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wretchedness and danger of their | This has been the cafe till increafftate as finners, and not a few re-ing light, and comparing their joicing in the grace of the gofpel. exercifes with the gospel, have led This was the ftate of things thro them on to a comfortable hope of the months of January, February their good eftate. and March. In the month of A- Through the whole of this repril, the ardor of the attention ap-markable feriousness much regularpeared in fome measure to abate.ity has been obferved. Order and The habitual feriousness however, decency have marked its rite and remained much the fame as before; progrefs-and it has been attended and continues in a good measure with much outward peace and harto the prefent time. Confidera- mony of fentiment. No oppofi. ble numbers (till appear under deeption has appeared. Satan has not and genuine conviction. been permitted to get advantage against us, by exciting any thing like a fpirit of rafh judging, or bitter, cenforious fpeaking one of another. From the beginning every body feemed convinced, and difpofed to acknowledge that what they faw was indeed the work of God. Its effects have been moft falutary. The veftiges of fcepticifm-and infidelity were swept away, and differences and prejudices, which had long interrupted the peace of fociety were happily healed. Brotherly love, which has all along abounded, ftill continues. It furprisingly put an end to complaints against the hard doctrines of the gofpel, fech as the total depravity of the human heart, fovereign grace, &c. There was no danger of giving difguft by preaching thefe doctrines too plainly. The truth of them could not be denied, whilft the power of them was fo deeply and manifeftly experienced. The moral reformation has alfo been, in fome good meafure, fuch as we could wifh. Taverns, and other places of vanity and dif fipation, which used to be frequented, are deferted. The novel and romance are exchanged for the bible, and

Perfons of almoft every age from 65 down to 10 or 12 years have apparently been fubjects of the work. Children from ten years old have been much awakened, and fome hopefully converted. Those who have given the beft evidence of a faving change have generally been from 16 to 40 years of age. There have confiderably rifing of a hundred obtained hope of their faving interest in Chrift. Under conviction the fubjects have, in general, been made deeply fenfible of their utterly loft eftate by nature. They complain much of hard hearts and blind minds.When thus reduced to felf-defpair, they have usually experienced divine manifestations. These manifestations, in fome inftances, have been immediate and clear at firft, and connected with great fenfible peace and joy in God and divine things. But more commonly they have been flow and progreffive. The perfon has felt calm and compofed-and experienced a degree of inward peace and fatisfaction in a view of divine objects. But these exercises have not been fuch, at first, as to bring in evidence of their being new creatures. Many have continued in this flate for a confiderable time, fome for weeks without any apprehenfions of their being the fubjects of faving grace.

books calculated to furnish the most useful knowledge, and improve the heart in habits of virtue and piety. The house of God is ftill the place of general re

to be granted. Though no fpecial vifible encouragement appeared, for a confiderable time-they were continued, till it pleafed God to hear and anfwer in the fignal manner which has been ftated. Herein he hath fhewn himself a prayer hearing God, and exhibited a fufficient reason why his people, even in the darkest seasons, should perfeveringly wait upon him in this way of his own appointment. In due time, they may be confident of reaping, if they faint not.

There has alfo, for a number of

fort, and the fabbaths of the Lord are devoutly reverenced, and confcientiously obferved. Family religion in its various branches, I have reafon to believe, is tenfold more attended to and maintained than heretofore. And these principles of piety and the fear of the Lord, no doubt, have great influence upon the various relative duties of life, which are manifeftly more regularly performed than be fore the times of refreshing which have paft and are ftill paffing over us. Such habitual alterations of character appear in many individu-months, existed a very confiderable als, and in the general flate of fociety; among us, as bear an honorable teftimony to the truth and importance of experimental reli. gion. Many who have obtained hope complain much of the grievous corruption of their hearts, and the want of fenfible Chriftian comfort-but ftill appear engaged to prefs forward in the ways of the Lord. As yet I know of no initances, which look like apoftacy; though it is to be feared that all will not endure to the end and be -faved.

I would juft add that this revival of religion appears to have taken place in anfwer to prayer. Previously to it the state of religion among us was very low; and had been fo for many years. But in the preceding April, by certain communications, refpecting revivals of religion, then taking place in Connecticut, and fome other concurring circumftances, a fmall number of Chriftians were induced to fet up weekly meetings of fpecial prayer for Zion. They were kept up through the fummer. Few, fometimes not more than ten or fif teen, attended. Thefe meetings, however, through the divine bleffing, were made edifying; and an unusual spirit of prayer feemed

revival of religion in a small congregation, called Middletown, about 40 miles weftward of thisand in Coram, a fociety adjoining. I vifited, and spent fome time among them in May. There was a very great and unusual engagedness manifefted to attend uponthe preaching of the word; and though the feafon was very hurrying, multitudes flocked, for many miles round to attend divine fervice once, twice, and even three times a day. I alfo visited them again, about two weeks ago, and found the fame fpirit as before, though, perhaps not attended with altogether fo much engagednefs. There have as many as between forty and fifty obtained hope, and about thirty have joined the church. The work bears the fame general appearance as it has in this place. It had long been a time of great religious declenfion. In the beginning of the year 1799, they loft their minifter, deacons, and a number of other most active and influential characters, by death. Every thing looked dark and gloomy-there was no appearance of thefe awful judgments being fanctified; iniquity abounded and the love of many waxed cold-but by this interpofition of divine grace,

the face of things is surprisingly altered the former defolations are happily repaired. The revival has been connected with a fpirit of union, and a very remarkable reformation of manners.

The work of divine grace among us, three years ago, by which nearly fifty perfons were hopefully added to the Lord, had not wholly ceafed to produce effects on the people generally, when the late fcene of mercy and wonder commenced. In the interval, feveral were, in the judgment of charity, "created a new in Chrift Jefus unto good works." It is not known however that any thing took place in the fummer of 1798, which had immediate connection with the prefent work, unless it were fome trying conflicts in a number of praying minds, which appeared to hum

Among a fmall tribe of Indians, at a place called Cold Spring, about 12 miles weft of us, under the care of Paul, an Indian minifter, there has alfo of late been a great awakening; and it continues in a good measure still. Alfo at Huntington and Sosthold there have been, and are at prefent very promifing appearances of fpecial religious attention. May this good and glorious work go on and prof-ble and prepare them for the blefper. Verily when the Lord builds fings and duties of the enfuing up Zion, he appears in his glory. I am, with much respect, Yours, &c.

AARON WOOLWORTH.

(L. I.)}

Bridgehampton,* (L. I.)
July 15, 1800.

LETTER X.

From the Rev. EDWARD D. GRIF-
FIN of New-Hartford.
GENTLEMEN,

winter.

Late in October 1798, the peo. ple frequently hearing of the dif plays of divine grace in Weft-Symf bury, were increasingly impreffed with the information. Our conferences foon became more crouded and feeling. Serious people began to break their minds to each other; and it was difcovered (fo far were prefent impreffions from being the effect of mere fympathy) that there had been, for a confiderable time, in their minds fpecial defires for the revival of religion; while each one, unapprized of his neighbour's feelings, had fuppofed his exercifes peculiar to himself. It was foon agreed to institute a fecret meeting for the exprefs purpofe of praying for effufions of the fpirit; which was the scene of fuch wrestlings as are not, it is apprehended, commonly experienced. Several circumstances confpired to increase our anxiety. Although this place is not in New-The glorious work had already England, yet as it is in the vicinity, begun in Torringford; and the and as the work of God there was cloud appeared to be going all aIt feemed as though providence, by avoiding us, defigned to bring to remembrance our Dd

OT having expected that an account of the late work of God among us would be called for, I have not been careful to charge my mind with particulars. Many impreffive circumstances, which, had they stood alone, would not have been foon forgotten, have given place to others, which in their turn arrested and engroffed the attention. A fuccinct and general account shall however be attempted.

coincident in time with that in New-
England, the Editors have thought
proper to infert the account of it in
this place.

VOL. I. No. 6.

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paft abuses of his grace. Befides, having been fo recently vifited with diftinguishing favors, we dared not allow ourselves to expect a repetition of them fo foon; and we began to apprehend it was the purpofe of Him whom we had lately grieved from among us, that we hould, for penalty, ftand alone parched up in fight of furrounding fhowers. We confidered what must be the probable fate of the rifen generation if we were to fee no more of" the days that were paft" for a number of years, and the apprehenfion that we might not, caufed fenfations more eafily felt than defcribed.

This was the state of the people when, on a fabbath in the month of November, it was the fovereign pleasure of a moft merciful God very fenfibly to manifeft himself in the public affembly. Many abiding impreffions were made on minds feemingly the least fufceptible, and on feveral grown old in unbelief. From that memorable day the flame which had been kindling in fecret, broke out. By defire of the people, religious conferences were fet up in different parts of the town, which continued to be attended by deeply affected crouds; and in which divine prefence and power were manifefted to a degree which we had never before witreffed. It

most of thofe who were exercised, were often too deeply impreffed to weep. Addreffes to the paffions, now no longer neceffary fince the attention was engaged, were avoided; and the aim was to come at the confcience. Little terror was preached, except what is implied in the doctrines-of the entire depravity of the carnal heart.

its enmity against God-its deceitful doublings and attempts to avoid the foul-humbling terms of the gofpel-the radical defects of the doings of the unregenerate, and the fovereignty of God, in the difpenfations of his grace. The more clearly thefe and other kindred doctrines were displayed and understood, the more were convictions promoted. By convictions is meant thofe views and feelings which are caufed by uncovered truth, and the influences of the fpirit, antecedently to converfion.

The order and progrefs of thefe convictions were pretty much as follows. The fubjects of them were brought to feel that they were tranfgreffors, yet not that they were totally finful. As their convictions increased, they were constrained to acknowledge their deftitution of love to God; but yet they thought they had no enmity against him. At length they would come to fee that fuch enmity filled their hearts. is not meant that they were marked This was particularly exemplified with out-cries, distortions of body, in a certain house, in which were or any fymptoms of intemperate two perfons exercised in mind. zeal; but only that the power of One appeared to have a clear sense divine truth made deep impreffion of this enmity, and wondered how on the affemblies. You might offe could have been ignorant of it tea fee a congregation fit with deep fo long. folemnity depicted in their countenances, without obferving a tear or fob during the fervice. This laft obfervation is not made with defign to caft odium on fuch natural expreffions of a wounded fpirit. But the cafe was fo with us that

The other was fenfible that the poffeffed none of that love to God which the law required, but could not believe that the entertained fuch enmity as filled the other with fomuch remorfe and anguifh. A few days afterwards, feeing a friend to whom he had

expreffed this fentiment, fhe was anxious to let him know her miftake, and informed him the had discovered that the "hated God with all her heart."

felves with this plea of inability, and like their ancestor, to caft the blame upon God, by pleading, "The nature which нE gave me, beguiled me." This was the enemy's ftrong hold. All who were a little more thoughtful than common, but not thoroughly convicted, would, upon the first attack, fee to this refuge. "They would be glad to repent, but could not; their nature and heart were so bad;" As though their nature and heart were not they themselves. But the progrefs of conviction in general foon removed this "refuge of lies," and filled them with a sense of utter inexcufeableness. And in every cafe, as foon as their enmity was flain this plea wholly vanifhed, their language immediately became, "I wonder, I ever fhould afk the question, How can I repent? My only wonder now is that I could hold out fo long."

In the first stages of conviction, it was not eafy for the fubjects to realize their defert of eternal death. But afterwards, even while they gave decifive evidence of being still as devoid of a right temper as thofe wretches whofe mouths will be ftopt by the light of the laft day, their conviction of this defert was, in many instances, very clear. Nevertheless, even to the last, their hearts would recoil at the thought of being in God's hands, and would rife against him for having referved it to himself to decide whether to fanctify and pardon them or not. Though the difplay of this doctrine had the most powerful tendency to trip them of all hopes from themselves, and to bring them to the feet of fovereign grace; yet as it thus fapped the foundation on which they rested, their feelings were excited against it. There was a man who, having been well indoctrinated, had for many years advocated this truth; who notwithstanding, when he came to be concerned about his falvation and to apply this truth to his own cafe, was much difplcafed with it. He was at times quite agitated by a warfare between his understanding and heart; the former affenting to the truth, the latter refifting it. He faid it depended on God and not on himself, whether he ever fhould comply with the gofpel; and for God to withhold his influences, and then punish him for not poffeffing the temper which thefe influences alone could produce, appeared by the diftinguishing doced to him hard. Before conviction trines of the gofpel closely and had become deep and powerful, affectionately applied to the con many attempted to exculpate them- fcience.

It was not uncommon for the hearts of the convicted, as they rofe against God, to rife also against his minsters. Several who had not betrayed their feelings in the season of them, afterwards confessed that fuch refentments had arifen. In fome inftances, the emotions were plainly discoverable, and in one, particularly, the fubject was so incenfed as to break out in bitter expreffions, but a few hours before being relieved from the anguish of a deeply troubled fpirit. Such things feemed to be fatisfying evidence that mere conviction no more meliorates the heart in this, than in the other world; but ferves rather to draw out its corruptions into ftill ftronger exercise. may be fuitable to add that these fallies of refentment were occafion

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