NECTICUT EVANGELICAL MAG-appeared to be at reft, in a formal

been almost every week, from two to five and sometimes fix religious meetings, befide the two upon the fabbath; and as I have invariably attended them myself, can witness to the order and decency, the fi lence and folemnity, with which, and the numbers by which these meetings have been attended. The filence obfervable among those who were going to or returning from thefe meetings, was very impreffive, and frequently noticed with furprize and pleasure. Little or no tumult or noife, and the appearance of moft, much as if they had been going to, or were returning from the funeral of fome near relative or friend. And while in the house, nothing was faid but by the minister; for so

an active part in any religious exercife, except finging, that it was difficult to get one publicly to propofe or ask a question. Many were fwift to hear, but all flow to fpeak.

not conceal, manifested that their minds were tenderly impressed; at the clofe of this meeting in the daytime an evening lecture was appointed, which it is believed, was the firftevening religious meeting which had ever been publicly notified or attended, in the town; at this meeting in the evening, a much greater number attended than did in the day-time. A brother in the miniftry being prefent preached from thefe words, He flattereth himfelf in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful. The affembly was folemn, the hearers attentive, and the word preached feemed to be accompanied with a divine power : A religious meeting was now appointed on the Wednefday evening of the next week; and although the season and trav-little difpofed were people to take elling were both uncomfortable, many came from almost every quarter; and it seemed as if God was prefent of a truth, fpeaking to finmers in a ftill fmall voice, and fay ing, what have you been doing? And where are you going? Confider what you do, and what your end is like to be. After prayer and finging, the people affembled, were addreffed from these words, Efcape for thy life; look not behind thee; neither ftay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain left thou be confumed. A folemn filence reigned among the hearers, who appeared to hear as for their lives; and many were to be feen in various parts of the houfe, weeping and trembling under a fenfe of their guilt and danger; and faying to themselves, what fhall I do to be faved! For at this time, but few spoke out the feelings and exercifes of their hearts; but at the close of the meeting, filently returned to the refpective homes, in pensive sadness. From that time to the prefent, there have VOL. II. No. 1.

During this time of awakening, the people in general, were much more difpofed, to hear the word preached, and other religious inftructions, than heretofore; and attended to receive instruction, in a manner, to outward appearance, very different from what is common in moft worshipping affemblies. Our affemblies upon the fabbath were full, and for many fabbaths fucceffively, it is believed not one of adult years, was feen to turn his face from the preacher, or to rife from his feat, from the time the fermon began, until it was fin-ifhed, nor yet to fleep or dofe; nor could an attentive obferver, discover a finile, upon any occafion in the countenance of any one, arri ved to the years of understanding, during the time of religious worship or after they came into the D

place of worship, until they left it. When people came up to the house of the Lord to worship, it feemed as if each one faid to himself, furely the Lord is here. How dreadful is this place! And frequently, when the religious exercifes, have been closed and the affembly difmiffed, many by their countenances and other figns, manifefted a kind of unwillingness to leave the place, as if they faid, it is good to be here. Upon feveral communion-days, the whole or nearly the whole of the congregation, attended as fpectators, the adminiftration of the facramental fupper; and a large proportion of them, as well as of the communicants, were in tears during the folemn scene.

In this time of God's pouring out his fpirit, and reviving his work among us, fixty-one, have been added to the church, and baptifm administered to about one hundred. Among the baptized, are fixteen households or families. At one timea number of households, containing about twenty fouls, were baptized.

Those who have in this time of awakening, joined the church, are moft, if not all of them, between fourteen and forty years of age. The greateft number have been from the clafs of married people ; of the unmarried, twenty-one are females.

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rily enrolling their names among the followers of the Lamb? Efpecially, what inexpressible joy must it afford pious parents, who are travelling in birth, that Christ may be formed in their children, to fee them in a ferious manner, take upon themselves the bonds of their baptifmal covenant, and con fefs a crucified Saviour, before a fcoffing world? Sundry parents have feen feveral of their children, unitedly devoting themselves to God. In one inftance, four fif ters came forward together and renouncing the vanities of youth, profeffed godliness. Such views muft lead every contemplative and pious mind, to meditate with raptures of joy, upon fuch divine promifes and predictions, as that in the 44th Chapter of Ifaiah, at the beginning "Thus faith the Lord-I will pour my fpirit upon thy feed and my bleffing upon thine offspring, and they fhall fpring up as among the grafs, as willows by the water-courfes. One fhall fay, I am the Lords: and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall fubfcribe with his hand unto the Lord, and furname himself by the name of Ifrael."

All of thofe, who have in this time of awakening made an open profeffion of chriftianity, have appeared as yet to adorn their profeffion by a converfation, in a How folemn and affecting, to measure becoming the gospel of behold heads of families who had Chrift, one only excepted; and all their life time, reftrained prayer fhould there be reafons for other and lived without God in the exceptions, a few years hence, it world, praying with their families, ought not to be thought ftrange, morning and evening, day by day as if fome new and ftrange thing continually, and in a public man- had happened in the world. That ner devoting themfelves and their which hath been, is that which houfeholds to the Lord? and how fhall be; but tares have always impreffive and animating to the been in fields of wheat, and in a friends of Zion, to fee thofe in great houfe, there are not only the bloom and gaieties of youth, be- veffels of gold and of filver, but come fober-minded; and volunta-alfo of wood and of earth, fome

to dishonor as well as fome to hon-¡ ferving which, fome of the friends

of the work, have been reminded of what Daniel in the lions den, faid to Darius, my God hath fent his angel and hath fhut the lions mouths, that they have not hurt

me.

or. Among the twelve, whom Chrift himself chofe to be with him and whom he ftiled Apoftles, there was a Judas; and at a certain time many of Chrift's difciples forfook him and walked no more with him. Apoftacies among profeffors of chriftianity, and the falling away of fuch as appear to receive the word with joy, and endure for a while, are to be expected. To fee fuch apoftacies and falling away, of those who appear for a time to run well, will grieve the generation of real Chriftians, and be matter of joy and triumph to fcoffing infidels. And among the many who have profeffed chriftianity during the time of the late refreshing shower of divine influence, it is to be expected fome will return to their wallowing in the mire; but we are perfuaded better things of many, and things which accompany falvation; and doubt not but God hath granted repent-teem others better than himself, ance unto life, to a goodly number, and to work out his own falvation whose light will fhine before men, with fear and trembling; and at while life continues; and whom the fame time to exprefs an ardent God will keep by his mighty pow-defire that others might tafte and er through faith unto falvation. fee the goodness of the Lord. But fhould God take only one from a neighbourhood, and two from a town, and bring them to Zion, glory will redound to him, through the thanksgivings of many; for there is joy in heaven over one finner that repenteth. The Lord

The manner in which the goings of God have been among us (to allude to the Lord's appearing to the prophet Elijah at Horeb) hath not been in a great and ftrong wind, nor in an earthquake, nor in a fire; but in a still small voice, saying to one and to another, what doft thou hear? There hath not been dif covered any appearance of a fpirit. of enthufiafm or delufion, or of fpiritual pride and oftentation; nor of cenforioufnefs and rash judging of others; but on the contrary, a fpirit of humility and meeknefs, of fear and a found mind; arifing from a rational conviction of fin, and principle of gofpel benevolence; each one appearing to ef

And

Gentlemen, if the preceding narrative meets your approbation, you may expect fomething further from yours most affectionately.

SIMON WATERMAN. Plymouth, (Con.) Jan. 1, 1801. (To be continued.)

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knoweth them that are his. let every one that nameth the name of Chrift depart from iniquity; The confeffion and converfion of a Deift. and let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed left he fall. When SOVEREIGN and long the attention first began in this forbearing God, in his holy town, it was feared there would providence, has feen fit to open be great oppofition; but fuch hath the eyes of one, who was ripen. been the manner in which the ing faft for judgment and deftruc work hath been carried on, that tion. I cannot therefore but feel oppofers have been, very much it my duty, to make known cerconfounded and filenced. On obtain circumftances of my life to this

congregation. It is written, "He that covereth his fins, fhall not profper, but he that confeffeth and forfaketh them fhall find mercy." And not knowing but that others may be meetening, for the fame dreadful calamity that I was, I am the more defirous to reprefent my fituation, not knowing but yet

it may call up the confideration of fome in this place, to attend to their immortal concerns before it be forever too late.

and many were brought to see their fituation as finners, and turn unto God. Seeing fuch an attention, my mind became impreffed, I was brought to realize my fad ftate and condition as a finner. Heaven and hell feemed realities, my fears arofe and my apprehenfions were very terrible. In this fituation how much did I fuffer from a fear, that my affociates would fufpect my concern and laugh at my credulity.

This no doubt is emphatically. the cafe at the prefent time, young people are afraid of being laughed at, and discountenanced if they attend to religion, and fhun the places, where prayers are made and serious con verfation entered upon; in this way how many fouls go on to de ftruction. In this fituation I continued fometime, but throwing off my convictions, I became again, more stupid, than ever, more hard and unfufceptible, Then going on in a state of impiety and rebellion against God, I began to feel that I had become free from the fhackels, of what the world calls religion. It was no more. with me an object of concern and little did I eftimate it. day to day I became more attach ed to the vanities of time and fenfe, Serioufnefs was foon abandoned, and eternity was kept out of my mind. The tender warnings of my father began to be forgotten and lofe their efficacy on my behaviour. Little did the idea of death, judgment and eternity, at any time af fect me. Thus, although vifibly

From

In my infancy, I had the happinefs of being in the charge of parents who were fedulously anxious for my well-being. In the morning of my life, much care was taken by my tender father, to implant within my mind, fentiments of piety. He was eager to have me a child of virtue and godlinefs; and often warned me to efcape from the finful converfation, and examples of the prophane and uniteady. My prefent and eternal enjoyment, he often reminded me, was wholly dependant on the conduct of my life. He often converfed with me upon Religion. Told me the unhappy confequence of finning against God. He alledged that finners must go to mifery and be always in hell. Such was his care to train me up in wifdom's ways, that I was fearful of going away from the path of recc. titude. When I was about fourteen years old, my father died, and now I was no longer to be guided by his daily example. However, being young, the impreffion he had made upon my mind in fome meaf-moral in my conduct, I entertained ure reftrained me from indulging very difrefpectful fentiments of revery freely in the fashionable follies ligion. It appeared to me little of thofe of my age. At the age elfe than prieftcraft, as I was of fix een it pleafed God, to fend proudly pleafed to ftile it. Thus the convictive influences of the I entered into family life, and acHoly Spirit, and revive his caufe ted in the capacity of a father. in the place in which I lived. An My little offspring came around attention to religion commenced, me, they looked upon me their