ncern among
the hearers; so that some burst out with an audible noise into
bitter crying, a thing not known in these parts before.... The
first sermon I preached after my return to them was from
Matthew vi. 33: 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness.' After opening up and explaining the parts of
the text, when in the improvement I came to press the
injunction in the text upon the unconverted and ungodly, and
offered this as one reason among others why they should now
first of all seek the kingdom and righteousness of God, viz.,
that they had neglected too long to do so already, this
consideration seemed to come and cut like a sword upon several
in the congregation; so that while I was speaking upon it they
could no longer contain, but burst out in the most bitter
mourning. I desired them as much as possible to restrain
themselves from making any noise that would hinder themselves
or others from hearing what was spoken; and often afterward I
had occasion to repeat the same counsel. I still advised
people to endeavor to moderate and bound their passions, but
not so as to resist and stifle their convictions. The number
of the awakened increased very fast. Frequently under sermons
there were some newly convicted and brought into deep distress
of soul about their perishing estate. Our Sabbath assemblies
soon became vastly large, many people from almost all parts
around inclining very much to come where there was such
appearance of the divine power and presence. I think there was
scarcely a sermon or lecture preached here through that whole
summer but there were manifest evidences of impressions on the
hearers, and many times the impressions were very great and
general. Several would be overcome and fainting; others deeply
sobbing, hardly able to contain; others crying in a most
dolorous manner; many others more silently weeping, and a
solemn concern appearing in the countenances of many others.
And sometimes the soul-exercises of some (though comparatively
but very few) would so far affect their bodies as to occasion
some strange, unusual bodily motions. I had opportunities of
speaking particularly with a great many of those who afforded
such outward tokens of inward soul-concern in the time of
public worship and hearin