bigoted Romanists were induced to hear, and a whole family, consisting of eight persons, were led to embrace the truth as it is in Jesus.

The destitution of some parts of the sister isle, and the willingness of the people to hear the Gospel, are thus described by one of our most laborious agents.

"The population of D-- is about a thousand souls. The surrounding country is mountainous, studded with villages and hamlets, interspersed with numerous cabins, the dwellers of which are for the most part wretchedly poor, and ignorant in the extreme. In most parts of the district a book could not be purchased, except at a distance of from 25 to 30 miles, so that nearly all the sources of knowledge are limited to oral instruction. Here God has enabled me to prosecute my labours with increasing prospects of success. Besides our regular Sabbath services in the chapel, and occasional services abroad, twenty places have been regularly visited. When I came to the station three years ago, it was with difficulty we could induce a dozen persons to come to the chapel, once on the Lord's day; now we have two services, and an average sttendance of from 30 to 40 adults on each occasion, and our last monthly prayer-meeting for the spread of the Gospel consisted of 35 persons. Two young men in the church are usefully occupied in preaching, without remuneration, in the surrounding villages, with great acceptance. At the out-stations the Lord is blessing the word, and there is a manifest growing attachment to the Gospel. At a young man incautiously handling a gun shot his mother, and she died in a few hours. The bereaved family urged me to preach at her wake; I did so in English and in Irish, to many persons. Several Roman Catholics present appeared greatly delighted by hearing the Gospel preached in Irish. During the last three months I visited more sick people than during any similar period of my mission. Some of these have died rejoicing in Christ, others of them have recovered, and are believing in the Son of God and adorning the Gospel, while I have to lament that some who have recovered are now caring for none of these things."

Another agent writes, "The demand for more room has induced the people at B―to raise a little money among themselves, and erect side galleries in the school, house. This has recently been completed, and affords additional accommodation for about 40 persons. Since this new erection, the house has been filled as usual, every spot being occupied, and I trust that the establishment of our cause in this town, and the word preached to so many souls in the surrounding country, will be productive of much fruit to the glory of God and the spiritual benefit of many."

One of our brethren, who is in labours more abundant, and who finds many discouragements arising from the high church influence of the metropolitan see, in which he labours, is yet enabled to write, "All my mission stations are flourishing. We have numerous openings, crowded houses, and attentive hearers; what can we want more? Nothing but conversions; and I trust that not a few have been induced, by the Holy Spirit honouring my ministry, to yield their hearts to Jesus. After five years' residence in this place, I look with deep gratitude to God to the varied success he has given me. In accepting the pastorate of the church here, I found between twenty and thirty members on the books, and about thirty of a congregation. Now we have almost seventy church members, and a congregation varying from eighty to a hundred and fifty. I have succeeded in opening a very flourishing station at a place called Slash, about five miles distance. The wickedness of the place, more than anything else, attracted my attention. On Sunday the 11th instant, I went to it, and found a farm house filled with anxious-looking hearers. At the conclusion of the service, several persons called out, 'O sir, do come back again.' I complied; and announced that in a fortnight I would visit them again. According to appointment I went, and was surprised, on arriving near the place, to see crowds of people hastening to a field, and some carrying chairs, others forms, and all auxious to gain

the field. I preached in the open air. God helped me, and I am persuaded that many a conscience was aroused, many an inquiry suggested, and many a resolution made that God should have all the heart." The self-denying labours of our Scripture-readers are greatly blessed in the various places they visit. One of them says, "Conversing with an intelligent man, light seemed to break on his mind, ‘And though,' said he, ‘I worship at the mass-house, I believe transubstantiation to be a lie, and would renounce it, but I am in terror of persecution.' In my neighbourhood lives a man, who, when I first spoke to him, believed he could save himself by penance, and that the priests could forgive sins, and perform miraculous cures. As he could not read, I entreated him to hear me read the word of God, in Irish, and as a wise man to judge what I read. He did; and I repeated my visits, and he is now looking to the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse him from all sin, and having no confidence in what a priest can do for him. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. The families I mentioned in my last journal, who renounced popery, are going on well; reading the Scriptures daily, proving all things, and holding fast that which is good." These are samples of the interesting contents of the journals received from Ireland. Surely our churches should not hesitate liberally to contribute to the support of the pious and faithful men who are thus testifying the Gospel in benighted Ireland, especially at a period when endeavours to revive the most absurd notions and delusions of the dark ages are made by the adherents of popery. In a large town, in the south of Ireland, the Franciscans are now attempting the Estatica described by Lord Shrewsbury. A female is said to be visited from heaven, and to be pierced with the five wounds of the Redeemer, to bleed and die on the Friday, and to rise from the dead on the Sabbath. This pantomine has been acted for some time past, and is devoutly regarded as truth by multitudes of the deluded people, who readily believe that this profane and lying representation of the sufferings and death of the Saviour is a miracle, attesting the heavenly origin of the Roman Catholic faith in general, and giving a Divine sanction to the particular establishment with which it is associated.

COLONIAL MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

THE following report is one of much interest. It sets forth simply, but no doubt accurately, the beginnings and advancement of colonization in a country district of Canada; the discovery of its natural advantages by the first settlers; the increase in the population; the change in the aspect of the country; the acquisition of abundance in rural produce; the bad moral tendencies both of the first hard struggle against the natural difficulties of the unreclaimed forest, and of success in the struggle; the want of religious means, and the inability and unconcern of the people to provide them; the sure spread and activity of erroneous and unqualified preachers where better men are not provided; the plain necessity that the introduction of true religion into colonies must commence, and be for a while supported from without; how great a blessing a faithful ministry must be in the early stages of a colonial settlement; how far too long the effort to provide this blessing for the British colonies has been delayed. All these points come into view in Mr. Connell's unadorned statements. That is, they present a picture of colonial life and necessities. They make the nature and the necessity of Colonial Missions known to their supporters. Let it be added, they indicate that the writer has the true missionary spirit, but that without aid from a so cietyat home, he will be unable to prosecute his labours, and gratify the desires of his heart.

Report of the Religious State of the Township of Brome, Eastern Canada, from David Connell, Minister of the Gospel, Brome, November, 1842.

"In offering a few remarks relative to the religious state of Brome, permit me to do so, by briefly noticing the past and present state, and the future prospects of the place. As regards the past state of Brome, from the best information I can obtain, it is now upwards of forty-five years since the first settlers in Brome commenced clearing and cultivating its lands. It was then an entire wilderness, having no road, except a narrow path, marked on each side by a cut on the trees, with scarce a house, and but very few inhabitants in the place. Its fertile land, and many excellent advantages for water, soon became more generally known, and successive families were induced to settle and become its inhabitants. Thus it has continued to increase with settlers, principally from the United States, till the population last year numbered upwards of sixteen hundred souls. The progress of the place has however been slow, compared with that of some other towns, not superior in either locality or quality of lands; and many assign, as a reason for this, the destitution of the Gospel, which has existed in the place from its first settlement till within the last few months. Since the first settlers came into Brome it has greatly changed and improved by cultivation. The wilderness, to a great extent, has become fine cultivated land; good roads and comfortable farm dwellings may now be found everywhere around; but little or no improvement has taken place in the morals or religious advantages of the people. On the other hand, it is to be feared that many, through the absence of Christian example and ordinances, have degenerated from the little interest they had in religion when first they came to this place, till they have become utterly indifferent. When I first visited Brome (October, 1841,) I found in the place four stores, four taverns, and several mills of different kinds; but, alas! no church, no minister of the Gospel of any denomination, not even a Sunday-school could be found in the place. A few Christians, however, and persons friendly to religion, I met with, but these are scattered over an extensive country, like sheep without a shepherd. The people I found, although without a minister among them, were not without occasional preaching. I was informed that of late they had received visits from Methodist local preachers who had preached to them, and for some years back they had been incessantly harangued by preachers of the doctrine of Universalism. As might be expected, among such a people, the aged, for the most part, careless and ungodly, the youth ignorant and without the opportunity of knowing better, this baneful doctrine had widely spread itself, and had well nigh leavened the whole lump. But in this state of abounding error and ungodliness, I found a few persons who had learned better things, and who had not "bowed the knee to Baal." These had struggled hard against this tide of error, and had used every effort to oppose and suppress it; but the increase of error and wickedness, and no appearance of a minister of the Gospel among them, had almost discouraged them when I first visited Brome. In this state of things what could I do? or what should I have done, but attempt to alleviate and remove these sad privations? I felt that this place had strong claims upon the minister of the Gospel. I saw before me an extensive field of labour, and the prospect of usefulness; and I was thus constrained to comply with the urgent requests of many, who deplore their religious situation, to remain among them, with the hope that in doing so your society would assist me.

"As it is now but little more than a year since my arrival in this place, it cannot be expected that in noticing the present state of Brome, I can represent it in a very dif ferent condition from that in which I found it at my first visit. I however rejoice that I am able to say, within this short period, changes of a very pleasing and encouraging nature have taken place. The preaching of the Gospel, I have reason to believe, has in some measure been attended with the pleasing results of converting

some, awakening others, and building up the Lord's people, in the knowledge and love of God. Where I have been able to overtake this extensive field in preaching, I believe there has been a firm check put upon the doctrine of Universalism, to prevent its extension, and the exhibition of the truth has settled the minds of many, and led them to take a decided stand against this error. I was not long here before it was resolved by the people to build a place of worship, and a Congregational chapel is now erected. The zeal of our people was the means of stimulating to great exertions a few persons favourable to Episcopacy, and they have now an Episcopal minister, and are at present building an Episcopal chapel. Three Sunday-schools have been commenced in different districts of the country, where I statedly preach with prospects very encouraging. The few believers known to me of Congregational principles have been formed into a Christian church of fifteen members.

"From the above statements some idea of the changes which have taken place may be formed, and how cheering it must be to the Lord's people in this place, in looking back upon past privations, to witness the spiritual advantages at present enjoyed. But let it not be supposed there is now no destitution of the Gospel in this quarter. The above remarks may serve to show the necessity there was for something being done to extend the blessings of the Gospel to this people. But no description can fully represent the destitution of the Gospel which yet exists here, and the necessity there is for more Christian effort and more faithful labourers. Since I came here, new fields, entirely destitute of the preached Gospel, have opened to view everywhere around. The township of Dunham, a most flourishing township, which joins Brome, is favoured with the labours of a Methodist minister, the partial labours of a minister in connexion with the Kirk of Scotland, and also of an Episcopal minister. Yet there is much need and encouragement for a Congregational minister. The townships Bolton, Farnham, and Sutton, which also join Brome, are entirely destitute. Their situation and prospects are much similar to those of Brome before my coming. In these townships there is a numerous population, for the most part very ignorant. The people would welcome ministers, and gladly receive instruction; but alas! they are altogether without the means, living strangers to vital godliness and the power of religion upon the heart. There is, however, reason to fear, that in these places very little would at present be done by the people to maintain a minister of the Gospel among them. It may be said, that in proportion to their ignorance they are indifferent about the Gospel, and unwilling to do much towards a minister's support. "As regards the future I have but little to say. With certainty I cannot speak, but in my opinion there is encouragement for faithful labourers in these destitute places. As the field is large, and there are many well doing inhabitants in these parts, it is to be hoped, that were ministers maintained a few years among the people until enlightened and better informed, they would themselves most willingly maintain their minister according to their ability.

"These were my views and hopes in reference to Brome when I first visited the place, and trusting that from your society I should receive the assistance which circumstances required, I was induced to attempt the improvement of the place. I am not, however, without fears, that a few years will transpire before the people will support their minister entirely themselves. This I am led to infer from what was done the last year, and from what may be expected this year. The amount from the people here to support the Gospel last year will not exceed £25, currency, and this year I do not think above £35 or £40 can be depended upon. About this sum, however, I expect they will make up, and I trust there will be a gradual yearly increase. I have endeavoured in the above to give you a correct statement of things, and have only now to say, that if in addition to what is done by the people here, I can receive from your society what will enable me to prosecute my labours comfort

ably, I do fondly hope the Lord will smile upon this undertaking, and render it a great blessing in extending the Gospel in this destitute country. But if I can have no dependence of this nature, I must, however reluctant I may be, of necessity change my intentions and sphere of labour. Praying that our blessed Lord may order and overrule all things for his own glory,

"Believe me to remain, my dear Sir, yours truly,
"DAVID CONNELL."

"The Rev. H. Wilkes, Montreal."

TRANSACTIONS OF CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES.

THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES OF NEW ENGLAND.-Since the first article of the present number went to press, the Editor has received documents which have enabled him to compile the following tabular view of our sister churches in the six northern states of the American Union, usually denominated New England, as reported at their General Associations for 1842.

The churches in the state of Vermont are very small, in consequence of the thinness of the population, or the prevalence of other denominations. Fifty-one have been aided by the Vermont Home Missionary Society, and one hundred are at present without pastors, and have no prospect of enjoying the stated administrations of the word and ordinances. The average number of members is about 135 to each church throughout New England. If we assume that in the state of Vermont, they cannot reckon a higher average than 80 for each church, that will give to the Vermont General Convention, 16,240 communicants, which number, added to the total above, will make the number of brethren in fellowship, 145,261. May the Lord God of their fathers make them a thousand times so many as they are, and bless them as he has promised them. Amen.

In The New Englander for January, 1843, we have the following modest, and on the whole, satisfactory estimate of the state of the New England churches. "The past year is not distinguished by any striking degree of prosperity in our churches. Some colleges and some other institutions of learning; some cities and some villages, few compared with the whole number over the wide face of our country, have been the happy scenes of a deep and sanctifying religious interest and influence. Some new churches have been gathered; some that had gone to decay have been resuscitated; many new houses of worship have been erected; old houses have been repaired; numerous destitute churches have received pastors; fewer ministers have been dismissed than in some former years; and the ministry has in general been well and cheerfully supported by the people. Union, peace, and fraternal confidence have at no period of our history prevailed to a greater extent among the ministers and churches of New England."