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THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA.

Extracts of a letter from the Rev. H. Lindsay, to the British and Foreign Bible Society.

I HAVE to acknowledge the receipt of the case of books, containing fifty Arabick Bibles and one hundred Modern Greek Testaments; also, two hundred and fifty Armenian Testaments.

I have had an interview with the Armenian Patriarch, and presented him with a copy of the Armenian Testament. Having stated to him the nature and objects of the Society, and my hopes that it would meet both with his approbation and co-operation, it gave me great satisfaction to hear him answer, "I am a Christian; as such I cannot bnt approve of the object of such a Society."

When I last wrote to you, I was on the point of setting out on a short excursion into Asia Minor. As I distributed the few books of the Society which I was able to

carry with me, I think it necessary to give some account of the course I took.

From the conversations I had with the Greek Bishop and his clergy, as well as various well informed individuals, I am led to suppose that if the population of Smyrna be estimated at one hun dred and forty thousand inhabitants, there are from fifteen to twenty thousand Greeks, six thousand Armenians, fifty thousand Catholicks, one hundred and forty Protestants, and eleven thousand Jews.

After Smyrna the first place I visited was Ephesus, or rather (as the site is not exactly the same) Aisalick, which consists of about fifteen poor cottages. I found there but, three Christians, two brothers

Constantinople, Jan. 10, 1816.

who kept a small shop, and a gardener. They are all three Greeks, and their ignorance is lamentable indeed. One of them I found able to read a little, and left with him a New-Testament in ancient and modern Greek.

My next object was to see Laodicea. In the road to this is Guzelhisar, a large town with one Church, and about seven hundred Christians. In conversing with the priests here, I found them so little acquainted with the Bible, or even the NewTestament in an entire form, that they had no distinct knowledge o the books it contained, beyond the four Gospels. I have sent thither three copies of the modern Greek Testament since my return.

About three miles from Laodicea, is Denizli, which has been styled, but, I am inclined to think, erroneously, the ancient Colosse. It is a considerable town, with about four hundred Christians, Greeks, and Armenians, each of whom has a Church. I regret, however, to say, that here the most extravagant tales of miracles, and fabulous accounts of angels, saints, and relicks, have so usurped the place of the scriptures as to render it very difficult to separate in their minds, divine truths from human inventions.

Eski-hisar, close to which are the remains of ancient Laodicea, contains about fifty poor inhabitants, in which number are but two Christians who live together in a small mill, unhappily neither could read at all. The copy, therefore, of the NewTestament, which I intended for

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this Church, I left with that of Denizli, the offspring and poor remains of Laodicea and Colosse. The prayers of the mosque are the only prayers which are heard near the ruins of Laodicea, on which the threat seems to have been fully executed, in its utter rejection as a Church.

1 left it for Philadelphia, now Alah-shehr. It was gratifying to find at last some surviving fruits of early zeal; and here, at least, there is still the form of a Christian Church; this has been kept from the hour of temptation, which came upon all the Christian world. There are about one thousand Christians, chiefly Greeks; twenty-five places of publick worship, five of which are large regular Churches.

To

these there is a resident Bishop, with twenty inferiour clergy. A copy of the modern Greek Testament was received by the Bishop with great thankfulness.

I quitted Alah-shehr, deeply disappointed at the statement I received of the Church of Sardis. I trusted that it would not have been suffered to perish utterly; and I heard with surprise, that not a vestige of it remained. With what satisfaction, then, did I find on the plains of Sardis, a small Church establishment! The few Christians who dwell around modern Sart, were anxious to settle there, and erect a Church, as they were in the habit of meeting at each other's houses for the exercise of religion; from this they were prohibited by the Turkish governour, and, in consequence, about five years ago, they built a Church upon the plain within view of ancient Sardis, and there they maintain a priest. The place has gradually risen to a little village, now called Tartar-keny; whither the few Christians of Sart, who amount to seven, and those in its immediate vicinity, resort for

publick worship, and form together a congregation of about forty.

There appears then still a remnant, a few names, even in Sardis," which have been preserved. I cannot repeat the expressions of gratitude with which they received the copy of the New Testament in a language with which they were familiar. Several crowded about the priest to hear it on the spot; and I left them thus engaged.

Ak-hisar, the ancient Thyatira, is said to contain thirty thousand inhabitants, of whom three thousand are Christians, all Greeks, except about two hundred Armenians. There is, however, but one Greek Church and one Armenian. The superiour of the Greek Church, to whom I presented the Roman Testament, esteemed it so great a treasure that he earnestly pressed me, if possible, to spare another, that one might be secured to the Church, and free from accidents, while the other went round among the people for private reading. I have, therefore, since my return hither, sent him four copies.

The Church of Pergamos, in respect to numbers, may be said to flourish still in Bergamo. The town is less than Ak-hisar; the number of Christians is about as great; the proportion of Armenians to the Greeks nearly the same, and each nation also has one Church. The Bishop of the district, who occasionally resides there, was at that time absent; and 1 perceived, with deep regret, that the resident clergy were totally incapable of estimating the gift I intended them. I therefore delivered the Testament to the Lay Viear of the Bishop, at his urgent request; he having assured me, that the Bishop would highly prize so valuable an acquisition to the Church. He seemed much pleased that the benighted state of his na

tion had excited the attention of Gridley, of Granby, from 1 Corin

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At Worcester, Rev. C. A. Goodrich was ordained over the first Church in that place. Introductory prayer, by Rev. B. Wood, of Upton. Sermon, by Rev. Mr. Goodrich, of Berlin, Conn. Charge, by Rev. Mr. Smith, of Durham. A monitory exhortation, by Rev. Mr. Goff, of Millbury. Right hand, by Rev. Mr. Nelson, of Leicester. Concluding prayer, by Rev. Mr. Whittlesey, of Washington, Connecticut.

Wednesday, October 9, at Williamstown, (Mass.) Rev. Ralph W. Gridley. Introductory prayer, by Rev. Mr. Marsh, of Bennington, Vermont. Sermon, by Rev. Mr.

Henry Ware

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Rufus Hurlbut

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How rapid is the flight of time, on the use or abuse of which our future destiny depends! Whether we are at home or abroad, idle or busy, asleep or awake, sick or in health, time is passing and eternity approaching. What then can be more reasonable than that dependant and accountable beings should adopt the prayer, "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom?"

As our time is divided into days, weeks, months, and years, it is of useful tendency to observe its progress, to reflect on its connexion with eternity, to review the course of Providence, and frequently to call ourselves to account. If this should be devoutly done, it would have a happy influence on our hearts, and on our lives.

The year which is soon to close, has been distinguished by some occurrences, which demand a serious consideration! This year has been remarkable for cold and frost, during the spring and summer months; and for drought in several districts of Vol. IV. No. 12.

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our country. These occurrences are adapted to teach people of every class, that their comforts and their subsistence depend on causes over which they have no control-on the pleasure of Him, whose will the elements obey.

Whether the uncommon coldness of the season had any immediate connexion with the spots on the sun, or not, it is certain that the hand of God should be acknowledged with awe, with submission and with gratitude : With awe, because it is evident that He who could produce such a change in the seasons, could, if he pleased, deprive us of the means of subsistence, reduce us to distress, and destroy our lives, by merely increasing the cold of summer: With submission, for "shall not the Judge of all the earth do right;" and "shall a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins." With gratitude, because the chastening has been light compared with our offences; and because in the midst of judgment, the mercies of the Lord have been innumerable.

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Innumerable indeed are the mercies which have been conferred on the people of this country, in the course of this year. though the hopes of the husbandman have been in many respects disappointed, still, by prudence, economy and beneficence, the amount of suffering may probably be rendered far less than many have anticipated. The scarcity of provisions, however, which in many places must be felt, will try the faith and patience of the poor, and the benevolence of those who may have it in their power to relieve the wants of their brethren.

The prospect of a scarcity of bread calls loudly for the united exertions of all the friends of humanity, to put a stop to the practice of converting "the staff of life" into liquid fire and the means of death. Perhaps the design of God, in this calamitous year, was to open the eyes of people in respect to the practice of changing the bounties of his providence into means of vice and destruction. Hard must be his heart, who can think of the multitudes who will be in want of bread, and still persist in reducing grain to intoxicating liquors, which do a hundred fold more mischief than good. "Whoso hath this world's goods and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion towards him, how dwelleth the love of God in him!"

This year our country has been favoured by an exemption from the ravages of pestilence and of war. The voice of health and of peace has resounded through

the land. Such favours demand a grateful heart towards the Preserver of men. Nor should we be regardless of the mercy of the Lord, in that so great a number of the nations of Christendom have shared with us in the blessings of peace. Still, however, we have reason to lament the unhappy condition of our fellowbeings in South-America. There the sword has continued its ravages, and spread desolation and WO. What should we think of a race of tigers, which would thus torment and destroy one another! Should we not suspect that they had run mad?” "Lord, what is man!"

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But while we weep for the follies and miseries which yet prevail in the world, let us rejoice in every thing which evinces, that the state of society has been improving in our own country, and in several of the nations of Europe. That such is the fact we think is evident, not merely from the many reported instances of reformation in different places, but from the multiplication and progress of benevolent institutions. Considerable had been done in several of the preceding years; but more in this, than in any other since the earth was inhabited by man.

Such has been the progress of Bible Societies in Europe and in America, and such their influence in other parts of the world, that there is now an animating prospect that the earth will soon "be filled with the knowledge of the Lord."

In the course of this year, the American Bible Society has

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