Unless some one be soon obtained, who will here statedly administer the ordinances, the people desire that they may not be forgotten by the Board, in their appointment of missionaries.-I have now spent about four months and a half within the bounds of this county, but have made arrangements for leaving it this week. This desolate, dispersed people, I now leave for the present, not however without a hope that some good has been accomplished, through the aid furnished by the Board. In Centre congregation a spirit of inquiry still exists, not however in the degree that it did six or eight weeks since. About two weeks ago,, one young person, who has for some time been under deep concern of mind, entertained a hope of having found peace in believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. During the month closing with this date, I have travelled one hundred and forty-four miles-I have made thirty-four visits, and preached twenty discourses. In aid of the funds of the Board, I have received by collection in the congrega tion of Sugargrove, three dollars and twenty-nine cents. As donation, in Deerfield congregation, of Samuel Culbertson, James Culbertson, Samuel M'Gee, and Thomas M'Gee, each one dollar. As donations in Centre Congregation, of James White, $3.00; Henry White, $2.00; Jonathan Hamilton, $2.50; John Long, 25 cents, Sophia Miles, 12 cents. Donation in Spring Creek Settlement, which is included in Centre Congregation, of Alexander Watt, $2.00; Robert Andrews, $1.00; Moses Andrews, $1.00; John Jackson, $1.00; Joshua Whitney, $1.00; Daniel Corbit, 50 cents, John Ewings, 50 cents, John Evers, $1.00. Difficulty in supporting the Gospel in New Settlements. A missionary of the Board in Northmoreland, under date of March 2d, thus writes: Without some assistance from abroad, it is utterly impossible for a minister to subsist on the small reward he receives from the people for his services. The population is annually increasing, but the increase chiefly consists of the poor who come to seek for lands, and to erect for themselves and families, a habitation in the wilderness. They are labouring to pay for their lands, and at present have nothing to spare; others in better circumstances, are not willing to give according to their ability. The burden devolves upon those few, who, not only in word, but in every deed, devote themselves and all their worldly substance to God. Another hindrance in this new settlement is, that those who are I have a prospect of collecting something more which will perhaps amount in all to half my support. I will depend on it as stated in the commission. Administered and assisted in the Lord's supper eight times. Organized one church. Received into communion twenty-two persons. Baptized four adults, and eleven infants. You will discover by the detail of particulars which I have given, that I have devoted the principal part of my time to the churches of Shawneetown, Sharon and Carmi; which I consider the most important stations at present in this part of the state. Equality, 14 miles from this place, bids fair at this time, to be a place well worthy of attention. Had they stated supplies of preaching, we think a church would soon be gathered there. We have witnessed no special revival in this part of the state; but the good cause is evidently gaining ground. Our prospects are encouraging in Shawneetown. And I have now a prospect of being permanently fixed here. I expect to need a little assistance in a support another year. If your Board deem it expedient to give me an appointment for about four months, I would thankfully receive it, and on the same terms-to depend on the people for one half of my support during the time. I think the time has nearly arrived when another minister of the gospel will be stationed in or near Carmi. But the people would need for a little while some aid either from your Board or the Home Missionary Society, in order to give him a comfortable support. And we do hope that in this day of prosperity in the church, such aid can be obtained for them. Must they languish and die at such a time as this? We trust the Head of the church has designed better things for them. The Corresponding Secretary and Gen. Agent of the Board of Missions, acknowledges the receipt of the following sums. April 7th.-Donation from Miss Jane Dunlap, Treasurer of the Female Missionary Society in Doylestown, per Mr. R. P. Campfield, Do. subscription in Doylestown Do. 8th.-Monthly Concert col- $16 00 8.00 wealth of other regions. Whether this wealth shall be consecrated to God, or be spent in the service of his great enemy, will depend much upon the part we now act. Shall our, villages, which are rising on every hand, pour forth upon the surrounding population a stream of holiness, or shall their breath be as pestilential as the Upas of India? Society as yet has not assumed any permanently settled aspect. Only the gospel with its ordinances can settle things as they ought to be. The blessing which has already followed the exertions of God's servants here, proves that our views are correct." The Corresponding Secretary and General Agent of the Board of Missions acknowledges the receipt of the following ⚫7 01 Do. Collection at Sugargrove by the Rev. J. D. Hughes, Do. Donation from Deerfield by do. 3 29 4.00 11 50 8 00 2 62 8.00 Do. Pequa, do. 5 55 5 00 Do. Subscription from Congregation in Germantown, by Mr. R. P. Campfield, 5 50 Do. Subscription of Robert Ralston Esq. for 1829. 100 00 Do. a friend in Abington, 50 $65 171 TWENTY-SIXTH COMMUNICATION. Valley of the Miami. A correspondent of Ohio, under date of March 18, 1829, thus writes "The man who labours here should above all others possess much of the spirit of Christ. May I hope to find in the Board many an Aaron and Hur to hold up my hands. Permit me to say to you, that no section of country in the United States claims the attention of the Board as much as the valley of the Miami. The soil is rich beyond all description. Already thickly inhabited. And the population rapidly increasing. But what is the moral attitude (pardon the phrase) of the inhabitants? It is an awfully critical and interesting one. They are just now exchanging the cabin house for the brick or elegant white frame, and the linsey for the broad-cloth and plaid. A grand canal is now marching through the heart of our country; and in exchange for the products of our soil, pouring into our laps the TWENTY-SEVENTH COMMUNICATION. The following is an extract from the Rev. John S. Weaver's report of one month's missionary service in Ohio, dated Warren County, April 15, 1829. "In the manner related above I spent the month, rode 124 miles, preached 16 times, visited and examined one Sabbath School, visited 18 families, and received $3.50 ets. for the Board. I can state nothing very encouraging with regard to the places I have visited. In Eaton, vital godliness is at a low ebb; there are a few Presbyterians but not organized into a church,—they are chiefly from the eastern states, and have held their certificates so long that their membership is forfeited. Hitherto they have had no house in which to hold their meetings; in the course of the summer they expect to have one, sufficiently comforta ble, in which to hold their meetings. In Franklin the state of things is better. There is a well organized congregation, and when destitute of preaching they have kept up regular weekly societies for prayer. I would also inform the Board that the people of Franklin, desirous of having the stated means of grace, with my consent petitioned the Miami Presbytery, under whose direction 1 labour as a Missionary, to bave my labours for six months. Presbytery believing it to be for the best, and knowing it to be the object of the Board to furnish vacant congregations with the stated means of grace, granted their petition, and permitted me to suspend my commission for that length of time? 1 expect, with the blessings of heaven, then, to have them in a situation either to support myself or some other person. If I do not continue with the congregation of Franklin after the time specified above, I will then resume my Missionary labours, and if I do I will give up my commission. JOHN S. WEAVER." The Cor Sec. and General Agent of the Board of Missions, acknowledges the receipt of the following sums April 22. Subscription of Mr. Wier, Philadelphia, for 1829, $100 00 Do. do. S. Allen, do. do. 11 62 9 50 7 00 70 00 28. Sub. and Don. Salem, N. J. by Rev. Mr. Burtt 12 50 specified in the commission was "six In the dispensations of a most wise Providence I was prevented from setting out on my mission by severe illness, for more than one month after my appointment. On the 22d of Oct. finding my strength much increased, I left Philadelphia for the field you had designated, by way of Pittsburg and Lexington, Ky. As I travelled in the mail stage it was impracticable for me to preach any on my route-neither indeed would my health have permitted→ as I was obliged to make frequent delays that I might recruit my strength and obtain medical assistance. On the 4th day of November, I arrived in Kentucky worn out by fatigue and want of reasonable rest. There I spent four weeks, during which time my health was much improved, and I thought myself in a condition to proceed. During my stay in Kentucky, I preached 12 times in Clark and Fayette counties. On the 7th of December I left Louisville Ky. for New Orleans, where I arrived on the 16th of the same month; a distance of about 1600 miles. I remained in N. O. 7 days collecting all the information I could respecting the state of society in Pensacola, and also waiting for a vessel bound to that port.. On the 23d I left New Orleans, and after a most disagreeable passage of six days arrived in Pensacola on the 29th of Decem. ber, having contracted a very distressing cold on the passage, to which is to be at. tributed much of my subsequent sufferings. There almost every thing presented a new aspect. "I was a stranger in a strange land." The style of building, transacting, modes of society, all was novel; very little of the American but much of the Spa1 00 nish. 3 50 37 50 $453 62 TWENTY-EIGHTH COMMUNICATION. D. R. Preston's Report to the Board of By the "instructions" you have furnished me, it is made my duty not only to keep a diary, and record every thing of particular interest, but also to give a summary of my labours, at the close of my journal. On the 17th Sept. last, your commission to labour as a Missionary of the Assembly's Board in "Pensacola and places adjacent in W. Florida" was accepted. The time But it is not with arts and sciences, nor the physical, but the moral state of the city, that I have to do. Nor is it necessary for me to remark that this is very different from what could be wished. To account for many things I need only tell you that out of a population of about 2000, rather more than one half is Roman Catholick: the ignorance and abuses of that church, have had much to do in forming the moral hue of even the American population, and still exert a wonderful influence; add to this the lamentable fact that they have never enjoyed the stated preaching of the gospel, by any Protestant minister, except at short intervals, and you will be prepared to picture to yourself, a state of society much worse than I shall now attempt to delineate. At the time of my arrival in Pensacola there was no minister there of any denomi nation. The Methodist Missionary (the Methodists deserve much credit for their persevering efforts the last two years to introduce the Gospel here) had just left, to attend a meeting of conference; a new one has since been sent in his place, who arrived a few days past. The Rev. Mr. Searle of the Episcopal Church has also arrived since. He appears to be an excellent man, and I hope will prove a great blessing to the place. I was welcomed by all the Protestants, who appeared much rejoiced that I had come among them. The Methodist society, in a very kind and liberal manner, offered me the use of their church, (during their minister's absence) and in it I have preached ever since my arrival, for there is none other in the city. The Sabbath after my arrival I heard wood-chopping, discharges of fowling, pieces, drays were running and shops were open for the transaction of business, in the morning and evening, as on other days. But here it would be unjust for me to withhold the fact that these things are owing to the overpowering influence of the Roman Catholicks. They will attend mass in the morning and spend the rest of the day in tippling and gambling shops, sporting, hunting, dancing, &c. A majority of the most respectable classes of the American population express and appear to feel a deep regret at this state of things. They declare that nothing but actual necessity could induce them to comply with such customs-"But then what can we do; our families are dependent upon us. And if we do not open our shops on Sunday for their accommodation, they will not deal with us during the week." And though they do not pretend to justify such business transactions on the Sabbath, yet they plead the necessity of compliance. One gentleman, who was once an active teacher in the Sunday School, told me, he had to relinquish his interesting duty there, to open his shop on Sunday morning. The only way to correct these evils, is to enlighten the publick mind; to elevate the standard of moral feeling. And how can this be done while a majority of our population is implicitly attached to that church, the policy of whose ministers it is, to keep their votaries from "coming to the light, lest their deeds should be reproved." If you give their laity the Bible, their priest burns it, under the specious pretence that our version is not the genuine word of God! If one of their communion goes to hear a Protestant preach, for this heinous sin he must do penance." Profanity is another crying sin of this place; but looked upon as of much less moment than the former. I have spent every Sabbath in Pensacola (four excepted,) since my arrival among them. The attendance and attention, when the weather has been favourable, has been uniformly good. But when it has been cold, I have preached to a thin house; as there is neither stove nor glass in the Methodist church, which I have always occupied. All classes and sects have attended. Even a few of the Catholicks have occasionally dared to come out to hear me. Whenever the state of my health and the weather would justify, I have uniformly preached three times on the Sabbath; and once on every Wednesday eveningthe latter has been but thinly attended. I have ever since my arrival uniformly spent every Monday and Thursday in visiting from Irouse to house; many of the families I have visited frequently, and whenever I thought it prudent have tried to improve these meetings in a religious manner-but I have not been able to do so much in this respect as I could wish. I trust my labours have not been in vain. But I cannot communicate to you the joy. ful intelligence that any souls have been born again, through the feeble preaching of your missionary. There are about twelve communicants of the Episcopal denomination, 8 or 10 Methodists, and two of our church; besides these there may be one or two Baptists, and I know not that there are any others. The Roman Catholicks are without any priest; and I believe the people are fast verging towards infidelity; to them, on account of their language, I can have no access. They speak either Creole, French, or Spanish. I preach to the slaves every Sabbath afternoon; respectable numbers attend, give good attention, and some appear to feel much at times. I have not as yet thought it prudent to attempt the monthly concert. There is a small Sabbath school in the city, which has been as yet under the control of the Methodists: it is but poorly attended. If I should continue in Pensacola, I hope to begin a Bible class shortly. The larger portion of the population (I speak of the Protestant) are favourable to Episcopacy. I know not that there is, strictly speaking, a Presbyterian family in the place. Around Pensacola for many miles, all is a waste howling wilderness; a barren, sandy soil. The only adjacent settlement, is one on the Escambia river, about thirty miles distant. It extends from the Alabama line, down each side of the Escambia river, to the bay of the same namean arm of Pensacola bay-This settlement is about 25 miles long, and 8 or 10 broad. The population at present from 5 to 600 souls. Though mostly in moderate circumstances they are a kind hearted, hospitable people. They never have had any stated preaching among them. The Methodist missionary from Pensacola has sometimes visited them. Prior to my visits, there had never been but one Presbyterian sermon preached in this settlement. I have spent four sabbaths there. They manifest great anxiety to have the ordinances of the Gospel. The attendance and attention are good. Some persons rode upwards of 20 miles to attend my preaching. They talk of erecting a meeting house, that they may have a convenient place to worship when any minister passes through their settlement. So far, as my observation extends, they are generally Presbyterians, from the Carolinas and Georgia. They insisted much on my spending a portion of my time with them, which also I am ready to do, if I am continued in Pensacola. Could you but hear. the earnestness and artlessness of their entreaties for me to spend one more week, to preach one more sermon, to visit them again, surely if there is a missionary at your command, and a dollar in your treasury, would gladly part with both that you these "poor may have the gospel preach. ed unto them." Now is the time they need assistance, before they become indifferent to all these things. It is very likely that so soon as the publick lands are brought into market, many other families will emigrate to this region; and in a few years they may sit under their own vine and fig-tree, and have their own pastors who shall abide with the flock; and shall they now be assisted or not? Or shall they be scattered and gathered into other folds? I had determined to leave Pensacola a short time since. But many events have induced me to return again, after the meeting of our Presbytery. Many individuals have always been anxious that I should remain. Mr. Searle, the Episcopal clergyman, is a chaplain of the Navy, and has recently been ordered to the Yard, at Brooklyn, N. Y. This has increased the number and anxiety of those who wish me to remain; they fear they shall be again left destitute. I am still willing to continue in the employ of the Board, either here or there, as they may think best, if my poor services meet with their approbation, and I can in any manner be instrumental in promoting the great object in which they are engaged-the advancement and extension of the kingdom of our Divine Redeemer. Just as I was leaving Pensacola to attend a meeting of Presbytery (200 miles distant) I received of several citizens the sum of $26 00, which must be deducted VOL. VII.-Ch. Adv. |