Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-04-27

A WHOLE COLLEGE, CoNyRRTED-R eUIUat IN Anl-
horst--Letter from Req. DR.. Stearas, PTesi-
dent IF Amherst (1fass.) College Statement
By DR.. Hitchcock, TIE GeOlogisE
AMHERST COLLEGE, April 16, 1858.
To the Editor of the Springfield (.uGss) Re
pu6lieaH:-The religious community will be in
terested to know that in the great awakening"
of the times, Amherst College has not been pas
by unblesscd A wonderful revival of reli-
gioD has inst been experienced here. 1t COM
menced with the term which has recently closed.
From small beginnings it made gradual progress,
till our entire collegiate community was brought
under itsinhucnce.
Nearly three-quarters of our number were
previously professors of religion, about twenty
of them having taken their stand publicly ON
the side of Christ some months before Of the
remainder, between forty and fifty have been
hopefully converted during the term, having less
than twenty in the whole college undecided. Be-
sides these, ten or twelve who had once been
professors some of them giving little If any evil
dence of piety, were awakened and converted
anew, while nearly the whole body orChristian
students seemed to receive a fresh baptism of the
Spirit
OF the senior class, but three or four remain
who have not openly commenced the Christian
life. OF the junior class but one, and he is Sc
riuus inquirer if not u Christian. OF the sophie.
more class, four or five. OF the freshmen, nine
or ten. p
ne WOTS HIS UeeU Cn0TaCLeTllSu ny .4uAGI-
ness and decOrum. No extraordinary measures
were adopted to promote it. No additional
meetings were held, except short meetings for
prayer in groups of students by themselves,
and general prayer meeting often limited to
thTce.quarters OF an hour in the early part
of the evening, and for the last ten days of
the term held nearly every evening in the
week
Though these meetings were conducted on
the voluntary principle throughout, in many
prayers and eNhOrtations offered by students
and others, nothing was done or said, even in Il
single instance, so far as remember to which
the most fastidious Christian taste could take
exception, and when the religions feeling was
strongest and all-pervading, not single reg
uar class recitation was omitted in consequence
of it.
The reformation of character and manners
was no less remarkable than the renewal of
hearts. College discipline, in the way of re-
straint and censure, seemed to lose its Office
Order prevailed Study was attended to as a
religious duty. Sacred psalms took the place
of questionable songs, and social reveries gave
way to heavenly friendships Many young
men have been hopefully snatched from ruin
and inspired with new feelings of self respect,
and new and noble determination for the future.
How they will hold out time must show. Cen
orally, in such cases, some fall back. But many
circumstances inspire us with unusual conf
dence, that this unhappy number will be small
The changes seem to US like those radical and
permanent ones, Of which under the power of
religion, we nave seen many We ask the
prayers Ofall Christians. Brethren, pray for u.s.
Respectfully aud truly,