet, and in an ecstasy of joy, she cried out, "O He is willing, He is willing-he is come, He is come-O what a sweet Christ He is--O what a precious Christ He is-O what a fullness I see in Him--O what a beauty I see in Him--O why was it that I never could believe! That I never could come to Christ before, when Christ was so willing to save me?" Then turning round, she addressed sinners, and told them of the glory, willingness and preciousness of Christ, and plead with them to repent; and all this in language so heavenly, and, at the same time, so rational and scriptural, that I was filled with astonishment. But were I to write you every particular of this kind that I have been an eye and ear witness to, during the two past years, it would fill many sheets of paper.”
*From Narrative of the Commencement and Progress of the Revival of 1800 by the late Rev. James McGready