READER, does your heart respond to this exclamation of the Psalmist? Perhaps you will reply, I think it does, for I love the Bible, I read it daily, and endeavour to derive from it my principles of action, and the motives to influence my daily conduct.' This is well, but let me ask, Do you feel a strong desire that others may walk in that light which you find so pleasant and so safe? While this lamp sheds its clear and steady rays on your path, so that you can avoid pitfalls, and snares, and discover the way to your quiet home, care you for the ten thousand other wanderers that through the storm, and the trackless desert, and the palpable darkness, are groping their way in search of some place of refuge and repose? Imagine yourself following the cheering light, and conscious of safety, even in the gloomy shades, tracing your way homeward, full of joy and gratitude to him who placed this lamp in your hands. Hear the song which goes up to heaven from your grateful soul, how thrilling, how heartfelt; imagine now some way-worn, bewildered traveller crosses your path, and begs you will light his torch, which the driving tempest has extinguished. You turn from him coldly, leave him to the dangers and difficulties of the wild, and go on singing, as if you were the only object of divine regard on earth,

66

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.' Would you not doubt the sincerity of gratitude, which showed itself in such fruits?

Think you

the song would mingle with the music of angel-harps, and be acceptable to heaven?

Again: suppose yourself in some deep and dark dungeon, cut off

from the rays of the sun, and from the busy haunts of men. In the next apartment, which is equally cheerless and dark, lies a fellowcreature, measuring out the tedious hours of day, like yourself, with nothing to divert his mind from its despondency. A kind friend sends you an entertaining book, and a lamp to give light while you peruse it. He also puts in your hands a similar present for your neighbour. You express great gratitude for the favour, and send many a message to your benefactor, with thanks for his kindness, but forget or neglect to present to your fellowsufferer the gift designed for him. You may claim to be grateful for the gift to yourself, and think nothing would tempt you to part with it. You profess also to love your fellow-sufferer as you do yourself, and with this fallacy you impose, not perhaps on others, but entirely on your own heart. You see not the absurdity of congratulating yourself on the possession of a good which you withhold unrighteously and unmercifully from him, while pretending to love him as yourself.

Reader, you have the Bible, and you say to its author, who designed it for all mankind, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.' But are you doing any thing to aid in sending this word to others? and are you willing that what you do for this purpose, should be regarded as the measure of your gratitude for its possession? O, how inconsistent, how selfish, for a Christian to bow down with his family, and thank God for the light of life, and yet not lift a finger to aid in the diffusion of this light among those that are sitting in the "shadow of death!"

C. O.

his

Praise Him, all ye nations! This exclamation, which we repeat in our solemn assemblies on each returning Lord's-day, is, on this centenary anniversary of the commencement of our missionary work, uttered with fervour of heart by thousands in all our congregations; and is joyfully re-echoed in our numerous missionary stations by tens of thousands of converted gentiles, who build with us on the same foundation of faith. "Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?" "Who can shew forth all praise?" Who can rehearse the wonders which he has wrought, through the instrumentality of the church of the brethren, for the spread of his gospel? The contemplation of the missionary work committed to us fills us with amazement! On our part that work was, in its commencement, "a work of faith," such it has continued to be during its blessed progress; and such it still remains, extended as it is this day, over many regions of the globe. The Lord has been pleased, throughout a centenary period, to grant success to the labours of the brethren, which were begun, and have hitherto been carried on with the eye of child-like confidence, directed toward him, the author and finisher of our faith; notwithstanding the insufficiency of the means and the imperfections of the instruments employed, amidst

manifold dangers by land and sea, and under innumerable hardships, trials and difficulties.

The origin of the brethren's missions is to be traced back to a time, when the motto of the congregation at Herrnhut was, as expressed in one of its early hymnsJoy in poverty and shame."

The missionary spirit manifested itself as early as the year 1727, and every opportunity was gladly embraced of yielding to its blessed influence on the 21st of August, 1732, the two first missionaries of the Brethren's church-Leonard Dober and David Nitschman-set out for the island of St. Thomas: on the 19th of January, 1733, three brethren-Matthew Stach, Christian Stach, and Christian David-burning with like zeal, took their departure for Greenland: John Toltschig and Anthony Seiffath proceeded in 1732 to North America: others in 1735, to Surinam and Berbice, while in 1736, George Schmidt proceeded to the Cape of Good Hope.

All these missionaries were either artisans or husbandmenmen of simple manners, few wants, and for the most part inured to toil, and hardships. It gave them little concern, whether they would have to perform a long or a short journey--whether that journey was to be undertaken by sea or by land, and would lead them to a sultry or a frigid zone. They were not able to form extensive plans: their whole mind was exclusively bent on winning souls for Christ; and the salvation of but one soul they esteemed so inestimable a prize, that, like Leonard Dober, they were willing to give their liberty yea, their life, in exchange for it. Thus, the first missionaries in Greenland admonished and cheered. each other in their spiritual songs, with words like these:

'Lo! through snow and ice we press

One poor soul for Christ to gain,
Glad we bear want and distress
To set forth the Lamb once slain.'

Thus also, the messengers of the gospel, who had bent their steps to Berbice, declared that all their toil would be amply compensated, if they could bring but. one of the Arawak tribe to "the knowledge "the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus.' Their faith was not put to shame : the Lord has been pleased to grant success, far exceeding their utmost hopes and expectations.

During the ten years which followed the period now alluded to, the missionary spirit lost much of its energy. Some errors in doctrine, and extravagancies in practice had found their way into the church and as they were calculated to lead the mind astray from the simplicity of the gospel, the observation of the late Bishop Spangenberg, concerning the relaxation of missionary ardour at home, appears to be a very just one; namely, that we must con

sider it rather as a subject of gratitude to God, that, under such circumstances, less zeal for the conversion of the heathen was manifested than had before prevailed.

Another period of ten years now succeeded of a different complexion and during the same, new doors were opened by the Lord, for the extension of our missionary labours, chiefly in the English English West India Islands.

The mission in Jamaica was begun in 1754, by Zachariah George Caries; and that in Antigua in 1756, by Samuel Isles. Both these missions were, in the sequel, crowned with the most encouraging success. Neither was the wild and inhospitable coast of Labrador forgotten at that time, though the establishment of a mission among the predatory and murderous Esquimaux could not be effected till 1770, by the brethren Jens Haven,

Lawrence Drachart, and Stephen Jansen.

In the year 1756, the mission in Barbadoes took its rise; and the first settlement was formed in 1767 by Benjamin Brookshaw-in 1775, that in St. Kitt's by the brethren Birkby and Gottwald-and in 1790, that in Tobago, by brother J. Montgomery: this was afterwards suspended, but was renewed

in 1827.

In the year 1792, the mission at the Cape of Good Hope was renewed by the brethren H. Marsweld, D. Schwinn, and J. Kühnel; and in subsequent years was greatly enlarged. The inspection of the leper hospital was also committed by government to the brethren. In 1828, our missionaries in South Africa ventured to go beyond the boundary of the Cape colony, into the country of the Tambookies, a Caffre tribe; and the settlement of Shiloh has, in a short time, obtained an unexpected increase from the surrounding population.

On this festive day we see 209 brethren and sisters diligently employed on 41 missionary stations, in sowing the gospel seed; and count upward of 40,000 Greenlanders, Esquimaux, Indians, Negroes, Hottentots, and Caffres, including about 17,000 communicants, whom we are favoured to call our brethren and sisters in the Lord. And how many thousands are already standing before the throne of the lamb, who while here below, were turned by the ministry of our brethren, "from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God."

At the time of the commencement of the Brethren's missions, the Protestant church on the continent of Europe had no missionaries in her employ, with the exception of a few devoted men, who had been sent by a society at Halle, in Saxony, to the Danish possessions in the East Indies, and of the venerable Hans Egede, who

had been labouring zealously for the conversion of the natives of Greenland from the years 1721 to 1736. How wonderful and encouraging is the change which has been effected within the centenary period now elapsed! The various Protestant churches have sent forth into all the world, multitudes of English, American, Dutch, Swiss, and German missionaries, to preach among the gentiles "the unsearchable riches of Christ," and in western and southern Africa, in the West India Islands, yea, and in the islands of the southern ocean, their labours have been crowned

with glorious success. However different in some respects may be the views and the practice of these missionary bands, yet all have but one object in view, and one inheritance above; and all are the servants of one only master, even Jesus, the Lord of all.

It is on this day a subject of thankfulness and joy, that the Lord has hitherto raised up brethren and sisters, who were willing to give up their worldly prospects, their native land and connexions, their personal comforts, yea, their health and life, to engage in that missionary work, which He himself has graciously entrusted to our Church. During the past century, 1,199 persons, (740 brethren, and 459 sisters,) have been employed in the

same.

In this number are also included those brethren and sisters who engaged in missionary enterprises, which had to be ultimately relinquished. Such were the attempts to preach the gospel among the Laplanders, in 1734, and again in 1741, by the brethren Behr and Ostergreen-the negroes in Guinea, in 1737, by Charles Protten, a mulatto, and H. Hukuff-the negroes in South Carolina, in 1739, by P. Boehler, and G. Schulius-and the Creek Indians in Georgia, in 1803. Brother Abraham Richter repaired to Algiers, to administer

to the Christian slaves in that piratical state the consolations of the gospel. Several brethren exerted themselves in vain to obtain entrance for the truth among the numerous company of Jews residing at Amsterdam; especially Leonard Dober and S. Lieberkühn, about 1738 and 1760. A fruitless attempt was made in 1739, by D. Nitschman, jun. and Frederick Eller, to establish a mission in Ceylon. The missionaries stationed at the settlement called the Brethren's Garden,' in Tranquebar, began in 1759, by G. Stahlman, persevered for many years in their unproductive labours among the Hindoos, and endeavoured from thence, amidst continued perils of their lives, to maintain a mission in the Nicobar islands. An attempt, by the brethren Hocker and Rüffer, in 1747, to penetrate into Persia, in order to visit the Gebri, or Gaures, was frustrated. Several brethren laboured for years among the Copts in Egypt; but the way into Abyssinia, whither they were most desirous to proceed, remained closed against them. The settlement of Pilgerhut in Berbice had to be given up; neither could the station among the Arawacks and free negroes in Surinam be maintained. The attempt so eagerly made, and so often renewed by the brethren in Sarepta, to convert the Calmucks to Christianity, remained for a number of years without any success; and just at the time when the most cheering hopes began to dawn, that entrance would at last be found among that nation, this door was suddenly and peremptorily shut, under very distressing circumstances, in 1823.

At the present time, there are 57 superannuated, or retired missionaries, who reside in our German, English, and American congregations, and are either wholly or partially supported by our mission fund; constituting a charge on this fund of about £1,200, on an average

of several years past. The allowance to a married missionary in retirement does not therefore exceed £35; and to a widow £12.—an economical provision, to which it would be impracticable to adhere, were it not for the peculiar advantages afforded for this purpose by the settlements of the brethren especially on the continent of Europe.

In these congregations the children of our missionaries also receive their education. The expense of this education may be stated at about £16, for each child, including the gratuities given or the partial support allowed in the case of such as are apprenticed to various trades.

Not a few of those who were born in our missionary stations have blessedly followed the footsteps of their parents. In the year 1830, there were twelve brethren and sisters employed in various stations, who were themselves the children of missionaries. In some missionary families, zeal for the

conversion of the gentiles appears,

by the divine blessing, to have been almost hereditary. The venerable John Beck, one of the first missionaries in Greenland, was favoured to contribute two sons to the service of this blessed cause; and one of these was, in turn, permitted to see a son and a daughter similarly employed.

Yet still the harvest truly is great, and the labourers are few: darkness yet covers the greater part of the earth; and few and feeble, comparatively, are the efforts which have been made to shed the saving light of the gospel amongst its benighted inhabitants. Millions in Asia, and Africa, in America, and in the isles of the ocean, are without God and without Christ in the world, and awfully ignorant of their lost condition. Let us then pray the Lord of the harvest, that He would also, in time to come, raise up faithful and devoted servants, and send them forth as labourers into His harvest.

How very imperfectly do Christians realize their great and unspeakable privileges! how feeble our faith and how far short do we come of enjoying those consolations of real piety which the Gospel offers to us! Reflections

like these have often struck me forcibly, when I have seen and experienced in myself and others such great deficiencies. How can we honour the author of our faith more, than by implicitly trusting him with all our concerns? Christians profess unhesitating trust in Him, and yet when called upon to prove its reality, what do we often behold? Doubt! unhappiness! nay, sometimes despair! What can this arise from? A

little knowledge of the human heart affords an answer-'tis unbelief; the latent infidelity of the heart; and yet, has the merciful Creator left a single possible circumstance in the life of a believer without a promise? Then, if we really and heartily believed these things, should we ever murmur, doubt, or repine? If we are in trouble of any kind, and a fellow-creature comes to us with promises of assistance and sympathy, what effect is produced? Our fears are dissipated, and our anxieties are lulled to sleep; but alas! how different is our conduct with regard to the Almighty; although the former is a finite being, limited in all his powers, and the latter infinite in