More Missionaries for the West. SHALL THEY BE SENT? The past year has carried forward the cause of Home Missions, perhaps, more than any single year that preceded it. We refer not to any great movement that has taken place; but to the growing conviction of the precious interests of our own nation, and of all mankind, that are involved in the speedy incorporation of evangelical principles with the great mass of the American people. Though the severe pecuniary embarrassments of the country have prevented this increased public interest from appearing in a proportional increase of contributions to the Home Missionary treasury, yet it certainly is a matter for devout thanksgiving, that during the past year, the Society has been able promptly to meet its engagements. But there is another aspect of promise, which cheers us in this work, and even awakens the hope that the time is now at hand, when a great advance shall be made in the work of supplying our waste places with the word of life. The missionary spirit is reviting. The earnest pleadings of the destitute, so adapted to move the hearts of ministers, are becoming too powerful to be resisted; and laborers are beginning to offer them. selves to go to the relief of those who are perishing for lack of vision. We say, "beginning to offer themselves," for we would by no means intimate that enough have offered on the contrary, multitudes are needed where one is ready to go. Still, the tone of feeling among those who write to us for information of fields of labor, appears to be changed. Instead of shrinking from the trials of missionary life, candidates for employment seem to look those difficulties calmly and boldly in the face, and to calculate on making sacrifices and enduring hardness for the cause of Christ in the West. twelve years ago, when tilling the ground, the " Macedonian cry" of the "Great Valley" sounded in my hearing, and from that day to this has been ringing in my ears, to the exclusion of every other. I was induced to commence study for the sacred ministry, and have persevered through trials and embarrassments, poverty and discouragements. I have made some prepaobtaining suitable articles, intending to rations, such as selling furniture and cast myself upon God and the churches. I intended to go in the fall, but difficulties in settling my business have obliged me to defer it till spring, and have therefore delayed writing you till now. And now can I go? A gentleman writes me from northern Illinois-" we would be glad to have you here, if you with all sorts of provisions, but we can will come; and we will furnish you do no more; money we have not, &c." The missionary there needs but little money-but he does need a little. Now, as the organs of the A. H. M. Society, I throw myself on your hands-will you receive me as your missionary? I feel that I must go. Will you send me, or must I struggle on yet longer alone to accomplish my object? O it is tantalizing to me to sit down and read such stirring appeals (and there is but little sometimes meet my eye, and think enthusiasm in my constitution,) as "How shall I get there?" Will you and assure me of your sympathies and write me immediately on the subject, prayers, if nothing more. And now, What answer shall the Home Missionary Society return to this fervent appeal? Is there a heart, but will respond"Send him, by all means; God has evidently raised him up for that field." But if the Society send this minister to the field to which his feelings and his convictions of duty impel From a clergyman who has been 4 years him, it will require a guaranty of some two or in the ministry. My desire is to go to the "far West" as a minister of the Gospel. I have long counted the cost-it has been my desire and prayer for 12 years past; three hundred dollars for several years, besides what the people shall be able to furnish him. It will be seen then, that if the appointment be made, the churches must increase their donations. The same is true in reference to the cases which follow. From a Pastor, in the State of New- || funds of the Society will permit, and York. Articles published in the Home Missionary, found on pp. 49-54, of July, 1842, and on page 4th of the cover for Jan., 1843, have in part induced me to make this communication. I propose to go into the western destitutions, provided I can receive sufficient encouragement from your Society. If you can make a small grant for the expenses of the journey, and give me a commission for one year after I reach the field, I will, Providence permitting, labor either in northern Illinois or Wisconsin. I can leave this church with the prospect that they will be immediately supplied by a man who has formerly labored with them one year, and is well received by the people universally. My family and circumstances are favorable to such a move, and I cannot resist the conviction that I ought to go where others will not, and I can. I am pleasantly situated here, sur rounded by most of the comforts of life, but I am deeply interested in having the controlling influence of the Gospel brought to bear upon our country at this crisis. "Here I am, send me.” you thus decide; and if your decision is contrariwise, I shall acquiesce in it. I say, "if the funds of the Society will permit," because since I commenced writing, I have learned that I have been defrauded of the remnant of a small patrimony, and thus been left in quite a dependent state. These are specimens of a class of communications, which have, of late, become more numerous than for a long time past. Will the churches respond, by furnishing the Home Missionary Society the means of employing these men? It would seem that God is about to put his people to the test, and to show whether they do indeed prefer Jerusalem above their chief joy. And this is the way in which he is proving them-He places the land before them, and bids them to go up and possess it. The enemy is there, seeking to pre-occupy the ground. Soldiers of the cross are volunteering to go thither to fight the battles of the Lord. Now, the question is, will churches and individual Christians make sacrifices for this cause, or in any other way practicable, supply the means? Shall the A. H. M. S. be sustained if it encourages the writers of these letters to go out, and to expect a comfortable support? We wish this to be considered a serious practical question, by all the friends of the From a Young Minister who formerly Home Missionary cause. If the work goes lived in the West. I have delayed writing too long, but my interest in the subject of Home Missions, has by no means decreased, neither has a longer contemplation of it, made me feel more competent to do the work of a Home Missionary. I have thought of it more seriously, and prayed over it more earnestly, I hope, than ever before; and still think that if the way is opened, it is my duty to preach the Gospel to the destitute of our own country. Would other men, better qualified than myself, step forward and offer themselves, as they ought, for this work, I would step aside, and engage in some pursuit with which my talents and piety would not be so altogether out of proportion. But as it is, I am influenced to say, "Here I am, send me." I am ready therefore to go, if the on, more money must be contributed. It will not do to reduce the appropriations any lower. Some of our missionaries are suffering, and they must have relief; and pecuniary aid is the only relief that will be of much avail. There is a tendency in the churches to turn their aid of this cause into the form of missionary boxes. This is carried to an extent out of the due proportion. They are mistaken, who suppose there can be any other form in which a system of missionary operations can be carried on, except by contribu tions in cash. The channels of navigation will soon open, and if missionaries are to go to the West in the spring, they ought to know it early. SHALL THEY GO? And how can they go, EXCEPT THEY BE SENT? And HOW MANY shall go? Shall the Society say to every well qualified minister, of apostolic spirit, Go? If the number of such be ten, shall we say Go? If twenty, shall we say, Go? If fifty, shall we say, Go? If a hundred, shall we say, Go? A vastly larger number, even than that, are this moment imperiously needed in the field. To send out that number, the coming year, with a pledge to each of $400,|| would involve an additional responsibility on the part of the Society, of $40,000. SHALL THEY BE SENT? Will the friends of the cause encourage it? Will the churches authorize it? Reports of Missionaries. ARKANSAS. continue my appointments. At the time of my last visit there, a very deep From Rev. C. Washburn, Benton Co., impression seemed to pervade the audi Ark. I trust I see some little advance of evangelical piety, and some progress in the general cause of religion. My congregations at Bentonville have increased, and I am greeted there with great cordiality by all the pious. This I regard as no equivocal encouragement. I have also frequent proof that the truth produces deep impression on the heart. I often have my hopes considerably raised that the Lord is about to display his converting power there. I am now expecting soon to be able, (in consequence of some new inhabitants in the town and vicinity,) to set up a Sabbath school and a Bible class at Bentonville. At In my own neighborhood, the congregation has so much increased that our house is often too small to accommodate the hearers with comfort. The Bible class continues. The Sabbath school is considerably increased in number, especially by people of color. Fayetteville, where I have a monthly appointment, I usually preach on Saturday night, and three times on the Sabbath. My discourse on Saturday is addressed to the youth. I have never attended a more interesting Bible class. Many of the young ladies, of which it is mostly composed, are pious, and all manifest a deep interest in the study of God's Holy word. I had intended to close my labors at Fayetteville with the close of the year, but the solicitations of the people were so urgent, and many of them coming from those who had at first manifested a sectarian prejudice against me, that I felt it my duty to ence. How great the harvest, but how few the laborers! A correspondent in this state, assures us, that a great field of usefulness is opened there, and that "no part of our moral wastes is more needy, or more dark and desolate than Arkansas. If the whole state be not given up to ignorance, fanaticism, infidelity and Romanism, the standard of ministerial qualifications and of general education must be greatly elevated. This," he adds, "must be done by the aid of domestic missionary societies." IOWA. The New Purchase. In the Home Missionary for December, we alluded to the treaty recently concluded with the Indians, by which the tract between the west line of Iowa, as surveyed, and the Missouri River, was obtained for the United. States; and that a general expectation prevails that this tract is to be opened in the We have since respring for settlement. ceived the following additional appeals for immediate attention to that region. We hope they will be weighed by those ministers who are looking out for fields of labor; and also by those Christians whom God has called to labor in the missionary field, by giving of their substance to sustain his servants who go in person. From a Missionary Report. The Des Moines country seems to be the point to which emigration is now || ridicule, and claiming for themselves tending. Even now, every cabin in the honor of persecution. this country, that will in any way contain a family, is full. In the spring, the country further up the river, and which is capable of supporting a dense population, will be claimed and soon settled. And where are the devoted ministers of the Gospel to go along with the tide of emigration? Alas, there are none. And while the churches of the living God are lying inactive, Satan is busily engaged. All his emissaries are ready to march for the possession of the land, at a moment's warning. The bold blasphemer; the Mormon with his delusions; the Infidel with his works of destruction; the Universalist with his doctrines calculated to please the unregenerate heart; the Catholic with his mummery-in a word, all delusions are on the inove, and will be there! Why, O why, should not the evangelical minister of Christ, with the pure word of God in his hand, be also on the march? Now is the time to plant the standard of the cross, and take possession of the land in the name of our sovereign, Jehovah of Hosts! Where are the men to do it? Will not the young men who have finished their course in the theological seminaries, and those who are not employed as pastors or agents, exercise a little more of the spirit of self-denial, and no longer turn a deaf ear to the Macedonian cry of the West-"Come over and help us?" Why does not the church awake to her duty? The best interests of our country demands her exertions. Why not, then, arise and labor for Christ? Will she not supply our wants? All depends upon her aid. She has the power. She has the means. All that is wanting is a willing heart, and a libe From an application for aid to a mis- ral hand. The church is responsible to sionary. Perhaps there never has been a portion of our country opened for settlement, that excited deeper interest than the late purchase. Our Methodist brethren intend to have some men on horseback as soon as the spring opens, to go in and "make" religious "claims." The Campbellites are beginning to have such things as paid ministers. They have employed, as I understand, two of their leading preachers to go through the territory and proselyte. Two things give them success;-first, their pointing out an easy way to heaven ;-second, their holding up evangelical sects to God for securing this fair country to Christ; and if it is not done, the blood of multitudes of souls will be found upon her. From Rev. O. Emerson, De Witt, Iowa. In the Home Missionary for December, a fear was expressed that this missionary was likely to be laid aside from his work by sickness. Our readers will rejoice with us, that he is again restored to his field of labor in comparative health. After the two or three first weeks in October, my health was so far restored, | ture grave. I felt for him, when I remembered New-England, where, from a circuit of 10 or 12 miles, five or six ministers often gather for a protracted effort, sustained by the prayers and labors of a hundred lay brethren. The question now for our eastern brethren to settle is, Shall the few who are now here, waste life prematurely, for want of the help which some of them might render? as to enable me to fulfil my ordinary Sabbath engagements. Since that, I bave preached every Sabbath, and occasionally on week days, except in one or two instances, when high waters and deep snows prevented my reaching my appointments. My inability to preach at the close of the last and opening of the present quarter, was owing not to seated disease in the system, but simply to a complete exhaustion of the powers of life, by over-exertion in travelling and preaching among this sparse and widespread population. I have been able to preach on the Sabbath; but a vast amount of labor, for which there is a pressing necessity, I am compelled to leave undone. Facts to be weighed. We have another difficulty to encounter, which makes a powerful appeal to the educated ministers of the older states. It is known that the Presbyterian and Congregationa! churches of the United States have determined to se Four churches organized–no pastors. cure for themselves, and as far as possible for the world, an educated minis I have hitherto forborne to make positive engagements with any of these churches; but have done for each and for all of them the little that I have been able. Their entreaties have been importunate, that I should settle with them. But I have encouraged them to wait, and call for laborers from abroad. And we are hoping for one or two additional laborers, within the limits of this field. Yet we seem to be hoping against hope; for after the appeals which I have made, ⠀ and other brethren have made, to the candidates for, and incumbents of the sacred office, in all parts of the country, by private correspondence and the public press, we gain no response, but the echo of our own voice. Our labors are crippled for want of strength to carry out measures which are imperiously demanded, and which yet single individuals cannot properly accomplish. The position of ministers. To illustrate this difficulty—I have just returned from a visit to the mining region. Here I found brother H., who had been for four or five weeks in succession preaching every evening, and visiting through the day in the cabins of the miners. Now, though God is blessing him, and souls are turned to Christ, yet he is exhausting the powers of life, and unless others come to his rescue, will bring himself to a prema try. They have determined to advance no farther or faster than they can go with the guidance of men who have been trained to their work. We of the West are as earnest as any others can be, that they should not recede a step from the position they have taken on this subject. Men without a liberal education may be useful in the ministry-and other denominations will supply them in abundance—will furnish as many, nay, more than can be useful. On the portion of Christ's family with which we are specially identified, He seems to have devolved the responsibility of furnishing for this country an educated ministry. We must do it, or it will not be done. As much as we suffer for ministers, we do not want them until they are qualified by intellectual training. The time and toil which our literary and sacred institutions require are not too protracted or severe. Now, the people of the West, although they wish and greatly prefer an educated ministry, will have religious teachers of some kind. And we are surrounded by denominations who put men into the ministry in six months or a year after their conversion. And the facility with which they are multiplied, gives them an abundant supply, and while other churches are supplied, ours are in destitution. And not a few become connected with others, who would prefer a connexion with us, only, that the |