of the instituted means of its redemption. Even in this favored country, notwithstanding all the efforts that have been made to rear up and send forth laborers, there is still a deficiency of several thousands. Within the limits of Maine, much land is to be redeemed from utter desolation, and brought under faithful, continued culture. Let us prepare in due season to meet that case, respond to that demand. Let the pastors of churches bring before the people (what we fear many of them have not done during the year past) the claims of this Society, and commend it with becoming earnestness to their prayers and charities. Let every member throughout the State, make an annual contribution of but two shillings to this object, probably the whole amount will be raised, that the beneficiaries of this Branch will need. And cannot this amount be collected? Even now there is money enough in the posses committees may err; certificates may sometimes be given to those from whom it were better to withhold them; individuals may pass through a nine years' course of instruction, and be regularly introduced into the Christian ministry, who ought to serve God and their generation in some other calling. Upon such persons the money contributed to this Society may be injudiciously bestowed. There may be other instances of young men, receiving assistance, whose manners are not perfectly agreeable; or who sometimes speak and act indifferently; and more rarely an instance may occur of an individual, for a season assisted, who is afterwards detected in conducting immorally, or who embraces some pernicious heresy. And does it follow that the Society is unworthy of public patronage? Shall we embark in no benevolent enterprise, that does not perfectly attain its object? Shall we help no missionary society, that employs in any instance a mission of our churches, beyond what they sionary, unskilful, or from any cause, inefficient? Shall we refuse to to give to the poor, until assured, that every donation will be conferred upon some worthy recipient, and will be productive of substantial benefit? Shall we connect ourselves with no Christian church that contains within its sacred enclosure a member whose piety is doubtful?-Every thing human is imperfect. Nothing good is projected, or done, without some mixture of evil. Shall we do nothing, through fear that possibly we may do evil? Whoever examines with fairness the history of the American Education Society (of which this is a Branch) will be convinced by the most abundant evidence, that immense good has been effected by it. Many hundreds of most valuable pastors at home, and missionaries among the heathen, but for the help afforded them by the Education Society, would have been, comparatively speaking, lost to the church and the world. It indicates a very narrow, partial view of the subject, when from a few instances of failure, it is inferred, that the enterprise is unsuccessful, and ought to be abandoned. If the gospel is a treasure of inestimable value, if the Christian ministry is a blessing to the world, if revivals of religion furnish reason for rejoicing and praise, if the soul is precious, if the advancement and diffusion of Christianity are desirable, then has this Society been preeminently useful. Under God it has provided the ministry and the gospel for multitudes, who would otherwise have suffered a famine of the Word of the Lord. It has furnished the men, by whose instrumentality many souls have been saved, many revivals effected, the interests of religion essentially promoted in our own land, and its heavenly light and saving influence extended to nations, sitting in darkness and in the region and shadow of death. At this very moment the world is sinking into ruin for want of a more abundant supply need for the supply of their necessary wants. How shall they make a profitable investment of it. Many who value themselves upon their wisdom in the affairs of this world, and who in view of the expenditures of the church in enterprises of benevolence are ready to inquire-to what purpose is this waste? have found by bitter experience, that their plans of accumulation, have proved much more wasteful than the church's plans of beneficence. Money given to honor the Saviour and advance his cause, is not wasted. Judas Iscariot may think differently. But according to the principles of the gospel, the principles that will judge us at the last day, no investments are more profitable, than those which have for their object the spread of the gospel and the salvation of souls. When we come to our fellow-men with our solicitations for their aid, in promoting the cause of Christ, we do not desire a mere gift, but fruit which will abound to their account who give, and to them who receive, so that those who sow, and those who reap, may rejoice together. Let us not forget "the true philosophy of blessedness," as taught us by that memorable saying of the Lord Jesus Christ, which the apostle Paul has preserved. Paul could say to the Thessalonians with respect to brotherly love, "As touching this subject ye need not that I write unto you, for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another." And is not the same thing true of all other Christians, in respect to the duty of charity, take it in its largest sense? Are not the Christians of Maine taught of God to love their fellow men,-and not to love them in tongue or in word only, but in deed and in truth? But we beseech you, brethren, that both in the inward principle, and in all the appropriate outward expressions of it, ye increase more and more. So shall our bountiful God supply all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. So shall he bless you in some humble | Page, Esq., Vice Presidents; Rev. H. F. measure, as he is blessed, in making you blessings to others. The officers of the Branch for the ensuing year are, Hon. Robert P. Dunlap, President; David Dunlap and William Richardson, Esqs., Vice Presidents; Rev. Benj. Tappan, D. D., Secretary; Prof. William Smyth, Treasurer; Rev. David Thurston, Rev. John W. Ellingwood, Rev. George E. Adams, Rev. Asa Cummings, Rev. David Mitchell and Rev. D. S. Shepley, Directors. NEW HAMPSHIRE BRANCH. Leavitt, Secretary; George H. Fish, Esq., STRAFFORD COUNTY, N. H., EDUCA TION SOCIETY. THE Eighth Anniversary of this Society was held at Sandwich, May 22, 1839. In the absence of the President, Rev. Abraham Bodwell, a Vice President, took the chair. Prayer was offered by the Rev. Mr. Young. AUGUST 28th, at 9 o'clock, the New Hampshire Branch of the American Education Society held its annual meeting at Mr. E. J. Lane, Treasurer, presented Lyme, when the Rev. Dr. Lord presided. his report, acknowledging the receipt of Prayer was offered by Prof. Rood of Gilman- $191 02. The report was accepted. It ton Theological Seminary. Prof. Hadduck was also mentioned by the Secretary, that of Dartmouth College, read the Report, the Rev. Mr. Hall, who acted as an agent which was as is usual, able. The meeting in the County, during the months of January was then addressed by the Rev. Mr. Flem- and February, on leaving, stated that more ing of Haverhill, Prof. Crosby of Dartmouth than $500 had been paid, or promised for College, and the Rev. Mr. Badger of New the object. Most of this sum was paid to York, Secretary of the American Home Mis- Mr. Hall. sionary Society. The officers for the ensuing year were then elected. They are the Rev. Nathan Lord, D. D., President; Prof. Ebenezer Adams and Rev. John H. Church, D. D., Vice Presidents; Rev. Charles B. Hadduck, Secretary; Hon. Samuel Morril, Treasurer; Mills Olcott, Esq., Dr. Samuel Alden, Rev. Henry Wood, Rev. John Woods, Rev. Z. S. Barstow, Rev. N. Bouton, and Rev. Phinehas Cooke, Directors. NORTHWESTERN BRANCH. THE Annual Meeting of this Branch was held on Wednesday evening, Aug. 28, 1839, at Montpelier. The Hon. Samuel Prentiss, LL. D., presided on the occasion. Besides other services, the meeting was addressed by the Rev. Rodney G. Dennis, Agent of the American Education Society, the Rev. A. C. Washburn of Suffield, Ct., the Rev. H. F. Leavitt of Vergennes, and the Rev. J. Anderson of Manchester. The report of the Secretary was then read. On motion of the Rev. Mr. Perkins, voted that the report be accepted. The following resolution moved by the Rev. John K. Young, and seconded by the Rev. Joseph Lane, was passed, viz: Resolved, That in view of the want of men to preach the gospel throughout the earth, it should be the constant inquiry of Christians how the number of young men prepared to preach the gospel may be increased. The meeting was addressed by the Rev. Messrs. Perkins, Stone, Secretary of New Hampshire Missionary Society, Young and Lane. A collection was also taken. The officers for the year were elected as follows. Hon. William Badger, President; Hon. Andrew Pierce, Rev. Abraham Bodwell, Hon. Daniel Hoit, Paul Wentworth, Esq., Hon. Samuel Quarles, Rev. Enos George, Stephen Moody, Esq., Vice Presidents; Rev. Alvan Tobey, Secretary; Mr. Edmund J. Lane, Treasurer; William Woodman, The officers of the Society for the ensuing year are, Hon. Sam'l Prentiss, LL.D., President; Hon. Jacob Collamer, William Esq., Auditor; Rev. A. Bodwell, Rev. J. W. Perkins, Samuel Emerson, Esq., Rev. J. | more laborers to be sent forth into the Lord's vineyard? They saw that more laborers to the best means for supplying the defiwere urgently needed; they deliberated as ciency, and casting themselves upon Divine The next meeting is to be held at Roch- Providence for direction, they determined ester, May, 1840. OLD COLONY AUXILIARY. to do something towards providing faithful preachers for the destitute parts of our own land, and the perishing millions of heathen countries.-Hence arose the American Education Society. And the question now fairly comes up, Ought this Society to be susTHIS Society held its annual meeting at tained? Ought it to be consecrated by the Mattapoisett, July 31, 1839. The President prayers, and receive the continued contriand Vice President being absent, Capt. Le butions of the Christian community, or ought it to be abandoned ?-Our reply is Baron was appointed Chairman. Owing to First. Let the Education Society be susthe absence of the Secretary, Rev. Sylvester tained, because it forms a convenient meHolmes, there was no Report. The follow-dium of communication between the Chrising officers were chosen for the ensuing educated. Previous to the organization of tian community and the young men to be year-Andrew Mackie, M. D., New Bed- this Society, what was done towards aiding ford, President; Rev. Charles S. Adams, pious, indigent youth in their preparation Dartmouth, Secretary; Col. Alexander Sea- for the ministry? The plain answer is,— Next to nothing. Why? Not surely bebury, New Bedford, Treasurer. The other cause people were unable or unwilling to officers are the same as last year. The following resolutions were passed :Resolved, That in view of the increasing demand for well qualified ministers of the gospel, we see great inducement to continue our efforts in preparing pious young men for the sacred work. Resolved, That the American Education Society deserves the liberal patronage of all our churches. Addresses were made on presenting these resolutions, by Rev. Dr. Robbins, Rev. James A. Roberts, Rev. William Gould, Rev. Samuel Nott, and the Secretary. NORFOLK COUNTY AUXILIARY. Extracts from the Rev. Calvin Durfee's Sermon at the last Annual Meeting of the Norfolk County Education Society. afford such assistance, but because there was no established medium of communication between themselves and the suitable persons to be educated. It is true, that wealthy individuals did in some instances assist pious young men; still no indigent youth, however ardently he might pant for the work of the ministry, knew where to apply for aid. And if the present organization should be abandoned, it would be just so again. Nothing to any good purpose would be accomplished. Second. Let the Education Society be sustained, although occasionally one, who was charitably educated for the ministry, has proved unsuitable and defective in his character. Considering the imperfection of man, and that uncertainty which attends all human affairs, this number has been exceedingly small. **** Let it be settled once for all, that the young men whom we propose preparation for the ministry, are, like all to educate, and those who superintend their other professed Christians, encompassed with infirmities, and constantly exposed to temptation and sin. Shall we, therefore, I MUST hasten to suggest a few considera- fold our hands and sit down, and do nothing tions for continued and increased exertion in till a race of perfect men appear? If so, qualifying pious, indigent young men for the we must expect at last to hear from our gospel ministry. It is now about twenty-offended Judge the awful words,—“ Ye four years since the American Education wicked and slothful servants." Society was organized. It has already Third. Let the Education Society be afforded assistance to so many individuals that we can now hardly turn our eyes to a missionary station, or a ministerial association, where one or more of its beneficiaries may not be found actively and usefully employed. Without pausing here to pay any tribute to human wisdom for what has been accomplished, suffer me to ask,Did not the projectors of this Society judge rightly as to the plain duty of qualifying sustained, because it qualifies for the ministry that class of persons who are mostly needed for the sacred office in this country. Taken as our beneficiaries in most instances *"If we give to good objects from right motives, can we not trust our money in the hands of the Lord"-is the striking and sensible reply which made to the above named objection to the Education the late Lieut. Gov. Phillips is reported to have Society. are, from those classes of society where they | it expends in supporting charity students, have been early trained to habits of industry and self-denial, they are the very men to endure the hardships, encounter the discouragements and perform the pastoral labors of our new settlements. were the effect confined to the walls of college-were every beneficiary to die the moment he leaves us." Concerning the charity students in Middlebury College, Dr. Bates, the President, writes:-"As to the beneficiaries I can in most cases give you assurance that they are maintaining a consistent Christian character, and making good attainments. Many of them are among our most enterprising young men, distinguished as Christians and as scholars." If the time would permit, it would be easy to make many similar quotations, alike honorable to the piety and literary attainments of the beneficiaries. Fourth. Let the Education Society be sustained, because of the moral and religious influence which its beneficiaries exert in our literary institutions. How many youth, who gave early promise of great usefulness, have been ruined in their academic course by idle and vicious associates! What considerate parent does not tremble for his beloved son when he is connected with an academy or college where there is but little principle and but little piety! Every young man of decided piety and talents, who enters a public seminary is an important acquisition. And when the number of such is large, their influence will serve most pow-churches have it in their power to give a erfully to check the waywardness and extravagance of their companions. What wealthy parent, therefore, who has a highminded and volatile son to educate, could not well afford to contribute to the Education Society every year all that is annually afforded to a single beneficiary, if by so doing he could secure for that son a discreet and pious room-mate? Our colleges are sources of moral and intellectual influence to our land, and in some degree to the world. Now by liberally sustaining the Education Society the decidedly religious tone and character to these literary institutions, and make them, to a great extent, schools of the prophets. Fifth. Let the Education Society be sustained, because the young men who have already been taken under its patronage, and encouraged to set their faces towards the ministry, cannot complete their prescribed course of study without the continued aid of the churches. Sixth. Let the Education Society be sustained, because more ministers are urgently needed. That there is at this moment a distressing deficiency in the number of wellqualified religious teachers is an unquestionable fact. Without taking into view the wants for foreign missionary service, it is probably safe to affirm that if we had five hundred able, devoted and faithful ministers added to our present number, they might all be usefully employed. This will probably be doubted by some, because there are here and there candidates for the pastoral office unemployed. Meeting as we not unfrequently do with ministers who are seeking for a settlement, I doubt not the question has sometimes arisen in many reflecting minds,-" Has there not been some grand mistake in our calculations respecting the want of ministers in our country? Can it be that more ministers are urgently needed, while some are out of emIn-ployment?" Now the inference drawn from this source is unquestionably erroneous. Even before the Education Society existed, fathers in the ministry tell us there were some ministers unemployed. It is so still. And if the wants of our country were greater than they are, may it not be safely said, that a portion of these candidates now unemployed, would not be able to obtain a settlement. It probably is not desirable that they should. If they were now put into the pastoral office or some other evangelical service, they probably would not long continue there usefully and acceptably. If they are pious and educated, still they do But this is not all. There is a consideration connected with this subject which infinitely outweighs every other. These pious young men whom we educate may by their example, conversation and prayers be the means of the conversion of their fellow-students. How many of the revivals of religion, which have been enjoyed in our colleges within the last fifteen or twenty years, have, under God, been ascribed to the instrumentality of the charity scholars in those institutions! Said a President of one of our colleges," It is a great mistake to suppose that the time which beneficiaries spend in college is lost to the church. Look at the moral condition of our colleges, especially at the frequent revivals of religion which are now enjoyed in them. This we did not see before the American Education Society collected and sustained in them the pious indigent youth of our country. These frequent revivals are, in a great degree, to be ascribed to the blessing of God on the happy influence of these young men. stead of being lost, I regard the time which they spend in college, as important to the interest of the church, to say the least, as any equal portion of their subsequent lives." A Professor in another college under date of 1837 writes:-" We are again blessed with a revival of religion. The influence of the charity students in producing this state of things, under the divine blessing, has been great. Indeed, what could we do without them? No one can speak on this subject but an officer of college. Every year increases our conviction that the church would be amply paid-doubly paid, for all 27 VOL. XII. not appear to be qualified by nature to be useful in the ministry." It is then mourn fully true, that of a certain kind of ministers we have more than are wanted. And with regard to another portion of these unemployed candidates, and perhaps the largest portion, they are unwilling to go where they are urgently needed. New England is the place of their nativity. "Here their best friends, their kindred dwell," In the State of Illinois there are also about forty destitute churches, and half as many more places of great promise, where the institutions of the gospel ought to be planted with the least possible delay. In the State of Missouri there are fifty counties, already somewhat extensively inhabited, where there is no Presbyterian or Congregational minister stationed. There is a range of territory in the southwestern section of this State, two hundred miles long, by a hundred and fifty broad-more than three times as large as the whole State of Massachusetts-and already containing a population of forty thousand souls, where there is but one Presbyterian and one Congregational minister. and here they wish to spend their days. Now if some are deficient in some ministerial qualification, and if others are unwilling to go where they are urgently called, does either of these circumstances furnish evidence that able, self-denying and devoted ministers in greater numbers are not urgently The extensive and fertile territory of needed? Certainly not. We are, then, very Wisconsin-extending from lake Michigan free to say, it is not men merely that we to the Mississippi river-is fast becoming want, but men of the right stamp. Gideon's inhabited, and chiefly too by the sons and host was mightier after its reduction than daughters of New England and New York. before. Should our Education Societies The population of this Territory-although bring into the ministry once in seven years the oldest white inhabitants there can only twenty such men as Brainerd and Martyn, date back their settlement to 1836—already they would do more towards the conversion numbers, probably, over thirty thousand, of the world, than they would if they and is rapidly increasing. And yet there brought forward as many hundreds of a dif- are in this territory, but eight or nine minisferent spirit. While then a more numerous ters of any description. "Three of these ministry is urgently needed, infinitely more have something of a pastoral charge, and do we need a ministry fuil of the Holy preach chiefly in one place. The others, Ghost; "knowing Christ, teaching Christ, some of them, at least, have more than a following Christ;" ready to endure all large county to range and labor in, preachthings for Christ and his kingdom. Weing how and where they can. want a more self-denying ministry,-a min-churches have been organized within the istry that can say when called to go to the ends of the earth, "none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself." That many such ministers are at this moment urgently needed, we have proof at hand. In the State of Michigan we are assured, from good authority, that there are about fifty Presbyterian churches destitute of a pastor-a majority of which are able and willing to support the ministry without foreign aid. Some of these churches are said to be among the first in importance in the State; and would give salaries to such men as they should invite to settle among them, varying from five hundred to a thousand dollars. Besides these destitute churches, it is further stated, that there are many posts of great importance which ought to be occupied immediately. In the State of Indiana there are forty organized churches with none to break to them the bread of life; and twenty entire counties, already containing a considerable number of inhababitants, where there is no preaching of the Presbyterian or Congregational order. * Baxter in his Reformed Pastor, when describing the requisite qualifications for the ministry, mentions first: not piety-but "a good natural capacity." In a letter from Rev. Mr. Badger of New York, Secretary A. H. M. S. to the Author. Several last year. There is at present, of our order It is But alas, the labors of Christ's servants here are so detached-so long between-and the number of laborers so small, what can we do to meet the moral condition, and increasing demand for the bread of life, over such vast regions ? Truly the harvest is great! A most urgent request was recently re * In a letter recently received at Andover it is stated that forty ministers could find employment at once in this State; and some of these destitute churches would be able and willing to furnish a minister with a competent support, without aid from the Missionary Society. |