Second Great Awakening Part Five - Anomalies

There are a few of what were known in 1800 as ‘exercises’ that appeared in the Second Great Awakening sacramental camp Meetings beginning at the June/1800 sacramental camp meeting at Red River Meeting House. For the purposes of this blog, I am going to refer to them as ‘anomalies’, the definition being ‘a deviation or departure from the normal or common order, form, or rule: abnormal, difficult to classify’. Those include falling, jerking, shouting and crying out, singing, laughing, just to name a few. I see them more as reactions to what they were hearing and seeing.

They have been a source of conflicting opinions for many, as people are polarized in their thinking regarding these curious manifestations. Actually back in 1800, this was one of those dividing lines between those considered the revivalists, and those called the anti-revivalists. Many were not comfortable with these, and declared that they could not be from God.

Let’s focus on just three of those anomalies. And I think everyone would agree that the physical manifestations at camp meetings in 1800 were out of the ordinary!

Anomaly #1:
During the days of preparation for the table, people fell to the ground unconscious as dead: many with no perceivable pulse or respiration. Those impacted would become unaware of what was going on around them, their attention appearing to be laser focused on what they were experiencing.

A quote from Rev. James McGready illustrates this point:
”On Monday multitudes were struck down under awful conviction; the cries of the distressed filled the whole house. There you might see profane swearers, and sabbath-breakers pricked to the heart, and crying out, "what shall we do to be saved?" There frolickers and dancers crying for mercy.”

Anomaly #2:
During the days of preparation for the table, people came under what appeared to be heavy conviction for the sin in their lives, which actually caused them to cry out, and weep profusely.

McGready illustrates this point:
“A circumstance worthy of observation, they were sober professors [those who claimed to be believers before this] in full communion. It was truly affecting to see them lying powerless, crying for mercy, and speaking to their friends and relations, in such language as this: "O, we despised the work that we heard of in Logan; but, O, we were deceived--I have no religion; I know now there is a reality in these things: three days ago I would have despised any person that would have behaved as I am doing now; but, O, I feel the very pains of hell in my soul.”

What caused those reactions? To what were they responding?

I suggest that some- as individuals- were being given a revelation of the LORD Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit as they were in an unconscious state- as a captive audience! What made it somewhat confusing is that many people experienced this phenomenon simultaneously. It was reported at different camp meetings that as many as 300 or more fell at exactly the same time. It was also reported that this phenomenon also happened to individuals when they returned to their homes, in the fields or wherever they happened to be. Most of the time, it also involved the weeping and crying out.

The last of the anomalies that I will include is something that is equally as unusual as the first two, and they preceded this last one. It was when small children were struck down.

Instead of trying to illustrate what happened, I am going to give a direct quote from Rev. James McGready regarding this subject:

'“Amongst these [the many who fell down unconscious] 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.”

Again, McGready speaks of children being impacted by the Spirit of God:
”There you might see little children of 10, 11 and 12 years of age, praying and crying for redemption, in the blood of Jesus, in agonies of distress.”

Even though, all of those impacted- from the very old, to the very young- they all responded in a very similar manner. They described the LORD Jesus Christ in terms of what McGready later referred to as ‘heavenly language’. In other words, they were describing what they heard and saw in the unconscious state, and not something they learned beforehand. I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but from how they described Him, and by how eloquently they articulated His attributes, I would say they each had encountered Him personally. And in that encounter, they became keenly aware of something we normally don’t equate with children: an awareness of their own sin, and their need for His forgiveness and redemption.

So, as Jesus said, “Out of the mouths of babes… God has perfected praise” was not just words on a page, but something actually happening.

And even those older than small children did the very same thing. Upon regaining consciousness, they were full of praise to Him and spoke to all of those around them about beautiful He is, and the saving, forgiving, redeeming work He had done in their hearts.