Account of Money and Clothing received by the Treasurer of Newton Theological Institution, from April 1, to July 13, 1831. Account of Moneys received by the Treasurer of the General Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the United States for Foreign Missions, from July 20, to August 20, 1831. From two friends, towards defraying the expenses of the bell at the Thomas Missionary Station The Oliver Street, N. Y. Foreign Missionary Society for the support of Moung Ing, a 5,00 100,0 The following persons for printing the Bible in Burmah. 2,00 66 Priscilla Lunt, of same, 1,00 Mr. Cagrill, Newcastle, 2,00 Reuben Milner, N. Yarmouth, 5,39 Messrs. Reed and Mr. Rice, Woolwick, William Inglesby, Esq. Charleston, South Carolina, for the Burman Mission, per Mi. P. Gerard, 25,00 Mr. Levi Pearce, Treasurer of the Old Colony Foreign and Domestic Missionary The For. Miss. Soc. in the Saratoga Association, N. Y. per Mr. Childs, Treasurer: 90,00 The Ballston Female For. Miss. Soc. for the education of Burman youth, per 19,00 The Fem. Mite Socity of Ballston Spa. to be appropriated to Mrs. Wade's School, 13,00 The Broadalbin church, N. Y. Burman Mission, per Rev. Dr. Sharp, 2,00 A Juvenile Society towards educating Indian children at the Carey Station, 124,00 6,11 Mr. Charles Tupper of Amherst, N. S. per the hand of Mr. W. Nichols, having been ,20 By By the Missionary Society in Cumberland, N. S. for the Burman Mission, 18,80 "Mr. Agreen Tinghy, Sackville, N. B. "Mr. Reuben Chase, do. ,50 "Mrs. Jane Upham, Onslow, N. S. 1,00 Rev. S. C. Dillaway Treasurer of the Washington Baptist Association, N. Y. having MEMOIR OF THE REV. BENJAMIN RUSH SKINNER, LATE MISSIONARY TO AFRICA. [Concluded from page 269.] AFTER he had finished his course of studies at Hamilton, he was married to Miss Eliza Read, of Ashford, Con. of whose conversion he had been instrumental several years before. She possessed a kindred spirit. She considered it her duty to devote her life to the missionary cause previously to any particular acquaintance with him, and before she had any knowledge of his intention to devote himself to the same cause. She enriched her mind by study, adorned her christian profession, and ever seemed desirous to be useful in the kingdom of Christ. Having prayed and conversed much with each other on the deeply interesting subject, they offered themselves to the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions. The Board were at first undetermined to what station to send them, and Mr. Skinner was ordained as an evangelist, at New Ipswich, Nov. 19, 1827. From his diary it appears that he selected this location from its contiguity to Boston, because it gave him a "good opportunity to become personally acquainted with the members of the Board." The Board, at length, January 11, 1830, resolved to send him to Africa; but as several months must elapse before he could go, requested him to spend his time in pleading for the African Mission in his native state. The important question was now settled, his destination determined, and his energies were put in requisition, to promote the object which was evidently nearest his heart. He deeply sympathized with the sable children of degraded and afflicted Africa. His eyes were suffused with tears while speaking Ост. 1831. 37 of their woes, and he made the most impassioned and touching appeals to the Baptist churches of Connecticut in their behalf. He was willing to do or to suffer any thing which duty required, if he could but be instrumental of their salvation. While hearing him, all were reminded of the strong desire of Paul for the salvation of the Hebrews. When reminded of the mortality of those who had preceded him at the Colony of Liberia, he often said, if he knew that he should live but a few months, he desired to spend those few months on the shores of Africa, publishing the gospel of the grace of God to her benighted children. The time of separation at length arrived, when he must obey the command, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto-a land that I will show thee." And, like the "father of the faithful," to whom it was originally given, he most cheerfully obeyed. The parting scenes are thus described by his own pen. "Aug. 3, 1830. At length the day of our departure has arrived. We have left the house of our friends, and intrusted ourselves to the kind care of our Heavenly Father. The scenes before us will be new, and we trust deeply interesting to our souls. In a few weeks we hope to embark for Africa. We pray that our lives may be spared for Africa's sake, and that we may become a blessing to to that people. Long have we groaned over the wrongs they have suffered, and wept over the degradation into which they have sunk, and prayed that God through us and our fellow laborers, might communicate to them the glad tidings of peace and salvation. We esteem it the greatest earthly blessing God can bestow upon us, to permit us to labor in that field. We would not part with this blessing, for all the riches and all the honors the world can bestow. But O how undeserving this privilege! May God enable us to be faithful unto death, and prepare us for the great work in which we are to engage. Cheerfully, great Parent, we resign ourselves into thy hands, happy at the prospect before us, and are only anxious that thy Spirit may be our guide, and thy blessing rest upon the friends whom we leave. We have as yet the company of our fathers, one brother, and one sister. Our mothers we have left, with the full hope that we shall meet them in glory. My feelings on parting with my sister are best expressed by the lines addressed to her on that occasion. She is but two years younger than myself, and a few days after I indulged a hope and joined the church, she espoused the same cause and united with the same church. But the scenes of childhood and of youth, which in our cases have been so intimately blended, have passed forever. May we be so happy as to spend our eternity together in the sweet employment of praising God. We are accompanied by our dear little infant Ann Eliza, whom we have dedicated to the service of God among the heathen. Should she be left an orphan in a strange land, we commend her to his keeping, and to the kind care of our dear sister Augusta, and to the affectionate remembrance of all our friends. Hartford, Aug. 4. To day we gave the parting hand to our kind fathers. May God bless them. They have freely given us to this work. But O what a responsibility rests upon us. We trust we shall have a continued interest in their prayers as long as we live; and if we get home to glory first, we hope to meet them there. It was a joyful circumstance that when I took the parting hand with my brother, I could part with him as with a Christian whom I hoped to meet ere long in Africa. God grant that this hope may be verified. Hartford, Aug. 5. Our friends manifest great kindness to us. We hope the Lord will reward their labor of love. We have little time for reflection, our course is onward, and may God direct our steps. Long Island Sound, Aug. 6, 1830, on board the Oliver Ellsworth. Finally we have parted with our sister. She was next older than my wife, and had lived with us nearly two years. As this was the last parting, so I think it was the most sensibly felt. We have now left all our friends except that one who sticketh closer than a brother, and who we trust will never leave us nor forsake us. But is this parting? It affords no sting. The great object before us, has deprived parting of all its pains. Yes, the greatness of the work before us! Who is sufficient for this? Thank God, Christ is ; and our sufficiency is of him." The deceased and his companion spent three or four days preceding their departure from their native state, at the house of the writer of this memoir, and he was present when they gave the parting hand to their beloved fathers. The spirit of the gospel seemed not only to sustain, but to cheer the hearts of both parents and children at this affecting season. Mr. Skinner passed the two following months at the South, visiting the churches, preaching the gospel, promoting the object of his mission, and preparing for his intended voyage. He speaks in terms of lively gratitude of the respectful, kind, and hospitable manner in which he and his family were everywhere received by our Baptist friends. Though many discouraging facts were communicated to him, with respect to his contemplated mission, he remained steadfast in purpose to go to Africa. The following extracts will show the state of his mind while at the south. "I thank God that, as yet, I have no disposition to withdraw from this blessed work. O, that God would spare my life, and the life of my companion for the sake of Africa; but I am in the hand of God. Let him do with me as seemeth him good." I think I feel more and more the wants of poor Africa; and though most of the whites who have gone to Liberia have died, I still consider that as the field of my choice." Under date of Oct. 4, 1830, he writes, "This day we received the right hand of fellowship, that we should go unto the heathen. The season was highly interesting to my soul. O that God would hear the prayers of his children in our behalf, and guide us safely across the Atlantic to our destined port." On the 12th of October, he and his family, at the distance of a few miles from Norfolk, embarked in the ship Carolinean, for Liberia. Our brother had anticipated the company of some missionaries and several other christian friends, but was disappointed. Yet he was not discouraged. He says: "Instead of being accompanied by missionaries and friends, who would be our associates in labor, and a brother and a sister as we had at one time almost hoped, we are destined to cross the ocean alone, without even a professor of religion in the cabin, and without the prospect of being assisted in Africa in our labor, by any except the colonists themselves. These things do not indeed discourage us. The hand of God is here, and this hand has never failed us in the day of trial." Their passage was, on the whole, pleasant; and our brother improved every convenient opportunity for imparting religious instruction to the seamen and passengers, by conducting public worship on board the ship, and preaching the gospel. He employed some of his time in reading Denham and Clapperton's Travels in Africa, Clapperton's Second Expedition to Africa, and Johnson on the Diseases of warm Climates. "These (says he) all present many dangers, difficulties, and trials, which we must expect to encounter in our engagement, especially, if we should extend our labors beyond the limits of the colony; but God is the rock of our trust and our safety." He was continually devising good for the sable race among whom he expected to spend the remnant of his days. In a letter to his brother, under date of Nov. 14, he thus writes: "Quite calm. At 10 o'clock attended divine worship on deck. Addressed the crew from Tim. i. 15. "This is a faithful saying." The stillness of the day is very compatible with the solemnity of the Sabbath. But here the pleasures of retirement cannot be enjoyed, unless in the midst of society. My mind is much occupied with plans of usefulness in Liberia, yet all must be left till I get there. I trust God will guide in wisdom, and assist to execute the most judicious plans for the benefit of Africa." On the 4th of Dec. our missionary friends arrived at Monrovia, their desired haven, and soon after had the acclimating fever, from which they so far recovered as to be comfortable. The employment of Mr. Skinner, after his arrival, may be learned from the following extracts from his diary. "Dec. 16, 1830. Felt a desire to renew my life, and to devote myself exclusively to the work of the ministry. The evening discourse delivered by brother Waring, was very gratifying to me. I am now spending most of my time in studying the scriptures and visiting. I hardly know where I can be most useful; but I pray to |