Letter from the Directors of the, glad. He has given feals to the CHRISTIAN BRETHREN, administrations of those actually laboring in the miffionary field, both under the patronage of this, and of other focieties. The publication of the fermons and of the report of the Directors, given at Uaith and fellowship of the our late feventh annual meeting will have informed you, before this letter can reach you, of the number and circumstances of our actual Miffionary Stations, to the time of that mecting. We fhall not therefore repeat what you will there find. gofpel, and engaged in the fame blessed caufe, the extenfion of the knowledge of that glorious Name by which only men are faved; we cannot but feel towards you brotherly affection, and with you good fpeed in the name of the Lord. It is a fubject at once animating to Most of the accounts fince reus in our own endeavours, and calceived from our feveral Mifhonaling for congratulation to our fel-ries are confolatory and animating. low laborers, that the Lord hath Thofe from our venerable brother been pleafed to fpread abroad in Dr. Vanderkemp are peculiarly the minds of his people in every fo. God continues to uphold and place a fpirit of earneft prayer for ftrengthen him, and to furround the fulfilment of thofe glorious him with fuch fignal manifeftations promises which relate to the prof- of his providential care as ftrongperity of the Redeemer's Kingdom; ly to revive in our minds the reand that as the best evidence of fin- collection of the wonders which cerity their prayers are accompani- he did of old in the land of Ifed with corresponding exertions. rael. To enumerate these would Is not this the ufual courfe of the be pleafant, but as they could ondivine conduct? Is not this a fignly be mutilated accounts we shall that the time the fet time to favor Zion is at hand, if not come? Did God ever fay to the feed of Jacob, feck my Face in vain? Let us, therefore, dear Brethren, by fuch views as thefe,-by the confideration of what is to be done, by the obligations we are under to our bleffed Redeemer and the fouls of our fellow-men,-by the recollection of the fhortnefs of the time and the animating hope of the recompence of reward, encourage one another; and in the ftrength of him who has promifed to teach our hands to war and our fingers to fight go forward" and ceafe not from the conflict till Zion fhall become the praife of the earth. The Lord is in various ways deing great things whereof we are not abridge the pleafure you will receive from the unaffected recital of them in his own words, which will be given in an early number of the Evangelical Magazine. But what is better, he has reaped the firft fruits of his labors among the unenlightened Caffres with whom he dwells. Our other brethren are not without encouragement, both from past experience and future profpects. Several heathen have been baptized, one at least among the Boschemen has died in the faith; others feem to be awakened. too There is even ground to hope that God will render the poor native employed as an interpreter to the Bofchemen, not only a reporter of what he is told by others, but a relater of what he himself has seen, tafted and felt of | of thankfulness; and would ac the word of life. We have fur-knowledge with unfeigned gratither to add respecting our brethren tude to the Father of our mercies, in that quarter, that we truft they will labor with increafing encouragement and effect, from the affiftance they will receive from the Miffionaries lately fent out to their aid and of whofe fafe arrival at the Cape we have just had the happy intelligence. that he has accompanied our feeble efforts with figas following. Yet we account not ourselves to have attained. These things we confider as but the laying of the first stones of future and more extenfive buildings. And at the fame time that we would confirm and enlarge the stations already occupied, we are not unmindful of fuch other new ones, as the calls of providence, or an enlarged knowledge of the state of the world point out to us. Thefe rife continually to our view. At pref ent we have but one Miffionary in the extenfive region of India. It is, therefore, near to our hearts to Since our last meeting we have received, both by letters and by the arrival of fome of our late Miffionaries to the South Seas, from New-Holland fuch accounts as tend to remove the remaining apprehenfions we entertained for the fafety of the brethren who remained behind, and even to encourage the hope that the Lord has gracious defigns towards that peo-fend him out ample affiftance as ple, although he has been pleafed to fit as a refiner among the inftruments engaged in carrying on the work. We are anxiously waiting for the account of the arrival of the brethren fent out to their help in the Royal Admiral, and truft that we shall ere long, receive good news from that far country. foon as the Lord shall furnish us with men, fuitable for the work. The large and populous ifland of Ceylon, alfo attracts our notice, and we truft fhortly to be able to fend out laborers to it; for we are daily expecting the arrival in London of feveral Miffionaries fent by our brethren in Germany, whofe knowledge of the Dutch language will render them peculiarly adapted to that ftation. The feveral fettlements in the Weft-Indies and on The accounts received alfo from our Miffionary, Mr. Mitchell, who is laboring at the Bay of Chaleur, are pleafing and excite in our minds a defire to liften to the earneft call fent to us from the people of that quarter to come over to help them ftill more effectually. Could not you, dear Brethren, afford that place the temporary aid at Jeaft of fending thither one Mif. fionary till we can provide one or more to relieve him? Letters of an equally agreeable import have arrived from Mr. Hillyard labor-your zeal and exertions, fo that ing at Newfoundland. Thus, dear Brethren, although we have had many difcouragements we are not without grounds the continent of America, which in the difpenfations of providence have come under the dominion of our crown, fhare likewife our attention, and ftrongly excite our prayers, that the Lord of the harvest would fend forth more laborers into his harvest. The unenlightened tribes of the interior of your country we rejoice to think, will be the objects of great and extenfive as is the field, we have good ground to indulge the hope that it will not be long before every region of the globe shall lifhed in England: the laft accounts received from the Miffionaries of our Baptift brethren in India, inform us that the publication of it in the Bengalic language is nearly completed; and our own fociety is taking measures for printing and circulating in the Catholic countries of Europe, a large impreffion of the New Testament in the French language, accompanied with an extenfive introduction, by our refpectable and learned brother Mr. Bogue, the English edition of which is at the point of publication. have in it fome one to repeat the angelic chorus "Glory to God in the higheft, and on earth peace good-will towards men." God feems indeed to be taking unto himfelf his great power, and manifefting it by the inftrumentality of his fervants. He is raifing up new helpers in the work; new focieties are forming; plans varying in their means but uniting in their end, are every where adopting. Our brethren of the church of England have engaged in the work. Their Society is yet in its infancy but we truft" the little one will become a thousand." On the continent of Europe, the flame has broken forth. Men unknown to each other have been devifing methods for propagating the gofpel, and were astonished to find when they began to communicate their views that they were an hoft.pects qualified, under the care of Our correfpondence with various our above mentioned brother, Mr. parts of your quarter of the globe, Bogue. At prefent there are but is in this refpect confolatory in the two young men in preparation, but highest degree; and the more fo, they are both highly promifing for as the fame evidence of divine ap- piety and talents. probation which has we humbly hope diftinguished our endeavors, has alfo marked theirs; that in proportion as the minds of God's people have been concerned for the falvation of the natives of diftant countries, religion has revived and fpread in their own. Among other excellent modes of co-operation in the bleffed work, we fhould not omit to mention that which now engages confiderable attention here and elfewhere; the publication of the holy fcriptures in the language of feveral nations which are either totally deftitute of that inestimable treasure, or poffefs it in a very fcanty measure.We have reafon to think that we fhall fee a copious edition of the word of God in Arabic and a tranflation of it into Chinese peb Our chief difficulty in our Miffionary work is, procuring inftruments well adapted for the arduous ftations they are intended to fill, and to this we are directing out attention. We have lately establifhed a Seminary for the inftruc tion of thofe who are in other ref Such, dear brethren, are our prefent fituation and future defigns. But time would fail,-cur hearts warm with the fubject would lead us to tranfgrefs the bounds of a letter. We must therefore refer you for further information to the intelligence which is from time to time communicated in the Evangelical Magazine, which is known to you. We have read with pleasure the few numbers of your Evangelical Magazines which have reached us. The account it gives of the various revivals of religion in your coun. try exhilirate our hearts, and ftrengthen cur humble belief that we may infcribe upon our mutual endeavors," Jehovah Shammah." Favor us, dear brethren, with your correfpondence. Freely com HE TRUSTEES of the Mis municate to us your views, your TSIONARY SOCIETY of CON meafures, your difficulties and your fuccefs. Be affured we fhall weep when you weep, and rejoice when you rejoice. In no caufe more than this, can hearty co-operation be either more needful or more effectual. Above all, let us ftrive earnestly together at a Throne of Grace. The Millionary feed muft be watered by prayer. Let us plead the promises relating to the extenfion of the Redeemer's Kingdom-they are as ample as our hearts can with; let us rely on the faithfulness of him who hath made them, that is fufficient fecurity for their accompliment. How animating isit to think that all the fovereignly myfterious difpenfations of divine Providence now abroad in the carth, and which terrify the nations, tend to further the objects we humbly truft we have in view, the declaration of the glory of our God in the falvation of finful men. And now, dear Brethren, we commend you and your work to the care and bleffing of him who, is able to make you perfect, eftablish and strengthen you, and to him. be glory for ever and ever. We are, dear Brethren, in the name of our Society, your affectionate well withers, Jofeph Hardeafile, Treaf A Narrative on the fubject of Mif fins and a flatement of the Funds of the Miffionary Society of Conneticut, to the clofe of the year 1801. Addressed by the Trustees of the Society to the Minifters and People of the State. NECTICUT, afk the attention of the clergy and people of the flate to the following account of miffions to the clofe of the year 1801; and of their proceedings in the difcharge of the important truft committed to their management. The Miffionaries concerning whom the Trustees have informa tion to communicate, are the Rev. Seth Williston, the Rev. Jedidiab Bushnell, Mr. Amafa Jerome, Mr. Robert Porter, Mr. Hezekiah Maj, the Rev. David Higgins, Mr. James W. Woodward, the Rev. David Huntington, the Rev. Fr emiah Hallock, the Rev. Job Swift, the Rev. Solomon Morgan, the Rev. Jofeph Badger, the Rev. Ezekiel J. Chapman, and the Rev. David Bacon. The narrative published lat year contained an account of Mr. Willifon's milionary labors to the end of February 1800. From that time to the end of the year he labored chiefly in the counties. of Onondaga, Cayuga, Ontario and Tioga, in the ftate of New-York. From the first of March to the middle of December, he spent 36 weeks in the fervice of the fociety; during which time he preached almost every day, and attended copferences as opportunity prefented. He vifited from houfe to house; catechifed and inftructed children in public and in private; attended funerals, and vifited the fick. He formed one church at Camillus ; admitted 17 perfons into churches already formed in different places; adminiftered the Lord's fupper 6 times; and baptized 3 adults and 52 children. The following remarks are extracted from his jour nal: "During this period of my mifGon, I have to acknowledge the fomething towards helping themfelves will appear by the account of the feveral contributions which I have received; which account is fubjoined to this narrative. The people would be able and willing to do much more, if they could make their contributions in the produce of their farms. Money with fome is fcarce." • divine goodness manifested in ma-Society. Their willingness to do ny ways. I have enjoyed my health to fuch a degree as never in a fingle inftance to fail of ⚫ attending to my appointments to ⚫ preach and hold conferences. I ⚫ have been kindly received and • hofpitably entertained almost with* out an exception. In general I * have found it pretty easy to get people to affemble to hear the word, not only upon holy but al- In the early part of the year fo upon common days. Though 1801, Mr. Williston Spent four I have not labored in the most weeks, in the counties of Tioga fruitful part of the vineyard, nor and Otfego; and performed a ⚫ feen fuch a flocking to the ftand-fhort tour of about three weeks to ard of Chrift, as thofe who have the fettlements on Black River. ⚫ been in Delaware and Otfego In both thefe miffions he met with counties; yet I have to acknow- a welcome reception; and found ⚫ledge, to the praife of free grace, many people who were anxious to that I have feen very folemn af-be vifited by miffionaries. • femblies, in which the goings of ⚫ our God and King were quite vifible. It will appear from my journal, that my labors have been ⚫ more confined than what has been common for the miffionaries. But • I fuppofed usefulness was the ob⚫ject of the Miffionary Society. I thought, fo far as I could judge from the pointings of divine Pro'vidence, that the Lord told me *to continue in the country round the Cayuga, with encouragement that my labors there would not be in vain. I did not know how to leave thofe places where I faw • fuch anxious countenances, and where numbers were afking, What must we do to be faved? The ingathering has not been fo great as we hoped for, but perhaps the feed which has not yet *fprung up, is not all loft. The places which have been moftly my field of labors the year paft, are large and full of inhabitants. Some of them would have been 'glad to have employed a minifter themfelves, and not to have been dependant upon the Miffionary VOL. II. No. 8. In the fpring he made a vifit to Connecticut, and in May returned to Lifle in Tioga county, to take the paftoral charge of the people of that place, for three-fourths of the time, by confent of the board of Trustees, and to labor as a miffione ary the other part of the time. During the fummer and fall, he made four fhort circuits, amounting in the whole to eight weeks, in the counties of Onondaga, Cay uga, Chenango and Tioga, in the ftate of New-York, and in the county of Luzerne in the ftate of Pennsylvania. In these circuits he vifted fome fettlements where there had never before been any preaching; he daily preached lec tures; and performed other minif terial fervices, as opportunity prefented or occafion required. In many places, falfe teachers were endeavoring to propagate errone ous fentiments; and there ftill is an in creafing neceffity for zealous, faithful miffionaries to counteract their baneful influence. In the last narrative, the Rev. Jedidiah Bubnell is mentioned as Q ૧ |