ing voluntary contributions, to pro- | expressions of my lively gratitude mote the cheap sale and gratuitous distribution of the Holy Scriptures. As soon as I shall have entered upon my new office, as Catholic Professor, and Pastor of Marburg, and obtained a little leisure time, I shall print a plan, begin the correspondence, and unite with active friends of Christianity for this beneficial purpose. You know that I have been engaged, these several years past, in the translation of the Old Testament, and, without consulting my private emolument, agreed with the printer to print at fourteen pence a copy. He is desirous to execute the work on standing types, (if he meets with the needful support,) which would be the more desirable, as this will be the first cheap edition of the German Old Testament in our church, I hope to complete the translation next year." for a kindness of which my heart feels all the obligation. For this purpose I employed, as my channel of communication, the Rev. Mr. Rosing, at that time Pastor of the Danish Congregation in London, which forms part of the diocese confided to my superintendance. I know not whether my wishes, in this respect, have been executed: but being now informed, my Lord, that it is your Lordship who presides over this worthy Association of zealous Christians, I do myself the honor of addressing myself directly to you: and in sending you, my Lord, a copy of the letter which I had the honor of writing to the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, I venture to of fer to you the purest,and most heartfelt thanks, as well for the kindness which I have just mentioned, as for the very recent impression and distribution of the New Testament in the Icelandic and Laponese languag es: information and copies of which I have received from the Rev. Mr. Henderson. A letter from a native of Iceland, and Counsellor to his Danish Majesty, dated Copenhagen, November 11, 1812, states the great want of the New Testament in that country, and the gratitude of his countrymen towards their generous benefactors who supplied them with it. The Rectors testify the warmest gratitude to their generous benefactors. They pray" that the Almighty God, who is all charity, will reward those great promoters of piety and virtue with his choisest blessings, tempor-bond of our holy religion unites us al and eternal." The following is a letter from the Bishop of Zealand, in Denmark, to the Right Honorable Lord Teignmonth, dated Copenhagen, January 2, 1813: 66 "Be pleased, my Lord, to become the organ of my gratitude to the Society, of which you are the worthy' President. Be pleased to assure them, that, whatever be the distance which separates our countries, and whatever be the circumstances which influence our nations, the as brethren; and that the kindness experienced by our fellow-countrymen detained in the prisons of your empire, or removed far from us by the ices of the North, will be always regarded by us as a good work, im those sentiments of gratitude and escherishing for ever in our hearts teem, which Christian virtue, naturally beneficent, could not fail to inspire. My Lord,-When I was inform-posing upon us the sacred duty of ed that the Society established in London for spreading the knowledge of the Holy Bible, and of that Religion of which it is the sacred depository, animated by a zeal which does it so much honor, had kindly printed the New Testament in the Danish language, in order to distribute copies of it to the prisoners of war of my nation, I hastened to convey to his Grace the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, whom I supposed to be a member of the above mentioned respectable Society, the "Such are, my Lord, my sentiments for you and the Society over which you preside. Accept the homage of them, and be pleased to believe, that we shall never cease to accompany you with our sincerest wishes that the Lord may deign to shed his benediction on your pious and generous efforts, which tend their absence, an astonishing change was wrought upon the College, by a special religious awakening, which, like an electric shock, affected in a greater or less degree, almost every member of the institution; but of this they heard nothing until their return. They arrived in town early in the evening, and expected to be hailed by their friends in the same spirit, with which they had left them; when, to their great surprise, they observed a silence as solemn as the grave, and were unable to con When he entered his room, he found a number of his intimate acquaintances assembled, and beheld with amazement, the change which three or four days had effected, in their countenances and deportment. He could not forbear to ask what was the matter, when he was informed of the cause; and from this time it is understood, that he made religion his supreme concern. This was the time when Whitefield and Tennent excited so much attention among the people, and when the students were prohibited, by the facul He was born in Wethersfield, July 19th, O. S. 1724. His parents, Mr.jecture the cause. Silas and Mrs. Abigail Belden, who sustained the character of respectability and piety, were diligent in the religious education of their son. This diligence was amply compensated, in his devotion to religion, and it affords encouragement to special care in teaching children the fear of the Lord. He was designed for a public education. He commenced his preparatory studies, under the instruction of Rev. Stephen Mix, and finished them with a Mr. Williams, of whom he used to speak with lively gratitude and complacency, as his patron and benefactor. He was ad-ty of the College, from going out to mitted a member of Yale College in 1739, was a diligent and sound scholar, and received his degree with reputation, 1743. He was an example of early attention to the religion of Christ. In the second year of his collegiate course, as he was laying the foundation for public usefulness, in his literary attainments, divine grace, as he hoped, had a saving operation on his heart, and fixed his thoughts on the work of the Christian ministry. It was in the year 1741, in the month of March, when he was in his 17th year, as he used to relate, that he first received those religious impressions, which had a permanent effect on his mind. The circumstances of his first awakening were as follows: Having obtained leave of absence from the College, for a few days, he rode to Wethersfield in company with two or three of his fellow students, on some special business among his friends. They left the College in high spirits, and their companions saluted them with jovial expressions, as they departed. In hear the preaching of those men.Mr. Belden and the celebrated David Brainerd were of the same class, but he was not a refractory subject, and did not believe that true religion required him to disobey the authori ty of the College, for the sake of hearing a particular preacher. He believed that the laws of propriety and religion were not hostile to each other. While he was a member of College, his father, having sold his property in Wethersfield, and having made a purchase in Canaan, was cut off by death, while making his arrangements for a removal. His family, however, soon settled in Canaan. This event led Mr. Belden to relinquish the idea of his chosen profession, and to turn his attention to the care of the bereaved family. At this time, it was, that the interposition of his friends assisted him, in the decision which has given to the church the long and useful labors of this precious man of God. Dr. Hopkins, and another of the brethren, in whose vicinity he then was, seeing the pressing call for ministers of Christ, and judging him to be eminently calculated for that work, went to reason with him, on the course of life which he had taken. They found him, at the plough. They urged upon him the point of duty, and persuaded him to leave the ordinary occupations of life, for the work of preaching the kingdom of God. From this time he forsook all, for his professional employment. After he had spent some time in his preparatory studies, he was licensed to preach the Gospel, and was recommended to the churches. He preached for some time, in a frontier town, where alarms of Indians frequently disturbed the people, and where all the inhabitants used the precaution of sleeping within a fortification. When he had been a candidate about two years, he was invited, May, 1747, to preach in Newington, 2d Society in Wethersfield; having preached to the people during several months, he was called to take the charge of them in the holy ministry. The people had employed a number of candidates in succession, but without union in their choice; and were, at length, happily agreed in Mr. Belden. After the various observations which had been made upon those that went before him, one of the leading characters was asked, what he thought of Mr. Belden, and replied, An Israelite indeed.-He was ordained, November 11, 1747. study, he was a diligent and successful student. He acquired a clear understanding of the system of doctrines contained in the word of God, and possessed ability and firmness, to defend them against the objections of unbelievers. In the cultivation of these powers of mind he was employed, from his childhood, and was favored with the best advantages of education which this country afforded, at that time. He was a man of extensive reading, especially in the science of religion; and this continued even to the close of his days. In this employment he spent the most of his time, after he left the active services of the ministry, and from long habit, seemed unwearied in his application. His sight continued remarkably good to the last, in which he used to speak of the special goodness of God, as it furnished his mind with the employment and amusement of books. Another striking trait in his character was sobriety. His countenance bore that aspect of seriousness and gravity, which was the true index of his mind. He maintained a dignified reserve in his deportment, which could not fail to inspire in the beholder, respect and veneration; but which sometimes gave to strangers the idea of a man not familiar and easy of access. Levity and trifling, foolish talking and jesting were put far from him; and when he observed any conduct inconsistent with strict decorum of manners, he frowned upon it as childish, unpro He was twice married; first, to Miss Anne Belden, next, to Mrs.fitable and vain. Honor Whiting. He had eleven children, six of whom died before him, and one since; viz. Mrs. Martha Lynde, wife of Dr. Joseph Lynde of Hartford. Four survive; viz. Anne Belden, unmarried, the wife of Rev. Silas Churchill, of New Lebanon, (N. Y.) the wife of the Rev. Nathaniel Gaylord of Hartland, and Hezekiah Belden, Esq. of Wethersfield. Mr. Belden possessed "a sound mind in a sound body." His intellect was clear, his memory retentive, his judgment rational, and his mental exercises, deliberate and firm. In theology, which was his favorite, as well as his professional He was also distinguished for openness and sincerity. The sen timents of his heart were to be read in his expression, which so plainly appeared, as to remove, in sensibly, from those who conversed with him, even the suspicion of secret ambush and snares. To take in his companions by artifice and disguise, or to circumvent them, to shew a knowledge of mankind, and a power of managing them, was no part of that excellence of character to which he aspired. He was no flatterer; but treated every man, according to his views of real worth; so that no room was left for an apprehension that an absent charac him. Temperance and frugality were prominent features in him. His bodily constitution was framed to stand against the revolutions of time; but it is, doubtless, proper to say his longevity was greatly owing to the strict rules of living which he observed. Of ardent spirits, if he drank at all, it was in a sparing manner; for he treated it as a dangerous thing. It was a principle with him, that, of the gifts of Providence nothing should be lost; but that every thing should be turned to the best it. ter would be traduced or injured by, and his constant recorded prayer was, that the word might be profitable to the souls of them that heard In preaching, he depended much on the special divine assistance, and enjoyed no satisfaction unless he supposed himself to have felt it, in every discourse. After the Sabbath, he used to describe the feelings of his heart, in the exercises of the day, noticing his freedom, with devout thankfulness and reflecting on himself, with high severity, for his cold and lifeless frames. His heart seems to have been on the work of the ministry, and every other concern appears to have been subordinated to this grand design.The great truths which he believed and taught, were the doctrines of grace. He honored and worshipped the Trinity of Unity, in God. He believed and felt, that man, in his account. His speech seemed to be always with grace, seasoned in such a manner, as to give a suitable answer to every man. Even his ordinary conversation was managed, with great circumspection, correctness, and deliberation, elevated above low ex-fallen state, has no moral goodness; pressions, and might be assumed as a pattern of dignified discourse. He was ever on the guard against descending to things which might strike any mind as improper, in a man of his standing and profession. Indeed, he seemed always to speak, under the impression, that, in the multitude of words, there wanteth not sin. but possesses the carnal mind which is enmity against God, and is dead in sin. The proper Deity of Christ was, with him, a fundamental, and essential truth. He received Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King. His only hope was founded on the Saviour's atoning blood. To this he directed sinners, as the only foundation of eternal life. Salvation by He was a man of great regularity.grace was his delighful theme, and His life was a life of method. Every thing must be attended to in its place and order, and with the utmost exactness. This rule ran through his ordinary business, and through his professional labors. His mind was so constituted, and his habits were so formed, that to the last hour of his life, his minute concerns must be adjusted in his accustomed manner. As a preacher of Christ, he stood in the first rank. Well versed in the system of Christianity, and deeply impressed with the weight of divine truth, his conceptions were strong, and his mode of expression was forcible. There was nothing splendid in his exhibition, which might attract the attention of the curious and fanciful; but to those who are accustomed to estimate a preacher by his humble attachment to the Gospel, and an ardent concern for the salvation of men, he appeared pre-eminently worthy. His great concern, he often spake, with great feeling, of the all-sufficiency of Christ. He renounced all dependence on works, and said that Christ was the only possible, and the only desirable Saviour. He rejoiced in the eternal purposes, the sovereign government, and electing grace of God. He believed, as of infinite importance, regeneration by the power of the Holy Ghost, repentance towards God, justification by faith, and complete salvation by divine mercy.— These things he pressed upon his hearers, with ability, with affection, with zeal and fidelity. Had he been the immediate subject, in Cowper's description of an apostolic preacher, it could not have been more exact. Simple, grave, sincere ; In doctrine, uncorrupt; in language, plain, And plain, in manner; decent, spl emn, chaste, And natural in gesture; much im-, vent importunity." Such were his press'd Himself as conscious of his awful charge, And anxious mainly, that the flocked himself to have done nothing for he fed Might feel it too." It is not too much to say, that he was a man of extraordinary humilit: for he neither attempted to exait himself, nor to pour contempt upon others. When he spake of himself, it was in terms of dispraise; and when he spake of others, he manifested a disposition to esteem them better than himself. He spake respectfully of all his brethren in the ministry, and even of young men he was ready to acknowledge, that they could do better than he. In these respects, a Mr. Belden is rarely to be found. habitual views of himself, and though his crimes were invisible to others, yet to his last days he acknowledgChrist. He seemed to have ancommon views of the odiousness of sin, to groan under the burden of it, and to abhor it as abominable in the sight of God. "I am assured," said he in conversation with a friend, "I am assured of the universal and total depravity of my heart-of a total destitution of holiness, or conformity to God. I know my own helpless ness." He had a high sense of the allsufficiency of Christ, for the salvation of sinners. While he felt his own sinful and helpless condition, he beheld in Jesus one who came to save his people from their sins, one perfectly adequate to the wants of the perishing soul. The Saviour appeared to him as the chiefest among ten thousand, and altogether lovely, and all his hope and consolation were in him. I see," said he, He had a deep sense of sin, and barrenness of life. While others looked upon him as a model of piety, his views of himself were extremely abasing, as appears, most strikingly, from his private writings, the sufficiency of Christ, and I which were never calculated to be think 1 find evidence of having corseen, but by his own family. On dially embraced him. I renounce the death of 'a minister who was all creature-dependence, and look his "old acquaintance and special to Christ, for justification, freely by friend," he says, Why are the grace. Salvation is, on no account, useful removed, and I, an unprofita- a matter of debt; it is all of grace. ble servant, a burden to the earth, The atonement of Christ is such as continued? To give a more stri-lays a proper foundation for the parking specimen; "This morning," don of the whole world, if they says he, "deeply abased, under a would come unto God by him, and sense of my exceeding vileness and for the same reason, that it is suffiguilt, was enabled to pour out my cient for the pardon of a single mournful complaints of the wretch- sin." I desire to give glory to God, ed depravity and corruption of my that the Gospel reveals an all-suffinature, the numberless sins, and cient Physician, able and ready to most heinous offences of my life.-- heal and save. Were it not for this Sins of youth and riper years, of source of peace and comfort, my omission and commission, against soul must sink in despair. Some inGod and man, stare me in the face. tervals of light, from this quarter, Oh, what a monster of rebellion, keep alive à solacing hope, amidst baseness, and ingratitude, have I the darkness and disquietude that been! How have I buried my tal- often hang over my mind. Oh, for ents, as in the earth, a slothful ser- deliverance from an evil heart of unvant! Oh, my negligence of my great belief, for a more lively, active faith work, pride, hypocrisy, earthliness, in the full atonement, the perfect and sensuality. God be merciful righteousness of the Redeemer.— to me a poor self-destroying sinner, Here is the only, the sure foundawho falls at the foot of sovereigntion of hope. Here I desire to cast grace, sovereign almighty grace, anchor for eternity. Yet, alas! how through a precious Redeemer.little, how weak my faith; how feeI was enabled to plead with fer-ble and unsteady its exercises, if, in |