fometimes hope of his grace, in the importance of your work. You will have many temptations, but never cease praying to God to discover them, and to ftrengthen you. Let not the fear of man entice you to disguise the truth; for many have been caught in that fnare. You will be faithful to declare the whole truth no longer than you fear God more than man, and can truft in him to protect you againft those who will be your enemies for the truth's fake. Forget yourfelf in doing God's fer. vice. Look on me and remember what it will be to die. In fuch an thy have I been! How little have I done for the glory of God! What a stupid heart I have had! I wonder how I have been able to hope with so many imperfections and fins as have been crouded into my life; but still I feel myself strangely drawn to truft and rejoice in free mercy. I am more than ever amazed at free grace! I must also love that juftice which condemns me. Eternity will be fhort enough to praise the juftice and the free grace which are now my only fupport.-Oh, how deficient I have been in my minif-hour as this, you will find no extry, and how feebly I have preffed truth on the hearts and confciences of finners! Now I can only for them, and at times God pray hath given me a precious freedom in this duty." On hearing thefe expreffions of unworthiness, from one who had been fo faithful in his ministry, and fuch an example of piety, I was confounded. My fhort experience in the ministerial life, and in Chriftian knowledge, did not enable me to give an anfwer; nor had I then a juft conception what a deep fenfe of fin and unworthiness is found in those who excel moft in true godlinefs. He then added, "But my principal defire was to charge you to be faithful to God and to the fouls of men. I am going, but you may yet live many years; and you cannot conceive, until a profpect of death affifts you, how folemn an account minifters of the gospel will have to give, of the people of their charge. If a world of earthly things were committed to your charge, it would comparatively be nothing but it is fouls-immortal fouls, which must be happy or miserable forever. If you can conceive the worth of one foul, it will help you to feel cufe for a want of faithfulness; nor can you die in peace without fome degree of your master's prefence. Preach the doctrines of grace in fuch a manner as to fhow the nature and neceffity of holiness. Thofe precious doctrines which I have fecbly taught are now my only fupport. A Saviour of infinite ho linefs is truly worth having, for he hath merit; he can cleanse his people, and it will be blessedness enough to behold and serve him." After feveral stops, through pain and weaknefs, he added; "The people with whom I have lived lie heavy on my heart. Some of them I hope to meet in that glory, which I cannot but hope God will give to me, the most undeferving of all finners; but too many of them have opposed those peculiar doctrines of the gospel which I now find by experience are the only ground of hope for a dying finner. Oh, how I am pain ed at my heart for thefe people! I charge you, my young brother, when you may occafionally be with them, to carry this my dying testimony to their cars, and affure them, that those who do not believe in the Lord Jefus Chrift, and live in all holy converfation and godlii nefs, cannot be faved. But all ftrength fails me." In a fhort time after, this faithful fervant of Chrift was received to the reward of his labors. This fcene deeply impreffed my mind with a fenfe, how folemn the appearance of a Chriftan minifter must be before the tribunal of his Lord and Mafter, and what it will be to answer for fouls. To every minifter of religion the Lord fays, "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the houfe of Ifrael. When I fay unto the wicked, thou fbalt furely die; and thou giveft him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to fave his life; the fame wicked man fhall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand." To every Chriftian minifter a difpenfation of the gofpel of Jefus Chrift is committed. I have made this communica tion, hoping that it may be ferioufly read, and that all to whom it appertains may enter into a fresh and folemn enquiry into their faithfulness to Chrift and the fouls of men. Such ought to enquire, with much prayer, Whether they preach the gofpel with all plain refs and power, as it was taught by Chrift and his Apoftles? Whether, unbiaffed by prejudice and the fear of men, they declare the whole counfel of God? Whether they denounce the terrors of the law to the and finners to repentance? And fi. nally, Whether on a dying bed they could fay, "Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men: For I have not fhunned to declare unto you all the counfel of God." PRESBUTEROS. Letter from Matilda to Maria. ure in the information, that you are in fome degree awakened to the importance of the falvation of immortal fouls. Angels defire It ought to be the joy of a fallen to look into the glorious mystery. world; but alas! how few are fen-, fible of its excellence? A happy few fee and feel its importance, and rejoice that the power, and glory of God are manifefted, and that the incarnation of Deity, will be the joy of all holy beings, and their praife, throughout a neverending and ever-bleffed eternity. Religion is a divine principle, influencing the whole moral confenfe is love to God, and good duct; its fimple and determinate will to mankind. This is the fum of all religion; without it, vain were the oblations of the Jewish Church, vain are the ceremonials of Chriftians ! The love of God is that fentiment of reverence and of gratimind, when reflecting on one Sutude which ought to arise in every preme beneficent power, who is the imediate author of all good, and the foundation of all perfection. Loveis early piety, and precious are the promises annexed to it. heavenly Father can make the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice; he can irradiate every fcene, and cheer you with a fenfe of his ever-bleffed prefence; all ungodly ones, and apply the gofpel encouragements only on thofe ftrict terms of renovation by of God, faith, repengrace tance, and a holy life to which all the promises are limited? Wheth-ly er they have been willing to spend and be spent in the fervice of the church? Whether they have recommended religion by their example, while they exhorted Chrif tians to godliness and a pure life, Your he can brighten the funshine of prof-| Report of the Trustees of the Mif- You wish to know, my dear young friend, if religion is not a melancholy fervice? Afk thofe who love their God, if they would exchange even the tears of repentance for all the noify mirth of fools? Ask them, when they approach his prefence with fweet and humble confidence, and are fenfible of near and intimate communion with him, if a world would not be bought too dear, if they fhould barter their joys for all it holds in eftimation? What are the feelings of a repenting finner, when viewing the love of God to a fallen world? Exactly fuited to every wifh of an enlightened foul is an offered Saviour. It wants nothing "elfe. Upon the bleffed terms of the gofpel it defires to receive him; and chiefly becaufe the glory is all his own; and, as it fecures the honor of the divine government; and humbles the creature, fweetly bends his stubborn will, and brings every power and faculty of the foul into fubmiffion to that will, on which = hangs the bleffedness of the univerfe. How fafe, how fecure is that happy foul, which renouncing every dependence on itself, on its own miferable attainments, can reft on the perfect, immaculate rightcoufness of God himself? For Deity became incarnate, and as the finner's fubftitute performed every jot and tittle of the law, and even rendered it more honorable. Therefore when confcience accufes, when that law denounces its curfes, the I finner may plead what Jefus has done and fuffered on earth, and what he is now doing in heaven; and may reft on that bleffed foun-dation, a foundation fecure as the perfections of an ever-living God. MATILDA. fionary Society of Connecticut. (Continued from p. 36.) T HE Trustees congratulate the Society on the flourishing fituation of their funds and the increafing liberality with which the people of the ftate contribute to the fupport of mifhions. From the lift of the contributions in the fevral parishes in the state on the firft fabbath of May laft, herewith tranfmitted, the Society will obferve that they amount to a very confiderable fum more than in any preceding year. This is a moft pleafing circumftance as it shows that the people of the state are difpofed to aid the Miffionary Society, in their exertions to advance the caufe of truth and piety. It is alfo a curcumftance which should call forth emotions of gratitude to that God, who has the hearts of all men at his difpofal, and from whose fpirit it proceeds that any are led to exercife pity and compaffion towards their fuffering fellow-men, and to contribute of their earthly substance to the relief of those less favored than themselves. From the Treafurer's account of receipts and expenditures fince the publication of the narrative laft winter, together with the statement fubjoined to the narrative, it will be feen that within the past year feveral donations have been made to the Society, that a confiderable fum has been contributed in the new settlements and paid to the Miffionaries, and that the permanent fund is increafing, having amounted to upwards of 1200 dollars. To this fund a large addition is expected to be made within a few months from the profits of the Connecticut Evangelical Magazine, the Trustees having been informed by the Editors of faid Mag azine that the profits for the first | Legislature, at their laft feffion, which was granted, and a refolve paffed authorizing contributions for three years. With a view of further promoting the defigns of the Society, the Trustees have opened a correfpondence with feveral Miffionary Soci year, provided punctual payment is made, will probably exceed 1500 dollars. This fum added to that now on hand will make the permanent fund upwards of 2700 dollars. The Trutees are alfo informed that the Rev. Doctor Dwight proposes to give to the So-eties in Europe and America; one ciety, in aid to the establishment of particular object of which corref a permanent fund, twenty dollars pondence, as refpects the Socie on every thoufand copies of the ties in the United States, is to a Pfalm-book, now publifhing by dopt measures in concurrence with him, which fhall be fold. The them to prevent a disproportionate money which may be expected to be expected to number of Miffionaries being fent arife from this fource, together with to the fame part of the country. the profits of the Connecticut Anfwers to their letters have not Evangelical Magazine, fhould the yet been received except from the work continue to be published with Society for propagating the gofpel, the prefent number of fubfcribers, eftablished at Bofton. That Soci and other donations will, it is hoped, ety employs several Miffionaries in a few years, increase the fund among a few fmall tribes of Indians to a refpectable amount. ftill left in the State of Maffachufetts, and among the new fettlements in the Province of Maine. Their Miffionaries will not interfere with thofe fent out from this State. With a view of further increafing the permanent fund the Truftees have directed that all donations which have been or may hereafter be made to the Society, exclufively of the annual contributions of The Trustees continue to re the people of the State, be appro-ceive letters from various parts of priated to the establishment of a the States of New-York and Ver. permanent fund, where not other-mont, expreffing the gratitude of wife efpecially appropriated by the donors; and that the intereft of the permanent fund be added to the principal, until otherwife ordered by the Board. The time having elapfed for which contributions were granted by a refolve of the General Affembly of the State paffed in the year 1798, the Trustees in compliance with the 5th article of the Constitution of the Society, which directs them to "adopt fuch meaf ares, from time to time, for raif ing funds, as they fhall judge to be expedient," thought it their duty to apply for a renewal of the grant. They accordingly prefented a memorial to the Honorable the inhabitants to the Miffionary Society and people of Connecticut, for their generous exertions to fa vour them with the preaching of the gospel and the daminiftration of Chriftian ordinances. They mention that their scattered fitua tion and other curcumftances peculiar to new fettlements, will neceffarily render them unable for a confiderable time to fettle a competent number of ininifters among them. They therefore folicit the further exertions of the fociety on their behalf. The Truftees have thought it proper again to prefent an addrefs to the inhabitants of the new fettlements, in which they have called up their attention to the fubject of affifting in the fup- | port of Miffionaries by contributions among themfelves fo far as their circumstances fhall permit, Having given this detail of their proceedings, the Tuftees clofe their report by commending the important concerns of the Society to Almighty God, praying that he would appear to build up Zion, and fill the earth with righteouf nefs and peace. In the name of the Trustees, MESS'RS. EDITORS," HE following is a narration T of the hopeful converfion of a young perfon in the 24th year of his age, in one of the late religious revivals, in New-England. It was written by himself, without any idea of its ever appearing in public. If it is thought it will be for the spiritual edification of your readers, you are at liberty to put it into the Magazine, you have it in the original, unstudied fimplicity of the author's own words, as follows: "I had fome ferious impreffions, when I was about ten, or twelve years old; but was in general careless, and thoughtlefs. My attention was in some measure, called up again when I was about fifteen; but I foon grew ftupid, and lived, for the most part, as the world in general do, until I was about twenty-two, when my attention was in a confiderable manner called up to the important things of eternity. I faw that I was expofed to hell, that I had been a finner, and that I had lived a wicked life. I thought I must try to mend my ways by breaking off from all my evil conduct. VOL. II. No. 2 I very endeavoured to build up a rightcoufnefs of my own; but was finally convinced that I could not. recommend myself to the favor of God. This caufed me great diftrefs. But my convictions gradually decreafed, and I became fomewhat thoughtless concerning a future state, for about a year, when my eyes were in fome meafure opened to fee on what foundation I was standing. I again tried to do fomething to help myfelf. I was careful to attend religious meetings; and to read the bible; and often retired in fecret to pray. But I found I was not fincere in my pretended duties; but that my heart was in oppofition to the things I afked for; that I had no defire for any thing that was good, but that my heart was full of iniquity, that every thing that I did was all felf. It appeared to me that I was in the hand of a fovereign God, and that he would do I was justly condemned to hell. with me as he pleased. I faw that That it was nothing but the abufed patience of God, that kept me from deftruction. I faw that my own weight was more than enough withdrew his fupporting hand. to carry me down, as foon as God fhort. Eternity feemed to be at Time appeared to me exceeding the door. I tried every way to do fomething towards preparing for the scenes that were before me, but found that I lay at the mere mercy of God; and all the curfes of his word were out against me. I was condemned by God, and man. It feemed to me that I was a burden to all creation. I faw my danger to be awful! I was at times filled with great diftrefs, having a guilty confcience and a stub K born will. barred me from good; and that I faw that my will it was fo ftubborn that nothing but |