The weekly Anglo-African. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1859-1861, 1859-11-26
.4omt COrr&spunhtnt&.
OUR NEW HAVEN LETTER.

INST, sauntered along our streets moodl-
ly cogitating on the "reign of terror" in
this country, heard the solemn peal OF
the bell of one of the Episcopal churches
in this city, calling its members to morn
ing prayer. Immediately resolved to
obey the summons, and enter into that re-
ligious temple for the purpose of remem-
boring before the throne of Divine Grace
those victims of American cruelty and ra-
pacity held in the iron grasp of despotism
in Virginia; but in forming this resolution
I was not without my misgivings whether
1 would be able to find anything in the stiff
and formal services of that chm CHI that
would be in harmony with the spirit of
prayer with which ] was then imbued.
However, 1 entered, and seating myself in
one of the pews, took up copy of the
''Book of Common Prayer" which I found
there, and looked over it carefully to re-
fresh my memory concerning the order of
the services, while the congregation was
gathering, and while awaiting for the min
lister to begin the services. By this short
review of the prayer-book l became con-
WINGED that the services are not so stiff and
formal as at first imagined, for although
there is a fixed and unchanging form of
prayer, yet there is variety given to the
services by constantly changing scripture
lessons. In this respect there is a daily
change of four lessons for morning and
evening prayer throughout the year; there
is weekly change of Collect, Epistle,
and Gospel during the same time; and f.
nally there is daily change in portions of
the Psalms of David for every month of
the year. The discovery of this fact led
me to hope that there would be something
in the services of that morning that would
answer the deepest needs of my spirit in
respect to the object of my prayers. And
l was not disappointed in my expectations,
for in the psalm appointed to be read at
morning prayer for the 10th day of the
month occurred the following: 30 let the
vengeance of thy servants blood that is
shed be openly showed upon the heather
in our sight. 0 let the sorrowful signing
of the prisoners come before thee; according
to the greatness of thy powers preserve
thou those that are appointed to die. And
for the blasphemy wherewith our neigh
bors have blasphemed thee, reward thou
them, o Lord, seven fold into their bosom,
SO we that are thy people ands heep of thy
pasture shall give thee thanks forever, and
shall always be showing forth thy praise
from generation to generation" Ops.
These holy words touched the profound
est depths of my soul, and seemed to have
been written by the Holy Ghost with d.
rect reference to "the signing of the pris-
oners" and "those that are appointed to die"
at Harper's Ferry; and as 1 thought of the
fact that from the rising to the setting of
the sun, wherever the English language is
spoken, in whatever land there is British
ambassador, and upon whatever sea there
is British man-ofwar, these inspired
words of prayer were offered up at the
same time in the order of her ancient litur-
gy, was led to secretly beseech Almighty
God to accept the whole some of these uni
versal supplications in behalf of the Vir-
ginia martyrs of liberty, and at the same
time regretted that the American Church
was so insensible to their spirit
I will here remark that the above quota
ton from the Psalms of David is from the
Psalterin the prayer-book, which, l believe,
is selected from the version called the Bish-
ops Bible, a translation older than that of
King James's, the commonly received YER
sion. The substance of both is the same,
however, though slightly differing in words.
While on this point of Scriptural quota
tons, let me say that the psalm quoted in
my letter published in the "Anglo" of the
10Th inst. should have been stated as the
Oath instead of the 14th.
The Rev. A. G. Beman passed through
our city this week, en- route for New York
l believe he will return here about the
3Oth inst, to deliver a course of lectures or
a series of discourses in our several church.
es. Certainly when he comes for this pur-
pose he should be welcomed by large and
attentive audiences by people among
whom he has spent the best twenty years
of his life. Whatsoever reputation and
honor the colored people of New Haven
have abroad, he stands first and foremost
as the maker of that reputation. He and
his departed sire have not only prominent
| ly identified New Haven but the whole
State of Connecticut and all New England
with the national councils of our people for
! the last quarter of a century Therefore.