Missions of the United Brethren, 333 have deemed it necessary to defer the execution of that project to a future occasion. The number of Biblical Institutions in this country, as well as in other parts of Christendom, continues greatly to increase, and their concerns appear to be conducted with augmented vigour and efficiency. We now count in the United States 232 Bible Societies; of which forty are managed by females, and ten are juvenile associations. It is with cordial satisfaction that we are enabled to state that the American Bible Society continues to receive increasing support, and that it is laying a foundation for extensive usefulness. It has caused six sets of stereotype plates for the Bible in the English language to be executed, and it has recently ordered a set of plates to be cast for the New Testament in Spanish. These, in addition to the Brevier plates, from which it has been printing for a year past, and the plates for the French Bible, lately presented to it by the British and Foreign Bible Society, will, together with the other printing establishments in the United States, be able to furnish an abundant supply of Bibles of various kinds and sizes, so as to keep pace with the benevolent enterprise of our fellowcitizens for extending their circulation. MISSIONS OF THE UNITED BRETHREN. TO THE EDITOR OF THE CHRISTIAN HERALD. Dear Sir, I have the pleasure to inform you, that in consequence of your publication of the Rev. C. 1. Latrobe's Address in favour of the Missions of the Protestant Church of the United Brethren, (otherwise called Moravians,) in Vol. III. No. 10, of the Christian Herald; and the appeal which you obligingly inserted, at my request, in the following number, nearly two hundred dollars have been received by myself and others, from different parts of the. United States, towards carrying on this important work. The kind donors will please hereby to accept the best thanks of the United Brethren, for their liberality towards them on this occasion. But the printing the list of the contributors is deferred, in the hope that, as the established character and present wants of the Brethren's Missions are becoming more generally known among other Christians than they were hitherto, that list will still be increased. I feel much gratification in adding, that the United Brethren are proceeding, with unabated ardour, in the important and interesting cause in which they are engaged, of sending the Gospel to the benighted Heathen, and of forming Missionary Stations among them. And they do this, literally, in humble faith on that unchanging God who has promised never to leave nor forsake his believing people. The debt which they have contracted for this purpose, still amounts, it is believed, to about twenty thousand 334 Juvenile Department. dollars more than they alone have it at present in their power ta liquidate. Subscriptions and donations towards the support of the Missions of the United Brethren, will be thankfully received by the ministers of their congregations; particularly by the Rev. Christian F. Schaaff, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; the Rev. Jacob Van Vleck, Salem, Stokes county, N. Carolina; the Rev. William H. Van Vleck, No. 74 Race-street, Philadelphia; the Rev. George G. Miller, Newport, Rhode-Island; and by Your much obliged humble servant, BENJAMIN MORTIMER, No. 104 Fulton-street, New-York. New-York, Feb. 11, 1818. JUVENILE DEPARTMENT. Obituary account of ELIZABETH LUNEY, who died September 12, 1817, Aged 25. ELIZABETH LUNEY was born at Launceston, Cornwall, where, from a child, she attended the ministry of the gospel at Castle-street Chapel, but, like many others, heard without atten, tion, nor once considered that, on leaving the house of God she had duties to perform, which were inseparably connected with public worship, and which distinguish a doer of the word from one that is only a mere hearer. The discourses she heard, frequently impressed her mind, and, like Felix, she trembled at the idea of "judgment to come," yet these impressions were transient "as the morning cloud or early dew;" and although on some occasions she might be "almost persuaded to be a christian," yet the world and its charms soon withered the fair blossom of desire, and the expectations of those who secretly wished her conversion to God were wholly disappointed. Even while she made resolutions to act differently, she loved the world which she knew she ought to abandon, and followed the multitude to do evil." Affliction has been the instrument of bringing many to God; it takes the subject aside from the noise and vanities of life.-The sick room is not the resort of the gay and dissipated; its scenes are too solemn for such as have no hope beyond the grave. When sickness first attacked our young friend, it produced no serious concern; and those who saw her in its early advances, could not but entertain a fear, that her affliction was not sanctified. But divine light entered her mind gradually. She acknowledged to the writer of this paper, how often her mind had been affected while hearing the alarming discourses of the Lord's day evenings; that she frequently wept under the word, and entered into strong resolutions, but remained the same unaltered character! As her disorder made progress, and seemed to threaten her life, she began to cherish fears as to her eternal safety, although she endeavoured Obituary of Elizabeth Luney. 335 to conceal those feelings from her dearest friends, lest she should not prove to be sincere. Anxious at length to see and converse with those who might assist her inquiries in the way to heaven, she listened with eagerness to their conversation, and requested their fervent prayers. With eyes bedewed with expressive tears, she testified her deep concern that her heart might be " right in the sight of God." Her minister rejoiced in these tokens for good, and hoped for a happy issue to her sufferings. Grace can support under heavy trials, and never were those supports more apparent than in the patience and resignation which she displayed. How often did she bless God for afflictions! and how frequently did she repeat the words of the Psalmist, "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I have kept thy word.” Psalm cxix. 67. One of her great encouragements arose from a view of that blessed promise, "Him that cometh unto me I will in no-wise cast out;" a promise which she found by sweet experience to be true. That pardon which she sought through the blood of Jesus, she obtained, and could rejoice in God with exceeding joy. Frequently did she lament that she had not come to Christ while in health, observing with emphasis, "had I my time to live over again, I would never defer my salvation till a death-bed." Her minister's daughter calling to see her, she addressed her very affectionately, and with the tear standing in her eye, said, “ I hope, my dear E, that you will not neglect your soul, as I have neglected mine, but I trust you do not, and that you are seeking the Lord Jesus with all your heart." What a declaration! how many do neglect their immortal souls; would that they duly considered that scripture, Heb. ii. 3.. "How can we escape, if we neglect so great salvation!" We now approach the last scene; let us see how this young christian, thus made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light, took leave of a sinful dying world. Death bed repentance cannot always be relied on: who will not feel alarmed when he is told that his existence will soon terminate? At this awful moment past sins rush into the mind,— slighted convictions present themselves,-the day of judgment appears in all its dreadful array,—conscience reproaches, and fearful forebodings distract the mind. The uncertain soul resorts to the prayers of others, and as the last resort of a terrified mind, to the sacrament, as a quietus to fear, a peace offering to the Justice of God!! But not the repentance of every sick bed is to be suspected; many have given evident proofs that their experience of the power of grace was no delusion, but "the sober certainty of truth divine," and they could say with confidence and joy, "If sick of folly, I relent, he writes My name in heav'n with that invested spear, (A spear deed dipt in blood!) which pierc'd his side, 336 Increased patronage of the American Bible Sociely. Her sufferings, towards her death, were great indeed! her emaeiated frame exhibited the havoc made upon it by her disorder, yet she bore the agony of pain with astonishing patience, and earnestly prayed for submission to the will of God. A few mornings before her death, when her father asked her how she did, her mother remarked that she had experienced a melancholy night. "No," said she, "I have had a painful, but not a melancholy night."-On the morning of the day on which she died, her father inquiring, as usual, how she did?" she replied, "father I am dying, but I am not afraid to die, I never had so great a confidence in God,"-Seeing her mother weep, she said, "why do you weep, mother? you ought rather to rejoice and praise God for his mercy toward me," and then repeated the following lines, "There shall I bathe my weary soul, In seas of heavenly rest; And not a wave of trouble roll Across my peaceful breast." In the afternoon, she broke out into this exclamation, "O mother! a few hours more, and then !-what then?—Then I shall sing, "Where's thy victory, boasting grave! And where's the monster's sting?" The last words she articulated were, "Let me die the death of the righteous, &c.-Blessed Jesus!" and then entered into the rest which remains for the people of God, September 12, 1817, Aged 25. Her death was improved on Lord's-day evening, September 21, at Castle-street Chapel, by the Rev. R. Cope, from Psalm cxix. 67, "Before I was afflicted," &c. May every reader of the above be concerned to seek the Lord early, for many will have reason to lament that they sought God too late. "Now is the day of salvation,"-"My son, my daughter, give me thy heart," is the affectionate language of divine invitation. Come then, dear youth, accept the grace, Let this your answer be, "Behold! O Lord, we seek thy face, And give our hearts to thee." [Youth's Mag. AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY. We are happy to have it in our power to announce that the President of the United States, and the several Heads of the depart ments of the general government have, by their respective con tributions, become members for life of the American Bible Society. The patronage of this National Institution appears to be considerably increasing, as the benefits which it is conferring on this part of the Christian world become more extensively diffused and better understood. THE CHRISTIAN HERALD. VOL. IV.] Saturday, February 21, 1818. [No. 22 SOUTHAMPTON BRANCH BIBLE SOCIETY, (ENGLAND.) The chair was taken at twelve o'clock by the Right Hon. G. Rose, the president. THE REPORT gave a brief sketch of the history of the Southampton institution, which originated in the ascertained deficiency of the Holy Scriptures in the town and neighbourhood, together with a desire to promote the foreign objects of the Society. It detailed the proceedings of an association, by which a very considerable number of Bibles and Testaments had been supplied; it showed the origin of the Ladies' Bible Society, which had been instituted last year at the suggestion of C. S. Dudley, Esq. a distinguished member of the parent committee, as especially likely to be the means of supplying domestic servants: a class of society which has been observed to be very deficient in the possession of the Holy Scriptures; and it appealed earnestly to the heads of families to forward this important duty, without presuming to dictate to them the mode in which they might prefer so to do. It showed that the efficiency of the ladies' association had been very considerable, from their having collected, in 11 months, nearly £400 from upwards of 867 subscribers, of small sums, and 904 subscribers for bibles and testaments. It showed the necessity and utility of minute investigation into the wants of every neighbourhood, from actual facts of recent occurrence. It disclosed a very gratifying picture of the general readiness of the labouring classes to supply themselves with the Holy Scriptures by weekly payments of small sums regularly collected. It mentioned the public distributions that had already taken place, and that which is about to take place. It detailed the progress of the supply of Bibles in villages around Southampton, and called on those who had not hitherto taken any effectual means for this purpose, no longer to delay so important a duty; not presuming to dictate the manner in which it should be done, but expressing an earnest hope that another year would not be suffered to elapse without its being thoroughly accomplished by those in whose power it might be to secure an object which all confess to be important, while all cannot exactly agree as to the best mode of its accomplishment. The Report particularly urged on those heads of families, to whose domestics the ladies' bible association have not had access, the responsibility attaching to the relation of master and servant, with regard to the religious necessities of the latter. From the instances which the ladies' Bible Association have met with of aged persons unable to read, and deeply regretting that inability, as debarring them from the use of the Holy Scriptures, the Report took occasion to urge the trial in South Y |