Last rites declaration of Ioannes Paulus PP. II (Karol Wojtyla)
2nd April 2005
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part of the Jerseys; as I was informed
when I was at New York (in a long journey I took at that time of the
year for my health), by some people of the Jerseys, whom I saw.
Especially the Rev. William Tennent, a minister who seemed to have such
things at heart, told me of a very great awakening of many in a place
called the Mountains, under the ministry of one Mr. Cross; and of a very
considerable revival of religion in another place under the ministry of
his brother the Rev. Gilbert Tennent; and also at another place, under
the ministry of a very pious young gentleman, a Dutch minister, whose
name as I remember was Freelinghousa.
This seems to have been a very extraordinary dispensation of providence;
God has in many respects gone out of, and much beyond, His usual and
ordinary way. The work in this town, and others about us, has been
extraordinary on account of the universality of it, affecting all sorts,
sober and vicious, high and low, rich and poor, wise and unwise. I
reached the most considerable families and persons, to all appearance,
as much as others. In former stirrings of this nature, the bulk of the
young people have been greatly affected; but old men and little children
have been so now. Many of the last have, of their own accord, formed
themselves into religious societies in different parts of the town. A
loose careless person could scarcely be found in the whole neighborhood;
and if there was any one that seemed to remain senseless or unconcerned,
it would be spoken of as a strange thing.
This dispensation has also appeared very extraordinary in the numbers of
those on whom we have reason to hope it has had a saving effect. We have
about six hundred and twenty communicants, which include