supply. Schools must be established and supported; teachers, Bibles, and other suitable books, must be obtained from a distance. Other difficulties will suggest themselves to every reflecting mind; all of which will be removed, when we come to supply our neighbours and fellow-citizens. Schools are already established; Bibles and tracts, and other useful books, at all times, and to any amount, may easily be procured. Christians will take a deeper interest in such a mission, than it is possible for them to do in one at a distance. They have the destitute before them; their feelings will be excited; they will contribute more liberally; and, what is all important, they will pray more fervently. Could we be transported' to the plains of India, be stationed by the funeral pile, the altar of Moloch, or the car of Juggernaut, how differently should we feel from what we do now! With how much more fervour should we pray! With how much more zeal should we labour! But, if we view this subject in its proper light, we shall daily witness what ought as sensibly to affect our hearts. It is not more affecting, or ought not to be to Christians, to see their fellow-creatures consuming on the funeral pile, than in the flame of their own passions-to see them sacrificed on the altars of Moloch, than to see them slain by intemperance to see children thrown into the Ganges, than to see thousands of them growing up to be cast into the gulf of perdition. Here are funeral piles -- here are altars of Molochhere is Satan's invisible car, constantly rolling and crushing thousands beneath its weight, and causing our streets to flow with the blood of souls. Let us remember, also, the more aggravated doom of these victims. In a greater or less degree, they have enjoyed the blessings of the Gospel; they live where they might enjoy them in all their fulness. They have rejected the Saviour - they must sink to the lowest hell. With such a prospect before him, what Christian will not wrestle day and night at the throne of grace? → what Christian will not consecrate his property, his time, his talents, his life, to this glorious work? But the principal advantage arises from the number who may be employed. The number of professing Christians, in some of the denominations, [ have been able to ascertain. If we allow all the other congregations to have, on an average, the same number of professors as those congregations which have been examined, there will be in the city about 13,000 professing Christians. Suppose these all "To ascertain precisely the rumber of professors has not been in the power of the writer. It will be seen that a few of the other statements are of the same general nature. It would be singular if, in so many particulars, there should be no error. It is the opinion, however, of respectable gentlemen who have accompanied him, and others acquainted with the situation of the destitute, that the statement, so far from being exaggerated, is modeWhile it was his intention to perform this painful duty, which God in his providence assigned to him, in a faithful manner, his inclination led him to err on that side, where every feeling of the benevolent mind would rate. properly engaged in the service of God all employed in doing good, how much might be accomplished! We will suppose that every one of these professors spends two hours every week in visiting the ignorant, vicious, and afflicted, for the purpose of distributing Bibles and tracts, and doing good in other ways: and suppose that during these two hours six families were visited, every professor would visit during the year 312 families, or make 312 visits; all of them together would make 4,560,000. Supposing that at each visit a tract were given, 4,560,000 tracts would be distributed. Surely this will not be thought an unreasonable calculation. What Christian is there who cannot devote two hours in a week, or two hours out of one hundred and sixty-eight, in going about doing good,' directly to his fellow-men? Will it be said, that those in the humble walks of life cannot engage in this work? Let me ask, what Christian so humble, so ignorant, so poor, that he cannot give to a neighbour a word of good advice; set before that neighbour a holy example, or invite that neighbour to go to a sanctuary or a religious meeting; or give a Bible or a tract, when furnished to his hands? What Christian cannot pray? What child cannot give to another child a Catechism, or lead him to a Sabbath school, or to the house of God? "There is another consideration, which every one must have anticipated. In this field we have the advantage of a numerous class of Christians, who will regard this work as among the domestic concerns which claim their attention. Their leisure, their characteristic sensibility, and the successful efforts which they have already made, need no remark: it is sufficient to say, that in this good work may be employed thousands of PIOUS FEMALES. Instead of being scattered over a wide extent of country, these people live together; and may, therefore, be approached without loss of time and expense, and all employed may act in CONCERT. "We have reason to believe success will attend our efforts, from what is said in the word of God. The parable of the great supper exhibits our Saviour's views on this subject. The rich refused the invitation, but the poor, those in the highways and hedges, were brought in. Lazarus is in heaven, Dives in hell. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.' It was among the poor that our Saviour laboured, and it was the poor, the common people,' that heard him gladly. Such has been the success of the Gospel among the poor in every age of the church. wish the error to be found. He wishes it not to be forgotten, that the destitute are in a situation in which they may be examined. If it shall be found from a similar, or more faithful examination, that the moral state of the city is better than has been represented, it will give him unspeakable joy. Most of the facts concerning other places are taken from Morse's Geography, Mills and Smith's Report, Picture of London, Address of the Connecticut Charitable Society, &c." "There is another reason why we should hope for success, which ought not to be overlooked. It is, that there appears to be a preparation of the heart, a general desire to receive religious instruction. It has not been unusual to find persons who have not been under the care of any spiritual teacher, or attached to any denomination of Christians, deeply exercised in mind. Numbers of such have actually been brought, as we trust, into the kingdom, and joined themselves to the visible church of Christ. Several cases of hopeful conversion have recently come to my knowledge. May these be the first fruits of an abundant harvest! Though I have visited many hundred families, I have not been unkindly treated, as I recollect, in a single instance; but, on the contrary, have generally been received with apparent gratitude; often urged and entreated to call again, and often followed into the street with such exclamations as these, May God bless you!'-' May God reward you!' Those of the most vicious character have listened to instruction and exhortation, not only with fixed attention, but often with weeping. Perhaps it would not exceed the truth, were I to affirm that one half of the families which have been thus visited, and particularly conversed with, have been left in tears. It is a fact worthy of notice, that all the congregations in that part of the city, have of late rapidly increased. While exploring parts of the city I have often indulged the animating hope that the Spirit was moving upon the face of the waters,' that God was preparing the way for those Christ-like efforts, which we earnestly pray he may excite his people to make. No such effort at this day is unblest. Who can doubt whether that which Christ has so expressly commanded, and sanctioned by his own example, will prove successful? "Though most persons may allow, that exertions to enlighten the ignorant and reform the vicious, generally, may be successful, yet there will remain certain classes of the vicious, of whom they will believe there is no hope. It is true, that without help from God we can do nothing. But with that help, we can do all things.' We do not hesitate to say, that the receptacles of vice referred to can be broken up, and that God has appointed the means by which it may be done, and that it is the duty of Christians to use them. There is a remedy.-But do not imagine that it is some new discovery, which has not been divulged. The remedy has long since been prepared in heaven-it has been divulged by the Holy Ghost-it is the Gospel of Christ. Antiquity is the greatest supporter of that vice, which is yearly slaying its thousands. It is said, that it has always been so in our large cities; that they have always, from time immemorial, been thus corrupted: and this seems to have satisfied the minds of Christians. These places have been regarded as a necessary evil. Christians have seen and deplored this state of things; but do not seem to have ever imagined that it could be changed. That we may put a stop to the progress of this corruption, there must be a general united effort. Those men who keep these houses must be openly attacked. This will be a hazardous undertaking. But are we to tremble before those who bear the mark of the beast in their foreheads; whose sins are open before-hand, going before to judgment;' who are known to be in close alliance with Satan; whose very dwellings are the avenues to his dominions? With such men we are to declare open war. We are to seize with holy violence the sword of the civil law and the sword of the Spirit. We are to follow them to their abodes of darkness, and bring them forth to the light; we are to carry destruction into their camp. That much may be done by the civil law is certain. A magistrate, a few years since, assisted by only one of his associates, drove hundreds of these vile persons to a distant part of the city. Many of them know him to this day, and tremble when they see him. If one or two individual magistrates could effect this, what might not all united accomplish, especially if supported and aided by the whole moral and religious community? An asylum must be provided, to which those who are disposed may resort. It will perhaps be said, that such an asylum was once provided in this city, and found ineffectual. With the management of that institution I am wholly unacquainted. But to be successful, an asylum must be conducted in such a manner, that those who resort to it shall not feel themselves to be in a prison. It must be as comfortable as it can be made, both for body and mind. It must be an asylum from disgrace as well as wretchedness. Of those who have resided for years in these abodes of darkness, we have not so much hope: but of persons as young as some of them are; of those who have fled to such places as a refuge from disgrace, we think there is much hope, even from such an institution. In England many, by this means, have been rescued from infamy and death; have been restored to their friends, and lived and ultimately died respected. We must not only provide for them a pleasant retreat, but we must make the places of their resort. unpleasant. If they flee from the asylum and from one house to another, or from one city to another, they must be followed. While engaged in this wickedness, give them no peace. Plant thorus and daggers before them, which shall pierce them every step they take in this highway to hell. But if at any time they manifest a disposition to retrace their steps, strew their paths with flowers.-But this is not sufficient: the same means are to be used with them as with other classes of the destitute. The Bible and tracts must be put into their hands, and the Gospel must be preached to them. Some may smile at the idea of preaching the Gospel to such creatures. But why not preach the Gospel to them? We preach it to the rich worldling and to the self-righteous Pharisee, and do we not read, that publicans and harlots shall go into the kingdom of heaven' before such? Did not Christ preach the Gospel to persons of this description? Is not a Mary Magdalene in heaven?-When labouring in parts of the city where they reside, we have been called to visit them when sick and dying, and never have we witnessed such scenes of distress of mind. We have frequently addressed a room full on such an occasion, and never without seeing much tenderness; frequently almost all have been drowned in tears, and some of them have cried out in the most affecting manner. "By the influence of the magistrate above alluded to, a ballroom was, about a year ago, obtained in a neighbourhood where there were supposed to be several hundreds of such persons, for the purpose of preaching to them on the sabbath. The number that attended constantly increased till the room was closed by the owner. We have since learned that his neighbours of the same craft complained of him, and obliged him to close his room, lest the hope of their gain should be taken away. We are not without evidence that one or two have become true penitents on a dying bed, have been washed in the blood of the Lamb, and are now joined to better society in a better world. There are those who on another account regard this vice as a necessary evil; who feel that were those places of resort broken up, their dearest friends would be in danger. Has it then come to this, that we must endanger what is dearer than life, by putting a stop to the grossest and most daring iniquity? Must these sinks of pollution remain, or must we have wolves and tigers prowling our streets? Must we let go and suffer the flood to pour in upon us without opposition? Is an evil of this kind to be lessened by giving it the sanction of public opinion, by removing all restraints and presenting every possible temptation? The objection is founded in ignorance of human nature. A thousand are now destroyed where one would be, provided such places were unknown. One fact on this subject. As the worthy gentleman above referred to and myself were one sabbath in the upper part of the city, a person came out of a house, apparently in great haste, and entreated us to go in and see one of her friends, who she said was dying. As we entered the door, we observed a middle-aged lady genteelly dressed and of very respectable appearance, whom we at first supposed to be a manager of some charitable institution, that had come there to afford relief to the distressed. She retired and sat down in another part of the room, while we addressed those who surrounded the sick person, who at that time was deprived of her reason. After addressing them for some time, and praying with them, I turned to a young man who stood at the foot of the bed, and spoke to him in a low tone of voice on the subject of religion. The lady, who before had appeared much distressed, unable to contain herself any longer, arose, and clasping her hands, cried out in the most heart-rending - "How different the advertisements in some of our Newspapers and the inscriptions on the corners of our streets, and sometimes on the fences which surround our churches, from what they will be in that day,' when ' there shall be upon the bells of the horses, holiness unto the Lord." |