created arm could bring affistance. | of comfort, counsel, reproof and And will not this fet our fins in threatening there, they fhall their true light? Surely our hearts read, "Depart from me ye workmust be harder than the adamant, ers of iniquity."-Here, the fongs if they cannot bleed on beholding of mirth, the notes of the harp a God, a dying Jefus, fufpended and viol may fometimes exhilarate between the heavens and earth, our hearts-There, the dreadful nailed to a crofs and pierced, 'till anathema of " Depart ye cursed," blood and water, fufficient to wash will forever found in their ears, and cleanse a world of finners, accompanied by an eternal jargon flow from his wounds. of blafphemies. flect often on the guilt of Do you wonder, my dear fir, own heart, and fee if you cannot that I dwell on fuch awful fubcall up a catalogue of fins, fojects? Think a little ;-have I black, as to drive you immediately to this all-cleanfing fountain. ray re your I do not know but you have chofen Jefus for your friend: but this I know, that neither you nor any of the human race, can obtain heaven, without an interest in the atonement which he has made. If you are not a friend to God, let me intreat you not to fleep in a fituation fo dangerous; and if you are, it will not hurt your feelings, if I fpeak a little concerning the regions of defpair; of heaven and immortal glory, and of God's perfections. In all our enjoyments, we may draw an ufeful contraft between them and the misery of those who are configned to remedilefs woe. said any thing which is not authorized by the word of God? Have I mentioned half as many curfes as are there contained? On the contrary, are not the whole contents of that book levelled againft the impenitent? But, if we have followed these gloomy reflections far enoughif you are wearied with looking over the abyfs of eternal woe~ and if you are not yet moved with the awful fate of ftubborn finners, pray let your heart be melted with the endearing words and precious invitations of Christ "Come ye bleffed of my Fa"ther-He that cometh to me "I will in no wife caft out-The "spirit and the bride fay come, "and let him that is athirit come, When we affuage our thirft or appease our hunger, let us reflect," and he that will, let him come that, in hell, finners cannot get a drop of water to cool their tongues; but must forever thirst, forever ftarve, forever burn. Here we can procure fruits and whatever is agreeable to the tafte: there, will be no fruit, but that of a ftubborn heart, which rejected a Saviour. Now, we are covered with garments of convenience and beauty: they who have trifled with the offers of grace, are covered with eternal fhame and remorfe. Now, we may read God's word "and partake of the waters of "life freely." Come my little flock, for whom I paid a coftly ranfom," inherit the kingdom- enjoy the promised reft." All tears fhall there be wiped from your eyes. Ye have mourned and wept, but now ye "fhall be com"forted" ye have been poor and defpifed, but now 66 yours is "the kingdom: ye have "hun"gered and thirfted after right"eousness," 'but ye "fhall be "filled." Oh, my dear brother, if you have any regard for your own foul or the fouls of others-if you have love for Chrift, or wish the promotion of his caufe, pray without ceafing; let your prayers frequently rife before the mercy feat of a commiferating God, who has enjoined it on us, to "give "the throne of grace no reft un "til he come and make Jerufalem "a praise in the earth." That each of us may be pre pared to meet him on that great day, when prayers for the impenitent can no longer avail, is the moft fincere and conftant petition of your affectionate sister. P M At a meeting of the General Affociation of Connecticut, at Stratford, on the third Tuesday of June A. D. 1803, It was VOTED, That the Trustees of the Miffionary Society be requested to procure a publication of the report of our delegates to the General Affembly of the Prefbyterian Church, in the Evangelical Magazine. Alfo, VOTED, That the Trustees of this Society be requested to prepare, or procure, publish and distribute a fummary of the Chriftian doctrines, for the benefit of the people in the new settlements. On balloting for Trustees of the Miffionary Society, for the ensuing year, the following gentlemen were duly elected. His Honor John Treadwell, Efq. | Rev. Meffrs. B. Trumbull, D. D. Hon. Roger Newberry, Hon. Jonathan Brace, Hon. John Davenport, Hon. Aaron Austin, Hon. Oliver Ellsworth, Efqrs. Levi Hart, D. D. Nathan Strong, D. D. The above are a true extracts from the minutes of the General Af fociation. CYPRIAN STRONG, REGISTER. NOTE. The fated meeting of the Trustees, by the Conflitution of the Miffionary Society, is annually on the firft Wednesday in September, in Hartford. Donation to the Miffionary Society of Connecticut. July 6. A friend of Miffions, Io dols. * Catechumens.] Perhaps fome young readers need to be informed, that this word, as here ufed, fignifies perfons under inftruction in the principles, and duties of Chriftianity, in order to their being admitted to baptifm, when it fhall appear, that they have, according to Chrift's inftitution, competent qualifications for this facred ordinance. The Indians at Natick are formed into a church, after, what was then deemed, a fuitable time of inAruction and trial-A church gathered, and a minifter ordained Poffibly our predeceffors might keep at Mafbipaug-Of Mr. Eliot's the Indians, who appeared ferious, and affiftants in his miffionary fervices; were well inftructed in the doctrines and biographical sketches of fome of Christianity, too long a time in the of them-The fate of the Chrifftate of Catechumens: Perhaps, that tianized congregations, aud churches in 1670. N the preceding number an ac IN might be applied to them, in refpect to admiffion to church privileges, which was faid by a Roman historian in another cafe. "Nocuit antiquus Rigor, et nimia Severitas." It may be, they incount was given of the ex. fifted upon terms higher in degree, than amination of the Chriftian Indians the infpired apoftles did, in admitting. adults, converted among the heathen, at Natick in refpect to their qualto the pofitive inftitutions of Christianifications for baptifm, and being ity-At least we do not learn from the formed into a church ftate. Tho' history of the New Teftament, that the the examiners received much fat- apoftles kept their profelytes fe long from isfaction; and the confeffions of the enjoyment of the special facred ormany of them, being fent to Eng- may be alledged in apology for Mr. dinances of the gospel. However, this land, and published, were appro-Eliot, and other ancient divines in Newved of there; yet they were kept, England, that the eafy terms, upon VOL. IV. No. 3. L one to another in an holy covenant; promifing to walk together in all the ordinances, and inftitutions of the gofpel; and Mr. Eliot firft baptized, and then administered the Lord's fupper to them. Thus was the firft Indian church formed about the year of our Lord 1660, or 1661.‡ The fathe fpirit, which actuated Mr. Eliot, excited others elfewhere to profecute the fame excellent work: One of these was the pious Richard Bourne, who foon faw a great effect of his labors. In the year 1666, about the middle of July, the Hon. Thomas Prince, Efq. Gov. of the jurifdiction of New-Plymouth, Mr. which perfons, in too many of the eftablished churches in England in their day, were admitted to fpecial ordinances, might lead them to an oppofite extreme: For in too many inftances, very fcandalous perfons were admitted to the Lord's Supper, as members of the national church, with little, or no reftriction. However, they must be commended in general, for ufing caution in their admiffions: And if they exceeded due limits in their caution, it difcovered a defire in them to avoid making the fpecial inftitutions of Chriftianity common to the qualified, and unqualified, as had been done in too many churches Christendom. in Magnalia, B. III. p. 198. Vol. I. p. 258. Neal Thomas Southworth, one of the magiftrates, Mr. John Eliot, sen. Mr. John Eliot, jun. Mr. Samuel Arnold, Mr. John Holmes, Mr. William Brimfmead, and Mr. Thomas Cufhman, went to Sandwich to have an interview with Mr. Bourne, who lived there, and had been inftructing the Indians in that vicinity, in the Christian faith; and to make enquiry into the progrefs they had made in knowledge, and virtue. Most, or all of these gentlemen, except the two Mr. Eliots, were inhabitants of Plymouth colony-fome in the civil, and others in the Ecclefiaftical department. At their motion a large affembly was convened at Mafhippaug [Mashpee]: At this meeting a good number of the Indians, whom Mr. Bourne had been inftructing, were examined: They gave fuch an account of their knowledge, and belief, and of the impreffion the gofpel had made upon their hearts; and gave their relations with fuch affection, as was extremely grateful to the pious auditory. The magiftrates and minifters, convened upon the occafion, received much fatisfaction in what they obferved and heard: Yet fuch was the ftrictness of those who conducted the business of the meeting, that before they would countenance the church fellowship, they conclu advancement of thefe Indians to ded, that their confeffions fhould be written, and a copy fent to each church in the colony for their infpection, and approbation, if they faw fit; fo that if no ob I have not yet learned the precife time of forming the church at Natick. Gov. Hutchinfon places it in 1651; but this feems to be a mistake in chronology For Dr. Increafe Mather, who flourished in the 17th century, and began his career of public fervice but a few years after the middle of it, places this tranfaction feveral years later: Injections fhould be offered, they his letter to Profeffor Leafden of Utrecht, dated July 12, 1687, he thus writes, "Above 26 years ago, he [Mr. Eliot] gathered a church of converted Indians in a town, called Natick." According to Dr. Mather, this church was formed about the year 1660, or 1661. might, at a suitable time, be permitted, and encouraged to enter into church fellowship. The confeffions, and relations were very agreeable to the churches, to which they were communicated. if not perfonal danger, must be expected; fo that a fpecial, divine influence upon the mind was neceffary to incite a man to en Afterwards, the metengers of all the churches being prefent, and giving their confent, these Indians were formed into a church, and chofe Mr. Bourne to be their paf-gage in it, and purfue it with reftor, who was then by Mr. Eliot, olution, and perfevering fidelity. and Mr. John Cotton of Plim. He had the pleasure to find, that outh ordained to that office over a gracious anfwer was returned to them. The ordination was per- his petitions: He faw generous, formed in the year 1670. Mr. and vigorous attempts made by Bourne continued in office for fun. feveral other moft worthy preachdry years.* ers of the gospel in feveral places (fome of them remote from him) to Chriftianize the perishing Indians. He was an early fettler in Plim outh colony, and a moft zealous, and indefatigable promoter of the gofpel among the Indians.+ Befides Mr. Bourne, Mr. Eliot had the fatisfaction of having fun dry fellow-laborers in his miffionary work: Moft of thofe, who officiated fatedly, furvived him, and faithfully purfued the service after he had finished his courfe, and refted from his labors. Soon after entering upon his miffion he found, as might be expected, the need of more laborers in this extenfive, and arduous work. The ministers indeed in his neighborhood gave him occafional affiftance; but their advantages for inftructing the Indians in Christianity were, in one respect at leaft, much inferior to his own, as they could inftruct them only by the help of an interpreter ; while he, being mafter of their language, did preach to them in their own tongue. It was his carneft prayer, that God would fend forth ftill more laborers into this harveft: And he was the more importunate, as he was fenfible, that but few fecular advantages and encouragements attended the fervice, and much toil and felf denial, Magnal. B. III. p. 199. Morton's Memorial under the year 1666. + Hutchinson's Hift. Maffa. V. II. P. 462. A brief account of the other minifters, except two, will be giv en in the words of Dr. C. Mather. The epithets he affixes to their names fhow in what estima tion he held them. “In Connecticut the holy and acute Mr. Fitch has made noble effays towards the converfion of the Indians: But, I think, the Prince he has to deal with, being an obftinate infidel, gives unhappy hindrances to the fucceffes of his miniftry.-Godly Mr. Pierfon has, in that colony, deferved well, if I mistake not, upon the fame account." "In Maffachusetts we fee, at this day, the pious Mr. Daniel Gookin, the gracious Mr. Peter Thacher; the well-accomplished, and induftrious Mr. Grindal Raw * Magnal. B. III, P. 201. |