prospect of temporal reward. The Church PENNSYLVANIA. was dead, their hopes seemed to be crush- FROM A MISSIONARY IN SCHUYLKILL ed, and the impression was, no good could be effected here; but before the year expired, God was pleased to manifest his great mercy; a few mercy-drops from him, revived his people and added a few more to their number. Encouraged by these tokens for good, they were induced to ask aid from the Board to sustain the Gospel among them; and now, by the aid of the Board, with God's blessing, this little church has nearly quadrupled its number. We have now a weekly prayermeeting, held in different neighbourhoods; we have a most interesting Sabbath school, with a small Sabbath school library, the books of which are read with great interest, and we hope with profit. The Lord has indeed been with us, and done great things for us, and to him we would give all the praise. FROM A MISSIONARY IN ADAMS COUNTY. I preach two or three times a week, attend four Bible classes each week, and visit as many families as I can. I still feel greatly encouraged on all hands to labour in this field, notwithstanding my labours are very arduous, and I have many difficulties to contend with, and have to submit to much self-denial, which is, perhaps, all for my good. We have had no special outpouring of the Spirit, as in many other places, but the Lord of the harvest has given us many tokens of his favour. There is a general and increasing attention to the preaching of the word, prayer-meetings are kept up with interest; many are seriously inquiring the way of life, and some are rejoicing in the hope of the gospel. Many are calling for more preaching, but we are unable to meet these calls. It is our earnest desire and prayer, that more labourers, and faithful ones, may be sent among us. ** COUNTY. Encouraging Success. In sending you my report, I have cause for gratitude and praise to God, that he has been pleased to bless my labours so abundantly during the past year. I have learned, from sweet experience, that it is not a vain thing to serve the Lord. His word spoken has been as seed sown in a fruitful soil, which has sprung up, and brought forth fruit to the glory of God. It has been as bread cast upon the waters, which in due time has been gathered again, accompanied by God's Spirit. His word has been quick and powerful to the conviction and hopeful conversion of many souls, who have made a public profession of religion. Many who, one year since, were without God and without hope in the world-aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, we trust, have been brought nigh by the blood of Christ, and are therefore no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God adopted into his family, his sons and his daughters. The attendance on the services of the sanctuary, has been doubled during the past year-fifty-two have been added to the church on the profession of their faith. Very many who formerly spent the Lord's day in vice and dissipation, are now seen regularly in the sanctuary, listening with interest to God's truth. Our two Sabbath schools number about two hundred and forty scholars. The inincreased by circulating among the schoterest in these schools has been greatly lars the Youth's Penny Gazette, published by the A. S. S. U. Several, both of the teachers and scholars, have connected themselves with the church during the past year. Our prayer meetings are well and regularly attended-these have been much blessed to our people. The monthly con. cert for prayer is regularly observed, and a collection taken up to aid in extending the Redeemer's kingdom. In the providence of God, I am called to leave this important Missionary field, and I now beg leave to commend it to the special care and attention of the Board. It will need, and greatly need, your assistance. It is true, the number of church members have been more than doubled during the past year, but the number of able church supporters has not increased in the same proportion. Most of the members are poor, and the number able to do much for the support of the gospel is very small; and there are many, very many urgent reasons, why the regular preaching of the gospel should be maintained at this place. MISSOURI. FROM A MISSIONARY IN PLATTE COUNTY. fulfilling missionary appointments. I have organized two churches, one in Clinton county, some fifty miles north-east of my residence. The number of members was "about sixteen. I preached for them sev"eral days; they were attentive, and exceedingly anxious for the regular preaching of the word. The other church organized was in Andrew county, about the same distance north of this place. During the eighteen months which I have spent in the service of the Board, I have organized four Churches, all of them as yet small, and feeble, and needing very much the regular ministrations of some efficient minister. Could you not send us another labourer? We have two destitute Churches in Andrew county, and New Churches organized.-Want of one in Clinton county; these three might Labourers. During the greater part of the last quarter, I have been very actively engaged in MISSION ROOMS, be attended to by one active minister, as two are within ten miles of each other, and the other about twenty miles distant. PHILADELPHIA. BOARD OF MISSIONS-TO THE PASTORS AND ELDERS OF THE CHURCHES. DEAR BRETHREN : The time approaches for the meeting of the next General Assembly, when your Board of Missions must close their accounts and report their operations for the year. The meeting of the General Assembly, the present year, will be held at a distance from the seat of our operations, which will make it necessary to close our accounts somewhat earlier than usual; and the great interests of the cause, not less than the comfort of our missionaries, make it exceed. ingly desirable, and important, that the Board be able to settle up all arrears before closing. stances have concurred to increase these demands during the present year. And it is but reasonable to expect, these demands will continue to increase, with the rapid in. crease of our population, and the continued spread of that population to take possession of new lands. To meet these increased demands, the operations of the Board have necessarily been considerably extended. The number of missionaries in the field, and the extent of ground occupied, are in advance of any former year, and the labours of our mission. aries have been attended with the most encouraging success. There have not been, probably, as many instances of special revi. The Missionary Chronicle is sent to ev- vals in our mission churches the present ery pastor in our Church. From this year, as we were permitted to report the monthly messenger, the churches will have last year, and the same is lamentably true learned something of the operations of their of our churches generally. There are at Board. And from the regular monthly re. the present moment, comparatively few reports of our Treasurers, they have been in-vivals in our churches. It is, however, our formed of the amount of contributions to privilege to state, that the year has not passthis cause, and what churches have coned without interesting revivals of religion, tributed. As has been repeatedly stated, the demands made upon the Board for missionary aid, have been very great: many circum. in a number of our mission churches and in general, through our wide missionary field, without any very special excitement, we have abundant evidence, that the cause It of true religion has silently, but steadily, hope this of all our churches, and in behalf and surely advanced. And our decided of suffering thousands in our own beloved conviction is the results at the close of land, we do most earnestly ask of every the year will show that in no single year church, with as little delay as possible .to of our existence as a church in this coun- take up a collection for this object. Let no try, has a greater amount of permanent church urge as a reason for doing nothing, good been accomplished by our missionary that they can do but little. Do what you operations, than during the year which is can, dear brethren, and it will be accepted now approaching its close. of God, and made productive of good. But while the cause has thus steadily is only by the united interest, and action of advanced, and your Board have been cheer-all, that we can reasonably hope to carry ed and encouraged in their work by the forward this great work, with that energy, manifest tokens of God's favour, they have which the exigencies of our country debeen tried and embarrassed in their opera- mand, and which will be worthy of the tions by a failure in the churches to furnish high character, and the acknowledged seasonably the funds, necessary for carrying strength of the Presbyterian Church. them forward with vigour. From the It has been usual with a number of monthly reports of their Treasurer, it has churches, to delay their collections for this been made manifest to the churches, that object, until near the time for the meeting the amount of funds received, although of the General Assembly, and send the somewhat larger than was received during amount by the delegates to that body. The the same period the last year, has been al- meeting of the Assembly the present year in together insufficient, to enable the Board to a distant city, will necessarily deprive them meet punctually their large engagements of this opportunity for forwarding funds to and to prosecute their work, as demanded the Treasury here. It is, therefore, respectby the constantly increasing wants of the fully suggested to such churches, that their country. In making these engagements, collections for this object be made at an earthe Board have acted in obedience to the lier day, and forwarded to the Treasurer positive commands of the Church, urged on of the Board, in season to be entered into our them by the pressing wants of perishing annual report to the General Assembly. Our thousands. The Presbyteries have urged financial year will close about the first of their claims with an importunity, which we May. And we would ask of the churches, have not been at liberty to resist; and no in which collections for this object are yet appointment has been made, but under the to be made, that these collections be taken full conviction, that the churches demand-up as early as practicable, in the months of ed it of their Board, and would sustain March or April. them in it. In obedience to the Church's order, and in firm reliance on the Church's pledged faith, heavy responsibilities have been incurred, and under God, the Board must look to the friends of this cause in the Presbyterian Church, for the means necessary to meet these responsibilities. They have no other resources. And in a cause of such vital importance to our country and to the world, they will not, they dare not distrust the pastors, and elders, and members of the Presbyterian Church. The Board have no agents employed, except in the West, and must depend on the pastors and elders of the churches to do this work, and to them it appropriately belongs. If each pastor will promptly do his part, by presenting the object, and explain. ing to his people its importance, and their duty, and privilege too, to give their aid; and if our good elders and deacons will take an interest in this matter, and urge onward the good work, the result will show, that with the people there is a ready and As yet, only a portion of our churches willing mind. Beloved brethren, pastors, have contributed to this cause; more than and elders of the churches, "This work behalf the churches have their collections for longeth unto you. The people also will be Domestic Missions yet to make. A num. with you, be of good courage and do it." ber of these churches, we know, have their || In behalf of the Board of Missions, time fixed, and will not fail to do their duty before the year closes. We would fondly' ASHBEL GREEN, President. WM. A. McDoWELL, Cor. Sec'y. RECEIPTS IN THE TREASURY AT IN FEBRUARY, 1844. PHILADELPHIA, SYNOD OF ALBANY. Phy. of Albany. Fem. Miss. Soc. of 2d ch. Albany, for the support of a miss. in Indiana, $100; also to purchase books for the sab.school of his church, $10; per Mr. Archibald McClure; J. B. Germain, Esq. Albany, 5; New Scotland ch. N. Y. collection per Rev. Reuben Sears, 26,43; Charlton ch. N. Y. 20, per Dr. Campbell; Tribes Hill ch. 13,28 per ditto; Collection in the 2d ch. Albany, N. Y. per G. Batcheldor, Esq. Trea'r, 340,50; ditto from A. McClure, Esq. of same ch. to constitute Mrs. A. McClure and Mr. A. McClure, jr. hon. mems. 100; Fem Miss. Soc. of same ch. per ditto, 50; Northampton ch. N. Y. per Rev. D. Lyon, 4 SYNOD OF NEW YORK. Pby. of New-York. Donation of Gardiner Spring, D.D. 20; "A friend," through Bank of N. Y. 5; "A friend," for Books in Wisconsin, 50 ; "Miss C. A. R." 100; "Miss A. R." 100; "Mrs. H. R." 50 669 21 325 00 29 25 SYNOD OF NEW-JERSEY. Pby. of New-Brunswick. RECEIPTS IN THE TREASURY AT PITTSBURG, IN FEBRUARY, 1844. SYNOD OF PHILADELPHIA. Pby. of Huntingdon. Mifflintown and Lost Creek Cong. per. Rev. M. Annan SYNOD OF PITTSBURGH. Pby, of Redstone. Uniontown Cong. per Rev. Mr. Campbell, 102,25; Rehoboth Cong. in part of ann. con. for 1844, 7, per Rev. Mr. Smith; Connellsville Cong. per do. 27.50; Laurel Hill Cong. per S. A. Russel, 20 Pby. of Ohio. Second Presb. ch. Pittsburgh in part of ann. 10 00 156 75 RECEIPTS IN THE TREASURY AT LOUISVILLE, KY., IN FEB., 1844. THE FOREIGN MISSIONARY CHRONICLE. 5 MAY, 184 4. MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE. NEW ZEALAND: ENGLISH EPISCOPAL MISSION. EXTRACTS FROM THE Desire of the Natives for the Word of God. α ANNUAL REPORT, of the Sacred Scriptures love the Word of God, and desire to profit by it, the following extract from a Letter written by Mr. W. G. Puckey, dated Kaitaia, June 6, 1842, will show :— THE munificent grant of 10,000 copies of the New Testament, made by the British and Foreign Bible Society, two years ago, having been exhausted, another edition has been printed, and an additional grant of 10,000 copies has been liberally made to this Society. "Christian knowledge is increasing fast; for since the shipment of Testaments from England, the Word has been more largely diffused; and although every one has not a Testament, nor perhaps one in every ten, yet it is beyond doubt that they are getting fast acquainted with divine truths; for having no other books to read but the Scripture and productions from Scripture, their pursuits in learning must be all of a sacred nature. Here I would observe, that the Natives care not for any book, unless it be derived from the Bible. When we have wished to tell "Captain Symonds and his party were them something new, and to us interesting, very anxious to ascend the mountain; but they have inquired, the Natives opposed it, on the ground of Bible?' and if not they seem to feel weariits having been made sacred by their fore-ness in listening, which has a sensible effect on the narrator. The strong desire of the Natives to possess the Testament still continues. It is found to triumph over ancient superstition in those who have not yet forsaken heathenism. Of this, an instance is given by the Rev. A. N. Brown, who was travel ling in a remote part of the island, near the high mountain Tongariro. He observes in his Journal, May 21, 1841— fathers; and because, if the tapu were violated, some evil would befall them.! 'They offered us gold,' remarked the Old Chief to me; 'had they brought some Testaments, we would have consented to their going up the mountain. Tell the strangers, when you see them again, that if they return in the summer, and bring Testaments with them, the tapu shall be removed from the mountain."" Is it from the "On the 2d of this month I was at a Native Settlement about twenty-five miles from home. The Natives had assembled around my tent door before I was up, with their books in their hands, and several marks in them, waiting to ask me to solve passages which were beyond their capacity. Others had questions to ask concerning verses which had been read to them by their companions; while others That many of those who possess copies had portions of discourses which they had VOL. XII.-9 |