my grief, if they should be ever impaired. It is my desire to enter into this work, if at all, as a true yoke-fellow; to forget every other concern, but that of the Redeemer's cause; and to lose sight of every other feeling, but the happiness of doing good. I may be deceived-I am a man, a frail and sinful man. I may not know what manner of spirit I am of,' but I think my eye is single in this great undertaking. Let me request that you will not suppose I have been prompted to this minute disclosure of my views and feelings, from any fear that I should be called to labor more than my share. The Lord forgive me, if I ever, for a moment, cherished such a thought. I am willing to labor hard, to labor and not to rest till I die. I expect to toil with my might. It always has been my expectation, and I pray God that it may always be, and when I have done all, to feel that I have done no more than my duty, nor so much, and therefore am an unprofitable servant.'

"Praying that the blessings of millions ready to perish may come upon you, and that you may be spared to the church of Christ till the crown of gray hairs gives place to a crown of glory above, I am yours, dear sir, in the gospel of the Lord Jesus."

A part of the reply of Dr. Worcester, will not be unacceptable. "In regard to the proposed connection, I have intended to use towards you the most generous frankness and confidence. Though not addicted to an exuberance of profession, or even of words, in matters of personal concern, I have meant to make you acquainted with my desires and my views; and in this, I trust, I have not failed. It is all, I can assure you, a very serious matter to From the first, my mind has been held in the attitude of earnestly looking to see what the Lord would have me to do, or rather what he would do with me; scarcely desiring to choose, or to wish for myself. Eligibly situated,

me.

as I was, in my ministerial connection, delighting in the pastoral work, ardently desirous of opportunity for prosecuting plans of study, which I had fondly formed and cherished, it was not without much reluctance and regret, and many sacrifices, that I yielded to proposals, earnestly pressed upon me, for the change which has been deemed advisable. I have acted under an irresistible conviction of duty. In the missionary work, indeed, I have delighted and I do delight, and I have been willing, I trust, and am still willing to labor for its advancement. But the labors of the secretaryship are arduous; its responsibilities have appalled me, and borne me down to the dust. Often have I found my frail heart secretly panting for an escape from them; and had a way been opened to me consistently with the convictions of duty, I should not have lingered.

Now, my dear sir, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid, 'Believing in God, believing also in Christ,' come and take part with me in this great and holy work. My heart must become dead to its present most ardent affections, and forget the objects at present most dear to it, before I shall ever be indisposed to do what I can to render the connection pleasant to you, and conducive to your usefulness."

The answer of Mr. Cornelius to the invitation of the church and congregation will give a succinct view of the entire arrangements.

"To the members of the Tabernacle church and society in Salem. "Christian Brethren and Friends,

"Your communication, inviting me to settle with you in the Christian ministry, as an associate pastor in connection with Dr. Worcester, has been made the subject of the most solemn consideration. That a question of such magnitude, involving my usefulness for life, and the interests of others, for time and for eternity, should not have

been hastily decided, can I think, need no explanation. That it should have required more than ordinary time for reflection, for prayer, and advice, will not be thought surprising, when it is known that the subject was attended with more than ordinary embarrassments. Under the weight of a responsibility so great, no means were to be neglected, which might assist the mind in coming to a satisfactory decision.

"Those means have been sacredly employed, and a decision formed, resting upon a few leading principles, which though often made known, I deem it my duty to repeat in the most clear and intelligible manner.

"It will be recollected that for several years I have been publicly and unreservedly devoted to the missionary cause. To that cause, in the honest feelings of my heart, I am still devoted. Its importance as a means of promoting the glory of God and the good of mankind, I regard as second to no other interest. It was in accordance with this opinion, and the belief that God had called me in a particular manner to promote it, that I stated to your committee, and many others of your society, the last winter, my object in having hitherto refused every solicitation to settle in the ministry, and my determination, that if hereafter called to settle in any place, it would be consented to, on such conditions only, as would admit of continuing my services a part of the year in aid of that or some other object of public charity. It was thought by many that the situation of your present pastor, and our long and mutual connection in the missionary service, would give peculiar facilities to such an arrangement, in case of my being associated with him in the pastoral office. It was in consequence of the opinion repeatedly expressed to me on this subject, both in and out of Salem, that I allowed myself to be looked to, as a candidate for such a relation.

It was in accordance with the principle which this opinion involved, that I understood every step to have been taken, which led you to invite me to settle with you in the ministry. It is to the same principle, and the cause which it supports, that I feel committed by every honorable and Christian feeling, and it is on this ground that I am willing to rest the decision of the present question.

"When unexpectedly called, in the providence of God, to decide between two different invitations, I made this principle my guide. The promise of a reservation of a portion of my time for public purposes, being given in both cases, it became a question of decisive character, in which of the two situations existed the greatest prospect of usefulness to the missionary cause, without the hazard of neglecting my more immediate duties to the people. It was a question of too much responsibleness to decide without advice. I felt the need of counsel. In a meeting of enlightened and judicious men, I communicated the circumstances and facts on which it had become my duty to decide. In their opinion, if no honorable commitment to the call at Salem had been made, it was my duty to accept the second call; but if such commitment had been in any way implied, it was my duty to accept the first. On solemnly reviewing what had taken place, I did not hesitate, to say that I felt committed to the missionary cause, and to the Tabernacle society and their pastor, so far as the interests of that cause had committed me to them. If it were true as I supposed, that by accepting your invitation, I could fulfil the duties you required, and yet, by a connection with your pastor, be able to promote the missionary interest, as a main object of usefulness, while in the other place it would be only a secondary concern, I was prepared to give an affirmative answer to Salem, and a negative to

Charlestown. And it is on this ground therefore, I now feel it to be my duty, as well as my delight, to accept your invitation.

"I have chosen to be thus explicit in my answer, that the principle on which I act might be fairly understood. In making the decision, however, to which it has led me, it must be obvious to all, that Christian propriety and consistency of conduct, require me to give it on the condition that the object which it seeks be in fact secured.

It is in reference to this end, that an arrangement has been made with your present pastor, satisfactory to us both, by which the junior pastor is in no year under obligation to labor in the parish more than nine months of his time.

"It is in reference to the same principle and end, and out of regard to what I hold an indispensable duty to Him who has put me into the ministry, that I feel sacredly bound to state, that should your present pastor be removed from the relation he now sustains towards you, or should any other event destroy the principle on which this decision rests, so as to prevent me from rendering that service to the cause of public charity which I now anticipate with confidence, I must in such a case, be allowed the privilege of submitting the question of my future duty to the advice and decision of a mutual council.

"And may Almighty God smile on this result, and by a rich supply of his blessings, convince us all, that we have been controlled in this solemn concern, not so much by our choice as his pleasure. Entreating, therefore, a remembrance in your prayers to God for me, that in every relation and duty of life, I may be found faithful to you, and to God, I give myself to the Lord Jesus and to you as his servant, praying that at the final day, we may