the little neighborhood, feven or | fhould vifit this little folitary neighborhood where they have feldom heard a fermon. It is alfo remarkable that the work fhould begin with the children This fhews that they did not attend to thefe duties in imitation of others, but were moved by the fpecial operations of the Holy Spirit. God is able to perfect praise out of the mouths of babes and fucklings." eight in number met together and appeared to be remarkably impreffed. They read, prayed and fung hymns, and appeared to have the fpecial prefence of the Spirit. Three of them in fome of their meetings have been ftruck down. One of them lay above twelve hours in this fituation, and all the exertions of her parents could not bring her to her fenfes. She breathed, her pulfe beat and there was a glow in her face. She at laft gradually came to herself and began to whifper, "Glory to God!" As her strength increased, her voice became louder and fhe broke out into an exhortation which aftonished all who heard her. The others lay but an hour or two in this fituation. "I then made enquiries of the children what their feelings were, and as children will not be hypocrites, I conclude they gave me an honest account of their exercifes. They told me they could not help falling down. That they were not in great diftrefs nor in great joy previous to this, but "felt happy." That the impulfe was fudden without any warning; that they knew nothing which took place while they were in this fituation. And that after they revived they felt more joyful than before. I told thefe children that thefe bodily exercifes were no figns that they had felt religion; that true religion confifted in a love to God and duty. I found their meetings had been irregular; fometimes all prayed vocally together, I advifed them to pray one by one and conduct with regularlty. I exhorted them to prefs on in the ways of religion and fpend all their ftrength for God. It is remarkable that the Spirit of God Extracts from a letter, to one of the trustees of the Hampfbire Miffionary Society, from one of its millionaries. REV. SIR, "In compliance with your requeft I fhall lay before you a brief account of my miffionary labors. The firft part of my miffion, I spent on Black river. I paffed through all the fettlements down to lake Ontario, and preached in them all, except one which was fupplied with preaching. 66 peo The field for Miffionary labors is extenfive and the demand preffing. There is a fprinkling of pious people scattered throughout this country, who rejoice to fee a miffionary. The prefent labors of miffionaries are great encouragements to the ple of God; and they are often effectual in calling up the attention of the ftupid and thoughtless to the concerns of futurity. People very fervently express their thanks for the exertions of mif fionary focieties in fending the gofpel to them. They often exprefs their feelings with tears, wishing that God's prefence may attend his minifters. You can fcarcely form an idea of the feelings of thefe kind people, without witneffing it with your own eyes. There is, in this country, a gena eral attention to the truths of re- the apoftle, Who is fufficient for ligion. On week days, as well these things? "The diftribution of the Se as on the fabbath, an encouraging number attend lectures, and ap-ciety's books has, I hope, produpear very attentive and fometimes ced a happy effect. In one neighaffected with gofpel truths. 'Tis borhood I found three families not uncommon for people to ride who had took up the duty of famfive or fix miles to attend an af-ily prayer, in confequence of conternoon lecture, and ten or twelve viction derived from Doddridge's miles on the fabbath. Thefe Addrefs, which was left with things I mention to encourage them by. one of our miffionaries you in the unwearied pains you the last year. are taking to promote the great objects of our fociety. Our labor, we hope, is not in vain in the Lord. Infidels in fome inftances are inquiring, Whether that book, they have fo long defpifed and ridiculed, will not prove true at laft? God is King in Zion, and he will fupport his own caufe. The miffionary business is very pleafing to me. The fe rious attention of the people, and their friendly hofpitality very far exceed my expectations. I have not in a fingle inftance been treated with unkindness. "I have preached nearly as of ten as once a day fince I have been on miffionary ground. There is no difficulty in obtaining hearers, even in the most busy season.. "I must with sentiments of ef teem and affection, subscribe myfelf yours in the gospel, TIM. M. COOLEY.” Utica, August 10, 1803. POETRY. COMMUNICATED AS ORIGINAL. FOR THE CONNECTICUT EVANGELI- Earth and Heaven. ftep I take! WHAT troubles meet me ev'ry What forrows fill purfue my weary way! Sickness, and pain, and preffing want, and care, Unjuft reproach from smiling, cruel man, Haughty difdain, and selfish, cold neglect; than these Befet my path and oft annoy my peace. deck'd “ I have vifited and catechifed fchools wherever I found them, and encouraged them in learning the catechifm. They are gener-Nor thefe alone; for mischiefs worfe ally very ignorant in this refpect. As far as time would permit, I have vifited from houfe to houfe and converfed with families on the concerns of another world. I have much unfaithfulnefs to lament, but 'tis my prevailing defire to answer in some measure the great objects of the Society, to acquit myself to my own confcience, and to God the Judge of all. The ftation is most important; and I feel fenfibly the exclamation of In charms deceitful, gain upon my will; And lure my iliding footsteps into fia? In an unguarded hour, what paffions rife; Baffle the fettled purpose of my foul, To quench de res which conscience I. GRE Reflections in a feafon of prevailing fickness. REAT God when men thy laws tranfgrefs, Thy wrath provoke and fpurn thy grace, Thou bidd'ft, and at thy dread command, Disease invades a guilty land. 2. All things ftand ready to fulfil On finners thy chaftifing will; Infected, ev'n our vital breath Becomes the inftrument of death, 3. Thy patience long have we abus'd, And all thy offer'd love refus'd, Ourselves more fit for vengeance made, Because thy vengeance long delay'd. 4. And now thy hand affumes the rod And fcatters pain and death abroad; We fink and feel we are but duft, Yet own the dire correction just. 5. Thou, righteous God, bak brought us low, Subdue our stubborn fpirits too; Donations to the Millionary Society of Connecticut. August 26. Tim. Stone, 2d, Guilford, for Indian Miffions, Septem. 6. A Friend of Miffions of Franklin, 13. A young Friend of Miffions, D. C. 20 O 8 10 FOR THE CONNECTICUT EVAN- | all, Efq. of Bofton, who, at his GELICAL MAGAZINE. Attempts to Chriftianize the Indians in New-England, Sc. [Continued from p. 89.] CHAPTER II. NUMBER Xi. own charge, built a meeting houfe tions.* As the Indians in New-England were taught Christianity by minifters of the congregational denomination, fo their public religious exercises bore a refemblance to thofe performed in the congregational churches of the English. They prayed in their affemblies without any pre-compofed form: And it was obferved Religious exercifes in the Indian Congregations-a fpecimen of the exhortations, or fermons of two of their teachers, comprehended within a narrow compafs-by thofe who understood their State of the Indian Churches language, and occafionally atand Congregations in the year tended their meetings, that many 1687, extracted from a letter of of thofe, who led in their devoDr. Increafe Mather to Profef- tions, prayed with much pertifor Leufden. nence and enlargement. Pfalmody conftituted part of Some of their public worship. them performed this in a very melodious manner. Mr. Eliot prepared a verfion of the Pfalms in their language in metre. In respect to their preaching In early times, till they had gained more, knowledge, and had more experience, the public difcourfes of the Indian teachers * Magnalia, B. III. p. 201. W were rather in the form of a serious, fcriptural exhortation: But they gradually imitated, in fome meafure, the manner of preaching, customary at that day among the New-English divines. Mr. Eliot vifited the Indians, and preached lectures as often as he could, on week days; but as his field of fervice was extenfiveas fo many Indian congregations were under his fuperintendence, he found it neceffary to employ fome of the moft ferious, beft infructed, and judicious men among them to give a word of exhortation to their brethren on Lord's days, and on other days on fpecial occafions. After fome years, teachers of their own nation were generally fixed among them. At the fame time, fome neighboring English minifters ftatedly vifited the Indian focieties, preached lectures to them, and gave neceffary affiftance to their ftated teachers. In the fpecimen I fhall now give of fome public difcourfes of their teachers, the Chriftian reader will be pleafed with the air of fewill be pleafed with the air of feriousness in which they appear; and with many pertinent and folemn thoughts which they fuggeft, as arifing from the fubject: The plain garb in which their thoughts are dreft, will not difguft any candid Chriftian Their apparent fincerity, and zeal to promote practical religion will more than compenfate the want of external ornaments. Serious readers will doubtlefs be gratified with the following exhortations. The firft was delivered on a faft day, when ficknefs was prevalent among themthe other on a day of fafting and prayer on account of exceffive rains, in the year 1658, when great damage had been done to the fruits of their fields. The exhortation of Waban, an Indian, from Matthew ix. 12, 13. "But when Jefus heard that he faid unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are fick." "But go ye, and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not facrifice; for I am not come to call the righteous, but finners to repentance." "I am a poor weak and man, know but little, and therefore I fhall fay but little." "Thefe words are a fimilitude, that as fome be fick, and fome well; and we fee in experience, that when we be fick we need a phyfician, and go to him, and make ufe of his phyfic; but they that be well do not fo; they need it not, and care not for it: So it is with Soul-Sickness; and we are all fick with that ficknefs in our fouls; but we know it not. We have many, at this time, fick in body, for which caufe we do faft and pray this day, and cry to God; but more are fick in their fouls. We have a great many dif cafes, and fickneffes in our fouls, as idlenefs, neglect of the fabbath, paffion, &c. Therefore, what Chrift the phyfician; for Chrift fhould we do this day, but go to healed mens' bodies, and he can is the phyfician of fouls: He heal fouls alfo: He is a great phyfician; therefore let all finners go to him: Therefore this day, know what need we have of Chrift; and let us go to Chrift to heal us of our fins ; and he can heal us both foul, and body." Again, what is that leffon, which Chrift would have us to learn, that he "came not to call the righteous, but finners to repentance? What! Does not God |