am convinced to this day that I did right in concluding to fix in this part of the vineyard.. While a candidate I could enjoy no peace, only when I felt that I was not my own, and that I ought cheerfully to submit to the disposal of the great Head of the Church. Preston. While in this place I had | place of my fettlement then; and a favorite grove for retirement, at a small distance from my quarters : In that I spent many hours in meditation, self-examination and prayer. God, sometimes, as I truft, appeared for me, when in the forest, when in my chamber and when in the sanctuary. made it a daily petition to God that he would teach me by his word and spirit; and would open to me my duty with respect to making a public profeffion of religion, and entering on the work of the Chriftian ministry. I The day of my ordination was to me a folemn day. I hope that amidst all my wickedness, I have not forgotten the weight of my charge. Since I have been in the ministry, I have had, at seasons, clearer views of my own corruр. ence on fovereign grace, than at any former period of my life. I hope that now I know in whom I have believed. As I have looked round on my fellow Christians, I have ever accounted myself as among the chief of finners, and have found it much cafier to maintain a charitable hope for them than for myself. I did not unite with the church ❘tions, and of my abfolute dependuntil the first Sabbath in March 1773; when I was received into the communion of the church under the paftoral care of Dr. Hart. In Preston I tasted the sweets and felt the benefits of Christian fociety, beyond what I had done in any former period of my life. If I am not deceived, I enjoyed precious seasons of communion with God while a student in divinity. When I commenced a preacher, I entered on a course in which I have travelled, with painful yet pleasing, forrowful yet joyful, depressed and yet encouraging feelings. I durst not lay much stress on pulpit religion; and yet I have sometimes had fuch enlargements, particularly in public prayer, as abundantly to convince me that ❘ God's gracious prefence forms our only happiness and support. In fettling in Somers, where I spent the second Sabbath after I commenced a preacher, I felt that I had a heavy cross to take up; confidering the ftate of the people, and my own inability. I fet apart a day for fafting and prayer, a short time before I gave my answer to the request of the people to settle with them. I felt satisfied with the path of my duty relative to the For a number of years after I hoped myself to be renewed in the spirit of my mind, I kept a diary, and had by me a written form of covenanting with God. I have long fince laid them both aside, except what has been written in the form of a diary fince my prefent illness. Perhaps I have not been wife in this omiffion. Particular Christians are however best able to judge what is most expedient in their own cafe. But I have kept up the practice of renewing covenant with God before attending the Lord's supper, and at fome other times. To thee, O my God and Sav. iour, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, do I now give up myself; to be wholly thine in time, in death, and forever. I rejoice in thee as my God and portion; and Oh! accomplish thy wife and holy pur poses in thine own way, and when and how thou pleasest. Oh, gather me at last with thy faints, and thine shall be all the glory and the praise, world without end, AMEN. Religious Intelligence. Extract of a letter from a respectable character in Austinburgh, NewConnecticut, to one of the Editors, dated 29th Nov. 1803. "DEAR SIR, Mr. emn. As the affembly was dismissed and began to go out, be hold three young men, each about 16 years of age, were fallen down together near the door. Some of them had been remarkably careless. They were in such agony of mind, that every beholder was ftruck with aftonishment. Badger immediately went to prayer, and prayed in a manner pe. culiarly adapted to the occafion. Few could refrain from weeping. A number of young men who had begun to boast of infidel principles, were ftruck at that time, and one person fell. Three little girls, walking from the place of meeting with locked arms, fell on the ground, and loft their bodily strength-one of whom did not recover till after midnight, which night was spent in prayer. At times to the number of eight, I recollect, lost their bodily strength. But little was heard from them except deep fighs. Since that time, God appears to have been calling home some poor finners, and among the number we hope some of our family have been included. " I HAVE to communicate to you the pleasing intelligence, that God is verily among us, in this wilderness, calling home finners to himself. As I wrote you before, there has been fome appearance of uncommon seriousness this last summer in my family, and, as I now find, in some others. After my journey to Smithfield, and feeing how God manifested himfelf on facramental occafions, I tho't it my duty to have those of my family that could attend the next sacrament, which was to be at a place through the wilderness about 60 miles. Accordingly three of my children, with 8 or 10 others, attended, and were much impressed there. They returned on Thursday about noon, and were defirous that there might be a meeting that evening. And notwithstanding the shortness of the notice, God so stirred up the hearts of the people, that more than 60 attended. The night was spent in prayer. None went from the place. A folemn night! A number were deeply impressed On Wednesday the 15th inft. in their minds-Some loft their the Rev. Shubael Bartlett was or. bodily strength. The next Sab- dained to the paftoral care of the bath Mr. Badger preached with fecond Church and Society in us. The people were all very fol- | East Windfor. The Rev. An At a meeting of our youth last evening, I am informed that thirteen were impressed in this extraordinary manner, which is more than has ever happened at one time. These marks of power are not limited to awakened finners. Many Christians where the work. has prevailed, have also been thus affected under a sense of divine truth." ORDINATION. 4 Bid all below adieu? 4. Must soon my flesh, thus loathsome, To greedy worms a prey? drew Yates made the introductory | Must I, perhaps this day, this hour, prayer; the Rev. Zebulon Ely preached the Sermon from Acts xx. 24; the Rev. Nehemiah Prudden made the confecrating prayer; the Rev. David M-Clure, D. D. gave the Charge; the Rev. Henry A. Rowland gave the Right Hand of Fellowship ; and the Rev. Richard S. Storrs made the concluding prayer. 5. Trembling I seek some guardian arm 6. This king of terrors thou hast foil'd, 7. From the dark prison of the grave, 8. For rebels he endur'd the cross, And for his meanest child prepares 9. Then why, dear Jesus, should I shrink, Cheerful I'd leave this low abode, ASPASIO. From a Friend of Miffions, 900 Sermons on the Prodigal Son. fions: and a Statement of the Funds of the Miffionary Society of Connecticut, for the year 1803. Published by order of the Trustees of the Society. (Continued from p. 336.) T A Narrative on the subject of Mis- | makinak, where there are many traders, gives them access to spiritous liquors, which they very greatly abuse; and these traders, instead of aiding Mr. Bacon, are throwing every obstacle in his way which they can do without appearing openly to oppose him. The Chiefs at the Miami and at Arborcrosh have had several interviews with him, and have uniformly manifested a reluctance to his visiting the tribes; especially at the Miami, where he was turned away, and his offers wholly rejected. For these reasons he has as yet done little, excepting partly learning the Indian language; nor is it probable that he will be able to form a missionary establisament among the Indians in that vicinity. HE Rev. David Bacon is yet on a mission to the Indian tribes. And, by letters from him, dated November 1803, it appears, that he is yet at Michilimakinak, where he has been long waiting for an interpreter, to instruct him more perfectly in the Indian language, and to act as an interpreter to the Arborcrofsh tribes, to which he is anxious to introduce himself. But he has unfortunately met with a series of disappointments which could neither be forefeen nor prevented. The Trustees, taking these things into confideration, and hav The situation of the Arborcrosh Indians, it is thought, is more un- | ing maturely deliberated on the favorable to the reception of the gofpel than that of fome of the other tribes. Roman catholic miffionaries have been and still are sent among them, who greatly prejudice their ignorant minds against the proteftants. The proximity of these Indians to MichiliVOL. IV. No. 10. subject, have judged it expedient to recal him from the place where he now is. They do not however mean to abandon the object of communicating the gospel to some of the American Indians; but to seek a more favorable fituation than Arborcrosh. With Yy this view they have voted, that fo far as to make any impreffion Mr. Bacon come to New Con- on any of the numerous Indian necticut, and there labor as a mif-tribes, it may be the beginning of fionary in concert with Messrs. Badger and Robbins, and improve himfelf, as he shall have opportunity, in the Indian language. And also that Mr. Badger and he endeavor to obtain information refpecting the tribes in the vicinity of that country, and the Sandusky bay, with a view of establishing a mission among fome of them. When the difficulties of access to the Indian tribes, arifing from distance, their jealoufies, manners and customs are confidered, it could hardly have been expected, that more could have been done, in so short a time, than to take fome pre-requifite steps to a direct application to them. Experience alone can fully obviate the difficulties which really exift; and open, more and more, the steps necessary to be taken and the meafures to be pursued, in fuccessfully profecuting the object, which in its nature is of fuch consequence, that it would be highly unwarrant able to abandon it, on making only some feeble efforts. What the event ultimately may be, it is impoffible, at present, with certainty to determine. Should it be the cafe, that after making the most perfevering efforts, nothing effectual be done; yet, it will most certainly afford comfort and confolation to the friends of the miffion, that an experiment has been made, and vigorous measures been perfeveringly purfued, to promote the falvation of those poor benighted tribes. It is, most certainly, an object of fuch magnitude, as to be worthy of being pursued, till every profpect of success is closed. -Should God in his great mercy fee fit, on the other hand, to bless the measures which are pursuing, fomething which will gladden the hearts of all the friends of Chrift, thro' all fucceeding generations. It may be the beginning of the budding of the wilderness and the bloffoming of the rose. But the whole must be left to the disposal of HIM, who hath promised to his fon, that he will give him the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his poffeffion; and that he shall have " dominion from sea to fea, and from the rivers unto the ends of the earth." On a review of the preceding narrative of missionary transacctions, during the year 1803, it will appear, that thirteen missionaries have been in the field of labor; some through the year, others for a shorter time-That the gofpel has been preached over a vaft extent of country-The various ordinances of the gospel have been administered to fuch as would otherwise have been deftitute of them-Some have been awakened out of security; and several new churches have been formed in the wilderness. Some we have reafon to hope have been turned from fin unto God; and the hearts of many Christians been made to rejoice. It appears, that the friends of Chrift are gratefully affected with the exertions which havebeen made, to diffeminate the principles and doctrines of the gospel among the inhabitants of the new fettlements. If infidels ridicule, and impute the exertions which have been made to the worst of motives, it is no more than what they have always been accustomed to do, and ought now to have been expected. There is great reason to believe, that although the efforts |