| Rev. and Honoured Sir,
Having seen your letter to my honoured Uncle Williams of Hatfield, of July
20, wherein you inform him of the notice that has been taken of the late
wonderful work of God, in this and some other towns in this country, by
the Rev. Dr. Watts, and Dr. Guyse, of London, and the congregation to which
the last of these preached on a monthly day of solemn prayer; as also, of
your desire to be more perfectly acquainted with it, by some of us on the
spot: and having been since informed by my Uncle Williams that you desire
me to undertake it, I would now do it, in a just and faithful a manner as
in me lies.
The people of the country, in general, I suppose, are as sober, orderly,
and good sort of people, as in any part of New England; and I believe they
have been preserved the freest by far of any part of the country, from error,
and variety of sects and opinions. Our being so far within the land, at
a distance from sea-ports, and in a corner of the country, has doubtless
been one reason why we have not been so much corrupted with vice, as most
other parts. But without question, the religion and good order of the county,
and purity in doctrine, has, under God, been very much owing to the great
abilities, and eminent piety of my venerable and honoured grandfather Stoddard.
I suppose we have been the freest of any part of the land from unhappy divisions
and quarrels in our ecclesiastical and religious affairs, till the late
lamentable Springfield contention. (Footnote: The Springfield Contention
relates to the settlement of a minister there, which occasioned too warm
debates between some, both pastors and people, that were for it, and others
that were against it, on account of their different apprehensions about
his principles, and about some steps that were taken to procure his ordination.)
Being much separated from other parts of the province and having comparatively
but little intercourse with them, we have always managed our ecclesiastical
affairs within ourselves. It is the way in which the country, from its infancy,
has gone on, by the practical agreement of all; and the way in which our
peace and good order has hitherto been maintained.
The town of Northampton is of about 82 years standing, and has now about
200 families; which mostly dwell more compactly together than any town of
such a size in these parts of the country. This probably has been an occasion,
that both our corruptions and reformations have been, from time to time,
the more swiftly propagated from one to another through the town. Take the
town in general, and so far as I can judge, they are as rational and intelligent
a people as most I have been acquainted with. Many of them have been noted
for religion; and particularly remarkable for their distinct knowledge in
things that relate to heart religion, and Christian experience, and their
great regards thereto.
I am the third minister who has been settled in the town. The Rev. Mr. Eleazer
Mather, who was the first, was ordained in July, 1669. He was one whose
heart was much in his work, and abundant in labours for the good of precious
souls. He had the high esteem and great love of his people, and was blessed
with no small success. The Rev. Mr. Stoddard who succeeded him, came first
to the town the November after his death; but was not ordained till September
11, 1672, and died February 11, 1728-9. So that he continued in the work
of the ministry here, from his first coming to town, near 60 years. And
as he was eminent and renowned for his gifts and grace; so he was blessed,
from the beginning, with extraordinary success in his ministry, in the conversion
of many souls. He had five harvests, as he called them. The first was about
57 years ago; the second about 53; the third about 40; the fourth about
24; the fifth and last about 18 years ago. Some of these times were much
more remarkable than others, and the ingathering of souls more plentiful.
Those about 53, and 40, and 24 years ago, were much greater than either
the first or the last: but in each of them, I have heard my grandfather
say, the greater part of the young people in the town, seemed to be mainly
concerned for their eternal salvation.
After the last of these, came a far more degenerate time (at least among
the young people), I suppose, than ever before. Mr. Stoddard, indeed, had
the comfort, before he died, of seeing a time where there were no small
appearances of a divine work among some, and a considerable ingathering
of souls, even after I was settled with him in the ministry, which was about
two years before his death; and I have reason to bless God for the great
advantage I had by it. In these two years there were nearly twenty that
Mr. Stoddard hoped to be savingly converted; but there was nothing of any
general awakening. The greater part seemed to be at that time very insensible
of the things of religion, and engaged in other cares and pursuits. Just
after my grandfather's death, it seemed to be a time of extraordinary dullness
in religion. Licentiousness for some years prevailed among the youth of
the town; there were many of them very much addicted to night-walking, and
frequenting the tavern, and lewd practices, wherein some, by their example,
exceedingly corrupted others. It was their manner very frequently to get
together, in conventions of both sexes for mirth and jollity, which they
called frolics; and they would often spend the greater part of the night
in them, without regard to any order in the families they belonged to: and
indeed family government did too much fail in the town. It was become very
customary with many of our young people to be indecent in their carriage
at meeting, which doubtless would not have prevailed in such a degree, had
it not been that my grandfather, through his great age (though he retained
his powers surprisingly to the last), was not so able to observe them. There
had also long prevailed in the town a spirit of contention between two parties,
into which they had for many years been divided; by which they maintained
a jealousy one of the other, and were prepared to oppose one another in
all public affairs.
But in two or three years after Mr. Stoddard's death, there began to be
a sensible amendment to these evils. The young people showed more of a disposition
to hearken to counsel, and by degrees left off their frolics; they grew
observably more decent in their attendance on the public worship, and there
were more who manifested a religious concern than there used to be.
At the latter end of the year 1733, there appeared a very unusual flexibleness,
and yielding to advice, in our young people. It had been too long their
manner to make the evening after the sabbath, (Footnote: It must be noted,
that it has never been our manner, to observe the evening that follows the
sabbath, but that which precedes it, as part of the holy time), and after
our public lecture, to be especially the times of their mirth, and company-keeping.
But a sermon was now preached on the sabbath before the lecture, to show
the evil tendency of the practice, and to persuade them to reform it; and
it was urged on heads of families that it should be a thing agreed upon
among them, to govern their families, and keep their children at home, at
these times. It was also more privately moved, that they should meet together
the next day, in their several neighbourhoods, to know each other's minds;
which was accordingly done, and the notion complied with throughout the
town. But parents found little or no occasion for the exercise of government
in the case. The young people declared themselves convinced by what they
had heard from the pulpit, and were willing of themselves to comply with
the counsel that had been given: and it was immediately, and, I suppose,
almost universally, complied with; and there was a thorough reformation
of these disorders thenceforward, which has continued ever since.
Presently after this, there began to appear a remarkable religious concern
at a little village belonging to the congregation called Pascommuck, where
a few families were settled, at about three miles distance from the main
body of the town. At this place, a number of persons seemed to be savingly
wrought upon. In the April following, anno 1734, there happened a very sudden
and awful death of a young man in the bloom of his youth; who being violently
seized with a pleurisy, and taken immediately very delirious, died in about
two days; which (together with what was preached publicly on that occasion)
much affected many young people. This was followed with another death of
a young married woman, who had been considerably exercised in mind, about
the salvation of her soul, before she was ill, and was in great distress
in the beginning of her illness; but seemed to have satisfying evidences
of God's saving mercy to her, before her death; so that she died very full
of comfort, in a most earnest and moving manner warning and counselling
others. This seemed to contribute to render solemn the spirits of many young
persons; and there began evidently to appear more of a religious concern
on people's minds.
In the fall of the year I proposed it to the young people, that they should
agree among themselves to spend the evenings after lectures in social religion,
and to that end divide themselves into several companies to meet in various
parts of the town; which was accordingly done, and those meetings have been
since continued, and the example imitated by elder people. This was followed
with the death of an elderly person, which was attended with many unusual
circumstances, by which many were much moved and affected.
About this time began the great noise, in this part of the country, about
Arminianism, which seemed to appear with a very threatening aspect upon
the interest of religion here. The friends of vital piety trembled for fear
of the issue; but it seemed, contrary to their fear, strongly to be overruled
for the promoting of religion. Many who looked on themselves as in a Christless
condition, seemed to be awakened by it, with fear that God was about to
withdraw from the land, and that we should be given up to heterodoxy and
corrupt principles; and that then their opportunity for obtaining salvation
would be past. Many who were brought a little to doubt about the truth of
the doctrines they had hitherto been taught, seemed to have a kind of trembling
fear with their doubts, lest they should be led into bypaths, to their eternal
undoing; and they seemed, with much concern and engagedness of mind, to
inquire what was indeed the way in which they must come to be accepted with
God. There were some things said publicly on that occasion, concerning justification
by faith alone.
Although great fault was found with meddling with the controversy in the
pulpit, by such a person, and at that time - and though it was ridiculed
by many elsewhere - yet it proved a word spoken in season here; and was
most evidently attended with a very remarkable blessing of heaven to the
souls of the people in this town. They received thence a general satisfaction,
with respect to the main thing in question, which they had been in trembling
doubts and concern about; and their minds were engaged the more earnestly
to seek that they might come to be accepted of God, and saved in the way
of the gospel, which had been made evident to them to be the true and only
way. And then it was, in the latter part of December, that the Spirit of
God began extraordinarily to set in, and wonderfully to work amongst us;
and there were very suddenly, one after another, five or six persons, who
were to all appearance savingly converted, and some of them wrought upon
in a very remarkable manner.
Particularly, I was surprised with relation of a young woman, who had been
one of the greatest company-keepers in the whole town. When she came to
me, I had never heard that she was become in any wise serious, but by the
conversation I then had with her, it appeared to me, that what she gave
an account of, was a glorious work of God's infinite power and sovereign
grace; and that God had given her a new heart, truly broken and sanctified.
I could not then doubt of it, and have seen much in my acquaintance with
her since to confirm it.
Though the work was glorious, yet I was filled with concern about the effect
it might have upon others. I was ready to conclude (though too rashly),
that some would be hardened by it in carelessness and looseness of life;
and would take occasion from it to open their mouths in reproaches of religion.
But the event was the reverse, to a wonderful degree. God made it, I suppose,
the greatest occasion of awakening to others, of any thing that ever came
to pass in the town. I have had abundant opportunity to know the effect
it had, by my private conversation with many. The news of it seemed to be
almost like a flash of lightning, upon the hearts of young people, all over
the town, and upon many others. Those persons amongst us, who used to be
farthest from seriousness, and that I most feared would make an ill improvement
of it, seemed greatly to be awakened with it. Many went to talk with her,
concerning what she had met with; and what appeared in her seemed to be
to the satisfaction of all that did so.
Presently upon this, a great and earnest concern about the great things
of religion and the eternal world, became universal in all parts of the
town, and among persons of all degrees, and all ages. The noise amongst
the dry bones waxed louder and louder; all other talk but about spiritual
and eternal things, was soon thrown by; all the conversation, in all companies
and upon all occasions, was upon these things only, unless so much as was
necessary for people carrying on their ordinary secular business. Other
discourse than of the things of religion would scarcely be tolerated in
any company. The minds of people were wonderfully taken off from the world,
it was treated amongst us as a thing of very little consequence. They seemed
to follow their worldly business, more as a part of their duty, than from
any disposition they had to it; the temptation now seemed to lie on that
hand, to neglect worldly affairs too much, and to spend too much time in
the immediate exercise of religion. This was exceedingly misrepresented
by reports that were spread in distant parts of the land, as though the
people here had wholly thrown by all worldly business, and betook themselves
entirely to reading and praying, and such like religious exercises.
But although people did not ordinarily neglect their worldly business, yet
religion was with all sorts the great concern, and the world was a thing
only by the bye. The only thing in their view was to get the kingdom of
heaven, and every one appeared pressing into it. The engagedness of their
hearts in this great concern could not be hid, it appeared in their very
countenances. It then was a dreadful thing amongst us to lie out of Christ,
in danger every day of dropping into hell; and what persons' minds were
intent upon, was to escape for their lives, and to fly from wrath to come.
All would eagerly lay hold of opportunities for their souls, and were wont
very often to meet together in private houses, for religious purposes: and
such meetings when appointed were greatly thronged.
There was scarcely a single person in the town, old or young, left unconcerned
about the great things of the eternal world. Those who were wont to be the
vainest and loosest, and those who had been disposed to think and speak
lightly of vital and experimental religion, were now generally subject to
great awakenings. And the work of conversion was carried on in a most astonishing
manner, and increased more and more; souls did as it were come by flocks
to Jesus Christ. From day to day for many months together, might be seen
evident instances of sinners brought out of darkness into marvellous light,
and delivered out of an horrible pit, and from the miry clay, and set upon
a rock, with a new song of praise to God in their mouths.
This work of God, as it was carried on, and the number of true saints multiplied,
soon made a glorious alteration in the town: so that in the spring and summer
following, anno 1735, the town seemed to be full of the presence of God:
it never was so full of love, nor of joy, and yet so full of distress, as
it was then. There were remarkable tokens of God's presence in almost every
house. It was a time of joy in families on account of salvation being brought
to them; parents rejoicing over their children as new born, and husbands
over their wives, and wives over their husbands. The doings of God were
then seen in His sanctuary, God's day was a delight, and His tabernacles
were amiable. Our public assemblies were then beautiful: the congregation
was alive in God's service, every one earnestly intent on the public worship,
every hearer eager to drink in the words of the minister as they came from
his mouth; the assembly in general were, from time to time, in tears while
the word was preached; some weeping with sorrow and distress, others with
joy and love, others with pity and concern for the souls of their neighbours.
Our public praises were then greatly enlivened; God was then served in our
psalmody, in some measure, in the beauty of holiness. It has been observable,
that there has been scarce any part of divine worship, wherein good men
amongst us have had grace so drawn forth, and their hearts so lifted up
in the ways of God, as in singing His praises. Our congregation excelled
all that ever I knew in the external part of the duty before, the men generally
carrying regularly, and well, three parts of music, and the women a part
by themselves; but now they were evidently wont to sing with unusual elevation
of heart and voice, which made the duty pleasant indeed.
In all companies, on other days, on whatever occasions persons met together,
Christ was to be heard of, and seen in the midst of them. Our young people,
when they met, were wont to spend the time in talking of the excellency
and dying love of Jesus Christ, the glory of the way of salvation, the wonderful,
free, and sovereign grace of God, His glorious work in the conversion of
a soul, the truth and certainty of the great things of God's word, the sweetness
of the views of His perfections, & etc. And even at weddings, which
formerly were mere occasions of mirth and jollity, there was now no discourse
of any thing but religion, and no appearance of any but spiritual mirth.
Those amongst us who had been formerly converted, were greatly enlivened,
and renewed with fresh and extraordinary incomes of the Spirit of God; though
some much more than others, according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Many who before had labored under difficulties about their own state, had
now their doubts removed by more satisfying experience, and more clear discoveries
of God's love.
When this work first appeared and was so extraordinarily carried on amongst
us in the winter, others round about us seemed not to know what to make
of it. Many scoffed at and ridiculed it; and some compared what we called
conversion, to certain distempers. But it was very observable of many, who
occasionally came amongst us from abroad with disregardful hearts, that
what they saw here cured them of such a temper of mind. Strangers were generally
surprised to find things so much beyond what they had heard, and were wont
to tell others that the state of the town could not be conceived of by those
who had not seen it. The notice that was taken of it by the people who came
to town on occasion of the court that sat here in the beginning of March,
was very observable. And those who came from the neighbourhood to our public
lectures were for the most part remarkably affected. Many who came to town,
on one occasion or other, had their consciences smitten, and awakened; and
went home with wounded hearts, and with those impressions that never wore
off till they had hopefully a saving issue; and those who before had serious
thoughts, had their awakenings and convictions greatly increased. There
were many instances of persons who came from abroad on visits, or on business,
who had not been long here, before, to all appearances, they were savingly
wrought upon, and partook of that shower of divine blessing which God rained
down here, and went home rejoicing; till at length the same work began evidently
to appear and prevail in several other towns in the county.
In the month of March, the people in South-Hadley begun to be seized with
deep concern about the things of religion; which very soon became universal.
The work of God has been very wonderful there; not much, if any thing, short
of what it has been here, in proportion to the size of the place. About
the same time, it began to break forth in the west part of Suffield (where
it also has been very great), and soon spread into all parts of the town.
It appeared at Sunderland, and soon overspread the town: and I believe was,
for a season, not less remarkable than it was here. About the same time
it began to appear in a part of Deerfield, called Green River, and afterwards
filled the town, and there has been a glorious work there. It began also
to be manifest, in the south part of Hatfield, in a place call the Hill,
and the whole town, in the second week in April, seemed to be seized, as
it were at once, with concern about the things of religion; and the work
of God has been great there. There has been also a very general awakening
at West-Springfield, and Long Meadow; and in Enfield there was for a time
a pretty general concern amongst some who before had been very loose persons.
About the same time that this appeared at Enfield, the Rev. Mr. Bull, of
Westfield, informed me, that there had been a great alteration there, and
that more had been done in one week, than in seven years before. Something
of this work likewise appeared in the first precinct in Springfield, principally
in the north and south extremes of the parish. And in Hadley old town, there
gradually appeared so much of a work of God on souls, as at another time
would have been thought worthy of much notice. For a short time there was
also a very great and general concern, of the like nature, at Northfield.
And wherever this concern appeared, it seemed not to be in vain: but in
every place God brought saving blessings with Him, and His word attended
with His Spirit (as we have all reason to think) returned not void. It might
well be said at that time, in all parts of the county, Who are these that
fly as a cloud, and as doves to their windows?
As what other towns heard of and found in this, was a great means of awakening
them; so our hearing of such a swift and extraordinary propagation, and
extent of this work, did doubtless for a time serve to uphold the work amongst
us. The continual news kept alive the talk of religion, and did greatly
quicken and rejoice the hearts of God's people, and much awakened those
who looked on themselves as still left behind, and made them the more earnest
that they also might share in the great blessings that others had obtained.
This remarkable pouring out in the Spirit of God, which thus extended from
one end to the other of this county, was not confined to it, but many places
in Connecticut have partaken in the same mercy. For instance, the first
parish in Windsor, under the pastoral care of the Rev. Mr. Marsh, was thus
blest about the same time as we in Northampton, while we had no knowledge
of each other's circumstances. There has been a very great ingathering of
souls to Christ in that place, and something considerable of the same work
begun afterwards in East Windsor, my honoured father's parish, which has
in times past been a place favoured with mercies of this nature, above any
on this western side of New England, excepting Northampton; there having
been four or five seasons of the pouring out of the Spirit to the general
awakening of the people there, since my father's settlement amongst them.
There was also the last spring and summer a wonderful work of God carried
on at Coventry, under the ministry of the Rev. Mr. Meacham. I had opportunity
to converse with some Coventry people, who gave me a very remarkable account
of the surprising change that appeared in the most rude and vicious persons
there. The like was also very great at the same time in a part of Lebanon,
called the Crank, where the Rev. Mr. Wheelock, a young gentleman, is lately
settled: and there has been much of the same at Durham, under the ministry
of the Rev. Mr. Chauncey; and to appearance no small ingathering of souls
there. Likewise amongst many of the young people in the first precinct in
Stratford, under the ministry of the Rev. Mr. Gould; where the work was
much promoted by the remarkable conversion of a young woman who had been
a great company-keeper, as it was here.
Something of this work appeared in several other towns in those parts, as
I was informed when I was there, the last fall. And we have since been acquainted
with something very remarkable of this nature at another parish in Stratford,
called Ripton, under the pastoral care of the Rev. Mr. Mills. There was
a considerable revival of religion last summer at Newhaven old town, as
I was once and again informed by the Rev. Mr. Noyes, the minister there,
and by others: and by a letter which I very lately received from Mr. Noyes,
and also by information we have had other ways. This flourishing of religion
still continues, and has lately much increased. Mr. Noyes writes, that many
this summer have been added to the church, and particularly mentions several
young persons that belong to the principal families of that town.
There has been a degree of the same work at a part of Guildford; and very
considerable at Mansfield, under the ministry of the Rev. Mr. Eleazar Williams;
and an unusual religious concern at Tolland; and something of it at Hebron,
and Bolton. There was also no small effusion of the Spirit of God in the
north parish in Preston, in the eastern part of Connecticut, of which I
was informed, and saw something, when I was the last autumn at the house,
and in the congregation of the Rev. Mr. Lord, the minister there; who, with
the Rev. Mr. Owen, of Groton, came up hither in May, the last year, on purpose
to see the work of God. Having heard various and contradictory accounts
of it, they were careful when here to satisfy themselves; and to that end
particularly conversed with many of our people; which they declared to be
entirely to their satisfaction; and that the one half had not been told
them, nor could be told them. Mr. Lord told me that, when he got home, he
informed his congregation of what he had seen, and that they were greatly
affected with it; and that it proved the beginning of the same work amongst
them, which prevailed till there was a general awakening, and many instances
of persons, who seemed to be remarkably converted. I also have lately heard
that there has been something of the work at Woodbury.
But this shower of divine blessing has been yet more extensive: there was
no small degree of it in some part of the Jerseys; as I was informed when
I was at New York (in a long journey I took at that time of the year for
my health), by some people of the Jerseys, whom I saw. Especially the Rev.
William Tennent, a minister who seemed to have such things at heart, told
me of a very great awakening of many in a place called the Mountains, under
the ministry of one Mr. Cross; and of a very considerable revival of religion
in another place under the ministry of his brother the Rev. Gilbert Tennent;
and also at another place, under the ministry of a very pious young gentleman,
a Dutch minister, whose name as I remember was Freelinghousa.
This seems to have been a very extraordinary dispensation of providence;
God has in many respects gone out of, and much beyond, His usual and ordinary
way. The work in this town, and others about us, has been extraordinary
on account of the universality of it, affecting all sorts, sober and vicious,
high and low, rich and poor, wise and unwise. It reached the most considerable
families and persons, to all appearance, as much as others. In former stirrings
of this nature, the bulk of the young people have been greatly affected;
but old men and little children have been so now. Many of the last have,
of their own accord, formed themselves into religious societies in different
parts of the town. A loose careless person could scarcely be found in the
whole neighbourhood; and if there was any one that seemed to remain senseless
or unconcerned, it would be spoken of as a strange thing.
This dispensation has also appeared very extraordinary in the numbers of
those on whom we have reason to hope it has had a saving effect. We have
about six hundred and twenty communicants, which include almost all our
adult persons. The church was very large before; but persons never thronged
into it as they did in the late extraordinary time.-Our sacraments are eight
weeks asunder, and I received into our communion about a hundred before
one sacrament, fourscore of them at one time, whose appearance, when they
presented themselves together to make an open explicit profession of Christianity,
was very affecting to the congregation. I took in near sixty before the
next sacrament day: and I have very sufficient evidence of the conversion
of their souls, through divine grace, though it is not the custom here,
as it is in many other churches in this country, to make a credible relation
of their inward experiences the ground of admission to the Lord's supper.
I am far from pretending to be able to determine how many have lately been
the subjects of such mercy; but if I may be allowed to declare any thing
that appears to me probable in a thing of thin nature, I hope that more
than 300 souls were savingly brought home to Christ, in this town, in the
space of half a year, and about the same number of males as females. By
what I have heard Mr. Stoddard say, this was far from what has been usual
in years past; for he observed that in his time, many more women were converted
than men. Those of our young people who are on other accounts most considerable,
are mostly, as I hope, truly pious, and leading persons in the ways of religion.
Those who were formerly loose young persons, are generally, to all appearance,
become true lovers of God and Christ, and spiritual in their dispositions.
I hope that by far the greater part of persons in this town, above sixteen
years of age, are such as have the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. By
what I have heard I suppose it is so in some other places, particularly
at Sunderland and South Hadley.
This has also appeared to be a very extraordinary dispensation, in that
the Spirit of God has so much extended not only His awakening, but regenerating
influences, both to elderly persons, and also to those who are very young.
It has been heretofore rarely heard of, that any were converted past middle
age; but now we have the same ground to think that many such have at this
time been savingly changed, as that others have been so in more early years.
I suppose there were upwards of fifty persons converted in this town above
forty years of age; more than twenty of them above fifty; about ten of them
above sixty; and two of them above seventy years of age.
It has heretofore been looked on as a strange thing, when any have seemed
to be savingly wrought upon and remarkably changed in their childhood. But
now, I suppose, near thirty were, to appearance, savingly wrought upon between
ten and fourteen years of age; two between nine and ten, and one of about
four years of age; and because I suppose this last will be with most difficulty
believed, I will hereafter give a particular account of it. The influences
of God's Holy Spirit have also been very remarkable on children in some
other places; particularly at Sunderland, South Hadley, and the west part
of Suffield. There are several families in this town who are all hopefully
pious. Yea, there are several numerous families, in which, I think, we have
reason to hope that all the children are truly godly, and most of them lately
become so. There are very few houses in the whole town, into which salvation
has not lately come, in one or more instances. There are several Negroes,
who from what was seen in them then, and what is discernible in them since,
appear to have been truly born again in the late remarkable season.
God has also seemed to have gone out of His usual way, in the quickness
of His work, and the swift progress His Spirit has made in His operations
on the hearts of many. It is wonderful that persons should be so suddenly
and yet so greatly changed. Many have been taken from a loose and careless
way of living, and seized with strong convictions of their guilt and misery,
and in a very little time old things have passed away, and all things have
become new with them.
God's work has also appeared very extraordinary in the degrees of His influences;
in the degrees both of awakening and conviction, and also of saving light,
love, and joy, that many have experienced. It has also been very extraordinary
in the extent of it, and its being so swiftly propagated from town to town.
In former times of the pouring out of the Spirit of God on this town, though
in some of them it was very remarkable, it reached no further then; the
neighbouring towns all around continued unmoved.
This work seemed to be at its greatest height in this town in the former
part of the spring, in March and April. At that time God's work in the conversion
of souls was carried on amongst us in so wonderful a manner, that, so far
as I can judge, it appears to have been at the rate at least of four persons
in a day; or near thirty in a week, take one with another, for five or six
weeks together. When God in so remarkable a manner took the work into His
own hands, there was as much done in a day or two, as at ordinary times,
with all endeavours that men can use, and with such a blessing as we commonly
have, is done in a year.
I am very sensible, how apt many would be, if they should see the account
I have here given, presently to think with themselves that I am very fond
of making a great many converts, and of magnifying the matter; and to think
that for want of judgement, I take every religious pang, and enthusiastic
conceit, for saving conversion. I do not much wonder if they should be apt
to think so; and, for this reason, I have forborne to publish an account
of this great work of God, though I have often been solicited. But having
now a special call to give an account of it, upon mature consideration I
thought it might not be beside my duty to declare this amazing work, as
it appeared to me to be indeed divine, and to conceal no part of the glory
of it; leaving it with God to take care of the credit of His own work, and
running the venture of any censorious thoughts, which might be entertained
of me to my disadvantage. That distant persons may be under as great advantage
as may be to judge for themselves of this matter, I would be a little more
large and particular. |