they cannot be fupplied but for a part of the time. There are now eight or ten young men who appear to be pious, preparing for the miniftry, in the fchool which I have mentioned, and which is kept in Cannonfburgh, in Washington county, nearly 100 miles from this place, under the care of two inftructors. * "There were ordained three ministers in and near the county of Trumbull, laft September, by the Ohio Prefbytery. One of them, the Rev. William Wick, lives 8 miles from Young'stown, at which place he preaches one third of his time. He appears to be a truly pious man. I am happy in having a brother fo near. From what I can learn of the prefent fituation of the fettlements on the Referve, it will be highly neceffary to fend on another Miffionary next fpring if poffible. I am confident, from the beft information I can get, I shall not be able to vifit all the fettlements without making too rapid a progrefs to anfwer the defign of miffionary labors. "I have to acknowledge the great goodness of God through all my journey. My health is good. I have had an uncommon fhare of kindness and refpect fhown me, and have been received with great cordiality." Extrait of a letter from the Rev. DAVID HUNTINGTON, dated Peru, weft of Lake Champlain, Nov. 15, 1800. "Since I began my miffion, I have in general been favored with the attention of the people. In fome places ferioufnefs prevails. God has hitherto remarkably difpofed wealthy and leading characters New Connecticut, or the Weftern Reserve, is formed into a county by the name of TRUMBULL. to exert themselves to promote the great object of the Miffionary Society, and to encourage the Mif. fionaries. I propose foon to go to Plattsburgh, and from thence directly 40 miles weft into the Chattegee fettlement, which lies on the road to Upper Canada. I have formed a church in Elizabethtown, and baptized nine children. The principal men of the town joined in a letter of thanks to the Miffion. ary Society, and feemed greatly affected with the benevolence of the good people of Connecticut, who fhew fuch deep concern for the welfare of their fouls. Strict, evangelical doctrines gain credit, and the inhabitants feem to be most fond of thofe preachers who preach and enforce fuch doctrines in the most clear and difcriminating light. The evidence and confideration of this tend to gladden the hearts of all the well-wishers to Zion. My plan is to recrofs the Lake before the ice impedes, and to take the upper tour of towns through Vermont to Connecticut River, and vifit the fettlements on both fides of the river down as far as they appear to be entitled to miffionary fervices; and then return through the lower range of towns to the lake-crofs it on the ice and revifit the new and needy fettlements on the weft." The Rev. Jedidiah Bushnell lately recommenced his miffionary labors. He is to spend a few weeks in the north-western part of Vermont; and then proceed to the counties of Otfego, Herkimer and Delaware in the ftate of New-York. Mr. Robert Porter has also gone on another miffionary tour of three months. He is to labor in the new fettlements on Black river and parts adjacent. POETRY. COMMUNICATED AS ORIGINAL January 6th, 1801. MESS'RS EDITORS, AS you have requested that fome Hymns might be forwarded for the benefit of the Magazine, I send you the following, which was compofed in hafte, on New-Year's day and fung in public, and which you may publish, if you think proper. 1.GR Hymn for New-Year. D. REAT God! whofe mercy hath 3. With grateful hearts, and fongs of Let us begin the new-born year; 4. And while the rapid wings of time 1. Hymn for a Birth Day. 3. Flesh demands a longer date, 4. Yet can earthly scenes afford, 9. He has magnified the law, 10. With his eye to guide my way 12. Roll ye planets, burst my chain, VITAL fpark of heavenly Gives me all my Lord to see. flame," Prifon'd in "this mortal frame," 2. See thy moments swiftly fly, 13. Yet I would not chide delay, 14. Let me learn his facred will, MESS'RS EDITORS, OBSERVING my firft letter of address to the good people of Connecticut was published, on the fubject of contributing for the fupport of Miffions, I now fend you a fecond, requesting the fame favor. MINORIS. Friends and Fellow Chriftians, my IN laft, I gave you a general view of the wide field, that is opened for Miffionary labors in this country and of the peculiar obligations on the American Church to contribute for fo benevolent a purpofc. I fhall now particularly ftate fome further reafons and motives to excite your liberality. of its glory as great and irrepar able an evil to them, as to yourfelves. Who can conceive of the quantity of happiness or misery, that must be experienced by an immortal foul through eternity! It is a quantity that exceeds all the defcriptive power of words, and outstretches the ftrength of created imagination. This will be obtained or loft by each one of those immortal fouls, for whom your charity is folicited, and the greater part of them know it not. The way, which is appointed by the gracious Redeemer of men, for them to obtain this knowledge, is through your inftrumental liberality; and can you deny it? Can you fay, I will forbear to give, and thus place at rifque their fouls, this immenfe quantity of blifs and 1. I beg you to confider the worth of the fouls of men. Endeavor to conceive the worth of your own fouls; the worth of a hea-woe? The fecurity and ignorance ven that is eternal, and the awful- and unconcern of these people for nefs of finking into utter and eter- themfelves, in many inftances, is nal woe; and then confider that the very reafon why your Chrifall the Heathen, and all our friends tian compaffion ought to yearn in the new fettlements, who are over them. The falvation of one placed beyond the reach of means foul would far outweigh all the which God is commonly pleafed pains than can be taken, for it is a to blefs unto falvation, have fouls value of infinite amount, in the as valuable as your own. Heav- cafe of a single perfon; and how en will be as precious, and the lofs much greater in the multitude of VOL. I. No. 10. X X lence ? cafes, that addrefs your benevo- | verfal in its extenfion as the laws of morality. Perhaps one reafon, that the Lord hath fo long and fo often shown himself difpleafed with the Chriftian Church, hath been their neglect of duty in this refpect. Perhaps, the reafon he hath denied a bleffing on means where they are enjoyed, is the general neglect to spread fuch means to those who are deftitute of them. The writer believes, that in the divine fight, this hath been a very provoking fin of those who enjoy means and have neglected to communicate them; and it is certainly an excellent method of stirring up ourfelves to our own foul's concerns, to be folicitous and diligent in giv 2. It is thro' the means of knowledge, that the fovereign grace of God brings finners to eternal life. All the energies of infinite power, both in the kingdoms of nature and grace, work with means. For any to deny this is the height of madness, and fhows them to be ignorant of the grand principles of divine wisdom and acting. By means men receive their daily bread and cloathing; by means they receive knowledge in things natural and divine, and without knowledge in divine and facred fubjects there is no reafon to think they will be faved. The appointed means for communicating knowl-ing to others the knowledge of edge, is thro' the inftrumentality of thofe who have themfelves received it. The command, " go teach all nations" was through the Apofties made to the church, and to those who are chriftianized, and have a fulness of the means of information. You have no right to think, that if God intends falyation to others he will find the intruments and defray the expenfe You are the inftru eternal life. If all christianized people were awake to this duty, we have reason to hope there would be great refreshings from on high, on those who give as well as on those who receive 4. Such are the duties of men, that all the trouble and expense attending, are richly repaid in the peace of confcience, and in the pleasure that is found in perform without you. ing them. With what pain, must ments, either by your personal lathe illiberal think of their own bor or by your contribution, to parfimony, in not giving to fo dido this work. Shrink not back vine a purpofe! The pleasure of from the expenfe, for to an indi- looking on the property, which vidual or family it is fmall; it is they have denied to the Lord and the price of your own duty; and the fervice of his kingdom, must God hath already repaid it to you. be changed for pain of confcience, You are his ftewards, and the whenever they confider the subject. fund which is to do this work is On the other hand how great the already in your hands, and will pleasure of contemplating on past you refufe to pay it over again to liberality thus applied! It is the the calls of his word, his provi- pleasure of communing with the dence and your own duty? bleffed Saviour in his love of the 3. Confider the guilt of tranf- fouls of men. It is the honor of greffing the divine command "go being workers together with him, teach all nations." Think'no lon- in the glorious fcheme of falvager, that this precept was given to tion. Itis the fatisfaction of thinka few individuals only; for it is to ing, I have made fome little enall chriftianized people, and as uni- | deavor towards my duty, and tho' - confined at home by my neceffary employments and unqualified for a public inftructor and meffenger of peace; yet I am by my charity travelling the wildernefs, comfort ing the lonely children of God with the promises of his grace; and perfuading finners to confider, repent and believe. Such reflections as these are full of peace, and who that hath tafted would not wish to purchase them in fuller degree! of gain by an unfeen hand, which worketh without contradiction. Chriftians, if you are fuch indeed, with you I need not have recourfe to this argument. With you the value of a few fhillings annually, or even pounds, if you have affluence, will appear like a defpicable confideration, in com. parison with the pleasures of a benevolent heart in evangelizing men; and infinitely small compared with the worth of a fingle foul.Let all confider, whether, if they do not feel this fubject, they are not very finful in the fight of God, and unprepared for his glorious kingdom. By application to the gentlemen' who direct the concerns of the Mif. fionary Society of Connecticut, I have obtained the following information. That fince the inftitution of the Society in June 1798, to the prefent time, March 31, 1801, there have been 405 weeks of Miffion 5. It is a divine promife " caft thy bread upon the waters, for after many days thou fhalt find it.". These words are used as a motive to be liberal in every kind of charity, to the bodies and fouls of men. Divine goodness hath connected a reward with doing our duty. The good we do to others, fhall be repaid into our own bofoms, either here or hereafter; perhaps doubly repaid in both worlds. He that giveth even a cup of cold water, inary fervices performed, at the exthe name or with the fpirit of a difciple, fhall not lofe his reward. He shall be remembered, in the kingdom of heaven, for all the good he hath done to Chrift's kingdom here on earth. Is there not also a promise of being rewarded here on earth?" The liberal de vifeth liberal things; and by liberal things fhall he stand." As the Redeemer's providence directs the innumerable events, on which men's profperity depends, there is every reafon to believe he repays the debt of charities imparted to his kingdom. Reader, art thou afraid to give, left thou shouldest be poorer here? If this hath been thy fear, review the subject, con. fider the divine command, reflect in whofe hands, and under whofe providence all thy properties and labors are, and be afraid to deny, left thou be blasted in thy counfels penfe of the Society.—By the journals of the Miffionaries, it appears that they have preached almost every day, and often twice and three times in a day; fo that on a moderate computation they have preached 2835 times; befides attending conferences and more private meetings many hundred times; catechifing children; administering the Chriftian ordinances; and performing other minifterial fervices, in vifiting the fick, organizing churches, funerals, &c.* In ad. * The fervices mentioned above were performed by the following gen. tlemen. Rev. Meffrs. Aaron Kinne, David Huntington, Alexander Gillet, William Storrs, Walter King, Publius V. Bogue, Amos Baffet, Marshfield Steele, Salmon King, Sylvefter Dana, Jofiah B. Andrews; together with the following gentlemen, who are now diah Bushnell, Amafa Jerome, and out, Rev. Meffrs. Seth Willifton, JediRobert Porter. |