Forgotten Great Awakening Preacher, Charles Wesley

When you hear the name, Charles Wesley, what do you think of? Most people think hymn-writer. That is what Charles is best known for. But do you think of a preacher? You should.

Was Charles Wesley a preacher during the Great Awakening period? The First Great Awakening was a time of spiritual revival and renewal that began in the 1730’s and lasted through the 1740’s. This revival was happening in both Europe and North America. Charles Wesley was an active and enduring participant in this period as an itinerant preacher of the gospel. Despite his poor health, Charles Wesley preached the gospel to hundreds of thousands of people from 1738 to 1749. Charles received testimony of hundreds of people putting their faith in Christ. Charles preached more than 1,500 times, many in the open-air like his more famous contemporaries John Wesley and George Whitefield.

Let’s take a closer look at this forgotten Great Awakening preacher’s ministry.

The Work

Charles began preaching before 1738. However, a significant and life-altering event happened for Charles on Sunday, May 21, 1738. This was the date of his evangelical conversion.

(You can read a longer account of The Conversion of Charles Wesley in this post.)

From this point on, Charles’s preaching and evangelism takes on new life and energy. It is clear that Charles viewed preaching the gospel and exhorting believers to continue in the grace of God until the end as the main work of a preacher. Not hymn-writing. Yes, he wrote a lot of hymns. But that was secondary.

In 1762, Charles published the famous Short Hymns on Select Passages of the Holy Scriptures (available from Amazon, volume 1 and volume 2). In the preface to the original volume, Charles wrote:

God, having graciously laid His hand upon my body, and disabled me for the principal work of the ministry, has thereby given me an unexpected occasion of writing the following hymns.

Charles Wesley, Preface of Short Hymns on Select Passages of the Holy Scriptures.

Charles wrestled with poor health for his entire life. A decade before publishing Short Hymns, Charles wrote in his journal about his declining ability to perform the main work of the ministry.

I preached, but very feeble, on “The third part I will bring through the fire.” Preaching, I perceive, is not now my principal business. God knoweth my heart, and all its burdens. O that he would take the matter into his own hand, though he lay me aside as a broken vessel!

Charles Wesley, MS Journal entry Friday, August 9, 1751.

Charles continued his itinerant preaching ministry until the end of August 1751. Then, there is a large break in the Manuscript Journal until September 1756. During this five year period, Charles greatly reduced his travelling and preaching.

The quote reflects how Charles viewed the principal work of his ministry leading up to this time. It was preaching the gospel. While history may remember Charles primarily as a hymnist, Charles viewed himself primarily during the Great Awakening period as a preacher. Preaching Christ was his principal work.

The Stats

Let’s take a look at some numbers relating to the preaching ministry of Charles Wesley. For this post, we are focusing on the time-frame after his evangelical conversion and during the Great Awakening period.

These numbers were compiled by a careful reading of the Manuscript Journal and cross-referencing it with the preaching registers on Charles Wesley’s surviving sermon manuscripts.

You can do this study yourself by getting the critical primary texts of the Manuscript Journal and the Sermons of Charles Wesley – links to both books are available on our Resource pages.

It’s important to note that Charles’s journal contains four significant gaps during this period. These gaps cover:

• an approximately four month period from November 7, 1739 to March 13,1740
• a three month gap from January 1, 1741 to April 2, 1741
• a fifteen month gap from September 23, 1741 to January 1, 1743
• a two and a half month gap from February 28, 1743 to May 16, 1743.

Together, these gaps total about two years. Of these four significant gaps, Charles only appears to have been active in preaching and teaching during the third and longest gap. However, details are scarce.

This leaves us with a detailed record of roughly nine and a half years, spanning from May 28, 1738 to December 24, 1749.

During this time, Charles Wesley preached 1,585 times. This number is staggering. There are many periods where Charles was preaching every day, as many as six times per day in as many different locations.

Charles didn’t always record the number of his hearers. In fact, of the 1,585 recorded preaching times he only gave specific numbers of hearers 88 times. The total number of hearers recorded in these relatively few instances is 267,964.

The sizes of these crowds differed greatly. Charles preached to crowds numbering in the single-digits (that is, less than ten people). He also records preaching to crowds of double-digits, triple-digits, quadruple-digits, eight times to a crowd of 10,000, and once to his largest recorded crowd of 20,000.

Keep in mind, this number of 267,964, is only a record of about 5% of the times Charles preached during this period. Charles routinely used these phrases in his journal instead of recording specific numbers to describe his hearers:

• vast congregation
• crowd
• large company
• very large congregation
• vast audience, better than usual
• excessively crowded
• crowded church
• many hundreds
• thousands
• a few people
• some hundreds
• multitude(s)
• many thousands
• some thousands
• church as full as it could hold
• full house
• several
• great numbers
• crowded square
• such a company assembled as I have not seen, excepting a few times
• great multitude
• much larger company
• large audience
• many sinners
• larger congregation than ever
• innumerable multitude
• thronged audience
• barn full
• most of the inhabitants of the town
• huge multitude
• excessively crowded

You get the idea. Charles preached, preached, and preached some more. To crowds both large and small.

Over this period, Charles also records 373 people coming to faith under his preaching. This doesn’t include the people who Charles led to Christ through personal evangelism. That number over the same period was 131 people who professed Christ.

The number of professions of faith may not seem impressive to many. Certainly, many other gospel ministries boast larger numbers of conversions. Yet, few had higher standards than the Methodists for considering someone truly converted.

These numbers also do not include testimonies of entire towns and surrounding regions being transformed by the preaching of the gospel. The power of these transformed individuals had an exponential affect.

The nature of the message preached by Charles guaranteed that people were coming to Christ for salvation from their sins, not for an improvement to their current lifestyle. Their transformation was tangible, deep, and lasting.

The Contexts

Charles performed his ministry as an ordained minister of the Church of England. He and his brother John also oversaw the Methodists, who began as a movement within the Church of England. For more on the original Methodists, and Charles Wesley’s involvement with this movement, see our post Charles Wesley: An Original Methodist.

Charles believed that Christ died for all. Charles desired to preach Christ to all. (For more on Charles’s view of the atonement, don’t miss our post on Unlimited Atonement.)

This led Charles to preach and teach in four very different contexts.

1. Anglican churches
2. Methodist Societies and meeting-houses
3. Prisons
4. Open-air and public spaces

Charles preached extensively in all four contexts. Just like fellow Methodists George Whitefield and John Wesley, the largest audiences were in the open-air. Preaching in fields and public squares allowed for vastly larger crowds than the established churches could contain.

In many cases, Charles would preach in a combination of these different contexts (or even all four) in the same day.

Preaching in the Church

It may seem that the Church would be the least contentious of the four contexts. However, this is not the case. The Methodists were often despised and ostracized by other members and clergy of the Church of England.

Charles was licensed to preach in any Anglican Church by virtue of his ordination. However, he records several instances of being denied the pulpit by fellow clergymen. Sometimes these denials were civil. In other instances, Charles was denied under threat of force and violence.

Even when he was allowed the pulpit, his harshest words were reserved for the “pharisees” — externally religious persons who pridefully looked down upon others and viewed themselves as more worthy of salvation because of their own religious works. This was not always well received.

There were many times when people stood up, turned their backs, and walked out in the middle of the preaching. Others simply shouted their disagreements and otherwise made disturbances during the preaching.

Preaching in the Societies

Preaching and teaching within the Methodist Societies was also more controversial than you may initially think. This wasn’t simply a case of preaching to the choir.

The Methodist movement was in constant struggle against division. Some of the major controversies faced by the Methodists were:

• Predestination and Reprobation
• Stillness
• Lay-preachers and ordination
• The relationship with the Church of England and the Ordinances

Charles spent a lot of energy attempting to overcome these issues and maintain unity within the Methodists and established Church. It is well documented that these controversies strained the relationship between the Wesley brothers and George Whitefield. However, Charles and John were on different sides of several of these issues as well.

In fact, the second gap mentioned above in Charles’s journal from January 1, 1741 to April 2, 1741 was a result of Charles being drawn toward the doctrine of Stillness being preached by the Moravians. Charles had been adamant against this doctrine. But he left off preaching for three months as he began to practice stillness for a time.

Lady Huntingdon, who would be on the opposite side of the predestination controversy, was instrumental in helping Charles to come out from this error and resume his preaching ministry.

Preaching in the Prisons

Preaching to condemned criminals was an important part of Charles’s ministry. He not only preached. In some cases, he would personally minister to inmates individually or in groups even being locked in with them overnight!

It would be difficult to overstate the personal importance that Charles placed on his preaching to the condemned.

That hour under the gallows was the most blessed hour of my life.

Charles Wesley, July 19, 1738.

Charles knew prisoners couldn’t come to him. So he went to them. And he brought with him the message of reconciliation in the name of Jesus.

As many of these were condemned to death, Charles would often dedicate himself to spending as much time as possible with them before they were executed. Several of the conversions recorded during this period were from these condemned malefactors.

Preaching in the Open-air

Charles preached often in the open-air. This particular context is itself varied.

On some occasions, preaching in the open-air could be very similar to preaching in a church. The crowds in some cases were quiet and attentive. There were few disturbances.

However, in other cases the crowd was raucous. The distractions were many. The danger was real.

Stones, dirt, and eggs were often thrown. Competing mobs would often attempt to drown out the preaching with their own diversions.

In other cases, Charles would put himself in the middle of crowds and call to passers-by. In these cases, there was no true audience per se. People weren’t gathering to hear him preach. He was simply putting himself in the way of sinners. He was calling to them as a minister of the gospel to repent and go on in the way of righteousness through faith in Christ.

At another famous revel in Whitchurch, which lasts a week and is honoured with the presence of the gentry and clergy, far and near, put myself in their way and called, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” I trust there was a great awakening among the dead souls.

Charles Wesley, MS Journal entry Tuesday, September 15, 1741.

One of Charles’s most common themes was to preach to the unconcerned from Lamentations 1:12, “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?”

Charles was committed to preaching to all. He was pleased to preach to those who came to hear him. He was also committed to preaching to those who had no interest in the gospel. This caused him to spend his time in the highways and byways.

Charles was pleased to use as his pulpit things like a large gravestone, a wall, a large stone, or a scaffold whenever necessary. Although this methodology was frowned upon by many in his day, Charles was concerned with fulfilling his ministry and preaching Christ to all.

How can anyone be so devilish as to forbid our speaking to such outcasts, that they may be saved?

Charles Wesley, August 11, 1743.

Dangers

Sometimes we look back upon periods like the Great Awakening with romanticism. We think it was all blessing, no danger.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

From beginning to end, God’s people have been given the same command to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. In addition, God’s people have received the same warnings of dangers, trials, tribulations, and persecution.

When we see times of great revival in history, it is not because the dangers have been removed. It is because there were Christians who were willing to count the cost and endure by the grace of God in humble obedience to their Lord and Savior.

The Apostle Paul described his own ministry.

I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren.

2 Corinthians 11:26

Paul could just as easily be describing Charles Wesley’s ministry.

Charles was an itinerant preacher. He was on frequent journeys. He traveled extensively in England, Ireland, and Wales. This was after his missionary work in America was completed.

Charles faced perilous dangers while crossing waterways. He had run-ins with robbers (“highwaymen”) on several occasions. Charles was persecuted everywhere he went. He faced dangers from riding his horse, often being injured and nearly dying in accidents.

To put it briefly, Charles’s work as a traveling minister of the gospel wasn’t glamorous. He didn’t fly in private planes. His accommodations in many places were less than ideal. In fact, sometimes he lay down to sleep while riotous crowds labored through the night to tear down the house he was in.

Charles endured through it all. For the sake of God’s great Name.

For more on the persecution Charles endured, don’t miss our post: The Persecuted Preacher.

But let the world smile or frown, my work goes on.

Charles Wesley, February 13, 1743.

Great Awakening & Revival

Some think that the opposite of revival is persecution. I disagree. I think the true opposite of revival is apathy.

When people don’t care about the word, there is no awakening. No revival. The word must cause a stir. Charles began to notice a change in the affect of the word going forth.

My late discourses have worked differently. Some are wounded, some hardened. I hear of no neuters. The word has turned them upside down.

Charles Wesley, MS Journal entry March 30, 1740.

Charles endured persecution and also saw amazing examples of revival. For a more detailed look at some examples of revival, see this post with 13 Examples of Great Awakening Revival.

Charles was comfortable using the terms of awakening to describe what was happening as he preached the gospel of Jesus Christ.

A mighty awakening power was with the word.

Charles Wesley, October 14, 1743.

One important example is what happened in Tyrellspass. Charles was hearing reports in January 1748 that things were changing.

Heard more good news from the country, whither we had sent some of our preachers. At Tyrrellspass and the neighboring towns there seems to be a great awakening.

Charles Wesley, MS Journal entry January 15, 1748.

Charles uses the terminology “great awakening.” The following month Charles describes what he saw with his own eyes.

God has begun a great work here. The people of Tyrrellspass were wicked to a proverb; swearers, drunkards, Sabbath-breakers, thieves, etc., from time immemorial. But now the scene is entirely changed. Not an oath is heard, or a drunkard seen, among them. … They are turned from darkness to light.

Charles Wesley, MS Journal entry February 8, 1748.

Revival wasn’t an accident. They were looking for it. Working for it. Praying for it.

Joined with the brethren in fervent prayer for a general revival.

Charles Wesley, MS Journal entry July 10, 1751.

Not only this, but Charles was willing to endure persecution believing that their work in the gospel was not in vain. They knew the power of God’s word. So, in addition to praying for revival and for faith for their own hearers, Charles also consistently prayed for more faithful laborers to be raised up and sent out into the harvest field.

Passed two hours with a young clergyman, who is determined to know nothing but Christ crucified. … Our Lord, it seems, is answering our long-continued prayer for labourers.

Charles Wesley, MS Journal entry May 23, 1746.

A Man With One Subject

Charles provides a helpful description of how he viewed his personal ministry.

Before I went forth into the streets and highways, I sent, after my custom, to borrow the church. The minister (one of the better disposed) sent back a civil message: he would be glad to drink a glass of wine with me, but durst not lend me his pulpit for fifty guineas.

Charles Wesley, MS Journal entry August 24, 1739.

Charles sought first to preach in the approved and sanctioned place: the church. When denied, he turned to the streets and highways. This is similar to the Apostle Paul’s custom of going first to the synagogues, then turning to the Gentiles after he was turned away.

Charles continues:

Mr Whitefield durst lend me his field, which did just as well. For near an hour and [a] half God gave me voice and strength to exhort about two thousand sinners to repent and believe the gospel. My voice and strength failed together; neither do I want them when my work is done. Being invited to Painswick, I waited upon the Lord and renewed my strength.

Ibid.

Charles put all of his strength into preaching. He relied upon the Lord. He would often preach himself to exhaustion, only to rest and be renewed by the Lord so he could do it again.

Charles continues:

We found near one thousand gathered in the street. I have but one subject, on which I discoursed from 2 Cor 5:19, “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself.” I besought them earnestly to be reconciled, and the rebels seemed inclinable to lay down their arms.

Ibid.

Charles was a man of one subject. He preached reconciliation to God through faith in Christ. He urged, besought, strongly exhorted, and sternly warned people to repent and believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ – the only Savior. He pressed upon them the wonderful promises of salvation to all who come to God through faith in Christ, and who endure until the end.

Charles preached Christ. He believed the testimony of Scripture.

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Romans 10:17

Charles prayed that God would grant faith to his hearers. He entrusted himself to God, and obediently preached Christ to all who would hear him.

Included with this message was a warning against what Charles called receiving Christ by halves. He explains:

Spake from John 1 … and warned them against receiving Christ by halves, or so magnifying one of his offices, as to slight or deny the other. The Priest must not swallow up the King, nor the Savior the Lord.

Charles Wesley, MS Journal entry December 19, 1747.

Charles wanted people to come to Christ truly, not only partially. Preachers may be able to secure more superficial professions of faith by preaching Christ only as Priest and Savior and neglecting His offices as King and Lord. However, for deep, lasting, genuine revival to come people must accept Christ in fullness and truth.

Related Questions

What is the Great Awakening? The First Great Awakening was a series of spiritual revivals that swept across America and Europe in the 1730s and 1740s. The main interpreter of the events of the Great Awakening was Jonathan Edwards.

Who were the key figures in the Great Awakening? Names often associated with the Great Awakening are Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, John and Charles Wesley, Gilbert Tennent, and Samuel Davies.