of joining the church, upon which I advised with Mr. Colman, who encouraged me, and told me that I might come repenting, believing, and trembling, to the ordinance, which raised my spirits, fixed my thoughts, and yielded me much comfort. My joining the church, and how it has been with me since, I have written something of in other papers, when I was at home, and had leisure; but I have been much abroad; and hope I have God's presence with me abroad, as well as at home." "Aug. 3, 1718. I gave up myself to God in a solemn covénant, and joined with his people at Weston in church-fellowship. May it please the Father of lights, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift, to enlighten me by his Holy Spirit, and enable me to perform all those holy and spiritual duties contained in the covenant; and grant me his grace, whereby I may be steadfast therein. Then may I say, This God is my God, and will be my guide even unto death. O that I might be made sensible of the infinite greatness and goodness of that God, who has condescended to be a God in covenant with his people, who has called them friends, and given them children's bread, who is the portion of their inheritance and of their cup,-who has, in the work of their redemption, made a glorious display of his infinite holiness, justice, wisdom, and mercy. Will it please God to grant, that I may so behold his glory as to be changed into the same image from glory to glory.

"Oct. 12. This was the first sacrament-day I enjoyed in Windsor. I had the evening be

fore some quickening and earnest desires after Christ and the ordinance; but the next day was very dull and dead. My father preached from Heb. v, 9. And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. My heart still continued very much unaffected, till the participation of that ordinance, wherein I had a sense of the infinite mercy of God in the redemption of the fallen children of men. And though I fell infinitely short of my duty, my duty, yet would humbly hope, that my fellowship was in some measure with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. I then solemnly engaged to endeavor, by the grace of God, after a more strict walk with him, and to watch against the vain thoughts which swarm in my heart. May it please God to keep this in my thoughts continually, and to grant me his grace, whereby I may be enabled to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith I am called.

"Nov. 2, the Sabbath before the Public Thanksgiving. My father entertained us from Ps. lxv, 11, Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness. The doctrine was, that the mercies and blessings of the year were given us by God, and called for suitable returns of praise and thankfulness to Him."

Mrs. H. gives the plan of the sermon. Among the general mercies of the year the preacher ranked peace. "It may be reckoned one of the great mercies of the year, when God delivers his people from the hurtful sword, and from the grievousness of war." Among the special, or individual mercies, converting

grace is not forgotten. "It may be, that God has bestowed converting grace upon some person. This is a special mercy of the year wherein it was bestow ed, a mercy for which God will be blessed through eternity." Among the proofs, that these mercies proceed from the goodness of God, this is mentioned; "Because we are undeserving of them. They are not merited by us, but are the free gift of God. It may further appear that they proceed from the goodness of God, if we consider our own sinfulness and vileness. We are all sinners; have naturally hearts full of enmity and rebellion against God; have a thousand times broken his holy law, and deserved eternal misery from him."

Nov. 5. It is now just the dawning of the solemn day of thanksgiving. O that I might see the infinite wisdom, power, and goodness of that God who makes the day-spring to know its place, and causes his sun to shine on the evil and on the good; and that I might be enabled to wait upon him this day with thanksgiving and praise; that he would please to hear my voice in the morning, and that, with the true devotion of the Psalmist, I may direct my prayer unto him, and may look up. May it please God this day to clothe me with the garments of praise, and to put a new song into my mouth, even praise to my God. May my heart be fixed in the duties of the day, that with suitable fear and reverence I may draw near before Him; knowing him to be a God of infinite greatness, sove. reignty, power, and holiness, and that with him is terrible majes

ty; with deep humiliation and abasement, knowing myself to be a vile, sinful creature, a worm of the dust, and as nothing before Him: yet rejoicing and believing, that the great, holy, and sovereign God is also gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great goodness. His tender mercies are over all his works. How wonderful have been the expressions of God's goodness to me this last year, and how loudly do they call for my thankful acknowledgements. I have been visited with great weakness and bodily infirmity: it has pleased Him, who is the Lord my healer, to restore me to a comfortable degree of health and strength again. strength again. I was once visited with a mortal distemper; but God was pleased to rescue me from the jaws of death, and to add to my days another year. When I was in the depths of darkness and discouragement, quite overrun with melancholy; when the waters came into my soul, and my feet sunk in deep mire; when I dwelt in darkness as those that have been long dead; when my spirit was overwhelmed within me and my heart was desolate I remembered the days of old, my spirit failed, I became like those that go down to the pit. I cried unto the Lord, and he helped me, and delivered me out of my distress. Oh that men would praise the Lord. for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men. Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me praise his holy name.

March, 1719. I am this day called to wait upon God, in the holy and solemn ordinance of the Lord's supper. Wherewith

shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the most high God? It is, indeed, a solemn and awful thing for a sinful creature to draw near to a holy and glori ous God. Where, then, is the wedding garment, the righteousness of Christ, with which I must be clothed, if I would be present at this marriage feast? Where is that faith, that love, hat humility, that holy fear and rerence, which are necessary in order to my suitable attend ance on this ordinance? Where is that godly sorrow for sin, that rejoicing in Christ Jesus, that delight in the ways of holiness, which God requires, and which I once hoped I experienced something of? Ah where indeed! How cold and dead am I grown. How have I lost my sense of

spiritual things, and am become earthly and carnal. How lifeless in duty; how full of unbelief and formality; how are vain thoughts crowding upon me, interrupting every duty, and defiling my best performances Lord, I desire to come unto thee for justification and sanctification, for the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Thou art the fountain opened for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in. Wash me in thy blood, sanctify me by thy Spirit, prepare me for this holy ordinance. Thou, that raisest the dead, quicken my dead soul. Thou, who art the fountain of light, the father of mercies, the God of all grace, enrich my soul with thy grace, and irradiate me by thy Spirit."

(To be continued.),

AMERICAN MISSIONARIES.

LETTERS have been received from Mr. Nott as late as the 29th of November. He was then on board ship with Mrs. Nott and Mr. Hall, just losing sight of land, having left Bengal for Bombay. If the ship touched at Ceylon, they thought it probable they should attempt a missionary station there. Early in November, they engaged their passage, and obtained the regular passports from Government; but, on the 18th, they were notified by the police, that it was the pleasure of Government that they should be sent to England in the fleet under despatch; and that passages were provided by the Marine Office for Messrs. Hall VOL. V. New Series.

and Nott on board the Surrey, and for Messrs. Judson and Rice on board the Prince Regent; and their names were published in the Calcutta newspapers as passengers on board those ships. Messrs. Judson and Rice went on board a ship bound for the Isle of France, and after some difficulty obtained passports for that place. Messrs. Nott and Hall went on board the ship bound to Bombay, and were regularly reported to Government as passengers. The ship Creole, in which Messrs. Judson and Rice enbarked for the Isle of France, left Bengal early in December. Letters have been received from Dr. Carey dated toward the close of that month. It will probably be some time be

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fore we shall hear again from the brethren, there being no Amer. ican ships, we believe, either at Calcutta, Bombay, or the Isle of France. The friends of missions will not cease to pray, that God would fix the brethren in some station where they may be employed to proclaim the Gospel, and in due time to assist in giving the word of God to the heathen in their own languages.

In a letter to the Rev. Dr. Woods written by Mr. Nott just as he was recovering from sickness, September 8, and while the minds of the brethren were directed principally to Madagascar are the following passages. "We received Dr. Worces ter's letter of March 10, accompanied by the ordination services, about a week ago. I thank you for your Sermon, and the authors of the Charge and Right Hand for their performances, with all my heart. Nothing since I left America has seemed to be so much the means of recalling to my mind the principles on which I put my hand to the plough, and of awakening every desire to persevere in the undertaking, as reading this manual of missionary motive, caution, and instruction. Its intention seems to be to bring us to an exclusion of the unhallowed leaven, to en.ire dependence upon, and devotedness to, the Lord; and I hope it may have that most desirable effect. The letter and sermons came to hand just as I was beginning to recover from a severe illness; and I am now only so far recovered as to be able to do a little business in my apartment, this letter being the first business which I have done since my ill

ness. But I am growing better very fast, and shall probably be about in a few days."

Providence has been very good to me, and provided me with kind friends, in whose house during my sickness I have been at home. Through Divine goodness we all yet live. While I was sick I thought it likely that God was going to make an inroad upon us, and shew us that he needed us not. But he spares us yet. May it be to fulfil our duty, and do something for his honor."

"The determination of our future residence must be left in the hands of God. I feel myself, and I know the Christian public feel, a particular propensity to Asia; but God may say Africa. If he does, we must go thither. Madagascar is a very interesting and important field; the only question is, can we enter into one more interesting and important. You and our other good friends at home, I have no doubt, are praying for us; and, if we wait upon God ourselves, we may hope and expect to be guided right."

BIBLE SOCIETY OF NASSAU HALL.

The students of the College at Princeton, together with the members of the Theological Seminary at the same place, having taken into consideration the inestimable value of the Revelation which it has pleased God to make to our world, and the great benefits to be expected from the distribution of the Bible which contains this revelation, among persons unable or not disposed to purchase it, have

The

formed themselves into a society for that purpose to be called The Bible Society of Nassau Hall, the sole object of which is the distribution of the Bible among the poor and the destitute. following are some of the fundamental principies of the association, viz. The regular members are to consist only of students of the College and members of the Seminary honorary members are received the business of the Society to be conducted by a Board of Directors consisting of a President, two Vice Presidents, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and twelve Managers, annually elected and the copics of the Bible to be distributed to be always of the common approved version, without note or comment.

After the Society was organized, the following persons were chosen officers: William A. M'Dowell, President, Leverett 1. F. Huntington, 1st V. Pres. William Blair, 2d V. Pres. WilHam Pennington, Sec. Backus Wilbur, Treasurer, and twelve others, Managers.

The Society cordially invite contributions to aid their endeavors to circulate among the suffering poor the inestimable treasure the word of God.

We intended to have noticed before now the very excellent report of this society made at the annual meetiug in May 1812. By this document it appears that the Society distributed and 5,303 since the commencement 3,250 Bibles in the year preceding, of its operations. The exertions of this institution have refuted a common opinion, that there is no want of Bibles in our old settlements, and the well regulated parts of our country. Even in Connecticut, which is justly said to be as well supplied with Bibles as any part of the world, many families have been found,, and many others probably could be found, des

titute of the word of life.

Besides distributing Bibles extensively in Connecticut, this Society afforded its bounty to the poor in sev eral of the other states. The com mittee sent 300 copies of the Scrip. tures to the Oneida Bible Society, 100 into the state of Vermont, 50 into Pennsylvania, 300 into Ohio, and 100 into Rhode Island. The committee

expended for Bibles during the year $1,938,72; and the balance on hand, May 9th, 1812, was $2,371 54, of which $1.530 was a permanent fund.

MASSACHUSET IS BIBLE SOCIETY.

By the report of the executive committee of this Society prepared for the annual meeting, June 4, 18:2, it uted, during the year preceding, 93 appears, that the committee distrib. octavo, 8 minion, and 1,030 common Bibles, and 566 Testamen's, and since the formation of the society, 3,063 Bibles and 664 Testaments. The balance on hand was $3 370 12, of which $3 236,74 was a permanent fund. The committee expended for Bibles during the year $1,317 66.