him as if he had no right to dif. | tribute his own gifts and grace, or had not fkill or equity to do it aright.* It hinders thankfulness to him, and contentment with our own condition; and tends to murder both our foul and body. It appears most unreasonable, when we feriously confider, that it is not the measure of our gifts, but our faithful improvement of them that avails before God; that in many cafes and circumftances, inferior endowments are moft adapted to ufefulness, as iron, in many cafes, is more useful than gold; that God will call us to account for no more gifts than he bestows upon us; that many others have smaller measures of gifts; that God is under obligation to none, and may do with his own what he pleases; and that great gifts expofe to great envy, trials, and dangers. 5thly. Beware of all appearances of obftinacy, or of a stiff and felf-willed temper, especially in matters which are in themselves indifferent or doubtful. Avoid, in like manner, a contentious difpofition, inclining you to contend for things I not plainly revealed, or when Providence is not calling to contend for them, and no ground, to hope for edification by it || 6thly. Never indulge the leaft, approach to, or appearance of, intemperate anger; I mean, anger on account of things not really finful, but which are merely the involuntary defects of men; or anger on account of disagreeable events of the Providence of God; or anger which proceeds not from true de liberation; is not kept within due bounds; is not proportioned to the offence; is expreffed in an improper manner; or is of undue continuance.* This frame of mind darkens and ftupifies the understanding; infuriates the paffions; unfits the foul for the exercises of religion; renders reproofs useless; involves us in fin and danger; and exposes to diflike, contempt and hatred.† 7thly. Shun every appearance of or approach to intemperance in eating and drinking, and all temptations thereto. As you value the honor of God, and the credit of your facred profeffion, carefully avoid all approaches to drunkennefs, whether in private houfes or places of public concourse. Give no countenance to riotous conviviality, which hath sometimes given great and just scandal to ferious minds, after ordinations, and the adminiftration of the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper; occafions when your mind ought to be peculiarly devout and fpiritual. Such intemperances, fuitable only to the Heathen priests of Bacchus, will render the mind utterly incapable to difcern and penetrate into the things of God. It is a noted mark of false prophets,|| and is a diftemper which can scarce be cured. As before God, I solemnly charge you, to refift every inward rifing of irregular defire, and all unbecoming familiarities with the other fex.** Criminal indulgencies of this kind grieve the fpirit of God ;tt carry away all LETTER IV. and their hopes more established, and were better satisfied that it was their duty to profefs their faith, and join the church. The awakening at first feemed to be chiefly among heads of fam ilies. It is remarkable, that num bers have been the subjects of this work, who before appeared to be far from the kingdom of God, were confidered very erroneous in their fentiments, and were fuppofed to have imbibed opinions, which favored of Deifm, and Univerfalifm. Several perfons, who at first fcoffed, and ridiculed the ferioufnefs of others, have fince been a wakened, and appear cordially to embrace that religion, which they before despised in others. In Auguft, the minds of a number of the youth began to be impreffed, who till then had appeared careless and ftupid. They foon From the Rev. PETER STARR, of fet up weekly conferences, and Warren. GENTLEMEN, BOUT the first of March, religious conferences, on Sabbath evenings. Not more attended for a number of weeks, than could be conveniently accommodated in a private room. At this time, there appeared to be more of a fpirit of enquiry, than ufual, and a more folemn attention to preaching. In June and July, the minds of a number were seriously impreffed; and the ferioufnefs became general thro' the town. Chriftians were remarkably stirred up to a fpirit of prayer, and to speak more frequently to one another, about the things of religion. Some who heretofore had great doubts, whether they had ever experienced a work of grace in their hearts, began now to have their evidences of it more clear, I Pet, ii, II. I Sam. ii. 12-17, 30. have continued them ever fince. They defired me, whenever I could, to attend with them: and when I prayed, and a printed fermon was commonly read, accompanied with the finging of pfalms and hymns. A number of the youth, who have been the fubjects of this work, and have joined the Church, were heretofore leaders in their vain amusements. In September, October, and November, we had weekly lectures, preached by the neighboring Minifters, which, by the bleffing of God, were attended with happy effects. Thro' the winter, I have had occafion to attend four, and five conferences, in a week, in different parts of the town. Since the awakening began among us, between feventy and eighty have joined the church; and fuch as, in the judgment of charity, we hope have witneffed a good confef fion. But at the fame time, we have reafon to fear, that while the Son of Man hath been fowing good feed in his field, the evil one hath been alfo bufy, in fowing tares; and that the prefent apparent goodness of fome, like the early cloud, and the morning dew, will foon vanish away. Thus the Lord, in his infinitely free and fovereign grace, bath remembered us in our low eftate, when iniquity was abounding, and the love of many waxing cold. When the enemy was coming in among us like a flood, the spirit of the Lord hath fet up a standard against him. This is the Lord's doings, and it is marvellous in our eyes. It With reference to the foregoing account, I would obferve, that hitherto the work hath been remarkably free from every thing like enthusiasm, or extravagance. feemed more like a small still voice, than like the rushing of any mighty wind. The minds of the concerned were apparently borne down, with a lively fenfe, that their hearts and practices had not been right with God; and that there was a controverfy fubfifting between their Maker and themselves, which, if not fpeedily fettled, would iffue in their deftruction. Many, when afked what troubled them? Would re of heart, divine fovereignty, decrees, election, and the special influences of the fpirit of God in regeneration. At the time of their fuppofed reconciliation to God, they felt themfelves fatisfied with thefe doctrines, which before, they had greatly oppofed. After a lively fenfe and conviction, of their helplefs, ruined ftate, and their abfolute dependence on free, fovereign grace, the only comfort and relief they could find, was a view of the gofpel method of falvation. A belief that there was falvation in Chrift for the chief of finners, and that God could have mercy on whom he pleased, encouraged them to hope, that there was a poflibility, that they might be faved. Many of them profefs to have been bro't to an unconditional fubmiffion, to the fovereignty of a holy God, or a willingness to be in his hands, and at his difpofal; being satisfied that he would be juft, fhould he caft them off for ever. With thefe views and feelings, they enjoyed a calmnefs and ferenity of mind, which they never enjoyed before; and from this period, they date their hopes, of having experienced a faving converfion. Another circumftance of the work, which I think favors of its being genuine, in many inftances, is this, most of thofe, who profefs that they have obtained hopes, are not by any means very confident and pofitive, that their state is good. They appear to be fenfible that their hearts are deceitful, and fo defperately wicked, that they dare not trust them. Their religious joy feems to be accompanied with fear and trembling. I am, Yours, &c. PETER STARR. was attended at the meeting-houfe; ious to hear the word. The day For feveral years, before the prefent extraordinary out-pouring of the divine fpirit, there had been repeated instances of perfons, who were awakened to attend to the all-important concerns of their fouls ; and a few from time to time, were, in a judgment of charity, renewed, and became experimentally acquainted with Jefus, and his religion. But nothing-Old, very remarkable took place a mongst us, till the beginning of the year paft; when it pleafed God, of his abundant mercy, to rain down his holy fpirit upon us, arreft the attention of many from vain and carnal things, and fix it upon divine and eternal concerns. And we truft it may be faid a goodly number are born again. middle aged, and young people were the fubjects of God's work. There was now a great fhaking among the dry bones. Conferences were fet up in every quarter of the parish; and were attended every night in the week, at one place or another, except Saturday night. And at two or three different places twice in a week. Neighbouring ministers, The eighth of March, 1799, frequently came, and preached fome young people fent to me, re- and converfed with the people. quefting I would attend a confer- And when they had opportunity ence the enfuing evening: I at- to hear preaching, or converfation, tended, and found a confiderable they feemed to hang upon the speanumber of people collected of va- ker's lips. Our affemblies became rious ages. We prayed and at- crouded upon the Sabbath, at lectended to the important truths of tures and conferences. Balls, all the gofpel. It was evident, fome merry meetings, and public diverminds were impreffed. The Sab- fions were laid aside : and the peobath evening following, there was ple were more engaged, to attend a conference attended; many peo-religious meetings, than they had ple were prefent. The meeting was folemn. The next Tuesday, a number of minifters came, and a lecture been heretofore for carnal diver- 1 d fhaken with a mighty wind. In two or three inftances, perfons gave up their old hopes, and obtained new ones. The people of God were confirmed in the faith. Their hearts leaped for joy, and their mouths were filled with praife. People of all ages, from fifteen to upwards of fixty, were deeply impreffed. The diftrefs of fome, was fo great, that it deprived them, in a great measure of their food and fleep, for a season. Many confeffed their fins, complained of the hardness of their hearts, the abounding wickedness of their lives; and appeared very fenfibly to feel that it would be juft in God to caft them off forev座 er. And every perfon, who, in a judgment of charity, is a fubject of the regenerating power of the divine fpirit, appears full in the belief of divine fovereignty, decrees, election, and all the cffential doctrines of the gospel. fhipping him, I have enjoyed more real happiness in religion, than ever I enjoyed in all other things, through my whole paft life. Al the mirth, and carnal pleasures in the world, he faid, were nothing, compared with the sweets of true religion. Some others were asked the fame queftion, who faid, what had been obferved, correfponded with their real feelings. They now found by their own experirience, that "wifdom's ways are ways of pleasantnefs, and all her paths are peace." A confiderable number, who in time paft, did not pray in their families, have now fet up family religion, and are conftant, and to appearance devout, in their performance of this duty. And thofe, who heretofore did not worfhip God in their houfes, now plead fervently with God, that there may be no prayerlefs families. In this fmall fociety, there are thirty or forty men, who pray at conferences, not only in my abfence, but the most of them, (upon being requested) when I am prefent. Some, who years ago, had openly violated the laws of Chrift, and purpofed never to confefs their faults, have freely made a public confeffion of their fins against the Most High; and have faid, that although, it was what their hearts once totally oppofed; A young man, who had obtained a hope that he was a fubject of the new birth, faid, he might be deceived with regard to the ftate of his foul, and perifh at laft; but he believed God would do right, and he was willing to be at his difpofal. Others have expreffed themfelves in much the fame manner. Juftification and falvation by works, are exploded. Free grace, and the atonement and merits of Chrift extolled by thofe who are hopeful-yet now they could do it, as freely ly the fubjects of a renovating change of heart. Numbers, at times, have fuch nearness to, and communion with God, that they have great foretaftes of heaven, and joy unspeakable. At a conference one evening, a man being asked if he found any happiness in religion? He replied, yes; fince I have been attending the prefent meeting, and uniting with the people of God, in wor as ever they did any thing in their lives: And indeed, that they could not reft eafy without. Now they fee, and feel the paft ftubbornness of their wills, and the hardness of their hearts. And their fins being fet in order before their eyes, and their wills bowed, they acknowledge with the penitent Pfalmift, "Against thee, thee only have we finned, and done this evil in thy fight." And them |