Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1820-06-27

bour. Yet it iswith equal pain ami sur
prise the assembly are compelled t, state
that although The field for such iabours
has, during the year, been widely extend
led, the funds Of the Board, instead OF a
|proportiouate increase, have experienced
an alarming eclensicn-insemuch that
less amount By one fifth OF missionary ser
vice must be distributed this year han
was the last. They find that the plan
proposed by the last assembly for the fore
nation OF societies auxiliary TO the Board
has operated 10 manner very different
from what was contemplated aud they
earnestly exhort the PresbJ teries which
have taken this auxiliary form TO use their
most assiduous efforts t1at the collections
for the general fund ofthe Board snail not
be impaired by that arrangement.
We DOW turn to subject which awakes
the liveIiest emotion III every christian
bosom, the subject Of religious reSiyals.
If religion be, as it doubtless is, the
highest interest and best happiness Of man,
the extension of its influence aud the
augmentation OF IFS power must constitute
the most invaluable of all human blessings.
The enemy of genuine revivals of religion
cannot be the friend of man, and has little
reason to account himself the child o. God.
1t is with gratitude and heartfelt JOY the
Assembly are enabled to declare that on
this subject the past has been a year OF
sigDal and almost unprecedented mercy.
So extensive, indeed, is the general region,
and so multiplied the peculiar spots IN it,
which have felt this blessing that we are at
loss to particularise. Between seventy
and eighty churches are mentioned Judi
vidually in the reports of their respective
Presbyteries as having been visited with
special seasons of refreshing from the pres
ence of God. The most copious oil these
effnsions of the spirit have been ezf,esiess-
ced within the bounds of the Presby teries
of Onondasa, Oneida, Otsego, Albany,
North River, Hudson, jersey aud Grand
river. of the congregations WITHIN these
portions Of the church those which appear
10 have been the most eminentiy blessed
are those of Homer and Smithfeid IA the
Presbytery Of Onondaga; Geneva 10 the
Presbytery of Geneva; Utica, Whites
boro, New Hartford and Clinton in The
Presbytery of Geneva Utica. Whites
boro, New-Hartford and Clinton in The
Presbytery of Oneida Cooperstown,
Sherburne aud Pleasant Valley in the
Presbytery Of Oisego; Saltwater, Malta.
Ballstown, Galway, Schenectady aud Am-
sterdam, 10 that of Albany; Pleasant
Valley and Marlboro in the Presbytery
of North River; Hopewell ia the Pres
bytery OF Hudson; Elizabeth Town in
Jersey Presbytery; and jamestown and
Ellicott IN the Presbytery of Erie. While
in the Presbytery of Grand River no less
than fifteen contiguous towns have felt
these quickening visitations Of the Spirit
OF God. In some of the congregations
enumerated above one hundred members
have been added at single communion.
The general characteristics which seem
TO have marked these reyivals of religion,
are deep and solemn stiIlness-pungent
and humbling convictions of sin--an in-
Suitable thirst for social religious exercises
"a spirit of importunate and persevering
Iprayer-an ardent concern for the welfare
OF others-and general zeal for the cause
OF truth and the interests Of religion. The
blessing has fallen on persons of all ages
and OF all conditions; nor has it been con-
fi0ed 10 those of any one denomination.
The advocates of error, as well as the
slaves of vice, have felt its power and
demonstrated its effects the UmversaIist
has abandoned his falIacious dependence !;
the Socinian has owned the divinity OF
Jesus (; the Deist has bowed TO the inspi-
ration of the bible; and even the avowed
and hardened Atheist has fallen before the
throne of God. Strifes and animosities
have suddenly disappeared Drunkard:
and gamblers have been effectualIy re.
formed and many Of the abandoned and
prOfane converted into blessings and orna.
ments of society, These glorious dis.
plays of grace and power have for the
most part had this general impress of Je
hovah's work, that their beginnings have
been small and seemingly Insignificant.
An obscure prayer meeting, thinly at
tended by some of the humblest aud poor
est of the Lords people, or a small and
! forgotten country school, has often been
chosen as the theatre on which the opera
tions Of his Spirit have been first perceiv-
ed: while, in other cases, the meeting OF
parents with their baptized children, has
, been honoured Of God for the pouring out
of bis richest blessing upon both. In some
of the churches days OF fasting and prayer
have been observed for the express pur-
pose of seeking revival; and in many
instances such seasons of ardent and united
supplication have at length received an
evident answer from on high.
The spirit of active and inventive be-