nature, when unrestrained by the chastening influences of the religion of Christ. The lamentable prospect would deaden the very energies of hope, and contract the sinews of exertion, were we not illuminated by the unfailing promise of an unchanging God, that, “the heathen shall be given to Jesus for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession." It is this alone which gives the cheering prospect of eventual success, and animates the breath of prayer in every Christian, but especially in every missionary's heart, that our Divine Lord would "Take (for he did the ransom find), The purchased souls of all mankind." Our chief prospects of success on this station, and I believe on the island in general, lies among the rising generation; and in the formation of schools, and their vigorous support, we are assuredly warranted in looking for the most beneficial results. Under the blessing of Heaven, I hope to have a kind of circuit of schools formed round this station, which will open a wide field even for the instruction of adults, since every school will be a preaching house, where regular school lectures will be delivered in that strain of plain illustration, and simplicity of language, which is as necessary in the teaching of adults here, as of children. To these places of instruction there will be a variety of obvious inducements for the people to come and hear the gospel, arising from relative affection, &c. independent of the grand object of saving their souls. We have a very flourishing school of between 60 and 70 boys in Negombo; many of whom are very far advanced in the common elements of English education, and some of whom display abilities and parts, which would by no means disgrace a regular English school. This school was established some time previous to my appointment here by our Colombo brethren, and is conducted by a young Cingalese man of respectability, named Perera, who now also acts as interpreter when I preach in the country. This school, in common with all, is visited weekly, and examined monthly in all its various departments. The children are then addressed familiarly on religious subjects, and prayed with, besides the regularly beginning and ending the school with singing and prayer every day. And could you see the class. papers, hear their reading, and view their writing, you would, I am persuaded, be equally delighted with the regularity of the master, and the diligence of the scholars. With respect to my labours and studies hitherto, I feel it at once my duty and my delight to give you every information. Since my arrival here I have preached regularly three times on the sabbath, and once in the week day. On Sunday morning at ten o'clock, the fort-bell rings for our English service, at which the magistrate and his lady generally attend, and about 20 or 30 other servants of government, &c. in the town, and some of the school boys. Immediately after this service I go to one of the native churches, of which there are three within three miles of the town, and preach through the interpreter to the Cingalese. After this service there are generally persons to marry, and children to baptize. In the evening, about seven, I preach in Portuguese, when we always read the scriptures, and sing our hymns, translated into that language. At this service there is the largest congregation, who are always deeply attentive, and very regular. The Thursday evening preaching is also in Portuguese. On Monday evenings I have begun to meet a very small class, but small as it is, it is purely conformable to our established discipline, and is already owned of God. Two, at least, out of the five, can rejoice in a sin-pardoning God, and are seeking holiness of heart; a third, (the interpreter), is under deep conviction of sin; and the other two are truly seeking salvation; one of these is the late Budhist priest, Benjamin, of whom our conference letter gives you intelligence. This I account a great mercy; it refreshes my soul to behold the power of God already beginning to work, and I humbly expect it is but the commencement of a gracious increase. Thus, very dear fathers and brethren, I have endeavoured to give you a faithful statement of all that concerns myself and my work on this island; and I shall feel it a privilege to continue to do so, as long as I am spared to labour here. I feel myself under the most sacred responsibility to you, to the church, and to the Lord of missionary exertions, and should consider it the worst kind of sacrilege to abuse the sacred trust you have reposed in me, in common with my brethren. As an individual, I shall, I hope, ever feel it my duty to act as under your immediate inspection in all things; and as far as local circumstances will admit of it, act in strict conformity to the letter of your instruction to us when in London, in relation to our habits of personal piety, economy, discipline, &c. &c. When I remember the great kindness shewn to us by the Committee when I recall to mind the prayers and tears of our revered fathers and brethren, offered up on our behalf when I reflect on the sanguine expectations of the people of God from our exertions, and the efforts they are making for our support, I want no other motive to strenthen the sacred obligations I feel to be wholly and faithfully given to my great work, except that which rises above all the rest, my vast responsibility to the Lord of the vineyard, To GOD, my everlasting friend, my unspeakably gracious Redeemer! WEST INDIES. Extract of a Letter from Mr. Mortier to Mr. Morgan, dated George Town, Demerara, Nov. 2, 1818. You recollect when at St. Vincent, my intended journey to Mahaica, about thirty miles from Town. Shortly after my re turn, I paid a visit to that village, in order" to preach to those gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." Instead of meeting with that opposition which is too general against the cause of God, especially in places where people live like heathens, the principal part of the inhabitants welcomed me to the village, and seemed highly pleased to find that some one "cared for their souls." I immediately set a subscription on foot for a place of worship, the success of which evinced the truth and sincerity of what they had expressed with their tongues, Very soon we obtained different sums to the amount of 1001. sterling, and since that time, something more. At length a piece of ground was offered for 601. sterling. I immediately drew a plan of a building, 35 by 25 feet, with two rooms above for a habitation; this, without shingling the sides, the builders would not erect under 8501. sterling; and could not get it up under ten months. I began to despond in my mind; indeed, it was a day of trouble to me, because I saw thousands in the village and its vicinity, living without hope, and without God in the world, wandering as sheep without a shepherd, no one else caring for their souls. Often had I passed by a commodious building in the village, which was not quite finished, and said to my wife, O that that house was for sale, what an excellent chapel it would make for us, and the situation the best in the whole neighbourhood. To my surprise, and exactly according to my wishes, in a few days I was informed the lady that occupied it wished to go to town, and offered the house for sale. I made a purchase of the house and ground for 9000 gilders, 7501. sterling, half of which is paid, and the other to be paid next July. Now we have a pretty chapel thronged with whites, coloured,and negroes. Six months have elapsed since I first went, the chapel I opened on the 12th of July, the first place for public worship that ever has been opened in Mahaica, since Demerara has been a colony. I left it about five weeks ago, with 22 in society. Brother Thackrah is now there. Many painful hours have I experienced, during my feeble efforts, to establish the cause of the Redeemer there.Yet I have also had some pleasing anticipations, aud blessed be God they have been in some measure realized. When looking out of my window sometimes on a Sunday morning, and reflecting on the violation of the Sabbath, by the free people, in selling and buying on that day, and seeing that they were determined to continue to do it, notwithstanding I was continually preaching against it, and in private endeavouring to show the evil of it; yet my hopes have been revived in seeing many little groupes of slaves, and free persons too, coming from the country in various directions, to the house of God; and just before I left, the village began to wear a pleasing aspect by half past ten on the Lord's Day; the inhabitants repairing to worship God, instead of going to assemble at a dance, as was a very usual thing with them in former times. Surely such a sight must be pleasing to them who wish for the salvation of sinners; though all things are not as we could wish them, yet it is a cheering thing to hear the people saying, "O how different is Mahaica since the Minister is come." The population of slaves about that quarter is immense, and I trust already the Lord has begun a work there, that the gates of hell shall not prevail against. Truly in Mahaica "The Church is coming up out of the wilderness, leaning on her beloved." With regard to ourselves, we are well, in the midst of general sickness. Demerara has been like an aceldama this summer. Whites,coloured people, and negroes, have been swept from the stage of life in dreadful succession; while myself, wife and colleague, have been tolerably well, though we have felt the extreme heat of the summer; such heat as has not for many years been experienced. It is still very hot, no rain, scarcity of water, so that the inhabitants are badly off. I did not mention above that we have lost two very excellent leaders, who died very happy. CANADA. It is with much pleasure that we announce the formation of an Auxiliary Wesleyan Missionary Society at Montreal, in Canada; where, by the manner in which the friends of Missions have began to act, it may be hoped that considerable supplies to the Mission cause will be raised. The following is an extract of a letter to the COMMITTEE from Mr. R. L. LUSHER, dated Montreal, Dec. 7th, 1818. Since my last letter, I have been able to effect what I have long desired, the formation of a Missionary Society for this city, which is denominated “ The British Methodist Missionary Society for Montreal." The meeting was convened by public advertsiement, and in our chapel. My brethren being all of them at so great a distance from me, it was not possible for me to have any of them present on the occasion. Daniel Fisher, Esq. was unanimously called to the chair, the duties of which, from his warm attachment to our cause, and superior talents, he ably fulfilled. The society of course is formed on the model of those in England, and the resolutions therefore which were passed I need not transcribe, with the exception of the following, which from local circumstances, and the reference it has to our Conference, it is my duty to transmit. It was moved by John Torrence, Esq. seconded by John Try, Esq. and carried unanimously, "That this meeting gratefully acknowledges the kind and prompt attentions of the British Methodist Conference to the requests of the friends in this city, and in other parts of these provinces, in sending out ministers to act as missionaries. And that it cordially approves of the prudent and laborious endeavours of those ministers who have arrived, to communicate the benefits of the Christian ministry to those parts of the country where the inhabitants were without the means of religious instruction." Upwards of £50 were subscribed at the meeting, and I expect in a few days the sum will be doubled. Our treasurer, Daniel Fisher, Esq. will remit to you the monies collected, as soon as all the subscriptions shall be received. I feel encouraged, from the success which has attended the formation of this auxilliary society. God has smiled upon his own work, by disposing the people to give it their support. It was the first attempt that had been made in this city, and it excited the surprise of some, and the admiration of others. I rejoice to say that God is carrying on his work among us, and that many are inquiring their way to Zion, with their faces thitherward. We strongly recommend to the perusal of our readers, a little work, just published, entitled "The Conversion of the World, or the Claims of Six Hundred Millions of Heathens, and the Ability and Duty of the Churches respecting them." It is by Messrs. Hall and Newell, American Missionaries at Bombay. It is a spirited and stirring pamphlet, and equally adapted, by its energy and its calculations, to reuse the dormant, and to excite anew the zealous, to larger efforts for the salvation of the world. To some it may appear romantic, and this will ever be the aspect under which Missionary feeling and enterprize will present themselves to a great body of Christians, when displayed in the fulness of their range and activity, until the whole church shall become as essentially a Missionary Establishment, as in the primitive ages. The work may not be ultimately accomplished exactly in the method assumed in this publication; but it must be conducted in this manner through a considerable part of its progress. Many more agents must be employed by the church before the heathen world will be able to provide its own missionaries, and the recovered part of it be put in motion, to attempt the salvation of the remainder. Whatever may be thought of the details, the principles of this excellent fruit of Missionary ardour are the only ones which can make our religion triumphant, and conduct our benighted fellow men to the light and blessings of the Gospel. The following extract is at least sufficient to shame us out of apathy. After stating the whole number of Protestant Missionaries in the world to be 357, they proceed: "Six hundred millions of the human four hundred Missionaries to impart it race, who want the gospel, and less than to them! It is thus, O, ye disciples of Jesus, that you repay the debt of gratitude, which you owe to your Redeemer. He died for you and all mankind. He called you by his grace, delivered you from sin and hell, restored you to God, and inspired you with the blessed hope of everlasting life. Now he calls you to his service, and requires that henceforth you should live, not to yourselves, but to him who loved you, and gave himself for you, and washed you from your sins in his own blood. He confers upon you the singular honour, the high privilege of going as heralds before him into all the world, to proclaim his approaching reign, and call the nations to repentance. And is it so, that among the millions that bear the Saviour's name, only three or four hundred can be found who are willing to accept of this service? It cannot be. There are, there must be, if the gospel is not a fable; if religion is not a dream, there must be thousands, in different parts of the Christian world, who are ready, whenever the churches shall call them forth, to embark for any part of the world, to spend their lives in preaching the gospel to the Heathen; who are ready and willing" to endure all things for the elect sake, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." "Let the churches, then, consider the part that belongs to them in the business The enlarged Missionary Notices, put up in covers, will be sent monthly to the order of any of the Preachers, or the Secretaries, or Treasurers of Auxiliary or Branch Wesleyan Missionary Societies. Mr. Blanshard has kindly engaged to forward the quantity desired to any circuit, by his book parcels. The general Secretaries strongly recommend the extended circulation of the Notices, as the expense is trifling, and the intelligence acquires a growing interest. Payment will be received annually in June, by the General Treasurers, who will, without any trouble to the purchasers, deduct the cost price (about a penny each) from the amount of money remitted to them, and enter it in the report under the head of the Auxiliary or Branch Society to which it belongs, as local expense "for Missionary Notices." All orders to be sent to the resident Secretary, 77, Hatton-Garden, London. Contributions to the Missionary Fund, received by the General Treasurers since the Account published last Month. Cash for a gold seal H. Drummond, Esq. for Edinburgh district New Mills 50 0 0 Mr. Gillson, for Newark circuit £. s. d. 80 0 0 15 7 8 40 0 0 Ditto Female ditto 25 2 11 48 11 0 21 16 1 Salford Bury B. Sadler, Esq. for Leeds district 100 0 0 district Mr. Joseph Rogers, annual sub- 62 11 0 110 THE SABBATH, POETRY. Extracted from a Poem by J. W. Cunningham, DEAR is the hallow'd morn to me, The fire descends and dries them all. SIR, Leicester, 20th January, 1819. Religion, Oh! thou cheering light of Heaven, given; ball, Hail, brightest Orator our nation boasts! The saint sublime, the finish'dChristian shines: Unto the 'lov'd disciple giv'n alone: A worth so singular since time began, LINES, Inscribed to the Working Society belonging to OFT has the female hand its art applied, And from her duties and delights retired, press The sharers of your pious tenderness, And though in rich, immortal robes, arrayed, made. Then, if a Saviour's love e'er warm'd your breast, Your's is a Sabbath of eternal rest; Where every holy deed shall add a gem, To your encircling, brilliant diadem. |