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listic air, announced his intention of,, preaching on the ensuing Sabbath on a specified subject. His manner plainly indicated his design to be in opposition to the meek brother who had just closed his sermon. Accordingly, at the time appointed, these two made their appearance, and in long-winded harangues of two hours each, discharged all the fury of their artillery upon the head of our poor unpretending brother. The spirits of the vasty deep" of controversy were now all on the wing. Conjecture stood on tip-toe to see the results of this approaching controversy; for no one dreamed of any thing else than a down right battle; "Greek must meet Greek.' Not so thought our brother; he was grieved and depressed in spirit, and knew not what to do. In the interim, the weekly prayer meeting occurred. The room in which it was held was unusually crowded, and among others was found one of the brothers. Under deep depression of mind the village pastor arose, and, after making some appropriate remarks on the unhappy tendency of party spirit, he adverted particularly to himself; remarking that he felt his need of the prayers of his people; that he felt all the infirmities, and much of the depravity of human nature; that he was yet young, and sometimes rash and imprudent; that the devil knew well how to suit his temptations to his wicked heart; and further, that if left to himself under these trials, he would, most probably, act in accordance with the contentious spirit of the devil. But might he not hope, through their prayers, to be taught meekness and forbearance; he concluded by asking all Christians present, to stand up as an evidence of their willingness to pray for him. All who understood the proposal, immediately complied with it, not excepting the ministerial brother who had conducted so indecorously. The pastor then called upon this very brother to lead in prayer, which he accordingly did. The controversy was at an end. The day after, the latter observed to one of his friends," if the Lord will forgive me for pulling brother

's

hair, this time, I will promise never to do it again." Two Sabbaths after, when preaching, he said to the congregation, "if we have fallen out, let us forget it, and live in peace hereafter."

Thus was happily crushed an angry controversy, by the prudent, Christianlike spirit of a worthy brother.

SKETCH OF A LIVING CHARACTER.

[Furnished by a Clergyman.]

With a moderate share of learning, but a deep-toned piety, ornamented with the most unaffected meekness, Mr. pleads the cause of God and the well-being of man. Distinguished for the fervour of his affection and the humility of his deportment, he is beloved by all who know him. Though rich in faith, yet, like many of his brethren, he is poor as it regards this world. Over him and his little family no stately dome rears its lofty roof, and no velvet cushioned sofa invites him to repose. The unpretending log cabin, through whose chinks many a chilling blast finds its piercing way, furnishes them with their only shelter from summer's heat and winter's cold. Such are his pecuniary necessities, that in his excursions through the surrounding country, while prosecuting his Master's business, he has been known to offer the ferryman, who conveyed him over river, his pocket knife, in lieu of twelve and a half cents; not being able to command that poor pittance. And yet he has generally contrived to support a younger brother of promising talents, who is now prosecuting his studies with a view to the ministry. It is only within a short period he has received any assisthis circumstances are, ance in this labour of love. Trying as in many respects, he is never known to murmur. Reared in the vale of poverty, he endures hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

a

Such are many of the men, who, unknown to fame, are labouring in “the wilderness and the solitary places," to prepare a highway for the chariot of the Lord. Their names may not be found in the catalogue of scholars or polemics, the corruscations of whose intellectual wea

pons dazzle the eyes of the multitude; but day will show that they are of the num their record is on high, and the judgment

ber,

"Whose silent prayers and labours heaven employs To do the good, while others make the noise."

THE HOME MISSIONARY.

VOL. V.

Go,............PREACH the GOSPEL............Mark xvi. 15.
How shall they PREACH except they be SENT?....Rom. x. 15.

JULY 1, 1832.

MONTHLY CONCERT.

ADDRESS

TO PERSONS ASSEMBLED AT THE MONTHLY CONCERT FOR PRAYER.

No. 3.

THAT the world will be converted to Jesus Christ, and all the jarring elements of human society sweetly harmonized by the influences of that Gospel, which is "righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost," is a truth that glows vividly on the page of revelation. The time is coming when, " nations " having been "born in a day," "the people will be all righteous."

But, before that glorious era can arrive, many changes must take place. The present views of men are on a scale too narrow to admit of their participating in a state which implies universal benevolence, and far too earthly for the unbounded diffusion of that faith which looks not at the things which are seen and temporal, but at those which are unseen and eternal. The deep-worn channels of human thought and feeling must be greatly changed, and the current which has so long flowed in them must be purified.

I. There must be in the church of God, (with which the instrumentality for the conversion of the world is lodged,) a higher style of piety. Why is it, that with the rays of truth blazing from the Holy Scriptures upon the condition of impenitent men, and showing us, that in a few years, every living sinner will be dead; and every one dying in unpardoned sin "must be damned"-that the multitudes thus exposed to ruin may, probably, be plucked from the awful hazard in which they are now trembling over the brink of ruin, by energetic and immediate effort that, for the making of this effort, God, our judge, will hold us responsible at his bar? Why is it, that, while these things are taught by the Bible, and believed by the church, the result is only now and then, a few, feeble, and, it might almost be said, reluctant movements? Why is it, but, that our standard of piety is low? Why, but that we do not half believe that sinners are in danger of suffering the pains of hell, or care but little whether they escape or not? Now, before the Gospel can spread over even this land, pervading every village and city, penetrating every country neighbourhood; and before it can extend abroad by every ship that is wafted from our shores, and land at every port of foreign continents and islands-mount into the highlands, and spread over the plains, where swarm myriads of immortal men,-before these souls can all be saved, what an amount of well directed and long continued effort must be VOL. V.

5

made! And to excile to this effort, there must be previous feeling. The heart of piety must bleed, prayer must ascend, and intercession plead, and faith lay hold of the promises; and these things must be done with a degree of intenseness to which we now are strangers. The present style of piety will never convert the world. We must glow and burn with the single unquenchable desire to glorify our Lord and Saviour in the highest possible degree! We must have a piety that will tread the world under foot, and turn with disgust from every lower pursuit than that of magnifying the name and the cause of Him " who hath washed and redeemed us to himself with his own blood."

II. There must be more effort, or the world will not be converted. One thing is certain, the blessing of God has always accompanied the efforts of his people, to spread the honour of his name; and we have his promise, that it shall still be so. What then is the reason that so large a portion of mankind have yet not even heard of Christ? Why is it, that not more than one sixth part of the human race ever heard or read the Gospel message, sufficiently pure from human error, to prove the means of salvation ?-Only, because the church has been too tame in her zeal, and too feeble in her efforts to spread the truth as it is in Jesus. And among the necessary changes which must take place on this subject, we may mention, first, an increase of self denial. Now, we look upon our houses, lands, money, &c. as our own; and while we recognise the duty of giving something to the Lord, we do it on the ground, that it is ours to give; whereas, he challenges the whole as his, and allows us to use for our own purposes only such a part as we can well account for in the day of judgment. And in accordance with this will be our feelings, when we shall once take hold in earnest, for the world's conversion. Then shall we mortify "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eye, and the pride of life." We shall retrench every useless expenditure, and forego even many of the necessary accompaniments of comfortable living, in order that we may indulge our strong desire to save men, and honour God. Again, the responsibility to make efforts for the salvation of the world, will be felt to rest, not only on ministers and missionaries, and those whom Providence elevates to places of influence, but also, upon the private members of the church-on every man, and woman, and child, in their respective and appropriate spheres. Each member of the family of Christ will feel bound to provide according to his ability, his portion of the instrumentality, by which this revolted race shall be turned unto the Lord. But, now, scarcely one in a hundred bears about with him the burden of a dying world, or feels more than a mere general concern in the progress of the cause of its redemption.

III. There must be a higher standard of success, i. e. we must aim at, and look for more rapid results than have ever yet been realized. Even in this favoured land, where revivals have been so frequent and so powerful, the increase of population outstrips the triumphs of religion. What then shall we say of lands less favoured than ours? And what will become of the cause of Zion, if no better results than is commonly witnessed, attend our efforts?-Plainly, a higher success must be attained. He, who now is the instrument of doing good on a

small scale, and has been contented with it, must enlarge his aims and his expectations. The labourer that has gathered thirty fold, must look for sixty, and he that has gathered fifty, must pray for, and expect a hundred.

When shall one desire thrill every And, O! when shall these things be? Christian heart, and nerve every Christian arm-the simple, the sublime purpose of living only to do good? It will be then, and not till then, when every one Let us then, dear brethren, from this shall begin the work in his own heart.

hour, even from this holy concert of faith and love, give ourselves wholly to the Lord's work. Let us renew to our Master and ourselves the pledge of faithfulness in all the departments of benevolent activity, the pledge, in a Christian sense, of "our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honour."

CORRESPONDENCE.

A VOICE FROM ENGLAND.

CATHOLICS IN AMERICA.

The following is part of a letter from the Rev. John Angel James, of Birmingham, England, to the Rev. W. Patton, of New York, dated April, 1832, in answer to a communication from the letter, in Dec. last, announcing his contemplated tour, which he has since performed, through the southern and western states, as Agent for the American Bible Society. The first topic of the writer, in this extract, is the danger to the cause of Protestantism and religion throughout the world, from the increase of Catholics in the United States. We copy his remarks with great satisfaction, as the testimony of an enlightened and philanthropic foreigner to the correctness of views which have often been expressed by our own citizens, and which cannot fail to commend the enterprise of Home Missions to the increased patronage of American Protestants.

"I trust that before this reaches you, you will be returned from your jour. ney of moral investigation through the valley of the Mississippi; and that the result of it will be the stirring up of the hearts of God's people to make still greater exertions for providing the destitute popu lation of that vast and increasingly import ant portion of your land with the bread of life. Popery has directed a longing eye to that immense tract of land, and has already felt the inward heaving ambition to compensate herself for her losses in the old world, by her conquests in the new. The valley of the Mississippi has been no doubt mapped as well as surveyed, by emissaries from the Vatican; and Cardinals are exult

ing in the hope of enriching the Papal See
by accessions from the United States. Do,
do, my dear brother, rouse and inflame
the zeal of Protestantism in America, to
disappoint the apostles of darkness of their
wished for prey. Tell your countrymen
that it will be their cternal shame, if they
suffer Roman Catholics to outstrip their
zeal. Tell them that it will go down on
the page of history to posterity to their
ineffaceable dishonour, if they permit the
followers of the beast to be beforehand
with them in providing for the religious
instruction of so large a portion of popu-
lation as will be one day found there.
Tell them that it will be a darker blot on
their chronicles, than even the long con-
tinued system of slavery, if they permit
the rapid, and swelling, and rolling tide
of human beings, that is flowing towards
that part of your territory, to be received
into the bogs and marshes of the Roman
Should this be the
Catholic religion.
case, no part of your land will be safe, and
a pestilential exhalation will arise, that
will diffuse the moral miasma over your
whole country."

AMERICA AN EXAMPLE TO THE WORLD.

The writer then uses the following strong language of appeal to the Christian principle of our own citi

sentiments so accordant with our and zens, urges own, that we cannot too earnestly commend them to the diligent and prayerful consideration of the friends of voluntary associations, for effecting the great purposes of benevolence for which the church exists. Let him that readeth understand.

"I am deeply in earnest, about this subject. We tell the people in this country that their religious establishment is not necessary either to propagate or to support religion; that the voluntary principle contains an expansive energy,—that the cause of truth is more safe, more powerful, more artless and active, in the hands of Christian principle, than of state policy. We say to them, let religion alone-leave her to herself-encumber her not with royal armour, but permit her to go forth with her own sling, and wallet, and stones, and her own confidence in God. LOOK AT AMERICA! See what she is doing there, unfostered by state patronage-unaided by state power. But, my brother, if large tracts of your land are abandoned to Popery-if millions of your countrymen are left unsupplied by Protestant teachers-if your Christians have not zeal and libe. rality enough to send to them their fellow citizens, even after God's own heart, to teach them the right way, our argument is snatched from us, our forts are stormed, our guns are turned after us, and the ad. vocates of establishments will tauntingly echo our appeal, and exclaim, 'LOOK AT AMERICA; and for want of a Protestant establishment, see how fast she is becoming a Popish land!'

"The object of your zeal must be

your own country,-to supply her rapidly increasing population with able, faithful ministers. Your religious policy must be a home policy. Compared with the claims of your own land, the claims of the heathen are but secondary. If you cannot attend to both, you must attend to your own destitute people. You must cultivate the waste places of your homestead. || Think what your country is, and especially think what she must be not only for the magnitude of her territory and the multitude of her people, the vastness of her wealth and the greatness of her power, but for the importance of her example. You are supplying a grand experiment || both in sacred and secular government.— I mean, what is the best way to promote religion and human happiness. You are bringing all social institutions to the test of experience. On your land hang, in a great measure, the future interests of the globe. Hence the unspeakable importance of your churches concentrating, in a great measure, their religious efforts upon your own country. If it were necessary, in order to supply your people with pastors, one half of your male members should become ministers, while it should be the chief business of the other half to support them.

"These are my deliberate views of the duties of the Christians of America."

REPORTS OF MISSIONARIES.

MICHIGAN.

From the Rev. Jeremiah Porter, Sault Ste.
Marie.

In the Home Missionary for May, p. 3, was inserted an interesting account of Mr. P.'s reception and labours at this distant station. We add the following, which has been recently received, as a supplement to

what was before published, and bringing down the

accounts from him to the middle of May.

I think I mentioned in my last, that I carried a bundle of tracts to the Canadian settlement opposite us; that to whom I gave them, hopes his heart has since been changed. He is a new man. He is in the family of a rich factor of the Hudson's Bay Fur Company. This gen. tleman was not at ease, when he saw the result of the Spirit's operations here. Sitting by his desk one day in March, his attention was excited by the title of one of

"I'll

those precious tracts," 'Eternity." see what is said on that subject, by and by," said he. "Why not now ?" said the inward monitor. He listened to its voice, read the tract, was driven to his closet, and his knees. There he hopes that he surrendered his heart to his blessed Redeemer, and was accepted. He has since seemed to rejoice in the Lord. His Christian life and benevolence evince the reality of his change. As his wealth has been ac cumulated in the Indian trade, he feels deep obligations to do something for the moral melioration of the native tribes. He has therefore subscribed $100 to aid in printing the Ojibwa New Testament, translated by Dr. E. James, of Fort Brady, in this place. The Gospel opens the heart.

We were not forgotten. Early in March, soon after the date of my last, we seemed to be left; inquirers became stupid, and

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