These have been the truths which | religion, in fuch a diftinguishing manner, as to convince ferious, attentive obfervers, that the fame mighty power of the Holy Ghost, which wrought fo efficaciously on the day of Pentecoft, is ftill difplayed in the building up of his church, in the world. In this extenfive work of grace, he has confounded and filenced many of the enemies of the gospel, espe cially that clafs of them, who, while they profeffedly believed the facred feriptures, denied the neceffity of the special agency of the Holy Ghoft in the regeneration of finners. For fuch has been the peculiar and glorious nature of the work, that it has been evidently the awakened have deeply felt, and these the prominent objects in view of which the young converts have been tranfported. The scenes which have been opened before us have brought into view what to many is convincing evidence that there is fuch a thing as experimental religion; and that mere outward morality is not the qualification which fits the foul for the enjoyment of God. People, who before were of inoffenfive conduct and of engaging focial affections, have been brought to fee that their hearts were full of enmity to God; and now give charitable evidence of poffeffing tempers, to which before they were utter ftrangers.feen to be the work of God, and It may be added, that fome of the fubjects of the work now aknow edge that they lived many years in dependence on a moral life, (and one of them, driven from this ground, tried to reft on the Univerfal plan;) but they are now brought to fee that they were "leaning on a broken reed," and no longer reft on fuppofed innotence or good works, but on HIM who came to fave the chief of finners. I am, &c. E. D. GRIFFIN. New-Hartford, Sept. 1800. LETTER XII. From the Rev. WILLIAM F. MIL not of man: That, when a Paul has planted, and an Apollos wa tered, God has given all the increafe; fo that all has eventually depended on the bleffing of the divine fpirit, in making the gospel effec. tual, in the calling of finners to repentance. Such extraordinary feafons of the out-pouring of the divine fpirit are, therefore, worthy of remembrance, fince they ferve to deftroy,the strong holds of error and vain philofophy; and to bring a backfliding people to the real knowledge of God. They prove, beyond a doubt, that the Holy Ghoft operates in the hearts of men as a convincer and a comforter; and that, fince our Sa LER of Windfor, Wintonbury viour's afcenfion to glory, he has Parif. GENTLEMEN, WE been fent down to convince the world of fin, because they have not E have reafon to rejoice truly believed in the name of the that the Lord reigns; for, only begotten Son of God. As, as a gracious God, he is wonder-herefore, in the course of the past fully visiting many parts of our and of the prefent year, there has, Zion, with his falvation. In his in the judgment of charity, appeargreat mercy, he has poured out ed to be fuch a glorious work aupon many of our towns the fpirit mong the people of whom I have of grace and of fupplication. He the ministerial care, it may be usehas carried on a bleffed revival of ful to follow the example of others, I appointed a weekly conference, in the latter part of the month of Feb. 1799, for this purpose, be in laying an account of it before the public. Previous to this uncommon feriousness, which there has been a-lieving that the prevailing wickedmong us, the caufe of religion, nefs of the day called for extraor for many years, had been in a low dinary prayer to God. This ap and lamentably declining flate.pointment was fucceeded far beyond But here and there one had been what had been expected, in bringunder any awakening influence of ing many people together to unite the divine fpirit, and brought to a in prayer to God, and in feeking faving knowledge of the truth. the precious bleffings of his grace. For feveral past years, not more In the latter part of March and than two or three perfons had, in the beginning of April, of the any one year, joined the church, fame year, there appeared the Deifm and other corrupt opinions fmall beginnings of more than or, were prevailing, and, as the natural dinary attention to the things of confequence, the morals of the God's kingdom. Some were ftruck people had greatly degenerated, with a deep conviction of their fin Family prayer--the Chriftian fab- and danger, and others were alarbath-public worship and divine med. This attention to religion ordinances were greatly neglected. continued to increafe for feveral The rifing generation, more efpe. weeks, till it had become fo genecially, treated things of this nature ral in the Parish, that it was judged with great coldness and indiffer- expedient to fet up, in various parts ence. A few of the children of of the fociety, feveral religious God with us, at this period, were meetings. At these meetings, deeply affected and alarmed, at which were three and fometimes thefe threatning appearances of a four in a week, a fermon was bounding wickednefs. It feemed preached; and in this way three as if a righteous God were about and generally four fermons were to forfake us altogether to give preached in a week, befides those us up tohardness of heart and blind- preached on the fabbath, for more nefs of mind. And what feemed than fix months together, during peculiarly to alarm our fears, at this revival. This feemed necefthis time, in respect to our local fary to prevent diforder among the condition was, the pleafing news people, and to enlighten their minds we heard of the powerful work in the knowledge of the gofpel, of God, in other towns, while and the way of falvation by the there was fuch a growing neglect Lord Jefus Chrift. From this of religion among our felves. This time, the houfe of God was filled gave us reafon to fear, that while on the fabbath; and thefe weekly other parts of Zion were fo highly lectures, in various parts of the parish, bleffed with the prefence of God, were attended by from two hunand the work of his grace, we dred and fifty, up to three and fhould be left to our own destruc-four hundred people. The atten tion. We therefore then felt the tion to religion foon became greatgreat need of abundant prayerful-er than was ever before known in nefs, and were brought to cry to this parish. There was no longer the most high, for his holy fpirit to a cold and formal attendance upon be fhed down for the awakening of divine worship. The countenanfinners and quickening of his faints. ces of crouded affemblies were fix red and folemn; their eyes were upon the speaker; their ears were open to the truth, and they were pricked in their hearts. No pains were fpared to hear the gofpel preached. All was folemn and filent. Nothing appeared like noife and enthusiasm. Many might be feen, from time to time, melted into tears, from the impreffive force of truth, fet home upon their hearts, by a divine influence. Such had been the oppofition to experimental religion, that perfons thus affected, with a fenfe of their fin and danger, were, at first, afraid that they should be noticed and derided for these impreffions. Many of them, therefore, refolved to keep from meeting, where they found their hearts fo deeply affected. But, they were fo powerfully impreffed with this conviction, as to be compelled to refort to the places of worship; and the cry was, "What shall we do to be faved? Is there any hope-any encouragement for fuch hardened ❝ finners to feek for falvation? Is not our day of grace for ever paft? Does God offer falvation to fuch hardened, guilty and ungrateful finners upon any terms?" For they were now awakened out of their long fleep of carnal fecurity, and brought to examine into the guilt and pollution of their own hearts. They were convinced that they were truly wretched, and miferable, and unholy, in the fight of God. They faw that they were and always had been the enemies of God in practice, and that the temper of their hearts was oppofed to his law and government. They were convinced that they had been living, and were now living fuch a life, as muft inevitably end in their everlafting deftruction, if perfifted in. They had fuch a fepfe of the depravity of their own hardened, wicked hearts, as to be convinced that no power was fufficient to change them, but the Almighty power of God; and that, unless they were renewed by the fpirit of his grace, they must forever perish in their fins. These deep convictions of foul made them fenfible, that however much their hearts had been opposed to the doctrines of divine fovereignty, total depravity and falvation by grace, yet, that they were thus depraved in heart; and that it was wholly in vain to hope for falvation in any other way. They now faw, that if they were faved at all, it would be owing to the uncovenanted mercy of God; and, therefore, were brought to lift up their hearts in ftrong cries to him, in the expreffive language of David, Pfal. xxv. II. "For thy name's fake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great." In the midlt of thefe diftreffing fears and forrows of foul, in many inftanes, they were, at once, relieved, by an instantaneous change of their views, when a new apprehenfion of the character of God, or of Chrift broke in upon their minds in a most sweet and glorious manner, in confequence of which they felt their enmity and oppofition to the character of God, and of the Lord Jefus-to the law and gofpel, and to the way of falvation therein taught, taken away; and they beheld fuch purity and goodnessfuch fweetnefs, beauty and glory in divine things as filled their hearts with unfpeakable joy. Overpowered with the greatnefs of the change, under the view, which they then had of God and religion, they cried out, "What have we been about, that we have not been prailing God before? O! We never knew what happiness was, till now. What a feaft are the ' "holiness, the goodness and the mercy of God, and the conde"fcending fufferings of Chrift to a guilty, thirsty, perishing finner! How could we ever have finned against a God and Saviour of fuch "infinite goodness! O, how vile we are in the fight of fuch an ⚫ holy God! How dreadfully guil"ty and unworthy of his notice! But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory thro' Jefus • Chrift, our Lord; and let the a'dorable Trinity be praised for ⚫ ever and ever." They now felt a fweet fubmiffion to the will of God in all things-had done quarrelling with his juftice, and had fuch an all-fubduing fenfe of the purity and glory of his perfections, as to rejoice that he was God, and juft fuck a fovereign and holy God as he is. Their very fouls were tuned to that divine fong, "The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice." Hitherto, among the hopeful converts, there has appeared a great uniformity in the prevailing temper and relish of the foul. It has been evident, that whofoever is born of God loveth God and Chrift, the law and gofpel, and the church and gospel institutions. It has truly appeared, that the kingdom of God confifteth in righteoufnefs, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft: that it influences to purity in heart and practice, to peace in fociety, and to joy in attending upon all the duties of religion, thro' the bleffed influences of the divine fpirit. But, tho' fuch has been the great uniformity of temper and relifh of foul, in the hopeful fubjects of this work; yet, in other refpects, there has been a confiderable diverfity. Theirfpiritual exercifes-their joys and comforts have not been all alike, nor equally great. Some appear to have had greater and clearer dif coveries of divine things than others-to have had a deeper and more agonizing fenfe of their own vilenefs in the fight of fuch an holy God, and to have had greater and larger fcafons of fpiritual refrefhings from the Lord. But this has appeared to be true of all, that even thofe, who have been the most fearful of deceiving themfelves with a falfe hope, have felt a most humble and sweet fubmiffion to God, and to the glorious scheme of falvation by a crucified Redeemer. Their views and feelings towards God and the Lord Jefus Chrift-towards the law and the gofpel-towards the church and the facraments, and, in fhort, towards all religious duties have been changed. The holy fcriptures are more highly prized. Family prayer is now attended in many families where it was before neglected. Thofe, who once hated and reviled a religious life now rejoice in it, while they contemplate the fovereignty, the holinefs, the juftice, the mercy, the grace and the goodness of God, with real complacency and fatisfaction. The divine law, which they once hated, because of the strictness of its requirements and the dreadful nature of its threatnings, they now delight in, as holy, just and good in all its requirements; and while they love, praise and adore the Almighty, their hearts are engaged in a willing obedience to his law. The Lord Jefus Chrift has alfo been exceedingly precions to their fouls. They have contemplated his amazing condefcenfion and sufferings to expiate for fin-to magnify the holy law of God, and make it honorable for divine justice to grant pardon and falvation to the penitent believer; and humbled in the dust for their own wicked nefs, they have felt that they could never fufficiently praife and glorify him. They continue to manifeft a defire after the fincere milk of the word, to grow thereby in grace and knowledge; an attachment to the holy fcriptures and to gofpel inftitutions; and an exemplary walk and converfation. But, tho' fach, at prefent, appears to be the promifing fruit of this work; yet, I pretend not to fay, that none will work, I intend in a fubfequent let- WILLIAM F. MILLER. FOR THE CONNECTICUT EVAN- An account of the converfion of Α AMELIA was descended from refpectable parents. Her powers of mind were above the common level; and much pains and care were employed in giving her an education, which might e life, to good advantage. Her parents, in the judgment of charity, were friends to piety and vir tue. hereafter difgrace their profeffon. The enemy has generally, in all great religions revivals, fcattered Tome tares among the wheat. It concerns all profeffors, therefore, to remember, that if they do fpir-nable her to appear, on the ftage of itually abide in Chrift, and he in them, they will confequently bring forth much fruit, to the glory of God; and that, if they bear not fruit, they will be taken away as unfruitful branches, whofe end is to be burned. This work has been extended to perfons of different ages from twelve years old up to fixty; and to both men and women, tho' to a greater proportion of the latter. Since the prefent special attention to religion among us, there have been fifty-four perfons added to the church, in about fourteen months; the most of whom profeffed to have experienced a faving change in the courfe of this revival; and the few others, who before had a weak hope, were now greatly quickened, comforted and confirmed. Sundry others have been hopefully the fabjects of this work; and tho' the most powerful period of the revival is paft, yet, even to this day, there are favora.which the world effeems due to ble appearances that others will be- the memory of the dead, and all come the happy fubjects of the king-that the ftricteft laws of decorum dom of God. As fome perfons require, the father of Amelia fupmay defire a more particular ac- pofed the circumftances of his count of the experiences of fome family made it his duty to connect individuals, who have been the again in life. He accordingly for- . hopeful fubjects of this glorious med a fecond connubial relation. While fhe was yet in the ear-.. lier part of youth, her mother, after a course of diftreffing fickness, paid the great debt of nature, and bowed to the KING OF TERRORS. The father was left a folitary and afflicted man. He mourned for his deceafed friend with a commendable fincerity. In fpeaking of her, the tear of grief would fteal down his cheeks, even after fhe had been long depofited in the cold and difmal manfions of the dead. A hearty mourner doth not foon forget the dear object of his affections. Noify and tumultuous grief quickly goes off, but that which is fincere and deep long remains. After a courfe of time, when he had paffed many a lonely month in forrow, and had paid that debt of mourning, |