fiafm; but I believe a serious can- flection, that God is right-the divine character is good, his ad. miniftrations all juft; all is right on God's part, perfectly right: But on their part all is wrong, finful and vile. They agree in this very fully, that it would be quite juft and right in God, forever to exclude them, utterly reject and caft them off; whatever he does with others. Yea, one, and a very fenfible man about middle age, told me with the greatest apparent fimplicity and affection: it ap peared to him, that for fuch a wretch as he, who had rebelled against and infulted fo great,, fo holy a God all his days, that bell was his proper place-and he did not fee how God could do any other than fend him there, and he felt that if he might love and praife him, he should be willing to be feparated from that holy world where fuch wretches as he ought not to come." It is not unfrequent for them to feel entirely fubmiffive to God, and pleafed with his adminiftrations, while as yet 5. Before I clofe, it may be they do not imagine they are inter-proper to make fome obfervations efted in the atonement of Chrift, nor view themselves forgiven and accepted of God. 4. The manner of the beginning of this work of God is to be noticed. Altho' fimilar to others who have written; yet I feel it a duty to add to their teftimony, that this bleffed work of divine grace was preceded by the longings and earnest prayers of God's people. They feemed to be engaged and to have ftrong hope that the Lord was about to appear in his glory to build up our Zion. Individuals here and there, (and I truft we had a precious number before this revival) feemed wonderfully to be firred up and, as it were, "waiting for the confolation of Ifrael." Some may perhaps call this enthu It respecting the fruits of this glorious of them, these feelings and exercifes were preceded with horrible darknefs and fore diftrefs. But more than three-fourths of thofe who have made a public profeffion, are fuch as have until this day of grace, lived without God in the world. The hopeful converts have generally conducted hitherto, as well as could reafonably have been expected. Religious conferences have been and ftill are attended every week in five different parts of the town and are near ly as full as ever. They begin and end with prayer, and befides finging of hymns, they converfe on fome texts or paffages of holy fcripture-read fome pious dif courfe or pieces from the New York or Connecticut Evangelical Magazine, &c. A fpirit of love and union feems to prevail, as yet, among them. And it is hoped that their religion will not be as the morning cloud and early dew which foon paffeth away.' But after all, it is by no means defigned by these communications, to reprefent, or to have it under. ftood, that in fuch a glorious harveft, there is not chaff among the wheat. It is greatly to be feared and expected that all will not perfevere that fome will be found with a lamp of profeflion, but no oil in their lamp. "Many fhall fay unto me in that day, Lord, have we not eat and drank in thy fifty years of age, who had been a member of the Church for many years and tho't himself a Chriftian more than a year past, gave up his hope intirely, viewed himself in an undone ftate, that there was no mercy for him, dare not approach to the Lord's table, was oftentimes filled with fuch anguish as that he could hardly attend to the neceffary concerns of his family. Now it is hoped that his captivity is turned-and he hath lately expreffed himfelf as having entirely different views of God and the Redeemer from what he ever before conceived-and at times feems filled with peculiar joy. I hope and truft that thousands and thousands in heaven and earth, are and will be employed in thanksgivings and praises to the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, for the marvellous difplays of his infinitely, free, rich and fovereign grace among us here, as well as in many parts of our finful land and world.-And O! let all that love our Lord Jefus and his caufe-join as he hath taught us, and with unceafing importunity_devoutly and humbly pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Amen. I am yours affectionately, LETTER XVI. prefence," to whom he fhall fay From the Rev. ASAHEL HOOKER, "depart from me I never knew you." But it is not for us to draw the line of feparation. It must be left with him "who fearcheth the heart and tryeth the reins." I will only add, that there are a few inftances of awakenings now with us. And a number who are bowed down and appear "weary and heavy laden." One inftance of a man towards of Gofben. GENTLEMEN, UNDRY perfons, whose knowledge of the fubject is correct, have informed me, that previous to my fettlement, in this place, there never was any remarkable, and extensive revival of religion, among the people. There were, however, fome fignal in After this brief statement, the following remarks will exhibit the diftinguishing features of this work, and enable the candid and impartial to judge, for themselves, whether it be indeed, the Lord's doing, and worthy of its reputed ftances of the power of divine grace. Since my fixed refidence here, which is almost nine years, things have remained, in the moft unpromifing ftate, as to the interefts of religion, with little exception, 'till about the middle of February 1799. That period, how-author. ever, was rendered memorable, by the commencement of a work, the happy fruits of which are ftill apparent, and which, I truft, will be lafting, as eternity. From fmall beginnings, it made fuch progrefs, in a few weeks, as to have arrested the general attention; while great numbers were under the moll ferious and impreffive fenfe of their forlorn ftate, as finners. The public worship, on the fabbath, and all other nieetings, appointed for religious purpofes, were unufually attended, both as to numbers, and ferioufnefs. Many feemed anxious, and in great ear. neft, to know what they muit do to be faved. It was not long before fundry perfons manifefted an hope of having paffed from death unto life. In the compafs of a few months, their number became confiderable, and continued ftill increafing. In the month of September following, twenty-five perfons were admitted, as members of the church; in November forty-eight; and in January of the prefent year, four; making in the whole feventy-feven. A confiderable number remain ftill, who exhibit the ufual evidence of a new heart, who have not made public profeffion of their faith. The vif ible change, which has been wrought in many, is truly great and wonderful. Thofe, who gave previous evidence of friendship to the Redeemer and his caufe, feem-jects of the work, did not in ed to fay, with one voice, and in- common, conft chiefly of fears, effable joy, "This is the Lord's excited by the dreadful foreba doing, it is marvellous in our eyes." dings of future punishment. It 1. It is worthy of notice, that numbes were deeply impreffed, before they were apprized, that any others were in like circumftances. Impreffions did not seem to be generally imparted, from one to another. Frequently, without the intervention of any means, which could be diftinctly recollected, the truth and reality of eternal things were brought home, and fastened on their minds, with a fort of irrefiftable and impreffive weight, pointing them to the vast importance of fleeing quickly from the wrath to come. This evidently was not the work of enthusiasm, nor but flightly, if at all tinctured with it. Hence, the fubjects of it pretended neither to fee, not hear, nor feel, any of thofe things, which denote a difordered flate of the understanding. None were carried away by impulfes, or the flights of an ardent imagination. None were diforderly, or indecent in their behaviour, either in public, or private. Their paffions were not generally wrought upon, to any confiderable degree. Hence, inftead of being noisy, or much inclined to communicate their feelings to others, they were commonly filent and referved, except where they had opportunity of converfing with thofe, whom they thought able to inftruct them. 2. The first impreflions on the minds of thofe, who were fub were iffue, relief and comfort was apparent, that their most deep and painful impreffions arofe efpecially, from convictions of fin, by which they were fet at variance with themselves, and their paft conduct, as finners; and by whichly, from an apprehenfion, that they were brought into a fafe and happy state; but from new and delightful views of God, of the Redeemer, and the great truths, which pertain to his kingdom. It is hence remarkable, that frequently, the fubjects of the work feem ed to be brought out of darkness, into marvellous light, and to ex it was awfully realized to them, that, "There was no peace to the wicked." Accordingly, it was a remarkable characteristic of this work, in the early stages of it, and before the fubjects were apparently renewed, that they were convinced of thofe truths, to which all natural hearts are oppofed.They were generally made ac-perience the fublime joys of reliquainted with the controverfy be- gion, before they conceived any tween God and them, fo as to diftinct hope of having become feel, and that frequently, in a new creatures. It was hence renvery clear and affecting manner, dered hopeful, that this joy was their oppofition to God, to his not felfifh and delufive, as it could juftice, to his fovereignty, as ex- not have rifen primarily, or chiefercifed in difpenfing mercy to fin- ly, from an apprehenfion of their ners, and thence to the whole own good eftate. They thereplan of falvation, by Jefus Chrift. fore feemed frequently to lofe fight In many inftances, when their at- of themfelves, and their own partention was firft arrefted, they fat ticular intereft, while contemplaout, in apparent hope of working ting the glory of God, as exhibited out their own falvation, with eafe in the face of Jefus Chrift.and dispatch. But the attempt Thofe, however, who were alike ferved to fhow them, that they as to the nature of what they exwere ftill working out their de-perienced, were different, in this ftruction. It is hence worthy of particular mention, that thofe, who became eventually reconciled to the truth, and found a comfortable hope of their good eftate, were fed to fuch an acquaintance with the plague of their own hearts, as ferved to fubvert all hope, arifing from themfelves and their own doings. They were thence shown, that if faved, it must be, not by works of righteoufnefs, which they had done, or could do, but by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghof, according to the divine purpose and grace, in Chrift. 3. Where the foregoing convictions were brought to an happy view, that all had not the fame meafure of light and comfort. It was very common, for a new heart to discover itself, and to produce the joys of holiness, in view of different objects, especially at firft. In fome, it feemed to be firft apparent, by a spirit of complacency, in the perfection of God's law; in others, by a fenfe of his juftice, in the punishment of fin; in others, by their approbation of the holy and wife fovereignty of God; and in others, by a complacency, in the glorious character and all fufficiency of the Redeemer. There were fome, whofe right views and exercifes feemed to confift, in a fort of gen eral fenfe of the glorious excellen- fpecially owned and bleft, by the It is worthy of particular notice, as a diftinguishing feature of the late work, in this place, that thofe, who have been the hopeful fubjects of it, in its faving effects, notwithstanding their foregoing prejudices, and oppofition, have come uniformly and with one confent, into the fcheme of doctrines, understood by the general term, Calvinifm. Thefe are the doctrines, which feem to have been 4. The fubjects of this work were in fome refpects, exceeding ly various, as to their previous characters, and circumftances.There was no apparent difcrimination, through the diversity of temporal circumftances. In difpenfing his mercy, the most high did not regard the rich, more than the poor; nor the poor, more than the rich. The rich and poor met together, and fhared indifcriminately, in the unfearchable riches of divine grace. Sundry children exhibited marks of und fual ferioufnefs, for a time, and hopes were conceived, that fume of them were made new creatures. The far greater part, however, who were fubjects of the work, were young, and middle-aged per fons, from fifteen, to forty years of age; though there were feveral hopeful inftances, at fifty years, or more. A large proportion of the whole number were thofe, who had been educated, in habits of general refpect, for religion, for the fabbath, and public worfhip. Of thefe fome were evidently go |