fometimes he had to exert himself in order to keep his lips clofed, left he fhould blafpheme God and feal his own damnation. At length his heart became hopefully changed, and then he realized thofe doctrines which he had opposed, to be not only reasonable, but inexpreffibly amiable and precious. He now is convinced that if they were not true no man could have any prospect of being saved. Another who was openly op pofed to the doctrines of grace, would fometimes abfent himself from public worship in the afternoon, because they were dwelt on in the forenoon. Still, as he fince acknowledges, he knew they were contained in the bible, and when he found them there, his heart would rise against them, and he would turn to another place in order to find fome thing more agreeable. At length, he alfo became hopefully reconciled to God; and thofe doctrines which he hated, are exceedingly delightful. I mention thefe inftances, not with an idea that the exercifes of their hearts were effentially different from the exercifes of the other fubjects of the work, but because they were among thofe, which were rather more ftriking on account of fome external circumftances, and which feemed to have a convincing effect on the minds of many. On the first of March, an inftance of mortality took place, the circumftances of which were as follow. The perfon was a female of about middle age. Her fickness was fhort and violent. She had formerly a hope that the poffeffed religion, but in her ficknefs fhe gave up her hope, and was filled with great horror of mind. She expreffed herself in the fol lowing manner. "O! wretched finner that I am! I have lived in fin all my life. I have refifted the holy fpirit and crucified the Lord Jefus Chrift by my fins. Chrift has called me, but I have refufed he has ftretched out his hand, but I have difregarded, and now too late, I fee my error: myprobationary state is ended: the door of heaven is fhut against me : I know it is juft in God to fentence me to eternal mifery; but Oh how I tremble to think of seeing an angry God: I feel hell already begun in my foul." She was told that although she was a great finner, and it was neceffary for her to realize it, yet Chrift is able to fave great finners, and whofoever cometh to him he will in no wife caft out. She replied, "It is true Chrift is able to fave great finners; but he will fave none but those who accept him on his own terms: and I have never accepted him, I have defpifed him and now must be damned." It was propofed to join in prayer. She confented; but in time of prayer, fhe broke out in agony, faying, "I am dying and there is no mercy for me. I am now going and have no God to go to." In the utmost distress of mind she would cry out, "Lord have mercy, Jefus have mercy, thousands of worlds would I give, could I have one fmile from Jefus; I afk not for life but only for one fmile from Jefus ; but I muft die and go directly to hell." She warn ed thofe around her of the danger of living without God in the world, and intreated them to efcape for their lives to Jefus before it should be too late. She doubtlefs was in great pain of body, but her diftrefs of mind was fo great that her bodily pains feemed to be nothing in comparifon. She continued crying for mercy till her voice failed. Her laft words, which he uttered in a whisper, were, as nearly as could be underfood, "Come Lord Jefus, come fweet Jefus, come quickly," and then the inftantly expired. In what ftate fhe found herself is not for us to determine. Through the whole of her ficknefs fhe knew those who came in, and appeared to have the regular ufe of her reafos. This providence feemed to be ordered for good purposes. Many were witnefles of her diftrefs, and all appeared to be deep by impreffed with the idea of death and the importance of being ready. Numbers who were not Chriftians were much alarmed, and those who had hopes, were led to felf-examination, and to ferious meditation on changing worlds. The funeral was attended by a large concourfe of people, and a fermon was delivered from Job xiv. 10. It was a time ¡ of the utmoft folemnity. In the evening a conference was attended. Numbers feemed to be under deep conviction, and the affembly in general, appeared as if they were looking into the eternal world. The next fabbath was communion day, and doubtlefs will be forever remembered by many, with joy and gratitude. On that day nineteen were received into the church. The affembly was much crowded, and it was fuppofed by fome that half of the affembly were in tears. The Lord feemed to be indeed among us: it looked as if every foul felt the weight of eternal things. At evening we had a full conference. On Tuefday evening after, a meeting having been previously appointed for fome to converfe on the fabject of joining the church, and people fuppofing it to be a public meeting, a room was filled in the afternoon, and in the evening the houfe became fo crowded that many with difficulty escaped fainting. On Wednesday, about two hours before fun fet, a candidate came into the place, he was interrogated on the road and accompanied by feveral to my houfe. I was not at home, but as the news had fpread abroad that there would probably be preaching in the evening, I found as I was returning about fun fet, the people collecting, and as foon as I could wait upon the preacher, a crowded affembly were together. On the two next evenings we had full meetings, as there were conferences previously appointed. I men tion the tranfactions of this week, as a fpecimen of the engagednefs which prevailed among the people. It appeared that if religious meetings had been appointed every day, the frequency of them would not have been the occafion of diminishing the numbers of the affemblies. Unfavorable weather and extreme bad travelling were not pleaded as excufes for abfence, nor did they operate as inducements fufficient to detain people from meeting. How evident is it, therefore, that all the common excufes which fecure finners make for their abfence from public worship, may all be refolved into a want of inclination: For when once people are inclined, we fee that all common excufes vanifh, and many obftacles are furmounted. In addition to public meetings, people under religious impreffions, reforted to my houfe, and fome times from morning till evening, in order to converfe on religious concerns. As the awakening increafed, profeffors in general increafed in animation. Some of them spent much time in vifiting, in order to converfe on religious fubjects. People in general were ready to hear at all times, and it was remarkably easy to introduce religious converfation. Indeed it would have been very difficult not to have converfed about religion, had a perfon been difpofed. Even at feveral houfes of public entertainment, ferious converfation was more common than any other. |ings were as full as ever, and new We One hundred and ten have been added to the church, about thirty more, we hope, have paffed from death to life, and feventy-three have been baptized, in the course of the revival. Ninety-nine were received into the church in the compafs of one year, fixty-four of which were received in the compafs of about two months. About the middle of March there was a decline of the work, which continued about a month. Perhaps it is my duty to obferve that, at this time, a fectarian controverfy became a fubject of more general attention and converfation than before. This however, in fome measure subfided in a few weeks, and the attention was again turned more to experimental religion and eternity. About the middle of April a fecond revival took place, which arose to as great and perhaps greater height than the firft. Chriftians had a new glow of animation. Many new inftances of conviction and hopeful converfion took place, and the Lord triumphed gloriously. Open oppofition then much ceafed for a It is vifible that God hath act. time. Those who had oppofeded as a fevereign, having mercy the work, were either fubdued by on whom he would have mercy. the irrefiftible grace of God, or Some of almoft all claffes and fitu. were influenced to be more pri- ations have been taken, while vate in their afperfions. As a fpe others as likely to human appear cimen of the engagednefs of this ance to have been wrought upon, time, it may be obferved that on have been left. The greater part the week including the 28th of of the fubjects of the work are April, there were three conferen-between fifteen and forty years of ces and one lecture appointed; age. The oldest person, who has yet these did not fuffice the minds made a profeffion, with a hope of people. Not a day paffed this dated fince the revival begun, is week except Saturday, without a now about fifty-five years of age. meeting either in the day time or It is hoped that fome down to evening. The work continued at eleven years of age, have been its height until about the middle born again. The awakening has of May. Till that time our meet. not prevailed equally in all parts of VOL. IV. No. 5. Ꮓ the fociety. Those families who were accustomed to attend public worship, have been more generally than others, fharers in the fpccial influences of the fpirit. A few, however, have been found of the fpirit, who were not much accuftomed to attend public worship. In fundry inftances it has been the cafe, that when the fpirit entered a family, almoft the whole of the family became hopefully converted. From one family five, including parents and children; from another fix, including parents and children, reckoning a daughter in law, have joined the people of God. But the most remarkable inftance of this kind is this: The parents of a family, who have been profeffors for fome years, have had the fatisfaction to fee ten children, including children in law, publicly, profefs the religion of Chrift, all of whom obtained hopes in the courfe of this revival. As to the means made ufe of by the Lord to imprefs the minds of finners, they have been various. Some refer to fome fermen which left an abiding impreffion on their minds. Some, to a particular fentence in a fermon, fuch as this, Eternity is near at hand," or this, "The bufinefs of religion requires hafte," which they could not banish from their minds. Others quote fome text of fcripture which ftruck their minds forcibly; or mention fome particular occurrence of providence which alarmed them, and others feemed to be awakened in a very fudden manner without any vifible means at the time When perfons have had their attention called up, their minds have generally dwelt firft upon externals. They found that they had left undone many things which they ought to have done, and done many things which they ought not to have done. They then thought of reforming their lives. But on trial they found they were ftill growing worfe; for, finding God looks at the heart, they were next brought to fee its wickednefs. As their convictions increafed they found that their hearts were not only destitute of all right exercises, but that they were really opposed to God. They then knew by experience what many difbelieve. viz. that they were totally depraved in heart, and that the carnal mind is enmity against God. They knew that they not only had done nothing acceptable to God, but that they had rejected the Lord Jefus Chrift, and mifimproved all the favors of heaven. They faw that they were already condemned, that the wrath of God abode on them, and that they fhould certainly be loft, unless that God whom they hated, fhould in fovereign mercy, pluck them as brands from the burning. They faw that there was no promise of mercy to, them in particular, and that they fhould have no reason to complain if God should instantly caft them into hell. It does not however appear that all are confcious of their convictions progreffing in the manner above defcribed. Some have been more directly convicted of the wickednefs of their hearts and then of their lives. As to the manner and progrefs of conviction there has been a diverfity. In general great diftrefs of mind, through fear of hell, has accompanied conviction, and fome by their diftrefs, have been so long kept from taking any confiderable food and rest in fleep, as made it evident they could fubfift but a short time without relief. In fome cafes there t character of God; but also in regard to his law. They profefs to love the law becaufe it is holy, juft and good, and becaufe its penalty is juft. They appear to have a has been conviction without any great apparent diftrefs through fear of mifery. All the fubjects of the work, however, have manifeft-d a great sense of the evil of fin, of their own aggravated crim-nearnefs-a great attachment to inalty, of their danger, a d of the Chriftians, of which they for juftice of God in their damnation. merly knew nothing. They have, After the fubjects of this work ardent defires for the good of finhave been convinced of their own ners. They with the grace of vilenefs, and finding no hope from God forever to be glorified in the any thing in themfelves, finding falvation of others whether they themselves in the hands of a fove- themselves are faved orloft. They reign God at whofe option it is profefs to defire the welfare of their to fave them or not, they have greateft enemies. They profefs been brought, as we trust, by the to hate fin because it is wrong and renewing influence of the fpirit, againft God, and think they fhould to fubmit themselves to God, to equally hate it if there were no be difpofed of by him as he pleaf hell. If it were left to their es for time and eternity. They choice to live to old age in fin then are freed from their diftref- and then be faved, or to live a fing fears of hell and poffefs fe- godly life, they think they should fenity and peace. They difcover not hesitate in choofing a godly fuch glory in God that they are life. As foon as their minds are willing to trust themfelves in his brought to dwell on Chrift, they hands. Realizing the glory of realize him to be the one altogethGod to be more important than er lovely, and a Saviour exactly all things elfe, they profefs to fuited to the exigencies of finners. have a greater defire for the pro- They fee an infinité fultress in motion of his glory than for their Chrift, and realize not only that own private happiness, and a he is the only way to the Father, choice to be at the difpofal of God but that he is the best poffible way, for time and eternity, in preference the moft glorious way, and the onto being at their own difpofal.ly defirable way. ly defirable way. They think They profefs to love God because they approve of Chrift as their he is holy, because he hates all teacher and king, and acknowl fin, because he is juft as well as edge that if they be ever faved it merciful. They have joy, not mult be on the ground of his because they are fafe; for at first atonement. They profefs to have they do not have the idea that a defire to comply with all the rethey are fafe, or that they are re- quirements of Chrift and efteem all generated; but they rejoice that his ordinances not only as duties, God is a fovereign-that he reigns but as inexpreffible privileges. They find, in themfelves, a very great alteration as to their tafte relative to all moral fubjects. They are fenfible that they love what they once hated, and hate what they once loved. They are fenfible of new views, new aims, new averfions, and new delights. that he has a plan of operation that he will fulfil all his purpofes-that he will difplay his mercy in the falvation of as many as he fees proper--and that he will cause all things to advance his own glory. They experience a change of mind not only in regard to the |