is not he able to soften their hearts? Should I be instrumental in the salvation of but one among them, I should think myself but too well recompensed POETRY. COMMUNICATED AS ORIGINAL. for all the labors and dangers by 7he end of the Ungodly, and Saints' which you endeavored to affright me." With these sentiments he entered on his work; and it is said, that his success corresponded with his zeal and intrepidity; so that great numbers of those wretched people were brought to embrace the Christian faith. ORDINATION. Ordained on Wednesday the 16th ult. the Rev. JOAB BRACE safety. ET bold blasphemers vent their LE rage, And swell with impious breath; He views the awful moment nigh, And moulder with the dead. as Colleague Pastor with the Tho' to the cedar's height they rise, Rev. Joshua Belden of Newing-He will their rage confound; ton. The Rev. Evan Johns made the introductory prayer; the Rev. Nathan Perkins, D. D. preached the Sermon from Colossians i. 7; the Rev. John Marsh made the consecrating | prayer; the Rev. John Smalley, D. D. gave the Charge; the Rev. Calvin Chapin gave the Right Hand of Fellowship; and the Rev. Benoni Upson made the concluding prayer. None who his laws and grace despise, Were e'er successful found. But those who humbly trust his grace, maze, And every foe repel. His grace shall ne'er forsake the just ; A Narrative on the subject of Mis- | ing missionaries who should be sions; and a Statement of the Funda of the Missionary Society of Connecticut, for the year 1804. Published by order of the Trustees of the Society. M sent into those settlements. The legislature, approving of the design, and wishing to manifest their care and benevolence towards those people, many of whom had been their neighbors and fellow-citizens, cheerfully granted their petition. ORE than sixteen years have elapsed since the condition of the new settlements, As the new settlements rapidin the northern and western parts ly increased, as the object of supof the United States, became an plying them, with the preaching object of the serious attention of of the gospel and the regular adthe General Association, and of ministration of the sacraments, many of the good people of Con- became daily of greater necessinecticut; and since missionaries ty and magnitude, and as the have been employed to itinerate missionary funds were considerand preach among them. After ably enlarged, the General Asthe trial and experience of about sociation, for the better security four years, the General Associa- of their money, and for the more tion, finding the necessity of sup- regular and effectual manageplying them, in their infantile ment of the missionary business, state, more urgent, and the ob- in June, 1798, formed themselves ject of greater magnitude, than into the Missionary Society of they had at first conceived, and Connecticut; and appointed a that private donations were inad-board of Trustees, for the more equate to the support of such a immediate management of their number of missionaries as were affairs, and also a Treasurer and highly necessary, in October, Auditor of the Society. 1792, made application to the bonorable General Assembly of the state, for a general contribu-eral Assembly, on application tion, for the purpose of support- from the Missionary Society, VOL. V. No. 9. In 1802, the funds having considerably increased, the Gen ૨૬ vested the Trustees with corporate powers, to enable them with greater advantage to execute the trust reposed in them; especially, with respect to the funds and interests.committed to their care. Thus, under the smiles and nurturing hand of providence, the countenance and approbation of the legislature, and the liberality of our good people, has the Society happily progressed. From small beginnings it has advanced to a state of importance and usefulness, which has exceeded any thing which was, at first, contemplated or expected. and thanksgiving publicly and privately offered to the Most High, and his praises sung where otherwise his name and Sabbath would have been forgotten, and the people left in ignorance of God and their Saviour. Many religious books have been sent, and many more will be forwarded to them. Great numbers of people have, with tears of joy, expressed their gratitude to the Missionary Society and to the people of Connecticut, for the assistance which hath been given them in their spiritual concerns. Could the charitable people of the state know the emotions of joy with which their assistance has been received, and what a As the progress of our settle ments, within a few years past, has exceeded all former example, and new countries have pre-change has been made in the sented to us new and extensive fields for missionary labors, our funds have been increasing, and new benefactors of the institution have been raised up, and God hath opened and enlarged the hearts of his people to contribute to its support and useful ness. hearts and lives of great numbers of their fellow sinners, they could not be unmoved. Their hearts would expand with gratitude, and their tongues would break forth in the praises of their Redeemer. Through the grace of God, and the instrumentality of our missionaries, the wilderness and the solitary place have been made glad, and the desert hath blossomed as the rose; and the peo The good effects of it in the new settlements are beyond calculation. The gospel has been preached and the ordinances reg-ple have been made the subjects ularly administered through a of that wisdom, the price of which vast tract of country, in the wide- is above rubies, and all thou canst ly extended regions of our north- desire is not to be compared unto ern and western frontiers. Ma- her. Pleasing and animating my hundreds of children have have been the accounts which we been catechised and instructed have been able to lay before the in the first principles of Chris-public of the success of the Sotianity; Christians have been ciety and of their missionaries, comforted and animated in their in preceding years; but none heavenly course; sinners, in nu- have been more so than those of merous instances, have been turn- the year past. The missionaries ed from darkness unto light, and have labored abundantly, and from the power of Satan unto have not only been blessed, in God. Many churches have been general, with the ordinary sucgathered unto Christ, his Sab-cess attending a preached gosLath has been sanctified, his wor-pel, but in some places with that ship seriously attended, prayer which has been uncommon and very extraordinary; especially and in some places, almost path in various settlements in New Connecticut. We learn by the letters and journals which we have received. from Messrs. Badger and Robbins, that the Lord hath been remarkably building up Zion and appearing in his glory, under their ministrations. less country, nearly 1700 miles a year; and that he preaches about 140 or 150 sermons. He attends many conferences, and meetings for prayer, catechises the children, and is abundant in family visits. miles which he rides, and the number of sermons which he preaches as Mr. Badger; but as far as can be learned from his communications, he preaches at the rate of about 110 or 120 sermons a year. He visits families and schools abundantly, and appears to be zealously engaged in the labors of his mission.* In a number of letters from the Rev. Thomas Robbins, he noBy recent communications tices the extraordinary work of from New Connecticut, it appear- God in that new country, and ed, that the work of God was observes, that a regard for the still progressing among the peo-Christian institutions was eviple in various parts of that wil-dently increasing. He is not so derness; that additions were particular as to the number of making to the church; that the seasons of communion at the Lord's table, of which there had been four, in different places the last quarter of the year, had been more than commonly solemn and refreshing; that some were overcome with the views which they had of the love and glory of their Redeemer; and that Messrs. Badger and Robbins were zealously employing their united exertions for the furtherance of the gospel, in that part of our country. There are several churches now in New Connecticut. Mr. Badger has drawn up a confession of faith, and articles of practice to which they have generally given their as Who can refrain, on reading these accounts from New Connecticut, from reflecting with admiration, gratitude and praise, on the wonderful works of God! How different his thoughts and ways are from the thoughts and ways of men! How high above them, even as the heavens are above the earth! People have been flocking from various parts In this glorious work, God has into the wilderness, for the sake shown himself to be a wonderful- of farms, honors, wealth and ly great, high and holy Sovereign. worldly good; but the Lord hath Some have been taken and oth-planted it, that churches might ers left. While many places be gathered unto his name; that have been so remarkably visited worship and praise might be it is observed with respect to others, that they were wholly stupid. sent. Mr. Badger has endured great hardships in riding in stormy and severe weather and in fording rivers. It appears, from his journal, that he travels in that rough, Mr. Robbins has been sick of a bilious fever. He was seized with the fever on the 22d of July and confined four weeks to his room. For between four and five weeks he was so feeble that he could do but little in the busi ness of his mission. paid unto him from regions," hopes, in some instances, there which but lately had been the" have been happy fruits of his haunts of savage beasts and sav-" labors, in the awakening and age men; and that he might" conversion of sinners :-That raise up monuments of his sove-" in the west part of Turin, and reign and infinite mercy, who" in the north and south parts of shall shine, love and worship in "Leyden there has been more his presence for ever! The So-" attention to religion in six ciety sent missionaries thither," months past, than has been praying and hoping, that they" since the settlement of those might be of service to preserve" places. In Turin the attention some remembrance of God, his" has been the greatest. On that word, sabbaths and ordinances;" account he tarried longer at keep alive the almost dying" that place, than at others. For spark, and preserve a holy seed" several days, he scarcely enin the wilderness, and behold," tered a house in which there what the Lord hath wrought!" was not one mourning or reRejoice in the Lord, O ye right-"joicing. At conferences and eous, give thanks unto him and" lectures, and especially on the bless his name: for his mercy "sabbaths, meetings were reendureth for ever! "markably full. Many of the Mr. Samuel P. Robbins, who "new settlers express great had been appointed a missionary" gratitude to the Missionary to itinerate in the settlements on "Society, for their attention to Black river, and in its vicinity," them. The Missionary Sociecommenced his missionary tour" ty, he doubts not, have the aron the 17th of August, 1803," dent prayers, as well as thanks and was about six months on his" of the settlers, that their exermission. He returned the latter" tions for the advancement of end of February, 1804. During" the kingdom of holiness may this period, he visited the settle-"be succeeded. Missionary 12ments on Black river three or" bor is still needful. Numbers four times; twice he visited the" came to him with tears in their settlements in the district of" eyes, when he parted with Camden and Western; and once" them, expressing their fears the settlements on Pearch river," that they should starve through between Black river and St. Law-" a famine of the word; and rence. He travelled 1324 miles," begging that the Missionary preached 171 sermons, attended" Society would again take them 74 conferences, made several " into consideration." hundreds of family visits; visit- It is mentioned in the Narraed 19 schools, and catechised tive of last year, that the Rev. and instructed the children. He Calvin Ingals was on a mission writes in his journal of the 29th to the north-eastern parts of Verof February," That the cate-mont. He was on his mission "chising of the children by the nearly seventeen weeks. Al"missionaries, has had a prac- though the snow was deep, and ❝tical influence; that they have the ways bad, and much of the "made proficiency in learning time the weather was snowy and "and that the schools are in a inclement, yet he rode 1083 "flourishing way :-That he miles, preached 74 sermons, ad |