contrary, is to suppose, that fufferings are effential to the divine nature and eternal; or, that the divine nature is liable to change; both are equally inconfiftent with infinite perfection. The supposition which the second question involves, that the fufferings of Christ, as our furety, believed to be equal in degree with those of all mankind thro' eternity, had no atonement been made, is wholly unfounded. 1. It wants proof; there is no evidence of its truth, either from those fufferings as they appear to us from the account the Evangelifts give of them, or from any thing which is faid, or implied, concerning them in fcripture. 2. It is hard to fee how the fufferings of Christ, on this fupposition, were evidence of good will in God, in ordaining and inflicting them, because nothing, on the whole, would be gained in leffening the evil of fufferings. To fubject inferior creatures to fufferings, to relieve from equal fufferings those of a fuperior or der, who are capable of higher enjoyment, might be, perhaps, an expreffion of good will; but to fubject a fuperior, the most exalted and the most worthy, to fufferings, to relieve those who are far inferior, even the most unworthy, to an equal degree of sufferings, is not feen to be fo. This would feem to be loss, rather than gain. 3. The supposition is unneceffary. Sufferings, confidered as punishments, are necefssary to show the mind of the lawgiver; the regard he has for his law, and the light in which he views tranfgreffors; they are his teftimony against those characters, who, by their conduct, show that they are hoftile to the interests of society. They are, in this view, a proper VOL. IV, No. 2. exercife of good will. They are effential to the nature of govern ment; they should express the heart of the lawgiver fully; par tially to express it, would be to mifrepresent it. The heart of God is infinitely opposed to fin or tranfgreffion: it is a reasonable opposition, because fin is replete with infinite mischief; it behoves him, then, to express this oppofition in his treatment of finners, and to express it fully. This he does, by inflicting the penalty of his law on finners, which is death eternal; or, by the equivalent fuf. ferings of Christ, as conftituted furety and substitute for the penitent: equivalent, not in degree, but in merit, these fufferings, though finite, being inflicted on a person of infinite worth, and iufinitely dear to God, by his own hand, fully declare his righteoufness, or his perfect opposition to fin, and his unalterable determination not to acquit the guilty. The fame ends are attained, then, by the fufferings of Chrift, in re spect to the government of God, as a juft and righteous government, as would have been attained by inflicting the penalty of the law on every tranfgreffor, befides the display of infinite love and compaffion to fallen man; henee it is, that God can be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jefus. friendly to his character and king- | dom, will give joy to the hearts of the faints; I hereby forward to you the following statement of a happy revival and reformation in the wilderness, in a new settlement, known in this part of the country by the name of the Big Hollow fettlement. It is a very new settlement, furrounded by the high Catskill mountains. June 1801, was the first time the people of the fettlement met on the Sabbath for public worship; and this was by the earnest invitation of a man who was the first that moved into the Big Hollow, about fix years before. In these fix years it was a common practice with most of the settlers, to spend the Sabbath in hunting, fishing, visiting, or in some way fimilar to this. God all along had, how ever, as a witness against such practices, the abovementioned first fettler. From the time of their setting up focial public worship on the Sabbath, to the fall of the year next following, nothing very special occurred. The exercises on the Sabbath were finging, praying, and reading the best printed fermons which could be obtained. This practice continued about fix months, when God began visibly to own and bless the attempts to build up the Redeemer's kingdom among the people: three or four were hopefully converted, and a general folemnity was upon the minds of the people. There were now but thirteen families in the fettlement. During the winter and spring following, public focial worship on the fabbath, was kept up, and conference meetings were attended on other days but nothing very fpe cial occurred. In the latter part of the next May, by request from the people I visited them, and preached to them twice, and conversed with the most of them, individually, concerning the state of their fouls. Of those who entertained a hope that they had become reconciled to God, I enquired the grounds of their hopes, and endeavored suitably to direct them with regard to their views of themselves and their future conduct. To such as confidered themselves still unreconciled to God, or in a natural state, I endeavored to be faithful. I folemnly addressed them in such a manner as appeared best calculated to impress the minds of particular persons with a sense of their fin and danger and the importance of religion. The feason was very folemn-feveral were greatly affected-one in particu lar who had very wickedly and profanely scoffed at the revival, till a little before; and who has fince, hopefully become a Chriftian. Upon another who had been a profane swearer, and often guilty of the fin of intemperance in the use of spiritous liquors, the duty of family prayer was closely pressed: Upon which he asked, "had I not better omit prayer at night, when I have been curfing and swearing thro'the day, than to pray?" The answer given was " you must leave off your profaneness, and you must pray." The manner in which prayer is to be performed, viz. with an holy temper, and in the name of Chrift, was pointed out. The perfon seemed to suppose he had a very good heart, and that he never had done any thing much amiss. Yet he had never attempted to pray; and his cafe looked exceedingly unpromifing. But God, who is wonderful in counsel, and mighty in working, by the operations of his holy spirit, rendered the means I am, Rev. Gentlemen, your brother in the gospel. JESSE TOWNSEND. To the General Association of the State of Connecticut, to be convened in Stratford, at the house of the Rev. Mr. Stebbins, on the third Tuesday of June, A. D. 1803. used with him, apparently beneficial. I soon heard from him that he had fet up family prayer-but that he remarked respecting the duty, "I hate it." Not long after, I vistted the settlement again, faw the perfon-observed to him that he had set up family prayer, and asked him what he now tho't respecting his heart? His reply was, "I find that I am a poor miferable finner, and that my heart is a fink of fin and pollution." But not to enlarge upon particulars; the reformation thro' the dummer season, became very general in the settlement. And in ❘ed the sessions of said Assembly, Nov. last, I went with a brother in the ministry, the Rev. Beriah Hotchkin, of Greenfield, to assist in forming a church there. Twenty-four came forward and folemnly professed their faith in Chrift, and publicly entered into covenant with God, and with one another. Of these, twenty-one were new profefsors. Among the number was theman whohad faid he hated family prayer. Eight adult profeffors were baptized; the Lord's fupper was administered, and fifteen children were by their parents dedicated to God in Baptifm, and received the feal of the covenant. The church is well united in Calviniftic sentiments, and are ready to afcribe the whole reformation and happy change which appears among them, to the fovereign grace of God. There are now thirteen or fourteen families in the Big Hollow. Such is the infancy of the fettle. ment, that they are unable to support the preaching of the gospel. There is not as yet, one framed | building, in the whole fettlement. The labors of Miffionaries are greatly needed among the people; and they would doubtless be most joyfully received. Y OUR Commissioners, ap. pointed to attend the General Affembly of the Prefbyterian Church, Report, that agreeably to their appointment, they attend. commencing in the city of Philadelphia, on the third Thursday of May 1803, and were cordially and respectfully received. The Affembly attended to their customary routine of business; great part of which is not immediately interesting to the Affociation. The report of a committee of the General Assembly, on the state of religion, within the limits of their Church, (being a fummary of the narratives communicated, in a free conversation on that important subject,) is here annexed. It is believed, that the information, contained in faid report, will be pleasing and fatisfactory to the Association. Any further information which may be defired, relative to the doings of the General Affembly, can be communicated by the Commiffioners from that body, one of whom attended their sessions. Wishing you much of the di vine prefence, and of that wisdom which is profitable to direct, in all your deliberations, we remain respectfully, TIMOTHY DWIGHT, Philadelpha, May 28, 1803. REPORT, &c. THE Committee appointed to draw up a statement, as the result of the free conversation on the state of religion, beg leave to report the following. The Assembly heard, at more than usual length, and with more than common fatisfaction, the accounts received from their members, of the state of religion within the bounds of the Presbyterian Church. Since an enquiry of this fort has become a part of the annual business of the Affembly, it may be confidently afferted, that no refult has ever been presented to our body, fo favorable, and so gratifying to the friends of truth and piety. There is scarcely a Presbytery under the care of the Assembly, from which some pleasing intelli. gence has not been announced; and from fome of them communications have been made, which fo illustriously display the triumphs of evangelical truth, and the power of fovereign grace, as cannot but fill with joy, the hearts of all who love to hear of the profperity of the Redeemer's kingdom. In most of the northern and eaftern Prefbyteries, revivals of religion, of a more or less general nature, have taken place. In these revivals, the work of divine grace has proceeded, with few exceptions, in the usual way. Sinners have been convinced and converted, by the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, -have been brought out of darkness into marvellous light, and from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the fons of God, without any remarkable bodily agitations, or extraordinary affections. In this calm and ordinary manner, many hundreds have been added to the church, in the course. of the last year; and multitudes of those, who had before joined themselves unto the Lord, have experienced times of refreshing and confolation, from his prefence. In many of the southern and western Prefbyteries, revivals more extensive, and of a more extraordinary nature have taken place. While many, within the bounds. of those Presbyteries, have been, as is hoped, effectually called, without any exercises other than those which have generally at tended the progress of vital piety, there have been multitudes of instances, in which great bodily agitations and other circumstances, out of the usual course of religious exercises, have attended the work. As these extraordinary appearances have been before announced by the Affembly, and as the knowledge of them is generally diffused throughout the American Churches, it is not judged neceffary, to enter into minute details, on the subject. The Afsembly can only observe, that, altho' they forbear to exprefs any opinion, as to the origin and nature of fome of those circumftances, which have attended the fouthern and western revivals, and which have so much attracted the attention of the religious world; yet they are constrained to acknowledge, with thankfulness, that last year, while it presented a continuance, and great extenfion of this extraordinary work, has furnished evidence, that it is indeed the work of God, for which the friends of piety are bound to praise his holy name. The Affembly cannot believe, that a dispensation, by means of which, the ignorant are enlightened, the vicious reclaimed, the : erroneous made to acknowledge be informed, that, in those parts of our Church, where no remarkable revivals have occurred, the word and ordinances of the gospel have been, in many places, more generally, and more feriously attended upon, in the course of the last year, than for fome time before; that infidelity is less bold, and active, them formerly; and that, on the whole, appearances have become more encouraging, fince the last conversation, in the General Affembly, on this subject. and obey the truth, as it is in Jefus, the haughty infidel humbled, and bro't to bow, penitent and fubmiffive, before the cross of Chrift, and the general aspect of fociety changed from diffoluteness and prophanity, to fobriety, order, and comparative purity, can be any other than a dispensation of the grace of God. And as there appears to be growing evidence, that these are the happy fruits of the above mentioned remarkable work, the Assembly cannot hesitate to recognize in it the same divine power, which has in every age appeared, in a great-vivals, communicated to them, The Afsfembly confider it, as worthy of particular attention, that most of the accounts of re have stated, that the inftitution of praying societies, or feafons of special prayer to God, for the out-pouring of the spirit, generally preceded the remarkable difplays of divine grace, with which our land has been recently favored. In most cases, preparatory to signal effufions of the Holy Ghost, the pious have been stirred up, to cry fervently and importunately, that God would appear to vindicate his own cause. The Assembly fee in this a confirmation of the word of God, and an ample encouragement of the prayers and hopes of the pious, for future, and more extensive manifestations of divine power. And they trust, that the Churches un er, or fmaller degree, to build up Zion; to confound the wisdom of this world, and to show, that, when the great head of the Church will work, none can hinder him. It would be eafy for the Affembly to felect fome very remarkable instances of the triumphs of divine grace, which were exhibited before them, in the course of the very interesting narratives, prefented in the free converfation: Instances of the most malignant oppofers of vital piety, being convinced and reconciled; of fome learned, active, and confpicuous infidels becoming the fignal monuments of that grace, which they once despised; and various circumstances, which display the holy efficacy of the gospel. But | der their care, while they fee caufe forbearing to enter into minute details on this fubject, they would only in general declare, that in the course of the last year, there is reason to believe, several thousands, within the bounds of the Prefbyterian Church, have been bro't to embrace the gospel of Chrift, and large accessions of zeal and strength, as well as of numbers, been given to his people. The Affembly were gratified to of abundant thankfulness, for this dispensation, will also perceive, that it presents new motives to zeal and fervor, in applications to that throne of grace, from which every good and perfect gift cometh down. The Affembly alfo observed, with great pleasure, that the defire forfpreading the gospel among the destitute inhabitants, on our frontiers, among the blacks, and |