ability, and your hopes in view, be intreated to caft the eye of attentive obfervation upon the condition of thousands and mil. lions of our guilty race, in other countries and our own, particular

counteracting the Gospel, there be not reafon for us to put forth every exertion, for the spread of that precious Gofpel, which is the grand charter of our eternal inheritance.

Scriptures, and candidly admit the leading doctrines which they contain, as all real Chriftians must be supposed to do, it must be conceded, that the whole human race is in a state of apoftacy from God, under the curfe of his violatedly amoug the Heathen tribes, and law, and expofed to the eternal on the frontiers of the United punishments of his government; States, forming a vaft line of new that the glorious Golpel of Chrift fettlements, peculiarly embarraffed is the adequate and the only medi- with refpect to their religious interum of recovering loft finners to efts by local circumftances; and God and happiness; and that this afk, whether, when their danger Gofpel must be known, received, is fo great, when their fpiritual and obeyed, in order to the fecuriwants are fo urgent, when there is. ty of the unbounded good which it fo much zeal on the part of wickfurnisheth to the miferable tranf-ednefs, infidelity and atheism, greffor; that the virtue and happinefs of mankind are really always in proportion to the influence which the Gofpel has upon them; that it is life from the dead to every believer; and that that glory of God, with which it is fo largely predicted in the Scriptures, that the world fhall fhortly be filled, will effentially confift in the univerfal and legitimate influence of this Gofpel. On thefe grounds evidently, the grand commiflion, which Chrift gave to his primitive difciples, "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gofpel to every creature; he who believeth and is baptized, fhall be faved; but he who believeth not, fhall be damned," was delivered. On thefe grounds the apostles of the Lord exhibited all that fidelity and zeal, in obedience to this charge, which are related in the New-Teftament; and on these grounds, zeal in every believer for the fpread of Chrif tianity has an adequate fanction.

With these confiderations before your minds; with the perifhing, and therefore very compaffionable ftate of every impenitent finner; with your own immenfe indebted nefs to redeeming grace, your folemn covenant vows, your account

Have we not, dear Brethren, been too long and too deeply flumbering, with refpect to our duty in this great affair? What shall we not be willing to do? What shall we not be willing to facrifice? Is not the intereft of Chrift our intereft? And have we, as his people, any thing to do but to promote it? May we not, then, hope that our inftitution will meet with your warmeft approbation; and that we fhall have the benefit of your joint co-operations, your influence, your. prayers? Will you become united to our Society? If this be inconvenient, will you not, as the Lord has furnished with the means, open the hand of a generous charity, and contribute to the fupport of the great object before us? As the ftate of the world is, the utility of the Society will depend much, very much, upon its pecu. niary means. The Society holds itfelf refponfible for the most faithful appropriation of all monies, which may be contributed and forwarded to the Treasurer, who

you

will give receipts, and enter fuch contributions on the accounts of the Society.

In a word, dear Brethren, we would fecure your attention, your hearts, your prayers, your influence, your exertions and your pecuniary abilities, to the benevolent object we are pursuing.

That God may incline your hearts to that which is pleafing to himself, and prepare us, with all the redeemed, for his coming and kingdom, is the fervent prayer of your brethren in Christ. In behalf of the Society, NATHANIEL EMMONS, Prefident.

Done in Boston, May}

Atteft,

SAMUEL AUSTIN, Sec'ry.

The Officers chofen for the then enfuing year were as follows: Rev. Nathaniel Emmons, D. D. Prefident; Rev. Samuel Austin, Secretary; Deacon John Simpkins, Treasurer; Rev. Meffrs. David Sanford, Daniel Hopkins, Ezra Wild, Samuel Spring, Jofeph Barker, Samuel Niles, John Crane, Samuel Auflin, Jonathan Strong, Trustees.

uncommon folemnity and affection. An animating fermon was delivered by the Rev. Nathaniel Emmons, D- D. from the 2 Chron. xv. 7. "Be ye ftrong therefore, and let not your hands be weak. For your work fhall be rewarded.” This fermon, with a fhort fketch of the state of the Society, and an additional addrefs to the friends of religion, by the unanimous vote, of the Society was printed. The funds of the Society were found. to amount to upwards of a thoufand dollars.

Encouraged by its augmented refources, the Society at their laft meeting voted to employ four Miffionaries to commence a serious execution of its defign. Four ordained ministers were accordingly, by the fubfequent exertions of the Board of Trustees, engaged. Two of them, Mefirs. David Avery and Jacob Cram, have undertaken, and are now deeply en-, gaged in the labors of a Miffion among the fperfed new fettle, ments, and the aboriginal natives inhabiting the country between Whiteftown and the Genefee riv er.

Several letters which have been received from thefe gentlemen, fince their arrival in that country, ftate the very urgent call there is for fuch labors as those to which they are defignated, and fuggeft, that from concurring circumftances they have before them, and that there would be before any number of Missionaries who might be charged with the fame fervice the most flattering profpects of extenfive usefulness. By a pofterior order of the Board of Trustees they are requested to continue their Miffionary labors. till the 15th of May next. AnTheir attend-other of the four Miffionaries the Rev. Adoniram Judson, has undertaken, and completed a Million

A fmall fund being created by the depofits of the members, and feveral donations, the board of Trustees at their firft meeting, made appointments of two Miffionaries, who were paftors of Churches, to undertake the labors of a Miffion, without delay, according to the avowed object of the fociety. Several obstructions however fruftrated these appointments. At the annual meeting of the Society in May 1800, the members of the Society were found to be augmented to 119. ance was general and ardent. Pub. lic worship was performed with

GELICAL MAGAZINE.

Brief obfervations on the words in Pfalm lxxiii. 4. "For there are no bands in their death."

of three months among the people | FOR THE CONNECTICUT EVAN. newly fettled in the interior and northern parts of the state of Vermont. His detail of his labors, and the teftimony given in feveral letters from various collections of people to whom he preached, of the cordiality and fpiritual advantage with which they were received, were highly gratifying to the Board of Trustees.

T

HESE are the words of the Pfalmift with respect to the wicked, whofe profperity excited his envy; and exprefs one inftance of their happiness and prosperity, which, in his view while he was in the exercise of this evil difpofition was a real good, and he was dif pleased that they should enjoy it.

This fentence, has been generally, if not universally applied to the death of the wicked, expref

oppofition to fears, diftrefs and horrors, which a belief and fenfe of future mifery would excite.But there are objections to this sense of the words.

The other of the Miffionaries, the Rev. John Sawyer was appointed to a field of Miffionary labor in the remote parts of the Province of Maine. In a letter from him dated Dennyville, Sept. 5, 1800, he fpeaks favorably of his Miffionary profpects, and la-fing the calm and ease of mind in ments nothing, but that his term of labor is neceffarily of fo fhort duration. The officers for the current year are the fame that they were the last, except that the Rev. Abiel Holmes is chofen Trustee in the room of the Rev. John Crane. The events of providence feem in general at the prefent moment to be highly aufpicious to the perpetuity, augmentation, and extenfive ufefulness of the Society. The fpirit of determination it is prefumed does not abate. The fentiment of all the members is one, to give all the weight to the Society which is in their power to produce; to relax no effort for the accomplishment of the benevolent object it contemplates, and, in un-ed, may have refpecting their fuceafing prayer to commit its important concernments to the guardianship, and bleffing of the Fa-into his view, it cured him of his ther of Ifrael. Undoubtedly difficulties will arife, but the ardor of true piety is inextinguishable. It will burst through all the barriers which mistake, or jealoufy, or virulence can form to oppofe it. God will be the ark of its ftrength, and crown its unceafing ftruggles with victory and glory.

To fay there were no bands in their death, is not suited to exprefs any merely mental distress. With what propriety of words can this be called bands, in oppofition to ftupidity and ease of mind? Befides, the Pfalmift, in the frame of mind in which he then was, had no view or even a thought of the future punishment of the wicked. His views were confined to this life, and he thought nothing of the fear and distress that dying. perfons, whether righteous or wick

ture exiftence. When the future ftate of the wicked was brought

envy, he fays; and he condemns himfelf for his former ignorance and folly, which made him more like a beaft than a man. Moreover, it is not true of all the wicked, and probably of wicked perfons in general, that they have no fears and terrors refpecting their future ftate, when they come to

"

die. Many of them have difcov- | God and man, and yet continued

to live in high health. He felt as if it would be much better for the world if they fhould be fick and die. He had been wishing and hoping for this, that they might be taken out of the way, and do no more mischief; but he was disappointed. That this is the true meaning of the fentence under confideration, is confirmed by the words which immediately follow, “But their strength is firm." This has

ered great diftrefs and horror of mind on their death bed, and have died under awful apprehenfions of falling into endless destruction. And this may be the cafe with most of the wicked when they feel they are at the point of death, efpecially of thofe who live in gospel light, though it be not difcovered to others. It cannot therefore be faid with truth, that the wicked have no bands in their death, in this fenfe, if the expreffion were prop-no refpect to their dying without

er and fuited to convey this idea, which it does not appear to be.

Another fense of these words offers itself to which the objections made to the sense first mentioned, do not apply; and perhaps no objection will be made to it.

It is to be observed, that the words there are, are not in the original,but fupplied by the tranfla

tors.

fear or concern, or in distress and horror; but is mentioned in oppofition to their being fick and dying. They did not die, but enjoyed health and bodily ftrength, "Their eyes ftand out with fatnefs-they have more than heart could with."

The bands of death doubtless are the bodily disorders, sickness, pains and diftrefs by which the body dies. And this obfervation may ferve perhaps, to explain the words of Peter, Acts, ii. 24, "Whom God hath raised up, having loofed the pains of death; because it was not poffible that he should be holden of it," or of him, that is death. Thefe words would be more eafily understood, at first view, if the word bands had been ufed inftead of pains. But when the latter is understood as fynonimous with the former, all difficulty is removed. Death is spoken of as a perfon, binding the glorious Saviour of the world with the pains and cruelties inflicted by his murderers. These bands were loofed in his refurrection, as it was not poffible death fhould hold him in them, as he did others.

If the original be rendered without a fupply, it may be thus; their death, no bands. But there must be a fupply to make the sense clear in our language. Which may be thus; "Their death bath no bands." Death is here perfonified, and as if one fuch perfon belonged, or was related to each man. When men die, he is represented as coming to them as a conqueror who cannot be refifted, and with his bands binding them fast, and carrying them away as his captives. When the Pfalmift fays, Their death hath no bands, he means not to represent the wicked as immortal, but living long, much longer than he could wish, or is defirable; fo that it feemed to him as if death had no bands to bind them, and take them away. This is the feeling and language of Bezaand Doddridge understand one who envied them, and was un-pains, in this paffage as of the eafy and vexed at their profperity, fame import with bands. who were proud, injurious, and Spoke haughtily with respect to

PHILOGRAPHE.

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