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cause their Sachem is bad, and careth not to pray unto God." The reafon that the Sachems were opposed to the gospel was, because they feared that religion would deprive them of the tyranny they exercised over their people, and oblige them to a more mild and gentle government. Mr. Eliot, alone in the wilderness, has fometimes been treated in a very threatening manner by these tyrants; but God infpired him with fo much refolution as to tell them, "I am about the work of the Great God, and my God is with me, fo that I fear neither you, nor all the Sachems in the country: I'll go on, and do you touch me if you dare!" Upon which, the ftouteft of them have fhrunk and fell before him.

The fame fpirit that infpired Eliot, infpired others alfo, to profecute the work of refcuing the Indians from their worse than Egyptian darkness. His fellow labourers in the Indian harvest were also greatly fuccefsful. It was at one time computed, that on Martha's Vineyard alone there were fifteen hundred feals of their ministry.

In a letter, containing an account of Mr. Eliot's laBours among the Indians, which was dated at Boston in 1687, and fent to Utrecht, there is this paffage : "There are fix churches of baptifed Indians in NewEngland, and eighteen affemblies of Catechumens, profeffing the name of Chrift. Of the Indians there are four and twenty who are preachers of the word of God, and, befides thefe, there are four English minifters, who preach the gospel in the Indian tongue.

Mr. Eliot lived to an advanced age-his infirmities caused him to refign his paftoral charge of Roxbury, a few years before his death, into the hands of a fucceffor, who was appointed at his own earnest request. He was about eighty-fix years of age, when his Lord received him to an eternal rest.

An Account of WILLIAM COWPER, Efq. Author of the TASK, &c.

[Chiefly extracted from Mr. GREATHEED's Sermon preached on Occasion of his Death.]

MR

R.COWPER was the fon of John Cowper, D.D. Rector of Great Berkhamstead, Herts. He was born on the 15th of November, 1731. Defcended of amiable and refpectable parents, of noble affinity, and connected with perfons of great worldly influence, his advancement in temporal affluence and honour feemed to demand no extraordinary mental endowments. His opening genius difcovered, however, a capacity for elegant literature, and he enjoyed the beft advantages for improvement in fo pleafing a purfuit. With uncommon abilities, he poffeffed a moft amiable temper; and he became not only the darling of his relations, but beloved and admired by his affociates in education; fome of whom, with inferior profpects, have fince rifen to diftinguished reputation, and even to the higheft profeffional rank. But the towering hopes that were naturally built on fo flattering a ground, were undermined at an early period. From childhood, during which he loft a much-loved parent, his fpirits were always very tender, and often greatly dejected. His natural diffi

Mr. Cowper appears to have long retained a very tender sense of this dispensation of providence. We cannot refrain quoting part of a beautiful poem, written by him on receiving his mother's pictüre out of Norfolk. It exhibits a most amiable pattern of filial atfection.

My mother when I learn'd that thou wast dead,
Say, wast thou conscious of the tears I shed?
Hover'd thy spirit o'er thy sorrowing son,
Wretch even then, life's journey just begun?
I heard the bell toll'd on thy burial-day,
I saw the hearse that bore thee slow away,
And, turning from my nurs'ry window, drew
A long, long sigh, and wept a last adieu.
But was it such? It was!-Where thou art gone,
Adieus and farewells are a sound unknown.
May I but meet thee on that peaceful shore,
The parting sound shall pass my lips no more.

dence and depreffion of mind were increased to a most diftreffing degree, by the turbulence of his elder com rades, at the inoft celebrated public school in the kingdom. And when, at mature age, he was appointed to a lucrative and honourable station in the law, he shrunk with the greatest terror, from the appearance which it required him to make before the Upper Houfe of Parliament. Several affecting circumftances concurred to increase the agony of his mind, while revolving the confequences of relinquishing the poft to which he was nominated; and he wifhed for madness, as the only apparent means by which his perplexity and diftrefs could be terminated. A desperation, of which, few among mankind can form a fuitable conception, but which, it may be hoped, many will regard with tender pity, drove him to attempt felf murder; and the manner of his prefervation in life, or rather of his restoration to it, indicated an unusual interpofition of the providence of God. His friends no longer perfifted in urging him to retain his office. It was refigned; and with it his flattering profpects vanished, and his connections with the world diffolved: A ftriking inftance of the inftability of earthly hopes, and the infufficiency of human accomplishments, to promote even temporal comfort! Far other expectations had been entertained in the circle to which he was at that time known.

At this awful crifis appears to have commenced Mr. Cowper's ferious attention to the ways of God. Having been educated in the knowledge of the holy fcriptures, and preferved from that fool-hardy arrogance which urges

Thy maidens griev'd themselves at my concern,
Oft gave me promise of a quick return.
What ardently I wish'd I long believ'd,
And, disappointed still, was still deceiv'd.
By disappointment ev'ry day beguil'd,
Dupe of to-morrow, even from a child.
Thus many a sad to-morrow came and went,
Till, all my stock of infant sorrows spent,
I learn'd, at last, submission to my lot,
And though I less deplor'd thee, ne'er forgot.

unhappy youths to infidelity, he had uniformly retained a reverence for the word of God. His manners were, in general, decent and amiable; and the courfe of pleafure in which he indulged himself being cuftomary with perfons in fimilar circumftances, he remained infenfible of his ftate as a finner in the fight of God, till he was brought to reflect upon the guilt of that action by which he had nearly plunged himself into endless perdition.His mind was then, for the first time, convinced of the evil of fin, as a tranfgreffion of the law of God; and he was terrified by the apprehenfion, that his late offence was unpardonable in its nature. Inftead of finding relief from reading, every book he opened, of whatever kind, feemed to him adapted to increase his distress; which became fo pungent as to deprive him of his usual reft, and to render his broken flumbers equally miserable with his waking hours. While in this ftate, he was vifited by the late Rev. Martin Madan, who was related to him. By explaining from the fcriptures the doctrine of original fin, Mr. Madan convinced him, that all mankind were on the fame level with himself before God; the atonement and righteoufness of Chrift were fet forth to him, as the remedy which his cafe required; and the neceffity of faith in Chrift, in order to experience the bleffings of this falvation, excited his earneft defire for the attainment. His mind derived prefent eafe from thefe important truths, but ftill inclined to the fuppofition that his faith was in his own power. The follo ving day he again funk under the horrors of perdition; and that distraction which he had fought as a refuge from the fear of man, now feized him amidst his terrors of eternal judgment! A vein of felf-loathing ran through the whole of his infanity; and his faculties were fo completely deranged, that the attempt which he had lately deplored as an unpardonable tranfgreffion, now appeared to him an indifpenfible work of piety. He, therefore, repeated his affault upon his own life, under the dreadful delufion, that it was right to rid the earth of fuch a finner; and that the fooner it was accomplished, his fuVOL. II. No. 3.

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ture mifery would be the more tolerable. His purpose being again mercifully fruftrated, he became, at length, familiar with defpair, and fuffered it to be alleviated by conversation with Dr. Cotton, a pious and humane phyfician at St. Alban's, under whofe care he had been happily placed. He began to take fome pleasure in fharing daily the domeftic worship which was laudably practifed by the Doctor; and he found relief from his defpair, by reading in the fcriptures, that "God hath fet forth Jefus Chrift as a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remiffion of fins that are paft, through the forbearance of God." Rom. iii. 25. While meditating upon this paffage, he obtained, in a few minutes, a clear view of the gospel, which was attended with unfpeakable joy. Many of his fubfequent days were occupied with praife and prayer, and his heart overflowed with love to his crucified Redeemer. With our God there is nothing impoffible. A hymn, which he wrote under thefe delightful impreffions, will beft defcribe the comfort he enjoyed.

"How bless'd thy creature is, O God! when with a single eye, He views the lustre of thy word, the day-spring from on high! Through all the storms that veil the skies, and frown on earthly things,

The Sun of Righteousness he eyes, with healing in his wings.
Struck by that light, the human heart, a barren soil no more,
Sends the sweet smell of grace abroad, where serpents lurk'd before.
The soul, a dreary province once, of Satan's dark domain,
Feels a new empire form'd within, and owns a heav'nly reign.
The glorious orb, whose golden beams the fruitful year controul,
Since first, obedient to thy word, he started from the goal,
Has cheer'd the nations with the joys his orient beams impart;—
But, Jesus! 'tis thy light alone can shine upon the heart."

The first tranfports of his joy, which almost prevented his neceffary fleep, having fubfided, were followed by a fweet ferenity of fpirit, which he was enabled to retain, notwithstanding reviving ftruggles of corruption. The comfort he enjoyed in the profitable converfation of his beloved phyfician, induced him to prolong his ftay at St. Alban's, for twelve months after his recovery. Hav