395 METHODIST QUARTERLY FAST IN JUNE. THE next quarterly day of general fasting and prayer, will happen, according to our standing rule, on Friday, June 28th. We are thankful to learn that these seasons of solemn humiliation and united intercession have, of late, been observed by our Societies with increasing seriousness, and have, in various circuits, been followed by encouraging tokens of the divine favour. The ensuing fast-day, we think, should particularly call forth the earnest supplications of all our people. We take the liberty of suggesting, that in addition to the ordinary subjects of prayer, it will be proper, on this occasion, specially to bring before "the throne of the heavenly grace" the following topics: and Ireland, (and indeed in other parts of the world, to which our Connexion has access,) depend so much, under the divine blessing, on the measures adopted, and the spirit excited and cherished, at these Annual Assemblies of the Ministers and Pastors of our churches, that it becomes a manifest part of our duty, as Methodists, to engage in fervent prayers on their behalf. And what season can be more convenient and suitable for such a purpose, than the fast-day which precedes, almost immediately, the period at which they occur? Some late Conferences have been distinguished by a more than usual blessing on the Preachers, and through them eventually on the Connexion at large. Let us pray that this year also we may be similarly favoured; and that, in the choice of the annual officers of our body, 1. The case of our Preachers, and other Brethren, in Ireland, many of whom, we fear, must be involved in much anxiety and distress, in consequence of the pre-in deciding on the offers of new candisent suffering state of that country. Ought we not, in christian sympathy, to pray that our common LORD will have them in his holy keeping, and will afford them the needful succour and consolation in the time of their trouble? 2. The approaching Meeting of the Irish Conference, which is to commence its sitting in Dublin, as usual, on the first Friday in July;-and especially, that of the BRITISH CONFERENCE, which is to be held in London, at the close of the month last-mentioned. The welfare of our Societies, and the prosperity of the work of GOD in Great Britain dates for our regular ministry,-in the yearly examination of the character and conduct of those already acknowleged as fellow-labourers,-in fixing the stations of the Preachers for the following year,and in every other subject of deliberation,-the CONFERENCE, shortly to be held in the Metropolis, may be under the directing and over-ruling and sanctifying influences of that HOLY SPIRIT, who knows how to order every thing according to the counsel of his own will, and without whom nothing is wise, or strong, or good. FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. GUIE-ETWASSAW, and SEGWASKENACE, I Inclosed you will receive herewith six broaches from SEGWASKENACE, as presents, viz. No. 1, for JAMES BOLTON; No. 2, JOHN HOLMES; No. 3, ELIZA FOTHERGILL, York; No. 4, J. D. SMITH; No. 5, JOHN BROADHEAD; No. 6, PIM NEVINS; together with which they send their best respects, and assurances of grateful remembrance to their friends generally: also, be pleased to accept the respect and gratitude of your obedient humble servant, AUGUSTUS C. Fox. To MR. JAMES BOLTON, No. 20, Bond Street, Leeds, England. (No. II.) Copy of the "Talk," from the Seneca Indians. The under-written Seneca Chiefs in North America, Unto JOHN HOLMES, J. D. SMITH, JAMES BOLTON, JOHN BROADHEAD, PIM NEVINS, JOHN CUDWORTH, and others, men and women of the Society of Friends, and the good people of all denominations in England, that showed kindness to our people while in your country, SEND GREETING; may peace and love be multiplied unto you. Brothers, It has long been on our minds to speak to you. When our young men left us to visit your country, we had many anxious fears concerning them; we knew not what might befall them by the way, what hands they would fall into in that land of strangers, or when or how they would be returned to us. Brothers, We cannot too often speak of our thankfulness to God, the preserver of men, that he was pleased to return to us all our people in health, and that we saw all their faces in the land of the living. Brothers, We cannot too often express our thankfulness to you, for the kind interest you were pleased to take in our people. In a land of strangers you received them as brothers, you watched over them with the care of fathers; guarding their path, supplying their wants, instructing them in things useful for the present and future life, presenting them with many useful things, and helping them to return to us, with much good counsel, and many good wishes for themselves and for us their people. This, Brothers, is the pleasing account our young men gave us of their treatment by the good people in England. God be thanked that he put it into your hearts, and gave you ability, to show such kindness to our kindred. May the GREAT SPIRIT reward peace into your own bosoms, and enable you all your days, by his bounty, to witness the truth of his word, that "it is better to give than to receive." Brothers, From the interest you were pleased to take in our people while they were with you, and the good talk you were pleased to send us by them, we are confident you will receive it kindly, that we give you some account of ourselves, and the things that have taken place among us. Our Brothers doubtless know that we, and the rest of our Red Brothers in this country, have been a people by themselves, depending much on hunting for subsistence, and worshipping the GREAT SPIRIT according to the notions we had received from our fathers. This has been the case with us from the earliest account we have heard of our people. We, our brothers and fathers, have seen great afflictions, especially since white men came to our country; but notwithstanding our great afflictions, our people have generally kept strong hold of the instruction we received from our fathers, refusing to give up our way of living, or worshipping the GREAT SPIRIT as they had taught us. The great injuries we had received from white men, the wickedness we constantly saw practised among them, greatly strengthened our minds against their ways and their religion, thinking it impossible that any good could come out of a people where so much wickedness dwelt. In this bondage we and our fathers have been held for more than 200 years, retiring and wasting away before the white men, our means of subsistence diminishing, corrupting ourselves in their sins, hardening ourselves in our afflictions, destruction before us, and no arm to deliver. This, Brothers, is a short history of our people, and this was much our case when our people left us to visit England. About the same time you were taking notice of our people in your country, and endeavouring to show them a better way than the wild way of their fathers, a general shaking took place on the minds of our people at home, and a great searching was made into the religion of our fathers; the more we searched it, the more dark and discouraging we found it. However pure and excellent their religion might have been in old time, from the many hands through which it has passed to us, it was so defaced and impaired, that we could find nothing in it to direct our path to GOD, to safety or to happiness, in this or the coming world. In this darkness and perplexity in which we found ourselves, after much counselling and agitation, some of our people were induced to listen to the word of GOD; a little light shone into their minds; they invited others to come and see if this was not true light; others listened and were convinced that it was true light from GoD, to guide our feet in safe paths, through this dark world, to a bright world above. From our village near Buffalo, where this light was first discovered, the report of what had taken place soon reached others of our villages, and produced a great commotion among them; some said we had become crazy, had lost ourselves, and were doing great wickedness in forsaking the religion of our forefathers, which GOD had given expressly for the Indians, for them to hold to, to the end of time. This produced great confusion among our people; some cried one thing and some another; but some came from time to time to hear for themselves this new way, and were convinced that we had found the true light; that the good Book the white men had, was verily the Word of the living GOD, and JESUS the only Saviour of sinners. In this way, a light was lit up in our village, and continues to spread, though great darkness and opposition remain with many of our people. Two of the young men that were in England, NEGUIE-ETWASSAW and SEGWASKENACE, on their return, joined immediately with the christian party, and rejoiced much in beholding what GOD had done for their people: they have continued with us steadfast until this day. We wish we could give a more pleasing account of the other men that were in England, but we can in truth say no better of them, than that they are in darkness, and do the works of darkness. The Chief that was in England is a violent opposer to all the ways of the white people, and uses all his influence to persuade his people to retain their old ways; he is much given to his cup, and laughs at the thought of GOD seeing and calling us to an account for our conduct. We are sorry to say these things of this Chief, but we will not deceive you. We hope and pray that GOD will give him repentance, and shine into his heart to give him the true light. These, Brothers, are the great things that GOD has done for us, whereof we are glad. Though we see but little yet, we are assured that we have found the true light; that the good Book is the Word of the true and living GOD, which he has given for all nations. We believe that JESUS CHRIST his SON is the only Saviour of sinners. We believe that we are all brothers, and that GOD hath made all nations of one blood, to dwell on all the face of the earth. We believe nothing but the SPIRIT of JESUS can make men love one another as brothers. We believe that JESUS is the true GOD, and eternal life. We believe that all nations and languages that receive the LORD JESUS, and walk in him, will meet together in heaven, as one family of brothers, praising GoD and the REDEEMER for ever and ever. These things we believe and are assured of, and our hearts are comforted. He lightens our trials, makes our labour pleasant, and prospers the work of our hands, and we take delight in cultivating the earth, which He causes to bring forth food for man and beast. Brothers, you will unite with us in praising the LORD, and in beseeching Him that He would perfect the mercy He hath begun in the midst of us, and fill the whole earth with the knowledge of His truth. YOUNG KING, &c. &c. Brothers, you will now listen to a few words our young men desire to speak to you. NEGUIE-ETWASSAW and SEGWASKENACE to their friends in England. Brothers, we feel happy that our head-men have taken it up to send you a Talk. They have said so much, that little remains for us to say at this time. Brothers, we remember you all, and your kindness to us while in your country, and your good counsel to us; this we hold fast, and endeavour to follow. We remember you talked to us of the good Book; the knowledge of which, you told us, was what delivered your forefathers from the wild way in which they formerly lived, and had advanced them to that prosperity and happiness which we witnessed. You said you desired that we and our people should come to the knowledge of the good Book, that we might be alike happy. This good Talk made our hearts glad, hoping it would be so with us and with our people. Brothers, our hearts were greatly rejoiced, when returned safely to our country, to find the minds of our people were turned from the old way to hunting wisdom from the good Book, and that they were keeping the Sabbath as GOD had commanded. Brothers, this made our hearts light and joyful, and we readily joined with our fathers and brothers that held to the Word of GOD, and kept the Sabbath-day. Brothers, we know that you will greatly rejoice at this good news from the Senecas. This is what you so much desired should take place among us. Brothers, our way of worship differs some from the way of the Society of Friends, yet we trust we love all who hold to the word of GOD, and believe and trust in the SAVIOUR. Brothers, we keep fast hold of the chain of friendship which reaches from you to us. We feel determined to keep hold of our end: we hope and trust our brothers will keep hold of their end. Relating principally to the FOREIGN MISSIONS carried on under DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE. ANNIVERSARY OF THE WESLEYAN-METHODIST MISSIONARY We are happy to say, that the pleasing anticipations respecting this Anniversary, which we were led to express in our Number for April, have been fully realized, The friends of the Wesleyan-Missions have again assembled, from various parts of the country, to listen to a Report which was eminently calculated to call forth their humble thanksgivings for the encouragements of the past year; and have solemnly renewed, under a more than ordinary influence from above, and with feelings of increased compassion for perishing souls, their pledges of inviolable fidelity to this holy cause. The THREE ANNUAL SERMONS before the Society were preached on the 25th and 26th of April, by the REV. JOHN JAMES, of HALIFAX, the REV. DR. Adam Clarke, and the REV. HENRY MOORE. These appropriate and able Discourses were highly interesting to the numerous and respectable auditories, who assembled in the Chapels at Spitalfields, Great Queen Street, and City Road. A PUBLIC PRAYER-MEETING was held at the City-Road Chapel, at Six o'clock in the morning of the 26th; for the purpose of specially imploring the divine blessing on the Anniversary, and on Christian Missions throughout the world. This was found, by the Ministers and People who attended it, to be a most edifying and delightful addition to the usual services of the occasion; and we strongly recommend that, wherever it is practicable, a similar Meeting should always be included in the arrangements made for the Anniversaries of Auxiliary Societies. We are persuaded that Prayer,-solemn, fervent, and united Prayer,— is among the most necessary and most powerful of those means by which Christians are now peculiarly called to promote the work and cause of God; and that, in fact, without an increase of their prayers, in connexion with the continuance and augmentation of their pecuniary contributions, the grand object of our common hope and effort,-the conversion of THE WORLD,-will never be accomplished. We rejoice, therefore, in every indication of a growing spirit of supplication among those who take an active part in Missionary Institutions. SERMONS were also preached, in aid of our Missions, on Sunday, April 28th, in all the Chapels of the Wesleyan-Methodists in the London Circuits. To the various Preachers from the Country, who kindly added their valuable services to those of their Brethren now stationed in Town, in thus pleading the cause of Missions before our congregations in the Metropolis, the Society is under much obligation. We are glad to learn that their labours were successful; the Sunday Collections having, in almost every Chapel, exceeded those of the last year, although, in most cases, Branch-Societies exist in connexion with these several Chapels, each of which had previously held its own Annual Meeting, and had remitted, together with Subscriptions and Donations, the public Collection then made;-so that the Sunday Collections at the General Anniversary are, in fact, the second congregational Collections, for this object, made at those places in the course of the year. We deem it but justice to our liberal friends in and near London, to notice this circumstance. After stating, which we do with unfeigned gratitude, that the whole of the Collections and Donations, received in connexion with this Anniversary, amount to upwards of Twelve HUNDRED POUNDS,-being an increase of Two Hundred Pounds above those of the last year,-we proceed to lay before our readers, as usual, an account of the General Meeting. ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY, AT THE CITY ROAD CHAPEL, ON MONDAY, APRIL 29, JOSEPH BUTTERWORTH, ESQ., M. P., IN THE CHAIR. THE Meeting was opened with prayer, by the PRESIDENT of the Conference; and the Chair was then taken. The Chapel had been crowded for some time. The platform was occupied by the members of the General Committee, by official Members of the Auxiliary Societies from the Country, and by Ministers and Gentlemen connected with other Missionary Societies. Letters were read from SIR SAMFORD WHITTINGHAM, K. C. B., late Governor of Dominica, and from MR. WILBERFORCE, expressing their good-will to the Society, and their decided approbation of its objects and labours; and regretting their unavoidable absence from the Meeting. THE CHAIRMAN introduced the business of the Meeting by observing, that at the period of the first propagation of the Gospel, it had pleased GOD, in the course of his Providence, to make use of the Roman Empire to give facilities to the preaching of the Gospel, which apparently would not have existed had not one government prevailed over the greater part of the world. At the present period, if this country did not possess an extensive dominion in Europe, we had considerable influence even there, by our character, by our commerce, and by our power. Our colonies were most numerous, populous, and important, spreading through a very large portion of the Pagan world. These were given to us, not to fill us with pride, not to promote luxury and dissipation, but to be used for the highest and most important purposes. When we considered that we possessed Gibraltar, the key of the Mediterranean, and the means of diffusing the light of truth into Spain, and that our influence extended to the Ionian Islands, which brought us into the neighbourhood of Greece, and the Turkish Empire ;-if we crossed the Atlantic, and considered the important colonies where our own language prevails, and the access which our possessions there give us to every part of the great American continent;if we re-crossed that ocean and looked at Africa, and the stations of Sierra Leone and the Cape of Good Hope,-and went further east to Ceylon and the great Empire of Continental India, where are nearly one hundred millions of souls under the British Crown ;-if we considered that the Colony of New South Wales had the elements of a mighty empire within itself, and the influence which our settlements and rising power and commerce there gave us in the Pacific Ocean;-we must feel that as a nation of professing Christians, Divine Providence has assigned us a most important work to do, and that every individual was called upon, both by providence and by grace, to do his duty. Those who had money should give their money; it should be at the service of the great GOD and his cause. Those who had time or talents to devote, were called to give their time and talents to Him. And those who could not give these were to pray to God to pour out his blessing on his Ministers, and on those who take an active part in the extension of his kingdom. On this very day we learned that the new states in South America were thrown open to the commerce |
