the powers of the foul with them; ftupify the confcience; weaken and diffipate the judgment; while the least appearance or fufpicion of them will render a minifter and his miniftrations contemptible and detefted.* I fhall, in my next, fpecify and recommend to you fome of the Chriftian graces and tempers, which are efpecially becoming in your station and character. In the mean while, I remain very affectionately yours, &c. (To be continued.) An Account of a work of Divine LETTER IV. and their hopes more established, and were better satisfied that it was their duty to profefs their faith, and join the church. The awakening at first seemed to be chiefly among heads of families. It is remarkable, that numbers have been the subjects of this work, who before appeared to be far from the kingdom of God, were confidered very erroneous in their fentiments, and were fuppofed to have imbibed opinions, which favored of Deifm, and Univerfal. ifm. Several perfons, who at first fcoffed, and ridiculed the serioufnefs of others, have fince been a wakened, and appear cordially to embrace that religion, which they before defpifed in others. In Auguft, the minds of a number of the youth began to be impreffed, who till then had appeared carelefs and ftupid. They foon From the Rev. PETER STARR, of fet up weekly conferences, and A Warren. GENTLEMEN, BOUT the first of March, 1799, we began to have religious conferences, on Sabbath evenings. Not more attended for a number of weeks, than could be conveniently accommodated in a private room. At this time, there appeared to be more of a fpirit of enquiry, than ufual, and a more folemn attention to preaching. In June and July, the minds of a number were ferioufly impreffed; and the feriousness becanie general thro' the town. Chriflians were re markably ftirred up to a fpirit of prayer, and to fpeak more frequently to one another, about the things of religion. Some who heretofore had great doubts, whether they had ever experienced a work of grace in their hearts, began now to have their evidences of it more clear have continued them ever fince. They defired me, whenever I could, to attend with them: and when I was not prefent, fome of them prayed, and a printed fermon was commonly read, accompanied with the finging of pfalms and hymns. A number of the youth, who have been the fubjects of this work, and have joined the Church, were heretofore leaders in their vain amufements. In September, October, and November, we had weekly lectures, preached by neighbouring Minifters, which, by the bleffing of God, were attended with happy effects. Thro' the winter, I have had occafion to attend four, and five conferences, in a week, in dif. ferent parts of the town. Since the awakening began among us, between feventy and eighty have joined the church; and fuch as, in the judgment of charity, we 1 Pet. ii. 11. 1 Sam. ii. 12—17, 30. hope have witneffed a good confef Gion. But at the fame time, we have reafon to fear, that while the Son of Man hath been fowing good feed in his field, the evil one hath been alfo bufy, in fowing tares; and that the prefent apparent goodness of fome, like the car. ly cloud, and the morning dew, will foon vanish away. Thus the Lord, in his infinitely free and fovereign grace, hath remembered us in our low eftate, when iniquity was abounding, and the love of many waxing cold. When the enemy was coming in among us like a flood, the spirit of the Lord bath fet up a fandard against him. This is the Lord's doings, and it is marvellous in our eyes. With reference to the foregoing account, I would obferve, that hitherto the work hath been remarkably free from every thing like enthufiafm, or extravagance. It feemed more like a fmall fill voice, than like the rubing of any mighty wind. The minds of the concerned were apparently borne down, with a lively fenfe, that their hearts and practices had not been right with God; and that there was a controverfy fubfifting between their Maker and themselves, which, if not speedily fettled, would iffue in their deftruction. Many, when afked what troubled them? Would reply, The fears of future punish ment are not so much the cause of our concern, as a consciousness, that our hearts are opposed to God, and the gospel method of falvation.' Another circumstance which attended the work, and which I think is a token for good, is this; moft of thofe, who have obtained hopes of a faving converfion, profeffedly come into the Calvinistic fentiments of religion. They believe in the finner's total depravity of heart, divine fovereignty, de- Another circumftance of the work, which I think favors of its being genuine, in many inftances, is this, moft of thofe, who profefs that they have obtained hopes, are not by any means very confident and pofitive, that their state is good. They appear to be fenfible that their hearts are deceitful, and fo defperately wicked, that they dare not truft them. Their religious joy feems to be accompa nied with fear and trembling. I am PETER STARR. LETTER V. From the Rev. RUFUS HAWLEY, Paftor of the Church in Northington, town of Farmington. A GENTLEMEN, BOUT fifteen years paft, there was a confiderable feriousness upon the minds of a number of people in this place; but it lafted not long, and the fruits of it were fmall; but very few being brought into the glorious liberty of the fons of God. For feveral years, before the prefent extraordinary out pouring of the divine fpirit, there had been repeated inftances of perfons, who were awakened to attend to the all-important concerns of their fouls; and a few from time to time, were, in a judgment of charity, renewed, and became experimentally acquainted with Jefus, and his religion. But nothing very remarkable took place a mongst us, till the beginning of the year paft; when it pleafed God, of his abundant mercy, to rain down his holy fpirit upon us, arreft the attention of many from wain and carnal things, and fix it upon divine and eternal concerns. And we truft it may be faid a goodly number are born again. The eighth of March, 1799, fome young people fent to me, requefting I would attend a conference the enfuing evening: I attended, and found a confiderable number of people collected of va rious ages. We prayed and attended to the important truths of the gofpel. It was evident, fome minds were impreffed. The Sabbath evening following, there was a conference attended; many people were prefent. The meeting was folemn. The next Tuesday, a number of minifters came, and a lecture was attended at the meeting-houfe; houfe. The people appeared anxand in the evening, another at my ious to hear the word. The day following, a fermon was delivered at another house; where a large number of people were gathered together, and appeared more attentive than ufual. It began to be evident, about this time, that the Lord was with us of a truth.— Some began to be alarmed, and enquire, What they fhould do to be faved? The next Monday (March 25) a neighbouring minifter preached in the day time, and another in the evening, to a crouded and liftening affembly. In April, the religious attention increafed greatly: new inftances of conviction were frequent, and fome began to obtain comfort and hope. In fome inftances, the people attended fix or feven fermons a week. Old, middle aged, and young people were the subjects of God's work. There was now a great fhaking among the dry bones. Conferences were fet up in every quarter of the parish; and were attended every night in the week, at one place or another, except Saturday night. And at two or three different places twice in a week. Neighbouring minifters, frequently came, and preached, and converfed with the people. And when they had opportunity to hear preaching, or converfation, they feemed to hang upon the speaker's lips. Our affemblies became crouded upon the Sabbath, at lectures and conferences. Balls, all merry meetings, and public diverfions were laid afide: and the people were more engaged, to attend religious meetings, than they had been heretofore for carnal diverfions. The hearts of the people were moved, as the trees of the wood are moved, when they are fhaken with a mighty wind.-In two or three inftances, perfons gave up their old hopes, and obtained new ones. The people of God were confirmed in the faith. Their hearts leaped for joy, and their mouths were filled with praife. People of all ages, from fifteen to upwards of fixty, were deeply impreffed. The diftrefs of fome, was fo great, that it deprived them, in a great measure of their food and fleep, for a season. Many confeffed their fins, complained of the hardnefs of their hearts, the abounding wickedness of their lives; and appeared very fenfibly to feel that it would be juft in God to caft them off forever. And every perfon, who, in a judgment of charity, is a fubject of the regenerating power of the divine fpirit, appears full in the belief of divine fovereignty, decrees, election, and all the effential doctrines of the gospel. A young man, who had obtained a hope that he was a fubject of the new birth, faid, he might be deceived with regard to the state of his foul, and perish at last; but he believed God would do right, and he was willing to be at his difpofal. Others have expreffed themfelves in much the fame manner. Juftification and falvation by works, are exploded. Free grace, and the atonement and merits of Chrift extolled by thofe who are hopefully the fubjects of a renovating change of heart. Numbers, at times, have fuch nearness to, and communion with God, that they have great foretaftes of heaven, and joy unspeakable. At a conference one evening, a man being asked if he found any happiness in religion? He replied, yes; fince I have been attending the prefent meeting, and uniting with the people of God, in wor fhipping him, I have enjoyed more real happinefs in religion, than ever I enjoyed in all other things, through my whole paft life. All the mirth, and carnal pleasures in the world, he faid, were nothing, compared with the sweets of true religion. Some others were afked the fame queftion, who faid, what had been obferved, correfponded with their real feelings. They now found by their own experi. ence, that "wifdom's ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." A confiderable number, who in time paft, did not pray in their families, have now fet up family religion, and are constant, and to appearance devout, in their performance of this duty. And thofe, who heretofore did not worship God in their houses, now plead fervently with God, that there may be no prayerlefs families. In this fmall fociety, there are thirty or forty men, who pray at conferences, not only in my ab fence, but the most of them, (upon being requested) when I am prefent. Some, who years ago, had openly violated the laws of Chrift, and purpofed never to confefs their faults, have freely made a public confeffion of their fins againft the Moft High; and have faid, that although, it was what their hearts once totally oppofed; yet now they could do it, as freely as ever they did any thing in their lives And indeed, that they could not reft eafy without. Now they fee, and feel the paft ftubbornnefs of their wills, and the hardness of their hearts. And their fins being fet in order before their eyes, and their wills bowed, they acknowledge with the peni tent Pfalmift, "Against thee, thee only have we finned, and done this evil in thy fight." And they plead, "Have mercy upon us, O God, according to thy loving kindnefs: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out our tranfgreffions. Wafh us thoroughly from our iniquity, and cleanfe us from our fin." Some perfons, when they have come to converfe upon entering into covenant, and joining with the church, have faid, they did not think, in time paft, they fhould ever have any defire to join with the church, and partake of the Lord's fupper: they did not think they should defire to have fo much concern with religion: but now they wished to be joined to the vifible family of God; and had earneft longings of mind, to commemorate the dying love of the dear Redeemer. The work of God in this parifh, I conceive has not been fo great as in fome other places; yet confidering the fmallness of the fociety, which confifts of but little more than one hundred families, it muft be confeffed, the work is truly glorious. There is reafon to hope and believe, many perfons will remember this happy day, with joy and praife, not only whilft they live, but through eternity. Through the whole awakening, it has been most apparently evident, that the work was the effect of the divine fpirit. It has been peculiarly free from noify, blind zeal, and frenzy. The convictions of finners have been regular, folemn, and pungent. And there is reafon to hope, a confiderable numiber have been born of the fpirit. Since the awakening began among my people, between forty and fifty have made a profeffion of religion, and joined the church. Thofe who have long been in Chrift, appear to have had fresh anointings of the divine fpirit, and to have been stirred up, to pray more fervently than ufual, for themfelves, and for the profperity of Zion. Thofe, who were in Chrift before; and likewise those, who have lately profeffed faith in him, have, in general, exhibited a good degree of evidence, that they are joined to the Lord, and have his fpirit. They delight in the duties of religion. The fervice of God is now fweet and pleasant to them, in all its branches. They love to read God's word. Many have faid, the bible is intirely a new book to them. The perufal of it, which afforded them no fatisfaction before, now yields them the highest delight. Now they fearch the fcriptures daily, and fay with the Pfalmift, O how love I thy law it is daily my delight.Thofe that rarely came to the house of God, are conftant and diligent attendants. They love the fanctuary of God, the place where his honor dwells: and delight in the ordinances of the gofpel. And their foul is fatisfied as with marrow and fatnefs. And they praife God with joyful lips. : But we fear that fome, who profefs to hope that they have now made their peace with God, will fo apoftatize from their profeffion, that it will appear, that their religion is like the morning cloud, and the early dew, which foon goeth away. Though we are ready to hope better things of them, and things that accompany falvation. And notwithstanding the profpects, have been fo promifing and the minds of nearly all the people, were turned upon religious fubjects yet at prefent we have reafon to fear, that the attention of many has declined, and that many are dead in trefpaffes and fins. We fear they will finally perish, and their condemnation in that cafe will |