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utmost endeavors in making the Gospel universally known. God was manifestly present; a crowded and attentive assembly testified, with many tears, the deep interest which they felt in the occasion; and not a few remember the scene with fervent gratitude, and can say, it was good to be there.

After the public solemnities, arrangements for the departure of the missionaries were made with all possible despatch; and, on the evening of the same day, brethren Nott, Hall, and Rice, took their leave in haste, that they might not fail of arriving at Philadelphia, in season for taking their passage in the Harmony. Those who remained were expected to sail early in the next week. Circumstances occurred, however, by which both the vessels were detained for several days; and it was not until the 19th of February that brethren Judson and Newell with their wives sailed in the Caravan from Salem, and about the same time brethren Nott, Hall, and Rice, with the wife of Mr. Nott, and several missionaries from England, left the Delaware in the Harmony.

The delay of the vessels was highly auspicious: and the Com. mittee would do violence to their feelings, and be greatly wanting in attention to the subject for high thankfulness to God, should they refrain from expressing the deep impression which they have felt of his particular providence in the whole business of preparing and sending out the mission. When the resolution was taken to embrace the opportunity by the Harmony, the utmost which the Committee expected to be able to do was, to fit out the four missionaries then engaged without their wives; or, if their wives should go, to advance to them only a half year's, instead of a whole year's, salary; or else to retain only two of them in the employment of this Board, and resign the other two to the London Missionary Society. Probably, indeed, the resolution could not have been taken at all, but for the commission which had been obtained from that Society. For the Committee cast themselves upon divine Providence in the case, with the alternative distinctly in view, that should they fail of seasonably obtaining the funds to enable them to send out the missionaries in the employment of this Board, they could, in the last resort, let them go under the London commission, Having this alternative, they ventured upon a measure, which otherwise, (so doubtful was the prospect of obtaining the pecuniary means,) they probably would have judged presumptuous. And they acted upon the same principle, when they added Mr. Rice to the mission. Nor was it until after the solemnities of the ordina tion, that they felt themselves warranted decisively to resolve on sending all the missionaries in the service, and at the expense, of this Board; and even then their expectations extended no further, than to an advance for each missionaryof a half year's salary. But the Lord made it to be remembered that the silver and the gold are his. The hearts of the people were wonderfully opened; money flowed in from all quarters; and by the time that the Caravan sailed the Committee were able to meet all the expenses of fitting out the missionaries, and to advance for each of them a whole year's salary!

In addition to this, collections were made at Philadelphia, during the same interval of delay, and delivered to the brethren who sailed from that port, to such an amount as to make the whole which was paid to the missionaries in advance equal to their stipulated salary for a year and a quarter nearly This deserves very grateful notice; for had our brethren been sent out, as it was expected they must be, with provision only for six months, such is the obstructed state of commercial intercourse and the uncertainty of making remittances to India, that not only the Committee and this whole Board, but the friends of the mission generally, must have been distressed with apprehensions of the sufferings to which, for want of the means of support, they might have been exposed. GOD WILL PROVIDE; God did provide. Within about three weeks, reckoning from the commencement of the special arrangements, more than six thousand dollars were collected for the mission. Several societies and manyindividuals shewed a liberality, which entitles them to the very grateful acknowledgements of this Board, and of all the friends of the Redeemer's cause; and which, it is devoutly to be hoped, will be a precious memorial of them, in his kingdom for ever. While contemplating the providence of God in these transactions at large, it should not be overlooked that had not our brethren been sent out at the very time they were, as no opportunities have since occurred, and as none are now likely soon to occur, the mission must have been delayed for a long time, and perhaps even till the close of the present deplorable war.

Since their departure, no intelligence has been received from the missionaries. As they were commended to the grace of God, with many prayers and tears, they will not cease to be so commended; and to Him under whose signal auspices they went out, and whose own glory is the ultimate object of all sincere attempts to spread the Gospel and to save the heathen, the whole disposal of the mission may be safely referred. And it becomes all who feel an interest in it, to hold themselves prepared devoutly to bless his name, whether he crown it with success answerable to their hopes, or in his inscrutable wisdom disappoint their expectations, and make it a subject of severe trial to their faith.

The instructions given to the missionaries were necessarily drawn up in great haste; but they will be submitted, with leave, to the consideration and for the revision of the Board.

Under the direction of the Committee, Messrs. Richards and Warren, who were accepted by the Board at the last annual meeting, have been favored with advantages of medical instruction in the intervals allowed by the Theological Institution of which they are members; both of them at Dartmouth College the last autumn, and one of them since with Doctor Miller of Franklin, and the other with Dr. Mussey of Salem. And the particular thanks of this Board are due to the gentlemen Professors of the Medical Institution at Dartmouth, and the two physicians who afforded their private instructions, for their ready liberality. The two brethren hold themselves still at the direction of this Board, with a readiness of

mind to enter into active service, as soon as Providence shall open the door for the purpose.

Mr. Eleazer Williams, the Indian youth proposed for an Indian mission, and who is in a course of education for this purpose, partly at the expense of this Board, made a visit in the course of the last winter to his tribe, a journal of which has been seen by the Committee. It is an excellent journal; affords great evidence of the piety and good sense of Mr. Williams; and details some facts highly favorable to his reception among his red brethren, when the time shall come for him to be sent to them. When that time will come is known only to Him, who has all events under his sovereign direction. At present the prospect regarding the contemplated mission to the Caghnawaga Indians, and that regarding our missions to the East, are darkened by the war; but this darkness may be dissipated, and brighter scenes open, than men can foresee.

For reasons, which will be obvious to this Board, it was judged advisable to apply to the Legislature of Massachusetts for an act enduing the Board with corporate powers and privileges. An application was accordingly made, which ultimately succeeded. The act will be submitted to the consideration of the Board.

On a review, the Committee are persuaded that their brethren, as well as themselves, will recognize many precious reasons of thankfulness to God; many impressive tokens of his gracious regard to our great design; many signal encouragements to prosecute the design with renewed and increased devotedness and activity. The war may embarrass our operations, but should not restrain our efforts. If the sure word of prophecy warns us of perils and calamities, of distress of nations with perplerity; it gives us assurance also that in these troublous times, the Gospel shall be extensively propagated, and that in overturning, and overturning, and overturning, the Lord is making way for the establishment in all the earth of that kingdom which cannot be shaken. If the DAY of vengeance is in his heart, the TEAR of his redeemed is come. Great Britain, while sustaining a conflict unexampled in the history of the world, is displaying a liberality, a zeal, and a spirit of enterprise, for imparting the word of life and the blessings of salvation to all people, to enemies as well as to friends, not less strikingly unexampled. And in this glorious work, so far from being checked by any pressure of burdens or difficulties, she continues without remission, and abounds more and more. By her admirable example, America should be provoked to emulation. Under no circumstances should we faint or be discouraged; but, trusting in God in whose cause we are engaged, if difficulties present themselves, our zeal should rise, and our efforts be augmented. The word is sure, He who reigns on the holy hill of Zion shall have the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession. We hail him LORD OF LORDS, AND KING OF KINGS; we rejoice in the opening prospects of his kingdom; and to be instrumental in extending bis dominion, and the blessings of his salvation, will be our highest glory.

Instructions, given by the Prudential Committee of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, to the Missionaries to the East, Feb. 7, 1812.

"To the Rev. Adoniram Judson, Samuel Nott, Samuel Newell, Gordon Hall, and Luther Rice, Missionaries to the East, under the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.

"VERY DEAR BRETHREN,

As in divine Providence we are specially charged with the weighty care of the Mission in which you are engaged, it devolves on us, as a sacred duty, to give some instructions for your observance. These instructions, owing to a pressure of circumstances, and the want of certainty in regard to some important points relating to the mission, will doubtless be more imperfect than otherwise they might have been; and it will rest with us, or with our successors in this care, hereafter to make them more complete.

Let there be no

"1. Your first concern, dear Brethren, must be personal. As you have given yourselves to the service of God in the Gospel of His Son among the Gentiles, it will be of the utmost importance, not only that you be sincere and without offence, but also that your hearts be kept constantly burning with love to God, to the Lord In order to this, you will Jesus Christ, and to the souls of men. be much in the exercises of devotion; in reading, meditation, and prayer; you will be religiously observant of all the precepts, ordinances, and instructions of the Gospel; and you will exercise yourselves to have always consciences void of offence, both towards God, and towards men. Keep under your bodies, and bring them into subLive by faith in jection. Keep your hearts with all diligence. Christ Jesus. Walk before God and be perfect. "2. Have fervent charity among yourselves. strife among you, which of you shall be accounted the greatest; but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. Ye have one Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. Be watchful over one another, in the spirit of meekness; and provoke one another only to love and good works. "3. The Christian Missionaries of every Protestant denomination, sent from Europe to the East, you will regard as your brethren; the servants of the same Master, and engaged in the same work with yourselves. With them your only competition will be, who shall display most of the spirit, and do most for the honor of Christ; with them you will be ready to cultivate the best understanding, and to reciprocate every Christian and friendly office; and with them you will cheerfully co-operate, as far as consistently you can, in any measure for the advancement of the common However it may be with others, let it never, dear Brethren, be your fault, if among the converts to Christianity in the East, every one shall say, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I VOL. V. New Series.

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of Christ; but remember that there is one body, and one Spirit, even as believers are all called in one hope of their calling: one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in them all.

"Wherever your lot may be cast, you will withhold yourselves most scrupulously from all interference with the powers that be; and from all intermeddling with political concerns. You will saeredly remember who has said, Render unto Cesar the things that are Cesar's, and unto God the things that are God's. Render unte all, therefore, their dues: tribute, to whom tribute is due; custom, to whom custom; fear, to whom fear; honor, to whom honor. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake. "5. As much as in you lies live peaceably with all men. You go, dear Brethren, as the messengers of love, of peace, of salvation, to people whose opinions and customs, habits and manners, are widely different from those, to which you have been used; and it will not only comport with the spirit of your mission, but be essential to its success, that, as far as you can, you conciliate their affection, their esteem, and their respect. You will, therefore, make it your care to preserve yourselves from all fastidiousness of feeling, and of deportment; to avoid every occasion of unnecessary offence, or disgust to those among whom you may sojourn; and in regard to all matters of indifference, or in which conscience is not concerned, to make yourselves easy and agreeable to them. In this, as well as in most other things, you will do well to hold in view the example of Pauly the first and most distinguished missionary to the heathen; who, though he was free from all, yet made himself servant unto all, that he might gain the more; and became all things to all men, that by all means he might gain some. When you behold the superstitions and abominations of the heathen, your spirits, indeed, will be stirred in you, and you will be very jealous for your God and Savior. But even then, you will take heed that your zeal be according to knowledge, and tempered with the meekness of wisdom. In all things, it will behove you, dear Brethren, to be harmless and blameless, the children of God without rebuke; to show to the Gentiles the excellent character of the religion of the Gospel, and to let them see in you a living example of whatsoever things are true,of whatsoever things are honest, of whatsoever things are just, of whatssever things are pure, of whatsoever things are lovely, of whatsoever things are of good report.

5. From the best views, which we have been able to obtain, our present desire is, that the seat of this Mission should be in some part of the empire of Birmah. After your arrival in India, however, you will make it an object to avail yourselves of information relating to that empire, and also relating to other parts of the East; and after due deliberation, you will be at your discretion, as to the place here to make your station. It will also in a similar manner, rest with you to determine, whether the great object of the mission will probably be best promoted, by your residing together in one place, or by occupying separate stations. In regard to those very im

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