It almighty power could bow it. Ijoice that the Lord reigned; that fometimes thought that I had fin-I was in his hand, as the clay was in the hand of the potter. feemed to me that the defire of my foul was that God might be glorified, and his kingdom built up. I now faw great beauty in the way of falvation by Chrift, as it was fo calculated to humble the creature, in the duft before God. I thought I could rejoice to be nothing, that God might be all. This world appeared like God's world, and every thing in it spake forth his praife. I now thought I lov ed his word, and his image where. ever I faw it; and rejoiced that God would bring me into judge. ment, and that I fhould be judged according to the deeds done in the body. I feel at times great pity, for thofe that are out of Chrift, to fee them going on to deftruction, many of them without concern. But I think it is a comfort that they are in the hands of God, and that I am in his hands, and at his difpofal who hath infinite wif dom, and cannot do other ways than right." ned away the day of grace, and that there was no mercy for me. I had at times fuch a fenfe of the difmal condition of thofe, that fhould fall under the wrath of God, and the wrath of God appeared fo terrible, that it feemed as if I could not endure the fight. I had at times fuch a fenfe of the immediate presence of God, that it would take away. my strength. I felt that he faw my heart, and I could not get out of his prefence, but his all-feeing eye was upon me. I faw that the prefence of God would be hell to me. I could not bear the fight of his children : I hated the fight of all that loved God. I feldom faw a beaft, or any kind of creature, but that I longed to be in their place. I faw I ought immediately to repent, and believe the gofpel. It feemed to me that I ought to fuffer eternal punishment for not that moment accepting of offered mercy.. I now faw and felt that all I had done was nothing, and worse than nothing that I grew more ftubborn and chofe the way to hell. And though I could not bear the thought of being in the hands of a fovereign God, yet it feemed to me that all the hope I had, was in the fovereignty of God, and election. I faw I fhould never come of myfelf, my will was fuch, but if ever I was faved it must be of the mere mercy of God; yet I could not endure the thought of accepting of mercy as a free gift. I felt fo proud and ftubborn, that I could not be willing to come down at the feet of Jefus. But it pleafed God as I hope to bow this ftubborn and rebellious will; and to give me fweet refignation to his divine will. I thought then that I could re S QUESTIONS. MESS'RS. EDITORS, INCE one important object of your ufeful Magazine is "expofitions of difficult or doubtful paffages of fcripture," one of your readers defires an answer to the following queftions, on the prophecy, Ifaiah xlix. 22, 23. "Thus faith the Lord God, behold, I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles, and fet up my ftandard to the people: and they fhall bring thy fons in their arms, and thy daughters fhall be carried upon their fhoulders. And Kings fhall be thy nurfing fathers, and their Queens thy nurfing mothers: they fhall bow down to thee with their face to up the all appearance, fincere and livley Chriftians. wards the earth, and lick .me." Queft. ft. Does not this prophecy pointedly refpect the times of the moft pure ftate of the Chriftian Church, on earth? "From many of their churches the General Affembly have heard the most pleasing accounts of the ftate of vital piety. Revivals, of a more or lefs general nature, have taken place in many parts, and multitudes have been added to the church. In the northern and eaftern Prefbyteries, there appears, in feveral congregations, a ferious attention to the great things of reli 2d. Does it not pointedly prom ife, that, in thofe happy times, kings, or civil rulers and their queens fhall be nurfing parents of the Christian church, being them-gion; and its interefts appear evifelves examples of evangelical piety, and fought for, among other qualifications, on that account? dently to be advancing. In feveral of their churches, times of refreshing from the prefence of the Lord have been experienced. Sinners have been brought to repentance, and faints have been comforted and edified. And these pleafing appearances in fome inftances still continue. From the west the Af fembly have received intelligence of the most interesting nature. On the borders of Kentucky and Tenneffee, the influences of the fpirit of God feem to have been manifefted in a very extraordinary manner. Many circumstances attending this work are unufual : And though it is probable that fome irregularities may have taken place; yet, from the information which the Affembly have received, they cannot but exceedingly rejoice in the abundant evidence given them, that God has vifited that people, and poured out his fpirit remarka "The Affembly having heard a circumstantial narrative, from almoft every one of its members, on the state of religion in his own charge, and in other places to which his obfervation had extended, are of opinion, that in general the cause of religion has been progref-bly upon them. five, and in fome places eminently fo. In fome places infidelity does not affume that bold and threatening afpect which it did for fome years paft, but seems to be in fome measure abafhed and difpofed to retire into its former ftate of concealment. In fome instances avowed and inveterate enemies to Christianity have been remarkably converted, and have become, to "In the middle and fouthern Prefbyteries appearances are not fo encouraging. For though in fome of their churches religion flourishes, yet in many others, the wife and foolish virgins are flumbering together; iniquity abounds and the love of many waxes cold. Ignorance, vice and infidelity do, in many parts of our country, fill prevail. "The new fettlements on our frontiers appear very defirous to have the gofpel preached among them, and our Miffionaries who have vifited them do not appear to have labored without fuccefs. Good impreffions have, not unfrequently, been made, and churches are rapidly forming, which will foon need fettled pastors. "The intelligence which the Affembly have received from the Heathen tribes is very pleasing, viz. "That there is amongst them a willingness, yeaan ardent defire, to have the gospel preached to them: Their prejudices seem to be removed, and many important obftacles are furmounted. Some of their chief men have offered to commit their fons to Prefbyteries and Miffionary Societies, in order that they may be inftructed, not only in the arts of civilized life, but also in the principles of the Chriftian religion. "The profpect of the converfion of the Indians is now more flattering than it has ever been before. The wildernefs already begins to bud, and it is hoped will foon bloffom like the rofe. The folitary cottage of the wandering favage will, the Affembly truft, be foon gladdened by the reception of the glorious Redeemer, with whom there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek, between the barbarous and refined; for he is the Saviour of all mea, and the propitiation not only for our fins, but for the fins of the whole world." Extract of a letter from a pious Chriftian in Vermont to his brother in Connecticut, Dated NewHaven (Vermont) June 7th, 1801. "Dear Brother, I have not written to you for fome time, because I knew not whatto write concerning religion; the ftate of it appeared fo gloomy. Profeffors, I hope, for fome time have felt the importance of religion, and have been mourning and confeffing their fins and the fins of the people; and pleading that a prayer hearing and fin-pardoning God would, of his infinite fovereign mercy appear for us, and give us hearts to break off our fins by righteoufnefs, and our iniquities by tur ning to God. And, forever praifed be his name! We hope "God" has heard their groanings and an fwered their defires in a degree. Sometime the beginning of March, a The Universalist came into these parts and preached two fabbaths and a number of lectures. People flocked to hear him and seemed to fall in with thofe fentiments fo pleafing to finful human nature. The peo ple of God were alarmed. enquiry was, what shall be done? Some thought beft vigorously to difpute the point with the doubting. Others thought the time might be better spent in carrying our cafe to God; and never did we feel the neceffity of a wife, faithful, underftanding minifter fo much as at this time; and I believe there never was a time when more fervent de fires went up to the throne of grace that God would appear and vindicate his own caufe. "About the middle of March, Mr. Bushnell, a pious Miffionary from Conncalicut, came into this place, and his coming was like the coming of Titus. He preached two fabbaths; adminifterred the facrament of the Lord's fupper; attended a church conference ; preached a number of lectures, and I think I never faw a more folemn time than our communion day. Heaven feemed to glow in the countenance of profeffors: Spectators appeared folemn as the grave; many weeping, and fome feemed of God and biefings to man; and caufe it to fpread till it cover the earth as the waters cover the fea." MISSIONARIES. In April laft, the Rev. Timothy Woodbridge, returned from a mif fion of three months to the towns on the western fhores of lakes George and Champlain. He was fent out by the Miffionary Society in Berkshire. From feveral fettle to fhow by their countenances that they wished to come and tafte and fee that the Lord was good. Soon the enquiry began to be, What fhall we do to be faved? We had kept up conferences in our neighborhood for more than a year; but our numbers were few. Now they began to increase, and I believe bave increased every week fince. I do not mean to reprefent the attention to be general, though I hope there is a good number in this placements which he visited he brings and in Middlebury that are ferioufly impreffed in their minds, and fome we hope have chofen the better part. back reports, truly encouraging to those who are laboring and praying for the enlargement of the Redeemer's kingdom. "Mr. Bushnell went from this About the first of June the Rev. place to the northward, and was Aaron Bafcom was fent out, by abfent about feven weeks. He the fame Society, on a miffion of preached in this town last fabbath three months to the counties of and spent the week here. He is Onondaga and Cayuga and to the to preach the next fabbath at Monk-fettlements on black river. ton and the fabbath after at Mid- The Miffionaries now in the dlebury, where he expects to ad- fervice of the Miffionary Society minifter the ordinance of the Lord's of Connecticut are, the Rev. fupper. He tells us that the gen-Mefs'rs. Job Swift and Jedidiah tle rain of the spirit is defcending on a number of towns to the north ward, viz. Effex, Georgia, and fome others. Bushnell in the northwestern parts of Vermont, and the northern counties of New-York; the Rev. Seth Willifon in the county of Tioga; and the Rev. Jofeph Badger in New-Connecticut. The Rev. Feremiah Hallock has lately enterIed on a miffion to the northeastern parts of Vermont. Another Mif "Thus I have given you a fhort account of our fituation as it refpects religion at prefent, and it is with a mixture of joy and fear. think I can rejoice at what the Lord has done in our land, in the courfe of a few years paft, and that he has of his own goodnefs and mercy, condefcended, to come and knock at the doors of our hearts, by his holy and bleffed fpirit, in thefe parts. But I fear left many of us fhould be fo dreadfully wicked, as to shut the door against the kind Saviour. But it all depends upon God and, thanks to his name! he will accomplish all his glorious purposes of grace; and may hc, of his great mercy, carry on that bleffed work, fo full of the glory fionary will foon bé fent to NewConnecticut, one to the fouthern range of Counties in the western part of New-York, and one to the fettlements on Black river, &c. The Rev. Mcfs'rs. David Hig gins and Holland Weeks are appointed Millionaries. Whether they will go is uncertain. The Millionary Society of Maffachusetts have voted to employ four Miffionaries the prefent feafon, two in the Province of Maine, and two in the new fettlements at the weftward. The General Affembly of the Prefbyterian church in the United States, have lately been incorporated as a Miffionary Society. Their funds are already very refpectable; they are fending Miffionaries to the western and fouthwestern parts of the United States; and are taking measures to fend the gofpel among the Indians. They are alfo diftributing many religious books among the new fettlements, and endeavoring to communicate religious inftruction to the flaves in the fouthern ftates. The Treafurer's Account of Receipts and Expenditures of the Miffionary Society of Connecticut, from the clofe of the year 1800, to June 10th, 1801, referred to in the Report of the Trustees. 1801 No. 1. Account of Monies received into the Treasury. D. C. Jan. 1. From Jofiah B. Andrews, contributed in new fettlements, 20 48 26. From Rev. Jedidiah Bushnell, May 4. From Amafa Jerome, 26. From Rev. Seth Williston, Feb. 5. From a friend of Missions, May. From Ladies Society in Norwich, From Nathan Beers of New-Haven, From a friend to Miffions, in Berlin, June. From Daniel Morris, Norfolk, From Rev. George Colton, April. From the Editors of Hartford Hymns, May. From Doct. Trumbull, profits of his Sermons, Sharon Contribution, May 1800, 825 Contributions of May 1801, received to June 10th, 2690 64 5 23 3031 88 Balanee in the Treafurer's hands Dec. 30th, 1800, 3830 38 Amount of Receipts, No. 2. 1800. Dec. 30. Disbursements by order of the Trustees. To Salmon King, balance of his account for Miffion- 31. To Rev. A. Flint, for ftationary and poftage, 6862 26 1 03 |