Christ and Cholera in New York

He refused to leave New York. This was where God had called him to preach, and despite the cholera epidemic which was killing up to one hundred a day, Finney stayed on and preached on.

 

In the end, cholera was contracted, but despite his weakness, Charles Finney (1792-1875) continued. In what was called the Second Great Awakening, hundreds of thousands on the east of the United States found a living faith in Christ.

 

Finney was bold in his preaching, challenging people to come to the front and kneel at the ‘anxious seat’. Meetings would often go on through the night and majored on prayer.  In fact Finney was so convinced of the need of prayer, he would send people ahead of him to the cities where he preached in order that the meeting rooms were saturated in prayer.

 

One of the more interesting methods of evangelism centred on Finney’s helpers touring the street of New York, and bringing in the drunks. They were won to Christ and then returned to their astonished families in the morning, sober and saved!

 

Further Reading:

 

The Autobiography - Charles Finney

Revival Fire - Wesley Duewel