CONTENTS. COMMITTEE OF HOME MISSIONS.-Report from Wisconsin-Extract of a Report-How a Missionary Lives-Receipts.... 193 BOARD OF EDUCATION.-James Hamilton-The Constitution and Rules of the Board-Education Committees-Financial Prospects of the Year-Receipts...... 197 BOARD OF FOREIGN MISSIONS.-Recent Intelligence-Short Income-Larger Outlay-New Indian Missions-Mission Work at Lodiana-Receipts........... 201 BOARD OF PUBLICATION.-Whom Does it Help?-The Universalist-New Books -Receipts... 209 213 ........ ................ 214 BOARD OF CHURCH ERECTION.-Receipts............. 215 THE DAYS RECOMMENDED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR COLLECTIONS IN Having just finished the first quarter of my first year of my pastorate and missionary work in this field, consisting of the congregations of Prescott and Big River, it behoves me, in compliance with the rules of the Board, to send you a report of my labour and its results, during the aforesaid term, together with some account of my new field, and my prospects of usefulness therein. By Divine protection and assistance, I have filled all my appointments during the past quarter, with the exception of one Sabbath, which I spent at Lake City, at the close of a protracted discussion which I had held there, at the earnest request, and with the united countenance and encouragement of all the evangelical churches and pastors of the place, with the champion of Spiritualistic infidelity in the West, (my second conflict with this emissary of Satan this spring and summer,) and which resulted, according to the judgment of infidels as well as of Christians, in the defeat and discomfiture of that evil cause. On that Sabbath, however, I preached three times to over-crowded and earnestly attentive audiences, and also on the evening of the ensuing day. With this exception, I have preached at Prescott twice every Sabbath, and at Big River on the afternoon of every alternate Sabbath, and as often as I could on the afternoon of other Sabbaths, besides preaching frequently in the evenings of week days, being, in all, equal to three or four sermons every week; and the attendance on the preaching is very encouraging. The congregations at both places have more than doubled in size since I began to labour here, and they are still increasing; new faces appearing in the audience at both places almost every Sabbath. And we have received in accessions to our number, i.e. number of professed Christians, evident tokens of the Divine blessing on my labours. At Prescott there were seven added to the membership of the church a few Sabbaths ago, when our last communion took place, four of these united by profession of faith, the balance by certificate, and several persons have since made up their minds to unite with us, and have declared to me their intention to do so at our next communion. I have arranged with my session to hold a communion season at Big River, as soon as harvest is over, when, I have reason to expect, quite a number will unite with the church, some for the first time, and others, who, through the seduction of error, had become estranged from the church, but who have been reclaimed to the truth, through my efforts, by reinstalment in their membership. There are at both places strictly denominational or Presbyterian Sabbath-schools, which are in a flourishing condition. I have also a Bible class at Prescott, and lately I started a two-weekly prayer-meeting, which, at the suggestion of the elders and members, I am about to change into a weekly meeting, combining prayer and a short lecture together, our members living in town being too few in number to sustain a regular weekly prayer-meeting. I have also endeavoured to revive the good old Presbyterian custom of Visiting the families of the congregations and catechizing the children thereof. I have already made a thorough visitation of the families of Big River, devoted several full weeks to the work; and I devote a portion of every week to the same work in the congregation of Prescott. During winter, if I shall live, I will catechize the children of both churches. Life is so short, the night cometh; I have a desire to make full proof of my ministry. The benevolent operations of the church, i.e. securing regular contributions to our Boards, the ladies of the church have, by my persuasion and the unanimous consent of the congregation, cheerfully assumed. With this view, they have formed themselves into an organization, appointed their officers and agents, all ladies, and commenced their work. The plan is to canvass the congregation and community thoroughly once a month for contributions to the Boards, devoting a certain number of months to each Board, three to the Domestic, two to the Foreign. The object is to ascertain, by experiment, the most efficient method of developing the Christian liberality of the church, also to secure a sphere of activity for the female membership. I augur much good from the plan that it will prove a success. The prospects of these congregations are quite encouraging. The members are more zealous and actively inclined, according to the representations of the session, than they have ever seen them. What we need above all is, the blessing of God on our efforts, the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our midst. Oh, that God would grant to these and all the churches of our great, glorious, and re-united Zion, and all the churches of the land and the world, an out-pouring of His Spirit more copious and durable than any the world has ever yet seen! The reunion of the Presbyterian bodies is so great an event as well as a blessing so unprecedented, (the division of religious bodies being so vastly easier and more usual than the reunion thereof,) and so little anticipated by me, that I have not yet awakened to the full realization of it. Great things must be in store for the Church, and right at hand, when such a consummation as this, so full and thorough, has taken place. We ought to have held a grand jubilee in honour of it, a jubilee of praise and thanksgiving to God for it. The day on which it occurred ought to be set apart as a commemorative day. Having been one of the doubting, hesitating ones myself, dreading lest the effort being immature should fail, and result in greater evils, in repelling them further from each other than ever, I now see the hand of God so clearly in it, that I am almost in a rapture of wonder and joy. I always thought well of my quondam N. S. brethren, but now I think so much of them, for acting as they have done, shown so much soundness in the faith, so much of the truth and spirit of the Master, that I am in danger of thinking better of them, of loving them more than somebody else. I trust I shall love the whole body, however, more and more while I live. May God give both our Secretaries (of the Domestic Board), grace to serve for many years to come the blessed cause, which one of them, in one of the "quondam branches" of the Church, served for so many years so acceptably and so successfully, is my ardent and earnest prayer. Fraternally and affectionately yours, Extract of a Report---How a Missionary Lives. J. M. P. I live on a homestead, from which I derive part of the support for my family, which consists of nine, four sons, three daughters, and ourselves. Two of our sons are able to do most kinds of farm work, and are good boys to work; but this summer have been to school much of the time, and the work has been mainly done by my hired hand. It cost us, including the box we usually receive every year, near one thousand dollars to support our family: not over four hundred and fifty dollars comes from the people and the Board. I have thought seriously of leaving this field. for want of support, but at the urgent request of the people, have consented to remain another year, provided they and the Board of Domestic Missions will do the best they can towards my support. I look after the farm only enough to get a support for my family, with what I receive as salary, and if there is another man in this county who has spent as few idle hours since I came here as I, he is not known to me. People say I will break myself down, but I would rather wear out than rust out. W. L. RECEIPTS FOR HOME MISSIONS FROM JULY 15, TO JULY 31, 1870, |