General Association of New-Hampshire, TREASURER'S REPORT. In account with A. BURNHAM, Treasurer. Da. To paying printer's Bill for 1844, $40,05 To paying Rev. Mr. Barstow for freight and postage, 1,26 $41,31 Ca. By balance in Treasury last year, $40,37 50 40,87 $00,44 Leaving a balance in favor of the Treasurer of forty-four cents. A. BURNHAM, Pembroke, Aug. 18, 1845. Treasurer of General Association of N. H. I hereby certify that I have examined the account of Rev. A. Burnham, Treasurer of New-Hampshire General Association, and find it N. BOUTON, Auditor. correct. THE TRUSTEES OF THE WIDOWS' CHARITABLE FUND, To the General Association of New-Hampshire, Report, that we had the pleasure, at the last anniversary of your body, to receive from the Piscataqua Association, And from the Monadnock Association, Amounting to $18,00 4,50 $22,50 That we have held our annual meeting at Concord, June 4, 1845, and chose the following officers for the present year, viz : Rev. N. Bouton, President. Rev. A. Burnham, Secretary. Messrs. Bouton and Noyes, Auditors. Messrs. Bouton, Burnham, and Fisk, Prudential Committee. Then admitted by vote Mrs. Samuel Nichols on to the list of beneficiaries. After adjournment of the Trustees, the Committee met and made the following appropriations, viz.: REPORT ON THE STATE OF RELIGION. The Committee on the State of Religion present the following Report: There is a striking similarity in the reports of the several Associations. Most of them embrace the following particulars; viz:— That there have been no revivals. The only exceptions to this remark are that in a few instances there has been during the year a period of unusual seriousness, and a few cases of hopeful conversion. That there has been a decrease in the numbers of most of the churches. That there are, notwithstanding, many things that should make glad our hearts. There is a tendency to permanency in the ministry, indicated in the feelings and practice of both the pastors and churches. There is an unusual amount of doctrinal preaching, and this is relished by the churches. There are a praying few who are spiritual, and whose piety is ripening in the retirement of walking with God. The churches are for the most part in harmony and peace. Sabbath Schools are flourishing, and numerously attended. The forms of wild fanaticism are disappearing, and leaving the community in quietness. Public worship is more numerously attended than usual. There is a strong desire in both ministers and churches for the return of revivals. And we may add, that, so far as reported, there is an increasing interest in the benevolent associations of the day, evinced in a more generous contribution for their support. Such are the facts as presented in the reports of the several associations. They are facts that should be correctly estimated. We owe such an estimate to God, to ourselves,-our hopes, our fears, our responsibilities. Are we to regard the present as pre-eminently a time of divine rebuke? There may be elements of rebuke in our condition. God may be rebuking and curing us of our self-reliance, and teaching us that our dependence is on his sovereign interposition. The fact of such dependence is the lesson which the absence of revivals is especially fitted to teach the churches and their pastors. But are we not in danger of saying too much of divine rebuke, and of the Holy Spirit as withdrawn? To what are we to ascribe many of the precious facts presented in the reports-the interest felt in Sabbath Schools and in the Missonary Enterprize; and especially the attendance on public worship, not of the church merely, but of multitudes unusually large beside? Whence too the desire of the spiritual part of the churches for revivals -- evinced in "groanings that cannot be uttered"? Is not this the work of the Spirit? Is the agency of the God of the Seasons to be recognized only in the ripening of the harvest, and in the glad zeal of him who gathers the golden sheaves? A continuous revival is a contradiction in terms, and of course not obligatory. But a continous service, adapted to its ends, and successful, is possible and obligatory. And in the seed-time as in the harvest, in the inculcation, as in the enforcement of divine truth, the agency special and immediate of the Holy Spirit is to be recognized. God has not forsaken his churches: nor is his work suspended in their midst. A work is now in process by the Holy Spirit. Another and a different work will by and by be done. And of what shall be, the present is a sure guaranty. And the attitude in which every spiritual active christian should be found, in relation to a revival, is that of waiting God's time in submissive yet assured expectation. The language of such an one should be "Lo this is our God, we have waited for him, he will come and save us." This, the facts of our condition justify, demand. When the Children of Israel had come to the borders of the promised land, and, as they supposed, were on the point of taking possession of it, and with probably an undue degree of dependance on their own prowess, God sent them back to wander in the wilderness. And it seemed to them as if in wrath alone. But it was not all rebuke. There never was such another generation of the seed of Abraham before or since, as that which was raised up in "that great and terrible wilderness", and, while waiting upon God, they were at length fitted for, and permitted the honor of gathering the harvest of the goodly inheritance. For a similar signal service we may hope God is now preparing the churches, while partly in rebuke and yet more in necessary discipline, he is leading us through this period of severe trial of our hopes and our faith. From bodies in correspondence with us, we receive reports much like those we ourselves have made. The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (Old School), report the "increase of their body." In benevolent contributions to various objects, the amount reported for 1845 exceeds that of 1844 by nearly $60,000.-The sanctification of the Sabbath has been promoted to an unusual extent, during the last year. "The religious instruction of the black population has been pursued with new ardor and encouraging success." From our sister Associations in Massachusetts, Rhode-Island, Vermont, and Maine, we learn that there have been few revivals, yet that the churches are waiting for 'the salvation of God; that harmony prevails; that the doctrines of the gospel are more than ordinarily preached; public worship is well attended; the ministry becoming more permanent, and other kindred facts which we must regard as the "signs of promise." We are especially happy to learn that in Rhode-Island especial efforts are made and with success, to secure the observance of the Sabbath. All which is respectfully submitted. For the Committee, SAMUEL LEE. PASTORAL LETTER. BELOVED BRETHREN -Assembled as we are once more at our annual religious festival to consult together for the interest of Zion, and especially for the prosperity of the churches over which the Holy Ghost has made us overseers, we see much that calls upon us and you for expressions of gratitude to him who walks in the midst of the golden candlesticks, and holds the stars in his right hand. We cannot but rejoice in the union and harmony which so generally prevail in our churches; in the growing stability of the pastoral relation; in the love which is manifested for sound doctrine, and the confidence that is felt in the old paths; in the increasing attendance, as we believe, on the public means of grace, and in the systematic efforts that have been made during the year, for the advancement of the Redeemer's kingdom in other lands. In these, and many other tokens of the Divine favour, do we rejoice, and acknowledge, under God, our gratitude to you for your kind and cheerful co-operation. But alas! we are pained, and our joy is in a great measure turned into sorrow. We fear that the Great Head of the Church, while he may find many things to commend, has somewhat and it may be much, against us and the people of our charge. The windows of heaven have been shut up during the year. Few refreshing showers have descended to bless our Zion. tion of a very few drops, an almost unbroken drought has prevailed. In some of our congregations—we fear in most of them—not a single conversion has taken place-not a single enquiry after salvation has been heard. On no subject, therefore, do we feel it so important at this time to address you who are our fellow-laborers, and who share with us in the responsibilities of our task, as that of seeking immediately a general revival of religion in the churches of New-Hampshire. It is now many years since such a blessing has been enjoyed. Though many and precious seasons of refreshing here, from time to time, have been granted to different churches in different sections of the State, yet no general outpouring of the Spirit has been received since the year 1831. With the excep We wish in this our annual address to you, to call your most serious and prayerful attention, 1st. To the great importance of such a blessing. How important it is can be fully known only to the Infinite mind. That your hearts may in some degree be impressed with the greatness of the subject, we wish you to consider, 1st. That without such a blessing on our churches, they will in a few years become extinct. There is not a church in NewHampshire, however large and flourishing it may now be, that would continue to exist a half a century unless visited by extraordinary communications of the Holy Spirit. Look at Massachusetts, where spiritual religion has as firm hold upon the hearts and consciences of men and exerts as much power, as any where on earth. According to the last report from her churches, there has been a decrease in their numbers during the past year, of about four hundred members. This, bear in mind, has been the result, notwithstanding all the revivals of religion with which they have been visited, and they have been more numerous than with us. Let this state of things continue from year to year, and at no very distant day the existence of very many of those churches will be only a matter of history. Think it not impossible that such may be the fate of some of the churches in New-Hampshire. It has already been the fate of a number. The last member has died; and the places where they once stood and flourished in verdure and beauty, are now a moral waste. Shall other portions of our beloved Zion be withered and consumed by long prevailing drought? Shall the church with which you are connected, whose worship and ordinances have refreshed and strengthened your graces, be of this unhappy number? Can you endure the thought? But will it not be so, if the results of coming years be like those of the past? 2. Again, consider how important is such a blessing to continued union and harmony in our churches. If the peace we now enjoy is the gift of the Holy Spirit, we may be assured that it will not continue without his aid. It is only the image of Christ inscribed on the heart, and his Spirit dwelling there, and breathing forth in the life, that can form an effectual boud of union among members of the same communion. Without this, the sad lessons taught us in former years will soon be forgotten, and severer trials of a similar nature may yet be expected. At a time like the present, when the elements of society are unsettledwhen one form of error is pressing so close upon the heels of another-when the transformations of Satan are so perfect as almost to deceive the very elect-when the enemy is leaving no means untried to disturb the fold of Christ, there is no reason to hope that peace and harmony will long continue in our churches, without larger communications of the Spirit's influences than have been experienced for a few years past. How important too, it may be added in this connexion, is such a blessing in order that greater union may prevail among all denominations of Christians. The time is coming-it is now at the door—when the combined strength of all who love Zion is needed to resist the encroachments of fast advancing error and wide prevailing wickedness. But this can be secured only by an increase of holiness in all the branches of Zion. Nothing short of the energies of the Divine Spirit, exerted in an unusual manner, can bring together those of a different name and spirit to embrace each other generally and heartily as brethren. The scenes of Pentecost must be enacted again before the church of Christ will return to its primitive state. 3. Again, consider how important is such a blessing to your own growth in grace. The Christian life is spiritual-begotten by the Spirit-sustained, strengthened and perfected by the Spirit. It is only therefore, as you live in the Spirit, and walk in the Spirit, that you can hope to attain to the full stature of a perfect man in Christ Jesus. There are powerful obstacles in the way to this high attainment, which in most instances will not be overcome under the ordinary influences of the Spirit. It is to little purpose that we reason as to what might be done in this matter and what ought to be done. It is more important for all practical purposes to ascertain what actually is done in most cases. The power of the world over the people of God was perhaps never greater than at this present moment. It is binding them down to earth and earthly things with cords which no human haud can break. Many of them are neglecting the social and, it is feared, to too great an extent, the private duties of religion. Some even are making shipwreck of character-sacrificing their integrity and bringing a deep reproach on the cause of Christ. Now how shall this evil be remedied-how shall the world's destructive charm be broken? The ordinary means of grace, attended only by the ordinary influences of the Spirit, will not do it, as you well know. They have not done it during the past year. They will not do it the year to come. There is no rea |