Revival Related by Asahel Nettleton — E.A. Johnston

As we get ready to spend the rest of our time in praying for revival, I wanted to read a little excerpt from my biography on Asahel Nettleton called Asahel Nettleton, Revival Preacher, published by Revival Literature.

And it's pertinent for us to pray for revival to know how God has moved in former times during revival, during revivals of religion that have occurred in this country in past times during the Great Awakening and the Second Great Awakening.

Nettleton's Handwritten Account and the Union College Revival

And what I want to go over tonight, I actually copied from Nettleton's own handwriting when I was doing my research for this book at Hartford Seminary. Nettleton's papers are there and he described a remarkable scene of revival which occurred.

I want to go over that with you tonight and we can still our hearts as we listen to this to prepare our hearts to better pray for revival. In July of 1819, Asahel Nettleton traveled to Saratoga Springs in New York.

It was his custom to visit the springs to recover from his exhaustion from revivals. And at the seminary there in Hartford, this handwritten record by Nettleton detailing this incredible revival which occurred at Union College in Schenectady, New York is really fascinating.

While resting at Saratoga Springs in late 1819, he was requested by a local minister, Reverend Griswold, to take part in some local concerts of prayer as usually was the case. Nettleton's time of rest was interrupted by new preaching invitations.

God was moving a revival around the area of Saratoga Springs including Malta and Schenectady, New York. Soon Nettleton became the main human instrument of these revivals. But it was the revival at Union College, friends, in Schenectady which became the most powerful under Nettleton's preaching.

Many of the converts of the Second Great Awakening were youths or college students. The revival at Union College was one of the most dramatic of his career. Today, one can visit the campus of Union College and actually see the house, the scene of the revival surrounding the corpse of the deceased student, which I'll go into detail here in a minute, where this marvelous record of revival occurred.

It occurred in the home of Dr. McCauley, a professor at Union College. The house is virtually the same today as it was in Nettleton's time and where Nettleton composed much of the following account. The wide front porch where he and Dr. McCauley used to sit evenings still beckons with comfortable chairs.

I sat in one of those chairs for a whole afternoon while I was reminiscing over that incredible scene of revival which took place there. It's interesting to note that when Asahel Nettleton labored in revivals in the state of Connecticut, he was primarily in congregational churches.

However, when his labors moved on to the state of New York, he was principally in Presbyterian churches or meeting houses. Let us turn now to Nettleton's own record of this remarkable revival scene. Here now are his words.

Revival Spreads Through Saratoga County

I can, at present, give you nothing more than the outlines of what the Lord is doing for this section of the church. This region, and especially the county of Saratoga, has heretofore been as destitute revivals of religion as any part of this state.

The commencement of this work was at Saratoga Springs last summer. At that place, about 40 have made a profession of religion. These include some of the most respectable characters in the village. Directly south is the town of Malta.

For a number of years, there has been no Presbyterian church in that place. But the year past, there has been a very interesting revival among the people. Our meetings have been crowded and solemn as the house of death.

A church has been recently organized, which now consists of 105 members. You can hardly imagine the interest which this revival excited in the surrounding region. Although the inhabitants are scattered over a large extent, yet I barely believe I have seen more than 1 ,400 people assembled at once to hear the gospel.

On the east of Malta is the town of Stillwater. Here also, there has been a very powerful revival. Although there has been some excitement to serious things in this place in years past, yet this revival exceeds any they have ever before witnessed.

On the 27th of February last, 103 publicly presented themselves a living sacrifice unto the Lord, and about 100 more are rejoicing in hope and expect soon to follow in their example. The work is still advancing.

Numbers are under conviction. In Boston, adjoining Malta on the west, the work has been very powerful. At least the last two communions, they admitted 118 as the fruit of this revival, and the work is yet increasing.

Directly north is the town of Milton. I visited that people Sabbath last and preached three times to a crowded and solemn assembly. In this place, a revival has just commenced. Twelve are rejoicing in hope, and a number more are anxious for their souls.

Eight miles to the northwest, adjoining Milton, is the town of Galway. Here, the work is overwhelming. In less than two months past, more than 150 have been brought to rejoice in hope. Dr. Knight from this college visited them last Sabbath and admitted 95 to the church, and the work is still progressing.

On the south of this is Amsterdam. Here, 50 have recently been led to rejoice in hope. Adjoining this is a place called Tripes Hill, and here 30 are rejoicing, and the work in both these places is increasing.

The Union College Students Confront Death and Eternity

South from Malta, about 12 miles, is the city of Schenectady and Union College, where I now reside with Dr. McCauley. He takes a lively interest in this good work. I first became acquainted with him last summer at the Springs, and more particularly at Malta, where he frequently visited us and preached and conversed and attended the meetings appointed for those anxious for their souls.

On a Sabbath, when a number were to be admitted to the church in Malta, he brought with him a number of students from the college. Some of them became anxious about this time. One of the students was called into the eternal world.

He was laid out in Dr. McCauley's study. The doctor was anxious to improve this solemn providence to the best advantage. He assembled the students around the lifeless remains of their departed friend and conversed and prayed with them in the most solemn manner.

A number of them engaged to attend on the subject of religion in earnest from that time. Many of the students became deeply impressed with a sense of their lost condition. For them were appointed meetings of inquiry, and in this very room, where they lately beheld the breathless corpse of their young companion, and where I am now writing, was witnessed a scene of deep and awful distress.

About thirty of the students are brought to rejoice in hope. The revival is now very powerful in the city. Such a scene they never before witnessed. More than one hundred have been brought to rejoice in hope.

Two Hundred Souls Weep Together in Prayer

Besides these, we had more than two hundred in our meeting of inquiry, anxious for their souls. We met in a large upper room called the Masonic Hall. The room was so crowded that we were obliged to request all who had recently found relief to retire below and spend their time in prayer for those above.

This evening will never be forgotten. The scene is beyond description. Did you ever witness two hundred sinners with one accord in one place weeping for their sins? Until you have seen this, you can have no adequate conception of the solemn scene.

I felt as though I was standing on the verge of the eternal world, while the floor under my feet was shaken by the trembling of anxious souls in view of a judgment to come. This solemnity was still heightened when every knee was bent at the throne of grace and the intervening silence of the voice of prayer was interrupted only by the sighs and sobs of anxious souls.

The Extent of the Revival and the Hope of New Birth

I have not time to relate interesting particulars. I only add that some of the most stout-hearted, hard-hearted, heaven-daring rebels have been in the most awful distress. Within a circle whose diameter would be twenty-four miles, not less than eight hundred souls have been hopefully born into the kingdom of Christ since last September.

The same glorious work is fast spreading into other towns and congregations. This is what which was spoken by the prophet Joel.