Year: 1861

Mah0med, who died, 1t IS saIQ, in defense Of
their religion. In memory of them the Ma
homodens each year make their images, and
make certain offerings to them, after which,
with great ceremony, they bury them. This
whole festival lasts ten days The offerings
at all sucn feasts are taken by the priests,
who are always ready to set forth the impor-
tance Of such teasts, and to prophesy unhap-
piness and adgersity, upon those who neglect
to make their yearly offerings at the shrine
OF the false prophet.


We are praying that the time may soon
come when instead Of assemblies to seek SAL
vation Tor come bodily disease, rom false
God, there will be assemblies to seek saliva
ton from he souls Disease, from the one
true God, and instead Of frivolous commem
oration Of the death Of wicked men, who died
in deceiFing their fellows, there will be the
humble commemQratlon OF the death Of Je-
sus Christ, who died to redeem mankind
How happy would be the condition of these
people, if meetings for true worship were as
tre0uent and as well attended as are their
meetings now for false worship. And may
We not hope for that time to soon come
believe we may Ii the Church is faithful,
and if her missionaries are faithful, God will
! bless her efforts.


Wonder is often expressed by the mission
ary, that the Church, and especially the min
! istry, take no more interest ID the missionary
cause. Some ministers scarce ever preach
upon the subject, and many only preach one
sermon y year, and very few make 1T COM
mon, familiar subject. How many pastors
OF Churches do not know the number of mis-
sionaries in Germany, China, and India,
much less what those men are doing, and yet
their reports are before the people, and their
loings are published monthly, How many
pastors neglect to secure for free distribution
among their people, the Missionary Adc0cate,
although It's only cost to them would be one
sheet of paper and postage stamp. And
now few enter with lie into the Missionary
| Coucert, or prayer meeting This, | say,
seems strange to the missionary, as he stands
in the centre of district onc-tourth the size
Of Vermont, yet with population as large
as both Vermont and New Hampshire. And
as he views this mass OF human beings, all
open to instruction, with only four men to
instruct them, he can but ask, why are there
no more teachers Why are these people
like sheep without shepherds The only
answer is, the Church has not sent them
And why has not the Church sent them
| Principally because her pastors have ncgIect-
ell to proclaim their necessity. l trust my
brethren will pardon my pIainness, as [ write
what have long felt. have many time
seen missionary collections taken up without
even q sermon preached, or an e1hortatlon
made more than to hope the brethren Will
give literally as it is an important cause" !
have also heard from regular Church going
man, this remark never heard a mis-
si0nary sermon before" | am sure that two
years ago the free distribution Of the Ms
S5onayq 144g0cate, was not common in the
! Churches in our Conference or at least in
one District, and the Missionary Concerts
were few and far between. hope, however,
there may have been Improvements since
But why, brethren n the Gospel, why should
there be this lack of interest? viii our
cause at home suffer # we make this great
cause a familiar subject Of conversation and
prayer2 No The larger the Christian heart
| becomes, LHG ulDFS QG hAOT2 VI COu > CdUHS
and its prosperity, the greater will become
his love and the more earnest his Iabots.-
VIII it cause the fire of love and Joy in the
heart Of the Church to be less, to let prayers
be offered in concert for missions No The
heart that is shut up in itself, and prays for
self alone will have little prosperity. So
also the Church that is shut up in itself, will
have but little joy and that Of short dura.
ton, while her sister Church whose heart
goes cut of itself, and takes in lost world,
carrying it to the Throne of Grace, will have
joyous and lasting prosperity. Then, in Je-
sus $ name, let justice be done the cause.


If you could see with me the need Of la.
borers here to teach these poor, degraded
lost heiugs--couId you realize how we are in
every way pressed for want Of means to carry
on our work, you would then realize our feel
ings on this subject, and well excuse a few
plain, true words Oh let not man or
any other cause deter you from doing your
duty to this cause, and may God so bless all
our efforts that the heather may soon be
givsn to our Savior for his inheritance.


Yours traternally,


E. W. PARKER.