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for People of Colour in New-England.

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from rising into notice; nay, they are often frittered away, and made contemptible or baneful, because employed irregularly, and without that judgment that can be matured only by serious study and faithful instruction.

It is to search out and bring forward this description of youth among people of colour-to strengthen their powers-cultivate their pious affections-direct their studies-inspire them with zeal according to knowledge-elevate their views, and prepare them for wide fields of labour and usefulness, that this society is formed. The sphere of operation is humble--but the object is indescribably glorious. Difficulties are anticipated, but not feared. Assistance will be needed, and we doubt not that it will be accordingly afforded.

Were nothing more contemplated than raising up and qualifying ministers for the coloured part of the New-England population, the object would be sufficiently important to engage the attention of all whose compassions yearn over this neglected, and too often despised portion of our fellow countrymen. But the views of the society are much more extended. They embrace the welfare of other lands-they stretch across the mighty waters, eager to plant the standard of the cross on every hill of that vast continent, which has hitherto ignobly submitted to the baleful crescent, or crouched under the iron bondage of the vilest superstition. They reach forward to the period when the moral deserts of Africa shall submit to cultivation, and verdant groves, or fertile valleys watered by the streams of Siloa, shall meet the eye that has long surveyed only the wide spread desolations of slavery, despotism and death. It is their heart's desire and prayer to God that Africa may be saved. That they may prove the sincerity of their desires and prayers, they are aware that correspondent efforts will be expected from them. Those efforts, relying on heaven for strength, they are resolved to make. Nor are they deterred from their undertaking by any thing short of an absolute inability to proceed. If God frown, and the saints of God refuse the aid of their prayers and contributions, we may fail in our first effort. But we look for no such disappointment. We live in an age when men are fast learning what they have long been slow to believe that it is more blessed to give than to receive; and we are well assured that Ethiopia will soon stretch out her hands to God, and receive those spiritual blessings through the instrumentality of her sons, once enslaved in Christian lands, that will infinitely outweigh all the miseries to which tyranny on the one hand, and weakness on the other, have subjected her.

COLONIZATION SOCIETY.

The Anniversary of the American Colonization Society, was celebrated at the City of Washington on the first of this month. The Hon. Bushrod Washington, President of the Society, delivered an excellent address on the occasion; which, with the annual Report, and some other important documents read at the meeting, we shall give in our subsequent Numbers.

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Pastoral Letter of a

COMMUNICATED FOR THE CHRISTIAN HERALD.

The following pastoral letter of a Minister of the Gospel in England, distinguished for talents and piety, who by a severe bodily indisposition was suddenly obliged to suspend for a season his ordinary ministrations, and withdraw from his loving and beloved charge, will doubtless be read with interest and edification.

My beloved flock,

The Father of mercies having restored to me the use of those limbs, and in some measure the enjoyment of that strength, of which for a while he saw fit to deprive me, I feel great satisfaction in devoting some of their first efforts in this way to you; and I have that entire confidence in your affection for your Pastor which induces me to believe that a letter from him at the present time will prove by no means unwelcome.

If I were to acknowledge the latest expression of your regard, I should refer to the address passed at your Church Meeting of the 13th of July, and delivered to me by your deputies on the eve of my departure for this place: an address which, though not needed to assure me of your love and esteem, is a most ardent and grateful expression of both.

I have, however, other and longer continued favours to acknowledge than the affectionate strain of your very cheering letter.

It is now nearly twelve years since I first took the oversight of you in the Lord, and during all this period, which is more than long enough to try the sincerity and strength of your attachment, I have received nothing from you but that attractive and uninterrupted kindness, which would prove me most ungrateful indeed if I were not drawn to you by the force of a strong and reciprocal affection. Indeed I do feel sensible of my obligations for all your favours. Injuries I have received none. All that the most tender interest in my personal comfort and domestic enjoyment-all that the most zealous concern for my local and general reputation-all that respectful deference for my opinions in private, and serious attention to my ministrations in public, could do to engage my warmest regards, has been done by you; and God is my witness how well your efforts have succeeded. But while I thus review. your whole conduct towards me, I would more particularly dwelt upon your sympathy with me and mine during my late heavy and alarming affliction. Here your love has displayed its whole force. The shock which the intelligence of my illness gave to your feelings-the promptitude with which you flew to the throne of grace on my behalf-the tears you shed the prayers you offered-the ceaseless inquiries you made-the joy you discovered at my convalescence-all, all are delightful proofs how near I live to your hearts, and how heavy is the debt of gratitude in which you have involved me. Oh! how sweet to my afflicted bosom were these expressions of your regard, when brought home by many lips to the chamber of my sufferings! I felt what it was to have an affec

Minister of the Gospel in England.

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tionate people, especially a praying people. Yes, here was my comfort; you also helping together by prayer for me. Una+ ble sometimes through want of strength to pray for myself, except by short ejaculations, I cried hard, hear the prayers of my beloved flock' and he has heard them. Comfort in my affliction, and thus far deliverance out of it, has been his answer.

I say comfort in it.-Yes, my dear friends, I had some consolations in the midst of all the darkness of this severe visitation; and I can say with truth that my peace and sacred composure were never greater than when in my own apprehension I seemed rapidly sinking into the arms of death. I could look the last enemy in the face, for I knew in whom I had believed. I found that all I have said to you about God's faithfulness and Christ's ability, was a glorious reality. I felt that I was a sinner, and that it was an awful thing to go into the presence of the God against whom I had sinned. But then I looked to the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world; and here I gained a peace passing understanding, and a hope full of immortality. The grand doctrines which I have made the theme of my ministry proved the source of my comfort in those truly awful hours.

Oh! cling with all the fondness of transport, as well as all the strength of conviction, to these heart-reviving truths: the divinity of the Saviour--the efficacy of his atonement the freeness of his grace-the immutability of his purpose--these, these are the doctrines which will not only delight you amidst the solemnities of public worship, but the still more solemn scenes of a dying chamber. Permit me, my dear friends, to suggest, that this affliction speaks very loudly both to you and to me; if I am most deeply interested in it, you come next. God grant that it may not be unprofitable to either the shepherd or the flock. It calls for deep searchings of heart, for close and faithful examination. It becomes me to inquire how I have discharged my ministry, and no less does it become you to see how you have received; for we are both alike responsible to God.

Let me then beseech you to scrutinize your hearts and conduct, to see if you have derived that knowledge, and purity, and peace, and love, from my instructions, which, imperfect as they have been, the Spirit of God, who employs mean instruments for great purposes, would have rendered them the means of producing, if you had sought it by prayer and watchfulness. Have you sufficiently valued the Gospel ministry? Have you been sufficiently thankful for it? Have you been sufficiently grateful for the measure of prosperity and peace we have enjoyed since our union? Or have you grieved the holy Spirit by depending too much upon the feeble instrument? Oh! I tremble lest any of you have withdrawn your reliance upon this Divine Agent, and intrusted your soul's concerns too exclusively to the energies of a man of like infirmities to yourselves. No wonder if this be the case, that he has threatened to remove the object which has been made to usurp his throne. Let this affliction be a new era in our connection; may I be a more

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faithful, affectionate, zealous, spiritual Pastor, and you a still more holy, enlightened, heavenly minded, dependent, and attentive flock.

I greatly rejoice in the peace and harmony which have prevailed among you during my absence, which shows that the great Shepherd bas extended towards you his peculiar care.

I desire to feel thankful that he has so richly provided for you in the excellent supplies he has sent to fill up my lack of service. In this respect you have been very highly favoured ; and are señsible, I hope, of the goodness of the great Head of the Church in this particular.

As it respects the time of my return, or the measure of ministerial labour I shall be able to bear when I do return, it is not in my power at present to give you any precise information. This must be left for him to determine in whose hands our breath is, and with whom are all our ways: I can only say that my heart burns to publish again to you the glad tidings of salvation, and that my danger will be rather on the side of beginning too soon, than remaining silent too long. This long season of rest, instead of making me weary of labour, has endeared to me the beloved employ in which I have spent twelve years in your service. I love my master and my work the more, for all he has been doing with me, and by which I trust I shall be the more fitted for the office to which he has called me.

I am happy to say, that through the blessing of the Lord I am somewhat better for my journey to this place. I have been assisted to pray and read the Scriptures in public, but have not yet attempted to preach.

I hope none of you felt it as an ill requital of your affection, that I did not give you an opportunity "of speaking to me the day on which I was favoured to worship with you at The expressions. of your regard, and the returns they would have called forth from me, would have been too much for my weak frame.

To those of you whose generosity led you to contribute towards defraying the expenses of my journey, I return my most grateful acknowledgments; but as my illness has already been burthen some to you, and probably may be still longer, I cannot allow myself to increase the weight of the load by this additional effusion of your love. Be pleased, therefore, to receive back again that which, with whatever willingness it was bestowed, it would dis tress me to accept.

And now, dear brethren, I desire you all, old and young, rich and poor, to be assured of my increased regards, and continued sup plication at the throne of grace. I bear you on my mind, and on my heart, and sum up all my desires for you in St. Paul's exhortation to the Philippians-" Only let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ; that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel." Commending you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is

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able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified, I remain, dear brethren and sisters, in our beloved Saviour, your grateful, faithful Pastor.

THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY OF NEW-BRUNSWICK.

The Female Cent Society of the Reformed Dutch Church in the City of New-York have recently paid to the Treasurer of the General Synod upwards of seven hundred Dollars, to aid the funds of the Theological Seminary of that denomination: and a similar Society composed of members of the first Dutch-Church in Philadelphia have contributed one hundred dollars for the same object.

A MISSIONARY SOCIETY was recently formed in Savannah, Georgia, of which the Rev. Dr. Kollock is President.

A BIBLE SOCIETY was instituted at Wilmington, Delaware, on the 1st instant. George Hooper Esq. was elected President; Rev. Adam Empie, Corresponding Secretary; Mr. Alexander Anderson, Treasurer.

AN ALLEGORY.

ONE day a sage knock'd at a chymist's door,
Bringing a curious compound to explore.—

·

Behold,' said he, as from his vest he drew it,
This little treasure in a golden cruet:

A life, a long one, for my locks are grey,
In ceaseless toil has slowly pass'd away,

To gain that treasure: now my search must stop :
And see, I have but sav'd this little drop!
To know the worth and nature of the prize,

I bring it here for you to analyze.
The best philosopher could never quite
Its origin and essence bring to lighi ;
But you, they say, by some mysterious arts,
Reduce all substances to simple parts.

Your nomenclature differs, Sir, from his
We call it happiness-and here it is.'
And now the learned chymist strove to guess,
With what this curious stuff would coalesce :
First sprinkled on a lay'r of golden dust ;-
But this recoil'd, and seem'd to gender rust:
Now sundry essences in turn applies,
Distill'd from all that golden dust supplies:
-Castles and villas, titles, vassals, land,
Coaches and curricles, and fours in hand;

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