Thus, in Chrift, God and the finner meet and commune as friends. In Chrift, God difplays the riches of his grace, reconciling the world unto himfelf. In Chrift the finner is reconciled to God-receives a free, and abundant pardon-partakes of the divine nature, and enjoys the light of God's countenance. In the face of Jefus Chrift the glory of God is feen, and there all the affections of believers terminate as their proper centre, and fupreme object. By this vital union of heart to Chrift, believers are affimilated to his moral char the joy of his falvation, in the fouls of his redeemed?" He fhall be as the light of the morning when the fun rifeth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grafs fpringing out of the earth, by clear fhining after rain. How joyous, how delightsome the scene! After a dark and tempestuous night, the morning chafes the nocturnal gloom-the fun rifes clear and bright-the darknefs fledthe clouds difperfed-the sky clear the air ferene and purethe meadows dreffed in vivid green -the groves vocal with chirping melody-the face of nature cloth-acter, and changed into his image. ed in fmiles, and every object affuming the air of joy and gladnefs. Yet this but feebly figures the joy of the finner, at his firft converfion, when the great Sun of Righteousness arifes, and fhines upon his benighted foul with the refulgent rays of his glory and redeeming love; by which the dark, blind, diftreffed, fin-ruined creature is brought out of darkness, even the region, and fhadow of death, into marvellous light, and from an heir of hell, becomes a child of God, and a fellow citizen with the faints. O what ineffable delight, what joy and tranfport arife in his foul! He has "beauty for afhes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praife for the fpirit of heavinefs." Clothed in the robes of Chrift's righteoufnefs, the new creature re-ing that grace which is the porjoices in the view of moral beauty, and divine excellency. It is the bright morning of the foul. The Sun of Righteoufnefs fhines clear as the fun in the firmament, and the glory of God is reflected from every object which meets his eye. "This," faith the foul, rejoining with the pious Pfalmift, "this is all my falvation, and all my de fire." They receive of his fullnefs, and grace for grace. As the diamond becomes luminous in the funshine, and tranfmits its reflected rays, with dazzling luftre; fo the believer becomes like Chrift, and reflects the beams of the Sun of Righteoufnefs, in the exercife of the graces of his Spirit. And this gives us the reafon why Christ afcribes the fame character to his difciples which he affumes to himfelf, when he tells them, "Ye are the light of the world," and commands them to let this light fo fhine before men, that they may fee their good works, and glorify their Father who is in heaven.Oh,how beautiful is the light of the Chriftian character, thus reflecting the beams of the glorious Sun of Righteoufnefs! How diftinguish tion and happinefs of the true Christian! Let the faints abide in God who is light. Oh, love the bleffed Saviour, and give him all the glory of his falvation. And let poor perifhing finners awake from their carnal fecurity, and realize the guilt and wretchedness of their natural, loft, dark, and benighted ftate. "Awake, thou that fleepest, and arife from the SIR, Vaparry, Jan. 18, 1803. I WROTE to you laft from Seringapatam; fince that time I have experienced great hardfhips, and alfo fingular mercies. When, in my journey, I came near to the extremity of the peninfulas, I found whole villages waiting anxioufly for my coming, to be further inftructed and baptized. They had got acquainted with our native priest in that country, and the Catechists and Chriftians; and had learned from them the catechifm ; which those who could write copied, to learn it themfelves at their leifure. When they heard of my coming, they broke their idols to pieces, and converted their templas into Chriftian churches; in which I inftructed and baptized them (in fome about 200, in others near 300 ;) formed them into Chriftian congregations; procured for them catechifts and schoolmasters; and made them choose, in each place, four elders. Thefe examples awakened the whole country; and when I was about to leave it, the inhabitants of re ges to me, begging of me to many more villages fent meffamain a couple of months longer in the country; and to do in their villages the good work I had done in thofe of their neighbors. My fituation not allowing this, I recommeded them to the native priests and catechifts that are there; and fince that, there have been inftructed and baptized 2700 people more, and eighteen more congegations have been formed. Among thefe new converts are feveral chiefs, all very zealous ; and one of them travels about, preaching the gospel but fince my return, fome of the Heathens of that country, old enemies, have stirred up a perfecution against them, and they have written to me to return, as foon as poffible; for while I was among them, all went on very fmoothly; and the Heathens themfelves fcemed to feel a pleasure in what was going on. But it pleafed God to afflict me with a fever, which began with a cold fit, which I contracted, perhaps, in the latter part of my journey, when I came thro' much rain and water in the monfoon; and from which I recover now by flow degrees. Perhaps my grief, and the many painful letters I wrote, have contributed to my illness. When I began to recover, I found a letter from that country; which I was afraid to open in my extremely weak ftate. It contained the good news, that the perfecution had abated in several places; and that the Chriftians, who had been confined, had been honorably acquitted. From that time I began to recover, The conftancy of thefe people, under their fufferings, may overcome their enemies, and contribute greatly to the fpread of the gospel in these parts. The Rev. Mr. Kohloff is willing to go into the harveft, and be for fome time among them; and a very fit perfon he is for fuch a work. It requires great humility and difcretion, and a mind that, by grace, has learned to be content, for the fake of Christ, with many things which are not pleasant. Yours, &c. W. GERRIKE. ORDINATIONS. Ordination of Mr. Wood. A. ་ mas H. Wood a Licentiate of your Affociation to undertake a miffion into the new fettlements to preach the gofpel to the deftitute inhabitants of those fettlements the enfuing feafon, and he having confented to labor for the Society in that fervice; and it being in the opinion of the committee moft conducive to the fuccefs of his miffion, that he should receive ordination previously to his entering on his work, the committee do therefore requeft the Rev. Minifters of the Affociation, in conjunction with Rev. John Emerfon, Rev. David Parsons, D. D. and Rev. Jonathan Grout, to ordain Mr. Thomas H. Wood, if they find him qualified, to the work and office of a Minister and Evan a At a Meeting of the Northern Afo-gelift in the church of Chrift, at ciation of Minifters in the county Amherst, on Wednesday the feof Hampshire, at the Rev. Icha- cond day of May next. Wishing bod Draper's, in Amberft, May the prefence of Chrift with the Af1, 4. D. 1804,-Prefent-fociation and other Paftors of Rev. Mefs'rs. Samuel Hop-churches invited to attend this ferkins, D. D. Juftus Forward, vice, and asking your prayers for Rufus Wells, Jofeph Lyman, divine bleffing upon the labors of D. D. Solomon Williams, E. noch Hale, Joel Hayes, Ichathe Hampshire Miffionary Society, bod Draper, Payfon Willifton, fervants in the faith and patience we are your brethren and fellow Elijah Gridley, Payfon Munfel, Vinfon Gould.—After form of Jefus. ing, Rev. Henry Williams. Rev. Samuel Hopkins, D. D. was chofen Moderator. A communication from the committee of the Truftees of the Hampshire Miffionary Society, was read, as follows: Hatfield, April 23, 1804. To the Rev. Moderator of the Northern Affocation of Minifters in the county of Hampfhire, to be communicated. REV. SIR, The Committee of the Truftees of the Hampshire Miffionary Society, having invited Mr. Tho By order of the Committee, JOSEPH LYMAN. Voted, That the Affociation be refolved into an Ordaining Council, in conjunction with Rev. John D. D. and Rev. Jonathan Grout, Emerfon, Rev. David Parfons, for the purpose of ordaining Mr. Wood. The Council was opened with prayer by the Moderator. Rev. John Emerson, and Rev. Jonathan Grout, attended, and took feats in the Council. Having examined Mr. Wood, the Council, fatisfied with his qualifications, Voted to ordain him to-morrow, at 3 o'clock, P. M. to the work and office of an Evangelist and Minifter of Jefus. Voted, That the folemnities of prayer by Mr. Grout-that Mr. Emerfon preach the fermon, Mr. | Forward make the confecrating prayer, Doct. Hopkins give the charge, Mr. Hayes give the right hand of ministerial fellowshipand Mr. Wells make the concluding prayer. On Wednesday, May 16, the Rev. Thomas Williams was or dained as an Evangelift, to labor as a Miffionary in the fervice of the Miffionary Society of Conecti his ordination be introduced with cut. The ordination was performed in the South Parish in Killingly, under the direction of the original Affociation of Windham county. The Rev. Abel Flint, of Hartford, made the introductory prayer; the Rev. Walter King, of Norwich, preached the fermon from Acts xx. 24. The Rev. May 2. At 3 o'clock, P. M. Joel Benedict, of Plainfield, made Mr. Thomas H. Wood was or- the confecrating prayer; the Rev. dained to the office of an evange- Levi Hart, D. D. of Prefton, lift and Minifter of Jefus Chrift. gave the charge; the Rev. DanThe fermon was preached by Mr. | iel Dow, of Thompson, gave the Emerfon, from 2 Tim. iv. 5.- Right Hand of Fellowship; and "But watch thou in all things, the Rev. Eliphalet Lyman, of endure afflictions, do the work of Woodstock, made the concluding an Evangelift, make full proof of prayer. thy ministry." A true copy, by ENOCH HALE, Scribe. 1804. Donations to the Miffionary Society of Connecticut. May. A Lady in New-Haven, A female Friend of Miffions, Calvin Ingalls, contributed in New Settlements, A Stranger in the county of Windham, Hebron Female Affociation, for the Purchase of Books, 6 56 |