with the Gaelic language, the General Assembly sent three or four at different times to preach in those parts. Mr. Fraser being generally one of that number, the people in the parish of Alness fixed their thoughts on him upon the death of the curate, and Sir John Munro, of Fowles, joined them in their application before the southern judicatories. These rejected the call; and the parish of Glencorse, in order to induce the continuance of Mr. Fraser among them, built him a new church.

But the next year the parish of Alness renewed their call, and appealed to the General Assembly. The evening before the sitting of the Assembly, the last seat in the church of Glencorse was finished. The workman, however, not being attentive to extinguish the snuff of a candle, the church, before ten o'clock that night, was all in flames; upon the sight of which, Mr. Fraser said to his wife, this will not do, I must use the little remaining Earse I have it seems, and go and preach Christ in my native country! ! Mrs. Fraser viewed the call so clear, she durst not say nay; but cheerfully acquiesced, though her father and friends lived in Tweeddale. The call of the Alness people being agreed to at the Assembly, Mr. Fraser was admitted their minister anno 1696. There he continued his ministry with great fidelity and success till his death, Nov. 1711.

The necessity of the Spirit to give effect to the Preaching of the

Gospel.

We have just received another volume of Sermons from the pen of that able and justly celebrated divine, the Rev. Thomas Chalmers, D. D. Minister of the Tron Church, Glasgow.-The main object of these discourses is, to set in a clear light the important doctrine of the depravity of human nature, and point out the remedy for a disease so universal in its extent, and so dreadful in its effects.

Believing that a few extracts from them will be interesting and profitable to our readers, we shall commence with the following:—

THERE never existed a man more active than Paul, in the work of the Christian Ministry. How great the weight of the variety of his labours! what preaching, what travelling, what writing of letters, what daily struggling with difficulties, what constant exercise of thought in watching over the Churches, what a world of perplexity in his dealings with unen, and in the hard dealings of men with him; and were they friends, or were they enemies, how his mind behoved to be ever on the alert, in counselling the one and in warding off the hostility of the other-look to all that is visible in the life of this apostle, and you see nothing but bustle, and enterprize, and variety. You see a man intent on the furtherance of some great object, and in the prosecution of it, as ever diligent, and as ever doing, as if the whole burthen of it lay

upon himself, or as if it were reserved for the strength of his solitary arm to accomplish it.

To this object he consecrated every moment of his time, and even when he set himself down to the work of a tent-maker for the sake of vindicating the purity of his intentions, and holding forth an example of honest independence to the poorer brethren; even here, you just see another display of the one principle which possessed his whole heart, and gave such a character of wondrous activity to all the days of his earthly pilgrimage. There are some, who are so far misled by a kind of perverse theology which they have adopted, as to hesitate about the lawfulness of being diligent and doing in the use of means. While they are slumbering over their speculations and proving how honestly they put faith in it by doing nothing, let us be guided by the example of the pains-taking and industrious Paul, and remember, that never since the days of this apostle, who calls upon us to be the followers of him, even as he was of Christ-never were the labours of human exertion more faithfully rendered-never were the workings of a human instrument put forth with greater energy.

But it forms a still more striking part of the example of Paul, that while he did as much toward the extension of the Christian. faith, as if the whole success of the cause depended upon his doing; he prayed as much, and as fervently, for this object, as if all his doings were of no consequence. A fine testimony to the supremacy of God, from the man, who, in labours was more abundant than any who ever came after him, that he counted all as nothing, unless God would interfere to put his blessing upon all, and to give his efficiency to all! He who looked so busy, and whose hand was so constantly engaged in the work that was before him, looked for all his success to that help which cometh from the sanctuary of God-there was his eye directed—thence alone did he expect a blessing upon his endeavours. He wrought, and that with diligence too, because God bade him; but he also prayed, and that with equal diligence, because God had revealed to him, that plant as he may, and water as he may, God alone giveth the increase. He did homage to the will of God, by the labours of the ever-working minister, and he did homage to the power of God, by the devotions of the ever-praying minister. He did not say, what signifies my working, for God alone can work with effect? This is very true, but God chooses to work by instruments-and Paul, by the question "Lord what wilt thou have me to do?" expressed his readiness to be an instrument in his hand. Neither did he say, what signifies my praying, for I have got a work here to do, and it is enough that I be diligent in the performance of it. No; for the power of God must be acknowledged, and a sense of his power must mingle with all our performances; and therefore it is that the apostle kept

both working and praying, and with him they formed two distinct emanations of the same principle; and while there are many who make their Christian graces to neutralize each other, the judicious and clear sighted Paul, who had received the spirit of a sound mind, could give his unembarrassed vigour to both these exercises, and combine in his own example, the utmost diligence in doing, with the utmost dependence on him who can alone give to that doing all its fruit, and all its efficacy. The union of these two graces has at times been finely exemplified in the later and uninspired ages of the Christian Church; and the case of the Missionary Elliot, is the first and the most impressive that occurs to us. His labours, like those of the great apostle, were directed to the extension of the vineyard of Christ, and he was among the very first who put forth his hand to the breaking up of the American wilderness. For this purpose did he set himself down to the acquirement of a harsh and barbarous language; and he became qualified to confer with savages; and he grappled for years with their untractable humours; and he collected these wanderers into villages; and while other reformers have ennobled their names by the formation of a new set of public laws, did he take upon him the far more arduous task of creating for his untamed Indians a new set of domestic habits; and such was the power of his influence, that he carried his Christianizing system into the very bosom of their families; and he spread art, and learning, and civilization amongst them; and to his visible labours among his people, he added the labour of the closet; and he translated the whole Bible into their tongue; and he set up a regular provision for the education of their children; and, lest the spectator who saw his fourteen towns risen as by enchantment in the desert, and peopled by the kudest of its tribes, should ask in vain for the mighty power by which such wondrous things had been brought to pass; this venerable priest left his testimony behind him; and neither overlooking the agency of God, nor the agency of man as the instrument of God, he tells us in one memorable sentence, written by himself at the end of his Indian grammar, that "prayers and pains through faith in Jesus Christ can do any thing."

ON PRAYER.

PRAYER, because the most easy of duties, seems, with many,. the hardest to be performed. It costs them so little pains, they think they may as well let it alone; whereas it is the supreme, the great mother-duty. All other duties and virtues are its progeny-are brought forth, nursed, nourished, and sustained by it. Devotion is the sole asylum of human frailty, and sole support of

heavenly perfection; it is the golden chain of union between heaven and earth; and it keeps open the blessed communication. He that never has prayed, can never conceive; and he that has prayed as he ought, can never forget how much is to be gained by prayer!

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

SURVEY OF MISSIONARY STATIONS.

SOUTH AFRICA.
(Continued from page 77.)

UNITED BRETHREN.*

Gnadenthal.--The principal Settlement of the Brethren, 130 miles east of Cape Town.-1736, renewed 1792.-Clemens, Hallbeck, Leitner, Lemmertz, Marsveld, and Thomsen, Missionaries. All the Brethren were living in mutual confidence and love. Their Family-Worship was peculiarly blessed by the presence of their Unseen Lord. The venerable head of the Mission, Father Marsveld, was declining in bodily vigour, but was gathering strength in the Lord. Many Hottentots come, and inquire with eagerness what they must do to be saved. The Children are, in general, diligent. The Settlement is prospering in externals. The trades in which the Hottentots are employed are carried on with success. Improvements are making, since Mr. Latrobe's visit, in several parts of the Settlement; "where," says Mr. Hallbeck, "Grace and Nature conspire to declare the glory of God."

Groenekloof.-Between 30 and 40 miles north from Table Bay.--1808. Bonatz, Fritsch, and Stein, Missionaries.--The Missionaries of the Church Missionary Society, proceeding to Ceylon and Madras on board the Vittoria, visited this Settlement, in April last. They were most hospitably received, and were delighted and edified by what they witnessed. There were then about 300 Hottentots: 69, of whom were communicants: 92 had been baptised, and there were 23 candidates for baptism. One of these Missionaries writes-"When one of the Hottentot women was told that there were six of us going to India to instruct the Heathen, she said, "Now I am sure that God loves all mankind, because He is sending persons to teach them." The Brethren report, that, in the first half of last year, 21 Hottentots had obtained leave to live at the Settlement, 12 had been baptised, and 9 admitted to the Lord's Supper. Mr. Hallbeck writes-" Though the increase is slower than at Gnadenthal, yet the Lord blesses His work; and the labour of our Brethren is not in vain, thro

⚫ See page 13 of this volume.

and

and Mrs.

VOL. VI.

His power and mercy." Mr. Hallbeck had rested at Groenek loof, in his way to Gnadenthal. The new Church was consecrated on the 8th of February. The Governor was much pleased with it, when his Excellency visited the Settlement; and expressed his intention of having some Churches built on the same plan. The Hottentots have, of late, improved much in industry. Several of the new people have built decent huts, and made good gardens. The work of grace advances in the baptised Adults.

Witte Revier.-In the district of Uitenhagen, in the eastern part of the Colony, upwards of 500 miles from Cape Town, on the Witte Revier, (White River) a brook which runs from the east into the Zondags Revier, (Sunday River) which runs parallel to the Great Fish River.-1818.-Hofman, Hornig, Schmitt, and Schultz, Missionaries.-This is the New Settlement of the Brethren, formed on land given by the Government for the purpose. The situation was fixed on by Mr. Latrobe and his companions,, after a diligent investigation of the merits of different places. With a view to this investigation, Mr. Latrobe left Gnadenthal, on the 5th of March, 1816, accompanied by Mr. Melville, Government Surveyor; the Brethren Schmitt and Stein, and Sister Schmitt; with 6 Christian Hottentots. They reached the Witte Revier, on the 10th of April-proceeded forward, a few days' further journey, to the Great Fish River, which divides the Colony from Caffraria and arrived again at Gnadenthal on the 11th of May. The Missionaries arrived at the Witte Revier, to begin their establishment, on the 7th of April, 1818. Mr. Schmitt is married: the other Brethren are single. A farm was purchased of Mr. Scheper, to be added to the Glen granted by government. This farm furnishes a good supply of water. It was, some time back, an English Military Post. The Missionaries report that elephants abound around them. Herds of as many as 50 have come within five minutes' walk of the Settlement, and drink out of the same pond with themselves. They are timid, and will avoid man. Lions have also shown their faces. Wolves, tigers, and wild dogs are numerous; as are antelopes, and other inoffensive animals. A house built by the English officers when here, is fitted up for a temporary Church. In the beginning of June, 27 Hottentots had come to settle on the land.

WESLEYAN MISSIONS.

With respect to Cape Town, the Committee state-" Permission to exercise their ministry in Cape Town and its neighbourhood not having yet been obtained from the Governor, no Missionaries have been appointed: but it is still kept upon our list, because we have a small society there; and the Committee hope that the time may arrive, when the present obstructions which lie in the way may be removed."

Khamies Berg-Among the Little Namaquas, between the