an hiding place from the wind, | fruitful, be comforted and refreshand a covert from the tempefted as with gentle dews and showas rivers of water in a dry place, ers, as with ftreams and rivers of as the shadow of a great rock in a water. As this principle of life weary land.* Pardon, deliver- within fhall never fail, but be ance from wrath, fanctification, fpringing up, in the holy tendenpeace with God and in his own cies of his heart and conduct, into foul, communion with Chrift in everlafting life, until his holy his word and ordinances, affurance fruits and joys terminate in fulness of his love and the hopes of glory, of joy and pleasures for ever more; are far more welcome to the be- fo it will be to him as fireams and liever than cold waters, ftreams rivers whofe waters never fail. and rivers to the thirfly traveller in a land of drought and heat, Thefe are the fweet fruits of faith to the believer himfelf. Being juftified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jefus Chrift, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. The peace of God which paffeth underflanding keeps the hearts of the faints. It is the promife of the faithful Saviour, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, peither let it be afraid.+ In the exercises of faith the believer has always communion with God. And truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his fon Jefus Chrift. In believing, eternal life commences in the foul. The good feed is fown in good ground, and will fpring up and bear fruit, fome thirty, fome fixty and fome an hundred fold. The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and righteoufnefs, and truth. Thus out of the Chriftian fhall flow rivers of living water as it refpects himfelf. He will be washed as with fountains and ftreams of water, that he may be without fpot, or wrinkle, or any fuch thing. He will be made * Ifaiah xxxii. 2. Further, out of the faints fhall flow rivers of falutary and life giv ing waters to others. Ey their faith and good works they are the falt of the earth, and the light of the world. They prevent its total darknefs and corruption, and render it luminous and favoury. By their doctrines, heavenly converfation, and examples, they inftrumentally feafon it with piety and righteoufnefs. Their inftructions, prayers, counfels and influence make others holy and happy. Others, beholding their good works, glorify their Father who is in heaven. Faithful parents, who devote their children to God according to his inftitution, inftruct and pray with them abundantly, reftrain them from fin, and wicked company, and fo train them up in the way in which they fhould go, are more beneficial to them than rivers of water, or ftreams from Lebanon. By God's bleffing, they make them ufeful, pious, pure and bleffed. They may be the means of God's keeping covenant with their pofterity unto a thousand generations. Their children thus educated may become the ornaments of the churches, pillars in the houfe of God, pillars of the earth, upon whom the Lord fhall fet the government of the world.f § 1 Sam. ii. 8. * How useful and refreshing may they | beauty, ftrength and opulence to the most renowned cities? Where thefe waters come the fick are healed and the dead live. How much better are these waters of Ifrael than Abana and Pharpar and all the waters of Damafcus? When the rivers fhall be dried away, and there fhall be no more fea, when the fun and ftars fhall fhine no more, these waters fhall increase their sweetness, rife higher and higher, and flow more extenfively for ever and ever. How bleffed is the believer? His fruit fhall never fail; he shall never come into condemnation. How rich is the grace bestowed upon him? How immenfe are his obligations to gratitude, praise and new obedience? How fhould the faints take courage and be com forted, and all the children of Zion be glad in their King? (To be continued.) be to the churches, to the commonwealth, and to all good men! How happy are the effects of peace-makers, of righteous, prayerful, orderly, wife and charitable men? How falutary are their counfels and prayers, how refreshing their charity and alms deeds? When they warm the naked with the fleece of their flocks, feed the hungry from their tables, vifit the widow and the fatherless in their affliction, and with good words and good deeds make the hearts of the poor, the fick, the father lefs, and widow to fing for joy? When by refreshing the bowels of the faints they caufe many thankfgivings to redound to the name of the Lord! How far and wide do those refreshing waters flow forth, when by their charity and care, their labor and influence, the gof pel is preached to the poor in diftant countries and settlements, and fouls are born, and churches gathered unto the Lord Jefus? When by their means the gospel is fent to the heathen, and the dark places of the earth are illumined with the light of life, and the regions of death are peopled with Chriftians rejoicing in the name of the Lord? How falutary and refreshing are paftors after God's heart, who feed his people with knowledge and understanding, and are a favour of life unto life unto im, mortal fouls? Who turn finners from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God? Who perfect the faints and edifyN the fociety of New-Canaan, the body of Chrift? Such are the waters which flow forth from those who believe in the Lord Jefus Chrift. How much more ufe ful and refreshing are they, than rivers which pour their waters through extenfive countries, fertilize a thousand meads, and give s TO THE EDITORS OF THE CON- GAZINE. REV. GENTLEMEN, AS it is your manifest desire to receive what religious information any can afford, and fince accounts, of the outpouring of God's fpirit never fail to gladden the hearts of his children, no one needs an apology for tranfmitting you accounts of this kind, even though the work be not in the immediate place of his refidence. I Columbia county, ftate of New-York, there has been experienced a confiderable degree of the fpecial influences of divine grace. As it is a fociety deftitute of a ftated minifter, and fince he who fends you thefe lines was more particularly acquainted with the circumftances than any other preacher; being alfe now fettled in an adjoining parifh, he is requefted to write you an account of the work. As I was converfing one evening on religious fubjects, in the family where I lodged, a young lady belonging to the family handed me a bible, pointing to this text, wifhing me to preach from it, Pfalm xxv. 16. Turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me, for I am defolate and afflicted. A few general remarks were made in reply; and an opportunity was taken, the next day, to learn what this unexpected incident appeared to indi. feelings of difcouragement, and my view of being useless, led me to contemplate leaving them; although I had given encouragement of tarrying a number of In the month of November, weeks longer. The Sabbath fol. 1800, I was paffing through the lowing I felt fome more encour place above mentioned, and from aged. Perhaps there were twice the influence of a neighboring as many as attended the other two minifter, received an application to Sabbaths. About this number return and supply them a few continued till my term expired. Sabbaths. Accordingly I re- And "bleffed be God!" notturned. On learning their relig-withftanding all this darkness, ious ftate, it appeared that they fome rays of light had then begun had formerly enjoyed the stated to appear. The operation of the administration of the gofpel; but fpirit of God was visible in two had then been deftitute about or three inftances. three years. During this term they had been fupplied with preaching but a fmall part of the time. Even the form of religion was now scarcely visible among them. It is true, there was the remains of a church, wherein were nine male members, and a few more than that number of females. Still, it would admit of a doubt whether it were any honor to the cause of religion to say there was a church in the place. When I firft drew near the houfe of worfhip, I beheld from its forlorn appearance an affecting comment on that paffage of the prophecy of Ifaiah where he fpeaks of "a great forfaking in the midst of the land." The words of the prophet were alfo no lefs applicable when the people were convened. Between twenty and thirty perfons compofed the whole affembly. As I came directly from a place in which people were quite attentive to divine worship, and having had but a few weeks experience in the trying work of preaching the gof. | pel, I returned to my quarters with a heavy heart. The next Sabbath prefented much the fame fcene. The number was very nearly the fame. At this time my Accordingly, it was found, that two Sabbaths previously to this, which was the fecond of my preaching in the fociety, fuch impreffions were made upon her mind as it was impoffible forher to erafe; and which had been continually increafing. Soon after this, another young lady, refiding in the fame family, appeared to be fpecially awakened. In the courfe of a few days, the first received a happy relief through a crucified Saviour. On the Sabbath-evening previoufly to my leaving the place, a queftion was afked a young gentleman belonging to the family, to this import; whether he would deem it juft fhould God now make him eternally miferable? He answered, had alfo frequent lectures, by a candidate from an adjoining par that he must confefs he could not realize the juftice of it. At this the young lady who was mention-ish; whofe labors among them ed as being laft awakened, broke appeared to be accompanied with forth into a strain of aftonishment, divine power upon the hearts of a and addreffed him thus: How can number. In the first part of this you think fuch vile worms as we feason, a number of the church do not deferve to be in hell for ever! appeared to be quickened, fo that It was then inquired, whether fhe the ordinance of the fupper was had not, of late, experienced a administered; which for a long particular change in her feelings? time had been greatly neglected. She observed that he had: and At this period, three young perthen related, that very early in the fons, who were the first that remorning, after a diftreffed night, ceived a hopeful change, came light from the Lord fhone moft forward and made public profefaftonishingly into her foul; that fion of their faith. This was her views of God and the Saviour a mean of striking the minds were fuch as the could not exprefs. of a number of other youth, as "This day," faid fhe," was the afterwards appeared. Though first time I ever heard preaching. in the fummer there were not maThis has been a new day to me. ny inftances of awakening, in I never properly heard a fermon the autumn, there was a more retill to day." The next morning freshing fhower of divine grace I left the fociety; perceiving that than had been before experienced. the people in general were ftill re- The afpect of the principal young markably indifferent with regard to people was now remarkably chaneither attending on preaching, or ged. Youthful amusements, to contributing to its fupport. This which they were before greatly was in December. I had fupplied attached, were now entirely dif them five Sabbaths. continued. As the work firft began among the youth, it appeared chiefly to continue among them. Thofe who were leaders in vanity feemed to be first arrefted. The next fpring, being called to fupply in a neighboring parish, I vifited this people; and found one more inftance of hopeful converfion. There appeared alfo, one or two inftances of awakening, which commenced fome time before. A number of new inftances of ferious thoughtfulnefs were likewife now feen. I learnt, that | through the winter, they had been deftitute of any stated preaching. The people were at this time engaged in repairing their meeting houfe. And their houfe being not finished till fall, they engaged no fupply through the fummer. During this feafon, they were, however, favored with preaching a number of Sabbaths by neighboring minifters. They Their meeting house being now finished, the pulpit was fupplied, for the moft part through the winter. I was told, that from the close of the autumn to the abatement of winter, the people appeared folemn and attentive, but new inftances of awakening were but few. Early in the fol lowing fpring, which was 1802, there appeared another moft fpecial refreshing. This feemed to fpread the gofpel net ftill more extenfively. Some of every clafs were by this time the subjects of the work. The number of con ferences were now increafed, and | more fully attended than ever they had before been. Providence fo appointed it, that foon after this refreshing commenced, I fupplied them a number of Sabbaths. Oh! how astonishing the contraft, in the appearance at this time on the Lord's day, from that which was exhibited when I firft preached in the place. There was now a decent houfe, thronged with a | numerous and folemn audience. A number of heads of families had become sharers in these bleffed effects; and consequently,the fmall number of praying families were happily increafed. In addition to the conferences which were then attended, the young people appointed one to be regarded weekly; which was ftatedly attended by a very good number, and which now ftill continues. In the courfe of the fummer, new inftances of awakening were feldom; and it no more increased. There is, however, ftill evidence that the Lord has been there, and that he hath fet apart a number for himself. Fifty-four have been added to the church. Of thefe, thirty were young unmarried people. A number of the others were perfons in quite the early part of life. The writer wishes that the youth would reflect on this with peculiar attention. You fee that it is in the morning God generally calls his laborers into the vineyard. A few circumftances may be added, evincing the peculiar grace and fovereignty of God in this .work. Some families appear to be almoft wholly taken; and others altogether left. In fome cafes, only one individual was taken from a neighborhood. One family, in which there were three young men, was remarkably vifit ed. At first, the mind of one of the young men was arrested; which appeared to diffeminate through the family, till each of the three, and both the parents, were the hopeful fubjects of regenerating grace. Formerly, this family were quite neglectful of divine things; and were remarkably engaged in purfuit of perishable wealth; but now, on communion days, all the adult members are feen commemorating a crucified Saviour. In another family, there are five young people, four fifters and a brother, all of whom have hopefully become pious. About the close of the vifible awakening, I was called to attend the funeral of one of the late converts; who was a young lady a-. bout feventeen years of age. On the Sabbath preceding her death, which was ten weeks after the had publicly joined herself to the church, fhe was at meeting taking an active part with the fingers. Though her conftitution had ever been infirm, fhe then enjoyed ufual health. On Friday following, the was entombed in the filent grave. One year previous to this, divine revelation was almoft entirely neglected in the family. The vile invectives of Thomas Paine were believed and read, by the head of the family, to the utter exclufion of God's revealed word. But, in the course of the preceding feafon, Jehovah was fo gracious as to fend his Spirit, which banished infidelity from their dwelling, and hopefully renewed the hearts of both the parents, as well as their child. Hereby they were prepared to part with a dear and first born member of their family; and through divine grace, their child alfo was hopefully prepared to part with her parents, leaving them to mourn, not without hope, either |