JAMAICA ......... SPANISH TOWN............Harvey, C..........November 6. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. The thanks of the Committee are presented to the following friends Miss Fisher, for a box of clothing, for Rev. P. H. Cornford, Jericho, Jamaica; Mr. Humphrey, Boston Farm, Brentford, for a parcel of magazines. CONTRIBUTIONS, Received on account of the Baptist Missionary Society, during the month Subscriptions and Donations in aid of the Baptist Missionary Society will be thankfully received by William Brodie Gurney, Esq., and Samuel Morton Peto, Esq., M.P., Treasurers, or the Rev. Frederick Trestrail and Edward Bean Underhill, Esq., Secretaries, at the Mission House, 33, Moorgate Street, LONDON: in EDINBURGH, by the Rev. Christopher Anderson, the Rev. Jonathan Watson, and John Macandrew, Esq.; in GLASGOW, by Robert Kettle, Esq.; in DUBLIN, by John Purser, Esq., Rathmines Castle; in CALCUTTA, by the Rev. James Thomas, Baptist Mission Press; and at NEW YORK, United States, by W. Colgate, Esq. Contributions can also be paid in at Messrs. Barclay, Bevan, Tritton, and Co., Lombard Street, to the account of the Treasurers. J. HADDON, PRINTER, CASTLE STREET, FINSBURY JANUARY, 1850. TO OUR READERS. We have reason to know that the review of our Society's history in the November Chronicle has attracted the attention of many of our friends. It has been read in some missionary prayer-meetings. Some of our readers state that it has constrained them to renewed and increased effort, and we have received from them promises of speedy aid. We are in possession of similar promises from numerous churches whose letters now lie before us. Some have promised to assist us before Christmas; others before March. We now respectfully but most earnestly press the claims of our society upon those who have not promised us aid as well as those who have. We solicit their sympathy, their prayers, and their support. Collections made and remitted at once would remove pressing difficulties, and enable us timely to assist the noble-hearted men who are devotedly labouring in the mission field in Ireland. We urge the matter upon the attention of our friends, and in the meanwhile await their answer. not reason to believe that in answer to prayer, he will in due time indicate his gracious will. Secondly, my removal would leave no one without the gospel, as the vacancy thus occasioned could be readily and choice of men-many offering, where few filled up, since the society can have the pick can be employed. Thirdly, it is as important to preach the gospel to Irishmen in America, as in Ireland; while there is in the latter case a greater prospect of success, since in America they are free from persecution, and more likely at once to avow their convictions. Fourthly, it is now full time some of my children were doing something for themselves. Here they have no prospect of suitable employment, and it is trying to send them alone of my reflections, when a week ago, viz., on so young to a distant land. Such were some Some of our friends are already aware "Commit thy ways unto the Lord, and he that a very devoted and efficient agent will direct thy paths." I was now led to the of our mission, Mr. DENIS MULHERN, following reflections. First, it may be the has thought it to be the path of duty to Lord's will that I should go, and if so, have resign his connexion with the society, I and is now on his passage to America. It is with regret that we lose the services of such a man in a field for which he was admirably adapted. The committee, however, after correspondence and a personal interview with Mr. Mulhern, while they sorrow for the necessity, are compelled to acknowledge the wisdom and prudence of Mr. Mulhern's decision, and they rejoice to know that Ireland will not in reality lose his services. He goes to America with the intention of specially preaching the truth of heaven to the thousands of his brothren and countrymen who are annually landed on her shores. May God's blessing accompany him, and make him tenfold more a blessing than he has yet been. In consequence of circumstances, which Mr. M. fully details in his letters to the Committee, certain friends in Boston, U. S., invited him thither to labour amongst his countrymen in that city. Mr. M. made it a matter of deep thought and prayer. The following is an extract from his letter: This caused me to begin to think seriously on the matter, and to go to the Lord for direction, remembering that it is written, from Capt. Richardson of New York, enthe 9th inst., I received a very kind letter closing a ticket, entitling myself and all my family, eleven in number, to a cabin passage, in a packet from Liverpool to New York, and directing where to go on our arrival. I now conclude that it is the Lord's will I should go; the path of duty I think is plain. It will be trying to me to part with old and dear friends, and dissever old and endearing connexions; but if it be the Lord's will, it is all right. We believe it is the Lord's will, and pray that our brother may find it to be right. Another valued brother and missionary, | act of parliament had decided it. A kind hearted Mr. BATES, writes under date of December 11th. The following is an extract from his letter: I would fain attend to this exhortation, and by so doing, I find that if I am spared till next March, I shall then have laboured seventeen years in Ireland. This period forms the most important part of my life, and though they have been years of activity, yet they have been years of happiness. Sometimes I have been enabled to walk from ten to twenty miles a day, and preach two or three times. Through great mercy and rich grace I have been strengthened to preach from 240 to 250 sermons in a year, and some years more. These services, with prayer-meetings, annual tours for several years on behalf of the society, superintending for a time in the west about forty-five agents, viz., twenty-three day schools, ten night schools, eight sabbath readers, four daily readers, writing forty-one tracts and handbills, of which about 5,000 annually have been circulated, making nearly 100,000, through the aid of the readers, with a few papers occasionally for some of the periodicals here, kept me from being idle. About a hundred members have joined the churches with which I have been connected during this period. I have had to conduct the singing also until lately. This was the case in the west, though I confess it was rather hard work for the lungs. For some time past I have been far from well. Early this year I had the jaundice very bad, then dysentery, after that inflammation in the chest, which laid me up for eight weeks, and now I sometimes spit blood. I am through mercy better, and look pretty well, so that I do not like to complain, though I feel weak, and preaching is very hard work to what it formerly was. Our friend Mr. HAMILTON under date Two or three months ago a family was obliged to go into the workhouse, all of whom attended our chapel except the mother, who is a Roman Catholic, and one boy of fourteen years of age is a member of the church. The master refused to let them out to worship, because the act of parliament requires children under fifteen, in workhouses, to be of the same religion as their parents. I thought, however, that I must not loose my one lamb without making an effort. On this day three weeks I therefore brought the matter before the board of guardians. I went with hopes and fears and prayers, not seeing how we would get, out of the difficulty, but knowing that the God of Daniel still lives. Col. Gore was in the chair, a gentleman who has always been obliging to me, but he did not see what could be done in the case, as the gentleman at his side, whose name I don't know, asked what I would wish to have done; I replied, to have the mother and the children brought before the board. requested the chairman to ask the eldest boy They were at once ordered up. I then if it was still his desire to attend the Baptist chapel? he said, it was. ask the mother, had she any objection to his I requested him to doing so? She said she had no objection. I further requested the chairman to ask her if she had any objection to the rest of her children attending the Baptist Chapel? she said that she had not. The chairman then said that the case was decided; the mother being the natural guardian of the children had a right to allow them to go to whatever place of worship she liked, and that those children four interesting children, and an elder one must not be interfered with again. Those who is not in the workhouse, still attend our Sabbath school and public worship. lately. A respectable farmer, about three Another interesting case has occurred here miles out of town, but now reduced, being very ill, requested me to visit him. I went there twice, and read, conversed, and prayed with him. On Sunday week he came to our chapel, but as he was before the time, I asked him in to get his clothes dried, the morning having been very wet. had resolved to come on that day to reHe told me that he turn thanks to the Lord for his great mercy was in the greatest distress about his soul, to him. He said that during his illness he and that he cried to the Lord to have mercy upon him, and that he thought he saw the Lord Jesus hanging upon the cross, and dying for sinners, and as he continued to look to Jesus, he felt the great burden of his sins taken away, and that he could then rejoice in the Lord. He further said, that he sometimes thought it would be his duty to stand up in the street and tell the people what the Lord had done for his soul. He was out again last Sabbath, and says that he is determined to make our chapel his place of worship. fixed upon Friday evening for paying the men, Sabbaths has been improving also. As far as lection, we dwelt upon the rise and progress At the time of making the missionary coloccurrences of the East and West Indies, and of the Baptist Missionary Society, the leading Burchell, and we hope that some small degree we have been since reading the life of Mr. of the same spirit has got among the people. On last Tuesday evening, two young men followed me into the vestry, and sat down with a class of adults that I met on that evening. While conversing with them, they evinced considerable sincerity and knowledge of the way of salvation. I had not a thought about them before having a concern about their souls. Thus, you see, that notwithstanding all the efforts of Satan and false friends, the spark is still kept alive. This we can attribute to nothing but the goodness and mercy of the Lord. of a larger sum already paid. Such, indeed, was the effect of this most merciful interposition, that it brought us all to our knees to render fervent thanks to him who makes all things work for the good of those who love his name and revere his word. On the day before the last I visited a poor woman-on entering, she said I was welcome to read and pray with her, adding, "I sent twice during the last few days for the priest, but as he knew that I had no money to pay him, he did not come. I read to her the third chapter of John, and many other scrip Mr. BERRY, under date Dec. 13th, tures-showing our fallen condition and the writes: I am much obliged for the box of clothing I have one station fourteen miles off, where the people have suffered much from the famine, and you will judge the value of a box of clothes when I tell you that several of the persons lately baptized came here in borrowed clothes, and that actually three or four persons could not come at all for want of some kind of covering-every thing that I could spare or not spare I had to give. Mr. BROWNE writes from Coleraine :Things about this quarter go on much as usual. I have been in the habit of supplying five country stations, to which I have just added a sixth. The congregations on the Lord's day, in town, continue good. Last Lord's-day evening I had the pleasure of baptizing a candidate in the presence of a very attentive congregation. Since I wrote you last we have lost a very exemplary member by death. His end was peace. His last words were "I am going to heaven." It is our consolation to know that though parted for a season, we shall soon meet in that happy world where parting shall be unknown. JOHN MONAGHAN writes: A few days since, I entered the house of a neighbouring tradesman. I found him sitting by his fireside, and his eldest daughter reading the New Testament to him. I said, "James, I am glad to see you are well employed." "Yes," said he, "when I sat down, I was almost in a state of despair. But now, through what I have heard, my heart has been comforted and my strength renewed." In a subsequent couversation this man informed me, that that was the second day his children were fasting, and that he had not a bit for them, nor a farthing to buy it. We read together the sixth chapter of Matthew, and I hope we read and heard prayerfully. When I was making some observations on the thirty-third verse-"Seek ye first the kingdom of God," &c., a woman entered and handed my friend some little money, being the balance necessity of an interest in the work of Christ. All through I have reason to believe that she heard like one who felt deeply concernedand that good is being done. The following are but a few specimens of priestly doings. Mr. MCADAM writes: I turned into a village called Ballybreenyvisited two catholic families. In the first family, the husband died lately, without benefit of clergy (as they style it); I had often read to him the words of eternal life, and showed to him the only plan of salvation. He was always fond of instruction, often came to hear Mr. Bates preach. When dying-overcome by the urgent entreaties of his Roman catholic neighbours and friends, he allowed them to send for the priest. Priest Timlin, with an imperious aspect, ordered off the messenger to bring him his fees with all back arrears, otherwise he could not come to save the soul. The messenger returned with his doleful answer, but the dying man replied, "Jesus will have mercy on me, I trust." Again the catholics cried out to his daughter, "Don't let your decent father die like a dog or a horse." They urged the girl so much, that she went and again entreated the priest to come to her father. He refused,said he would not come without his fees. The man shortly died trusting alone in the atonement of Christ for salvation. The happy result is, I believe, that the whole family are looking to Christ, and the priest will lose more of his fees. JOHN JUDGE writes, She Read and prayed in the house of widow Durkan. She listened with good attention while I read to her out of the Irish scriptures, and wept sorely while I was narrating the sufferings and great love of Christ. thanked me much, and expressed a wish that she could live near me in order that she might hear these things oftener, and learn how to be saved. I asked her, did not the priest ever point out to her the way of salvation. "No," said she, " he never gave me so much knowledge as you have given me now since he came to |