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As they are ftrict in their difcipline when churches are formed, fo they are alfo cautious with refpect to the manner of admiffion to baptifm, and the communion. When any are awakened to a fenfe of their guilt and danger, and need of a Saviour, and come to the Miffionaries for instruction, and give in their names to them, they are called new people, and special attention is paid to them. If they continue in their earnest desires to

worshipping God and the RedeemWhen a fufficient number, in any place, embrace the gofpel, schools are established, catechifing is introduced, and books in the language of those whom they inftruct, are provided. Spelling books and a catechifm, or fummary of Christian doctrine, have been printed in the Greenland, Ef quimaux, Delaware, Arawack, and Creole languages. The brethren have alfo printed the harmony of the four gofpels in the Green-be faved from fin and to be initiated land language. Befides they have tranfmitted and written copies of feveral parts of the fcriptures in different Heathen languages. They have likewife hymn books in the Creole and Greenland dialect.

Wherever they are able to collect a congregation, they meet daily, morning or evening, for focial worship. On the Lord's day the Miffionaries are employed from the dawning of the morning until night, in preaching, and in meeting the different divifions of the congregation, in attending to their own people, and to fuch Heathen, as vifit them, under concern for their falvation.

The Miffionaries have affiftants chofen from the most pious and refpectable brethren and fifters, to vifit the people from houfe to houfe, to attend the fick and infirm, and report the state of individuals and of the whole congregation, among their converts from the Heathen, in the fame manner as in their own congregations. The males watch over and minifter to the brethren, and fifters perform the fame duties with respect to fifters. Thefe meet the Miffionaries, at least once a month and make their report of the ftate of the congregation. They alfo occafionally addrefs the congregation in their meetings on the week days.

VOL. I. No. 3.

M

into the Christian church, they are called candidates for baptifm. After previous inftruction, and a convenient time of probation, they are baptized. If they then, by their converfation and walk, prove that they have not received the grace of God in vain, and defire to enjoy the communion, they are admitted once to be prefent as fpectators, and then are confidered as candidates for communion, and after fome further time of trial become communicants.

The money with which they support their miffions is all freely given by the brethren, and by fuch charitable friends among other denominations, as are difpofed to affift them in their benevolent work of propagating the gofpel among the Heathen. Every thing refpecting it is matter of free gift. In their articles of agreement they fay, "As

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As they have congregations and agents in Great Britain, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden and the Ruffian dominions, and Miffionaries in the various Heathen countries which have been mentioned, a fraternal correfpondence is conftantly kept up between the three principal focieties, and all the congregations of the brethren, in the various parts of the world. The defign of it is for information with respect to the state of their churches, for the ftrengthening of the bonds of brotherly love and union, and for mutual encouragement and affistance in the work of the Lord.

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Speaking of the fuccefs of their miffions, they fay, "What the most ⚫ just and excellent moral precepts 6 cannot effect, what all the power of philofophy cannot produce, 'what all the arguments and eloquence of men cannot accomplish, that is done by the word of re'conciliation through the blood of 5 Chrift. Yet who is fufficient for these things! Not man indeed, no, not the wifeft, beft and most • zealous of men. Our fufficiency is of God, to whom be all the glory for ever and ever."

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How ought the preceding hiftory of the exertions and fuccefs of a poor people, few in number, who have been driven from their own, and are strangers in foreign kingdoms and countries, in propaga

ting the gospel among the poor Heathen, to reprove all other denominations of Chriftians? How ought it to fhame and humble them, that while they have lived in affluence and pleasure, are numerous and powerful, and in all refpects under far better circumftances, they have done, comparatively, nothing in this truly apoftolic bufinefs! How ought it to awaken all their zeal and exertions, for the future, to spread the kingdom of Jefus among the unhappy nations, who are perifhing for lack of vifion? How vaftly different would the ftate of the world now have been, had all other denominations of Chriftians employed the fame felf-denial, exertions, and patience, which they have done in ' this glorious work? How many thousands who have perished without the knowledge of God and the Saviour, might have been faved? How many nations who now fit in the region of the fhadow of death might have enjoyed the light of the gofpel, and been now worfhipping the exalted Redeemer, and triumphing in his great falvation.

Should not the example of these brethren in offering themfelves cheerfully to be Miffionaries, and travelling to the most diftant countries and amongst the most stupid people, and fpending their lives in labors to convert them, awaken in our pious and hardy youth and middle aged people a like zeal, and engagednefs in carrying the gospel to their perishing fellow-men?

Does not the fuccefs of this people, among the most stupid and barbarous nations, demonftrate, that the civilization of a people is not abfolutely neceffary, to their chriftianization? And that it is not in vain to make the overtures of falvation even to fuch as are most

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wild and favage? Shall Chriftians, Thoughts on the future glory of the any longer adopt the language of the fluggard, A lion is without, we Shall be slain in the ftreets, and fold up their hands, while millions are perishing for the want of their af fiftance? Shall we not rather hear the command of our mighty Re. deemer, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every crea

ture? Shall we not imitate his ex

ample, who loved and died for mankind, and love our perifhing fellow-men! Shall we not deny and exert ourfelves that they may be faved? Do we tafte the fweets of pardoning mercy and rejoice in the falvation of the gospel, and fhall we not invite others to the heavenly repaft?

Shall we not difcern the signs of the times, and derive encouragement from the providence and promifes of God? Has he not at this period, awakened, in many parts of Proteftant christendom, an uncommon attention to the ftate of the heathen, and to greater exertions for the propagation of the gofpel,

than hath ever before been, fince the age of the apoftles? Can it be imagined that he is doing this with. out fome wife and glorious end, which he is about to anfwer? Does it not carry an intimation, that the time is about to commence, in which he will give to his fon, The Heathen for his inheritance and the uttermoft parts of the earth for his uttermoft parts of the earth for his poffeffion? Hath he spoken and will he not do it? Shall we not all therefore arife to the help of the Lord, and be co-workers with him? Shall we not oft liberally and cheerfully give our money,'employ our time and powers for this bleffed purpofe; and pray without cealing, Thy kingdom come, thy

will be done on earth as it is in beaver. AMEN.

Jewish Nation. friends of Chriftianity who have paid the closest attention to the prophecies, are agreed that the time is not far diftant, when the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the fea; and that the converfion of the Jews to the faith of the gofpel, will conftitute a very important part of the approaching profperity It is not prefumed

of the church.

by the writer of this Effay that he can offer any thing new on this fubject. The attention of the rcader

may

be excited, by a plain review of truths which are generally known, to fearch the fcriptures with more fervor for the enlargewith greater diligence, and to pray ment and profperity of the Redeemer's kingdom.

Whether the Jews will return to the land which God gave unto their from it, I fhall not now inquire, fathers, and be no more removed but fhall confine myfelf to the fubject of their converfion to Chriftianity. That this happy event will take place is evident from many paffages of fcripture.

I fhall felect only a few of the principal ones.

The firft paffage I fhall introduce is recorded in Jeremiah xxxi. 31

34 Behold, the days come faith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Ifrael, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I that I took them by the hand, to made with their fathers, in the day bring them out of the land of Egypt, (which my covenant they unto them faith the Lord;) but this brake, although I was an husband

hall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Ifrael; af

ter thofe days, faith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts : and will be their God, and they Shall be my people. And they fhall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, faying, Know the Lord: For they Shall all know me, from the leaft of them unto the greatest of them, faith the Lord: For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their Jin no more. This prediction received but a fmall accomplishment, either on the return of the Ifraelites from Babylon, or in the age of the apostles; the only paft periods in which any can fuppofe it was fulfilled. The Ifraelites have not, in any one generation fince their departure from Egypt, been fo univerfally pious as this prophecy affirms. When have there been any appearances among them which anfwer to the defcription, of all knowing the Lord, from the leaft of them even unto the greatest of them? The time is yet future when the Lord will be their God, and they fhall be his people, in the extenfive fenfe of this prediction and prom

ife.

the Romans. It is declared that
after these many days, the children
of Ifrael will return, and feek the
Lord their God and David their
king. By David in this prophecy
is meant the Meffiah; who did not
come into the world until a long
time after their return from their
Babylonian captivity, and but a
fhort time before their prefent dif
perfion. Moreover, the piety of
the children of Ifrael defcribed by
Hofea, is reprefented as taking
place in the latter days.
phrafe latter days, or last days, is
moft generally ufed in fcripture ei-
ther for the whole or fome part of
the period which began with the
coming of Chrift in the flesh. It
is manifeft that the prophecy before
us looks forward to the national
converfion of the Jews, when they
will acknowledge the Meffiah, of
whom David the king of Ifrael
was fo illuftrious a type.

The

I will mention but one paffage more in the Old Testament, and that is contained in Zechariah xii. 10. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerufalem, the fpirit of grace and of fupplications; and they fball look upon me whom they have pierced, and they fhall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only fon, and

Let us next attend to Hofea iii. 4, 5. For the children of Ifrael fhall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a fac-fhall be in bitterness for him, as one rifice, and without an image, and that is in bitterness for his firfi without an ephod, and without ter- born. The perfon in this text aphim. Afterward fall the chil- who is pierced by the inhabitants dren of Ifrael return, and feek the of Jerufalem is Jefus of Nazareth. Lord their God, and David their To him it is exprefsly applied in king; and fhall fear the Lord and John xix. 37. And again another bis goodness in the latter days. The fcripture faith, They all look on time was fhort in which the chil-him whom they have pierced. dren of Ifrael abode in Chaldea, and remained without the means of religious inftruction which they enjoyed in Jerufalem. The period expreffed by many days, applies only to their difperfion fince their city and temple were deftroyed by

The

forrow which the Jews are reprefented as feeling when they look upon the Meffiah whom they had pierced, is godly forrow, and confequently involves in its nature evangelical repentance. It is the fruit of the out-pouring of the

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that the rejection of the Jews is not total, and by declaring that it will not be final. In the first part of his reply he mentions his own cafe as an exception from the general wretchedness of his nationI also am an Ifraelite of the feed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. He goes on to mention the feven thousand men who did not bow the knee to Baal in the de

fpirit of grace and fupplications. The mourning in that day will be univerfal. It appears from the context that there will be a great mourning in Jerufalem; like the Jamentations which were uttered in that city when king Jofiah fell in battle, in the valley of Megiddo. It is faid in verfe 12, that the land fhall mourn; and thence to the end of the chapter, the mourning is defcribed as being car-generate age of the Prophet Elijah, ried into every family and into the and applies that fact to his prefent clofet. Such a day of godly for- purpofe in ver. 5. Even fo then, at row for fin as is held up by Zech- this prefent time also there is a remariah, goes far beyond what took nant according to the election of grace. place among the Jews on the day It abundantly appears from the of Pentecoft, or what hath been 11th verfe and onwards, that the in any other period fince there was rejection of the Jews is not final. a church on the earth. Several I fay then have they fiumbled that thoufand of the Jews were con- they bould fall ? God forbid : but verted to the faith of the gofpel in rather through their fall falvation the Apoftolic age, and a few indi-is come unto the Gentiles, for to viduals have been converted fince, but the body of the nation have for many hundred years been given up to hardness of heart and blindness of mind. The prophecy of Zechariah must refer to a day yet to come, when the Jews then alive will univerfally, with believing, contrite hearts, embrace the Meffiah who was crucified without the gates of Jerufalem.

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Leaving the Old Teftament let us pafs to the New, and attend to | the xi. chapter of the epiftle to the Romans. This chapter begins with an objection-Hath God caft his people? q. d. How is this cafting away of the Ifraelitifh nation confiftent with the declaration and promife which God hath made, That he hath chofen Jacob unto bimfelf, and Ifrael for his peculiar treasure and that he will zzot caff off his people, neither will be forfake his inheritance.* He replies to the objection by observing

:

* Pfalm cxxxv. 4. xciv. 14.

provoke them to jealoufy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fulness? The fulness of the Jews is fet over against their fall, or their apoftacy and fubfequent rejection. By their fulness then must be meant their return to God by faith in the Meffiah. Their fall had been the occafion of enriching the Gentiles with gofpel bleffings. Their fuinefs, or gcce. ral ingathering, will be inftruental of procuring the fame bling in a much higher degree. Omitting other quotations which might be taken from this chapter, I pafs on to the 25th and 26 in veifes. For I would not, brethren, that ye bould be ignorant of this mylery, (left ye fhould be wife in your own conceits) that blindusfs in part is happened to Ifrael, uniil vibe fillnofs of the Gentiles be come in. And fo all Ifrael fhall be faved; as it is written, There shall come out of Labon the Deliverer, and fail turn a

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