the other three nothing can be said. One of have formed themselves into a society them seized me by the hand, held me with a for the object of emancipating negro firm grasp, and implored me to tell him what slaves within their territory, conveyhe should do to be saved. Oh! how can I forget the earnestness of his look-that look ing them back to the shores of from off the borders of the eternal world? Africa, and settling them there in Never did I see such earnestness before. I freedom and comfort. Eight years told him of Christ,—of the publican,—of the only have elapsed since this Society thief on the cross; and directed him to commenced its operations, by the pray, and prayed with him. But whether purchase of Cape Messurado from the he prayed or not I cannot tell. His exit was very affecting. A few minutes before he died, natives, a headland to the south-west a letter came in from a young lady in Cal- of Sierra Leone. The Cape was cutta to whom he was engaged. He was able then a mart where ten thousand of himself to read a part of the letter; the re- our fellow creatures were annually mainder he requested me to read. I did so; sold: now that unhallowed traffic has and asked him if I should answer it. He been entirely destroyed; a flourishing made no reply; and in fifteen minutes more was in eternity. colony of two thousand emancipated slaves has been founded; churches, schools, commerce, and even a newspaper, established, and the confidence of the surrounding natives so completely won, that ten thousand of them are, as allies of this new republic, participating in the blessings of civilization and religion. "Such was the 30th of October, the day on which your letter reached me. The Lord sanctify the remembrance of that day to me!" A subsequent letter, addressed to our esteemed friend, the Rev. George Barclay, of Irvine, contains the following paragraph. It is dated 25th April last. "As to missionary work we make progress, not, indeed, rapid, but I think sure. About a month ago I baptized one of the magistrates of the country, who, I trust, will be a great blessing to the land. They are the men of the highest rank in India, and have great power and influence among the natives. God calls not many great and noble, for this is only the third instance of one of this class ever having been baptized. He is a very worthy character. This week we are to baptize three of our young folks, who, I trust have been brought to receive the truth in the love of it. There is, at present, a more than usual anxiety felt in divine things. Never since I came to Monghyr has there been such a spirit of deep seriousness cast over the people; they have been long praying for a revival, and God appears now to be visiting us. Never did I see so much delight in Christ, and never have I felt so much sweetness in my own spirit in preaching his infinite dignity and the preciousness of his atonement. Several persons, besides those about to be baptized, appear to be under the operations of the Divine Spirit. Oh! for a yet more extensive harvest." WESTERN AFRICA. Many of our readers know that a number of the friends of humanity, in the United States of America, tain the latest intelligence which has The following paragraphs conreached us respecting the religious and moral condition of this infant colony. They are found in a letter, addressed by the governor, Joseph Mechlin, jun. esq. to a friend in the United States: : "We have, at present, among our recaptured Africans, many who, on their arrival here, were scarcely a remove, in point of civilization, from the native tribes around us, but who are at present as pious and devoted servants of Christ as you will meet in any community; and, by their walk and conversation, afford an example worthy of imitation. They Schools established, which are well attended, have a house for public worship, and Sunday and their church is regularly supplied every Sunday from among our own clergy. These people I consider as forming one admirable medium of communication or link between the savage natives and the civilized Colonists from the United States, and will, I have no doubt, prove a powerful means of spreading the light of Christianity and civilization over this benighted country. "Our schools have hitherto been in rather a languishing condition; but I have great hopes, ere long, to carry into operation the system managers; and with the view of rendering of education lately adopted by the board of the burthen as light as possible to the Society, a law has recently been passed by the Agent and Council, taxing all the real estate of the colony, at the rate of fifty cents in the hundred dollars, which tax is to be exclusively devoted to the support of public schools. The amount thus raised, together with the proceeds of sales of public lands, as well as the duties on spirituous liquors, will do much towards accomplishing this important object; and if my health should continue to improve, I trust soon to be enabled to announce, that all in the colony are enjoying the advantages of education. "As to the morals of the colonists, I consider them much better than those of the people of the United States; that is, you may take an equal number of inhabitants from any section of the Union, and you will find more drunkards, more profane swearers and sabbath breakers, &c., than in Liberia. Indeed, I know of no country where things are conducted more quietly and orderly than in this colony. You rarely hear an oath; and as to riots or breaches of the peace, I recollect of but one instance, and that of a trifling nature, that has come under my notice since I assumed the government of the colony. The sabbath is more strictly observed than I ever saw it in the United States. Our Sunday Schools are well attended, not only by the children of the colonists, but also by the native children who reside amongst us. The natives themselves are so well acquainted with our strict observance of this day, that you never find them offering any thing for sale, nor can you hire them to work for you:-I mean those who have been amongst us, and at all acquainted with our customs. Mr. Skinner, the Baptist missionary, stated that he was surprised to find every thing conducted in so orderly a manner, and the sabbath so strictly observed, and that the state of society was much better than he expected to find it." The worthy minister mentioned in the concluding paragraph, we regret to say, has, with his wife and child also, since been numbered with the dead. Long experience has now shewn that there is scarcely any hope of Western Africa being evangelized by Europeans, on account of the extreme insalubrity of the climate. This renders it the more important that such a colony as Monrovia, which is the name given to that of which we have spokenshould be encouraged and protected. Most of these emancipated negroes, who profess religion, belong to our denomination. DOMESTIC. DESIGNATION AND DEPARTURE OF MIS SIONARIES. On Thursday, the 20th October, Mr. Walter Dendy, of Dilton's Marsh, near Westbury, was designated as a missionary to Jamaica, at the Baptsit Chapel, Brown Street, Salisbury. The Rev. J. E. Good, one of the Independent ministers of the city, commenced with reading and prayer. The Rev. Eustace Carey delivered the introductory address, asked the usual questions, and received the confession of faith. The ordination prayer was offered by the Rev. John Shoveller, senior, of Portsea, and the Rev. C. E. Birt gave an impressive and affectionate charge from Matt. xxv. 21. The service, which engaged throughout the deep attention and interest of a crowded auditory, was closed in prayer by the Rev. P. J. Suffery, the minister of the place. In the following week Mr. and Mrs. Dendy embarked, with Mr. and Mrs. Burchell, on board the Garland Grove, Capt. Pengelley, for Montego Bay. Unfavorable winds detained our friends for some days at the Isle of Wight, but they have since proceeded on their destination; and we trust, will be permitted to labour long and successfully in the service of our great Redeemer. It was felt to be necessary, in our last number, to advert to the pecuniary difficulties of the Society, arising from the unavoidable increase of our foreign expenditure, in connexion with a considerable deficiency of income, as compared with the corresponding period of the last year. But though these combined circumstances have obliged the Committee to borrow between two and three thousand pounds, not to speak of payments coming due to a very serious amount, they feel a humble confidence that He in whose cause they are engaged, will, by some means or other, furnish the means requisite for carrying on his work. They have been greatly encouraged in this reliance by a recent act of munificence on the part of a friend, unconnected with the management of the Society, who forwarded the Secretary the following letter, with an accompanying donation of ONE THOUSAND POUNDS. The letter needs no comment of ours: none who have themselves received the un happy are those who thus practically demonstrate that they count all things but dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. "MY DEAR SIR, "Allow me, in sending you the inclosed, to state briefly the motives which have prompted me in doing so. We must all have been filled with joy and gratitude in hearing of the great things which the Lord is doing in Jamaica, where He has opened a wide and effectual door, so that his word appears to have free course and to be glorified. The fields are white to the harvest. The whole island resounds with the cry, Come over and help us.' Thousands of our negro brethren are hungering for the bread of life, while our zealous missionaries are quite unable, without more aid, to feed the one half of them. But in the midst of all this, I find from the last number of the Missionary Herald, that, in consequence chiefly of the increased expences which have been made necessary by this very success, the society is falling into debt, so that instead of supplying the new stations with labourers, there exists a serious difficulty in maintaining the old ones. Now, could I feel myself to be qualified for this great and important but delightful work, I trust that I should gladly offer myself for it. But that not being the case, let me at least do what I can to send out others on whom the Lord has conferred better gifts; and although this involves a much less sacrifice than giving up all, and devoting myself to the missionary life, yet we know that our gracious Lord and Master accepteth according to what a man hath, and not according to what he hath not. speakable gift can hesitate to make even greater sacrifices than these, for the purpose their perishing fellow sinners. of communicating this infinite blessing to "Should any be afraid of doing too much in this work, it may perhaps suffice to remind them how much less it is to devote even the greater portion of their property in this manner, than it is to leave home, friends, and country, and all that is dearest in this world, to go and preach among the heathen the unsearchable riches of Christ. Yet, who that has tasted the grace of God will blame the missionary as sacrificing too much? Or what but the want of suitable qualifications would exempt any of the Lord's servants from the duty, or rather the privilege, of consecrating not only their property but themselves to this best of services? I re "I see that from the turn my thoughts had taken, I have been led to speak particularly of the missionary work in the West Indies, but I should be sorry to have it supposed that I consider it as at all more important than that in the East. On the contrary, not only must we ever seriously bear in mind that present success is neither the rule of duty, nor the certain criterion of Divine approbation; but we should remember, that there, also, God has owned and blessed the labors of his servants in a manner which calls for the devoutest thanksgiving. joice to believe, that, if in the eastern field the seed be longer in growing, and the harvest be more delayed, it is that in the end the crop may be proportionately richer and more abundant. I would say, then, to all who love the Lord Jesus, let us bless God for so graciously sustaining the faith and patience of our dear missionary brethren engaged in that arduous work; let us exercise ourselves the same perseverance and self-denial we admire in them; let us repent of, and be humbled for, our former indifference; and let us, by Divine grace, henceforth engage in this holy and blessed work with a zeal and devotedness somewhat proportioned to its magnitude and importance, remembering our infinite obligations to Him who though he was rich for our sakes became poor that we through his poverty might be rich. "I have troubled you, my dear sir, with these lines, because I believe there are many who might apply these hints to themselves, and I would, therefore, through your medium, earnestly entreat all the friends of the mission, even the most liberal among them, to consider seriously whether they might not far exceed anything they have yet done for this good cause. I feel deeply persuaded that if ALL would do WHAT THEY CAN, not only might the Society be at once relieved from its present embarrassments, but, if God shall continue to bless the work as He has done, the number of missionaries might very shortly be doubled. This may, perhaps, require us to deny ourselves by cutting off all unnecessary expences, or to lessen our provision for the possible wants of a short earthly life; but is that to be compared with the thought of such a work as this being hindered by the want of funds? Surely EZER. "Begging you kindly to excuse the length of this communication, I am, dear Sir, "Your's, very respectfully, "OMICRON." Another generous friend has paid in Forty pounds at the Bank for the self under the signature- EBENSociety, effectually concealing him Contributions received on account of the Baptist Missionary Society, from October 20 to November 20, 1831, not including individual Subscriptions. £. s. d. 053 £. s. d. 1 3 8 1 3 0 0 11 8 17 11 0 Female Education General Purposes 200 -806 - 210 2 0 On account current Year 100 0 0 Edward Stephens 11 9 6 18 10 6 30 0 0 6 0 0 10 12 0 6 0 0 Bills 10 17 11 Stowmarket, Collection Lynn, Collection, by Rev. E. Carey Sherborne, Subscriptions, by Benj. Friends, by Mrs. Arnold, Bankside Newcastle Tyne, by Mr. H. Angus Wales, South West Association, by Aberduar, (Sunday School 11. Os. 7d.) Clare, Collection 102 14 0 38 5 0 R. Bevan, Esq. 1 7 42 10 3 41 0 14 17 11 6 1 3 10 100 8 14 7 110 1I0 Otley, Collection and Subscriptions 14 11 6 6 12 0 Stradbrooke, Collection Laxfield, ditto Grundisburgh, ditto Woodbridge Friends Tunstall, Collection Aldringham, ditto Aldborough, ditto Ipswich: 2 10 2 100 3 17 7 1 11 3 4 14 0 Mrs. Everet, Capel Collection at Stoke Chapel 13 13 0 Collected by Mrs. Pollard and Mrs. Lacey Mr. S. H. Cowell John Notcutt, Esq. Dr. Williams 12 15 9 John Head, Esq. N. Byles, Esq. 10 041 200 110 1 1 0 110 100 1 0 0 110 110 1 1 0 1 1 0 13 13 1 Stoke Green Society, per Treasurer: Sundry Subscriptions · 13 15 4 48 9 5 Rev. James Sprigg J. D. Everet, Esq. Treasurer Mr. Lacey Newtown, Montgomeryshire, by Mr. Samuel Morgan, jun. Collected by the Teachers and Scholars in the Sunday School, viz. Collected in the School 1 11 64 110 110 1 1 0 Mr. John Ridley Mr. Rouse Mr. Elliston Mr. G. Cowell Mr. H. Ridley, jun. Mr. G. Christopherson Mr. Francis Mr. William Ridley, Secretary Rev. G. A. Evors, M.A. A parcel of books for the Mission has been gratefully received from the Rev. D. Clark, The communication from M. K. of Norfolk, has been forwarded direct to Mr. Philippo. INDEX. MISSIONARY STATIONS (continued.) Ocho Rios, 15, 86 Old Harbour, 12, 44, 86 Port Antonio, 85 Port Maria, 14, 45, 86 Port Royal, 85 Ridgeland, 14, 85 Rio Bueno, 13, 46, 86 Salter's Hill, 14, 30 Savanna-la-Mar, 13, 14, 45, 85 Serpent's Bay, 85 Sewry, 28 Shortwood, 12, 75 Spanish Town, 11, 44, 83 St. Ann's, 15, 44, 86- Stewart's Town, 13, 46, 86 Vere, 12, 44, 86 Yallahs, 11 J. S. Hodson, Printer, Cross Street, Hatton Garden. |