many, and contributed to produce | ferious meetings, and the concerns a fenfible effect on their feelings, of eternity have above all other and to lead them to ferious reflec-things, engaged the attention of tions on their own condition. The a large proportion of the people; appearance was encouraging, and fo that it would be very ungrateful it was thought the people would in us, to be unwilling to acknowlwillingly attend a meeting in the edge, that God has been with us evening; it was appointed, and in very deed, and ftill continues generally attended by those who many pleafing tokens of his grahad been present in the day time. cious prefence. In this meeting it appeared that the power of God was indeed with us. Many were made fenfible that they were exposed to the wrath of God, and were furprised with their fate, as if it had never before been told them, that they were in danger of endless punishment, and needed the falvation of Chrift. From that time until the prefent, (a term of one year,) we have had a general attention to the things of religion, & many ferious meetings and full affemblies on the fabbaths and on other days and evenings and after the religious exercifes which had been intended were closed, the people have frequently manifefted an unwillingness to retire, and have kept their places, and, by their countenances folicited further inftructions. And after making a nother prayer, or giving fome further exhortations, I have often been the first who has left the meeting, upon which the people have retired. to their houfes. : In the whole feafon, nothing noify or tumultuous has been dif coverd, no outcries or fwoonings, and none who have been difpofed to relate their own experiences in conferences and public meetings; nor have the evening exercises ever been prolonged to unfeafonable hours; but a filent and carneft at tention to religious instruction has prevailed. Levity, balls and other fimilar diverfions have been laid afide, the ball room has been converted into a place for prayer and. Undoubtedly in the beginning of the work, numbers were moved, with little more than a sympathetic affection, arifing from the novelty and ferioufnefs of the inipreffive scene. But this was not in vain, for the Lord made ufe of it, to open their ears to instruction, and as that fubfided, it was in many inftances followed, with the most rational conviction of gofpel truths, and a realizing fense of their importance, which have apparently produced the happiest effects. Numbers who were unmoved at first, have fince been made to enquire with earnestnefs, what they fhall do to be faved. And convictions, I think, gradually increased, thro' the following fpring and fumarer. I have converfed with between forty and fifty, who have received comfort, and appear to be reconciled to God, and to rejoice in his government, and in their glorious Redeemer; many others are yet attentive, while there is reafon to fear, that the seriousness of some is on the decline, if not altogether at an end. This indeed is an affecting confideration, and fills the pious mind with fearful apprehenfions concerning their future deftiny. Alas they know not what they do, when they thus oppofe the convictive influences of God upon their confciences!!! Although there has been a great variety, in the dealings of God, with different individuals, who now give reason to hope, that they are heartily recon miring views of the excellencies and perfections of God; every thing about them, even the natural creation has appeared new, because declarative of the prefence and agency of God, which they had never before regarded in this light. Others have at firft only experienced a calm composure of mind, in which, without any fenfible have attentively contemplated his character and government-their own extreme vileness, and his fovereignty in the difpenfations of his grace; they have seen and acknowledged the justice and fitness of his adminiftrations, felt themselves wholly at his disposal, and confented that it fhould be fo; but at the fame time, had no fenfible exercifes or effufions of love, joy or praife, ciled to him, with refpect to the length, degree, and diftin&t quality of their convictions, and the ftrength, and bitterness, of their fenfible heart-rifings against God, in the course of their convictions, and the clearness of their views, and greatness of their joys, when they were at first reconciled, yet there is a general fimilarity in the accounts, which they all, or near-heart-rifings against God, they ly all, have given of themfelves. They have at first generally, tho' not univerfally, been principally affected with a fenfe of their danger of the wrath of God, and all have reforted to their own works, to conciliate his favor, without that fubmiffion to him, and reliance on Chrift, which the gospel requires. While purfuing this courfe, their painful apprehenfions of divine wrath have been gradually over-did not view themselves entitled to ballanced, by fucceffive and increafing discoveries of their guilt and ob. ftinate depravity of heart, until they have felt their entire dependence, on the fovereign uncovenanted mercy of God, to renew their hearts. While in this fituation, they have generally been fenfible of dreadful heart-rifings against God, and his government. Some have related their feelings, when in this fituation, which were too dreadful to be repeated. Several have been on the borders of defpair. They, who have received comfort, look back on this, as the feason of their greatest diftrefs of foul, and it has often become fo great, as very much to interrupt, and fometimes wholly to destroy their fleep, labor and appetite for food.-After continuing for fome time, in this fituation, oppreffed with a fenfe of their defperate wickedness; many of them have been fuddenly relieved, from the anguifh of their fouls. Of thefe, fome have been immediately filled with great joy, and ad the promifes of the gofpel, but even feared that they were lofing their convictions, and fhould foon return to their former ftupidity. This state of mind has been generally followed, in a few hours, or a few days with an admiring fenfe of the excellency and glory of God, and a fpirit of praife, love and comfort in him; fometimes excited by discoveries of Chrift, and the glory of his work of redemption, and the fulness and fufficiency of his falvation, and at other times, by a view of the divine law, and the other various manifeftations, which God has made of his perfections. These exercises have fuggefted to their minds, an hope that they are now born of God, of this however none have appeared very confident at firft; but their hopes have been expreffed with caution, and have often been feeble and intermitting, and as their religious exercifes have been by turns more or lefs fervent, and in their view productive of obedience, their hopes have increased or diminished. Many of them have obferved, that the happiness, which they have poffeffed in religious exercises, in respect to purity and fublimity, greatly exceeds all the finful pleafures that they ever enjoyed. They appear to delight exceedingly in God, and their religion is to them a refreshing feaft. A number of thofe, whofe exercifes have been here defcribed, were formerly opposed to the doctrines of God's decrees, and particular election; but are now, without any exception, convinced of their truth and importance, and of the total depravity of the natural heart. Two or three were inclined to univerfalism; but have now abandoned thofe opinions, and view them as falfe and pernicious. One in particular was a confirmed univerfalist, and had been fo for fome years. He is a man, about forty years of age, of a determi-heart to that degree, that for a ned fpirit, difpofed to be confident confiderable time, I can have no in his own opinion, and to give lit-recollection of any circumftance the heed to the opinions of others, or object about me. My attenin matters of religion. I fhall heretion was fo entirely swallowed up, give an abstract of the account, which he gave me of himself." I was,' faid he, a real univerfalift, and fully believed thofe fentiments. After the awakening began, I had fome converfa⚫tion with a religious neighbour on the fubject, and left him with a ⚫ fenfible inquietude on my mind: I went home, took my bible for relief, and turned to thofe texts, which I had long confidered as a full proof of my fentiments; but on carefully reading and confidering them, they did not ap•pear fo conclufive as they had ⚫ done. I knew that I had no religion myfelf, and I determined I would now attend to it, and repent, and believe on Chriftfhould fee it and know it forever." VOL. I. No. 1. D by the dreadful difcoveries of my ' own heart, that I know of nothing elfe, which paffed in my mind, until at length, I found myfelf proftrate on the earth. I left the bufinefs on which İ went out undone, and returned 'home, with an heavy load on my mind, and was unable to do any business for several days. I got no relief, until feeling my abfolute dependence on the fovereign will of God, to difpofe of me as he fhould fee fit, I refigned myfelf into his hands, fenfible, that if he fhould renew me, I fhould be faved'; but if not, and if he should fend me to hell, he would be perfectly juft, and I -It was fome days after this, and it was after he gave me this account of himself, that he firft began to entertain an hope, that he was interefted in the promifes of the Gof. pel, tho' he had much comfort, when he gave me this relation, and had fet up the worship of God in his family, which till this time, he had always neglected, and he had taken pains to convince one, whom The had led into the perfuafion that all men would be faved, and has fince vifited others for the fame purpofe. But whether his converfion be genuine, must remain to be proved by his fruits, and perfeverance în religion. To the account given of this man, I will subjoin that of another-a man about fifty-fix years of age, who had no great fhare of general information, or fociability. He had been very inattentive to religion, even in fpeculation, and had very much neglected public worship. When the awakening 'first began among us, this man had let himself out at work, in a neighbouring town; but after two or three months returned. He oblerved the great alteration, that had taken place among the people, and was led by it, to reflect on his own finful and miferable condition, and became deeply impreffed with a fenfe of his danger. From this time, he conftantly attended religious meetings, and foon acquired fome juft views of the ftate of the controverfy between God and himself, and expreffed his views, with much feeling and propriety. Not long after, he manifefted a fpirit of fubmiffion to God. He was then asked whether he was willing that God should govern all things, according to his own good pleafure? He readily anfwered, "Yes, this is what I want." It was replied, Perhaps if he should he would cut you off. He anIwered, "Well, I won't find fault with him if he does; I won't fay, I fubmit, and then find fault with him, because he does not do with me, as I with he would." He faid thefe things, with an emphasis and expreffion, which cannot be copied, and which apparently befpoke the feelings of his heart. He remained for feveral weeks rejoicing in God, and in his government, and in the doctrines and duties of the Gofpel. His countenance was cheerful, and even his natural abilities, efpecially for free, focial converfation, feemed to be enlarged; altho' at the time, he had no idea, or hope that he was a real Chriftian, or was entitled to the promifes. His ferious neighbours indeed confidered him as one born again, and one of them fuppofing by the tenor of his converfation on religious fubjects, that doubtless he confidered himfelf a convert, requefted him to ftate the reasons, which made him fuppofe, or hope that he was a Chriftian. He replied, "I don't think I am oneI have no idea that I am; but I hope I fhall be." Mention was made to him of the gracious promifes, which God had made to fuch, as would caft themfelves, upon his mercy. He answered, "I choofe he thonld do with me as he thinks fit." Since that time by comparing his exercises with the word of God, he has conceived an humble hope that he has real religion; and he continues to poffefs much joy and comfort, at the fame time that a fenfe of his own vilenefs and unworthiness increases upon him. But he now fays that "a fense of his vileness, neither interrupts his happiness, nor leads him to dread the day of judg-| believing on the Lord Jefus Chrift. 'ment, for his hopes are in Chrift " alone!" I have observed, that altho' but a fmall proportion of the heads of families among us were profeffors of religion, yet about two thirds of thofe, who have now become apparent converts, are the children of fuch parents-that little more than one third are above thirty years of age-and that the num ber of the females is almost double to the males. Yet I hope there are numbers, who are reconciled to God, with whom I have had no opportunity for particular converfation; and fo the number of converts may be greater, and the proportion as to age, fex and family may be different from that which is here mentioned. And on the other hand, if fome of thofe, whom we now charitably hope are Chriftians, fhould apoftatize from their profeffion, it ought not to furprife us, or bring an evil report on this great and good work of God; for our Lord has forewarned us, that fome fhall be like feed fown upon ftony ground. And there have been many in all ages, who have come unto the marriage feaft, without a wedding garment. But we hope better things of them all, and things that accom pany falvation, tho' we thus fpeak. And while we rejoice in hope of their bleffednefs, we have caufe to tremble for the greateft proportion of the people, who yet undoubt edly remain in fearful bondage to fio and death. AMEN. I am, &c. JONATHAN MILLER. Torringford, Litchfield county. GENTLEMEN, N the latter end of Auguft. IN 1798, unufual religious appearances commenced in this place, especially among the young people. They met weekly by themselves. Their number conftantly increafed, until it was found that a private room would not contain them. They then repaired to the meetinghoufe, where they prayed, fang, and converfed on religious fubjects. An event fo extraordinary, excited a fpirit of general enquiry throughout the fociety, and feveral weeks, and even months pas fed away, while as yet one was scarce able to decide whether any very deep, or powerful impressions were on their minds, or not, unlefs in a very few inftances. In the mean time an unusual folemnity appeared on the countenances of the people in general. And thofe who antecedently to all, this, had been much in prayer to God for a day of his divine power, "thanked God, and took courage." Of course, conference meetings of a more general nature, were appointed; and crowds were wont to affemble at fuch feafons. Thus things paffed on, with but few inftances of hopeful converfions, until about the middle of the following winter. The Lord grant that his gra cious prefence and power may continue with us that the children of God may be more abundantly fanctified that converts may be While our hopes, and our fears, greatly multiplied, and prove real had thus long been very fenfibly converts to God-and all the peo-excited, by turns, as appearances ple have great joy and peace in varied, at this memorable period, |