6 < They certainly is important. unfit the mind for the duties of religion and the folemnities of death and judgment. I cannot there'fore recommend thefe pursuits to my fellow mortals as the way to happiness; neither can I rejoice in obferving them contented and happy in this courfe. Peace of mind in this world and glory in the next, are the bleffed fruits of ' a reconciliation with God and a courfe of ftrict virtue, ferioufnefs and religion. When I fee a per'fon cheerful and happy in this courfe and with thefe profpects, I can rejoice with him; for I am 'perfuaded that his ftate is fafe, that his hopes are rational, and his profpects truly animating and 'glorious. But when I behold a 'perfon cheerful and happy in the midst of carnal fecurity and finful 'pleasures, it rather excites pity in my heart than joy; I know his ftate to be dangerous and all his hopes of happiness to be vifionary. I think him an object of pity, because he is in danger of the greatest evil, while he feels himfelf fafe. I view him a wretched creature, in the direct path to woe, and, perhaps, juft at the gate of hell, altho' in the midst of gaiety, cheerfulness and mirth. Say, Amanda, fay, can you wifh to fee a perfon contented and happy in this state of danger, juft upon the brink of eternal death?" SHAPHAN. 6 6 6 Religious Intelligence. DENMARK. Letter from the Danish Society for propagating the gospel, to the Miffionary Society of London. Moft dearly beloved Brethren in Chrift, the venerable Directors of the Miffionary Society, GRACE and peace be with you from God our Father, and Jefus our Saviour, and with all who truly call upon the name of the Lord. At our general Annual Society, held the 11th of the Calends of July, we read with deepest emotions of heart your most welcome Glory be to The letter of May 26th. God who fo mightily ftrengthened and exhilerated our hearts with the confidence given of your love and interceffion for us, and by that bleffed union of Spirit, in which we are truly one with you. German Society of Bafil hath alfo communicated to us your very animating epiftle to them, which hath ftimulated them to perfift, by the grace of Jefus, in the race fo happily and profperously begun. In your letters, fo full of momentous intelligence, dearest brethren, we understand they have been accompanied with papers informing us, among other things, what you have been attempting abroad and at home, and what you farther purpose. But thefe papers have never reached us; why, we know What refreshment, inftruction, and caufe of prayer and thankfgivings would they not have afforded us! The lofs of them is truly grievous to us; having kindly defigned them for us, we cannot, deareft brethren, but apprize you of our difappointment. not. Fully perfuaded of your cordial participations in our bleffings, we with delight (thanks be to God our Saviour) can inform you, that he continues, in the moft bleffed manner, to be kind and favorable to us; and manifefted his prefence and benediction in our laft annual affembly. The Lord was indeed in the midst of us we broke up with fresh courage and inclination | the fatal principles of the new phi for the work. We are at prefent lofophy have long been' diffeminated, and extend their influence daily. Nevertheless, Jefus Chrift, the great Head of his Church, doth not forget the congregation of his own upon earth. He laid the foundations of his church; and the gates of hell can never prevail against it! This fure and happy hope, your letters, moft diftinguifhed brethren, tend ftrongly to confirm. With your kind leave, we beg to testify our fervent defire to hear fome farther intelligence from you, and particularly refpecting the papers you were fo kind to fend, but have not reached us. May God the Saviour, forever adorable, profper you and your Miffionary Society, deeply lying on our hearts, with all the defigns you plan and the labors you are engaged in for the glory of his holy Let brotherly love continue. In Norway, a peafant, whofe name is Hans Houge, with feveral like-minded affistants, travels about, far and wide, preaching the gofpel with great earnestnefs and efficacy, as we are informed. During the two years past, they have awakened a great concern on the minds of many, fo that the number of thofe who have by his means been led to a deep concern for their fouls, is faid to amount to 1800. Some name. of them, and Hans Houge himfelf in the number, have been together, and repeatedly feized and imprifoned; but when examined before the magiftrates, no criminal charge could be proved against them, and they have been difcharged. We fully purpose to gain a more explicit knowledge of, and acquaintance with, thefe men, and with to be able to help them in the work. In Jutland, the beginning of a fimilar work of God appears, the iffue of which we wait. We rejoice great-tended with great fuccefs, and maly in your fraternal participation with us, dearest brethren, and are ny of that benighted nation have been brought to a knowledge of affured we fhall fhare in your ferthe truth as it is in Jefus. vent prayers to God for us. Since the edict published by our government refpecting the bounds of the liberty of the prefs, and the obedience due to magiftracy, the libels which very lately fwarmed against the bible and Chriftianity, have been somewhat repreffed ; but For the Danish Society for propagating the gofpel. U. E. BOESEN. Faaborg, 6th Aug. 1801. Wm. Odenfee. IRELAND. Several Proteftant miffionaries land and preaching the gospel to have lately been itinerating in Ire the Irish Catholics in their own lanTheir labors have been atguage. SCOTLAND. During the year 1801, there was a revival of religion in many places in Scotland. The laft accounts from that country reprefent the work as ftill progreffing. KENTUCKY. Extract of a letter from a gentleman in Kentucky to his brother in Lower Virginia. 'with the blackness of darkness, 6 gave me a fevere wound. I rolled in my bed and cried for mer· cy; but found none. I rofe with a view of proftrating myself before Almighty God; but returned without making the at tempt. Surrounded by the fi 'lent flumbers of my family, I ftruggled through the dreary hor 6 6 "Paffing from domestic intelligence, I haften to lay before you the outlines of the most august proceedings of the people of God that ever were feen in this state. The people known by the appel-rors of the night. In the morn⚫lation of Prefbyterians affembled,ing, I mounted my horfe, in on Friday laft, at Concord meeting-houfe, by way of preparation for the Lord's Supper. I did ⚫ not attend until fabbath day, ⚫ when I faw the ordinance adminiftered, and many of the people proftrate on the ground crying for mercy. I paffed the day as an · hopes of finding tranquillity in recreation; but the words which 'I heard the preceding day, "thofe that were bidden and have refu• fed fhall never tafte of my fupper," obftructed my way, while the • tremendous found of "Go ye accurfed," &c. re-echoed through ev impartial spectator; but frequent-ery nerve of my body, while tears ly wrapped in amazement, wonder and doubt. Anxious for cer⚫tainty, I retired to a folitary part ⚫ of the woods and there proftrated myself before the great God of heaven and earth, and fre'quently prayed to be directed in the right way; but alas! I returned with a most obdurate heart, ready to vilify-ripe for reproaching and perfecuting the people of the most high God. I ftyled it enthufiaftical levity-I ⚫called it a delufion of the devil, ⚫ regeneration. in conjunction with hypocrify, op-in fome degree; but a ftranger to erating on the minds of the illit⚫erate and credulous, by the pow*er of oratory. Notwithstanding, "I returned and refolved to go to meeting that day alfo. Ac faid I, it may turn the wicked,cordingly, accompanied by your • alter the drunkard and finally reform the prodigal. Nevertheless, I thought it dererogatory to the laws of God. You may eafily fee, by this, that I returned mach difpleafed with the pro⚫ceedings of the day. I did not ⚫ intend to return the day follow'ing; but while I flumbered on my pillow, that monitor that never fleeps, while we are furrounded fifter, the partner of my cares, we hafted to the place of meeting. A more tremendous fight never ftruck the eyes of mortal man. The very clouds feemed to feparate to give way for the praifes of the people of God to afcend the heavens. While thousands of tongues with the 'found of Hallelujah, feemed to roll through infinite fpace. Hun dreds of the people lay proftrate on the ground crying for mercy. Oh! my dear brother, had you been there, you would have been ⚫ constrained to have cried out, as 'I was obliged to do, The Gods 6 are among the people. Nor was this confined to the commonalty alone; but people of every defcription lay proftrate on the ground. There you would have would have feen the learned paftor, the steady patriot and the obedient fon crying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty. There you might behold the honorable matron and the virtuous maiden crying, Jefus, thou Son of the most 6 high God, have mercy upon us. fabbath morning of the facrament there. Here the folemn, pleafing and wonderful fcene began to open, which it is impoffi'ble for me to defcribe. While in that country, I attended on 'three facramental occafions; at ' each place there were from 5 to 6 or 7 thousand. In general, there was great liberty and engagednefs in preaching, and all the religious exercifes, and many appeared to be the subjects of a powerful and I hope faving work of God. Often have I, at once, heard the diftreffing groans and cries of ten or twelve, lying prof'trate under a fenfe of their fin ' and danger, and at the fame time the praifing fhouts of as many " more, under a view of the divine • gal and the profeffed libertine cry-glories and the mysteries of reing Hofannah to God in the high-demption. In general, the Lord eft, there is no other name given 'feems to make a fhort work of it • under heaven among men, by • fo that those who fall in great difwhich we can be faved but the trefs and lie for a time, agonizing name of Jefus You might alfo under a fenfe of their fins and have feen the poor oppreffed Af- ' dangerous condition; perhaps in · rican, with his foul liberated, the courfe of 3 or 4 hours, open longing to be with its God. Me- ⚫ their mouths with praises and adthinks I hear you fay, by this oration recommending Christ and time, thefe are ftrange things in- the plan of falvation, and in the deed! but I think it the height moft moving manner warning and of arrogancy in poor, infignifi- exhorting finners to fly to Christ. cant, diminutive man, whofe • Amongst thefe, there have a num knowledge bears no proportion to ber of the avowed and most bold the knowledge of the Great infidels been brought down, made Eternal, to dare to criticise or to acknowledge the divine power cenfure in the leaft degree the and perfections, and to efpoufe works of an Almighty power," the religion of Jefus. It has been reported in fome parts of our country, that there is great • diforder and confufion attending this work. This is by no means and perhaps little more than might fo great as has been reprefented, &c. &c. The following is extracted from a letter of the Rev. J. Hughes, a minifter of the Ohio prefbytery in the State of Pennsylvania, dated Nov. 23, 1801. He is a man refpectable for found judgment and piety. "I arrived at the Rev. J. Welsh's in Lexington, on the VOL. II. No. 10. be expected or than can be avoidrefpeta-ed, where fuch vaft multitudes are affembled and of fuch various characters. On the whole I have no hesitation to conclude Bbb vine Providence. that God is doing a great and | A remarkable interpofition of Digood work in that country, and 'that hundreds have been made the fubjects of the faving operations of his fpirit," &c. Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia. TO THE EDITORS OF THE LONDON GENTLEMEN, W HEN I reflect on the many happy hours in my youth, fpent in private conference, and praying focieties, I can neither There is a remarkable revival of religion in many parts of the fouth-forget the men, nor yet the distin ern ftates. Recent accounts from that country represent the work as increafing and becoming very extenfive. Encouraging accounts refpecting a revival of religion have also been recently received from many other places in America. MISSIONARIES. His The Rev. Jedidiah Bushnell returned sometime fince from a miffion of about eleven months to the northern parts of Vermont. miffionary labors were, through the bleffing of God, attended with great fuccefs in many places. The Rev. Ezekiel F. Chapman arrived at New-Connecticut the beginning of December laft; where it is expected he and the Rev. Jofeph Badger, who has lately removed to that country with his family, will continue to labor as miffionaries through the year. The Rev. Seth Willifton is fill in the western counties of NewYork, itinerating as a miffionary one half of the time, and preaching the other half at Lifle. The Rev. Solomon Morgan is in Vermont, unless he has recently returned. Mr. James W. Woodward is at prefent at Black River where he will continue feveral months. Two other miffionaries, one to Vermont and one to New-York state will be fent out this fpring. guifhed mercies of the Lord, who rendered them a blessing to my earfolation. And fuch as are able to ly inftruction, edification, and conrealize the ideas of past friendship, and to affociate the feelings of gratitude for the paft, with the hope of enjoying in a few days, or years, a ftill more pure and pefect commun ion with endeared but departed faints, will not condemn me for bringing to light, and refcuing from oblivion, any fingular inftance of the Lord's care and kindness towards his hidden ones, in the days of their pilgrimage; and the following, I hope, will prove both entertaining and instructing to the poor of Chrift's flock. It has been often observed, that the Chriftian's greatest extremity is the time of God's gracious opportunity. Few things are more evident, than that fome of the darkeft difpenfations, in the experience of the faints, have been opportunities for the divine care and kindness to be made known and manifefted towards them; and thofe temporal supplies, that are given in an extraordinary_way, fuch as the ravens feeding Elijah, in a particular manner, answer the defigns of our Lord; they are the fruit of the wisdom of him who hath faid, "I will never leave thee; I will never forfake thee." Thomas Hownham, the fubject of the following providence, was a very poor man, who lived in a lone |