After this, many of my friends came to see her, but she was so much oppressed in her breathing that it was with much difficulty she could say any thing. A pious lady came to see her: she repeated precious texts from the Scriptures, and also some hymns; after she went away, dear little Mary said, "Mother, I suppose Mrs. R- thought I had not reflected on those passages which she repeated; but I often have, and particularly that beautiful verse, "Jesus can make a dying bed Feel soft as downy pillows are, And breathe my life out sweetly there." After this, she appeared to be much in prayer. She often adopted that of the Psalm, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, my Strength and my Redeemer." She seldom spake, but meditated much. One evening she said to me," Mother, I could not sleep last night." I asked her the reason; if she had been thinking on God? She answered," yes, and I tried to compose a verse of a hymn," She was backward at first to rehearse it to me; but when I told her, that if there was any thing in it wrong, I would put her right, she repeated, "Upwards I lift my eyes, O God to thee I look; O make me good before I die, And blot my sins out of thy book." In a short time after this, she was restored to her usual health, for which she was thankful; and she would often repeat the following lines with peculiar delight— "Little children do not fear, In all your trials Christ is near, And says to Peter, feed my lambs." " Nothing very particular occurred for about two years: she continued to give evidences of grace: the Bible and hymn book were her daily companions; the house of God was her delight; she would often remind us of the communion season before the time came, and would say, if it were possible for her to go, nothing should prevent her; at one time in particular, being the first time Dr. Holcomb administered the Sacrament in the First Baptist Church, she had a very great desire to go; the indisposition of body she laboured under rendered it almost impossible; yet seeing her anxiety, I took her down to Church in the morning, and that she might be spared the fatigue of walking home and returning in the afternoon, I remained with her in the Church during the interval of worship. She was much gratified, and the next morning as soon as she awoke she begged that I would intercede with her father to buy a house nearly adjoining the Church; then, she said, she would be so near that she would always go.' Then she composed the following lines "Oh! how happy shall we be` When we reach eternity; There to sing Hossnnas loud, There where saints and angels crowd." After this she was much pleased with a society, called the Evangelical Society, which was opened a few doors from us. The first time it was opened, she thought she had found a prize. She came and told me, Mother, I have found a meeting, and I will go to it." But not knowing the nature of the Society, I told her that perhaps it was of no consequence. But she said, “it was a good meeting, and the gentlemen told us if we would learn hymns they formed; the Kingston B. S. in Ulster County, (N. Y.) recently formed; the Female B. S. of Kingston; and the Juvenile Female B. S. of Kingston. These make the number of auxiliaries, now known, to be—48. The President of the American Bible Society has lately received a letter from Rev. J. Owen, Secretary of the British and Foreign B. S. communicating the congratulations of their Committee on the formation of our National Bible Institution; and informing of a grant of five hundred pounds sterling, to aid in furthering the important objects of the American B. S. 147 We have occasionally mentioned in our preceding Numbers several large contributions to the funds of The American Bible Society. We now insert the following, which have been acknowledged by the treasurer at different times in the News-papers, viz: From The New-York Female Auxiliary Bible Society, . 1000 Dolls. 140 300 Y.) 100 50 400 300 100 The Orange Auxiliary Bible Society, (N. Mrs. Anna Bancker, of New-York, Presbyterian Church of Princeton, in behalf of, and constituting the Rev. Wm. C. Schenck, their Gen. Mathew Clarkson, of New-York, Orin Day, Esq. of Catskill, Archibald Gracie, Esq. of New-York, Isaac Heyer, Esq. of do Hon. John Jay, of Westchester, Joel Post, Esq. of New-York, Col. Henry Rutgers, of do Col. Richard Varick, of do Gen. Stephen Van Rensselaer, of Albany, The Presbyterian Congregation at East Bloomfield, The Georgia Bible Society-donation and to purchase Bibles, James Roosevelt, Esq. of New-York, Collection in the city of New-York, from sundries: in the 4th Ward, in the 10th do in the 1st do 500 500-1000 100 388.99 752 176.75 50 in the 3d Ward, from the Burlington Fem. Aux. B. S. from John Bolton, Esq. of Georgia, 10 shares of CHRISTIAN HERALD. VOL. II.] Saturday, October 12, 1816. [No. 3. FEMALE SABBATH SCHOOLS. THE Third Quarterly Meeting of the Female Union Society for the Promotion of Sabbath Schools, was held in the upper room of the New-York Free School, in Chatham-Street, on the 2d instant. This room, though very spacious, could not accommodate all the ladies who attended, together with the scholars who were present to receive the rewards appointed for them. The serious evils, arising from the irregular attendance of the scholars at their respective schools, had for some time past been a matter of much concern to the teachers, and led them to devise, as a remedy, the plan of public rewards for punctual attendance and uniform good behaviour. Owing to the considerable number of scholars assembled to receive their premiums, and the crowded state of the room, the exercises could not be conducted in as satisfactory a manner as they would otherwise have been: But the gratification derived from beholding so goodly a number receiving the rewards of punctuality, diligence, and becoming deportment, compensated, we trust, for the inconvenience experienced on that occasion. The beneficial results of this experiment have encouraged the Society to persevere in the plan. They intend, however, in future, to distribute the premiums at the opening of the meeting, and then dismiss the scholars, in order to make more room for spectators, and to be enabled to attend more conveniently to the reading of the Reports, and the transaction of the other business of the Society. The Meeting was opened with prayer by the Rev. Mr. Maclay. After which very encouraging Reports were read from the several Schools belonging to the Society. Two new Schools were reported to have been organized since the last meeting: one in James-Street, consisting entirely of adults; and one in SecondStreet, for pupils of all ages. These make 23 Schools now belonging to the Union. A few extracts from these Reports will abundantly prove that this work is surely of God, and therefore cannot come to nought. EXTRACT I. WE have great cause of thankfulness that the number of our scholars is not diminished, but upon the whole continues to increase, and their proficiency is such as far to surpass our most sanguine expectations. Many have committed to memory the whole of Brown's Catechism; the Assembly's nearly, with Scripture proofs; the Historical Catechism; the VOL. II. C formed; the Kingston B. S. in Ulster County, (N. Y.) recently formed; the Female B. S. of Kingston; and the Juvenile Female B. S. of Kingston. These make the number of auxiliaries, now known, to be-48. The President of the American Bible Society has lately received a letter from Rev. J. Owen, Secretary of the British and Foreign B. S. communicating the congratulations of their Committee on the formation of our National Bible Institution; and informing of a grant of five hundred pounds sterling, to aid in furthering the important objects of the American B. S. 147 We have occasionally mentioned in our preceding Numbers several large contributions to the funds of The American Bible Society. We now insert the following, which have been acknowledged by the treasurer at different times in the News-papers, viz: From The New-York Female Auxiliary Bible Society, The Female Bible Society of Carlisle, (Pa.) 1000 Dolls. 140 300 100 50 400 300 100 The Orange Auxiliary Bible Society, (N. Y.) Mrs. Anna Bancker, of New-York, Presbyterian Church of Princeton, in behalf of, and Ontario County, (N. Y.) Debating Society, at do The Georgia Bible Society-donation and to purchase Bibles, James Roosevelt, Esq. of New-York, Collection in the city of New-York, from sundries: in the 4th Ward, in the 10th do in the 1st do 50 in the 3d Ward, from the Burlington Fem. Aux. B. S. from John Bolton, Esq. of Georgia, 10 shares of stock in the Marine and Fire Insurance Com pany of Savannah, the Beaufort Aux. B. S. (S. C.) the Pittsburgh B. S. to purchase Bibles, a devoted friend to the Institution at Philadelphia, the Long Island B. S. (N. Y.) CHRISTIAN HERALD. VOL. II.] Saturday, October 12, 1816. [No. 3. FEMALE SABBATH SCHOOLS. THE Third Quarterly Meeting of the Female Union Society for the Promotion of Sabbath Schools, was held in the upper room of the New-York Free School, in Chatham-Street, on the 2d instant. This room, though very spacious, could not accommodate all the ladies who attended, together with the scholars who were present to receive the rewards appointed for them. The serious evils, arising from the irregular attendance of the scholars at their respective schools, had for some time past been a matter of much concern to the teachers, and led them to devise, as a remedy, the plan of public rewards for punctual attendance and uniform good behaviour. Owing to the considerable number of scholars assembled to receive their premiums, and the crowded state of the room, the exercises could not be conducted in as satisfactory a manner as they would otherwise have been: But the gratification derived from beholding so goodly a number receiving the rewards of punctuality, diligence, and becoming deportment, compensated, we trust, for the inconvenience experienced on that occasion. The beneficial results of this experiment have encouraged the Society to persevere in the plan. They intend, however, in future, to distribute the premiums at the opening of the meeting, and then dismiss the scholars, in order to make more room for spectators, and to be enabled to attend more conveniently to the reading of the Reports, and the transaction of the other business of the Society. The Meeting was opened with prayer by the Rev. Mr. Maclay. After which very encouraging Reports were read from the several Schools belonging to the Society. Two new Schools were reported to have been organized since the last meeting: one in James-Street, consisting entirely of adults; and one in SecondStreet, for pupils of all ages. These make 23 Schools now belonging to the Union. A few extracts from these Reports will abundantly prove that this work is surely of God, and therefore cannot come to nought. EXTRACT I. WE have great cause of thankfulness that the number of our scholars is not diminished, but upon the whole continues to increase, and their proficiency is such as far to surpass our most sanguine expectations. Many have committed to memory the whole of Brown's Catechism; the Assembly's nearly, with Scripture proofs; the Historical Catechism; the VOL. II. C |