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great number of persons, given up to dissipation, love of the world, and criminal excesses, suddenly withdraw from the amusements of the world, abandon their vain pleasures, become serious, weep over their sins, and afterwards find consolation, peace and joy, in Him who has said, " come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest-Ye shall find rest unto your souls. I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh to the Father but by me; he that believeth on me, though he were dead yet shall he live." On hearing these doctrines, which appeared new to them, a great number imitated the Jews of Berea, and found them in the Holy Scriptures. Husbands and wives who had been separated were reconciled; the drunkard became sober; the miser generous for the kingdom of God; luxury diminished among many females, who adorn themselves with humility; and plays and dances have given place to evenings spent in religious meetings and improvement. Villages in which they had formerly had worldly festivals, in which they engaged on the Sabbath, and until a late hour in the night, in dancing and revelry, which was generally followed by quarrels and shameful disorder, became, and are still, the abodes of peace and of the joy of the Lord. It has only been since these doctrines, which you justly call great and important, and we may add all that are essential, have been preached simply, and with power, in our discourses in publick and in private, that we have remarked these great changes among our Protestant brethren. Let those who speak against these vital doctrines of Christianity, come among our churches, and tell us if the morality of Socrates, the metaphysics of Plato, or the modern Pelagianism of our Neologists, could have effected the same wonderful changes, and thus have sanctified souls abandoned to sin.

month of November last, the letter which you wrote to the Pastors and the members of the Protestant Churches in our beloved country. Our souls have blessed the Lord in learning, that in portions of your country which have been for a long time cover. ed with the thick darkness of idolatry, and in the shadow of death, the glad tidings of salvation have been preached by zealous and faithful pastors, and that a great number of souls, awakened to a sense of their miserable condition, have hastened to place themselves under the guidance of the Great Shepherd, who has given his life for the sheep. We have recognised the hand of God, in the rapid progress that his kingdom of regeneration, of blessedness and of peace, has made among you; and we sincerely unite our prayers with yours, in beseeching our heavenly Father, graciously to hasten that happy period announced by the Prophets, when the whole earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the seas. We thank you for the details into which you enter respecting your churches: such communications will always be valued by us, for although we are absent in person, and separated by vast seas, we are, notwithstand ing, all of us, in the field of the same great Father; and it is with sincere pleasure that we offer you our hand as brothers, in his name who has loved us, and given himself for us. You will no doubt learn with great interest also, the wonderful works which the Lord has performed in our dear Canton of Mens, during the last seven years. We have had, in this little corner of the Alps, the same experience as the Presbyterians of the United States have had in their churches. The same wind, the same Spirit, has blown upon the dry bones and caused them to revive; the same Sun of Righteousness has risen for us, and by his benign influences given us new life; the same word has been preached, and has been as a hammer to break the heart; the same doctrine of Him who is always the same, has produced the same effects among us, as with you. Yes, we are constrained to confess, before God and man, that as soon as the doctrines of salvation, such as our fathers, of glorious memory, had drawn from the word of God, were preached, as you have said, with sincerity and perseverance, we have seen the accomplishment of the promise of the Holy Spirit, and the powerful effects of his salutary influence. As soon as our pastors abandoned the delusive glare of science, falsely so called, and determined to know nothing among us but Jesus Christ, and him crucified, and we were taught that we were conceived and born in sin, estranged from A sense of the favour of God, the interGod, under the curse of the law; that we nal witness of his Spirit, has caused them could not possibly find salvation in any other than Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, who died for our offences and rose again for our justification-we saw a

Vol. VII.-Ch. Adv.

But if, when we were sinners, Christ died for us; if those who have received the doctrine of salvation by grace, have learned that in them dwelleth no good thing; that they merit death which is the wages of sin, and that, consequently, it is not because of their pretended merits they were created anew and reconciled to God; they have also learned they were created to good works; and that because the tree has been made good, they ought necessarily to bring forth good fruit, in all places, and at all seasons. It is thus that we have seen the idle and dissipated apply to work, and bring back by their economy, abundance and joy to their afflicted families, who had often been in want of bread.

to speak a new language, and to acquire new habits. Charity is the offspring of piety, and brotherly love has filled their souls with delightful transport, by uniting

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them to Him who required us to love one another as he has loved us. The poor have been less numerous, the alms of the rich more abundant, the sick more regularly visited, and all the afflicted have received consolation from the Great Comforter.

The collections made among the Protestants from house to house, and several donations from the Bible Society of Paris, have put it in our power to distribute the Holy Scriptures among all classes of society, and this divine seed has not remained without springing up and bearing much fruit in several places.

As those who know how to appreciate the blessings which they have received from God, feel at the same time the necessity of sharing them with others who do not know them; and as we cannot labour for the salvation of our own souls, without feeling constrained to labour also for the salvation of the souls of other men; all our new converts have become zealous labourers for the conversion of their relations, their friends, their acquaintances, and publish upon the house tops, the blessings with which God has filled their hearts. It is thus that the Lord Jesus finds in our day, as formerly, in the inferior ranks of society, preachers of the glad-tidings, who by their simple declaration convert sinners, and cause them to love the Saviour just by relating that he had given peace to their souls, and the great love he had for them. They are mechanicks, labourers, shepherds, without education, and without knowledge, according to the world; but they have been taught in the school of the word of God. They know the language of those who are well taught, and if they hold their treasure in earthen vessels, they evidence, by its most happy effects, that they receive the Spirit of Christ to dwell in them, which makes them more than conquerors in all things.

It is this desire to labour to advance the kingdom of God, which has given rise to a society for Evangelical Missions among the people who are not Christians, auxiliary to that of Paris; an association of females at Mens; and several branch societies in our rural districts. All these different establishments have been blessed by the Author of every good and perfect gift. As in your churches, the piety, zeal, and ardent charity of our female Christians, have powerfully contributed to the propagation and establishment of the dominion of the Gospel among us. Our beloved sisters not only attend to the spiritual and temporal wants of our poor, but they labour to clothe and supply the wants of those, who leave all to preach Christ to poor idolaters. At Mens, our prayers are very numerous, and often, in our poor country, the collections for Missions surpass our hopes.

An association for the distribution of tracts, circulate among our lowest classes instructive pamphlets, which do a great deal of good; and a little library, open to all, prepared with great care, furnishes books to those who could not buy them.

As lighted coals, separated from each other, are soon extinguished, our Christian friends have thought they ought to meet together as frequently as possible, to excite each other to love, and to pray and converse together about their eternal interests. With this end in view, some Christians open their houses, several times in the week, to all those who feel the value of their immortal souls, and who are seeking salvation only in the atoning sacrifice of the Saviour. These Christian meetings, in which every one speaks with entire freedom, of the experience of his heart, are more and more blessed by Him who has promised to be in the midst of those who assemble together in his name.

The duty of instructing the children in the fear and love of God, being every day felt more powerfully, our Christian friends have established Sunday schools, which have been crowned with blessings from the Lord. Poor children, who could not go to publick schools, have learned to read in few months, and have overcome, by their good conduct, the prejudices which their parents had against the Gospel. The Lord often makes use of these little children to

bring their friends to a knowledge of him self. Our schools for boys at Mens, and in the country, are under the direction of such of our brethren as are tradesmen; and that of the girls is under the care of those sisters, who are not detained at home by the indispensable duties of their fami lies.

* The persons charged with the direc tion of these schools, not only teach the children to read, but make them learn by heart, passages of the Holy Scripture. Some of the youngest, who do not know their letters, will notwithstanding learn. during the week, passages marked for them on Sunday; and to do this, go to their pa rents for assistance, who, from frequently repeating the passages their children wish to know, learn them themselves. The Sunday following, the children in their tur instruct their parents, in carrying back to them the explanation given them of the passage which they had recited. Thus the benefit of our Sunday schools is frequently extended to the families of our scholars.

Our dear friends seeing with sorrow that many adults were deprived of the pri vilege of reading the Bible, have establish ed at a work-shop of our brethren a free school in the evening, where workmen, prentices, and day-labourers, come as a recreation from the labours of the day, to take lessons in reading and writing.

Indeed, for our Christians, the Lord's day is truly a holy and a blessed day. Besides two services in the church, in the morning and evening, we have a meeting of men, of women, of young girls and young men, in which all, according to their age and sex, speak of the joy or sorrow of their hearts, of their spiritual experience, and the wants of their immor. tal souls. While our brother mechanics go and read the word of life in the evening, to those whom they can assemble in the country, the evangelical Christians of Mens finish the sanctification of the Sabbath, by an evening meeting in their own neighbourhood.

Behold, dear, and honoured brethren, the blessings which the Lord has vouch safed to grant to our churches. Ah! pray for us, that we may know how to appreci ate them, that our thanksgivings and our praises may rise up before his throne as a sweet smelling savour. The work of God has only commenced among us: if some good has been done, there is still much to do. The greatest number are still absorbed by the love of the world, and are seeking earthly things, and the flock of Christ is still the little flock. Ah! if those at least who have professed to follow a crucified Saviour, would let the light of their faith and good works shine before men! but alas! there is often an indifference, and lukewarmness, which renders them indolent, and timid in instructing their neighbours, and in advancing their own sanctification. The pastors them selves, who ought always to take the lead of their flocks in their activity and watchfulness, are frequently left behind in the way of life by females and poor peasants. We repeat it, very dear brethren, pray for us and for our churches, for we stand in great need of it. May grace, mercy, and peace, be multiplied to you from God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, by the communication of the Holy Spirit!

Amen!

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affection towards you, dear brethren, that I read in the " Archives du Christianisme" a letter not less interesting than edifying and affectionate, which you were pleased to write to the Reformed Churches of France.

My first impulse was to bless the Lord for having put it into your heart to write this excellent epistle. I lost no time in having it read in the church, that all my parishioners might be acquainted with it. They were all as much edified by it as myself; and I am requested to express in the name of all, our lively gratitude, and our sincere thanks. With what deep interest we learned that the Lord had vouchsafed to pour out his blessings upon your happy country, upon your interesting churches, upon yourselves, and upon your pious labours! O for this let him be blessed a thousand and a thousand times; and may he continue to pour out upon you all, and upon all the other countries of the New World, the powerful effusions of his spirit of regeneration and of life!

The interest which the perusal of your valued letter excited, induced my suffragan and myself to have it printed, in order that we might be able to distribute it in all the churches in the north of France. We accompanied it with some reflections, and we hope, that with the Divine blessing, it will become a powerful means of edification and excitement to all who may read it.

Already, many who have asked for it, have congratulated us on having published it. It is called for in many places, and even at Paris, to which I have just sent 150 copies.

I enclose one, which I beg you to accept as a feeble testimony of our gratitude.

You know, honoured brethren, that we are still deprived of our synods, to whom it would appertain to reply to you, in the name of all the Protestants of France. But as the editors of the "Archives du

Christianisme" have announced in their journal that they will forward to you any letters which individuals may be desirous to address to you, I gladly embrace this opportunity, to give you the intelligence that you desire, respecting our beloved churches in this part of France.

I will begin with that which the Lord has vouchsafed to confide to my care; but I cannot better acquaint you with the wonderful changes that he has wrought, than by sending with this, a circular, which I had printed at the close of the year 1825, for the purpose of soliciting aid to build a parsonage for the pastor. This circular has been accompanied by a blessing from on high to many souls, and has produced more than nine thousand francs. But this sum is by no means sufficient, and I venture to hope, that our dear brethren in the United States, particularly the descend

ants of the French refugees, who may be there, will kindly contribute to promote this good work for the sake of their ancient mother country. Notwithstanding, I beg you to believe, that I send it, not so much to obtain assistance from our well beloved brethren in America, for the erection of this building, (which will be long to our poor churches,) as to give you some idea of their spiritual condition in 1825.

Since that period, conversions have not taken place in great numbers, but the Lord has still vouchsafed to convert many persons, especially among the Roman Catholicks. There were more than 150, in 1825, who abandoned popery, and who became the glory and ornament of my churches. I have even one congregation entirely composed of converts from among the Catholicks, and it is by no means the least conformed to the precepts of the gospel. But the ardour of a first love has past, and the period of conflict and of sorrow has arrived. They had even generally fallen into a languid state; though this is not surprising; the Lord having visited me with a prolonged sickness, which deprived me, and still deprives me, of the privilege of preaching. He did not, how ever, leave my beloved churches without evidence of his favour. He has sent them several of his faithful servants to preach the gospel. At this very moment I have one of these zealous ministers, named Mr. Clotta, who assists me as suffragan, and who has already been, in the hands of God, the instrument of the conversion of many persons.

Although the Lord has disqualified me for preaching for more than five years, he has condescended to make use of a feeble and unworthy instrument like myself, to establish a church, and place one of his faithful ministers in the interesting town of St. Quentin; notwithstanding the numerous obstacles the consistory and the local authorities have constantly opposed to it. The Lord has triumphed over all these obstacles, and has blessed in a striking and gracious manner this new church, composed of French and English. The worthy pastor who has charge of it, Mr. William Monod, is entirely devoted to his Master's service, and labours with success for the advancement of his kingdom. Scarcely a week passes, that some Roman Catholicks do not apply to him to be admitted into our communion. It is true, all are not actuated solely by the desire to learn the truth; but the greater part feel their spiritual misery, and several have already gone to the Saviour to obtain pardon and life.

In the neighbourhood of St. Quentin, the work of God makes very great progress, as well among the Catholicks as among the Protestants. It is the same in almost all

the churches of the northern department; although the pastors of the churches are rather opposed than favourable to this religious awakening. The Lord has notwithstanding already done, and is still doing great things in these different places, by the instrumentality of several of his children who are only laymen. He has even put it in my power to fill all these countries with excellent books, and reli gious tracts, which have been furnished me principally by the societies of London and Paris. They have been, and are still circulated, not only by converted persons, but also by six paper-carriers, daily ocen pied in this work, and conveying the gos pel from house to house. All these means, accompanied or followed by the preaching of several itinerant ministers, have been, and are still abundantly blessed in the con version of many souls.

These statements, reverend and well beloved brethren, may give you some idea of what has been done in this part of France, to advance the kingdom of our blessed Saviour. I do not speak to you of all that the Lord has done in the other provinces of this vast kingdom, and particu larly at Paris, which was but recently the head quarters of the most alarming infide lity. I am persuaded that others have al ready informed you, or will inform you, better than I can, of all these things, as well as of all that is occurring in Switzer land, in Germany, and in the other parts of Protestant Europe. I will only add, that in France, as in your happy country, re vivals and conversions have taken place only where have been preached with power and simplicity, the corruption of our nature, the necessity of repentance. regeneration by the Holy Spirit, justifica tion by faith in the blood of the Saviour, sanctification as the fruit of this faith, and the other vital doctrines of the gospel Wherever these great truths have been preached, in publick or in private, souls have been awakened from their sleep of death; but there has also been a strong opposition manifested, particularly on the part of the unconverted pastors. In my parish it arose at first, and still often proceeds, from some of the subaltern authori ties, and from the Roman Catholick clergy However, thanks be to God, the oppos tion diminishes here, as well as elsewhere, and we may now preach the gospel of salvation in the greater number of our churches, without being called, as we were formerly, Innovators, Methodists, or even Antinomians.

You perceive from this, well beloved brethren, that we have reason to hope that the Lord will continue his work in our interesting country. The government ac tually allows the same liberty to us as to the Catholicks; and countenances many of our religious institutions. We ought to

your churches, upon your labours, and your happy country, his choicest blessings. May it please him to strengthen more and more the bonds which unite us in Jesus our adorable Saviour. May he bless the correspondence which he has put it into your hearts to commence with us, and which we desire with all our hearts to continue.

How cheering it will be to us again to hear of your welfare, and to learn that the kingdom of God continues to make progress among you! Oh! may it spread over the whole world, and above all be firmly established in our own hearts.

thank the Lord for permitting us to live
under this happy government, and pray
God to prolong the days of Charles X.,
our august sovereign. We recommend
him, in recommending ourselves, to your
prayers. Yes, dear brethren, pray for us;
pray for our government; pray above all
for our dear churches, and principally, for
the poor sinner who writes you this letter,
that the Lord may grant us all grace to
labour for the advancement of his reign
and our own sanctification. But especi-
ally I would recommend to your prayers,
our young missionaries, who will soon
leave Paris to go to the South of Africa, and
among whom are two of my parishioners,
my dear children in Christ, who are the
first fruits of French missions, Lemue and
Bisseux. On our part, we hope the Lord
will also enable us to pray for you, well
beloved brethren, that it may please him
to prosper more and more the work in
your hands, and pour out upon you, upon
For Treasurers' Accounts see our Extra.

Receive, honoured brethren, with our prayers, our best wishes, and our lively gratitude, the expression of my sentiments of respect and brotherly love.

COLANY NEE. Post-office at Guise (Aisne), France. (To be continued.)

View of Publick Affairs.

EUROPE.

The latest intelligence from Europe is from London to the 13th, and from Paris to the 10th of June.

BRITAIN. The Russian Emperor is attempting to negotiate a heavy loan in London -with what success is not yet apparent. Sir James Scarlett has been appointed his Majesty's Attorney General. Mr. Brougham has been offered the situation of Solicitor General, but has declined the appointment, preferring to be Master of the Rolls, a place to which he thinks he has claims. The Speaker of the House of Commons is shortly to be ennobled, and Sir John Beckett is to succeed to the Speaker's chair. Mr. O'Connell is likely to be re-elected to a seat in Parliament; but is endeavouring to inflame the Roman Catholicks in Ireland against the present Ministry and Parliament, because they would not sustain his former election-We suspect there is popish policy in thisThe Catholicks are to be preserved in enmity to the Protestants. At a dress dinner, us it is called, given by the king on the 27th of May, and a ball that followed, there was a display of unrivalled splendour and enormous expense. Would it not have been better, if in place of this, the cost of the gala had been given to feed the numerous starving poor of the country? But this is a quere of low minded republicans. It is said that the king has intimated his pleasure that his brother, the Duke of Cambridge, should be made Commander-in-chief of the army. Rumours prevail in relation to the removal of present Lord Chancellor, Lord Lyndhurst, who, it seems, gives satisfaction to nobody-"neither to the bar, nor the suitors, nor the ministry, nor the king." Sir Charles Wetherel is spoken of as his successor-The king, it is said, has asked the opinion of Lord Eldon on this subject. It was expected that the parliament would be proroguod about the 16th of June, and that immediately afterwards the Duke of Wellington would go in person to Paris and Vienna, on important state concerns-probably in reference to the war between the Russians and Turks, Portugal, and the affairs of Greece. The British will not permit the Russians to extend their blockade of Constantinople beyond the very entrance of the Dardanelles-Sir Humphrey Davy died at Geneva, on the morning of the 29th of May, and Dr. Wollaston, in London, about two months since. The two first chemists in Britain, if not in the world, have thus finished their earthly career, at nearly the same time. All the important intelligence relative to the bloody conflict between the Russians and Turks, is given in the following summary:

the

"Late intelligence from Constantinople speaks of continued negotiations for a peace by ministers at that capital, and indulges hopes of a prospect of success.

"The first official bulletin from the Russian head quarters states, that the Danube had been crossed in three places; the second, that the investment of Silistria continued, and that there was a strong concentration of the forces. Another bulletin brings down the details of the war in Bulgaria, to the 22d of May. This bulletin gives the particn

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