From The Christian’s Magazine, we found an article taken from the Vermont Evangelical Magazine, for March, 1810. It is from this article that we have extracted this information about the 1809 Middlebury, Vermont Revival.

First Evidence of the Revival’s Appearance
It was on October 26, 1809, when a large group of young people from the Congregational Church assembled in the town of Middlebury to ride to a friend’s home a few miles away, intending to enjoy an evening together.

On the ride to this home, some of these youths in this group had their consciences smitten, knowing that the entertainment and discussions for the evening would not be wholesome.

One young lady made commitment on the spot, that she would:

Say nothing for which she expected to be sorry.

And that when they arrived at the friend’s home:

She would introduce the subject of religion to the first person who should take a seat by her.

Though fearful of keeping her commitment, the young man who sat next to her was very open to the conversation of eternal things. This person had already made the inner commitment, that he would never rest again until he experienced the mercy of God (in saving his soul).

Following that conversation, this young lady discreetly invited several of her friends to visit her on an afternoon of the following week. The purpose of this visit was made clear, and it was to have “party, in which no conversation should be introduced, but on religious subjects.”

Some of the invited were amazed at the proposed invitation, never having heard of something like that being done before, but agreed to attend.

The evening ended without anything extraordinary happening, yet some of the group returned with their consciences convicting them.

A Church Conference
A few days following that evening’s party, a specially called church service was held on Tuesday, October 31, 1809. During this service, a former minister of the Gospel, who had been excommunicated from a neighboring church but had the previous Sunday been fully restored and was in good standing with that church, voluntarily and publicly read his confession. While reading that confession, he interjected remarks that were given as a warning to others so they could avoid what he had gone through.

Great Conviction Initiated the Revival
That restored minister’s confession, and comments made throughout his confession, brought tremendous conviction, and along with it the start and rapid spread of the Middlebury Revival.

On November 5, 1809, the following Sunday, those assembled at the church were unusually solemn. The reading at the opening of this service was from the second chapter of Acts. To those assembled, it seemed as though it was the day of Pentecost.

For several weeks following these events, church services were thronged, and the revival continued through the end of the year and beyond.

On Sunday, January 7, 1810, the church building had never been so full. At the end of that church service that afternoon, 43 people stood in the center aisle to present themselves for church membership. Of that number, 34 were young people.

Middlebury College Students
There were about 50 young men participating in this revival who were students at Middlebury College (founded by Congregationalists in 1800). And those most impacted by the revival were those between the ages of 14 and 25.

Jeremiah Atwater

President of Middlebury College and Witness to the Revival

Results and Spread of the Revival
Prior to the revival the church had but “a handful of members.” Following the revival, membership increased to well over 280, and was expecting to extend past 300 after membership prerequisites were met.

Locations in Vermont where the revival spread

The revival spread out of Middlebury to neighboring towns of Shoreham, Cornwall, Salisbury, Orwell, and Whiting. From these five towns, in just 3 months, around 200-300 people were converted to Christ.

Source
The Christian’s Magazine by Timothy Priestly (page 231)
The Christian’s Magazine by Timothy Priestly (page 108)

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