The Cane Ridge Revival

The Principles and Precepts of Revival- The Cane Ridge Revival/Second Great Awakening in the West

For further reading see "Revival- its principles and Personalities" by Winkie Pratney

"From Sea to Shining Sea" by Peter Marshall and David Manual

 

Arise; shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.  For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you and His glory will be seen upon you.  The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. "Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be nursed at your side.  

Isaiah 60:1-4

 

 

Conditions of the people on the frontier- primarily the new territory of Kentucky- the bulk of the followingpages of excerpts were obtained from "From Sea to Shining Sea" by Peter Marshall and David Manual:

 

 

1.

The people who settled this region did not come for reasons of religion, but to settle new land.   The ultimately became farmers who cleared the forests for planting and built their homes themselves.  Whatever they had or did, they were on their own.

2.

A feeling of independence and individualism ("I am on my own, with no one to tell me what to do, and I need no one").  This situation ultimately led to:

a.

A person's family became the almost exclusive source for the meeting of social needs.

b.

Loneliness- generally led to people turning to the whisky jug for relief.  It has been said that Kentuckians at that time probably consumed more whiskey per capita that any other group of people on earth.

c.

They had to literally live off the land.  This meant that to supply one's family with food, they had to become skilled hunters and stalkers.  

d.

Lived in constant fear of Indian massacre.  (1783-1790 over 1500 people were slaughtered by Indians).  The Indians in this region overwhelminglyshowed no mercy, and were often Satanic in their relishing of inflicting pain and torture upon their victims.  This meant that they had to become as skilled in fighting in the manner of the Indians in order to survive.

e.

These two things- the pressure of having to be skilled in hunting so that the family does not starve, to have to be more cunning than the Indians who will sneak up and kill you, led to them becoming amazingly proficient shots with the rifle, the use ofthe hatchet, and fighting.  They had to become, lethal, powerful killing machines, who were always mindful that death could be waiting around the next tree.  

f.

They became in one sense "a little crazy, and more than a little lawless," and when around others and having dipped into the liquor, any restraint would often evaporate, and the fighting would have no rules.  

 

The territory of Kentucky also attracted many lawbreakers.  Although technically the territory was under United States law, no one was designated to enforce the law.  This unfortunately led to the U.S. Government report to state regrettably that the region had become like an asylum to all manner of lawbreakers, and thus discouraging good, law-abiding citizens from living there.  

The worst place by far was Logan County.  This area attracted so many murderers, horse thieves, highway robbers and counterfeiters, that it received the name "Rogues Harbor."  There were some virtuous people who lived there and who even built a few small churches, and wanted to try to see some law and order come to the area.  Peter Cartwright, a famous frontier minister who grew up there described what happened:  "Those who favored a better state of morals were called 'Regulators.'  But they encountered fierce opposition from the 'Rogues,' and a battle was fought with guns, pistols, dirks, knives and clubs, in which the Regulators were defeated."

 

God then providentially sent a minister named James McGready. McGready was a Scotch-Irish Presbyterian minister whose chief claim to fame was he was so ugly that he attracted attention. It was reported that people sometimes stopped in the street to ask: 'What does he do?" "He's a preacher." Then they reacted, saying: "A man with a face like that must really have something to say."

McGready gained favor even with the Rogues as he dressed in buckskins just as them, and when he preached, it was in a vivid, plain-spoken style.  Listeners say that when he described heaven, they could "almost see its glories and longed to be there."  He would also "so array hell and its horrors before the wicked, that they would tremble and quake, imagining a lake of fire and brimstone yawning to overwhelm them, and the wrath of God thrusting them down the horrible abyss."  

God raised up three small congregations for McGready on each of the three rivers that run through Logan County.  McGready submitted a covenant before each congregation that they pledged:

 

"When we consider the Word and Promises of a compassionate God, to the poor lost family of Adam, we find the strongest encouragement for Christians to pray in faith—to ask in the name of Jesus for the conversion of their fellow men…. With these promises before us, we feel encouraged to unite our supplications to a prayer-hearing God, for the outpouring of His Spirit, that His people may be quickened and comforted, and that our children, and sinners generally, may be converted."

 

All those willing to sign this covenant agreed to pray every Saturday evening and Sunday morning and to devote the third Saturday of each month to prayer and fasting.  The focus of this concerted prayer campaign was for the Lord to cause a religious awakening in the county.  Month after month they went before the Lord, but matters only seemed to get worse, to which McGready continued to encourage them, that God did hear the prayer of the righteous. This led them to search their own hearts even more diligently, that they might be truly righteous in His eyes.  He wrote in his diary that the winter of 1799 for the most part was "weeping and mourning with the people of God."

 

Within a year they began to see a break through, signs of revival.  The first instance of such was during a communion service in July of 1799, where "some of the boldest, most daring sinners in the county covered their faces and wept bitterly."  Again, one month later they saw similar results, but this was just the beginning.  In June of 1800, over 500 people gathered along with a number of ministers to the Red River church, some out of hunger, some were merely curious after the events that had taken place the year before.  Twice the whole congregation was reduced to tears.  But the final day was the dam began to break.  As they sat in solemn reflection, a "solemn weeping fell over the house," and one minister, John McGee managed to compose himself for one final appeal:  

 

"I exhorted them to let the Lord Omnipotent reign in their hearts and submit to Him, and their souls should live.  Many broke silence.  The woman in the east end of the house shouted tremendously.  I left the pulpit to go to her…Several spoke to me:  "Youknow these people Presbyterians are much for order, they will not bear this confusion, go back and be quiet." I turned to go back and was near falling, the power of God was strong upon me.  I turned again and losing sight of fear of man, I went through the house exhorting with all possible ecstasy and energy." 

In a moment, the floor was "covered with the slain; their screams for mercy pierced the heavens," and according to McGready, one could see "multitudes were struck down under awful conviction; the cries of the distressed filled the whole house, with frolicers, and dancers crying for mercy. There you might see little children of ten, eleven and twelve years of age, praying and crying for redemption, in the blood of Jesus, in agonies of distress.  Profane swearers and Sabbath-breakers pricked to the heart and crying out 'What shall we do to be saved?'

 

From there McGready went to the other two churches to hold meetings with similar results.  Word began to spread throughout Kentucky that things were happening in these congregations that had not happened since the book of Acts!  The next major gathering was scheduled for the following month and was a four day sacramental meeting.  Realizing that more people might be coming than could be housed by the local community, McGready sent word out for attendees to bring wagons, supplies, and be prepared to camp.  But no one was expecting for 10,000 people to show up!  As Lexington was the largest was the largest town in the whole territory, and it was over 100 miles away and only contained 1800 inhabitants, this was a massive gathering.  \

 

Fellow minister Barton Stone described what happened:  

 

"There, on the edge of a prairie in Logan County, Kentucky, the multitudes came together and continued a number of days and nights encamped on the ground, during which time worship was carried on in some part of the encampment. The scene was new to me and passing strange. It baffled description. Many, very many, fell down as men slain in battle, and continued for hours together in an apparently breathless and motionless state, sometimes for a few moments reviving and exhibiting symptoms of life by a deep groan or piercing shriek, or by a prayer for mercy fervently uttered. After lying there for hours they obtained deliverance. The gloomy cloud that had covered their faces seemed gradually and visibly to disappear, and hope, in smiles, brightened into joy. They would rise, shouting deliverance, and then would address the surrounding multitude in language truly eloquent and impressive. With astonishment did I hear men, women, and children declaring the wonderful works of God and the glorious mysteries of the gospel. Their appeals were solemn, heart-penetrating, bold, and free. Under such circumstances many others would fall down into the same state from which the speakers had just been delivered."

 

McGready went on to say "No one seemed to want to go home—hunger and sleep seemed to affect nobody—eternal things were the vast concern.  Here awakening and converting work was to be found in every part of the multitude."  When the meeting was over, the other ministers went back to their home churches and immediately organized camp meetings which met with similar results.  Word of mouth seemed to be carried by the wind of the Spirit as a wave went out through all Kentucky up into Ohio, down into Tennessee and East into North Carolina.  The great revival of 1800 was underway!!   Barton Stone home to astound his congregation with word of these wonderful events and to lay plans for the largest camp meeting the world had ever seen.  

 

Over the next year leading up to the gathering at Cane Ridge, located in Bourbon County, Kentucky, the momentum only continued to build.  Sacramental communion events in the months preceding the one scheduled to begin in August at Cane Ridge had attracted thousands of people- 4,000 at Concord, 6,000 at Lexington, and 10,000 at Indian Creek in Harrison County.  The atmosphere for these gatherings was electric.  

Barton Stone used his contacts of other ministers to spread the word far and wide that the Cane Ridge Sacramental communion was to be "one of the greatest meetings of its kind ever known."   The people came from all parts of the state, as well as southern Ohio and northern Tennessee.   The clearing where the meeting was to be held was enormous with seven platforms spread out to different corners of the clearing to allow more than one minister at a time an opportunity to speak.  Stone had invited other preachers to help—Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists; the denominational backgrounds did not seem to matter much in the trenches.  "They were of one mind and soul," wrote Stone, "the salvation of sinners was the one object.  We all engaged in singing the same songs, all united in prayer, and all preached the same things."  They were of one mind and one accord—as is the case when true revival breaks out.

 

The gathering was enormous, beyond expectations, at 25,000—more than an eighth of the state's entire free population.  Everyone came prepared to camp out, and brought ample supplies of food.  There were all manner of people gathered, the faithful, the curious, the scoffers, as well as the dregs of society who were just as curious as the others.  Some merchants would sell whiskey in the woods beyond the clearing to those not spiritually thirsty, and there was some drunkenness evident, but these were made the object of targeted prayer and more often than not, were converted.  The ministers and those that had been converted the previous summer were enough to keep the rowdy element for the most part, in check.

When the meeting finally got underway, the clearing was filled to overflowing, and more than one minister got up at the same time to speak as they were spaced far enough apart to not interfere with each other.  Each had a large crowd in front of them, with some people drifting from group to group as if sampling from a divine smorgasbord

It wasn't long before the Spirit fell.  People began to come under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and began to call out, "what must I do to be saved?"  Others fell to the ground, "slain in the Spirit," and still others exhibited all manner of bizarre behavior.    

Among the preachers present were Methodist John McGee and his Presbyterian brother William, the latter would, "sometimes exhort after the sermons, standing on the floor, or sitting, or lying in the dust, his eyes steaming, and his heart so full that he could only cry out 'Jesus, Jesus.'"  His brother John described the scene at night:  "the camp ground was well illuminated; the people were differently exercised all over the ground, some exhorting, some shouting, some praying, and some crying for mercy, while others lay as dead men on the ground."  

 

There were many instances of hard cases and scoffers falling at the continual services "as suddenly as if struck by lightning," sometimes at the very moment they were cursing the proceedings.  One tried to prove that the fallen were faking their experience and began prodding them with a nail on a stick, but to no avail. Frustrated, he went and purchased several cupfuls of whiskey, then returned and shouted that he, at least, would not fall.  The words were scarcely out of his moth before he found himself flat on his back.  When he regained his speech the words out of his mouth "acknowledged himself a great sinner, and hoped for pardon through Christ."

Two stories that I was told of, that I was looking for in my reading, but seem to have loaned out the books that had this information, concerned another man who openly mocked those that shook and then went and obtained a cup of whiskey, upon obtaining the cup, he began to shake so violently as to begin to spill the drink, at which point he began to curse, and then shook so violently, that he broke his neck and died.  

Others it was reported, tried to ride their horses at full gallop through the crowds for the purpose of disrupting the gathering, and were subsequently knocked off of their horses by the Spirit of God.

The meeting continued all night long and into the next day and the next night.  As people were converted they would spell the preachers, giving their own testimonies in the most vibrant terms.  More fell, and all manner of manifestations were given vent, the most unaccountable—and moving—to chief preacher Barton Stone was the "singing exercise."  With a sublimecountenance, the individual would "sing most melodiously, not from the mouth or nose, but entirely in the breast, the sounds issuing thence…. It was most heavenly.  None could ever be tired of hearing it."

 

    Colonel Robert Patterson, who had been involved in the settlement of Kentucky practically from the beginning, described with amazement the religious phenomena taking place during the sequence of meetings. His description of the Cane Ridge Revival, taken from a letter to the Rev. Doctor John King on September 25, 1801, is memorable:  

    Patterson tried, "as well as I am able," to describe the emotion. "Of all ages, from 8 years and upwards; male and female; rich and poor; the blacks; and of every denomination; those in favour of it, as well as those, at the instant in opposition to it, and railing against it, have instantaneously laid motionless on the ground. Some feel the approaching symptoms by being under deep convictions; their heart swells, their nerves relax, and in an instant they become motionless and speechless, but generally retain their senses. . . He went on to describe other manifestations which continued from "one hour to 24". 

    "In order to give you a more just conception of it," Patterson continued, "suppose so large a congregation assembled in the woods, ministers preaching day and night; the camp illuminated with candles, on trees, at wagons, and at the tent; persons falling down, and carried out of the crowd, by those next to them, and taken to some convenient place, where prayer is made for them, some Psalm or Hymn, suitable to the occasion, sung. If they speak, what they say is attended to, being very solemn and affecting - many are struck under such exhortations. . . Now suppose 20 of those groups around; some rejoicing, and great solemnity on every countenance, and you will form some imperfect idea of the extraordinary work! 

    "Indeed it is a miracle, that a wicked unthoughtful sinner, who never could, or did address himself, to an audience before, should, rise out of one of those fits and continue for the space of two hours recommending religion and Jesus Christ to sinners, as a lovely Savior, free willing, and all sufficient, and calling to sinners and inviting them to come to Christ and close in with the offer of salvation, in the most pressing an engaging manner." (Source: Extract of a Letter from Colonel Robert Patterson, of Lexington, Kentucky to the Reverend Doctor John King, September 25, 1801.

 

Now small groups were forming and singing hymns until the next speaker arose.  William Burke described one instance of his own preaching, as he got up on a log bench and:  

 

"Commenced reading a hymn with an audible voice, and by the time we concluded singing and praying, we had around us, standing on their feet, by fair calculation ten thousand people.  I gave out my text in the following words:  "for we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ," and before I concluded, my voice was not to be heard for the groans of the distressed and the shouts of triumph….here I remained Sunday night, and Monday and Monday night, and during that time there was not a single moment's cessation, but thework went on."  

 

At times, when more than a thousand were shouting at once, the sound could be heard for miles.  The overwhelming impact of this deafening uproar was described by James B. Finley, who had come as a skeptic:  

 

"The noise was like the roar of Niagara.  The vast sea of human beings seemed to be agitated as if by a storm.  I counted seven ministers, all preaching at one time, some on stumps, others in wagons…. Some of the people were singing, others praying, some crying for mercy in the most piteous accents, while others were shouting most vociferously.  While witnessing these scenes, a peculiarly-strange sensation, such as I had never felt before, came over me.  My heart beat tumultuously, my knees trembled, my lip quivered, and I felt as though I must fall to the ground.  A strange supernatural power seemed to pervade the entire mass of mind there collected…. Soon after, I left and went into the woods, and there I strove to rally and man up my courage.  

After some time, I returned to the scene of the excitement, the waves of which, if possible, had risen still higher.  The same awfulness of feeling came over me… I saw at least five hundred swept down in a moment, as if a battery of a thousand guns had been opened upon them, and then immediately followed shrieks and shouts that rent the very heavens.  My hair rose up on my head…. I fled into the woods a second time, and wished I had stayed at home."

 

If one wanted to choose a "high" point, they could very well choose the Sunday morning in which the Lord's Supper was served.  By conservative estimate, the power of the Spirit swept through the encampment, and no less than three thousand were mown down.

 

There were no limits to how far the hand of God would go, or even any distance one could travel to get away from the power that had been unleashed:

"Persons have sometimes fallen on their way from public worship; and sometimes after they had arrived at home, and in some cases when they were pursuing their common business on their farms, or when retired for secret devotion. It was above observed that persons generally are seriously affected for some time previous to their falling; in many cases however it is otherwise. Numbers of thoughtless sinners have fallen as suddenly as if struck with lightning. Many professed infidels, and other vicious characters, have been arrested in this way, and sometimes at the very moment when they were uttering blasphemies against the work."

Other testimonies gave further descriptions of the manner of manifestations that came upon the people:  

"At Cane Ridge sacrament it is generally supposed not less than 1000 persons fell prostrate to the ground; among whom were many infidels. At one sacrament which I attended, the number that fell was thought to be more than 300. Persons who fall, are generally such as had manifested symptoms of the deepest impressions for some time previous to that event. It is common to see them shed tears plentifully for about an hour."

"Immediately before they become totally powerless they are seized with a general tremor and sometimes, though not often, they utter one or two piercing shrieks in the moment of falling; persons in this situation are affected in different degrees; sometimes when unable to stand or sit they have the use of their hands and can converse with perfect composure. In other cases they are unable to speak, the pulse becomes weak, and they draw a difficult breath about once in a minute: in some instances their extremities become cold, and pulsation, breathing, and all the signs of life forsake them for nearly an hour; persons who have been in this situation have uniformly avowed that they felt no bodily pain, that they had the entire use of their reason and reflection, and when recovered, they could relate every thing that had been said or done near them, or which could possibly fall within their observation. From this it appears that /110/ their falling is neither common fainting, nor a nervous affection. Indeed this strange phenomenon appears to have taken every possible turn to baffle the conjectures of those who are not willing to consider it a supernatural work."

 

Rev. George Baxter, a Presbyterian minister and President of Washington College, came as a skeptic to observe the after effect and said, "The power with which this revival has spread; and its influence in moralizing the people, are difficult for you to conceive of, and more difficult for me to describe. I had heard many accounts and seen many letters respecting it before I went to that country; but my expectations, though greatly raised, were much below the reality of the work. The congregations, when engaged in worship, presented scenes of solemnity superior to what I had ever seen before; and in private houses it was no uncommon thing to hear parents relate to strangers the wonderful things which God had done in their neighbourhoods, whilst a large circle of young people would be in tears.

On my way to Kentucky I was told by settlers on the road, that the character of Kentucky travellers was entirely changed and that they were now as distinguished for sobriety as they had formerly been for dissoluteness: and indeed I found Kentucky the most moral place I had ever been in, a profane expression was hardly heard; a religious awe seemed to pervade the country:  some neighbourhoods visited by the revival had been formerly notorious for private animosities; and many petty law-suits had commenced on that ground. When the parties in these quarrels were impressed with religion, the first thing was to fend for their antagonists; and it was often very affecting to see their meeting. Both had seen their faults, and both contended that they ought to make concessions, till at last they were obliged to request each other to forbear all mention of the past, and to act as friends and brothers for the future. Now sir, let modern philosophists talk of reforming the world by banishing Christianity and introducing their licentious systems. The blessed gospel of our God and Saviour is shewing what it can do.

Upon the whole, sir, I think the revival in Kentucky among the most extraordinary that have ever visited the church of Christ, and all things considered, peculiarly adapted to the circumstances of that country. Infidelity was triumphant and religion at the point of expiring. Something of an extraordinary nature seemed necessary to arrest the attention of a giddy people, who were ready to conclude that Christianity was a fable, and futurity a dream. This revival has done it; it has confounded infidelity, awed vice into silence, and brought numbers beyond calculation, under serious impressions."

The question has to be asked, did the revival have a lasting impact on the State of Kentucky, to which the answer has to be yes.  The above mentioned testimonies of eyewitnesses clearly confirm the marks of Christianity that were now present in a defining way throughout the state.  Statistically, the Methodists and Baptists gained over 10,000 additional members over the next 3 years, and just as importantly, hundreds of young men now took to the field as full-time itinerate ministers.  Known as the "circuit riders," these men traveled constantly throughout the west spreading the fires of revival, and bringing discipleship to multitudes in a very young nation.