Divinity of Jesus Christ, and the efficacy of the atonement-the special agency of the Divine Spirit in regeneration; the necessity of repentance; of faith in Christ, and of good works.

He possessed strength of mind, sprightliness of imagination, and readiness of expression; but appeared indifferent to the choice of the most appropriate phraseology. His manner was solemn, affectionate, and pathetic. His language and manner were the index of his mind. He spoke from the heart. His tears flowed in the earnest, alarming, or persuasive applications of his sermons. He was an "Israelite, in whom was no guile." Such was the success of his faithful labours, and the accession of foreign Protestants, that in six years, after the founding of the church, the communicants were about two hundred and fifty. Four times in the year, he celebrated the Lord's supper. They were seasons of reat solemnity. On these occasions Mr. Moorhead commonly had the assistance of one or two of his brethren, particularly the Rev. Mr. M'Gregore, and afterwards the Rev. Mr. Clarke oi Londonderry, and once, of the celebrated Mr. Whitefield, when every heart was moved by his solemn and enraptured performances. On these occasions, each minister served a table in rotation.

At those seasons of fervent zeal in religion, the house could not contain the multitudes, eager to hear the words of eternal life. The doors and windows were crowded with spectators.

The society in general were respectable for good morals, industry, sobriety, attention to the

duties of family religion, and the government and education of their children.

At the age of twenty-six, Mr. Moorhead married Miss Sarah Parsons, an English lady of a bright genius and good education. With her he lived happily, many years; and by her had several children. The only surviving one, is the widow of the late Capt. Alexander Wilson of Boston.

He continued the faithful pastor of the church about forty-four years, and died at the commencement of the revolutionary war, and entered we trust into everlasting rest.

The children of the founders of the church, feeling less attachment than their fathers, to the particular forms of Presbyterian church government, and finding themselves locally distant from those of the same denomination, with whom to associate; changed the Presbyterian, for the Congregational form of government, at the settlement of the Rev. Dr. Belknap, the successor of Mr. Moorhead.

May the purity of evangelical doctrines and manners, be forever maintained in a church founded by the signal direction and blessing of Heaven!

LIFE OF REV. JOHN SERGEANT.

(Continued from page 355.)

BESIDES Contending with the difficulties, which arose from the ignorance, the degradation, the habits of the Indians, Mr. Sergeant met with: obstructions to his benevolent designs from an unexpected quarter. If indig nation ever rises in the breast of

a good man, he will feel indignant when he reads, that certain Dutch traders from Hudson's river, who had supplied the Indians with rum at a very advanced price, and who took advantage of their folly, when in a state of intoxication, to make a good bargain with them, fearing that their profit would be diminished and their "craft be in danger," made every attempt to produce in their minds an aversion to the Christian religion and

suspi

cion of the design, for which a missionary was sent amongst them. But such conduct, how much soever it may excite abhorrence, is neither surprising nor uncommon. When men prefer the acquisition of wealth to a good conscience, we must suppose that they will overlook every consideration of humanity and benevolence; and how many do we now observe, who oppose the progress of the gospel, if not exactly in the manner adopted by the Dutch traders, yet by refusing to obey it, by their pernicious examples, and by casting contempt upon the righteous? Mr. Sergeant, however, was so happy as to convince the Indians of the design of the traders, and thus counteracted the insinuations of those, whose gain was their godliness.

In December, agreeably to his promise when he left New Haven, he returned to the college to remain until commencement with the class, which had been committed to his care. He took with him two Indian boys, the sons of the Captain and Lieutenant, and left in his school at Housatonic Mr. Timothy Woodbridge of Springfield, who was very serviceable in promoting

the objects of the mission. The number of scholars had now increased to twenty-five, and the opinion which Mr. Sergeant had formed of the capacity of his tawney pupils, will be seen in the following extract from a letter addressed to Adam Winthrop, Esq. Secretary of the board of Commissioners. "If I do not judge amiss, the Indian children excel the generality of ours in pregnancy of parts and good humour. I am sure that I could not have found an English school any where, that would have pleased me so much." He proceeds to say, proceeds to say, "Capt. Kunkapot is an excellent man, and I do believe has the true spirit of Christianity in him. He knows, a great deal, and by the character all his acquaintance give of him, his conduct is unexceptionable."

While at New Haven, he was not unmindful of his Housatonic friends, but sent them several letters; in one of which he tells them, "you are always in my heart, and I cease not every day to pray to God for you. We are all sinners, and deserve to be punished; but Christ took upon himself the punishment due to us. They cannot be your friends, that try to discourage you. They only endeavour to keep you in ignorance, that they may be under better advantage to cheat you. Knowledge is certainly good. It is to the mind what light is to the eye. You would think them your greatest enemies, that should endeavour to put out your eyes; especially if you were travelling a difficult road. This world is like a thick, and entangled wilderness; and why should not you, as well as other people, enjoy the benefit of

the light? Truth is more precious, than the light of the sun. Don't suffer your enemies to impose upon you."

In January, 1735, deputies from the several clans, which constituted the tribe of River Indians, met in council at Housatonic, to see whether they would approve the conduct of their Housatonic brethren in consent, ing to be taught the Christian religion. On the result of their deliberation every thing relative to the mission depended. The Rev. Mr. Williams and Mr. Hopkins of Springfield were therefore present. They found nearly two hundred Indians assem bled, and among them Corlair, the chief sachem of the whole nation. Mr. Williams preached to" one of the gravest and most attentive auditories," that he ever addressed; and after repeated conferences the proceedings at Housatonic received the approbation of the council. They desired Mr. Woodbridge to continue in the school, and expressed a wish that Mr. Sergeant would return. After business was finished, a "frolic" followed of course. "Their dancing, (says Mr. S.) is a most laborious exercise. They dance round a hot fire, till they are almost ready to faint, and are wet with sweat; and then run out, and stripping themselves naked, expose their bodies to the cold air, and roll in the snow till they are cold, and then return to their dancing again. They repeat this four or five times in a night, concluding with excessive drinking. When they are drunk, they often fall asleep in the open air, perhaps buried in snow."

In May, Mr. S. made a short

visit to the Indians, and in July left New Haven intending to pass the remainder of his life at Hou, satonic.

As he found some of the Indians desirous of baptism, it was necessary that he should be ordained in order to administer that rite. Accordingly he was in August solemnly set apart to the service of the gospel. The ordination was performed at Deerfield, under circumstances calculated to add respectability to the mission. It took place by the direction of Gov. Belcher, at a time when he was in that town, with a large committee of the Council and House of Representatives, holding a treaty with several of the Indian tribes. The Rev. Mr. Appleton of Cambridge preached the sermon, in the preface to which he observes that " many of the Indians were grave spectators of the solemnity, and the Housatonic Indians sat by themselves and attended throughout the whole service with great seriousness; and were much pleased to see one, whom they had such a love for, so solemnly separated to the service of their souls."

Very soon after Mr. S. had returned to the scene of his labours, he baptized the captain and lieutenant with their families, first unfolding to them the nature of the rite and ❝ discoursing upon all the more important points of belief and practice in the Christian religion." "The lieu tenant," he says in his journal, "is a clear-headed, smart man, of a deep reach and pleasant humour, and is one of the best speakers we hear; is free in conversation, and talks excellently well. He has entirely left off drinking te excess, and declaims against it ;

shews great compassion towards the rest of the Indians, and seems heartily to lament their miserable condition; wishes they were come to the knowledge of the gospel; is himself thoroughly convinced of the truth; and his knowledge does not puff him up."

Mr. Sergeant's auditory on the Sabbath gradually increased; he was heard very attentively by strangers, who happened to be present, and such favourable impression was made upon their minds, that some of them sent their children to the school, and a few families were induced to reside permanently with their brethren at Housatonic.

In a

few months after his ordination, he had baptized about forty persons, adults and children, and there was the same number of scholars in the school. He was cheered with much greater suc cess, than he could anticipate in so short a time. He beheld the wolf dwelling peaceably with the lamb, and the lion eating straw like the ox. The interest, which good men at a distance took in his labours, will be seen in the following extracts from letters addressed to him.

Dr. Colman of Boston says, in a letter dated Nov. 18, 1735, "It is not easy to tell you, how much we have rejoiced here in your ordination to the good and great work, into which you have entered. May the consolations of God refresh and enlarge your soul from time to time, in all your self-denials for the sake of his name, and of the dear souls, for whom you are labouring. I gave some account to the excellent Dr. Watts, of London, of the strange disposition of the Housa

tonic tribe to receive the gospel, and of the good Spirit on you to leave the college and go among them. He answers me, that he is always looking out to this quarter of the world for such appearances. May Jesus, says he, the head of the church and of nations, attend your young missionary with extraordinary assistance, and success. Methinks I love him, upon your report, for his courage and zeal. Let your heart, dear Sir, be encouraged, and your hands strengthened by the love and prayers of men of God at such a distance from you. They hear of you, and rejoice and bless, of whom you neither hear nor think."

Governor Belcher writes in a manner, which impresses one with the belief of his own undissembled piety and regard to the truth; "Set before you the example of the great apostle of the Gentiles for your imitation, that you may approve yourself achosen vessel unto Christ, to bear his name to those, that are perishing for lack of vision. And may you, Sir, be honoured of God by being made an instrument of taking the scales from their eyes. May you be wise to win their souls, and be able to say to them, In Christ Jesus have I begotten you through the gospel. For these things will I bow my knees, and lift up my heart to Him, with whom is the residue of the Spirit."

Rev. Mr. Appleton, of Cambridge, expresses himself thus ; "Give my hearty respects to Mr. Woodbridge. I heartily commend you both to the grace of God, earnestly praying, that the great Lord of the harvest, who has sent you forth, would