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ly roomy for the accommodation of the increasing household. They will therefore be under the necessity of enlargeing. They milk ten cows, and make plenty of butter for the use of the family, which is composed of about seventy

persons.

Sabbath,-We attended public worship with them. A large number of the Indians assembled, some of whom came sixteen miles, which is their regular practice on the sabbath. Bishop McKendree preached to them by an interpreter, and I addressed them after him through the same medium. Prior, however, to the opening of the meeting in English, Mononcu prayed, and they sang a hymn in their own language. After the regular exercises were closed they held a prayer meeting, in which a number of the Indians prayed in the most solemn, impressive, and affecting manner. It was truly delightful to notice the solemnity, attention, and pious feelings of this assembly, so recently emerged from the ignorance and stupidity of their Pagan state. After four or five hours employed in devotional exercises, it was with manifest reluctance that many of them retired from the house of prayer. Devotion appears to be their delight. In view of such a scene my heart kindled with gratitude to the Father of mercies, and I was ready to exclaim with pleasing admiration, "What has God wrought!"

Monday, We visited the school and examined into the progress of the boys and girls in their learning; and the result was most encouraging. They spell and read with great propriety. Several classes are reading in the Testament, and one large class in the Preceptor or English Reader. They are also making good proficiency in writing. Of their native genius and vivacity they give demonstrative evidence. Indeed I am persuaded that I never saw an equal number of children together in any school, where there was a greater display of intellect, or a more obvious capacity of improvement: and I am certain I never saw a school where there was equal subordination, peace, and quietness. The boys engage in the various labours of the farm with readiness, cheerfulness, and propriety; and we had the pleasure of seeing the girls sew, spin, and weave, and variously employed in the business of the family; in all which, considering their opportunity, they certainly excelled.

Tuesday, We met, agreeably to previous invitation, a number of the Indian leaders, among whom were several of the chiefs, and the moderator in the national councils, together with two interpreters. After opening the meeting with prayer, bishop McKendree informed them that he should be glad to hear from them how the church was prospering, the state of the school, and whether any thing more could be done for its prosperity: with any other matters which they might wish to communicate; assuring them that we were their friends, and would be glad to do them all the good in our power. After the interpreter had fully informed them of our wishes, a momentary pause ensued, when they arose and spoke in succession, as follows:

Mononcu. "My old brothers, I have many reasons to praise God for myself and for my nation. I believe that God has begun a great work, and hope he will carry it on. I have tried to talk to my people, and to pray for them. If I know my own heart, it is my intention to be wholly for the Lord. I believe that religion is in a prosperous state. That those who have professed are generally steadfast. The wicked have been taught that there is no half way place for them. I often feel infirm and weak, but I trust in God. My constant prayer to God is, that his work may revive, that his people may be blessed, and that the wilderness may flourish. I am sorry that some of the older brethren are absent who could speak better, and could give you more information. I am not able to communicate my own mind. Brother Finley will be able to give you better information than I can. Last spring when brother Finley was gone there was some difficulty. We seemed to be discouraged, and were like children without a father; and some were disposed to go away. The wicked Indians were encouraged by his absence, and did all they could to turn away others who were weak, from the right way; but since his return things have become better, and are now nearly as prosperous as they were before. I believe that God has appointed our brother Finley for this mission. All those who are religious in the nation, if they were here, would speak the same thing. The people in general are attentive to the word, and many come a great way to meeting, and I believe there will be a great work of God. 1 am thankful

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Wyandot Mission.

that my old brothers have sent brother
Finley, and hope they will not take
him away.
They might send a better
man, but they cannot send one so well
acquainted with the affairs of the In-
dians. We know him, and he knows
us, and can live like us. I believe
every brother in the nation is praying
for brother Finley to stay. Many of
our old people are rejoicing for the
blessings of the school; for the great
change which has been produced by it.
Before the school was set up our chil-
dren were wild, like the beasts of the
wilderness. They are not so now; but
are tame and peaceable. I have seen
many of the children on their knees,
We old people
praying in secret.
cannot expect much benefit from the
school ourselves; we are too old to
learn; we shall soon go to rest. But
the children will rise up improved, and
the school and religion will improve
and benefit the nation in future gene-
rations."

Punch. "I wish to say a few words
to our brothers. I am weak; but God
requires no more than he has given;
and I have great encouragement when
I consider the many promises of God,
and the power he has to fulfil his pro-
mises. There is a great change in
the nation since the word of God came
among us. Our people are very differ-
ent from what they were before. They
do not speak as they did nor act as
they did. The work speaks for itself.
The people are more industrious and
attentive to their business. They used
to live by hunting in the wilderness,
and were wild; but now they work
with their hands to provide comforta-
ble things for the body."

Peacock. "I thank God for the privi-
lege of meeting with our old brothers
to-day. I have but a few words to speak.
God has done great things for us. The
people are greatly changed in their way
of living. I was a long time between
two opinions, whether I should hold on
to the old way, or embrace the new.
But God directed me to the right way,
and since that I have always been de-
I shall not live
termined to hold on.
long, and can do but little. But I hope
the young ones who are springing up
will carry on the work. I am much
attached to our brother Finley; and I
suppose the reason is because it was
under his prayers and exhortations that
I was brought to know the truth. And
this is the case with many of the nation."

Sumenduwat. "I am thankful to God that he has been so kind as to bring our old gray headed brother to us again. I will inform our old brothers, that though I am young in the cause I enjoy the love of God. My tongue is too weak to express what God has done for me, and for my people. The providence of the Great Spirit was wonderful in sending the gospel among us, in preparing the way before it came that it might be understood. No longer ago than I can remember, and I am young, we had a way of worship; but it was all outward, and there was nothing in it to reach the heart. Those who taught us would say good things, and say and do bad things. But now they live as they speak, and the people are affected. They weep, and their hearts, and words, and actions are changed. The school will be a great blessing. The children learn to read the word of God, up and to work with their hands, and to be good. Some day they will rise preach the word, and teach the nation. It is impossible to describe the mighty change which has taken place. Go into families morning and evening and you hear them praying for the spread of the gospel in the wilderness, and many weeping and rejoicing for what God has done. This is all God's work. He will continue it. We must be faithful and leave it all to him. My word is very feeble; but my brothers can draw out my mind, and know what I mean; and they will excuse the weakness of my speech."

to

Gray Eyes. "My language is weak, and I have not much to say. My brothers will excuse the weakness of my words. My heart rejoices every day for what God has done in the wilder ness, and I believe he will carry on the work. Some are too much inclined to go away into the wilderness to hunt, and this weakens their religion; but this is wearing away, and the people are more disposed to work with their hands, to make fields and houses, and have things comfortable. The providence of God is wonderful in providing before two men, by whom we could We thank God for understand the good word when it came among us. what he has done. He has done all. He has provided all.”

Big Tree. "I am young, but I wish to say a few words. God has done a great work in this wilderness, which but a short time past was in great dark.

ness. There is now much zeal in his ways. When you go into families you hear the old people and the young people talking about this good work, and what God has done for them. When our brother was preaching last sabbath, and telling what effect the good word had wherever it went, I looked back and remembered what we were before the word of the Lord came among us, and what effect it had. Many witnesses were there of the truth of our brother's word. The school is a great blessing. When my little children come home from the school, they talk about the good things they have learned. They are very much altered -much better than they were. I have been a very bad man, but God has changed my heart, and I now love God, and wish to do right; and do good to my people and to all men."

Washington. "This has been a very wicked place. Much wickedness has been committed here. And I have been a very wicked man. But now when I go around among those who were very bad, I find them sober, and praying, and weeping, and striving to serve the Lord, and live well. Religion is sometimes high, and sometimes low. They do not always get along alike. But God is carrying on his work, and I believe it will prosper. Some people ask why we are so fond of our brother Finley? I suppose it is because we have been blessed through his labours."

Driver. “I wish to speak a few words. I am like one set out to follow a company which had gone before. But I have much cause to bless God that I have set out, and since I started I have been always determined to hold on, and live according to the good word. Sometimes there are little jars in the church, as there will be among children. But when these jars take place we pray to God, and peace is restored. God has done a great work for me and for the nation. Sometimes through the eye of faith I can view the beauties of heaven; and I rejoice in the prospect of it. I believe God, who has begun this work, will carry it on; and that the school is the place from which the word of God will start out. And I pray God to bless the children, and make them teachers and leaders of the nation."

Two Logs. "Brothers, I am thankful to you for coming so far to see us, and

to know what God is doing for us: and I thank God for sending you, and preserving you on your way. Brothers, you desire to know our state. But to let you know what our present state is, I must go back and tell you what we were before the word of God came among us. Brothers, it is not a great while ago that we were a very wicked people-we were lost, and in darkness in the wilderness. We were bad, and doing every thing that was bad. But then we were baptized, and sung, and danced, and pretended to be religious. But the religion we had then did not make us better men. Here you see us-we were all wicked men-we got drunk, and did every bad thing. Our wickedness was too bad to describe. But we did not do all these things with a wicked design. We did not know that all this that we did was wrong. We hope the Great Spirit will excuse some things because we were ignorant. Brothers, I have told you what we were; I will now tell you the change. The Great Spirit sent a good man among us to teach us the true religion of the word. He was taken away, and another was sent. The word took hold, and the old practices were given up, and bad men became good men. In the old state the men and women lived almost like the beasts; but now they are married, and live according to the word. And the men love and keep their wives, and the women love their husbands, and they live together in peace, and love, and take care of their children. Brothers, you can now judge for yourselves. The work speaks for itself. Blessed be the Great Spirit for all he has done for us."

Joseph Williams. "I wish to speak a few words. My brothers have spoken of the work. I believe that all the members would speak and say that the Lord has done wonders. The darkness has given way, and the light of heaven shines. The work is its own evidence, and God will carry it on."

Mononcu then rose and closed the communications on the part of the Indians, as follows:-"My old brothers, you have heard your young brothers of the wilderness in their way. You can now judge for yourselves what the state of the church is, and what is necessary for us. Brothers, we are weak and helpless in every thing, and need help and advice from you. I am sorry our older brothers are not here; but I

will make one request, and I am sure the whole nation would speak the same, let our brother Finley continue with us. If he should be taken away, the wicked would grow strong and the weak members would be discouraged. The school would be weak, and the little children would come round him and weep as if their father was leaving them. We ask that he may be continued with us. Death will soon part us-we shall not live long. But I hope we shall all meet in heaven, and be happy for ever. I thank the good people every where who have been kind in helping us, and sending the good word to us; and those who have fed, clothed, and taught our children. And I pray that the work of the Lord may continue and increase, and that all the children of the wilderness may receive the blessed word."

Here closed this dignified chief; but his noble soul was full and overflowing with his subject. Never did feelings more pure animate the heart of man; for they were evangelical. With a countenance beaming with all he felt, and with eyes flowing with tears, he left his seat and flew to embrace us. The scene was indescribable. After they had closed their talk we addressed them collectively, expressing our satisfaction and pleasure in meeting them, and in hearing from them the things which they had communicated, and especially in visiting the school, and noticing the improvement of their children. At the same time they were encouraged to persevere both in religion and civilization. This truly interesting and profitable interview being closed, we dined together in the dining room of the missionary family, and then parted with those feelings of Christian fellowship, which are not often experienced in the circle of the rich and the gay. It is the order in the missionary establishment for the missionaries, their wives, the hired men and women attached to the mission, the Indian children, with visiters of every colour and every rank, to sit down to table together, and no subordination is known but what arises from age or office.

Wednesday,-We commenced visiting private families, and were not a little gratified with their cleanliness, order, and decorum in their domestic affairs.

Thursday, Bishop M'Kendree con

tinued visiting from house to house, attended by an interpreter. In these visits experimental and practical religion were the subjects of inquiry and conversation. Questions embracing conviction, conversion, and the evidence of acceptance with God, were answered clearly, readily, and satisfactorily. In several of the families thus visited there were sick persons. In these the blessed effects of the grace of God in changing their hearts were clearly manifested. Patience, confidence, and peace in their afflictions, with humble triumph in prospect of death and immortality, were as evident in these Indians, so recently converted to the Christian faith, as in others who have lived and died happy in God, in lands long illuminated by the light of the gospel. They appear to have embraced the gospel in its simplicity and purity, uniting faith, experience, and practice. Considering the circumstances under which they have been placed, it is a matter of pleasing astonishment, that they have so clear and consistent ideas of the fundamental doctrines of the gospel, as from various sources of evidence, we found them to possess. Of the Trinity in unity; of the fall and depravity of man; of redemption by the death of Christ; of justification, or the pardon of sin by virtue of the atonement through faith, and of regeneration and sanctification by the agency of the Holy Spirit; of all these they have such ideas as, associated with the effects, authorize the belief that the Spirit of God has written them on their hearts. In their religious conversations, in their public instructions and exhortations; but especially in their prayers, they use the names of the three persons in the Trinity with peculiar solemnity, offering their petitions to each. "O! Hommen-dez-zuh. O! Jesus. O! Suck-ca-sah," frequently occur in their prayers. The true import is, O God the Father, O God the Son, O God the Holy Spirit. These titles do not often occur united, but various petitions and thanksgivings are addressed to each.

This may be considered as a digression from the path of narrative, but I thought it too important to be overlooked, and knew not where to introduce it more suitably. To return. While the bishop was employed in visiting and instructing the Indians, I visited, accompanied by brother Finley, a new

settlement of whites, about ten miles from the mission establishment, near the western boundary of the reservation. Verily these people were like sheep without a shepherd. About sixty collected to hear the word, and I have seldom preached the gospel with greater satisfaction to my own soul, in the spacious churches of our most splendid and populous cities. They seemed to be hungry for the bread of life. The old and young appeared to wait on the lips of the speaker with fixed attention, while tears and sighs evinced the interest they felt in the subject. O what a field for the missionary of Jesus. Calls are repeated from the white population of these vast frontiers, as well as from the Indian tribes to come and help them. Lo! the fields are ripe, and ready for the harvest, but where are the willing labourers? Lord, raise them up and send them forth into thy harvest. O! that the spirit of Wesley, of Coke, of Asbury, names of precious memory, may remain with us, their sons in the gospel.

Friday was chiefly employed in conversations with the family, and with visiters, and in making necessary preparations for leaving the establishment. Saturday morning we set out, after an affectionate parting with a family rendered dear to us, not only by the importance of the work in which they are engaged, and their truly laudable zeal in the prosecution of it, but also by the kindness and cordiality with

which we were received, and which seemed to increase with our continuance with them.

After spending such a week, every day of which developed new and interesting subjects,-a week in which, for the first time, I became an eye and ear witness of the power of the gospel over savage man,-in which, for the first time, I heard the praises of JEHOVAH from lips which had never pronounced a written language. I shall never think of Sandusky without pleasing recollections. Before I close this already protracted communication, I will observe that the talk of the Indians as previously noticed, was taken down as the interpreter gave it, and as nearly in his words, as his imperfect knowledge and use of the English language would admit. The whole talk of Sumenduwal, of Driver, and of Two Logs, is almost verbatim as delivered. After the talk was closed, the two interpreters were invited to a room, and the whole was carefully read over to them for the purpose of examination, and they pronounced it to be correct. I am however confident, that many valuable ideas and figurative beauties are lost by the translation, especially as the interpreters have but a very imperfect acquaintance with our language. If the whole, or any part of this communication, shall be thought of sufficient importance to appear before the public, it is cheerfully submitted. Yours in the gospel of Christ, J. SOULE.

STATE OF RELIGION ON SULLIVAN CIRCUIT.

Dear Brethren,-I am persuaded that it is no new thing, at this day, to hear of revivals. Scarcely a day passes without telling us of the prosperity of the Redeemer's kingdom: and you may have more of this pleasing intelligence than you can well publish. But as those who have been the subjects of the divine blessing think themselves peculiarly favoured, and feel happy in telling what the Lord has done for them, you may give this a place, if you have room, in your useful miscellany.

Shortly after the rise of conference I reached my circuit, and by this sudden transition from south to north, found myself in quite a new state of things. Nor did I find the circuit in

Montecello, N. Y., November 12, 1824. that situation I could wish. Since the revival some years ago, a long calm succeeded, and few had been the subjects of awakening or converting grace. But during the last year the work had particularly declined. Disaffection against the order and discipline of the church, had found its way into many of the societies; and in the strife about rule and government much of the Christian spirit was lost. Some had turned back to folly, others became discouraged, or had been stumbled in their progress, while the faithful silently held on their course, mourning at this general declension.

Feeling that our resource was only on high, myself and colleague, brother

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