THE

FOREIGN

MISSIONARY CHRONICLE:

CONTAINING

A PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF THE PROCEEDINGS

OF

THE WESTERN FOREIGN MISSIONARY SOCIETY,

AND

A GENERAL VIEW OF THE TRANSACTIONS OF OTHER

SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS.

VOLUME III.

PUBLISHED Monthly unDER THE DIRECTION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

PITTSBURGH:

M. MACLEAN, PRINTER.

TO THE READERS OF THE FOREIGN MISSIONARY CHRONICLE.

DECEMBER, 1835.

The number for the present month completes the Third Volume of the Foreign Missionary Chronicle. The Publishers are grateful to the friends of missions who have efficiently patronized this little, unpretending periodical, and used their influence to extend its circulation. They state, with pleasure, that the intelligence communicated through its columns is read with increasing interest. Of this they have unequivocal and encouraging evidence in the accessions which have been made to the subscription list during the year now drawing to a close. The chief original design of this publication was to communicate missionary intelligence to the friends of the Western Foreign Missionary Society in distant parts of the Presbyterian Church, with the view of exciting zeal in the important cause of missions. This object has been kept distinctly in view and invariably pursued till the present time. But the columns of the Chronicle have also been diversified with such original essays and brief notices of the religious and benevolent institutions of the day as were deemed subservient to the same design.

Accordingly, our readers will find, in the present volume, articles under the following heads:-1. Original Communications; exhibiting evidence from the prophecies of the Scriptures, that God will surely advance the kingdom of his Son until it overspread every habitable region of the earth; and showing the means that are to be used, and that are already in suc cessful operation, for the accomplishment of this object of incomparable magnitude.-2. Biographical Sketches of missionaries who have been distinguished for talents, piety, zeal, unwearied labor, and usefulness, in the great work to which they had been called. These are recorded for the imitation and encouragement of their successors in the foreign missionary service.-3. General Religious Intelligence; containing a brief and comprehensive notice of the operations and successes of the benevolent societies of the day; more especially those in our own country and Great Britain. Such institutions, when established on good principles, and conducted with wisdom, zeal, and perseverance, afford efficient and very acceptable aid to the cause of missions. Education societies provide and apply the means requisite for preparing young men for the holy ministry, and for missionary labors in the Gospel. Seamen's societies are themselves engaged in missionary operations among a very numerous and useful class of men, whose religious instruction and spiritual interests have been criminally neglected by professed Christians from ages immemorial. The Bible Society exceedingly assists the missionaries of the cross by furnishing them with copies of the pure word of God, for distribution among the heathen and destitute. The Religious Tract and Sabbath School societies render important aid to missionaries by supplying them, for the benefit of the heathen, with a rich variety of evangelical publications, clearly pointing out the way to eternal life.-4. General Missionary Intelligence; having reference to the proceedings of evangelical missionary societies, foreign and domestic, and the fruits of their labors in bringing sinners to "the knowledge of the truth."-5. More full and particular intelligence of the proceedings of the Western Foreign Missionary Society, with the state and prospects of their missions.

The articles which have appeared under all these heads, except the last, have been greatly abridged, in order that as much useful information as possible might be communicated in the contracted limits of a single medium sheet; and it has frequently appeared to be a subject of regret, that many very interesting articles could not be admitted, even with the utmost abbreviation of which they were susceptible. It is also found that the original intelligence of our own beloved Society has, within a few months, so greatly increased and accumulated, that it cannot be communicated to our readers for some time to come, even should no additional communications be received from our missionaries. But if God, in his mercy, is pleased to bless and prosper our missionaries, there will doubtless be a great increase of intelligence respecting their operations and the effects of the Gospel; and in relation to other missionary fields which may and ought to be occupied without loss of time. Hence will arise, ere long, an imperative necessity for enlarging the Chronicle. It is indeed true, that a dark cloud has been for some time, and still continues in some degree to be, suspended over our mission to Western Africa. But no reverses that have hitherto been experienced are sufficient to demonstrate the necessity of abandoning that mission, and giving over the depraved, degraded, and miserable inhabitants of that benighted land to perish, without the light of the glorious Gospel to lead them to

the only Savior of lost sinners. When we shall be duly humbled and taught our dependence on God for success in that mission, we may expect he will mercifully dissipate every cloud of darkness, remove every obstacle out of the way, incline the hearts of many to engage in the work, and succeed their efforts for the conversion of Africa. We are under high obligations of gratitude to God for the encouraging prospects of our missions among the Aborigines of this Western continent; but more especially for his favor shown to our mission to Northern India, after some trying dispensations of his providence. He mercifully preserved the life of the only one remaining of our missionaries who first sailed for India-conducted him safely to his destined field of labor-sustained him under a painful disease which threatened his speedy dissolution and the extinction of the mission itself for the time being-strengthened him to commence and prosecute his labors at Lodiana, which was deemed a favorable position for a mission, a high school, and a printing establishment-enabled him to visit Lahor, collect and communicate much useful information respecting the Panjab and those parts of India through which he had previously passed on his journey from Calcutta to the Upper Provinces; information, not only of the climate, soil, productions, manufactures, cities, towns, and villages, of those countries; but also of the number, customs, religious rites, and moral character, of the inhabitants; whether Hindus, Mussulmans, Sikhs, East Indians, or Europeans; showing the exceeding necessity and vast importance of bringing these different classes under the illuminating and transforming influence of the Gospel; and pointing out eligible situations for missionary establishments; such as, Calcutta, Chaphrah, Futtehpore, Lodiana, Amritsir, &c.We ought, also, to be grateful for the privilege of sending out a reinforcement to this mission, and for their safe arrival on the shores of India; and since, of fitting out a second and more numerous reinforcement, to strengthen the hands of their brethren who have gone before them. The Executive Committee are thankful for the kindness and liberality manifested by many of their brethren in the ministry, and the churches under their care; and for the important aid which has been rendered by auxiliary Societies and benevolent individuals; and doubt not their disposition to continue and abound in their acts of beneficence, as the Lord prospers them.

The supervision of the Western Foreign Missionary Society was transferred to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church by an act of the Synod of Pittsburgh, passed, after serious consideration and special prayer, at their late sessions in Meadville; whereby they acceded, by a unanimous vote, to the terms of transfer proposed by the committee appointed on the subject by the last Assembly. The transfer will be fully consummated at the meeting of the next General Assembly; and, during the interim, the business of the Society will be conducted by the Board as hitherto constituted. And now, it is reasonably expected, that the Presbyterian Church generally will cheerfully come up to the work of sustaining foreign missions; and enable the Society to effect incomparably more than was practicable in the incipient stages of her existence, or in any past period of her operations. If this should be realized, our Society might be able (to say nothing of other fields probably now open) to employ in India alone 1000 missionary laborers, could they be obtained; whose faithful services, under God, in the preaching of the Gospel, the employment of the press, the management of schools on Christian principles, the dissemination of the Scriptures and religious tracts, and oral instruction imparted to all who are willing to hear and converse on important subjects, might have a powerful influence in improving and elevating the dark and depraved minds of the heathen, and leading them to the spiritual understanding of "the truth as it is in Jesus."-An unusual degree of liberality, we are informed, has recently been displayed in some of the congregations of our church in one of the eastern cities, and in some of the congregations of sister Presbyterian churches, now disposed to co-operate with us in the great cause of foreign missions; and we anticipate a period, not far distant, when our missionaries will be increased a hundred fold and amply sustained in bearing "the word of truth" to "the world lying in wickedness." May the Lord hasten this great desideratum, and to his name be the glory! AMEN.