I must give you a description of two revivals of religion which occurred while I was in the island of Ceylon, in the year 1833.  Before those revivals took place, there was no particular manifestation of much seriousness at any of our stations.  It was in the month of October of that year, that we began to feel that we must labor more, and pray more for the conversion of perishing souls.  A protracted meeting was spoken of, and it was determined that one should be held at our seminary in Batticotta—­a seminary which was established for the purpose of raising up a native ministry.  On the morning of the day in which the meeting was commenced, Mr. Spaulding and myself went to that station to assist Mr. Poor, the principal of the seminary, in laboring with the students.  In these labors we spent five days.  It was good to be there.  No sooner had we begun our exercises, than a blessing from on high was experienced.  The windows of heaven were opened, and the Holy Ghost descended.  This was evident from the spirit of prayer which was poured out upon the pious students of the seminary.  They were heard “a great while before day” pleading, in their social circles, that God would have mercy upon their impenitent companions, and bring them into the kingdom of his grace.  We trust, also, that a spirit of prayer was given to those of us who took a prominent part in the meeting.  At the termination of our exercises, with the exception of a few lads belonging to a Tamul class, who had lately been admitted to the seminary, there was not, so far as I know, an individual connected with it, who was not humbled at the foot of the cross, either to lie there until healed of his wounds, or to show, if he perished, that he must perish under circumstances of a very aggravated nature.

After we had finished our meeting at Batticotta we went to the female seminary at Oodooville, to hold similar meetings.  Before we reached that station, the church-members there, after having heard what God was doing at Batticotta, became very much aroused to pray for the influences of the Holy Spirit to descend upon the impenitent in their seminary also.  Soon after we reached the station, we held a meeting with the girls.  Some of them were then deeply concerned for the salvation of their souls; but it was not until Wednesday afternoon, that we knew how powerfully the Spirit of God had been at work.  The meeting which we held with the seminarists at that time was one of the most solemn meetings which I ever attended.  One of them, a girl of high caste, and of a very good family, said to her companions in that meeting, “My sisters, I have been a proud one among you.  I hope that if you ever see me proud again, you will tell me of it.  I used to tell the missionaries, that I had given myself to the Saviour, but I had not done it.”  Another of the girls burst into tears, and cried out aloud.  As she could not restrain her feelings, and did not wish to disturb the assembly, she arose and left it.  She retired