Many years ago I lived in the community of Springfield. It was a fluke that triggered me to find this. The booklet was found and allowed to be copied by the library staff and faithfully transcribed by my wife , Tina

A Narrative Of A Revival of Religion,
In
Springfield, Vermont

 

Daniel O. Morton
Pastor of the Congregational Church in Springfield, VT.
Springfield, December 20, 1834

The history of the Christian church presents a diversified scene. Light and shade, prosperity and adversity, joy and sorrow, revivals, defections and apostacies, follow each other in quick succession. In the apostolic age, a season of “refreshing from the presence of the Lord” was frequently followed by a terrible persecution; sometimes by alarming instances of apostacy; and generally by declensions more or less gradual. What is true of the great community of Christians; is so, in some degree, of individual churches. Unusual prosperity in a church seems to me now like “a handwriting upon the wall,” or a signal held out from heaven, “prepare for trials.” It is therefore with fear and trembling, that I proceed to give some account of the recent dealings of God with the church and people under my pastoral care.

About a year ago, some of the brethren of this church began to feel an unusual solicitude for a revival of religion. In the spring and summer of this year, we endeavored to “prepare the way of the Lord,” by special attention to discipline; and while two or three wanderers were reclaimed, several were excluded from the fellowship of the church. The first Sabbath in June, president Bates of Middlebury college, was with us. We had what is called a two days’ meeting, embracing the Sabbath and following Monday. The principal part of the labor was performed by the president. And these efforts, probably, had their share of influence in securing the glorious results which we have recently witnessed.

Last spring, some of our brethren established a Sabbath morning prayer meeting, and sustained it through the summer and autumn. There were two principal subjects of prayer ­ the youth, and those unconverted husbands whose wives were members of the church. Of this number, there were nearly fifty. About midsummer, and thenceforward, this praying band enjoyed unusual nearness to God and freedom in prayer. For a long time, a female prayer meeting has been sustained. Last summer, the meeting became very interesting, and special divine influence was enjoyed. The families of those sisters who have sustained this meeting, have been signally blessed. In the judgment of charity, salvation has come to every house. In the course of the summer, I preached a series of discourses on the moral law, in connection with the lessons of the Sabbath school. In addition to other labors of love, the cause of temperance was well sustained; and from May, 1833, to May, 1834, there was a addition to the temperance society of two hundred members. In the month of August, our Baptist brethren of North Springfield, held a protracted meeting of seven or eight days’ continuance. The meeting was well sustained, and attended and followed with blessed results. Several of our church and congregation attended and received salutary impressions. As the fruits of that and subsequent Christian effort, about fifty have been added to that church.

In the course of this month, also, I exchanged labors with Rev. Joseph Merrill, of Acworth, N.H. Our united efforts were devoted for a week, first to Springfield, then to Acworth. Each day, we visited from house to house, and at 5 o’clock, P.M., held in some section of the town a religious meeting. These efforts were attended with manifest spiritual advantage to our people.

The population of the town is nearly three thousand. A week or two before the meeting commenced, a very considerable portion of the inhabitants were visited at their houses, and kindly invited to attend. This conciliatory measure had a very happy effect. It was in our heart to offer salvation in the name of the Lord to all Springfield. Thus it will be seen, that, by the blessing of God upon our labors, we had been preparing for our recent meeting at least one year.

We commenced our meeting on Thursday, October the 30th, continued two days, adjourned over Saturday, celebrated the Lord’s supper on the Sabbath with unusual interest, admitted three persons into the church, and adjourned again till Monday evening. On Tuesday evening, November the 4th, Rev. J. Burchard arrived agreeably to previous arrangement, and immediately commenced his labors. The following pastors, Converse, Sage, Merrill, Burnap, Bradford, and Graves, were with us for a longer or shorter time, and participated in the services of the meeting with great unanimity. Three Methodist ministers, Bates, Fletcher, and Quimby, were occasionally present, assisted in our labors, and manifested a truly Christian spirit. In the third week of our convocation, our Methodist brethren held in their church a quarterly meeting which proved to be a season of deep interest, and in connection with it, we understand there were several hopeful conversations. Thus, simultaneously, all the people of God in town were cheered with the visitations of his love. In our church, the state of the feeling was excellent; God had evidently “bowed their heart as the heart of one man,” ­ not one discrepant voice ­ a most delightful union of prayer and effort. The deacons and elders especially were favored with a fresh anointing from the Holy One. There was no open opposition to the work of God; the impression of the community here, and around us, was manifestly strong in its favor. The fear of God fell upon all the people.

For three weeks, our meetings continued very much in the same form; a meeting for religious inquiry every forenoon, in the afternoon a sermon followed by a meeting for inquiry, and similar exercises in the evening. The fourth week, we had preaching every evening, and some meetings in the daytime. Most of this time seemed like one continued Sabbath; and the very atmosphere sacred. God was moving onward in the majesty of his love, and from day to day rolling in upon us a sea of glory. The power of the Highest overshadowed us, and the windows of heaven were opened, and we had hardly room to receive the blessings that descended. Through the attention to religion was intense and long continued, there was no disturbance, no outcry of joy or sorrow, no trespass upon the rules of Christian decorum; all was still, solemn, peaceful; there was unusual silence and quietness in the village. Our house of worship, which is large, was filled from day to day, and oftentimes to overflowing. On one Sabbath, it became indispensable for the whole church to retire to another place, to make room for the great multitude convened. People flocked in from all the neighboring towns, some traveling a distance of fifteen miles. They came with the expectation of finding their Saviour here; and blessed be God, they did not come in vain. About one hundred and thirty persons from other towns were, while here, the hopeful subjects of renewing grace. The whole number of hopeful converts, exclusive of children under fourteen years, is, as nearly as we could ascertain, from three hundred and fifty to four hundred. How many of these will appear unto praise and glory in the day when the Lord shall make up his jewels, the decisions of the judgment will tell. After the meeting had been in progress about one week, the number of hopeful conversions for seven days in succession averaged more than thirty a day; and one day there was forty. During the continuance of the meeting, we observed four days of fasting and prayer. On the fourth Sabbath in November, ninety-three were received into the church, and for the first time, sat down at the table of the Lord. On the succeeding Sabbath, forty-five others were admitted to the communion, and on the first Sabbath of this month, (December,) sixteen more, making in all, one hundred and fifty-four, who, we hope, will prove to be “the first fruits unto God and the Lamb,” of this precious revival. We expect further additions; several have been recently examined and accepted by the church, and undoubtedly some of the subjects of this work in town will unite with other Christian denominations.

As the work of grace here narrated is, for this section of country, extraordinary, it appears proper to say something more of its character and circumstances.

With the exception of one or two days, the weather was uncommonly fine. If we could have had our choice out of every month in the year, we could not have possibly have made a better selection.

The meeting in some form continued thirty days. Had the question been discussed beforehand, in the church, whether we should have a meeting three or four weeks in succession, we should probably have decided at once, that in our circumstances, it would be neither prudent nor practical. We commenced the meeting with no previous purpose as to the time of its continuance; intending to hold is so long as the providence of God, and the operations of his Spirit, should seem to dictate. Not only was the meeting unusually well attended by the inhabitants of Springfield, but people flocked in from six or eight of the adjacent towns, and were daily pressing into the kingdom of Christ. Thus situated, it was impossible for the first three weeks to close the meeting, without doing violence to our most solemn convictions of duty.

There is a diversity of opinion respecting early admissions into the church. On this point, we have no definite rule; but suppose that we ought to be guided by the circumstances that attend each application, by the present evidence of piety, or the want of it. The time of supposed conversion, is, in our opinion, of little account; except that great distance of time necessarily invalidates the evidence of piety, because in such a case, the person has lived long in disobedience to God. The operations of the Holy Spirit are exceedingly diversified; of course revivals have different characteristics. Where the gospel is faithfully preached, the evidence of piety in young converts depends, doubtless, very much upon the amount of divine influence enjoyed. A wind which moves a vessel a mile an hour, may be sufficient to carry her into port; but persons on the beach watching her, may at times be in doubt whether she moves or not. Give to that vessel a wind which carries her ten miles an hour, and who can doubt her motion? Many excellent Christians come, we believe, into the kingdom of God, by the silent movings of the Holy Spirit; while others enter in by the strong wind of a powerful revival. The early evidence of piety in newborn souls, we should expect to be clearer in the latter case, than in the former. The church agreed to celebrate the Lord’s supper on the fourth Sabbath of the month; and we thought it our duty to open our doors for the admission of members. For two or three days before the Sabbath, the pastor and elders had sessions at certain hours, for the examination of candidates; and these examinations were conducted with unusual care. We did not receive every applicant; some were requested to wait for further probation. Of the members received, many had been the subjects of special seriousness months and years before; many had been trained up in the Sabbath school and Bible class, and with scarcely an exception, they had been uniformly persons of correct habits and moral deportment. As to the practice of propounding for admission into the church, we have no strife with our brethren ­ in some cases it may be wise; but still we search the scriptures in vain to find an example, or warrant for it, except in the general principle that we should guard the purity of the church. We make no attack and pass no censure upon our respected brethren who may think and act differently from us; and it is possible that we have premature in the early reception of these dear lambs. We have, however, acted in the fear of God, and under a deep and affecting sense of our responsibility. We went directly to the word of God for direction; and to us it is plain, that there is nothing to forbid, and much to encourage the reception of persons into the church, as soon as they give satisfactory evidence that they have been “born again.” In relation to persons just emerging from pagan darkness, or persons grossly ignorant or grossly immoral, considerable time would be requisite to test the reality of their conversion. But the case of intelligent people, of good moral character, educated in the Sabbath school, and under the sound of the gospel, is vastly different. One bright star has recently arisen, and dispelled much of our darkness. The temperance reformation has diminished immensely the danger of spurious conversions, and removed some of the principal embarrassments in the way of early admissions into the church. But whatever views we may entertain on this subject, it becomes us all “to watch and pray lest we enter into temptation;” and to the young soldiers of the cross in this place, we would say, “let not him that putteth on the harness boast as he that putteth it off.”

As to the doctrines preached in this revival, we feel perfectly conscious that we stand upon a rock. We have no fear, no wavering. The moral law, comprehending the extent, strictness, and purity of its requisitions, and its tremendous penalty; the entire and exceeding sinfulness of unregenerate men; the divine sovereignty, that God doeth what he will with his own; “the election of grace;” the final perseverance of all true believers in obedience unto salvation; and the endless rewards and punishments of the future state, were doctrines fully and fearlessly proclaimed; not generally in set and formal discourses, but in due proportions, and in a manner so plain that they were understood. “Christ and him crucified, God manifest in the flesh,” was, in every discourse and conversation, exhibited as the sinner’s only hope. If, however, any one truth was more prominent than another, it was the doctrine of divine influence, or the necessity of the special operations of the Holy Ghost in order to the conversion of a single soul. We shuddered at the thought of means, and measures, and excitement, without special divine influence. During the meeting, we endeavored to give great prominence to the office-work of the Holy Spirit, and this may be one reason why we have been so richly blessed. The free agency and accountability of men was taught, and their dependence upon divine influence urged as a reason for immediate repentance; because if they continued obstinate, the Spirit might take his final departure, and then there could be no hope of salvation. They were taught not to wait for some strange, unknown impulse ­ that God would not invade the freedom of the will, nor set aside their agency; that the operations of the Spirit, how powerful soever they may be, are in accordance with the laws of the human mind, and that, therefore, they ought immediately to receive Christ and believe on his name; and in doing this, the Holy Ghost would give “them power to become the sons of God,” ­ they would be “new creatures.” The opinion has been entertained, that in a season of revival, some of these truths, especially divine sovereignty, and the entire dependence of the sinner upon the Holy Spirit for a new heart, ought not to be prominently presented. But our experience has taught us, that these truths, judiciously exhibited, instead of hindering, do greatly advance the work of God.

For the information of some of my brethren, I would say something about measures. We wish, in some way, to awaken the careless, to break up the death slumber in which many remain for years even under the sound of the gospel, to bring divine truth to bear upon the understanding and the heart, to animate Christians to vigorous effort in the cause of Christ, to guide inquiring souls, to come into personal, friendly contact with men, and, as far as possible and on Christian principles, to lead them to an immediate decision on the subject of religion. The best way of doing this is all we want of measures, and to us, it is perfectly immaterial whether they be new or old. Most of the time, we had three meetings for religious exercises, considering them, in some respects, the most important of all our meetings. The conversations thus had with individuals were plain and faithful, and greatly blessed of God. Inquirers were told repeatedly, that submission to man was in no case demanded, that it constituted no part of their duty. On this point, I think no one could mistake, unless he possessed uncommon obtuseness of intellect. They were also told that repentance for sin, faith in Christ, and submission to God, implied each other, and were a concern between their spirits, and “the Father of spirits;” that He required their immediate, voluntary return to Him, and that any delay was an experiment of incalculable guilt and danger. The duty of immediate repentance and submission to God, pressed home, brought to burn upon the understanding and the conscience, was “mighty, through God, to the pulling down of the strong holds” of sin. No other effort, we believe, was so successful in winning souls to Christ.

Persons professing to have submitted to God, or to have found peace in believing, were not dismissed at once to the world, nor to the church. They were requested to meet us every morning in the inquiry room for further conversation respecting their spiritual state. And so far as practicable, they attended the morning meeting from day to day, and from week to week. Thus, by personal and familiar discourse and illustration, they acquired an amount of knowledge respecting Christian principles, duties and feelings, and an establishment in the faith and hope of the gospel, which months of instruction in the ordinary way, would hardly have secured to them.

One thing somewhat novel, was the requesting of prayers at the opening of each meeting. This practice has, however, been attended with very salutary effects. The individual preferring the same request from day to day, from meeting to meeting, became himself intensely interested in the subject for whom he requested prayers. These petitions have, we believe, been answered in a multitude of instances. We do not know a single family for whom prayers were perseveringly requested, which has not received a rich spiritual blessing. Many a father is now rejoicing over his son, new born to God; many a mother over her daughter; many a wife over her husband. Jehovah has shown himself the hearer of prayer. ­ One word about “anxious seats,” as by some infelicity of language they are unfortunately called. It has been said, that they ought to be used, if used at all, “as a mean of conversion to the convicted, and not as a means of conviction to the unawakened.” It is, however, remarkably plain, that the Spirit of God is not bound by any such rules. Some of our most intelligent young men have since told us, that when the invitation to take those seats was given, they were conscious of no seriousness; but having decided to go and converse with the ministers, they felt themselves committed in favor of religion; and in some instances immediately, in others gradually, they were convicted of sin. This mode of preaching the gospel to individuals, by personal conversation, has been, I have not doubt, through the gracious co-operation of the Holy Spirit, the means of the conversion of many souls.

Great and successful efforts were made to induce people to attend the meeting for religious inquiry. And each day during the continuance of it, the brethren separated themselves into several little praying circles; the sisters did the same, and the great burden of their prayer was, the conversion of those perishing souls whom we were persuading to be reconciled to God. Thus scores, and sometimes probably hundreds of hearts were ascending to God in supplication at the same time. It is not too much to say, that we felt these prayers. While pointing sinners to the Lamb of God, we sometimes found ourselves overshadowed with the fearful and glorious presence of Jehovah. Something seemed to whisper, “be still, for God is here.” When we knelt down to pray with inquirers, there was a wrestling with God, a travail in spirit for the birth of souls, and an expectation of immediate answers of peace, which, we believe, is experienced only when “the Spirit maketh intercession for us.” In their appropriate place, the efforts of the church were as important and successful as the labors of the ministers. So far as human agency was necessary, we consider the preparation made, the blessed state of feeling in the church, the amount of instruction communicated, and the earnest, effectual prayer offered, as fully commensurate with the result. To God be the praise for the preparation, the effort, and the result. His blessing crowned the whole.

The subjects of this work have been of all ages, from the hoary head of threescore years and ten, down to the little child of seven or eight. They have generally had clear convictions of sin, varying in duration from a few days to a few weeks. Generally, the time of conviction has been short; and one reason may be, they were taught that there is no virtue in conviction, while the heart is in rebellion to God. For the most part, the converts are apparently strong and happy; but they have had no wonderful raptures nor ecstasies of joy. They do not appear assuming nor officious, but humble and affectionate. An unusual number of them are heads of families, male or female. Seventy of them have already united with the church; between thirty and forty family altars have been recently erected; and twenty of our sisters, who two months ago came alone to the Lord’s supper, now stand in a new spiritual relation to their companions, and have had the happiness to sit down with them at this Christian feast. A considerable number of influential people have shared in this visitation of mercy. And we bless God, that a large proportion of our young people are now rejoicing in the hope of eternal life. Several young men, who are commencing an education, are of this number. It is not improbable, that this revival will eventually give to the church some faithful heralds to the cross. We have no expectation that, in the establishment of the Redeemer’s kingdom on the earth, our colleges and seminaries are to be set aside; but our prayer is, that “the Spirit may be poured out from on high” upon them, and that thus they may be fitted more perfectly to meet the exigencies of the times, the wants of the world.

We should do violence to our feelings, and neglect an evident duty, should we omit to mention in this narrative the children’s department. Mrs. Burchard, assisted by the pastor’s wife and others, held a meeting once a day for the children of fourteen years and younger. These meetings were very interesting to the children, to the Sabbath school teachers, and to mothers and fathers who sometimes attended. This department of Christian effort was evidently smiled upon by that kind and gracious Shepherd, who “gathers the lambs in his arms, and carries them in his bosom.” A goodly number of these little ones have, in the judgment of charity, been “born again.” The blessing seemed to descend most abundantly, and almost exclusively, upon those who had been instructed in the Sabbath school. Twelve of these children we have received into the church; and others probably give equal evidence of a change in heart. The Lord give us wisdom, that we may know how to deal with these children of the covenant, and of the Sabbath school, these lambs of Christ. These labors of love for the children may tell as much upon the destinies of the world, as our more observable efforts for the salvation of adults. There is a great deal of practical unbelief in the church respecting the early conversion of children. Undoubtedly we ought, with deep humility, and fasting and prayer, to examine this subject anew.

This is the ninth protracted meeting that has been holden in town, and the third in our church. Nearly all of these meetings have been successful; nor have we been apprized of any unhappy reaction. Those holden in our church have been the means of great good. The first in October, 1831, before the present pastor had labored here, was richly blessed; and in the succeeding month, forty-three were received into the church in one day. The second was holden in January, 1833. The revivals connected with these two meetings were the means of bringing into the church about eighty persons. Thus far they have appeared as well as other members. Of the recent meeting we would only say, that we have never seen clearer manifestations of the work of the Holy Spirit.

I here beg permission to depart a little from simple narrative, to mention some thoughts which of late have strongly impressed my mind. Formerly the opinion prevailed, that there was nothing for the sinner to do, except to be decently moral; that he must wait for some mighty impulse or influence to overtake him, and make him a Christian in spite of himself; that as salvation is all of grace, God must do every thing, and man nothing. The sinner was quieted in his sins, perhaps to the ruin of his soul, under the fallacious idea of waiting God’s time, while he was living in rebellion against him. Against a notion so monstrous and so fatal, good and talented men lifted the warning voice. They brought forward, clearly and fully, the doctrine of man’s agency and accountability; proved unanswerably that he has something to do; that he is capable of obeying the divine commands, and that for any refusal or delay, he deserves the everlasting wrath of God. These truths were not new; but in some sections they had been permitted to fall into disrepute. For bringing them forward into public view and estimation, these brethren deserve our thanks. But we fear that some have dwelt so much and so long upon the agency of man, as not properly to recognize the agency of God, and to leave in the shade the work of the Holy Spirit. This, we believe, is the danger to which some portions of the church are now exposed. We should be happy to learn that our fear is groundless.

One truth has of late impressed my mind more than ever before. It is this; that the Christian dispensation is the dispensation of the Spirit. When our Saviour was about to leave the world, he promised his disciples another Comforter, even the Spirit of truth, who should abide with them forever. The Comforter, the Holy Ghost, “reproves the world,” mankind generally, “of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.” He is called “the Spirit of promise;” He is the subject of promise to the Christian church, the source and sum of all spiritual blessings. As it respects mediation between God and man, Jesus Christ is all in all; – as it respects regeneration and sanctification, and all pure revivals of religion, though human instrumentality is employed, the Holy Ghost is all in all. We deplore most sincerely, cold and formal and melancholy acknowledgments of dependence, while nothing is attempted, nothing done. And we equally deplore the bringing forward the doctrine of divine sovereignty as an apology for inactivity, and consequent want of success. Such conduct does not honor, but grieves the Holy Spirit. But in avoiding one error, we should be careful not to run into another. Revivals, where the Holy Spirit is not duly acknowledged, humbly relied on, and sought for, must be defective in point of purity, and cannot secure permanent blessings to the church. Much is said and written on the subject of revivals; it is a subject of infinite importance and of extensive relations; but in some respects it may be simplified. To secure them, the influences of the Holy Spirit are supremely needed and indispensable. Let a deep and affecting sense of our need of divine influence be felt by all ministers; let it pervade all the churches, seminaries and schools; then would fervent and effectual prayer every where ascend to heaven, and a new era in the history of revivals immediately commence. “The Spirit poured out from on high,” makes “the wilderness a fruitful field.” This would settle a multitude of difficult questions; for revivals produced by the Holy Spirit, through the instrumentality of divine truth, would certainly be pure; and men deeply imbued with such a heavenly influence, would not be likely to make serious mistakes. This would give a new and mighty impulse to all the benevolent operations of the age, and hasten on the conversion of the world. Let all the brethren who are desirous of enjoying revivals of religion, first of all, endeavor to feel suitably their need of the Holy Spirit, and put away from them whatever may grieve him; then use the means which they believe are necessary to promote a revival, in humble dependence on his willing, promised aid; and though now they sow in tears, shortly they will reap in joy.

During our long meeting, brother Burchard performed the greatest part of the ministerial labor; and I deem it a duty which I owe to God, to say, that his labors have been greatly blessed. His doctrinal views harmonized with those of the brethren present, and we labored together with great cordiality. While he preached the truth with great plainness and boldness, his manner was conciliatory. He has left us; but he enjoys the confidence and grateful love of the young converts and the whole church, and has, I believe, the kind regards of many others. In his farewell discourse he made judicious remarks respecting evangelists and settled pastors. The tendency of his labors with us has been to strengthen the hands of the pastor and enlarge the sphere of his usefulness.

It only remains to request the prayers of my beloved brethren in the ministry and other Christian friends for myself and the flock under my care, that we may be humble and thankful, give God all the glory for his marvelous loving kindness, and live answerably to our high and increased obligations.