A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God

Reverend and honored sir,

Having seen your letter to my honored 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 county, by the Reverend 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 since been informed by my uncle Williams that you desire me to undertake it — I would now do it in as just and faithful a manner as I am able.

The people of the county in general, I suppose, are as sober and orderly and good a 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 seaports 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 their purity in doctrine, has, under God, been very much owing to the great abilities and eminent piety of my venerable and honored grandfather Stoddard. I suppose we have been the freest of any part of the land from unhappy division and quarrels in our ecclesiastical and religious affairs, until the late lamentable Springfield contention.

We being much separated from other parts of the province, and having comparatively little intercourse with them, have from the beginning till now always managed our ecclesiastical affairs within ourselves. It is the way in which the county, 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 eighty-two years' standing and has now about two hundred families, which mostly dwell more compactly together than any town of such a size in these parts of the country. This has probably 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. Taking the town in general, and so far as I can judge, they are as rational and understanding a people as most I have been acquainted with. Many of them have been noted for religion, and particularly have been remarkable for their distinct knowledge of things that relate to heart religion and Christian experience, and their great regard for them.

I am the third minister that has been settled in the town. The Reverend Mr. Eleazar Mather, who was the first, was ordained in July 1669. He was one whose heart was much in his work, abundant in labors 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 Reverend Mr. Stoddard, who succeeded him, came first to the town the November after his death, but was not ordained until September 11, 1672, and died February 11, 1728-9. So he continued in the work of the ministry here, from his first coming to town, nearly sixty 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 fifty-seven years ago; the second about fifty-three years; the third about forty; the fourth about twenty-four; the fifth and last about eighteen years ago. Some of these times were much more remarkable than others, and the ingathering of souls more plentiful. Those that were about fifty-three, and forty, and twenty-four 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 when 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 greatly prevailed among the youth of the town; they 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 gatherings 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 had become very customary with many of our young people to be indecent in their behavior at meeting, which doubtless would not have prevailed to 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 a jealousy of one another was maintained and they 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 improvement of these evils. The young people showed more of a disposition to hearken to counsel, and by degrees left off their frolicking, and grew observably more decent in their attendance on public worship, and there were more that manifested a religious concern than there used to be.

At the latter end of the year 1733, there appeared a very unusual flexibility and yielding to advice in our young people. It had been too long their manner to make the evening after the Sabbath and after our public lecture 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 agreed among them to govern their families and keep their children at home at these times. And it was privately moved that they should meet together the next day in their several neighborhoods to know each other's minds; which was accordingly done, and the motion was 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 almost universally complied with; and there was a thorough reformation of these disorders thenceforth, 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 about three miles from the main body of the town. At this place a number of persons seemed to be savingly worked upon. In the April following, in 1734, there happened a very sudden and awful death of a young man in the bloom of his youth; being violently seized with a pleurisy and taken immediately very delirious, he 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 at 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 counseling others. This seemed much to contribute to the sobering of 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 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 continued since, and the example imitated by older 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 controversy that arose 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 outcome; but it seemed, contrary to their fear, to be strongly 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 heresy and corrupt principles, and that then their opportunity for obtaining salvation would be past. And 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 wrong paths to their eternal undoing. And they seemed with much concern and earnestness of mind to inquire what was indeed the way in which they must come to be accepted with God. There were then some things said publicly on that occasion concerning justification by faith alone.

Although great fault was found with meddling with this 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 from it 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 it was then, in the latter part of December, that the Spirit of God began extraordinarily to move, and wonderfully to work among us; and there were, very suddenly, one after another, five or six persons who were to all appearance savingly converted, and some of them worked upon in a very remarkable manner.

Particularly, I was surprised by the account given by 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 had become in any way 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 anything 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 among us who used to be farthest from seriousness, and that I most feared would make ill use of it, seemed greatly to be awakened by it; many went to talk with her concerning what she had experienced, and what appeared in her seemed to be to the satisfaction of all who 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 among the dry bones grew louder and louder. All other talk but about spiritual and eternal things was soon set aside; 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, which was treated among 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 toward it. The temptation now seemed to lie on that side — to neglect worldly affairs too much and to spend too much time in the immediate exercise of religion, which thing was exceedingly misrepresented by reports that spread in distant parts of the land, as though the people here had wholly thrown aside all worldly business and betook themselves entirely to reading and praying and such religious exercises.

But although people did not ordinarily neglect their worldly business, yet there was then the reverse of what commonly is: religion was with all sorts the great concern, and the world was a thing only by the way. The only thing in their view was to get the kingdom of heaven, and everyone appeared pressing into it. The earnestness of their hearts in this great concern could not be hidden; it appeared in their very countenances. It was then a dreadful thing among us to lie outside of Christ, in danger every day of dropping into hell; and what people's minds were intent upon was to escape for their lives and to flee from the wrath to come. All would eagerly lay hold of opportunities for their souls, and were accustomed very often to meet together in private houses for religious purposes; and such meetings when appointed were greatly attended.

There was scarcely a single person in the town, either old or young, that was left unconcerned about the great things of the eternal world. Those that were accustomed to be the vainest and loosest, and those that had been most disposed to think and speak slightly 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 marvelous light, and delivered out of a 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 change in the town; so that in the spring and summer following, in 1735, the town seemed to be full of the presence of God. It never was so full of love, nor so full 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's being brought to them; parents rejoicing over their children as newborn, and husbands over their wives, and wives over their husbands. The going forth of God was then seen in his sanctuary; God's day was a delight, and his house was beloved. Our public assemblies were then beautiful; the congregation was alive in God's service, everyone 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 neighbors.

Our public praises were then greatly enlivened; God was then served in our psalm-singing, in some measure, in the beauty of holiness. It has been observable that there has been scarcely any part of divine worship in which good men among 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 I have known in the outward part of the duty before, generally carrying regularly and well three parts of music, and the women a part by themselves. But now they were evidently accustomed to sing with unusual elevation of heart and voice, which made the duty very pleasant.

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 accustomed to spend the time in talking of the excellency and dying love of Jesus Christ, the gloriousness 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 views of his perfections, and the like. And even at weddings, which formerly were merely occasions of mirth and jollity, there was now no discourse of anything but the things of religion, and no appearance of anything but spiritual joy.

Those among us who had been formerly converted were greatly enlivened and renewed with fresh and extraordinary workings of the Spirit of God, though some much more than others, according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Many that before had labored under doubts about their own state now had their doubts removed by more satisfying experience and more clear discoveries of God's love.

When this work of God first appeared and was so extraordinarily carried on among us in the winter, others round about us seemed not to know what to make of it, and there were many that scoffed at and ridiculed it, and some compared what we called conversion to certain diseases. But it was very observable that many who occasionally came among us from abroad with disregardful hearts were cured of such a temper of mind by what they saw here. Strangers were generally surprised to find things so much beyond what they had heard, and were accustomed to tell others that the state of the town could not be conceived by those who had not seen it. The notice taken of it by the people who came to town on the occasion of the court that sat here in the beginning of March was very observable. And those who came from the neighborhood 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 impressions that never wore off until they had hopefully a saving outcome; and those who before had serious thoughts had their awakenings and convictions greatly increased. And there were many instances of persons who came from abroad on visits or on business, who had not been long here before they were to all appearance savingly worked upon and partook of that shower of divine blessing that God rained down here, and went home rejoicing. Until 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 began to be seized with deep concern about the things of religion, which very soon became universal; and the work of God was very wonderful there, not much if anything short of what it was 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 was also very great, and it soon spread into all parts of the town. It next appeared at Sunderland and soon spread over the whole 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 afterward filled the town, and there was a glorious work there. It began also to be evident in the south part of Hatfield in a place called the Hill, and after that 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 was great there. There was also a very general awakening at West Springfield and Long Meadow; and in Enfield there was for a time no small concern among some who before had been very loose persons. About the same time that this appeared at Enfield, the Reverend Mr. Bull of Westfield informed me that there had been a great change 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, did not return 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 spread and extent of this work did doubtless for a time serve to uphold the work among us. The continual news kept alive the conversation about religion, and greatly quickened and rejoiced 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 blessing that others had obtained.

This remarkable outpouring of 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 partook in the same mercy. For instance, the first parish in Windsor, under the pastoral care of the Reverend Mr. Marsh, was thus blessed about the same time as we in Northampton, while we had no knowledge of each other's circumstances. There was a very great ingathering of souls to Christ in that place, and something considerable of the same work began afterward in East Windsor, my honored father's parish, which has in times past been a place favored 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 among them.

There was also the last spring and summer a wonderful work of God carried on at Coventry under the ministry of the Reverend Mr. Meacham. I had opportunity to converse with some of the 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 Reverend Mr. Wheelock, a young gentleman, is lately settled. And there has been much of the same at Durham under the ministry of the Reverend Mr. Chauncy, and to appearance no small ingathering of souls there. And likewise among many of the young people in the first precinct in Stratford under the ministry of the Reverend 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 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 Reverend Mr. Mills. And there was a considerable revival of religion last summer at New Haven old town, as I was informed by the Reverend Mr. Noyes the minister there, and by others. And by a letter which I very lately received from Mr. Noyes, and also by other information we have had, 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 Guilford, and very considerable at Mansfield under the ministry of the Reverend Mr. Eleazar Williams, and an unusual religious concern at Tolland, and something of it at Hebron and Bolton. There was also no small outpouring of the Spirit of God in the north parish in Preston in the eastern part of Connecticut, which I was informed of and saw something of when I was last autumn at the house and in the congregation of the Reverend Mr. Lord, the minister there; who, with the Reverend Mr. Owen of Groton, came here in May of last year on purpose to see the work of God. Having heard various and contradictory accounts of it, they were careful when they were here to inform and 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 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 by it, and that it proved the beginning of the same work among them, which prevailed until there was a general awakening and many instances of persons who seemed to be remarkably converted. I have also lately heard that there has been something of the same work at Woodbury.

But this shower of divine blessing has been yet more extensive. There was no small degree of it in some parts of New Jersey, as I was informed when I was at New York on a long journey I took at that time for my health, by some people of New Jersey whom I saw. Especially the Reverend Mr. William Tennent, a minister who seemed to have such things much at heart, told me of a very great awakening of many in a place called the Mountains under the ministry of a Mr. Cross, and of a very considerable revival of religion in another place under the ministry of his brother the Reverend Mr. 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 Frelinghuysen.

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 some others about us has been extraordinary on account of its universality, 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 were greatly affected; but old men and little children have been so now. Many of the latter have of their own accord formed themselves into religious societies in different parts of the town. A loose and careless person could scarcely find a companion in the whole neighborhood; 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 apart, and I received into our communion about one hundred before one sacrament, and fourscore of them at one time, whose appearance when they presented themselves together to make an open and explicit profession of Christianity was very affecting to the congregation. I took in nearly sixty before the next sacrament day. But it must be noted that it is not the custom here, as it is in many other churches in this country, to require a credible relation of inward experiences as 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 anything that appears probable to me in a thing of this nature, I hope that more than three hundred 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. This, by what I have heard Mr. Stoddard say, was far from what was usual in years past, for he observed that in his time many more women were converted than men. Those of our young people that are on other accounts most likely and considerable are mostly, as I hope, truly pious and leading persons in ways of religion. Those that were formerly the looser young persons are generally to all appearance become true lovers of God and Christ and spiritual in their dispositions. And 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; and so by what I have heard I suppose it is 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 those that are very young. It has been a thing heretofore rarely heard of that any were converted past middle age; but now we have the same ground to think that many such have in this time been savingly changed as that others have been so in more early years. I suppose there were upward of fifty persons in this town above forty years of age, and more than twenty of them above fifty, and 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 worked upon and remarkably changed in their childhood; but now I suppose nearly thirty were to appearance so worked upon between ten and fourteen years of age, and two between nine and ten, and one of about four years of age. And because I suppose this last will be most difficult to believe, I will give a particular account of it hereafter. The influences of God's Spirit have also been very remarkable on children in some other places, particularly at Sunderland and South Hadley and the west part of Suffield. There are several families in this town that are all hopefully pious; yes, 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. And there are very few houses in the whole town into which salvation has not lately come in one or more instances. There are several black persons 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 swiftness 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 degree of the influences of his Spirit, both in the degree of awakening and conviction, and also in the degree of saving light and love and joy that many have experienced. It has also been very extraordinary in its extent and in 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, yet it reached no further than this town, while the neighboring towns all around continued unmoved.

The work of God's Spirit seemed to be at its greatest height in this town in the former part of the spring, in March and April, at which time God's work in the conversion of souls was carried on among us in so wonderful a manner that, so far as I can judge by looking back from my particular acquaintance with souls in this work, it appears to me probable to have been at the rate of at least four persons in a day, or nearly thirty in a week, taking 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 the means 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 given here, presently to think with themselves that I am very fond of making a great many converts and of magnifying and aggrandizing the matter, and to think that for want of judgment I take every religious pang and enthusiastic notion for saving conversion. And I do not much wonder if they should be apt to think so; and for this reason I have refrained from publishing an account of this great work of God, though I have often been urged to do it. But having now, as I thought, 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 taking the risk of any censorious thoughts which might be entertained of me to my disadvantage. But that distant persons may be under as great an advantage as may be to judge for themselves of this matter, I would be a little more at length and particular.

I therefore proceed to give an account of the manner of persons being worked upon; and here there is a vast variety, perhaps as many kinds as there are subjects of the operation, but yet in many things there is a great analogy in all.

Persons are first awakened with a sense of their miserable condition by nature, the danger they are in of perishing eternally, and that it is of great importance to them that they speedily escape and get into a better state. Those that before were secure and senseless are made sensible how much they were on the way to ruin in their former courses. Some are more suddenly seized with convictions; it may be by the news of others' conversion, or something they hear in public or in private conversation — their consciences are suddenly smitten, as if their hearts were pierced through with a dart. Others have awakenings that come upon them more gradually; they begin at first to be somewhat more thoughtful and considerate, so as to come to a conclusion in their minds that it is their best and wisest course to delay no longer but to improve the present opportunity, and have accordingly set themselves seriously to meditate on those things that have the most awakening tendency, on purpose to obtain convictions; and so their awakenings have increased until a sense of their misery, by God's Spirit moving therewith, has taken fast hold of them. Others who before this wonderful time had been somewhat religious and concerned for their salvation have been awakened in a new manner, and made sensible that their slack and dull way of seeking was never likely to attain their purpose, and so have been roused up to a greater urgency for the kingdom of heaven.

These awakenings when they first seized on persons had two effects. One was that they brought them immediately to quit their sinful practices, and the looser sort were brought to forsake and dread their former vices and extravagances. When once the Spirit of God began to be so wonderfully poured out in a general way through the town, people had soon done with their old quarrels, backbitings, and meddling with other men's matters; the tavern was soon left empty, and persons kept very much at home. None went abroad unless on necessary business or on some religious account, and every day seemed in many respects like a Sabbath day. And the other effect was that it put them on earnest use of the means of salvation — reading, prayer, meditation, the ordinances of God's house, and private conversation. Their cry was, What shall we do to be saved? The place of resort was now changed; it was no longer the tavern but the minister's house, which was thronged far more than ever the tavern had been.

There is a very great variety as to the degree of fear and trouble that persons are exercised with before they obtain any comfortable evidences of pardon and acceptance with God. Some are from the beginning carried on with abundantly more encouragement and hope than others; some have had ten times less trouble of mind than others, in whom yet the outcome seems to be the same. Some have had such a sense of the displeasure of God and the great danger they were in of damnation that they could not sleep at nights; and many have said that when they lay down, the thought of sleeping in such a condition was frightful to them, and they were scarcely free from terror while asleep, and they awoke with fear, heaviness, and distress still abiding on their spirits. It has been very common that the deep and fixed concern on persons' minds has had a painful influence on their bodies and has disturbed their physical nature.

The awful apprehensions persons have had of their misery have for the most part been increasing the nearer they approached to deliverance, though they often pass through many changes and alterations in the frame and circumstances of their minds. Sometimes they think themselves wholly senseless and fear that the Spirit of God has left them and that they are given up to judicial hardness; yet they appear very deeply exercised about that fear and are in great earnest to obtain convictions again.

Together with those fears and that exercise of mind which is rational and which they have just ground for, they have often suffered many needless distresses of thought, in which Satan probably has a great hand, to entangle them and block up their way. And sometimes the disposition toward melancholy has been evidently mixed; of which, when it happens, the tempter seems to make great advantage, and puts an unhappy obstacle in the way of any good effect. One does not know how to deal with such persons; they turn everything that is said to them the wrong way and most to their own disadvantage. And there is nothing the devil seems to make so great a handle of as a melancholy temperament, unless it be the real corruption of the heart.

But it has been very remarkable that there has been far less of this mixture in this time of extraordinary blessing than there was accustomed to be in persons under awakenings at other times; for it is evident that many who before had been exceedingly involved in such difficulties seemed now strangely set at liberty. Some persons who had before, for a long time, been exceedingly entangled with peculiar temptations of one sort or other, and unprofitable and hurtful distresses, were soon helped over former stumbling blocks that had hindered any progress toward saving good. And convictions worked more healthily, and they were successfully carried on in the way to life. And thus Satan seemed to be restrained until toward the latter end of this wonderful time, when God's Spirit was about to withdraw.

Many times persons under great awakenings were concerned because they thought they were not awakened, but still miserable, hard-hearted, senseless, and spiritually dull, and sleeping on the brink of hell. The sense of the need they have to be awakened, and of their comparative hardness, grows upon them with their awakenings; so that they seem to themselves to be very senseless when indeed they are most sensible. There have been some instances of persons who have had as great a sense of their danger and misery as their nature could well sustain, so that a little more would probably have destroyed them; and yet they expressed themselves much amazed at their own insensibility and dullness in such an extraordinary time as it then was.

Persons are sometimes brought to the borders of despair, and it looks as dark as midnight to them a little before the day dawns in their souls. Some few instances there have been of persons who have had such a sense of God's wrath for sin that they have been overwhelmed, and made to cry out under an astonishing sense of their guilt, wondering that God suffers such guilty wretches to live upon earth and that he does not immediately send them to hell. And sometimes their guilt so glares them in the face that they are in exceeding terror for fear that God will instantly do it. But more commonly the distresses under legal awakenings have not been to such a degree. In some, these terrors do not seem to be so sharp when near comfort as before; their convictions have not seemed to work so much that way, but they seem to be led further down into their own hearts, to a further sense of their own universal depravity and deadness in sin.

The corruption of the heart has discovered itself in various exercises, in the time of legal convictions; sometimes it appears in a great struggle, like something roused by an enemy, and Satan the old inhabitant seems to exert himself, like a serpent disturbed and enraged. Many in such circumstances have felt a great spirit of envy towards the godly, especially towards those that are thought to have been lately converted, and most of all towards acquaintance and companions, when they are thought to be converted. Indeed, some have felt many heart-risings against God, and murmurings at his ways of dealing with mankind, and his dealings with themselves in particular. It has been much insisted on, both in public and private, that persons should have the utmost dread of such envious thoughts, which if allowed tend exceedingly to quench the Spirit of God, if not to provoke him finally to forsake them. And when such a spirit has much prevailed, and persons have not so earnestly striven against it as they ought to have done, it has seemed to be exceedingly to the hindrance of the good of their souls. But in some other instances, where persons have been much terrified at the sight of such wickedness in their hearts, God has brought good to them out of evil; and made it a means of convincing them of their own desperate sinfulness, and bringing them off from all self-confidence.

The drift of the Spirit of God in his legal strivings with persons has seemed most evidently to be, to make way for, and to bring to, a conviction of their absolute dependence on his sovereign power and grace, and universal necessity of a Mediator, by leading them more and more to a sense of their exceeding wickedness and guiltiness in his sight; the pollution and insufficiency of their own righteousness, that they can in no wise help themselves, and that God would be wholly just and righteous in rejecting them, and all that they do, and in casting them off forever. Though there is a vast variety, as to the manner, and distinctness of persons' convictions of these things.

As they are gradually more and more convinced of the corruption and wickedness of their hearts, they seem to themselves to grow worse and worse, harder and blinder, and more desperately wicked, instead of growing better; they are ready to be discouraged by it, and oftentimes never think themselves so far off from good as when they are nearest. Under the sense which the Spirit of God gives them of their sinfulness, they often think that they differ from all others; their hearts are ready to sink with the thought, that they are the worst of all, and that none ever obtained mercy that were so wicked as they.

When awakenings first begin, their consciences are commonly most exercised about their outward vicious course, or other acts of sin; but afterwards are much more burdened with a sense of heart sins, the dreadful corruption of their nature, their enmity against God, the pride of their hearts, their unbelief, their rejection of Christ, the stubbornness and obstinacy of their wills; and the like. In many, God makes much use of their own experience, in the course of their awakenings and endeavors after saving good, to convince them of their own vile emptiness and universal depravity.

Very often under first awakenings, when they are brought to reflect on the sin of their past lives, and have something of a terrifying sense of God's anger, they set themselves to walk more strictly, and confess their sins, and perform many religious duties, with a secret hope of appeasing God's anger and making up for the sins they have committed. And oftentimes, at first setting out, their affections are moved, and they are full of tears, in their confessions and prayers, which they are ready to make very much of, as though they were some atonement, and had power to move correspondent affections in God too: and hence they are for a while full of expectation of what God will do for them; and conceive that they grow better quickly, and shall soon be thoroughly converted. But these affections are but short-lived; they quickly find that they fail, and then they think themselves to be grown worse again; they don't find such a prospect of being soon converted, as they thought: instead of being nearer, they seem to be farther off; their hearts they think are grown harder, and by this means their fears of perishing greatly increase. But though they are disappointed, they renew their attempts again and again; and still as their attempts are multiplied, so are their disappointments; all fails, they see no token of having inclined God's heart to them, they don't see that he hears their prayers at all, as they expected he would; and sometimes there have been great temptations arising from this to leave off seeking, and to yield up the case. But as they are still more terrified with fears of perishing, and their former hopes of prevailing on God to be merciful to them in great measure fail; sometimes their religious affections have turned into heart-risings against God, because that he won't pity them, and seems to have little regard to their distress, and piteous cries, and to all the pains that they take. They think of the mercy that God has shown to others, how soon, and how easily others have obtained comfort, and those too that were worse than they, and have not labored so much as they have done, and sometimes they have had even dreadful blasphemous thoughts, in these circumstances.

But when they reflect on these wicked workings of heart against God, if their convictions continue and the Spirit of God is not provoked utterly to forsake them, they have more distressing apprehensions of the anger of God toward those whose hearts work in such a sinful manner about him. And they may have great fears that they have committed the unpardonable sin, or that God will surely never show mercy to those who are such vipers, and are often tempted to leave off in despair. But then perhaps by something they read or hear of the infinite mercy of God and the all-sufficiency of Christ for the chief of sinners, they have some encouragement and hope renewed; but think that as yet they are not fit to come to Christ, that they are so wicked that Christ will never accept them. And then they set themselves on a new course of fruitless efforts in their own strength to make themselves better, and still meet with new disappointments. They are earnest to inquire what they shall do; they don't know but there is something else to be done in order to their obtaining converting grace that they have never done yet. It may be they hope they are somewhat better than they were, but then the pleasing dream all vanishes again. If they are told that they trust too much to their own strength and righteousness, they go about to strive to bring themselves off from it, and may think they have done it, when they only do the same thing under a new disguise, and still find no appearance of any good, but all looks as dark as midnight to them. Thus they wander about from mountain to hill seeking rest and finding none. When they are driven out of one refuge they flee to another, until they are as it were exhausted, broken, and subdued with legal humbling, in which God gives them a conviction of their own utter helplessness and insufficiency, and discovers the true remedy.

When they begin to seek salvation, they are commonly profoundly ignorant of themselves. They are not sensible how blind they are, and how little they can do toward bringing themselves to see spiritual things aright, and toward putting forth gracious exercises in their own souls. They are not sensible how far removed they are from love to God and other holy dispositions, and how dead they are in sin. When they see unexpected pollution in their own hearts, they go about to wash away their own defilements and make themselves clean; and they weary themselves in vain, until God shows them that it is in vain, and that their help is not where they have sought it but elsewhere.

But some persons continue wandering in such a kind of labyrinth ten times as long as others before their own experience will convince them of their insufficiency; and so it appears not to be their own experience only, but the convincing influence of God's Spirit together with their experience, that produces the effect. And God has of late abundantly shown that he does not need to wait to have men convinced by long and often repeated fruitless trials; for in multitudes of instances he has made a shorter work of it. He has so awakened and convicted persons' consciences, and made them so sensible of their exceeding great vileness, and given them such a sense of his wrath against sin, as has quickly overcome all their vain self-confidence and brought them down into the dust before a holy and righteous God.

There have been some who have not had great terrors but have had a very quick work. Some of those that have not had so deep a conviction of these things before their conversion have, it may be, much more of it afterward. God has appeared far from limiting himself to any certain method in his proceedings with sinners under legal convictions. In some instances it seems easy for our reasoning powers to discern the methods of divine wisdom in his dealings with the soul under awakenings; in others his footsteps cannot be traced and his ways are past finding out. And some that are less distinctly worked upon in what is preparatory to grace appear no less eminent in gracious experiences afterward.

There is in nothing a greater difference between different persons than with respect to the time of their being under trouble; some but a few days, and others for months or years. There were many in this town who had been, before this outpouring of God's Spirit upon us, for years, and some for many years, concerned about their salvation. Though probably they were not thoroughly awakened, yet they were concerned to such a degree as to be very uneasy, so as to live an uncomfortable and disquieted life, and to continue in a way of taking considerable pains about their salvation, but had never obtained any comfortable evidence of a good estate. These, in this extraordinary time, have received light; but many of them were among the last. They first saw multitudes of others rejoicing and with songs of deliverance in their mouths, who seemed wholly careless and at ease and in pursuit of vanity, while they had been bowed down with anxiety about their souls. Yes, some had lived loosely and continued so until a little before they were converted, and then grew up to a holy rejoicing in the infinite blessings God had bestowed upon them.

And whatever minister has the like occasion to deal with souls in a congregation under such circumstances as this was in the last year, I cannot but think he will soon find himself under a necessity greatly to insist with them that God is under no manner of obligation to show mercy to any natural man whose heart is not turned to God, and that a man can claim nothing, either in absolute justice or by free promise, from anything he does before he has believed on Jesus Christ or has true repentance begun in him. It appears to me that if I had taught those that came to me under trouble any other doctrine, I should have taken the most direct course to undo them utterly. I should have directly crossed what was plainly the drift of the Spirit of God in his influence upon them; for if they had believed what I said, it would either have promoted self-flattery and carelessness, and so put an end to their awakenings, or cherished and established their contention and strife with God concerning his dealings with them and others, and blocked up their way to that humiliation before the sovereign Disposer of life and death whereby God is accustomed to prepare them for his consolations. And yet those under awakenings have oftentimes plainly stood in need of being encouraged by being told of the infinite and all-sufficient mercy of God in Christ, and that it is God's manner to bless diligence and to bless his own means, so that awakenings and encouragements, fear and hope, may be duly mixed and proportioned to preserve their minds in a just balance between the two extremes of self-flattery and despair, both of which tend to slackness and negligence and in the end to security. I think I have found that no discourses have been more remarkably blessed than those in which the doctrine of God's absolute sovereignty with regard to the salvation of sinners, and his just liberty with regard to answering the prayers or blessing the efforts of natural men continuing as such, have been insisted on. I never found so much immediate saving fruit, in any measure, of any discourses I have offered to my congregation, as from some based on Romans 3:19 — endeavoring to show from that text that it would be just with God forever to reject and cast off mere natural men.

In those in whom awakenings seem to have a saving outcome, commonly the first thing that appears after their legal troubles is a conviction of the justice of God in their condemnation, in a sense of their own exceeding sinfulness and the vileness of all their performances. In giving account of this they expressed themselves very variously. Some said that God was sovereign and might receive others and reject them. Some that they were convinced that God might justly bestow mercy on every person in the town and on every person in the world, and damn themselves to all eternity. Some that they saw that God might justly have no regard for all the pains they had taken and all the prayers they had made. Some that they saw that if they should seek and take the utmost pains all their lives, God might justly cast them into hell at last, because all their labors, prayers, and tears cannot make an atonement for the least sin, nor merit any blessing at the hands of God. Some have declared themselves to be in the hands of God, who can and may dispose of them just as he pleases. Some that God may glorify himself in their damnation, and they wonder that God has suffered them to live so long and has not cast them into hell long ago.

Some are brought to this conviction by a great sense of their sinfulness in general, that they are such vile wicked creatures in heart and life. Others have the sins of their lives set before them in an extraordinary manner, multitudes of them coming just then fresh to their memories and being set before them with their aggravations. Some have their minds especially fixed on some particular wicked practice they have indulged. Some are especially convicted by a sight of the corruption and wickedness of their hearts. Some from a view they have of the horribleness of some particular exercise of corruption which they have had in the time of their awakenings, whereby the enmity of the heart against God has been manifested. Some are convicted especially by a sense of the sin of unbelief, the opposition of their hearts to the way of salvation by Christ, and their obstinacy in rejecting him and his grace.

There is a great deal of difference as to persons' distinctness here. Some who have not so clear a sight of God's justice in their condemnation yet mention things that plainly imply it. They find a disposition to acknowledge God to be just and righteous in his threatenings, and that they deserve nothing. And many times, though they did not have so particular a sight of it at the beginning, they have very clear discoveries of it soon afterward, with great humbling in the dust before God.

Commonly, persons' minds immediately before this discovery of God's justice are exceedingly restless and in a kind of struggle and tumult, and sometimes in sheer anguish. But generally, as soon as they have this conviction, it immediately brings their minds to a calm and an unexpected quietness and composure. And most frequently, though not always, then the pressing weight upon their spirits is taken away, and a general hope arises that some time or other God will be gracious, even before any distinct and particular discoveries of mercy. And often they then come to a conclusion within themselves that they will lie at God's feet and wait his time, and they rest in that, not being sensible that the Spirit of God has now brought them to a frame whereby they are prepared for mercy. For it is remarkable that persons, when they first have this sense of the justice of God, rarely at the time of it think anything of its being that humiliation that they have often heard insisted on and that others experience.

In many persons, the first conviction of the justice of God in their condemnation which they take particular notice of, and probably the first distinct conviction of it that they have, is of such a nature as seems to be above anything merely legal. Though it comes after legal humbling and much sense of their own helplessness and the insufficiency of their own duties, yet it does not appear to be forced by mere legal terrors and convictions, but rather from a high exercise of grace in saving repentance and evangelical humiliation. For there is in it a sort of delight of soul in the attribute of God's justice as displayed in his threatenings of eternal damnation to sinners. Sometimes at the discovery of it they can scarcely refrain from crying out, It is just! It is just! Some express themselves as seeing that the glory of God would shine bright in their own condemnation, and they are ready to think that if they are damned, they could take God's part against themselves and would glorify his justice in it. And when it is thus, they commonly have some evident sense of free and all-sufficient grace, though they give no distinct account of it, but it is evident by the great degree of hope and encouragement they then conceive, though they were never so sensible of their own vileness and ill-deserving as they are at that time.

Some, when in such circumstances, have felt such a sense of the excellency of God's justice, appearing in its vindictive exercise against such sinfulness as theirs was, and have had such a submission of mind in their view of this attribute and of these exercises of it, together with an exceeding loathing of their own unworthiness and a kind of indignation against themselves, that they have sometimes almost called it a willingness to be damned. Though it must be acknowledged they had not clear and distinct ideas of damnation, nor does any word in the Bible require such self-denial as this. But the truth is, as some have more clearly expressed it, that salvation appeared too good for them, that they were worthy of nothing but condemnation, and they could not conceive how salvation could be bestowed upon them, fearing it was inconsistent with the glory of God's majesty, which they had so much despised and dishonored.

That calm of spirit that some persons have found after their legal distresses continues some time before any special and delightful manifestation is made to the soul of the grace of God as revealed in the gospel. But very often some comfortable and sweet view of a merciful God, of a sufficient Redeemer, or of some great and joyful things of the gospel, immediately follows or comes in a very little time. And in some, the first sight of their just desert of hell and God's sovereignty with respect to their salvation, and a discovery of all-sufficient grace, are so near that they seem to go as it were together.

These gracious discoveries that are given, from which the first special comforts are derived, are in many respects very various. More frequently Christ is distinctly made the object of the mind in his all-sufficiency and willingness to save sinners. But some have their thoughts more especially fixed on God in some of his sweet and glorious attributes manifested in the gospel and shining forth in the face of Christ. Some view the all-sufficiency of the mercy and grace of God. Some chiefly the infinite power of God, and his ability to save them and to do all things for them. And some look most at the truth and faithfulness of God. In some, the truth and certainty of the gospel in general is the first joyful discovery they have; in others, the certain truth of some particular promise. In some, the grace and sincerity of God in his invitations — very commonly some particular invitation in the mind, and it now appears real to them that God does indeed invite them. Some are struck with the glory and wonderfulness of the dying love of Christ. Some with the sufficiency and preciousness of his blood as offered to make an atonement for sin. And others with the value and glory of his obedience and righteousness. In some the excellency and loveliness of Christ chiefly engages their thoughts; in some his divinity, that he is indeed the Son of the living God; and in others, the excellency of the way of salvation by Christ and its suitableness to their needs.

Some have an apprehension of these things so given that it seems more natural to them to express it by sight or discovery; others think what they experience is better expressed by a realizing conviction, or a lively or heartfelt sense, meaning, as I suppose, no other difference than what is merely circumstantial or a matter of degree.

There is often in the mind some particular text of Scripture holding forth some evangelical ground of consolation. Sometimes a multitude of texts, gracious invitations and promises flowing in one after another, filling the soul more and more with comfort and satisfaction. And comfort is first given to some while reading some portion of Scripture; but in some it is attended with no particular Scripture at all, either in reading or meditation. In some, many divine things seem to be discovered to the soul as it were at once; others have their minds especially fixing on some one thing at first, and afterward a sense is given of others — in some with a swifter, and others a slower, succession, and sometimes with interruptions of much darkness.

The way that grace seems sometimes first to appear after legal humiliation is in earnest longings of soul after God and Christ — to know God, to love him, to be humbled before him, to have communion with Christ in his benefits. These longings, as they express them, seem evidently to be of such a nature as can arise from nothing but a sense of the superlative excellency of divine things, with a spiritual taste and relish for them, and an esteem of them as their highest happiness and best portion. Such longings as I speak of are commonly attended with firm resolutions to pursue this good forever, together with a hoping and waiting disposition. When persons have begun in such a frame, commonly other experiences and discoveries have soon followed, which have yet more clearly manifested a change of heart.

It must needs be confessed that Christ is not always distinctly and explicitly thought of in the first sensible Act of Grace, (though most commonly he is;) but sometimes he is the Object of the Mind only implicitly. Thus sometimes when Persons have seemed evidently to be stripped of all their own Righteousness, and to have stood self-condemned as guilty of Death, they have been comforted with a joyful and satisfying View, that the Mercy and Grace of God is sufficient for them; that their Sins, though never so great, shall be no Hindrance to their being accepted.

So sometimes disconsolate Souls amongst us, have been revived and brought to rest in God, by a sweet sense given of his Grace and Faithfulness, in some special Invitation or Promise, in which is no particular mention of Christ, nor is it accompanied with any distinct Thought of him, in their Minds; but yet it is not received as out of Christ, but as one of the Invitations or Promises made of God to poor Sinners through his Son Jesus, as it is indeed.

It has more frequently been so amongst us, that when Persons have first had the Gospel Ground of Relief for lost Sinners discovered to them, and have been entertaining their Minds with the sweet Prospect, they have thought nothing at that time of their being converted. To see that there is such an All-sufficiency in God, and such plentiful Provision made in Christ, after they have been borne down with a sense of their Guilt and Fears of Wrath, exceedingly refreshes them; the View is joyful to them, and greatly encourages them to seek Conversion.

There is wrought in them a holy Repose of Soul in God through Christ, and a secret Disposition to fear and love him, and to hope for Blessings from him in this Way: and yet they have no Imagination that they are now converted. Very often the Reason is, that they don't see that they do accept of this sufficiency of Salvation that they behold in Christ, having entertained a wrong Notion of Acceptance; not being sensible that the obedient and joyful Entertainment which their Hearts give to this Discovery of Grace, is a real Acceptance of it.

And indeed it appears very plainly in some of them, that before their own Conversion they had very imperfect Ideas what Conversion was: It is all new and strange, and what there was no clear Conception of before. It is most evident as they themselves acknowledge, that the Expressions that were used to describe Conversion and the Graces of God's Spirit, such as a spiritual Sight of Christ, Faith in Christ, Poverty of Spirit, Trust in God, Resignedness to God, were Expressions that did not convey those special and distinct Ideas to their Minds which they were intended to signify, in some respects no more than the Names of Colours are to convey the Ideas to one that is blind from his Birth.

This Town is a Place where there has always been a great deal of Talk of Conversion, and spiritual Experiences; and therefore People in general had before formed a Notion in their own Minds what these things were; but when they come to be the Subjects of them themselves, they find themselves much confounded in their Notions, and overthrown in many of their former Conceits. It has been very observable, that Persons of the greatest Understanding, and that had studied most about things of this nature, have been more confounded than others. Some such Persons that have lately been converted, declare that all their former Wisdom is brought to nought, and that they appear to have been mere Babes, who knew nothing.

It was very wonderful to see after what manner persons' affections were sometimes moved and wrought upon, when God did as it were suddenly open their eyes and let into their minds a sense of the greatness of his grace, and fullness of Christ, and his readiness to save, who before were broken with apprehensions of divine wrath, and sunk into an abyss under a sense of guilt, which they were ready to think was beyond the mercy of God. Their joyful surprise has caused their hearts as it were to leap, so that they have been ready to break forth into laughter, tears often at the same time issuing like a flood, and intermingling a loud weeping; and sometimes they have not been able to forbear crying out with a loud voice, expressing their great admiration. In some, even the view of the glory of God's sovereignty in the exercises of his grace has surprised the soul with such sweetness, as to produce the same effects. I remember an instance of one who, reading something concerning God's sovereign way of saving sinners, as being self-moved, and having no regard to men's own righteousness as the motive of his grace, but as magnifying himself and abasing man, felt such a sudden rapture of joy and delight in the consideration of it; and yet then suspected himself to be in a Christless condition, and had been long in great distress for fear that God would not have mercy on him.

Many continue a long time in a course of gracious exercises and experiences, and don't think themselves to be converted, but conclude themselves to be otherwise; and none knows how long they would continue so, were they not helped by particular instruction. There are undoubted instances of some that have lived in this way for many years together; and a continuing in these circumstances of being converted and not believing it has had various consequences, with various persons, and with the same persons, at various times. Some continue in great encouragement and hope, that they shall obtain mercy, in a steadfast resolution to persevere in seeking it, and in a humble waiting for it at God's feet. But very often when the lively sense of the sufficiency of Christ, and the riches of divine grace begins to vanish, upon a withdrawal of the influences of the Spirit of God, they return to greater distress than ever; for they have now a far greater sense of the misery of a natural condition than before, being in a new manner sensible of the reality of eternal things, and the greatness of God, and his excellency, and how dreadful it is to be separated from him, and to be subject to his wrath; so that they are sometimes swallowed up with darkness and amazement. Satan has a vast advantage in such cases to ply them with various temptations, which he is not accustomed to neglect. In such a case, persons do very much need a guide to lead them to an understanding of what we are taught in the Word of God of the nature of grace, and to help them to apply it to themselves.

I have been much blamed and censured by many, that I should make it my practice, when I have been satisfied concerning persons' good estate, to signify it to them — which thing has been greatly misrepresented abroad, as innumerable other things concerning us, to prejudice the country against the whole affair. But let it be noted, that what I have undertaken to judge of has rather been qualifications, and declared experiences, than persons. Not but that I have thought it a duty as a pastor to assist and instruct persons in applying scripture rules and characters to their own case, in doing of which I think many greatly need a guide; and have, where I thought the case plain, used freedom in signifying my hope of them to others: but have been far from doing this concerning all that I have had some hopes of; and I believe have used much more caution than many have supposed. Yet I should account it a great calamity to be deprived of the comfort of rejoicing with those of my flock, that have been in great distress, whose circumstances I have been acquainted with, when there seems to be good evidence that those that were dead are alive, and those that were lost are found. I am sensible the practice would have been safer in the hands of one of a riper judgment and greater experience; but yet there has seemed to be an absolute necessity of it on the forementioned accounts; and it has been found to be that which God has most remarkably owned and blessed amongst us, both to the persons themselves and others.

Grace in many persons, through this ignorance of their state, and their looking on themselves still as the objects of God's displeasure, has been like the trees in winter, or like seed in the spring suppressed under a hard clod of earth. And many in such cases have labored to their utmost to divert their minds from the pleasing and joyful views they have had, and to suppress those consolations and gracious affections that arose thereupon. And when it has once come into their minds to inquire whether this was not true grace, they have been much afraid lest they should be deceived with common illuminations and flashes of affection, and eternally undone with a false hope. But when they have been better instructed, and so brought to allow of hope, this has awakened the gracious disposition of their hearts into life and vigor, as the warm beams of the sun in the spring have quickened the seeds and productions of the earth: grace being now at liberty, and cherished with hope, has soon flowed out to their abundant satisfaction and increase.

There is no one thing that I know of that God has made such a means of promoting his work amongst us, as the news of others' conversion; in the awakening sinners, and engaging them earnestly to seek the same blessing, and in the quickening of saints. Though I have thought that a minister's declaring his judgment about particular persons' experiences might from these things be justified, yet I am often signifying to my people how unable man is to know another's heart, and how unsafe it is depending merely on the judgment of ministers or others, and have abundantly insisted on it with them that a manifestation of sincerity in fruits brought forth is better than any manifestation they can make of it in words alone; and that without this, all pretenses to spiritual experiences are vain; as all my congregation can witness. And the people in general, in this late extraordinary time, have manifested an extraordinary dread of being deceived, being exceeding fearful lest they should build wrong, and some of them backward to receive hope, even to a great extreme.

Conversion is a great and glorious work of God's power, at once changing the heart, and infusing life into the dead soul; though that grace that is then implanted does more gradually display itself in some than in others. But as to fixing on the precise time when they put forth the very first act of grace, there is a great deal of difference in different persons; in some it seems to be very discernible when the very time of this was; but others are more at a loss. In this respect there are very many that don't know the time, that when they have the first exercises of grace, don't know that it is the grace of conversion, and sometimes don't think it to be so till a long time after. And many, even when they come to entertain great hope that they are converted, if they remember what they experienced in the first exercises of grace, are at a loss whether it was any more than a common illumination; or whether some other, more clear and remarkable experience that they had afterwards, was not the first that was of a saving nature. And the manner of God's work on the soul is sometimes very mysterious, and it is with the kingdom of God as to its manifestation in the heart of a convert, as is said in Mark 4:26-28: 'So is the Kingdom of God, as if a Man should cast Seed into the Ground and should sleep and rise Night and Day, and the Seed should spring, and grow up he knows not how; for the Earth brings forth of herself first the Blade, then the Ear, then the full Corn in the Ear.'

In some, converting light is like a glorious brightness suddenly shining in upon a person, and all around him: they are in a remarkable manner brought out of darkness into marvelous light. In many others it has been like the dawning of the day, when at first but a little light appears, and it may be is presently hid with a cloud; and then it appears again, and shines a little brighter, and gradually increases, with intervening darkness, till at length, perhaps, it breaks forth more clearly from behind the clouds. And many are, doubtless, ready to date their conversion wrong, throwing by those lesser degrees of light that appeared at first dawning, and calling some more remarkable experience they had afterwards their conversion; which often in great measure arises from a wrong understanding of what they have always been taught, that conversion is a great change, wherein old things are done away, and all things become new, or at least from a false arguing from that doctrine.

Persons commonly at first conversion, and afterwards, have had many texts of scripture brought to their minds, that are exceeding suitable to their circumstances, which often come with great power, and as the Word of God or Christ indeed; and many have a multitude of sweet invitations, promises, and doxologies flowing in one after another, bringing great light and comfort with them, filling the soul brimful, enlarging the heart, and opening the mouth in religion. And it seems to me necessary to suppose, that there is an immediate influence of the Spirit of God, oftentimes in bringing texts of scripture to the mind. Not that I suppose it is done in a way of immediate revelation, without any manner of use of the memory; but yet there seems plainly to be an immediate and extraordinary influence, in leading their thoughts to such and such passages of scripture, and exciting them in the memory. Indeed in some, God seems to bring texts of scripture to their minds no otherwise than by leading them into such frames and meditations, as harmonize with those scriptures; but in many persons there seems to be something more than this.

Those that, while under legal convictions, have had the greatest terrors, have not always obtained the greatest light and comfort; nor have they always had light most suddenly communicated; but yet, I think, the time of conversion has generally been most sensible in such persons. Oftentimes, the first sensible change after the extremity of terrors, is a calmness, and then the light gradually comes in; small glimpses at first, after their midnight darkness, and a word or two of comfort, as it were softly spoken to them; they have a little taste of the sweetness of divine grace and the love of a Savior, when terror and distress of conscience begins to be turned into a humble, meek sense of their own unworthiness before God; and there is felt inwardly, perhaps, some disposition to praise God; and after a little while the light comes in more clearly and powerfully. But yet, I think more frequently, great terrors have been followed with more sudden and great light, and comfort; when the sinner seems to be as it were subdued and brought to a calm, from a kind of tumult of mind, then God lets in an extraordinary sense of his great mercy through a Redeemer.

The converting influences of God's Spirit very commonly bring an extraordinary conviction of the reality and certainty of the great things of religion; though in some this is much greater, some time after conversion, than at first. They have that sight and taste of the divinity, or divine excellency, that there is in the things of the gospel, that is more to convince them, than reading many volumes of arguments without it. It seems to me that in many instances amongst us, when the divine excellency and glory of the things of Christianity have been set before persons, and they have at the same time as it were seen, and tasted, and felt the divinity of them, they have been as far from doubting of the truth of them, as they are from doubting whether there be a sun, when their eyes are open upon it in the midst of a clear hemisphere, and the strong blaze of his light overcomes all objections against his being. And yet many of them, if we should ask them why they believed those things to be true, would not be able well to express, or communicate a sufficient reason to satisfy the inquirer, and perhaps would make no other answer but that they see them to be true: but a person might soon be satisfied, by a particular conversation with them, that what they mean by such an answer is, that they have intuitively beheld, and immediately felt most illustrious works, and powerful evidence of divinity in them.

Some are thus convinced of the truth of the gospel in general, and that the Scriptures are the Word of God. Others have their minds more especially fixed on some particular great doctrine of the gospel, some particular truth they are meditating on, or are in a special manner convinced of the divinity of the things they are reading in some portion of Scripture. Some have such convictions in a much more remarkable manner than others. And there are some who never had such a special sense of the certainty of divine things impressed upon them with such inward evidence and strength, who yet have very clear exercises of grace — that is, of love to God, repentance, and holiness. And if they are more particularly examined, they appear plainly to have an inward firm persuasion of the reality of divine things, such as they did not use to have before their conversion. And those who have the most clear discoveries of divine truth, in the manner that has been spoken of, cannot have this always in view. When the sense and relish of the divine excellency of these things fades, on a withdrawal of the Spirit of God, they don't have the means of the conviction of their truth at their command. In a dull frame they cannot recall the view and inward sense they had perfectly to mind; things appear very dim compared to what they did before. And though there still remains a habitual strong persuasion, yet not so as to exclude temptations to unbelief and all possibility of doubting as before. But then at particular times, by God's help, the same sense of things revives again, like fire that lay hidden in ashes.

I suppose the grounds of such a conviction of the truth of divine things to be just and rational, but yet in some God makes use of their own reason much more evidently than in others. Oftentimes persons have, so far as could be judged, received the first saving conviction from reasoning they have heard from the pulpit, and often in the course of reasoning they are led into in their own meditations.

The arguments are the same that they have heard hundreds of times; but the force of the arguments and their conviction by them is altogether new; they come with a new and previously unexperienced power. Before, they heard it was so and they allowed it to be so; but now they see it to be so indeed. Things now look exceedingly plain to them, and they wonder that they never saw them before.

They are so greatly taken with their new discovery, and things appear so plain and so rational to them, that they are often at first ready to think they can convince others; and they are apt to engage in talk with almost everyone they meet with for this end. And when they are disappointed they are ready to wonder that their reasoning seems to make no more impression.

Many fall under such a mistake as to be ready to doubt of their good standing, because there was so much use made of their own reason in the convictions they have received. They are afraid they have no illumination above the natural force of their own faculties. And many make it an objection against the spiritual nature of their convictions that it is so easy to see things as they now see them. They have often heard that conversion is a work of mighty power, manifesting to the soul what no man or angel can give such a conviction of; but it seems to them that the things they see are so plain and easy and rational that anyone can see them. And if they are asked why they never saw so before, they say it seems to them it was because they never thought of it. But very often these difficulties are soon removed by those of another nature; for when God withdraws, they find themselves as it were blind again, they for the present lose their realizing sense of those things that looked so plain to them, and do all they can but cannot recover it, until God renews the influences of his Spirit.

Persons after their conversion often speak of things of religion as seeming new to them — that preaching is a new thing, that it seems to them they never heard preaching before, that the Bible is a new book. They find there new chapters, new psalms, new histories, because they see them in a new light. Here was a remarkable instance of an aged woman who had spent most of her days under Mr. Stoddard's powerful ministry, who reading in the New Testament concerning Christ's sufferings for sinners seemed to be surprised and astonished at what she read, as at a thing that was real and very wonderful but quite new to her. Insomuch that at first, before she had time to turn her thoughts, she wondered within herself that she had never heard of it before; but then immediately recollected herself, and thought that she had often heard and read it, but never until now saw it as a real thing. And then she reflected how wonderful this was, that the Son of God should undergo such things for sinners, and how she had spent her time in ungratefully sinning against so good a God and such a Savior — though she was a person, as far as was visible, of a very blameless and inoffensive life. And she was so overcome by those considerations that her physical strength was ready to fail under them. Those who were around her, not knowing what was the matter, were surprised and thought she was dying.

Many have spoken much of their Hearts being drawn out in Love to God and Christ; and their Minds being wrapped up in delightful Contemplation of the Glory, and wonderful Grace of God, and the Excellency, and dying Love of Jesus Christ; and of their Souls going forth in longing Desires after God and Christ. Some Persons have had longing Desires after Christ, which have risen to that degree, as to take away their natural Strength. Several Persons have had so great a Sense of the Glory of God, and Excellency of Christ, that Nature and Life has seemed almost to sink under it. Such Persons amongst us as have been thus distinguished with the most extraordinary Discoveries of God, have commonly in no wise appeared with the assuming, and self-conceited, and self-sufficient Airs of Enthusiasts, but exceedingly the contrary; and are eminent for a Spirit of Meekness, Modesty, Self-diffidence, and low Opinion of themselves: No Persons seem to be so sensible of their need of Instruction, and so eager to receive it, as some of them; nor so ready to think others better than themselves. They very often speak much of their Sense of the Excellency of the way of Salvation, by free and sovereign Grace, through the Righteousness of Christ alone; and how it is with delight that they renounce their own Righteousness, and rejoice in having no Account made of it. Many have expressed themselves to this purpose, that it would lessen the Satisfaction they hope for in Heaven to have it by their own Righteousness, or in any other way than as bestowed by free Grace, and for Christ's sake alone.

Many, while their Minds have been filled with spiritual Delights, have as it were forgot their Food; their bodily Appetite has failed, while their Minds have been entertained with Meat to eat that others knew not of. The Light and Comfort which some of them enjoy, gives a new relish to their common Blessings, and causes all Things about them to appear as it were beautiful, sweet and pleasant to them: All Things abroad, the Sun, Moon and Stars, the Clouds and Sky, the Heavens and Earth, appear as it were with a Cast of divine Glory and Sweetness upon them.

The Joy that many of them speak of as that to which none is to be paralleled, is that which they find when they are lowest in the Dust, emptied most of themselves, and as it were annihilating themselves before God, when they are nothing, and God is all, seeing their own Unworthiness, depending not at all on themselves, but alone on Christ, and ascribing all Glory to God: Then their Souls are most in the Enjoyment of satisfying Rest. Many express earnest Longings of Soul to praise God; but at the same time complain that they can't praise him as they would do, and they want to have others help them in praising him.

While God was so remarkably present among us by his Spirit, there was no book so delighted in as the Bible, especially the book of Psalms, the prophecy of Isaiah, and the New Testament. Some by reason of their esteem and love for God's Word have at some times been greatly and wonderfully delighted and affected at the very sight of a Bible. And at that time also there was no time so valued as the Lord's Day, and no place in this world so desired as God's house. Our converts then remarkably appeared united in dear affection to one another, and many have expressed much of that spirit of love which they felt toward all mankind, and particularly to those that had been least friendly to them. Never, I believe, was so much done in confessing injuries and making up differences as in the last year. Persons after their own conversion have commonly expressed an exceeding desire for the conversion of others. Some have thought that they would be willing to die for the conversion of any soul, even of one of the meanest of their fellow creatures or of their worst enemies; and many have indeed been in great distress with desires and longings for it. This work of God also had a good effect in greatly uniting the people's affections to their minister.

There are some persons I have been acquainted with, but more especially two who belong to other towns, who have been overwhelmed with a sense of the awful greatness and majesty of God. Both of them told me to this effect: that if they, in the time of it, had had the least fear that they were not at peace with this so great a God, they would have instantly died.

It is worthy of remark that some persons by their conversion seem to be greatly helped as to their doctrinal understanding of religion. This was particularly remarkable in one who, having been taken captive in his childhood, was brought up in Canada in the Roman Catholic religion, and some years since returned to this his native place and was in a measure brought away from Roman Catholicism; but seemed very awkward and slow in receiving any true and clear understanding of the Protestant teaching, until he was converted, when he was remarkably changed in this respect.

There is a vast difference, as has been observed, in the degree and also in the particular manner of persons' experiences, both at and after conversion. Some have grace working more perceptibly in one way, others in another. Some speak more fully of a conviction of the justice of God in their condemnation; others more of their consenting to the way of salvation by Christ. Some more of the actings of love to God and Christ. Some more of acts of trust, in a sweet and assured conviction of the truth and faithfulness of God in his promises. Others more of their choosing and resting in God as their whole and everlasting portion, and of their ardent and longing desires after God to have communion with him. Others more of their abhorrence of themselves for their past sins and earnest longings to live to God's glory for the time to come. Some have their minds fixed more on God, others on Christ, as I have observed before. But it seems evidently to be the same work, the same thing done, the same habitual change wrought in the heart; it all tends the same way and to the same end, and it is plainly the same Spirit that breathes and acts in various persons. There is an endless variety in the particular manner and circumstances in which persons are worked upon, and an opportunity of seeing so much of such a work of God will show that God is further from confining himself to certain steps and a particular method in his work on souls than it may be some imagine. I believe it has led some good people among us, who were before too ready to make their own experiences a rule for others, to be less judgmental and more broad in their charity. The work of God has been glorious in its variety; it has the more displayed the manifoldness and unsearchableness of the wisdom of God, and has produced more charity among his people.

There is a great difference among those that are converted as to the degree of hope and satisfaction they have concerning their own state. Some have a high degree of satisfaction in this matter almost constantly. And yet it is rare that any enjoy so full an assurance of their interest in Christ that self-examination should seem needless to them, unless at particular seasons while in the actual enjoyment of some great discovery that God gives of his glory and rich grace in Christ, drawing forth extraordinary acts of grace. But the greater part, as they sometimes fall into dull and cold frames of spirit, are frequently exercised with doubts and fears concerning their condition.

They generally have an awful apprehension of the dreadfulness and ruinous nature of a false hope; and there has been observable in most a great caution, lest in giving an account of their experiences they should say too much and use too strong terms. And many after they have related their experiences have been greatly distressed with fears that they have played the hypocrite and used stronger terms than their case would fairly allow of, and yet could not find how they could correct themselves.

I think the main ground of the doubts and fears that persons, after their conversion, have been exercised with about their own state has been that they have found so much corruption remaining in their hearts. At first their souls seem to be all alive, their hearts are fixed and their affections flowing; they seem to live quite above the world and meet with but little difficulty in religious exercises; and they are ready to think it will always be so. Though they are truly humbled under a sense of their vileness by reason of former acts of sin, yet they are not then sufficiently sensible of how much corruption still remains in their hearts. And therefore they are surprised when they find they begin to be in dull and cold frames, to be troubled with wandering thoughts in the time of public and private worship, and to be utterly unable to keep themselves from them. Also when they find themselves unmoved at seasons in which they think there is the greatest occasion to be moved. And when they feel worldly dispositions working in them — and perhaps pride and envy and stirrings of revenge, or some ill spirit toward some person who has injured them, as well as other workings of indwelling sin. Their hearts are almost sunk with the disappointment, and they are ready presently to think that all they have met with is nothing and that they are mere hypocrites.

They are ready to argue that if God had indeed done such great things for them as they hoped, such ingratitude would be inconsistent with it. They cry out at the hardness and wickedness of their hearts; and say there is so much corruption that it seems to them impossible that there should be any goodness there. And many of them seem to be much more sensible of how corrupt their hearts are than ever they were before they were converted; and some have been too ready to be impressed with the fear that instead of becoming better they have grown much worse, and make it an argument against the goodness of their state. But in truth the case seems plainly to be that now they feel the pain of their own wound; they have a watchful eye on their hearts that they did not used to have. They take more notice of what sin is there, and sin is now more burdensome to them; they strive more against it and feel more of the strength of it.

They are somewhat surprised that they should in this respect find themselves so different from the idea they generally had entertained of godly persons. For though grace is indeed of a far more excellent nature than they imagined, yet those who are godly have much less of it and much more remaining corruption than they thought. They never realized that persons were accustomed to meet with such difficulties after they were once converted. When they are thus exercised with doubts about their state through the coldness of their frames of spirit, as long as these frames last they are commonly unable to satisfy themselves of the truth of their grace by all their self-examination. When they hear of the signs of grace laid down for them to try themselves by, they are often so clouded that they do not know how to apply them; they hardly know whether they have such and such things in them or not, and whether they have experienced them or not. That which was sweetest and best and most distinguishing in their experiences they cannot recover a sense or idea of. But on a return of the influences of the Spirit of God to revive the lively actings of grace, the light breaks through the cloud and doubting and darkness soon vanish away.

Persons are often revived out of their dull and dark frames by religious conversation. While they are talking of divine things, before they are aware their souls are carried away into holy exercises with great pleasure. And oftentimes while they are relating their past experiences to their Christian brothers and sisters, they have a fresh sense of them revived, and the same experiences renewed in some degree. Sometimes while persons are exercised in mind with various objections against the goodness of their state, they have scriptures coming to their minds one after another to answer their doubts and unravel their difficulties, exceedingly fitting and proper to their circumstances; by which means their darkness is scattered. And often before the bestowing of any new remarkable comforts, especially after long-continued coldness and ill frames, there are renewed humblings in a great sense of their own exceeding vileness and unworthiness, as before their first comforts were bestowed.

Many in the country have entertained a low opinion of this great work that has been among us, from what they have heard of impressions made on persons' imaginations. But there have been exceeding great misrepresentations, and innumerable false reports, concerning that matter. It is not, as far as I know, the profession or opinion of any one person in the town that any weight is to be laid on anything seen with the bodily eyes. I know the contrary to be a received and established principle among us. I cannot say that there have been no instances of persons ready to give too much heed to vain and useless imaginations; but they have been easily corrected, and I believe it will not be wondered at that a congregation should need a guide in such cases to assist them in distinguishing wheat from chaff. But such impressions on the imagination as have been more usual seem to me to be plainly nothing other than what is to be expected in human nature in such circumstances, and is the natural result of the strong exercise of the mind and impressions on the heart.

I do not suppose that they themselves imagined that they saw anything with their bodily eyes; but only had within them ideas strongly impressed, and as it were vivid pictures in their minds. For instance, some when in great terror through fear of hell have had vivid ideas of a dreadful furnace. Some, when their hearts have been strongly impressed and their affections greatly moved with a sense of the beauty and excellency of Christ, it has worked on their imaginations so that together with a sense of his glorious spiritual perfections there has arisen in the mind an idea of one of glorious majesty and of a sweet and gracious aspect. So some when they have been greatly affected with Christ's death have at the same time a vivid idea of Christ hanging upon the cross and of his blood running from his wounds. These things will not be wondered at by those who have observed how strong affections about temporal matters will excite vivid ideas and pictures of different things in the mind.

But yet the vigorous exercise of the mind does doubtless more strongly impress it with imaginative ideas in some than others, which probably may arise from difference of constitution, and seems evidently in some to arise partly from their particular circumstances. When persons have been exercised with extreme terrors and there is a sudden change to light and joy, the imagination seems more susceptible of strong ideas, and the physical powers and even the frame of the body are much more affected and worked upon than when the same persons have as great spiritual light and joy afterward. The aforementioned reverend gentlemen, Mr. Lord and Mr. Owen, who I believe are esteemed persons of learning and discretion where they are best known, declared that they found these impressions on persons' imaginations quite different things from what reputation had before represented to them, and that they were what none need to wonder at or be troubled by.

There have indeed been some few instances of impressions on persons' imaginations that have been somewhat mysterious to me, and I have been at a loss about them. For though it has been exceedingly evident to me by many things that appeared in them, both then when they related them and afterward, that they indeed had a great sense of the spiritual excellency of divine things accompanying them, yet I have not been able to satisfy myself well whether their imaginative ideas have been more than could naturally arise from their spiritual sense of things. However, I have used the utmost caution in such cases; great care has been taken both in public and in private to teach persons the difference between what is spiritual and what is merely imaginary. I have often warned persons not to lay the stress of their hope on any ideas of any outward glory or any external thing whatsoever, and have met with no opposition in such instructions. But it is not strange if some weaker persons, in giving an account of their experiences, have not so prudently distinguished between the spiritual and imaginary part, which some who have not been well disposed toward religion might take advantage of.

There has been much talk in many parts of the country as though the people here had sympathized with the Quakers, and the Quakers themselves were moved by such reports and came here once and again, hoping to find good waters to fish in; but without the least success, and they seem to be discouraged and have left off coming. There have also been reports spread about the country as though the first occasion of so remarkable a concern on people's minds here was an apprehension that the world was near its end, which was altogether a false report. Indeed, after this stirring and concern became so general and extraordinary as has been related, the minds of some were filled with speculation about what so great a dispensation of divine providence might foreshadow; and some reports were heard from abroad as though certain divines and others thought the end of the world was near. But such reports were never generally looked upon as worthy of notice.

The work that has now been wrought on souls is evidently the same that was wrought in my venerable predecessor's days, as I have had abundant opportunity to know, having been in the ministry here two years with him and so conversed with a considerable number whom my grandfather thought to be savingly converted in that time, and having been particularly acquainted with the experiences of many who were converted under his ministry before. And I know no one of them who in the least doubts that it is the same Spirit and the same work. Persons have now been no otherwise subject to impressions on their imaginations than formerly. The work is of the same nature and has not been attended with any extraordinary circumstances, excepting such as are in keeping with the extraordinary degree of it before described. And God's people who were formerly converted have now partaken of the same shower of divine blessing in the renewing, strengthening, and edifying influences of the Spirit of God that others have in his converting influences. And the work here has also been plainly the same as that which has been wrought in those of other places mentioned as partaking of the same blessing. I have particularly conversed with persons about their experiences who belong to all parts of the county and in various parts of Connecticut where a religious concern has lately appeared, and have been informed of the experiences of many others by their own pastors.

It is easily perceived by the foregoing account that it is very much the practice of the people here to converse freely with one another about their spiritual experiences, which is a thing that many have been displeased with. But however our people may have in some respects gone to extremes in it, yet it is doubtless a practice that the circumstances of this town and neighboring towns naturally led them into. Whenever people are in such circumstances where all have their minds engaged to such a degree in the same concern that it is ever uppermost in their thoughts, they will naturally make it the subject of conversation with one another when they get together, in which they will grow more and more open. Restraints will soon vanish, and they will not conceal from one another what they are experiencing. And it has been a practice which in general has been attended with many good effects, and which God has greatly blessed among us. But it must be confessed there may have been some ill consequences of it, which yet are rather to be attributed to the indiscreet management of it than to the practice itself. And none can wonder that among such a multitude some fail to exercise as much wisdom in choosing the time, manner, and occasion of such conversation as would be desirable.

But to give a clearer idea of the nature and manner of the operations of God's Spirit in this wonderful outpouring of it, I would give an account of two particular instances. The first is an adult person, a young woman whose name was Abigail Hutchinson. I chose her especially because she is now dead, and so it may be more fitting to speak freely of her than of living instances; though I am under far greater disadvantages on other accounts to give a full and clear account of her experiences than I might be of some others, nor can any account be given but what has been retained in the memories of her near friends and some others of what they heard her express in her lifetime.

She was of a rational and understanding family; there could be nothing in her upbringing that tended to enthusiasm, but rather to the contrary extreme. It is in no way the temper of the family to be ostentatious about experiences, and it was far from being her temper. She was before her conversion, to the observation of her neighbors, of a sober and inoffensive manner; and was a still, quiet, reserved person. She had long been in poor health, but her infirmity had never been observed at all to incline her to be notional or fanciful, or to occasion any religious melancholy. She was under awakenings scarcely a week before there seemed to be plain evidence of her being savingly converted.

She was first awakened in the Winter Season, on Monday, by something she heard her Brother say of the Necessity of being in good earnest in seeking regenerating Grace, together with the News of the Conversion of the young Woman before mentioned. This News wrought much upon her, and stirred up a Spirit of Envy in her towards this young Woman, whom she thought very unworthy of being distinguished from others by such a Mercy; but withal it engaged her in a firm Resolution to do her utmost to obtain the same Blessing. She continued reading till Thursday; and then there was a sudden Alteration, by a great Increase of her Concern, in an extraordinary sense of her own Sinfulness, particularly the Sinfulness of her Nature, and Wickedness of her Heart, which came upon her as a Flash of Lightning, and struck her into an exceeding Terror. Upon which she left off reading the Bible in Course as she had begun, and turned to the New Testament, to see if she could not find some relief there for her distressed Soul.

Her great Terror she said was, that she had sinned against God: Her Distress grew more and more for three Days, until she saw nothing but Blackness of Darkness before her, and her very Flesh trembled for fear of God's Wrath; she wondered and was astonished at herself, that she had been so concerned for her Body, and had applied so often to Physicians to heal that, and had neglected her Soul. Her Sinfulness appeared with a very awful Aspect to her, especially in three things: her Original Sin, and her Sin in murmuring at God's Providence, in the Weakness and Afflictions she had been under, and in want of Duty to Parents.

While her Mind was in this Posture, her Heart seemed to fly to the Minister for Refuge, hoping that he could give her some Relief. She seemed that Day to feel in herself an Enmity against the Bible, which greatly affrighted her. Her sense of her own exceeding Sinfulness continued increasing from Thursday till Monday; and she gave this account of it, that she had entertained an Opinion, which till now she had held, that she was not guilty of Adam's Sin, because she was not active in it; but that now she saw she was guilty of that Sin, and all over defiled by it; and that the Sin which she brought into the World with her, was alone sufficient to condemn her.

As she awaked on Monday Morning, a little before Day she wondered within herself at the Easiness and Calmness she felt in her Mind, which was of that kind which she never felt before; and these Words came to her Mind: the Blood of Christ cleanses from all Sin; which were accompanied with a lively sense of the Sufficiency of Christ, and his Sufficiency to satisfy for the Sins of the whole World. By these things her Mind was led into such Contemplations and Views of Christ, as filled her exceeding full of Joy. She told her Brother in the Morning that she had seen Christ the last Night, and said, God can make it quite easy! She had a Repetition of the same Discoveries of Christ three Mornings together, brighter and brighter every time.

At the last time, on Wednesday morning, while in the enjoyment of a spiritual view of Christ's glory and fullness, her soul was filled with distress for Christless persons, considering the miserable condition they were in. And she felt within herself a strong inclination to go forth immediately to warn sinners, and proposed the next day to her brother that he assist her in going from house to house. But her brother restrained her, telling her of the unsuitableness of such a method. She told one of her sisters that day that she loved all mankind, but especially the people of God. Her sister asked her why she loved all mankind; she replied, because God had made them. After this there happened to come into the shop where she was at work three persons thought to have been lately converted; seeing them as they stepped in one after another through the door so affected her and drew forth her love to them that it overcame her, and she almost fainted. And when they began to talk of the things of religion, it was more than she could bear; they were obliged to stop on that account. It was a very frequent thing with her to be overcome with a flow of affection toward those she thought godly, in conversation with them, and sometimes only at the sight of them.

She had many extraordinary discoveries of the glory of God and Christ, sometimes in some particular attributes and sometimes in many. She gave an account that once, as these four words passed through her mind — wisdom, justice, goodness, and truth — her soul was filled with a sense of the glory of each of these divine attributes, but especially the last. Truth, said she, sank the deepest! And as these words passed, that word was repeated: truth, truth! Her mind was so overwhelmed with a sense of the glory of God's truth and other perfections that she said it seemed as though her life was going, and that she saw it would be easy for God to take away her life by discoveries of himself. Soon after this she went to a private religious meeting, and her mind was full of a sense and view of the glory of God all the time. When the exercise was ended, some asked her concerning what she had experienced, and she began to give them an account; but as she was relating it, it revived such a sense of the same things that her strength failed, and they were obliged to take her and lay her on the bed. Afterward she was greatly affected and rejoiced with these words: Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.

She had several days together a sweet sense of the excellency and loveliness of Christ in his meekness, which disposed her continually to be repeating over these words, which were sweet to her: meek and lowly in heart, meek and lowly in heart. She once expressed herself to one of her sisters to this effect — that she had continued whole days and whole nights in a constant ravishing view of the glory of God and Christ, having enjoyed as much as her life could bear. Once as her brother was speaking of the dying love of Christ, she told him that she had such a sense of it that the mere mention of it was ready to overcome her.

Once when she came to me, she told how at such and such a time she thought she had seen as much of God and had as much joy and pleasure as was possible in this life, and that yet afterward God discovered himself yet far more abundantly, and she saw the same things she had seen before yet more clearly, and in another and far more excellent and delightful manner, and was filled with a more exceeding sweetness. She likewise gave me such an account of the sense she once had from day to day of the glory of Christ and of God in his various attributes, that it seemed to me she dwelt for days together in a kind of beatific vision of God, and seemed to have, as I thought, as immediate an intercourse with him as a child with a father. And at the same time she appeared most remote from any high thought of herself and of her own sufficiency; but was like a little child, and expressed great desire to be instructed, telling me that she longed very often to come to me for instruction, and wanted to live at my house, that I might tell her her duty.

She often expressed a sense of the glory of God appearing in the trees and growth of the fields and other works of God's hands. She told her sister who lived near the center of the town that she once thought it a pleasant thing to live in the middle of the town, but now, she said, I think it much more pleasant to sit and see the wind blowing the trees, and to behold what God has made. She sometimes had the powerful breathings of the Spirit of God on her soul while reading the Scripture, and would express a sense she had of the certain truth and divinity of it. She sometimes would appear with a pleasant smile on her face; and once when her sister took notice of it and asked why she smiled, she replied, I am brimful of a sweet feeling within! She often expressed how good and sweet it was to lie low before God, and the lower, said she, the better! and that it was pleasant to think of lying in the dust all the days of her life, mourning for sin. She was accustomed to manifest a great sense of her own lowliness and dependence. She often expressed an exceeding compassion and pitying love which she found in her heart toward persons in a Christless condition, which was sometimes so strong that as she was passing such persons in the streets, or those she feared were such, she would be overcome at the sight of them. She once said that she longed to have the whole world saved; she wanted, as it were, to draw them all to herself; she could not bear to have one lost.

She had great longings to die that she might be with Christ, which increased until she thought she did not know how to be patient to wait until God's time should come. But once when she felt those longings, she thought to herself: if I long to die, why do I go to physicians? Whereupon she concluded that her longings for death were not well regulated. After this she often put it to herself which she should choose — whether to live or to die, to be sick or to be well. And she found she could not tell, until at last she found herself disposed to say these words: I am quite willing to live and quite willing to die; quite willing to be sick and quite willing to be well; and quite willing for anything that God will bring upon me! And then, said she, I felt myself perfectly at ease, in a full submission to the will of God. She then lamented much that she had been so eager in her longings for death, as it showed a lack of such resignation to God as ought to be. She seemed henceforth to continue in this resigned frame until death.

After this her illness increased upon her; and once after she had spent the greater part of the night in extreme pain, she woke out of a little sleep with these words in her heart and mouth: I am willing to suffer for Christ's sake; I am willing to spend and be spent for Christ's sake; I am willing to spend my life, even my very life, for Christ's sake! And though she had an extraordinary resignation with respect to life or death, yet the thoughts of dying were exceeding sweet to her. At a time when her brother was reading in Job concerning worms feeding on the dead body, she appeared with a pleasant smile; and being asked about it, she said it was sweet to her to think of being in such circumstances. At another time, when her brother mentioned to her the danger that seemed to be that the illness she then labored under might be an occasion of her death, it filled her with joy that almost overcame her. At another time, when she met a company following a corpse to the grave, she said it was sweet to her to think that they would in a little time follow her in like manner.

Her illness in the latter part was largely in her throat, and the swelling inward filled up the passage so that she could swallow nothing but what was perfectly liquid, and but very little of that, with great and long struggling, what she took in flying out at her nostrils, until at last she could swallow nothing at all. She had a ravenous appetite for food, so that she told her sister when talking about her circumstances that the worst scrap she threw to her pigs would be sweet to her. But yet when she saw that she could not swallow it, she seemed to be as perfectly content without it as if she had no appetite for it. Others were greatly moved to see what she underwent, and were filled with wonder at her unexampled patience. At a time when she was striving in vain to get down a little liquid food and was very much spent with it, she looked up at her sister with a smile, saying: O sister, this is for my good! At another time, when her sister was speaking of what she underwent, she told her that she lived a heaven upon earth for all that. She used sometimes to say to her sister under her extreme sufferings: It is good to be so! Her sister once asked her why she said so; why, says she, because God would have it so. It is best that things should be as God would have them; it looks best to me. After her confinement, as they were leading her from the bed to the door, she seemed overcome by the sight of things abroad as showing forth the glory of the Being who had made them. As she lay on her deathbed, she would often say these words: God is my friend! And once looking up at her sister with a smile, said: O sister! How good it is! How sweet and comfortable it is to think of heavenly things! And she used this argument to persuade her sister to dwell much in such meditations.

She expressed on her deathbed an exceeding longing both for persons in a natural state, that they might be converted, and for the godly, that they might see and know more of God. And when those who looked on themselves as in a Christless state came to see her, she would be greatly moved with compassionate affection. One in particular who seemed to be in great distress about the state of her soul and had come to see her from time to time — she desired her sister to persuade her not to come any more, because the sight of her so worked on her compassions that it overcame her strength. The same week that she died, when she was in distressing circumstances as to her body, some of the neighbors who came to see her asked if she was willing to die. She replied that she was quite willing either to live or die; she was willing to be in pain; she was willing to be as she then was always, if that were the will of God. She willed what God willed. They asked her whether she was willing to die that night. She answered, Yes, if it be God's will. And she seemed to speak it all with that perfect composure of spirit, and with such a cheerful and pleasant face, that it filled them with wonder.

She was very weak a considerable time before she died, having wasted away with famine and thirst, so that her flesh seemed to be dried upon her bones; and therefore could say but little, and manifested her mind very much by signs. She said she had matter enough to fill up all her time with talk, if she had but strength. A few days before her death, some asked her whether she held her integrity still, whether she was not afraid of death. She answered to this effect, that she had not the least degree of fear of death. They asked her why she would be so confident. She answered: if I should say otherwise, I should speak contrary to what I know. There is, said she, indeed, a dark entry that looks somewhat dark, but on the other side there appears such a bright shining light that I cannot be afraid! She said not long before she died that she used to be afraid of how she should grapple with death; but, says she, God has shown me that he can make it easy in great pain. Several days before she died, she could scarcely say anything but just yes and no to questions that were asked her, for she seemed to be dying for three days together. But she seemed to continue in an admirable sweet composure of soul, without any interruption, to the last, and died as a person that went to sleep, without any struggling, about noon on Friday, June 27, 1735.

She had long been in poor health, and had often been exercised with great pain; but she died chiefly of famine. It was doubtless partly owing to her bodily weakness that her strength was so often overcome and ready to fail with gracious affection. But yet the truth was that she had more grace, and greater discoveries of God and Christ, than the present frail state did well agree with. She wanted to be where strong grace might have more freedom and be without the hindrance of a weak body; there she longed to be, and there she doubtless now is. She was looked upon among us as a very eminent instance of Christian experience. But this is but a very broken and imperfect account I have given of her. Her eminency would much more appear if her experiences were fully related, as she was accustomed to express and manifest them while living. I once read this account to some of her pious neighbors who were acquainted with her, who said to this effect, that the account fell much short of the reality, and particularly that it failed to represent duly her humility and that admirable lowliness of heart that at all times appeared in her. But there are, blessed be God, many living instances of much the like nature, and in some things no less extraordinary.

But I now proceed to the other instance that I would give an account of, which is of the little child before mentioned. Her name is Phebe Bartlet, daughter of William Bartlet. I shall give the account as I took it from the mouths of her parents, whose truthfulness none who know them doubt.

She was born in March in the year 1731. About the latter end of April or beginning of May 1735, she was greatly affected by the talk of her brother, who had been hopefully converted a little before, at about eleven years of age, and then seriously talked to her about the great things of religion. Her parents did not know of it at that time, and were not accustomed in the counsels they gave to their children to direct themselves particularly to her, by reason of her being so young, and as they supposed not capable of understanding. But after her brother had talked to her, they observed her very earnestly listening to the advice they gave to the other children. And she was observed very constantly to retire several times a day, as was concluded, for secret prayer; and grew more and more engaged in religion, and was more frequent in her closet, until at last she was accustomed to visit it five or six times a day. She was so engaged in it that nothing would at any time divert her from her accustomed closet exercises. Her mother often observed and watched her when such things occurred as she thought most likely to divert her, either by putting it out of her thoughts or otherwise engaging her inclinations; but never could observe her to fail. She mentioned some very remarkable instances.

She once of her own accord spoke of her unsuccessfulness, in that she could not find God, or to that purpose. But on Thursday, the last day of July, about midday, the child being in the closet where it used to retire, its mother heard it speaking aloud, which was unusual and had never been observed before. And her voice seemed to be that of one exceedingly earnest and engaged; but her mother could distinctly hear only these words, spoken in her childish manner but with extraordinary earnestness and out of distress of soul: Pray, blessed Lord, give me salvation! I pray, beg pardon all my sins! When the child had done praying she came out of the closet and came and sat down by her mother and cried out aloud. Her mother very earnestly asked her several times what the matter was before she would make any answer; but she continued exceedingly crying, and writhing her body to and fro, like one in anguish of spirit. Her mother then asked her whether she was afraid that God would not give her salvation. She answered: yes, I am afraid I shall go to hell! Her mother then endeavored to quiet her, and told her she would not have her cry, she must be a good girl and pray every day, and she hoped God would give her salvation. But this did not quiet her at all, but she continued thus earnestly crying and distressed for some time, until at length she suddenly ceased crying and began to smile. And presently she said with a smiling face: Mother, the kingdom of heaven is come to me! Her mother was surprised at the sudden change, and at the speech, and knew not what to make of it, but at first said nothing to her. The child presently spoke again and said: there is another come to me, and there is another, there are three. And being asked what she meant, she answered: one is, 'Your will be done,' and there is another, 'Enjoy him for ever.' By which it seems that when the child said there are three come to me, she meant three passages of her catechism that came to her mind.

After the child had said this, she retired again into her closet; and her mother went over to her brother's, who was next door neighbor. When she came back, the child, having come out of the closet, met her mother with this cheerful speech: I can find God now! referring to what she had before complained of, that she could not find God. Then the child spoke again and said: I love God! Her mother asked her how well she loved God, whether she loved God better than her father and mother. She said yes. Then she asked her whether she loved God better than her little sister Rachel. She answered: yes, better than anything! Then her eldest sister, referring to her saying she could find God now, asked her where she could find God. She answered: in heaven. Why, said she, have you been in heaven? No, said the child. By this it seems not to have been any imagination of anything seen with bodily eyes that she called God when she said I can find God now. Her mother asked her whether she was afraid of going to hell, and that was what had made her cry. She answered: yes, I was; but now I shall not. Her mother asked her whether she thought that God had given her salvation. She answered: yes. Her mother asked her when. She answered: today. She appeared all that afternoon exceeding cheerful and joyful. One of the neighbors asked her how she felt. She answered: I feel better than I did. The neighbor asked her what made her feel better. She answered: God makes me. That evening as she lay in bed she called one of her little cousins to her who was present in the room, as having something to say to him; and when he came, she told him that heaven was better than earth. The next day, being Friday, her mother asking her the catechism asked her what God made her for. She answered: to serve him. And added: everybody should serve God and get an interest in Christ.

The same day the older children, when they came home from school, seemed much affected by the extraordinary change that seemed to be made in Phebe. And her sister Abigail standing by, her mother took occasion to counsel her now to improve her time and prepare for another world. On this Phebe burst out in tears and cried out: Poor Nabby! Her mother told her she would not have her cry, she hoped that God would give Nabby salvation; but that did not quiet her, and she continued earnestly crying for some time. And when she had in a measure stopped, her sister Eunice being by her, she burst out again and cried: Poor Eunice! And cried exceedingly; and when she had almost done, she went into another room and there looked at her sister Naomi and burst out again, crying: Poor Amy! Her mother was greatly affected at such behavior in the child, and did not know what to say to her. One of the neighbors coming in a little after asked her what she had been crying for. She seemed at first reluctant to tell the reason; her mother told her she might tell that person, for he had given her an apple. Upon which she said she cried because she was afraid they would go to hell.

At night a certain minister who was occasionally in the town was at the house and talked considerably with her about the things of religion. After he was gone she sat leaning on the table with tears running from her eyes. Being asked what made her cry, she said it was thinking about God. The next day, being Saturday, she seemed for much of the day to be in a very affectionate frame, had four turns of crying, and seemed to endeavor to restrain herself and hide her tears, and was very reluctant to speak of the occasion of it. On the Sabbath Day she was asked whether she believed in God; she answered yes. And being told that Christ was the Son of God, she made ready answer and said: I know it.

From this time there has appeared a very remarkable and abiding change in the child. She has been very strict on the Sabbath, and seems to long for the Sabbath Day before it comes, and will often in the week be asking how long it is to the Sabbath Day, and must have the days counted over one by one before she will be content. And she seems to love God's house and is very eager to go there; her mother once asked her why she had such a mind to go, whether it was not to see fine people. She said no, it was to hear Mr. Edwards preach. When she is in the place of worship, she is very far from spending her time there as children at her age usually do, but appears with an attention that is very extraordinary for such a child. She also appears very desirous at all opportunities to go to private religious meetings, and is very still and attentive at home during prayer time, and has appeared moved during family prayer. She seems to delight much in hearing religious conversation. When I once was there with some others that were strangers, and talked to her something of religion, she seemed more than ordinarily attentive; and when we were gone, she looked longingly after us and said: I wish they would come again! Her mother asked her why. Says she: I love to hear them talk!

She seems to have very much the fear of God before her eyes, and an extraordinary dread of sinning against him, of which her mother mentioned the following remarkable instance. Some time in August of last year, she went with some bigger children to get some plums in a neighbor's lot, knowing nothing of any harm in what she did. But when she brought some of them into the house, her mother mildly reproved her and told her that she had taken plums without leave, because it was sin — God had commanded her not to steal. The child seemed greatly surprised, and burst out in tears, and cried out: I won't have these plums! And turning to her sister Eunice, very earnestly said to her: why did you ask me to go to that plum tree? I should not have gone if you had not asked me. The other children did not seem to be much affected or concerned, but there was no pacifying Phebe. Her mother told her she might go and ask leave, and then it would not be sin for her to eat them; and sent one of the children for that purpose. When she returned, her mother told her that the owner had given leave; now she might eat them and it would not be stealing. This quieted her a little while; but presently she broke out again into an exceeding fit of crying. Her mother asked her what made her cry again, why she cried now since they had asked leave, what it was that troubled her now. She asked her several times very earnestly before she made any answer; but at last said: it was because it was sin. She continued crying for a considerable time, and said she would not go again if Eunice asked her a hundred times; and she retained her aversion to that fruit for a considerable time, under the remembrance of her former sin.

She at some times appears greatly affected and delighted with texts of Scripture that come to her mind. Particularly, about the beginning of November last year, the text came to her mind: 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and sup with him, and he with me' (Revelation 3:20). She spoke of it to those of the family with a great appearance of joy, a smiling face, and an elevated voice. Afterward she went into another room where her mother overheard her talking very earnestly to the children about it, and particularly heard her say to them three or four times over, with an air of exceeding joy and wonder: why, it is to sup with God! At some time about the middle of winter, very late in the night when all were in bed, her mother perceived that she was awake and heard her as though she was weeping. She called to her and asked her what was the matter. She answered with a low voice so that her mother could not hear what she said; but thinking that it might be occasioned by some spiritual feeling, said no more to her, but perceived her to lie awake and continue in the same frame for a considerable time. The next morning she asked her whether she did not cry the last night. The child answered: yes, I did cry a little, for I was thinking about God and Christ, and they loved me. Her mother asked her whether thinking of God and Christ's loving her made her cry. She answered: yes, it does sometimes.

She has often manifested a great concern for the good of others' souls, and has been accustomed many times affectionately to counsel the other children. Once about the latter end of September last year, when she and some of the other children were in a room by themselves husking Indian corn, the child after a while came out and sat by the fire. Her mother noticed that she appeared with a more than ordinary serious and thoughtful face, but at last she broke silence and said: I have been talking to Nabby and Eunice. Her mother asked her what she had said to them. Why, said she, I told them they must pray and prepare to die, that they had but a little while to live in this world, and they must be always ready. When Nabby came out, her mother asked her whether the child had said that to them. Yes, said she, she said that and a great deal more. At other times the child took her opportunities to talk to the other children about the great concern of their souls, sometimes so as much to affect them and set them into tears. She was once exceedingly earnest with her mother to go with her sister Naomi to pray. Her mother endeavored to put her off, but she pulled her by the sleeve and seemed as if she would by no means be refused. At last her mother told her that Amy must go and pray herself; but, says the child, she will not go — and persisted earnestly in begging her mother to go with her.

She has shown an uncommon degree of a spirit of charity, particularly on the following occasion. A poor man who lives in the woods had lately lost a cow that the family much depended on, and being at the house, he was telling of his misfortune and the difficulties they were reduced to by it. She took much notice of it, and it worked greatly on her compassions. After she had attentively heard him a while, she went away to her father who was in the shop, and entreated him to give that man a cow, and told him that the poor man had no cow, that the hunters or something else had killed his cow! And she entreated him to give him one of theirs. Her father told her that they could not spare one. Then she entreated him to let him and his family come and live at their house. And she had much more talk of the same nature, whereby she manifested a heart of compassion toward the poor.

She has manifested great Love to her Minister: Particularly when Mr. Edwards returned from his long Journey for his Health, when she heard of it, she appeared very joyful at the News, and told the Children of it, with an elevated Voice, as the most joyful Tidings, repeating it over and over, Mr. Edwards is come home! Mr. Edwards is come home! She still continues very constant in secret Prayer, and every Night, before she goes to Bed, will say her Catechism, and will by no means miss of it.

In the former part of this great Work of God amongst us, till it got to its height, we seemed to be wonderfully smiled upon and blessed in all respects. Satan seemed to be unusually restrained: Persons that before had been involved in Melancholy, seemed to be as it were waked up out of it; and those that had been entangled with extraordinary Temptations, seemed wonderfully to be set at liberty; and not only so, but it was the most remarkable time of Health, that ever I knew since I have been in the Town. We ordinarily have several Bills put up, every Sabbath, for Persons that are sick; but now we had not so much as one for many Sabbaths together.

In the latter part of May, it began to be very sensible that the Spirit of God was gradually withdrawing from us, and after this Time Satan seemed to be more let loose, and raged in a dreadful manner. The first Instance wherein it appeared, was a Person's putting an end to his own Life, by cutting his Throat. He was a Gentleman of more than common Understanding, of strict Morals, religious in his Behaviour, and an useful honourable Person in the Town; but was of a Family that are exceeding prone to the Disease of Melancholy. After this, Multitudes in this, and other Towns, seemed to have it strongly suggested to them, and pressed upon them, to do as this person had done. And many that seemed to be under no Melancholy, some pious Persons, that had no special Darkness or Doubts about the goodness of their State, yet had it urged upon them, as if somebody had spoke to them, Cut your own Throat, now is a good Opportunity. Now; now! So that they were obliged to fight with all their might to resist it, and yet no Reason suggested to them why they should do it.

About the same time, there were two remarkable Instances of Persons led away with strange Enthusiastick Delusions. The Man at South-Hadley, whose Delusion was, that he thought himself divinely instructed to direct a poor Man in melancholy and despairing Circumstances, to say certain Words in Prayer. He was exceedingly rejoiced and elevated with this extraordinary Work, so carried on in this part of the Country: and was possessed with an Opinion that it was the beginning of the glorious Times of the Church spoken of in Scripture. But he since exceedingly laments the Dishonour he has done to God, and the Wound he has given Religion in it, and has lain low before God and Man for it.

After these things the instances of conversion were rare here in comparison with what they had been before, though that remarkable instance of the little child was after this. And the Spirit of God not long after this time appeared very perceptibly withdrawing from all parts of the county, though we have heard of his work going on in some places of Connecticut, and that it continues to be carried on even to this day. But religion remained here, and I believe in some other places, the main subject of conversation, for several months after this. And there were some seasons in which God's work seemed somewhat to revive, and we were ready to hope that all was going to be renewed again; yet in the main there was a gradual decline of that general, engaged, lively spirit in religion which had been before. Several things have happened since that have diverted people's minds and turned their conversation more to other affairs, particularly his Excellency the Governor's coming up, and the Committee of the General Court on the treaty with the Indians; and afterward the Springfield controversy; and since that, our people in this town have been engaged in the building of a new meetinghouse. And some other occurrences might be mentioned that seemed to have this effect. But as to those who have been thought to be converted among us in this time, they generally seem to be persons who have had an abiding change wrought on them. I have had particular acquaintance with many of them since, and they generally appear to be persons who have a new sense of things — new apprehensions and views of God, of the divine attributes, and Jesus Christ, and the great things of the gospel. They have a new sense of the truth of them, and they affect them in a new manner; though it is very far from being always alike with them, neither can they revive a sense of things whenever they please. Their hearts are often touched, and sometimes filled, with new sweetnesses and delights; there seems to be an inward ardor and burning of heart that they express the like of which they never experienced before, sometimes occasioned only by the mention of Christ's name or some one of the divine perfections. There are new appetites, and a new kind of breathings and longings of heart, and groanings that cannot be uttered. There is a new kind of inward labor and striving of soul toward heaven and holiness.

Some who before were very rough in their temper and manners seem to be remarkably softened and sweetened. And some have had their souls exceedingly filled and overwhelmed with light, love, and comfort, long since the work of God has ceased to be so remarkably carried on in a general way; and some have had much greater experiences of this nature than they had before. And there is still a great deal of religious conversation continued in the town among young and old; a religious disposition appears to be still maintained among our people by their keeping up frequent private religious meetings. And all sorts are generally worshiping God at such meetings on Sabbath nights and in the evening after our public lecture. Many children in the town still keep up such meetings among themselves. I know of no one young person in the town who has returned to former ways of looseness and extravagance in any respect; but we still remain a reformed people, and God has evidently made us a new people.

I cannot say that there has been no instance of any one person who has conducted himself so that others should justly be troubled concerning his profession; nor am I so vain as to imagine that we have not been mistaken concerning any whom we have entertained a good opinion of, or that there are none passing among us for sheep who are indeed wolves in sheep's clothing, who probably may some time or other discover themselves by their fruit. We are not so pure but that we have great cause to be humbled and ashamed that we are so impure; nor so religious but that those who watch for our stumbling may see things in us from which they may take occasion to reproach us and religion. But in the main, there has been a great and marvelous work of conversion and sanctification among the people here; and they have paid all due respect to those who have been blessed of God to be the instruments of it. Both old and young have shown a readiness to hearken not only to my counsels but even to my reproofs from the pulpit.

A great part of the country has not received the most favorable thoughts of this affair; and to this day many retain a suspicion concerning it and a prejudice against it. I have reason to think that the lowliness and weakness of the instrument that has been made use of in this town has prejudiced many against it; it does not appear to me strange that it should be so. But yet this circumstance of this great work of God is in keeping with other circumstances of it. God has so ordered the manner of the work in many respects as very signally and remarkably to show it to be his own peculiar and immediate work, and to secure the glory of it wholly to his own almighty power and sovereign grace. And whatever the circumstances and means have been, and though we are so unworthy, yet so it has pleased God to work! And we are evidently a people blessed of the Lord! And here, in this corner of the world, God dwells and manifests his glory.

Thus, Reverend Sir, I have given a large and particular account of this remarkable affair; and yet, considering how manifold God's works have been among us that are worthy to be written, it is but a very brief one. I should have sent it much sooner had I not been greatly hindered by illness in my family and also in myself. It is probably much larger than you expected, and it may be than you would have chosen. I thought that the extraordinariness of the thing, and the innumerable misrepresentations which have gone abroad of it, many of which have doubtless reached your ears, made it necessary that I should be particular. But I would leave it entirely with your wisdom to make what use of it you think best — to send a part of it to England, or all, or none if you think it not worthy; or otherwise to dispose of it as you may think most for God's glory and the interest of religion. If you are pleased to send anything to the Reverend Dr. Guyse, I should be glad to have it signified to him as my humble desire that since he and the congregation to which he preached have been pleased to take so much notice of us as they have, they would also think of us at the throne of grace, and seek there for us that God would not forsake us, but enable us to bring forth fruit answerable to our profession and our mercies, and that our light may shine before men, that others seeing our good works may glorify our Father who is in heaven.

When I first heard of the notice the Reverend Dr. Watts and Dr. Guyse took of God's mercies to us, I took occasion to inform our congregation of it in a discourse from these words: 'A city that is set upon a hill cannot be hidden.' And having since seen a particular account of the notice the Reverend Dr. Guyse and the congregation he preached to took of it, in a letter you wrote to my honored uncle Williams, I read that part of your letter to the congregation and labored as much as I could to enforce their duty from it. The congregation were very sensibly moved and affected on both occasions.

I humbly request of you, Reverend Sir, your prayers for this county in its present melancholy circumstances, into which it is brought by the Springfield quarrel, which above all things that have happened has most tended to put a stop to the glorious work here, and to prejudice this country against it, and to hinder the propagation of it. I also ask your prayers for this town, and would particularly beg an interest in them for him who is,

Honored Sir, with humble respect, your obedient son and servant, Jonathan Edwards. Northampton, November 6, 1736.