My kind love to all the children. Tell them that those truths which they so often hear from the pulpit and read in the bible, are eternal realities, and it is infinite now before the harvest is past, and it be forever too late. Your affectionate daughter, FIDELIA. LETTER III. March 9, 1799. MY DEAR MOTHER, ter to the Romans may convince | dedicate ourselves, and all we have any one that God hath power, and to the fervice of Satan; telling an abfolute right to do as he will him if he will live with us, we with his own; and the longer we will never make a prayer, nor odifpute it, the greater will be our bey one of God's commands.” condemnation. The most advifea- How fhocking the thought! Yet, ble, most rational, and only fafe I believe it is too true. way then for us, is to fubmitgive God the throne, and yield a cheerful compliance with his requirements. His law is holy, juft and good, and his fervice is a reafonable service.-What monftrously important that we attend to them wickedness then is it to ftand quarrelling and cavilling with our Maker and Preferver! I am aftonished when I reflect how long I have been contending with God who fhould have the throne, that he fhould fuffer me to live; efpecially in a day when he is manifefting his glory and power in the falvation of finners. My mind, this afternoon, has been deeply affected with a fenfe of the vile part I have acted towards the Saviour of the world; when I confider how he left his heavenly abode, came down to earth, affumed human nature, fuffered with patience every infult depraved nature could inflict, and even an agonizing death, to glorify the Father, and honor that law, by which we were juftly condemned, the penalty of which would, otherwife, have been inflicted on all the human race; but now thro' his merits, falvation is offered to all who will accept. Upon thefe reflections, if our hearts are not filled with humility, love, gratitude and admiration, great, indeed, must be our ftupidity. Mr. B. in a fermon, the other day, made this striking obfervation, that "God made us and every thing we poffefs, gives us life, health and ftrength to enjoy the bleffings he is conftantly beftowing upon us; but instead of making him fuitable returns, we go and I SIT down to write you with an anxious, aching heart. What fhall I fay? If we are yet in a ftate of fin and death, there is no created being can afford any confolation. But we are called upon with the most endearing invitations to look up to Him who made us who has a juft right to difpofe of us according to his own eternal purpose, and who hath graciously promifed that none who come, defiring to be filled, fhall be fent empty away. But if we will not apply to Him-there is no alternative we must perish. Dear Mother, my heart bleeds for you. The critical fituation in which I left you, lies with great weight on my mind. I recollect when, in much the fame fituation that you now are, Mr. G― remarked to me that it was certain death to go back, and death to ftand where I was, and I could I yielded, | fubmit and become reconciled upon his terms, your cafe will be defperate, and the confequences, to you, moft dreadful. You told me, no more than die, if and refigned myfelf up. We are in the hands of God, and ever fhall be; but the great affair is to be willing to have it fo. God will accept of none but those who come voluntarily. If he fhould, how much would his glorious character fink in our esteem. How can we be fo unwilling to put our truft in Him, who is the fountain and fource of all happiness? We know that to be feparated from him implies perfect mifery. Arguing then from reafon only, why are we not prevailed upon, to try the experiment of unconditional fubmiffion? It certainly cannot alter our fituation for the worse, and poffibly may lay a foundation for our eternal happiness. What advantage can arife from cavilling, and telling God that He made our hearts they are fuch as they are, and we can't change them? Surely, fince we have fuch wicked hearts, and are inexcufable too, it is our wifdom to use every poffible mean to fearch and find them out, and become thoroughly acquainted with their internal pollution-for unlefs we fenfibly feel ourselves fick, we cannot feel the want of a phyfician. As it refpects our criminality, the enquiry whence our wicked hearts are ultimately deriwed, is perfectly idle. It matters not who made them-while we know that we poffefs them that we exercise them, and that they are totally depraved, and we never can enjoy a good confcience-never can be happy, until they are changed. You have no earthly friend, however near, who can help you. The controverfy is between God and your own foul; and the change must be on your part, not his :He is unchangeable. He is perfectly right;, and if you cannot Madam, that you have now be come fo old, and grown fo hardened in fin, that there is no hope for you. This I boldly pronounce an artifice of Satan, defigned to difcourage and prevent your exertions. How many are called in at the eleventh hour! You have no reafon to be discouraged. In this world of hope, it is unreafon able, it is wicked to despair of mercy, because we are too old or too wicked to be forgiven. On the contrary, if you are arrived to the eleventh hour, there is the more need of greater exertion, and speedy application to the mercy of God. I wish, Madam, to have you try with all your mightyou must try your own ftrength before you will be convinced that you can do nothing. O, my dear Mother, may you not reasonably take courage in perfevering to feek after God,-now he hath come even into your own family. How much ought we to thank and praise Him, that he hath, as we hope, been pleased to open the heart of Lydia, and bring her out of the horrible pit and miry clay.-Blef fed be his holy name, for all the wonderful difplays of his mighty power and rich grace, in fubduing the proud hearts of guilty rebels. I can do no more than pray for you, nor can I do that, unless God give me an heart, which I hope he will grantfor the Redeemer's fake. Do give yourself up cheerfully, and you will find that peace which is in no other way to be found. That this may be your happy cafe, is the daily prayer your affectionate daughter, FIDELIA of have matters prépared to fettle the gofpel, and be liberal contributors for its being fent to others." A Narrative on the fubject of Mif A During the paft fummer and fall, the Rev. Job Swift performtwo miffions of 8 weeks each, to the northwestern and northern parts of Vermont. Concerning his first tour, he writes as follows: "I preached once in the county of Bennington, 4 times in the county of Rutland, and 39 times in the counties of Addifon, Chit'tenden, Franklin and Orleans. I attended frequent conferences, and baptized two infants and one adult. I fhould have preached oftener, but the latter part of the time people were extremely bu BOUT the firft of December, the Rev. Jeremiah Hallock returned from a miffion of 16 weeks to the northern counties of Vermont. He preached in between 40 and 50 towns; affifted in the formation of 2 churches ; baptized between 30 and 40, fome of them adults; rode about 1000 miles; and preached on an ave rage 6 fermons a week, befides attending a number of conferences.fied in their harveft. I rode He remarks: "Chriftians are ⚫ found more or less in every place; and in general they appear to have fresh anointings. There are at prefent awakenings in as many as 15 towns which I have 'vifited. Several others have had ❝ revivals within two or three years paft, where the precious fruits 'till remain. And in a number of other places there are hopeful beginnings; here and there one ⚫ under conviction and the people in general more ferious and attentive to meetings. The gospel cha riot rolls, and the goings of the 'moft mighty Lamb are evident in 'many places in the northen part ' of Vermont. Things appear on 'the reform; religion feems to be taking root; and the call for 'miffionary labors is urgent and extenfive. I fay for miffionary labors, because the fituation of many places is fuch at prefent, I fee no other way for them to have 'preaching. But if they can now have a little help, it is hoped 'that by the bleffing of God, they 'will foon, in many places at leaft, about 800 miles. As I followed Mr. Bushnell in most of the towns I paffed, except in the county of Orleans, there was but feldom occafion to adminifter the ordinances; as he had, but a fhort time before, adminiftered in all or most of the churches that were formed on the field. of miffionary labors. In the county of Orleans, the fettle'ments are new, and no congre gational church formed; nor did the people think in any town which I vifited, that there was a fufficient number of perfons qualified to form a church. I think the encouragement for mif'fionary labors great. God feems graciously to have owned the mif honaries as inftruments in the 'converfion of finners, in the ef 'tablishment of worship in many towns, the formation of churches, and their edification and incrcafe. It is obferved by people, that there is, in fome towns efpecially, by their influence a reformation as to the obfervance of the fabbath, and other moral and Chrif tian duties. I truft the bleffing ' of many ready to perish has come on the state of Connecticut, for their liberality to promote fo "good a defign." In his other tour, Mr. Swift preached about 50 times, in 23 different towns; attended a great number of conferences, admitted feveral members into churches; administered the Lord's fupper 5 times; baptized 18 children and adults; and fpent much time in converfing on experimental religion with people who were fubjects of the awakening in towns where there was a revival of religion. In his letter to the Trustees, accompanying his diary, he obferves: "I have not now confined myself to the newest settlements, but have labored principally in and about the towns where there are ap'pearances of religious revivals; as here appeared to be the greateft call for miffionary labors. I 'can inform you, for your comfort and joy, and that of all concerned in the bufinefs of miffions, that the work of God is prevail ing and fpreading where you have fent miflionaries. Numbers people to understand the work of God is evidently prevailing in 'the counties of Addison, Chitten. 'den and Franklin. Let this en'courage the godly to pray and 'contribute to promote fo benevo lent a defign. This is putting into bags that wax not old." The Rev. Jedidiah Bubnell is ftill in the northern part of Vermont, or in the northern counties of New-York weft of Lake Champlain. He went to Vermont in February laft, intending to spend a few weeks there and then proceed to the western part of NewYork ftate; but in confequence of a revival of religion in many towas in Vermont he judged himself called in Providence to continue in that ftate. He has labored there through the spring, summer and autumn. He has not as yet tranf mitted to the Trustees a particular journal of his travels and labors; but in a letter dated June 2, 1801, he gives the following general account of his miffion to that time: "When I arrived at Tinmouth, I viewed myself upon miffionary ground, and tarried and preach'ed one week. After this I vif 'were called in the courfe of theited a number of the neighboring fummer, and the work appears to be fpreading into many towns. Had thofe exertions been made years ago, I truft that many towns now broken would have been preferved in fome degree in a ftate of union, and would probably now have been in the en joyment of ftated gofpel admin-ber of days, preaching, attending iftrations." conferences and vifiting from houfe to house. After this I 'went northeast to the mountain towns; where there are many valuable people, and probably they have been too much neglect 'ed by miffionaries. Some finners heard the gospel with tears in their eyes. Then I directed my course down Onion river al- | moft to its mouth; then north ⚫ again vifiting most of the towns between the lake and the green ⚫ mountain. In feveral of these • towns I found an increasing at<tention." In another letter, dated October 17th, Mr. Bushnell writes as follows: "The principal field of my labors this fummer has been between Middlebury and Cana< da line. I have vifited the moun tain towns three times, and the • islands in lake Champlain once. In the beautiful range of country between Middlebury and Canada line, there is a divine work of God in many towns. Some • of the towns eaft of this range, upon the Green mountains, are ⚫ alfo highly favored. I have been treated kindly this miffion. The other miffionaries speak the fame language; and the great body of the people in this ftate feel grateful to the Miffionary Society of • Connecticut notwithstanding fome ⚫ few individuals may oppofe their benevolent defign and attempt to 'ridicule the whole bufinefs of 'miffions." These are all the miffionaries that have been fent to Vermont the past year, excepting the Rev. Solomon Morgan, who entered on a mission to the northern part of the ftate about the 20th of December. pected he will go out again, within a few weeks. The Rev. Ezekiel J. Chapman left Hartford the beginning of November laft, to go to New-Connecticut, there to labor as a miffionary, during the pleasure of the board of Trustees. No intelligence has been received from him. Previous to entering on his mif. fion, he was ordained to the work of the ministry, particularly as an Evangelift, by the affociation of Tolland county, at the request of the board of Trustees; Mr. Chapman being a licentiate of that affociation. miffions to the new fettlements, it From the preceding account of will be feen that during the year 1801, upwards of 220 weeks mifThe expenfe to the fociety for fionary labor were performed.thefe miffions is nearly 1400 dol Mr. Bacon, and the charge for lars, which with 200 allowed to printing the narrative and fome other fmall charges for postage and ftationary, makes the whole expenfe of the Society for the year about 1650 dollars.* The fervice performed this year is confiderably more than in any preceding year; the liberality of the good people of the ftate having been fuch as to enable the Trustees to employ a greater number of miffionaries. But altho much has been done in years paft, much yet remains to be done; and it is hoped that the fiream of liberality will The Rev. Jofeph Badger returned the first of the prefent month from a miflion of 14 months * Some perfons, inimical to the to New-Connecticut, during which caufe of miffions, have propagated a time he went over the whole of report, that much of the money conthat country and vifited every fet-tributed for the fupport of miffions has tlement. A particular narrative been expended to pay the expenses of of his labors and travels he has not the Trustees, &c. In contradiction to yet tranfmitted to the Trustees. public that no officer of the Society has this report, the Truftecs affure the He is reappointed a miffionary to the fame fettlements and it is ex ever demanded or received a fingle cent for his fervices or expenfes, |