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the mere moralift and the fcoffer, | year 1798, but felt no peculiar the profeffor and the profligate, impreffions on her mind till the re the profane and the inconfiderate, markable day in February 1799people of almost all occupations and ranks among us, and of almoft every age and flation, have been wrought upon and called out from the midst of their acquaintance and neighbours. Surely it is all done by the bleffing of the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chritt, according to the good pleafure of his will, to the praife of the glory of his grace.

JOSHUA WILLIAMS. Harwintown, November 1800.

LETTER XX.

Second letter from the Rev. Jos
UA WILLIAMS of Harwinton.
GENTLEMEN,

IN

N my first letter, I gave a general account of the work of God's fpirit in this place, I now proceed to mention fome particular cafes. In the first place, fome cafes that were fpecimens of the work in general, and fecondly a few that were attended with fome uncommon circumstances.

. Of the first kind I fhall mention two, the reafon of my felecting them, will readily appear.

One inftance is that of the woman that died with the fmail pox who was about 25 years of age. From her younger years he was a woman of uncommon candor, prudence and gentleness, nor

was

the entirely deftitute of thoughts on ferious fubjects. By many of her acquaintance she was fuppofed to be prepared for Heav en years ago. But the totally difclaimed fuch an idea, and dated the change of her mind, to the way of the upright, fince the beginning of the wonderful work among us. She was a ferious at sendant on public worship in the

The first thing that ftruck her mind powerfully was a kind and ferious meffage fent to her from het fifter, who lived in a neighboring fociety. The meffage was this "above all things get an intert is Chrift," the effect was inflant and furprifing; fhe had heard the fame thing before from her fifter, nav he had been exhorted repeatedly to the fame purport, but to no effect. But now an impreffion was made which nothing could erafe (and there were many fuch instances on that day.) Neither the common to which fhe would probably exconcerns of a family, the ridicule pofe herself, the intervening of company, the fuggeftions of her former regularity of life nor any confiderations whatever, could withdraw her attention from the concerns of her foul and eternity. She found fhe had been alive with out the law; but the commandment came, fin revived and the died. It appears from her own confeffion, made more than once, that tho' fhe frequently read the bible and would by no means, as fhe thought, omit any of the duties of religion, yet the never had any proper idea of the bible, and knew nothing of the nature of the Chriftian religion ;-her underftanding being fo darkened as not to receive the things of the spirit of God. But being now awakened the continued in this ftate of anxious concern for 13 or 14 days, her distress encreating every day. Being a near neighbour, 1 had frequent opportunity of converfing with her and of obferving the op erations of her mind; which I will relate, as 1 related them to the congregation in a fermon preached on account of her death.

She was one of the first that in this wonderful feafon of God's grace was deeply impreffed with the truth, refpecting her depravity of heart, Chriftlefs ftate and need of regeneration; and the first that was hopefully brought out of darkness into God's marvellous light. A day or two before this, her anxiety for her foul had encreased to fuch a degree, that fhe could scarcely fleep at all, and her whole attention was abforbed in the thought of her finfulness and perifhing condition; efpecially with the idea of the total oppofition of her heart to God. She appeared to be fully convinced, that the heart was deceitful above all things and defperately wicked, and that ber carnal mind was enmity against God; that all the then did or ever had done in religion, not only came short of what he ought to do, but that it was even of a wrong kind, not being done to the glory of God; but at the beft on ly thro' felfifh defires of avoiding mifery and gaining heaven. She faw clearly that how much foever the attempted to pray or to fearch the fcriptures, and whatever pains fhe took in the felfish way, the was guilty of breaking the firft com. mandment; as fhe did not fubmit to the righteoufnefs of God, and directly oppofed the injunction of the apoftle, whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. Hence the found that he was actually rifing up against the will of Jehovah; and in no point conformed to the spirit of the law fignified in these words thou fbalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy foul and with all thy mind and thy neighbor as thyself; and therefore that she was under the just curfes of that law. Exercifes and views of this kind from day to day filled

her with great diftrefs and the began to defpair of ever becoming religious according to the bible requirements, and to conclude there was no help in her cafe; at best that he never fhould of herself embrace the way of life ;-that she must therefore, fearful as it was, fall into the hands of a fin-hating and fin-punishing God; that all her attempts were vain, all her endeavors fruitless and that, she was undone forever. At this time, it pleafed the Lord to afford her a view of the propriety of his dominion and of the wisdom, rectitude and glory of his character and univerfal government. And the view was fo clear that she was obliged to allow the fentence of condemnation against herself, accept the punishment of her fins, and fay let this Lord be glorious; 'tis delightful that he is fuch a Being, and that he reigns over me and over all things. Oh how unjust and wicked have I been to oppofe fo glorious a God!-I abhor myself, and may I and all creatures be heartily dif pofed to praife him forever!

These exercises were attended with immediate relief from her anxiety, and iffued in the poffeffion of a calm and peaceful state of mind, rejoicing yet trembling in the thought that God could and would do his own pleasure; but would do nothing wrong or contrary to the general good: This was her fupport. This calmnefs in the fame views lafted 3 or 4 days without much fenfible joy, in the expectation of eternal bleffedness. The God of hope had not yet made her to abound in hope thro' the power of the Holy Ghoft, nay the feemed not to have the imallest idea that what he had experienced was converfion. But on the fourth day, as fhe was attending a fermion upon these words, Go ge

into Galilee there fhall ye fee him,
in which the feeing of Jefus was
defcribed, the Lord was pleafed
to afford her fuch views and enjoy
ments as the faid exceeded all the
joys that ever he had before :
And Jefus, as the glory of God
and the Saviour of inters, was
the fubject of her thoughts, her
joys and her love from that time
till her dying hour, with but very
little interruption. Now the found
one in whom she might fully con-
fide to accomplish all things, not
for her alone, but for the whole
universe, in the best manner :-One
that united, harmonized and illuf.
trated all the perfections of the
divine character in himself, while
he was a fuitable, a gracious an
all-fufficient Saviour, juft fuch an
one as she needed.

Thefe views and feelings were attended with an ardent and most affectionate confecration of herfelf, time, talents and all things to the glory of the facred trinity, choofing to be his at all times, in all circumstances and under every trial, and to be difpofed of as he might think proper.

Thefe views gave energy to her defires that the glorious work a mong us might be carried on and Spread more and more; 'twas her delight, to hear of one and another brought under powerful convictions and hopefully reconciled to God. Her views and feelings in refpect of the world, of Chrift, of fin, of time and all things were vaftly different from what they were before; and thiefe were her joyful views and exercifes with but few and fhort interruptions to the time fhe was attacked by that fatal difeafe the fmall pox which Thefe views terminated her life. led her to think earnelily of a public profeflion of religion, and attending the Lord's table, to upon

obey the dying command of her beft friend: But the jealoufy the had over her own heart, and the fear of difhonoring religion by fal ling from her profefons, induces her to put it off a little while in or der to be more established in the hope of the truth of a work of grace on her heart, it being noW only eight weeks fince the began to hope.

In her last sickness, the God of mercy fapported her with the fame grace, amidst the excruciating pains which the 'endured, without 2 murmur. I do not recollect that I ever faw greater refignation, calmness and reft in God, than ap peared on her death-bed.

In one of my vifits the told me of the views fhe had juft then had of the fufferings of Chrift, and of their effects upon her in producing calmness, felf-loathing cordial forrow for fin and adoration of his infinite condefcenfion, fuch as the children of God frequently have at his table. Thefe exerciles, mixed with great love to the divine character, attended her, in a pecu liar manner, through almost all hei ficknefs. Once the found that her beloved Jefus had forfaken her. When he was fuppofed to be dying, and under this idea enjoyed the calmness of hope, and feemed to fink away fo as that her father and all the attendants fuppofed her dead, it pleased the Lord to revive her, fo that he lived a week longer. Upon reviving the immediately thought that it was probable fhe was referved for further agonies, and felt a degree of unfubmiffiveness. And the Lord withheld his fhining She remained in countenance. darkness an hour ortwo-and then the Lord bleft his word for her relief, fo that the exclaimed as well as her diforder would permit, "0, thofe precious words, I cannot re

peat them, but they are delightful, I am relieved." And this was her apparent frame of mind to the laft. Her whole foul faying, let God be glorious, I defire nothing but his own ble fled will to take place. Let him be forever exalted.

ftance. This is of a woman with whom I had no converfation from the time of her awakening till fhe had experienced thefe very things. She was an active woman of 33 years of age, always free to exprefs her mind on religious topics, a relolute oppofer of the doctrines of fovereign grace, and a person of good natural abilities. In her fentiments fhe was fupported by her husband; who now has hopefully became a fubject of this work, and feels as though the doctrines which

confiftent with true peace of mind. I fcarcely ever faw her but she would introduce fomething in oppofition to the diflinguifhing doc trines of the gofpel. Our difputes were friendly but I could never convince her of the truth.

Frequently, and indeed a few minutes, before fhe left the body, fhe uttered fome of the most ardent petitions, that this peculiar work which she had felt might take hold of every heart in this place, fpread more and more, in neigh.he oppofed are the only doctrines bouring towns, and through our land and through the world. This work was peculiarly precious to her. She was afraid that many poor fouls might be deluded with a morality like her own, and think they had religion when they were in the gall of bitterness. On this account she could not praise the Lord enough for enlightening her eyes, nor could the ceafe to be jealous left many like her, fhould be deceived with the form of religion without the power of it.

This, except what relates to her fickness and death, is the general complexion of the work among us; but few varying, except in degree, from the fame impreffions, humiliation, feelings and exercifes. Three or four others were relieved the fame week that he was, and although they had no opportunity of converfing together or with any one that could inform them, yet they gave proof of the fame work in each, attended only with a fhade of difference as to manner and degree.

She was fomething unwell at the commencement of the general attention to ferious things, and as he lived about 4 miles from public worship fhe did not attend for feveral fabbaths. One fabbath in March, as he was riding to meeting, fhe recollected that he had heard there was a great flir among the people in other parts of the. town, and he came to a refolution to watch if fhe could fee any thing uncommon. During the exercifes of the forenoon the dif covered nothing new, except that the congregation was very ftill and folemn. There was no noife or confufion, which, according to her mistaken notions of an awa. kening, fhe expected to fee. But at noon the faw a number of young people coming to my houfe. She But left it fhould ftill be thought thought now he could difcover all that, in this tender state of the that she wished? She therefore mind, they would be ready to refollowed them. When the came ceive any thing as truth which was in, I was difcourfing with the faid to them, and take any im young people and they gave manipreffions that were wished. I muft felt figns of their apprehenfion conafk liberty to mention another in-cerning their Chriftless, finful and

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oppofed, faying, "they must be true, fhe knew fome of them by experience and others were abfo. lately neceffary for the recovery of the foul," and at the fame time knowing that he had no one particu

undone conditions. At firft fhe was ftruck with a fort of aftonishment. But having reafon to think that they really felt as they appear ed to, fhe faid to herself, " you poor finner, fee thefe young people, fome of them not half folarly to inftruct her on these points, old as you! They have done were circumstances as wonderful nothing to what you have against as ever I had feen or heard. Such God and his laws and yet how confirmation of what I believed to diftreffed they are for their fouls! be the doctrines of the gospel, and And why am I not concerned? poured into her mind with fuch I have more reafon than they, I marks of omniposent mercy-made know I am a fianer and muft per- me rejoice and tremble too. Could ifh if I remain fo, but I have no I doubt of the work or who was feeling about it. Am I notleft? the author? I should as foon doubt O thefe will go to heaven, and who made the fun and planets. I fhall go to hell, Lord have mercy on me what fhall I do! I am undone forever?" By this time he had forgotten to attend to what he could fee in others, The cafes which have now been her own concerns were enough; mentioned are only fpecimens of the great things of erernity engrof the work in general, the greatest fed her mind, the afternoon fer-part being affected in the fame way vices were attended differently from any that he had ever attended before, and he was ferious from this time till her dying hour, which was in Ober following. About three weks after her firit impreffions, having heard of her

iftrefs, I visited the houfe. I found the had been relieved a day or to before. While fhe was talking and telling me how he was awak ned, and what were her after feelings. I was almott amazed and tranfborted. To hear her defcribe the whole from first to last, what were her firft impreffions-her fubfequent convictions-her endeavors to help herfelf and pitch up a righteoufnefs of her own-how fhe was irrefiftably convinced that fhe was perfectly helpless, finful and wretched-and coming into almo't every step with the other cafe mentioned; to hear her fo heartily approve of thofe doctrines which he had before fo trenuously

This and a number of fimiliar cafes, induced me to cry out to myself, ftand fill and see the falvation of God.

and with the fame truths, attendded with a difference only as to time, means and degree.

But there are fome others which though they were grounded on the fame truths, and iffed in the fame peace and joy, were neverthelessin fome refpects fingular.

A man of upwards of thirty years of age, who had been very intent upon gaining this world, was rather difpleafed with what took place among us, and shewed himtelf an oppofer; he thought there was no need of so much atteption. One day as he was at work, it came diftinctly into his mind," You must pray," fays he I can't pray," But you must pray," I can't, fays he, for the prayer of the wicked is fin, "But you mu pray," and thus a fort of dialogue continued for a long time between his confcience and his wicked heart. It was renewed again the next day, and the day following and fo

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