The Redeemer-full of tenderness and grace-in subjecting him to death, is not crushing his existence, but exalting it to nobler service and enjoyment in heaven. Though it is through much tribulation, he is entering the kingdom. Death gives him wings to mount above the spheres; Death wounds to cure; he falls, he rises, reigns, Springs from his fetters, fastens in the skies, Where blooming Eden withers from the sight, "The day of his death is better than the day of his birth. In that hour he opened his eyes on a world of sin and suffering, a rebel against Jehovah and an heir of wrath; having been reconciled to God through the blood of the cross, he is now entering a world of perfect holiness, through all whose boundless realms the light of divine glory and love sheds unutterable joys. The days of his mourning are ended; and the ransomed child of God has come to Zion with everlasting joy upon his head. 3. This view of the intermediate state suggests a comfortable reflection respecting the pious dead. They are now active and happy in the service of God. Are you a Christian, mourning the loss of one who exhibited satisfactory evidence of piety? Sorrow not, then, as others which have no hope. The friend, whose last conflict you witnessed with such solicitude, has achieved the victory and received the conqueror's crown. Bury not your thoughts in the grave with his earthly tabernacle; his im mortal spirit has entered a nobler building, eternal in the heavens. The holy God who adopted him as a son and servant on earth, he is now serving in a purer manner in his presence above. Do not your thoughts, too, extend beyond your dying friend to the children of God that have expired in past ages? Where are now all the multitudes of the saints, who in their generations have glorified God on the earth, and exhibited their living and dying testimony to the excellency of the religion of Jesus? These all died in faith, not having received the completion of the promises on earth. Do they sleep in silence? Are all those affections which were lighted up and preserved during the night of earthly trials, now extinct? No; the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, liveth throughout all generations. Heirs with the patriarchs of the same promise, they now with them serve God iD glory. They all are now in that better and holier country they desired while on earth. They all are now in the presence of that God, who was not ashamed to be called theirs in their pilgrimage and to prepare them a city. Their bodies, indeed, are now imprisoned in the grave. Yet they wait in sure expectation of the day of final triumph. He that liveth, and was dead, and is alive forevermore, who hath the keys of Hell and of death, shall, at the conclusion of the great work of redemption, unlock the doors of their prison, and say to the redeemed prisoners, 'Go forth.' O. F. Sir, MISCELLANEOUS. To the Editor of the Panoplist. In this account, particular reference is had to that part of the country, extend ing from the county of Oneida to the western boundary of N. York state; being a distance of nearly two hundred miles. The writer is well assured that he is cor. rect in his statement of facts, relative to the moral condition of a great proportion of the inhabitants, and the religious privileges and advantages enjoyed by them in that region. It may be said perhaps by some, that he has assigned to Christians a part not adapted to the present imper: fect state of the church. If no duties had been heretofore enjoined on professed Christians, but those which every one were ready to acknowledge and practice, all the pagans in heathen countries might still be bowing down to stocks and stones. May 15, 1815. KNOWLEDGE TO THE IGNO- AT this time, when the Christian public is awaking to a sense of the duty and importance of missionary exertions, and the benevolent are seeking objects of Christian charity, it is conceived, that a knowledge of the ignorant and destitute condition of many of the inhabitants in new settlements, would tend to excite efforts for their relief. That Christians in every part of the country, have so much neglected the spiritual interests of those who reside among them, and in their vicinity, it is presumed, ought to be ascribed to inattention, or ignorance of proper objects, rather than to the want of a principle of Christian beneficence. By most persons, no part of a country is considered as a prop er field for missionary labors, after churches are planted in it, and enjoy the stated preaching of the Gospel. A more adequate knowledge of the heathenish and destitute condition of a great proportion of the inhabitants in new settlements, would create however, a very different opinion. Many families reside so remote from public worship, have so little relish for the institutions of the Gospel, and are so destitute of the means of religious instruction, that they live and die in heathenish darkness, in a Christian land. Experience shews, that the longer family religion, and the public worship of God is neglected in any place, the people ordinarily contract a greater aversion to them; which usually continues and increases till they become confirmed in habits of ignorance and impiety; unless awakened to a sense of duty, by the means of missionary labors. Men are naturally more anxious to provide for their own temporal than spiritual necessities. They desire not the knowledge of the Divine law. For this reason, all in a state of nature, the rich as well as the poor, are ever ready to justify themselves for their neglect of the things of religion. And no situation affords the wicked so many plausible excuses for their ignorance of the Gospel, as that in a newly settled part of the country. In many instances, they can plead for an excuse, that they are not only destitute of the preaching of the Gospel, but that they have no bibles, nor other religious books; and either do not know where they are to be had, or else, are so indigent as to be unable to procure them. It is presumed, that none in this enlightened day, will consider those who are destitute of the means of religious instruction, as improper objects of Christian beneficence, merely because they are not unable to procure them; for it is no more strange that such persons should neglect to provide themselves with the means of religious instruction, than it is that they are disposed to disregard them, when actually in their possession. The depravity of the human heart, and the fact that men usually neglect their eternal in terests, in proportion as they are destitute of religious in struction, sufficiently account for the vice and ignorance of religion, which usually prevail to a great degree in new settle ments. A view of the state of religious knowledge in the western part of New York state, and an account of the means and endeavors which are now used in that part of the country, for diffusing a knowledge of the Gospel, may serve to shew, not only the destitute condition of new settlements in general, but may be applicable also in some degree, to all others. Although it is in general rich, populous and flourishing; and may now be called a Christian country, enjoy ing in many instances the privileges of the Gospel in a high degree; yet, none who are sufficiently acquainted with the moral and religious character of the people in general, and with their ignorance and indifference with respect to eternal things, can doubt the necessity of increased efforts for the spread of Gospel knowledge. In the counties of Steuben and Alleghany, (which are the newest and least populous parts of the country,) there are in the former but three settled ministers, and in the latter but one, either of the presbyterian or congregational order. The county adjoining Alleghany on the west, is not only destitute of the stated preaching of the Gospel, but it has never yet received any missionary aid. It is thought that there are not more settled min. isters in other parts of the western country, in proportion to the number of inhabitants which they contain. There are however, churches of different denomina. tions of Christians in various parts of the country, occasionally supplied with itinerant preachers of their own sect; but on account of discarding the Westminster Catechism, and not using any as a substitute, and neglecting the religious education of their children, they continue very destitute of a knowledge of Divine things. Although the members of the congregational and pres. byterian churches, profess to be lieve it a matter of essential importance to give their children a religious education, yet, it must be acknowledged, that they have heretofore in many instances too much neglected to teach them the principles of the Christian religion, and to train them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It is indeed a lamentable fact, that vice and ignorance of the things of religion, greatly abound in every part of the western country. Not only a great proportion of the inhabi tants who reside at a distance from public worship, but many also, who enjoy the means of grace, are much less acquainted with subjects of eternal importance, than most professed Christians imagine. What numbers of children have been born in this part of the land, and already come on to the stage of action, who have never been taught to esteem any thing of greater importance than the riches, honors, and pleasures of this world! Christians may here find many of their brethren, as well as men of the world, who are unacquainted with the great exertions now making by the friends of Zion in every Christianized nation, for a reformation of morals, and for the advancement of the Redeemer's kingdom. Those who will take the pains to make a suitable enquiry, may also find the greatest part of families very destitute of religious books, and numbers of them without Bibles. How is the ignorance of religion which exists in new settle ments, and in many other parts of the country to be removed? Will it not in an ordinary way continue to increase, unless there be a more general diffusion of Gospel knowledge, and greater attention paid to the religious education of the rising generation? The means now in operation in this part of the country, for the advancement of religion, appear to be very inadequate. The Genesee Missionary Society, which has existed for several years, has not heretofore been able to keep one missionary in constant employ. The annual donations to the society haye not usually exceeded three hundred dollars, a considerable part of which sum, is expended in religious tracts for gratuitous distribution. There are no Tract Societies, and but one small Bible Society, which has lately been formed in the county of Ontario. For several years this part of the country has not received, as it has in times past, missionary assistance from the Eastern States. If many of the inhabitants in these parts are so destitute of religious knowledge, and the means of grace, on whom then ' rests the duty of communicating it, and of searching out objects of Christian benevolence? Does it belong exclusively to missionaries, and settled ministers? Although pastors of churches, might many times devote more attention to the religious instruction of the youth in their own congregations, and perform more ministerial labors in neighboring destitute places, than they do, yet in new countries, they have in many instances, too much reason to complain, that the task would be greater than they could perform. For, their salary is gencrally so small in new settlements, and their temporal circumstances are not unfrequently so embarrassing, as to render them unable to perform more than their parochial duties. From the manner in which missions are usually conducted in civilized countries, if many more missionaries were employed in vacant settlements, the short time they have to tarry in a place, would not afford them opportunity to ascertain fully, the destitute condition of all the people, and to impart that aid of books and instruction, which their various necessities might require. Men are naturally so attached to the world, and so regardless of their spiritual interests, that experience shews the necessity of using importunate solicitations, with a view to excite their attention to them. And it is obvious, that these incessant endeavors can be made by none, but those who live in the immediate vicinity. The history of Christian missions in heathen countries, evince the necessity of unremitted exertions among an unchristianized people, in order to a successful propagation of Divine truth. If pastors of churches, and missionaries in new settlements, are unable to perform all the missionary services which the destitute condition of the inhabitants requires, is it not then clearly the duty of professors of Christianity, to come forward to their assistance? Not that all Christians ought to become min. isters of the Gospel; but only that they should practice the du ties of their profession; although the prophet Moses says: Would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them. As Christians profess to value above all things their own growth in grace, and the prosperity of Zion; and continually pray for the same; how necessary and important then is it, that their daily actions testify to the sincerity of their professions. The Holy Scriptures say thus: But to do good, and to communicate, forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. The better to comply with the precepts of the Gospel, and the more effectually to cooperate with the missionary exertions of the Christian world at the pres ent time, it is here proposed that every church, and all professors of Christianity in destitute settlements, form themselves into Societies for the purpose of diffus. ing a knowledge of the Gospel, and of promoting the interests of religion in general in their respective places, and in the vicinity, as far as their opportunities and abilities will permit. Al though it should be the indispensable duty of every member, to use his utmost endeavors to advance the interests of religion, yet, an acting committee might be chosen, consisting of a number of such persons, as are thought best qualified to promote the objects of the Society: whose office it should be,' in the first place, to see that all the families of those who belong to it, are furnished with a sufficient number of religious books, and pay a suitable attention to the religious instruction of their children; and then ascertain as far as possible, all other famlies that are destitute of Bibles, Catechisms, and such other books as are calculated to convey a knowledge of the principles, and practical duties of the Christian religion. It is proposed, that all those who are found destitute of any of these books, and who cannot be per. suaded to procure them at their own expense, should be furnished with them by the Society. For which purpose, every Soci. ety should endeavor to raise by contributions, a sum sufficient to purchase the necessary books for distribution. It is highly probable, that such societies would derive considerable pecuniary assistance, by donations |