affected by his cry for help, a few days taken from other suffering fields is granted him. My heart sunk within me as I entered his house, and found him and his wife in the same room confined to their beds with sickness, as forgetful of his own suffering, he anxiously inquired, "Can't you stay and preach for me?" Many of the most interesting portions of our state are unoccupied; and I know of no portion of our country more inviting. We rejoice to see Iowa supplied and Wisconsin and Illinoiswith ministers of the Gospel; but we long to see our own fields whitened to the harvest, and would lift up our voice in the language of Macedonia, "Come over and help us." sing of resolutions on the Sabbath; and the last afternoon was spent in prayer, and the consideration of the subject of revivals. Brother Marsh, a missionary of the American Board, was also present, and gave a highly interesting account of labors among the Stockbridge Indians, near Lake Winnebago. The reports of the state of religion in the churches were highly encouraging, and the substance of them was embodied in a narrative for publication. The Lord has truly done great things for Wisconsin, and mainly through the instrumentality of your Society. Brother Porter, now of Green Bay, was the first missionary who visited Wisconsin, under commission from the A. H. M. Society. He stated at the meeting, that ten years ago he sailed up Lake Michigan, with a body of troops, for Chicago, then only a military station, but now a city of eight thousand inhabitants. At that It is but little over four years since the friends time there was but one white family of Home Missions commenced any very seat Milwaukie, that of an Indian trader, rious attempt in behalf of Wisconsin. When where there are now settled more than the public attention was aroused to the favor-four thousand people. When he landed able condition of that territory for the im- at Chicago, his nearest ministerial mediate employment of a large number of missionaries, vigorous efforts were immediately commenced. The happy result of that movement already begin to be felt, and will continue to be felt in all the future history of that people. Who, four years ago, could haveterian churches, and from 30 to 40 mianticipated so much missionary success as is set forth in the following report? WISCONSIN. General Convention of Wisconsin. About twenty-five ministers were present at the meeting of this body, from different parts of the territory, (all neighbors (?) of his own denomination, were brother Kent, at Galena, Ill., more than 100 miles, and brother Farnham, in Putnam co. Now there are fifty-five Congregational and Presby nisters in Wisconsin alone! These are associated in three districts and one general convention. Has the world ever seen, since apostolic days, the institutions of the Gospel so generally and extensively planted, in so large a tract of country, in so short a time? And this has been accomplished mainly but two or three of whom are connecthrough the operations of the American Home Missionary Society, without ted with your Society,) besides the lay whose aid, so far as we can judge, delegates and several corresponding members. It was truly a refreshing scarcely one of these churches would have existed, and be supplied with the season, and several individuals remarked that they never attended a stated means of grace, where there are more delightful meeting of an ecclesi- now ten. If nothing more than this had astical body. It commenced on Thurs- been done, it would be a result suffiday, and terminated on Monday eve- cient to compensate for all the contrining. During the time, meetings were butions and efforts which have been held for the promotion of the objects of made for this cause by the American several of the great benevolent soci- churches. But add to this, what has eties of our country, such as Domestic been accomplished in other states and and Foreign Missions, &c. Parts of territories, and consider the cons e-. two days were devoted to the discus.quences which will flow from the se efforts in time and eternity, and who but will feel that he is amply repaid for all that he has done? Variety of Population. of this class are found in almost every little settlement in the territory. From Rev. J. D. Stevens, Prairie du The temperance reform has made a I have spent considerable time in good progress in this place within two forming acquaintance with the very years past. A gentleman who has heterogeneous population within my resided here more than ten years, asbounds. On the south, is a settlement sured me, a day or two since, that of Scotch emigrants. Next succeeds a there was now not half the quantity of neighborhood of settlers from the island liquor consumed here that there was of Guernsey, some of whom cannot ten years ago, when the population speak English. Among their number is was not one fourth of its present num. a Methodist clergyman, who sometimes ber. He stated that one man who preaches to his countrymen in their kept a small grocery establishment reown language. A society of Free-will tailed in a single year seventy barrels. Baptists comes next; and immediately For his infringement of the territorial contiguous is a colony from Wales, composed of Baptists and Whitfield Methodists, who are each supplied with preaching in their own tongue, an illegal way? He replied, besides by ministers of their own denomination respectively. Interspersed with the above described population are members of our church. Another of my preaching places is occupied principally by Americans, among whom, besides our own church, are Baptists, Methodists, Unitarians, Episcopalians, and a few Quakers and Mormons, with some Universalists and Infidels. "The Hardest Cases.” laws by his sales, he was fined two hundred dollars. My informer asked him why he continued the business in paying his fine, he had cleared upon his seventy bbls. $1000. But that day has passed by in this place, the number of retailing establishments has greatly diminished, and much has been accomplished; but much still remains to be done. Our temperance society has only about one hundred and thirty names. Sickness. the most prevalent diseases. Every member of my family has been sick. [Mr. S. here gives a detailed account of the sickness of his children, and his own sickness, and the dangerous relapse of his wife when away from home, after recovering from a first attack, which has deeply excited our sympathy.] For about two months past, this place has been visited with distressing sickness; scarcely a family or individual has escaped. Bilious, intermitAs the fruit of our revival, nine in-ting and congestive fevers have been dividuals were added to our church at our communion season in March, and six in May. Several of these individuals, however, had once been professors, but (with the exception of two or three,) they gave no evidence of piety. The influences of the Spirit are as necessary to reclaim backsliders as to convert the impenitent at first. Those who were once in the church at the East, and left their religion there, when they come to the West, are usually "the hardest cases." It seems to require a Mrs. S. was now so far recovered greater amount of means, and more that we left for home. Spent the night powerful influences, to arouse them to at Lancaster, sixteen miles distant. the subject of their eternal interest, Saturday (15th October) a severe snow than almost any other class of indivi-storm continued all day, falling three duals in the community, and scores or four inches in depth. Infant churches. At this place we spent the Sabbath. I preached twice to a small congregation. Lancaster is the county seat of Grant county. I spent two Sabbaths here last Spring, found eight or nine individuals who had once been mem flowed out in gratitude to our Heavenly Father for his abundant goodness to us in sparing our lives and restoring us to health and to each other. bers of churches in other places, but From Rev. L. Bridgeman, Wauwatosa,, most of them had been living here for several years without the ordinances of the Gospel, and almost without any In looking over the past year, I can religion. I conversed with them, and say truly, the Lord has been good to me urged them to do their duty. They and mine. I have no reason to regret manifested a desire to be united, by a that I came to this country, but, on the church organization, in establishing contrary, I have much reason to bless and maintaining the stated public wor- the Lord that he directed my steps this ship of God on the Sabbath, a weekly way. My chief regret is, that I did not prayer meeting and a Sabbath school. come sooner. The church in this place, The first Saturday and Sabbath I spent (Wauwatosa,) has not been so much here this preparatory work was done: enlarged as I was in hopes it would be a Sabbath school organized, and a when I came, yet, I think good has been weekly prayer meeting established, done. which have been continued through the summer, and a day was fixed upon for the organization of the church. But on account of the appointments of two other denominations, which occurred on the same day, this was not completed. This, I have since been informed, was accomplished by Brother Dixon. The little church here are anxious to obtain a minister; so also is the Big Platt Church. The two churches being contiguous, could easily raise $200 or $250 in produce toward the support of a minister, who could supply both places. Around these two points, is a little farming community, more permanently located than the settlements generally in the mining region. These circumstances, connected with the fact of this being the county seat, renders it more important that a healthy moral influence should be exerted immediately upon these communities, while society is in a state of formation. It is now comparatively easy to mould the public mind either by truth or error. It will be done soon by the one or the other. On Monday we returned to this place, and were very happy, after a cold and tedious day's ride over the prairies, and an absence of seven weeks, to meet again all the members of our little family this side of the grave, and in so comfortable circumstances. As we all gathered around our family altar, our hearts melted, and A church planted and nourished. I can, however, give a more favourable account of Granville. When I first went there last winter, there was no church, or meetings, unless very seldom, in the place. There were three or four professors of our order, and a few Methodists and Baptists. But the great mass were in rebellion against God. I commenced a series of meetings in the latter part of winter, and preached in the evenings, and visited from house to house during the day. Soon the Spirit of the Lord was manifested and sinners were converted. The result was, that a church was organized last spring, of thirteen members, eight of whom joined on profession. The next communion, eleven more united, all on profession of their faith. Since then six more have united, all but one on profession--making in all, thirty members, twenty-four of whom have united on profession. There are several more who I think will unite the first opportunity, some on profession and some by letter. The praise belongs to God and not to man. The converts, I am happy to say, so far hold out well. There has been a great change in that town. Some who were Universalists and Sabbath breakers a year ago, are now rejoicing in the hope of being delivered from hell through faith in Jesus. Christ, and are constant worshippers at the sanctuary. I have urged upon both these churches the claims of the H. M. Society. In Granville I told them, that, under God, they were indebted to your Society for the good that had been done there, for no minister could have been sustained on that ground without foreign aid. OHIO. From Rev. N. Barrett, Brecksville, O. these exercises with apparent interest. And it has afforded me a favorable opportunity to present some subjects which I considered useful, but which I should not have deemed advisable to present in any other way than a regular course of lectures. I think ministers generally, would find it advantageous to themselves and others, to pursue that course. I have, also, just finished a series of discourses from the commission from Christ to his disciples, (Matt. 28, 19,) under one division, showing the extent to which it has been obeyed. I have traced the progress of Our usual means of grace have been the Christian religion, from that time sustained according to their usual or- to this, showing the operation of twender, and with encouraging interest. ty of the principal missionary societies The congregation is fuller, ordinari-in modern times. The research necesly, than the house conveniently accommodates, and there is a movement towards building a meeting house, more appropriate to the circumstances of the congregation. Steady prosperity. sary to the preparation of this series, has required much time, yet I have felt that my time was not unprofitably employed. Indeed, I am much in favor of occasionally presenting a series of I am happy to report of the acces- discourses on some important subject; sion to the church, as the fruit of the or chain of connected subjects. The revival of last winter, that all are hold-mental discipline is good. It awakens ing on their way, with exemplary perseverance; and in some instances, are taking an elevated standard of character; while there are several cases of older members renewing the youth of their christian life, and exhibiting a pleasing growth in grace. It is evident to me, that we are making progress-moderate indeed, but distinctly perceptible, in public morals, and in christian character, and enterprise. The seed sown is watered, and God gives increase. I rejoice at it, while I am constrained to say, "not unto us, not us, but unto thy name be the glory." The destitution around us is unsupplied still, and the harvest is great. Where labor is expended, however, there are adequate fruits. an interest in the congregation. Prevents much loss of time in selecting miscellaneous topics. It also enables me to present some topics which I should hardly think admissible to introduce as isolated subjects. MICHIGAN. The last Spring. The first day of April, the snow was from three to four feet deep on a level. Farmers, to pay their debts, had sold their wheat until they had scarcely enough for their families, designing to eke out their bread-stuffs with the coarser grains. But their fodder fell short, and they resorted to the woods, and fed their cattle on browse. But this was poor living, and they began sparingly to feed their coarse grains. During the past year I have been But week after week, winter held on, through the Epistle to the Romans, in all its rigor. The grain was all conchiefly in weekly expository lectures. sumed, and the cattle grew weak for Before I got through, however, I want of nourishing food. They were changed it to a Bible class; I am now unable to wallow through the snow to taking a general review, to fix in the their browse. They wasted away to mind the general plan or scope. Those mere skeletons, and hundreds of cattle, who have attended, have engaged in "and, I might almost say, thousands of Preaching the word. hogs starved to death. I am acquainted with two families that lost 7 cows each. Many lost their oxen, some their horses, and thus were deprived of their teams. Many families would have been better off if they had killed and thrown away three-fourths of their cattle in November. The stock of grain was exhausted, and many households were for weeks in the early part of summer, entirely destitute of bread, meat, and potatoes. One man paid a dollar per hundred for bran, for his family to eat. The same cause have added greatly to the expenses of my family, while they have diminished my resources. Through the goodness of God's providence, however, and the kindness of friends, we have not suffered for want of bread, but have been enabled to do something for the destitute. West such numbers of missionaries. I hope one of the number designated to this state, may be sent into this country. Eleven libraries. I have recently received eleven S. S. Libraries from the Am. S. S. Union, for Sabbath Schools in this county, and in consequence I have been able to start four schools already. Two others will be commenced next Sabbath; but the lateness of the season, will prevent the establishment of many others this fall. The supply of the country with the Bible is in progress, though slowly. There is such a lack of efficiency-of an immense efficient laymen, that amount of labor and care devolves upon the ministry. It is wrong, and must be corrected, but it will take time to do it. God helping me, my efforts shall not be wanting. I mean to do what I can cheerfully, but labor of this kind ought From Rev L. M. S. Smith, Ionia Co., to devolve upon laymen, that an over Mich. During the summer I have preached less during the week than before, in consequence of the difficulty of convening congregations in the afternoon, in the sparsely settled districts. I am now, however, beginning to resume my evening appointments, and I shall be obliged to make them more numerous than during the last winter. I rejoice most heartily, yea, God be praised for the resolution of the Committee to send to the burdened ministry be not borne down with still greater responsibility and anxiety. I am persuaded that an important object to be accomplished by the missionary in the new settlements, is to bring the church up to the right standard of action, that they may be prepared to take from his shoulders the labor of carrying forward the cause of temperance, the distribution of the Bible, and other the like matters, that they may be left more free for the great and peculiar business of the ministry. Auxiliary Societies. WESTERN RESERVE DOMES- helping hard to others. A number of them have been enabled joyfully to contribute, each its hundreds of dollars in a year, to We have received the 17th Annual Re-aid in the great work of sending the blessings port of this auxiliary, presented at its meeting in Cleveland, Sept. 24th. During its existence, 118 churches have received aid from its funds, or, by its recommendation, from the funds of the Parent Society. Many of these churches have now become strong, and are able, in their turn, to extend the of the Gospel to pagan lands. Their strength, |