now pleased to send them a man and his wife, who, understanding the language both of the Hottentots and of the Dutch, became very useful to them as their interpreter, &c. The people among whom he laboured were chiefly Boschemen; the most savage and ferocious of that country. The doctrine of a Supreme Being was entirely unknown to them; they did not know they had immortal souls; but were, in most respects, "like the beasts that perish." Their habitations are generally among the rocks, where they dig a small round den, about three feet deep, which they sometimes cover with reeds. Here they spend most of their time in sleep, except when roused by hunger, when they sally forth in quest of some wild beasts; but when unsuccessful in this attempt, they make shift to subsist upon snakes, mice, or wild onions: and such is their idleness, that rather than be at the pains of seeking food, they will live several days together without it!

The people being in general afraid to come near an European, Mr. Kicherer was under the necessity of tempting them at first, by giving them a little tobacco; of which they are extravagantly fond. He would then take the opportunity of showing, that the great difference between the Christians and themselves, in the superior comforts enjoyed by the former, was occasioned by their knowledge of God; of whose nature and perfections they would hear with great astonishment.

At first, Mr. Kicherer attempted to preach to them systematically; but he found little effect from this. He then had recourse to the method which the Moravians found the most useful, simply preaching the love and death of Jesus Christ, and inviting them to come to him, that they might have life. He would tell them, how happy he found his own heart when the love of God was shed abroad in it; and would advise them to go aside and pray that the Lord would teach them, and that he would cause them by his Spirit, to know whether he was his messenger or not.

For a considerable time he remained in painful uncertainty, whether his labours were blessed to the real conversion of any of his hearers. Yet, in this situation he was enabled to leave the matter with God, desiring to be faithful, whether successful or not. From that time, his labours were greatly blessed. He had the most undoubted evidence of the solid conversion of many souls. One of the first of these was a man, called John, who was brought under deep conviction of sin; for he had been a most notorious offender. He lived but about five or six months after; during which time his

experience was wonderful. His heart was wholly taken up with the love of Christ, so that he could scarcely bear to speak of worldly things: and he died rejoicing in the Lord, saying to his teacher, "I die, depending on the blood and righteousness of Christ; I go to heaven, and there I will wait for you."-His son, who came from a distance to see his dying father, was also converted, obtained his liberty from his master, and is now usefully employed as a schoolmaster in the settlement.

Mr. Kicherer would sometimes take a walk in the fields, and find, scattered here and there, prostrate on the ground, several of his congregation; and some with a child in each hand, pouring out their souls to God in the most lively and copious strains. Thus was he encouraged to go forward amidst his arduous labours. Before he left Zak River to visit Europe, he had baptized about thirty-four adult persons, and fifty children. He had a stated congregation of about six hundred persons, in a great measure civilized, and dwelling together.

(To be continued.)

OBITUARY.

The Editors regret, that circumstances beyond their control have prevented them from receiving the details of the following account at an earlier period.

DIED, at Newtown, Long-Island, March 13, the Rev. NATHAN WOODHULL, pastor of the Presbyterian Church in that place, aged 53 years.

Mr. WOODHULL was born at Brookhaven, Long-Island.— He received the rudiments of his education in the common schools of that town. In 1775, he graduated at Yale College; and for the six succeeding years followed farming and merchandize. In 1779, he received his first religious impressions, and determined to devote himself to the ministry of the word. Having studied divinity under the Rev. John Davenport, at Oyster Ponds, on the east end of Long-Island, he was licensed by the Presbytery of Long-Island, in June, 1784, to preach the Gospel. In December, 1785, he was ordained pastor of the congregation at Huntington, which situation he left in December, 1788, on account of divisions in the congregation. In 1790, he became pastor of the congregation in Newtown, where he remained to his death.

From infancy, his health was infirm: and after entering college, he was prevented from proceeding in his studies, for one whole year, during a considerable part of which, his life was considered in danger. During his settlement in Newtown, he expected every year would terminate his labours. It was not an unusual thing for him to go from his bed to the pulpit; but more frequently from the pulpit to his bed.Four different times he has fainted in the pulpit. But notwithstanding this ill health, he was enabled to preach to his people with less interruption than falls usually to the lot of more healthy ministers. His ministerial labours among his people had, for some months previous to his death, been considerably greater than usual, and their attention seemed somewhat awakened to the concerns of religion. This gave him new zeal, and made him more engaged in his public administrations, anxiously longing and hoping for an ingathering of souls.

He was taken ill on Saturday, the 24th February last, with a fever, which continued, with little abatement, to his death. His lungs, which for many years appeared to be affected, suffered most during his sickness. His breathing was difficult, and a distressing cough, with copious expectoration, attended him to the last. He decidedly, from the first, declared his opinion, that he should never recover. He was not, however, alarmed; for he knew in whom he believed. After being ill about a week, under the firm conviction that his sickness was unto death, he made his will, and mentioned the spot where he wished his body to be interred. After this, he seemed released from earth, and he conversed, almost exclusively, on the concerns of eternity.

He had for many years been subject to temporary and partial derangement of mind, especially when fatigued or indisposed. During his last illness, however, his mind was greatly composed and serene, seldom clouded, notwithstanding high fever. He repeatedly expressed his thankfulness to God for this great goodness; as also for the full experience he had of the consolations of those truths which he had preached to others. He blessed God, in that he had enabled him to preach these truths with plainness, and, he trusted, with faithfulness. In his petitions to the throne of God, which were constant, he always commended his dear flock to the care of the great Head of the Church; praying that the truths they had heard from his lips might not be like water spilled on the ground. He often spake in strong terms of the abundant fulness and all-sufficiency of the atonement made for sin by the blood of Christ, and blessed God for the gift of faith, by which he hoped to lay hold of that "inheritance which is incorruptible and undefiled, and which fadeth not away."

His bodily sufferings, though at times extreme beyond expression, he bore with Christian fortitude and patience. Frequently, on being asked if his hiccup, which was almost incessant, distressed him much, he answered, "Yes; but it is all right; my sufferings are the effect of sin, but they are infinitely less than my deserts. Glory, glory, give glory to God, who orders and disposes of all things in infinite wisdom, and who cannot err; the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever!"

On requesting a friend to read some comforting texts of Scripture to him, he added, "Not that my faith is in the least shaken, but it cannot be too strong, or firmly fixed." Wednesday night, previous to his death, his bodily pain

and distress became very extreme. He desired some select passages of Scripture might be read to him. Among others, the 14th chapter of John was read, some part of which he repeated with great emphasis, and expressed much inward satisfaction. In broken accents he prayed with much ardour, for resignation to the divine will, and for support in his last struggles, that his passage from time into eternity might, if consistent with the will of heaven, be speedy and easy. began to repeat Watts' Hymn, "Oh! if my Lord would come and meet."-His hiccup interrupting him so much, he could proceed no further than this line, he desired a friend to repeat it for him. He appeared almost in transport with the following verse :—

"Jesus can make a dying bed

"Feel soft as downy pillows are,
"While on his breast I lean my head,

"And breathe my life out sweetly there."

He

In the course of the night he desired his attendants would sing a hymn. He made several attempts to join them. His voice, however, being broken, and much interrupted by hiccup, he could not proceed, but appeared delighted by the singing of others. He afterwards desired a friend to pray with him. He considered his last moments to be drawing near, and requested his family should be called up. He addressed each, individually, as they drew round his bed, and in a strain of piety and devotion adapted to the solemnity of the occasion, earnestly importuned them to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, assuring them that every other needed blessing would be added to them. The scene was indeed a most interesting one, more readily conceived than described.

Toward the close of the day, on Saturday, being in very great distress, and apprehensive that his dissolution was rapidly approaching, after requesting his family should be called in, and they, with a number of his friends, were seated around him, he called for a sermon which he had partly committed to paper just before his confinement, intending to have delivered it the next Lord's day. The subject was the Faithfulness of God: he desired a part of it should be read, which being done, he addressed them in these words:"These sentiments, (alluding to what had been read,) my dear children, I desire you to cherish in your memory, and let them sink deeply into the hearts of each one of you, as the