neceffary, that while he thus juftified his father's cha racter, he fhould be ignorant of his readiness to for give. Without a perfuafion of this, however he might have reproached himself, he could have had no encouragement to return as a fupplicant. Nor is it fuppofed that a finner, in being brought to justify God as a law giver, must needs be ignorant of his being revealed as the God of grace; but the queftion is, whether, in the order of things, it be poffible for him to fee or believe any grace in the gospel beyond what he feels of the equity of the law? He may be perfuaded of God's exercif ing what is called pardon; and knowing himself a finner, exposed to wrath, may be affected with it: but it cannot poffibly appear to him to be a gracious pardon, any farther than as he feels reconciled to the justice of his claims as a law-giver. To fuppofe it poffible that we should believe the doctrine of grace, without being. first made to feel the equity of the law, fo as to justify God and condemn ourselves, is to suppose a contradiction. There is no grace but upon this fuppofition; and we cannot fee that which is not to be seen. Whatever promises there may be to the least degree of holiness, if they refpect the first movement of the heart towards Chrift, it is under the confideration of its iffuing in faith in him, without which no works of a finful creature can be accepted; fuch promises, therefore,. ought not to be brought for the purpose of fuperfeding it. He that cometh to God must first believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently feek him. Many promifes alfo are made to believing: but if from hence we were to infer, that a man is fufficiently bleffed in be lieving, fo as to render coming to God unneceffary, we fhould put a force upon the fcriptures. Believing is fuppofed to have its immediate iffue in coming; and therefore is treated, in the fcriptures, as in effect the fame thing. John vi. 35.

Secondly. It is fuppofed, that when once a finner is accepted of God, he has but little occafion for either faith, or grace, or Chrift, in comparison of what he had

before." If after a perfon is reconciled to the divine character," fays Mr. B. "he apply to Chrift for juftification, he cannot, confiftently with his new ftate, believe in him as juftifying the ungodly, nor confider himself as entirely worthless, and on a level with finners in general." Page 178. But (1.) this fuppofes him not only to be renewed in the spirit of his mind, but to be confcious of it, which Mr. B.'s opponents do not contend for. (2.) Suppofing he were confcious of it, did not Abraham believe on him that justifieth the ungodly? and that many years after his being a good man, and a believer; and did he not confider himself at that time as" entirely worthlefs, and, as to acceptance with God, on a level with finners in general ?" (See Rom. iv. 3-5. compared with Gen. xv. 6. xii. 1-3. Heb. xi. 8.) We might add, does not every good man ftand in the fame need of faith, and grace, and Chrift, with refpect to juftification, as at the first moment when he believed? and in all his approaches to God for this bleffing, does he not confider himfelf as " entirely worthlefs, and upon a level with finners in general?

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

Letter from the Rev. Mr. Carey, Miffionary in India, to the Rev. Mr. Williams, New-York, dated Serampore, December 9, 1800.

T

MY DEAR BRother,

HE honour you have done me in writing to me, in connection with brethren Thomas and Fountain, induces me to write to you. I can alfo affure you, that it is with great pleasure I embrace the opportunity of correfponding with the friends of our Lord Jefus Chrift, in your diftant part of the world.

One of our brethren, viz. brother Fountain, was removed from us to the church above, on the 20th of

Auguft laft; his affliction (a dyfentery) was very pain ful, but his hope was full of immortality, and his death bore a teftimony to the truth of the gofpel, which was very encouraging to the fpectators, and left a fweet favour of the excellence of gofpel truth.

In the last year our number was augmented by the coming of four new Miffionaries from England; they came in the American fhip Criterion, of Philadelphia, commanded by that excellent man Captain B. Wickes; a man whofe name is always fpoken of with the utmost respect by all our brethren, and whofe piety was admired by them all. You will be informed from England, I expect, before this reaches you, that brother Grant died very foon after his arrival: the others, viz. brethren Marshman, Ward, and Brunfdon, with myself, and our wives and children, form a common family, and live in the utmost harmony. We love one another, and are as the heart of one man in our work. Our habitation is now at Serampore, a Danifh fettlement about fourteen miles from Calcutta, at which place we have purchafed a house for the miffion, and enjoy the protec tion of that government.

The fituation which I was in before, viz. Mudnabutty, was near four hundred miles north of this place. I truft our going there, as it appeared abfolutely neceffary at the time we went, has not been altogether in

We could not have lived there longer, or, if we had, could not have carried on our operations with the freedom we now can; and it is highly probable that we should not have been fuffered to work our printing press in so diftant a part of the Company's dominions, though we should have faid nothing about politics, it being our conftant rule to keep clear of that rock..

We have a prefs and types for the Bengallee language, and are printing the bible. We began firft with the New Teftament, and have finifhed the four gofpels, and begun to compofe the Acts of the Apoftles. Several small tracts, poems, hymns, &c. have alfo been printed in that language, and difperfed.

This part of the country is very populous, and as full of idolatry as it can hold. Capt. Hague will inform you of this from what he has feen. He was here, and went out with us one evening when we went out.. to preach to the heathen. I fuppofe that no people can have more completely furrendered their reafon than the Hindoos. In all matters of bufinefs, and every thing relating to this world, they are not deficient in knowledge; but in all things relating to religion they are apparently void of all understanding. Their books abound with the most incredible ftories; and the characters of their gods are drawn in colours fo black, that even the father of wickedness himself would fcarcely own. The Hindoos are not fond of hearing us detail the vices of their gods; yet fo devoted are they to their old cuftoms, that they conftantly adore cha racters the moft deteftable.

It is not to be thought that the moral character of a people fhould be better than that of their gods. Men made themselves idols after their own hearts; and, therefore, to look for good morals among idolators is the height of folly. The conduct of the Hindoos but too fully proves the truth of this obfervation; for they are literally funk into the dregs of vice. 'Tis true, they have not the favage ferocity of American Indians, but this is abundantly fupplied with a dreadful ftock of low cunning and deceit. Moral rectitude makes no part of their religious fyftem; therefore, no wonder that they are funk, nay, wholly immerfed in all manner of iniquity.

Within a few months paft, the Gospel of Matthew, and other small pieces, have been circulated among them. This is the introduction of a thing, a light, entirely new, and has confiderably awakened the fears of many of the brahmans. Public difputes with them alfo in the streets, and any place where we meet with them, and always in the hearing of the common people, has, in fome meafure, excited them to reflect; but, at prefent, it has been of no use except to make them

try to avoid disputes with us, and to excite a laugh againft them among others, who are not permitted to read for themselves.

I have no doubt but in the end the God of all grace will exert his almighty power, vindicate his authority, and establish the glory of his own name in this wretched country. Our labours may be only like those of pioneers, to prepare the way. But truth will affuredly prevail; and this, among the other kingdoms of the earth, shall affuredly fee the falvation of our God. I doubt not but a few more years will fhow brahmans renouncing their cast, believing in Chrift, and throwing their idols to the moles and to the bats.

You can fcarcely form an idea of the pleasure we all felt at receiving your letter, and the very pleasing accounts of what our Lord is doing in your parts. We hope you will take every opportunity of dropping us a letter, and we fhall endeavour to reply to your correfpondence at all times. As to your letters finding us, the Captain who brings them has only to do as Captain Hague has done-fend a man on purpose, or come himfelf, or, on receiving a note, any of us would wait on him.

I wrote the above about two months ago, but did not close the letter because I thought fomething might transpire before the failing of Captain Hague which I fhould be glad to communicate. The thip will fail in a few days; I therefore close this by informing you that I have reason to hope the Lord has been working among the Hindoos. One has given himself to the church, and we hope to baptise him in a very few days: four more, viz. two men and two women, appear truly wrought upon, and give us hope that this is the firft fruit of an approaching harvest. I hoped that Captain Hague might have been a fpectator of their baptifm, but he will go before it can take place. I, however, hope to be able to fend an account of it to Dr. Rogers, of Philadelphia, who has favoured us with his correfpondence, and I trust you will hear the news from him. The Philadelphia fhips will not fail till a month or two later.