The Board have lately appointed a standing committee, whose business it shall be, every three months to write a friend ly address to the Indians, calculated to conciliate their good will, and manifest the interest of the Board in their prosperity and welfare. AMERICAN INDIANS. The Rev. J. B. Finley, in a letter to the Editors of the NewYork Methodist Magazine, in speaking of the revival of religion among the Wyandotts, says, "I appointed to hold a quarterly meeting on the 13th and 14th of November with them, on the head of Mad River, forty-two miles from Upper Sandusky, and twelve from Solomon's Town, the chief habitation of this nation. Accordingly on the 13th we met at the place appointed, at which place were convened perhaps sixty Indians, among whom were four chiefs, whose names are Between-the-logs, Monnonque, Hicks and Scuteash, and their families. We had two interpreters, brother Armstrong, a white man, who was taken prisoner in the year 1780; and Jonathan Pointer, a coloured man, who was taken when small. Both of these have experienced religion since they began to interpret the gospel to the Indians, and are both very happy in the love and enjoyment of God. "We commenced our meeting by singing and prayer, in which the Indians joined. They have learned to sing several of our hymns in English, particularly this, "Jesus my all to heaven is gone," &c. After these exercises, I commenced speaking to them on the providence of God, and our duty to Him and one another, and of the necessity of all men, whether white, red, or black, breaking off from sin and seeking mercy at the hand of God.-Brother Moses Hinkle concluded with exhortation; all of which, I believe, they perfectly understood by the interpreter. We then joined in singing and prayer; it was a happy meeting to us all. Several of the chiefs subsequently addressed the meeting. "The first that rose as a witness for our holy religion, was Between-the-logs, and one of the chiefs. He lifted his eyes toward heaven, streaming with tears of gratitude to God, and after a short pause, he began as follows: My dear brethren, I am happy this morning that the Great Spirit has permitted us to assemble here for so good a purpose as to worship him, and strengthen the cords of love and friendship. This is the first meeting of this kind held for us, and now, my dear brethren, I am happy that we who have been so long time apart, and have been enemies to one another, are come together as brothers, at which our Great Father is well pleased. For my part I have been a very wicked man, and have committed many great sins against the Good Spirit, and was addicted to drinking whiskey, and many evils; but I thank my good God that I am yet alive, and that he has more perfectly opened my eyes to see those evils by his ministers, and the good book, and has given me help to forsake those sins, and turn away from them. Now I feel peace in my heart to God, and all men; but I feel just like a little child be ginning to walk-sometimes very weak and almost give up; then I pray, and my great Father hears me, and gives me the blessing; then I feel strong and happy-then I walk again; so sometimes up and sometimes down. I want you all to pray for me that I may never sin any more; but always live happy, and die happy! then I shall meet you in our great Father's house above, and be happy for ever.' This speech was attended with power." Receipts by the Treasurer of the American Bible Society, during the month of March, 1820. To constitute Ministers members for life.—Rev. M. Miner York, minister of Towanda and Wysox, Pa. from the Female Benevolent Society of those places, $30. Rev. David Thurston, pastor of the church in Winthrop, Maine, by the ladies of his church, $30. To entitle the Female Beneficent Society of Simsbury, Con. to the rights and privileges of a member for life, contributed by the Rev. Samuel Stebbens, their late pastor, $30. Donations from Societies and others, and annual subscriptions.-Female Bible Society of Courtland county, N. Y. $40. Female Auxiliary Bible Society of the town of Westchester and vicinity, $9 82, and $12 18 for Bibles, &c. Ladies' Cent Society of Northford, Con. $14. Ontario Auxiliary Bible Society, N. Y. $170. Calvert County Bible Society, Md. $100. Xenia County Bible Society, Ohio, $26 75, and $173 25 for Bibles, &c. Norfolk Bible Society, Va. $150, and $100 for Bibles, &c. Jefferson County Bible Society, Va. $57 42, and $82 58 for Bibles, &c. Lynchburg Bible Society, Va. $50. Woodbridge Female Bible Society, Con. $8, and $14 50 for Bibles, &c. Detroit Bible Society, $50. Annual subscriptions collected this month, $341, Georgia Bible Society, for Bibles, &c. $300. Montgomery co. Bible Society, Pa. for Bibles, &c. $41 25. New-Haven, co. Bible Society, Con. for Bibles, &c. $41 80. Bibles and Testaments sold this month to individuals, &c. $39 36. Total, $1,911 91. WM. W. WOOLSEY, Treasurer. The following is a resolution of the Board of Managers, lately adopted :-Resolved, That the payment of thirty dollars on behalf of any religious or charitable society, shall entitle such society to the rights and privilege of a member for life of the American Bible Society. The issues from the depository of the American Bible Society, for the month of March, have been as follows: Bibles, 2,405; Testaments, 1,906; total, 4,311-value, $2,737 14. The following additions have been made to the Biblical Library, received from the British and Foreign Bible Society: viz. a Portugese Bible, a Manks Bible, Hindoostanee New Testament, by Martyn, Portuguese New Testament, from Vulgate, Arabic Psalter, and Gospel of Matthew in Bullom and English, printed by the British and Foreign Bible Society A Polish Bible, Swedish Bible, Icelandic Bible, Bohemian Bible, printed by Bible Societies on the continent of Europe. The Turkish New Testament, printed at Paris. The following were presented by the Rev. Matthias Bruen, The Armenian Bible, 4 vols. Venice, 1805; Armenian and French Dictionary, 2 vols. Venice, 1812; Armenian and English Grammar, Venice, 1817; the Syriac New Testament, Hamburg, 1663; the book of Psalms, Arabic and Latin, Rome, 1814. J. NITCHIE, Agent A. B. S. SUMMARY. Northern Missionary Society.-A correspondent has sent us a Constitution of this Society. The preamble states, that the Pres bytery of Champlain have long been impressed with the importance of missionary labour among those who are destitute of evangelical instruction. At their February session, in Malone, the Presbytery resolved to form a missionary society, and accordingly framed a constitution, and now earnestly call on the liberal and pious to assist with their prayers and charities. The second article of the constitution states the object of the society to be, to supply with the preaching of the gospel the destitute within the bounds of the Presbytery of Champlain, and its vicinity, and to aid the funds, and facilitate the operations, of the Board of Missions acting under the authority of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States. Rev. Ashbel Parmelee, of Malone, Secretary. Mission to Ceylon.-We are informed that the mission family which sailed in the brig Indus, left Calcutta for Ceylon, on the 14th of November. Methodist Missionaries.-Two young men are now preparing for a mission to the FLORIDAS. They are to go out under the patronage of the Methodist Missionary Society. The donations to the funds of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, for the month of March, amount to $2,485 87. American Education Society.-The Treasurer acknowledges the receipt of $724 63, donations in February and March. Licensures. On the 3d of April, the Presbytery of West Tennessee licensed Mr. Joseph Allen to preach the gospel. On the 27th of April, the Presbytery of New-Brunswick, N. J. licensed five young men to preach the gospel, as probationers for the holy ministry. Mr. William Ashmead, and Mr. John W. Scott, were licensed to preach the gospel, by the Philadelphia Presbytery, during their late sessions. Ordinations. At Chillicothe, Ohio, Mr. John T. Hamilton, was ordained to the gospel ministry, on the 14th April. On Friday, March 10th, the Rev. Samuel Nichols was admitted to the holy order of Priests, in Trinity Church, New-York, by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Hobart. On Tuesday, 2d inst. the Rt. Rev. Bishop Croes, held an ordination in Christ Church, New-Brunswick, N. J. and admitted Mr. Clarkson Dann, to the holy order of deacons. Baptist Meeting House.-The new Baptist Meeting House, in Fayette-street, in this city, was opened for divine service, on Sunday the 23d of April. The Rev. Dr. Staughton, of Philadelphia, preached from Acts vii. 47, 48. But Solomon built him a house. Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands."" The American Society for Colonizing and Evangelizing the Jews will hold their Annual Meeting on Friday next at 10 o'clock, and in the evening a sermon will be preached in the North Church. The General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, will meet in Philadelphia, on Tuesday, the 16th of May. The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, will meet in Philadelphia, the 17th inst. SIR To the Editor of the Christian Herald. A short time since, I read in the Herald an account of the Missionaries sailing for Jerusalem, taken from the Boston Recorder; the following lines, written on reading the account, you are at liberty to insert. Yours, &c. Heaven's fierce wrath has touch'd the temple's spires, Its lovely wreaths are torn and rent asunder; Each morn and eve where glow'd devotion's fires Jehovah pour'd his thunder. O'er the delightsome land wild ruin reigns, Of villas, cities, towns, the wide spread grave; The scatter'd rocks still lie on Calvary's hill, And darkness shrouds the Saviour's broken tomb : But thou art glorious still, though deep decay Devoted youth, go pitch your lowly tent Near Calvary's hill, or Jordan's sacred stream; On Bethlehem's plain, or Tabor's steep ascent, Beneath the stars sweet gleam. There shall the Arab, drawn by pow'r divine, Bend his proud step, and pause beneath your shade; Ah me, I cannot go your toils to share, But freely give of well earn'd praise the meed; Yet oft to you I turn the wand'ring eye From shady nook, deep dell, or forest's maze, Or mountain's slope, my pray'r ascends on high, That heav'n may guide your ways. B. THE CHRISTIAN HERALD. VOL. VII.] Saturday, May 20, 1820. [No. II. Miscellany. From the Evangelical Magazine. MEMOIR OF THE REV. HENRY MARTYN, B. D. Late Chaplain to the Hon. East India Company, and Missionary to India and Persia. AMONG the stars which glitter in the firmament of the church,* few will be found of brighter lustre than that "man of God," whose memorial we now present to our readers. To the friends of mankind at large, who long for the conversion of the heathen, and admire the heroic zeal of able and faithful missionaries, the name of Henry Martyn will ever be dear; and it will stand prominent in the records of Christian fame, with the venerable names of Zeigenbald, and Eliot, and Mayhew, and Brainerd, and Swartz, and Vanderkemp; and will serve, we doubt not, to kindle a flame of missionary zeal in the breast of many a British youth, and many a pious scholar, who will pant to imitate the example of Henry Martyn.* HENRY MARTYN was born at Truro, in Cornwall, on the 18th of February, 1731, He was the third son of Mr. John Martyn, who raised himself from a humble and laborious situation in life to a state of comparitive ease and comfort. Henry, when between seven and eight years of age, was placed at the grammar school of the town, under the care of Dr. Cardew, when his proficiency in the classics was considerable. In the autumn of 1795, when he was about fourteen, his father sent him to Oxford, to be a candidate for the vacant scholarship in Corpus Christi College, but he proved unsuccessful. He returned to school, and continued there till the summer of 1797. He then went to reside at Cambridge, having entered at St. John's College. In the December following, he obtained a place in the first class, and at the next public examination in the summer, he reached the second. station in that class-a point of elevation which flattered his pride not a little. To the eye of the world, every part of Mr. Martyn's conduct appeared amiable and commendable; but he seems to have been all this time totally ignorant of spiritual things; but happily for * We cannot boast of originality in this brief memoir. It is chiefly an abstract from "Memoirs of the Rev. Henry Martyn, B. D." &c. written, as we understand, by the Rev. Mr. Sargent, to which we beg leave to refer our readers, many of whom we trust will be induced by this slight sketch, to resort to the original work, which will amply repay the purchase and the perusal. E VOL. VII. |