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UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
Edwards, Jonathan, 1703-1758.
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A
FAITHFUL NARRATIVE
OF THE
SURPRISING WORK OF GOD
IN THE
CONVERSION
OF
MANY HUNDRED SOULS
IN NORTHAMPTON,
AND THE NEIGHBOURING TOWNS AND VILLAGES
OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE, IN NEW-ENGLAND:
In a Letter to the Rev. Dr. Colman,
At that time Pastor of Brattle Street Church, Boston.
BY PRESIDENT, EDWARDS.
WITH PREFACES,
BY THE REV. DR. WATTS AND DR. GUYSE OF LONDON, AND BY
THE
BOSTON
MINISTERS.
Revised from the Boston Edition of 1738.
JAMES LORING,
SABBATH SCHOOL BOOK-STORE, WASHINGTON-ST. BOSTON.
1831.
BOSTON EDITION OF 1831.
It is now almost a century since a glorious Revival of Religion
occurred in Northampton, under the preaching of the Rev. JONA-
THAN EDWARDS, afterwards President of a College in New-Jersey.
It appears that the account of it was first communicated by Mr.
EDWARDS to Dr. COLMAN in 1736, and by him forwarded to Lon-
don, for Drs. WATTS and GUYSE; who published the same, attest-
ing their belief that it was indeed the work of God. The same
was afterwards published in Boston, in 1738, from which this
edition is printed.
The principles of religion which these venerable men avowed
and preached, are well-known, and those too of the Author of the
Narrative. Agreeing, as we most cordially do, in the leading re-
ligious opinions of these worthy men now with God, and believing
that the Narrative presents those tokens of a work of the Holy
Spirit which alone can prepare the soul for heavenly glory, we
are gratified in now presenting it to the public; especially at this
season of unusual attention to the subject of personal religion.
Although we have no doubt that multitudes of sinners in the
past and during the present year have become the subjects of re-
newing' grace, yet we know there may be danger of mistake in
this matter, from mere animal excitement, from visionary ideas,
and from sympathy. There may be danger too, from the publish-
ing of false tests of character from the pulpit, and from an indis-
creet haste in the profession of religion. It is therefore hoped,
that the publication of this Narrative will have a valuable ten-
dency not only in showing what true grace is, but in awakening
many, who are strangers to its nature and influence, to a con-
sideration of their eternal interest.
It is gratifying to observe the honourable names of Ministers in
Boston, who a century since believed in and encouraged Revivals
of Religion, as well as the names of those other Ministers in the
then county of Hampshire, who cordially attested to this work of
the Spirit of God.
BOSTON, AUGUST, 1831.
PREFACE,
BY DR. WATTS AND DR. GUYSE.
The friendly correspondence which we maintain
with our brethren of New-England, gives us now and
then the pleasure of hearing some remarkable instances
of divine grace in the conversion of sinners, and some
eminent examples of piety in that American part of the
world. But never did we hear or read, since the first
ages of Christianity, any event of this kind so surpris-
ing as the present Narrative hath set before us. The
Rev. and worthy Dr. Colman, of Boston, had given us
some short intimations of it in his Letters; and upon
our request of a more large and particular account, Mr.
Edwards, the happy and successful minister of North-
ampton, which was one of the chief scenes of these
wonders, drew up this history in an Epistle to Dr.
Colman.
There were some useful sermons of the venerable
and aged Mr. William Williams published lately in
New-England, which were preached in that part of the
country during this season of the glorious work of God
in the conversion of men; to which Dr. Colman sub-
joined a most judicious and accurate abridgment of
this Epistle and a little after, he sent the original to
our hands, to be communicated to the World under
our care here in London.
We are abundantly satisfied of the truth of this Nar-
rative, not only from the pious character of the writer,
but from the concurrent testimony of many other per-
NOV 20
$53039
iv
PREFACE BY DRS. WATTS AND GUYSE.
sons in New-England; for this thing was not done in
a corner. There is a spot of ground, as we are here
informed, wherein there are twelve or fourteen towns
and villages, chiefly situate in the county of Hampshire
near the banks of the river of Connecticut, within the
compass of thirty miles, wherein it pleased God two
years ago to display his free and sovereign mercy in
the conversion of a great multitude of souls in a short
space of time, turning them from a formal, cold and
careless profession of Christianity, to the lively exercise
of every Christian grace, and the powerful practice of
our holy religion. The great God has seemed to act
over again the miracle of Gideon's fleece, which was
plentifully watered with the dew of heaven, while the
rest of the earth round about it was dry, and had no
such remarkable blessing.
There has been a great and just complaint for many
years among the ministers and churches in Old Eng-
land, and in New, (except about the time of the late earth-
quake there) that the work of conversion goes on very
slowly, that the Spirit of God in his saving influences
is much withdrawn from the ministrations of his word,
and there are few that receive the report of the gospel,
with any eminent success upon their hearts. But as
the gospel is the same divine instrument of grace still,
as ever it was in the days of the Apostles, so our as-
cended Saviour now and then takes a special occasion
to manifest the divinity of this gospel by a plentiful
effusion of his Spirit where it is preached: then sinners
are turned into saints in numbers, and there is a new
face of things spread over a town or country: "The
wilderness and the solitary places are glad, the desert
rejoices and blossoms as the rose ;" and surely con-
cerning this instance we may add, that "they have
seen the glory of the Lord there, and the excellency
of our God; they have seen the outgoings of God our
King in his sanctuary."
Certainly it becomes us, who profess the religion of
Christ, to take notice of such astonishing exercises of
his power and mercy, and give him the glory which is
due, when he begins to accomplish any of his prom-
ises concerning the latter days; and it gives us further
encouragement to pray, and wait, and hope for the
PREFACE BY DRS. WATTS AND GUYSE.
V
"The
like display of his power in the midst of us.
hand of God is not shortened that it cannot save," but
we have reason to fear that our iniquities, our cold-
ness in religion, and the general carnality of our spirits,
have raised a wall of separation between God and us:
and we may add, the pride and perverse humour of
Infidelity, degeneracy and apostacy from the Chris-
tian faith, which have of late years broken out amongst
us, seem to have provoked the Spirit of Christ to absent
himself much from our nation. "Return, O Lord, and
visit thy churches, and revive thine own work in the
midst of us."
From such blessed instances of the success of the e
gospel, as appear in this Narrative, we may learn much
of the way of the Spirit of God in his dealing with the
souls of men, in order to convince sinners, and restore
them to his favour and his image by Jesus Christ, his
Son. We acknowledge that some particular appear-
ances in the work of conversion among men may be
occasioned by the ministry which they sit under,
whether it be of a more or less evangelical strain,
whether it be more severe and affrighting, or more
gentle and persuasive. But wheresoever God works
with power for salvation upon the minds of men, there
will be some discoveries of a sense of sin, of the dan-
ger of the wrath of God, of the all sufficiency of his
Son Jesus, to relieve us under all our spiritual wants
and distresses, and a hearty consent of soul to receive
him in the various offices of grace, wherein he is set
forth in the holy Scriptures. And if our readers had
opportunity (as we have had) to peruse several of the
sermons which were preached during this glorious sea-
son, we should find that it is the common plain Protes-
tant, doctrine of the Reformation, without stretching
towards the Antinomians on the one side, or the Ar-
minians on the other, that the Spirit of God has been
pleased to honour with such illustrious success.
We are taught also by this happy event how easy it
will be for our blessed Lord to make a full accomplish-
ment of all his predictions concerning his kingdom, and
to spread his dominion from sea to sea, through all the
nations of the earth. We see how easy it is for him
with one turn of his hand, with one word of his mouth,
1*
vi
PREFACE BY DRS. WATTS AND GUYSE.
to awaken whole countries of stupid and sleeping sin-
ners, and kindle divine life in their souls. The heaven-
ly influence shall run from door to door, filling the
hearts and lips of every inhabitant with importunate
inquiries, What shall we do to be saved? And how shall
we escape the wrath to come? And the name of Christ
the Saviour shall diffuse itself like a rich and vital
perfume to multitudes that were ready to sink and per-
ish under the painful sense of their own guilt and dan-
ger. Salvation shall spread through all the tribes and
ranks of mankind, as the lightning from heaven in a few
moments would communicate a living flame through
ten thousand lamps or torches placed in a proper situa-
tion and neighbourhood. Thus "a nation shall be
born in a day" when our Redeemer pleases, and his
faithful and obedient subjects shall become as numerous
as the spires of grass in a meadow newly mown, and
refreshed with the showers of heaven. But the pleas-
ure of this agreeable hint bears the mind away from
our theme.
Let us return to the present Narrative. "Tis worthy
of our observation, that this great and surprising work
does not seem to have taken its rise from any sudden
and distressing calamity or publick terror that might
universally impress the minds of a people: here was
no storm, no earthquake, no inundation of water, no
desolation by fire, no pestilence or any other sweep-
ing distemper, nor any cruel invasion by their Indian
Neighbours, that might force the inhabitants into a
serious thoughtfulness, and a religious temper, by the
fears of approaching death and judgment. Such scenes
as these have sometimes been made happily effectual
to awaken sinners in Zion, and the formal professor
and the hypocrite, have inquired, terrified with the
thoughts of divine wrath breaking in upon them, "who
shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" But in the pres-
ent case the immediate hand of God in the work of his
Spirit appears much more evident, because there is no
such awful and threatening Providence attending it.
It is worthy also of our further notice, that when
many profane sinners, and formal professors of re-
ligion, have been affrighted out of their present care-
lessness and stupidity by some astonishing terrors ap-
1
PREFACE BY DRS. WATTS AND GUYSE.
vii
proaching them, those religious appearances have not
been so durable, nor the real change of heart so thor-
oughly effected. Many of these sort of sudden converts
have dropt their religious concerns in a great measure
when their fears of the threatening calamity are van-
ished. But it is a blessed confirmation of the truth of
this present work of grace, that the persons who were
divinely wrought upon in this season continue still to
profess serious religion, and to practise it, without re-
. turning to their former follies.
It may not be amiss in this place to take notice, that
a very surprising and threatening Providence has this.
last year attended the people of Northampton, among
whom this work of divine grace was so remarkable:
which Providence at first might have been construed
by the unthinking world to be a signal token of God's dis-
pleasure against that town, or a judgment from heaven
upon the people; but soon afterwards, like Paul's
shaking the viper off from his hand, it discovered the
astonishing care and goodness of God expressed to-
wards a place where such a multitude of his young con-
verts were assembled: nor can we give a better ac-
count of it than in the language of this very gentleman,
the Rev. Mr. Edwards, minister of that town, who
wrote the following letter, which was published in
New-England.
"Northampton, March 19th. 1737.
"WE in this town were the last Lord's day the spec-.
tators, and many of us the subjects, of one of the most
amazing instances of divine preservation, that perhaps
was ever known in the land: our Meeting-House is
old and decayed, so that we have been for some time
building a new one, which is yet unfinished: it has.
been observed of late, that the house that we have
hitherto met in has gradually spread at bottom, the
cells and walls giving way, especially in the foreside,.
by reason of the weight of timber at top, pressing on
the braces that are inserted into the posts and beams.
of the house. It has so done more than ordinarily this
spring; which seems to have been occasioned by the
heaving of the ground by the extreme frosts of the
1**
viii PREFACE BY DRS. WATTS AND GUYSE.
winter past, and it is now settling again on that side
which is next the sun, by the thaws of the spring: by
this means the under-pinning has been considerably
disordered, which people were not sensible of, till the
ends of the joists which bore up the front gallery, by
the walls giving way, were drawn off from the girts on
which they rested; so that in the midst of the publick
exercise in the forenoon, soon after the beginning of the
sermon, the whole gallery full of people, with all the
seats and timber, suddenly and without any warning
sunk, and fell down, with most amazing noise, upon
the heads of those that'sat under, to the astonishment.
of the congregation, the house being filled with dolor-
ous shrieking and crying; and nothing else was ex-
pected than to find many people dead, and dashed to
pieces.
"The gallery in falling seemed to break and sink first.
in the middle; so that those who were upon it were
thrown together in heaps before the front door; but
the whole was so sudden, that many of them that fell
knew nothing in the time of it what it was that had
befallen them; and others in the congregation knew
not what it was that had happened with so great a
noise; many thought it had been an amazing clap of
thunder: the falling gallery seemed to be broken all to
pieces before it got down; so that some that fell with
it, as well as those that were under, were buried in the
ruins, and were found pressed under heavy loads of
timber, and could do nothing to help themselves.
"But so mysteriously and wonderfully did it come to
pass, that every life was preserved; and though many
were greatly bruised, and their flesh torn, yet there is
not, as I can understand, one bone broken, or so much
as put out of joint, among them all: some that were
thought to be almost dead at first, are greatly recovered;
and but one young woman seems yet to remain in dan-
gerous circumstances, by an inward hurt in her breast;
but of late there appears more hope of her recovery.
"There is none can give any account, or conceive by
what means it should come to pass, that people's lives
and limbs should be thus preserved, when so great a
multitude were thus imminently exposed: it looked as
though it was impossible it should be otherwise, than
PREFACE BY DRS. WATTS AND GUYSE. ix
that great numbers should instantly be crushed to death
or dashed in pieces: it seems unreasonable to ascribe
it to any thing else, but the care of Providence in dis-
posing the motions of every stick of timber, and the
precise place of safety where every one should sit and
fall, when none were in any capacity to take care for
their own preservation. The preservation seems to be
most wonderful, with respect to the women, and chil-
dren that were in the middle alley, under the gallery,
where it came down first, and with greatest force, and
where was nothing to break the force of the falling
weight.
"Such an event may be a sufficient argument of a
divine Providence over the lives of men. We thought
ourselves called to set apart a day to be spent in the
solemn worship of God, to humble ourselves under such
a rebuke of God upon us in the time of publick service
in God's house, by so dangerous and surprising an ac-
cident; and to praise his name for so wonderful, and
as it were miraculous a preservation; and the last
Wednesday was kept by us to that end: and a mercy
in which the hand of God is so remarkably evident,
may be well worthy to affect the hearts of all that
hear it."
Thus far the Letter.
But it is time to conclude our Preface. If there
should be any thing found in this Narrative of the sur-
prising conversion of such number of souls, where the
sentiments or the style of the relater, or his inferences
from matters of fact, do not appear so agreeable to
every reader, we hope it will have no unhappy in-
fluence to discourage the belief of this glorious event.
We must allow every writer his own way; and must
allow him to choose what particular instances he would
select, from the numerous cases which came before
him. And though he might have chosen others, per-
haps, of more significancy in the eye of the world, than
the Woman and the Child, whose experiences he re-
lates at large; yet it is evident he chose that of the
Woman, bacause she was dead, and she is thereby in-
capable of knowing any honours or reproaches on this
X
AND GUYSE.
PREFACE BY DRS. WATTS VATT
account. And as for the Child, those who were present,..
and saw and heard such a remarkable and lasting
change, on one so very young, must necessarily receive
a stronger impression from it, and a more agreeable
surprise than the mere Narration of it can communicate
to others at a distance. Children's language always
loses its striking beauties at second-hand.
Upon the whole, we declare our opinion, that this
account of such an extraordinary and illustrious ap-
pearance of divine grace in the conversion of sinners,
is very like by the blessing of God to have a happy
effect, towards the honour and enlargement of the king-
dom of Christ.
May the worthy writer of this Epistle, and all those
his Rev. Brethren in the Ministry, who have been hon-
oured in this excellent and important service, go on to
see their labours crowned with daily and persevering
success! May the numerous subjects of this surprising
work hold fast what they have received, and increase
in every Christian grace and blessing! May a plenti-
ful effusion of the blessed Spirit, also, descend on the
British Isles, and all their American Plantations, to
renew the face of religion there! And we entreat our
readers in both Englands, to join with us in our hearty
addresses to the throne of grace, that this wonderful
discovery of the hand of God in saving sinners, may
encourage our faith and hope of the accomplishment
of all his words of grace, which are written in the Old
Testament and in the New, concerning the large extent
of this salvation in the latter days of the world. Come,
Lord Jesus, come quickly, and spread thy dominion
through all the ends of the earth. Amen.
LONDON, October 12, 1737.
ISAAC WATTS.
JOHN GUYSE.
A
!
PREFACE,
BY THE BOSTON MINISTERS.
WHEN the disciples of our glorious Lord were filled
with sorrow upon the heavy tidings of his departure
from them, he cheered their drooping spirits with that
good word, "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; it is
expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away,
the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart,
I will send him unto you." And after his ascension,
he fulfilled this great and precious promise by the ex-
traordinary effusion of his Spirit, under whose conduct
and influence, the "Apostles went forth, and preached
every where, the Lord working with them :" so that
when we read the Acts of the Apostles, we must say ;
"Not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the
Lord of Hosts." And though, soon after the first days
of Christianity, there was a dreadful apostacy, yet
God did not wholly take his Spirit from his people;
but raised up faithful witnesses, to testify against the
heresies and corruptions of the times wherein they
lived. And since Antichrist that wicked one has been
revealed, our Lord, according to his word, has been
gradually consuming him with the spirit of his mouth,
in the Reformation.
Nor have we in these remote corners of the earth,
where Satan had his seat from time immemorial, been
left without a witness of the divine power and grace.
xii
PREFACE BY THE BOSTON MINISTERS.
Very remarkable was the work of God's Spirit stirring
up our fore fathers to leave a pleasant land, and trans-
port themselves over a vast ocean into this then howl-
ing wilderness; that they might enjoy communion with
Christ in the purity of his ordinances, and leave their
children in the quiet possession of the blessings of his
kingdom. And God was eminently present with them
by his word and Spirit.
Yea, we need look no higher than our own times, to
find abundant occasion to celebrate the wonderful works
of God. Thus when God arose and shook the earth,*
his loud call to us in that amazing providence was fol-
lowed, so far as man can judge, with the still voice of
his Spirit, in which He was present to awaken many,
and bring them to say trembling, "What must we do
to be saved?" Yea, as we hope, to turn not a few
from sin to God in a thorough conversion. But when
the bitterness of death was past, much the greater part
of those whom God's terrors affrighted, gave sad oc-
casion to remember those words, Psalm 1xxviii. 34, 36.
"When he slew them, then they sought him and they
returned and inquired early after God. And they re-
membered that God was their rock, and the high God
their Redeemer. Nevertheless, they did flatter him
with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their
tongue." And there has since been great reason to
complain of our speedy return to our former sins, not-
withstanding some hopes given of a more general Ref-
ormation. Yea, when more lately, it pleased God to
visit many of our towns with a very mortal distemper,
to that time in a manner unknown; whereby great
numbers of our hopeful children and youth have been
cut off, many very suddenly, and with circumstances
exceedingly distressing and awful; yet, alas! we have
not generally seen, nor duly considered God's hand
stretched out against us; but have given him reason to
complain, as of his ancient people, "Why should ye
be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more."
And accordingly his anger is not turned away; but his
hand is stretched out still. A plain proof of this awful
The Earthquake of October 29, Anno, 1727.
PREFACE BY THE BOSTON MINISTERS.
xiii
truth, that the most awakening dispensations can no
farther humble and do us good, than as it pleaseth God
to accompany them with his Spirit, and so command
his blessing upon them. But when the Almighty will
work by such means, or without them, who can hinder
him? He acts with sovereign liberty and irresistible
power. "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou
hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it
cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is
born of the Spirit." John iii. 8. Such was his wonder-
ful work at Northampton, and the neighbouring Towns
in the county of Hampshire, and some other places.
The Holy Spirit was in a plentiful and extraordinary
manner poured out on persons of every age and con-
dition, without such remarkable providences going be-
fore to awaken them; as the dew falls in the night, and
yet the effects appeared as the light which goeth forth.
So that we might well admiring say, what has God
wrought! Great was the number of them who pub-
lished the wonders of the divine power and grace;
declaring with humility, what God had done for their
souls. And others who went among them, accknowl-
edged that the work exceeded the fame of it.
•
Now the Psalmist observes, that God has made his
wonderful works to be remembered. We therefore
apprehend that our Reverend Brother has done well to
record and publish this surprising work of God; and
the fidelity of his account would not have been at all
doubted of by us, though there had not been the con-
current testimony of others to it. It is also a pleasure
to us to hear what acceptance the following Narrative
has found in the other England, where it has had two
impressions already, and been honoured with a recom-
mendatory Preface, by two divines of eminent note in
London, viz. the Rev. Dr. Watts, and Dr. Guyse: after
whom it may seem presumption in us to attempt any
thing of this kind. But it having been thought proper
to reprint this Letter here, and disperse it among our
people; we thankfully embrace this opportunity to
praise the Most High, for the exceeding riches of his
grace, and earnestly to recommend this Epistle to the
diligent reading and attentive consideration of all into
xiv
PREFACE BY THE BOSTON MINISTERS.
whose hands these, shall come. "He that hath an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches."
And indeed the particular and distinct account which
the Author has given of God's dealings with the souls
of men, at this remarkable season, in the variety of
cases then set before him, and in many of his observa-
tions thereupon, we apprehend are written with that
judgment and skill in divine things, as declare him to
be a scribe well instructed unto the kingdom of heaven;
and we judge may be very useful to Ministers in lead-
ing weary souls to Christ for rest, and for the direction
and encouragement of all under the like operations of
the Holy Spirit. Yea, as the Author observes, "There
is no one thing I know of, that God has made such a
means of promoting his work among us, as the news of
other's conversion." We hope that the further spread-
ing of this Narrative may, by the divine blessing, still
promote the conversion of souls, and quicken God's
children to labour after the clearer evidences of their
adoption, and to bring forth fruits meet for repentance.
And as this wonderful work may be considered as an
earnest of what God will do towards the close of the
Gospel day, it affords great encouragement to our faith
and prayer in pleading those promises which relate
to the glorious extent and flourishing of the king-
dom of Christ upon earth, and that have not yet had their
full and final accomplishment. And surely the very
threatening degeneracy of our times calls aloud to us
all, to be earnest in prayer for this most needed bless-
ing, the plentiful effusion of the. Spirit of truth and
holiness. Nor ought the sense of our own unworthi-
ness discourage us, when we go to our heavenly Father
in the name of his dear Son, who has purchased and
received this great gift for his people, and says to us,
"Ask, and it shall be given you- If ye then, being
evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children;
how much more shall your heavenly Father give the
Holy Spirit to them that ask him." Luke xi. 9-13.
But we must draw to a close. May the worthy
Author be restored to health, and long continue to be
a rich blessing to his people! May he still see the
pleasure of the Lord prospering in his hand; and in
PREFACE BY THE BOSTON MINISTERS.
XV
particular, may the Spirit of grace accompany this
pious endeavour to spread the savour of the knowledge
of Christ, for the everlasting advantage of many! May
it please God to revive his work throughout this land;
and may all the ends of the earth see his salvation!
Boston, November 4th, 1738.
JOSEPH SEWALL.
Minister of Old South Church.
THOMAS PRINCE.
Minister of Old South Church.
JOHN WEBB.
Minister of New North Church.
WILLIAM COOPER.
Minister of Brattle Street Church·
P. S. Since the writing this Preface, one of us has received a
Letter from a Reverend and very worthy Minister in Glasgow, in
which is the following passage:
"The friends of serious religion here were much refreshed with
a printed account of the extraordinary success of the gospel, of
late, in some parts of New-England. If you can favour me with
more particular accounts of those joyful events, when you have
opportunity of writing to me, it will much oblige me.”
TO THE
REV. BENJAMIN COLMAN, D. D.
PASTOR OF A CHURCH IN BOSTON.
SIR,
Westfield, October 11, 1738.
In your letter of August 19 you inform us, that the
Rev. Dr. Watts and Dr. Guyse desire that some other
Ministers, who were eye and ear witnesses to some of
those numerous conversions in the other Towns about
Northampton, would attest unto what the Rev. Mr.
Edwards has written of them.
We take this opportunity to assure you, that the ac-
count Mr. Edwards has given in his Narrative of our
several Towns or Parishes is true; and that much more
of the like nature might have been added with respect
to some of them.
We are, Rev. Sir, your brethren and servants,
WILLIAM WILLIAMS,* Pastor of Hatfield.
EBENEZER DEVOTION, tr of Suffield.
STEPHEN WILLIAMS,*
ઃ of Long Meadow.
of Westfield.
PETER RAYNOLDS,
CC
of Enfield.
NEHEMIAH BULL,
CC
SAMUEL HOPKINS,
of West Springfield.
* Rev. SOLOMON WILLIAMS, and Rev. ELISHA S. WILLIAMS,
the latter now a resident in this city, are relatives of these Minis-
ters. Rev. Solomon Williams, now nearly 80 years of age, and
Rev. ICHABOD S. SPENCER, are now the joint Pastors of the Church
in Northampton, of which President Edwards was the Pastor
in 1736.
1..
A
FAITHFUL NARRATIVE.
LETTER TO REV. DR. COLMAN.
Reverend and Honoured Sir,
HAVING seen your Letter to my honour-
ed uncle Williams of Hatfield of July 20, where-
in you inform him of the notice that has been
taken of the late wonderful work of God, in this,
and some other towns in this country, by the
Rev. Dr. Watts, and Dr. Guyse of London, and
the congregation to which the last of these
preached on a nonthly day of solemn prayer;
as also, of your desire to be more perfectly ac-
quainted with it, by some of us on the spot; and
having been since informed by my uncle Wil-
liams, that you desire me to undertake it; I
would now do it, in as just and faithful a man-
ner as in me lies.
CHAPTER I.
Introductory Statement.
The people of the county, in general, I sup-
pose, are as sober, and orderly, and good sort of
people, as in any part of New-England; and I
2
14
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
believe they have been preserved the freest by
far, of any part of the country, from error, and
variety of sects and opinions. Our being so far
within the land, at a distance from sea-ports, and
in a corner of the country, has doubtless been
one reason why we have not been so much cor-
rupted with vice, as most other parts. But with--
out question, the religion, and good order of the
county, and their purity in doctrine, has, under
God, been very much owing to the great abili
ties, and eminent piety, of my venerable and
honoured grandfather Stoddard. I suppose we
have been the freest of any part of the land from
unhappy divisions, and quarrels in our ecclesi-
stical and religious affairs, till the late lamen-
table Springfield contention.*
We being much separated from other parts of
the province, and having comparatively but little
intercourse with them, have from the beginning,
till nowy, always managed our ecclesiastical af-
fairs 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 main-
tained.
The town of Northampton is of about eighty-
two years standing, and has now about two hun-
dred families which mostly dwell more com-
pactly together than any town of such a bigness.
The Springfield contention relates to the settlement
of a minister there, which occasioned too warm debates
between some, both pastors and people, that were for
it, and others that were against if, on account of their
different apprehensions about his principles, and about
some steps that were taken to procure his ordination.

SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
15
in these parts of the country; which probably
has been an occasion that both our corruptions,
and reformations have been, from time to time
the more swiftly propagated, from one to anoth-
er, through the town. Take the town in gener-
al, and so far as I can judge, they are as ration-
al 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 knowlege in things
that relate to heart religion, and Christian expe-
rience, and their great regards thereto.
He
I am the third minister that has been settled
in the town: the Rev. Mr. Eleazer Mather, who
was the first, was ordained in July, 1669.
was one whose heart was much in his work,
abundant in labours for the good of precious
souls; he had the high esteem and great love of
his people, and was blest with no small suc-
cess. The Rev. Mr. Stoddard, who succeeded
him, came first to the town the November after
his death, but was not ordained till September
11th, 1672, and died February 11th, 1728–9.
So that he continued in the work of the minis-
try here, from his first coming to town, near six-
ty years.
And as he was eminent and renown-
ed for his gifts and graces so he was blest,
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;
and the fourth about twenty-four; the fifth and
last about eighteen years ago. Some of these
•
16
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
:
times were much more remarkable than others,
and the ingathering of souls more plentiful.
Those that are 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 larger 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 de-
generate time, (at least among the young peo-
ple) I suppose, than ever before. Mr. Stoddard,
indeed, had the comfort before he died, of see-
ing a time where there were no small appearan-
ces of a divine work among some, and a consid-
erable ingathering of souls, even after I was set-
tled 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 awaken-
ing. The greater part seemed to be at that time
very insensible of the things of religion, and en-
gaged in other cares and pursuits. Just after
my grandfather's death, it seemed to be a time
of extraordinary dulness in religion: licentious-
ness for some years greatly prevailed among the
youth of the town; they were many of them
very much addicted to night-walking, and fre-
quenting the tavern, and lewd practices, where-
in some, by their example, exceedingly corrupt-
ed others. It was their manner very frequently
to get together, in conventions of both sexes, for
mirth and jollity, which they called frolicks;

SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
17
and they would often spend a greater part of the
night in them, without regard to any order in
the families they belonged to: and indeed fam-
ily government did too much fail in the town.
It was become very customary with many of our
young people, to be indecent in their carriage
at meeting, which doubtless, would not have
prevailed 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 thei There had
also long prevailed in the town, a spirit of con-
tention between two parties, into which they
had for many years been divided, by which was
maintained a jealousy one of the other, and they
were prepared to oppose one another in all pub-
lic affairs.
But in two or three years after Mr. Stoddard's
death, there began to be a sensible amendment
of these evils; the young people showed more
of a disposition to hearken to counsel, and by
degrees left off their frolicking, and grew obser-
vedly more decent in their attendance on the
public worship, and there were more that man-
ifested a religious concern than there used to be.
At the latter end of the year 1783, there ap-
peared a very unusual flexibleness, and yielding
to advice, in our young people. It had been
too long their manner to make the evening after
the Sabbath, and after our public lecture, to
be especially the times of their mirth, and com-
pany keeping But a sermon was now preach-
ed on the Sabbath before the lecture, to show
the evil tendency of the practice, and to per-
2*
18
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
suade them to reform it; and it was urged on
heads of families, that it should be a thing
agreed upon among them to govern their fam-
ilies, and keep their children at home, at these
times; and withal it was more privately moved,
that they should meet together, the next day, in
their several neighbourhoods, to know each oth-
er's minds which was accordingly done, and
the motion complied with throughout the town.
But parents found little or no occasion for the
exercise of government in the case: the young
people declared themselves convinced by what
they had heard from the pulpit, and were willing
of themselves to comply with the counsel that
had been given; and it was immediately, and I
suppose, almost universally complied with; and
there was a thorough reformation of these disor-
ders thenceforward, which has continued ever
since.
Presently after this, there began to appear a
remarkable religious concern at a little village,
belonging to the congregation, called Pascom-
muck, where a few families were settled, at
about three miles distance from the main body
of the town. At this place, a number of persons
seemed to be savingly wrought upon. In the
April following, A. D. 1734, there happened a
very sudden and awful death of a young man,
in the bloom of his youth; who being violently
seized with a pleurisy, and taken immediately
very delirious, died in about two days; which
(together with what was preached publicly on
that occasion) much affected many young peo-
ple. This was followed with another death of a

SURPRISING CONVERSIONS,
19

ليجة
2.
young married woman, who had been consider-
ably exercised in mind, about the salvation of
her soul, before she was ill, and was in great dis-
tress, in the beginning of her illness; but seem-
ed to have satisfying evidences of God's saving
mercy to her, before her death; so that she-di-
ed very full of comfort, in a most earnest and
moving manner warning, and counselling oth-
This seemed much to contribute to the
solemnizing of the spirits of many young per-
sons: and there began evidently to appear more
of a religious concern on people's minds.

ers.
יניות
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 re-
ligion, and to that end divide themselves into
several companies to meet in various parts of the
town; which was accordingly done, and those
meetings have been since continued, and the ex-
ample imitated by elder people. This was fol-
lowed with the death of an elderly person, which
was attended with many unusual circumstances,
by which many were much moved and affected.
About this time, began the great noise that
was in this part of the country, about Arminian-
ism, which seemned to appear with a very threat-
ening aspect upon the interest of religion here.
The friends of vital piety trembled for fear
of the issue; but it seemed, contrary to their
fear, strongly to be over-ruled for the promoting
of religion. Many who looked on themselves as
in a Christless condition, seemed to be awaken-
ed by it, with fear that God was about to with-
draw from the land, and that we should be giv-
20
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
en up to heterodoxy, 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 a trembling fear with their
doubts, lest they should be led into by-paths, to
their eternal undoing: And they seemed with
much concern and engagedness of mind, to in-
quire what was indeed the way in which they
must come to be accepted with God. There
were then some things said publicly on that oc-
casion, concerning "justification by faith alone."
Although great fault was found with meddling
with the controversy in the pulpit, by such a
person, and at that t.me, and that though it was
ridiculed by many elsewhere; yet it proved a
word spoken in season here; and was most ev-
idently attended with a very remarkable blessing
of Heaven to the souls of the people in this town.
They received thence a general satisfaction with
respect to the main thing in question, which they
had been in trembling doubts and concern about;
and their minds were engaged the more earnest-
ly to seek that they might come to be accepted
of God, and saved in the way of the gospel,
which had been made evident to them to be the
-
true and only way. And then it was, in the
latter part of December, that the Spirit of God
began extraordinarily to set in, and wonderfully
to work among us; and there were, very sud-
denly, one after another, five or six persons, who
were to all appearance savingly converted, and
some of them wrought upon in a very remarka-
ble manner.
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
21
Particularly, I was surprised with the relation
of a young woman, who had been one of the great-
est company-keepers in the whole town: when
she came to me, I had never heard that she was
become in anywise serious, but by the conversa-
tion 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 acquaint-
ance with her since to confirm it.
Though the work was glorious, yet I was fill-
ed 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
I
reverse, to a wonderful degree ;"God made it,
suppose, the greatest occasion of awakening to
others, of any thing that ever came to pass in
the town. I have had abundant opportunity to
know the effect it had, by my private conversa-
tion with many. The news of it seemed 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 an ill improvement of it,
seemed greatly to be awakened with it; many
went to talk with her, concerning what she had
met with; and what appeared in her seemed to
be to the satisfaction of all that did so.
Presently upon this, a great and earnest con-

22
'SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
cern 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 waxed
louder and louder: All other talk but about
spiritual and eternal things, was soon thrown
by; all the conversation in all companies, and
upon all occasions, was upon these things only,
unless se much as was necessary for people to
carry on their secular business. Other dis-
course than of the things of religion would
scarcely be tolerated in any company. The
minds of people were wonderfully taken off from
the world; it was treated 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 to it.
The temptation now seemed to lie on that hand,
to neglect worldly affairs too much, and to spend
too much time in the immediate exercise of re-
ligion which thing was exceedingly misrepre-
sented by reports that were spread in distant
parts of the land, as though the people here had
wholly thrown by all worldly business, and be-
took themselves entirely to reading, and praying,
and such like religious exercises.
But although people did not ordinarily neg
lect their worldly business; yet there then was
the reverse of what commonly is: religion
was with all sorts the great concern, and the
world was a thing only by the bye. The only
thing in their view was to get the kingdom of
heaven, and every one appeared pressing into it:
The engagedness of their hearts in this great
concern could not be hid, it appeared in their


{
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
23
very countenances. It then was a dreadful
thing among us to lie out of Christ, in danger
every day of dropping into hell; and what per-
son's minds were intent upon was, to escape for
their lives, and to "fly from the wrath to come."
All would eagerly lay hold of opportunities for
their souls; and were wont very often to meet
together in private houses, for religious purpos-
es and such meetings when appointed were
wont greatly to be thronged.
There was scarcely a single person in the
town,either old or young, that was left unconcern-
ed about the great things of the eternal world.
Those that were wont to be the vainest, and
loosest, and those that had been most disposed to
think, and speak slightly of vital and experimen-
tal religion, were now generally subject to great
awakenings. And the work of conversion was
carried on in a most astonishing manner, and
increased more and more; souls did as it were
come by flocks to Jesus Christ. From day to
day, for many months together, might be seen
evident instances of sinners brought
"out of
darkness into marvellous light," and delivered
"out of an horrible pit, and from the miry clay,
and set upon a rock, with a new song of praise
to God in their mouths."
This work of God, as it was carried on, and the
number of true saints multiplied, soon made a
glorious alteration in the town; so that in the
spring and summer following, A. D. 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 al-

3.
24
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
¡
>
most every house. It was a time of joy in fam
ilies on the account of salvation being brought
unto them; parents rejoicing over their children
as new born, and husbands over their wives, and
wives over their husbands. The goings of God
were then seen in his sanctuary; God's day was
a delight, and his tabernacles were amiable.
Our public assemblies were then beautiful; the
congregation was alive in God's service, every
one earnestly intent on the public worship, every
hearer eager to drink in the words of the minis-
ter as they came from his mouth; the assembly
in general were, from time to time, in tears while
the word was preached; some weeping with
sorrow and distress, others with joy and love,
others with pity and concern for the souls of
their neighbours.
Our public praises were then greatly enliven-
ed; God was then served in our psalmody, in
some measure, in the beauty of holiness. It has
been observable, that there has been scarce any
part of divine worship, wherein good men among
us have had grace so drawn forth, and their
hearts so lifted up in the ways of God, as in sing-
ing his praises: Our congregation excelled all
that ever I knew in the external part of the du-
ty before, the men generally carrying regularly,
and well, three parts of music, and the women a
part by themselves: but now they were evidently
wont to sing with unusual elevation of heart and
voice, which made the duty pleasant indeed.
In all companies in other days, on whatever
occasions persons met together, Christ was to
be heard of and seen in the midst of them. Our
young people, when they met, were wont to

SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
25
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 the views of his perfections, &c. And even
at weddings, which formerly were merely occa-
sions of mirth and jollity, there was now no dis-
course of any thing but the things of religion,
and no appearance of any, but spiritual mirth.
Those among us that had been formerly con
verted, were greatly enlivened and renewed with
fresh and extraordinary incomes of the Spirit of
God; though some much more than others, "ac-
cording to the measures of the gift of Christ :"
Many that before had laboured under difficul-
ties about their own state, had now 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 ma-
ny that scoffed at and ridiculed it; and some
compared what we called conversion, to certain
distempers. But it was very observable of ma-
ny, that occasionally came among us from
abroad, with disregardful hearts, that what they
saw here cured them of such a temper of mind:
Strangers were generally surprised to find things.
so much beyond what they had heard, and were
wont to tell others that the state of the town
could not be conceived of by those that had not
seen it. The notice that was taken of it by the
3
26
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
people that came to town on occasion of the
court, that sat here in the beginning of March,
was very observable. And those that came from
the neighbourhood to our public lectures, were
for the most part remarkably affected. Many
that came to town, on one occasion or other, had
their consciences smitten, and awakened, and
went home with wounded hearts, and with those
impressions that never wore off till they had
hopefully a saving issue; and those that before
had serious thoughts, had their awakenings and
convictions greatly increased. And there werė
many instances of persons that came from
abroad, on visits, or on business, that had not
been long here before to all appearance they
were savingly wrought upon, and partook of that
shower of divine blessing that God rained down
here, and went home rejoicing; till at length
the same work began evidently to appear and
prevail in several other towns in the county.
In the month of March, the people in South-
Hadley began to be seized with deep concern
about the things of religion; which very soon.
became universal: And the work of God has:
been very wonderful there; not much, if any
thing, short of what it has been here, in pro-
portion to the size of the place. About the
same time, it began to break forth in the west
part of Suffield, (where it has also been very
great,) and it soon spread into all parts of the
town. It next appeared at Sunderland, and
soon overspread the town: and I believe it 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
་
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
27
afterwards filled the town, and there has been
a glorious work there: It began also to be man-
ifest, 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 has
been great there. There has been also a very
general awakening at West Springfield, and
Long-Meadow; and in Enfield, there was for a
time no small concern among some that before
had been very loose persons. About the same
time that this appeared at Enfield, the Rev. Mr.
Bull of Westfield informed me, that there had
been a great alteration there, and that more had
been done in one week there than in seven years
before. Something of this work likewise ap-
peared in the first precinct in Springfield, prin-
cipally in the north and south extremities of the
parish. And in Hadley, old town, there gradu-
ally 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) re-
turned not void. It might well be said at that
time in all parts of the country, "Who are these
that fly as a cloud, and as doves to their win-
dows?"
As what other towns heard of and found in
this, was a great means of awakening them; so
:
28
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
our hearing of such a swift and extraordinary
propagation, and extent of this work, did doubt-
less for a time serve to uphold the work among
us. The continual news kept alive the talk of
religion, and did greatly quicken and rejoice
the hearts of God's people, and much awakened
those that looked on themselves as still left be-
hind, and made them the more earnest that they
also might share in the great blessings that oth-
érs had obtained..
This remarkable pouring out 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 have partook in the
same mercy: As for instance, the first parish.
in Windsor, under the pastoral care of the Rev.
Mr. Marsh, was thus blest about the same time,
as we in Northampton, while we had no knowl-
edge of each other's circumstances: There has
been a very great ingathering of souls to Christ
in that place, and something considerable of the
same work begun afterwards, in East Windsor,
my
honoured father's parish, which has in times
past, been a place favoured with mercies of this
nature, above any on this western side of New-
England, excepting Northampton; there hav-
ing 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 Rev. Mr. Meacham :
I had opportunity to converse with some of Cov-
entry people, who gave me a very remarkable
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
29
account of the surprising change that appeared
in the most rude and vicious persons there. The
like was also very great at the same time in a
part of Lebanon, called the Crank, where the
Rev. Mr.Wheelock, a young gentleman, is late-
ly settled: And there has been much of the
same at Durham, under the ministry of the Rev.
Mr. Chauncy; and to appearance, no small in-
gathering of souls there. And likewise among
many of the young people in the first precinct
in Stratford, under the ministry of the Rev. Mr.
Gould; where the work was much promoted by
the remarkable conversion of a young woman
that had been a great company keeper, as it was
here.
Something of this work has appeared in oth-
er towns in those parts, as I was informed when
I was there, the last fall. And we have since
been acquainted with something very remarka-
ble of this nature at another parish in Stratford
called Ripton, under the pastoral care of the
Rev. Mr. Mills. And there was a considerable
revival of religion last summer at New Haven,
old town, as I was once and again informed by
the Rev. Mr. Noyes the minister there, and by
others: And by a letter which I very lately re-
ceived from Mr. Noyes, and also by information
we have had otherwise, this flourishing of reli-
gion still continues, and has lately much increas-
ed: Mr. Noyes writes, that many this summer
have been added to the Church, and particular-
ly 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
3*
30
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
Mansfield, under the ministry of the Rev. Mr.
Eleazer Williams; and an unusual religious
concern at Tolland; and something of it at He-
bron, and Bolton. There was also no small ef-
fusion 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
it, when I was the last Autumn at the house,
and in the congregation of the Rev. Mr. Lord,
the minister there; who, with the Rev. Mr.
Owen of Groton, came up hither in May, the
last year, on purpose to see the work of God
here; and having heard various and contradic-
tory accounts of it, 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 one half had
not been told them, nor could be told them.
Mr. Lord told me that, when he got home, he
informed his congregation of what he had seen,
and that they were greatly affected with it, and
that it proved the beginning of the same work.
among them, which prevailed till there was a
general awakening, and many instances of per-
sons, who seemed to be remarkably converted.
I also have 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 the Jerseys; as I was in-
formed when I was at New York, (in a long
journey I took at that time of the year for
my health,) by some people of the Jerseys, whom
I saw Especially the Rev. William Tennent, a
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
31
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 one Mr. Cross; and of a very
considerable revival of Religion in another place
under the ministry of his brother the Rev. Mr.
Gilbert Tennent; and also at another place un-
der the ministry of a very pious young gentle-
man, a Dutch minister, whose name, as I re-
member, was Freelinghousa.
This seems to have been a very extraordina-
ry dispensation of providence: God has in ma-
ny respects gone out of, and much beyond, his
usual and ordinary way. The work in this--
town, and some others about us, has been extra-
ordinary on account of the universality of it,
affecting all sorts, sober and vicious, high and
low, rich and poor, wise and unwise; it reach-
ed the most considerable families and persons,
to all appearance, as much as others. In for-
mer stirrings of this nature, the bulk of the young
people have been greatly affected; but old men,
and little children have been so now. Many of
the last have, of their own accord, formed them-
selves into religious societies, in different parts
of the town: A loose, careless person could
scarcely find a companion in the whole neigh-
borhood; 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 ex-
traordinary in the numbers of those, on whom
we have reason to hope it has had a saving ef-
fect: We have about six hundred and twenty
32
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
communicants, which include almost all our
adult persons.
The Church was very large be-
fore; but persons never thronged into it, as they
did in the late extraordinary time. Our sacra-
ments are eight weeks asunder, and I received
into our communion about an hundred before
one sacrament, and fourscore of them at one
time, whose appearance, when they presented
themselves together to make an open, explicit
profession of Christianity, was very affecting to
the congregation. I took in near sixty before
the next sacrament day: and I had very suf
ficient evidence of the conversion of their souls,
through divine grace.
I am far from pretending to be able to deter-
mine how many have lately been the subjects of
such mercy; but if I may be allowed to declare
any thing that appears to me probable in a thing
of this nature, I hope that more than three hun-
dred souls were savingly brought home to
Christ, in this town, in the space of half a year,
(how many more I don't guess) and about the
same number of males as females; which, by
what I have heard Mr. Stoddard say, was far
from what has been usual in years past, for
he observed that in his time, many more women
were converted than men. Those of our young
people, 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 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 great-
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
33
er part of persons in this town, above sixteen
years of age, are such as have the saving knowl-
edge of Jesus Christ; and so by what I heard,
I suppose it is in some other places, particularly
at Sunderland and South Hadley.
This has also appeared to be a very extraor-
dinary dispensation, in that the Spirit of God
has so much extended not only his awakening,
but regenerating influences both to elderly per
sons, and also to those that are very young. It
has been a thing heretofore rarely to be 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 upwards of
fifty persons converted in this town above forty
years of age; and more than twenty of them
above fifty, and above 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 had seemed to be savingly
wrought upon, and remarkably changed in their
childhood; but now I suppose, near thirty were
to appearance so wrought 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 with most dif-
ficulty believed, I will hereafter give a partic-
ular account of it. The influences of God's
Spirit have also been very remarkable on chil-
dren in some other places, particularly at Sun-
derland and South-Hadley, and the west part of
Suffield. There are several families in this
town that are all hopefully pious; yea, there are
Stil
34
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS:
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
negroes, that from what was seen in them then,
and what is discernible in them since, appear to
have been truly born again in the late remark-
able season.
God has seemed to have gone out of his usual
way, in the quickness of his work, and the swift
progress his Spirit has made in his operations.
on the hearts of many. It is wonderful that
persons should be so suddenly, and yet so great-
ly changed. Many have been taken from a
loose and careless way of living, and seized
with strong convictions of their guilt and mise-
ry, 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 extraordi-
nary, in the degrees 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 experi-
enced. It has also been very extraordinary in
the extent of it, and its being so swiftly propa-
gated 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 is very remarkable,
yet it reached no further than this town, the
neighbouring towns all around continued un-
moved.
The work of God's Spirit seemed to be at its
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
35
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, by looking back, can judge from
the particular acquaintance I have had with
souls in this work, it appears to me probable,
to have been at the rate, at least, of four persons
in a day, or near thirty in a week, take one with
another, for five or six weeks together: When
God in so remarkable a manner took the work
into his own hands, there was as much done in
a day or two, as at ordinary times, with all en-
deavours that men can use, and with such a
blessing as we commonly have, is done in a year.
I am very sensible how apt many would be,
if they should see the account I have here giv-
en, presently to think with themselves that I am
very fond of making a great many converts, aud
of magnifying and aggrandizing the matter;
and to think that, for want of judgment, I take
every religious pang, and enthusiastic conceit,
for saving conversion; and I don't much won--
der if they should be apt to think so: and for
this reason I have forborne to publish an account
of this great work of God, though I have often:
been put upon it; but having now as I thought
a special call to give an account of it, upon ma-
ture consideration, I thought it might not be
beside my duty to declare this amazing work,
as it appeared to me, to be inded divine, and
to conceal no part of the glory of it, leaving it
with God to take care of the credit of his own
work, and running the venture of any censori--
ous thoughts, which might be entertained of me
•
36
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
to my disadvantage: But that distant persons:
may be under as great advantage as may be, to
judge for themselves of this matter, I would be
a little more large, and particular.
jan
CHAPTER II.
The manner of Conversion various, yet bearing
a great resemblance.
I therefore proceed to give an account of the
manner of persons being wrought upon; and
here there is a vast variety, perhaps as manifold
as the subjects of the operation; but yet in ma-
ny 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 sen-
sible how much they were in the way to ruin
in their former courses. Some were more sud-
denly seized with convictions; it may be, by
the news of other's conversion, or something
they hear in public, or in private conference;
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 some-
thing more thoughtful and considerate, so as to
come to a conclusion in their minds, that it is


SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
37
their best and wisest way 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 con-
victions; and so their awakenings have increas-
ed, till a sense of their misery, by God's Spirit
setting in therewith, has had fast hold of them.
Others that, 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 like to attain
their purpose, and so have been roused up to a
greater violence for the kingdom of heaven.
These awakenings, when they have first seiz-
ed on persons, have had two effects: one was,
that they have brought them immediately to quit
their sinful practices, and the looser sort have
been brought to forsake and dread their former
vices and extravagancies. When once the Spir-
it of God began to be so wonderfully poured out
in a general way through the town, people had
soon done with their old quarrels, back bitings,
and intermeddling 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 reli-
gious account, and every day seemed in many
respects like a Sabbath day. And the other
effect was, that it put them on earnest applica-
tion to the means of salvation, reading, prayer,
meditation, the ordinances of God's house, and
private conference; their cry was, "What shall
we do to be saved?" The place of resort was

4
38
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
now altered; it was no longer the tavern, but
the minister's house, that was thronged far
more than ever the tavern had been wont to be.
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 issue seems to be the
same. Some have had such a sense of the dis-
pleasure of God, and the great danger they
were in of damnation, that they could not sleep
at night; and many have said that when they
have laid down, the thoughts of sleeping in such
a condition have been frightful to them, and
they have scarcely been free from terror while
they have been asleep, and they have awaked
with fear, heaviness, and distress still abiding
on their spirits. It has been very common, that
the deep and fixed concern that has been on
person's minds, has had a painful influence on
their bodies, and had given disturbance to an-
imal nature.
The awful apprehensions persons have had of
their misery, have for the most part been in-
creasing, the nearer they have 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
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
39
fear, and are in great earnest to obtain convic-
tions 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
distemper of melancholy has been evidently
mixed; of which, when it happens, the tempter
seems to make great advantage, and puts an
unhappy bar in the way of any good effect; one
knows not how to deal with such persons, they
turn every thing that is said to them the wrong
way, and most to their own disadvantage: And
there is nothing that the devil seems to make so
great a handle of, as a melancholy humour, un-
less 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 wont to
be in persons under awakenings at other times;
for it is evident that many that before had been
exceedingly involved in such difficulties, seem-
ed.
now strangely to be set at liberty: Some
persons that had before, for a long time, been
exceedingly entangled with peculiar tempta-
tions, of one sort or other, and unprofitable
and hurtful distresses, were soon helped over
former stumbling blocks, that hindered any
progress toward saving good; and convictions
have wrought more kindly, and they have been
successfully carried on in the way to life. And
thus Satan seemed to be restrained, till towards
40
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
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 miserable, hard-hearted,
senseless, sottish creatures still, and sleeping
upon 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 them-
selves to be very senseless, when indeed most
sensible. There have been some instances of
persons that have had as great a sense of their
danger and misery, as their natures could well
subsist under, so that a little more would prob-
ably have destroyed them; and yet they have
expressed themselves much amazed at their own
insensibility and sottishness, in such an extra-
ordinary time as it then was.
Persons are sometimes brought to the borders
of despair, and it looks as black 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 overborne,
and made to cry out under an atonishing sense
of their guilt, wondering that God suffers such
guilty wretches to live upon earth, and that he
doth not immediately send them to hell; and
sometimes their guilt does so glare them in the
face, that they are in exceeding terror for fear
that God will instantly do it; but more com-
monly 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
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
41
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 univer-
sal 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 to-
wards those that are thought to have been late-
ly converted, and most of all towards acquaint-
ance and companions, when they are thought
to be converted. Indeed, some have felt ma-
ny 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 pri-
vate, 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 strove 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 sin-
4*
42
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
fulness, and bringing them off from all self-con-
fidence.
The drift of the Spirit of God in his legal
strivings with persons, has seemed most evi-
dently 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 wicked-
ness 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 be a
vast variety, as to the manner and distinctness
of person's convictions of these things.
As they are gradually more and more con-
vinced of the corruption and wickedness of their
hearts, they seem to themselves to grow worse
and worse, harder and blinder, and more des-
perately wicked, instead of growing better;
they are ready to be discouraged by it, and of-
tentimes 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 dif-
fer 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 con-
sciences are commonly most exercised about
their outward vicious course, or other acts of
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
43
sin; but afterwards are much more burdened
with a sense of heart sins, the dreadful corrup-
tion of their nature, their enmity against God,
the pride of their hearts, their unbelief, their
rejection of Christ, the stubborness and obsti-
nacy of their wills; and the like. In many,
God makes much use of their own experience,
in the course of their awakenings and endeav-
ours after saving good, to convince them of
their own vileness 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 ap-
peasing 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 pray-
ers, 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 big
with expectation of what God will do for them;
and conceive that they grow better apace, and
shall soon be thoroughly converted. But these
affections are but short lived; they quickly find
that they fail, and that they think themseves 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 perish-
ing, increase. But though they are disappoint-

•
44
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
ed, they renew their attempts again and again;
and still as their attempts are multiplied, so are
their disappointments; all fails, they see no to-
ken 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 hence to
leave off seeking, and to yield up the case. But
as they are still more terrified with fears of per-
ishing, and their former hopes of prevailing on
God to be merciful to them in a great measure
fail; sometimes their religious affections have
turned into heart-risings against God, because
that he does not pity them, and seems to have lit-
tle 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 com-
fort, and those too that were worse than they,
and have not laboured so much as they have
done, and sometimes they have had even dread-
ful blasphemous thoughts, in these circumstan-
ces.
But when they reflect on these wicked work-
ings of heart against God, if their convictions.
are continued, and the Spirit of God is not pro-
voked utterly to forsake them, they have more
distressing apprehensions of the anger of God
towards those, whose hearts work after such a
sinful manner about him; and it may be have
great fears that they have committed the unpar-
donable sin, or that God will surely never show
mercy to them that are such vipers; and are
often tempted to leave off in despair. But then
perhaps, by something they read or heard of the
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
45
infinite mercy of God, and 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;
they are so wicked, that Christ will never ac-
cept of them and then it may be they set
themselves upop a new course of fruitless en-
deavours in their own strength to make them-
selves better, and still meet with new disap-
pointments: They are earnest to inquire what
they shall do? They do not know but there is
something else to be done, in order to their ob-
taining converting grace, that they have never
done yet. It may be they hope that they are
something 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 it may
be, 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 beat out
of one refuge they fly to another, till they are as
it were debilitated, broken, and subdued with
legal humblings; 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 towards bringing them-
selves to see spiritual things aright, and towards
!

46
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
putting forth gracious exercises in their own
souls they are not sensible how remote they
are from love to God, and other holy disposi-
tions, and how dead they are in sin. When they
see unexpected pollution in their own hearts,
they go about to wash away their own defile-
ments, and make themselves clean; and they
weary themselves in vain, till God shows them
that it is in vain, and 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 convin-
cing influence of God's Spirit with their experi-
ence, that attains 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 in-
stances he has made a shorter work of it: he
has so awakened and convinced persons' con-
sciences, and made them so sensible of their ex-
ceedingly great vileness, and given them such a
sense of his wrath against sin, as has quickly
overcome all their vain self-confidence, and
borne 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 con-
viction of these things before their conversion,
have, it may be, much more of it afterwards.
God has appeared far from limiting himself to
any certain method in his proceedings with sin-
ners under legal convictions. In some instan
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
47
ces 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 wrought upon, in what is prepar-
atory to grace, appear no less eminent in gra-
cious experiences afterwards.
There is in nothing a greater difference, in
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, that had been, before
this effusion of God's Spirit upon us, for years,
and some for many years, concerned about their
salvation; though probably they were not tho-
roughly awakened, yet they were concerned to
such a degree as to be very uneasy, so as to live
an uncomfortable, disquieted life, and so as to
continue in a way of taking considerable pains
about their salvation, but had never obtained
any comfortable evidence of a good state, who
now, in this extraordinary time, have received
light; but many of them were some of 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 solicitude about their souls: yea,
some had lived licentiously, and so continued
till a little before they were converted, and grew
up to a holy rejoicing in the infinite blessings
God had bestowed upon them.
And whatever minister has the like occa-
sion to deal with souls, in a flock under such
48
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
}.
་
circumstances as this was in the last year, I
cannot but think he will soon find himself under
a necessity, greatly to insist upon it 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 chal-
lenge nothing, either in absolute justice, or by
free promise, from any thing he does before he
has believed on Jesus Christ, or has true re-
pentance 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
a most direct course utterly to have undone
them. I should have directly crossed what was
plainly the drift of the Spirit of God in his in-
fluence 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, concern-
ing his dealings with them and others, and
blocked up their way to that humiliation, before
the sovereign Disposer of life and death, where-
by God is wont to prepare them for his consola-
tions. And yet those that have been 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 succeed diligence,
and to bless his own means, that so awakenings
and encouragements, fear and hope may be du-
ly mixed, and proportioned to preserve their
minds in a just medium between the two ex-
tremes of self-flattery and despondence, both
which tend to slackness, and negligence, and in

આયુષ છે.
-27 1317
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
49
the end to security. I think I have found that
no discourses have been more remarkably bles-
sed, than those in which the doctrine of God's
absolute sovereignty with regard to the salva-
tion of sinners, and his just liberty, with regard
to his answering the prayers, or succeeding the
pains of natural men, continuing such, have
been insisted on. I never found so much im-
mediate saving fruit, in any measure, of any dis-
courses I have offered to my congregation, as
some from those words, Rom. iii. 19.
"That
every mouth may be stopped;" endeavouring to
show from thence, 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 issue, commonly the first thing that ap-
pears after their legal troubles, is a conviction
of the justice of God in their condemnation, A
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, 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 see that God may justly have no regard
to all the pains they have taken, and all the pray-
ers they have made; some, that they see 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 labours, prayers, and
tears, cannot make an atonement for the least
sin, nor merit any blessing at the hands of God;
5
50
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
میرے
some have declared themselves to be in the
hands of God, that he can, and may dispose of
them just as he pleases; some, that God may
glorify himself in their damnation, and they won-
der 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 in an
extraordinary manner set before them, multi-
tudes of them coming just then fresh to their
memories, and being set before them with their
aggravations; some have their minds especial-
ly fixed, on some particular wicked practice,
they have indulged; some are especially con-
vinced by a sight of the corruption and wicked-
ness of their hearts; some, from a view they
have of the horridness of some particular exer-
cises 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 convinced especially by a sense of the
sin of unbelief, the opposition of their hearts to
the way of salvation by Christ, and their obsti-
macy in rejecting him and his grace.
There is a great deal of difference as to per-
sons' distinctness here; some, that have, not so
clear a sight of God's justice in their condemna-
tion, yet mention things that plainly it imply.
They find a disposition to acknowledge God to
be just and righteous in his threatenings, and
that they are deserving of nothing. And many
times, though they had not so particular a sight
of it at the beginning, they have very clear dis-
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS,
51
coveries of it soon afterwards, with great hum-
blings 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 mere anguish; but generally
as soon as they have this conviction, it immedi-
ately brings their minds to a calm, and a before.
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 them-
selves, that they will lie at God's feet, and wait
his time; and they rest in that, not being sen-
sible 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 in the time of it, think any thing 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 any thing
merely legal: Though it be after legal hum-
blings, and much of the sense of their own help-
lessness, and of the insufficiency of their own
duties; yet it does not appear to be forced by
mere legal terrors and convictions; but rather
from an high exercise of grace, in saving re-
"
52
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
pentance, and evangelical humiliation; for there
is in it a sort of complacency of soul, in the at-
tribute of God's justice, as displayed in his
threatenings of eternal damnation to sinners.
Sometimes at the discovery of it, they can scarce-
ly forbear crying out, 'tis just! 'tis just! Some
express themselves, that they see the glory of
God would shine bright in their own condem-
nation; and they are ready to think that if they
are damned, they could take part with God
against themselves, and would glorify his jus-
tice therein. And when it is thus, they com-
monly have some evident sense of free and all-
sufficient grace, though they give no distinct ac-
count of it; but it is manifest, by that great de-
gree of hope and encouragement that they then
conceive, though they were never so sensible of
their own vileness and ill-deservings as they
were at that time.
Some, when in such circmstances, have felt.
that sense of the excellency of God's justice,
appearing in the vindictive exercises of it against.
such sinfulness as theirs was, and have had such
a submission of mind in their idea of this attri-
bute, and of those exercises of it, together with
an exceeding loathing of their own unworthi-
ness, and a kind of indignation against them-
selves, that they have sometimes almost called
it a willingness to be damned; though it must
be owned 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 has appeared too good for them, that
they were worthy of nothing but condemnation,
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
53
and they could not tell how to think of salva-
tion's being bestowed upon them, fearing it was
inconsistent with the glory of God's majesty, that
they had so much contemned and affronted.
That calm of spirit that some persons have
found after their legal distresses, continues some
time before any special and delightful manifes-
tation 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 in a very little time: And in some, the first
sight of their just desert of hell, and God's sove-
reignty 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,
whence the first special comforts are derived,
are in many respects very various; more fre-
quently 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 promises;
in some, the grace and sincerity of God in his
5*
54
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
*
invitations, very commonly in 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; and some with the suf-
ficiency and preciousness of his blood, as offer-
ed to make an atonement for sin; and others
with the value and glory of his obedience and
righteousness. In some, the excellency and love-
liness 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 the suita-
bleness of it to their necessities.
Some have an apprehension of these things so
given, that it seems more natural to them to ex-
press it by sight or discovery; others think what
they experience better expressed by the realizing
conviction, or a lively or feeling sense of heart;
meaning, as I suppose, no other difference but
what is merely circumstantial or gradual.
There is, often, in the mind, some particular
text of Scripture, holding forth some evangeli-
cal ground of consolation; sometimes a multi-
tude 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 read-
ing some portion of Scripture; but in some it
is attended with no particular Scripture at all,
either in reading or meditation. In some, ma-
ny 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
afterwards a sense is given of others; in some
SUPRRISING CONVERSIONS.
55
with a swifter, and others a slower succession
and with interruptions of much darkness.
The way that grace seems sometimes first to
appear after legal humiliation, is in earnest long-
ings 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, which
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 di-
vine things, with a spiritual taste and relish of
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, waiting disposition. When per-
sons have begun in such frames, commonly oth-
er experiences and discoveries have soon follow-
ed, which yet more clearly manifest 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 common-
ly he is ;) but sometimes he is the object of the
mind only implicitly. Thus sometimes when
persons have seemed evidently to be stript 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;
that there is mercy enough in God for the whole
world, and the like, when they give no account
of any particular or distinct thought of Christ;
56
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
but yet when the account they give is duly
weighed, and they are interrogated about it,
it appears that the revelation of the mercy of
God in the gospel, is the ground of this their en-
couragement and hope; and that it is indeed
the mercy of God through Christ, that is dis-
covered to them, and that it is depended on in
him, and not in any wise moved by any thing
in them.
So sometimes disconsolate souls among us,
have been revived and brought to rest in God,
by a sweet sense given of his grace and faithful-
ness, 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 prom-
ises made of God to poor sinners through his
Son Jesus, as it is indeed and such persons
have afterwards had clear and distinct discover-
ies of Christ, accompanied with lively and spe-
cial actings of faith and love towards him.
It has more frequently been so among 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, and sunk with a sense
of their guilt and fears of wrath, exceedingly re-
freshes them; the view is joyful to them, as it
is in its own nature glorious, and gives them
quite new and more delightful ideas of God and
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
57
Christ, and greatly encourages them to seek
conversion, and begets in them a strong resolu-
tion to give up themselves, and devote their
whole lives to God and his Son, and patiently
to wait till God shall see fit to make all effectu-
al; and very often they entertain a strong per-
suasion, that he will in his own time do it for
them.
There is wrought in them a holy repose of
soul in God through Christ, and a secret dispo-
sition to fear and love him, and to hope for bles-
sings from him in this way: and yet they have
no imagination that they are now converted, it
does not so much as come into their minds:
and very often the reason is, that they do not
see that they do accept of this sufficiency of sal-
vation, that they behold in Christ, having enter-
tained a wrong notion of acceptance; not being
sensible that the obedient and joyful entertain-
ment which their hearts give to this discovery of
grace, is a real acceptance of it: They know
not that the sweet complacence they feel in
the mercy and complete salvation of God, as it
includes pardon and sanctification, and is held
forth to them only through Christ, is a true re-
ceiving of this mercy, or a plain evidence of
their receiving it. They expected I know not
what kind of act of soul, and perhaps they had
no distinct idea of it themselves.
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 evi-
dent, as they themselves acknowledge, that the
58
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.

expressions that were used to describe conver
Ision, 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, &c.
were expressions that did not convey those spe-
cial and distinct ideas to their minds, which
they were intended to signify, in some respects
no more than the names of colours are to con-
vey 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 no-
tions, and overthrown in many of their former
conceits. And 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,
declared that all their former. wisdom is brought
to nought, and they appear to have been mere
babes, who knew nothing. It has appeared
that none have stood more in need of enlight-
ening and instruction, even of their fellow Chris-
tians, concerning their own circumstances and
difficulties, than they and it has seemed to
have been with delight, that they have seen
themselves thus brought down and become
nothing, that free grace, and divine power may
be exalted in them.
It was very wonderful to see after what man-
ner persons' affections were sometimes moved
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
59
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
fulness 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 sur-
prise 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 for-
bear crying out with a loud voice, expressing
their great admiration. In some, even the view
of the glory of God's sovereignty in the exercis-
es 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, or to that purpose, felt such a
sudden rapture of joy and delight in the consid-
eration of it: and yet he 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 do not
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
60
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
undoubted instances of some, that have lived in
this way for many years together; and a con-
tinuing in these circumstances of being convert-
ed and not believing it, has had various conse-
quences, 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 an humble wait-
ing for it at God's foot; but very often, when
the lively sense of the sufficiency of Christ, and
the riches of divine grace begins to vanish, up-
on a withdraw 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 eter-
nal things, and the greatness of God, and his
excellency, and how dreadful it is to be separa-
ted 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 vari-
ous temptations, which he is not wont to ne-
glect. 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
state, to signify it to them: which thing has
been greatly misrepresented abroad, as innu-
merable other things concerning us, to preju-
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
61
4
dice the country against the whole affair. But
let it be noted, that what I have undertaken to
judge of, has rather been qualifications, and de-
clared experiences, than persons Not but that
I have thought it my 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 free-
dom 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 re-
joicing 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 great-
er experience; but yet there has seemed to be
an absolute necessity of it on the foremention-
ed accounts; and it has been found to be that
which God has most remarkably owned and
blest among us, both to the persons themselves
and others. -
Grace in many persons, through this igno-
rance of their state, and their looking on them-
selves 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 laboured
to their utmost to divert their minds from the
6
62
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
pleasing and joyful views they have had, and to
suppress those consolations and gracious affec-
tions that arose thereupon. And when it has
once come into their minds to inquire whether
or not 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 produc-
tions 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 among us, as the news of others' conver-
sion; in the awakening of 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 judg-
ment about particular persons' experiences
might from these things be justified, yet I am of-
ten signifying to my people how unable one 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, can be; and
that without this, all pretences to spiritual expe-
riences are vain; as all my congregation can
witness. And the people in general, in this late
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
63
extraordinary time, have manifested a very
great dread of being deceived, being exceed-
ingly 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 gradu-
ally 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 do not
know the time, (as has already been observed,)
that when they have the first exercises of grace,
do not know that it is the grace of conversion,
and sometimes do not 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 experience in the
first exercises of grace, they are at a loss wheth-
er it was any thing more than a common illumi-
nation; 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 especially) very mysterious, and it is
with the kingdom of God as to its manifestation
in the heart of a convert, as is said, Mark iv. 26,
27, 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
64
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
should spring, and grow up he knoweth not
how; for the earth bringeth forth of herself, first
the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the
car,"
•
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 marvellous
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, per-
haps, 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 conver-
sion, which often in great measure arises from
a wrong understanding of what they have al-
ways 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 af-
terwards, have had many texts of Scripture
brought to their minds, that are exceeding suit-
able 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 flow-
ing in one after another, bringing great light
and comfort with them, filling the soul brim-
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
65
full, 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 ex-
citing 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 ob-
tained the greatest light and comfort; nor have
they always light most suddenly communica-
ted; but yet, I think, the time of conversion
has generally been most sensible in such per-
sons. Oftentimes, the first sensible change af-
ter the extremity of terrors, is a calmness, and
then the light gradually comes in; small glimps-
es 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 sweet-
ness of divine grace, and the love of a Saviour,
when terror and distress of conscience begins
to be turned into an 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,
6*
66
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
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 ex-
traordinary sense of his great mercy through a
Redeemer.
The converting influences of God's Spirit ve-
ry commonly bring an extraordinary conviction
of the reality and certainty of the great things
of religion; (though in some this is much great-
er, 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 among
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


+
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
67

intuitively beheld, and immediately felt, most
illustrious works, and powerful evidence of di-
vinity 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 doc-
trine of the gospel, some particular truths that
they are meditating on or are in a special man-
ner convinced of the divinity of the things they
are reading of, in some portion of the Scripture.
Some have such convictions in a much more
remarkable manner than others: and there
are some that never had such a special sense of
the certainty of divine things, impressed upon.
them with such inward evidence and strength,
who have yet very clear exercises of grace; such
as, love to God, repentance and holiness. And if
they be 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
that 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 withdraw of the Spirit of God,
they have not the medium of the conviction of
their truth at command: In a dull frame, they
cannot recall the idea and inward sense they
had, perfectly to mind; things appear very dim
to what they did before: and though there still
remains an habitual strong persuasion; yet not
so as to exclude temptations to unbelief, and all
possibility of doubting, as before but then at
68
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
I
particular times, by God's help, the same sense
of things revives again, like fire that lay hid in
ashes.
I suppose the grounds of such a conviction of
the truth of divine things to be just and ration-
al, but yet in some, God makes use of their own
reason much more sensibly than in others. Of-
tentimes persons have (so far as could be judg-
ed) received the first saving conviction from
reasoning, which they have heard from the pul-
pit; and often in the course of reasoning, which
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 a al-
together new; they come with a new and be-
fore 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 did not see them before.
They are so greatly taken with their new dis-
covery, and things appear so plain, and so ra-
tional to them, that they are often at first ready
to think they can convince others; and are apt
to engage in talk with every one they meet with,
almost to this end; and when they are disap-
pointed, are ready to wonder that their reason-
ings seem to make no more impression.
Many fall under such a mistake as to be ready
to doubt of their good state, because there was
so much use made of their own reason in the
convictions they have received; they are afraid
that they have no illumination above the natur-
al force of their own faculties: And many make

SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
69
that an objection against the spirituality 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, man-
ifesting to the soul what no man or angel can
give such a conviction of; but it seems to them
that the things that they see are so plain, and
easy, and rational, that any body can see them:
and if they are inquired of, why they never saw
so before; they say, it seems to them it was be-
cause 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 by all
that they can do they cannot recover it, til! 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 chap-
ters, new psalms, new histories, because they
see them in a new light. Here was a remark-
able instance of an aged woman that had spent
most of her days under Mr. Stoddard's power-
ful ministry; who, reading in the New Testa-
ment, 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 rec-
70
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
ollected herself, and thought that she had of
ten heard of it, and read it, but never till now
saw it as a thing real; and then cast in her
mind, 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 Sa-
viour; though she was a person, as to what was
visible, of a very blameless and inoffensive life.
And she was so overcome by those considera-
tions, that her nature was ready to fail under
them: Those that were about her, and knew
not what was the matter, were suprised, and
thought she was dying.
Many have spoken much of their hearts be-
ing drawn out in love to God and Christ; and
their minds being wrapt up in delightful con-
templation of the glory and wonderful grace of
God, and the excellency, and dying love of Je-
sus Christ and of their souls, going forth in
longing desires after God and Christ. Several
of our young children have expressed much of
this; and have manifested a willingness to leave
father and mother and all things in the world, to
go to be with Christ. Some persons have had long-
ing desires after Christ, which have risen to that
degree, as to take away their natural strength.
Some have been so overcome with a sense of
the dying love of Christ, to such poor, wretch-
ed, and unworthy creatures, as to weaken the
body. Several persons have had so great a
sense of the glory of God and excellency of
Christ, that nature and life have seemed almost
to sink under it; and in all probability, if God
had showed them a little more of himself, it
would have dissolved their frame. I have seen
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
71
some, and been in conversation with them in
such frames, who have certainly been perfectly
sober, and very remote from any thing like en-
thusiastic wildness: and have talked, when able
to speak, of the glory of God's perfections, and
the wonderfulness of his grace in Christ, and
their own unworthiness, in such a manner that
cannot be perfectly expressed after them. Their
sense of their exceeding littleness and vileness,
and their disposition to abase themselves before
God, has appeared to be great in proportion to
their light and joy. Such persons among us
as have been thus distinguished with the most
extraordinary discoveries of God, have common-
ly in nowise appeared with the assuming, and
self-conceited, and self-sufficient airs of enthu-
siasts, 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 are. Those that have been thought
to be converted among us have generally man-
ifested a longing to lie low, and in the dust, be-
fore God; withal complaining of their not be-
ing able to lie low enough. 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
72
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
way than as bestowed by free grace, and for
Christ's sake alone. They speak much of the
inexpressibleness of what they experience, how
their words fail, so that they can in no wise de-
clare it and particularly speak with exceeding
admiration of the superlative excellency of that
pleasure and delight of soul, which they some-
times enjoy; how a little of it is sufficient to
pay them for the pains and trouble they have
gone through in seeking salvation; and how far
it exceeds all earthly pleasures and some ex-
press much of the sense which these spiritual
views give them of the vanity of earthly enjoy-
ments, how mean and worthless all these things
1 appear to them.

:
Many, while their minds have been filled
with spiritual delights, have as it were forgotten
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 beauti-
ful, 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
thein. The sweetest joy that these good peo-
ple among us express, is not that which con-
sists in a sense of the safety of their own state,
and that now they are out of the danger of hell;
frequently, in times of their highest spiritual en-
tertainment, this seems to be as it were forgot-
ten. The supreme attention of their minds is
to the glorious excellencies of God and Christ,
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
73
which they have in view; not but there is very
often a ravishing sense of God's love accompa-
nying a sense of his excellency, and they rejoice
in a conviction of the faithfulness of God's prom-
ises as they respect the future eternal enjoyment
of God.
MASANATION AGRÁRNA İMİR.
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, emp-
tied most of themselves, as it were annihilating
themselves before God, when they are nothing,
and God is all; thus seeing their own unworthi-
ness, 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; excepting that, at such times,
they apprehend themselves to be not sufficient-
ly self-abased; for then above all times, do they
long to be lower. Some speak much of the ex-
quisite sweetness, and rest of soul that is to be
found in the exercise of a spirit of resignation
to God, and humble submission to his will.
Many express earnest longings of soul to praise
God; but at the same time complain that they
cannot praise him as they would do, and they
want to have others help them in praising him :
they want to have every one praise God, and
are ready to call upon every thing to praise him.
They express a longing desire to live to God's
glory, and to do something to his honour; but
at the same time cry out of their insufficiency
and barrenness, that they are poor, impotent
creatures, can do nothing of themselves, and are
utterly insufficient to glorify their Creator and
Redeemer.

my
774
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
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 to
God's word, have at some times been greatly
and wonderfully delighted and affected at the
sight of a Bible: and then also, there was no
time so prized as the Lord's day, and no
place in this world so desired as God's house.
Our converts then appeared remarkably united
in dear affection to one another, and many
have expressed much of that spirit of love,
which they felt toward all mankind; and par-
ticularly to those that had been least friendly to
them. Never, I believe, was so much done in
confessing injuries, and making up differences
as the last year. Persons after their own conver-
sion, have commonly expressed an exceeding
desire for the conversion of others: Some have
thought that they should be willing to die for
the conversion of any soul, though 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 had also a good effect to
unite the people's affections much to their min-
ister.


}
There are some persons that I have been ac-
quainted with, but more especially two, that be-
long to other towns, that have been swallowed up
exceedingly with a sense of the awful greatness
and majesty of God; and both of them told me
to this purpose, that if they in the time of it, had
had the least fear that they were not at peace
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
75
with this so great a God, they should instantly
have died.
It is worthy to be remarked, that some per-
sons by their conversion seem to be greatly help-
ed as to their doctrinal notions of religion; it
was particulary remarkable in one, who, hav-
ing been taken captive in his childhood, was
trained up in Canada, in the Popish religion;
and some years since returned to this his native
place, and was in a measure brought off from
Popery but seemed very awkward and dull of
receiving any true and clear notion of the Pro-
testant scheme, till he was converted; and then
he was remarkably altered in this respect.
There is a vast difference, as has been observ-
ed in the degree, and also in the particular man-
ner of persons' experiences both at and after con-
version; some have grace working more sensi-
bly 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 affiance, 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 ar-
dent and longing desires after God, to have
communion with him; others more of their ab-
horrence of themselves for their past sins, and
earnest longings to live to God's glory for the
time to come: Some have their mind fixed more
on God; others on Christ, as I have observed be-
fore; but it seems evidently to be the same
78
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
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 plain-
ly the same Spirit that breathes and acts in va-
rious persons. There is an endless variety in
the particular manner and circumstances in
which persons are wrought on; and an oppor-
tunity 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 meth-
od, in his work on souls, than it may be some
do imagine. I believe it has occasioned some
good people among us, that were before too
ready to make their own experiences a rule to
others, to be less censorious and more extended
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 wrought more charity among
his people.
There is a great difference among those that
are converted as to the degree of hope and sat-
isfaction that 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 do enjoy so full an assurance of
their interest in Christ, that self-examination
should seem needless to them; unless it be at
particular seasons, while in the actual enjoy-
ment of some great discovery, that God gives of
his glory and rich grace in Christ, to the draw-
ing forth of extraordinary acts of grace. But
the greater part, as they sometimes fall into dead
frames of spirit, are frequently exercised with
scruples and fears concerning their condition.
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
77

They generally have an awful apprehension
of the dreadfulness and fatal 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 great-
ly afflicted with fears, lest 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 that the main ground of the doubts
and fears, which persons, after their conversion,
have been exercised with about their own state,
has been that they have found so much corrup
tion 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 abased under a sense of their vile-
ness by reason of former acts of sin, yet they are
not then sufficiently sensible what corruption.
still remains in their hearts; and therefore are
surprised when they find that they begin to be in
dull and dead frames, to be troubled with wan-
dering thoughts in the time of public and private
worship, and to be utterly unable to keep them-
selves from them; also when they find them-
selves unaffected at seasons, in which they think
there is the greatest occasion to be affected;
and when they feel worldly dispositions work-
ing in them, and it may be pride, and envy,
and stirrings of revenge, or some ill spirit to-





*y*
78
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
wards some person that 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
which they have met with is nothing, and that
they are mere hypocrites.
They are ready to argue, that if God had in-
deed done such great things for them, as they
hoped, such ingratitude is inconsistent with it:
they cry out of the hardness and wickedness
of their hearts; and say there is so much cor-
ruption, that it seems to them impossible that
there should be any goodness there and many
of them seem to be much more sensible how
corrupt their hearts are, than ever they were be-
fore they were converted; and some have been
too ready to be impressed with fear, that instead
of becoming better, they are 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 upon their
hearts, that they did not use to have: They take
more notice what sin is there, and sin is now
more burthensome 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 that they generally had entertained of
godly persons; for though grace be indeed of a
far more excellent nature than they imagined,
yet those that are godly have much less of it,
and much more remaining corruption, than they
thought. They never realized it, that persons
were wont to meet with such difficulties, after
they were once converted. When they are thus
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
79
exercised with doubts about their state, through
the deadness 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 dead
and dark frames, by religious conversation :
while they are talking of divine things, or ever
they are aware, their souls are carried away into
holy exercises, with abundant pleasure. And
oftentimes, while they are relating their past
experiences to their Christian brethren, they
have a fresh sense of them revived, and the
same experiences in a degree again renewed.
Sometimes while persons are exercised in mind
with several objections against the goodness of
their state, they have Scriptures, one after an-
other, coming to their minds, to answer their
scruples and unravel their difficulties, exceed-
ingly apposite and proper to their circumstances;
by which means their darkness is scattered;
and often before the bestowment of any new
remarkable comforts, especially after long con-
80
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
tinued deadness and ill frames, there are re-
newed humblings, in a great sense of their own
exceeding vileness and unworthiness, as before
their first comforts were bestowed,
CHAPTER III.
Of Remarkable Impressions on the Imagination.
Many in the country have entertained a mean
thought of this great work that there has been
among us, from what they have heard of im-
pressions that have been made on persons' im-
aginations. But there have been exceedingly
great misrepresentations, and innumerable false
reports concerning that matter. It is not, that
I know of, the profession or opinion of any one
person in the town, that any weight is to be laid
on any thing 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 that have been
ready to give too much heed to vain and useless
imaginations; but they have been easily cor-
rected; and I conclude 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 no other, than what is to be
expected in human nature in such circumstan-
ces, and what is the natural result of the strong
exercise of the mind, and impressions on the
heart.
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
81
I do not suppose that they themselves ima-
gined that they saw any thing with their bodily
eyes; but only have had within them ideas
strongly impressed, and as it were, lively pic-
tures in their minds: As for instance, some
when in great terrors, through fear of hell, have
had lively 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
wrought on their imaginations so, that, together
with a sense of his glorious spiritual perfec-
tions, there has arisen in the mind an idea of
one of glorious majesty, and of a sweet and a
gracious aspect: So some, when they have been
greatly affected with Christ's death, have at the
same time a lively idea of Christ hanging upon
the cross, and of his blood running from his
wounds; which things will not be wondered at
by them that have observed how strong affec-
tions about temporal matters will excite lively
ideas and pictures of different things in the
mind.
But yet the vigorous exercise of the mind,
does doubtless more strongly impress it with im-
aginary ideas in some than in others, which prob-
ably may arise from the difference of constitu-
tion, and seems evidently in some, partly to arise
from their peculiar circumstances. When per-
sons have been exercised with extreme terrors,
and there is a sudden change to light and joy, the
imagination seems more susceptive of strong
ideas, and the inferior powers, and even the frame
of the body, is much more affected and wrought
upon, than when the same persons have as great
82
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
The
spiritual light and joy afterwards; of which it
might, perhaps, be easy to give a reason.
aforementioned Rev. Messrs. Lord and Owen,
who, I believe, are esteemed persons of learn-
ing and discretion where they are best known,
declared that they found these impressions on
persons' imaginations, quite different things from
what fame had before represented to them, and
that they were what none need to wonder at,
or be stumbled by, or to that purpose.
There have indeed been some few instances,
of impressions on person's imaginations, that
have been something 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 afterwards, that they
indeed had a great sense of the spiritual excel-
lency of divine things accompanying them; yet
I have not been able well to satisfy myself,
whether their imaginary ideas have been more
than could naturally arise from their spiritual
sense of things. However, I have used the ut-
most caution in such cases; great care has been
taken both in public and in private to teach
persons the difference between what is spiritu-
al 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 pru-
dently distinguished between the spiritual and
imaginary part; which some that have not been
SURPRISING co
83
CONVERSIONS.
well affected to religion, might take advan-
tage of.
There has been much talk in many parts of
the country, as though the people have symbol-
ized with the Quakers, and the Quakers them-
selves have been moved with such reports; and
came here, once and again, hoping to find good
waters to fish in; but without the least success;
and 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 to an end, which was altogether a false re-
port: Indeed after this stirring and concern be-
came so general and extraordinary, as has been
related, the minds of some were filled with
speculation, what so great a dispensation of di-
vine providence might forebode; and some re-
ports were heard from abroad, as though.certain
divines and others thought the conflagration was
nigh: 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 that my
grandfather thought to be savingly converted in
that time; and having been particularly ac-
quainted with the experiences of many that
were converted under his ministry before. And
I know no one of them, that in the least doubts of
its being of the same Spirit, and the same work.
84
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
:
Persons have now no otherwise been subject to
impressions on their imaginations, than former-
ly the work is of the same nature, and has not
been attended with any extraordinary circum-
stances, excepting such as are analogous to the
extraordinary degree of it before described.
And God's people, that were formerly convert-
ed, have now partook of the same shower of di-
vine blessing, in the renewing, strengthening,
edifying influences of the Spirit of God, that
others have in his converting influences; and
the work here has also been plainly the same
with that, which has been wrought in those of
other places that have been mentioned, as par-
taking of the same blessing. I have particular-
ly conversed with persons about their experien-
ces that belong to all parts of the county, and
in various parts of Connecticut, where a reli-
gious concern has lately appeared; and have
been informed of the experiences of many oth-
ers 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 one with another of
their spiritual experiences, which is a thing
that many have been disgusted at. But howev-
er 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 neigh-
bouring towns, has naturally led them into.
Whatsoever people are in such circumstances,
where all have their minds engaged to such a
degree, and in the same affair, that it is ever up-
permost in their thoughts, they will naturally
make it the subject of conversation one with
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
85
}
another when they get together, in which they
will grow more and more free restraints will
soon vanish; and they will not conceal from
one another what they meet with. And it has
been a practice which, in the general, has been
attended with many good effects, and what God
has greatly blest among us:
But it must be
confessed, there may have been some ill conse-
quences of it; which yet are rather to be laid
to the indiscreet management of it, than to the
practice itself; and none can wonder, if among
such a multitude some fail of exercising so much
prudence in choosing the time, manner, and
occasion of such discourse, as is desirable.

CHAPTER IV.
This Work further illustrated in particular
Instances.
But to give a clearer idea of the nature and
manner of the operations of God's Spirit, in this
wonderful effusion of it, I would give an ac-
count of two particular instances. The first
an adult person, a young woman whose name
was Abigail Hutchinson. I select her case es-
pecially because she is now dead, and so it may
be more fit to speak freely of her than of living
instances: though I am under far greater disad-
vantages, on other accounts, to give a full and
clear narrative of her experiences, than I might
of some others; nor can any account be given
8
86
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
CL
but what has been retained in the memories of
her near friends, and some others, of what they
have heard her express in her life-time.
She was of a rational, understanding family:
there could be nothing in her education that
tended to enthusiasm, but rather to the contra-
ry extreme. It is in no wise the temper of the
family to be ostentatious of experiences, and it
was far from being her temper. She was be-
fore her conversion, to the observation of her
neighbours, of a sober and inoffensive conversa-
tion; and was a still, quiet, reserved person.
She had long been infirm of body, but her in-
firmity had never been observed at all to incline
her to be notional or fanciful, or to occasion
any thing of religious melancholy. She was
under awakenings scarcely a week before there
seemed to be plain evidence of her being sav-
ingly converted.
She was first awakened in the winter season,
on Monday, by something she heard her broth-
er 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, whose conversion so general-
ly affected most of the young people here. 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 dis-
tinguished from others by such a mercy; but
withal it engaged her in a firm resolution to do
her utmost to obtain the same blessing; and
considering with herself what course she should
take; she thought that she had not a sufficient
knowledge of the principles of religion, to ren-
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
87
der her capable of conversion; whereupon she
resolved thoroughly to search the Scriptures;
and accordingly immediately began at the be-
ginning of the Bible, intending to read it
through. She continued thus till Thursday;
and then there was a sudden alteration, by a
great increase of her concern, in an extraordi-
nary sense of her own sinfulness, particularly
the sinfulness of her nature, and wickedness of
her heart, which came upon her (as she express-
ed it) as a flash of lightning, and struck her in-
to an exceeding terror. Upon which she left
off reading the Bible in course as she had be-
gun, 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 (as she said)
she saw nothing but blackness of darkness be-
fore her, and her very flesh trembled for fear
of God's wrath: she wondered and was aston-
ished at herself, that she had been so concern-
ed for her body, and had applied so often to
physicians to heal that, and had neglected her
soul. Her sinfulness appeared with a very aw-
ful aspect to her, especially in three things, viz. :
her original sin, and her sin in murmuring at
God's providence, in the weakness and afflic-
tions she had been under, and in want of duty
to parents, though others had looked upon her
to excel in dutifulness. On Saturday, she was
so earnestly engaged in reading the Bible and
other books, that she continued in it, searching
for something to relieve her, till her eyes were

88
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
so dim, that she could not know the letters.
While she was thus engaged in reading, prayer,
and other religious exercises, she thought of
those words of Christ, wherein he warns us not
to be as the heathen, that think they shall be
heard for their much speaking; which, she
said, led her to see that, she had trusted to her
own prayers and religious performances, and
now she was put to a nonplus, and knew not
which way to turn herself, or where to seek
relief.
While her mind was in this posture, her heart,
she said, seemed to fly to the minister for ref
uge, hoping that he could give her some relief.
She came the same day to her brother, with the
countenance of a person in distress, expostula-
ting with him, why he had not told her more of
her sinfulness, and earnestly inquiring of him
what she should do. 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 it had been an opinion, which
till now she had entertained, that she was not
guilty of Adam's sin, nor any way concerned in
it, 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 suf-
ficient to condemn her.
On the Sabbath day she was so ill that her
friends thought it not best that she should
go to public worship, of which she seemed very
desirous but when she went to bed on the
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
89
Sabbath day night, she took up a resolution,
that she would the next morning go to the min-
ister, hoping to find some relief there. 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 she never felt before; as she thought of
this, such words as these were in her mind :
"The words of the Lord are pure words, health
to the soul, and marrow to the bones:" And
then these words came to her mind, "the blood
of Christ cleanses from all sin;" which were
accompanied with a lively sense of the excel-
lency of Christ, and his sufficiency to satisfy for
the sins of the whole world. She then thought
of that expression," It is a pleasant thing for the
eyes to behold the sun; "which words then seem-
ed to her to be very applicable to Jesus Christ.
By these things, her mind was led into such
contemplations and views of Christ, as filled her
exceedingly full of joy. She told her brother in
the morning that she had seen (that is, in real-
izing views by faith) Christ the last night, and
that she had really thought that she had not
knowledge enough to be converted; but, says
she, God can make it quite easy! On Monday
she felt all day a constant sweetness in her soul.
She had a repetition of the same discoveries of
Christ three mornings together, that she had on
Monday morning, and much in the same man-
ner at each time, waking a little before day; but
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 fulness, her soul was filled

8*
90
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
with distress for Christless persons, to consider
what a miserable condition they were in: and
she felt in herself a strong inclination immedi-
ately to go forth to warn sinners; and proposed
it the next day to her brother to assist her in
going from house to house; but her brother re-
strained her, by telling her of the unsuitable-
ness of such a method. She told one of her sis-
ters 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 that were thought to
have been lately converted; her seeing them as
they stepped in one after another into the door,
so affected her, and so drew forth her love to
them, that it overcame her, and she almost faint-
ed: And when they began to talk of the things
of religion, it was more than she could bear;
they were obliged to cease on that account. It
was a very frequent thing with her to be over-
come with a flow of affection to them that she
thought godly, in conversation with them, and
sometimes only in the sight of them.
She had many extraordinary discoveries of
the glory of God and Christ; sometimes, in
some particular attributes, and sometimes in ma-
ny. She gave an account, that once, as those
four words passed through her mind, Wisdom,
Justice, Goodness, and Truth, her soul was fill-
ed with a sense of the glory of each of these di-
vine attributes, but especially the last; Truth,
said she, sunk the deepest! And therefore, as
these words passed, this was repeated, Truth,
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
91
Truth! Her mind was so swallowed up 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 was easy
with 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
and 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 upon the
bed. Afterwards 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 her-
self to one of her sisters, to this purpose, 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-
ing of it was ready to overcome her.
Once, when she came to me, she told how
that at such and such a time she thought she
saw as much of God, and had as much joy and
pleasure, as was possible, in this life, and that yet

SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
1
afterwards God discovered himself yet far more
abundantly, and she saw the same things that
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 at-
tributes, 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 that lived near the heart of the
town, that she once thought it a pleasant thing
to live in the middle of the town, but now, says
she, I think it much more pleasant to sit and
see the wind blowing the trees, and to behold
what God has made. She had sometimes the
powerful breathings of the Spirit of God on her
soul, while reading the Scripture, and would ex-
press a sense that she had of the certain truth
and divinity thereof. She sometimes would ap-
pear with a pleasant smile on her countenance;
and once when her sister took notice of it, and
asked why she smiled, she replied, I am brim-
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
93
full of a sweet feeling within! She often used
to express 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 wont to manifest a great sense of her
own meanness and dependeuce. She often ex-
pressed an exceeding compassion, and pitiful
love, which she found in her heart towards per-
sons in a Christless condition; which was some-
times so strong, that as she was passing by such
in the streets, or those that she feared were
such, she would be overcome by the sight of
them. She once said, that she longed to have
the whole world saved; she wanted, as it were,
to pull them all to her; 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 till God's time should come.
But once
when she felt those longings, she thought with
herself, if I long to die, why do I go to physi-
cians? Whence she concluded that her long-
ings 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, till
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
any thing that God will bring upon me! And
then, said she, I felt myself perfectly easy, in a
full submission to the will of God. She then

94
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
lamented much, that she had been so eager in
her longings for death, as it argued want of
such a resignation to God, as ought to be. She
seemed henceforward to continue in this resign-
ed frame till death.
After this, her illness increased upon her;
and once after she had before spent the greater
part of the night in extreme pain, she waked
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 to 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 resigna-
tion, with respect to life or death, yet the
thoughts of dying were exceedingly 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
inquired of about it, she said, it was sweet to
her to think of her being in such circumstances.
At another time, when her brother mentioned
to her the danger there seemed to be that the
illness she then laboured 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 of it was seated
much in her throat; and swelling inward, filled
up the pipe, so that she could swallow nothing
but what was perfectly liquid, and but very lit-
tle of that, and with great and long strugglings
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
95
and stranglings; that which she took in, flying
out at her noistrils, till she at last could swal
low nothing at all: She had a raging appetite
to food, so that she told her sister, when talking
with her about her circumstances, that the worst
bit that she threw to her swine, would be sweet
to her but yet when she saw that she could
not swallow it, she seemed to be as perfectly
contented without it, as if she had no appetite
for it. Others were greatly moved to see what
she underwent, and were filled with admiration
at her unexampled patience. At a time when
she was striving in vain to get down a little food,
something liquid, and was very much spent with
it, she looked up on her sister with a smile,
saying, O sister, this is for my good! At anoth-
er time, when her sister was speaking of what
she underwent, she told her, that she lived an
heaven upon earth for all that. She used some-
times 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,' said 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
that had made them. As she lay on her death-
bed, she would often say these words: God is
my friend! And once looking up on her sister,
with a smile, said, 'O sister! how good it is!
How sweet and comfortable it is to consider,
and think of heavenly things!' and used this ar-
gument to persuade her sister to be much in
such meditations.
C
96
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
She expressed on her death-bed, an exceed-
ing 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 that looked on themselves as
in a Christless state came to see her, she would
be greatly moved with compassionate affection.
One in particular, that 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 not to come any more, be-
cause the sight of her so wrought on her com-
passion, that it overcame her nature. The
same week that she died, when she was in dis-
tressing circumstances as to her body, some of
the neighbours that 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 so
always as she was then, if that was the will of
God. She willed what God willed. They ask-
ed her whether she was willing to die that night?
She answered, yes, if it be God's will. And
seemed to speak all with that perfect compo-
sure of spirit, and with such a cheerful and
pleasant countenance, that it filled them with
admiration.
She was very weak a considerable time be-
fore she died, having pined away with famine
and thirst, so that her flesh seemed to be dried
upon her bones; and therefore could say but lit-
tle, 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,
:
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
9%
whether she held her integrity still? Whether
she was not afraid of death? She answered to
this purpose, 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, says she, indeed a dark
entry that looks something dark, but on the oth-
er side there appears such a bright shining light,
that I cannot be afraid! She said not long be-
fore she died, that she used to be afraid how
she should grapple with death; but, says she,
God has showed me that he can make it easy in
great pain. Several days before she died, she
could scarcely say any thing but just yes and no,
to questions that were asked her, for she seem-
ed to be dying for three days together; but seem-
to continue in an admirably 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 27th,
1735.
She had long been infirm, and often had been
exercised with great pain; but she died chiefly
of famine. It was, doubtless, partly owing to
her bodily weakness, that her nature was so of-
ten overcome, and ready to sink 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 con-
sist with. She wanted to be where strong grace
might have more liberty, and be without the
clog of a weak body; there she longed to be,
'and 'there she doubtless now is. She was look-
ed upon among us, as a very eminent instance
9
98
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
!
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
wont to express and manifest them, while liv-
ing. I once read this account to some of her
pious neighbours, who were acquainted with her,
who said, to this purpose, that the picture fell
much short of the life; and particularly that it
much failed of duly representing 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 extraor-
dinary.
J
But I now proceed to the other instance that
I would give an account of, which is of the lit-
tle 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 veracity none that know them
doubt of.
She was born in March, in the year 1731.
About the latter end of April, or the 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 wont,
in the counsels they gave to their children, par-
ticularly to direct themselves to her, by reason
of her being so young, and as they supposed, not
capable of understanding: but after her broth-
er had talked to her, they observed her very
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
99
earnestly to listen to the advice they gave to the
other children; and she was observed very
constantly to retire, several times in the day, as
was concluded, for secret prayer; and grew
more and more engaged in religion, and was
more frequent in her closet; till at last she was
wont to visit it five or six times in a day: and
was so engaged in it, that nothing would at any
time divert her from her stated 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 incli-
nations, but never could observe her to fail.
She mentioned some very remarkable instances.
She once of her own accord spake of her un-
successfulness, in that she could not find God,
or to that purpose. But on Thursday, the last
day of July, about the middle of the day, the
child being in the closet, where it used to re-
tire, its mother heard it speaking aloud; which
was unusual, and never had been observed be-
fore: And her voice seemed to be as of one
exceedingly importunate and engaged; but her
mother could distinctly hear only these words,
(spoken in her childish manner, but seemed to
be spoken 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 prayer, 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 could make any answer;
but she continued crying exceedingly, and
100
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
writhing her body to and fro, like one in an-
guish 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 endeavoured
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 salva-
tion. But this did not quiet her at all; but she
continued thus earnestly crying, and taking on
for some time, till at length she suddenly ceas-
ed crying, and began to smile, and presently
said with a smiling countenance, Mother, the
kingdom of heaven is come to me!" Her moth-
er was surprised at the sudden alteration, and at
the speech; and knew not what to make of it,
but at first said nothing to her. The child
presently spake again, and said, 'There is an-
other come to me, and there is another, there is
three;' and being asked what she meant, she
answered,' One is, Thy will be done, and there
is another, Enjoy him forever;' by which it
seems, that when the child said 'there is three
come to me,' she meant three passages of its.
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 neighbour;
and when she came back, the child, being out
of the closet, met her mother with this cheer-
ful 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 ask-
ed her how well she loved God, whether she
¿
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
101
loved God better than her father and mother,
she said 'yes.' Then she asked her whether
she loved God better than her little sister Ra-
chel? She answered, 'Yes, better than any
thing' Then her eldest sister, referring to her
saying she could find God now, asked her where
she could find God. She answered, 'in heav-
en.' Why, said she, have you been in heaven?
'No,' said the child. By this it seems not to have
been any imagination of any thing 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 had made her cry. She answered, 'yes, I
was, but now I shan't.' Her mother asked her
whether she thought that God had given her
salvation; She answered, 'yes.' Her mother
asked her when. She answered, 'to day.' She
appeared all the afternoon exceedingly cheerful
and joyful. One of her neighbours asked her,
how she felt herself? She answered, 'I feel
better than I did.' The neighbour 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 that 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 her cate-
chism, asked her what God made her for. She
answered, 'to serve him,' and added, 'every
body should serve God, and get an interest in
Christ.'
The same day the elder children, when they
came home from school, seemed much affected
9*
102
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
.6
+
with the extraordinary change that seemed to be
made in Phebe: And her sister Abigail stand-
ing by, her mother took occasion to counsel her,
now to improve her time, to prepare for anoth-
er world: On which 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, but she continued earnestly cry-
ing for some time and when she had in a
measure ceased, her sister Eunice being by her,
she burst out again, and cried 'poor Eunice!"
and cried exceedingly; and when she had al-
most done, she went into another room, and
there looked up on her sister Naomi, and burst
out again, crying poor Amy! Her mother was
greatly affected at such a behaviour in the child,
and knew not what to say to her. One of the
neighbours coming in a little after, asked her
what she had cried for. She seemed at first
backward 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.'
C.
At night a certain minister that was occasion-
ally in the town, was at the house, and talked
considerably with her, of the things of religion;
and after he was gone, she sat leaning on the
table, with tears running out of her eyes: And
being asked what made her cry, she said it was
હું thinking about God.' The next day being
Saturday, she seemed, great part of the day, to
be in a very affectionate frame, had four turns
of crying, and seemed to endeavour to curb her-
self, and hide her tears, and was very backward
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
103
to talk 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 an-
swer, and said, 'I know it.'
From this time there has appeared a very re-
markable, abiding change in the child: She has
been very strict upon the Sabbath, and seems
to long for the Sabbath day before it comes, and
will often in the week time be inquiring how
long it is to the Sabbath day, and must have
the days particularly counted over that are be-
tween, before she will be contented. And she
seems to love God's house, and is very eager to
go thither. Her mother once asked her why
she had such a mind to go? whether it was not
to see fine folks? 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 extra-
ordinary for such a child. She also appears ve-
ry desirous at all opportunities to go to private.
religious meetings; and is very still and atten-
tive at home, in prayer time, and has appeared
affected in time of family prayer. She seems
to delight much in hearing religious conversa-
tion: When I once was there with some oth-
ers that were strangers, and talked to her some-
thing of religion, she seemed more than ordina-
rily attentive; and when we were gone, she
looked out earnestly 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 of the fear of
104
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
God before her eyes, and an extraordinary
dread of sin against him; of which her mother
mentioned the following remarkable instance.
Some time in August, the last year, she went
with some larger children, to get some plums,
in a neighbour's lot, knowing nothing of any
harm in what she did; but when she brought
some of the plums into the house, her moth-
er mildly reproved her, and told her that she
must not get 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 will not 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 to that pur-
pose; and 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 stilled 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?
And asked her several times very earnestly, be-
fore she made any answer; but at last said, ‘it
was because, because it was sin.' She continued
a considerable time crying, and said she would
not go again if Eunice asked her a hundred
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
105
times; and she retained her aversion to that
fruit for a considerable time, under the remem-
brance of her former sin.
*
4
She at sometimes appears greatly affected,
and delighted with texts of Scripture that come
to her mind. Particularly, about the beginning
of November, the last year, that text came to
her mind, Rev. iii. 20. "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." She spoke of it to those
of the family, with a great appearance of joy, a
smiling countenance, and elevation of voice, and
afterwards she went into another room, where
her mother overheard her talking very earnest-
ly to the children about it, and particularly
heard her say to them, three or four times over,
with an air of exceeding joy and admiration,
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 perceiv-
ed that she was awake, and heard her, as
though she was weeping. She called to her,
and asked her what was the matter. She an-
swered with a low voice, so that her mother
could not hear what she said; but thinking that
it might be occasioned by some spiritual affec-
tion, said no more to her; but perceived her to
lie awake, and to 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 to think of God and Christ's loving her
+
1
106
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
}
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 wont
many times affectionately to counsel the other
children. Once about the latter end of Septem-
ber, the last year, when she and some others of
the children were in the room by themselves, a
husking Indian corn, the child, after a while,
came out and sat by the fire. Her mother took
notice that she appeared with a more than ordi-
narily serious and pensive countenance, 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 that 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 she had said that to them.
Yes,' said she,' she said that, and a great deal
more.' At other times, the child took her op-
portunities 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 importunate with her
mother to go with her sister Naomi, to pray.
Her mother endeavoured to put her off; but she
pulled her by the sleeve, and seemed as if she
would by no means be denied. At last her
mother told her that Amy must go and pray
herself; but,' says the child,' she will not go ;'
and persisted earnestly to beg of her mother to
go with her.
C
She has discovered an uncommon degree of
1
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
107
:
a spirit of charity; particularly on the following
occasion: A poor man that lives in the woods,
had lately lost a cow that the family much de-
pended on, and being at the house, he was re-
lating his misfortune, and telling of the straits
and difficulties they were reduced to by it. She
took much notice of it, and it wrought exceed-
ingly on her compassion and 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 hunt-
ters or something else had killed his cow; and en-
treated him to give him one of theirs. Her fath-
er told her that they could not spare one. Then
she entreated him to let him and his family
come and live at his house, and had much more
talk of the same nature, whereby she manifest-
ed bowels of compassion to the poor.
She has manifested great love to her minis-
ter: particularly when I returned from my long
journey for my health, the last fall, 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 contin-
ues very constant in secret prayer, so far as can
be observed, (for she seems to have no desire
that others should observe her when she retires,
but seems to be a child of a reserved temper,)
and every night, before she goes to bed, will say
her catechism, and will by no means miss of it
she never forgot it but once, and then after she
was in bed, thought of it, and cried out in tears,
:
108
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
'I have not said my catechism!' and would not
be quieted till her mother asked her the cate-
chism as she lay in bed. She sometimes ap-
pears to be in doubt about the condition of her
soul, and when asked whether she thinks that
she is prepared for death, speaks something
doubtfully about it: At other times seems to
have no doubt, but when asked replies yes, with-
out hesitation.
1
In the former part of this great work of God
among us, till it got to its height, we seemed to
be wonderfully smiled upon and blest in all
respects. Satan (as has been already observ-
ed,) 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 extraordi-
nary 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. But
after this it seemed to be otherwise; when this
work of God appeared to be at its greatest
height, a poor weak man that belongs to the
town, being in great spiritual trouble, was hur-
ried with violent temptations to cut his own
throat, and made an attempt, but did not do it
effectually. He after this continued a consid-
erable time exceedingly overwhelmed with mel-
ancholy; but has now of a long time been very
greatly delivered, by the light of God's counte-
nance lifted up upon him, and has expressed a
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
109
great sense of his sin in so far yielding to temp-
tation; and there are in him all hopeful eviden-
ces of his having been made a subject of saving
mercy.
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 understand-
ing, of strict morals, religious in his behaviour,
and an useful, honourable person in the town;
but was of a family that are much prone to the
disease of melancholy, and his mother was kill-
ed with it. He had, from the beginning of this
extraordinary time, been exceedingly concern-
ed about the state of his soul, and there were
some things in his experience, that appeared
very hopefully; but he durst entertain no hope
concerning his own good state. Towards the
latter part of his time, he grew much discour-
aged, and melancholy grew amain upon him,
till he was wholly overpowered by it, and was
in great measure past a capacity of receiving
advice, or being reasoned with to any purpose:
The Devil took the advantage, and drove him
into despairing thoughts. He was kept awake
nights, meditating terror; so that he had scarce
any sleep at all, for a long time together. And
it was observed at last, that he was scarcely
well capable of managing his ordinary business,
and was judged delirious by the coroner's in-
quest. The news of this extraordinarily affect-
10
110
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
ed the minds of the people here, and struck
them as it were with astonishment. 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 dark-
ness, or doubts about the goodness of their state,
nor were under any special trouble or concern
of mind about any thing spiritual or temporal,
yet had it urged upon them, as if somebody had
spoken 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 re-
sist it, and yet no reason suggested to them why
they should do it..
About the same time, there were two remark-
able instances of persons led away with strange,
enthusiastic delusions one at Suffield, anoth-
er at South Hadley. That which has made the
greatest noise in the country was of the man at
South Hadley, whose delusion was, that he
thought himself divinely instructed to direct a
poor man in melancholy and despairing circum-
stances, to say certain words in prayer to God,
as recorded in Psal. cxvi. 4. for his own relief.
The man is esteemed a pious man. I have,
since this error of his, had a particular acquaint-
ance with him; and I believe none would
question his piety, that had had such an ac-
quaintance. He gave me a particular account
of the manner how he was deluded, which is
too long to be here inserted. But in short, he
was exceedingly rejoiced and elevated with this
extraordinary work, so carried on in this part of
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
111
the country; and was possessed with an opin-
ion that it was the beginning of the glorious
times of the Church spoken of in Scripture:
And had read it as the opinion of some di-
vines, that there would be many in these
times that should be endued with extraordinary
gifts of the Holy Ghost, and had embraced the
notion; though he had at first no apprehensions
that any besides ministers would have such gifts.
But he since exceedingly laments the dishon-
our 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 of what they had
before been, (though that remarkable instance
of the little child was after this,) and the Spirit
of God not long after this time, appeared very
sensibly withdrawing from all parts of the coun-
ty; (though we have heard of its going on in
some places of Connecticut, and that it contin-
ues to be carried on even to this day.) But re-
ligion remained here, and I believe in some
other places, the main subject of conversation,
for several months after this. And there were
some turns, wherein God's work seemed some-
thing 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 gen-
eral, engaged, lively spirit in religion, which
had been before. Several things have happen-
ed since, that have diverted people's minds,
and turned their conversation more to others'
affairs, particularly his Excellency, the Govern-
or, coming to this place, and the committee of
112
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
General Court, on the treaty with the Indians;
and afterwards the Springfield controversy; and
since that, our people in this town have been en-
gaged in the building of a new Meeting-house;
and some other occurrences might be mention-
ed, that have seemed to have this effect. But
as to those that have been thought to be con-
verted among us, in this time, they generally
seem to be persons, that 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 that 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 when
they please. Their hearts are often touched,
and sometimes filled, with new sweetnesses and
delights; there seems to be an inward ardour
and burning of heart that they express, the like
to which they never experienced before; some-
times, perhaps, occasioned only by the mention.
of Christ's name, or some one of the divine per-
fections. There are new appetites, and a new
kind of breathings and pantings of heart, and
groanings that cannot be uttered. There is a
new kind of inward labour and struggle of soul
towards heaven and holiness.
Some, that 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
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
113
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 peo-
ple, by their upholding frequent private reli-
gious meetings; and all sorts are generally wor-
shipping God at such meetings, on Sabbath
nights, and in the evening after our public lec-
ture. Many children in the town do still keep
up such meetings among themselves. I know
of no one young person in the town that has re-
turned to former ways or looseness and extrav-
agancy in any respect; but we still remain a re-
formed people, and God has evidently made us
a new people.
I cannot say that there has been no instance
of any one person that has carried himself So, that
others should justly be stumbled concerning his
profession; nor am I so vain as to imagine that
we have not been mistaken concerning any
that we have entertained a good opinion of, or
that there are none pass among us for sheep,
that 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 reli-
gious, but that those that watch for our halting,
may see things in us, whence they may take oc-
casion to reproach us and religion: but in the
main, there has been a great and marvellous
10*
114
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
work of conversion and sanctification among the
people here; and they have paid all due re-
spect to those who have been blest of God to
be the instruments of it. Both old and young
have shown a forwardness to hearken not only
to my counsels, but even to my reproofs from
the pulpit.
A great part of the country have not receiv-
ed the most favourable thoughts of this affair ;
and to this day many retain a jealousy concern-
ing it, and prejudice against it: I have reason
to think that the meanness 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 analogous to 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 immedi-
ate 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 hath it 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, Rev. 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 writ-
ten, it is but a 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
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS.
115
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 necessa-
ry that I should be particular. But I would
leave it entirely to 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 any thing
to the Rev. 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—that 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 Rev.
Dr. Watts and Dr. Guyse took of God's mer-
cies to us, I took occasion to inform our con-
gregation of it in a discourse from these words:
"A city that is set upon a hill cannot be hid."
And having since seen a particular account of
the notice the Rev. Dr. Guyse, and the congre-
gation 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
116
SURPRISING CONVERSIONS,
laboured as much as in me lay to enforce their
duty from it. The congregation were very sen-
sibly moved and affected at both times.
I humbly request of you, Rev. Sir, your pray-
ers, for this county, in its present melancholy
circumstances, into which it is brought by the
Springfield quarrel, which, doubtless, above all
things that have happened, has tended to put a
stop to the glorious work here, and to prejudice
this country against it, and hinder the propa-
gation 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, Nov, 6, 1736.
CONVERSION
}
OF
PRESIDENT EDWARDS.
FROM AN ACCOUNT WRITTEN BY HIMSELF,
I HAD a variety of concerns and exercises
about my soul from my childhood but had two
more remarkable seasons of awakening, before
I met with that change by which I was brought
to those new dispositions, and that new sense of
things, that I have since had. The first time
was when I was a boy, some years before I went
to college, at a time of remarkable awakening
in my father's congregation. I was then very
much affected for many months, and concern-
ed about the things of religion and my soul's
salvation; and was abundant in duties. I used
to pray five times a day in secret, and to spend
much time in religious talk with other boys with
whom I used frequently to meet for prayer. I
experienced I know not what kind of delight in
religion. My mind was much engaged in it,
and had much self-righteous pleasure; and it
was my delight to abound in religious duties.
I joined with some of my schoolmates, and built
118
CONVERSION OF
a booth in a swamp, in a very retired spot, for a
place of prayer. And besides, I had particular
secret places of my own in the woods, where I
used to retire by myself; and was from time to
time much affected. My affections were lively
and easily moved, and I seemed to be in my ele-
ment when engaged in religious duties. And
I am ready to think, many are deceived with
such affections, and such a kind of delight as I
then had in religion, and mistake it for grace.
But in process of time, my convictions and
affections wore off; and I entirely lost all those
affections and delights, and left off secret pray-
er, at least as to any constant performance of it;
and returned like a dog to his vomit, and went
on in the ways of sin. Indeed I was at times
very uneasy, especially towards the latter part.
of my time at college; when it pleased God to
seize me with the pleurisy, in which he brought
me nigh to the grave, and caused me to tremble
over the pit of hell. And yet, it was not long af
ter my recovery before I fell again into my old
ways of sin. But God would not suffer me to
go on with any quietness; I had great and vio-
lent inward struggles, till, after many conflicts
with wicked inclinations, repeated resolutions,
and bonds that I had laid myself under by a
kind of vows to God, I was brought wholly to
break off all former wicked ways, and all ways
of known outward sin; and to apply myself to
seek salvation, and practise many religious du-
ties; but without that kind of affection and de-
light which I had formerly experienced. My
concern now wrought more by inward struggles
and conflicts and self-reflections. I made seek-
PRESIDENT EDWARDS.
119
ing my salvation the main business of my life.
But yet, it seems to me, I sought after a miser-
able manner; which has made me sometimes
since to question, whether ever it issued in that
which was saving; being ready to doubt, wheth-
er such miserable seeking ever succeeded. I
was indeed brought to seek salvation in a man-
ner that I never was before; I felt a spirit to
part with all things in the world, for an inter-
est in Christ. My concern continued and pre-
vailed, with many exercising thoughts and in-
ward struggles; but yet it never seemed to be
proper to express that concern by the name of
terror.
From my childhood up, my mind had been
full of objections against the doctrine of God's
sovereignty, and other distinguishing truths of
the Gospel. This and other doctrines used to
appear like horrible doctrines to me.
But I re-
member the time very well, when I seemed to
be convinced, and fully satisfied with them; yet
never could give an account how, or by what
means, I was thus convinced, not in the least
imagining at the time, nor a long time after,
that there was any extraordinary influence of
God's Spirit in it; but only that now I saw fur-
ther, and my reason apprehended the justice and
reasonableness of them. However, my mind
rested in them; and it put an end to all those
cavils and objections. And there has been a
wonderful alteration in my mind, with respect
to these doctrines, from that day to this; so that
I scarce ever have found so much as the rising
of an objection against them. But I have often,
since that first conviction, had quite another
120
CONVERSION OF
}
kind of sense of these truths than I had then.
I have had not only a conviction, but a delight-
ful conviction. These doctrines have very often
appeared exceedingly pleasant.
The first instance that I remember of that
sort of inward, sweet delight in God and divine
things that I have lived much in since, was on
reading those words, (1 Tim. i. 17.) "Now un-
to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the on-
ly wise God, be honour and glory for ever and
ever, Amen." As I read the words, there came
into my soul, and was as it were diffused through
it, a sense of the glory of the Divine Being; a
new sense, quite different from any thing I ever
experienced before. Never any words of Scrip-
ture seemed to me as these words did. I
thought within myself, how excellent a Being
that is; and how happy I should be, if I might
enjoy him and be taken up to him in heaven,
and be as it were swallowed up in him forever!
I kept saying over these words of Scripture
to myself; and went to pray to God that I
might enjoy him, and prayed in a manner quite
different from what I used to do; with a new
sort of affection. But it never came into my
thoughts, that there was any thing spiritual, or
of a saving nature, in this,
▾
From about that time, I began to have a new
kind of apprehension and idea of Christ, and
the work of redemption, and the glorious way
of salvation by him. An inward, sweet sense
of these things, at times came into my heart ;
and my soul was led away in pleasant views
and contemplations of them. And my mind
was greatly engaged to spend my time in read-
บบ
PRESIDENT EDWARDS.
121
ing and meditating on Christ, on the beauty and
excellency of his person, and the lovely way of
salvation by free grace in him. I found no
books so delightful to me as those that treated of
these subjects. Those words used to be abun-
dantly with me, “I am the Rose of Sharon, and
the Lily of the valleys." Cant. ii. 1. The
words seem to me fitly to represent the loveli-
ness and beauty of Jesus Christ. The whole
book of Canticles used to be pleasant to me,
and I used to be much in reading it about that
time; and found, from time to time, an inward
sweetness, that would carry me away, in my
contemplations. This I know not how to ex-
press otherwise, than by a calmi, delightful ab-
straction of the soul from all the concerns of this
world; and sometimes a kind of vision, or fix-
ed ideas and imaginations, of being alone in the
mountains, or some solitary wilderness, far from
all mankind, sweetly conversing with Christ,
and rapt and swallowed up in God. The sense
I had of divine things, would often of a sudden
kindle up an ardour in my soul, that I know not
how to express.
Not long after I began to experience these
things, I gave an account to my father of some
things that had passed in my mind. I was
much affected by the discourse we had togeth-
er; and when it was ended, I walked abroad
alone, in a solitary place in my father's pasture,
for contemplation. And as I was walking
there, and looking up on the sky and clouds,
there came into my mind a sweet sense of the
glorious majesty and grace of God, that I know
not how to express. I seemed to see them both
**
11
122
CONVERSION OF
1
in a sweet conjunction; majesty and meekness:
joined together; it was a gentle, and holy ma-
jesty; and also a majestic meekness; a high,
and great, and holy gentleness.
After this, my sense of divine things gradual-
ly increased, and became more and more lively,
and had more of that inward sweetness. The
appearance of every thing was altered; there
seemed to be, as it were, a calm, beautiful ap-
pearance of divine glory, in almost every thing,
God's excellency, his wisdom, his purity, and
love, seemed to appear in every thing; in the
sun, moon, and stars; in the clouds and blue
sky; in the grass, flowers, and trees; in the
water and all nature; which used greatly to fix
my mind.
I often used to sit and view the moon
for a long time; and in the day, spent much
time in viewing the clouds and sky, to behold
the glory of God in these things; in the mean
time singing forth, with a low voice, my con-
templations of the Creator and Redeemer.
Scarcely any thing, among all the works of na-
ture, was so delightful to me as thunder and
lightning: formerly, nothing had been so terri-
ble to me. Before, I used to be uncommonly
terrified with thunder, and to be struck with
terror when I saw a thunder storm rising; but
now, on the contrary, it rejoiced me. I felt
God, so to speak, at the first appearance of a
thunder-storm, and used to take the opportuni-
ty at such times, to fix myself in order to view
the clouds and see the lightnings play, and
hear the majestic and awful voice of God's thun-
der, which oftentimes was exceedingly entertain-
ing, leading me to sweet contemplations of my
great and glorious God.
PRESIDENT EDWARDS.
123
66
I felt then great satisfaction, as to my good
state; but that did not content me.
I had ve-
hement longings of soul after God and Christ,
and after more holiness, wherewith my heart
seemed to be full, and ready to break; which
often brought to my mind the words of the Psalm-
ist, (Ps. cxix. 20.) My soul breaketh for the
longing that it hath." I often felt a mourning
and lamenting in my heart, that I had not turned
to God sooner, that I might have had more time
to grow in grace. My mind was greatly fixed on
divine things; I was almost perpetually in the
contemplation of them. I spent most of my
time in thinking of divine things year after year;
often walking alone in the woods and solitary
places, for meditation, soliloquy, and prayer,
and converse with God; and it was always my
manner, at such times, to sing forth my contem-
plations. I was almost constantly in ejaculato-
ry prayer, wherever I was. Prayer seemed to
be natural to me, as the breath by which the in-
ward burnings of my heart had vent. The de-
lights which I now felt in the things of religion,
were of an exceedingly different kind from those
before mentioned, that I had when a boy, and
what I then had no more notion of than one
born blind has of pleasant and beautiful colours.
They were of a more inward, pure, soul-anima-
ting, and refreshing nature. Those former de-
lights never reached the heart, and did not arise
from any sight of the divine excellency of the
things of God, or any taste of the soul-satisfying
and life-giving good there is in them.
My sense of divine things seemed gradually
to increase for about a year and a half, when I
7
}
CONVERSION OF
124
went to preach at New York, and while I was
there, it was raised to a much higher degree
than before. My longings after God and holi-
ness were much increased. Pure, and humble,
holy and heavenly Christianity, appeared ex-
ceedingly amiable to me. I felt an ardent de-
sire to be in every thing a complete Christian,
and conformed to the blessed image of Christ;
and that I might live, in all things, according to
the puré and blessed rules of the Gospel. I had
an eager thirsting after progress in these things;
which put me upon pursuing and pressing after
them. It was my continual strife, day and night,
and constant inquiry, how I should be more holy,
and live more holily, and more becoming a child
of God, and a disciple of Christ. I now sought
an increase of grace and holiness, and a holy
life, with much more earnestness than ever I
sought grace before I had it. I used to be con-
tinually examining myself, and studying and
contriving for likely ways and means, how I
should live holily, with far greater diligence and
earnestness than ever I pursued any thing in
my life; but yet with too great a dependence
on my own strength, which afterwards proved a
great damage to me. My experience had not
then taught me, as it has done since, my extreme
feebleness and impotence, every manner of way,
and the bottomless depths of secret corruption
and deceit there were in my heart. However,
I went on with my eager pursuit after more ho-
liness, and conformity to Christ.
The heaven I desired was a heaven of holi-
ness; to be with God, and to spend my eterni-
ty in divine love, and holy communion with
PRESIDENT EDWARDS.
125
Christ.
with
My mind was very much taken up
contemplations of heaven, and the enjoyments
there, and living there in perfect holiness, hu-
mility, and love; and it used at that time to
appear a great part of the happiness of heaven,
that there the saints could express their love to
Christ. It appeared to me a great clog and
burden, that what I felt within I could not ex-
press as I desired. The inward ardour of my
soul seemed to be hindered and pent up, and
could not freely flame out as it would. I used
often to think how in heaven this principle
should freely and fully vent and express itself.
Heaven appeared exceedingly delightful, as a
world of love. It appeared to me that all hap-
piness consisted in living in pure, humble, heav-
enly, divine love.
I remember the thoughts I used then to have
of holiness, and said sometimes to myself, "I
do certainly know that I love holiness, such as
the Gospel prescribes." It appeared to me, that
there was nothing in it but what was ravishing-
ly lovely; the highest beauty and amiableness:
a divine beauty; far purer than any thing
here upon earth; and that every thing else was
like mire and defilement, in comparison with it.
:
Holiness, as I then wrote down some of my fr
contemplations on it, appeared to me to be of a
sweet, pleasant, charming, serene, calm na-
ture; which brought an inexpressible purity,
brightness, peacefulness, and ravishment to the
soul. In other words, that it made the soul
like a field or garden of God, with all manner of
pleasant flowers; all pleasant, delightful, and
undisturbed; enjoying a sweet calm, and the
11*
126
CONVERSION OF
gentle, vivifying beams of the sun. The soul
of a true Christian, as I then wrote my medita-
tions, appeared like such a little white flower
as we see in the spring of the year; low and
humble on the ground, opening its bosom to re-
ceive the pleasant beams of the sun's glory; re-
joicing, as it were, in a calm rapture; diffus-
ing around a sweet fragrancy; standing peace-
fully and lovingly in the midst of other flowers
round about; all in like manner opening their
bosoms, to drink in the light of the sun.
was no part of creature holiness of which I had
so great a sense of its loveliness, as humility,
brokenness of heart, and poverty of spirit; and
there was nothing that I so earnestly longed for.
My heart panted after this: to lie low before
God, as in the dust; that I might be nothing,
and that God might be ALL; that I might be-
come as a little child.
There
While at New York, I was sometimes much
affected with reflections on my past life, consid-
ering how late it was before I began to be tru-
ly religious; and how wickedly I had lived till
then; and once so as to weep abundantly, and
for a considerable time together.
On January 12, 1723, I made a solemn dedi-
eation of myself to God, and wrote it down; giv-
ing up myself, and all that I had, to God; to be
for the future in no respect my own; to act as
one that had no right to himself, in any respect;
and solemnly vowed to take God for my whole
portion and felicity; looking on nothing else as
any part of my happiness, nor acting as if it
were; and his law for the constant rule of my
obedience; engaging to fight, with all my might,
PRESIDENT EDWARDS.
127
against the world, the flesh, and the devil, to
the end of my life. But I have reason to be
infinitely humbled, when I consider how much
I have failed of answering my obligations.
I had then abundance of sweet religious con-
versation in the family where I lived, with Mr.
John Smith and his pious mother. My heart
was knit in affection to those in whom were ap-
pearances of true piety; and I could bear the
thoughts of no other companions but such as
were holy, and the disciples of the blessed Je-
sus. I had great longings for the advancement
of Christ's kingdom in the world; and my se-
cret prayer used to be, in great part, taken up
in praying for it. If I heard the least hint of
any thing that happened, in any part of the
world, that appeared, in some respect or other,
to have a favourable aspect on the interests of
Christ's kingdom, my soul eagerly catched at it,
and it would much animate and refresh me.
used to be eager to read public newspapers,
mainly for that end, to see if I could not find
some news favourable to the interests of reli-
gion in the world.
I
I very frequently used to retire into a solitary
place, on the bank of Hudson's river, at some
distance from the city, for contemplation on
divine things, and secret converse with God;
and had many delightful hours there. Some-
imes Mr. Smith and I walked there together,
to converse on the things of God; and our con-
versation used to turn much on the advance-
nent of Christ's kingdom in the world, and the
glorious things that God would accomplish for
his church in the latter days. I had then, and
".
11**
128
CONVERSION OF
at other times, the greatest delight in the holy
Scriptures, of any book whatsoever. Often-
times, in reading it, every word seemed to touch
my heart. I felt harmony between something
in my heart and those sweet and powerful words.
I seemed often to see so much light exhibited
by every sentence, and such a refreshing food
communicated, that I could not get along in
reading; often dwelling long on one sentence,
to see the wonders contained in it; and yet al-
most every sentence seemed to be full of won-
ders.
I came away from New York in the month of
April, 1723, and had a most bitter parting with
Mrs. Smith and her son. My heart seemed to
sink within me at leaving a family and city,.
where I had enjoyed so many sweet and pleasant
days. I went from New York to Wethers--
field by water, and as I sailed away, I kept sight
of the city as long as I could. However, that
night, after this sorrowful parting, I was greatly
comforted in God at Westchester, where we
went ashore to lodge, and had a pleasant time
of it all the voyage to Saybrook. It was sweet
to me to think of meeting dear Christians in
heaven, where we should never part more.
Saybrook, we went ashore to lodge on Saturday,
and there kept the Sabbath, where I had a sweet
and refreshing season, walking alone in the fields..
At
After I came home to Windsor, I remained'
much in a like frame of mind as when at New-
York, only sometimes I felt my heart ready to
sink with the thoughts of my friends at New~
York. My support was in contemplations on
the heavenly state, as I find in my Diary of
PRESIDENT EDWARDS.
129
May 1, 1723. It was a comfort to think of that
state where there is fulness of joy; where reigns
heavenly, calm, and delightful love without al-
loy; where there are continually the dearest ex-
pressions of this love; where is the enjoyment
of the persons loved, without ever parting;
where those persons, who appear so lovely in this
world, will really be inexpressibly more lovely
and full of love to us. And how will the mutu-
al lovers join together to sing the praises of God
and the Lamb! How will it fill us with rapture
to think that this enjoyment, these sweet exer-
cises, will never cease, but will last to all eter-
nity! I continued much in the same frame, in
general, as when at New York, till I went to
New-Haven as tutor of the college, having one
season of special enjoyment at Bolton, on a jour-
ney from Boston, while walking out alone in
the fields. After I went to New-Haven I sunk
in religion, my mind being diverted from my
eager pursuits after holiness, by some affairs that
greatly perplexed and distracted my thoughts.
In September 1725, I was taken ill at New-
Haven, and while endeavouring to go home to
Windsor, was so ill at the North Village, that I
could go no further, where I lay sick for about
à quarter of a year. In this sickness, God was ›
pleased to visit me again with the sweet influ-
ences of his Spirit. My mind was greatly en-
gaged there in divine, pleasant contemplations,
and longings of soul. I observed that those
who watched with me, would often be looking
out wishfully for the morning, which brought to
my mind those words of the Pslamist, and which
my soul, with delight, made its own language,
130
1
CONVERSION OF
"My soul waiteth for the Lord, more than they
that watch for the morning; I say, more than
they that watch for the morning;" and when
the light of day came in at the windows, it re-
freshed my soul from one morning to another.
It seemed to be some image of the light of God's
glory.
I remember, about that time, I used greatly to
long for the conversion of some that I was con-
cerned with; I could gladly honour them, and
with delight be a servant to them, and lie at
their feet, if they were but truly holy. But,
some time after this, I was again greatly divert-
ed in my mind with some temporal concerns
that exceedingly took up my thoughts, greatly to
the wounding of my soul, and went on through
various exercises, that it would be tedious to re-
late, which gave me much more experience of
my own heart than ever I had before.
Since I came to this town,* I have often had
sweet complacency in God, in views of his glo-
rious perfections, and the excellency of Jesus
Christ. God has appeared to me a glorious and
lovely being, chiefly on the account of his holi-
ness. The holiness of God has always appeared
to me the most lovely of all his attributes. The
doctrines of God's sovereignty and free grace,
and man's absolute dependence on the operations
of God's Holy Spirit, have very often appeared
to me as glorious doctrines. These doctrines
have been much my delight. God's sovereign-
ty has ever appeared to me a great part of his
glory. It has often been my delight to approach
*Northampton.
PRESIDENT EDWARDS.
131
God, and adore him as a sovereign God, and
ask sovereign mercy of him.
I have loved the doctrines of the Gospel; they
have been to my soul like green pastures. The
Gospel has seemed to me the richest treas-
ure; the treasure that I have most desired, and
longed that it might dwell richly in me. The
way of salvation by Christ has appeared glorious
and excellent, most pleasant and most beautiful.
It has often seemed to me that it would in a
great measure spoil heaven, to receive it in any
other way. That text has often been affecting
and delightful to me, (Isa. xxxii. 2.) “A man
shall be a hiding place from the wind, and a
covert from the tempest," &c.
66
It has often appeared to me delightful to be
united to Christ; to have him for my head, and
to be a member of his body; also to have Christ
for my teacher and prophet. I very often think,
with longings and pantings of soul, of being a
little child, taking hold of Christ to be led by
him through the wilderness of this world. That
text, (Matt. xviii. 3.) has often been sweet to
me, “Except ye be converted and become as lit-
tle children," &c. I love to think of coming to
Christ, to receive salvation of him, poor in spir-
it, and quite empty of self, humbly exalting him
alone; cut off entirely from my own root, in or-
der to grow into, and out of Christ; to have God
in Christ to be all in all; and to live by faith
on the Son of God, a life of humble, unfeigned
confidence in him. That Scripture has often
been sweet to me, (Psl. cxv. 1.)" Not unto us,
O Lord, not unto us, but to thy name give glory,
for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake." And
132
CONVERSION OF
those words of Christ, (Luke x. 21.) “In that
hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank
thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that
thou hast hid these things from the wise and pru-
dent, and hast revealed them unto babes : even so,
Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight."
That sovereignty of God which Christ rejoiced
in, seemed to me worthy of such joy; and that
rejoicing seemed to show the excellency of
Christ, and of what spirit he was.
Sometimes, only mentioning a single word,
causes my heart to burn within me; or only
seeing the name of Christ, or the name of some
attribute of God. And God has appeared glori-
ous to me on account of the Trinity. It has
made me have exalting thoughts of God, that
he subsists in three persons: Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost. The sweetest joys and delights I
have experienced, have been in a direct view of
the glorious things of the Gospel. When I en-
joy this sweetness, it seems to carry me above
the thoughts of myself. Though I have habit-
ual peace and joy in believing, yet it seems at
such times a loss that I cannot bear, to take off
my eye from the glorious, pleasant object I be-
hold without me, to turn my eye in upon my-
self, and my own good state.
My heart has been much on the advancement
of Christ's kingdom in the world. The histo-
ries of the past advancement of Christ's king-
dom have been to me a cause of rejoicing.
When I have read histories of past ages, the
pleasantest thing in all my reading has been to
read of the kingdom of Christ being promoted.
And when I have expected, in my reading, to
PRESIDENT EDWARDS.
133
come to any such thing, I have rejoiced in the
prospect all the way as I read. And my mind
has been much entertained and delighted with
the Scripture promises and prophecies which
relate to the future glorious advancement of
Christ's kingdom upon earth.
1 have sometimes had a sense of the excel-
lent fulness of Christ, and his meetness and
suitableness as a Saviour; whereby he has ap-
peared to me, far above all, the chief of ten
thousands. His blood and atonement have ap-
peared precious, and his righteousness precious;
which was always accompanied with ardency of
spirit, and inward strugglings, and breathings,
and groanings, that cannot be uttered, to be
emptied of myself, and swallowed up in Christ.
·
Once as I rode out into the woods for my
health, in 1737, having alighted from my horse
in a retired place, as my manner commonly has
been, to walk for divine contemplation and
prayer, I had a view that for me was extraordi-
nary, of the glory of the Son of God, as Media-
tor between God and man, and his wonderful,
great, full, pure, and precious grace and love,
and meek and gentle condescension. This
grace, that appeared so calm and sweet, appear-
ed also great above the heavens. The person
of Christ appeared ineffably excellent with an
excellency great enough to swallow up all
thought and conception. This view continued,
as near as I can judge, about an hour, and
kept me the greater part of the time in a flood
of tears, weeping aloud, I felt an ardency of
soul to be, what I know not otherwise how
to express, emptied of self, to lie in the dust,
1
CONVERSION OF
and to be full of Christ alone; to love him with
a holy and pure love; to trust in him; to live
upon him; to serve and follow him, and to be
perfectly sanctified and made pure, with a di-
vine and heavenly purity. I have, several oth
er times, had views very much of the same na-
ture, and which have had the same effects.
I have many times had a sense of the glory of
the third person in the Trinity, in his office of
Sanctifier; in his holy operations, communica-
ting divine light and life to the soul. God, in
the communications of his Holy Spirit, has ap-
peared as an infinite fountain of divine glory.
and loveliness, being full, and sufficient to fill
and satisfy the soul; pouring forth itself in
sweet communications; like the sun in its glo-
ry, pleasantly diffusing light and life. And I
have sometimes had an affecting sense of the ex-
cellency of the word of God, as a word of life;
as the light of life; a sweet, excellent, life-giv-
ing word; accompanied with a thirsting after
that word, that it might dwell richly in my heart.
Often since I lived in this town, I have had
very affecting views of my own sinfulness and
vileness; very frequently to such a degree as
to keep me in a kind of loud weeping, some-
times for a considerable time together; so that
I have often been forced to shut myself up.
Though I trust the wonderful grace of God has
made me differ from my former self, and fröm
a world that lieth in wickedness, I have had a
vastly greater sense of my own sinfulness, and
the badness of my heart, than ever I had before
my conversion. I know it was a sink of ini-
quity before, but alas! I did not see it. It has
PRESIDENT EDWARDS.
135
often appeared to me, that if God should mark
iniquity against me, I should appear the chief)
of sinners, and that my place would be in hell.
When others, that have come to talk with me
about the concerns of their soul, have express-
ed the sense they have had of their own wick-
edness, I thought their expressions seemed ex-
ceedingly faint and feeble to represent my sin-
fulness.
My sinfulness, as I am in myself, has long
appeared to me perfectly ineffable, and swal-
lowing up all thought and imagination; like an
infinite deluge, or mountains over my head. I
know not how to express better what my sins
appear to me to be, than by heaping infinite up-
on infinite, and multiplying infinite by infinite.
Very often, for these many years, these ex-
pressions are in my mind, and in my mouth,
Infinite upon infinite, Infinite upon infi-
nite!" When I look into my heart, and take a
view of my sinfulness, it looks like an abyss
deeper than hell. And it appears to me, that
were it not for free grace, exalted and raised up
to the infinite height of all the fullness and glo-
ry of the great Jehovah, and the arm of his
power and grace stretched forth in all the ma-
jesty of his power, and in all the glory of his
sovereignty, I should appear sunk down in my
sins, far beyond the sight of every thing but
the eye of that grace which can pierce even
down to such a depth. And yet, when I have
had turns of weeping and crying for my sins, I
thought I knew at the time that my repentance
was nothing to my sin.
I have greatly longed of late for a broken
136
CONVERSION OF
heart, and to lie low before God; and, when I
ask for humility, I cannot bear the thoughts of
being no more humble than other Christians. It
seems to me, that though their degrees of humili-
ty may be suitable for them, yet it would be a
vile self-exaltation in me not to be the lowest in
humility of all mankind. Others speak of their
longing to be "humbled to the dust;" that may
be a proper expression for them; but I always
think of myself, that I ought, and it is an ex-
pression that has long been natural for me to
use in prayer, "to lie infinitely low before God."
And it is affecting to think how ignorant I was,
when a young Christian, of the depths of wick-
edness, pride, hypocrisy, and deceit, left in my
heart.
I have a much greater sense of my universal,
exceeding dependence on God's grace and
strength, of late, than I used formerly to have;
and have experienced more of an abhorrence of
my own righteousness. And yet I am greatly
afflicted with a proud and self-righteous spirit,
much more sensibly than I used to be formerly.
I see that serpent rising and putting forth its
head continually, every where, all around me.
Though it seems to me that, in some respects,
I was a far better Christian, for two or three
years after my first conversion, than I am now,
and lived in a more constant delight and pleas-
ure, yet, of late years, I have had a more full
and constant sense of the sovereignty of God,
and a delight in his righteous government, and
have had more of a sense of the glory of Christ,
as a Mediator revealed in the Gospel. On one
Saturday night, in particular, I had such a dis-
PRESIDENT EDWARDS.
137
A
covery of the excellency of the Gospel above all
other doctrines, that I could not but say to my-
self, "This is my chosen light, my chosen doc-
trine;" and of Christ, "This is my chosen
Prophet." It appeared sweet, beyond all ex-
pression, to follow Christ, and to be taught, and
enlightened, and instructed by him; to learn
of him, and to live to him. Another Saturday
night, (January, 1739,) I had such a sense of
the blessedness of walking in the way of duty;
of doing that which is right and meet to be
done, and agreeable to the holy mind of God,
that it caused me to break forth into a kind of
loud weeping for a long time, so that I was
forced to shut myself up, and fasten the doors.
I could not but, as it were, cry out, "How happy
are they which do that which is right in the
sight of God! They are blessed indeed; they
are the happy ones!" I had, at the same time,
a very affecting sense, how meet and suitable it
is that God should govern the world, and order
all things according to his own pleasure; and
I rejoiced in it, that God reigns, and that his
will is done.
NOTE. President Edwards was born at Windsor,
Con. Oct. 5, 1703; graduated at Yale College, Sept.
1720; preached in New York eight months in 1722-3;
was appointed tutor at Yale College, Sept. 1724; or-
dained at Northampton, Mass. Feb. 15, 1727; dismis-
sed, June 22, 1750; stationed as a Missionary to the
Indians at Stockbridge, Aug. 1751, where he wrote his
Treatise on the Will; elected President of New-Jersey
College, Oct. 1757; died, March, 1758, aged 54. The
above account of his religious exercises was found
among his papers at his death, and is supposed to have
been written at Northampton, when he was about
forty years of age, for his own private advantage.
12
TESTIMONY
OF THE
REV. MR. COOPER, IN FAVOUR OF REVIVALS.
IN September, 1741, at the Commencement at New-
Haven, President Edwards published his much admir-
ed Sermon, entitled, "Distinguishing Marks of a Work
of the Spirit of God." The Ministers and distinguished
gentlemen present requested the discourse for the press,
and in the November following it was published, with
a recommendatory Preface by Mr. Cooper, of Boston,
then Minister in Brattle-street. The following passa-
ges are from this Preface, which evidently show Mr.
Cooper's favourable opinion of Revivals of Religion.
"He
"This work is truly extraordinary in respect of its
extent. It is more or less in the several provinces that
measure many hundred miles on this continent.
sendeth forth his commandment on earth; his word
runneth very swiftly." It has entered and spread in
some of the most populous towns, the chief places of
concourse and business. And blessed be God!
it has visited the seats of learning, both here, and in a
neighbouring colony. O may the Holy Spirit constant-
ly reside in them both, seize our devoted youth, and
form them as polished shafts successfully to fight the
Lord's battles against the powers of darkness, when
they shall be called out to service! It is extraordi-
nary also with respect to the numbers that have been
the subjects of this operation. Stupid sinners have
been awakened by hundreds; and the inquiry has
been general in some places, "What must I do to
be saved?" I verily believe, that in this our metrop-
TESTIMONY OF MR. COOPER.
139
olis, there were the last winter some thousands under
such religious impressions as they never felt before.
The work has been remarkable also for the various.
sorts of persons that have been under its influence.
These have been of all ages. Some elderly persons
have been snatched as brands out of the burning, made
monuments of divine mercy, and born to God, though
out of due time: as the apostle speaks in his own case.
(1 Cor. xv.) But here, with us, it has lain mostly
among the young. Sprightly youth have been made
to bow like willows to the Redeemer's sceptre, and
willingly to subscribe with their own hands to the
Lord. And out of the mouths of babes, some little
children, has God ordained to himself praise, to still
the enemy and the avenger. They have also been
of all ranks and degrees. Some of the great and rich;
but more of the low and poor. Of other countries
and nations. Ethiopia has stretched out her hand:
Some poor Negroes have, I trust, been brought into
the glorious liberty of the children of God. Of all
qualities and conditions. The most ignorant; the
foolish things of the world, babes in knowledge, have
been made wise unto salvation, and taught those heav-
enly truths, which have been hid from the wise and
prudent. Some of the learned and knowing among
men, have had those things revealed to them of
the Father in heaven, which flesh and blood do not
teach: And of these, some, who had gone into the
modern notions, and had no other than the Polite Re-
ligion of the present times, have had their prejudices
conquered, their carnal reasonings overcome, and their
understandings made to bow to gospel mysteries; they
now receive the truth as it is in Jesus, and their faith
no longer "stands in the wisdom of man, but in the
power of God." Some of the most rude and disorder-
Îy are become regular in their behaviour, and sober in
all things. The gay and airy are become grave and
serious.
Some of the greatest sinners have appeared to be
turned into real saints: Drunkards have become tem-
perate Fornicators and adulterers of a chaste conver-
sation; swearers and profane persons have learned to
fear that glorious and fearful Name, THE LORD their
140
TESTIMONY OF MR. COOPER.
GOD and carnal worldlings have been made to seck
first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Yea,
deriders and scoffers at this work and its instruments,
have come under its conquering power. Some of this
stamp, who have gone to hear the preacher, (as some
did Paul "What will this babbler say?") have not
been able to resist the power and the Spirit with which
he spake; have sat trembling under the word, and
gone away from it weeping; and afterward did cleave
unto the preacher, as Dionysius the Areopagite did,
unto Paul. (Acts xvii. 18, 34.) Divers instances of
this kind have fallen under my knowledge.
The virtuous and civil have been convinced that Mo-
rality is not to be relied on for life; and so excited to
seek after the new birth and a vital union to Jesus
Christ by faith. The formal professor likewise has
been awakened out of his dead formalities; brought un-
der the power of godliness; taken off from his false
rests, and brought to build his hope only on the Medi-
ator's righteousness. At the same time, many of the
children of God have been greatly quickened and re-
freshed; have been awakened out of the sleeping
frames they were fallen into, and excited to give dili-
gence to make their calling and election sure; and
have had precious, reviving, and sealing times. Thus
extensive and general the divine influence has been at
this glorious season.

FINIS

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10 PT ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz;:",./?$0123456789
Times Roman
4 PT
6 PT
8 PT
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10 PT ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz;:",./?$0123456789
4 PT
6 PT
8 PT
Century Schoolbook Bold
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10 PT ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz;:",./?$0123456789
4 PT
6 PT
News Gothic Bold Reversed
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8 PT ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz;:",./?$0123456789
10 PT ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz;:",./?$0123456789
4 PT
6 PT
8 PT
Bodoni Italic
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10 PT ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz;:",./?$0123456789
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A4 Page 6543210
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ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, ONE LOMB
PRODUCED BY GRAPHIC ARTS RESEARCH CENTER