nances. revived out of its ruins and re-or-, preaching of the gospel and the ganized, upon the congregational adminftration of Chriftian ordiplatform, and now contains more than 20 members. The church at Palmyra has had confiderable additions, but I cannot tell how many. "The local fituation of these churches is fuch that they all adjoin each other, except Palmyra, which is fevered from the reft by a fingle town. Thefe churches have, during the prefent year, formed themselves into an Affociation for mutual affiftance. The church at Bristol, No. 9, is furnished with a paftor, the Rev. Mr. Grover. The church at Bloomfield, No. 11, have the Rev. Reuben Parmele for their paftor. The church at Palmyra have the Rev. Mr. Fairbanks for their minifter ; and the Rev. Mr. Field is ordained paftor of the church in Canandarqua. Thefe four ministers have all been fettled fince the revival of religion began in the county, the winter before laft. The Rev. Zadoc Hunn who refides in the county, occafionally preaches in the deftitute fettlements. The revival of religion which took place in Ontario, the last year feems to have produced most of thefe happy fruits." In other parts of his journal Mr. Willifon mentions the formation of many churches in other counties, and it appears that the religious ftate of the country is on the whole flourishing. It will be a long time before the new fettlemenis at the weftward can be fupplied with regular, fettled paftors, and all who have at heart the intereft of the Redeemer's kingdom will feel the importance of contributing generoufly to the fupport of Millionarics, that thofe new and fcattered fettlements may not be wholly deprived of the Extract of a letter from the Rev.: ،، Ever fince 1 began my miffion, I have experienced much of the goodness of God, in the fpecial divine fupports he hath given me, and in the fuccefs he hath afforded to my attempts to promote his glorious caufe. In many places the hearts of the people have been inclined to receive me with cordiality, and to hear the word of God with great feriousness. In, various parts of the ftate of New-, York and alfo of Vermont, the fpirit of the Lord has been evidently poured out, and the appearances of reformation have been and ftill are encouraging. Once in particular, when I had much exhaufted my ftrength in preaching, the young people were fo deeply impreffed with a fense of eternal things, that they defired me to preach again in the evening, which I accordingly did; and I truft the feafon was not loft. This was in a place near the Province line, never before vifited by Miffionaries. The people have agreed to keep up public worship on the fabbath and are many of them engaged in religion. "In many other places there are evident beginnings of a good work; the harvest in thefe northern fettlements is truly plenteous, but alas ! the labourers are feron Faithful guides to fouls, who are fkilful in the word of righteouf-, nefs, are greatly needed. Many enquire whether more Miffionaries may be foon expected, and are anxious to have preachers among to me, them who may teach them the right way, and confront falfe teachers. The greater part of the people are well indoctrinated, and are moft fond of found, evangelical preachers. Never face the first adventurers came into these parts, as it appears has there been fo urgent a call for preachers of this caft. And it is my ardent wish that more Miffionaries be fent this way in future, than the Society has formerly fent, even if fewer fhould on the fame account, be fent in other directions." MISSIONARIES. The Rev. David Huntington returned lately from a miffionary tour to the northern part of the ftates of New-York and Vermont. POETRY. COMMUNICATED AS ORIGINAL. The Chriftian Soldier exulting in the near profpect of death and judgment. 'M now prepared, thro' grace divine, I'M My life to yield, my breath resign; To bid these earthly scenes adieu, And hail the scenes, which rise to view. All hail grim death! relentless king! I now defy thy potent sting! And thou infatiate, dreary grave! Since great Emanuel, ftrong to fave, Has paft thy gates, in humble clay, And rent the maffy bars away; No more thy mighty victory boast,Thy trophies spoil'd, thy victory loft. I've fought, array'd in arms divine, And heaven proclaims the conqueft mine ; The arduous race, with patience run, And now the prize of glory won. My foul, on wings of faith, defcries Her crown immortal, in the skies, Where faints redeem'd, with angels join, In lofty notes of praife divine. Lo! near the father's fide the eternal fon With equal glory fills the eternal throne In him I view a Saviour and a God, The father's equal join'd with flesh and blood. Amazing fight! didst thou once bleed and die? Nail'd to the accurfed tree on Calvary Were thy fair temples with sharp thorns defil'd, Thy fpotlefs face with blood and fpitting foil'd? Yes! here (by wretches doom'd to quenchless flames, The fame thou cam'ft to fave from dark domains Of everlasting woe) thou waft condem'd, Yea, mock'd and bufeted, scourg'd and contem'd. O matchlefs grace! that staid the vengeful flames, And bound the thunders in thy mighty chains, Which check'd the flaming feraphs of the sky When thus they faw their God and maker die ! Worthy art thou! forever live and reign, Who thus by death haft loos'd the pris'ners chains; Thy name, O King of Kings, shall ever found, Great Lord of Lords the echoing heav ens refound. The Gofpel a Do&rine according to T NUMBER VI. O the argument ftated in the laft preceding number, fome may be ready to urge an objection, derived from the fuppofed tendency of fome of the doctrines taught by Christ and his apoftles. They may be ready to admit, that the gofpel, by its invitations, calls and offers, promifes and threatenings, would be well adapted, and greatly tend, to promote true religion, and to excite to the study and prac tice of univerfal holiness, if it contained nothing of a contrary nature, tending to weaken the force and to counteract the tendency of thefe. But, according to their view of things, there are other doctrines in the gofpel, of a very difcouraging nature, tending to prevent the good effects, which might otherwise be expected from its invitations, promifes and threatenings. It feems neceffary to pay fome attention to this objection, that the truth may not be obfcured, or its beneficial tendency obftructed by it. VOL. I. No. 11. According to the doctrine taught by Chrift and his apostles, They that are in the flesh cannot please God. Except a man be born again, he cannot fee the kingdom of God." This, fome may be ready to plead, is very difcouraging doctrine, and tends to make men neglect all attention to religion, from an idea that no attention or concern of theirs, no endeavors or exertions, will be of any advantage to them, till they first find themselves wrought upon, or their hearts changed, by the Spirit of God. In reply to this, I shall make a few brief obfervations. 1. Encouraging people to think they are better than they are, or lefs dependent on divine grace, may ferve to strengthen a felf-sufficient, felf-righteous fpirit, to ftimulate to action from such a spirit, and to make them think they arë very pious and godly, whilst they perform no true and acceptable obedience to God; but it has no tendency to promote gospel holinefs, or true religion. It tends to make them reft in those selfish affections, and fuperficial performances, which fall entirely short of Ccc the will of God revealed in the gofpel. But this, inftead of ferving, would manifeftly tend to dif ferve the cause of real piety and true religion. réal holiness or real obedience to | ligion, have much more frequently taken place under the preaching, in which the total depravity and helplefs state of mankind, without fpecial grace-the neceffity of being born again, and other doctrines of the like tenor, have been clearly exhibited and urged, than under the preaching, in which thefe doctrines have been kept out of fight, and either plainly or implicitly denied. This leads me to obferve, 2. It being a fact, that mankind are fo depraved, that none ever do or wil repent and turn to God, and ferve him in fincerity and truth, without fpecial divine influences-a change of heart by the power of the Holy Spirit, being ind:fpenfibly neceffary to holy practice; it is important and neceffary that this fhould be plainly declared, and well understood and believed, to prevent their refting in a form of Godliness, without the power or life and reality of it. A thorough conviction, that they who are in the flesh, cannot pleafe God-that except a man be born again, he cannot fee the kingdom of God, is fuited to produce, in those who are fenfible that they have not been the fubjects of any fuch change, a conviction and fenfe of their dangerous and miferable state-to prevent their fettling down quiet and eafy, without fome good evidence of a change of heart to excite earnest inquiries as to the most hopeful way of becoming partakers of fo great a mercy, &c. In this view, the doctrine under confideration, when understood and thoroughly believed, instead of tending to produce a carelefs inattention to the things of religion, really tends to directly the reverfe, even to excite the moft ferious alarm in the unconverted, and fuch earneft inquiry and attention, and cries for mercy, as are not gone into by men whilft in a state of carnal eafe and fecurity. And, if I am not greatly mistaken as to matters of fact, awakenings, ferious attention, deep concern, earnest inquiries, and happy revivals of re 3. That the gofpel clearly holds forth, that notwithstanding the neceffity of fpecial divine influences on the heart, to render the truth favingly efficacious; yet, according to the method of God's ope ration in this cafe, the word of truth is neceffary, and fome way fubfervient to the faving conversion of finners-a caufe without which no man has any reafon to expect a true and faving converfion. When Chrift appeared to Saul, to make him a minifter and a wit nefs, he fent him to the people and to the Gentiles, "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darknefs to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they might receive forgiveness of fins, and inheritance among them who are fanctified by faith."-Paul accordingly told the Romans, that "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." To the Corinthians he faid, "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but minifters by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increafe. So then, neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increafe." In this paffage the apoftle plainly denied, that he or Apollos had any power or fufficiency, to render their preaching and inftructions of any effect upon their hearers, and afcribed all the thing which they do, in willing or beneficial effects of their preach-running but from God, who show eth mercy. Such doctrine, fome feem to have fuppofed, tends to make men think it a matter of perfect indifference, fo far as refpects their own falvation, whether they are religious, or not; or whether they take any care or pains to be so, or not. To this it may be replied, 1. The doctrines of God's ab ing to the gift-the agency of God; and at the same time clearly afferted, that they were inftruments, whofe miniftry God had employed in caufing the Corinthians to believe, as he faw fit to give to every man. The apostle accordingly faid, “In Chrift Jefus I have begotten you through the gospel." To thofe Theffalonians, whom God had chofen to falvation through fanc-folute fovereignty, and particular tification of the fpirit, and belief of the truth, he likewife faid, "Whereunto he called you by our gofpel, to the obtaining the glory of our Lord Jefus Chrift." And the apostle James, fpeaking of the unchangeable God as the fource and author of every good and perfect gift, faid, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth." Thefe paffages clearly fhow, in conformity to the general tenor of the fcriptures on this fubject, that although a change of heart by the fpecial agency of the Holy Spirit is abfolutely neceffary; yet according to God's established mode of operation, men have no reason to expect they shall be converted and faved, without hearing, and attention to the gofpel-the word of truth. election, as ftated in the gofpel, This An objection, fimilar to that which we have now been confidering, has also been taken from feveral declarations of Chrift and his apostles, which plainly import, that God, in the bestowment of his fpecial grace, acts as a fovereign, doing what he will with his ownhaving mercy on whom he will, and leaving whom he will, to their own chofen rebellion and hardnefs; and particularly, that he made choice of the objects of his faving mercy, before the foundation of the world; fo that men's falvation takes its first rife, not from anyly proves and eftablishes the ne 2. The doctrine of particular election, doth not remove, but ful |