and to the number of auxiliary societies connected with it. We offer our fervent prayers that the blessing of the God of heaven may rest upon it. Several societies for the education of poor and pious youth, who Irave the gospel ministry in view, have been established during the last year; and the churches appear in some degree to be awaking to a sense of the importance of this subject.

It is with pleasure that we notice the formation of several Missionary Associations of young men. The Young Men's Missionary Society at Richmond, is entitled to particular notice. During the last year they have employed eight missionaries, and have expended in their support about one thousand dollars.

The students in the University of North Carolina, who are members of the Dialectic Society, have generously engaged to contribute $250, payable in five years, towards endowing a professorship in the Theological Seminary at Princeton. It deserves also to be mentioned, that several children in the Island of Ceylon and in other places, are clothed, and fed, and instructed by the contributions of pious females, residing within our bounds.

From the report of the Board of Missions, the assembly are gratified to learn, that the missionary concerns of our church, appear to be crowned with the blessing of God. The number of missionaries is increasing, though by no means sufficiently to meet the growing demands of a rapidly increasing population. Our Seminary at Princeton is yearly furnishing valuable missionaries, whose labours are received with gratitude, and accompanied with a blessing. Under these circumstances it is hoped that the churches will not fail to take up annual contributions for the missionary fund, to the application of which the Presbyterian interest is so much indebted.

It is also gratifying to learn that God still blesses with the influences of his Spirit several of our colleges. Hamilton college has about 100 students, a majority of whom are pious. Union College has about 240 students, and of these about 70 are hopefully pious.

But we have not only to rejoice in the general increase of the interests of religion, there are also special reasons for thankfulness. On many of our congregations God has been pleased to pour out his Spirit, and to grant them times of revival and refreshing.

[The narrative enumerates the places which have been especially favoured with revivals, and remarks that, with very few exceptions the subjects of these revivals continue steadfast in the faith, and attentive to the duties of religion.]

The same benign effects which have attended past revivals, have attended these. Professing Christians have been awakened to zeal and devotedness to the cause of Christ. And though the operations of the Holy Spirit, on the minds of sinners, have been diversified, yet, generally, they have felt deep and pungent convictions of sin, accompanied which a sense of their undone condition as transgressors of the divine law, and a discovery that salvation can be found only in Christ. Deep silence has prevailed in the religious assemblies.

This blessed work has been confined to no particular age or sex, or class of society. Blooming youth and hoary age; the child seven years

old, and the sinner weighed down with the sins of threescore years and ten, the infidel, the profane, and the mere moralist, have all been brought to a sense of their lost condition; have been made to bow to the sceptre of the Prince of Life; have sought salvation from his hands, as his free gift, and, we trust, have found deliverance to their souls, through his peacespeaking blood.

Among the means which God, in his sovereign good pleasure, has blessed, to the producing of these blessed effetts, special prayer, on the part of his people, deserves first to be mentioned. In many congregations, particular days have been set apart for fasting and prayer. Concerts for prayer have been held by private Christians, and they have frequently met in religious societies at the rising of the sun.

Pastoral visitation from house to house, and, also, visitations by private Christians, with personal conversation on the concerns of eternity, have been greatly blessed.

In the preaching of the word, the spirituality of God's law, and its tremendous curse denounced on sin, have been explained and pressed on the consciences of sinners; they have been warned of their inability to work out a justifying righteousness of their own, and have been solemnly exhorted to immediate repentance and faith in Christ.

The fruits of these revivals have been exhibited in the moral reformation produced in the lives of those who have been their subjects; aud in an increase of the spirit of prayer, and of liberality in the support of the gospel.

From the General Association of Connecticut, we learn, that the churches in that state, are not only gathering the fruits of the late extensive revivals, but, that the Lord is mercifully extending his work of grace to many other congregations. A large proportion of the members of the mission school, at Cornwall, give good evidence of piety, and the establishment answers the most sanguine expectations of its founders and friends. Arrangements are making for the extension of the Theological department of Yale College, with hopeful prospects of success.

From the General Association of Massachusetts, we learn, that there is much reason for thankfulness on account of the manifestations of the divine presence and blessing. There have been, in that part of our country, great revivals of religion in the county of Berkshire. More than 300 young men have been assisted in obtaining an education, by the American Education Society, since its commencement. A missionary spirit is much increased, and in Plymouth and Norfolk counties, a Palestine Missionary Society is established, which supports a missionary to the Holy Land. The Andover Institution still flourishes, and contains 132

students.

From the General Convention of Vermont, we learn, that the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom are greatly on the increase in that State. It is true, the want of faithful pastors is felt. Of 171 Churches, connected with the Convention, near half are vacant. Still the cause of religion is advancing. Through the past year there have been great and powerful revivals, in 50 towns, in each of which from 15 to 200 persons have been received into the churches. These revivals still continue in many places. It is supposed that about 2500 persons have joined the churches during the past year. In Middlebury College there has been a revival

VOM. IX.

11

among the students, and two-thirds of their number are hopefully pious The spirit of missions is increasing in the state. Education societies, are also formed, and one of these societies, in two years, afforded assistance to 40 young men.

We have heard, with pleasure, of the exertions which are made in many of our cities, to promote the spiritual welfare of Seamen, and of the success which has attended these exertions. Places of worship for mariners, are opened in several of our seaport towns, and both mariners themselves and their families have received great benefit from attending the public ordinances of the gospel. The assembly recommends to the ministers and members of our churches, to encourage and promote these useful institutions.

The Theological Seminary at Princeton, continues to enjoy the smiles of the great Head of the Church. A missionary spirit is diffused among the students, and a few have already devoted themselves to the labours and privations of a foreign mission. The churches are already enjoying the fruits of this most important institution. The Theological Seminary, at Auburn, under the care of the Synod of Geneva, is flourishing; and efforts are also making, with encouraging prospects, to establish Theological Seminaries in other parts of our country.

The Assembly sincerely congratulates the churches, under its care, on the recent union which has been completed between the Presbyterian and the Associate Reformed Churches. We cannot but cherish the hope, that this union will be productive of the most beneficial effects, and that the great Head of the Church will bless it to the promotion of the interests of his kingdom.

On the whole, the review of the past year is calculated to awaken the most lively sensations of gratitude, to the great Head of the Church, for the blessings which he has bestowed upon it, and to excite us to more zeal and devotedness in L.'s service. We rejoice in the spread of the gospel. He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. Reviewing his mercies to his Church in our land, we are constrained to offer to him our devout praises. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things, and blessed be his glorious name for ever; and let the whole earth be filled with his glory.-AMEN AND AMEN.

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Published by order of the General Assembly

Attest,

Philadelphia, May, 1822.

WILLIAM NEILL, Stated Clerk.

UNITED DOMESTIC MISSIONARY SOCIETY-ADDRESS OF THE DIRECTORS.

To the Christian Public.

BRETHREN-It is our privilege to see the day, when Christians of different communions are beginning practically to recognize their obligations to preach the gospel to every creature. It is now under

stood, that the command which the blessed Saviour gave his disciples to this effect, was not meant to be limited to them, nor to their contemporary fellow-labourers and immediate successors, but that it has rested upon the church through every subsequent age, and now rests

upon protestant Christians, in all the freshness of its first authority. The spiritual circumstances of the great majority of mankind, and especially the entreaties for Christian instruction, which are heard from every quarter of the world, have penetrated the hearts, and opened the hands, of the benevolent and pious. Multitudes of devoted youth are now either coming up to the help of the Lord against the mighty, or are in a course of diligent preparation for his service. The holy enterprize will go forward, until the waters of life shall flow to every land, and "all flesh shall see the salvation of God." But the command, to preach the gospel to every creature, does not claim our prayers and religious charities exclusively for the pagan world: within the bounds of this highly favoured country, there are not only many infant churches and congregations, which have need of immediate encouragement and assistance in supporting Christian ordinances, but innumerable villages, and newly settled districts, which have never enjoyed them. Every year serves to disclose, if not to: augment, the spiritual wants of our new settlements. Unless something of a more efficient character, and upon a broader scale, be attempted on behalf of the waste places of Zion, and of our brethren in the interior, we must expect to see some of the fairest portions of the country become a prey to infidelity and vice.

It should be acknowledged, to the honour of our holy religion, that the churches have not been altogether indifferent to this momentous subject. Many of you have doubtless contributed liberally and often, to provide the means of instruction to the destitute. A considerable number of missionary associations have been formed in different places, which have sent into the field many faithful servants of Christ. We have observed these well-timed charities, and seen their cheering results, in the formation of numerous churches, and the revival of pure religion, in almost every direction. Still it must be added, that toe many of these benevolent exertions, have proved desultory and ephemeral; and all have, in some measure, failed of their proper influence, from want of concert among those engaged in the work of missions. While some destitute regions have been regularly visited by missionaries of different societies, others, equally in want of missionary aid, have been passed by, and suffered to remain unexplored. The Christian públic at large is, at this moment, almost wholly ignorant of the moral condition of some portions of the western country. Nor is it reasonable to expect, that a complete survey should be made even of the moral wastes in a single state, except under the auspices of a general missionary society. Much less can it be expected that any, but such a society, will be able to apportion the missionary services actually bestowed, to the religious wants of the people.

The formation of such a society was also called for, as a measure admirably calculated to excite a fresh, and more extensive interest in the cause of domestic missions. The way is thus prepared for circulating widely important information on the subject, making the most effectual appeals to the charitable, and forming the greatest number of efficient auxiliary associations. It is clearly possible that,

by uniting in this one enterprize every church and congregation of our communions, we should pervade all these destitute places, and eventually supply every section of the country with the preached word.

It would be easy to expatiate upon the principles of the constitution, as providing for the most efficient co-operation of all the branches of this society, at the same time that it secures to the auxiliaries every privilege in regard to the application of their funds.

We might dwell on the advantages likely to flow from adopting an uniform system of missionary operations, as well as from concentrating in one great institution, the information, practical wisdom, and active talents, which must command the confidence and patronage of the public. It is delightful, and encouraging to every friend of missions, to believe, that it will also unite, on its behalf, the prayers of many who do not plead in vain with Israel's God. But these circumstances are too obvious to have escaped your thoughts. The perfect harmony of the Convention on all these points, admonishes us not to occupy your time with unnecessary arguments and illustrations.

It then remains, that in the spirit of Christian philanthropy, and with entire reliance on divine grace, we make a vigorous experiment of what can be effected for the destitute in our land. Our encouragement to do this, is as great and precious as Christ's promise, "Lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world," is unequivocal and sure. It is as much our privilege, as it is our bounden duty, to proceed in this labour of love. The Saviour has said, "it is more blessed to give than to receive ;" and we are elsewhere assured, that he that watereth shall be watered also himself." With this gracious promise, the providence of God to his visible church is observed remarkably to accord. He has ever imparted the most desirable prosperity, the greatest measure of divine influence, to those communions and churches which have been peculiarly active in disseminating his Gospel. In this country, particularly, the churches have been watered in proportion to their missionary efforts. Were they all to unite their supplications and zealous endeavours in this cause, he would doubtless pour out upon them an abundant blessing; a little one would become a thousand, and a strong one a mighty nation.

In this confidence, the Directors make their appeal to the Christian public, on behalf of that glorious Gospel, which was never meant to be restricted to any one nation or class of society, but was intrusted to the church militant, to be propagated throughout the whole world; on behalf of the destitute sections of our own country, of the dwellers in the new settlements, the emigrants from our cities, our churches, and our domestic altars, who now desire in vain the Christian privileges which they once enjoyed; on behalf of multitudes of precious souls descending to perdition through lack of knowledge; and of other and still greater multitudes, who will come after them, and be educated in the ways of holiness, or of sin, according as we either espouse or neglect the cause of domestic missions; on