hopes, that travelling and a change of air might invigorate his enfeebled frame. He journeyed the first day as far as South-Reading; from which place he addressed a letter to one of the deacons of the church, of which the following is an extract: South Reading, Aug. 6, 1819. Dear Brother, My ride to this place yesterday was pleasant, and occasioned very little fatigue. I am kindly entertained at the house of brother D. My health I think is a little improved, at least I gain strength, although my lungs continue very sore. The difference of one or two days, however, can hardly be perceived. Nothing but time,and favourable weather,and diet will restore my usual health. I desire to be patient, but it is harder doing nothing, than to labour with all my might in a good cause. I see no reason to apprehend but that in a few weeks I shall be able to return to my labours. But it would be hazardous beginning too soon; may the Lord direct me at this critical period, and prepare me for future and increasing usefulness. I have no desire to direct what shall be done with me or mine. I am happy that all things are at the disposal of him who cannot err. "Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous. Put your trust under the shadow of his wings." I am grieved when I think how much the church and congregation will suffer in their anxiety for me, and especially in the difficulty of obtaining acceptable preaching. But I wish them to dismiss all concern about me, and only pray that I may be resigned to all the will of the Lord. Should be restore me to health, and to the labours of my calling, I shall enter upon them with great delight, and it shall be my greatest concern, to do good to the people of my charge. But if otherwise, no good can result from impatience or murmuring, but much may result from a holy resignation, and cheerful acquiescence. From South Reading he proceeded to Andover and Methuen. The letters dated from these towns will best exhibit the state of his mind, and the fatal progress of his disease. Dear Brother, Andover, August 12, 1319. I have enjoyed quite an intellectual feast since I came upon this consecrated hill: that is, I have been permitted through divine goodness to attend upon several lectures and recitations in the Seminary, which have been as marrow and fatness, health to the body, and food to the mind. Of the latter, however, I can speak with more confidence than of the former; for although, for the time, I appeared to forget that I was a sick man, yet on retiring, I am like one whose "strong men fail." I want room to say something about religion, sweet religion, the balm of all our wounds, a cordial for all our fears. My mind has been in a state of peace; and amid so much religion as exists here, my heart has been quite warmed, and soothed. May the Lord bless and comfort you, and Mrs. L. and the dear children. May grace, mercy and peace be multiplied to all the church and society. It does not fatigue me to write, else I should not have sent you so long a letter; but you will excuse its length, by considering that it comes from your síncere friend, and unworthy brother, &c. Dear Brother, Methuen, Angust 14, 1819, alway, believing that whatever he does It is our happiness to rejoice in the Lord is right. I am not alarmed, neither am I low-spirited. I am willing to be in the hand of the Lord, and my heart says, "let him do what seemeth him good." You will doubtless be sorry to hear that I have been raising blood: but you know that nothing can happen to us more, than shall work for our good. If the Lord has no more work for me to do, I may as well be taken away. The state of my dear family and flock, sometimes for a moment swells my heart with grief, but my mind is calm. At this moment I have reason to fear that my lungs w not allow me to preach again; but all things are possible with God. It may please him still to restore me; but as he may not, it is our duty to prepare our minds for any event. I think you had better state to the church that I may not be able to preach for two or three months, and that it will be expe dient for them to procure a constant supply, if possible. I wish you to send a suitable letter to the Secretary of the Boston Female Asylum, assuring them of the interest 1 feel in their Institution; but that from present appearances, it will be impossible for me to perform the service to which they have invited me, and that it will be necessary for them to procure a substi tute. Assure our beloved brethren and sisters of the church, that their welfare occupies a large share of my anxiety. As soon as I am able, I intend sending them a letter. I shall use every precaution which experience and prudence may dictate, to prevent the progress of my disease, and hope in a few days to be able to send you encouraging intelligence. Adieu. Affectionately yours, &c. He After his return to Boston, his friends had very slight hopes of his recovery. But such was the flattering nature of his disorder, he pleased himself with the expecta tion of being soon restored to his former activity and usefulness placed much confidence in the sal utary effects which might be produced on his frame by a voyage to the South. Arrangements were accordingly made for his departure, and passages taken for himself, his wife, and brother, when he was again visited with a profuse bleeding at the lungs. From this time, he appeared to be sensible that his continuance on earth could not be long. When he perceived that there was little probability of being restored to health, he manifested sweet peace and calmness of mind. He frequently expressed much satisfaction in a belief of the wisdom, equity, and goodness of divine providence. Nor was he destitute of the peace and comfort which flow from faith in the Son of God. On one occasion when several ministers were at his house, he remarked; "The doctrines which I have enleavoured to preach to others, are my support and consolation in sick. ness." He frequently observed to the writer of this memoir;-If it were the will of God that he might live to be useful, life would be pleasant; but otherwise, he had no choice. He often expressed a wish that he might be able to preach one more sermon. He seemed to think, he could, from what he had experienced in sickness, speak with more effect than ever he had done. He said, he wanted to address sinners once more, especially the youth of his congregation. In the last interview the writer had with him, he remarked; “I have had a wish to remain a little longer in the society of those brethren with whom I have lived in such harmony and friendship, but the will of God is otherwise, and I submit." When I was leaving the room, he beckoned for me to return. With a very feeble and broken voice, he requested me to give his love to all his ministering brethren, and tell them to be faithful, but prudent. With some difficulty he released one of his hands, which he extended to me, and said, "Farewell,my dear brother." On the Tuesday morning following, Feb. 22, 1820, this amiable and useful minister of Christ, fell asleep in Jesus. When I heard he was dead, I felt as if I could with propriety adopt the lamentation of David over Jonathan, when he said, "I am distressed for thee, my brother! very pleasant hast thou been unto me." Farewell! sainted Spirit! may thy dying request never be obliterated from my memory-Be faithFUL, BUT PRUDENT. May I hear thy voice from the grave; Work while the day lasts, for the night cometh, in which no man can work. SINCE the preceding "Memoir" was written, we have received the mournful intelligence, that the widow of our deceased brother departed this life June 15, 1820. We intend to give a brief account of this amiable and pious woman, in our next number of the Magazine. Religious Communications. DUTY TO PRAY FOR AN INCREASE OF MINISTERS. Merra. Editors, IF you think the following reflections, suggested by the death of one formerly your associate in editorial labours, but now, we trust, with God, calculated to do good, you are requested to insert them in the Magazine. "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work," our Saviour said to his disciples on a certain occasion. His conduct corresponded to this declaration "And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people." In his heart dwelt the tenderest compassion. "When he saw the multitudes he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd." Wretched indeed was the state of Israel as it respected spiritualguides. There were many who professed to be teachers. But they were idol shepherds," "the pastors had become brutish; they did not seek the Lord," they were blind leaders of the blind." "Then saith he unto his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers in to his harvest." Our Saviour here enjoins it upon his disciples to pray the Lord of the barvest to send forth labourers into his harvest. No good reason can be assigned, why this injunction should be considered as binding only on those disciples who lived dur ing his personal ministry. The duty then still devolves on the disciples of Christ-to pray the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers, or in other words, it is the duty of Christians to beseech the Lord, to send forth preachers of the gospel. Some considerations, calculated to enforce the duty, will be mentioned. 1. The extensiveness of the harvest. The harvest truly is plenteous. It was so in the days of Christ. It is so at the present time. The whole world is the field, from which this harvest is to be gathered. This is evident from the fact, that it is the intention of God that the gospel should be spread through the earth. That such is the intention and design of God, no one can doubt who listens to the voice of prophecy, or to the words of our Saviour, "Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations.". "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." View then the vast field presented before the labourers of the gospel-Consider the heathen world. Different computations. have been made of the population of the globe. If we adopt a moderate estimate, it may be stated at ten hundred million. Of these, six hundred million, it is computed, are in heathen darkness. In Asia 498 millions. In America 12 millions. In this estimate, however, are included. Jews and Mahometans, Consider also the state of multitudes in countries called Christian. In how many regions does a corrupt and distorted religion prevail! Superstition, ignorance, error,brood over lands where once the pure light of truth shone. In our own country, how many places are there where the gospel is but seldom preached, if ever! This remark is especially true of the Western country; the population of which is rapidly increasing. Nor ought it here to be omitted that there are many churches destitute of pastors, which it is important should be supplied. "The harvest truly is plen teous.""Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest." 2. The small number of labour ers enforces the duty. The labourers are few. How few missionaries are there in Pagan and Mahometan lands! A statement of the number of Protestant missionaries, made in 1817, gives to Asia, 102, to Africa, 61, to America, 194.-Total, 357. Since then there has been an increase. This increase is not probably so great as 60 in Asia, 30 in Africa, 40 in America. But should the increase have been as great as this, the whole amount of Protestant missionaries would be 487. Four hundred and eighty-seven Missionaries among six hundred millions! Not one to a million! From calculations made, it appears, that should one missionary be allowed to 20,000, about 30,000 missionaries would be required; and if one minister be raised up for every 10,000, then 60,000 would be required. If one for every 5,000, 120,000 would be required; if one for every 2,500, 240,000 would be required. O how many, very many missionaries must be thrust forth, how many native preachers raised up, in order that the great command of Christ may be fully obeyed. "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature! "The labourers are few." "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the har vest, that he will send forth labour. ers into his harvest." 3. Let us consider that He alone to whom we are directed to pray, sends forth labourers. The very words of the prayer teach us this trath. He alone can impart that grace without which no man can be a minister of Jesus Christ. He is the author of those natural endowments which are requisite. He calls men by the influences of his Spirit to engage in the work of the ministry, and it is He who grauts them success. For Paul may plant and Apollos water, bat God giv eth the increase." 4. Let us be urged to " pray the Lord of the harvest that He would send forth labourers," by the consideration of the beneficial effects connected with the labours of gospel ministers. How salutary the influence of the ministry on society! The state of those countries where the preaching of the gospel is enjoyed, compared with those which are destitute of the mitistry, speaks volumes on this point. This reflection is important. But there is another vastly more important, viz. The preaching of the gos pel is the grand means which God has appointed for the conversion of sinners. It pleases God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. But how shal! they call on him, in whom they have not believed? and how shall they be lieve in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher ? and how shall they preach except they be sent." Contemplate the worth of one soul; its value is inconceivably great; then reflect, that one preacher may be the instrument of converting thousands, and will per need any other inducement to urge you to pray the Lord of the harvest that He would send forth labours ers? Who can contemplate the amount of good, which one individual may be the instrument of doing, when in answer to his fervent and persevering prayers God sends forth a faithful minister? That minister may be another Eliot or Brainerd, or Whitefield or Carey, from whose lips thousands may hear the sound of the gospel and live. Of this thousand there may be many who will in their day become preachers of salvation, more extensively per haps, and more permanently useful than their predecessors in the harvest. And many of those in whose conversion they have been instrumental, may be greatly useful in their generation in the same ministry. The subject might be pursued down to the period when the voice of the archangel shaft awaken the dead. But God has instituted the ministry not only for the conversion of sinners, but for the perfecting of the saints and for the edifying of the body of Christ. For comforting, instructing, and upholding in their most holy faith, the people of God; the preaching of the gospel is one of the most important means. Seeing then that such great and valuable effects are accomplished by the instrumentality of preach ers of the gospel, with what urgency does the command of our Saviour apply to us, "Pray ye the Lord of the harvest that He will send forth labourers into his harvest !" 5. We are urged to pray for an increase of gospel ministers, from the solemn fact that those already in the vineyard must die. They, like other men, are mortal. Many die in the vigour of their days. We hear not only of the departure of the aged servant who has come to his grave, "like as a shock of corn cometh in, in his season;" the young preacher is also removed; our tears flow over the early grave of WINCHELL, before we had recov ered from the anguish occasioned by the death of WHEELOCK. We had fondly hoped that many years of usefulness were before them. But they are gone. "Verily thou art a God that hidest thyelf, O God of Israel the Saviour." An extensive harvest, a few, very few labourers, yet one and another of this number, in the very morning of their days, and occupying most important stations, are taken away. To us these events appear dark. But God does all things well. Probably one reason why He has taken these to himself, is to excite his children to supplicate Him to send forth hundreds, who shall supply destitute churches, who shall preach Christ to those who dwelt in the wilderness, and who shall go to the far distant heathen. 6. To encourage and animate us in offering up our prayers for an increase of faithful labourers, let us bear in mind, that our prayers will be answered. "I have never said to the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain." "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." When we pray the Lord of the harvest that he would send forth labourers, we know we shall be heard, and an swered, for He has directed us in express words to pray for this ob ject. In concluding these remarks, permit me to suggest, whether Christians have not been to a great degree deficient on this point. Our views bave been too contracted; we have not realized that millions of our fellow men are perishing for lack of vision; we have not by any means sufficiently valued the minis try as the ordinance of God; we have not sympathized with our sister churches who are destitute of pastors; hence our petitions to the Lord of the harvest, that he would |