them to be the one thing needful, not because of the instruction communicated, but because they are tabu. This kind of feeling, however, is not so common among those who are members, as it is among those who live at a distance, and desire to attend. our number goes out on the Sabbath to some of the neighbouring villages. But we shall speak more particularly of this in another part of the letter. On Friday there is a meeting of the females in Lahaina, who profess to be seeking the salvation of their souls. All persons known to be immoral are prohibited from at- The meeting of the church on Saturtending. The number now enrolled as day evening, for examining candidates for members of the meeting is more than admission to the church, is also continu1,000. These are divided into classes of ed. Only a small part of the time, howeabout forty each; and native teachers ver, is spent in these examinations. One from the church are appointed to super-object of the meeting is to communicate intend the classes, under the general di-that kind of advice and instruction which rection of the ladies of the Mission. The is more particularly appropriate to exercises at the meetings, consist in the church members and those who are canrecitation of scripture lessons, and an ex-didates for baptism and communion; and amination on the subject of the sermons which can be communicated with better preached during the week, and are clo-effect at a private meeting than in a mixsed by some exhortation and counsel.-ed assembly. This meeting is the conThe native teachers or monitors have al-tinuation of the one commenced in April, so occasional private meetings with their 1826. Then two persons were present; classes, and once a month assemble by now eighty-five attend. That was interthemselves, separate from their classes,esting, as the first fruits: these are interto receive counsel and instruction as toesting as an abundant harvest. We then the management of their classes, and al-received the pledge. To the glory of so to report instances of misdemeanors Zion's King, and the triumph of her and neglect. The meeting is one of very friends, that pledge is now redeemed.great interest to the people; so much so Our success, which was formerly an obthat many would be glad to come a dis-ject of faith, grounded entirely on the satance of twenty or thirty miles to attend cred promises, now, in a degree, ceases it, and even to cross the channel from to be such; and we realise that, the Lanai and Molokai, if we should ad-mere anticipatlon of which has borne us vise it. This is the same meeting that through many discouragements, and was established on the 18th of February, cheered many a dark hour. We must 1825, under circumstances of very pecu- acknowledge, however, that not a day liar interest. Then ten persons were passes in which we are not still severely present-now more than as many hun- tried, and deeply affected by the vices, dreds. There have been various chan- the stupidity, and the coldness of the ges in the meeting, as new circumstan-people: but still, when we look back, ces have occurred, but the meeting has never been discontinued during the five years. This is a good example to show what has been effected here by a merciful Providence during this period. and contrast their appearance now with what it was only seven years ago, we drop our pens, as being incompetent to describe our feelings; and we long for a voice to reach every infidel heart on earth, that we may tell in their unbeliev The men have also a religious meeting by themselves, on Tuesday evening, ating ears, not what we believe the Lord which nearly as many men attend as will do, but what he has already done.— there are females on Friday. There are We sometimes fear to tell the full amount meetings of the same character among of what appears to us to have been acthe females and males of the neighbour-complished, lest some should feel that ing villages, under the principal direction the great object is already gained, and of the native members of the church.-that little more remains to be done. But These meetings are called by the natives could we represent the exact condition of tabu meetings; because it is tabu for the people, even as it is in its present imany to attend who are immoral, or proved state, together with all that rewho do not profess to be under the influ-mains to be effected, before the people ence of the scriptures. This tabu, in the shall be raised to an enlightened state of opinion of the people, adds great impor-civilization, every pious heart in the unitance, or sacredness, to the meetings, verse would yearn over these islands; and and we have a strong hold on those who the churches of America, instead of attend, that we have not on others. This thinking that they had done well, would feeling of veneration for the meetings, on feel that they had incurred the curse of account of their being tabu, is often car-heaven, because they had done so little. ried to great excess; and among the more Still a spirit of improvement is among ignorant is real superstition. They think them. We can point to multitudes, who, as we travel about in different parts of the island, leave their homes on Saturday morning, and travel through the day under a vertical sun, take a scanty meal at night, and a still more scanty one on Sabbath morning; then go to the house of prayer, and with attentive ear, and often with moistened eye, listen to the word of sacred truth; and when the Sabbath is over, with scarce a remnant of food, set out for their distant homes, accounting themselves happy in having the word of God brought so near. We can point you to places, where a hundred of these can be assembled in a single congregation, together with two thousand more, who would have travelled only two or three miles. REPORTS OF MISSIONARIES, &C. INDIANA. From the Rev. ISAAC REED, Agent of the Board in Indiana, dated Bloomington, June 8th, 1831. Three new churches organized in Indiana. May, has been a successful month in the formation of churches. Three new ones have been organized by my ministry. The first is Bedford Church, in Lawrence co. Indiana: this has 19 members. This I consider a great point gained; and pray and hope, that it may be increased with the increase of God. The next in time, is the Church at Palestine, Crawford county, Illinois. This has sixteen members, with encouraging prospects of addition. This place is occupied by one of your missionaries. The probability of his usefulnes seems good. The third is Oak Ridge Church, in the Western edge of Jackson county, In diana: this has seven members. This is a country settlement, where I do not expect additions fast. I expect this to make a part of a missionary district with the Bedford church, These tracts may be traced upon the map; but they are not well known abroad. They embrace a vast scope of fertile country. White River is divided into the East and West forks. The East fork extends into the country nearly two hundred miles from the junction. It has, lying upon it, the counties of Pike, Dubois, Martin, Lawrence, Jackson, and Bartholomew. The main river below the junction, has Knox and Gibson counties on its banks. The West fork has Davis, Green, Owen, Monroe, Morgan, Johnson, Marion, Hamilton, Delaware, and Randolph counties upon it. This traverses the country about three hundred miles. The Wabash river extends into the country from the Ohio river, following its winding nearly five hundred miles. And on its margin, are Posey, Gibson, Knox, Sullivan, Vigo, Parke, Vermillion, Warren, Fountain, Tippacanoe, Carroll, and Cass counties. And between the Wabash and White river, lie Clay, Putnam, Hendricks, Montgomery, Boone, and Clinton counties.— On the North these tracts extend nearly the width of the State. I will suppose it one hundred and twenty miles. And it runs with the West line of the State, South to the Ohio river, I suppose about two hundred miles. And in a diagonal line from Posey county, on the Ohio river, in a North-east direction to Randolph county upon the Ohio state line.This embraces a tract of near two hundred miles from South to North, and from twenty miles to one hundred and twenty miles of width from East to West. In this tract lie the richness and beauty of the State, in soil and situation. It contains the Seat of Government and the State College, as also a number of the best towns of the Commonwealth. It is already extensively settled, and parts of it are now settling, faster, I believe, than any other parts of the State. Such it is in territory, such in soil, and such in Population. And now, Sir, what are its Presbyterian Church? Why sir, the three means of ministerial supply from the lower counties are without a minister, and but one of them has a church. The whole number of counties upon the East resident minister. They have five little fork of White river are without a single churches, and only two of them have as Upon the West fork there are ten counmuch preaching as a Sabbath a month. ties with eight ministers, and nine churches. Two of these eight ministers are confined to the College, which leaves but six to attend to the country. Upon the Wabash river, above the mouth of White river, there are ten counties with nine ministers, and ten churches. In the intermediate tract there are six counties and two ministers, and four churches.— Suppose the average number of communicants in these twenty-nine churches, forty-five, which is near the real number, but I suppose exceeds it. Then Sir, thirteen hundred and five church members are in these thirty-one counties, with nineteen ministers. And two of the ministers almost prevented from attending upon the work of the ministry. Our Christian Brethren, of the older States, are desired to pause over this, and think, if in these Tracts, the Church does not need help! And if it is not needful for the Board of Missions to put more labourers into this part of the field. And if the cry "come and help us" is not made in this plea respecting the destitute in this region. Christian Brethren, read and awake to their help! cast in of your treasures to the Board, that ministers may be sent. O read and feel, and act as you would wish to have other Christians act, if your lot were here. And O! ye ministers, partakers of the zeal and sharers of the sufferings of Christ in his body, the Church, read and think, what you will do. Will not you give to this object in this Western field? Not money; silver and gold you may have none. You have been bidden to go and not take money in your purse. Have you, therefore, nothing to give to win to Immanuel, and to keep in his fold, souls in these tracts of Indiana? Yea rather, when asked, as you are here asked, what will you give? Let it be your reply-Sir, I shall give myself. Do this. O let this goodly land become Immanuel's land. sometimes rode twenty miles. My present plan of operations is, to divide my labours principally between this place and York, in addition to other services, to preach twice on the Sabbath, and attend one or two Bible classes. I think in a short time I shall be able to form a church in this place. That there is an important field of usefulness here I think there is no question. OHIO. From the Rev. L. C. RUTTER, Manchester, Ohio, May 15, 1831. A new Church organized. My little flock at Huntington have been organized into a church, consisting A few more of about twenty members. will probably join us soon, by certificate. Their house is in a state of forwardness, and we hope soon to remove the ark from the grove to the temple preparing for its reception. The prospects of forming a flourishing church at H., I consider much more favourable than at Manchester, where they have long enjoyed the stated means of grace. Huntington, you will doubtless recollect, is new ground, which Rankin, previous to my arrival here. had been partially cultivated by Rev. J. From the Rev. JOHN MCKINNEY, Frederick, Ohio, February 23, 1831. ry. This place (Darwin,) is the county seat of Clark county, Illinois, on the West side of the Wabash, and only about twenty miles below Terre Haut. The I have concluded the bible examinalocation is beautiful, and will probably be tion of Wayne Township, to which I was healthy-it is at the head of Walnut appointed by the Knox County Bible Soprairie. Here are several members of ciety. Of one hundred and fifty families, the Presbyterian Church, though a ser- thirty were destitute of the Bible in full; mon by a Presbyterian or Congregation-only three were destitute of the New al minister had never been preached at Testament. The county was pretty well Darwin until I came here. The people supplied with Testaments upwards of a here seemed very anxious to have preach-year ago by the Sunday School Depositoing. It seemed, indeed, as if this section of country had been almost entirely over- I have been attending to the pastoral looked. On the second Sabbath of duties in the two congregations, Frederpreaching at Darwin, I formed a Bible ick and Harmony. The churches apClass here of nearly twenty; this con-pear united and harmonious, but no spetinues very interesting, and I trust will be useful. Last Sabbath I formed a similar class at York, a village ten miles below this. Perhaps there is no place where a class was more needed, or where one promises to be more useful. Here are a few scattered sheep of the fold who have long been destitute of the ordinances of the gospel. One, formerly an elder of the church of Vincennes, welcomed me with tears, and told me that he had long been praying for a missionary to be sent there. Since I have been on this field, I have preached frequently three times on the Sabbath-in doing this I have cial excitement exists, excepting that several members of the church appear anxious for a revival. We held a conference meeting on the subject, the 21st January, and agreed to set apart a portion of time every Saturday evening to pray for the special outpouring of the Spirit of God on our church and congregation. I attend four Bible Classes containing together about sixty members. Two of them I attend every two weeks-the other two, every four weeks. Our Temperance Society does well, considering the former character of the tion. country. Upwards of sixty members be- || learned they have been read with attenlong to it. It exerts a powerful influence all around for the suppression of dramA Sabbath School put in operation last drinking. Many who do not belong to it, month flourishes.—It numbers ten teachact on the principle of entire abstinence. ers and sixty scholars. We have a liWe have lately formed a Temper-brary belonging to it, worth fourteen dolance Society in Harmony Congregation. ||lars. It is yet in its infancy. From the Rev. J. S. WEAVER, Bellbrook, Greene County, Ohio, June 6th, 1831. From the Rev. J. PAINE, Warm Springs, Bath County, Virginia, June 21st, 1831. Pleasing Results of Missionary Labors. I have preached regularly on the sabbath, and frequently through the week tle church has not been discouraging, Although the state of things in our litsince I last reported, and I may say, my since I became their stated supply, yet heart has been encouraged, by seeing better assemblies latterly than at any for- never were their prospects so bright and mer period. In some instances I have cheering as they are now. When I came preached in neighborhoods where the the direction of the A. B.-I found this here to labor among this people under people seldom, if ever, before, heard a Presbyterian sermon, and I have been little flock as sheep without a shepherd; surprized to see such large numbers of their number consisting of only seventeen. persons in attendance. A few sabbaths Since that time our hearts have been ensince I preached in a settlement of Uni-ed us amidst our sadest gloom-and darkcouraged;-your benevolence has cheerversalists; they were out almost to a man est prospects, for which we must ever and I know not that I ever had such a feel grateful. We have increased under deep sense of the apparent hopelessness of a congregation. I endeavoured howyour fostering care, we have not only added to our number, but we have ever to deal faithfully with them. In another neighborhood, where we have grown in grace, and in love, and in knowa few members, I preached not long since; instrumental in the acquisition of the latledge. Bible classes have been greatly many persons were there who very selter. Our hearts are united in love and dom hear a gospel sermon. One man who has lived in the neighborhood twen-cerely pray that this state of things and we go on pleasantly and happily. I sinty five years was never seen before at a of feeling may not only continue, but go place of public worship. I do not menon to increase. tion these circumstances to induce you to think, that I have a greater faculty than others, of calling people out to hear the word preached, but to show that the cause is not yet hopeless. It is by the foolishness of preaching," that those who believe are saved, consequently, the more that souls put themselves within the reach of the great mean, the greater the prospects, that they will be saved. However, Paul may plant and Appollos water but God giveth the increase. The Lord's supper has been administered once since my last communication, and though the weather was extremely unpleasant (very rainy) we had a comfortable time. Six were added to the church,-three of them on examina tion. Our Bible class is still very promising, belonging to it is the girl of fourteen and the woman of sixty. Two of the three who took upon them the name of Christ for the first time at our last communion, belonged to it. They are the first fruits of the families to which they belong. A Tract society, formed since my last report, has put into circulation several At our late communion season we had a very interesting meeting. Ten were gain strength, and to increase rapidly in PENNSYLVANIA. thousand pages of tracts. As far as I have A Missionary of the Board, in Penn sylvania, under date of May 26th, 1831, gives the following affecting narrative: peat occasionally a petition after hin.After he had closed his prayer, she again commenced, and such prayer he says he never heard: there was all the dread of one under sentence of condemnation who saw the penalty of the law just about to be inflicted, all the fervency of one who saw the prize of eternal life held up to view, all the urgency and importunity and wrestling agony of one who thoroughly felt the worth of the soul, and its lost estate by sin, who saw heaven and hell opened to her vision, and knew that an Mrs. B. whose death we here record, had some years ago been the subject of Occasional convictions of sin, but they were transient and no abiding effect was produced. She still gave evidence of an unhumbled heart, and was careless and irreligious. Some time in March, she was seized with an affection of the breast resembling pleurisy and suffered a great deal of pain. The violence of the disease after a few days abated, and her hus-hour or two would decide her everlasting band about to be called in the prosecution of his business several hundred miles down the river, she was removed to the house of a sister in W. The disease although apparently subdued was still preying upon her strength, and it was still evident to all her friends that she was rapidly declining. A female relative, two days before her death, was so impresed with the belief that she would not recover, that she conceived it to be her duty to inform her of her situation. This she did in as cautious a way as possible, hinting at her danger and the propriety of being prepared for death. The intelligence surprized and shocked her very much, for she had entertained no fears of death. From this time she began to pray, but with much ignorance of the evil of sin and the plague of her own heart. Her chief desire and the great burden of her petitions was, that she might recover, that she might live till her husband would return, &c. She could not for the two days after she had been informed of her situation bear to talk or think of death, and indeed tried various ways to persuade her friends that she was growing stronger. destiny. O! it was a season of deep and thrilling interest, and will never be forgotten by those who supported in the bed her dying body, who heard the tones of her voice, who witnessed the agitation of soul depicted on her countenance! Her supplications, which were very appropriate, manifesting a clear view of the plan of salvation laid down in the Gospel, clothed in language such as they thought quite above her acquirements, and uttered with a fervour of feeling such as I have described, were continued for about an hour. She then paused, and after remaining silent a moment, said "I thank thee, Jesus, I thank thee." Her friends caught at the expression, and a pious female friend who was assisting to support her in bed, said to her, "Shave you found peace, have you found the Saviour?" "O yes (said she) I have found Jesus." She then began to speak of the excellency of Jesus, and the joys of heaven. After a short rest, she began to pray for her friends, and after praying fervently for all, she talked to her friends who were present, yea, preached to them with the eloquence of one who had already entered the pearly gates, walked On Saturday, the 16th of April last, the golden streets, seen the glory and between 11 and 12 o'clock at night, after tasted the enjoyments of the New Jerua short sleep, she awoke, and feeling her salem above, of the value of the soul, the debility more than she had ever done be- joys of heaven, the necessity of religion, fore, told her attendants that she must and the danger of delay. Her work was die. She urged them to send for Doctor not yet done. Her husband was far away, F. but before he could arrive, exclaimed and many of her other friends were not that it was not the Doctor that she want- now present. She left a message for her ed, but Mr. T. one of the elders of W. husband, her aged father, and all her othChurch. He was sent for, and as soon as er friends, and I need not say that this meshe came into the yard, before he entered sage was not about this world's concerns. the house he heard her voice in ardent O! now this world was to her, what it prayer to God for mercy. When he had will soon be to each, just receding forever entered the room, she said to him, "get from her view. The message had reladown, get down and pray for my poor tion to the souls of her friends, and sinful soul, for I am dying." He began to the future and eternal things which to supplicate for her, but she was so im- are of so much greater moment. If this portunate that she continued her own narrative should hereafter ever reach the cries. He then paused without rising eye of a father, of a husband, of a brothfrom the attitude of prayer. At this sheer or a sister of the deceased, who has ceased, and urged him to pray for her. not yet put in practice what was recomHe renewed his supplications, and she mended, let it speak to their hearts, and no longer interrupted him, except to re-be laid away for frequent inspection. Her |