Finally. By all the tender and solemn considerations which have been suggested, let sinners be persuaded to repent and turn to God without delay. Whatever they do short of repentance, they are going away farther and farther from God, from Christ, from heaven; and are ripening for destruction, and hastening to it. But if they will now only exercise repentance towards God, he will graciously pardon them and save them with an everlasting salvation. He will prepare them to engage in the holy employments of heaven, and will put them in possession of its pure and imperishable joys. THEOPHILUS. THE RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE OF MRS. PREACHED SOON AFTER HER DEATH. "On the first Sabbath in June, 18-, Mrs. P made a public profession of the religion of Christ. The account which she then gave of her religious exercises, was clear and satisfactory. In this statement, she said, "that ten years since, my attention was drawn to the great realities of religion, and my mind impressed with them. Unwilling to be saved in the gospel way, I went about to establish a righteousness of my own. God was, then, pleased to show me my error." Her conviction became less powerful and pungent, but still continued. Four years before, her union with the church, her conviction returned with great force and pungency.The following are nearly her own words concerning herself at that I then saw myself justly time :-" condemned by God's holy law, and thought, that if ever I was saved, it must be through the merits of the Redeemer. I felt great opposition to the doctrine of sovereign grace; but I think that God was pleased to reconcile me to it, and to give me to rejoice in it as the only ground of hope for perishing sinners." She remained much in doubt concering her spiritual state, until the winter before she made a public profession of religion.-While hearing a sermon on the unreasonableness of being unresolved concerning religion, she said, "it pleased God to remove all doubts from my mind, and to give me to rejoice in him with great joy of heart. I had, also, such a view of the condescension and love of Christ in suffering for sinners, as I never had before. There seemed to be a new song put into my mouth, even, praise to God.Since that time, I have had fears, that I was deceived; but I think," as far as I know my own heart, that I love religion and have a desire to live a holy life." From the time of her making a public profession of religion, until her sickness, she had an increasing sense of the sinfulness of her heart and a growing attachment to the peculiar doctrines of the gospel. She was confined with sickness, nearly two years and a half. During three or four of the first weeks, she was in great darkness and doubt. After this, she was for a time very calm. As a general fact, she was in great darkness and doubt of mind, for the three succeeding months. It was her wish to be considered and prayed for as an unrenewed person. Her fears were, that she had deceived herself and others, though without any intention or apprehension of it, at the time. At length, her doubts and fears were removed and her soul was filled with joy and peace. Her views were so clear and her evidence so decisive and full, that she thought she could never more doubt and would not again despair. Until the winter before her death, she remained, generally, calm in mind; but that season, she was under occasional darkness and dejection. It did not appear that she ever fell into that despairing state, after the three months which have been mentioned. From time to time, she had those clear discoveries and lively views of spiritual things, which raised her above her sufferings, and led her to say, that it would be ingratitude to God ever again to doubt. It may be proper to observe, when she was relieved from her state of darkness and distress, that she was conscious of having the same exercises and feelings which she had when she first entertained a hope. In her most lucid intervals, it was evident to her mind, that she experienced It was dur- a real change of heart, at the It may be useful to state the christian. At sometimes she felt willing; at others, she was ready to shrink from it. Another thing which evidently led her to form conclusions against herself, was, that she judged more from mere feeling, than from faith, submission and other christian graces. One cause more should be mentioned. It was a sense of the importance of religion. This was so great as often to excite strong fears of being deceived. The danger and the consequences of entertaining a false hope were deeply impressed upon her mind, and led her to doubt whether her hope might not be that of the hypocrite, which should perish. Religion was the great and leading subject of her habitual thoughts. She often enjoyed its consolations and almost continually its supports. Often was she heard to say, were it not for religion, I must sink under my distress. It is all the consolation which I have. She desired to be entirely conformed to God and to have no will of her own, and that all she endured might be for his glory. More than once, she told me that she had but one fear, or concern, which was that she should not have patience to endure what should be laid upon her. She had resigned herself, her relations and her all to God, and felt entirely willing to leave all with him and go at his call. Death seemed to have no terrors. It was evident that she had an uncommon experimental acquaintance with religious truths. What many talk about, concerning religion, she actually felt. Sin was her great aversion, and for it she desired to be deeply humbled before God. She had a great sense of the goodness of God, and of constant dependance on him for every spiritual and temporal favor. " How Perhaps, no instance occurs, in which persons are more desirous of being faithfully dealt with in their religious concerns. It was her repeated request to be carefully examined as to her spiritual views and exercises. dreadful," she observed, "would it be, if after all, I should be deceived." She had great anxiety for those of her connections who were strangers to religion, and without hope and without God in the world. She met death undismayed. On the day of her death, she sent for me. When I arrived she said, she had but a few hours to live. She was asked, if death were alarming to her. The reply was, no. It is believed, and upon good evidence, that she left the world in peace, and has gone to be with Christ. In her there is a new evidence of the truth and reality of experimental religion." VIEW OF THE MISSIONS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE AMERICAN BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FOR FOREIGN MISSIONS. The Board has established missions, in the order of time in which they will now be named, at Bombay--in Ceylon--among the Cherokees, Choctaws, and Cherokees of the Arkansaw-at the Sandwich Islands-and in Western Asia. It has, also, taken measures to ascertain the religious and moral state of the southern and western countries of South America, with a view to missionary labors in that interesting part of the world. I. Mission at Bombay. Commenced in 1813. This mission has three stations.--Bombay, Mahim, and Tannah. Bombay.-A large city on an island of the same name. It is the capital of all the British possessions on the western side of the peninsula, and is the primary seat of the mission. Rev. Gordon Hall, missionary; Mr. James Garrett, printer. Mahim.--Six miles from Bombay, on the north part of the island. Rev. Allen Graves, missionary. Tannah.--The principal town on the island of Salsette, twentyfive miles from Bombay. Rev. John Nichols, missionary. II. Mission in Ceylon. This mission was established in the district of Jaffna, which is the northern extremity of the island of Ceylon, in October, 1816. It has five stations-Tillipally, Batticotta, Oodooville, Panditeripo, and Manepy. Tillipally.-Nine miles north from Jaffnapatam. Panditeripo.--Nine miles northwest of Jaffnapatam. Rev. John Scudder, M. D. missionary. George Koch, native medical assistant. Manepy.-Four miles and a half north-west of Jaffnapatam. Rev. Levi Spauiding, missionary. III. Mission among the Cherokees. On the 13th of January, 1817, maugah, since called Brainerd, Mr. Kingsbury arrived at Chichaand commenced preparations for an establishment there. The mission among the Cherokees has, at Brainerd, Creek-Path, Carmel, the present time, six stations-Hightower, Willstown, and Haweis. Brainerd.-The oldest station of the Board among the Indians. It is situated within the chartered limits of Tennessee, on the Chickamaugh Creek, 250 miles N. W. of Augusta ; 150 S. E. of Nashville; and 110 S. W. of Knoxville. Rev. Ard Hoyt, miss.; Dr. Elizur Butler, Physician; Mr. Sylvester Ellis, schoolmaster; Messrs. John Vail, Henry Parker, and Frederick Elsworth, farmers ; . Messrs. Erastus Dean, and Ains- of the American Indians." This worth E. Blunt, mechanics. mission has six stations.--Elliot, Mayhew, Bethel, Emmaus, and two which have not yet received Carmel.---Formerly called Taloney. Sixty-two miles S. E. from Brainerd, on what is called the Federal Road. A school was established here in May 1820. Mr. Hall resided here six months before the opening of the school. Rev. Daniel S. Butrick, missionary, and Mr. Moody Hall, school master. Creek Path.--One hundred miles W. S. W. of Brainerd. A school was established here in April 1820. Rev. William Potter, missionary. Hightower. On a river named E-tow-ee, but corrupted into Hightower; eighty miles S. S. E. of Brainerd, and thirty-five miles west of south from Carmel. A school commenced in April of the present year. Mr. Isaac Proctor, schoolmaster. Willstown.-About fifty miles S. W. of Brainerd. A school was established at this station, in May last. Rev. William Chamberlain, missionary. Haweis. About sixty S. of Brainerd. Preparations are making for a school. Mr. John C. Elsworth, schoolmaster. IV. Mission among the Choctaws. The mission among the Cherokees being in successful operation, Mr. Kingsbury and Mr. Williams left Brainerd, about the first of June 1818, for the Choctaw nation. They selected a site for their station, and about the 15th of August felled the first tree. "The place was entirely new, covered with lofty trees; but the ancient mounds, which here and there appeared, shewed, that it had been once the habitation of men. and 99 The station was named Elliot, in honor of the "Apostle names. Elliot.--Within the chartered limits of the state of Mississippi; on the Yalo Busha creek; about forty miles above its junction with the Yazoo; 400 miles W. S. W. of Brainerd; and 145 from the Walnut Hills, on the Mississippi. Mr. Cyrus Byington, licensed preacher and missionary; Dr. Wm. W. Pride, physician; Mr. Joel Wood, schoolmaster; and Messrs. John Smith and Zechariah Howes, farmers. Mayhew. On the Ook-tib-beha-creek, twelve miles above its junction with the Tombigbee, and 100 miles east of Elliot. Commenced in the spring of 1820. Rev. Cyrus Kingsbury, missionary and superintendent of the Choctaw mission; Mr. William Cushman, farmer; and Messrs. PhiHooper, schoolmaster; Mr. Calvin lo P. Stewart and Samuel Wisner, mechanics. Bethel. On the Natchez road, south-west of Mayhew. A school was established here in November 1821. Mr. Loring S. Williams, school master. Mr. Stephen B. Macomber, schoolmaster, resides here for the present. Emmaus.-About 140 miles southeasterly from Mayhew. Commenced near the latter part of 1822. Mr. Moses Jewell, schoolmaster, and Mr. Anson Gleason, mechanic. Mr. Elijah Bardwell, farmer, and Mr. Anson Dyer, schoolmaster, commenced preparations for a school near the centre of the Six Towns, during the summer past. Rev. Alfred Wright, missionary, resides in this district. |