short sketch of their proceed tioned. These meetings are generally well attended; and ings, is, that the friends of Zion, chiefly by people who frequent in other cities and places, may no places of public worship.-be induced to form similar assoMany children also attend, and ciations, or to adopt such other receive a particular attention measures, as to them may seem from those who superintend the most expedient, for disseminasocieties. They are encouraged ting evangelical truth among to commit to memory the cate- the multitudes in our country, chism, hymns and psalms, but who are perishing for the lack especially select portions of of knowledge; and especially scripture; in which some of that the pious of all denominathem make great proficiency. tions, may be engaged to concur in a concert of private prayer, for the increase of the Redemer's kingdom, which has been agreed on by the Evange lical Society, and which is here subjoined and recommended. A plan for printing and distributing tracts has been adopted, and has, in some measure, been carried into effect. Several thousand tracts have already | been printed for the society, and many hundred have been distributed among the people who attend the religious meetings before mentioned. Occasional services from ministers of the gospel, have been obtained as frequently as possible; and, for some months past, the society have had the assistance of a missionary, who has assiduously labored in the destitute places in the adjacent country, and also attended the religious meetings in the city. What the ultimate success of these measures and exertions may be, the society presume not to conjecture; but they feel encouraged to prosecute the object for which they have associated, with renewed zeal and vigor, and hope and pray that their humble efforts may be crowned with some degree of success; believing that if all their labors shall only be the means of saving one soul from death, it will be an abundant compensation. The object, which the society have in view in giving the above At a meeting of the Evangelical Society on the 5th of December, 1808, the following Resolutions were unanimously adopted. THE members of the Evangelical Society contemplating with astonishment the extraor dinary changes, which have lately taken place in the civilized world; waiting with anxious solicitude, for the farther development of the divine purposes with respect to the nations; receiving with unfeigned gratitude the welcome news of the success of several missions, in carrying the light of the gospel to those remote parts of the earth where the inhabitants have been sitting in heathenish darkness; bringing also into thankful remembrance the refreshing showers of spiritual influence with which God has been pleased at various times to cherish and fertilize his American vineyard; rejoicing at the pleasant prospects now visible in several parts, and among different denominations of Christians on this western continent; ANECDOTE. and believing that a kind and Evangelical Society in addresmerciful God waits to be gra- sing the Throne of Grace in a cious, and generally bestows up-concert of private prayer for the on his people a spirit of prayer purposes above enumerated, it and holy importunity previously is further to conferring his most signal Resolved, That this minute be favors; and that he never fails published in the Evangelical Into answer in effect the prayer of telligencer; and that the minisfaith Therefore, ters of the gospel who are memResolved unanimously to re-bers of this Society, and all commend, and this Society does others who may approve of the hereby recommend, That the measure, be requested to menhour, or part of the hour, next tion it to their people, and to insucceeding to the rising of the vite them to co-operate with us sun on every sabbath morning, in this important design. be occupied by every individual member in praise to the great Head of the church, for his goodness in sending the gospel to many of the human family wholly devoted to idolatry; for so much unanimity among his people in the efforts which they have directed to this object; for reviving his cause in several parts of this continent : and also in importunate prayer to Almighty God, beseeching a continuance of his blessings; that he would send forth more laborers into his vineyard with in-wandering steps, until they creasing success; that the various commotions in the world may be over-ruled for the advantage of the Redeemers's kingdom, the increase of knowledge, true catholicism, Christian charity and liberty of conscience. It is also recommended that if the time specified shall be necessarily otherwise employed by any individual, in such a case similar appropriation of some other portion be made suited to his convenience. And also to the end that all the brethren in Christ of every denomination may be invited to join with the members of the A CHRISTIAN, being asked how to distinguish between true and false converts, gave this answer Two children, who were going several miles from home, on a dry and hot day in the summer, lost themselves in the way. Their father, who had gone after his children, heard their cries for water and watched their came to a well. After they had crept down into the well three or four times and soon come up again, they went down and were so long out of sight that the father knew his children had now gone to the bottom of the well, that they might quench their burning thirst. He runs to the well and calling each child by its name, he says dear child are you alive? one of the children at once says “No, father, I am dead," and then calls for help. Now, said the Christian, when a young convert has such a sight and sense of the things of God, as at once to express in a child like manner, ORDINATION. the very feelings of a pious has taken place within eight heart, you may know that that months past. Within this peconvert is born of God and is riod a great proportion of the spiritually alive, though he may youth have been brought by dithink himself dead. divine grace, to feel deeply interested in a preached gospel, and the institutions and order of the church. Both parents and children, in many instances of ON Wednesday December the same family, and the young 21st, 1808, the Rev. WILLIAM F. as well as old generally have VAILL was ordained to the pas-been uniting their exertions and toral charge of the third church their prayers for a speedy resetand society in Guilford. The tlement of the gospel ministry Rev. John Elliott made the in- among them. It was so ordered troductory prayer. The Rev. in the wisdom of divine proviJoseph Vaill preached the ser- dence that the first candidate, tomon from Jer. xv. 19. The wards whom they directed,their Rev. John Foot made the conse-minds, should according to their crating prayer. The Rev. James Noyes gave the charge. The Rev. David Smith gave the right hand of fellowship, and the Rev. Matthew Noyes made the concluding prayer. warmest wishes,be set over them in the work of the ministry.— These circumstances,concurring with many others of a similar nature, are sufficient to prove that the mingled emotions of joy and gratitude, no less than those of grief, will sometimes find relief, only in the involuntary effusion of a tear. When one considers the fact, that, union, friendship, and zeal in the cause of religion, have contributed Several circumstances concurred to render the occasion peculiarly interesting, and affecting. The ordination took place about eight months after the death of a pastor endeared to his people by a faithful ministry of more than forty years. Dur-more, than the populous state of ing the destitute state of the the society, or any local circumchurch, it was visited with a stances, to the resettlement of shower of grace from heaven. the ministry in North Guilford, A very general, and if we may he is induced to say, "A little judge from the fruits in many one shall become a thousand, and instances, a radical reformation | a small one a strong nation." POETRY. DR. LOWTH accounts the prophecy of Balaam* the most exquisite and perfect specimen of Hebrew poetry. The following version is a faint exhibition of the beauties of the Hebrew imagery, in that celebrated prophecy. IN proud array thy tents expand, That shade the sacred fountain's head. 1809. Donations to the Missionary Society of Connecticut. Jan. 1. Received of Hudson & Goodwin, being avails of Copy-right of second Edition of Dwight's Psalms,............ 6. Received of Ebenezer Kingsbury, collected in new settlements,........... ..8 200 00 do. 00 65 1 45 $ 202 10 IN [NO. 3. and duties of religion, therefore a great proportion of those who possess these, have, in every age, discarded either the Christian faith or practice. The reason why divine and sovereign wisdom thus orders, is told us, N the day of the apostles the ruling powers of the world were heathen, and the progress Which Christianity made was chi fly among people in a low" that no flesh should glory in conlition. One of them thus his presence; that the power by describes the worldly state of the which the gospel spread might greast part of those who had appear to be from God himself." received and obeyed the gospel, We find that by this divine powFrye see your calling, breth-er, the gospel did spread through ren, how that not my wise the whole Roman empire, in the ne after the flesh, not any face of seat opposition. Mulnighty, not many noble arenes becane Christians alcalled: But God hath chosen though ignoranddanger were the foolish things of the world the immediate opsequence of to confound the wise: And God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are; that no flesh should glory in his presence." A superfluity of the blessings of the world hath a tendency to fill the heart with pride against the doctrines VOL. II. No. 3, their faith, and the empire was filled with these contra the face of worldly power, honor and influence. This is a most weighty argument to prove that Christianity is an institution of truth from God himself, which he means to support in the world. It was in allusion to this that the apostle, in another place, said, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ." Ha was writing to those Christians LI |