ed with eternal consequences. God and holy angels are witnesses. Your vows will be recorded in heaven, to be exhibited on your trial at the last day. Yet be not overwhelmed. In the name of Christ you may come boldly to the God of grace, and provided only you have sincere desires to be His, may venture thus unalterably to commit yourselves, and trust in him for strength to perform your vows. Attend now to the

COVENANT.

In the presence of God, his holy angels, and this assembly, you do now solemnly dedicate yourselves to God the Father as your chief good: to the Son of God as your Mediator and Head, humbly relying on Him, as your Prophet, Priest, and King and to the Holy Spirit as your Sanctifier, Comforter, and Guide. To this one God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, you do heartily give up yourselves in an everlasting covenant, to love and obey Him.

Having subscribed the Articles of Faith and Government adopted by this church, you promise to walk with us in conformity to them, in submission to all the orders of the Gospel, and in attendance on all its ordinances, and that by the aid of the Divine Spirit, you will adorn your profession by a holy and blameless life.

This you severally profess and engage.

In consequence of these professions and promises, we affectionately receive you as members of this Church, and in the name of Christ declare you entitled to all its visible privileges. We welcome you to this fellowship with us in the blessings of the Gospel, and on our part engage to watch over you, and seek your edification, as long as you shall continue among us. Should you have occasion to remove, it will be your duty to seek and ours to grant a recommendation to another Church: for hereafter you can never withdraw from the watch and communion of the saints, without a breach of covenant.

And now, beloved in the Lord, let it be impressed on your minds, that you have entered into solemn circumstances from which you can never escape. Wherever you go, these vows Vol. I.

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will be upon you. They will follow you to the bar of God, and in whatever world you may be fixed, will abide upon you to eternity. You can never again be as you have been. You have unalterably committed yourselves, and, henceforth, you must be the servants of God. Hereafter the eyes of the world will be upon you: and as you demean yourselves, so religion will be honored or disgraced. If you walk worthy of your profession, you will be a credit and a comfort to us; but if it be otherwise, you will be to us a grief of heart and a vexation. And if there is a wo pronounced on him who offends one of Christ's little ones, wo, wo, to the person who offends a whole Church! "But beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak." May the Lord guide and preserve you till death, and at last receive you and us to that blessed world where our love and joy shall be forever perfect. Amen.

TO THE REV. JAMES RICHARDS.

Andover, (Mass.) July, 29th, 1809.

MY DEAR Brother—

So long a time has elapsed before I have had a moment of leisure to acknowledge your favors of June 24th and July 14th. They gave me the sincerest pleasure, mingled with many other emotions which I need not describe. I am rejoiced to hear repeatedly of the growing attachment of my former charge to you, and the strength which it has already acquired. May you be happy in them; and may they know how to prize the blessing which God has given them. You judge right when you suppose that I think of you and them, when I have not leisure to write. I have suffered from my separation more than I even expected. But you know what the feelings are. I rejoice greatly that your place is filled at Morristown by our dear brother Fisher. Give my love to him, and tell him that I thank him, and thank God. Give my love to all my dear friends in Newark. They are so many, that I ought not to particularize. I love them all, and hope one day to meet many of them again to part no more.

I know that you and they wish to hear from us of our affairs. Dr. Morse and Mr. Thurston, whom you will have seen before the arrival of this, will tell you how the new church prospers in Boston. The house is to be opened by the first of December. A great majority of the male communicants are staunch Edwardeans.

As to the Seminary, we have 35 students, and new applications almost every week.

Tuesday, August 1st. You will judge, my dear brother, of my avocations, when you are informed that, since the last date, I have not had time to add one line; and now I cannot but a few. A spirit of increasing seriousness begins to be apparent among the students. They have a number of prayer meetings. Mr. French, the minister of this parish, was suddenly removed on Friday last, which has made an important opening for a man of evangelical sentiments. One of the last things he did was to settle with the professors a plan of union between the students and parishioners, in regard to prayer meetings. We can now say to the people that their aged minister left it as his dying request, that his people would join the students in these meetings. Such meetings have not been known on this ground before. We cannot but hope that God has some glorious work to accomplish in this region. Pray for us.

The young gentlemen from New-Jersey are all well-entirely well-and contented-and are doing very well. They are highly useful to the other students and to the Institution. Tell Mr. Crane this, and that I intend to answer his very acceptable letter as soon as I have a little leisure.

Since last spring there has been a pretty large and increasing association for fasting and prayer for the effusions of the Spirit among the ministers of this neighborhood. This augurs well.

I never consented till to-day to give up my inaugural oration for the press. You will probably one day see the thing. Mrs. Griffin joins in most affectionate remembrance of Mrs. Richards, and yourself, with, yours, inviolably, and, I hope, forever. E. D. GRIFFIN.

Dr. GRIFFIN had scarcely reached Andover and entered upon the duties of his professorship, before his character was most injuriously assailed, and scandalous reports were put in circulation concerning him, which were triumphantly repeated on every side by the enemies of truth and piety, and which, from the confidence with which they were trumpeted, temporarily gave no small anxiety to many of his friends. As these reports had respect to alleged improprieties in Newark, the Trustees and Session of his former church, as soon as they heard of the slanderous allegations from which he was suffering, addressed to him the following letter, which contains not only a complete vindication of his character, but a strong expression of their affectionate regard.

REV. AND DEAR SIR:

Newark, 22d August, 1809.

We have lately been informed that reports are circulating in Boston and its vicinity, unfavorable to your character, such as your being obliged to leave this congregation-that you was immoral, &c. As far as those slanders affect yourself personally, we should not have interfered; being convinced that they would be but temporary, and that as soon as you was known, and wherever known, the tongue of slander would be silenced. But as we believe that the enmity which is the foundation of these reports, arises from a hatred and opposition to the truths of the gospel, which you so faithfully preach, more than from a disrespect to yourself, and may for a short time (which is the utmost they can do) injure the glorious cause in which you are engaged, with some minds; we take the liberty to address you on the subject, and to declare-That if the ardent respect, love and affection of your congregation could have detained you, we should still have

had the happiness of calling you our pastor. Nothing but a conviction and belief that you was called to a scene of more extensive usefulness in the church of God, induced us, from a sense of duty, to submit to your removal. If any thing was wanting to convince the world of the attachment this congregation had towards you, the circumstance of your being unanimously requested to continue with us as long as you could, consistently with your engagements, after you had been, at your own request, regularly dismissed by the Presbytery, and another pastor had been chosen,—your salary and emoluments continued to the day of your departure,-the crowded church that attended your farewell sermon,-the tears that flowed on your leaving the town,-abundantly furnished this evidence. And be assured, Sir, that although absent, you still live in the affections of the people of your late charge: your exemplary life, your ardent zeal for the good of the souls committed to your charge, and your faithful labors amongst us, will not be forgotten, while memory holds a place in our breasts. We beseech you not to suffer the calumnies of the enemies of your Master to dispirit you. Remember that you have not attained to the sufferings of your Lord, his apostles, and faithful servants who have gone before The crown of your rejoicing is sure and certain. Set your face as a flint, and

hold out to the end.

you.