Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Se

ary Society. We have now to add that the Rev. George Lane, a faithful missionary of great promise, sent out by the Wesleyan Missionary Society, also died in April; and Mrs. Palmer, the widow of the Rev. H. Palmer, was taken with the common fever of the country on the 25th May, and was delivered of a still-born child: on the 6th of June she died; and on the 7th was buried by the side of her late affectionate husband. veral other Missionaries had been ill, but were recovering. Our object however at present is to exhibit some of the delightful fruits purchased at this heavy cost of life and health. The improvement in the external condition of the poor Africans is shewn by the following pleasing particulars taken from a" Return of the state of Agriculture in the Parish of St. Charles, presented to the Agricultural Society at Freetown, and dated 25th January, 1822."

"It is impossible to ascertain how much land is cleared, as it is intermixed with forest: but at least 400 acres are cleared and cultivated. About 600 persons-men, women, and children-support themselves by the produce of their lands. A con-siderable quantity of Indian corn has been raised, and sold in -the markets of Freetown and Regent. Cassada, Cocoa, Yams, Plantains, Bananas, Pines, and other vegetables and fruits, -have been much more than sufficient for the consumption of Re-gent, and have been sold in Freetown Market. A great quan>tity of the above produce is now in the ground; especially Cas-sada, Cocoa, and Pine. Pine is more abundant than ever known. About forty acres of Rice have been grown, which produced a plentiful crop. This has excited a desire in the inhabitants to grow Rice; and a large portion of the forest is now under the axe for that purpose. The land cleared and cultivated, as above mentioned, was all forest; and has been brought into its present state within the last five

years.

"Mr. Johnson then mentions twelve of the inhabitants by name, as having the largest farms, and being exemplary for in-dustry. Of one of them he says

"He sold, last year, Cassada 301., Cocoa 197., Indian corn 31.—total 27. He has more than this value now on the ground -some Indian corn to sell which is good for seed—and a great quantity of Pine-apples, Plantains, and Bananas now growing; and clears ground for Rice. Three years ago, he bought two Goats, which have since produced fifteen. He is building a substantial house. All this is the fruit of his labour."

The maturity of these poor Negroes in religious feelingtheir spiritual sensibility, and their great simplicity and godly sincerity, are subjects of much higher congratulation. Illus trative of these are the following extracts from the last communications of the late devoted Missionary, Mr. Johnson.

"One evening, being engaged in talking with such as had come to speak respecting their hearts, all appeared to be much affected with what they had heard the night before. One man said, "Massa, me never hear any thing so before. All what live in my thoughts, you speak. I was so sorry when you had done preach: I wish you had preach all night: I think sleep would not have catch me. Oh I was so glad about them words! When I go home, all live in my heart; and when I sleep, I think all night I hear you preach. Them words you

talk, how God's people stand when they die, and how they stand before God without sin through the Lord Jesus Christ, and how glad them will be in the Day of Judgment, come to my heart, and make me so glad; because, long time I been 'fraid too much to die, but now I can say I glad.”

On another occasion one man said, "Massa, them things God done for me pass every thing. Who live there, who will die for another? Oh, the Lord Jesus die for sinner—yes, for them people who been sin against Him! I sit down, and consider this, and I don't know what to say: I never hear such thing before. Sometimes people say, 'such men do me good very much.' But what the Lord Jesus Christ do pass every thing: He love so much, till He die to save me. Oh I love Him so little! That time I want to love Him, my heart no willing

he always run about. That trouble me muchsinner! Ah, true-that pass every thing."

[ocr errors]

-but yet He love

"I can't tell," said another woman, "how I stand this time. Sometimes I long to go to church to hear the Word of God; but, sometimes, I could do any thing else, I so cold. I think I love the Lord Jesus; but ah, how my heart fights against me! Them thought, that come in my heart, are not fit for any body to take in the mouth. Sometimes I think I hate every body: I no like to talk with any person: I hate myself.

Oh, I am so wicked-my sins so many and so great; but still I have hope when I see what great things the Lord has done for me, I am sure that He is my Great Saviour. I believe He save me. If I perish, I will perish at His feet." This woman leads a holy life—has been about five years a communicant, and is now, through grace, an established Christian.

"Massa," said a communicant, "me don't know what is the matter this time. I think me get more worse every day: wicked thoughts always come in my mind. First when God help me to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, I glad always-I can pray every where but this time I feel so cold always. You say in the church yesterday, that God's people can't live without the Lord Jesus Christ that word make me afraid very much. True, He lovely; but me can't love Him. I think I no love

Him at all: me don't know what to do, Massa."

66

Walking, one Saturday afternoon, in my piazza, I saw a school girl, a communicant, about 17 years old, generally very steady, coming up the hill with another girl, rather thoughtlessly laughing and talking; which is unusual, as most of the people, at that time, when they have got Sunday, sit down and read their bibles.

every thing ready for When she had pass

Mary, what day is it

ed my house I called to her, and said, -to-morrow?' She made a full stop-cast her eyes to the

ground--paused a while; and then looked up with a sad coun tenance, and said, 'The Lord's-day, Sir.'

sufficiently reproved, I resumed my walk.

Seeing that she was

When I turned

about, I saw Mary standing at the other end of the piazza, and tears rolling down her black cheeks. When I came near her she made a low curtsey, and said, 'I thank you, Sir;' then turned about and went to the school-house, and I have no doubt fell on her knees, and turned to her Bible.

"A woman who had been excommunicated, thus addressed me;' Massa, I beg you do not be angry with me.' I assured her that I was not angry with her, but that I pitied her. She said, 'Suppose, Massa, you have a child, and that child do bad, and you flog that child for it, is it not still your child? I stand the same fashion; I have done bad; I have sinned against God, for which I have been turned away from God's people, which is too much trouble for me. I have tried to find comfort, and gone to sit down with them people that no serve God; but I have no peace there-I no belong to them. True, I deserve to be turned into hell; but the Lord Jesus Christ wills not the death of a sinner: this gives me hope; and I beg you, Massa, let me come again: I cannot find peace any where, but at the feet of Jesus.' She wept much. I encouraged her, by assuring her that it was not my business to keep her from Christ; but, on the contrary, to invite her, and every selfcondemned sinner, to come and receive the free, unmerited mercy of God, which was held out to them in the Gospel, through Jesus Christ."

The following is an affecting example of pastoral solicitude and love. God alone can repair such a loss as these dear people have sustained. Most affectionately would we there

fore commend them to His care. We remember well the summous of our beloved Mr. Ward, to the companions of his voyage, when off Sierra Leone, to come and pray for our fellowlabourers there. His and Mr. Johnson's seem to have been kindred spirits.

"Preparatory to the administration of the Lord's Supper, on one occasion, I directed that all the communicants should meet me in the church. Having observed a coldness in them,

I was desirous to exhort them previous to the administration: but as it rained very much, only half came. As this did not satisfy my mind, I appointed the following morning, at nine o'clock, for all who intended to come to the Lord's table to be in the church. Accordingly, when the clock struck nine, the whole, except the sick, came, in twelve different parties, according to the division of the town, to church. My heart did rejoice when I saw this scene. When they had entered the church, the Churchwardens came and told me, that all who were well had come. I went, and, as some had been re-admitted, I read and explained such passages of Scripture as were suited to humble them; and exhorted them to carefulness and watchfulness: I also read and explained the commination service, and concluded by urging them to self-examination and repentance; and when my conscience was satisfied, I concluded with prayer. Two young men then came forward, and said that they had quarrelled, and desired to make peace with each other before they came to the Lord's Supper: this was soon effected, as each said that he was in the wrong! A woman said to me, that she had spoken ill behind another woman's back, and wished to beg her pardon, which, of course, I advised her to do: she went and did so, and the offended woman forgave her with cheerfulness. I was so delighted with the simple mode in which they thus dealt with one another, that I scarcely could forbear shedding a tear of joy on seeing that my children walk in truth. Oh that these beloved people may continue in their simplicity! The bell was then rung, and the church was opened for the rest of the people. house again, and saw the people come in every direction; but it was perceptible that the salt and the light (Matt. v. 13, 14.)` were inside the church. I read prayers and preached on Luke xviii. 13. God be merciful to me a sinner! As the consciences of the people had been previously wounded, the words of the text seemed to make such a deep impression, that an awful silence, with the greatest attention, was observed during the service.

I went to my

« AnteriorContinuar »