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ness. The 22nd of January last, he wrote, The void left in all hearts after our sufferings began to be filled with blessings from above. A revival of a remarkable character is taking place both at Bordeaux and in the surrounding communes. Prayer meetings are held, and, by the blessing of God, produce good results. Every body prays in simplicity of heart, -women, children, old men,

young people, I do not exaggerate when I say that nearly sixty persons have been really called. The work continues, prayer alone is required; preaching occupies a subordinate place. The meetings are multiplied. | May God extend more and more this revival!

"Lastly, the 14th of February, a third pastor wrote, A great revival is taking place at this time in our neighbourhood. The prayer meetings are no longer confined to little apartments, they are held in the churches of the canton of Bordeaux. The meeting of this village numbers 600 persons, in which some men, some women, and some children from ten to fifteen years old, have offered fervent prayers, in some cases for their own conversion, and in others for the conversion of their parents, and for the world at large, It is a work marvellous in our eyes.'

"We go now to the neighbourhood of Montmeyran. We find there our old friend Vernier, this indefatigable labourer, upon whose labours the Lord has just poured out abundance of blessings. Thus his heart overflows with thanksgiving to God. The letters are almost songs of praise to God. In one of the 13th January he says, The Spirit of our God has continued to breathe upon many souls who now love and follow Jesus, who has delivered them from the power of darkness.' M. Vernier, passing from general considerations to some particular facts, enters into some details, some of which we transcribe. We have had at Ferrands a fraternal meeting, numerously attended. A youth, fourteen years old, was 60 touched that he came and rested upon my shoulder to shed his tears. I addressed him a few words of encouragement, His father, who loves the Gospel, was present, and rejoiced himself in seeing his son so

touched by the grace of God. At Chabenil, a young girl was so struck by the hammer of the word, she prayed for opportunity of rendering glory to God; she offered it with humility but with emotion, Elsewhere, a young man, seventeen years old, for the first time offered prayer in a most touching manner for his own conversion.' Since the fraternal meetings of Montmeyran, says M. Vernier, the inhabitants of this neighbourhood appear to have been awakened; there is among all a grand desire after union. We had at Montmeyran a large meeting for prayer. More than fifteen persons engaged in prayer. One young girl received peace, and offered in private a touching prayer. In another meeting, a young girl, lately immersed in worldliness, was so affected that she pleaded publicly for the pardon of her sins. Another young female, whom I had presented about fourteen years ago in baptism, is now near the kingdom of heaven; she felt also her condition as a sinner. Her sister was also moved, and her brother, whose heart a few days before was yet fixed upon the world, received the assurance of his salvation. Dear Mr. S., an old man, nearly eighty years of age, has likewise received a portion of the blessing which God has bestowed upon our neighbourhood; he rejoices in God his Saviour.

"Another meeting that we had at P-,' says Mr. Vernier, was also abundantly blessed from on high. As I returned home, I was met by the son of widow B, who came out of the Romish Church. He took my hand, and grasping it with emotion, said to me, 'I also, M. Vernier, desire that God may convert me; I feel my want; I see very well that in following the world I shall be lost; from this day I renounce it, that I may follow Christ Jesus. Pray for me, pray with me, I beseech you, that the Lord Jesus may change my heart.' I encouraged him. Since then this dear young man has made delightful progress. He came to see me last night: we had worship; in his prayer he besought the Lord to free him entirely; his pleading touched us all. He has bought a Bible at cost price, notwithstanding his poverty.

"All this happened about six weeks ago. A young female who had been converted a few days, collected her companions for the purpose of persuading them to turn their thoughts to the Saviour. About twenty-five of her friends accompany her in her missionary work, to sing with her psalms of thanksgiving.

"In another place a worldly young woman who, eight days before, was led to attend a meeting, where the Spirit of God worked upon her so mightily, that she called upon the Lord with a loud voice for his converting grace. At last, a Sabbath-school is opened in a village, so that the children and young persons who, but lately, passed the Sunday in playing at bowls, are united together for instruction. It is impossible,' says M. Vernier, to tell you all that has happened in our midst. In our last prayermeeting at Faures, twenty persons offered up fervent supplications to God; many for the first time. God is scattering his blessings upon us with a full hand.'

"We pass to Valence. We shall not have to recount conversions so numerous nor so remarkable, but you will see, however, that God has not left himself without a witness there also. He has made the word of his servant powerful.

The work of C is sustained,' says M. Vernier. There are from time to time souls awakened, and those who are converted make prayers in piety. Some days ago I visited, in a neighbouring village, a man who had endeavoured to commit suicide by means of an edged tool. All his neighbours thought he had but a few minutes to live. The doctor said that not one in a hundred recovered after such a wound. I tried then to address a few words to the wretched man, who retained his consciousness, and appeared really like one possessed. I drew near to his bed, and told him that I wished to speak to him. Mark his reply,-"I thank you for your kind intentions. I know that you desire to make me happy, but you are not able to do anything for me. I have gone beyond the limits of God's compassion. There is no more pardon for me, for I was not ignorant of the Gospel which you preach when I com

mitted this crime, but an irresistible force pressed me on to commit it. I am lost; I have nothing else to look for but eternal torments, which will soon be my portion. If you really wish to be kind to me, leave me quiet, and do you retire, for the more you speak of the Gospel, the more my sufferings are increased." After I had presented to him Jesus as the Saviour of those who feel themselves lost, and having mentioned the thief who was converted on the cross, I approached his bed, and offered up prayers on his behalf. He told me it was useless. Still I invited the persons who were in the house to join me in supplications to God for the conversion of his poor soul. He took off his cap involuntarily, and appeared to join in the prayer. All wept, except the poor wretched man, who appeared penitent, but his soul was not able to look towards heaven in prayer, nor cast itself upon the mercy of God in Jesus Christ. I left him in this state. I have since heard, to my great astonishment, that he has recovered, but I do not dare to say that he is converted, for I have not seen him. Many persons, moved by this frightful occurrence, listened to the Word of God with more attention. I have passed two days at B, to visit the friends of the Gospel. I have been delighted with the revival manifested among the young girls to whom I have so often addressed the Word. Two of these young females engaged in prayer in a large meeting on Tuesday last, whilst their friends were at a ball by the side of the place where we held our meeting. We heard the music. All the auditors who did not expect what they prayed for were moved in hearing these young people.'

"A young man makes some efforts to teach the truth to his neighbours. Already, in connection with one of his friends, some scientific meetings have been established, nine young persons meet, three of whom are Catholics; they speak most frequently of the Bible. The result has been, that the Catholics have been compelled to own that they were not acquainted with the Scriptures, and without delay they have purchased Bibles."

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WEST INDIES.

BETHEL CHAPEL, DEMERARA.

THIS interesting Mission station was commenced about forty-five years ago. Previous to that time there were only three places of worship in British Guiana-one, a Lutheran church, in Berbice; another, a Dutch Reformed church, in Fort Island, Essequibo; and the third, a small room in the Old Court-house, Georgetown, Demerara. These places of worship were at a great distance from each other, the number of attendants was exceedingly small, and the services of their ministers confined to a few Europeans. The one hundred and fifty thousand slaves, then held in cruel bondage, were left to perish in heathen darkness,—no man cared for their souls-no provision had ever been made for their religious instruction, and even their presence was forbidden within the sacred" walls of the white man's church. The poor oppressed children of Africa were then more familiar with the dreaded sound of the driver's whip than with that of "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs."

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But there was a brighter day to dawn on this land of "darkness and of the shadow of death." God, in his infinite mercy, influenced the heart of Hermanus Hilbertus Post, Esq., proprietor of Plantation Le Resouvenir; he became deeply concerned about the spiritual welfare of his slaves, and, at his request, the Directors of the London Missionary Society sent out the Rev. John Wray, who was honoured to be the first Christian missionary that ever preached the gospel to the poor black people of the colony. On the 6th of February, 1808, Mr. Wray arrived at Le Resouvenir, when he was received with the greatest cordiality by Mr. Post, A large room on the estate was at once fitted up for the purposes of religious worship, and before the end of the same year, Mr. Post at his own expense erected a new chapel, which he called Bethel. In a letter to a friend, dated January 12th, 1809, he remarked, "It would be ingratitude to our God and Saviour not to praise his name for what he has done. He has built his temple in this wilderness, and I trust has given us reason to call it Bethel, because many of the ignorant negroes have experienced the presence of the Lord."

The Rev. John Wray continued to prosecute his labours at Bethel chapel with zeal, diligence, and some encouraging signs of prosperity, until the year 1813, when he removed to New Amsterdam, Berbice. After the removal of this faithful servant of Christ to that distant part of the colony, the infant church at Le Resouvenir was left upwards of three years without a stated pastor; and though the missionaries Davies and Elliot, then residing in Georgetown, rendered, at the time, as much help as their other engagements would permit, the newly converted Africans soon began to feel the want of a more regular pastoral oversight. On the 23rd of February, 1817, the Rev. John Smith arrived to take charge of the Mission church at Le Resouvenir. On his arrival in the

colony he met with the frowns of those in authority. He was sharply told by Governor Murray, "If ever you TEACH A NEGRO TO READ, and I hear of it, I will BANISH YOU from the Colony immediately." But he who became the MARTYR OF DEMERARA was not the man to be driven from his purposes by the frowns of his fellow-mortals. He had counted the cost, and he was prepared to encounter the greatest trials for the cause of Christ. "On a second interview with the Governor he obtained permission to preach, and the promise of protection." From that time to the 21st of August, 1823, the day on which he was arrested by the military authorities, and brutally dragged to prison, Mr. Smith continued to labour with great fidelity and success at Le Resouvenir and the neighbouring estates. The effects of his important self-denying labours are to be seen to this day.

After the death of the martyred missionary, in the colony jail, the chapel, in which he had so often and faithfully declared the word of life, was handed over to an Episcopalian clergyman, and the oppressed slaves were left as sheep without a shepherd. But God remembered his people, heard their cries, and graciously answered their prayers. In June, 1834, the Rev. C. D. Watt arrived in Demerara, and in the following year he obtained the grant of a portion of the land in front of Montrose, a plantation in the near vicinity of Le Resouvenir. The old chapel in which Messrs. Wray and Smith had laboured was restored to the Society, and was removed by Mr. Watt to Montrose estate, where it was re-erected and opened for Divine worship in February, 1836. After the emancipation of the slaves, in 1838, the congregation at Montrose soon became so numerous as to require an enlargement of the chapel In 1844, Mr. Watt was obliged to relinquish his connexion with the Mission, on account of ill health; but before he left the colony, he commenced the erection of a more commodious chapel, which was opened in March, 1815, during which year, the Rev. W. G. Barrett, now of Royston, took the oversight of the church. Mr. B. laboured with great faithfulness, and encouraging tokens of success, in connexion with this station, until the beginning of 1848, when he was compelled, by failure of health, to return to Eugland, and was succeeded by the Rev. J. H. Hughes, formerly of Llangollen, Wales, who continues the present pastor of the church

Early in 1851, owing to the repeated encroachments of the Atlantic Occan, it became necessary to remove the chapel from plantation Montrose to a populous village, called Beterverwagting, about three miles higher up on the coast. This work was attended with great labour and expense. It was re-opened for Divine worship in June of the same year. A dwelling-house for the Missionary, and a comfortable School-house, have also been erected in the village. (See Engraving.) By the removal of Bethel Chapel to Beterverwagting, the people residing at Plaisance. village were deprived of their usual place of worship, and last year a neat

* Mr. Hughes and family are now on a visit to England.

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