DESIGNATION OF MISSIONARIES FOR Nelson, of the Seminary, next presented

AFRICA.

Rev. William G. Crocker, of the First Baptist Church in Newburyport, and recently a graduate of Newton Theological Institution, was set apart to the work of missionary to Africa, in the Baptist meeting-house in that town, on Thursday, June 18. The services were opened with a voluntary hymn, Wake, isles of the South," &c. after which the 220th hymn in the Supplement was sung, "Behold, the expected time draws near," &c. The latter part of the 68th Psalm was then read by Rev. S. Cooke, of Hampton Falls, N. H., and Dr. Dana, of the Presbyterian church in Newburyport, offered the introductory prayer. A select byinn from Dobell was next sung, "Go messenger of Christ," &c. and a sermon delivered by Rev. Baron Stow, of Boston, from 1 Tim. i: 11. The Consecrating prayer was offered by Rev. N. W. Williams, pastor of the church, after which an address to the missionary was delivered by Rev. Dr. Chaplin, of Rowley. The instructions of the Board were read by Dr. Bolles, Corresponding Secretary. The pastor of the church then gave the Right Hand of Fel lowship. The closing hymn, "Yes, my native land, I love thee," &c. given out by Mr. Crocker, was then sung, and the congregation dismissed with feelings of deep interest and gratification.

them with a small Polyglot Bible accompanied with remarks, and Rev. W. S. Plumer addressed the congregation. The congregation then united in singing the hymn composed by Mr. Sutton, of the Orissa Mission, "Hail, sweetest, dearest tie that binds," &c., after which the benediction was pronounced by Rev. P. P. Smith of Buckingham county.

Mr. Mylne has resided at Richmond several years, and is a member of the 2nd Baptist church in that city. Mrs. M. is also from that vicinity. We cherish the fervent hope that the scenes witnessed there, on that "deeply solemn and affecting occasion," will not only create an abiding interest in behalf of those who have thus given themselves to the service of Christ among the heathen, but constrain many other of our southern brethren to engage personally in the same holy enterprise.

Will not the churches of our Lord

Jesus Christ commend specially to his gracious protection and blessing, these beloved brethren expecting soon to enter on their self-denying and hazardous labors. We do not apprehend for them so imminent exposure as would give to the prayer of faith for their preservation and cheering success, the aspect of presumption. We have reason to believe that the diseases most prevalent in the neighborhood of Liberia may be encountered, unRev. Will am Mylne, a graduate of the der a judicious treatment, with comparaVirginia Baptist Seminary, was designated | tively little danger. We think that God has missionary to Africa, at the meeting house very clearly indicated by his providence, of the Second Baptist church in Rich-that it is his pleasure the Gospel should mond, Va. on Tuesday evening, June 23. be introduced into Africa along its westAfter prayer by Rev. M. L. Jones, and the ern coast, as well as on its southern and reading of portions of the 72d Psalm and eastern borders, and has distinctly called the 60th Chap. of Isaiah, by Rev. J. B. on the churches of our connection to enTaylor, an address was made to the peo-gage heartily in the good work. And we ple of God by Mr. Mylne. Rev. Mr. are assured that in attempting to do his Taylor then repeated the substance of various conversations which he had had with Mrs. Mylne, respecting the series of circunstances which bad convinced her it was the will of God she should go to Africa. The address to the missionaries was delivered by Rev. R. Ryland, of the Virginia Baptist Seminary. Rev. W. F.

will, we may confidently appeal to him for the bestowal of all needed grace. To him, then, let the churches and their members individually repair, and let thein fervently implore the blessing of Almighty God on this new endeavor to spread among the heathen the knowledge of his name and of the great salvation.

BAPTISTS IN OHIO.

the churches in those Associations which support the General Association, and 340 to those opposed to it.

EMBARKATION OF MISSIONARIES.

In the State of Ohio there are 22 Associations, 330 Baptist churches, 175 Baptist ministers, and 13,850 communicants; beside several unThe Rev. Messrs. Lockwood and associated churches, which would Hanson, missionaries of the Protesprobably swell the number of communicants to at least 14,000. Three tant Episcopal Church in the United fourths of these churches and Asso-States to China, sailed from New ciations, it is believed, are decidedly York in the ship Morrison for Canin favor of missionary efforts; and ton, June 2. of the few apparent exceptions which exist, want of information or local considerations are the undoubted

cause.

BAPTISTS IN VIRGINIA. There are 43 Associations in Virginia, 441 Churches, and 55,602 communicants, beside three Associations lying partly in Virginia, and partly in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. Of this number, 13 Associations and 280 churches with 44,186 members are friendly to the Baptist General Association of that State; and 11 Associations, containing 150 churches and 11,400 members, are opposed to its views and operations. Of 4,036 baptized the past year, 3,696 have been added to

Rev. John B. Barton, missionary to Africa, sailed from Savannah in the ship Indiana, Capt. Wood, for Liberia, with 63 colored emigrants for the colony, June 29.

Account of Moneys received in Donations, by the Treasurer of the General Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the United States for Foreign Missions, from June 15 to July 15, 1835.

From York County, Me., Bap. For. Miss. Soc.-Dea. C. Swasey, Treas.
Rev. J. B. Cook, Cincinnati, Ohio,

$20,

60,

Black River, N. Y., Bap. Assoc., of which 10 is for Bur. Bible,
by Rev. T. A. Warner,

80,

Bap. church, St. Helena, S. C.-by Rev. Dan Byshewood,
Am. Bible Soc., for print. the scriptures in the Chinese language,
Fein, Bap. For. Miss. Soc., Wiscasset, Me., by Mrs. M. H. Scott,
Dea. John Newton,-by S. Root, of Middlefield, Mass.,
Savannah River Baptist Assoc., Alexander 1. Lawton, Treas., for
Siam Mission, 10,-for Burman Mission, 287,

67,31

1000,

9,47

10,

297,

66

By Rev. Jesse Mercer, of Washington, Ga., for For. Miss., 399,50;
Bur. Bible, 163; for Karen Bible, 3; for Bur. Miss. 229,93;
Af. Miss. 12,50;-Valley Towns Sta., for Mr. Sturgis, 20,
Virginia Bap. Miss. Soc.-Collections for outfit of Rev. Mr. Mylne,
of the African Mission,

Fem. Miss Soc. of 2d Bap. ch. Richmond, for the same,
Youths' Miss. Soc. of "
for the same,

Mr. Joshua Tucker, Gardner, Mass., for Bur. Mission,
with a like sum for the Home Mission.
Widow Abigail Taft, Heath, Mass., for Bur. Miss.,
Fem. Jud. Plain Dress Soc., Shelburne Falls,-Bur Miss., 2,50
with 2 rings and 2 silver thinb. for the same-N. Root,Treas.,-
Mrs. Minor, Starmon, L. C., for Bur. Miss.-by Rev. P. Chase,
Barnstable Assoc., Mass.,-by Warren Marchant, Esq. Treas.,
Monroe Co. Bap. For. Miss. Soc.-by A. G. Smith, Esq. Treas.,
Savannah Bap. S. S. Miss. Soc.-Th. Dowell, Treas.,

12,50

5,

39,

968,33 10,

H. LINCOLN, Treasurer.

To the Editor of the American Baptist Magazine.

SIR-The following is a copy of an Address which was delivered before the Society of Inquiry in the Newton Theological Institution. I send it to you, in compliance with the wishes of several who heard it, for insertion in the Magazine, should you deem it worthy of a place in its pages.

Brethren of the Society of Inquiry:

D. NEWTON SHELDON.

Your desire to be addressed on this occasion is a proof that you regard with interest every thing which sustains a relation to the cause of Missions, and encourages the hope that you will hear with kindness what must necessarily want the charm of novelty. The efforts which have been made during now almost half a century, to spread the Gospel among heathen nations, and the opposition which these efforts have been compelled to encounter, have led to a thorough canvassing of the claims of the missionary undertaking. The subject has been closely looked at, in almost every aspect and relation in which it is capable of being contemplated. The result of all this rigid scrutiny, both of friends and of foes, has been what is uniformly found to take place when any good cause is made to pass through a severe trial, -a greatly strengthened, a matured conviction of its importance, and of the justness of its claims to public confidence and support. The mists of prejudice and of misapprehension, which for a while hung round the missionary enterprize, as looked at by many, and obscured the true view of its essential grandeur, have been effectually dispersed, and the object for which missions are undertaken, now stands revealed to the apprehension of all properly enlightened Christians in its own native form and brightness. It might, therefore, justly be deemed unsuitable any where, but especially so here, to dwell on the intrinsic dignity of the design to give universal publicity to the Gospel.

But there is still another and, to me, a stronger reason for declining such a topic on the present occasion. It should be the aim of every one, at the present time, to excite and rightly direct the activities of Christians in reference to the unevangelized world. The greatest prominence should accordingly be given to such views as have in them the greatest suitableness to call forth into action the well-directed energies of the church. But who does not see that it is possible to expatiate, philosophically and eloquently, on those elements of the missionary undertaking to which it owes its moral grandeur, without quickening into life and activity a single pious feeling? The emotions awakened by such a discussion, may be simply emotions of taste; and these have no necessary alliance to the strictly religious affections, and, consequently, may be wholly unavailing to the purpose of exciting religious activity. Nor is this all. The habit of dwelling much on that view of the missionary cause in which it is felt to be sublime, may prove not merely not beneficial, as not adapted necessarily to awaken pious feeling and action; it may also become positively mischievous, and be a formidable obstacle to the excitement of proper feelings and conduct. There is, to many persons, a fascination about whatever is fitted to awaken the emotion of sublimity; the mind delights to repose itself in a kind of indolent luxuriousness, in the contemplation of what it admires, and thus yields itself to a state of passive enjoyment which, when habitual, it will not readily relinquish for any different feeling. The mental condition here described may result as well from an unduly cherished habit of looking exclusively to what is sublime in the missionary enterprize, as from a similar mode of indulging the thoughts in reference to any other elevating subject. But this, I need not say, is not the mental condition which we should seek to cherish. It is not for us, who are soon to be employed in the active labors of the Christian ministry, to stand still and admire the moral grandeur which belongs to the enterprize of subjecting a lost world to Christ. We have far other concern with this subject, than that it should be made to gratify an emotion of taste. We have failed to view it in its most important aspects, if we have not considered it as having a claim to move our deepest feelings, and call forth our most strenuous activities.

Knowing your desire that the present address may be of a practical character, I have thought that I cannot better occupy your time, and meet your wishes, than by showing the dependence of the missionary cause for success on a general state of fervent scriptural piety in the church. If this dependence can be evinced, it will follow that the most direct and effectual way, in which we can bring our instrumentality to bear on the prosperity of missions, is by cultivating in ourselves, and by exciting in the churches all the leading constituents of the Christian temper. The subject, however common, should be felt to be of absorbing and permanent interest, and deserving a much more full and accurate discussion than we shall be able to give it. I have the strongest conviction,

that the Christian church will never come to put forth the required amount of rightly directed effort in the work of evangelizing the world, nor will her labors be rewarded with the desired success, till, withdrawing her attention from every merely adventitious accompaniment, either of Christianity itself, or of the enterprize to spread it, she has her feelings and energies vivified by the powerful influence of the simple and essential truths of the Gospel.

There is a general sense in which the dependence of the missionary undertaking for success on a state of ardent piety in the church, is obvious on the slightest and most superficial view. What is the object for which missions are undertaken? Is it any thing else than to convey the knowledge of the Gospel to those who are exposed to perish through ignorance of it? And who are they that do or will engage in this enterprize, but those who know and value the Gospel? who, having themselves experienced its inestimable blessings, are willing to make some sacrifices, that others also may come to enjoy them? The idea is so plain as almost to require an apology for stating it, that the commencement of any missionary effort pre-supposes the existence of a Christian community or, at least, of some one or more individuals, themselves in actual possession of the Gospel, and of whatever blessings it is deemed capable of imparting. It is equally clear, that the vigor and perseverance with which any plan to spread the Gospel is prosecuted, after it has been entered upon, must depend on the strength and steadiness of those actuating convictions and feelings in which the enterprize itself originated. If the essential truths of Christianity have a firm hold of the mind, if they so fix and fill the thoughts, and stir the religious affections, as never to leave them free to wander to unrelated subjects; then the highest conceivable measure of practical energy will be displayed in carrying forward to successful accomplishment the missionary plans. of the church. If, on the contrary, the truths of the Gospel are feebly apprehended and felt, debility will inevitably characterize whatever is attempted to be done for the salvation of others.

So far as the whole church, or any part of it, is actuated by the true spirit of scriptural piety, will its efforts to spread the saving knowledge of Christ be steady and vigorous. So far, on the oth

er hand, as the whole church, or any part of it, is destitute of this spirit of piety, will its missionary plans and operations be marked by feebleness. These statements have the same obvious truth as applied to ministers and missionaries, which they have in reference to the laity. In every case, the heart must be possessed and pervaded by the spirit of the Gospel, before any strong and systematic measures will be taken to communicate to the ignorant and perishing the knowledge of the Gospel. All that we have now said is confirmed not less by the necessary conditions of every missionary undertaking, than by a multitude of facts; and it serves to show how the first hasty glance at the work of evangelizing the world is sufficient to evince its dependence for success on a state of fervent piety in the church.