them, and upon all the churches; to make way in the difpenfations of his righteous Providence for the introduction and univerfal fpread of the everlating gofpel among the unenlightened nations of the earth, and to crown their exertions with glorious fuccefs. Before they adjourned, they chose the following Gentlemen officers of the Society for the current year. Dr. JOHN B. SMITH, Prefident. Rev. JAMES PROUDFIT, Vice-Prefident. Rev. JOHN B. JOHNSON, Clerk. DIRECTORS. Dr. Derick Romeyn, Dr. John B. Smith, Rev. John Close, Rev. John Baffet, Rev. John Dunlap, Rev. John Demereft, Rev. Samuel Smith, Rev. James Mairs, Rev. William M'Cauly, Rev. Alexander Proudfit, Rev. Ifaac Labagh, Rev. John B. Johnfon; Andrew Yates, James Gordon, Chriftian Miller, Cornelius P. Wyckoff, Abram Eights, Abram Outhout, Jacob D. Vander Heyden, Elijah Jones, and Cornelius Van Vechtan. After this the Society adjourned, to meet in the town of Schenectady on the fecond Tuesday of September next, at eleven o'clock in the forenoon. By Order of the Society, Lanfingburgh, Feb. 13, 1798. ASSOCIATION. JÓNAS COE, Secretary. On the eleventh of April, the Affociated Minifters, in the County of Dorset, held their Annual Meeting at Wimborne, when it was refolved to fupport an Itinerant Preacher in the County, and to obtain a suitable perfon as foon as poffible. CHAPELS OPENED. RETFORD CHAPEL ON Eafter Sunday April 8th, 1798, a new Chapel was opened at Retford, in Northamptonshire, when two fermons were preached on the occafion by the Rev. Tho. Bennett, of Morton, Lincolnshire, in the morning from 1 Kings ix. 3. "Mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually ;` in the afternoon from Mark xvi. 15. "Go ye forth," &c. The place was very crowded, and the congregation was ferious and attentive. It will no doubt be matter of joy to thole who pray for the enlargement of Zion to hear that the above opening is the introduction of the gospel into a place that was deftitute of it. MULBERRY GARDEN CHAPEL. THE congregation of Proteftant Diffenters of the Independent denomination, under the paftoral care of the Rev. John Knight, have unanimously agreed to remove from the old eftablished meeting, in Nightingale-lane, to another place of worship near the spot, lately called "the Mulberry Garden Chapel." The faid Chapel was built on a leafe for twenty-one years, by the late Countess of Huntingdon, which expired laft Michaelmas. It has, for the fake of convenience, been a little contracted, and otherwife confiderably altered, and was opened on Sunday April 1, 1798, in the morning, by the Rev. John Humphreys, of Union-treet, in the Borough, who delivered a fuitable Ff2 affuitable difcourfe from 1 Kings vii. 57. "The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers; let him not leave us nor forfake us ;" and in the afternoon a fermon was preached by Mr. Knight, Minifter of the place, from Haggai ii. 9. "The glory of this latter houfe fhall be greater than of the former, faith the Lord of hofts; and in this place will I give peace, faith the Lord of hofts." OBITUARY. MRS. MARY HENDERSON, WIFE of the Rev. J. Henderson, then Minister of the Scotch Prefbyte rian Church, at Monkwearmouth, county of Durham (now of Flushing, in Zealand) died April 11, 1793. Her father and grandfather (the Rev. J. and W. Hally) were both Ministers in North Britain, eminent for ufefulness, and revered for piety. Her funeral fermon was preached by her husband at the above church from Ezek. xxiv. 5. He drew her amiable character in the ftrongest colours; defcribing her as the beft of wives, of mothers, of fifters, and of friends, as well as diftinguifhed for her zeal and progrefs in the divine life." When speaking about our parting foon,” faid Mr. H. " fhe with a strong and lasting faith faid, fhe hoped it would not be long when we should meet again in a happier land, where there is no more fickness, pain, or death, never more to part. Then I faid to her," adds Mr. H. "Fear not, my dear, for I trust God is with thee; be not difmayed, for he is thy God: he will strengthen thee, yea, he will help thee, yea, he will uphold thee with the right-hand of his righteoufnefs." Never did the thut her eyes in the fleep of nature with a fofter air than fhe clofed them in her laft repofe. O what a glorious and peaceful end was hers like the fetting of the fun after a fair and ferene day. Like one who had acted a good part, the quitted the bufy stage of life. She had no more to do, having finished her work, but to lay down and sleep in Jefus. MR. GEORGE NEVE WAS the son of a refpectable farmer at Crowhurft, near battle, in Suffex, His natural difpofition was amiable, and he poffeffed a very tender confcience from a child; inafmuch, that if by death he loft any favourite animal, he would weep and fay God was angry with him, and thus punished him for his fins. He was called by grace under the word preached at Battle in 1791, after which his life most exemplarily adorned his holy profeffion in all things. Although in full vigour of body and mind, and very near being united to a beloved and godly young woman, many of his expreffions, a few days before the awful ftroke of Providence which caused his death, feemed to fhew he felt a prefentiment of his approaching fate. On Monday August 15, 1796, being with his fervant driving the team in a narrow lane, about a mile from home, he accidentally fell down, and not being able to extricate himself, the loaded waggon went over his body, and fo crushed his infide, that all paffage was stopped. When the neighbours came to his affiftance, he with great calmnefs told them that his hurt was mortal; begging them moft carnettly to feek the falvation of their fouls, and to prepare to meet their God, fince they knew not but like him they might be called at fo fhort a warning. During his furvival his pains were extremely xtremely violent, every thing he attempted to fwallow returning immedi ately. Yet at intervals he comforted his mourning friends. He told his mother that his time was short, and full of mifery; but although the first man was of the earth earthy, yet the fecond man was the Lord from heaven.-There hung his hope! On Thursday morning, at five o'clock, he seemed full of such joy as cannot be expreffed, and fung the following verfe: "I set the Lord still in my sight, "And truft him over all; "For he doth stand at my right hand, " He called his friends around him, and faid, “ I must go to my Lord; he calls me; fo pray do not wish to keep me here." He wanted to tell of the goodness of God, and speak of the joys of heaven more than his ftrength would permit, faying, What I am not able to tell, you will find in the fcriptures; be fure you fearch the fcriptures.-Seek, oh seek Jefus !" He then fung, "Oh glorious hour! oh bleft abode! And thus fweetly committed his spirit to the Lord who gave it, August 18th 1796, aged 25. A funeral fermon was preached the following Sunday at Battle, from Pfalm lxv. part of verfe 5, "By terrible things in righteoufnefs wilt thou anfwer us O God of our falvation."-Being a young man greatly beloved, between 600 and 700 perfons attended! and, bleffed be God! there is reafon to believe, his death has been (under Providence) the caufe of life to inany, as he used often to say, how cheerfully he could die for the good of his friends. His benevolent defire appears to be granted, in that feveral who were, previous to his death, bitterly prejudiced against the ways of the Lord, are now earnestly ftriving to walk therein. MRS. MARIAN MANDERSON, AND HER SISTER. MRS. M. was born at Portsmouth July 1774, and her maiden name was Muirhead. From early youth the discovered a fedateness, that gave the ap pearance of years confiderably above her age. It pleafed God to manifeft himself to her in childhood, particularly when about twelve years old, under the miniftry of Mr. T-d, at R-f; and at a time when the generality of children are taken up with toys, books were her companions; the Bible, hymns, and fpiritual-fongs were read with pleasure; and having a tenacious memory, before the arrived at the age of maturity, it was ftored with divine truths; this, added to great mildness of temper, though naturally of few words, rendered her a valuable companion to the citizens of Zion; and will account for the readiness with which the applied a variety of paffages to her own fituation when in the view of eternity. In the fall of 1789, her acquaintance first commenced with Mr. M. and notwithstanding many thwarting circumstances, they entered into the matrimonial union in December 1796. Her husband being an officer in the navy, the hour of feparation was look ed ed forward to with anxiety and pain. The fleet failing in May, when the was feveral months gone with child, her health very delicate, and having fears for his fafety, her anxiety much increased; yet, mixed with the hope that their feparation would not be of long duration. In July, her fifter Elizabeth, who had been complaining for above two years, began vifibly to decline: which joined to her own fears, fo wrought on the mind, that Nature began to droop, when the thus expreffed herself in a letter to her partner: "My fpirits are at times fo low I can hardly fupport myself; with what impatience have I paffed three tedious months in "abfence? Oh! that you were near to pour confolation into my afflicted mind!" In Auguft hopes were raised of foon meeting, and by the end of the month, they were accomplished. In June, the had contracted a cough which Mr. Mander fon took particular notice of on his arrival; and frequently befought in the tendereft manner, she would make head against it, that, if poffible, its strength might be rooted up before it fixed deeper; but he had been deceived by the opinion, that at her delivery it would cease, being nothing more than common. Thus the disease was fuffered almost unopposed to intrench itself in the conftitution, and infinuate its baneful affections into the fprings of life. On the 21st of October, she was delivered of a daughter, and at the end of a fortnight had every appearance of a speedy recovery. The pleafing profpect of feeing her offspring grow up, had now, no doubt, wedded her more to the continuance of life; and probably the gloom that had hung over her mind, began to break, and make way for the cheering prospect of many returning years. But, alas! fhe foon found her health begin to waver; the cough, that seemed in a great measure subdued, returned; exceffive perfpirations reduced her strength; and a violent head-ach attacked her with fuch severity, that at times the was fearful of being bereaved of reafon her hearing was alfo confiderably impaired. In this diftress she found herself unable to nurse the dear infant: when the grand Adversary taking advantage of all, prefented the haggard figure of despair to her mind, with whom she had sharp and fevere conflicts; yet discovered the matter to none, till God was in mercy pleased to comfort her with his gracious promifes. Every thing was done that art could prefcribe, or affection could devile. Bristol waters were recommended as the only hope of effecting a cure; but that journey, undertaken three weeks after delivery, in the depth of winter, only aggravated the complaint. Her mother, who accompanied her, observing the first day, that the had eaten a tolerable dinder, was anfwered, "yes, thank God, I have eat comfortably; but I would "not have you build on this; whatever may be his will, I am refigned : "of this I am certain, that his counfel fhall ftand, and he will do all his "pleafure." After remaining a week at Bristol, and experiencing no benefit, the haftened back again to her dear infant and relations. The difeafe now gained ground apace, and he found herself hatening to an eternal world; her fituation being rendered ftill more grievous, by the deafnets having increased fo much, it was hardly poftible to make her hear, fave a few words, and thefe often two or three times repeated; yet the found of the voice was frequently too much to bear, though the could not diftinguish what was fpoken. When Mr. M. was fitting by her one day, The faid, "do not, my dear, deceive yourfelf with any hopes of my recovery, "for I am certainly going." A week after her return, the was confined in bed; the perfpirations, which had for fome time been little, returned, and the cough continually harraffed her night and day. Under Under fuch accumulated diftrefs fhe was never heard to repine, but fometimes to fay, "you do not know how ill I am; you do not know what I fuffer." When the obferved any of her relations fhedding tears, she would Lay, 66 weep not for me; it only makes me worse ;" and chid her mother by saying, 66 your excefs of grief is enough to make God take me, though he had otherwife defigned:" adding, "have you not better learnt Chrift? as for me I have long learned the road of fubmiffion." particularly the diftrefs of her husband, fhe faid to him, "It is a trying time Obferving once, my dear! God has cut fhort our work, but I hope we fhall meet in hea ven, never, never more to part !" What a diftreffing fealon, when none could converfe with her; when no foothing language could be used to comfort the mind under the view of approaching diffolution! But he was full of inward strength and ferenity; death was viewed without fear, as a fure. inlet to immortal glory; the only struggle was with the affections of Nature; her dear infant, husband and parents, for whom she felt the tenderest emotions. As her husband went to the bed-fide one evening, the faid, "The doctors "have given me over, and tell me I may eat or drink any thing I have a "mind for; how can a fick ftomach receive food? I fhall foon eat of fruit "and drink of treams that will not injure; how pleafing to look forward, " and at the same time how painful!" About twelve days before her deceafe, being feized with fainting fits, and apprehending her end near, she called her father and mother to the bedfide," thanked them for having given her a religious education," at the fame time, expreffing her views and profpects of happiness. This was a trying hour for affectionate parents. Afking fome days after, how her fifter was, and on being answered, "much the fame;" replied, "aye, it has been much the fame with her "for a long time, I hope it will not be fo with me; but that I fhall foon "be released, the one way or the other." The fainting fits returning at intervals; after one the expreffed much impatience to fee her husband, and when alone, brought up the subject of the infant child, which was always near her heart; recommending it to him, " to bring her up in the ways of the Lord," adding, you will have a double charge, that of father and mother." Being afked once by her mother, if she had any thing particular to fay to her, she replied; "thing to fay to you? Where shall I begin? You have trained me up in 66 any "the ftricteft paths of virtue and honour, and I trust the means have been "bleffed, which makes me feel that ferenity of foul I now poffefs;" and much more to the fame purpose. The hectic fever having latterly affected her head, he was at times incoherent; but would foon recollect herself. Once expreffing a great anxiety for her infant, which, in her delirium, the had fuppofed to be dead, it was brought to her; and as foon as the beheld it, the cried," you are come to fee your dying mother. O! that you may be from this moment fanctified, and under the protection of a God of mercy;" adding, with maternal affection, "O that I could take you with me in my arms!" Speaking to Mr. M. on the foundation of her hopes, the faid, "I truft "I have tried myfelf whether I am in Chrift or not, and hope I am not "deceived. I would not give up this hope for the univerfe, were it prof"fered. How pleafing to look forward, and painful too!" Being fupported to take fome nourishment at a time when nature was very weak, the calmly faid, let him do all his pleafure;" at another time, "I shall foon fee him as he is," and on, fuch, another occafion, "I can |