bors; may he incline us to fill the glorious tabernacle which he ( opens ! I think it must be acknowledged that God has convincing finners and edifying his people. "The field for miffionary labor upon the Black River and ad crowned the miffionary exertionsjacent fettlements, is large. of our land to the falvation of thousands of fouls. May the fame bleffed hand, conduct the ‹ benevolent work, until the promife in the covenant of redemption fhall be fulfilled among the heathen, and our favage tribes praife the name of the Lord!" In September laft, Mr. James W. Woodward, returned from a miffionary tour to the fettlements There are about 15 towns within the extent of 100 miles which are not fupplied with the ftated preaching of the gofpel. Many of them would be able to fup'port minifters were they united in fentiment upon religion. O'ther fettlements are fo new that they cannot hire preaching; and for the prefent must depend upon the charity of others. The ८ on Black River and parts adjacent.inhabitants in general speak in In his journal he fays, "I fpent eight months, performing miffionary labor in the fettlements upon Black River and the adjacent fettlements in the counties of Oneida and Herkemer, ftate of New-York. I travelled more than 1800 miles, and preached 164 times. I travelled down the Black River four times, vifited once the fettlements upon Pearch River and Catfish Creek, three times a flourishing fettle'ment upon Sandy Creek, twice the fettlements upon Fish Creek, which empties into Oneida lake, and twice the fettlements in the royal grant. . "I was favorably received by 'people in general, many of whom rejoiced at the exertions which were making to fpread the gofpel in the world, and were difpofed to contribute fomething of their earthly fubftance to promote this defirable object. The prefpect of fuccefs attending the ufe of the means of grace in this country is brighter than it has been in any former period. Though there has been no gen eral revival of religion, God has in feveral places fhewn his wonderful power and grace in high terms of the defign of fending out Miffionaries. To this however there are a few exceptions. The enemies of religion here as well as in other places are opposed to miffions. The north weft part of this state is rapidly fettling. The territory between the Black and St. Lawrence rivers is opened for fale; and the prof'pect is that the field for miffion( ary labors will be widely extended. May the Lord raife up and fend forth faithful laborers into the vineyard!" At the request of the board of Trustees, Mr. Woodward was ordained as an Evangelift, by the North Confociation of Hartford county, the 29th of September; and foon after that recommenced his miffionary labors. For the prefent he is to itinerate in the western counties of New-York, and the northern counties of Pennfylvania, in concert with the Rev. Mr. Willifon. (To be continued.). ten in the mouths of both the friends, and the enemies of Chriftianity. down by oral tradition for many ages, and were not committed to writing until after the Babylonian captivity. To thefe laws the Saviour refers, when he charges the Jewish Scribes with corrupting the divine law by teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. With the divine law the oral traditions were at variance, and were, in many things, in direct oppofition to its fpirit. Of this any one may be fully convinced, by an attentive perufal of Chrift's Sermon on the Mount. From the foregoing paffage, contained in the epistle to the Coloffian church, it appears that "the tradition of men," is applied to "philofophy and vain deceit," as well as to the corruption of the Jewish Scribes. He who makes vain philofophy the guide of his faith, or receives his religion from philofophers, is governed by tradition, according to the fcripture fenfe of the word, as much as he is who follows pharifaical fuperftitions. The Greek word Paradofis, is the only one which is rendered tradition, by our tranflators. It is always fo rendered, except in 1 Cor. xi. 2. This word is ufed but a few times in the Bible. It literally fignifies fomething which is delivered or handed down to us. It is applied first, to things which are handed down to us as divine truths or ordinances, when they are fanctioned only by human authority. In this way religion has been corrupted in all ages. It was by the Scribes and Pharifees of old: Hence Chrift charges them with "making the commandment of God of none effect by their tradition." This tradition is called "the tradition of the elders."+ The apostle Paul, when reverting to his former perfecuting fpirit, faith in Galatians i. 13, 14. "For ye have heard of my converfation in time paft in the Jews' religion, how that beyond meafure I perfecuted the church of God, and wafted it; and profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers." The apoftle warns the Coloffian breth-ed them to you." 2 Thef. ii. 15. ren, chapter ii. 8. "Beware left any man fpoil you through philofophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." The Jews held that there are certain laws which came from God, which were delivered to Mofes upon Mount Sinai, befide thofe which he was directed to write. Thefe laws were handed Matt. xv. 6. The word tradition is fometimes taken in a good sense; 1 Cor. xi. 2. "Now I praise you brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances (paradofeis) as I deliver "Therefore, brethren, ftand fait, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. iii. 6. Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh diforderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us." It is unneceffary to comment on these texts. In the firft of them, Chrif tians are commended by an infpired apostle for obferving the tradi tions which he had delivered unta 1 them. In the fecond text, they are exhorted to cleave to the traditions which they had received: And in the laft, to withdraw from every profeffing Chriftian, who would not practically regard them. From the fcriptural ufe of the word tradition, it appears that we are not to determine any thing to be true or falfe, divine or human, merely because it comes to us by tradition. To know whether any doctrine ought to be received as an article of our religious creed, we must first determine from whom it is derived, or whether it be fupported by divine authority. Every fentiment is a matter of tradition; either from God, or man. If a doctrine come from the former, we are bound to receive it; but if from the latter, we are forbidden to receive it, whether it be ancient or modern. When I meet with one who attempts to deftroy my faith by crying out, tradition! tradition! I must be very weak indeed if I give it up, without inquiring whence the perfuafion comes, which prompts him to endeavor to make me a convert to his creed. He is governed by fome tradition or other. For the fame reafon that I ought to examine why I believe as I now do, I ought to examine why I fhould believe differently from what I now do. If I am forbidden to ground my faith on human authority in the one cafe, I am in the other. There are fome perfons who feem to think, that if any one believe what his father, his grandfather, and a long train of ancefters believe, he can have no faith of his own, or must be in the wrong. Every one is indeed to blame if he do not impartially examine into the grounds of his | faith; whether he agree in opinion with his ancesters or not. But how can it be determined that any one is in an error, because he believes what had been believed by thousands or millions before he was born? Is the truth but of yesterday? If it be, it may change to-morrow; and therefore it is folly to think of finding it. What fhould we think of a farmer who fhould be laughed out of the practice of plowing, fowing and reaping, by being told that his father and grandfather, and ancestors had done fo, from time immemorial? There are not a few who conduct as foolishly as the farmer would in this cafe, with refpect to religious concerns. They renounce family prayer, public worship, and all ferious religion, under the pretence of breaking the fetters of tradition. Let all fuch be convinced that "a deceived heart hath turned them afide;" and let them be affured that by laying afide one kind of tradition, they have fallen in with another kind. Let them seriously examine who is the author of that tradition, which encourages them openly to renounce the fear of God. BENEVOLUS. TO THE EDITORS OF THE CONNECTICUT EVANGELICAL MAG AZINE. GENTLEMEN, IF you judge the following biography calculated to promote the intereft of religion, you will pleafe to infert it in your useful Magazine. It feems a pity that many fathers and mothers in Ifrael who have done worthily in their day, and who have been eminent for their truft and confidence in God, in the humble walk of life, fhould leave the world unnoticed, TH I. H. early with a fenfe of the importance and excellency of the Christian religion. Her mother being dangerously ill, fhe was called at the age above mentioned, to the bedfide, to read fome pious book. When fhe had finifhed reading, her mother, with great concern, made particular inquiry into the ftate of her foul; and asked the queftion, "My dear child do you pray to God in fecret?" She frankly confeffed that she did not. The duty was then enjoined upon her in a folemn and impreffive manner, and fhe was charged, as she hoped for a mother's bleffing, to make religion her firft and great concern. Retiring greatly alarmed and affected, fhe attempted to pray, but was much embarrassed. It occurred to her mind, that in | order to obtain the favor of God, she must keep all his commandments. This led her to a ferious inveftigation of their requirements. She proceeded to the fourth, when the thought ftruck her, that there was no God, and of course, that all her distress was vain and her exertions fruitlefs. This dreadful idea remained altho' it was carefully concealed from her mother. HE fubject of the following narrative was born at About this time, her father arWoodbury in this ftate February rived one evening from a neigh1719. Her name before mar- boring town, with an account of riage was Tabitha Hecox. No- two ftrangers, who had lately apthing appeared unufual in her life, peared there and were called Auntil the arrived to the age of theifts. They were described as fifteen. At this period fhe was profligate and wicked men. As the fubject of powerful convictions he had never feen an Atheist and of fin, and diftrefs of mind about knew not the import of the name, the eternal interefts of her foul. fhe embraced the carlieft opportuIt appeared from her own rela-nity to afk her mother, what was tion, that her mother and grand meant by an Atheist, and was anmother, were the humble follow-fwered," a wicked man or woers of Jefus, and that great pains man who believes there is no were taken to imprefs her mind God." She retired in the utmost confufion and diftrefs of mind, repeating to herself, "what would Matthew xi. 25, 26. rience that God is indeed a faithful covenant God, and that the bleffed Jefus carries his "lambs "in his bofom" and will not "break the bruifed reed." After a violent conflict, her rebellious heart was humbled, the veil was removed; and in the light of truth and grace, fhe read the wifdom and goodnefs of God in fending this affliction upon her, and could fay with the Pfalmift, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted." Her repining thoughts were now turned into praife, and her diftrefs into gladnefs, and the experienced the truth of that fcripture, my kind mother fay, if fhe knew | punishment is greater than I can that her dear child was an Athe-bear." But the found by expeift?" Altho' fhe feared at the time that he believed there was no God, yet the agony of her mind impelled her to cry out for mercy and relief; and while thus engaged, it pleafed God to remove her doubts refpećting his exiftence, though fhe was far from being reconciled to his character, law and government. With fome intervals of precarious hope and great ftupidity, her diftrefs of mind continued, until fhe arrived to the age of twenty-three, when the appeared to be called from darkness to light, and fettled upon an evangelical hope in the merits of Chrift, which, with the interruptions common to many of God's people in this finful world, continued through a long and try-fliction, the learned much of God ing life, as an anchor to her foul fure and stedfaft. Soon after fhe obtained a hope of reconciliation to God, it appears he made a profeffion of religion; and was joined in marriage to Mr. Ezekiel Tuttle, with whom he lived in this relation, until his decease February 6, 1799, a period of fifty-feven years. 66 Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." In this school of af and of her own heart. It broke, in fome happy degree, her ties to earth, and prepared her, when the recovered, to be more heavenly minded in her life and converfation. But her faith was to receive another and more fevere trial. And here we may remark how a beneficent "Providence tempers the wind to the fhorn It pleafed God to vifit her lamb." If the trial, of which I with many painful and long conti- am now to fpeak, had taken place nued trials. At the birth of her before her faith had acquired a seventh child, the contracted a folid foundation, it would have weaknefs which confined her been lefs fupportable. A darling wholly to her bed, during the long child, in the bloom of life, was cut period of feven years. And while down in an awful and unufual manall around were ftruck with admi- Another equally promifing ration at her conftancy and pati-was fubject to fits, became delience, he was tried as by fire.rious, and continued fo twenty fix Viewing her cafe as fingular, and years until his decease, Dec. 12, feeing no end to her affliction but 1799. Although the had lived in death, her heart, fhe related, to follow her husband and fix, yielded to the fuggeftions of the which was half the number of her adverfary, and rofe against the children, to the grave, and was rerectitude of the divine govern- ally a woman of forrows, and acShe thought his dealings quainted with grief, yet when hard, and was ready to fay, "My fpeaking of this once promifing ment. ner. |