is aware that he has selected a subject which will be despised and ridiculed by the men of this world.

p. 6. "Nothing, says he, is more common than to despise what is termed Religious Experience; Infidels sneer, the cold hearted condemn, and the ungodly ridicule it Being unacquainted with it themselves they suppose it is all the work of imagination or the heat of enthusiasm in others But it seems not a little remarkable, that while the term is admitted, when applied to those parts of science, which are founded on sensible trial, it should be rejected when applied to religion! why should not experimental divinity be equally as reasonable as experimental philosophy? Indeed we must be at a loss to conceive what real religion is without experience; for however excellent it may be as a theory, we know it is nothing except it engage the affections and regulate the conduct: It is true, it does not refuse the exercise of the understanding; it does not discard investigation; but it calls with more ardent motives to purity of principle, devotedness of mind, lively emotions, and useful exertions, than it insists on a pursuit of mere speculative notions, or knowledge, which does not at all interest the feelings, or impress the heart. And, indeed, what is the intelligent mind, the acute reasoner, the learned critic, the man that can collect, judge, review, arrange, and repeat, if he be without experience, when compared to him, who, with a common understanding, enters with all the energies of his soul into the very spirit and enjoyment of divine truth? The former beholds the beautiful object, disBerus its different features, and admires its just proportions; but the latter does more --he actually possesses it as his own, lives under its influence, and is transformed into its delightful image "

many excellent observations, and, as affording a good specimen of the author's style and manner.

p. 232, 233 "If our experience makes us satisfied with ourselves; if we can sit still from year to year, without concern for others, if our property, our talents, our time are all laid out for our own interest alone; if we rest only in cold wishes; in commonplace observations on the state of mankind; if we are ready to reproach those, whose zeal shames our timidity; if we carelessly let slip opportunities of doing good, which present themselves to us, and which may never return more, how can we call ourselves Christians? Let us not talk of our knowledge, our experience, our talents, our respectability, our membership of churches, while the world is falling down about us and we sitting still in criminal inactivity. Cold heart! unfeeling creature! contracted soul! Go to the inhospitable desert, dwell in the wilderness, hide thyself from the face of man, if thou art determined to be of no use to society; but if thou professest to be a Christian, act in character. Look around; behold the multitudes perishing on the shores of eternity! what is thy knowledge if kept to thyself, while the world is in darkness? What thy talents, if not used for the advantage of those who are yet in misery?. What thy Experience, if it does not lead thee to commiserate the deplorable state of those who are still in the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity? Arise therefore; shake off the slumbers of night. The sun of time is up, but will soon decline; work while it is day; for the night will soon come when no man can work."

To the American edition is added some helps to private devotion, entitled--The Closet

Companion, comprising 10 pages, which gives an additional val

ue to the work.

A Sermon at the Inauguration of the Rev. EDWARD D. GRIFFIN, D. D. Bartlet Professor of Pulpit Eloquence in the Theological Institution in Andover, June 1, 1809, by SamUEL SPRING, D. D. Boston: Farrand, Mallory, & Co. 1810.

No event has for many years taken place, so interesting to

the churches of New England, as the establishment of the Theological School at Andover. The munificent spirit exhibited in lay. ing the foundations of that seminary is an honorable proof, that a zeal to do good exists among men of wealth, whose sphere of usefulness is widely extended; and in the establishment of such an institution, in the particular direction given to the spirit of benevolence, we perceive much evidence, that charity is under the guidance of wisdom, and that great, permanent, and everlasting good is the object, which has been embraced by the enlarged minds of the founders of the Institution.

On the qualifications of min. isters of the gospel depend in a great degree not only the morals, the order, the peace, and respectability of society, but also the triumphs of religion in the world -the eternal welfare of men. When a person enters upon the sacred office with a mind undis. ciplined by preparatory study,

unfurnished with various knowl. edge, unaccustomed to accurate discrimination, and unskilled in the art of presenting his thoughts perspicuously to others, though if he be pious he may yet be considerably useful, he will yet in many respects injure the cause, which he wishes to support, by not employing all the resources, which might be brought to its aid. Among the means of doing good, that of pulpit eloquence, which has been so much neglected in this country, is unquestionably of very high importance. The drowsy minds of men, unfriendly to religion, must be roused or attracted by something in the manner of the

preacher, or his words will glide over their ear disregarded. While the dull monotony of many min. isters disposes the least serious of their hearers to sleep, the vehemence or pathos of others is accompanied with some uncouthness of gesture, some dis. tortion of feature, and some faulty modulation of voice, which very much impair the effect, that would otherwise be produced.

While therefore this new sem. inary proposes to guide the studics of those, who are preparing for the sacred ministry, while it teaches them to think and to reason, it gives us much satisfac tion to perceive also, that the art of expressing thought is not overlooked, and that a professor is appointed for the precise purpose of imparting in. struction in pulpit eloquence. We do not expect that every student will be made an orator. The original talent must be received from the Giver of every good and perfect gift. But though sweetness, variety, and force of voice, and other advan tages in a public speaker must depend very much upon nature, yet much may be done by art both in the correction of what is faulty, and in the improvement of what is excellent. The freestone is not susceptible of the polish of marble, but by the hands of the skilful workman

they both, though rough and shapeless as they came from the quarry, may be fashioned into a regular form, and become the pillars and ornaments of the temple.

We were disappointed in not seeing in this sermon of the Rev. Dr. SPRING any remarks upon the subject of pulpit eloquence, to

which the occasion seemed naturally to lead. They were how ever probably dispensed with in consequence of the oration of the professor himself, delivered at the same time. Choosing for his text Prov. iii. 6. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths, the preacher, after some introductory ob. servations on the dependance of all things upon the Creator, first explains the duty enjoined, and then points out the connexion between compliance with the injunction and obtaining the divine direction. For men to acknowledge God in all their ways he considers as implying, that they love him supremely. When their natural selfishness, or the supreme love of them. selves is succeeded by the love of God, all the other christian virtues flow from this principle. First they feel, and lament, and confess, and forsake their sins. Next they acknowledge God by the habit of devout prayer. They also maintain continually a proper sense of their entire dependance upon him admitting no other freedom of the human will but what consists in the choice itself without reference to the cause of the volition. They, further, carefully use the means, appointed to assist them in the course of their duty. And they lastly confide in the perfection of the divine adminis. tration. Under the second general head, the preacher shows that there is a connexion between acknowledging God and being directed by him from the relation of christians to their Father in heaven, from the promises of his word, and from the ample testimony of his chilVOL. II. New Series.

mon.

It is rendered valuable by the occasion, on which it was preached, by the important truths, which are presented and illustrated, and by the pious and devout spirit, which breathes in every part of it.

Some instances of verbal inaccuracy, and some peculiarities of phraseology occur in this discourse, but they are not suf ficiently important to be parThe fol ticularly enumerated. lowing extract is a favorable specimen of the author's manner, and exhibits his views of the extent of the Supreme agency.

"Though no man hath seen God at any time yet we are so encompassed with the blaze of his perfections, that in a qualified sense we behold nothing except God. The preservation of the universe is as really the effect of divine agency as the creation. The massy globe, the luminous orbs of heaven, men and angels; in a word the natural and moral system, time and eternity, things mortal and immortal are in his hand and under his perfect control. His eye pervades immensity, and his unerring hand directs every thought and every event. He takes care of sparrows, insects, and the most minute things, because he takes care of the world and the boundless system of intelligence. Amid therefore the disorder and confusion, the rage and destruction so predominant under the sun, how sublime the consolation, that the Lord reigns over all. He will make darkness light, and finally overrule all evil both natural and moral to the ad

vantage of his kingdom. Thus God has decreed, and his decree will be executed. To acknowledge him therefore in all our ways we must confide in the perfection of his government: and like Christ, who was never influenced by partial affection, we must disinterestedly aim at the honor

3M

of God in the highest enjoyment of all holy beings. For God lives and reigns to accomplish his design."

The following passage from the address to the professors is deserving of the attention of all the "messengers of truth."

"But when we contemplate things in a more elevated light, we not only anticipate your success as teachers of divinity, but indulge a confidence, that by your humility, and other virtues you will deeply impress the minds and hearts of your pupils with that modesty and meekness of wisdom which adorn the pastoral character. Destitute of these graces, their science, their divinity, and their eloquence will qualify them for the theatre, rather than the pulpit; and they will resemble actors on the stage rather than Christ and his apostles, who addressed the conscience and not the fancy and passions of men. God forbid, that we shall be at the expense of educating young men for the ministry, who by vanity and parade in style, or manner of address, shall degrade the pulpit, disgrace the seminary, injure souls, and dishonor Christ."

We close the extracts with a few sentences from the address to the students.

"Will you not acknowledge God in all your ways, that you may possess the qualifications of faithful, zealous minis ters, so peculiarly needful to the church at the present day? Will you not love God supremely; lament your sins in a submissive manner; and pray devoutly for his grace, remembering that the most able ministers imbibe the best instructions on their knees in secret? Will you not contemplate your entire dependance on Christ for every favor, and diligently use all the means, which he has appointed, to obtain his blessing? Will you not unreservedly confide in the perfection of God's government? For the Lord is a rock, and his work is perfect. If you thus acknowledge God, he will teach you by his Spirit, and properly acquaint you with the fundamental principles of divinity. He will acquaint you

with the character of man both before and after the fall; with the great differ ence between the object of holy and sinful affections; with the real difference between man's natural and moral ability, and with the necessity of special grace to give sinners a heart to accept the selfdenying terms of salvation. Without this information; and without digesting these and other principal doctrines you cannot prove instructive and convincing preachers."

in every particular, as the Indians, by some means, especially at the first of the business, thought there might be a design eventually to tax them according to that ratio.

In the nation there are 12,395 Indians. The number of females ex ceeds the males 200. The whites in the nation are 341; one third of those have Indian wives, 113. Of Negro slaves there are 583. The number of their cattle, 19,500; do. of horses, 6,100. The number of hogs, 19,600; do. of sheep, 1,037.

They have now in actual operation 13 Grist Mills; 3 Saw Mills; 3 Salt petre works, and 1 powder Mill. They have 30 Waggons, between 480 and 500 ploughs, 1600 spinning

wheels 467 Looms, and 49 Silversmiths.

Circulating specie is supposed to be as plenty as is common amongst the white people. These advantages have been mostly obtained since the year 1796 and rapidly increased since the year 1803.

If we deduct from the year the number of Sabbaths it contains, and suppose that each spinning wheel turn off six cuts per day, the amount of 1600 will be 250,400 dozen of yarn in one year, this will make when wove into cloth 292,133 yards.

If we should suppose each loom to put off 4 yards per day, the produce of 467 will be annually 584,684 yards.

Allow 2 hands to a wheel 3,200 women will be employed in carding and spinning, 467 engaged in weav ing, and as many to fill the quills.

acres,

If each plough be allowed only ten then 500 ploughs would culti vate 5,000 acres and would employ 1000 hands, as one must use the hoe after the plough. There is also nearly as much land in the nation wrought without a plough as with it; each acre will produce 50 bushels which will be equal to 250,000 or 20 bushels to each person. The actual amount will double that sum,

It is often asked are they increasing or on the decline? All I can say to this is, that both from my own observation and that of those most conversant with them, it is evident that there is less space between the younger children of families than those more advanced, and that in near. ly the proportion as hunting life has yielded to the cultivation of the soil. The number of Bibles and Testaments,circulated in the nation, including the children of the schools is upwards of 600, and a variety of other books as opportunity offered.

On their roads they have many public houses, and on their rivers convenient ferries, there are many of them learning different trades as their inclination may lead them. But yet there is no church erected, and few feel the impressions of grace.

I have filled the sheet with details,and can only pray that the Lord may make your harvest of souls abundant in Charlestown. I am, &c.

GIDEON BLACKBURN.

MISSIONS OF UNITED BRETHREN.

Extract from the Diary of the Missionaries in Labrador.

"JAN. 1st, 1806. We received from Kivalek an account, which filled us with horror. The old well known sorcerer, Uiverunna, had spent the winter there, he and his family being the only residents. His wife died last night, upon which the old monster seized a poor orphan child, whom they had formerly adopted, and murdered him; then cut him across all the joints of his fingers and toes, ripped open his belly, and threw the body naked into the sea. Though we are not acquainted with his motive for so atrocious an act, yet we know, that it belongs to that system of diabolical incantations, by which he expects to appease the water dev. il, by whom he pretends to do great wonders, but who now, in his idea, required a greater sacrifice than usual, as he had not saved his wife's life."

"On the 7th, while we were rejoicing at the gracious visitation of our God and Savior, so manifest among our Esquimaux, we were suddenly interrupted by information of the most distressing nature, which furnishes another lamentable proof of the power of Satan over this poor nation. Kullugak, a man who obtained leave to live on our land, had, in company with a man from Uivak, called Tukekina, murdered the old sorcerer, Uiverunna, at Kivalek.Having given out that by his leger. demain tricks, he had killed Kullugak's two wives, the latter had ever since sought revenge. In general

Uiverunna has of late endeavored to render himself formidable among the heathen Esquimaux, by making them believe, that he had power to kill such as he pleased; and if any one died, he was sure to have it reported, that he had sent them out of the world by his torngak. As he is also known to be an old murderer, and, as above related, had but just murdered a poor innocent infant, his life has been long in danger, and many a one had resolved to kill him, when opportunity offered. At length Kul. lugak succeeded. We informed him that we suffered no murderers to live