WESLEYAN MISSIONARY NOTICES, &c. JUNE AND JULY, 1838. ANNIVERSARY OF THE WESLEYAN-METHODIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY. ANOTHER Anniversary has been celebrated,—and under circumstances altogether so gratifying, with results so beneficial, and with such unequivocal indications of the Divine favour and blessing, that never, it is believed, had the friends and supporters of this Institution, and of the great Cause which, in common with other Missionary Societies, it is engaged in prosecuting, more abundant reason to " thank God, and take courage." On Wednesday Evening, April 25th, the Annual Meeting of the Auxiliary Society for the London District, was held in Great Queen-street Chapel. WILLIAM TOOKE, ESQ., presided, with the same distinguished ability and kindness with which he had filled the Chair three years ago, The Report was read by the Rev. A. E. Farrar; and the Cash Account by Walter Griffith, Esq. The several Resolutions were moved and seconded by the Rev. George Osborn, the Rev. J. H. Bumby, the Rev. Edward Fraser, Joseph Carne, Esq., the Rev. George Steward, the Rev. Thomas Waugh, the Rev. Frederick Jobson, Mr. H. Armstrong, from Antigua, the Rev. Dr. Bunting, and the Rev. Robert Alder. On Thursday Evening, April 26th, the first of the Three Annual Sermons was preached in the City-Road Chapel, by the Rev. George Steward, of Manchester, from Rev. x. 7. At Great Queen-Street Chapel, on Friday Morning, April 27th, the Rev. James Parsons, of York, to whose most able and zealous exertions on a similar occasion the Society was deeply indebted in the year 1829, renewed his advocacy of its cause, by preaching on Romans xv. 16. In the evening of the same day, the Rev. Joseph Beaumont, M. D., preached in Southwark Chapel, on Matt. vi. 10, first clause. On the following Sunday, April 29th, the usual Sermons were preached in the various Wesleyan Chapels in London and its vicinity by the Rev. Messrs. Newton, Steward, Waugh, and others. On Monday, April 30th, the General Meeting was held in ExeterHall. The Society had again to lament the unavoidable absence, in consequence of a severe domestic bereavement, of its expected Chairman, J. P. Plumptre, Esq., the excellent and highly respected Member for East But his place was most acceptably supplied by John Hardy, Esq., who, by the promptitude of his compliance with the request of the Committee, and by the manner in which he discharged the duties which he, for the second time, kindly undertook, has laid the directors of the VOL. IX. JUNE AND JULY, 1838. I THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 10th. ST. JOHN'S CHAPEL. The Prayers were read by the Rev. S. GARRARD, A.M., Assistant Minister of the Chapel; after which the Rev. WM. FORD vi. 24. FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 11th. SION CHAPEL. Rev. GEO. COLLISON presided. SILVER-STREET CHAPEL. CLAREMONT CHAPEL. YORK-STREET, WALWORTH. STOCKWELL CHAPEL. Rev. JOHN ARUNDEL presided. Prayers and addresses by Revs. G. Browne, S. A. Dubourg, J. Hunt, R. T. Hunt, T. Jackson, J. E. Richards, Dr. Shoveller, and the President. ORANGE-STREET CHAPEL. KINGSLAND CHAPEL. Rev. T. SMITH, A.M., presided. Addresses and prayers by Revs. J. Campbell, Mr. Scott, Mr. Aveling, John Jeffer son, and the President. TOTTENHAM COURT CHAPEL. Rev. Dr. MORISON presided. Prayers and addresses by Revs. Ingram Cobbin, J. Woodwark, James Scott, Missionary, John Watson, Musselburgh, Robt. Ferguson, and the President. LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY. THE urgent appeals from the Missionaries abroad for additional labourers, and the increasing number of suitably qualified men who had offered themselves to the London Missionary Society, induced the Directors to send to different parts of the world, during the past year, sixty-one individuals, (exclusive of children,) by which the expenditure of the Society has been greatly augmented. The disbursements for the year amounted to £76,818 16s. 11d., a sum exceeding the income for the same period to the amount of £6,563 16s. 11d., and the Directors have felt it necessary to commence exertions for the purpose of meeting, without delay, the existing deficiency. Secs. WILLIAM ELLIS The following Subscriptions have been already received, and additional 0 Seth Smith, Esq. Son ..... 0 Miss R. Wontner......... 0 Joshua Wilson, Esq....... 0 R. Bousfield, Esq.......... 0 Mr. Wm. Tyler......... £10 10 0 10 10 0 10 10 0 10 10 0 10 10 0 10 10 0 10 10 0 50 0 50 0 50 0 0 W. Cook, Esq. 50 0 0 J. Foulger, Esq. 0 D. Allan, Esq. 20 0 W. A. Hankey, Esq.. 50 0 0 T. Piper, Esq. T. A. Hankey, Esq.. 50 0 0 Frederick Smith, Esq.... 20 0 J. Morley, Esq......... W. Tyler, Printer, Bolt-court, Fleet-street. 0 J. T. Conquest, M.D., F.L.S. 15 15 0 John Procter, Esq. 10 00 0 Mrs. H. Layland WESLEYAN MISSIONARY NOTICES, &c. JUNE AND JULY, 1838. ANNIVERSARY OF THE WESLEYAN-METHODIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY. ANOTHER Anniversary has been celebrated,—and under circumstances altogether so gratifying, with results so beneficial, and with such unequivocal indications of the Divine favour and blessing, that never, it is believed, had the friends and supporters of this Institution, and of the great Cause which, in common with other Missionary Societies, it is engaged in prosecuting, more abundant reason to " thank God, and take courage." On Wednesday Evening, April 25th, the Annual Meeting of the Auxiliary Society for the London District, was held in Great Queen-street Chapel. WILLIAM TOOKE, ESQ., presided, with the same distinguished ability and kindness with which he had filled the Chair three years ago, The Report was read by the Rev. A. E. Farrar; and the Cash Account by Walter Griffith, Esq. The several Resolutions were moved and seconded by the Rev. George Osborn, the Rev. J. H. Bumby, the Rev. Edward Fraser, Joseph Carne, Esq., the Rev. George Steward, the Rev. Thomas Waugh, the Rev. Frederick Jobson, Mr. H. Armstrong, from Antigua, the Rev. Dr. Bunting, and the Rev. Robert Alder. On Thursday Evening, April 26th, the first of the Three Annual Sermons was preached in the City-Road Chapel, by the Rev. George Steward, of Manchester, from Rev. X. 7. At Great Queen-Street Chapel, on Friday Morning, April 27th, the Rev. James Parsons, of York, to whose most able and zealous exertions on a similar occasion the Society was deeply indebted in the year 1829, renewed his advocacy of its cause, by preaching on Romans xv. 16. In the evening of the same day, the Rev. Joseph Beaumont, M. D., preached in Southwark Chapel, on Matt. vi. 10, first clause. On the following Sunday, April 29th, the usual Sermons were preached in the various Wesleyan Chapels in London and its vicinity by the Rev. Messrs. Newton, Steward, Waugh, and others. On Monday, April 30th, the General Meeting was held in ExeterHall. The Society had again to lament the unavoidable absence, in consequence of a severe domestic bereavement, of its expected Chairman, J. P. Plumptre, Esq., the excellent and highly respected Member for East Kent, But his place was most acceptably supplied by John Hardy, Esq., who, by the promptitude of his compliance with the request of the Committee, and by the manner in which he discharged the duties which he, for the second time, kindly undertook, has laid the directors of the VOL. IX. JUNE AND JULY, 1838. I Wesleyan Missions under additional obligations to his long-tried friendship. At no former Anniversary of this Society were the Pulpit Services, connected with it, of a more hallowed and satisfactory character, or better attended by congregations not only increasingly numerous, but evidently very deeply and devoutly impressed by the Discourses to which it was their privilege to listen. The General Meeting, also, was eminently marked by religious feeling, by Missionary ardour, and by a single-minded devotedness to the one great object for which it was assembled,-to the almost entire exclusion of those minor and irrelevant topics, which, however appropriate at other times and in other places, would only have tended to produce desecration and distraction, if introduced on an occasion so superlatively important and holy. The following Account of the Proceedings and Speeches at the Meeting is chiefly extracted from "The Watchman" of Wednesday, May 2d. At eleven o'clock, the Rev. EDMUND GRINDROD, President of the Conference, gave out the Psalm, beginning," From all that dwell below the skies,"-after which he engaged in prayer. and striking proof given to me in the instance of my own dear child, that— 'Jesus can make the dying bed, Feel soft as downy pillows are,' increasingly to desire that his glorious Gospel should be proclaimed to every creature. That his Good Spirit may guide and prosper your Society, is my heart's desire and prayer. "Pray accept the accompanying draft for £10 towards the object in view; and believe me, my dear Sir, to be "Very faithfully yours, "JOHN P. PLUMPTRE." "The Rev. Dr. Bunting." Dr. Bunting was sure, that the writer of this affecting and Christian Note would have the tender sympathies and earnest prayers of those who had listened to its contents. They were, however, in some degree, relieved from the pain which Mr. Plumptre's absence, and more especially the cause of that absence, would excite, by the circumstance, that JOHN HARDY, Esq., who had on former occasions so ably and so acceptably presided, and of whose good-will they had received so many proofs, would officiate to-day in the place of Mr. Plumptre. He therefore proposed that Mr. Hardy should take the chair. The proposition was most cordially responded to. MR. HARDY then came forward and took the chair, amidst great applause. He said,-Ladies and Gentlemen,—My Christian friends, in rising to acknowledge the honour which you have just conferred upon me, I feel my heart oppressed by conflicting impressions, partly painful and partly pleasing; -painful as connected with the intelligence which has been announced to you by my Reverend Friend, and which makes it necessary that you should be satisfied with me as an unworthy substitute for the presence of my excellent friend, Mr. Plumptre. You are aware of the calamity which has prevented his attendance here, and I am sure you will join with my Reverend Friend in sympathizing in his loss. I am quite satisfied that had he been here, his benevolent eye would have beamed with no ordinary gratification over the scene which now presents itself before me-a scene which exhibits a dense mass of most respectable individuals, congregated here for the purpose of giving glory to God, and doing good to their fellow-creatures. It is a lamentable coincidence, that my excellent friend was prevented last year from occupying this chair by a similar event. The death of a near relative prevented his attendance on that occasion, and on this he is kept away from us by the decease of a still nearer relative, a beloved daughter, one whose opening and promising Christian virtues and excellent qualities were, I know, a great consolation to him amidst the cares and anxieties which devolve upon him by the discharge of those public duties to which he has devoted himself. I, for one, can sympathise with him, when I remember that, instead of enjoying the satisfaction of this scene, as I do, he is at this moment, perhaps, assembled round the grave of that beloved object with his mourning family. You, I know, will feel for him, but you cannot feel as I do, because she is fresh in my recollection. But a few days ago, as it were, she was a guest with her revered parents at my own table in youthful health and spirits, and now she is for ever gone! O, these are events, which come to remind us strongly of that which often reaches the ear, but too seldom affects the heart, that "in the midst of life we are in death." But let us not, my Christian friends, however great is our disappointment, take it as an inauspicious and untoward omen with respect to this Society. No; my excellent friend has said, in his Note to your Reverend Pastor, that it is done by Him who doeth all things well; and could He have done it better, if it was to be done, than at a time when it would more powerfully than probably at any other, call to the minds of this immense assemblage the important message, "Be ye also ready?” Be ready, not only in reference to the salvation of your own precious souls; be ready and alert to carry on your exertions for the salvation of the souls of those myriads who are daily, as unexpectedly as she whose loss we deplore, passing from this mortal world into a spiritual and eternal state of being. But I have also said I have some pleasing sensations on this occasion. I have been reminded of them by the observations of my Reverend Friend behind me, who has stated that I had the honour of presiding at this Meeting in the year 1835; and I can assure you I never shall forget the gratification I then experienced so long as I am blessed by God with memory. Not that I had then to learn what were the exertions of the Wesleyan body in the cause of Missions, for I was well acquainted with them, but because I saw in the spirit and the enthusiasm which pervaded every bosom on that occasion, an earnest that those exertions would be extended far and wide, till all the good that is intended to be done by the messengers you send forth into the regions that sit in darkness and the shadow of death is fully and completely effected. It is true I may not see before me at this moment a greater mass of individuals than were assembled on that occasion, all pressing forward in this glorious cause; but that is because the stubborn walls of this building will not expand with your increasing numbers, nor permit those to enter who are eager to press in for the purpose of testifying their attachment to this noble cause. I remember soon after that time-in the course of 1835, I believe-hearing some distant rumours of a 66 stoppage of supplies." Whence that rumour originated, or under what circumstances, I will not inquire; but if ever there was such an intention it has fortunately totally failed; and I believe that the stream of your benevolence is as incapable of being stopped, as is the force of that mighty river which passes through this metropolis within a few paces of the place where we are now assembled. have heard, too, lately, of an intention, on the part of some persons, to colonize certain islands (New Zealand) in which your Missionaries have occupied a distinguished station. I hope that never will take place. The evils of such a We |