THE

DOMESTIC MISSIONARY CHRONICLE.

JANUARY, 1844.

BOARD OF MISSIONS.

They say,
'Months pass, and we hear no
sermon, and for us no Communion Board is
spread. And in the time of sickness and
hour of adversity, when the presence and
counsel of a man of God are so refreshing and
consoling; we are doomed to pine away in
sorrow, feeling the deepest anguish when we
think on former times-and our children,
say they, our beloved children, what is to
become of them? For us the grave will
soon open its mouth-and we must leave
them; and shall it be in the parting hour,
when we cast on them the last solemn looks,
that our hearts must be rent with anguish in
the reflection, they are the enemies of God
-and we part, with no hope of seeing them

in glory." This is no imaginary picture. It
is a scene full of reality; many pious parents
are thus mourning before God, and are cry-
ing to the Board for help. And what shall
be done? Will the people of God still turn
a deaf car? Shall there be no response from
the church to these plaintive calls of those
ready to perish? But there is another aspect
of this subject, and one which should cause
every lover of his country to tremble, and
that is the mighty effort now making by er-
ror in its various forms, and especially by
the man of sin" to overrun the land.
we must leave this for another number.

But

G.

COMMUNICATIONS FROM MISSIONARIES.

MISSOURI.

FROM A MISSIONARY IN CAPE GIRAR-
DEAN COUNTY.

received an urgent request from the brethren of the church, and some who are not professors of religion, to make another appeal in their behalf-to the Board of Missions, to

About the middle of July, I made an excursion, some seventy miles to the south-send them, if possible, a missionary to itinewest, for the purpose of visiting the church rate for a few months, or a year in that reof Clark's Creek, in Wayne county, the or. gion, as they hope, that by the labours of a ganization of which was reported to you last suitable man, they might soon become strong. year. This church had enjoyed Presbyte-er and better able to support a minister than rian preaching but once since my former vi- at present. There are other points in the vi. sit, a period of more than fourteen months. cinity of this settlement, near enough to be They seemed truly anxious to hear the word, supplied by a minister, who might preach to and enjoy the ordinances of God's house. them, a portion of his time, where Presby I remained with them four days, visited as terian preaching is desired, and where good many families as I had opportunity in that congregations would probably be gathered in time, distributed many religious Tracts in a short time. The ground is as yet measupublic, and in private, preached scveral times, rably unoccupied, and is now more open to administered the ordinances of Baptism and Presbyterians than others. If we do not octhe Lord's Supper, and admitted three per- cupy it soon, others will, or probably skepti. sons to the communion of the church, ma- cism, universalism, popery, or other soul. king the present number of members sixteen. destroying errors will spring up, and over. The congregation was serious and attentive, spread the field, and render it less accessible and the interest seemed to increase up to the to evangelical influence in future. Cannot the close of the meeting; I have seldom wit- Board send them a man, to scatter abroad in nessed a more fixed and solemn attention to || that region the good sced of Gospel truth, the word preached, than was manifest during and do something to sustain this feeble, and the closing exercises of the occasion, while I almost perishing outpost of Presbyterianism? addressed the impenitent on their excuses for In my own immediate field my labours neglecting a Saviour. The prospect for do- have been as heretofore. We have just ing good is encouraging, if they could only closed a communion season in one of my enjoy the stated means of grace. I again | churches. The weather proved very unfa.

vourable, during the first two days of the

INDIANA.

What are we to do?

meeting, and many were kept away by the FROM A MISSIONARY IN PORTER co. prevailing sickness, yet under all these dis couraging circumstances I trust the Lord was with us. Our hearts were cheered by the addition of six members to the Church on examination. We cannot say, we enjoy, what is usually called a revival of religion, yet there is still an interesting state of feeling in the congregation, and I hope, the spirit of God is silently operating on the hearts of many, especially of the young, who will ere long be led to the Saviour, and be prepared to confess him before men. In this little church eleven have been received on profession since the 1st of June. In my other two churches, where I labour one fourth of my time, the congregations are good, and serious attention is given to the word preached.

THE WEST.

**** And now, my dear brother, would that you could just travel through the moral wastes embraced within the bounds of Lake and Logansport presbyteries. What we are to do I know not; God only must bring deliverance. The enemy is pouring in like a flood; popery seems determined on taking this part of our state; error in all its forms prevails; the vast multitude are going to the eternal world careless of all its dread realities-and who have we, in all this region, embracing onethird of this state, and nearly one half of Michigan, to break unto men the bread of life?—just nine ministers in the work. Look at the Presbytery of Logansport, covering one of the richest and most im

FROM A PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER IN portant sections of this state, the Wabash Valley from Lafayette, and to Fort Wayne, one hundred and twenty miles, and embracing several important and flourishing

How many ministers has our Church in that field? just three able to labour. Towns are springing up as if by magic, along the line of that canal, opened first this season to the Lake, and yet we are not occupying a single post. The enemy is busy,-efforts are continually and perseveringly making to weaken the hands of the friends of truth. Why is it our young men will hang around our large cities? Have they no heart for the la

*I have been much interested in the accounts given of the state of things in the west, in the Oct. and Nov. Nos. of the Domes-towns. tic Missionary Chronicle. Professor Woods is well qualified to write on this subject-and I can bear full testimony to the correctness of the statements made. Still these communications give but a faint idea of the real condition of this country. Thousands living in a Christian land, hear not of Christ from week to week, and from month to month. Large, and fertile tracts of country, capable of sustaining, and many of them having already a dense population, totally desti.bours of the domestic missionary? It is tute of the stated, and even occasional the turning point in the history of our means of grace. There is one thing pecu- Church in that region. Can you not preliar to this country; it is new, and fertile, and vail on some to come at once this fall? presents many strong inducements for pecu. But send us good working men, it is liar exertions to acquire wealth, and the spirit worse than useless to send any other. of worldly-mindedness finds ample aliment. My heart bleeds when I meet my brethren, This spirit pervades all classes, and seems and talk and pray over our desolations. ready to swallow up everything else. This I know not how deliverance is to come, great Valley is a prize, for which the world for God works by means. And then turn is contending-and all, save ourselves, seem to our own Presbytery. Lake Presbytery, to have formed some suitable idea of its im-embracing nine counties of this state, and mense value. We may rest assured, a few nearly one-half of Michigan, with six more years of supineness, and this country ministers! We could this day employ will be lost to the Church, without a special from four to six in our vacant Churches, interposition of Providence, bordering on a to say nothing of our boundless wastes, miracle. * where they need preaching, and yet we

have not a man. Our feeble churches Nine members have been added to the church. Thus, by the divine blessing, we are gradually advancing.

ask again and again if we cannot send some to feed them, promising to do all they can to support them. What can we tell them? We dare not promise. We have nothing inviting but hard work.And, then, here are the minions of the papal power. In the adjoining county, where I itinerate a part of the time, a Roman Catholic chapel, built probably by foreign funds, was recently consecrated. It was consecrated on the Sabbath, by the celebration of the mass, sprinkling of holy water, and the firing of musquetry! And is this the religion of Jesus? It is the man of sin, who is here in his power, and is making the most determined efforts to gain possession. Perhaps you may think me unnecessarily uneasy; I fear I am not. Would that our men of piety and wealth knew but the destitution of our own land. Tens of thousands, I am persuaded, would be at your disposal. Our poor feeble churches, struggling for existence, would not be left to sink; our destitutions would be supplied.

FROM A MISSIONARY IN MONTGOMERY

COUNTY.

OHIO.

FROM A MISIONARY IN HOCKING CO.

Incipient Revival of Religion. *** We appear to be in the midst of a precious season of revival in one of my congregations. We are just closing a series of meetings, including a communion season, in which, from the beginning, there have been strong evidences of the special presence of God, by his spirit among the people. As our meetings progressed, there was much deep feeling, and many tears were shed, and at the close of the meeting, this day, numbers were found to be under strong and deep convictions of sin, who remained for conversation and prayer at the close of the exercises. As yet we do not certainly know of any cases of conversion, but we hope and pray that God will continue to pour out his spirit, until many souls shall be here born again, and be counted as a generation to serve the Lord Jesus.

their Board to meet these wants.-Ed.

In another part of his letter this good brother modestly speaks of his present wants. We give ** Our Sabbath schools, of which a part of his statement, as a fair specimen of we had four through the summer, receiv- the situation and wants of a number of our deed a considerable accession to their num-voted missionaries in the West, and with the bers, including, on an average, in all, near hope that it may have some influence on Christwo hundred scholars, and a growing zeal tians, in calling forth their liberality to enable has been manifested on the part of the teachers, for the religious instruction and salvation of the children. My Bible and Catechetical classes, of which I have had two of each kind, were met semi-monthly, and an increasing desire was manifested by those who attended, to become acquainted with the doctrines and duties of religion. A number of the young people in my Bible classes gave evidence of being subjects of the convicting operations of the Holy Spirit, some of whom have become the hopeful subjects of a saving change of heart, and have united with the church.

*** And now I am compelled reluctantly to say that I am in very great need of what the Board has promised me; some accounts are due, which ought to have been paid long since, and our people are poor, and have no money among them. I am also in great need of clothing for the winter for myself, and wife, and family. I take any thing from my people that I can eat or wear, and sometimes my wife is scarcely able to go to meeting for want of clothing, and especially now-but the Lord will provide. We have no house to live in, since we have been here, but a We had three communion seasons log cabin of one room, and that not my through the summer, which were solemn own. I have a small house under way and refreshing seasons to the churches. " for a parsonage, but on account of the re

29

FROM A MISSIONARY IN HOLMES CO.
A Church revived.

ligious interest among us, and the ap-church, certainly our present encouraging proach of winter, we will not probably prospects. get it so far finished as to be able to occupy it before spring. But if the Lord continue to bless us, and pour out his spirit on us, and revive and build up this little Church, as he appears now to be doing, we will endeavour to be content to live in our log cabin a while longer. A box of clothing would indeed be most acceptable to us, and others of the families of mis-ing the past winter, however, the Spirit sionaries. I do hope the Board will grant me aid, as soon as they possibly can, to relieve my present great and pressing

need.

FROM A MISSIONARY IN PICKAWAY CO.

**** When I came here, a little more than a year since, the church numbered fifteen members, they apparently discouraged, and piety in a low condition. Dur

of the Lord was with us; Christians were awakened to duty, and quite a number of the careless alarmed, and we trust, brought to embrace a Saviour, and have since confessed him before the world. The church now numbers forty-five members. It has thus more than doubled within a year. An interesting aged lady, who had been a member of a church of another denomination for probably more than forty years, became convinced she

The good work progressing. **** Our last communion was one of more than ordinary interest. We had a meeting of several days' continuance, during which the Spirit of God was mani-had only the form of Godliness, but was festly with us, and the church was revived. There were eleven cases of hope. ful conversion, most of them interesting and clear; eight have united with the church by a public profession, and some of them of a character and influence well calculated to make a deep impression on the world around. Although our discouragements are many, and our church still small, we are constrained at times to exclaim, "what hath God wrought!"

Even in troublous times, and amidst surrounding difficulties, he has increased our

a stranger to its power; she abandoned her hope, and sought earnestly that saving change which is characteristic of God's real children; nor did she seek in vain as we hope; she has since united with our church, and now gives pleasing evidence of being renewed in heart and life. The state of piety in the congregation now is encouraging-the attention good. We have an interesting Sabbath-school. The Temperance cause has done much good

here ****.

A good work.

**** In another portion of my field, I have been still more encouraged. The past season has not been fruitless of good; although the work has been comparatively silent, and slow, it has been happy in its At our last communion, nine effects. persons united with the church on examination; others are inquiring what they How many will be must do to be saved.

number from twenty-five to ninety; and FROM A MISSIONARY IN richland co. what is still more encouraging, the piety, and the interest of the church, in the prosperity of Zion, have both decidedly increased. And I feel happy in being able to say, that we have, by God's blessing, so advanced as no longer to need aid from the Board. In attempting to support the ministry themselves, some of the members of the church will have to make a very great effort-but they will make it cheerfully, that others may receive the aid they have received. We feel grate-enabled to find the pearl of great price, ful to the Board for past assistance. It it is not for me to tell. There is certainly is to that assistance, under God, we owe perhaps our present existence

great encouragement to labour. as aLord carry on his own work ****.

The