Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1826-10-19


%, 600 Islanders, { do not here vouch
Tor precision)--that IS one missionary
to 600 heather; and mark those mis-
sionaries iabouring for ttrenty years
before the Spirit is given and sinners
there converted; and then say If the
missionaries here should be suspected
Of unlaithlulness, or they and the PEG
pie be viewed under ."me peculiar
frown of heaven, because the labours
Of six missionaries among 1900 900,
or one among 2 600 900 have not been
accompanied by their conversion IN ~
years; yea, in much less than that,
for during a considerable part Of those
twelve years, there were not more
than three missionaries among these
100000, some of the time bot tlco,
aud part Of the time not one. Under
such circumstances, could more be
reasonably expected than has been
done? With such an abashing--such
All APPALLING disparity between the mag
nitude of the work, and the fewness
OF the workmen, would not any spe-
cial work of conversion have been
stranger thing than the absence of it
| is?
The magnitude of this work, and
the wants Of these 10000 of hea
then, we have, from time TO time, for
tsoeiUe years, and in language as plain
and ureen: as we could use, expressed
TO our Board, and to our cInrches; and
what attention has it received, and
what have they done? Before these
twelve years commenced, they sent
three missionaries to 60 they knew not
where, but whom Providence direct
ed to this spot Since they began to
hear the Macedonian cry from this
spot in behalf of these IL 900 900 of
souls, they have sent four more mis-
sIoharies, one of whom has returned
to the bosom Of the Church in America.
and two rest in The Bombay Missiona
ry burial ground-while but tao of
your missionaries survive TO address,
as your delegates under Christ, the ii
dings of salvation 10 these 100000
of heather. Yes, reverend and belov
ed Members of Board, and ye most
signally blessed American Churches.
the fact must be repeated. For twelve
years have we sent forth to you, the
Macedonian cry IN behaifOf IL 100000
of heathen souls; and often in our
leadlngs with you ior:hen, have we
laid them as suppliants at yoar feet beg
glng frem your hands the bread of life:
and you have in all that time sent them
but fo,tr missionaries and YOU have
'loto one les, missionary among them
than you had ten years ago; and now,
while almost every operation of the
mission is dragged on al, most affect.
ing and approaching disadvantage, we
are told from the Board that they know
not when they can send any more
missionaries beyond the Cape Of Good
Hope!
Is it not donhly grievCns-.doubly
distressing to contemplate such facts?
grievous beyond expression in view of
thelmillIons perishing eternaily through
such neglect-and hardly less grievcus
TO behold Christians, through the same
neglect, so wronging their own souls
and the souls Of their fellow men, and
so robbing their precious Saviour, Of
what they, IN every prayer, acknowl-
edge TO be due to him from them, and
from the heather, who are given to
him?
But there is another grievous view of
the subject. During those twelve
years, the facilities for importing Christ
ian knowledge among this people, or
for employing among them the appoint
ed means of salvation, have so multi
piled and improved, that ! think it
moderate to say that missionary arri
wing here 'soaU, could, in any equal
period, do ten times as much for the
diffusion of Christian knowledge, as
could have been done by arriving here
twelve years ago. Then there was no
school in which to catechise and give
lectures--no chapel--no Scriptures and
tracts to dispense. Now we have a
chapel--,mcre than thirty school rooms
and the Scriptures and tracts for
distribHtion--while hundreds of towns
aud villages, by all the eloquence and
pathos that the most imperious want
and the direst necessity can inspire,
are supplicating for more mission
schools millions ofpeopIe, calling for