SCHEDULE II.

Showing the States in which the Alumni of the Theological Seminary, Auburn, had their original residence, and the Colleges at which they were graduated.

In addition to the number above presented, 223 individuals have been members for a time of the seminary, but did not finish the prescribed course and graduate. Most of these persons are now in the ministry. Besides those in the column of missionaries, ten persons, who are now laboring in foreign fields, were for a time members of this institution.

A little more than one-third of the graduates, it will be perceived, were educated at New England Colleges, and rather less than one-third were natives of New England.

Oct. 16.

THOMAS K. FESSENDEN, Cong. ord. pastor, Norwich, Ct.
DAVID BANCROFT, Cong. ord. pastor, Willington, Ct.
Oct. 30.
HARVEY HYDE, Cong. ord. Evang. Brooklyn, Ct. Nov. 5.
JOHN O. COLTON, Cong. ord. pastor, New Haven, Ct.
Nov. 6.

FREDERICK A. BARTON, Cong. ord. Evang. Collinsville,
Ct. Nov. 6.

J. SEWALL EATON, Bap ord. pastor, Hartford, Ct. Nov. 13.
JOHN N YES, Bap. ord. pastor, North Haven, Ct. Dec. 4.
DWIGHT IVES, Bap. inst. pastor, Suffield, Ct. Nov.
BENJAMIN OBER, Cong. inst. pastor, Woodstock, Ct. Dec. 4.
JAMES P. TERRY, Cong, inst. pastor, Somers, Ct. Dec. 4.
ROBERT M. CHAPMAN, Epis. ord. priest, Hartford, Ct.

Dec. 22.

JAMES H. BROWN, Bap. ord. pastor, Cloverport, Kentucky, WILLIAM POLLARD, Bap. New Orleans, Louisiana, Dec. Nov. 1839.

Dear Sir,-Agreeably to your request, I will endeavor to furnish for the Register a brief history of the Revivals of Religion in Middlebury College. You must not, however, expect a very minute statement of facts; especially with regard to those, which occurred more than twenty years ago. The college has existed nearly forty years; and my connection with it comprehends but a little more than half of that period. Concerning the revivals, which took place previously to the year 1818, I must, therefore, depend wholly on the statements and recollections of others. I have, however, endeavored to supply this deficiency, as well as to refresh my own memory in relation to more recent revivals, by collecting the scattered reminiscences of other minds. I have accordingly written to several gentlemen, alumni of the college, who were connected with it, at different periods of its history; and I shall ınake a free use of their letters, written in answer to my inquiries.

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS.

The foundation of Middlebury College was laid in prayer; and while it has participated largely in the charities of the friends of learning and religion, its prosperity has depended principally on their prayers and the consequent spiritual blessings showered upon it; giving it a distinguished character for piety and holy enterprise. A very large proportion of its graduates have entered the field of missionary and ministerial labor. And not a few of these either received their first abiding religious impressions, or obtained a new impulse in their Christian course, during the period of their college life. The general religious character of the institution, and the frequent seasons of "refreshing from the presence of the Lord," enjoyed within its walls, has given it a distinguished name among the best institutions of New England; and truly it has been highly favored of Heaven. It has been often watered by the dews of divine grace; and annually has it sent forth streams, which have “made glad the city of our God." Besides several periods of partial awakening, temporary seriousness and occasional conversions, it has been blessed with no less than 39

VOL. XII.

ten seasons of special and general religious inquiry and spiritual improvement, which may with great propriety be denominated Revivals of Religion.

Before I proceed to give the result of my inquiries and recollections on the subject to state the facts, enumerate the striking incidents, and endeavor to describe the interesting scenes, connected with these revivals; it seems to me proper, to define the term Revival, as applied to the subject of religion; and, as far as possible, fix its meaning, so that I may not be misapprehended in my

statements.

6

A Revival of Religion, as I shall use the phrase; and, indeed, as I believe it to be generally used in this country, is a state of elevated feeling in view of divine truth, connected with corresponding and vigorous action; and these extensively pervading a community. It is a period of serious and even anxious inquiry among impenitent sinners, what they shall do to be saved;' and of ardent prayer, deep solicitude and special effort among Christians, to grow in grace, and advance the cause and kingdom of the Redeemer, by rousing the attention of careless sinners, and leading them to seek the Lord and their own eternal salvation. It is a season, when pure and undefiled religion is rapidly increasing, and extending its benign influence-when sinners are flocking to Jesus, 'as doves to their windows;' and saints are rejoicing with joy unspeakable and full of glory.' A revival of religion, therefore, does not consist in a single hopeful conversion, nor in a few instances of serious impression and temporary religious inquiry;—much less in a mere increase of religious meetings, or religious conversation, or religious discussion and excitement; but in a state of general anxiety and deep solicitude on the subject of religion, with corresponding and persevering efforts to obtain an interest in the redemption of Christ, and advance his cause in the world; followed by an increase of personal holiness and many hopeful conversions unto God. It is the result of much faithful preaching of the word and manifestation of the truth, accompanied by ardent, persevering and united prayer. It has therefore, with great propriety, been called "a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord"—of special divine influences-of a copious effusion of the Holy Spirit, and a general diffusion through a community, of the spirit of truth and love, of humility and meekness, of peace, harmony and joy.

Another preliminary remark seems to be necessary to prevent a misapprehension; or, at least, to secure a correct understanding, of some of the statements about to be made. The remark is this, that a very intimate connection with familiar intercourse, has existed between the religious community in the village of Middlebury and the members of college, from its first establishment to the present time. The students have all along boarded in private families. And, while they have not failed to receive weekly religious instruction from the presiding officer, and occasionally from other members of the faculty;while a weekly conference and prayer meeting, open for all the members of college, who chose to attend, has been constantly maintained on Saturday evening; while a religious association, denominated the Philadelphian Society, composed of the most devoted members of the several classes of students, who are admitted on examination, and meet for religious worship and mutual religious instruction and admonition every Friday evening, has long existed in the institution, and exerted, in a high degree, the appropriate influence of a well organized church;-while these religious privileges have been enjoyed by the students, they have been permitted and required by the laws of college, to attend the stated public worship of the Sabbath, in the several churches in the village, to which they respectively belonged, or which they or their parents preferred. The consequence of this arrangement has been a strong religious sympathy between the Christians in college and those in the village and its vicinity. Most of the revivals, which commenced in college, have, of course, soon reached the village; and most of those, which originated in the village, have soon diffused their hallowed influence through the college. Without stopping here, to discuss the question, whether this intimate connection has always been mutually beneficial, (concerning which some have doubted, but concerning which I have no doubts,) I simply make the statement of the

fact here, as explanatory of some of the circumstances and measures, to which I shall have occasion to refer, on account of their connection with the revivals in college.

First Revival.

Middlebury College, as previously stated, was instituted, and put in operation, in the year 1800. The next year was a year of "the right hand of the Most High," in the village and township of Middlebury; and many of the inhabitants were brought under the influence of divine grace; and led to embrace the offers of mercy, and devote themselves to the service of God. But I find no evidence, that the few members of college were, at all, interested in the work. But in the years 1805 and 1806, Middlebury was again visited in mercy. A revival commenced in September, 1805, and continued through the winter and spring of the year 1806, with little interruption and considerable power. In this work, especially towards its close, the members of college participated, and enjoyed a share of its blessed influences. I am not able, however, to furnish any particular statement concerning its character; as I have failed to obtain letters from those, who were then members of the institution. From other sources I learn simply the general facts, that several students were deeply serious, and reckoned among the converts; and that two or three, who have since done much for their country and the church of God, were among the acknowledged subjects of the work.

Second, Third and Fourth Revivals.

I place the three (or, as some distinguish and reckon them, the four) revivals, which occurred during the short period between the autumn of 1809 and the summer of 1814, under one head; because they followed each other in quick, and almost continuous succession. This was a period of great interest both in the village and in the college; and through the instrumentality of those, who were then members of the institution, it proved to be of immense importance to the church and the heathen world.-Concerning the latter portion of this period, a graduate of 1814 thus writes:-" The revivals, which occurred during my connection with the college, were much the same as those which are so often witnessed in the towns and villages and colleges of highly favored New England; and which, I trust and hope and pray, are ere long to be witnessed in every region of the globe. The first was in the year 1811. It was a powerful and blessed work of the Holy Spirit of God. This was too manifest, at the time, to be denied even by the most skeptical and hardened of those, who were, and continued to be, unconverted. With many others, who like myself had been living without hope and without God in the world, I experienced, at that time, wholly unsought and unexpected by myself, a great and wonderful change, like that described in Scripture, when a man is born again,' and becomes ‘a new creature in Christ Jesus.' The nature and circumstances of this change were such, as compelled me to believe it could have proceeded from no other source, than the Author of all good. Twenty-eight years have now elapsed; and my conviction is, if possible, still stronger that it was-it must have been the work of God's grace, for which many immortal souls will bless his holy name for ever.”

Another graduate of the same class, whose residence in Middlebury, as a member of the academy and of the college, embraces the whole period from 1809 to 1814, in answer to my letter of inquiry, thus writes:-"Dear Sir, your inquiry of me, respecting the revivals of religion in Middlebury College, during my residence there, sent my thoughts back to seasons and scenes, which I have often recollected with peculiar interest-with painful interest also, as seasons poorly improved to my own spiritual good. For it was not till my junior year, that I became possessed of the Christian hope. The recollections of those seasons, however, which preceded my own supposed conversion, I hope, have proved of some profit to me.