“‘On the 21st of January, Bro. William Miller came into town, and commenced, in our chapel, his course of lectures on the Second Coming of Christ. During the nine days that he remained, crowds flocked to hear him. Before he concluded his lectures, a large number of anxious souls came forward for prayers. Our meetings continued every day and evening for a length of time after he left. Such an intense state of feeling as now pervaded our congregation we never witnessed before in any place. Not unfrequently from sixty to eighty would come forward for prayers on an evening. Such an awful spirit of solemnity seemed to settle down on the place that hard must be that sinner’s heart that could withstand it. Yet, during the whole, not an appearance of confusion occurred; all was order and solemnity. Generally, as soon as souls found deliverance, they were ready to proclaim it, and exhort their friends, in the most moving language, to come to the fountain of life. Our meetings thus continued, on evenings, for six weeks; indeed, they have thus continued, with very little intermission, up to the present.
“‘Probably about one hundred and fifty souls have been converted in our meetings; but a part of these were from other congregations, and have returned to their former meetings. Among the converts are a considerable number from the Universalist congregation; these still remain with us. From our meetings this blessed work soon spread into every congregation in town favorable to revivals. In several of them it is at present spreading with power. For weeks together, the ringing of bells for daily meetings rendered our town like a continual Sabbath. Indeed, such a season of revival was never witnessed before in Portsmouth by the oldest inhabitant. It would be difficult, at present, to ascertain the exact number of conversions in town; it is variously estimated at from five hundred to seven hundred. We have received into fellowship eighty-one; nine of these were received on previous profession. We have baptized sixty-seven, and the others stand as candidates for baptism. Never, while we linger on the shores of mortality, do we expect to enjoy more of Heaven than we have in some of our late meetings, and on baptizing occasions. At the waterside, thousands would gather to witness this solemn institution in Zion, and many would return from the place weeping. Our brethren at the old chapel have had some additions, we believe some over twenty.’
“The Rev. Mr. Peabody, of Portsmouth, in a sermon published soon after, spoke of the revival which commenced there in connection with Mr. Miller’s labors, as follows:—
“‘If I am rightly informed, the present season of religious excitement has been, to a great degree, free from what, I confess, has always made me dread such times, I mean those excesses and extravagances which wound religion in the house of its friends, and cause its enemies to blaspheme. I most cheerfully express my opinion that there will be, in the fruits of the present excitement, far less to regret, and much more for the friends of God to rejoice in—much more to be recorded in the book of eternal life—than in any similar series of religious exercises which I have ever had the opportunity of watching.’
“At the time of these lectures, Eld. D. I. Robinson was stationed in Portsmouth, as the pastor of the Methodist church, and attended a part of the course. He writes:—
“‘I heard him all I could the first week, and thought I could stop his wheels and confound him; but, as the revival had commenced in the vast congregation assembled to hear, I would not do it publicly, lest evil should follow. I therefore visited him at his room, with a formidable list of objections. To my surprise, scarcely any of them were new to him, and he could answer them as fast as I could present them. And then he presented objections and questions which confounded me and the commentaries on which I had relied. I went home used up, convicted, humbled, and resolved to examine the question.’
“The result was, that Eld. R. became fully convinced of the nearness of the advent, and has since been a faithful preacher of the kingdom at hand. Eld. Thomas F. Barry, also, at this time embraced Mr. Miller’s views, and continued an able and consistent advocate of the same till his death, at Oswego, N. Y., July 17, 1846.
“On the 30th and 31st of January, Mr. M. again lectured in Exeter, N. H., and from the 2d to the 6th of February in Deerfield, N. H., after which he returned to Boston.