ready enjoy, as from what they hope for and expect. If all hope was entirely removed from the wicked, and they were fully convinced, that they had already received all the good-all the pleafure, comfort or happinefs, which they are ever to have, their hearts would evidently be filled with before-unknown diftrefs. Yet this, and much more, will take place at the day of their death. They will then clofe their eyes forever on all things here below, and have no more forever a portion in any thing which is done under the fun. All their pleasures and comfortable enjoyments will then be at a perpetual end-all their fond hopes and expectations entirely cut off and gone forever, and an eternal ftate of darkness and defpair will open upon them. They will find, with the rich man in the parable, that they have received their good things in their life time, even all the good they are ever to have, and that all now remaining for them is to be tor which the favor of God, and eternal life are connected. Therefore, as much as God's everlasting favor exceeds, in real value and importance, any quantity of gold and filver-as much as eternity is longer than time, or as much as man's future exiftence will exceed in length of duration, the period of his prefent life, and as much as the fum or whole amount of real good comprifed in the endless glory and happinefs of heaven, viewed in contraft with a ftate of never-ending mifery, exceeds the amount of real good comprifed in and certainly connected with the acquifition of filver and gold; fo much better is it to get wildom than gold, and fo much is the acquifition of underftanding rather to be chofen than filver. Hence, is it not very furprifing, that mankind, under the clear light of the fcriptures, do not feek after wifdom, with as great ardor and engagednefs, as any ever feek for filver-that they do not fearch for it, with as intenfe defire, and conftant atten-mented, without refpite or allevi tion, and perfevering diligence, as any ever fearch for hidden trea fures! ation, forevermore. How dreadful, then, beyond the power of language to defcribe, or of human minds to conceive or comprehend, muft that day be to the wicked! and efpecially to thofe of them who have lived, as many do, in the fond and confident expectation of happiness and glory in the world to come !-What can be thought of, more infupportably fhocking and overwhelming to the human heart, than for fuch as have lived in the pleafing and confident expectation, that they fhall dwell and reign in the world of happinefs and glory, to find, at once, all their fond hopes ut terly cut off, and themselves in the world of mifery and torment unutterable, and in complete defpair of relief or refpite thro the never-ending ages of eternity! Hence how awfully dangerous is the ftate of the wicked every day and every hour! Our lives are in God's hands, and he can take them away whenever he pleases. The wicked in particular, being out of Christ, and under the curfe of God's broken law, have no title, by covenant promise, to life or any good whatever, but are liable, every day and hour and minute, to be cut off from life, and from every fource of comfort, and placed beyond the hope of happiness forever. And fome are, in fact, fuddenly cut off in childhood and youth, and fome in riper years. How evident is it, then, that the wicked are continually in an exceedingly awful and dangerous ftate! How could any man foberly view himfelf as liable every day to be cut off from the living, and that, under a full conviction that when he dies, all his hopes will utterly perifh, without fenfibly feeling that his ftate was awful and dangerous indeed-fuch as no wife perfon could think fafe to be refted in for a moment! Is it not then high time for every one, who yet ranks among the wicked, in the fcriptural fenfe in contradiftinction from the righteous, to repent, and turn to God thro Jefus Christ, and do works meet for repentance! Can it be thot prudent and fafe can it be rationally viewed in any other light, than of daring, wicked prefumption, for any to go on fecure in the ways of their own heart, and neglect the great falvation now clearly exhibited, and gracioufly propofed to them in the gof pel! PHILEUSEBES. Religious Intelligence. BY a recent letter from the Rev. Mr. Bacon, Miffionary to the Indians, it appears that he is at Michillimackinack, making preparation to vifit fome of the tribes the enfuing fpring. He meets with fome unexpected embarraffments; but these, instead of abating his zeal, make him more engaged to attempt to do fomething for the Indians. The obftacles in the way of communicating the gofpel to thofe poor, perifhing pagans are many and great; this fhould animate the prayers and quicken the exertions of the friends of Christ, and while they do all that lies in their power they muft fubmiffively wait God's time to crown their efforts with fuccefs. Mr. Bacon, after speaking of many delays and troubles, fays, "if those who fupport the miffion will have patience and refolution to continue their prayers and exertions, I am ftill in hopes, if I am fpared, to have fomething to communicate in years to come which will rejoice their hearts, and thro the thanksgivings of many redound to the glory of God. Perhaps it will be found, on examination, that the events of the prefent year are not, on the whole, fo difcouraging as what they might feem at firft view. It is notorious that Indians are naturally shythat they are flow in their decifions on the most common cafes-that they are extremely cautious in accepting the faireft propofals of others, unlefs fanctioned by their own experience. These obfervations will univerfally hold true with refpect to them, except they are feduced from their stedfaft purpofes by the intoxicating draught. When an object is prefented to them, they should be left to approach, and withdraw from it, at their leifure, till their judgment is formed. And if its afpect is not evidently forbidding, their fcruples will be likely to vanish as it becomes familiar. As they will not haftily adopt any thing that is new, and as they are disposed to think and act for themselves, to urge them to an immediate decifion with respect to an object with which they are unacquainted, is the fure way to make them decide against it, notwithstanding all that can be done by the moft perfuafive arguments or the influence of friends. These tho'ts have helped to confole me of late under a review of the grievous delays I have met with." Donations to the Miffionary Society of Connecticut. January 18. Solomon Goodell, Jamaica, Vermont, appro priated to Indian Miffions, 28. Rev. John Willard, New Settlements, Feb. 11. From a friend of Miffions, NOTE. In the Editors' New Year's addrefs p. 245, it is mentioned that the Rev. Mr. Potwine was the only minifter who had died in this ftate du ring the year 1802. This was a mistake which the Editors hope their readers will excufe. The Reverend and learned John Devotion, for ma ny years Paflor of the third Society in Saybrook, died the 6th of laft September. FOR THE CONNECTICUT EVAN GELICAL MAGAZINE. Attempts to propagate the Gospel among the Indians in New England, &c. [Continued from p. 257.] NUMBER VIL CHAPTER II. Concerning the propagation of the Gospel among the Indians in New England, particularly in the colonies of the Maffachusetts, and New Plymouth, in the feventeenth century, by the miffionary labors of the Rev. John Eliot, of Roxbury, and of thofe divines, who, after fome time, were affociated with him, as fellow-laborers in the good work. | language of the natives about the year 1644-A&t of the General encourage the chriftianizing of Affembly of the Massachusetts to the Indians-Of the affistance Mr. Eliot received from the Ministers, and the encouragement given by good men, in general, in the New England colonies-Of his firft public effay in 1646, to instruct fome of the natives a few miles from his own houfe; his mode of inftruction, and the pleafing profvifits Of his tranflating the Bipect which opened upon his firft ble, and other books upon divine fubjects into the Indian language His early care that fchools fhould be inftituted among the Indians-His reducing thofe whom he first taught, to fome degree of civil order, and induftry-General INTRODUCTION. -Some acCourt of Massachusetts pafs fome count of Mr. John Eliot prior to Refolves to reduce the natives to his coming to New England- civil order-Indians at Concord His arrival, and fettlement in the exprefs their defire to be civilized, Miniftry, at Roxbury, near Bof- and taught Chriftianity; and a ton-Of the refolution he formed vifit is paid them for this purpose to make an attempt to gofpelize to fome good effect-Mr. Eliot's the Heathen, particularly in Maf- great diligence in his miffionary. fachusetts and New Plymouth col-work-The obftructions he met onies; and of his preparing himfelf for a Miffion by learning the VOL. III. No. 10. with in purfuing his work; the hardships he endured, and the Z z dangers to which he was expofed tury. He that makes any effays in hiftory, cannot but wish for the benefit of original writers. However, in the present case, this defect may be, in a good measure, fupplied, by Dr. Cotton Mather, Mr. Neale, and Governor Hutchinfon. These three gentlemen, at least the two first, as it appears, had many of the original publications before them, when they wrote their hiftories; and the laft had fome of them; and they were gentlemen much efteemed in the province of history. in his miffionary courfe; and his patience, fortitude, perfeverance, and truft in Divine Providence amidst all his trials and perilsBrief account of the London Society for propagating the Gofpel in New England, and parts adjacent, who affifted in fupporting the Miffionaries-Of the fettlement of the Indians at Natick, and forming themselves into a body politic under the direction of Mr. Eliot-They defire to be formed into a Church: Elders and Brethren from neighboring churches convene upon the occafion, and examine their qualifications. In the feventeenth century, not a little was done to propagate the Gospel among the Indians in New England. Some writers indeed, contrary to hiftoric truth, have attempted to diminish the work; and indeed have had the confidence to affirm, that what was done was : Rev. Richard Mather's remarks upon the serious appearance of the Indians at Natick at the time the council met to examine them.* Gathering a church, and ordain-trifling, fcarcely worthy of being ing a minifter at MafhipaugeOf Mr. Eliot's affiftants in his miffionary fervices-The ftate of the chriftianized churches and congregations under the fuperintendance of Mr. Eliot in 1670Religious exercifes in the Indian congregations, and a fpecimen of the exhortations, or fermons of two of their teachers, comprehended within a very narrow com¿pafs. mentioned; and have paffed fevere cenfures upon our ancestors; but it will appear in the fequel, in connexion with the narratives, which have been already given, that their cenfures were ill founded-that great pains were taken to propagate the Gospel among the natives; and that, tho' many rejected the offer of the Gospel, yet the endeavors of the Miffionaries were crowned with no fmall fuccefs. However, it may feem, at this day, not a little strange, that such pious men as the early fettlers of New England undoubtedly were in general, fhould so long neglect to make any fpecial attempts to chriftianize the Heathen, confidering that the work was fo benevolent and excellent, and that the Charter, granted by King Charles I. to the Maffachusetts Company, exprefsly mentions this as one defign of encouraging the plantation, that the emigrants |