prefage, that the time approaches when, according to the predictions of ancient prophecy, "The nations shall

fear the Lord from the weft, and his glory from the "rifing of the fun." It is pronounced as an indication of God's fpecial favour to his church, and of the deftined time for fhowing it," That his fervants take plea"fure in her duft and ruins." And, agreeably to this, we find, upon confulting the page of hiftory, that when the Eternal is about to revive religion, and extend its influence in the world, he generally prepares his way, by previoufly exciting his people to combine their efforts in his caufe. Though the work be all his own, both as to counsel and effect, and though his promise absolutely fecure its accomplishment in due feafon; yet his commands are laid upon his people to exert themselves in the fervice, and his facred will in them declared, " For "all these things will I be inquired of by the house of "Ifrael." The encouragement which they may derive from the power, and faithfulness of Chrift, and from the peculiar figns of the times, is great. Therefore, though infidelity and error have burft all ufual reftraints, and threaten, like a flood, an univerfal inundation; yet it may certainly be expected, that the fpirit of the Lord will raife up a ftandard to refift their progrefs. Perhaps the Affociations to which we have alluded may be the commencement of the defirable event. Perhaps, when Zion's watchmen fee eye to eye, and her citizens take each other cordially by the hand for mutual encouragement, the Lord may caufe her to rise from the dust, and put on her beautiful garments, and increase her glory by the full acceffion of the Gentile Nations. With this pleafing hope, a Miffionary Society has been formed in the city of New-York, compofed of minifters and private chriftians of various denominations, who are agreed in the effential doctrines of the gofpel.

Their object is to diffeminate the knowledge of the great falvation amongst the favage nations of America, and the inhabitants on our frontier fettlements. DeVOL. I. No. 2.

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firous to co-operate in promoting this important object, a number of the friends to chriftianity, in this northern quarter, have formed an Affociation, on fimilar principles, and request your cordial concurrence. The object is important, and muft certainly engage the attention of all, who either regard the honour of Christ, or can realize the value of an immortal fpirit.

When we caft our eyes upon our Western World, we behold myriads of precious fouls, perifhing without vifion; totally ignorant of the great Redeemer, who alone can deliver from the wrath to come; and having not even heard that there is a Holy Ghoft, whofe office it is to fanctify, and prepare the foul for immortal glory. Surely, not only 'a concern for the glory of God, and gratitude for that redemption which he hath purchased with his own blood; but compaffion for the fouls of these favages, fhould 'rouse from indifference, and prompt us to action. Are they not our brethren? Have we not all fprung from the fame common ftock? Are we not plunged, by tranfgreffion, in the fame mifery and guilt, and deftined alike for an eternity of wretchednefs or blifs? Have we tafted that the Lord is gracious, and fhall we not invite others to the fame fellowship? Ye know, beloved in the Lord, the heart of a ftranger; for ye yourselves were once Gentiles, ftrangers to the covenant of promife, and aliens from the commonwealth of Ifrael.

The difficulties in attempting to chriftianize the Heathen, are, no doubt, formidable. They may, by fome, be represented as infurmountable. Thefe we have duly realized; we feel their weight; but cannot confider them as fufficient to juftify us in declining the attempt. We may We may difinifs them all, with this fimple reply," "With God all things are poffible." Is he not omnipotent? Is he not able to execute, by his power, what he hath purpofed in his love, or revealed in his word? The hearts of all men are in his hand, and as the rivers of water, he turneth them whitherfoever he will.

The rude favage of the wilderness, no less than the poJifhed citizen of Athens or Rome, he can, at his pleafure, turn from idols, to ferve the living God.

Besides, upon a retrospective view of the progrefs of chriftianity, and the oppofition which it has fuccefsfully encountered, all conceivable difficulties muft utterly vanish. Who could have anticipated the mighty revolution that was actually accomplished by the few difciples, whom Jefus fent forth to preach amongst the nations' yet amidst circumftances fo unpromifing, how rapid, how fplendid were the triumphs of the crofs! The obftinacy of the Jew, and the ferocity of the Gentile, the favage habits of the rude barbarian, and the vile enormities of the more civilized Heathen, were proftrated alike, before the energy of its doctrines. May not these confiderations ferve to remove all difcouragements? Are they not fufficient to diffipate our fears, and confirm our refolutions? Sanctioned by the divine command, "Preach the gospel to every creature;" fupported by the divine promife," Lo, I am with you always;" let us perfevere, regardless of oppofition, and affured of fuccefs. "His arm is not fhortened, that it cannot fave." "The refidue of the Spirit is with him, and he waits to be gracious." But fhould our hopes be altogether disappointed; fhould our endeavours be as unfuccefsful as the object is defirable; yet "fhall our judgment be with the Lord:" our work of faith, and labour of love will not be forgotten. The duty is obvious; let us make the experiment, and fubmit the iffue to fovereign grace. Though the feed fown in the wildernefs, by our Miffionaries, fhould lay through time unproductive, yet in the day of retribution, it shall yield us a harveft of glory.

In an undertaking of this kind, our first concern fhould be, to fecure the countenance of heaven. " Ye," therefore, that make mention of the Lord, keep not filence, and give him no reft, till he establish, and till he make Jerufalem a praife in the earth." Be frequently, be fervently engaged on our behalf. Pray that a fpirit of

Extract of a Letter from the Rev. Dr. Green, of Phila delphia, to a Director of the London Miffionary Society.

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[From the Evangelical Magazine, for April, 1799.]

Philadelphia, July 31, 1798.

HE Evangelical Magazine is a very entertaining, and, I think, useful publication:-I hope you will be fo good as to continue to fend it to me; and I am truly forry I cannot make you the fuitable return, by tranfmitting more numbers of the work which was begun under a fimilar title in this country; but at prefent that work is at a ftand.

The Sermons before the Miffionary Society, and the Sermon and Charge at the defignation of the Miffionaries, have given me pleafure in the perufal; and to this pleasure it is a confiderable addition, that I am able to fend you a fermon (by Mr. Mafon), on a fimilar occafion, from this fide of the Atlantic; and, as far as I am capable of judging, not inferior in excellence to any I have feen on the fubject. The Conftitution of the New-York Miffionary Society I alfo inclofe. In this city we are just about organizing one on much the fame plan; fo that you perceive that your Societies have done good by the influence of their example, as well as by the direct exertions to fpread the gofpel which they have originated. By your zeal we have undoubtedly been ftirred up, and, I hope, that the fpirit which has gone forth will extend far and wide.

December 5, 1798.

ALAS! who can tell whether the work he has begun shall ever be completed! I had written as above, when that awful fcourge of our devoted city-the yellow fever-again made its appearance among us, and abforbed all other confiderations in a folicitude which it produced for the prefervation of life. Iwent with my family to the country, and there remained till the firft day of the

laft month. During the prevalence of the peftilence here in 1797, I was defirous to try the effect of a zealous declaration of the truths of the gofpel, in circumftances which made every individual feel the uncertainty of life. I accordingly kept my church open through the whole of it; and being favoured with uncommonly comfortable views of divine truth myself, which feemed to raise me above the fear of death or disease, I perfifted, in oppofition to the entreaties of my friends, to preach-three times a week, during the whole time the disease prevailed in the city. But I faw no permanent, or, at least, no remarkable fruits of my labour. On the contrary, it appeared evident, that though the people were fome.. what affected under the difcourfes I delivered, yet their feelings were tranfient, and left no abiding impreffions on their hearts. So true, in experience, is it, that nothing but the Spirit of God will ever difpofe the human mind to turn from fin to holiness. The people indeed to whom I preached were a medley of all denominations and defcriptions; for three-fourths of my own charge had fled from the city; and as there was no English church open except my own, and one of the Weftlean Methodifts, they flocked to me from all quarters. This year I determined to leave the city alfo; and after continuing to preach, till out of five hundred families, of which my congregation is compofed, not more than fifty individuals remained. I went to Princeton with my family, and there continued till the beginning of November laft. In 1793, both Mrs. Green and myself had an attack of this dreadful difeafe; but fince that time none of my family (bleffed be God) has been vifited with it. Philadelphia, and indeed all our maritime cities and towns, are threatened with ruin from this fearful malady. In a range of fea-coaft of more than 400 miles to the north-east of this place, not one fea-port has this year wholly escaped, at least not one town of confiderable importance. While the Sovereign of the universe is chaftifing other countries by the defolating fword, he feems to have determined to fcourge us by the devour