Taking aside the various tours of D L Moody the two main periods of revival associated with Scotland are 1740's and 1859-63.
1740
George Whitefield landed in Leith in July 1741 some three years from going to Georgia to set up schools in the colony. His first preaching engagement in Scotland was Dunfermline at the behest of the Erskines (Secession Church). This was prior to a three weeks of open air meetings.
Whitefield was a convinced Anglican of Calvinistic persuasion. Having descented from the Anglican church to Methodism he had found an supporter and patroness in the Countess of Huntingdon (Selina Hastings ne.Shirley) who was promoting the saving grace for individuals in the higher ranks of society. She funded a college at Trevecca for her preachers and with her own sacrificial giving used her resources to further the work. Her string of churches, in England are Methodist by constitution by way of a trust but Baptist/Congregational in practice, still exist today with some two dozen fellowships. Whitefield was supported by the countess.
Taking aside also, having just arrived in Scotland, the hic-up regarding where he could preach vis a vis Anglican/Presbyterian church of Scotland and Episcopacy /Independent Whitefield had to listen to “brethren” spout forth and found how none of the arguments were agreeable with scripture.
At Stirling, Whitefield was getting frustrated with the circumstances of his opposition and when about to commence preaching discovered Erskine who had invited him to speak, did not stay to hear him. Nevertheless in this situation and in others he continued to preach when and where possible.
Open air meetings, in all weathers, were held to hear the Gospel. In August 1742 some 30,000 people gathered to hear the message and an additional 3,000 sat for Communion.
William McCulloch preached at Cambuslang around the same time and held many meetings to share the message. At the third meeting there were some strange signs among the gathered and some 50 people required counselling. Meetings were increased to daily with people travelling great distances to see and hear.
Some who had experienced the excitement of the time reverted to how they had been before but it is acknowledged that long afterwards the majority of those converted remained and were effective in their community. McCulloch's letter of 1751, some nine years later addressed to Mr Robe, talks clearly of changed persons showing charity, meekness, patience etc, from a past of bad language, drunkenness and a covetous spirit.
Of course George Whitefield was not immune to scorn. The Associate Presbytery in Dunfermline called for a special meeting of fasting and humiliation because of the threat of this “gangrene” which was spreading over the land. The negativity at that time towards George Whitefield took almost 100 years in allowing the true realisation that he was a man of God and instrumental in gaining converts.
This “New” evangelical revivalism was not seen as fitting into the Calvinistic church set up of the stage church or of the secceeders but it was not long before this changed and it crossed many boundaries.
Not only in Cambuslang were ministers recording “a good number of my people, mostly young who have been awakened .....” both Kilsyth and the far north at Easter Ross there were signs of awakening. At Rosskeen between harvest 1742 and the Martimas in 1742 a remarkable revival took place. 36 men and women felt under deep concern, also several boys between the ages of 9 and 15 turned to prayer and talking about godly matters (some of these boys later rose to eminence as Christians in Easter Ross).
1740
George Whitefield landed in Leith in July 1741 some three years from going to Georgia to set up schools in the colony. His first preaching engagement in Scotland was Dunfermline at the behest of the Erskines (Secession Church). This was prior to a three weeks of open air meetings.
Whitefield was a convinced Anglican of Calvinistic persuasion. Having descented from the Anglican church to Methodism he had found an supporter and patroness in the Countess of Huntingdon (Selina Hastings ne.Shirley) who was promoting the saving grace for individuals in the higher ranks of society. She funded a college at Trevecca for her preachers and with her own sacrificial giving used her resources to further the work. Her string of churches, in England are Methodist by constitution by way of a trust but Baptist/Congregational in practice, still exist today with some two dozen fellowships. Whitefield was supported by the countess.
Taking aside also, having just arrived in Scotland, the hic-up regarding where he could preach vis a vis Anglican/Presbyterian church of Scotland and Episcopacy /Independent Whitefield had to listen to “brethren” spout forth and found how none of the arguments were agreeable with scripture.
At Stirling, Whitefield was getting frustrated with the circumstances of his opposition and when about to commence preaching discovered Erskine who had invited him to speak, did not stay to hear him. Nevertheless in this situation and in others he continued to preach when and where possible.
Open air meetings, in all weathers, were held to hear the Gospel. In August 1742 some 30,000 people gathered to hear the message and an additional 3,000 sat for Communion.
William McCulloch preached at Cambuslang around the same time and held many meetings to share the message. At the third meeting there were some strange signs among the gathered and some 50 people required counselling. Meetings were increased to daily with people travelling great distances to see and hear.
Some who had experienced the excitement of the time reverted to how they had been before but it is acknowledged that long afterwards the majority of those converted remained and were effective in their community. McCulloch's letter of 1751, some nine years later addressed to Mr Robe, talks clearly of changed persons showing charity, meekness, patience etc, from a past of bad language, drunkenness and a covetous spirit.
Of course George Whitefield was not immune to scorn. The Associate Presbytery in Dunfermline called for a special meeting of fasting and humiliation because of the threat of this “gangrene” which was spreading over the land. The negativity at that time towards George Whitefield took almost 100 years in allowing the true realisation that he was a man of God and instrumental in gaining converts.
This “New” evangelical revivalism was not seen as fitting into the Calvinistic church set up of the stage church or of the secceeders but it was not long before this changed and it crossed many boundaries.
Not only in Cambuslang were ministers recording “a good number of my people, mostly young who have been awakened .....” both Kilsyth and the far north at Easter Ross there were signs of awakening. At Rosskeen between harvest 1742 and the Martimas in 1742 a remarkable revival took place. 36 men and women felt under deep concern, also several boys between the ages of 9 and 15 turned to prayer and talking about godly matters (some of these boys later rose to eminence as Christians in Easter Ross).
