The Commission, April 1851

ISSION VOLUME 3, Is UMBER 4» “Go ye into nil the world and preach the- gospel to every creatnrc,'' RICHMOND, APRIL 15, 1851 Soutljcrn Baptist (fommitiou. 33 from above> ‘heie is great harmony ; indeed it j far as practicable by others. It will devolve on is found that the most benevolent Christians! the pastor or leading men in every church and Correspondence of the Foreign Hoard. Communications telating to the general busi¬ ness of the Foreign Mission Hoard, may be ad¬ dressed, post paid, to James 11. Taylor, Cor, See., Richmond, I'd. Communications enclosing donations, oi relat¬ ing to tho financial department, may Ьэ address¬ ed to Archibald Thomas, Trias., i Richmond, Га. t For the Commission. Wliat shall we Give? This question is often asked by persons, when they are solicited to give something towards spreading tire gospel in heathen lands. They say we have so little we aro ashamed to give it. Wo would reply to such, givo anythin”: your time, or your talents, your prayers, your labors, everything you have givo; never be at a loss what to givo. Tho poorest may give a few cents at least; this is sufficient to buy a tract, and who сап му wlrat a vast amount of good may be accomplished by that single tract! Remember the widow’s mite. Tho Lord will not despise your offering, however email it may be. Never bo ashamed because yon have not much to give. If you cannot cuntiibuto your money, you can at least .your lirno, your labors. You aro ac¬ quainted with tho Missionary Journal and tiro Commission. You must know that a more ex¬ tensive circulation, of both would bo the means of diffusing much religious information, and like¬ wise of adding somewhat to tho funds of the Hoard. Tho exertions of ono individual have been srrflicient to obtain many subscribers in a place where there was not ono before. Who can tell how much good may bo done, under the blessing of Cod, by tho constant, persevering exertions of ono person! “No labor can be lost that is done with a sincere view to glorify God, and enlarge the boundaries of his holy kingdom.” Every ono can givo their prayers. Every Christian ought to consider it not only a duty, but a pleasure to pray daily for lire extension of Christ's kingdom; that the Lord of tho harvest would send forth того laborers into the harvest. The means of doing good are never exhausted, for we aro enabled at all limes “ to touch and set in motion the almighty agency of God.” Wo should all, then, remember that each ono of us can do something; that every means of in¬ fluence we possess should bo employed constant¬ ly to the utmost. Kotor let ns make again, the inquiry, " Wlrat shall wo give 1" E. N. R. haye long been acting upon them. The desid¬ eratum now fo, that they should ho understood, received and practised by all who bear tho Christian name. As a means of diffusing intel¬ ligence on tiro subject, by a gifi of the donor and a grant from tho Society, 100 copies of this tiact, “ Religion and Beneficence,” No. 535, will bo furnished for a dollar, and of a foui page document, “ Scripture Plan of Uetievolence,” giving a still briefer view of the subject, 700 for a dollar, or at that rate, when 100 or more of either shall be ordered, before April 1, 3852, to the amount in all of 5,000,000 pages. For the sake of harmony and mutual en¬ couragement from united action, the tracts named, present, as comprising a brief expression of the system, tho following pledge or purpose, which many pastors and prominent laymen con¬ nected with different denominations have adopted to be observed by each as long as be shall see fit, and in which they will be glad to be joined by those who do not prefer regulating their char¬ ities in some oilier mclhod: “ Believing that tlm ecriptrrre system of be¬ nevolence requites every one, statedly, to ‘lay by him in store as Goj hath prospered him,’ I engage, on overy Sabbath or at other stated periods, to set apart such a portion of what God shall givo mo as my judgment and conscience shall dictate; to be sacredly applied to charitable objects according to my sense of their respective claims.” Scripturo System of Benovolcnco. WILL PASTORS AND OTIIJJIS JOIN IN ITS ADOPTION? Tbs following article li« Leon received from one of tho Secretaries of tho American Tract Society, with a view to Us ln'crtion In our little sheet. It spcais for Itself. The sug¬ gestions it contains are voithy of the attention of all our readers. Thu attention of many minds is now turned to this subject. Three able treatises discussing the scripture ptineiples, called forth by a gentleman who believes ho has fuund gicat benefits in prac- tising them, have been published by the Ameti: can Tract Society, and approved by pastors and leading men in tire churches, of one of which, “Tho Divino Law of Beneficence,” about 30,000 have been circulated. The author of this treatise, Rev. Parsons Cooke, has also prepared a tract, giving a brief¬ er view of tho teachings of the Bible and the example of scripture worthies, from the an- ' cient patriarchs and peoplo of God to pente. costal days, and tho instructions of Christ and the apostles; and showing that the Bible in¬ junctions are practically combined, with divine wisdom, in the eimplo principles; that "airy one" give, and give statedly, and “ as God pros • pm him." In receiving these simple principles congregation, to make known and introduce the system ; and when adopted, to assist in collect¬ ing tlio fruits of this charity, and directing the minds of tho dopors to proper channels of dis¬ tribution, in such a way as shall seem in each case most to accord with providential claims. great mineral wealth. Besides gold, the abun¬ dant production of which is well known, iron ore is found of such purity that the natives are able to construct from it their knives and other instru¬ ments without smelling; as1 it becomes at 'once, on being heated, sufficiently malleable for this purpose. — Macedonian. -South Africa. It will be observed that this form gives no in¬ timation xolial proportion any ono will give, for this is left to eaelr individual to determine with himself before God; nor does it indicate whether Ire will give on lire. Sabbath, or regulate his charities, by other elated periods; nor in any sense imply that we, our cliiljlrca, and all we have are not wholly the Lord's ; or abridges our liberty to go beyond what we may have pro¬ posed. Ba: it implies that tho person signing it adopts a system of his own, perhaps known only tu himself and to God, ky which ho stated¬ ly sen apart “ as God prospers him.” There is in tlufsystem a simplicity, an adapta¬ tion to rich and poor, to men, women and child ren, which тагкз its divino original. One puis in a box, every Sabbath, wlrat bo devotes to charily. Another enters on a benevolent ac¬ count wlrat lie statedly gives. Another, who cannot command money, sets apatt some product of industry. Another, looking la the future, makes a private record that until lie sees reason to change bis system, bo will devote to charity some proportion defined by himself, of tbo pro¬ ceeds of his business and of what God shalj commit to him, fur every month, every quarter or every year; supporting his family and bear¬ ing all other expenses from the remaining' por¬ tion not thus set apart for charity. Another, who adopts this last mentioned couise, further resolves that, if his receipts shall exceed a certain amount, he will enlarge the proportion devoted to charity; and others still adopt the system with olher variations in the details which the yjudgo best adapted to their own case. Since attention has been called to this subject, the most interesting developments have been confidentially made by benevolent clergymen and laymen, of tho benefits they have themselves derived ftom it, and no case is known of one conscientiously and persevcringly adopting the system, who does not regard it is fraught with blessings, and promising, if generally adopted, untold good to the donor's own soul, to tho wel¬ fare of the churches and of a perishing world, and thus a revenue of praiso to the great Re¬ deemer. Every pastor and every Christian is desired to give this subject the careful examination which its prominenco in the scriptures requires; to adopt this system if it seems to bo divinely sanctioned; and then to secure its adoption as . For the Commission. Worthy of Imitation— Pruits of tho Commission. Brother Editor,— A. very worthy, and highly esteemed minister in the Washington Associa¬ tion, Elder Asa Duggan subscribed, for the Com¬ mission last fall. As soon as it came to band, he gave it to his littlo son. The boy read it, anil his warm heart was so touched with what lie read about tiro poor benighted healhen, lhat he resolved to contribute something to send the Bible to them. As he had, by his dear Father’s permission, cultivated a small patch of cotton, he look a part of the avails of his industry, and brought ii to his father a few weeks ago, and said : "father, I wish you to lake this half a dol¬ lar Mot which I have sold my cotton, and give it to purchase Bibles for the poor heathen !" Here is a good example for all parents. Not only might hundreds of dollars be brought into the treasury of tho LorJ, by tire parents of the children, but children might be thus treinf d up to a life of eminent usefulness. Thousands of dol¬ lars are thrown away for toys, while the wretch¬ ed are perishing for the Bible. That 50 cents will go up to the Convention, and with tho widow’s mite, bo regarded as “a memorial” of the dear littlo hoy. Who will go and do likewise! - -ii.,, . Eli. Ball. Rev. J. Ayliffe, English Wesleyan missionary at Fort Beaufott, Caffratia, writes, Oct. 5, that the cause of God is advancing among the natives. Forty-nine persons had been received iuto the church within six months. A monthly-paper in the Caffro language is issued from the mission press at King William's Town, some of its arti¬ cles being from the pens of natives. The coun¬ try is quiet, and all tho aspects are favorable. An- Example worth Studying. Molokai, one of the Sandwich Islands, Ьзз a population of 3,500 souls, and a church of about 1,100 members. The contributions of this church for tho last year, were as follows:- Support of pastor, - Kohala meeting-house, - Monthly concert, - French Protestant missions, Relief of the poor, Church lytll at Kalaupapa, Repairing meeting-house, Materials and labor, at cash, Repairing pastor's house, - %4S0 00 102 00 501 50 23 00 40 '00 166 00 120 00 400 00 25 00 The Interior of Africa not a Desert. Bectoft, a daring and intelligent English voy¬ ager, has dissipated the delusion, that the interior of Africa is a “desert waste.” He has shown that the climate is as healthy as that of the trop¬ ics generally ; that there are regions of beautiful and fertile country, affording opportunities for legitimate commerce of indefinite extension. Ho explored tHe river Niger within forty miles of Timbuctoo. lie has thrown light on thousands of miles of richly ferliio and wooded country, watered by that great stream, and upon the ivory, vegetable, tallow, peppers, indigo, cotton, wool, palm oil, dye woods, timber woods, skins, and a great variety of produce, which invite trade. To carry on Ibis tiade in the vessels which navigate the rivet, it is necessity to have black crews. The London Spectator remarks — “Of course the free blacks, educated in the West India trade, will become useful workmen in penetrating the native land of their race. We must depend, at least for generations to come, on thq black race, to supply tho bulk of tho crews.” For our own part, we do not see why our own country should not compete with Britain for the rich trade of Africa. Nor do we know any more efficient method of competition than lire proposed lino of sieamers. <*- S 1,707 50 We hazard nothing in saying that there are hundreds of individual Christians in our own churches at homo, any one of whom could afford to give того for the cause of Qod, than the whole congregation at Molokai; and it would he difficult to find, in theso Northern States, a church with so many as a hundred members, who could not do more. But how do the contri¬ butions of most of our churches compare with those enumerated in the above table! Mark tire objecis for which tho money was applied, and the amount given at the monthly concert! How many monthly concerts do most of our churches hold befo; 1 their collections reach S 500 !— Mace¬ donian. Tho Interior of Africa. The Liberia Advocate furnishes an account of a tour on foot by a missionary, 253 miles in the interior. Tho writer declares that the region is unsurpassed by any portion of tho West Indies. It is an elevated country, with high ranges of mountains, extensive valleys and fine undulating tracts lying between, well watered, and covered with valuable timber. Tho soil is fertile, sup- plying all tho productions of the tiopics with in credible tapidity and abundance. Cotton, coffee and tobacco, of tho best quality, can be raised in any quantity. The region in the vicinity has A Description, of the Church of Christ. BY A SOUTH SEA ISLANDER. . “See,” said he, “the walls are built of peb- Ьгез, made first with mortar, so that they be- сото one mass : thoi door is tho work of a European ; the glass for the windows, the locks, the paint, tho nails, are from England. Now, the wood is from tho forest, the pebbles from the shore, the limo from tho hills ; and alto¬ gether they make the building complete. Thus the church of the redeemed on earth is brought together of different parts, and from different places. Our missionaries are from England ; I, thespeakei, am from Tapo;aad many of us are from different tribes and villages ; hut we are all one body in Christ Jesus. “Again, in tho houses of England there are several rooms ; some to eat in, some to sit in, and some to sleep in. Thus it is with the king¬ dom of God : ‘In my Father’s house яге тзпу mansions.’ Further, a fow of the rooms are lined with wainscot, adorned with pictures and beautiful chairs and tables, and covered with many colored carpets, so that no ono, with filthy clothes or dirty feet, may enter, lest he should injure the furniture. So, in heaven, no one can enter who is unholy and unclean ; because all that is there is holy, and beautiful, and clean for- crer!" It в not surprising that such language from a native teacher, ahould make a great impres¬ sion upon his countrymen. May it also teach us, that "without holiness no man can see the Lord!"— Juv. Miss. Mag.