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It is a library of itself, which ought to be estimated above all price. The "man of God," in order to be "thoroughly furrished," must make it his principal study. It should always lie at his right hand, when not in use. But it does not follow, that he must read nothing else, or that other books are of little value; any more than it follows, that because the gift of a Savior out, weighs all other gifts of God to men, therefore, other gifts are not worth enjoying, or being thankful for.

The science of Theology, opens to the young and inexperienced minister, a vast and interesting field. The branches of this divine science are numerous and of the highest possible moment. Doctrines which lie at the foundation of the Christian system, are to be defended a gainst a host of assailants, and to be taught with plainness and perseverance. Duties growing out of the most unpalatable of these doctrines, are to be stated and enforced, in direct opposition to many sneers, much false reasoning, and all the bad propensities of the human heart

Now when any difficult or controverted subject presents itself to a minister for investigation; when it becomes important to bring into a narrow tompass the best things that can be sai, for the instruction and benefit of his people, books are of great use. After faithfully and prayerfully consulting his Bible, and arranging his own thoughts in the best manner he is able, it is certainly desirable, that he should have all the assistance, which can be derived from the most able and pious of his predecessors. But

how is he to obtain that assistance? How but by having ready access to their writings? by having them in his library?

Let a minister adopt and pursue this method of study; let him acquaint himself thoroughly with the Scriptures; let him always resort to them in the first instance; let him then read extensively, what the best authors have written upon the point under consideration, bringing every opinion to the unerring standard before him; let him proceed in this manner, giving every subject in its turn a thorough investigation, and his "profiting" will not fail to appear to all. His views will be enlarged, his mistakes corrected, his graces enlivened, and his public discourses enriched.

But a minister cannot adopt and pursue this course without the aid of a good library, containing at least a few expensive standard works, together with a pretty long catalogue of miscellaneous volumes. Such a library, cannot, upon a moderate calculation, cost less than eight hundred or a thousand dollars. And how is it to be obtained? This is the point at which I have been aiming, in most of the preceding observations

Young men who devote themselves to the ministry, are, in general, far from being wealthy. Most of them nearly or quite expend their patrimony in preparatory studies; and not a few are involved in debt,when they commence preaching. When they are settled, they and their families must have somewhere to live. Houses and lands cannot be purchased without money, or credit. As the persons described have

not the former, they must resort to the latter. Of course at their first setting out, at the very time when they want a library most, they have not a dollar to spare for books; and what shall they do? Their salaries are generally so low, that they find it difficult to meet the current expenses of their families. To run in debt for books, without the prospect of paying, would clearly be wrong. To purchase them with ready money, without doing injustice to creditors is impossible. This representation is no fic tion. A host of witnesses might be summoned to establish every word of it. Hundreds of ministers in our land, know from experience that it is true. For want of books, many a young man, in the ministry, passes the "prime of his prime" for study, with comparatively little improvement to himself; and with much less advantage to his people, than they might and would derive from his labors had he a good library.

Surely, if any method can be devised, to remedy this evil, every man must rejoice at it, who wishes for the respectability and usefulness of the clergy. I have one method to propose, but it must be reserved for a future communication. MIKROS.

ON MISSIONS TO THE INDIANS.

Extracts from two Letters of -Eleazer Williams, of the Iroquois nation, who is now in a course of Education under the direction of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.

"MUCH has been done by the good people in New England,

towards christianizing the American Aborigines. Eliot, the Mayhews, Brainerd, and Sergeant, whose memory will be dear to the latest posterity, spent large portions of their time and talents, in this great and all important work. But of late, the Missionaries have had so little success, that many people are discouraged with regard to the Indians, and think they can neither be civilized, nor christianized. The attempts, however, have not been altogether without success. The result of the labors of some Missionaries has been such as to authorize the belief, that it is at least practicable to meliorate the condition, and convey some light of the Gospel into the minds of the Savages.

"I have no doubt, that there is room for improvement in the system of Missionary instruction among the Indians; especially in the choice of teachers, their temper, manners, and address.— The Missionary should endeavor, in the first place, to acquaint himself with their customs, manners, habits, and dispositions; and conform to them to such degree as to give them no occasion to say, "The Englishman despises the ways of the Indians." In this way only, can he gain their attention, secure their corfidence, and win their hearts.—

"The success of the Jesuits in Canada was undoubtedly owing, in a great degree, to their acquaintance with human nature. They not only studied the Indian temper and character; but they conformed themselves to the ways and manners of the different tribes, whom they converted to the Romish faith. Their su

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perior knowledge and address gave direction to the counsels and measures of the Savages; their acquaintance with medical and chirurgical subjects qualified them to discharge the duties of Physicians and Surgeons. By their knowledge in the arts of life, the Indians were daily instructed in their rude attain ments of fishing, agriculture, and making their cabins and weapons. The Fathers gained their affections by an attention to all the offices of humanity. In this kind of management the Jesuits were most of all distinguished. And it does not ap. pear that any other order of clergy have united such extensive science, such knowledge of business, of men, of human life and conduct. Wherever they went, they met with great success; and when their manners and conduct were compared with the awkward and disgusting manners of the English Missionaries, the natives concluded that the Jesuits were the men who were the favorites of the Great Spirit above; and that he neither did, nor would work much by the other Missionaries, especially by the formal unaccommodating metaphysical English priests. "No one was more successful then father Fremin. He went incessantly from one canton to another. He spoke the language of the natives as readily as they did themselves. He charmed them with his affability; he gained them by his liberality; while also he commanded respect by his daring conduct; and he well knew what part to act, without hesitation, on occasions where promptitude of decision was required; qualities of

essential moment in the situation where he was placed. A most excellent pattern to be imitated by every Missionary.

"Thus you see, my friend, to be successful in christianizing the American ancients, it is a matter of vast importance, that the Missionary should be well acquainted with the Indian temper and character. I would recommend to your attention the following books, wherein you may gain much knowledge and information of the customs and manners of our red brethren: Carver's travels; Colden's History of the Five Nations; Adair's History of American Indians; and memoirs of the Indians in New France, by the fathers Marquette and Hennipen."

LETTER II.

"How gloomy, and how melancholy is the thought, that millions of our fellow creatures, whose souls with ours are destined either to happiness or misery beyond the grave, are now involved in gross darkness, ignorance and guilt. Their unhappy state should prompt us to exertion in propagating the Gospel and diffusing more extensively the light of life. If there ever has been a period in which Christians ought to exert themselves, to do something for the heathen, and pray that the kingdoms of this world may become the kingdom of our blessed Immanuel, it is certainly now. Some say, "The time is not yet arrived to promote the conversion of the Heathen." But, I would ask, when will the time.

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come? I have been looking into the promises made in the book of God, concerning the heathen, to see whether a certain period has been stated, in which they will be fulfilled: But I looked in vain. The truth is, that God has not plainly revealed any particular period for their conversion; and he has ever required, and does now require, all Christians to do something for the prosperity of that kingdom, which is not of this world.—

"While we, my dear friend, pray that Christ's kingdom may come and his will be done on earth, as it is in heaven; while it is the desire of our hearts and our prayer to God for the heathen, that they may be saved, let us hear their cry, "come over and help us." Let no dangers nor hardships discourage us from going into the wilderness; but as the good soldiers of Jesus Christ, let us, if possible, clear ourselves from the blood of those poor Pagans, who are now perishing for want of the bread of life. Terrible are the yells of the Savages when they dart from their ambush on their foe; but infinitely more terrible will be their screams of agony in a future state, to those who suffer them to perish through neglect. "You white people knew the will of the Great Spirit, but you would not come and tell us. You came indeed into our woods and took away our hunting grounds. You taught us to lie, to cheat, and to swear; but you sent none to teach us how we might be happy when we were gathered to our fathers." How severe will be such reproaches! and alas, how justly merited by some who at the

present day, bear the Christian name!

"In my late tour into Canada, I saw a number of the Algonquin and Iroquois Indians, who expressed a strong desire to have the Gospel preached among them. These two tribes are in a degree civilized; and there is a prospect that many of them would embrace the Christian religion, if they had the means of being instructed in its principles. Now, my friend, when there is any, even the least, prospect of diffusing the Gospel among the poor Pagans in our own country, it should excite our fervent prayers for the furtherance of so desirable an object; and induce us to go, and, if possible, be the means of bring ing those, who are now perish ing for lack of vision, to a knowledge of those divine and heavenly truths, which are calculated to make man wise unto salvation."

THOUGHTS ON MATT. V, 27.

Let your communication be yea,

yea; nay, nay, for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

Commentators have generally concluded, without hesitancy, that this text was meant to apply only to swearing in common conversation. But there is nothing in our Lord's words, which implies such a restriction; and the reason, which follows, will apply to every kind of oaths. Whatsoever, is more than yea, yea and nay, nay, cometh of evil.

There is nothing in our Lord's.

words which implies a restriction to conversation. Let your communication be yea, yea, &c. The original word (λoyos) has as indefinite and general an application as the English word communication. It may signify a single word, conversation, a set oration, an epistle, an argument, the reasoning of the mind when not expressed; and it is put for the WORD or SON of GOD Why then should we not understand the prohibition to be general?

The reason given by CHRIST against swearing is applicable to all kinds of oaths. Whatsoever is more than a simple, or at most a repeated affirmation, or negation, cometh of evil. We cannot be too deeply impressed with the intrinsic excellence and universal importance of truth. To the upright man no kind of deceit can ever be necessary. Deceit is useful only to favor iniquity. Would you injure your neighbor? Deceit is often necessary to effect the purpose. Have you been guilty of an action of which you have reason to be ashamed, or to dread the consequences? It is probable you will sacrifice truth, rather than be exposed to disgrace or punishment. But are all your designs pure and generous-there can be no need of concealment,

much less of falsehood.

Falsehood being only an handmaid to vice, and entirely unnecessary to the upright soul, is one of the greatest evils. From this evil all oaths originate. Were it not for this, what occasion could there be for swearing? The most simple declarations would be implicitly believed, and would fully answer the pur

poses, which the most solemn asseverations cannot now always effect. Can we suppose that oaths were known, before falsehood had given occasion for them? If simplicity and godly sincerity could now universally prevail in society, the necessity of oaths would be entirely done away. But it is a melancholy fact, that many, from interest, prejudice, and sometimes from wantonness will misrepresent. Would we, therefore, know the certainty in any important case, it is often necessary to remind men of the presence of an omniscient GOD, and to make them swear by him, and implore his favor only as they speak the truth.*

But can a general rule of mor al propriety give way to pruYes, oaths dential motives? have always been permitted by God, when necessary on solemn and important occasions. We find the best men represented in the Scriptures of the Old Testament as swearing, and exacting oaths.

St. Paul in his

epistles calls God to witness. Our Lord answered to the high priest, when adjured by the liv ing God, (the usual mode of administering an oath among the Jews,) to tell him, whether he was the Christ the son of God. And God himself, willing to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his purpose, confirmed it by an oath.

Nor is this the only instance in Scripture of a general rule of moral propriety being relaxed for important purposes. Our Lord, being asked on a certain occasion whether it were lawful

So help me God," i. e. may God help me only as I speak the truth.

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