done. In Pensacola I formed a small have emerged from darkness to light, society in the fore part of the year. and realized "justification by faith Though several of the members have through our Lord Jesus Christ." Some left the place, and one or two turned have been reclaimed from their backback to the ways of sin, yet a few are sliding, and the pleasure of the Lord still endeavouring to escape the pollu- has indeed prospered. I have succeedtions of the world, and live according ed in raising three or four little societo the gospel of God our Saviour. The ties, and the most of them appear to be pious of different Protestant denomina- much devoted to God, and his blessed tions are much united, and appear to work. The prospect is still encoube exerting themselves to promote the raging, and I think the people will sacred cause of religion, in this place generally embrace religion. of moral darkness and desolation. Tes- I have extended the bounds of this taments are introduced into one or two mission to Mobile. This I have not at of the public schools: the Scriptures, all regretted. Mobile is an interesting with religious tracts of various descrip- place; it is improving very fast, and tions, are distributed to all who will exhibits a prospect of future eminence read them. We have also lately com- and importance. I have not spent menced a Sunday school, particularly much of my time here, as it was not for the instruction of the coloured embraced in the original plan of our population. These measures, connect- mission. I have have had very resed with the ministry of the word, and pectable and attentive congregations: the means of grace in general, will I believe religious impressions have finally be effectual, we hope, in accom- been made, and I hope the consequenplishing a glorious reformation. I flat- ces of my labour will be more fully reater myself that I have, at least, prepared the way for greater good the ensuing year. I am of the opinion that if a revival were to commence here, it would eventuate in extensive good to this people. lized in days to come. We have a considerable society in this place. The society of coloured people is in quite a flourishing state. We are now about beginning a Methodist chapel: it will be a neat and comfortable house: we I have visited several small neigh- calculate it will be completed in the bourhoods on the Escambe river. "To course of this winter. When this is the poor the gospel is preached," and accomplished, I have scarcely a doubt while the rich, and prudent, and ho- but that we shall very soon have a nourable of this world, refuse to em- large and respectable society. There brace its consoling promises, the poor is vast need for evangelical exertion in are glad to hear and receive them. this country. This is evinced in the present case,― The above is, I believe, a true acthese people are in ordinary circum- count, with respect to the state of relistances, none of them rich, no popular gion. Wickedness, indeed, abounds distinctions amongst them, all are on with many, and the love of some is a level; and these are the people whom waxing cold. My heart trembles while I found to be the genuine friends of the I contemplate the awful destiny of imgospel, and the most ready to receive mortal souls, without an interest in the its interesting communications. They divine atonement. May God send forth have almost unanimously attended on more labourers, and may he dispense preaching, and have generally paid the benign influence of the gospel to strict attention to the word. The most the hearts and consciences of perishof them appear seriously impressed. ing sinners. A few are now labouring under the influence of deep conviction; others HENRY P. COOK. Mobile, November 28, 1824. ST. AUGUSTINE MISSION. Extract of a letter from the Rev. NOAH LANEY, dated Charleston, (S. C.) January 20, 1825. AT the last South Carolina confer- lifted my heart in fervent prayer to ence I was sent as a missionary to St. God, that he would direct and sustain Augustine. Being conscious of my me in this arduous enterprise; and insufficiency for so important a trust, I though I cannot boast of great nun bers who have turned to God, yet I "I've got the Bible now." His wife indulge a hope that a few have become joins with him in searching the Scripthe subjects of converting grace. tures. His priest has tried to get The first quarterly meeting after my the Bible from them; but they say arrival was attended with a solemn they will not "part with so good a sense of God's presence, and one sin- book." ner professed to be awakened to a Our coloured members in this place sense of his lost condition, who soon seem very pious. Indeed I never saw after died, it is said, in the triumph of so promising a society of blacks, so faith. At the conclusion of the love- much devoted to God. They hold feast, which was a precious season, the communion with Him, and walk in the sacrament of the Lord's supper was light of His countenance. So evident administered to fifty-one communi- is the change in their conduct, that it cants. This was truly an exhilarating is remarked by the people here as sight, and we felt that our Saviour was something extraordinary. One of present with his people. One dear them spoke very feelingly in our late brother who then commemorated the love-feast: "O," said he, "I once hate dying love of Jesus with us, has since God-no love his people-I was sinner gone to drink the wine of the kingdom --but when I came and hear de gospel in heaven. "O!" said he to a sister I was convinced I was wrong. O, I who was watching with him, "I am now love God-his people-me love not afraid to die." His last words were, Jesus-he sinner's friend-and O, if "Lord Jesus receive my soul." my massa was to give me all AugusA few Spaniards attend our meet- tine, I would not turn back." This ings, and those of them who understand poor man was born in Africa, and never our language appear to be delighted. heard of the name of Jesus till he came One in particular, a Catholic, has to America. He is now a happy Chrisattended very steadily, and seemed tian. About a dozen have joined our charmed with singing and prayer. As church this year; and many, who are he came out of one of our class-meet- not of us, are very friendly and attend ings, he affectionately embraced one the preaching of the word. God is of our friends, and said, "O! this is indeed working for us in this place. what I love." His attendance on our Prejudice and bigotry are on the remeetings has produced a threat from treat, and are succeeded by a candid one of the Catholic friars; he was attention to truth. fearful that he would become a Metho- Indeed, when the pure doctrines of dist, and he charged the man to visit the gospel are faithfully preached, a divine power accompanies them, and Another Catholic, aged eighty-seven, a reformation of heart and life is the has lately had a Spanish Bible given blessed consequence. Even in heahim, and he seems charmed with it, then countries, nothing is wanting, in reads it daily, and prizes it so highly my opinion, to the total overthrow of that he has weighed it. "O!" says he, their superstitious rites and ceremo"I do love the Bible. There are many nies, but plain truth, warmly addressed Bibles in St. Augustine, but none so to the heart and conscience, so as to good as mine." And pointing with his make them feel their tremendons finger upwards, he joyfully exclaims, weight and importance. Surely the "It shows me the road." He some- truth of God will ultimately prevail times calls to the traveller as he walks and triumph. May God hasten the the streets, invites him in, saying, time for Christ's sake. Amen. us no more. WESLEYAN METHODIST MISSIONS. From the Wesleyan Methodist Magazine for December, we extract the following intelligence respecting the success of their foreign missions: PALESTINE.-Mr. Cook, the missionary at this place, after giving a detailed account of his journey through various places of this land of the ancient prophets and apostles, thus describes his entrance into Jerusalem, his reception by the American missionaries and others, and of his visit to some places rendered famous as having been the theatre of important transactions: WE entered Jerusalem at about five monks, and from thence a lad accomo'clock in the afternoon. I was con- panied me to the Greek convent, in ducted to the convent of the Latin which the American brethren, Fisk VOL. VIII. 15 and Bird, reside. I found Mr. Fisk re- In the evening I visited the mount of covering from a severe attack of fever, Olives. We passed the bed of the torand just able to walk out on the terrace rent, or brook Kedron, which was now of the convent. As it was the first dry. I thought of David fleeing from Monday in the month, we united our Absalom, and Jesus going to Gethseprayers with those of our brethren in mane. A small olive-ground, containdifferent parts of the world, who on ing eight olive trees, (the most venethat day pray for the enlargement and rable and ancient in appearance that I establishment of the kingdom of the have ever seen,) was pointed out as Redeemer, through the operation of Gethsemane. the Spirit of God. "My Saviour thou thy love to me, In shame, in want, in pain hast show'd. Thou pouredst forth thy guiltless blood; April 5th, (Jerusalem)-The American brethren occupy the upper part of the Greek convent, on what is called Mount Calvary, containing six apartments, for which they pay one hundred On the top of the hill my meditations dollars per annum, under the name of were interrupted by my companion, presents; this is probably much more (Mr. Fisk's dragoman, Joseph) calling than a similar suit of rooms would cost out, "This way, sir!" I perceived on if they could hire such of a private per- turning round, that something was to son. The advantage of having cham- be seen there, and my mind was so litbers in a monastic establishment is a tle in unison with any of their supergreater security against theft, in case stitions, that I at first refused to turn of occasional absences with your ser- aside; but finding that it would be a vants. A guard must be left in a pri- greater interruption to explain why I vate house if it be left, though but for did not wish to look at these things than a short time; and secondly, the per- it would be simply to look at them, I mission to reside in one of their con- followed in silence, and was shown a vents is a kind of virtual recognition hollow in a stone, said to be an impreson the part of the heads of the church, sion left by the foot of our Saviour, which facilitates our labours among when he ascended into heaven, (Acts them. i, 8.) Yet these same persons show us 1 occupy Mr. King's chamber, who the village of Bethany, on another part is now at Joppa, (or Jaffa,) studying the of the mount of Olives, at a distance Koran, with an Arabic Sheik. From from this place of nearly a mile; and the window of my room, I can see on St. Luke says it was at Bethany he was the east the mount of Olives, below parted from them and carried up into which, but more toward the south, is heaven. the Haram, (or forbidden ground,) into April 7th.-I went out with Messrs. which Christians may not enter, occu- Fisk and Bird to mount Zion. Part of pying the whole site of Solomon's tem- this is without the modern walls of Jeple, and containing the mosques of rusalem, which must have been much Sakhara and Aksa; at about one hun- stronger in a military point of view dred yards distance on the south-east, when it included the whole of this is the church of the Sepulchre, the sup- mount. We observed the literal acposed site of both the crucifixion and complishment of the prophecy, (Jer. the resurrection of our blessed Saviour; xxvi, 18, and Micah iii, 12,) which has directly beyond which a very level been taken notice of by several morange of mountains, the mountains of dern travellers. Moab, bound the horizon. The Dead We visited the Armenian convent sea and the river Jordan lie between here, the church of which is said to those mountains and Jerusalem, but occupy the place of the house of Annas, are hidden from sight by the mount of in which Peter denied his Master. We Olives, and other intervening hills. were prevented from seeing the tomb April 6th.-I went to the church of of David, and the place where it is said the Holy Sepulchre. In one respect Christ held his last supper, by the prethis church pleased me more, or rather, sence of some Mohammedans, who disgusted me less, than most of the were visiting the tomb, or performing churches (not Protestant) that I have their devotions in the mosque erected seen; here the Saviour is the chief over the latter place. We were told, object of attention, and not his mother, in rather a rude and threatening mannor any other human being. ner, not to approach them. I had a long conversation with Mr. houses; for the present we may reside Fisk on a missionary establishment at in the convents of the Greeks, which Jerusalem. He said there were but are open to us. Conversing about two plans that he could suggest: the stations for missionaries, Mr. F. said, first, to build, at the expense of the it had appeared to him desirable that different missionary societies, whose the following should be occupied :agents will be employed here, (say the Acre and Nazareth, distant from each American board, the Jews' Society, other six or seven hours, one station, and the Wesleyan,) a kind of convent, including (by occasional visits) the in which each might have his separate whole of Galilee;* a second station quarter, and there might be a Bible might be Jerusalem and Judea. This depot, and a place of worship common would include Bethlehem, Hebron, to all. Joppa, Arimathea, Lydda, and Gaza. The other plan would be to hire, if Beyroot and mount Lebanon, with its we could, each a house for himself, and towns and villages, and the coast of the influence of the missionaries might Tyre and Sidon, would be a third stabe extended a little more by their tion; and it is probable, from the acdwelling at a little distance from each counts of Messrs. Connor and Wolf, other. The Jewish establishment that' Aleppo and its neighbourhood might be in the Jews quarter, but the would be as favourable a situation, at Christians would derive little advan- least, as any of these just mentioned. tage from this, as the Christian quarter is not very extended. There would be great difficulty in procuring suitable *Tiberias and Safet are important places in Galilee, with regard to the Jews. Cana, in Ga lilee, and some villages, are Christian. SOUTH INDIA MISSIONS./ MADRAS-Mr. Hoole, who has been stationed at Madras, gives a very encouraging account of the mission in that part of India. He has lately taken a journey into a new tract of country, "which," it is said, "will probably stretch to an elevated, cool, and salubrious part of the country, where a mission establishment would at once benefit the natives, and be a retreat for invalid missionaries, from those stations where health is rendered more precarious by the climate." On December 3d, 1823, Mr. Hoole left Madras for his intended journey, and on the 14th he arrived at Tricaloor. The following are Mr. Hoole's remarks after his arrival at this place: ABOUT six hours' march last night guments, and if they said any thing it brought us to this town, which seems was by way of inquiry, but the last to be one of considerable size and im- mentioned disputant kept up the arguportance. After breakfast I collected ment as long as he could with propriemy servants and bearers, who, although ty: at last he admitted that I was perthey are heathens, except one, were fectly right, and said that the same docvery attentive while I read and prayed trines were to be found in some of their with them about an hour. At noon I Shastras, but that they contained oppohad a call from Rohonantachariar, a site doctrines too, which must be receiBrahmin, I should suppose of some con- ved. I endeavoured to point out the folly sequence, by his attendants: he pro- of embracing contradictions, entered fessed to be better acquainted with on the doctrine of the atonement, and Sanscrit than any other language, but contrasted their inefficient observances received from me a Teloogoo tract, and with the provision of the gospel. 1 the gospel of Matthew in Canarese. walked with them to their own village, He asked my opinion of idolatry, listen- about two miles, and by the way endea ed respectfully to what I had to say, voured to apply what they had heard and acknowledged he had never heard and admitted to be reasonable and good, of the nature of Christianity before: he and to show them the beauty and conwent away, and returned in about two sistency of truth. A good number of hours with some of his friends, the eldest people came together in the village, and of them past middle age, and of an honest I proposed the reading of a tract, and and open countenance; another was to answer any objections they might bold, quick, and very disputatious. We make to it: after passing about an hour had a long conversation on the nature with them I returned, beseeching them of God, of the soul, of true happiness, to leave their lying vanities, and turn of heaven, of sin, and hell torments. to that one true God whom they had The others seemed pleased with my ar- now in words acknowledged. What a and Bird, reside. I found Mr. Fisk re- In the evening I visited the mount of covering from a severe attack of fever, Olives. We passed the bed of the torand just able to walk out on the terrace rent, or brook Kedron, which was now of the convent. As it was the first dry. I thought of David fleeing from Monday in the month, we united our Absalom, and Jesus going to Gethseprayers with those of our brethren in mane. A small olive-ground, containdifferent parts of the world, who on ing eight olive trees, (the most venethat day pray for the enlargement and rable and ancient in appearance that I establishment of the kingdom of the have ever seen,) was pointed out as Redeemer, through the operation of Gethsemane. the Spirit of God. "My Saviour thou thy love to me, In shame, in want, in pain hast show'd. Thou pouredst forth thy guiltless blood; April 5th, (Jerusalem)-The American brethren occupy the upper part of the Greek convent, on what is called Mount Calvary, containing six apartments, for which they pay one hundred On the top of the hill my meditations dollars per annum, under the name of were interrupted by my companion, presents; this is probably much more (Mr. Fisk's dragoman, Joseph) calling than a similar suit of rooms would cost out, "This way, sir!" I perceived on if they could hire such of a private per- turning round, that something was to son. The advantage of having cham- be seen there, and my mind was so litbers in a monastic establishment is a tle in unison with any of their supergreater security against theft, in case stitions, that I at first refused to turn of occasional absences with your ser- aside; but finding that it would be a vants. A guard must be left in a pri- greater interruption to explain why I vate house if it be left, though but for did not wish to look at these things than a short time; and secondly, the per- it would be simply to look at them, 1 mission to reside in one of their con- followed in silence, and was shown a vents is a kind of virtual recognition hollow in a stone, said to be an impreson the part of the heads of the church, sion left by the foot of our Saviour which facilitates our labours among when he ascended into heaven, (Act them. i, 8.) Yet these same persons show y the village of Bethany, on another pa of the mount of Olives, at a distan from this place of nearly a mile; : St. Luke says it was at Bethany he parted from them and carried up heaven. 1 occupy Mr. King's chamber, who is now at Joppa, (or Jaffa,) studying the Koran, with an Arabic Sheik. From the window of my room, I can see on the east the mount of Olives, below which, but more toward the south, is the Haram, (or forbidden ground,) into April 7th.-I went out with M which Christians may not enter, occu- Fisk and Bird to mount Zion. I pying the whole site of Solomon's tem- this is without the modern walls ple, and containing the mosques of rusalem, which must have bee Sakhara and Aksa; at about one hun- stronger in a military point dred yards distance on the south-east, when it included the whole is the church of the Sepulchre, the sup- mount. We observed the li posed site of both the crucifixion and complishment of the prophe the resurrection of our blessed Saviour; xxvi, 18, and Micah iii, 12,) directly beyond which a very level been taken notice of by se range of mountains, the mountains of dern travellers. Moab, bound the horizon. The Dead sea and the river Jordan lie between those mountains and Jerusalem, but are hidden from sight by the mount of Olives, and other intervening hills. We visited the Armeni here, the church of whic occupy the place of the ho in which Peter denied his were prevented from see April 6th.-I went to the church of of David, and the place w the Holy Sepulchre. In one respect Christ held his last supp this church pleased me more, or rather, sence of some Mohar disgusted me less, than most of the were visiting the tomb churches (not Protestant) that I have their devotions in the seen; here the Saviour is the chief over the latter place. object of attention, and not his mother, in rather a rude and ti nor any other human being. ner, not to approach |