But where then is our faith and obedience? Let us acknowledge God, and reft upon him. the promising appearances. It is however, by no means certain, but that more than the expectations of the moderate, will be accomplished. God feems to be preparing his people for great things. Thofe now at Otaheite, like the army of Gideon when reduced, are enough. Those at New-Holland may be employed. The Lord reigns. His promifes are fure; and he will not fail to confound his enemies, who now triumph in the difappointments of his people. his people. Tho' they deride the confidence and obedience of the ex-faithful, as they mocked our dying Lord, he will appear for their fupport.-The Lord grant, that his fervants may feize this happy opportunity, to evince their faith and obedience. And if they are confounded in the end, then let it be faid, that they who wait on the Lord MAY be put to fhame: Refpecting the Miffions, the commands are exprefs. Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature-Frecly ye have received, freely give. The promises are fure. I will be with you always, even unto the end of the world-The earth fhall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. Duty is plain. The reafons for the command are not diminished, fince the days of the Apostles; and the promife may not be doubted. The fituation of the British Miflions, to the Pacific Ocean, will try the faith and obedience of God's people, If they abide the trial, God will accept the facrifice. If not, we have reafon to expect, that little will be done in our day. Like the Ifraelites from Egypt, we fhall die before the promise takes effect. Should the whole Miffion prove unfuccessful, as it may, fhall we hefitate to obey the will of God, and exert ourselves to extend the knowledge of his falvation? Shall we doubt the promises; or give up the caufe as hopeless, while we know that God is on the throne? North America, and to fupport | urer, and JoHN PORTER, Efq. Au and promote Chriftian knowledge in the new fettlements within the United States." The Society annually elect a Board of Trustees, confifting of fix Civilians and fix Clergymen, to whom the management of the concerns and the difpofal of the funds of the Society is intrufted. They also elect a Treasurer and an Auditor of accounts. Since the Society was inftituted, a number of Miffionaries have been fent to the new fettlements in Vermont, New-York, and Pennsylvania. In thefe fettlements there are now four Missionaries; two or three more are expected to go out in the course of the fummer, and one to the Connecticut Western Referve. The Miffionaries have been favorably received, and their labors abundantly bleffed. The funds of the Society arife from contributions in the feveral parishes in the State on the first Sabbath of May annually, in purfuance of a Refolve of the General Affembly paffed at their feffion October 1798. Several donations have also been made by individuals towards the establishment of a permanent fund. ditor of accounts to the Society. The Honorable JOHN TREADWELL is Chairman, and the Reverend ABEL FLINT, Secretary to the Board of Trustees. The Society, at their annual meeting, last month, re-elected the fame Trustees, Treasurer, and Auditor of accounts. The Miffionaries now in fervice are the Rev. Meffrs. Seth Willifton and Jedidiah Bushnell, and Mr. Amafa Jerome, all in the new fettlements in the ftates of New-York and Pennsylvania, and the Rev. William Storrs, in Vermont. Proceedings of the Trustees of the Miffionary Society of Conneticut, relative to a Miffion ameng the Indians. HE Trustees of the Miffion TH ary Society of Connecticut at a late meeting, determined, that a difcreet man, animated by the love of God and fouls, of a good common education, who can be obtained for a moderate compenfation, be fought for to travel among the Indian Tribes South and Weft of Lake Erie, to explore their fituation and learn their feelings with refpect to Christianity, and fo far as he has opportunity, to teach them its doctrines and du ties; and that faid Miffionary, with the advice of the Rev. Mr. Sergeant of New Stockbridge, obtain from among his Indians a pious guide and interpreter to ac company him in his travels. It was alfo refolved by the Trustees, that the Committee of Miffions, with the addition of the Honorable Heman Swift, take measures to carry this refolution into effect. The Trustees of the Society for The following fyftem of inftructions was prepared to be given to the perfon who may be fent to vis To SIR, YOU being appointed, by the Trustees of the Miffionary Society of Connecticut, to go among the Indian Tribes, with a view of exploring their fituation and the propriety of fending the gofpel among them, the faid Trustees give you the following inftructions: which they have that they through Jefus Chrift might be faved from their fins, and become with them the followers of Christ and heirs of his kingdom. You are to offer Chrift and his falvation to them. Tell them who Chrift is and how he loved and died for mankind, and the happy confequences of loving and obeying him. Carefully notice their appearances and anfwers. As you have opportunity, teach them the doctrines and duties of our holy religion and the motives to induce them to become Chriftians. Particularly teach them the duty of morning and evening prayer, and as opportunity fhall prefent do it by example as well as duct of people calling themselves Chriftians fhall be objected, you will acquaint them that many who call themselves Chriftians are not truly fuch; and that all the knavery, falfehood and other vices which they have feen in those wicked white people, who have been among them, are entirely contra Be a man of prayer; be fure to keep your heart with all diligence and live near to God. At all times maintain a Chriftian circumfpection, gravity and dignity of character, and let nothing vain or trifling be difcovered in your conduct. Demean yourself with Chriftian fortitude and humility. Cautiously avoid all controverfy within words. Whenever the ill conthe Indians, all trade and worldly bufinefs, except fuch as fhall be abfolutely neceffary for your comfortable fubfiftence. Employ your whole time and all your talents in the business of your miffion. Particularly you are inftructed to explore the fituation of the various tribes, through which you fhall travel, and as far as poffible learnry to the gofpel; that fuch men their feelings with respect to Chriftianity, and their prejudices against it. Spare no pains to conciliate the esteem and friendship of the Indian who fhall go with you as a guide and interpreter; and as far as may be with a good confcience, conform yourself to the cuftoms and manners of the natives; like the Apoftle becoming all things to all men, that you may gain fome. When you fhall reach any tribe or tribes to which you are fent, you fhall, by your interpreter, make known the benevolent defign of your coming, and affembling fuch num-fituation and diftances from each bers of them as conveniently may other; whether they are at peace be, acquaint them with the great or involved in war; if at war with love of the good people of Con- whom they are warring; whether necticut to their brothers in the they be permanent in their fettlewilderness, and with the concernments, or tranfient and about to are worfe than the Heathen and will in the world to come have a more aggravated punishment than they; that the true difciples of Chrift are fober, temperate, benevolent and juft. They love and do good to all men, and hold all wickednefs in the highest abhorrence. Keep an accurate journal of your travels, of all your tranfactions with the Indians, and of every occurrence worthy of notice. You are to notice the face of the country, the number of tribes which you fhall vifit, and their numbers, remove; whether they have any | venerable body, with defign to promote the happiness of their fellowmen, who do not enjoy equal advantages to obtain religious knowledge with the people of Connecticut, have lately formed themselves, by common confent, into a Council or Society, called the Miffion The Trustees affectionately and fervently recommend you to the care and keeping of their great Re-ary Society of Connecticut; and that deemer. When you walk through Society have appointed the Trufthe tracklefs and lonely paths of tees before mentioned, and have the wilderness, may he be with given them authority to fend good you, invigorate and comfort your men and able inftructors in religion, foul. May he preferve and emi- into the new fettlements, which nently fucceed you, and return you are forming on the frontiers of the with rich experience of his pater- United States, and among fuch nal care and goodness. Indian nations as will receive them; which men, fo fent as teachers of religion, we call Miffionaries; and from hence the Society above defcribed takes the name of the Miffionary Society. The following Meffage was prepared to be communicated to the Indians by the Missionary. To the Indian Tribes bordering on FRIENDS AND BROTHERS, THE perfon, whofe name is underwritten, announces himself to you as the Chairman of a Council of twelve perfons, who are here known by the name of the Truftees of the Miffionary Society of Connecticut. You will pleafe to liften while, in the name of the Trustees, he explains to you their origin, their views and the objects of this addrefs. Having explained to you the origin, and general defigns of the Truflees of the Miffionary Society of Connecticut; it will be proper more particularly, but very brief. ly, to inform you what is meant by religion, as the word is ufed in this addrefs; leaving it to future occafions, as they may occur, to unfold it more at large. Religion, then confifts, fummarily, in believing that there is an eternal all perfect Being of fupreme power, wisdom and goodnefs whom Our fathers, and brethren, whofe we call GOD-that this great and office it is to teach the People of good Being, in the beginning, Connecticut the things of Religion, made the world; the fun, the annually chofe from their number moon, the stars, the carth, the twenty-four perfons diftinguished fea, the air, and all creatures and for piety, gravity and good fenfe, things therein, and especially man, who meet together in a Grand the Lord of this lower worldCouncil called the General Affoci-that he made higher and nobler oration, to confult and advife togeth-ders of rational beings in Heaven, er, and to adopt fuch regulations | called Angels--that he upholds all as, in their judgment, may beft things by his power, and fupports ferve to advance the caufe of vir- every living creature by his bounty tue and religion among their own people, and, as far as they have opportunity, thro' the world. This that he is the great King & Governor of the world, and in his government feeks his own honor, afk how we know and the greatest good of the ra- moned to the judgment feat of tional creatures he has made-that Chrift, and there be judged accorfome of the Angels have broken ding to their works, whether good his laws, and become rebels and or evil, and will receive the reward enemies, for which cause he has of eternal life, or eternal death caft them down from heaven, re- or endless mifery, by the sentence ferved them for judgment, and of the judge. Religion, in pracwill doom them to fuffer endless tice, confifts in loving and fearing torments, as their juft punishment; GOD and keeping his commandand thefe evil Angels are called ments-in receiving his fon Jefus Devils-that the first man and wo- Chrift as our only Saviour-in man were made in the likeness of loving all our fellow men as ourGOD in temper and character, and felves; particularly, in abstaining perfectly happy-that the Devil from murder, adultery, ftealing, tempted them to break the law lying, cheating, flandering, and which God had placed them un- oppreffing one another-in honorder, and by his fubtilty feduced ing and obeying our parents and them from their obedience, and governors-in doing acts of juftice they fell from their first happy state and kindness, as we have power -that all mankind, of all nations, and opportunity, to all men, even fprang from this finful and unhap- to our enemies in moderating our py pair, partake of their finful na- paffions and affections-and in livture, and are all expofed to fuffering foberly, chately, and tempereternal death as tranfgreffors of ately in our converfation. GOD's law-that being in themfelves in a helpless and hopeless ftate, GOD was pleased, of mere mercy, to provide an Almighty Saviour JESUS CHRIST his own Son, who, in our nature, came into this world, in ages paft, and as our fecond head, perfectly obeyed God's law, and fuffered a bit ter death for us that we might lively true; and that this book conand be happy in the world to come -that through his obedience and death, God can freely pardon our fins, and restore us to his favorthat if we repent and are forry for our fins, and trult in this Almighty Saviour, who is rifen from the dead and afcended into Heaven, GOD will for Chrift's fake, give us eternal life; but if we repent not, we shall be forever miferable after death-that he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteoufiefs, by his fon JESUS CHRIST-that all men, of all nations and ages, will then be raised from the dead, and fumVOL. I. No. I. Should you these things are true, the answer is, we have a book we call the Bible, being of all books the most precious, written by good men, in very ancient times, who were infpired by God himself, and of confequence, that all it contains is most important, and most certain tains all the truths which have been mentioned, and many more fully unfolded to view, and in a word, all things which are profitable for inftruction in religion, by which a man, rightly difpofed, may be furnifhed to every good work. We obferve, that our religion is taken wholly from this book of God, the Bible; and are fure that right reafon approves all that is written in it, tho' there are fome truths therein revealed which reafon, of itself, could never have difcovered. It may be proper to remark, though you may already know it, that from the C |