The Method of Grace

George Whitefield was the greatest evangelist of the 18th century in America and was a major contributor to the Great Awakening. Whitefield criss-crossed the countryside of Colonial America boldly preaching the message of salvation. Crowds packed the churches and outdoor venues whenever Whitefield appeared, bubbling over with eager anticipation to hear his great oration. His preaching was described as bold, purely gospel, and blazing with an intensity of evangelistic passion. His voice was so powerful that 30,000 people could hear him at once, and yet still so musical and sweetly toned that he could, by the grace of God, bring hardened men to tears of repentance. In, The Method of Grace, a classic of revival preaching, Whitefield shows the way God has provided for a person to receive true, lasting peace for his soul. See how this great preacher of the Great Awakening brought the Gospel into intimate connection with people’s hearts and not just their heads. For those who preach the Gospel it will have a profound impact on how you preach the message of peace.

GEORGE WHITEFIELD (1714–1779) was born in Gloucester, England. He attended Pembroke College at Oxford, where he was a member of the Holy Club with Charles and John Wesley. The group was highly disciplined and “methodical” in their performance of religion. In 1735, he read Henry Scougal’s The Life of God and the Soul of Man and had a spiritual new birth. Ordained in 1736, he started preaching and became very popular immediately. He crossed the Atlantic Ocean many times and preached in churches and open fields. Gifted with a prodigious voice and untiring energy he preached to huge crowds with great consequence.