Page images
PDF
EPUB

x gaged to have them reformed from their bad habits. I also 'visited two other chiefs, at their

chiefs were sitting together. I thought it a good opportunity to propose the subject of hav

own houses, and several othering a minister come and live people, by whom I was treated

statedly with them, and have a school set up for their children

To which Torhie,

⚫ with respect, and who appeared 'to place confidence in what I to learn to read our language. said-Lord's day July 7th, II endeavored to urge the mat' preached twice to about 50 In-ter to be attended to for their 'dians who attended with de- good. I told them that a good 6 cency-July 10th, I visited an- 'minister living with them would "other chief who called his peo- 'show them in many things how 'ple together to attend sermon. to dive; and would take care of 'All in the place attended, about them, and see that bad people 20, with great decency, and were kept away: And he would were highly pleased to hear teach them the word of God; 'the word of God spoken in their their children would learn to own tongue. Afternoon rode read the word of God; and 'to Brownston, and next day then they would know that the ' preached a lecture in the coun- 'things we preached to them cil house. About 60 or 70 at- were true. 'tended with decency. At the after consulting the other chiefs close I told them I should a few moments, gave the fol'preach there on the Sabbath.lowing answer.' A village chief expressed his "Father, listen.-The reason approbation of what had been" we did not accept the gospel said, to which a general reply" before, and agree to have a was given, Tooolh (it is right)." minister come and live with 'He then directed all the people" us; we were so bad, we were < to attend on the Sabbath early." afraid to have one among us. 'Lord's day July 14th, preached" We were all drunkards so that twice. There was more than" he could not preach to us but 100. men and women attended" a few times. And we were ' with great decency. Some ap-" afraid that our young men, peared to feel as though they" when intoxicated, would staghad heard solemn truths, and "ger to his house, whooping interesting to them. Lord's" and yelling, and act so as to < day July 21st, preached again" put him in fear and make him. at the river Raisin, to as "uncomfortable. But now we

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

(( thoughtless a sett of people as are willing to have a minister is to be found any where. Tues-" come and live with us; there day returned to the Sandusky;" is no difficulty in the way; we ⚫ and on Wednesday preached at" are reforming, and have left 'the village to 16 or 18 persons, "off drinking for some time, 'most of the people being in "and are determined to quit it the woods.-Lord's day July "altogether. We wish our Fa< 28th, preached twice at San- "ther to tell the ministers who 'dusky. Numbers attended with" sent him here, to send us one

[blocks in formation]

"who has some knowledge in "medicine, and can help us when 66 we are sick; and one who can

Nn

[ocr errors]

"show us how to cultivate our "land, and teach some of our young men the laws and regu"lations of the government; and 66 one also who will take care that "we are not imposed upon by "people that come among us. "We are willing the minister "should have other people with 66 him, if they be such as will not "treat us illy. We wish a school "teacher may be sent to us that "is a faithful man, who will "teach us no bad things, but "give good instructions to our "children."

of his enquiries is, that they are already partially civilized; and, from their frequent intercourse with the whites, many of them have acquired some ideas of the general principles of Christianity. They desire, as appears by their speech delivered to Mr. B. to have a school set up among them, for the instruction of their children, and to have a minister to teach them religion. There is therefore a probability that something may be done for their benefit. The Trustees feel a strong desire that the poor benighted heathen on our borders may receive the light of divine truth; and are anxiously waiting for an opening which promises to be successful to send the gospel to them.

"Monday morning, I wrote the speech, and had it interpreted back again to the chiefs for them to correct, if there was any thing wrong. They wrote their characters which ' designate their family tribes." To furnish the inhabitants of After this Mr. Badger preach- the new settlements with relied a few times to small collec-gious books, the Trustees contions of the Indians, and then ceive to be an important object. left them, bringing with him a They have, therefore, from time little girl about 8 years old, to to time, appropriated money for teach to read and work, &c. He the purchase of books, and have was succeeded in his mission to already distributed many. They the Indians by the Rev. John An- still have a number on hand, and derson. After his return he re-also some money which has been commenced his missionary la-given to the Society for the exbors in New Connecticut. press purpose of purchasing books; but from the difficulty of transporting books to the new

Another motive which induced Mr. B. to go to Sandusky was, that in January 1804, the Trus-settlements, and from other emtees voted, that he in concert with Mr. Bacon should endeavor, as soon as possible, to gain information respecting the state of the Indian tribes in that vicinity, and the expediency of sending a missionary to them or any of them. He thought that a visit to the Wyandots, in compliance with the request of the Western Missionary Society, would enable him to gain that information which the Trustees desired. The result

barrassments, so many have not been distributed as would have otherwise been. The Trustees have lately devised a plan by which they expect to be able more effectually to promote this object. Among the books now on hand are 123 copies of Trum bull's Sermons on Divine Revelation, lately received from Messrs. Hudson and Goodwin, in pay for the copy right of an edition of that work of about 1400.

principal living languages, not only through the British dominions, but in other countries, whether Christian, Mahometan, or Pagan.

Under the direction of the several Missionary Societies al

From the statement of the funds of the Society, subjoined to this Narrative, it will be seen that a payment of nearly 2000 Dollars has been made by the publishers of the Connecticut Evangelical Magazine, and of 100 Dollars, from the sale of ready instituted, missions have Doctor Dwight's Psalms and been established in Tartary and Hymns. These sums, with oth-various parts of the East Indies, er donations in the course of the--at Otaheite and other islands in year, have very considerably in- the Pacific Ocean,-in the southcreased the permanent fund. But ern and western parts of Africa, it is not yet, nor is it probable it will be for several years, sufficiently large to supercede the necessity of an annual contribution. It is therefore to be hoped that the same liberality which has heretofore characterised the people of the State may continue, so that as the field for missionary labor becomes more extensive, means may be provided for supporting a greater number of laborers in that field.

in several of the West India islands,-in Greenland and the coast of Labrador in North America,-in Nova-Scotia, Newfoundland and Canada,—in many of the new settlement in the northern and western parts of the United States, and among some of the Indian tribes.

It is observable, from the his tory of the Church in all ages, that when God has been about to effect any thing particularly favorable to the cause of truth and righteousness, he has previously stirred up the hearts of his people to think less of obstacles, than they had been accustomed to, and to exert themselves with alacrity and vigor in that cause. Before his Zerubbabels he has made the great mountain to become a plain. Is it not then reasonable to expect, from the zeal with which so many of God's people appear to be animated at A-the present day, and their uncommon efforts for the upbuilding of Sion, that some glorious events in favor of the Church

The Trustees learn, with much satisfaction, by information received from various parts of the United States, and from Europe, that the missionary spirit, which has prevailed of late, still continues and indeed increases. New institutions, both in Europe and America, are frequently formed, either to send the gospel to heathen lands, or diffuse a more general knowledge of it in countries which have been called Christian. mong these institutions is one lately formed in London which, from its object, from the number and respectability of its pat-are about to take place? How rons, and from the largeness of will the hearts of those, who may its funds, promises to be exten- be made instrumental, in any sively useful. This institution manner, of bringing about these is called, The British and For-glorious events, exult with joy eign Bible Society; and its ob- and praise? Let the hope of this ject is to promote the circulation animate the ministers and people of the Holy Scriptures in the of the State with renewed zeal,

to interest themselves in the cause of missions,-which is the cause of truth,-the cause of God. And with their pecuniary contributions, and other exertions in this cause, let them be importunate at the throne of grace for a divine blessing to crown their labors with success; that from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, the name of God may be great among the Gentiles; and that in every place incense may be offered unto him and a pure offering. Amen.

JOHN TREADWELL,

Chairman.

[blocks in formation]

to forgive and save the sinner that believeth in Jesus. And how it answers this end, has been shown. But its being rendered consistent with justice, for God to forgive the sinner upon his repentance, is a different thing from his actual forgiveness: nor doth this of itself bring God under any obligation, in point of doing justice to the sinner, to forgive him. If the obstacles, which lay in the way of sinners' being forgiven by God consistently with justice, are removed, God may forgive him if he sees fit. Nevertheless, as the sinner is still as much to blame as ever, and, personally considered, as deserving of the wrath of God, God would still be just-he would do the sinner no wrong, if he should punish him. sinner's desert of punishment is founded in his criminality. It consists in or arises from a crime. In this respect it widely differs from an obligation for the payment of a sum of money. The obligation to punishment, being founded in criminality, can never become void, any otherwise than by pardon or forgiveness. But the atonement is a different thing from the forgiveness or pardon of sin. It renders it possible for pardon to be granted consistently with justice; but actual pardon is a release from the obligation to punishment, graciously granted by | God through the atonement.

The

The answer to this query is in the negative. The atonement has not altered the nature of sin at all. Sin is, in itself, and in the sight of God, the same infinitely hateful and criminal thing, that it was before. By the atonement the great evil of sin, and God's infinite displeasure against it, are clearly manifested and fully proved. But the nanifestation or proof of these, 1. From what has been illus. doth not of itself acquit the sin-trated, it may be seen, in what ner from guilt, or lessen his de- sense Christ hath made satisfac sert of punishment. The atone- tion to divine justice for sin. ment was designed to render it consistent with justice, for God

This dissertation will now be closed with some inferences and remarks.

It has often been said, that Christ once offered up himself

any more.

nite evil of sin, and God's infinite hatred of it and full purpose never to countenance it in the least, but for ever to condemn it and bear the highest testimony against it, and the sinner's real desert of the penalty of the law,

a sacrifice to satisfy divine jus- | events, cost what it will, the infitice. This, it will be readily seen, is a mode of expression somewhat different from those found in the scriptures; and if not properly explained, it may possibly excite an idea not altogether agreeable to the truth. There is indeed an import-are all so cearly manifested and ant sense, in which it may be so fully established, that God, on said, that Christ hath satisfied the account of Christ's obedidivine justice for our sins, but ence unto death, can save the not altogether the same with sinner who believeth in Jesus, that in which the word satisfied without injury to his own charis often used. When a man has, acter or to the best good of his either by himself, or by another creatures--without impairing person, paid to his creditor the the authority of his law in their full amount of an obligation for view, and greatly to the glory of a sum of money, the obligation his grace. He can now be just is satisfied or fulfilled, and the to himself and to the system, debt cancelled, and justice will and justify believers in Christ. not allow the creditor to exact In this respect, his justice is Or suppose the on- satisfied by the atonement-so ly penalty annexed to the trans- satisfied, as no longer to stand gression of a particular law of in the way, but to admit of, to the state, is a certain pecuniary be consistent with, the salvation fine, or imprisonment for a defi- of believers in Christ. And in nite term of time; when the this sense God is fully satisfied transgressor of that law, has and perfectly well-pleased with paid the fine, or suffered the im- the atonement, as removing the prisonment, the law is satisfied, obstacles which stood in the way and has no further claim upon of his displaying his grace, conhim by way of punishment.- sistently with his justice, in the But it doth not appear, that recovery and salvation of whom Christ hath so satisfied divine he pleases of the sinful race of justice for the sins of men, as to cancel their liableness to suffer the penalty of the divine law. The atonement made by Christ has not destroyed or diminished their criminality or desert of punishment; nor of itself rendered it inconsistent with distri-divine justice, for God to forbutive or remunerating justice, for God to execute the penalty of his law upon them. But by the atonement the righteousness of God, the justice and perfection of his law, the necessity of supporting it, and his unalterable purpose to support it at all

man.

2. Pardon of sin is as really an act of divine grace, as it would be if granted without any atonement; and much more evidently so. Since the atonement only renders it consistent with

give sin, but does not oblige him in point of justice to sinners to forgive them; since even the believing sinner, personally considered, is as deserving of the curse as if no atonement had been made; it is plainly as really an act of divine grace to

« PreviousContinue »