Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

228

Missionary Society of Connecticut.

that extensive tract. In the whole county of Wayne there was not one minister denominated, congregational or presbyterian,

State of New-York.-Among the destitute settlements of Genessee and the Holland Purchase, the Rev. Eleazer Fairbanks laboured seventeen weeks. His pastoral charge is in In

several places be bebeld very animating tokens of a gracious work. A divine blessing seemed to crown his own exertions by making them instrumental of gathering souls into the fold of the Great Shepherd. He had also occasion, in many instances, to lament, the too successfu! industry with which the most destructive delusions were propagated.

The Rev. Elihu Mason, during the term of sixteen weeks, delivered ninety-seven sermons. He had no pastoral charge. He' was employed chiefly in the northern, eastern, and southern parts of the Holland Purchase. His services were extended over a tract of about fifty miles by forty. The settlements there had been generally formed within twelve years. Very small is the number of ministers established in that region-very few the Missionaries that have ever laboured in that field. He found, however, a grow ing respect for moral and religious institutions. He was, in general, kindly received, and in many instances with the warmest expressions of gratitude to the Society, by whose appointment he was there. Numerous were the places in which there had been recent and great revivals of religion. Many persons he found yet under the awakening influences of the Holy Spirit-many deeply solicitous on the subject of salvation. In almost every settlement which he visited were numbers who, convinced of their sinfulness and ruin, were anxiously inquiring the way of forgiveness and reconciliation to God, and yet had ho ambassador of Christ to guide them. Often did the sight of a Missionary draw forth tears of joy, and his instructions were received with great delight. They held. meetings regularly for reading on the Lord's day, and conferences were frequent through the week. He was much affected as he found almost every where a deplorable want of correct ministérial labours. Multitudes, especially of the young, whose hearts the revivals had prepared for the reception of the true doctrines, were imminently exposed to be led astray by the persevering assiduity of false teachers that abounded among them. It appeared evident, beyond a reasonable doubt, that, could a number of suitable Missionaries be employed in that region, many flourishing churches and societies would soon be established. By such means, the strong delusions impressed on the minds of the people by heretical instructors, and by corrupting books, that were industriously circulated, might be effectually counteracted. Many families were destitute even of the Bible. The sacred volume, and books of every description which truly explain and powerfully enforce the doctrines and duties it reveals, would be joyfully received. Sixteen weeks were devoted to another section of the Holland Purchase by the Rev. John F. Bliss. His pastoral charge was in Avon. A rapid increase of population had, within a few years,

Missionary Field in Illinois Territory.

329

filled many of the towns with inhabitants. As in new settlements generally, so in that region, the people-a great proportion of them -were far from being wealthy. They were also much-very much-divided by sectarian influence. In some of the towns that were filled with inhabitants, no churches of the congregational or presbyterian denomination had been formed. Several were the instances in which he collected and formed into churches the professors of religion, who, from various and distant parts of the country, had settled in such towns. He was uniformly received with attention and kindness. The good people very fervently expressed their thankfulness to him, and to the Society by which he was employed. Tears of gratitude, as he called from house to house, rendered many of the scenes peculiarly tender and interesting. In the towns which he visited, revivals had been numerous and powerful, though not as extensive as among the settlement in which Mr. Mason laboured.

On the Niagara frontier, a western border of the Holland Purchase, the Rev. David M. Smith, was sixteen weeks in Missionary service. He had the charge of a church and congregation in Lewiston. He was witness to no special revivals of religious attention. Social order and morality, however, were progressively improving. Much gratitude was expressed for the benevolence of those who patronize the objects of the Missionary Society, While the people rejoiced in having their present wants thus remembered by their distant brethren, they hoped to be extricated, ere long, from their embarrassments; and to be able not only to provide for themselves the enjoyment of evangelical privileges, but also to assist in extending the same favour to the destitute in other regions.

The Rev. John Spencer has no pastoral charge. He, therefore, gives himself wholly to this work. The south-westerly parts of the Holland Purchase have been the principal field of his labours. Occasionally the last year, he entered Pennsylvania. He delivered three hundred and eighty-one sermons. In a few towns he was the joyful witness of great revivals. Religious appearances were, in general, more favourable than in the preceding years. For a long period, he has been conversant with those parts of the Purchase. He must be consequently, a competent judge of the progress which morality and religion have made. While the precious revivals of the past year were confined to a few towns, he lived and laboured in hope, that in mercy to perishing sinners, the displays of redeeming grace would be yet much further extended and multiplied.

(To be concluded in our next.)

FROM THE WEEKLY RECORDER.

Illinois Territory, an extensive Missionary Field.

"Shelbyville, Ky. Dec. 30, 1817.

"Rev. and deaR SIR,I have just returned from a missionary tour through the Illinois Territory: nothing of an interesting na

330 Ámer. Sociely for educating Youth for the Ministry.

ture occurred during my travels. The inhabitants are very des titute of moral and religious instruction; and, as might be expeced, the state of society in many instances very deplorable. The territory is now divided into twelve counties, and the population is supposed to be about fifty thousand; and not a solitary Presbyterian clergyman is settled in that extensive region. There are a few Baptist preachers in the territory, and the Methodists have circuits formed through the principal settlements. In addition to these, the Dunkers have formed a respectable society on the Mississippi, and the people called the Schismatics,' but who denominate themselves Christians,' are organizing churches on the Wabash. But still the great mass of the people may be said, with propriety, to be enveloped in the darkness of ignorance, destitute of the knowledge and the fear of God..

"The prospects in Kaskaskia, I think, are flattering. There are in that place a number of respectable citizens, who appear extremely solicitous to have a clergyman settled among them : and I think, all things considered, there is there the most promising opening for the settlement of a clergyman that I have seen in the western country.

"I had the pleasure of being instrumental in forming a Missiónary Society in Morgansfield, Union County, Kentucky. The society was not organized when I left that place, though the number of subscribers was more than sufficient for that purpose, according to the constitution. I expect the particulars of their organization shortly, when I shall probably make a further communication. "With sentiments of high esteem, I remain, dear Sir, your brother and fellow labourer in the vineyard of our common Lord, "JOHN F. CROW."

"The American Society for educating pious youth for the Gospel Ministry," held their annual meeting in Boston, on the 15th of October last, when the Directors presented their second annual Report, in which they state, that "since the last annual meeting sixty-five young men have been received as beneficiaries of the society; which number, added to the forty, who had been received during the preceding year, makes the whole number who have received assistance from the funds of the society in the course of this year, one hundred and five. Of these, one only was in the third stage of education, when examined and admitted by the Directors; and he, having completed his theological studies and received a call to settle in the ministry, will no longer need the assistance of the society. Five others have finished their course of study at Col lege. Two of these, in a letter to the Directors, express a deep sense of their obligations to the Society, and their intention, by their own exertions, to defray their expenses while pursuing their theological studies. From the other three, no direct communication has been received since they were graduated. But it is believed that they will all be able to complete their theological education without further assistance.--Twenty-nine on the list of

Translations in India.

331

Beneficiaries are now in the second stage of education, pursuing their classical and scientific studies in several of our Universities and Colleges. They of course will need further assistance. The remaining seventy young men under the patronage of the Society are yet in the first stage of education, either in Academies, or with private instructors. These will therefore necessarily look for aid to the funds of the Society, for several years to come.

And in closing the Report, they remark, "But from a view of the progress of the Society, during the first two years of its existence, we have surely reason to anticipate much from its future and more extended exertions. The sphere of its operations is indeed rapidly increasing and there is much reason to believe, that by prudent management and persevering exertions, its influence may soon be extended through the United States, and every portion of our country be made to participate in its labours and benefits."

TRANSLATIONS IN INDIA.

Extract of a letter from a gentleman in England to his friend in Philadelphia, dated" London, Nov. 4, 1817.

"An important measure was yesterday carried unanimously in the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society. Thereare twenty-six languages of India into which the Scriptures are not yet translated and printed. It has been calculated by those conversant with the subject, that the translation and printing of 1000 copies of the New-Testament may be completed for the sum of 1500 sterling, making a total of 113,000 to compass the whole object. To encourage this measure as promptly as possible, a resolution was passed to grant the sum of 1500 so soon as 1000 copies should be printed off in any of the said languages, and as they may be completed from time to time, in a translation approved by competent judges: the work to be open to the different bodies disposed to engage in it.

ST. PETERSBURGH.

"Mr. Stellebrasch, a young minister educated for the missionary work by the London Society, has been at St. Petersburgh for a few months preparing for his ultimate destination to the Tartars whilst remaining there he has been allowed to preach publicly in the English language: the circumstance has already had a happy influence in drawing together on the Sabbath a considerable number of regular hearers, and may eventually lead to a more consistent observance of the Sabbath in that important city than is usually found on the continent such would be a new token of the divine favour towards Russia. It is already in contemplation with the Missionary Society to supply Mr. Stelle brasch's place with a suitable successor (so soon as he shall be removed) to carry on the worship of God on the Sabbath, and so much attention is already excited to the object, that it is hoped "this little one will become a thousand," and a church be established on Gospel principles, the want of which has been greatly lamented by those wh

332

8th Report of New-York Bible Society.

have felt for the best interests of young persons going to that part of the world.

"The Emperor has lately given a kind mark of a purified taste, in withdrawing from a company of French comedians an annual grant of 190,000 roubles, about 19000 sterling, and transferring it to a Philanthropic Institution. Surely this may be viewed as a substantial evidence of improvement.

"A pious youth educated for the ministry at one of our academies, is just departed for Hamburgh (Rev. Mr. Mudie) to be established there in this important work, a favourable opening having arisen in that quarter. By such measures may we not hope that the wounds inflicted by the long and unhappy war in Europe will be gradually healed?-Surely nothing can so much contribute to this desirable end as the dissemination of the Gospel of peace."

[Rel. Rem Extracts from the Eighth Report of the Board of Managers of the New-York Bible Society; presented and read at the annual meeting of the Society, held the 2d December, 1817.,

ONE of the first measures of your Managers, on entering upon the duties of the year which has just elapsed, was to determine the limits of the district within which it would be proper for this Soeiety to distribute Bibles, consistently with the terms of its connexion with the National Society as one of its Auxiliaries. The Board decided that, for the present, they would generally confine their dissemination of the Scriptures in the English language within the bounds of the State of New-York.

Persuaded that the Managers of the American Bible Society, possessing more entensive and particular information respecting the wants of places at a distance, were in general better calculated than your Board to make the most advantageous distribution of Bibles to be sent to such places, a resolution was passed, at an early period of the year, to place at their disposal all the remaining copies of the French Bible in sheets, amounting to about one' thousand; the bound copies on hand at the time having been retained for the use of the Society. This proceeding was considered conformable, in its spirit at least, to the design of those who contributed to the expense of printing that edition of the Scriptures, and there could be no doubt but it would meet the approbation of the societies who aided in promoting the work, nearly all of whom are co-auxiliaries to the National Institution.

During the last twelve months, 1580 Bibles have been purchas ed for the use of the Society, and 2977 have been issued from its depository; 2709 of which were for gratuitous circulation. These make the number of Bibles gratuitously disposed of by the Socie ty, since its formation, to be nineteen thousand two hundred and seventy-nine.

At the period of the last annual report, it was hoped that Branch Societies would in the course of the year be established in the several wards of this city. The Board, after mature consideration,

[ocr errors]
« AnteriorContinuar »