CHAPTER XII.

Commences the work of building a new house of worship.— Labors in a Revival at Hartford, Con-Visit to Boston.New church completed.-Labors in Dr. Skinner's church, Philadelphia.-Views of Slavery and Intemperance.-The Great Revival in 1831.-Church burnt down.

A BRIGHTER day now began to dawn, and the enterprise, in which Mr. Baldwin had been so long engaged, to assume a more encouraging aspect. The building, in which the congregation had worshiped for nearly six years, was neither as large nor as substantial as was needed. It was a frame-building, with a stonebasement and brick-front, about thirty-seven feet wide and sixty feet long, surmounted by a small belfry or cupola. The house and ground were sold for $7,300. The amount of expense which had hitherto from the beginning been incurred for the property, including the interest on loans, somewhat exceeded $20,000; while the contingent expenses, including salaries, amounted to less than $2200. After appropriating the avails of the sale to the payment of loans, the congregation found themselves, at least $3000 in debt.

Such were the circumstances in which Mr. Baldwin declined the call to the church at Jamaica, and resolutely, with a glad as well as contented heart, set himself to the work of erecting a new house of worship for the beloved people of his charge. Within less than three weeks, a subscription was obtained, mainly

through his exertions, from forty-eight persons, of $6,200. Five lots of ground were procured at an expense of $5,200, on the N. E. corner of Broome and Ridge-streets. The old church, in Sheriff-street, was relinquished on the first of May, and the work of building the new church immediately commenced. The congregation met, during the remainder of the year, on the Sabbath, part of the day in the old Mission-House, then occupied by a small Baptist church, and the other part of the day in the Allen-street Presbyterian church.

The greater part of the year was occupied by Mr. Baldwin in the cares and labors consequent upon the work of providing means for the prosecution of the new enterprise. The corner-stone of the church was laid July 18th, 1826, after which the work progressed rapidly.

Early in September, at the request of the Rev. Mr. Hawes, he visited Hartford, and spent nearly three weeks in the promotion of a work of grace which had recently commenced. Of this visit he thus writes to Mrs. B., on the 9th of September :

"We reached Hartford about noon, when I found brother Hawes at his post, ready to receive and welcome me. 'I am glad to see you,' said the honesthearted man, and I am going to turn my meetinghouse, steeple and all, over upon your shoulders.' A pretty huge load, you will suppose, when I inform you that his church is not less than the first church in Newark, and the steeple is much higher! However, the edifice remains as yet the right side up. But there is considerable agitation among the people. Brother Hawes I found pretty thoroughly worn down with labor and anxiety of mind. He needed help to enable

him to remain on the ground, and I am pleased to observe that he appears already to be regaining his strength.

"I have attended several meetings, besides the two weekly lectures at the South and North churches. The work has not yet become general. About one hundred and fifty attended the meeting of inquiry, last evening, but some afforded very little evidence of conviction, and others were hopeful converts. The number of the latter class may be about forty. They are principally young persons. I think, however, that the revival is on the increase. New instances of seriousness and hopeful conversion to God are daily coming to our knowledge. One occurred the day after my arrival, which afforded me some encouragement as well as satisfaction. I attended and conducted a small meeting of young people, some of whom appeared to be seriously impressed with the importance of obtaining the salvation of the gospel. The next morning, one of them, a young man from Boston, called at Mr. Hawes's to converse with me. He had, in pursuance of my advice at the meeting, retired to his closet to give up his heart to Jesus Christ, when he was surprised and almost alarmed to find that it went of itself.' His difficulty in the morning was, that he could not think of obtaining salvation in so easy a way. He was delighted with being the Lord's, and with serving and enjoying him forever; but he imagined that there was something more to be done first!"

Again on the 15th :-" Since writing to you, I have continued to be favored with health and strength, and enough to do. Yesterday I went with Mr. Hawes to Middletown, where the American Board of Foreign

Missions is sitting. Dr. Griffin preached before the Board of Missions last night, and I am this morning informed, that he gave a towering discourse; a little too much so, I should suspect, for the solid thinkers of Connecticut.

"I spend my time here almost exclusively in one thing-and that is, in conversing with individuals and attending meetings. There is a very manifest increase of attention to the means of salvation. All the public meetings are full, and some to overflowing. I should think that the number of hopeful converts is considerably above fifty. And yet the church has scarcely waked up. Here has been with brother Hawes the great source of discouragement. Unless the church come up to their work, we have no expectation that the revival will become general in the congregation.

"My assistance here has been timely and providential. Of the three congregations in Hartford, one is vacant, and neither brother Hawes nor brother Lindsley, who are settled over the other two, have strength to do much. In the mean time, requests are coming in from every quarter for neighborhood meetings. These are held in the afternoon, at different private dwellings, and collect from twenty-five to sixty persons."

After his return he speaks, in a letter to his parents dated Oct. 19th, of the state of affairs at home, in the following manner:-"I presume that by this time you are desirous of hearing from your children in this city. We are still able to speak of divine kindness and mercy exercised on our behalf. We are permitted still to live, and are favored with a comfortable measure of health and prosperity. Our domestic circle not only remains undiminished by death, but we have recently had an

addition made to it. On Tuesday, the 22d of August, the Lord gave us another son. He is a perfect and promising child. Julia has nearly recovered her strength, and is, for her, unusually well. Our little girl enjoys good health.

"My labors and cares, the past season, have been somewhat oppressive. The congregation are engaged in the erection of a new edifice for worship, and have found it necessary to depend very much for success on my individual exertions. You will be gratified to hear that Providence is succeeding the enterprise even beyond our expectations. It will be a large, neat, and convenient brick church. The roof is already on, and we expect, in a few weeks, to commence meeting in the basement-story.

"I have recently made a visit to Hartford, where I passed about three weeks, and was treated with much kindness. I have seldom seen a more Christian and well-informed people. There is at present a considerable revival in Hartford, as also in East Hartford, and in Wethersfield. I have no very good news to send you from this city. The churches enjoy a tranquil state. Most of them are gradually increasing in numbers. In the mean time, iniquity abounds. New-York is becoming an immense city, and, unless much is done to purify it, will pollute the whole land with its vices."

About the first of December, the basement-story of the new church was finished, and opened for public worship. A corresponding increase was soon observable in the state of the church and congregation.

He left home on the 18th of January, 1827, in company with the Rev. Mr. Peters, on a visit to Boston, in behalf of the newly-formed American Home Mission