New Hampshire Branch.

During the year, this Branch has raised $5,005, the largest sum ever contributed in the State for this object, within the same period of time. This is the result of the labors of an efficient Agent. In 1830, without the services of an Agent, the State raised $265 00, and in 1831, with an agency of a few weeks, it contributed to this object, $2,263. Within its bounds 40 young men have been assisted the year past, 10 of whom were new beneficiaries.

North Western Education Society.

This Auxiliary Society embraces the State of Vermont, and has been very successful in furnishing young men who have the ministry in view. There have been assisted within its bounds the last year, 107 individuals, 25 of whom were new beneficiaries, by an appropriation of $5,393, while only $1,152 have been raised within the State to meet it. This deficiency has arisen probably from the fact that no agency, to any considerable extent, has been performed during the year-a complete illustration of the necessity of Agents. With very little service of this nature, the year preceding, $2,213 were raised. The Rev. William L. Mather, who had been Secretary of the Society the two previous years, has resigned his office, and will be employed in the same cause, in some other field of labor.

Massachusetts.

This State, being the seat of the Parent Society, is not organized as a Branch. It has Auxiliaries in the different Counties, most of which are efficient. Suffolk, Norfolk, and Worcester, take the precedence in this good work. The amount contributed within the bounds of the Commonwealth during the year, is $29,535more than one third of all that was raised for this Society within the United States. There have been assisted during the year at its institutions, 265 individuals, of whom 66 were new beneficiaries. This might naturally be expected, for no State in the Union has been more adequately supplied with able and faithful ministers, and none has more highly appreciated an educated ministry, than Massachusetts.

Rhode Island Auxiliary.

This Auxiliary is advancing in its operations. More youth have been assisted, and more funds raised than in any preceding year. The different Evangelical denominations are awaking to the importance of an educated ministry. This is an indication of good to the spiritual condition of the State.

Connecticut Branch.

There have been patronized by this Society during the year, 81 young men, 17 of whom were new beneficiaries. To these individuals, $4,778 have been appropriated, and $3,896 have been collected within the State, in addition to the legacy of Joseph Abbott, Esq. Connecticut has ever been a nursery for ministers, and still promises to retain this characteristic feature. The Rev. Ansel Nash is appointed General Agent for the State. Much good is anticipated from this arrangement.

Agents.

In regard to benevolent efforts the Christian community act very much as they are acted upon. Hence the necessity of Agents to rouse their attention and call forth their energies. Without such efforts even Christians will be dormant and inactive. During the year a number of Agents have been employed in various parts of the country. In direct connection with the Parent Society, the Rev. William L. Mather, Rev. William P. Apthorp and Rev. John M. Ellis have each performed agencies for a longer or shorter time. The Rev. Mr. Mather has for nearly four years been a very acceptable and successful Agent. His services have been performed in the States of Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The Rev. Mr. Apthorp performed in Bristol County, Massachusetts, an agency of two months. He was kindly received, and good, it is believed, was accomplished through his instrumentality. The Rev. Mr. Ellis has been for years an able and efficient Agent of the Society in the Western States. His labors in New England the last year have been crowned with great success. The Rev. Ansel Nash of Wintonbury, Ct. has recently been appointed General Agent of the Society for the State of Connecticut, with a view also to labor in other States as occasion may require. He has for many years been known as an

active and zealous friend of the benevolent enterprises of the day. He enters upon his agency under favorable auspices. The Rev. Mr. Bates of Templeton, Rev. Mr. Porter of Gloucester, Rev. Mr. Kimball of Ipswich, Rev. Mr. Lee of Sherburne, Rev. Mr. Holman of Douglass, and Rev. Mr. Wilde of Grafton, have performed services acceptable and useful in the counties where they reside, so far as consistent with the discharge of their pastoral duties.

Means employed.

The means which have been used in the promotion of this cause are various. The formation of Branch and Auxiliary Societies, and the labors of Agents, have been the principal instrumentality in this great work. Diffusion of knowledge by the press has also been employed as another means. The Quarterly Register, published by the Society, is accomplishing great good in reference to literary and theological institutions of the country, the ministry, and ministerial education generally. It is exchanged for most of the religious periodicals of the country, and it is presented to the presiding officers of the different colleges and theological seminaries, with the expectation that they in return will furnish the Society with the statistics and publications of their institutions. By request it has been furnished to some Reading Rooms, and Societies of Inquiry, respecting missions and benevolent enterprises, in our colleges and theological seminaries. It is presented also to all individuals who give Permanent or Temporary Scholarships, and nearly two thousand copies were sold the last year.

Three thousand copies of the Quarterly Journal, which is a part of the Quarterly Register, are sent gratuitously to individuals in different parts of the country.-The Tracts of Dr. Scudder on the want of ministers, and of Professors Emerson and Knowles on the call and qualifications for the Christian ministry, issued by the American Tract Society, are timely productions, and worthy to be in the hands of every minister, every student preparing for the ministry, every parent who has sons to train for Jesus Christ and his cause, and also every Agent of this Society for distribution, while laboring for its advancement. During the past year a History of the American Education Society has been published by the Massachusetts Sabbath School Society. It is adapted for

usefulness, and should have a place in every Sabbath School Library in the land.-Efforts by correspondence and in other ways, have been made to lead the religious community to remember this cause in their supplications before the throne of God, and to observe in a special manner the Annual Concert of Prayer for Colleges. And God has heard and answered the petitions of his people. Eleven Colleges have been blessed in a greater or less degree the last year with the effusions of the Holy Ghost.*

Concluding remarks.

In concluding their report, the Directors would express their gratitude to God for his goodness in granting the token of his approbation, by crowning their feeble efforts with so great success. They would also express their deep sense of their continual dependence on Him for future prosperity, in the important work in which the Society is engaged. And while they deplore past deficiency in duty, they would with renewed zeal, strong faith, elevated hope, and fervent prayer, persevere in this glorious cause, and, with increased efforts, "come up to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty." They would, too, with earnest and united voice, entreat all the followers of the Lamb to arise and engage with them in bringing forward those, who shall go forth to pull down the strong holds of Satan, and establish the banner of the cross in every land. This Society is to be one of the grand instruments in fulfilling the command of the ascended Saviour, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." How important then that its efficiency should be increased a hundred fold! But to effect this, what more can be done? The claims of this Institution must be more deeply, and more generally felt. Christians must look abroad and behold the desolations of Zion in our own country. They must survey the multitudes in heathen lands, who are perishing for lack of knowledge. They must behold a world lying in wickedness, and their eyes must affect their hearts. With fervency and importunity, they must address to Heaven the prayer of faith, that the Lord of the harvest would send forth laborers into his harvest. They must, too, increase their efforts to seek out pious youth of

good promise, and induce them to prepare for the sacred office. They must enter upon this business with deep seriousness, viewing it to be of vital importance, and feeling that they are accountable to God for the discharge of this duty. There are now, in the United States, 1,900,000 males between 14 and 30 years of age. One in 15, or 126,000, may be considered pious. One in 10, or 12,600, ought to prepare for the ministry. Of these 12,600 males, there are 8,400 between the age of 14 and of 24. These, generally speaking, ought to take a regular collegiate and theological course to qualify themselves for the ministry. Of these also, 2,940 are between the age of 24 and of 28. These, probably, ought to take a shorter course of education, that is, attend to the study of the languages and other important branches two or three years at some academy, and then pursue the study of divinity regularly at some theological seminary. And of this class too, there are between the age of 28 and of 30, 1,260, who, by reason of their advanced age, ought not to pass through a regular course of education either at college or at a theological seminary, but to study divinity with some private clergyman, a year or two, and then enter upon the ministry of Christ. If there should be any subtraction from this number on account of domestic connection, or peculiar engagements in secular concerns, (as perhaps there should be,) this subtraction may be supplied from those over 30 years of age, who ought, in this way to prepare for the ministry. Some few of those who entered on the work of preaching the gospel at this time of life, have become eminent in their profession, as John Newton and others. Of the 12,600, not 4,000-not one third-are preparing to preach the gospel of Christ! This ought not so to be. Awful responsibility and guilt rest somewhere. Is there a Church of

Christ, that has not some of the description mentioned who, if encouraged to come forward, would prove valuable laborers in the vineyard of the Lord? There must be stronger, more extended, and more general appeals by Agents, and by the press. In proportion to the importance with which this Institution is viewed, will, in a great degree, be its prosperity and influence. Its objects, its claims, its results should be familiar to the ear of every Christian. The whole vineyard must be cultivated and every man, woman and child should bear a part in gathering the harvest of the earth. Nor must this work