sand souls? I will take the liberty to observe, that the Missionary Societies are susceptible of very great improvements. Will those who enjoy Gospel ordinances fold their arms in sloth, and reply, We cannot remedy the evil? Is this acting like Christians, or manifesting love either to God or man? Where is the spirit of our venerable and pious Reformers? Let such cold professors view what all classes are doing in. Great Britain, to build up the kingdom of our Lord Jesus through the world. Let their attention be turned to the Roman Clergy in Europe, who formerly prohibited the word of life from the laity, under pain of the most excruciating torture and eternal damnation, now putting the living oracles of God into the hands of their people, and opening the door of salvation to those who were perishing in ignorance; let them stoop down from their couches of sloth, and observe even servants consecrating their hard-earned penny to purchase Bibles for themselves and others. Are you Christians, and unwilling to put to the helping hand? Care you not whether your fellow-men sink into perdition or not? God for bid that this should be the result of your minds: but suffer me to call upon you by the agonies of an expiring Saviour, by the joys of heaven, and the terrors of everlasting misery, to arouse into activity, in seeking salvation for your own souls, and contribute a part of the good things God hath blessed you with, in order to send salvation to those who are perishing. Consider that the highest honour you can enjoy, is to be co-workers with God; and although you are not Ministers, yet you can be as accessary to the spread of the Gospel, by your prayers, your counsels, and contributions, as if you were in the sacred office. God claims a right to a part of what he has given us, for the promoting of his glory; and he confers an honour upon us, in putting it in our power to give back a part of what he has bestowed on us, for his service. Under the Jewish economy, Jehovah required a tenth of their income for religious uses. Under the New-Testament dispensation, he leaves it, in some measure, to the charity of Christians to determine what they will do for the cause of their Lord and Master. Shall Christians be behind the Jews in contributing of their wealth to promote the glory of God, and the spread of his Gospel?

"With sincere regard, I remain your friend and servant in the work of our common Lord,

"JOHN DUNLAP."

WE have been favoured with an extract of a letter from Sharon, Connecticut, of recent date, which gives a very flattering account of the state of religion in the North-Western part of that State, and the neighbouring towns in Massachusetts. In New-Marlborough, Colebrook, Sandisfield, and Salisbury, there appears to have been a very extensive work of Divine grace upon the hearts of sinful men, and a considerable number have been added to the Church, of such, it is hoped, as shall be saved. This work is spreading through the towns of Granville, Hadley, and other places on Connecticut River; also at Kent, Canton, New-Hartford, and Winsted, in the State of Connecticut. It is also mentioned, that the subjects generally held up to view by the preachers, and which appear to have been uniformly blessed in promoting the conviction and conversion of souls, were the humbling doctrines of the cross, such as the total depravity of fallen man, salvation by the free sovereign grace of God in Christ Jesus, &c.

Another letter from Torringford, Litchfield County, Connecticut, in addition to the towns above, mentions also the towns of Cornwall and Goshen, as sharing in the blessed revival.

From the Commercial Advertiser.

LAST Sabbath afternoon, the pulpits of the several Methodist Churches in this City were in mourning, and funeral sermons preached in them all, to crowded congregations, on the death of the late Rev. FRANCIS ASBURY, Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Churches in the United States. The Bishop was born at Barre, Hansworth Parish, Staffordshire, England, September 23, 1745; was admitted as a Travelling Preacher in the Methodist connection in 1766, and continued as a Preacher there until he embarked for the continent in 1771; where he exercised his functions as a Preacher till 1779, when he was appointed General Superintendent. In 1785, at a General Conference held in Baltimore, Maryland, he was unanimously elected and ordained Bishop, which office he filled agreeably to the directions of St. Paul, for more than thirty years. During the time of his Ministry, it is presumed he preached from fifteen to eighteen thousand sermons; presided at more than two hundred Conferences; travelled from one hundred to one hundred and fifty thousand miles, and perhaps ordained more Ministers than any other man ever did!!!

As to the necessary qualifications to fill the high stations he so long held in the Church; he possessed good natural and acquired abilities, read the Scriptures in the languages in which they were originally written; was acquainted with the several branches of polite literature, which he appeared studiously to conceal. But nothing short of deep and uniform piety could have secured to him the love and confidence of a people who knew how to distinguish between the form and power of godliness. To deep and uniform piety, and talents far above the common grade, he added a zeal and diligence that has been equalled but by few.

For almost half a century, this extraordinary man traversed this vast continent, encountering the summer's heat, and winter's cold. And, when pressed by age and infirmity, and solicited by his friends to lessen his labours, his zeal prompted him on to the last. On the 3d Sabbath in March, he preached in Manchester; on the 4th, in Richmond; and on the 5th Sabbath, and last day of the month, 1816, about 50 miles from Richmond, in Spottsylvania County, Virginia, he ended his course, in the seventy-first year of his age, and fiftieth of his Ministry, and stept, as it were, from labour, toil, and sufferings, to his everlasting rest! The remains of Bishop Asbury were deposited in the family burying ground of George Arnold, Esq. at whose house he died.

CHRISTIAN HERALD.

VOL. I.]

Saturday, May 4, 1816.

[No. 6.

Communication to the Editor of the Christian Herald. NEWARK, N. J. April 22, 1816.

SIR,

By the direction of the Managers of the Philadelphia Bible Society, an order was forwarded to England in the month of August last, for 300 Spanish Testaments, designed for distribution among the Spaniards at New-Orleans, and the vicinity of that place. The Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society, upon hearing of this demand, voted 1000 Spanish N. Testaments, 500 French do., and 100 French Bibles, to be forwarded to the Louisiana Bible Society, for gratuitous distribution among the destitute in that quarter. books arrived at New-Orleans, by the way of Philadelphia, in the month of January. The following extract of a letter from one of the Managers of the Louisiana Bible Society, which came to hand some weeks ago, will show the manner in which the Testaments were received by the Spaniards, and likewise give some information relative to the distribution of the French Testaments and Bibles :--

These

"NEW-ORLEANS, 29th January, 1816.

"MY DEAR SIR,

"I have no doubt it will give you pleasure to hear of the prosperous progress of the Louisiana Bible Society. The French Bibles, printed in New-York, have much pleased the inhabitants of New-Orleans. About 600 copies have been distributed among the heads of families, who have generally manifested much satisfaction and thankfulness for the gift. One or two persons have asserted, that for ten or twelve years they have been endeavouring to get a French Bible without success. Some have expressed their joy on ob taining a Bible, by declaring that a hundred dollars would not make them more happy. The New-Testaments distributed last year, have been generally read, particularly by the youth in schools. All express their satisfaction in this book. VOL. I.--No. 6.

F

"The venerable British and Foreign Bible Society has presented us with 1000 Spanish New-Testaments, 300 French New-Testaments, and 100 French Bibles, which I began to distribute about ten days ago. I am really delighted and highly encouraged at the manner in which the Spaniards have received the Spanish New-Testament. Many most pleasing occurrences are almost daily animating us to persevere in distributing the oracles of eternal life among this people.

"From the facility with which I have distributed the Spanish New-Testament among the Spaniards, I have been induced to think that an exploring Mission to Campeachy, Carthagena, &c. should be undertaken, to learn with certainty the practicability or impracticability of distributing the Spanish New-Testament among the inhabitants. There is a wide field where Christian charity may find employment without end. I was informed by an American gentleman a few days ago, that, when at Campeachy the last summer, he endeavoured to purchase a Spanish New-Testament in order to learn the language, and offered a Spaniard five dollars for one which had been given him at Jamaica; but the latter refused to part with it at any rate.

"Believe me sincerely your friend,

"A. HENNEN."

I add the following extract of a letter from the Rev. Daniel Smith*, dated

"DEAR SIR,

"NATCHEZ, March 4, 1816.

I was

"I wrote to you immediately after my arrival in New-Orleans; but I heard nothing from you until I came to this place. I tarried in New-Orleans near two months. principally occupied in disposing of my Bibles and other books. I have sent boxes to Jeffersonville, Shawanee-Town, Vincennes, Redbanks, mouth of the Cumberland, St. Louis, Nashville, Pearl-River, (Miss. Ter.) Amite Co. and Pinckneyville, (Miss. Ter.) Placquemine, Oppelousas, and Attakapas, (Louisiana). 225 Bibles were distributed among 8

Mr. Smith went out to the Southern Country as a Missionary from the Massachusetts Missionary Society. He left Boston the latter part of last October, and arrived at New-Orleans on the 21st of November. He took on with him more than 1000 English Bibles, for gratuitous distribution, the donation of different Bible Societies and individuals in Boston and the vicinity of that place. He had also some thousands of religious Tracts and other books, designed principally for gratuitous distribution.

or 900 troops in New-Orleans by Mr. Tarrant, the chaplain who is since dead. 25 were deposited in the custom-house, New-Orleans for the use of the shipping that clear out from that port.

"Mr. Hull preached the Anniversary Sermon before the members of the Bible Society. A contribution was obtained, amounting to $133. Mrs. B. circulated a subscription paper among the ladies, and obtained $200 for the Society. More than $1000 were due from the members.

"A donation of 1000 Spanish Testaments, 300 French do., and 100 French Bibles, has been received from the British and Foreign Bible Society. About 500 Spanish Testaments have been distributed. The French Bibles from England and New-York are distributing very rapidly.

"A Bible Society has lately been organized on the Amite, called "The Amite and West-Florida Bible Society." Its subscriptions are large already. The Bible Society here has lately purchased near 300 Bibles. Those, with some I brought, are now distributing.

"Since I have been here, the ladies have commenced the formation of a charitable Society for the instruction of poor children. The subscription amounts to near $500. I expect a charitable school will soon be established.

"This, my dear brother, is a happy day in which we live. We have only to stand still, and see the salvation of God. Whether we labour or are idle, the great work goes forward. The Lord cannot want means and instruments; but if we are active in his service, we shall receive the reward. Pray for me, that I may be found faithful.

"Your friend and brother in Christ,

"DANIEL SMITH."

By a letter received from a friend residing at St. Louis, Missouri Territory, dated February 8th, 1816, I am informed that the Bibles and Testaments which have been sent on to the Territory, have been generally distributed. The writer states that he has given out the English Bibles to the destitute, and that they were thankfully received; and that more could be given out if they could be obtained. He received, some time ago, 260 French Testaments for gratuitous distribution. About 200 of them had been given out in St. Louis and St. Genevieve. He states that some opposition had been made to their circulation, by the priest residing in a certain village; and that there were numbers of the Roman Catholies who kept their Testament privately from the knowledge