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to this, been omitted. But now a finners, through the righteousness brighter dawn advanced, four young of Chrift, and that all who are conperfons appeared under convic-demned and perifh, fuffer the just tion, and we earnestly hoped that demerit of their fins, from the foon the fun of righteoufnefs in all hand of a righteous fovereign. his glory would rife on us with Thefe, with other things, calculahealing in his wings. The church ted to perfuade men to accept of had feveral meetings for fpecial Chrift on the terms of the gofpel, prayer, and we trust their prayers and to fearch and try the profefwere heard. A general feriouf; for, and to detect the hypocrite, nefs on the face of the congrega- and give comfort to the believer, tion began now to appear, and have been again and again brought people more than ever to attend into view in our conferences. punctually to public worship. Great folemnity now prevailed, and the enquiry, what fhall I do to be faved began to be a matter of perfonal concern. In the mean time, fome were hopefully converted, who were made use of as in ftruments of great good to others. They could fay to their fellow finners, as the woman of Samaria once did to the men of the city; "Come fee a man that told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Chrift?" Our conferences now began to be crouded, and a much greater freedom in religious converfation obtained. Important religious fubjects were introduced and freely difcuffed-among which were the following: the nature of the divine law, its extent, purity, and fpirituality;human depravity; moral impotency and its criminality; the nature and neceffity of fpecial grace in regeneration; the importance of daily prayer; of fully fearching the holy fcriptures, and of heart examination; the duty of immediately loving God with all the heart, and the criminality of neglecting thus to do; the nature and criminality of felfishness; the nature and happy tendency of benevolence or difinterefted affection; the fovereignty and riches of divine grace; that all who are faved, are faved as poor miferable

In the courfe of the last summer and autumn, the out pouring of God's fpirit was very special in this fettlement. Since the awak ening firft began, fifty-fix new members have been added to the church; twenty-nine of whom were admitted on Lord's day, 2d of August laft; when it was judged that our affembly of people met for religious worship was about eight or nine hundred; this was a day of great rejoicing with Zion's friends. About eighty have given hopeful evidence of having experienced a faving change fince the awakening firft began, all of whom appear to come very fully into a belief of the doctrines of grace. Of thefe, fome may be ftoney-ground-hearers, as yet however, they hold out well, though fome, who neglect to profess Christ before men, appear not to have fo favorable an opinion of themselves as their Chriftian friends have of them; but it is to be hoped, they will at last be found among the number of Chrift's true followers.

God has had mercy on whom he would have mercy, and perfons from between fifty and fixty years old, down to the age of about fifteen, have been made the hopeful fubjects of this great work. God has moft mercifully preferved us from all appearances of enthufiafm. Though the word has

been like the hammer and the fire to break in pieces the rock, yet the work has not been with noife and tumult. The new converts appear to ground their hopes of a change of heart on the fenfible evidence they have within themselves, that they have a new taste, a relish for holinefs, and a reconciliation to the gospel method of falvation in and through Jefus Chrift. At prefent our conference meetings continue; but our number of attendants is much fmaller than it has been. We hope, however, there are fome who are yet earneftly enquiring what they shall do to be faved. What has taken place among us, is we truft, the Lord's doings and it is wonderful in our eyes. The Lord is in this way, lifting up a standard against the enemy who is coming into our land like a flood. Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King, and in him put their truft.

I remain, Gentlemen, with efteem, your brother in the best bonds,

JESSE TOWNSEND.

April 12, 1802.

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dangerous diforder found him wholly unprepared for the folema fcene, to which, it finally brought him. He was, therefore, much alarmed, and constrained to cry to God for mercy. After the first attack of his diforder, alternate hopes and fears were entertained refpecting his recovery, and the agitation of his mind, in fome meafure, abated, and gave him opportunity, for deliberate reflection and enquiry. At first, and through the course of his fickness, until his hopeful change a few days before his death, he was rather referved in fpeaking on his religious ftate and profpects. Still, howev er, he fully intimated his wifh tơ hear and be inftructed, and to enjoy the prayers of Christian friends. By words and other figns he gave the most unequivocal proof, that, from the beginning of his fickness, he was wounded, not only in body, but in fpirit-that his foul was exercifed with fear, anxiety and distress. Moft commonly when hearing difcourfe on the nature and importance of religion, tho' his tongue was filent, tears could be perceived freely flowing from his eyes. At a time in the early part of his fickness, (on a day when and fome hopes of his life were enhis fymptoms were more favorable, tertained) as it was obferved to him, that whether he were to recover of his present illness or to die, it made little difference as to the importance of attending to the concerns of his foul, that it became him in his prefent fituation to make it his highest concern to be prepared to die, he replied with great earneftnefs, "That is all I care for," and burst into a flood of tears which quite overcame him. He fully intimated that he was more concerned for his foul than for his body. Until

that he now felt willing to die ; that he had been thinking of the goodness of God to him all his days, and it appeared most wonderful and glorious, as it never appeared before, ftrongly and repeatedly expreffing his admiration and love. At the fame time, in connection with this view of the goodnefs of God, he expreffed a ftrong and lively fenfe of his own

his hopeful, happy alteration, tho', and his captive foul enlarged. The frequently enquired of, he but next day, on Tuesday, towards once expreffed any hope that he night, he called his mother to his was prepared for a better world. bed-fide, and told her to this effect, One day, when interrogated as to his profpects, he faid, "I have fome hope;" but the following day, it had all vanished, and he ftill felt, that he was without hope and without God in the world. When asked from day to day, if any thing new and comforting appeared to his mind, he continually replied, "No." When directed to pray, believe in Chrift, trust in God and the like, he used to re-ingratitude, abuse of divine mercy ply, "My heart works against me. My heart is against God. My prayers are abomination in the fight of God. I have no reft." Until the Lord, as we hope, put a new fong in his mouth, one or two of these short, but fignificant expreffions was the most he would fay at an interview.

and exceeding finfulness. "I wonder, (faid he) that God hath fpared me fo long in the world-that he hath not long before now cut me down in my fins and fent me to everlasting mifery." From this time until his death, on the following Monday, he appeared, when in the exercise of reason, so far as can be judged from his conver fation and deportment, almost conftantly to enjoy clear views, and a lively fenfe of the beauty, glory, and lovelinefs of the divine character, and efpecially as it fhines in the face of Chrift. "Oh the beauty, the loveliness of God-the fweetnefs, the glory of Christ," was his continual exclamation.

On Monday, a week before his death, when he was expected to continue but a few days, after enquiries refpecting the state of his body, he was afked as ufual, if he could fay any thing more favorable than heretofore as to the ftate and profpects of his foul; he answered with a voice and countenance expreffive of deep anxiety and distress. "I wish I could." He was then told that he was in the hands of a juft and merciful God, who could do him no injustice if he left him to perish, and who would have mercy on him or not, as feemed good in his fight. He was now, indeed, to a serious mind an affect-fay he was willing or defirous to ing fpectacle, an immortal foul daily expecting to meet his God and receive his fentence for eternity and yet without a hope of any preparation !

But the time of his hopeful deliverance was drawing near, when his prifon doors were to be opened

In confequence of this apparently happy alteration in his views and feelings, he was not barely refigned to death, but most of the time ardently defirous to die. Tho' at times, in view of fome particular very defirable object, he would

live, yet in general, and always when directly contemplating the glory of his God and Redeemer, he chofe and earnestly defired to depart. On Wednesday morning, the day following his change, he faid to a visitor almost as foon as he fpake with him, "I am wil

ling to go any minute when God is | mitted to it with all freedom and pleafed to call for me. If my fulness, and repeatedly expreffed heart do not deceive me, I am rea- the fame feelings in the strongest dy when God is ready. I fhall terms. On Friday about II o'clock die in peace." (If my heart do not he was feized with convulfions in deceive me, was an expreffion which which both he and his friends exhe very frequently intermingled with pected he would die. At this his ftrong profeffions.) It was ob- time he appeared to be perfectly raferved to him on his expreffing ve- tional and clear in his views and ry ardent defires to die, that he hopes. As the writer of this acmuft patiently wait God's time. count went into the room and He anfwered, "I am willing God spoke to him, he faid, "I am goshould do with me juft as he pleaf-ing; I am going to Chrift. Oh If he were to put it to me to choose for myself, I would put it back again to him." He fpake repeatedly and almoft continually of his fatisfaction and contentment with the will of God. When enquired of by his friends, who cal-on, in which he expected to expire, led to visit him, how he was, he very often replied, "I am wellwell off." During his fevereft diftreffes, which were frequent, he would continually fay, "It is right, all is right. Whatever God does is right. I am contented with the

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will of God. I would have eve. ry thing just as he would have it." On Wednesday as he had been ftrongly expreffing his fenfe of the loveliness and glory of God and Chrift, he was afked, if fin appeared evil and hateful, he replied to this effect," I abhor myfelf and repent in duft and ashes. I hate all fin. I cannot bear any fin." Being asked if it now appeared that it would be right and just in God to caft off fuch a finner and punish him forever? He anfwered, "It would be perfectly right. I fhould not have a word to fay." Previous to this, during his fickness, when the fame queftion had been repeatedly afked him, he could not anfwer it in the affirmative. He could not fubmit to the juftice of God in punishing finners forever, and efpecially as it applied to bimfelf. But now he faw and VOL. II. No. 12.

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the beauty, the glory of Christ! I long to be with him. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh_away the fin of the world!" After coughing feverely, as he perceived one of his convulfed turns coming

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he called for the family to come to the bedfide and bade them all farewell, faying, "I am going-I fhall foon be in heaven." As he recovered of this and fimilar turns, he would fay, "I hoped that would have been my laft turn. I hoped I should have gone then." Once he faid, "welcome death, O, how I long for thee!" At another time," O death where is thy fting! O, grave, where is thy victory From time to time he faid, "I long to die that I may fee Godthat I may fee the lovely Jefus. I long to be in heaven with the angels praifing God and the Lamb." As expreffing his defire to die, at a certain time, he was asked why he felt fuch defires? He answered, "That I may glorify God perfectly. I have been finning against him all my days, and now I long to be in heaven that I may glorify him forever." At another time he said, "When I look backward on my paft life, it looks dreadful, but when I look forward, Oh how glorious! I long to be in heaven with the angels praifing God and the Lamb." He greatly aboundm m

ed in fentiments and expreffions like those now related. In his views and exercises towards God and all spiritual objects, old things feemed to be paffed away and all things become new. Nor was he lefs altered in his feelings towards his fellow men. He expreffed reHe expreffed repeatedly a moft ardent love to their fouls, and fervent defires for their falvation. Headdreffed those who came to fee him with much propriety and folemnity. To a number prefent at a time when he was fuppofed to be dying he faid, "Come fee me die! You must all follow me. See what you are all coming to!" To one of his fifters, who was out of health, fitting on his bedfide tenderly weeping, he faid, "Do not weep fo. Do not weep for me. You will kill yourfelf with weeping. Go, and get ready to die. See that you be prepared to die. Remember what I fay." At the fame time cafting Ais eye on a number of young perfons in the room, he fays, "I advife you all to prepare yourselves to die. Call upon God to have mercy on you." He repeatedly charged his friends not to weep for him, but to weep for themselves

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prepare to follow him to a better world. He frequently expreffed earneft defires and prayers for the falvation of the people where he lived, and efpecially for the young, and particularized fome of his former companions.

Soon

after his hopeful change he faid, "I long that the young people of this place might have their eyes opened. I know not but I long for their falvation as much as I do for

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accept of Christ, and to love and ferve God. "If ever I fhould get well" (he faid) "I' would talk to my friends. I want they should love Jefus." Among other objects which occafionly drew from him defires of living, one was, that he might be useful to his mother who was a widow and had peculiar dependence on him for aid and fupport. He said at a certain time cafting his eye on his mother, "I have but one defire to live; that is, for my mother. But my brother will take care of her. As long as he lives, the will want for nothing!" He was alfo, at times defirous of living that he might have opportunity to own Chrift before men, and join with his people in commemorating his dying love at the facramental table. From the time of his hopeful change, he felt himself and appeared to others to be a new creature, and in a new world. He feemed to realize that he was fnatched as a brand from the devouring flames. "Had I died a week ago" (he faid)" I should now have been in hell" He was abundant in afcribing the change he had experi enced to the power and grace of God. The morning of the day in which he died, on Monday, as he was expreffing his fenfe of the evil of fin, and that it would be juft and right in God to call him off forever, it was observed to him that a little time before, he was not willing to exprefs himself in that manner, he replied, "True; but I am now a very different perfon from what I was then." And who has made you to differ? (he was asked.) He anfwered with emphafis, "Who made the world ?" After this he faid little more that was rational and intelligible, and in the after part of the day expired: and as we have reafon to hope paf

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