Prefton. While in this place I had a favorite grove for retirement, at a fmall diftance from my quarters: In that I spent many hours-in meditation, felf-examination and prayer. God, fometimes, as I truft, appeared for me, when in the foreft, when in my chamber and when in the fanctuary. I made it a daily petition to God that he would teach me by his word and fpirit; and would open to me my duty with refpect to making a public profeffion of religion, and entering on the work of the Chriftian ministry. I did not unite with the church until the firft Sabbath in March 1773; when I was received into the communion of the church under the paftoral care of Dr. Hart. In Prefton I tafted the fweets and felt the benefits of Chriftian 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 courfe in which I have travelled, with painful yet pleafing, forrowful yet joyful, depreffed and yet encouraging feelings. I durft not lay much stress on pulpit religion; and yet I have fometimes 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 fpent the fecond 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 fhort time before I gave my anfwer to the request of the people to fettle with them. I felt fatisfied with the path of my duty relative to the place of my fettlement then ; and 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 fubmit to the difpofal of the great Head of the Church. The day of my ordination was to me a folemn day. I hope that amidft all my wickedness, I have not forgotten the weight of my charge. Since I have been in the miniftry, I have had, at feafons, clearer views of my own corrup tions, and of my abfolute dependence 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 Chriftians, 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. For a number of years after I hoped myself to be renewed in the fpirit 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 afide, 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 Chriftians 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 fupper, and at fome other times. To thee, O my God and Sav. iour, Father, Son and Holy Ghoft, 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! ac complish thy wife and holy pur pofes in thine own way, and when and how thou pleafeft. Oh, gather me at laft with thy faints, and thine fhall be all the glory and the praife, world without end, AMEN. Religious Intelligence. Extract of a letter from a refpectable character in Auflinburgh, NewConnecticut, to one of the Editors, dated 29th Nov. 1803. " DEAR SIR, "I HAVE to communicate to you the pleafing intelligence, that God is verily among us, in this wilderness, calling home finners to himself. As I wrote you be fore, there has been fome appearance of uncommon ferioufnefs this laft fummer in my family, and, as I now find, in fome others. Af. ter my journey to Smithfield, and feeing how God manifefted himfelf on facramental occafions, I tho't it my duty to have thofe of my family that could attend the next facrament, 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 impreffed there. They returned on Thursday about noon, and were defirous that there might be a meeting that evening. And notwithstanding the fhortnefs of the notice, God fo ftirred 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 impreffed in their minds-Some loft their bodily ftrength. The next Sabbath Mr. Badger preached with us. The people were all very fol emn. As the affembly was dif miffed 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 carelefs. They were in fuch agony of mind, that every beholder was ftruck with aftonishment. Mr. 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 perfon fell. Three little girls, walking from the place of meeting with locked arms, fell on the ground, and loft their bodily ftrength-one of whom did not recover till after midnight, which night was fpent in prayer. At times to the number of eight, I recollect, loft their bodily ftrength." But little was heard from them except deep fighs. Since that time, God appears to have been calling home fome poor finners, and among the number we hope fome of our family have been included. At a meeting of our youth laft evening, I am informed that thirteen were impreffed 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 fenfe of divine truth." ORDINATION. On Wednesday the 15th inft. the Rev. Shubael Bartlett was or dained to the paftoral care of the fecond Church and Society in Eat Windfor. The Rev. An Bid all below adieu ? 4. Muft foon my flesh, thus loathsome, fink, drew rates made the introductory | Muft 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 McClure, D. D. gave the Charge; the Rev. HenA. Rowland gave the Right ry Hand of Fellowship; and the Rev. Richard S. Storrs made the concluding prayer. To greedy worms a prey? 5. Trembling I feek fome guardian arm The foul in fuch an hour. 6. This king of terrors thou haft foil'd, 7. From the dark prifon of the grave, And for his meanest child prepares 9. Then why, dear Jefus, should I fhrink, ASPASIO. From a Friend of Miffions, 900 Sermons on the Prodigal Son. A Narrative on the fubje&t of Mif- | THE makinak, where there are many traders, gives them accefs to fpiritous liquors, which they very greatly abufe; and these traders, inftead of aiding Mr. Bacon, are throwing every obstacle in his way which they can do without appearing openly to oppofe him. The Chiefs at the Miami and at Arborcrosh have had feveral interviews with him, and have uniformly manifefted a reluctance to his vifiting the tribes; efpecially 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 miffionary establishment among the Indians in that vicin HE Rev. David Bacon is yet on a miffion 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 inftruct him more perfectly in the Indian language, and to act as an interpreter to the Arborcrofh tribes, to which he is anxious to introduce himself. But he has unfortunately met with a series of difappointments which could nei-ity. ther be forefeen nor prevented. The fituation of the Arborcrofh Indians, it is thought, is more unfavorable to the reception of the gofpel than that of fome of the other tribes. Roman catholic miffionaries have been and ftill are fent among them, who greatly prejudice their ignorant minds a gainst the proteftants. The proximity of these Indians to MichiliVOL. IV. No. 10. The Trustees, taking these things into confideration, and having maturely deliberated on the fubject, 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 fome of the American Indians; but to feek a more favorable fituation than Arborcrofh. With Y y this view they have voted, that Mr. Bacon come to New Connecticut, and there labor as a miffionary in concert with Meffrs. Badger and Robbins, and improve himfelf, as he shall have opportunity, in the Indian language. And alfo 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 miffion among fome of them. fo far as to make any impreffion on any of the numerous Indian tribes, it may be the beginning of 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 rofe. 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 uttermoft parts of the earth for his poffeffion; and that he fhall have" dominion from fea to fea, and from the rivers unto the ends of the earth." When the difficulties of accefs to the Indian tribes, arifing from distance, their jealoufies, manners and cuftoms are confidered, it could hardly have been expected, that more could have been done, On a review of the preceding in so short a time, than to take narrative of miffionary tranfacfome pre-requifite fteps to a direct ctions, during the year 1803, it application to them. Experience will appear, that thirteen miffionalone can fully obviate the diffi- aries have been in the field of laculties which really exift; and bor; fome through the year, othopen, more and more, the fteps ers for a fhorter time-That the neceffary to be taken and the meaf- gofpel has been preached over a ures to be pursued, in fuccefsfully vaft extent of country-The variprofecuting the object, which in ous ordinances of the gospel have its nature is of fuch confequence, been administered to fuch as would that it would be highly unwarrant- otherwise have been deflitute of able to abandon it, on making only them-Some have been awakened fome feeble efforts. What the out of fecurity; and feveral new event ultimately may be, it is im-churches have been formed in the poffible, at prefent, with certainty wildernefs. Some we have reafon to determine. Should it be the to hope have been turned from fin cafe, that after making the moft unto God; and the hearts of perfevering efforts, nothing effect- many Chriftians been made to reual be done; yet, it will moft cer- joice. It appears, that the friends ⚫tainly afford comfort and confola- of Chrift are gratefully affected tion to the friends of the miffion, with the exertions which have been that an experiment has been made, made, to diffeminate the principles and vigorous measures been perfe- and doctrines of the gospel among veringly purfued, to promote the the inhabitants of the new fettlefalvation of thofe poor benighted ments. If infidels ridicule, and tribes. It is, moft certainly, an impute the exertions which have object of fuch magnitude, as to been made to the worst of motives, be worthy of being purfued, till it is no more than what they have every profpect of fuccefs is clofed. always been accustomed to do, -Should God in his great mercy and ought now to have been exfee fit, on the other hand, to blefs pected. There is great reason to the measures which are purfuing, believe, that although the efforts |