this time, as well as at many others, that it was impossible I should treat immortal souls with faithfulness. I could not deal closely and faithfully with them, I felt so infinitely vile in myself. Ob, what dust and ashes I am, to think of preaching the gospel to others! Indeed I never can be faithful for one moment, but shall certainly "daub with untempered mortar," if God do not grant me special help. In the evening I went to the meeting-house, and it seemed to me nearly as easy for one to rise out of the grave and preach, as for me. However, God afforded me some life and power, both in prayer and sermon: God was pleased to lift me up, and show me that he could enable me to preach.

Thursday, November 4. At Lebanon. Saw much of my nothingness most of this day: but felt concerned that I had no more sense of my insufficiency and unworthiness. Oh it is sweet to lie in the dust before God! But it is distressing to feel in my soul that depth of corruption which still remains in me. In the afternoon had a sense of the sweetness of a strict, close, and constant devotedness to God, and my soul was comforted with divine consolations. I felt a pleasing, yet painful concern, lest I should spend some moments without God; oh, may I always live to him! In the evening was visited by some friends; spent the time in prayer, and such conversation as tended to our edification. It was a comfortable season to my soul: I felt an intense desire to spend every moment for God.'

These insatiable desires after God and holiness continued the two next days, with a great sense of his own exceeding unworthiness, and the nothingness of the things of this world.

'Lord's-day, November 7. At Millington. It seemed as if one so unholy could never arrive at that blessedness, to be "holy, as God is holy." At noon, I longed for sanctification and conformity to God; oh! that is THE ALL, THE ALL! The Lord help me to press forward.

6

Monday, November 8. Towards night, enjoyed much in secret prayer, so that my soul longed for an arrival in the heavenly country, the blessed paradise of God. Through divine goodness I have scarcely seen the day for these two months, but death has appeared so pleasant to me at one time or other of the day, that I could have rejoiced if the present might be my last, notwithstanding my pressing inward trials and conflicts: and I trust the Lord will finally make me more than a conqueror, so that I shall be able to use that triumphant language, "O death! where is thy sting? O grave! where is thy victory?"

CHAPTER III.

Entrance on his missionary labours.

On the 19th of November, 1742, Mr. Brainerd received a letter from the Rev. Ebenezer Pemberton, of New York, desiring him to go thither without delay; in order to consult about the state of the Indians in those quarters, and to meet some gentlemen who were entrusted with those affairs. The gentlemen alluded to were the correspondents in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, of the Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge.

This will be a suitable place to introduce some account of the first exertions of that society in behalf of the North-American Indians.

The deplorable state of the Indians in those parts of America being by several ministers represented to the society, the society charitably and cheerfully came into the proposal of maintaining two missionaries among these miserable Pagans, to endeavour their conversion from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God; and sent their commission to some ministers and other gentlemen,

to act as their correspondents, in providing, directing, and inspecting the said mission.

As soon as the correspondents were authorized by the society's commission, they looked out for two candidates, whose zeal for the interests of Christ's kingdom, and whose compassion for perishing souls, would prompt them to such a difficult and selfdenying undertaking.

They first prevailed with Mr. Azariah Horton to relinquish a call to an encouraging parish, and to devote himself to the Indian service. He was directed to Long Island, in August, 1741; at the east end whereof there are two small towns of the Indians and from the east to the west end of the island, lesser companies settled at a few miles distance from one another, for above a hundred miles. At his first coming among them, he was well received by most, and heartily welcomed by some of them. At the east end of the island, especially, they gave diligent and serious attention to his instructions, and many were put on solemn inquiries respecting their salvation. A general reformation

of manners was soon observable among most of these Indians. They were careful to attend, and serious and solemn in attendance, on both public and private instruction. A number of them were under very deep convictions of their miserable perishing state; and about twenty of them gave lasting evidence of their saving conversion to God.-Mr. Horton had baptized thirty-five adults, and forty-four children. He took pains with them, to teach them to read; and some of them made considerable proficiency. But the expensiveness of his charge, and the necessity of his travelling from place to place,

made him incapable of giving so constant attendance to their instruction in reading as was needful. In his last letter to the correspondents, he heavily complained of a great defection of some of them from their first reformation and care of their souls, occasioned by strong drink being brought among them, and their being thereby allured to a relapse in their darling vice of drunkenness; a vice to which the Indians are everywhere so greatly addicted, that nothing but the power of divine grace can restrain that impetuous lust, when they have opportunity to gratify it. He complained, also, that some of them were grown more careless and remiss in the duties of religious worship, than they were when first acquainted with the great things of their eternal peace. But, as a number retained their first impressions, and as they generally attended with reverence on his ministry, he went on in his work, with encouraging hopes of the presence and blessing of God with him in his difficult undertaking.

It was some time after Mr. Horton was employed in the Indian service, before the correspondents could obtain another qualified candidate for the selfdenying mission. They addressed Mr. Brainerd with this view; and, in compliance with their summons, he proceeded to New York. Their invitation lay with much weight on his mind; but he carried it, where he carried all his concerns, to the throne of Him whom he served. His spirits sunk under a consciousness of his own insufficiency for the work ; and, when called to preach before a large assembly, among whom were grave and learned ministers, he could not but think himself deeply indebted to his hearers that they would listen to one so worthless,