318

Contributions to the

much to the satisfaction of pastor and people. The meeting was resumed in the evening with redoubled vigour. The power of God was eminently present, because the people were mighty in prayer and faith. The Sabbath was a high day all through the city, among our congregations."

I worshipped in Eutaw in the morning, where I heard Dr. Jennings, who preached to us a full and a present salvation, with power from Heaven. A part of the congregation continued there the whole day without eating or drinking, and at night, brother Rozel and brother Dorsey informed, it was equal to any work they ever saw at Camp-meeting-perhaps 50 or more in distress. At Light-street at candle light, there were perhaps 20 mourners at the altar. At Old-town, where I was, there were near 100 crying for mercy; among the first persons who went to the altar was the Governor's daughter, who married young Mr. Cyour acquaintance. I am also told, this moment, that young James' wife is also seeking religion. Conversions are numerous. Last night at Old-town an extra prayer meeting was held; from 80 to 150 were supposed to be seeking the salvation of their souls. Many a stricken soul that left the fold, long since, with numerous arrows deeply infixed,' by convicting power, has found that Jesus Christ can and does forgive sin.

The time is an awful one; the people feel it so; and it does appear to me, that hundreds more will be brought in.

The subjects are many of them heads of families. The preachers are nearly worn down; they are tired in, but not weary of the work.

THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AT NEW BRUNSWICK.

The Bergen Town Female Cent Society, New-Jersey, have paid to the special Treasurer of the General Synod, of the R. Dutch Church, the sum of seventy five Dollars, collected within the last six months.

1040

AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY.

The Treasurer of the American Bible Society has acknowledged the receipt of the following contributions to the funds of that Institution, in January, 1818, viz.

One hundred dollars from the Hon. John Quincy Adams, one of their Vice-presidents; 822 dollars from the B. S. of Massachusetts, as their surplus revenue; and 278 dollars from the same, to purchase bibles; 200 dollars from the Oneida B. S.; 55 dollars from the Female Aux. B. S. of Cincinnati, Ohio; 100 dollars from the B. S. of Fredericksburgh, Va.; 150 dollars from the Fairfield county B. S. Conn; 60 dollars from the Female Aux. B. S. Lebanon, Ohio; 100 dollars from the Newark B. S. New Jersey; 197 dollars from the Aux. B. S. of Ontario county, N. Y. to purchase bibles; 25 dollars from the Rahway Female B. S. New-Jersey, do. ; 53 dollars from the Aux. B. S. of Watertown, Litchfield county, Conn. part do. and part donation; 50

American Bible Society.

319

dollars from the African B. S. of New-York, for bibles; from the. Rev. Lewis Myers, for congregational collections made in Georgia at the following places, viz. at a camp meeting in Jasper county, 78 dollars 87 cents; at a camp meeting in Hancock county, 134 dollars; at a camp meeting in Washington county, 47 dollars; at a camp meeting in Morgan county, 84 dollars; at a camp meeting in Twiggs county, 63 dollars: Congregational collec tions made by Rev. John Sewell, in Georgia, at Philadelphia meeting-house, 25 dollars 68 cents; at other places 7 dollars: Congregational, collections made by Rev. Dr. Abiel Holmes, in the first parish of Cambridge, Mass 70 dollars; from a number of ladies at Stanwich, Conn. 5 dollars:--Thirty dollars each, to constitute the following ministers members for life, viz. Rev. Alex. McClelland, by the females of the Presbyterian church in Rutgersstreet, New-York; Rev. John D. Blair, by the ladies of Hanover county and the city of Richmond, Va.; Rev. Wm. Cogswell, by the ladies of the 2d parish of Dedham, Mass.; Rev. Cyrus Yale, "by the ladies of New-Hartford, Conn.; Rev. Platt Buffit, by a number of ladies of Stanwich and its vicinity, Conn.; Rev. Joel Hawes, by a number of young men of Hartford, Conn.; Rev. Joseph L. Shafer, by the ladies of the congregation of Newtown, Sussex county, New-Jersey; Rev. John M. Ellingwood, by the ladies of the North Congregational Society in Bath, Maine; Rev. Dirk C. Lansing, by the ladies of the village of Auburn, Cayuga county, N. Y.; Rev. William Hill, by the ladies of the Presbyterian congregation in Winchester, Va.; Rev. John S. Vredenburgh, by the ladies of the Raritan congregation, N. J.; Rev. Joshua Huntington, by the ladies of the old South Society of Boston; Rev. Dr. E. D. Griffen, by a number of ladies of the 2d Presbyterian church in Newark, N. J.; Rev. Daniel Dana, by the ladies of the 1st Presbyterian society in Newburyport, Mass.; Rev. Thos. F. Davies, by the females of the congregation at Huntington, Conn.; Rev. John Brown, by several ladies of the village of Cazenovia, Madison county, N. Y.; Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, by three friends at Lansingburgh, N. Y.; Rev. Joseph W. Clary, by individuals at Dover, N. I.; her. Edward C. M'Guire, by the B. S. of Fredericksburgh, Va.; Rev. Solomon Williams, by ladies in Northampton, Mass.; Rev. Alfred Ely, by the young gentlemen and ladies in Monson, Mass.; Rev. Israel Putnam, by the ladies in the North Society in Portsmouth, N. H. Also from the Golden Rule Lodge, No. 13, of Free and accepted Masons in Putney, county of Windham, and State of Vermont, thirty dollars each, to constitute the following gentlemen members for life, viz. Rev. Elisha D. Andrews, of Putney, Vt.; Rev. Sylvester Sage, of Westminster, East Parish, Vt.; Rev. Hosea Belkley, of Dummerton, Vt.; Mr. Isaac Welman, of Brooklines, Vt.: also thirty dollars from each of the following gentlemen, to constitute themselves members for life, viz. Major General Ebenezer Stevens, Guysbert B. Vroom, Esq. Francis B. Winthrop, Esq., of New-York; and Ebenezer Parker, Esq. of

Boston.

320

American Bible Society.

NEW AUXILIARIES TO THE NATIONAL SOCIETY.

"The Berkshire B. S." (Mass.) became auxiliary 17th July, 1817. Mr. Samuel Shephard, Secretary, Lenox.

"The Female B. S. of Lebanon," (Ohio) in September, 1817. Mrs. Eliza Collet, Cor. Secretary, Lebanon.

"The St. Clairsville B. S." (Belmont county, Ohio ;) recently instituted. Rev. Joseph Anderson, President; Mr. Alex. Arm; strong, Cor. Secretary; Mr. Samuel Potts, Treasurer.

"The Union auxiliary B. S. of Poland," (Trumbull county Ohio;) instituted 2d December, 1817. Mr. John Struthers, Secretary, Poland.

"The Connelsville auxiliary B. S." (Pennsylvania) recently formed. Mr. John B. Trevor, Secretary, Connelsville.

The above, added to those before mentioned, make the number of auxiliaries now known to be one hundred and thirty-two.

Erratum. Vol. 3d, page 368, instead of " the Oxford B. S. in Chenango county," read the Chenango county Bible Society.

DONATIONS TO THE BIBLICAL LIBRARY,

By the Rev. W. Sehenck, of Huntington, Long-Island, N. Y. a Dutch 12mo bible, with psalms set to music, and the liturgy of the church of Holland. Dordricht, 1723.

By the same, the New Testament, 12mo, with psalms and liturgy. Dordricht, 1715.

OCTAVO STEREOTYPE BIBLE.

It is with much pleasure that we are enabled to state, that the first edition of the octavo Bible, which is now printing from the stereotype plates, cast for the American Bible Society, will soon be finished,—say in all this month. The delay in putting it to press was occasioned by the anxious and very laudable desire of the Board of Managers to do all in their power to cause the copy to be made as correct as practicable : and the requisite pains have not been spared to effect that important object.

When we take into consideration that the type of this octavo Bible is four sizes larger than that of the common school Bible (in nonpareil) formerly used in this country, and that to Auxiliary Societies the price of a copy printed on excellent white paper, like that of the present edition, and substantially and neatly bound, will not exceed one dollar and a quarter, we presume that it will be deemed a valuable acquisition to the Bible cause in this country.

The plates for the minion Bible have not yet undergone sufficient examination and correction, to be put to press. It will be some weeks before that can be done with propriety.

As some persons unacquainted with the nature of this business have expressed considerable disappointment that the stereotype plates of the American Bible Society have not been sooner made ready for the press, we would refer such to Owen's History of the British and Foreign Bible Society, page 102, (Amer. edition,) where it appears that an impression from the first stereotype work exécuted for that Institution, with all its abundant means, (which was only an octavo New Testament,) was not completed till September 1805, sixteen months after the organization of the Society; and that this was "the first article provided by the Br. and For. B. S. for home circulation.'

MR. MEDHURST, who is intended for Malacca, in a letter to the Rev. G. Collison, dated Madras, March 7, 1817, says, There is much at Madras to excite and to depress missionary zeal. There are 300,000 souls within 4 short miles of our residence, ignorant of God, degraded by iniquity, and exposed to eternal wrath. Every person we meet, bears the mark of an idolater on his forehead, (the number of their gods being marked in white or yellow, according to their caste.) In every street there is a pagoda; in the day-time we witness their zeal and readiness to perform the difficult duties of their religion; and in the night our rest is disturbed by their noisy worship. These scenes are enough to inflame the zeal of the dullest missionary; but, on the other hand, there is much to damp it-there is that almost impassable barrier, the caste; which, however, blessed be God, begins to give way; but there is also the national characier, in which is a mixture of every thing that is vile: they are sly, deceitful, and determined to get money, by fair or unfair means; and will exhibit the most plausible appearances of religion, if they can get any thing by it.

A missionary has much to cope with; a thousand difficulties, besides such as occur in England; and, consequently, he needs additional faith, patience, and perseverance.

It is easy to collect a congregation here; it is only to ask a question, and you have a hundred people about you. The other evening I was walking with Brother Gordon, in the Cooley Bazaar, when we observed a number of people collected together, listening to one of their pagan preachers, who was engaged in telling some tales of their gods, when Brother Gordon, addressing one of the people in his own tongue, the whole congregation presently forsook their preacher, and listened to him. They acknowledged all to be true, but did not seem in the least affected. I am anxiously waiting for a vessel to convey me to my destined port. Brother Milne is now alone, and much needs one to strengthen his hands. One thing, however, consoles me,-I am where God has placed me.'

Extracts of a Letter from Mr. Gordon, Missionary at Vizagapatam, January 28, 1817.

I HAVE had a whole year of health, and I now hope that my constitution has, in a very considerable degree, assimilated itself to the climate of this country, and that it will please the great Head of the Church, whom I desire to serve to the end of my days, to give me many years of health for his work. The las

322 Letter from Mr. Gordon, Missionary, in India, has been better to me than any former one. I have been enabled to enter fully into my labours. We are out every day among the people, who are evidently more disposed to make inquiries after the truth. I have lately had conversation with some singularly interesting characters, whose questions were uncommonly striking. The children in the schools too, perform wonders, and by interrogating them independently of the questions in their catechisms, we obtain satisfactory evidence, that they make an actual progress in the knowledge of divine things. Our principal school is in the very heart of the town, and open to every person who passes by. The novelty of catechising the children, and the promptitude of their answers, never fail to bring numbers to hear them, and the questions give a series of subjects for inquiry and conversation. We have lately added a third catechism, partly in the manner of the Assembly's. In this way both the youth and those of advanced life hear and learn. The translation of the Scriptures into their language will be, I trust. of eternal benefit to this people. We hope soon to have all the New Testament in their hands.

Having some time ago heard that a number of persons at Chicacole, a town situated about sixty miles to the northward of this, had, through the influence of one man, torn the Lingam* from their arms and deserted the Pagoda, I went over to Chicacote, and, upon inquiry, found that this procedure had been the result of serious deliberation, from their knowledge, as they stated, of the inability of the Lingam to afford them any assistance. Upon asking how they came to act in this way, they answered, By reading the true Vedas, and their conversation with Anundarayer.' He accompanied me there about two years ago, and Mr. Prichett last year. I do not say that they have absolutely renounced idola try, but as they have parted, upon the conviction stated, with some of its insignia, they may be considered as in the way to an entire renunciation of it. I have long wished that a missionary were settled among that people, as they appear of a teachable disposi tion. Ganjam has become healthy, and as Mr. and Mrs. Lee have recovered; we hope they will soon be able to resume their labours there. Our dear Brother Dawson has not been well for several months. Every other branch of our family here enjoys the blessings of health. We beseech you to remember Vizagapatam in your prayers."

AFRICA.

Extracts of a Letter from Mr. Evan Evans, dated Bethelsdorp, May 29, 1817.

AFTER mentioning the Christian hospitality of the Rev. Mr. Vos, at Caledon, who accompanied the Missionaries to the chief Moravian settlement, at Grace Valley, where they were highly enter

* A little image enclosed in a silver box, which they suspend on th ir breast or arm.