But though he has left us none of his views in the near prospect of his departure, all of us who have been in any measure conversant with him, agree in saying that for the last two years his religious feelings have been peculiarly tender, warm and ardent; and that he was evidently preparing for the change which has now taken place. In speaking of our lamented brother, after nearly sixteen years spent in connection with this mission, we may say, in the first place, that he was a man, and like all men had his failings; and yet we are happy to add that his faults were few, and not of sufficient consequence to require us to dwell upon them particularly. At the same time his good qualities were numerous, and some of them highly praiseworthy. tiring. He usually devoted to preaching and teaching five hours, and not unfrequently six or seven. Only one in a thousand could endure as much labor as he performed; and probably he shortened his life by over-working. He wished to have a scriptural and hallowed influence pervade his family; and hence by his direction that excellent little selection of Scripture precepts and promises, entitled "Daily Food," was placed by his seat at the breakfast table. And his afflicted widow was consoled on the morning of the day of his burial by the verse, "I, even I, am he that comforteth you." As a missionary Dr. Adams had one trait of character of great importance, namely, undoubted ability to meet and surmount obstacles. During that long He was one of that class of men who ten years of darkness, fruitless toil, wars possess a large and implicit faith in the and rumors of wars, spiritual and temposacred Scriptures, such as enabled him ral death, which were upon our mission at all times to receive them as the suffi- from its commencement onward, we becient and only rule of his faith and prac-lieve that his faith and patience did not tice; and, in the exercise of that faith, he fail him. had no doubt that his feet were standing in a sure place. He was not troubled with doubts or speculations in reference to the great doctrines of our religion; and his life was a practical illustration of their value. One would say that he was not excitable; and still his conduct showed that he was alive to every good word and work. He appeared to be a very modest and retiring man; but in the discharge of his duty he did not shrink from whatever he felt called upon to undertake. His habits of punctuality were such, that if he failed to meet an appointment, those who knew him might feel assured that there was an impossibility in the case. He would neither do himself, nor allow those under his control to do any thing on the Sabbath, which was not in the fullest accordance with the sacredness of the day; and yet in the appropriate duties of the Sabbath he was un BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE. Dr. Adams was born at East Bloomfield, Ontario county, New York, on the 4th of August, 1804. He became hopefully pious in December, 1831, and made a profession of religion in his native town in the month of March following. He decided to engage in the missionary work in May, 1834. He went out to South Africa as a physician; but he received ordination at Cape Town on the 10th of December, 1844. The following extract from Mr. Grout's letter will show what changes have occurred in the little company, who went forth to lay the foundation of the Zulu mission. "Of the original six missionaries and their wives who sailed from Boston in the bark Burlington, December, 1834, their mortal remains! One lies at Bethelsdorp, six are dead. And how widely separated are South Africa, another at Mosika, in the interior of South Africa, another at Fishtown, West Africa, another at Santa Cruz, another at Boston, and now another at Umlazi." Miscellanies. The Life and Labors of Rev. Samuel Worcester, It is not often that the biography of an eminent man appears, for the first time, at the end of more than thirty years from his death. In fact there are but few persons, in any walk of life, who retain, after so long an interval, a hold upon the public mind of sufficient strength to justify such an experiment. When a whole generation has passed away, it will be too late, in most cases, to attempt to interest the busy world in a charac ter of whatever standing or excellence. But the life of Dr. Worcester could have been published even at a later date. He was | dwell with delight. "Glory to God in the thoroughly identified with the interests of the highest, and good will towards men," redenomination to which he belonged, at a most sponded from heart to heart; and tears of eventful period of its history; and his name has tender joy diffused, through assembled thousands, an influence more grateful than a place in the memory and the affection of all the dew of Hermon, than the dew that dewho profess the same doctrinal belief. He was, scended on the mountains of Zion. The moreover, a chief advocate and promoter of all holy flame there lighted from the altar of the benevolent operations of his day. The heaven spread with rapidity in all direcamount of labor which he performed in this "line tions. Societies for a similar purpose, before existing, received new life; others of things," without any pecuniary inducement, is were soon formed on both sides of the really surprising To say nothing of other asso- Atlantic; and measures for the furtherance ciations, the American Board is under great and of their benevolent design, adopted with lasting obligations to this venerable servant of promptitude, have been pursued with ardor. Christ. And the time is far distant when his labors will cease to be remembered and appreciated. The present work deserves an extensive perusal. 1. The character of Dr. Worcester was one of remarkable excellence. Though he was preeminently adapted to the period in which he lived, he would have been loved and honored at any other period. 2. This work is largely historical. Indeed, it might be called "The Life and Times" of Dr. Worcester. No one can fully understand the religious controversies or the benevolent efforts of the first quarter of this century, without reading the second of these volumes. Already have the heralds of salvation gone forth into the four quarters of the been established from the populous regions globe. Already have missionary stations of the East to the dreary wilds of our own continent, and from the frozen climes of the North to the newly discovered islands of the Southern Ocean. Already are the lively oracles of God translated, or translating, and Mohammedans, and the people of all into the various languages of both pagans nations and all lands, Hindoos and Mahrattas, Chinese and Persians, Turks and Tartars, Hottentots and Greenlanders, the inhabitants of the isles and the tribes of the wilderness, begin to hear men speaking to them in their own tongues the wonderful works of God. And already, in these different and heretofore discordant languages, do the praises of Immanuel begin to be uttered, from one end of the earth to the of salvation. And the friends of missions will derive very great satisfaction from a perusal of the chapter which describes the origin of the American Board. The incipient history of this organization had never been so fully set forth in any pre-other, in the grateful and harmonious songs vious publication. Indeed, it is made manifest by this work that impartial justice has not been hitherto meted out to certain individuals, whose names should be had in everlasting remembrance. There was much more of the missionary spirit in our churches, during the first years of the present century, than has been commonly supposed. The Massachusetts Missionary Society, formed in 1799, did much to foster and develop this spirit. The sermon of Dr. Worcester before this society in May, 1809, contains the following passage. O my brethren, how impressive is this scene! How wonderful this work! But in what light are we to regard it? Is it all the effect of wild enthusiasm, of misguided zeal? Is it to be imputed to a religious mania, a reigning frenzy of the age? No; let scoff or sneer who will, we hesitate not and enlightened benevolence, a holy ardor to pronounce it the genuine effect of a pure for the glory of the Redeemer and the best interests of men. Five years before, Dr. Worcester had said For a long and dreary tract of time the to his own people: "For some time have those, spirit of primitive enterprise slept; and who, in different parts of Christendom, are wait ages after ages passed away, with but very ing for the consolation of Israel, been engaged, little done to extend the knowledge of the with uncommon union and fervency, at the throne Savior, or the boundaries of his kingdom. of divine grace. And already has God been Recently, however, blessed be God, the pleased to give favorable tokens of a gracious scene has been changed. The friends of audience. The Spirit has been poured out from from their slumbers, and, looking round on high, and the sinking cause of Zion has been upon the world, their eyes have affected gloriously advanced. Numerous and respectable their hearts. The Twenty-first of Septem- societies have been formed, on both sides of the ber, Seventeen Hundred and Ninety-five, Atlantic, for the purpose of sending the gospel will long be held in grateful remembrance, to the destitute; uncommon exertions are making as a distinguished epoch in the annals of to extend the limits of divine knowledge and the Christendom. Then it was that under a the Redeemer and of men have been roused cloud of holy incense, ascending up before boundaries of Zion, and in many instances have the throne of God and the Lamb, the been attended with uncommon success," &c. London Missionary Society was instituted. And it was the privilege and joy of this good The scene was one on which angels might man to find not a few, ministers and laymen, who were hailing with delight every indication that the era of missions was at hand. It is due to the biographer to say that he has discharged his duty most conscientiously and faithfully. There are but few men who can write reliable history; but fortunately the author of this work is one of them. STATISTICS OF INDIAN MISSIONS. THE following table has been constructed mainly from the latest reports of the different missionary societies, which are directing their attention to the aborigines residing within the limits of the United States. It is necessarily imperfect; but, on the whole, it presents a view of Indian missions which is sufficiently favorable. For though it omits the schools which are supported solely by the national or tribal governments, as also those which are sustained by the Quakers; and though it fails to give the female assistants of the Methodist societies; it will convey the idea that the system of operations is more thorough in some cases than the facts will warrant. The Methodist missions, for example, are in general very different from those of the American Board. Indeed, they are but little more than the extension of the itinerant system to the territory occupied by the Indians. will be understood, of course, that the terms of church membership are more strict in some cases than in others. The table gives the statistics of the communicants as reported by each society, a few whites and negroes being included. And it Missions within the States and Territories. 70 Moravians. TUSCARORAS. American Board. Am. Baptist Union. Summary. 41 11 22 13 57 81 21 359 801 SENECAS. Methodist Miss. Soc. Episcopal Board. 12 3 POTTAWATOMIES. Presbyterian Board. 913 20 Am. Ind. Miss Assoc. 9 1 12 Am. Baptist Union. BROTHERTOWNS. Episcopal Board. Methodist Miss. Soc. OJIBWAS. Am. Miss. Association. 2 5 7 *The Methodist South Missionary Society has a boarding-school at Fort Leavenworth, in which there are fifty-three males and forty-seven females from the Wyandots, Pottawatomies, Shawnees, Ottawas, Del38 awares, &c. 59 242 † Estimated. The communicants in connection with the Amer39 ican Indian Mission Association are not included in this sum, as the total only is reported. They are embraced, however, in the summary. This column gives the number of day scholars enrolled at each mission, not the average attendance. American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Recent Entelligence. CHOCTAWS.-Rev. George Pierson, of Jacksonville, Illinois, and Mrs. Pierson, of Augusta, Illinois, Miss Maria P. Arms, of Springfield, Vermont, Miss Chloe M. Bigelow, of Brattleboro', Vermont, and Miss Harriet McCormic, of Grafton, Vermont, have recently joined this mission. Mr. and Mrs. Pierson will probably commence a new station in the western part of the nation. The others are expected to act as teachers. CHEROKEES.-Mr. Worcester writes as follows under date of February 5: “On the Sabbath we had the pleasure of admitting to the church six young ladies, all of them members of the female seminary. Two others from the same institution were propounded at the same time to be received at our next communion. Our church was filled to its utmost capacity; and a considerable number were excluded for want of room. The congregation was attentive and apparently serious." Miss Lois W. Hall, of Fall River, Massachusetts, Miss Jerusha E. Swain, of Windsor, Vermont, and Miss Julia F. Stone, of Marietta, Ohio, have recently joined the Cherokee mission. They are to teach the schools at Park Hill, Dwight, and Lee's Creek. timony to the excellency of her character: "She was a noble woman, very quiet, very retiring, very pleasant, very trustful. No one who became acquainted with her, could help admiring her character as a woman and a Christian." NEW YORK INDIANS.-Under date of March 8, Mr. Rockwood communicates a deeply interesting and most animating account of the revival among the Tuscaroras. I have to repeat a remark made in my last letter, "Death is busy." In a population of a little more than three hundred, there have been eight deaths since the year commenced. Others are sick, who are expected to die. The prevailing complaints are whooping cough and fevers. Most of the deaths are among the children. One young convert lies low and is not expected to recover. He and his wife were received as candidates for church fellowship a few weeks since. He requested a meeting at his house, and expressed a desire to be admitted to the church. We assembled for that purpose last Saturday evening. His wife wished to be admit ted at the same time, that they might enjoy the privilege of receiving the memorials of a Savior's love together. It was done accordingly. His mind had been wandering most of the day; but during the exercises he was calm and composed. Yesterday thirty-eight united with the church by profession, the largest number ever received at one time. The occasion was one of deep interest. An unusually large number of Indians were present to witness the scene and to participate in the joy of our hearts. Among those who entered into covenant with the Lord, there were, including the two who united the evening previous, eighteen heads of families. The youngest person is twelve years old, the oldest seventytwo. This last is a chief. Seven of the ten Two chiefs are now members of the church. others are hopefully pious, although they have not yet professed a desire to unite with the church. There are fifty-two families among the Inthe parents is a member of the church, or hopedians, and in forty-two of these at least one of fully pious. In eighteen families both parents are Christians. Of the forty-two heads of families abovementioned nine are widows. There are but three families where one at least is not either a member of the church, or indulging a hope. Most of those who have recently united with the church are young persons, or not far advanced in life; and the greater portion of them had been baptized in infancy, showing that God has respect unto his promise, "I will be a God to thee and to thy seed after thee." DAKOTAS.-This mission has suffered another bereavement. On the 6th of February Mrs. Cordelia E. Pond died at Washington, Connecticut, whither she had gone with her husband and children on a visit. Mr. Riggs saw her a week before her death; and she was then making preparations for her return to the Dakotas. "When she was told that she could live but a little while, it did not alarm her, although it was what she had not been expecting. She addressed herself at once to her last work. She sent for her children and friends, and spoke to each one in reference to the soul's salvation. For the space of three or four hours she continued to talk calmly and with chosen words to her friends present, as also of those absent, to whom she sent various messages; and then she sank down In every light in which we view this people into a state of quietness, which was followed in now, whether it pertains to religion, temperance, a short time by the still greater stillness of death. morals, education, or their temporal affairs, their She did not manifest any great joy or ecstasy in condition is highly encouraging. There is also an increasing refinement in their manners, their the prospect of her departure; but a calm conpersonal appearance, and their sense of profidence in the blessed Redeemer was the anchor priety. The change in this respect is very of her soul." Mr. Riggs bears the following tes-marked in some of the recent converts. They are truly interesting persons, and we hope much from them. SYRIA. Mr. and Mrs. Eddy arrived at Smyrna on the 16th of January, on their way to the Syria mission. ARMENIANS.- Pastor Mugurdich has been spending some time at Rodosto, on the Sea of Marmora, with much encouragement. He has had as many as forty hearers; and a regular Protestant community has been organized. Mr. Dwight says, under date of February 5, " From all present appearances it is of the highest importance that the whole twelve missionaries we have asked for, should be sent into the field immediately." Mr. and Mrs. Sutphen arrived at Smyrna on the 16th of January. Their station is to be determined hereafter. ASSYRIA. Dr. and Mrs. Lobdell arrived at Smyrna on the 16th of January on their way to Mosul. CANTON. From a letter of Mr. Williams, dated December 27, the following extract is made. 1 00 Rindge, Ch. and so. 51,58; m. c. 30; 81 58 Troy, do. 33 50-159 08 Grafton co. Aux. So. W. W. Russell, Tr. Hanover, Dart. col. a friend, Hillsboro' co. Aux. So. J. A. Wheat, Tr. Merrimack co. Aux. So. G. Hutchins, Tr. Pelham, Gent. 52,73; la. 52,65; m. c. 10,46; 115 84 Canterbury, Cong. ch. and so. 26 83 Rockingham co. Conf. of chs. F. Grant, Tr. Londonderry, Pres. ch. and so. wh. and prev. dona. cons. WILLIAM ANDERSON an H. M. North Hampton, Cong so. 19,69; m. c. 14,50; juv. so. and s. s. for ed. hea. chil. 5,24; Portsmouth, North ch. 149,30; m. c. 63,95; la. miss so. wh. and_prev. dona. cons. Mrs HENRY A. BIGELow an H. M. 34.05; Strafford co. Conf. of chs. E. J. Lane, Tr. Farmington, A friend, 97 51 39 43 The emigration of Chinese from this region to California is rapidly increasing, and seems likely to extend to other maritime parts of China. The Chinese themselves are taking up ships for passengers on contract, and loading them at Whampoa and Hong-kong with their countrymen. The settlers at the mines intend only to remain till they "get a fortune," as the Americans in China do, and then return; but where one returns, a hundred go. Mr. Buel, agent of the American Bible Society, writes over for some Scriptures and tracts for them, and also for a missionary to settle near them. Perhaps some of those who could not live in this latitude among the Chinese, can find a better cli-Sullivan co. Aux. So. E. L. Goddard, Tr. mate in San Francisco and Sacramento; for we have nobody to spare. I should be glad to hear of some person able so speak this dialect, going over to California, and explaining more fully the words of this life to them. They may there give ear to what is here regarded as old wives' fables and the "old stories" of the "foreign devils," and be healed and converted. FUH-CHAU.-The mission at Fuh-chau, on hearing of the death of Rev. William L. Richards, adopted the following resolutions : Resolved, That by this deeply afflictive event this mission has been bereaved of an efficient member and a highly esteemed Christian brother. Resolved, That while we mourn the loss which we and the cause of Christ in this place have sustained, in the early removal of a devoted and promising missionary, it yet becomes us to bow submissively to Him by whose righteous will all events are ordered, and to acknowledge with gratitude his great goodness in the rich effusions of his Spirit vouchsafed to the deceased, by which he was enat led to maintain a singularly mature and consistent piety during his residence among this people, and to leave abundant evidence that though he now rests from his labors, his works do follow him. Claremont, Cong, ch. and so. gent. Cornish, Cong. ch. gent. 14,35; la. 247 30-384 24 157 92 20 00 55 25 12 29-225 46 932 45 |