the wheels. went together; and with the greateft fwiftnefs: They ran and returned like a flash of lightning. Both moved and In order to give a juft view of this vifion, it may be obferved, 1. That God ufes the miniftry of angels in the administration of the affairs of providence. Their miniftry is invifible to us; but is nevertheless real, important and neceffary. God is reprefented as fitting upon a throne, and governing the world by means of angels; or riding in the chariot of ftate, attended by angels fwift to do his will, and fulfil his pleafure. Hence fays the pfalmift, "Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that do his commandments.' The angels are miniftering fpirits to the people of God: Sent forth to minifler for them who fhall be heirs of falvation. The affairs of divine providence are managed by angels, who receive and obey orders from God. 2. The wheels in this vifion, fignify the wheels of providence. They are managed by intelligent agents, under the direction of God. He does not fuffer the affairs of the world to run at random. No, they are all conducted by intelligent fpirits; filled with knowledge, fagacity and power, fuitable to the truft committed to them: And under the direction and control of God. The cherubims and the wheels are full of eyes; to fee every way; to fee which way danger is coming to them committed to their charge, and which way to go to prevent it. The wheels are ready to move any way as the angels guide; for the fpirit of the living creatureis in them. 3. We fee who prefides over all the affairs of divine providence ; it is God. The cherubims and wheels move at his pleasure. It is the comfort and rejoicing of his people, that all things are under the direction of an infinitely wife, mighty, juft, holy, pow erful, good and faithful being: that being who has ever fhewn himfelf a friend to the righteous, their guardian and protector; and has avenged them on the wicked. Though we cannot fee the wheels, nor how they move, yet the fpirit of the living creature is in them, and they have eyes. Their motions are all guided by an intelligent agent. They are all under the direction of an all-wife being. 4. The manner of providence, and the methods which God takes, though effectual, to bring about his own purpofes, are mysterious to us; a wheel in the middle of a wheel. As it is difficult to explain the vifion; and particularly the workmanship of the wheels; fo it is difficult for us to search out the ways of God. The ways of divine providence are mysterious to us. The wheels are high, we cannot reach them. 5. Divine providence in its workmanship is incomprehensible. There is divine skill in forming the wheels, a wheel in the midst of a wheel, fo that it will go any way without the pains of turning And all the wheels are under the direction of cherubims with four faces : And both cherubims and wheels full of eyes. O how exquifite is the management of divine providence! God's works are wonderful; marvellous are his doings! 6. There is real harmony in thofe difpenfations of providence which feem to interfere with each other. That which feems to hinder, fhall eventually promote God's defigns. Thus the hardness of Pharaoh's heart, and his unwil lingness to let the children of If nel go; though it feemed to oppole God's fulfilling his promife (to give the land of Canaan) the children of Ifrael; yet eventually promoted God's defign. He got himself honor upon Pharoh, and the Egyptians; and brought out his people with a high hand, and an out-ftretched arm. The malice and wickedness of men ge over-ruled by God for the prometion of his own glory and his people's good. God brings great good out of evil. Thus in the cafe of our Saviour's crucifixion and death. See Acts ii. 23. “Him being delivered by the determinate counfel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and lain." 7. God can easily change affairs in providence, and move the wheels for or againft his people. The wheels are fo framed as to run any way; and they move eafily and peedily as the cherubims are difpofed; for the fpirit of the living creature is in the wheels: And the cherubims are ready to obey God's orders, and fulfil his pleafure. God can with infinite eafe work falvation for his people, let the appearances of things be ever f dark and difficult. We have various inftances of this in fcriptare. Once when the Ifraelites were at the Red Sea. Another when Gideon with three hundred men defeated a large host of Midianites. Another when Sennacherib befieged Jerufalem with a great hot, and the angel of the Lord few an hundred, eighty and five thousand of them in one night. When the church is in diftrefs, God works falvation many times in unexpected ways; ufes the vileft inftruments to promote his defans, and bring good to his people. The earth helped the woman. Sometimes God makes ufe of inftruments to promote the good of his people, who defign the contrary; thus in the inftance of Haman and others. Let us acknowledge God as the fovereign ruler of the universe; and be fenfible that the wheels of providence are under his direction. He can fend his angels to protect his people in times of greateft trouble. If God be for them who can be against them? In vain will be all the attempts of earth and hell against his children. Therefore let us labor for tranquillity under all the difpenfations of providence. What more proper to produce and maintain such a state of mind, than a confideration that God rules, and that the wheels are full of eyes, and guided by him; do not move but by his order or permiffion. Infi nite wifdom prefides. Supreme power, joined with infinite wifdom' and benevolence conducts all the affairs of the universe. Let us commit ourselves, and all our concerns to God by faith and prayer. The confideration that the wheels and living creatures are all under his direction, is an encouragement to faith, prayer, and trust in him. The vifion will come in its time, and will not tarry; wait for it. God never fails those who seek him, truft in him, and wait for him. OMEGA. An account of a work of divine grace in a revival of religion in the town of PLYMOUTH, State of Connecticut, in the year 1799, in tauo letters to the Editors from the Rev. SIMON WATERMAN. LETTER I. TO THE EDITORS OF THE CON NECTICUT EVANGELICAL MAG AZINE. GENTLEMEN, W HEN the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory and perhaps, in none of God's works, are feveral of his perfections, more gloriously difplayed than in revivals of religion; particularly, his wifdom, power, fovereignty and goodnefs; his wif dom in choofing the time when and the means by which, to effect his purpofe; his power in awakening the moft fecure and ftupid, and fubduing to himfelf the moft perverfe and obftinate finner; his goodnefs in plucking finners as brands from the burning, and faving their fouls from eternal death; and his fovereignty, in taking Tome and leaving others to perith in their fins. No reafon can be affigned for that difcrimination which is made between one town and another, when the fpirit is poured out more copiously upon the one than upon the other, or why one finner is the fubje&t of regenerating grace, and not another, but only this, " even fo father, for fo it feemeth good in thy fight." Before the late revival of religion in this town, the people in general were in a very languid ftate as to any visible appearance of the power of godlinefs among them ; nor can I find upon enquiry, that there ever hath been, until this time, a general fpir it offerioufncis and attention to re appeared to be at reft, in a formal attendance upon the external duties of religion, and abstaining from the groffer pollutions of the world. About four or five in a forward, and by an open profeffion year, upon an average, had come of chriftianity, joined the church. In the two years next preceding the awakening, there were but three that vifibly entered into cov wife and the foolish apparently flumenant with God. Thus were the bering and fleeping together, when it pleafed God to revive his work tations of his favorable prefence among us and give vifible manifef with us. Towards the end of the year, 1798 there was an appearance of been common among us; although more attention to religion than had time; our affemblies upon the fabit was not generally noticed at that bath were more full, and the attention of the congregation to the word preached, and other parts of focial worship, more fixed than had been cially appeared, until in the month ufual. Nothing farther very efpeof February 1799, when the fpirit and feemed to breathe on many at came like a mighty rufhing wind, one and the fame time. The fift vifible indication of this, was on a lecture-day, previous to the adminiftration of the facramental fupper. Thefe lectures had heretofore ufufides profeffors, and too many of ally been attended but by few, bethefe were negligent in their attend. ance. But at this time, there were probably three if not four times attended on fuch occafions, efpethe number which had ordinarily claily of young people and the dnes of heart. Indeed the whole countenances of many indicated congregation appeared folemn; but ligion among them from their first incorporation, which is more than fixty years ago. Since I have had the pa toral charge of this people, which is more than thirteen years, there have been. As far as I know, but very few inflancss of perfons under apparent conviction of fin and deep concern about their fufome in different parts of the houfe, ture state. The people in general by their tears which they could not conceal, manifefted that their been almost every week, from two minds were tenderly impreffed; at to five and fometimes fix religious the close of this meeting in the day- meetings, befide the two upon the time an evening lecture was appoint- fabbath; and as I have invariably ed, which it is believed, was the attended them myself, can witness firft evening religious meeting which to the order and decency, the fihad ever been publicly notified or lence and folemnity, with which, attended, in the town; at this and the numbers by which thefe meeting in the evening, a much meetings have been attended. greater number attended than did The filence obfervable among thofe in the day-time. A brother in who were going to or returning the miniftry being prefent preached from thefe meetings, was very from thefe words, He flattereth impreffive, and frequently nohimfelf in his own eyes, until bis ini- ticed with furprize and pleafure. quity be found to be bateful. The Little or no tumult or noife, and affembly was folemn, the hearers the appearance of moft, much as attentive, and the word preached if they had been going to, or were feemed to be accompanied with a returning from the funeral of fome divine power: A religious meet- near relative or friend. And ing was now appointed on the Wed- while in the houfe, nothing was nefday evening of the next week; faid but by the minifter; for fo and although the feafon and trav- little difpofed were people to take elling were both uncomfortable, an active part in any religious exmany came from almoft every quar- ercife, except finging, that it was ter; and it seemed as if God was difficult to get one publicly to prefent of a truth, fpeaking to fin- propofe or afk a queftion. Many Bers in a still small voice, and fay-were fwift to hear, but all flow to ing, what have you been doing? fpeak. And where are you going? Cónfider what you do, and what your end is like to be. After prayer and finging, the people affembled, were addreffed from these words, Efcape for thy life; look not behind thee; neither ftay thou in all the plain; fcape to the mountain left thou be confumed. A folemn filence reigned among the hearers, who appeared to hear as for their lives; and many were to be feen in various parts of the houfe, weeping and trembling under a fenfe of their guilt and danger; and faying to themselves, what fhall I do to be faved! For at this time, but few fpoke out the feelings and extreifes of their hearts; but at the clofe of the meeting, filently returned to their refpective homes, in penfive fadnefs. From that time to the prefent, there have VOL. II. No. 1. During this time of awakening, the people in general, were much more difpofed, to hear the word preached, and other religious inftructions, than heretofore; and attended to receive instruction, in a manner, to outward appearance, very different from what is common in moft worshipping affemblies. Our affemblies upon the fabbath were full, and for many fabbaths fucceffively, it is believed not one of adult years, was feen to turn his face from the preacher, or to rife from his feat, from the time the fermon began, until it was finifhed, nor yet to fleep or dose; nor could an attentive obferver, diícover a fmile, upon any occafion in the countenance of any one, arrived to the years of understanding, during the time of religious wor fhip or after they came into the D place of worship, until they left it. When people came up to the houfe of the Lord to worship, it feemed as if each one said to himself, furely the Lord is here. How dreadful is this place! And frequently, when the religious exercifes, have been clofed and the affembly difmiffed, many by their countenances and other figns, manifefted a kind of unwillingness to leave the place, as if they faid, it is good to be here. Upon feveral communion-days, the whole or nearly the whole of the congregation, attended as fpectators, the adminiftration of the facramental fupper; and a large proportion of them, as well as of the communicants, were in tears during the folemn scene. In this time of God's pouring out his fpirit, and reviving his work among us, fixty-one, have been added to the church, and baptifm administered to about one hundred. Among the baptized, are fixteen households or families. At one time a number of households, containing about twenty fouls, were baptized. Those who have in this time of awakening, joined the church, are moft, if not all of them, between fourteen and forty years of age. The greateft number have been from the clafs of married people; of the unmarried, twenty-one are females. How folemn and affecting, to behold heads of families who had all their life time, reftrained prayer and lived without God in the world, praying with their families, morning and evening, day by day continually, and in a public man ner devoting themselves and their houfeholds to the Lord ? and how impreffive and animating to the friends of Zion, to fee thofe in the bloom and gaieties of youth, become fober-minded; and volunta rily enrolling their names among the followers of the Lamb? Efpecially, what inexpreffible joy mult it afford pious parents, who are travelling in birth, that Chrift may be formed in their children, to fee them in a serious manner, take upon themselves the bonds of their baptifmal covenant, and confefs a crucified Saviour, before a fcoffing world? Sundry parents have feen feveral of their children, unitedly devoting themselves to God. In one inftance, four fifters came forward together and renouncing the vanitics of youth, profeffed godlinefs. Such views muft lead every contemplative and pious mind, to meditate with raptures of joy, upon fuch divine promifes and predictions, as that in the 44th Chapter of Ifaiah, at the beginning "Thus faith the Lord-I will pour my fpirit upon thy feed and my bleffing upon thine offspring, and they fhall fpring up as among the grafs, as willows by the water-courfes. One fhall fay, I am the Lords: and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another fhall fubfcribe with his hand unto the Lord, and furname himself by the name of Ifrael." All of thofe, who have in this time of awakening made an open profeffion of chriftianity, have appeared as yet to adorn their profeilion by a converfation, in 2 neafure becoming the gofpel of Chrift, one only excepted; and fhould there be reafons for other exceptions, a few years hence, it erght not to be thought strange, as if fome new and ftrange thing had happened in the world. That which hath been, is that which fhall be; but tares have always been in fields of wheat, and in a great houfe, there are not only veffels of gold and of filver, but alfo of wood and of earth, fome |