DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Treasure %oom BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE Late REVIVALS of RELIGION IN A NUMBER of TOWNS IN THE New-England States. EXTRACTED CHIEFLY FROM LETTERS 1 WRIT- TEN BY SEVERAL GENTLEMEN OF UNQUESTIONABLE VERACITY. boston: printed and sold by manning & lorinc. May, 1799. A BR.IEF ACCOUNT, QV. EXTRACT i. Mr. S H' , of Windham, in cut t tbus luritcj to his ftiend in Bojlm. Windham, Oct. 2, 1798. R < -j. and dear Sir, YOU will pardon nic for ufir.ig the freedom to trouble you with a line from fo unworthy, though fincere friend. It is a time of general health in thefe parts ; but this is not the bed news I fhall acquaint you with: for "as cold water to a thirlty foul, fo is good news from a far country." — God is carrying on a glorious work in feveral towns in thefe parts. The work began in Mansfield, firtl fociety, about five or fix months ago, in a very gradual manner ; but loon took a very rapid fprcad in the welt part of the town. A fermon preached in that neighbourhood ..: a funeral, by the Rev. Mr. Shearman, was greatly blcH'cd. The Spirit of the Lord fcemed to fvveep all before it like an over- flowing flood, though with very little noife or crying out. It is wonderful to fee the furprifing alteration in that people in fo lhort a lime. I conclude there are not lei's than an hundred fouls converted in that town fince the work began. Soon after, it began in Hampton, hut did not fprcad with that degree .of rapidity as it did in Mansfield. The fame happy work has lately taken place in Afhford, in the Rev. Mr. Pond's fociety, with a ■ I degree of power. It has alio fpread into the fecond fociety in Mansfield, under the paftoral care of Rev. Mr. Wellh ; alfo in the up.per part ol Canterbury, and lately in Abington fociety ID 1'oml'ret. Dear Sir, We may fay, in the mid If of judgment God is fhow- rng himfeli marvellously good and kind; and as it feemed our laud, a few months ago, was fully ripe for destruction, and the hot thunderbolts of divine wrath were hanging over our. heads, yet ; has made a rich dilplay of his grace, in the converfion of f< many fouls. One thing is remarkable in this reformation, there is fuch evidence carried in the ivork, that none, or but very few dare to oppole it. Bigotry, which was fo common between the Stand- ing Order fCongregationalifts-) and the Di fie ntcrs, is done away. This wori U chiefly among the Standing Order. C 3 ] EXTR ACT 2 . Containing a further account cf I he far.ie. vtorif in a letter from the Rev. E P to his P.v.-its, da- ted AJbford, September 24, 179S. Honored Pare/:?:, I MUST inform yon of the work of God, wliich is going on in thefe parts. Early in May, an attention begun in the firft ib- ciely in Mansfield, which increased to a grc.it degree, fo as to be- come general. It then began in Hampton, and is as general as in Mansfield. About four weeks fince, it hegan here, «ind, for the time, has fpread very raft ; fo that about eighty have been under great concern : Of this number, nearly twenty have a hope that they have been " born again." The work iecms to be fprcading. In one family of my people who have only thiv. daughters, the elded fifteen years old, they all give evidence that they have been born again! The worl . ■> began in Mr. Welfh's fociety in Mansfield; and the ; . >l'pects --tie \.iy favourable in Weftford. Do unite in prayer lo God : if only- two cr three, don't omit it, that God would pour out his Spirit upon you. This fceim to have been the beginning of the woik in Mansfield. EXTRACT 3. Containing an account of the jeginr the reformation in Hartford, in a let'. :r from tie Mev. 6' S. N , of that City, to his friend in Bojhn, dated January 14, 1799. * x Rev. and d.'ar $ir t AGLORIOUiS revival of religion lias lately taken place among up. Twr» of my brothers-in-law, the youngeft about 12 years old, and the other fourteen, had been under deep conviction at times, for feveral weeks before our lail Thankfgiving ; and on that day. whilft 1 was j ; .aching, the youngeft was brought out clear in his mind, and went home with his little foul overilowing with joy. Thi.-. affected the whole family ; feveral of whom we trull, could rejoice with him ; ail the reft were much alarmed, and led to cry out under pungent conviction, " What ihall we do to be laved ?" From this it has fpread from houfe to houfe, and from heart to heart, till almofi the whole City has got alarmed. I think as many as 15 or 20 have been hopefully converted ; many more are under painful convictions, and the work ftill fprcading. It has alio exUnded it:, happy influence amor: other denominations, and they open conferences, and welcome its approach. We have meetings almoll every evening in the week. — Hi furely a Macedonian cry, " Do come over and lulp us." [ 4 ] EXTRACT 4. Containing a further account of the fame work, in a Utter from the Rev. J B , dated at Trumbull, ::ary 6, 1 799* to his friend at Newbury-Port. My dear friend and broi THROUGH the kind hand of God, I arrived here yefterday. I flopped at Hartford, and preached five fermons. The fpirit of hearing at Hartford is greater than any repre- fentations which have been made. Young people of both fexes flock by hundreds, and the proipedt is flattering in the extreme. Conference meetings are held every night in different private houfes. In Mr. Strong's fociety, 60 are' thought to be under conviction, and 20 have been hop.-fully brought into gofpel lib- erty. In Mr. Nellbn's 30, and lbme in Mr. Flint's. The youth hold correfpondence one with another by letter, and with thofe of the neighbouring towns. Hundreds are under lbme ferious concern, while hundreds more fland alloniflied, and are ready to cry, " What meaneth all this?" The Lord ieems to have fteppedout of the ufual path of Ordi- nances, to effecl this work more immediately in the difplays of his almighty power and outpouring of his Spirit; probably to fhow that the work is his own. It is not attended with noife and confufion, but with folemnity and reverence. No fire — no rufhing wind — no earthquake ; but a ftill fmall voice goes before this wonderful work ; no doubt to hide pride from man. • The ministers are itirred up to uncommon diligence and labour, fo that they have fcarcely time to prepare for public exercifes. The facred flame has fpread into many neighbouring towns !* and the pious. are flocking into Hartford to be eye-witnelTes of this glorious work. I have felt myi'elf fo much engaged in preaching, viiiting and converging with old and young, that my attention has been literally taken off from Wife, Children, Flock, and bodjly infirmities. O that my part, time had been better employed and filled than it has been. Should my health be continued, I hope, by the grace of God, to fpend my llrength wholly in the Lord's Caufe, — which carries its own re- 1 with it. Two hundred miles N. W. of Hartford, on the border of the Indian nations, I am informed that the Lord is pouring out his Spirit plentifully. The Aborigines flock to hear the gofpel, and fall under the word like Dagon before the Ark. I have feen a preacher from thofe parts, who gives the moll flattering .. tints, and informs* that very large numbers have been added to the churches in that vicinity the lafl year. After fernvm was finifhed upon a late occafion in the woods, ;;:dian Hood up with tears in his eyes, and lhu:i addre/fed the an- • tioned in a-ktK r from a refpe&able character hi Hartford, of into nearly 100 towns. [ 5 ] tlience ; " I defire to blefs G"cd, that white people ever came inta this country. White people brought the Bible, and the religion of Jefus with them. White people prayed for the converfion of the heathen, and I (land up this day as a living witnels of the power of God's converting grace//; anfwer to their prayers. Con- tinue to pray for the converfion of more heathens, that they alfo may be brought to the knowledge of Jefus." EXTRACT 5. Rev. C D , of Shapjbury, in Vermont, gives the following particulars of 'the ttfortnatkn in that toivn. Rev. Sir, ::, 1799* I AM fenfible that under too great a degree of animation, even Christians too often exaggerate their accounts of revi- vals of religion. But I will attempt a fimple, but Ihort narra- tive of the late wonderful work of God in this place. In the month of April lalt, there appeared nothing :;:• this people but the mod rapid jncreafe oi every fpecies ot vice and immorality ; and even profeifors had grown cold as to re- ligious exercifes. Towards die laft of that month, it pleafed God to vifit my poor foul with fome fenfe of my own vilenefs and (hort comings, and how little I had done for God and the good of fouls. At this time I think I had a glimpfe of the infinite character of Je- hovah, which made me fhrink into nothing in my own elteem ; then, to my allonifhment, my foul was ftrangely drawn forth, at particular times, in fecret prayer, for the filtration of finners. Repeated exercifes of this kind gave me a ftrong confidence, that the Lord would foon work falvatiou in this place. There were, however, no favourable fymptoms among the people until the month of July: then a young woman, who iverted fome years before, was (lirred up, and cam; forward in baptifm. Her convocation was made the mean of the awakening oi a number of young people. Thus the work begin. In Auguft, four perfons more were baptized. In September* I baptized feveftteen. Many were awakened by the folcmnity of this or- dinance. (Indeed I think there was no one mean more ! for the conviction of finners, through the whole com fie of this work, than the adminiftration of baptifm.) But to return ;„we as yet held our church conferences, 10 hear the relations of can- didates, hut once a month. At the doi ■ 1 ' ■ tober, we were obliged to attend two days, and theu. were not able to hear all that wiihed to relate. The next Lord's-day .is a fevere ftoini ; baptifm was omitted : the church attended two Ja>5 of t: a . week alfo, to hear the young concerts declare what the Lord had done for them. I Was, then under neeeifity to call ; fiftance in adminiftering baptifm. Accordingly, brother S Rogers attended the next Sabbath, and we baptized 46 that day. We then found it neceffary to hold our Chute he C 6 ] ences to Lear re'. x a week. The next Sabbath I bapti/cd at ; the next x6; the ne\t 13 ; and the next 9; and there htve been but a few weeks fiocc, that I have not been called to. the precious work of baptizing. £ion's gates were truly then ed with converts ! The whole number added to this church, fince lad May, is. 175 ; 25 by letter and other ways ; and 150 by baptifm. Our whole number is 346. Many of this number are removed into different parts of the country ; there are, however, nearly 300 tin* live in this viciuity, the vemotcd of them not more than fix miles from our meeting houfe. There have alio been 70 added to the Weft church in this town iince the work began ; and 13 to the Eaft church. As to the principal means by which this work has been carri- ed on, I mult fay, that no one's little or great preaching canjult / any claim to the honors <■>[ it. Several brethren in the miniltry have viiited us in the time, and all of them were blcifed in their labours. A brother Jones, from England, was an in- ftrument for the awakening of feveral. I have been rilled with wonder and uftonilhmcnt, to fee how the Lord has feemed to preferve fome of almuit all the preach- ing that has been in this town fmce T have been here. Even when I had mourned and thought I had laboured in vain, and that my preaching was as water fp.ilt upon a rock ; the Lord has now made known that he defigncd it for the good of fouls. O my brother, let us never be difcouraged ; we cannot always tell when our labours are bleifed. I cannot fay how many, but the Lord has made my poor weak efforts the means of awakening a coaiiderable number. But the greateit part of the people have .wakened by attending the folemnity of baptifm, and by convcrfation one with another. — Indeed, the moll that I can fay is, It is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. There has not in fears pall been the mofl cordial fellowfhip between the three churches in this town ; but the Lord has now id a happy union between us. On the laft Lord's-day in January, we ail met at one communion table. That happy day my foul had defircd for years. Nothing but experience could have made me believe it poffible, that I could have felt fo much folid delight, anticipated fo much trouble, and rejoiced with fo much trembling, at one and the fame time. That day, I truft, never be forgotten by me. The north part of Bjnnington, which lies fouth of us, has fhared confiderably in this grace, and have joined with the churches in this town, and fome few members from the town north of us ; but the greatefl: part that have been wrought upon are within this town, which is fix miles fquare. In about two months alter the work began, the whole town feemed to be affected. Conference meetings were attended two or three times in a week in almoll every neighbourhood ; and k was furprifing to me, that fcurcely a lingle inllanee appeared of any over heated* eal, Or flight of palliou .' Doth finners under [ 1 3 conviction, and thofc newly I ' erty of the g pel, converted in their H the greatefl freedom ; they fpakc one at a time a lew words, in tiie mod foLmn manner I ever heard people in my life. And in general they . that their alicmblies rauft be / fctll, or they co- hear them : Yet a remarkable power attended their converiation. Sinners wonld tremble #'tKtJUgh thcnuelves In the im- mediate prefetice of ' rah. Some of all rarrlft and charafters among us have been taken ; from the mod refpe<5tab*e ffi \> to the vileil in the place. Home of rnr nx.'t h h have bowed the knee to King Jefus. And a n; iffe have forfaken their delufions, and embraced the tftrtft. In the revival four years ag6 hi\ 'Hrrrrner, we then received ten children into the dumb, aged rn m nine to thirteen years, with a number of other young people; all of them remain in good Handing with us, and are now : \p outers ; except- ing one, who, I mifr, is gone to the chtirch niumphant. In I revival, we have receive. 1 listeen Whotfc age is from nine to fif- teen )ears. From nine, I have baptized iome of almoit every age to upwards of feventy ! " W have now upwards of one hundred unmarried perfons in this church. There are alio a large number of youths who have joined the other churches in thi O my God ! keep them in the love of the truth ! My very fotil tumbles when T think of them. There is not a fufficicnt number of young p pie now left in the town (who can unite) to carry on tl merry meetings. Every cor- iln-m is broken up. I lately enjoyed the happinefs oi having upwards of feventy youths and children, that wfrc prof. ..I hold a con- ference at my houfe in one evening. Voa may guefs, but it vwuld be difficult to tell, with what a mixture of joy and trem- bling I was then filled. The fevered cold, fnow and ice we have had this tedious win- ter, I haVe not heard once mentioned as any terror to the moil delicate ladies, young or old, we have in the place ; but \hcy hive cheerfully followed their Divine Redeemer into the liq grave, without the lead intimid ition. As to myfelf, I think if ever I knew what it was to have extra- ordinary drength, it lias been within a few months pad. My lungs, which 1 had thought were on the decay, now feemed to renew their youth. Preaching three and four times a week, be- fides attending other meetings almod every day for months to- gether, feemed very little if any to c\h. .;:;•. my drength. I think of all men in the world, 1 hive the grcated caufe to be humble before God, for his abundant goodnefs beftowed upon a moll unworthy wretch. When I think of my own weaknefs and infufHcienoy, and the great number of young, inexperienced Chridians committed ta my charge, my heart fhrinks within me ; and I am ready to w'fh they had a more able and pious watchman to go before them. C s ] But all the hope I hive is, that He who leadeth Jofeph like a fiock will gather the lambs in his arms, and gently lead his flock into tl fields of gofpel truth, and belide the Mill waters or" eternal life* I lometinies anticipate fo much trouble, that it quite abforbs my ipirits, and drowns my joy. Then I think it bell to rejoice while I can, and let to-morrow take thought for itfelf. It is, however, a very interefting criiis with us ; if we are faithful, and make a right improvement of the great mercies be- llowed upon us, we may continue to be a happy people ; if not, a feries of trouble and forrow await us. Dear brother, pray for us, that we may be kept in the love of the truth ; that the God ol love and peace may ever dwell with us. I mull not indulge my feelings, I ihall intrude upon your pa- tience. EXTRACT 6. A gentleman in Pembroke thus writes to his friend in Bojlon. Df.ir Sir, Pembroke, April i, 1799. GOD has been pleafed to begin a glorious work in the firfl parifh in Marfhfield, and a few fcattering drops in towns adjoining, although but a few as yet. O may we all be enabled to wreflle like* Jacob and prevail like Ifrael. We need the pray- ers of all that have an intereft at the throne of grace, that we may be kept from error and delufion. O may the time foon come, when the knowledge of God (hall cover the earth, as the waters do the feas. As to the prefent (late of the reformation among us, there are between 30 and 40, in a judgment of charity, brought to the knowledge of the truth ; and more than that number appear to be under ferious impreffions of mind. INFORMATION, though not very correcl, has alfo been re- cored from a number of towns in Chefhire County, in New- Hampfhire, of a very pleafing and extenfive reformation there. The following towns are faid to have fliarcd largely in it, viz. Unity, Marlow, Lemfler, Alftead, Ackworth, Cornifli, and Plaiiifield, with fomc others in that neighbourhood. Several towns in the diflri«5t of Maine, are favoured at this time with like reviv- als ; but for the want of accurate documents, a particular account cannot be given. If the repentance of a fingle finner caufes joy in heaven among the angels of God, what fhouts of immortal praife mull have ech- oed through all the realms of blifs, upon the accefiion of fuch numbers to the Jledeemer's kingdom ! O Lord, may thy kingdom come, and thy will be done, on earth as in heaven,- for Chriil's fake. Amen.