Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-08-09
For the Southern Christian Herald.
LETTER FROM THE Rev. ]. LEIGHTON
WILSON.

|
WILSON.
For copy ofthe following letter addressed
to the Society of Inquiry on Missions, in the
Theological Seminary at Columbia, we are
indebted to the Secretary of that Society
Fair Hope, Cape Palmas, May g. 1887.
DEAR BRETHREN -" That thou doest' 10
quickly" is a sentiment that has sunk deep
into my heart, since our affective bereavement
in the removal of our dear friends and fellow
laborers* Mr.. and Mrs. White. The circum-
stances connected with this affective, and TO US
mysterious Providence, have already been
made known probably, through the puoiic
prints, and it is needless, in this letter, TO re-
peat them. One of those solemn obligations
which believe to have been imposed upon
me by this event, is to address you a letter.
and should this day be summoned to the bar
of Judgment, my conscience would charge me
with the neglect ofa very solemn and lmpera-
tive duty. But feel that renew this sub
ject under disadvantageous circumstances
The letter which have received from you' IN
reply to former presentation OF the claims Of
Africa, holds out no expectation that any one
of your number will consecrate his ilfe and
person to the improvement of this benlghted
| and miserable people. The death OF MIR. and
Mrs. White, will make you doubt still more,
and you will hear many say perhaps, that one
Mission is hopeless and unwarrantable un-
dertaking. But notwithstanding all that may
be said, am determined my dear brethren,
to do MY duty. AS long as we have the sane
ton of the Bible, and the smiles ofour Saviour,
as we have most richly in Africa, we shall
regard the hard sayings of our fellow.men'
nor will any thing under Heaven induce US to
| abandon the work; and should this letter fail
to fix your attention seriously upon this SUBJ
iect, this, at least, shall have to comfort my
heart, that have done what conceived to
be my duty, and that when we are all assem-
bled before the Judge Of the earth, on this
point, if no other, shall be blameless.
Inyour letter you urge the wants OF Africa
at home, and on this subject / want my own
views and feelings to be thoroughly known.
Ifin my letter to your Society, twelve months
ago, or any thing that has fallen from my lips,
or been communicated by my pen, there has
been any thing to disparage or lesson those
claims, l have been most sadly mlsun-
derstood. In behalf of that portion Of the hu-
man family my warmest feelings have always
been enlisted, and manH many times, both
whilst was resident of South Carolina and
since have been in Africa, has my mind been
most intensely exercised IN their account
| And there does not come under my eye one
single paragraph in relation to what is DONG
for their improvement, that does not prove to
be cause of joy. rejoice in every effort
that is made for their conversion, and saliva
ton, and were it in my power would mpart
an impulse, that would carry the Gospel to the
door of every African on the continent OF
America. | would say to every brother IN
the ministry, renew and multiply your efforts;
and l would say to every one who Is about
settling over a charge-beacare you do not neg
lee. those Heather uho are around your doors.
But may not, in strict consistency and COM
patibility with the principles and feelings
which have professed, urge upon your atten-
| ton the claims of Africans upon this CONT
nent! 1t is said, and justly said that Al
fricans at home, are much neglected, and out
partially instructed, but of those on this con-
tinent, it may be said with equal truth, that
they are entirely neglected and altogether u'1'n-
structed. Those two States which you repss.
sent in the Seminary, embrace, believe,
about half million of colored people; but
western Africa embraces tpenty millions! IT
then, you see great want at home, and vast
field for christian enterprize-look hther, and
you will see uant, and desti!ution, and misery
indescribQble, and field for cxertions forty
times as large as that which opens around
you. Now, dear brethren, l put the question
to your consciences, atfectionatcly, but SOL
| enu!v, were the provisions of salvation made
for the five hundred thousand of S. Carolina
and Georgia alone, or did they contemplate
the twenty millions Of west Africa, also? If
for both, what account shall we give in the
great day, that our attention has been confined
to one fortieth part, TO the exclusion of the
remainder! Does the command of our Say
lou., familiar 10 you all, authorize such a dis
tribution of labor? Did he command us to
preach the Gospel to our fellow. countrymen
alone, or to the whole world! What language
do the lives and the conduct of the Apostles
and the primitive Christians utter Did they
limit their labours to the boundaries of fJudea,