apprehensions of danger of sudden destruction, neither in this surprizing night, nor in all the course of thirty years have I scarce known any by these kinds of terrors brought under genuine convictions. And what minister has a voice like God, and who can thunder like Him?

So on Lord's-day, June Sd last, in our time of public worship in the forenoon, when we had been about a quarter of an hour in prayer, the mighty power of God came on with a surprising roar. and earthquake; which made the house with all the galleries to rock and tremble, with such a grating noise as if the bricks were moving out of their places to come down and bury us: which exceedingly disturbed the congregation, excited the shrieks of inany, put many, on flying out, and the generality in motion. But though many were greatly terrified, yet in a day or two their terrors seemed to vanish; and I know of but two or three seized by convictions on this awful occasion.

No! conviction is quite another sort of a thing. It is the work of the Spirit of God, a sovereign, free and Almighty agent; wherein he gives the sinful soul such a clear and lively view of the glory of the divine sovereignty, omnipresence, holiness, justice, truth and power; the extensive ness, spirituality and strictness of his law; the binding nature, efficacy and dreadfulness of his curses; the multitude and heinousness of its sins both of commission and obmission; the horrible vileness, wickednes, perverseness and hypocrisy of the heart, with its utter impotence either rightly to repent, or be

lieve in Christ, or change itself: so that it sees itself in a lost, undone and perishing state; without the least degree of worthiness to recommend it to the holy and righteous God, and the least degree of strength to help itself out of this condition. These discoveries are made by means of some revealed truths, either in the reading, hearing or remembrance: when in the hear ing sometimes by words of terror, and sometimes by words of tenderness: and the Holy Spirit with such internal evidence and power so applies them to the conscience, that they become as sharp arrows piercing into the heart, wounding, paining and sticking in it, when all the mechanical impressions of frightful sounds are over, sometimes for many days, weeks,and months, if not years together; until this Divine agent, by these and other convictions agreeable to his inspired word, intirely subdues the soul to Christ; or being ungratefully treated, withdraws his convincing influence, and leaves the heart and conscience to greater and more dangerous hardness and stupidity than ever.

Such were the convictions wrought in many hundreds in this town by Mr. Tennant's searching ministry: and such was the case of those many scores of several other congregations as well as mine, who came to me and others for direction under them. And, indeed by all their converse I found it was not so much the terror as the

The same kind of searching preaching by our own ministers and others, I also observed was the most successful means of bringing people inte

searching nature of his ministry, that was the principal means of their conviction. It was not merely, nor so much, his laying open the terrors of the law and wrath of God, or damnation of hell; (for this they could pretty well bear as long as they hoped these belonged not to them, or they could easily avoid them;) as his laying open their many vain and secret shifts and refuges, counterfeit resemblances of grace, delusive and damning hopes; their utter impotence, and impending danger of destruction: whereby they found all their hopes and refuges of ́lies to fail them, and themselves exposed to eternal ruin, unable to help themselves, and in a lost condition. This searching preaching was both the suitable and principal means of their conviction: though it is most evident, the most proper means are utterly insufficient; and wholly depend on the sovereign will of God, to put forth his power and apply them by this or that instrument, on this or that person, at this or that season, in this or that way or manner, with these or those permitted circumstances, infirmities, corruptions, errors, agencies, oppositions; and to what degree, duration and event he pleases.

A remarkable instance of conviction also, has been sometimes under the ministry of the Rev. Mr. Edwards of Northampton; a preacher of a low and moderate voice, a natural way of delivery, and without any agitation of body powerful convictions, or clear and

awakenings views of their sinful and lost condition, and their absolute need of Christ to find and save them.

or any thing else in the manner to excite aitention; except his habitual and great solemnity, looking and speaking as in the presence of God, and with a weighty sense of the matter delivered. And on the other hand, I have known several very worthy ministers of loud and rousing voices; and yet to their great sorrow the generality of their people, for a long course of years asleep in deep security. It is just as the Holy Spirit pleases, to hide occasions of pride from man: and if Mr. Tennent was to come here again and preach more rousingly than ever, it may be, not one soul would come under conviction by him.

On Monday, March 2, 1740—1, Mr. Tennent preached his farewel sermon to the people of Boston, from Acts xi, 23, to an auditory extremely crowded, very attentive, and much affected, in Dr. Colman's house of worship. It was an affectionate parting, and as great numbers of all conditions and ages appeared awakened by him, there seemed to be a general sadness at his going

away.

Though it was natural for them to resort abundantly to him by whom it pleased the sovereign God chiefly to awaken them, for advice in their soul concerns; yet while he was here, many repaired to their ministers also, and many more and oftener when he was gone. Mr. Tennent's ministry, with the various cases of those resorting to us, excited us to treat more largely of the workings of the Spirit of Grace, as a spirit of conviction and conversion, consolation and edification in the souls of men, agreea

ble to the Holy Scriptures, and the common experiences of true believers.

And now was such a time as we never knew. The Rev. Mr. Cooper was wont to say, that more came to him in one week in deep concern about their souls, than in the whole twenty-four years of his preceding ministry. I can also say the same as to the numbers who repaired to me. By Mr. Cooper's letter to his friend in Scotland, it appears, he has had about six hundred different persons in three months time: and Mr. Webb informs me, he has had in the same space above a thousand.

Agreeable to the numerous bills of the awakened put up in public, sometimes rising to the number of sixty at once, there repaired to us both boys and girls, young men and women, Indians and Negroes, heads of families, aged persons; those who had been in full communion and going on in a course of religion many years. And their cases represented were; a blind mind, a vile and hard heart, and some under a deep sense thereof; some under great temptations; some in great concern for their souls; some in great distress of mind for fear of being unconverted; others for fear they had been all along building on a righteousness of their own, and were still in the gali of bitterness and bond of iniquity. Some under slighty, others under strong convictions of their sins and sinfulness, guilt and condemnation, the wrath and curse of God upon them, their impotence and misery; some for a long time, even for several months under these convictions: some fearing lest the Holy Spirit

should withdraw; others having quenched his operations, were in great distress lest he should leave them forever: persons far advanced in years, afraid of being left behind, while others were hastening to the great Redeemer.

Nor were the same persons satisfied with coming once or twice, as formerly, but again and again, I know not how often; complaining of their evil and cursed hearts; of their past and present unbelief, pride, hypocrisy, perfidiousness, contempt of Christ and God, alienation from them, their love and captivity to sin, and utter impotence to help themselves, or even to believe on Christ, &c. renouncing every degree of worthiness in and utterly condemning themselves; greatly afraid of deceiving their own souls; and earnestly desirous of being searched, discovered and shown the true way of salvation.

Both people and ministers seemed under a Divine influence to quicken each other. The people seemed to have a renewed taste for those old pious and experimental writers, Mr. Hooker, Shepard, Gurnal, William Guthrie, Joseph Alein, Isaac Ambrose, Dr. Owen, and others; as well as later, such as Mr. Mead, Flavel, Shaw, Willard, Stoddard, Dr. Increase and Cotton Mather, Mr. Mather of Windsor, Mr. Boston, &c. The evangelical writings of these deceased authors, as well as of others alive, both in England, Scotland, and New-England, were now read with singular pleasure; some of them reprinted and in great numbers quickly bought and studied. And the

more experimental our religion was, like their's, the more it was relished.

The people seemed to love to hear us more than ever: The weekly Tuesday evening lectures at the church in Brattle street were much crowded and not sufficient. April 17, 1741, another lecture was therefore opened every Friday evening at the south church; when a seasonable discourse was given by the Rev. Dr. Sewall from John xvi, 8: And soon after, another lecture every Tuesday and Friday evening was opened at the New North: three of the most capacious houses of public worship in town; the least of which I suppose will hold three thousand people. Besides the ancient lecture every Thursday noon at the old church; and other lectures in other churches.

Dr. Sewall's discourse, with three other excellent sermons on the same text were soon after published. In the first of which he says, p. 20, "As more lately we have received good news of this kind from more distant places upon this continent; so I cannot but hope that God's sending one and another of his servants among us who had been personally acquainted with these later wonderful works of grace, together with their very laborious and fervent preaching, and the ministry of others his servants, has been blessed to convince many of their sins, and awaken them to a serious concern about their souls. Yea, it is hopeful that there are a number convert ed, and brought home to Christ. Let us give the praise to the God of all grace." In the second he says, p. 66, "To conclude, let us with humble thankful

ness behold that remarkable work of grace which I trust God is carrying on in this town and other places; and be encouraged to seek the Lord more earnestly, that his kingdom may come with power by the more plentiful effusions of his Holy Spirit; and that the Lord would rebuke Satan in all his attempts to hinder or reproach this work, and bruise him under our feet. Let us bless God for his Spirit and grace manifested in and with his servants that have preached the Gospel among us, and for the great success which has attended their painful labors." In the fourth he says, p. last, "And let such as are under good impressions from the Spirit, take heed to themselves, and beware of apostasy. O ponder those awful words! If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him, Heb. x, 38. But if there should come a falling away respecting some that have promised fair, let us not be shaken in mind as if the main work was not of God; nor take up an evil report against it. Scripture and experience warn us to fear and prepare for such a trial."

And in the preface he says, "It hath pleased the sovereign and gracious God, in whose hand our times are, to ordain that we should live under some peculiar advantages for our precious souls. For to the ordinary means, we have superadded the manifestation of the Spirit, in extraordinary works of grace. We have lately heard glad tidings from one place and another, that many are inquiring the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward; and some are declaring what God hath done for their souls. Yea, God hath