An Account of the Revival of Religion
in Northampton in 1740 - 1742
Christian History, I (Jan. 14, 21, 28, 1743),
and also in Dwight's, Life of President Edwards "Northampton, MA Dec.12, 1743. Rev. and Dear Sir, Ever since the great work of God that was
wrought here about nine years ago, there has been a great and abiding
alteration in this town in many respects. There has been vastly more
religion kept up in the town, among all sorts of persons, in
religious exercises, and in common conversation; there has been a
great alteration among the youth of the town, with respect to
revelry, frolicking, profane and licentious conversation, and lewd
songs; and there has also been a great alteration, amongst both old
and young, with regard to tavern-haunting. I suppose the town has
been in no measure so free of vice in these respects, for any long
time together, for sixty years, as it has been these nine years past.
There has also been an evident alteration with respect to a
charitable spirit to the poor; though I think with regard to this, we
in this town as well as the land in general, come far short of gospel
rules. And though after that great work nine years ago, there has
been a very lamentable decay of religious affections and the
engagedness of people's spirit in religion; yet many societies for
prayer and social worship were all along kept up, and there were some
few instances of awakening and deep concern about the things of
another world, even in the most dead time. In the year 1740, in the spring
before
Mr. Whitefield came to this town, there was a visible alteration:
there was more seriousness and religious conversation, especially
among young people; those things that were of ill tendency among them
were forborne; and it was a very frequent thing for persons to
consult their minister upon the salvation of their souls; and in some
particular persons there appeared a great attention about that time.
And thus it continued until Mr. Whitefield
came to town, which was about the middle of October following: he
preached here four sermons in the meeting-house (besides a private
lecture at my house), one on Friday, another on Saturday, and two
upon the Sabbath. The congregation was extraordinarily
melted
by every sermon; almost the whole assembly being in tears for a great
part of sermon time. Mr. Whitefleld's sermons were suitable to the
circumstances of the town; containing a just reproof of our
backslidings, and in a most moving and affecting manner making we of
our great professions and great mercies, as arguments with us to
return to God from whom we had departed. Immediately after this, the
minds of the people in general appeared more engaged in religion,
showing a greater forwardness to make religion the subject of their
conversation, and to meet frequently for religious purposes, and to
embrace all opportunities to hear the word preached. The revival at first appeared chiefly among
professors and those that had entertained hope that they were in a
state of salvation, to whom Mr. Whitefield chiefly addressed himself;
but in a very short time there appeared an awakening and deep concern
among some young persons, that looked upon themselves in a Christless
state; and there were some hopeful appearances of conversion, and
some professors were greatly revived. In about a month or six weeks,
there was a great attention in the town, both as to the revival of
professors and the awakening of others. By the middle of December a
considerable work of God appeared among those that were very young;
and the revival of religion continued to increase, so that in the
spring an engagedness of spirit about the things of religion was
become very general amongst young people and children, and religious
subjects almost wholly took up their conversation when they were
together. In the month of May, 1741, a sermon was
preached to a company, at a private house. Near the conclusion of the
discourse, one or two persons, that were professors, were so greatly
affected with a sense of the greatness and glory of divine things,
and the infinite importance of the things of eternity, that they were
not able to conceal it - the affection of their minds overcoming
their strength, and having a very visible effect upon their bodies.
When the exercises were over, the young people that were present
removed into the other room for religious conference; and
particularly that they might have opportunity to inquire of those
that were thus affected what apprehensions they had, and what things
they were that thus deeply impressed their minds; and there soon
appeared a very great effect of their conversation; the affection was
quickly propagated throughout the room; many of the young people and
children that were professors appeared to be overcome with a sense of
the greatness and glory of divine things, and with admiration, love,
joy, and praise, and compassion to others that looked upon themselves
as in a state of nature; and many others at the same time were
overcome with distress about their sinful and miserable estate and
condition; so that the whole room was full of nothing but outcries,
faintings, and the like. Others soon heard of it in several parts of
the town, and came to them; and what they saw and heard there was
greatly affecting to them, so that many of them were overpowered in like
manner, and it continued thus for some hours; the time being spent in
prayer, singing, counseling, and conferring. There seemed
to be a consequent happy effect of that meeting to several particular
persons, and on the state of religion in the town in general. After
this were meetings from time to time, attended with like appearances.
But a little after it, at the conclusion of the public exercises on
the sabbath, I appointed the children that were under seventeen years
of age, to go from the meeting-house to a neighboring house, that I
might there further enforce what they had heard in public, and might
give in some counsels proper for their age. The children were there
very generally and greatly affected with the warnings and counsels
that were given them, and many exceedingly overcome; and the room was
filled with cries; and when they were dismissed, they almost all of
them went home crying aloud through the streets, to all parts of the
town. The like appearances attended several such
meetings of children that were appointed. But their affections appeared by
what followed to be of a very different nature: in many, they
appeared indeed but childish
affections, and in a day or two would
leave them as they were before; others were deeply impressed; their
convictions took fast hold of them, and abode by them: and there were
some that, from one meeting to another, seemed extraordinarily affected
for some time, to but little purpose, their affections
presently vanishing from time to time; but yet afterwards were seized with abiding
convictions, and their affections became durable. About the middle of the summer, I called
together the young people that were communicants, from sixteen to
twenty-six years of age, to my house; which proved to be a most happy
meeting: many seemed to be very greatly and most agreeably affected
with those views, which excited humility, self-condemnation,
self-abhorrence, love, and joy: many fainted under these affections.
We had several meetings that summer of young people, attended with
like appearances. I t was about that time that there
first began to be cryings
out in the meeting-house; which
several times occasioned many of the congregation to stay in the
house after the public exercises were over, to confer with those who
seemed to be overcome with religious convictions and affections,
which was found to tend much to the propagation of their impressions,
with lasting effect upon many; conference being at these times
commonly joined with prayer and singing. In the summer and autumn,
the children in various parts of the town had religious meetings by
themselves, for prayer, sometimes joined with fasting; wherein many
of them seemed to be greatly and properly affected, and I hope some
of them savingly wrought upon. The months of August and September were the
most remarkable of any this year for appearances of the conviction
and con version of sinners, and great revivings, quickenings, and
comforts of professors, and for extraordinary external effects of
these things. It was a very frequent thing to see a house
full of out-cries, faintings,
convulsions, and such like, both with distress, and also with
admiration and joy. It was not the manner here to hold meetings all
night, as in some places, nor was it common to continue them till
very late in the night; but it was pretty often so, that there were
some that were so affected, and their bodies so overcome, that they
could not go home, but were obliged to stay all night where they were.
There was no difference that I know of here,
with regard to these extraordinary effects, in meetings in the night
and in the day time the meetings in which these effects appeared in
the evening being commonly begun, and their extraordinary effects, in
the day, and continued in the evening; and some meetings have been
very remarkable for such extraordinary effects that were both begun
and finished in the day time. There was an appearance of a glorious
progress of the work of God upon the hearts of sinners, in conviction
and conversion, this summer and autumn, and great numbers, I think we
have reason to hope, were brought savingly home to Christ.
But this was remarkable: the work
of God in his influences of this nature, seemed to be almost wholly
upon a new generation - those that were not come to years of
discretion in that wonderful season, nine years ago; children, or
those that were then children: others who had enjoyed that former
glorious opportunity, without any appearance of saving benefit,
seemed now to be almost wholly passed over and let alone.
But now we had the most wonderful work among
children that ever was in Northampton. The former outpouring of the
Spirit was remarkable for influences upon the minds of children,
beyond all that had ever been before; but this far exceeded that.
Indeed, as to influences on the minds of professors, this work was by
no means confined to a new generation. Many of all ages partook of
it; but yet in this respect it was more general on those that were of
the young sort. Many who had been formerly wrought upon, and
in the time of our declension had fallen into decays, and had in a
great measure left God, and gone after the world now passed under a
very remarkable new work of the Spirit of God, as if they had been
the subjects of a second conversion. They were first led into the
wilderness, and had a work of conviction; having much deeper
convictions of the sins of both nature and practice than ever before;
though with some new circumstances, and something new in the kind of
conviction in some with great distress beyond what they had felt
before their first conversion. Under these convictions, they were
excited to strive for
salvation, and the kingdom of heaven
suffered violence from some of them in a far more remarkable manner than
before; and after great convictions and humblings, and agonizing with
God, they had Christ discovered to them anew as an all-sufficient
Savior, and in the glories of his grace, and in a far more clear
manner than before; and with greater humility, self-emptiness, and
brokenness of heart, and a purer, a higher joy, and greater desires
after holiness of life; but with greater self~diffidence and distrust
of their treacherous hearts. One circumstance wherein this work differed
from that which had been in the towns five or six years before was
that conversions were frequently wrought more sensibly and
visibly;
the impressions stronger and more manifest by their external effects;
the progress of the Spirit of God in conviction, from step to step,
more apparent; and the transition from one state to another, more
sensible and plain; so that it might. in many instances, be as it
were seen by bystanders. The preceding season had been very
remarkable on this account, beyond what had been before; but this
more remarkable than that. And in this season, these apparent or
visible conversions (if I may so call them), were more frequently in
the presence of others, at religious meetings, where the appearances
of what was wrought on the heart fell under public
observation. After September, 1741, there seemed to be
some abatement of these extraordinary appearances, yet they did not
wholly cease, but there was something of them, from time to time, all
winter. About the beginning of February, 1742, Mr. Buell came to this
town. I was then absent from home, and continued so till about a
fortnight after. Mr. Buell preached from day to day, almost every
day, in the meeting-house. I had left to him the free use of my
pulpit, having heard of his designed visit before I went from home.
He spent almost the whole time in religious exercises with the
people, either in public or private, the people continually thronging
him. When he first came there came with him a number of the zealous
people from Suffield, who continued here for some time. There were
very extraordinary effects of Mr. Buell's labors; the people were
exceedingly moved, crying out in great numbers in the meeting-house,
and a great part of the congregation commonly staying in the house of
God for hours after the public service. Many also were exceedingly
moved in private meetings where Mr. Buell was: almost the whole town
seemed to be in a great and continual commotion, day and night, and
there was indeed a very great revival of religion. But it was
principally among professors; the appearances of a work of conversion
were in no measure as great as they had been the summer before. When
I came home, I found the town in very extraordinary circumstances,
such as, in some respects, I never saw it in before. Mr. Buell
continued here a fortnight or three weeks after I returned: there
being still great appearances attending his labors; many m their
religious affections being raised far beyond what they had ever been
before: and there were some instances of persons lying in a sort of
trance, remaining perhaps for a whole twenty-four hours motionless,
and with their senses locked up; but in the mean time under strong
imaginations, as though they went to heaven and had there a vision of
glorious and delightful objects. But when the people were raised to
this height, Satan took the advantage, and his interposition, in many
instances, soon became very apparent: and a great deal of caution and
pains were found necessary to keep the people, many of them, from
running wild. In the month of March, I led the people into a
solemn public renewal of their covenant with God. To that end, having
made a draft of a covenant, I first proposed it to some of the
principal men in the church; then to the people, in their several
religious associations in various parts of the town; then to the
whole congregation in public; and then I deposited a copy of it in
the hands of each of the four deacons, that all who desired it might
resort to them, and have opportunity to view and consider it. Then
the people in general that were above fourteen years of age first
subscribed the covenant with their hands; and then, on a day of
fasting and prayer, all together presented themselves before the Lord
in his house, and stood up, and solemnly manifested their consent to
it, as their vow to God. The covenant was as follows: Entered into and subscribed by the people of
God at Northampton, and owned before God in his house as their vow to
the Lord, and made a solemn act of public worship, by the
congregation in general that were above fourteen years of age, on a
day of fasting and prayer for the continuance and increase of the
gracious presence of God in that place. March 16th, 1742. Acknowledging God's great
goodness to us, a sinful, unworthy people, in the blessed
manifestations and fruits of his gracious presence in this town, both
formerly and lately, and particularly in the very late spiritual
revival; and adoring the glorious majesty, power, and grace of God,
manifested in the present wonderful outpouring of his Spirit, in many
parts of this land, in this place; and lamenting our past
backslidings and ungrateful departings from God, and humbly begging
of God that he would not mark our iniquities, but, for Christ's sake,
come over the mountains of our sins, and visit us with his salvation,
and continue the tokens of his presence with us, and yet more
gloriously pour out his blessed Spirit upon us, and make us all
partakers of the divine blessings he is, at this day. bestowing here,
and in many parts of this land; we do this day present our-selves
before the Lord, to renounce our evil ways, we put away our
abominations from before God's eyes, and with one accord, to renew
our engagements to seek and serve God: and particularly do now
solemnly promise and vow to the Lord as follows: In all our conversation, concerns, and
dealings with our neighbor, we will have a strict regard to rules of
honesty, justice, and uprightness, that we don't overreach or defraud
our neighbor in any matter, and either willfully, or through want of
care, injure him in any of his honest possessions or rights, and in
all our communication will have a tender respect, not only to our own
interest, but also to the interest of our neighbor; and will
care-fully endeavor, in every thing, to do to others as we should
expect, or think reasonable, that they should do to us, if we were in
their case, and they in ours. And particularly we will endeavor to render
every one his due, and will take heed to ourselves, that we don't
injure our neighbor, and give him just cause of offense, by willfully
or negligently forbearing to pay our honest debts. And wherein any of us, upon strict examination
of our past behavior, may be conscious to ourselves, that we have by
any means wronged any of our neighbors in their outward estate, we
will not rest, till we have made that restitution, or given that
satisfaction, which the rules of moral equity require; or if we are,
on a strict and impartial search, conscious to ourselves that we have
in any other respect considerably injured our neighbor, we will truly
endeavor to do that which we in our consciences suppose Christian
rules require, in order to a reparation of the injury. and removing
the offense given thereby. And furthermore we promise that we will not
allow ourselves in backbiting; and that we will take great heed to
ourselves to avoid all violations of those Christian rules, Titus
3:2.'Speak evil of no man'; James 4:2'Speak not evil one of another,
brethren'; and 2 Corinthians 12:20.'Let there be no strifes,
backbitings. whisperings'; and that we will not only not slander our
neighbor. but also will not feed a spirit of bitterness, ill will, or
secret grudge against our neighbor. insist on his real faults
needlessly. and when not called to it, or from such a spirit, speak
of his failings and blemishes with ridicule, or all air of contempt.
And we promise that we will be very careful to
avoid doing anything to our neighbor from a spirit of revenge. And
that we will take great care that we do not' for private interest or
our own honor, or to maintain ourselves against those of a contrary
party, or to get our wills, or to promote any design in opposition to
others, do those things which we on the most impartial consideration
are capable of, can think in our consciences will tend to wound
religion, and the interests of Christ's kingdom. And particularly, that so far as any of us, by
Divine Providence, have any special influence upon others, to lead
them in the management of public affair., we will not rake our own
worldly gain, or honor, or interest in the affections of others, or
getting the better of any of a contrary party, that are in any
respect our competitors, or the bringing or keeping them down, our
governing aim, to the prejudice of the interest of religion, and the
honor of Christ. And in the management of any public affair,
wherever there is a difference of opinions, concerning any outward
possessions, privileges, rights, or properties, we will not willingly
violate justice for private interest: and with the greatest
strictness and watchfulness will avoid all unchristian bitterness,
vehemence, and heat of spirit; yea, though we should think ourselves
injured by a contrary party; and in the time of the management of
such affairs will -ally watch over ourselves, our spirits, and our
tongues, to avoid all unchristian inveighings, reproachings, bitter
reflectings, judging and ridiculing others, either in public meetings
or in private conversation, either to men's faces' or behind their
backs; but will greatly endeavor, so far as we are concerned, that
all should be managed with Christian humility, gentleness, quietness,
and love. And furthermore we promise that
we will not tolerate the exercise of
enmity and ill will, or revenge in our
hearts against any of our neighbors; and we will often be strictly
searching and examining our own hearts with respect to that matter.
And if any of us find that we have an old
secret grudge against any of our neighbors, we will not gratify it
but cross it, and endeavor to our utmost to root it out, crying to
God for his help; and that we will make it our true and faithful
endeavor, in our places, that a party spirit may not be kept up
amongst us, but that it may utterly cease; that for the future, we
may all be one united in undisturbed peace and unfeigned love.
And those of us that are in youth do promise
never to allow ourselves in any diversions or pastimes, in meetings,
or companies of young people, that we, in our consciences, upon sober
consideration, judge not well to consist with, or would sinfully tend
to hinder, the devoutest and most engaged spirit in religion, or
indispose the mind for that devout and profitable attendance on the
duties of the closet, which is most agreeable to God's will, or that
we, in our most impartial judgment, can think tends to rob God of
that honor which he expects, by our orderly serious attendance on
family worship. And furthermore we promise that we will
strictly avoid all freedoms and familiarities in company, so tending
either to stir up or gratify a lust of lasciviousness that we cannot
in our consciences think will be approved by the infinitely pure and
holy eye of God, or that we can think, on serious and impartial
consideration, we should be afraid to practice, if we expected in a
few hours to appear before that holy God, to give an account of
ourselves to him, as fearing they would be condemned by him as
unlawful and impure. We also promise with great watchfulness to
perform relative duties required by Christian rules, in the families
we belong to, as we stand related respectively, towards parents and
children, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, masters or
mistresses, and servants. And we now appear before God, depending on
Divine grace. and assistance, solemnly to devote our whole lives, to
be laboriously spent in the business of religion; ever making it our
greatest business, without backsliding from such a way of living, not
hearkening to the solicitations of our sloth, and other corrupt
inclinations, or the temptations of the world, that tend to draw us
off from it; and particularly that we will not abuse a hope or
opinion that any of us may have, of our being interested in Christ,
to indulge ourselves in sloth, or the more easily to yield to the
solicitations of any sinful inclinations; but will run with
perseverance the race that is set before us, and work out our own
salvation with fear and trembling. And because we are sensible that the keeping
these solemn vows may hereafter, in many cases, be very contrary to
our corrupt inclinations and carnal interest., we do now therefore
appear before God to make a surrender of all to him, and to make a
sacrifice of every carnal inclination and interest, to the great
business of religion and the interest of our souls. And being sensible of our weakness and the
deceitfulness of our own hearts, and our proneness to forget our most
solemn vows and lose our resolutions, we promise to be often strictly
examining ourselves by these promises, especially before the
sacrament of the Lord's supper; and beg of God that he would, for
Christ's sake, keep us from wickedly dissembling in these our solemn
vows; and that he who searches our hearts, and ponders the path of
our feet, would, from time to time, help us in trying ourselves by
this covenant, and help us to keep covenant with him, and not leave
us to our own foolish, wicked, and treacherous hearts. In the beginning of the summer of 1742, there
seemed to be an abatement of the liveliness of people's affections in
religion; but yet many were often in a great height of them. And in
the fall and winter following, there were at times extraordinary
appearances. But in the general, people's
engagedness in religion, and the liveliness of their affections have
been on the decline; and some of the young people especially have
shamefully lost their liveliness and vigor in religion, and much of
the seriousness and solemnity of their spirits. But there are many that walk as becometh
saints; and to this day there are a considerable number in town that
seem to be near to God, and maintain much of the life of religion,
and enjoy many of the sensible tokens and fruits of his gracious
presence. With respect to the late season of revival of
religion amongst us for three or four years past, it has been
observable, that in the former part of it, in the years 1740 and
1741, the work seemed to be much more pure, having less of a corrupt
mixture than in the former great outpouring of the Spirit in 1735 and
1736. Persons seemed to be sensible of their former errors, and had
learned more of their own hearts, and experience had taught them more
of the tendency and consequences of things. They were now better
guarded, and their affections were not only stronger but attended
with greater solemnity, and greater humility and self-distrust, and
greater engagedness after holy living and perseverance: and there
were fewer errors in conduct. But in the latter part of it, in the year
1742, it was otherwise: the work continued more pure till we were
infected from abroad: our people hearing of, and some of them seeing
the work in other places, where there was a greater visible commotion
than here, and the outward appearances were more extraordinary were
ready to think that the work in those places far excelled what was
amongst us, and their eyes were dazzled with the high
profession and great show that some made who came hither from other
places. That those people went so far beyond them in
raptures
and violent emotions of the affections, and a vehement zeal, and what they
call boldness for Christ our people were ready to think was owing to
far greater attainments in grace, and intimacy with heaven: they
looked little in their own eyes in comparison with them, and were
ready to submit themselves to them, and yield themselves up to their
conduct, taking it for granted that every thing was right that they
said and did. These things had a strange influence on the people) and
gave many of them a deep and unhappy tincture, from which it was a
hard and long labor to deliver them, and from which some of them are
not fully delivered to this day. The effects and consequences of things among
us plainly show the following things, viz. That the degree of grace
is by no means to be judged of by the degree of joy, or the degree of
zeal; and that indeed we cannot at all determine by these things who
are gracious and who are not; and that it is not the degree of
religious affections but the nature of them that is chiefly to be
looked at. Some that have had very great raptures of joy, and have
been extraordinarily filled (as the vulgar phrase is), and have had
their bodies overcome, and that very often, have manifested far less
of the temper of Christians in their conduct since than some others
that have been still and have made no great outward show. But then
again, there are many others that have had extraordinary joys and
emotions of mind, with frequent great effects upon their bodies, that
behave themselves steadfastly, as humble, amiable, eminent
Christians. 'Tis evident that there may be great religious
affections in individuals, which may in show and appearance resemble
gracious affections, and have the same effects upon their bodies, but
are far from having the same effect on the temper of their minds and
the course of their lives. And likewise there is nothing more
manifest, by what appears amongst us, than that the good estate of
individuals is not chiefly to be judged of by any exactness of steps,
and method of experiences, in what is supposed to be the first
conversion; but that we must judge by the spirit that breathes, the
effect wrought upon the temper of the soul in the time of the work
and remaining afterwards. Though there have been very few instances
among professors, amongst us, of what is ordinarily called scandalous
sins, known to me; yet the temper that some of them show, and the
behavior they have been of, together with some things in the nature
and circumstances of their experiences, make me much afraid lest
there be a considerable number that have woefully deceived
themselves. Though, on the other hand, there is a great number whose
temper and conversation is such as justly confirms the charity of
others towards them; and not a few in whose disposition and walk
there are amiable appearances of eminent grace. And notwithstanding all the corrupt mixtures that
have been in the late work here, there are not only many blessed
fruits of it, in particular persons that yet remain, but some good
effects of it upon the town in general. A spirit of party has more extensively
subsided. I suppose there has been less appearance these three or
four years past of that division of the town into two parties which
has long been our bane, than has been at any time during the
preceding thirty years; and the people have apparently had much more
caution, and a greater guard on their spirit and their tongues, to
avoid contention and unchristian hearts in town-meetings, and on
other occasions. And 'tis a thing greatly to be rejoiced in that the
people very lately came to an agreement and final issue, with respect
to their grand controversy relating to their common lands; which has
been, above any other particular thing, a source of mutual
prejudices, jealousies, and debates, for fifteen or sixteen years
past. The people also seem to be much more sensible of the danger of
resting in old experiences, or what they were subjects of at their
supposed first conversion; and to be more fully convinced of the
necessity of forgetting the things that are behind, and pressing
forward and maintaining earnest labor, watchfulness, and
prayerfulness, as long as they live. I am, Rev. Sir, Your friend and brother, JONATHAN EDWARDS"
