IMPORTANT ADVICE TO CLERGY MEN. their ears. An extract from Baxter. again. Then I rode to Bethlehem, came adds the following explanatory note. "Take heed to yourselves," that your graces be maintained in life and in action. For this end, preach to YOURSELVES the sermons you study, before you preach them to others. If you were to do this for your own sakes, it would be no lost labor. But I principally recommend it on the public account, and for the sake of the "Brainerd, having now undertaken the church. business of a missionary to the Indians, When your minds are in an holy frame, your people are likely to par- native country, to go among the savages and expecting in a little time to leave his take of it. Your prayers and praises and doctrine will be sweet and heavenly to into the wilderness, far distant, and spend them. They are likely to feel it when you the remainder of his life among themhave been much with God. That which and having some estate left him by his fais on your hearts most, will be most in ther, and thinking he should have no ocI confess, I must speak it by la-casion for it among them, (though aftermentable experience, that I publish to my wards, as he told me, he found himself flock the distempers of my soul. When mistaken,)-set himself to think which I let my heart grow cold, my preaching is way he might spend it most for the glory cold, and when it is confused, my preaching thoughts, wherein he could do more good of God; and no way presenting to his is confused also. And I have often observ ed it in the best of my hearers, that when with it, than by being at the charge of edI have grown cold in preaching they have ucaling some young person for the minisgrown cold accordingly. The next prayers and well disposed, he fixed upon a person try, who appeared to be of good abilities, I have heard from them, have been too much like my sermons. You cannot dehere spoken of to this end. Accordingly cline and neglect your duty, but others he was soon put to learning; and BRAIwill be losers by it as well as yourselves. education from year to year, so long as he NERD continued to be at the charge of his If we let our love decrease, and if we abate our holy care and watchfulness, it lived, which was till this young man was will soon appear in our doctrine. If the carried through his third year in college." matter shew it not, the manner will; and our hearers are likely to fare the worse for it. Whereas, if we could abound in faith and love and zeal, how would they overflow to the refreshing of our congregations! Watch therefore, brethren, over your own hearts Keep out lusts, and worldly inclinations; and keep up the life of faith and love. Be much at home, and be much with God. If it be not your daily serious business to study your own hearts, to subdue corruptions, and to "walk with God," all will go amiss with you, and you will starve your audience. Or if you have an affected fervency, you cannot expect any great blessing to attend it. Above all, be much in secret prayer and meditation. There you must fetch the heavenly fire that must kindle your sacrifices." Brainerd's opinion of the importance of assisting indigent and pious young men in oblaining an education for the ministry, An extract from his Diary for Dec. 1742. Dec. 11. Conversed with a dear friend, to whom I had thought of giving a liberal education, and being at the whole charge of it, that he might be fitted for the gospel ministry. I acquainted him with my my thoughts in that matter, and so left him to consider of it, till I should see him The following extracts from the Diary of this eminently holy and devoted servant of Jesus Christ, gathered from the incomplete records of a few months, while he was a student in Theology, will show how he lived, and how others should live who would attain to similar eminence in piety. Lord's Day, April 18, 1742.-1 retired early this morning into the woods for prayerat noon God enabled me to wrestle with him, and to feel, as I trust the power of divine love in prayer. At night I saw myself infinitely indebted to God, and had a view of my failures in duty. April 19.-I set apart this day for fasting and prayer to God for his grace; especially to prepare me for the work of the ministry. Lord's Day, April 25.-This morning I spent about two hours in secret duties, and was enabled more than ordinarily to agonize for immortal souls. June 18.-Considering my great unfitness for the work of the ministry, my present deadness, and total inability to do any thing for the glory of God that way, feeling myself very helpless and at a great loss what the Lord would have me to do; I set apart this day for prayer. STATISTICAL. It is intended to publish in the Quarterly Journal, from time to time, the most accurate statistical information which can be obtained, relative to the religious and literary condition of the United States. The documents, or sources, from which this information is derived, will commonly be mentioned, that the reader may judge for himself of the degree of credit to which it is entitled. The following Tables relate to New England. In future numbers of the Journal, these will be enlarged so as to include other parts of the United States. TABLE I. Showing the number of Ministers of all denominations in New England, as given in the Registers of the several States for 1827. Congregat. Methodist. Baptist. Presbyteri. | Christyans Of those who have graduated the present year, one third are professors, and most of them will probably go into the ministry. A few years ago this proportion was one fifth, or one sixth. The difference is owing chiefly to the efforts of Education Societies, which have had an influence to increase the number of pious students in the colleges directly, by sending their beneficiaries to them, and indirectly, by promoting, through their instrumentality, revivals of religion in the colleges. TABLE III. Showing the number of Students (1826-7) in the different Colleges of New England, from each State in New England; from New York and the States beyond; and from Foreign Countries. Colleges. Harvard Univ. Yale College Dart. Col Bowd. Col. Mid. Col. Ver. Univ.* Williams Col. States. Maine 352 111 7 95 13 497 383 51 A Mass. 5185 92170 Conn. | N. York. Other States. cocoR.Island *92388968 Colleges. 86 76 1 110 120 10 3 In Sword's Pocket Almanack for 1827, the number of Episcopal clergymen is given with greater accuracy. It is there stated that the number of Episcopal ministers in Vermont is 11, in Mass. 27, and in Coun. 52, making the total of ministers of this denomination in New England 99. A Baptist Relig ious Newspaper recently stated the number of ordained Baptist ministers in Mass. to be 119. The number may be somewhat larger in the other New England states than the Registers show; and the same remark will apply to the other denominations. Probably the whole number of stated ministers in New England educated and uneducated, orthodox and heterodox, engaged in actual labour is not far from 1800. The entire population is probably at this time 1,800,000. In 1750 there was in New England one educated minister to 62% souls. Now there is not more than one such minister to 1500 souls, and but one of any kind to 1000 souls. 66 36 199 * Yale Col. 81 31 88 29 94 19 66 8 329 87 Dart. Col. 38 13 48 22 41 11 38 9 165 55 Williams C. 34 25 18 12 14 6 19 2 85 45 Bowdoin C. 32 6 23 7 34 12 21 3 110 28 Middlebury 18 9 26 16 23 10 20 11 87 46 8 44 15 17 3 97 14 12 5 51 21 51 32 170 115 12 48 * 336 116 361 114 388 108 300 73 1385 426 In addition to those who are professors of religion there are more than 50 others in several of the colJeges who have, it is hoped, recently become pious. Watervil. C. 16 Waterville C. Brown Univ. Wash. Col. 11 10 10 109 29 39 48 130 131 146 431196 696 115 12 1399 The students of Brown University are chiefly from Massachusetts. Rhode Island and Connecticut. Those of Washington College, for the most part, from Connecticut. The sum under each of these states, should therefore be increased probably from 20 to 40 each. From this table it appears that Massachusetts has in a course of education at the Colleges more than double the number of students of any other State. Connecticut has the next largest number, regard to the number of ministers belonging to each and Vermont the next. The same order prevails in State as appears from Table I. The total number of Students in all the Colleges in New England is 1,400. Of these 336, nearly one fourth of the whole, belonged to the classes which graduated the present autumn, which is not far from the number of liberally educated men annually sent into the world by this section of the Union; about as many as are sent by all the rest of the United States put together. Yale College has the largest number of alumni now living; and much the largest number of living ministers. If the Dartmouth Catalogue were brought down to the present year, it would probably show the next largest number of living ministers. The proportion which the whole number of ministers bears to the whole number of alumni in all the colleges is one fourth. The proportion of living ministers, to the whole number of alumni now living is one fifth, which of course indicates a decrease in the proportion of ministers educated now, and in former times. * Catalogue for 1825-6. 1. Berkshire, 18 min. Rev. E. W. Dwight, clerk, Richmond, 2d Tuesday of June and October. 2. Mountain, 10 m. No information. 3. Franklin, 9 m. Rev. Benjamin F. Clark, c. Buckland, 3d Tues. Feb. May, Aug. and Nov. 4. Hamp. Cent. 19 m. Rev. L. P. Bates, c. Whately, 1st Tuesday Feb. May, Aug. and Nov. 5. Hampden, 15 m. Rev. Dorus Clark, c. Blanford, 2d Tuesday June and February. 6. Brookfield, 9 m. Rev. Joseph Vaill, jr. c. Brimfield, Ist Wed. Jan. Oct. 3d Wed. April, and 2d Tuesday June. 7. Worcester Cent. 10 m. Rev. George Allen, clerk, Shrewsbury, 1st Tues. Jan. May, Aug. & Nov. 8. Harmony, 11 m. Rev. A. Pond, c. Ware, 3d Tu. Aug. Nov. and probably Feb. and May. 9. Worcester North, 9 m. Rev. R. A. Putnam, c. Fitchburg, 2d Tu. May, July, Sept. Nov. Jan. 10. Middlesex Un. 7 m. Rev. John Todd, c. Groton, 3d Tues. Jan. May, July, Sept. and Nov. 11. Andover, 12 m. Rev. S. Sewell, c. Burlington, 1st Tues, May, June, July, Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. 12. Haverhill, Rev. John H. Church, c. Pelham, N.H. 2d Tues. June, August, and October. 13 Pasex Middle, 10 m. Rev. D. T. Kimball, c. Ipswich, 2d Tues. May, July, and Sept. 14. Salem and Vicinity, 14 m. Rev. B. Emerson, c. Salem, 2d Tues. Jan. Mar. May, July, Sept. Nov. 15. Suffolk, 13 m. Rev. E. Beecher, c. Boston, 3d Tues. Feb. April, June, August, October, December. 16. Norfolk, 11 m. Rev. Josiah Bent, c. Weymouth, last Tues. April, July, and October. 17. Taunton and Vicinity, 8 m. Rev. E. Maltby, c. Taunton, 1st Tues. May, Aug. and Nov. 18 Old Colony, 9 m. Rev. D. Hemenway, c. Wareham, last Tues. Jan. April, July, and Oct. 13. Barnstable, 11 m. Rev. Nathaniel Cogswell, c. Yarmouth, last Tues. April and October. * Not known. 'CONNECTICUT. 1. Hartford North, 23 ministers, no information. 2. Hartford South, 15 m. Rev. Calvin Chapin, register, Rocky Hill, 1st Tues. June and Oct. monthly meeting of ministers 3d Tues. of every month except June and October. 3. New Haven West, 12 m. Rev. E. Scranton, r. Orange, last Tues. May, and 1st Tues. Oct. 4. New Haven East, 12 m. Rev. M. Noyes, r. Northford, last Tues. May and September. 5. New London, 15 m. Rev. A. MEwen, r. N. London, last Tues. May and September. 6. Fairfield West, 12 m. Rev. W. Bonney, r. New Canaan, last Tues. May, Cons. 2d Tues. Oct. ministers' meetings 3d Tuesday each month. 7. Fairfield East, 9 m. Rev. A. Brundage, r. Brookfield, last Tues. in May, 1st Tues. Oct. ministers' meetings 2d Tuesday each month. 8. Windham, 19 m. Rev. D. G. Sprague, r. Hampton, 3d Tues. May, Cons. 1st Tues. October. 9. Litchfield North, 22 m. Rev. E. Goodman, r. Torringford, 2d Tues. June, last Tues. Sept. ministers' meetings 2d Tuesday each month. 10. Litchfield South, 14 m. Rev. C. A. Boardman, reg. Washington, 1st Tues. June, 2d Tues. October, min. meet. 2d Wednesday each month. 11. Middlesex, 13 m. Rev. A. Hovey, r. Saybrook, 1st Tuesday June and October. 12. Tolland, 15 m. Rev. A. Nash, r. Tolland, 1st Tues. June, Cons. last Tues. Sept. ministers' meetings Wednesday before 1st Sabbath in each month. If any of the above statements are incorrect or incomplete, the Secretary of the Am. Ed. Soc. will be obliged to the Clerks or Registers of Associations for information. He will be glad also to be informed of any changes which may occasionally take place. ORDINATIONS AND INSTALLATIONS, Rev. Messrs. HIRAM ADAMS, JOHN W. CUR Rev. BENJAMIN N. HARRIS, over the Baptist ch. in Leicester, Mass. July 3. Rev. BARNES SEARS, over the Baptist church, at Hartford, Conn. July 11. Rev. GEORGE C. BECKWITH, over the first con- Rev. JOHN BEACH, at Peru, Ohio. July 25. Rev. CORNELIUS VAN CLIFF, as an Evangelist, Rev. MOSES CURTIS, over the Baptist church in Rev. PHILETUS CLARK, over the cong.church, in Rev. NATHANIEL KINGSBURY, and EDWARD Rev. AMASA CLARK, as an Evangelist, at Russell, Rev. JARED CURTIS, chaplain of the State Prison at Auburn, N. Y. as an Evangelist, at Stockbridge, Mass. Sept. 12. Rev. GEORGE COWLES, over the 2d cong. church in Danvers, Mass. Sept. 12. Rev. WAKEMAN G. JOHNSON, over the 1st Bap. church in Pittsford, Vt. Rev. THOMAS ROBINSON, as an Evangelist, at Montville, Me. Rev. JOHN BOYNTON, over the cong. church in Phipsburgh, Mass. Rev. BENNET ROBERTS, over the cong. church in Durham, N. H. DEATHS of Clergymen and Students in Theology, noticed between July 1, and Oct. 1, 1827. Rev. ABRAHAM CUMMINGS, æt. 73, Evangelist, Cong. Phipsburg, Maine. Rev. WALTER CHAPIN, et. 48, Pastor of Cong. church, Woodstock, Vt. Rev. JOEL HAYES, æt. 74, Pastor of congregational church, outh Hadley, Mass. Rev. JOSEPH THAXTER, t. 83, Pastor of congregational church, Edgarton, Mass. Rev. NATHANIEL BRADSTREET, æt. 57, Westford. Mass. Rev THOMAS K. PECK, æt. 34, Paquetannak, Conn. Episcopal church. Rev. FRANCIS G. MACCOMBER, t. 30, Pastor of Bap ch. Beverly, Ms. formerly patronized by the American Education Society. Rev. CORNELIUS R. DUFFIE, æt 38, Rector of St. Thomas church, New York city. Rev. JOSIAH MOULTON, æt 52, Ashford, N. Y. Rev. DANIEL BANKS, æt. 48. Preceptor St. Lawrence Academy, Potsdam, N. Y. Rev. ENOCH BOUTON, æt. 48, Preble. N. Y. Rev. FREEBORN GARRETSON, æt. 76, Methodist Rev. JAMES MCLAUGHLIN, et. 59, Pastor of Baptist church, New Britain, New Jersey. Rev. GEORGE C. STREIN, met. 59, Pastor of Evangelical Lutheran church, Hamburgh, Penn. Rev. MAXAMILLIAN RAUTZAU, æt. 58, Fredericksburg, Maryland. Rev. ROBERT LITTLE, æt. 58, Pastor of Unitarian church, Washington, D. C. Rev. JOSEPH WILLARD, æt. 72, congregational church, Littleton, New Hampshire. Rev. ISRAEL KEMP, Baptist church, York co. Va. Rev. BARZILLIA GRAVES, Caswell co. N. C. Rev. WILLIAM H. WILMER, D. D. Prest. William and Mary College, Va. Rev. WILLIAM JONES, æt. 23, Meth. Episcopal church, Trenton, N. C. Rev. MALICH! REEVES, Wilkes co. Ga. Rev. THOMAS D. HOWELL, Meth. Epis. ch. Ga. Mr. JOHN INGALLS, at. 28, a member of the senior class in Theol. Sem. Andover. Died at Andover, Mass. Sept 24, 1827, Mr. JOSEPH PECK, et. 30; for several years under the patronage of the American Education Society. Mr. Peck was born at Amherst, Mass. where his mother, a widow, now resides. He became hopefully pious during a revival of religion in his native town, and made a public profession while a member of Amherst College. He possessed an amiable disposition, was highly consistent and exemplary in his deportment, and gave evidence of being sincerely devoted to the cause of the Redeemer. His health had been failing for some time, when he was attacked with a violent fever which terminated his life in a few days. During his last illness he manifested a calm and submissive temper. His mind, even when labouring under delirium occasioned by the disease, dwelt much upon religious subjects. He was frequently engaged in prayer, for himself and others, and was observed to be thus engaged but a short time before he expired. Being seized with one of those paroxysms which frequently precede dissolution, he raised himself up and exclaimed, O death, death! And not long after was permitted, we trust, to triumph over its sting, and to enter into rest. It is said to have been his purpose, had he lived, to devote himself as a Missionary, to the West. CORRESPONDENCE. Letter from a minister, formerly aided by the American Education Society, who has refunded all which he received. The spirit which the following communication breathes, and the sentiments which it expresses, entitle it to a wider circulation than it can have if suffered to remain on the files of the American Education Society. The letter is highly honourable to the writer, and is worth a thousand speculations on the subject to which it relates. To the Reverend Elias Cornelius, Secretary of the American Education Society. Dear Brother,I have this day received your Circular Letter, appealing for aid to those who were patronized by your Society and who have entered the ministry. It is a privilege and an honor to belong to that number, which I value more and more every year, but of which I should be undeserving were I not moved by the representations in your Circular. To me, indeed, the Society made its appropriations before its present judicious system of requiring notes without interest, came into operation, and therefore, in view of human law, it has no claim upon me; but it has a moral claim of a very sacred nature: such have been my views ever since I entered the ministry. For this reason, and because I place a high estimation on this species of charity, I have been endeavoring to pay the Society all I ever received from it (including interest, as well as principal,) as fast as I could do so, consistently with the claims of other benevolent institutions and ob jects; and I have aimed to proceed just as if I had given such a written obligation to the Society, as is required by its dollars present plan. Enclosed is which added to what I have given the last year makes the amount of the bene factions I received from your Society.ments, as a proof, that while the DirecMy donations for several years previous, tors of the American Education Society whether more or less, you may regard in the light of interest; and in the same appropriate aid in the way of loans, they light you may regard all my future dona- do it, however, upon principles purely tions, which I purpose to continue, an- parental and benevolent. Cases may ocnually, as long as I have any thing to cur in which it would be unsuitable to give. My salary is small; and though my family is also small, we have to consult the principles of economy and to deny ourselves many things, in order to have an agency in the various great departments of Christian charity. Our rule is, first, to economise; secondly, to give "bountifully." according to the Scripture maxim, 2 Cor. 9:6; and then, thirdly, if we have any thing to spare, to lay it up, until the Lord shall call for it ;and we find so much enjoyment in this course, that we shall probably continue it. The require a young man to refund. rules of the Directors make provision for such instances, and they have recently decided, that the case of the self denying missionary who devotes his life, and his all, to the service of Jesus Christ, among the benighted and destitute portions of our race, is of this nature. The certificate and letter have been forwarded to a missionary who is soon to embark for the Sandwich Islands. Similar certificates will be sent to several others, who were once patronized by the Society, and who have devoted their lives to the missionary work. "This is to certify, that I hope you will send your Circular to all who have received the bounty of the Society, and have entered the ministry, and are not actually laboring among the heathen, or in the desolate places of our own land. Surely there are few who cannot pay something, and none who will not gladly contribute what they can. In my judgment, those who have not given notes for the money they have received, are as really bound to make payment, as those who have given them; and at the same time they have the singular privi-ry obligations to the American Education lege of making this payment as though it Society." were a free gift. Your brother and fellow-laborer. October, 1827. This same correspondent says in another communication, "I wonder clergymen are not more ambitious of the luxury of giving. Let them think that out of 100 dollars, fire handsome donations can be made of twenty dollars each, and from 60 dollars, five, of twelve dollars each. Let them give thus and insist upon it as their right and privilege of which no man shall deny them, and great would be their influence. People would complain less at their giving twenty dollars, than at their laying up that sum; and less of their laying up money than they do, if ministers only gave away as much as they laid up. A man with a salary of 600 dollars, ought, as it seems to me, to give 60 dollars a year, or one tenth of his income; and a man with a thousand dollars income, ought to give 100 dollars in charity; to do so only requires, calculation, economy, and decision." The following certificate and letter are subjoined to the above interesting docu having devoted himself to the service of Christ among the heathen, is by special vote of the Board of Directors, bearing date Oct 10, 1827, released, so long as he shall continue in this holy and self denying work, from his pecunia Signed in behalf of the Board of Directors. The certificate was accompanied with the following letter, and with a copy of the life of David Brainerd, as a memorial of affection and interest. "My dear Brother, I herewith enclose a certificate, by which you will learn that, in consequence of the high and holy service to which you have devoted yourself, your pecuniary obligations to the American Education Society cease to be binding upon you. In doing this, we cherish no doubt, that should Divine Providence hereafter place you in a situation to aid the Society by refunding the whole, or a part of what you have received, and should you meet with no higher claims upon your resources, you will be as happy to return something into this sacred Treasury, as we shall be to receive it. But, go, my Brother, and let your first object be to win souls to Christ among the heathen; and, whether you ever render any other recompense or not to the Christian Church, whose son, I trust, you are, and of whose bounty you have par |