confined to Paul; it has also invariably distinguished every true, suc cessful minister of the Lord Jesus. This "great desire" to have "fruit" in, the ministry expresses itself in unceasing prayer, in tears, in groanings which cannot be uttered. It is the mark by which we may clearly distinguish between "the hireling" and "the good Shepherd." It was men of this spirit, who in this respect possessed eminently "the mind which was also in Christ Jesus," who, succeeding their Master, raised up from "stones, children unto Abraham." They were but a few men in number: yea, very few, and entire "strangers" in the cities and countries where they went to "preach the gospel of the kingdom." "They went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people," and their "entrance in unto" the heathen "was not in vain." The ignorant, especially in a religious sense, the superstitious, the licentious heathen, receiving the word of God which the apostles preached "not as the word of men, but as it was in truth, the word of God," became followers of the churches of God which in Judea were in Christ Jesus." Men of this spirit have sustained, revived, and enlarged, in all ages, the church of the living God. We discover in the earlier part of the last century an exhibition of precisely the same spirit, which "worked mightily" in Paul, in Brainerd in our own wilderness among the Indians, not only sunk in ignorance themselves, but contaminated by the vices of the whites, while, about the same time, but in another portion of the globe, we see its influence in the incipient stages of Methodism as Mr. Wesley went from London to Bristol; to Kingswood; to Wales, directed simply by the Spirit and providence of God. If the blood of the martyrs has been the seed of the church, it is this "travail and labour" of soul for sinners, in the ministers of Jesus Christ, which, in every age, and in every country, has built up the church as "a spiritual house, composed of lively stones, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." It is this love for souls, this unutterable solicitude to “make full proof of their ministry," which they who love the peace of Jerusalem pray that the labourers may richly possess when they go forth into the wide field of the world already white unto the harvest.

We will venture to offer another observation suggested by our subject. It is the diffusive nature of Christianity. The philosophy of Greece, as has been already noticed, seems almost exclusively to have been confined to the richer and higher classes of society. "The vulgar" were regarded with "a smile of pity" indeed, but little, if any thing had been done at the time Christ appeared upon the earth, though about four hundred years had elapsed since the academy of Plato was opened, (which was quickly followed by the other schools,) to teach them the nature and perfections of the First Cause: to "turn them from idols to serve the living and true God.” The great body of the people were still deeply sunk in idolatry. Not so with the Christian religion. Contrasted with the partial and exclusive nature of heathen philosophy, an increased beauty and force may be perceived in that declaration of our Saviour's, "The poor have the gospel preached to them." Not indeed that the rich were excluded from the benevolent and comprehensive design of the gospel, but that it was peculiarly adapted to the limited opportunities, the scanty acquire ments, and the unfavorable circumstances of the poor. The brilliant VOL. VIII.-April, 1837.

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but cold beams of philosophy may have thrown a lustre upon the polished surface of heathen society, but it required the vital warmth and quickening energy of the Sun of righteousness to reach the very heart of a "world lying in wickedness," and to "cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. This was to be effected not merely by enlightening and purifying one class, and that a comparatively small class, but by bringing every human being within the influence of that knowledge which is life eternal to them that "lay hold upon it." And as the great mass of society consists of the poor, and those in a middling condition in life, these were to be convinced of sin ; to be instructed in all righteousness. Many were to run to and fro, constrained by the love of Christ, and knowledge was to be universally diffused among all classes and conditions in life. Is it not to this very principle in Christianity we are to ascribe the immense superiority in religious knowledge, in intellectual culture, in the social condition of the poorer classes now, to the same classes in the highest state of Athenian refinement? The gospel in its simplicity, truth, and power, is exactly adapted to the poor; but the metaphysical subtlety of Grecian philosophy never was. Blessed be the name of God, through the diffusive, practical nature of Christianity, the poor have the gospel preached to them.

ART. V.-WEST RIVER CIRCUIT.

I DESIGN to give you an account of the field of labour assigned me and my worthy colleague from our last conference, which, if you think it would not disparage the reputation of the excellent miscellany you conduct, it would be gratifying to see in its columns. I fear, however, from the range of observation in prospect, you may with reason, judge it too prolix for the patience of your numerous readers.* But there is one consideration which may be pleaded in justification this once. The voice of, West River circuit, as such, has never been heard abroad, and it seems but reasonable to favour it with an introduction to the great community. It is the upper division of what was known, until our last conference, as Calvert circuit, and included entirely in Anne Arundel, excepting at the southern extremity, where the Friendship congregation wings out over a portion of Calvert county. It has its name, with its centre neighbourhood and postoffice, from a beautiful sheet of navigable water which empties into the Chesapeake.

At a time when the tide of emigration is rushing on, thousands deep, into the forests of the far West, and we feel grateful to every traveller who will give us any, even the least intelligence of regions so inte. resting, and, till now, so little known; there is many an eye which runs over with eagerness the descriptions of forests, and mountains, and prairies, which opens daily, though listlessly, upon scenes as worthy of notice as those a thousand miles distant.

I am induced to make the foregoing remark, because the circuit of

* This was originally designed for the Christian Advocate and Journal, but has been thought more suitable for this place.-EDITOR,

which I furnish some account lies so immediately in the heart of the old state of Maryland, so contiguous to her large city of Baltimoreto her own capital-and to the capital of the Union, (the northeastern boundary of the circuit being four miles only from Annapolis, and the western, twenty-two from Washington,) that it might be supposed there is nothing as regards its geographical situation, the features of its scenery, or the manners, morals, and religion of its inhabitants, which at this late day could command attention, as distinguishing it from other circuits in so old a state. The following particulars will show that the West River circuit is not only peculiar in respect to its situation; but that it is inhabited by a peculiar people. This circuit is about twenty miles in length, and in breadth varies from eight to twelve. From the summit of a high hill in the immediate vicinity of Mount Zion meeting house, the eye embraces at once the whole extent of it, in length and breadth; and the observer thus favourably situated would be induced to exclaim, "Truly it is a goodly land!" Surely these people should have grateful hearts, for "their lines have fallen in pleasant places." That long unbroken line of blue vapour which stretches away from the northeast to the southwest through the whole extent of the prospect, and gives to every object on which it rests that soft azure tint so much admired in the paintings of Claude Lorraine, hovers over and indicates the course of the river Patuxent, which forms the northwest boundary of the circuit. Along its whole eastern border rolls the Chesapeake, presenting to the eye from the spot we have designated, as the sun rises over its broad wave, one burnished sheet of living gold. Following the windings of its shore, and passing over creek and inlet, and lofty forest, and highly cultivated plain, we reach the banks of South River, its northeastern boundary, near to which stands Hope Chapel, of which we shall speak in its place. Amid that range of hills which lift their naked heads against the southern horizon, stands the village of Friendship, at a short distance beyond which runs the line which divides the West River from the Calvert circuit.

Having thus taken a bird's eye view of the objects which designate the limits of the circuit, we proceed to speak more particularly of the country contained within them; and if the lover of the picturesque is gratified by the pleasing alternation of hill and dale, of field and forest, which is everywhere presented, not less satisfactory will be the result of inquiry to those more immediately interested; .for in point of fertility of soil in the production of the staples of Maryland, no lands in the state surpass, and very few equal those of this district. Fertile as they now are, it is nevertheless true, that thirty, or even twentyfive years ago, the same lands were so worn down by injudicious tillage as to have become nearly worthless. Their recovery has been owing to the application of gypsum. While on this part of my sub. ject, it would be doing injustice to the memory of a public benefactor to the district, not to mention the name of John Galloway, Esq., of West River. Having satisfied himself, by actual experiment, that clover could be made to grow on the most barren spots by the use of gypsum, though its modus operandi was then, as indeed it still is, utterly unknown, with much cost and trouble, for then it was diffi. cult to obtain it, he strewed it lavishly on his extensive fields, and the

desert and waste places began literally to bloom and blossom as the rose. To men who had as little philosophy as Shakspeare's shepherd, the effect seemed nothing short of magical, and many a seedtime and harvest had attested its efficacy, ere it came into general use. It is needless to say that it is now universal.

If the inhabitants of a country on which we have bestowed so much praise are not thankful, it is not because they have wanted the means of grace to make them so-if they are not happy, it is not because they do not "hear the joyful sound." There are five commodious chapels belonging to the Methodist Episcopal Church, and two primary school houses, in which there is preaching once in two weeks, beside the houses for the exclusive accommodation of the coloured people, who claim an equal share of ministerial labour. In addition to which, there are two large and venerable Protestant Episcopal churches the pulpit of one we know now is, and for several years has been, filled by a gifted, zealous, and spiritual minister; and of the other, although we have not a personal knowledge, the minister having been but lately indueted into the parish, yet we have reason to believe he is a truly estimable man, and highly acceptable to the congregation. The inhabitants, of whom it remains that we now speak, can scarcely be divided into the two classes of rich and poor; for as, with a few exceptions, there are none who, in the common acceptation, can be called rich, so there are few who can be said to be absolutely poor. They seem, indeed, to be placed in that happy medium so favourable to sound morality and steady, consistent piety. Cool, quiet, and persevering, they continue to keep the noiseless tenor of their way through life, as though that speculating, improving, "go-ahead" system, which rages around, had never reached them; and as it is our heart's desire, and earnest prayer for them, that "they may be called" Hephzibah, and their land Beulah, because the Lord delighteth in them, we do fervently hope it never may.

So far as our observation goes, and it is co-extensive with the limits of the circuit, there is no strife in all its borders. On the agitating questions which divide the political world, there is here an unprece dented unanimity of sentiment. And on the still more agitating, because supremely interesting subject of religion, society here presents the image of an empire, composed of separate but not hostile provinces, whose subjects are ready to go forth, whenever the banner is unfurled, and who, in rushing forward in the great contest with the powers of darkness, are unmindful of every other distinction but that of the friends and foes of Jesus, being too eager for the contest to ask any other question than "Who is on the Lord's side?"

Of their domestic habits we might say much did time permit-this particular trait, however, must not be passed over-their unwillingness to leave home. So far is this carried that we know men of property, and information too, who, living within thirty miles of Washington, have nevertheless never seen the capitol. Men who daily read the speeches of our politicians, who have never seen the face of one of them; and it may be doubted if of the five hundred and twenty voters which this circuit contains, twenty of them ever saw General Jackson. Nearly every individual who is now the head of a family was born in it. There are some few exceptions, and even among

those exceptions our information can number but three who are not natives of the state of Maryland.

Among a people thus happily situated, it would at the first glance appear strange that there should be any who had not yet embraced the Saviour, and connected themselves with one or the other of the two churches which exist in the district, or that, having joined either, they should stagger for a moment at the promise, or fail to put forth their whole strength in running the race which is set before them. Alas! that this most melancholy consideration should here force itself on us, that the circumstance of their being not far from the kingdom of God may prove a possible reason for their not entering into it; if their being almost Christians should be the very preventing cause of their being altogether such! Whoever, has examined the reasons given by Hannah More (from whom the last observation is borrowed) why some good sort of people are not better," will perfectly understand our meaning; and to no persons on earth do those reasons apply with more force than to the unconverted part of society in this cir. cuit. We may not, however, quit this subject, without acknowledg. ing that if among these people conversions are not as numerous and as frequent as they should be, they are generally genuine; if the flame of devotion does not rise as high as we could wish it, its heat for the more part is regular and constant; and we humbly trust that in the day of account a goodly number both of Methodist and Protestant Episcopalians in this part of the Lord's vineyard will be found among those who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood

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of the Lamb."

This hasty sketch of the circuit would certainly be incomplete without some more particular mention of our places of public worship. We will begin with that of Friendship, which is a large and substantial building of brick, erected within the last two years, and capable of containing a thousand persons. It is neatly and most appropriately finished, and will suffer nothing in comparison with any place of worship out of a city in the state of Maryland. The spirit with which this building was undertaken by the membership in the vicinity of Friendship, the persevering zeal with which it was carried on, and finally completed, call upon the society to esteem them very highly in love for this work's sake: and but for that we know

"Who builds a church to God, and not to fame,

Will never mark the marble with his name,"

we would gratify our own feelings, and perform an act of gratitude, and justice, by enrolling them on this page. But what would it avail? seeing that we trust and believe their names are already written in the Lamb's book of life.

Passing upward, we come to Union Chapel, a small house, but Bethel indeed, accommodating a society of truly devoted Christians. The ground on which it stands was generously given by a member of our sister church, and the more generously, in that the gentleman who gave it is supposed to be warmly and devotedly attached to the particular tenets of his own denomination. Let it be our fervent prayer that in the great day for which all other days were made, he may hear these welcome words, "In that ye did it unto the least of these, ye did it unto me."