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No. 5.—V01. 111.
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May 29th, 1821.
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3 VCOB P. NORTON,
EBENEZER cooper.
May ‘29, 1831.
A NARRATIVE
Os (lie Statu of Rr.r.iciq.v within the bounds of
the General Assembly of the Presbyterian
Ciiufeh ; and of the General Associations of
Connecticut, Massachusetts and New-Hamp
■f hire, .during the last year*
Tug General Assembly have now under
theifc'are sixty-two Presbyteries; fifty of
which have sent up annual reports of thir
teen .hundred churches within their respec
tive bounds. With the subjects of those re
ports our churches are already familiar.
The interest, therefore which these sub
jects will excite, cat) be derived only from
the charms which the Providence and the
grace of God may from time to time throw
around them.
The Lord Jesus Christ, the only begot
ten, the beloved and co-equal Son of God,
h"as, itr every age, had a church upon earth.
The existence of that church commenced
with the promise that the w seed ofthe wo
man should bruise the serpent’s head.” It
has since subsisted amid the rage and per
secution of surrounding enemies; and, in
spile of the power and policy of hell, will
4 subsist till the end of time ; when its visible
arid militant state will be succeeded by a
triumphant slate iu glory. That Church
has not indeed, in every age, been alike
visible'not] prosperous Sometimes it has
been confined to a particular family, and at
others to a particular nation. Som-time*
it hi)- been bid like a.grain of mustard seed
’ in the earth ; and at others, it has been com
paratively a'gruat tree, under whose shad-
THE MISSIONARY.
ow immortal souls have found security and
peace. But amidst all the vicissitudes it
has experienced, it has increased, and will
increase until its borders shall be the bor
ders of the earth : it has shone, and will
shine more and more unto the perfect day.
These remarks are illustrated and verified
in the reports which the Assembly have re
ceived for the past year; a summary ac
count of which they hereby transmit to the
churches under their care. We have much
to lament, but more to present as subjects of
congratulation and praise.
The sources of lamentation to which
some of the Presbyterial reports direct us,
are errours in doctrine and morals ; neglect
of the duties of family and social prayer;
coldness and indifference on the part of pro
fessing Christians; and the want of labourers
in the gospel vineyard.
In some of our bounds, exertions are ma
king, with a zeal worthy of a better cause,
to propagate a modification of infidelity,
under the name of Unitarianism or Socin
ianism : and a* there is an aptitude of the
human heart to entertain the grossest er
rours, we regard it as an imperious duty to
warn our congregations against every at
tempt to bring to their notice such doctrines
as deny the Lord who bought them.
Immoralities in practice, have naturally,
and in many places, flowed from errour in
doctrine. The intemperate use of ardent
liquors, and the profanation of the Lord’s
day,.'are particularly mentioned as too prev
alent among those whom the “ grace of
God teaches, that denying ungodliness and
worldly lusts, they should live soberly,
righteously and godly.”
Professing Christians have, in too many
instances,manifested a lukewarmness, utter
ly inconsistent with their profession, and the
obligations they are under to Him who has
loved them and given himself for them.
Regardless of the awful imprecation, “ Pour
lay fury upon—the families that call not on
thy namp,” Ihey have omitted to bend be
fore tiie family altar, and offer their mor
ning and evening sacrifices ; and as if they
questioned the justness of the requisition,
“For all these things I will he inquired of
by the house of Israel lo do it for them,”
they have kept aloof from the meeting* of
social prayer, and neglected to present their
united supplications for a blessing on (hem
selves, and on the whole Israel of God.
The complaints of several of the Pres
byteries, of the want of a sufficient number
of labourers in the gospel vineyard, have
been truly affecting. Entire districts of
country to the south and west comprising a
population of thousands of souls, are repre
sented as destitute of ministrations of the
word from any denomination of Christians,
in one Presbytery, in which there are
twenty-eight regularly organized churches,
eighteen are destitute of the regular
administrations of the word and ordi
nances ; in another consisting of nearly
forty churches, there are only eleven min
isters; ahd in another, out of twenty-eight,
sixteen are vacant. Their lamentation is,
“the harvest is great, but the labourers are
few ; aud their cry to their Christian breth
ren is, “ come over and help us.”
While on these accounts the Assembly
have cause for lamentation, and call upon
their churches to sympathise with, and pray
for, those among whom the above-mention
ed evil* exist; they also call upon their
churches to unite with them, in sentiments
and expressions of gratitude and praise to
God for his great, his unmerited, and his
continued goodness. We have probably
never heard so much nor had so much to
tell of the wonderful works of God amidst
the churches underourcare. And we have
only to regret, that the limits of this Narra
tive will not allow a detailed account of
what has taken place in this portion of the
heritage of God.
Outward attention to the means of grace
has, with few exceptions, every where in
creased. Many new congregations have
been organized, and new place? of worship
erected. Biblical and catechetical instruc
tions have been generally attended to.
The children and youth, have been led to
the fountain, and instructed in the first prin
ciples of the truth, as one of the best pre
ventives against errour and vice, in their
more advanced years. Baptized children
have in many congregations been convened
with the parents who dedicated them to God
and been solemnly and affectionately re
minded of their obligations to be the Lotri’s.
The system of Sabbath school instruction
has been pursued with great and increased
success. Thousands, who, but for these in
stitutions, would have grown up in igno
rance and vice,been the griefof the church,
and the curse of the community, are now
taught their obligations to God, and fitted
to be useful members of society. Great zeal
and regularity is generally manifested by
the pupils in their attendance : several in
stances were mentioned of young persons
who frequently walked ten miles on the
Sabbath, for the purpose of attending the
school: and, in several instances, the bless
ing of God has attended this mode of instruc
tion, to the hopeful conversion of the teach
ers and the taught. )V
The monthly concert of prayer is gener
ally attended through the Presbyterian
church and the other churches connected
with the General Assembly; end it is found
GO YE INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL EVERY CREATURE.-} esvs Christ.
MOUNT ZION, (HANCOCK CO. GA.) WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 1821.
that this extensive union of prayer for the
influences of the Holy Spirit upon the church
of Christ, and the gospel of Salvation, ap
pears to be attended with the special bless
ing of God.
Additions have been made during the last
year, to the churches from which reports
have been received , of seven thousand one hun
dred and eighty-six souls. To many of these
the Lord manifested himself, not 11 in the
great and strong wind, which rent the moun
tains, and brake in pieces the rocks,” but in
“ the still small voice.” They were the
fruits of the ordinary operations of the Spir
it in the word; which, though not called
revivals, afford a gradual accession to the
church, of such as we trust shall be saved,
and for which we owe to God our gratitude.
But the most of that number, are the fruits
of such numerous, extensive, and blessed
out-pourings of the Spirit of God during the
past year, as the Assembly has never be
fore had the opportunity to record. These
have been experienced in the Presbyteries
of Rochester, Ontario, Cayuga, Onondaga,
Otsego, Oneida, Troy, Albany, Columbia,
Hudson, New-Vnrk, Jersey, Newton, Phil
adelphia, Grand River, Portage, Lexington,
and Lancaster, ancl in the States of Connec
ticut, Massachusetts, and New-Hampshire.
In the Presbytery of Rochester, the con
gregations of East Riga, Ogden, Rochester,
Ridgway, and Shelby, have received special
communications of Divine grace ; the fruits
of which are seen in the conversion of up
wards of 160. In the Presbytery of On
tario, a work of revival is progressing in the
congregationsof Lima and West Bloomfield,
which promises favourable results. In the
Presbytery of Cayuga, the towns of Brutus
and Auburn have shared extensively the ef
fusions of the Spirit. Nearly 200 have
been hopefully converted, and many more
in both these towns are under serious im
pressions. The work has extended into
adjacent (owbs ; and Skaneateles and El
bridge begin to share the effusions of the
Spirit.
In the Presbytery of Onondaga , the con
gregations of Homer, Truxton, Smithfield,
Virgil, Preble, De Kuyter, the second con
gregation in Lenox, Cazenovia, the second
congregation in Onondaga, and the third in
Manlius, have been visited by refreshing
showers of Divine grace ; and more than
360 have been added to the communion of
the church.
In the Presbytery of Oneida, 283 have
made a profession of religion, as the result
ofa season of refreshing from the presence
of the Lord, in the. congregations of Mount
Vernon, Union, Westmoreland, Vernon, Uti
ca, Holland, Patent, Trenton, Litchfield,
and New Hartford.
In the Presbytery of Otsego, the congre
gation of Cherry Valley has had an exten
sive revival, during which 129 have been
added to the church ; about 50 hopeful
converts have not yet united themselves
with the church, and 60 more are still un
der deep convictions. In Cooperstown 25
have obtained hopes of an interest in Christ,
and many others are under deep religious
impressions ; and in Springfield, a work of
grace has begun, which is still progressing.
The Presbytery of Troy, reports an in
stance of special refreshing in the congre
galional church in Bennington, Vermont,
which, though not in their connexion, is
undpr Ihe pastoral care of one of their
members. In that place from 25 to 30
persons have, in the course of a few months,
given hopeful evidence of a saving change.
Avery respectable accession has also been
made to the church in Lansingburgh, and
88 persons have been added to the visible
church iu Nassau, as the fruit ofa work of
grace.
The Presbytery of Albany have present
ed a most interesting and animating report
to the Assembly. This report is priuted ;
and the Assembly regret that its length is
too great to admit its- incorporation with
this Narrative. They however recom
mend its perusal to all the churches which
can obtain a copy ; confident that it will
gladden every Christian heart. The addi
tions to the churches, during the year 1820,
as reported to that Presbytery, amount to
nearly one thousand four hundred! Surely
the Lord hath done great things for them,
whereof tve are glad.
In Ihe Presbytery of Columbia , an out
pouring ofthe Holy Spirit has been experi
enced in New Lebanon and Chatham ; and
in Catskill, Cairo, and the city of Hudson,
a good work has begun, which is still pro
gressing : and we hope we shall not he
considered officious, when we gratefully
mention, that the Dutch Reformed congre
gations of Coxsackie, Kinderbook, and
Claverark, which tire in the vicinity of that
Presbytery, have been also blessed with an
outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
The Presbytery of Hudson , state that
most of their congregations have been co
piously watered with showers of Divine
grace during the past year: nnd that the
fruit has been the addition of 23 members
to the Deerpark, 41 to that of Scotchtovvn,
110 to the church of Hopewell, 76 at Go
shen, 199 at Blootninggrove, 57 at Ridge
bury, 140 at Chester, 40 at Bethlehem,
196 at Westtown, 69 at Hamstead, 69 at
Greenbush, and 17 at Forrestburgh, a con
gregation recently formed : making a total
of one thousand and thirty-seven.
In the Presbytery of N'em York, the
Brick church has had a revival, which has
resulted in the hopeful conversion of about
eighty souls.
In the Presbytery of Jersey, the church
of Elizabethtown have added about sixty
as the fruits of the revival of the preceding
year, and in Orange, and particularly
Bloomfield, a good work seems to have
commenced. One hundred and fifty at
least appear to have been awakened ! and
of these about 80 give evidence of hopeful
Conversion. The revival yet progresses.
The Presbytery of Newton, report, that
during the past year, one hundred and eigh
ty-five persons, who before were strangers
from the “ covenant of promise,” and ene
mies in their hearts, have been visited with
the renewing and consoling influences of
grace, and received into the communion of
the church ; and they particularly menlion
the church at Newton, as having been vis
ited with the special influences of the Hoi-
Spirit ; and that 64 persons of different
ages and conditions, have already become
the hopeful subjects of this work.
In the Presbytery of Philadelphia, the
church in the Northern Liberties, and the
3d Presbyterian church in the city, have
been favoured with special manifestations
of the Divine presence. In ihe former, 60
have offered as candidates for an approach
ing communion; and in the latter, 73 com
municants have been received during ihe
year, 48 of whom are the fruits of a revi
val which is still progressing.
The Presbytery of Grand River report,
that 15 townships, comprising 11 churches,
have been visited with special revivals of
religion; that Jo several others the Lord
has vouchsafed anion- than usual -lut-rtsm-v
of his Spirit ; and 253 soul? have been ad
ded to the communion of the church, and
the work is still progressing in several oth
er towns.
In the Presbytery of Portage, the church
of Euclid has been favoured with a revival
and about 100 are mentioned as the sub
jects, and in six or seven other congrega
tions there is special attention.
The Presbytery of Lexington , state, that
in the missionary field within their bounds,
there has a general awakening; that
in many instances convictions have been of
the most deep and pungent kind ; and that
it has not been unusual for whole assem
blies to be bathed in tears during the deliv
ery of a discourse.
The Presbytery of Lancaster state, that
amidst the moral desolations within their
bounds, a few favoured spots have received
the coltivalion of the Holy spirit ; that on
Marietta, Waterford, Belfre, Adams, and
Wooster, the dews of heavenly grace have
descended, and resulted, in their charitable
belief,in the saving conversion of many souls.
From the report of the delegates from
the General Association of Connecticut, it
appears, that a work of grace has begun in
the course of the last year in New-Haven,
which has ever sincp been extending to
other towns; and that about 70 congrega
tions, out ofa little more than 200, are now
sharers in the mighty operations of the
Divine Spirit. The number of hopeful
subjects of grace in the respective congre
gations has bem from 200 to 300. This
is stated to be thp greatest work of Divine
grace enjoyed bv the churches of Connec
ticut, since its first settlement, except the
revival, in 1740—41.
From the repoit of the General Associa
tion of Massachusetts, presented to the As
sembly by their delegates, it appears that,
in many churches in their several associa
tions, there has been a time of refreshing
from Ihe presence of the Lord, which re
sulted in the addition of many hundreds to
their communion.
From thp report of the delegate from the
General Association of New Hampshire, it
appears, that a glorious work of grace has
been carried on in Boscawen—extending
to both the parishes in that town, and also
into some of the neighbouring congrega
tions. It also appears that in the town of
Bath, a time of refreshing from the pre
sence of the Lord had been enjoyed, the
result of which is the addition of 103 to the
communion of the church.
While the Assembly unfeignedly rejoice
in these and other signal revivals of reli
gion, and earnestly pray for still more rich
manifestations of Divine grace to all the
churches, thev are convinced that the prin
cipal hopes ofthe church of God must rest
on the ordinary operations of Ihe Divine
Spirit accompanying the appointed means of
grace. The Lord has promised, that the
humble, the faithful, and prayerful exer
tions of his ministers and people shall never
be without bis blessing ; yet he has reserv
ed to himself the prerogative of watering
his churches with copious showers as He in
his wisdom sees fit.
The character of these widely extended
and wonderful works of God, has been
much the same with those which have
formerly been reported to the Assembly.
Deep and pungent sense of guilt, thorough
convictions of inability to help Jhe.mselves
—professed hopes of forgiveness only
through Ihe atoning blood of the Lord Je
sus Christ—and dispositions to walk in all
the commandments of the Lord, have mark
ed the .exsreiiss of their respective sub
ject*.
Price S $3.56 pr. ann. or, >
1 t $3,00 in advance. \
These subjects have been of all ages
and classes from eighty down to ten years
of age. The obi and stubborn oak, and
the young and tender plant have alike bent
before the vvjnd that “ bloweth where it
listeth.” Scoffers, drunkards, and others
of most profligate lives, have been made
to bow at the feet of Jesus, and to own him
as their Lord and Redeemer: and Infidels
and Universalisls have been humbled by
the droctrines of the cross, and warned
their neighbours of the dangerous and
soul-destroying errours of their respective
schemes.
The blessed effects of these outpourings
of the Spirit have been seen in giving a
new aspect to the moral state of society:
the multiplication of and regular attendance
upon meetings for social prayer; and a
grow ing liberality towards the/support of
the gospel and benevolent institutions
throughout our land.
In addition to these wonderful and heart
cheering events, for which the ‘Assembly
offer unto the one God, Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit, their united and hearty thanks,
they rejoice that they are also able to in
form the churches, that the state of reli
gion, in the different colleges within our
bounds and the bounds of thpse who are
connected with ns, is most encouraging.
There are about 40 hopefully pious youth
in Union College, Schenectady; in the Col
lege at Princeton there are 25; in Dart
mouth College, New Hampshire; there
are about 70 ; in Jefferson College, Penn
sylvania, and the University of North Caro
lina, there are several more; in Yale Col
lege, at New Haven, there about 90; and
in Hamilton College 48, professors of reli-
~
The hope (hat most of these will proba
bly devote themselves to the service of
God, in the gospel of Lis Son, affords a
mosi pleasing prospect to the American
Churches.
The Theological Seminary at v Andover,
contains 112 students, and is in a flourishing
condition.—The Foreign Mission School at
Cornwall, in Connecticut, contains more
than 30 pupils, who speak, eleven different
languages, a number of w hom are hopeful
ly pious.
The Theological Seminary at Princeton,
under the care cf the General Assembly,
continues to enjoy the smiles of Divine
Providence. It contains at present 73
students, among whom the spirit of missions
is encreasing. Frt m these fountains of
sacred learning, we trust many streams will
soon issue to gladden the city of our God;
and that when the cry of the vacant con
gregations within our bounds, and from
othei destitute parts of our couutry, and of
the world, for help, shall reach the ears of
these pious youth ; and especially when
they hear the interrogation of their Lord
and Master, “ saying, Whom shall 1 send,
and who will go for us?” they may all
answer in the spirit of Isaiah, “ Here am I,
Lord, send me.”
With this retrospect of the past, and these
animating prospects of the future, we cl ,,a e
our Narrative of the State of Religion
within our bounds :—hoping that those <■ vils
which exist, either among professing
Christians or others, may excite suitable
humiliation before God; that Christians,
and Christian ministers, will be found more
engaged at a throne of grace, and follow
their prayers with corresponding endea
vours for the advancement of the interests
and the exten-ion of the limits of tfie Re
deemer’s kingdom.
We have, Christian Brethren, the great
est cause for gratitude, and the greatest
encouragement to persevere. We have
the promise that in the latter day Israel
shall blossom and bud : that its boughs shall
be sent out to the seas, and its branches to
the river; that it shall spread itself like a
goodly cedar, and be a dwelling place for
the fowl of every wing. The Lord shall
build up Zion; and comfort all her waste
places. He will make the wilderness like
Eden, and herdesert like the garden of the
Lord: joy and gladness shall be found there
in ; thanksgiving and the voice of melody.
I the Lord will hasten it in his time. Ani
mated by these precious and faithful prom
ises of God, continue your prayers and ex
ertions ; and then we may confidently hope,
that igncrance and vice and delusion will
he banished from our borders, and that,
these and other clogs being removed from
its wheels, the Redeemer’s chariot ivill
soon ride in majesty and triumph over this
western world.
“Amen: even so, come, Lord Jesus,
come quickly.”
Published by order of the General As
sembly ; Attest, Wju.iam Neiu-,
Staled Cleric
Philadelphia , May, A8? 1.
THE CALVINIST.
A person who suspected that a minister
of his acquaintance was not truly a Calvi
nist, went to him and said, ‘ Sir,! am told
that you are'against the perseverance of
the saints.’ “ Not 1,” answered he, “It
is the perseverance of sinners that l rip
pose.” But that is not a satisfactory an
swer, Sir. Do you thiuls that a child of
God cannot fall very low and yet be restor
ed?’ He replied, “ I think it will be very
dangerous to make tbe experiment.”
