Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Is Not My Word Like Fire

A handwritten page with a splash of dried liquid.Long before he dreamed of Dartmouth College, Eleazer Wheelock was a key player in "The Great Awakening." The religious revival of the 1740s enflamed church and civil life in New England. Its stern vision of personal piety and salvation challenged the delicate balance of Puritan life. For Wheelock, the fervor was both religious and physical: this two-week preaching schedule scrawled on the back of some sermon notes shows Wheelock’s popularity as an evangelist. "Upon the Sabbath here, Monday at Hebron, Tuesday at Colchester, Wednesday at Goshen…." And in a letter from 1742, he wrote, "The week before last I preachd 10 sermons... last week I preachd 10 times again... I am exceedingly worn out with constant labour and much watching."

A handwritten letter.
Letter - June 28, 1742
Our current exhibit, "Is Not My Word Like Fire," looks at the Great Awakening and Wheelock's participation. It will be up through the end of June in our Class of 1965 Galleries. You can see Wheelock's itinerary anytime by asking for MS 940, Box 2. The letter is Mss 742378.

No comments:

Post a Comment