REVIVAL OF RELIGION AT WRENTHAM. MESSRS. EDITORS, If the following narrative of the revival of religion in the North Parish in Wrentham, will, in your judgment, be gratifying to your Chriflian readers, you will pleafe to infert it. IN June, 1798, I took upon me the paftoral charge of the church in this parish. The church was then fmall, confifting of about fifteen male members, and not far from the fame number of females. The church appeared united in a belief of the Calviniftic fyftem of doctrines and but_little opposition was made to thofe doctrines in the fociety. The people generally attended public worship, and, perhaps, with as much decency and order in time of worship, as in congregations in general. But it did not appear that the great concerns of eternity had much impreffion on the minds of many. Some of the youth, as ufual, were pleafed with those amusements which serve to remove the mind farther from serious confideration, and to prejudice it against the self-denying religion of Jefus. About a year after my connexion with this people began, attempts were made to fet up a monthly religious conference. Thefe attempts, after meeting with difcouraging circumftances, fucceeded fo far, that numbers attended the conferences befide profeffors of religion. At length, thele meetings became more frequent than at first ; and, by many, were efteemed useful-in communicating religious inftruction, and in promoting union among Chriftians, in feeking the profperity of the Redeemer's kingdom in the world. Although, for the first three years of my miniftry among this people, there appeared no general awakening among them, yet God was graciously pleafed to difpofe a number to join themfelves with the profeffed friends of Chrift; eleven perfons were added to the church, of whom three were by recommen dation from other churches. In the winter of 1802, feveral perfons appeared to have their minds folemnly impressed with a view of their fins and danger. This attention was principally among heads of families. Tho' this attention did not embrace the whole parish, yet it might occafion the general folemnity, which for a time appeared. Now our conference meetings had more numerous attendants than before the awakening began. Numbers appeared to feel that they could neither please God, nor be happy, while deftitute of the religion of Christ. There is reafon to believe, that feveral of the awakened became reconciled to God. The number of praying families was increased, increased, and the church enlarged with profeffed friends to Chrift and his kingdom. This year eleven perfons were added to the church. It pleafed a fovereign God to continue his gracious vifit among us, notwithstanding the ungrateful returns we made for paft favours, and the refufal of many to comply with the reafonable requirements of the gospel. In the year 1803, feveral other perfons appeared to have their minds feriously impreffed with a conviction of their finful hearts and lives, and of the punishment juftly due to them for fin. Some of thefe, as they hoped, were made willing to accept of fovereign mercy, and devote themselves to the intereft and honour of the Redeemer. This year eleven more were added to the church; four of whom were young perfons. In the following year three more of the youth publicly covenanted with God and his people. After this, for feveral months, there appeared a great degree of coldness and inattention to religion among us. But few attended the conference meetings. Even among profeffors of religion, there appeared a want of zeal and engagedness for the cause of Christ. In the fall of the year 1804, and winter fol lowing, God was pleafed gracioufly to vifit, by the effufions of his Holy Spirit, another part of this town, under the miniftry of the Rev. Mr. Fisk. Though we all knew this, yet a general ftupidity apparently remained on the minds of those who had never manifested any friendship to religion. But feveral of the friends of religion among us, by feeing and hearing what great things God was doing in another part of the town, appeared greatly to rejoice, and to feel a fresh engagednefs for the intereft of religion, and very defirous that God would again visit us in this part of the town by his fpecial influences. At length these defires were, in a degree, joyfully gratified. Early in the fpring of the year 1805, a number of the young people in the parith appeared to have an impreffive view of their loft ftate by nature. The important interefts of their fouls manifeftly employed their thoughts and concern. This attention rapidly increased among the youth. It foon appeared that nearly thirty perfons had their attention to their fouls arrested. For a fhort time, there appeared a general folemnity upon the minds of the people in the parish. Our weekly conferences were uncommonly full for feveral weeks; at which, and on the Sabbaths, the assemblies were unusually attentive to gospel inftruction. But this general folemnity foon abated. Still a confiderable number appeared to have deep and abiding impreffions on their minds. With these it was now eafy to find accefs. Their minds were open to receive instruction, and, with ca gernefs, would they liften to truths which defcribe the natural heart of man, and diftinguifh its exercifes from thofe of the heart renewed by fovereign grace. In the space of a few weeks, after the awakening extended, as above noticed, nearly twenty perfons appeared to entertain fome hope that they had become reconciled to God, and could truft in Chrift as the only, and all-fufficient Saviour of finners. Of these fixteen have been added to the church. In the latter part of the fummer, there appeared a confiderable abatement in this good work, as it refpected new instances of conviction and converfion; alfo refpecting fome who had been folemnly impreffed in mind concerning the ftate of their fouls. It is to be feared that fome of these have in a degree loft their impreffions, and remain destitute of any evidence that they are at peace with God. Should they continue impenitent, and return to a state of mind void of all conviction, the prospect before them must be very gloomy indeed. We truft, however, that God has not wholly departed from us, relative to the influences of his Holy Spirit on the minds of numbers among us. In the fpace of a few months past, a few new cafes of awakening have appeared, and fome of thefe do entertain a belief that they have become truly friendly to God. Our public affemblies ftill appear attentive and folemn in time of worship and a goodly number continue to manifest a delight in the religion and kingdom of Jesus Christ. It will, probably, be expected, that fome account be given of the nature of this work in the effect produced in the views and exercises of those who have been the subjects of it. This will now be attempted. It appears, in general, that the first impreffi ons on the minds of the awakened, were a sense of the dangerous ftate they were in on account of their finful lives. This view of themselves is foon followed with a conviction of fin, being of the nature of oppofition to God in his character and gov ernment. In fome, this conviction is much clearer than in others. The most of them express a sense of their entire moral depravity; that they have been, not only deftitute of any right exercises of heart, but have been wholly felfifh in all their feelings and conduct. With this view of themfelves, they fee it would be juft for God to execute upon them the penalty of the divine law, and they often exprefs their aftonifhment that he hath not done it already. This conviction of fin, in a great degree, filences the objections against the doctrines of divine fovereignty, which are commonly made by unconvinced finners. There has appeared a difference as to the duration of convic tion in different perfons, before they obtain relief; fome obtaining it much fooner than others. A difference, alfo, respecting terror terror and diftrefs of mind. On these accounts, some who are fenfible of an alteration in the exercifes of their minds, have been ready to doubt of their being of the right kind. For they fuppofe fuch great finners as they have been, mull have greater terror, clearer convictions, and of longer continuance, than they have been the subjects of. Those who have given evidence that they have become new creatures in Chrift, exprefs a willingness to be in the hands of a fovereign God: a delight in his character and government, an approbation of Chrift as held up in the gofpel, and trust in him, as an altogether fuitable Saviour for fuch finners, as they fee themselves to be. Such exercises as these are accompanied with a peculiar delight in the fociety and religious conversation of thofe, whom they efteem as friends to Chrift. They alfo manifet a great delight in the word and worship of God, efteeming that preaching the most desirable, which is the most searching. In private converfation, they exprefs a great defire of knowing what are the diftinguishing traits between a true Chriftian, and an hypocrite. The more they attend to themselves, in the light of divine truth, the greater difcovery they make of the vileness of their hearts. And this difcovery often occafions fears left they have been deceived concerning their hope of being reconciled to God. But thefe fears are often fucceeded with increasing defires after conformity to God, and a greater delight in his fervice. Whether all, or any of thofe among us, who lately entertain hope that they are born of God, have really experienced that important change, will fully appear hereafter we fee those who have been thoughtlefs about religion, vain But when and worldly in their tempers and lives, become thoughtful a bout their fouls, convinced of fin, and manifefting friendship to Chrift and his caufe; muft we not conclude that this is the work of the Holy Spirit, who, when he comes, convinces finners of fin, of righteousness, and of judgment? es the number of his friends, counteracts the influence of deluIn this way God increaffion and wickedness, and manifefts the riches of his grace, in his kindness to penitent finners, through Chrift Jefus. In view of fuch a difcovery of the glorious God, true faints rejoice, and give him the praise. It becomes all who have named the name of Chrift, carefully to depart from iniquity, and to ftand faft in the Lord. In this way they will please God, exhibit evi, dence of being real difciples of Chrift, and enjoy a comfortable hope of appearing with Chrift in glory. That God would revive his work, by the extenfive spread of the gospel in the world, by the converfion of finners to true holiness, and by building up his church in gofpel love and harmo ду A. Page Abbot's, Mr. Diary, 10, 41, 81 Covenanting with God, on Effect of prayer, 1 Corinthians iii. 2. 233 Correction, divine Page 91, 143 - 417 37 Dialogue, Agnostes and Phi- · 200 Diary, Mr. Abbot's . 228 102, 128, 186 10, 41, 81 - Mrs. Denny's 401, 441 ib. Disquisition on Rom. ix. 19. 446 - 278 - - Requirements, - 346, 366 ib. Divine Correction, - Faithful preaching, ib. Experience of Mrs. H. 99 439 Installation of Rev. Mr. An- derson, 190 - 170 Interview, solemn 355 14 J. 49 Biography of Miss E. B. of A. J. of Rev. J. C. Lava- 121, 161 Jamaica, Religious Tolera- . 115 232 Jeremiah xvii. 9, Observa- 267 Jewish Captives, Bible Society, collections for 279 . Rev. Mr. Cram's - 383, - 461 Letter, original 281 NN Extract of 433, 470 366 20 24 |