ing occafion, thofe who, in this "Saints by the power of God are kept, The language to the fpectators, in the feene then paffing before them was, "We are journeying unto the place of which the Lord faid, I will give it you: come thou with us and we will do thee good; for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Ifrael." A folemn filence, was observed during the whole fervice. Not an air of levity was difcovered, for a moment, in a fingle countenance. The infidel and abandoned man stood appalled -and, to the friends of Zion, the feafon afforded a prelibation of heavenly joys. The old and the young, who were prefent, feemed ready to adopt the language of Jacob, when he awoke from a dream, at Bethel, "How dreadful, is this place! This is none other, but the houfe of God, and this is the gate of heaven." It was not, until feveral months after this precious feason, that the religious attention among us appeared to abate. An unhappy portant petition, "Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee?" The whole number of thofe, who have been received into this church fince the beginning of the late awakening, is fifty-three. Some of this number, however, entertained a hope that they had become experimentally acquainted with religion before "the time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord," referred to in this narrative. Several perfons, who, in the time of the late awakening, hoped, that, in a fpiritual fense, they had " paffed from death unto life," have never yet, in a public manner, declared themselves to be on the Lord's fide. Of the number who have been recently added to the church,almost two thirds are females. Many of the new converts are in early life. Nearly all of them con| tinue to give fatisfactory evidence that they have been called out of darknefs into marvellous light," and that Christ is in reality, “ formed in them, the hope of glory." 66 In a time of ingathering like this, however, it is to be expected that fome chaff will remain with the wheat. "Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself, as he that puttethit off." It becomes contention in the town relative to all those who enter the Chriftian fchool-diftricts, had, among other warfare, to remember, that the things, a tendency, no doubt, to promife of falvation is to him, grieve away that divine guest, who “that endureth unto the end ;” had fo much gladdened the hearts and, that the fame grace, which of the few who had long waited at firft called them, is requifite for the "confolation of Ifrael." to their perfeverance. At the prefent time, there is evi- fruit of the fpirit," faith the apofdently a growing inattention to tle, "is in all goodness, and fpiritual concerns. A goodly num-righteousness and truth ;" and, ber, however, yet manifeft, in 66 every man who hath" the Chriftheir deportment, much of the lifetian" hope in him, purifieth himand power of religion; and, from felf, even as he" who is the aua "remembrance of paft joys," thor of it," is pure.". are probably induced to go often The conduct of thofe, who atto the throne of grace with the im- 'tended religious conferences and "The ed to be seriously impreffed, but af The condition of those who remained uniformly careless and inattentive while the goings of God were fo vifible among us, appears to be still more dangerous and deplorable. lectures, and, for a time, appear- | hood, and in the famé families, were greatly diftreffed in mind, without knowing the feelings of each other. Some fuch, who had ever before been extremely inattentive to divine things and moft fhamefully ignorant of the truths of revelation, were now & ble in a little time to speak of the depravity of the human heartthe nature of fin-the beauties of holinefs the plan of falvation by Chrift-in fhort, of all the doc. trines, duties and inftitutions of the Christian system with a propri ety, which was truly aftonishing. The Apoftle knew what he faid, when having the gospel difpenfa tion in view, he fpake thefe memorable words "We have this treafure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. "A Paul, divinely infpired will plant, and an Apollos, with the most commanding eloquence will water, in vain -unlefs God give the increase. When he ftandeth in the valley of dry bones, and commandeth them to hear his word, they will live. He alone can quicken the dead in heart and bow the stubborn will, and when it is done, in any inftance, may he alone have the glory! It is expressly foretold in the facred volume, that," in the laft days, fcoffers fhall come, walking after their own luft." To thofe of fuch a character-thofe who openly and bitterly oppofed this bleffed work, and ridiculed every thing of a ferious nature, it is to be feared that nothing remains, "but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which fhall devour the adverfary." I will clófe this general account of the late revival of religion a mong us, with a few particular remarks. the 1. This revival was evidently the work of God. To prove this, very fudden change in the appearance and pursuits of the people, is in ftead of a thousand ar- 2. This revival of religion be guments. The immediate hand gan in the church; and I believe it of omnipotence was ftrikingly ex- will be found true, that, in almost hibited in this work. It was pre-every inftance of religious revival, ceded by no providential occurren- it makes its firft appearance in the ces which were uncommon. No church of Chrift. When God is Special judgments were felt, and, a about to bestow spiritual bleffings little time only before the revival, upon a people, it is his ufual methpeople of every defcription appear-od, firft to awake his profeffed ed, as to religious concerns, to friends out of fleep. Before a finbe flumbering and fleeping. Reli-gle inftance of conviction gious inftruction was no other now, than it had been; and, fo far from being affected by mere fympathy, it was often the cafe that perfons who liyed in the fame neighbour was known in this place, in the fpring of the year 1799, many of the members of this church, in the courfe of a few days, manifefted an anxious concern for the caufe of Chrift. A fpirit of fervent prayer and fupplication feemed to be given them; and," as foon as Zion travailed, fhe brought forth children." While therefore profeffing chriftians! continue to grieve the Holy Spirit, when they exhibit evidence of much leannefs of foul, and of much coldness and ftupidity in the dif charge of incumbent duty, they can have but little reafon to fuppofe that a fhower of divine grace is near them. 3. Such a revival of religion moft ftrikingly evinces the importance of all the means of grace which God hath instituted. When once the attention of a people is really called up to the concerns of the foul, how precious, in their view are seasons for prayer How precious is God's holy fabbath how inftantly do they fly to the bible-how highly do they prize every opportunity to get religious instruction, and to affociate with the people of God for serious conver fation! How great would be the diftrefs of fuch, if they were, at once, deprived of all opportunity to learn the character of God-to acquire right views of their own moral ftate-and, of the gofpel plan of falvation? God works by means, in the moral, as well as natural world. They are neceffa rily connected with the end. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." 4. The appearance of the peo ple in this place, at the time of the late awakening, will enable me to add to the teftimony of others refpecting the work in general, that general, that it has been attended with most re markable regularity. God was emphatically in the "ftill fmall voice." Nothing was faid, in particular, about dreams and vifions-hearing unusual voices and feeing uncommon fights. No ex-' travagance, either in gestures, or out-cries, appeared. No wild enthufiafm attended the revival in any ftage of it. 5. Among thofe in this town who have been awakened to attend to religious truth, a remarkable uniformity has occurred relative to the doctrines which have been embraced. These are fuch as are ufually termed calvinific. Such truths, as the total and awful depravity of the human heart-the neceffity of regeneration; or, a change of moral tafte as a preparation for the enjoyment of a holy heaven-the equity of the divine law in its penalty, as well as precept-the divine fovereignty in the falvation of finners, as the only poffible ground of hope in the cafe of a guilty offender-the neceffity of gospel morality as an evidence of justifying faith-and all the doctrines ef fentially connected with thefe, were readily received by all "with one confent." 6. It is worthy of notice, that the revival of religion in this town has proved to be almoft a deathwound to the vain amusements of young people. An attempt to e tablith a dancing-fchool among us in the time of the late fpecial attention to religion was rendered nearly abortive: and, the youth in general are still very remarkable for fobriety Many of them are ready to acknowledge inftantly, that they have derived more fubftantial enjoyment in one hour of religious worship and conversation, than an eternity would afford them in the pursuit of felfish gratifications. 7. One diftinguished feature of this work as it appeared among us, and elfewhere, according to the narratives which have been published, is humility. The fubjects of this revival, who have obtained a Christian hope, have very uniformly appeared to Le humble, and to walk foftly before their Maker. In view of the divine perfections and re quirements, they have, at times, expreffed greatfelf-abhorrence. This has been one ftriking effect of the genuine operation of the divine Spirit, on the hearts of finners, in every age. We find that "God | and his grace are ftill the fame ;" and, that true religion is the fame thing, in all the real fubjects of it. Did a true knowledge of God, lead Job to "abhor himfelf and repent in duft and athes"—and Ifa. iah to exclaim, "I am undone, becaufe I am a man of unclean lips" and Jeremiah to fmite upon his thigh and confefs his fhame--and the Publican to fmite upon his breaft, faying, "God be merciful to me a finner"--and Peter to fall down, faying, "depart from me, for I am a finful man, O, Lord”and Paul to exclaim, "O, wretched man that I am, who fhall deliver me, from the body of this death Tis very plain from the connec tion in which these words ftand that the Apostle was urging the propriety of believing hufbands and wives continuing to live with their unbelieving companions, unlefs they firit broke away from them, and rendered their union in the married relation no longer proper or poffible. As an argument to evince the duty of their continu A fimilar fenfe of their own vilenefs and perfonal guilt has alfo been manifefted by multitudes, who, in the courfe of the late revival of religion in New-England, have been hopefully brought out of their natural darknefs and ignorance" into marvellous light and knowling with their unbelieving partners, edge. the Apoftle introduced the words May an holy God, in infinite before us, "For what knoweft thou O wife whether thou fhalt fave mercy, continue to make manifeft the glory of his power and the glo- fion of the verfe" Or how knowthy husband"--and in the conclury of his grace, in building up Zieft thou O man whether thou fhalt on; for, in no other way, can we rationally expect to fee happy ing was, addreffing himself directfave thy wife?" His obvious meanindividuals-happy families--hapPy neighborhoods-happy focie-ly to a believing wife; How do ties-happy towns-happy ftates- you know, whether by your happy kingdoms--and a happy meeknefs, humility and endearing and Chriftian deportment-your world! Wishing a divine blefling to attend your laulable exertions to promote Chriftian knowledge, and, to communicate religious intelligence kind converfation--and above all by your ardent prayers for his foul, you may not be made an inftrument in God's hand, of foftening 1. f his heart, and bringing him to genuine repentance and final falvation? You are placed in this fituation by divine providence. While you both were finners God had mercy on you; and now, how knoweft thou, but he has brought you into this relation for the very purpofe of making your Chriftian exertions operate for his fpiritual good? They furely must be to him moft powerful means of conviction; and if fo, you have great reafon to hope they may be rendered efficacious. And hence let no confidcration induce you to leave him, if he is difpofed to abide, and fulfil the duties of an husband. The fame, precifely, may be addreffed to the believing hufband, concerning his unbelieving wife. Thefe ideas being plainly held up in the text, afford very great encouragement to perfons placed in like circumstances. From caufes too numerous to mention it is a fact, that multitudes in a Chriftian country are unequally connected, in the married ftate, with companions deftitute of true piety; and while this is the cafe, and felt to be fo, it is a fource of the heaviest affliction, although the partner, in every other refpect, is agreeable and truly refpected. Not to fpeak of the almost unfurmountable weight of forrow which is added, when the unbeliever is highly disobliged by religion, and unpleasant in his carriage otherwife, let the obfervation apply to the most eligible condition the circumftances can admit. While the believer from day to day, feels the attractions of heavenly things and the fweets of communion with God: He, or fhe, has no partner in thefe joys. The bofom friend is unaffected, uninterefted, and wholly occupied in meaner things, and even trifles comparatively. His mind, his tho'ts, | his feelings are all carnal, worldly, and conftantly purfuing fome unfubftantial earthly toys. He has no relifh for ferious fubjects-of the delights of religion he knows nothing he has no fpiritual tafte, by which the invifible realties of heaven delight him-no, the odors of Paradife diffused through divine truths do not regale him--when his dear friend opens the heart-felt pleasures of devotionthe joys of holy contemplation upon the Saviour of finners, and. his wondrous methods of grace, he fits mute, or replies fo wide from the current of her views and wifhes, as demonftrates his unap prehenfion of what he has faid. This fame incapacity to join in holy joys or forrows, or in whatever the heart is most interested, occurs unceasingly. This brings on a burden upon her foul which utterly furpaffes defcription. And what can be done; fhall they part? This is forbidden. But how can the heart endure its folitude, in fo dear a connection, and be foiled in every pious focial joy? How can it endure its temptations to fin from worldly purfuits, in order to pleafe an unfanctified tafte, in her partner-or how can it maintain the cheerfulness fuitable to the Chriftian life, or difcharge its duties? The answer to all thefe queries is, Abide in the fpirit; hope and truff in God. Be kind and gentle to your friend; condefcend and oblige him to the utmost of your power in all lawful things, and prey for his foul. The kind Julia, who lived in this fituation, in one of the larger towns in this ftate, felt all the energies of pure religion for her dear, yet unbelieving hufband. But what could fhe do? He was bred to feafaring bufinefs, and a complete man of the world. Like too many who vifit foreign parts, |