the past year as the preceding, yet in several places God has manifested his power and presence in carrying forward the work of salvation. The alarm of war, and the all-exciting subject of the border difficulties, have had a deleterious influence in chilling ardor and palsying efforts in the cause of Christ, but, through a merciful Providence, the notes of preparation for hostilities have died away, and the churches seem returning with more concentrated feeling and unity of purpose, to the consideration of the one thing needful. And though the means of the society are still too restricted to meet the multiplied and increasing calls upon it from every quarter, yet, on the whole, its patrons and friends and all who wish well to the cause, never had more reason than now to thank God and take courage."

NEW-HAMPSHIRE MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

|

deemed their pledges previous to the commencement of the past year; and, in part, by the pecuniary embarrassments which the farming population of the state have experienced, even more serious than those of the year preceding. To supply the place of the regular payments of those who have completed their life membership, particular attention has been given to resuscitating and extending the "Cent Institution," which has been a favorite organization with the ladies of the state, and which has paid into the treasury of the society, the last year, more than $800. The sum of $665 has been received from the state into the treasury of the Parent Society.

We trust the friends of Christ and of their country will not suffer the New-Hampshire Missionary Society to languish for want of funds; for there is yet much land to be possessed. The whole number of churches in the state that need charitable assistThis society has celebrated its ance is 80; about 30 of which are "Had the thirty-seventh anniversary, and the now entirely destitute. results of its labors have been such society the requisite means," says as call for devout thanksgiving to the Secretary-Rev. BENJAMIN P. God from all who love the prosperity STONE-it might greatly enlarge its of Zion. It has employed in its ser- operations, with encouraging prosThe old wastes, vice 975 missionaries, the aggregate pects of success. of whose labor is 479 years. Under and the desolations of many generathe labors of these missionaries, tions, are yet painfully numerous, twenty-five or thirty waste places and they call loudly for the prayers, have been reclaimed-forty churches the sympathies and the liberality of have been organized-twenty-five all within our bounds, who love the houses of public worship have been Saviour, and the souls of their felerected-not far from three thousand low men." souls have been hopefully converted and added to the churches, and, for the last few years, three thousand pupils have annually received the This society has continued to probenefits of Sabbath school instruction. secute its noble work the past year The number of its missionaries the with energy and success; a work past year has been 48. The receipts demanded, not only by the number of the year have been $4,551 96, of feeble churches within the state, and the expenditures, $4,983 74, but by the causes which are operaleaving a balance against the society ting to keep them feeble. The most of $431 78. The amount of receipts peculiar of these, perhaps, is the is less by $1,263 16, than in the pre-almost constant emigration of some ceding year; and has been occasion of the most efficient members of ed, in part, by the fact, that a large these churches to the western states. number of individuals, who, three or No less than 150 members of the four years since, engaged to make missionary churches, it is supposed, themselves life members, by the pay- have been dismissed and removed ment of annual instalments, had re- within a year, a greater number than

VERMONT MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

66

have been added to these churches The one is, its successful nurture of on profession of their faith. "Of the infant churches within its own this stream, as it flows down upon the great valley," the directors say, we would not complain, because we have reason to believe that it will fertilize the plain. But we would awaken a deeper solicitude lest the fountains become dry or polluted." The society have had in commission during the year 47 missionaries. The contributions of the churches, out of which they have been sustained, have been $3,851 78, and the expenditures $3,805 00. One hundred and eighteen dollars have also been received from the state, during the year, into the treasury of the A. H. M. S.

The Secretary of the society-Rev. IRA INGRAHAM--says, in his report, "Our prospects, in general, are encouraging. The number of missionaries employed, and the number of fields occupied, during the whole, or a part of the year, is not as large as in the year preceding, yet the amount of missionary labor performed is greater. There has been, within the last six months, more special religious interest in our missionary fields, than there had been for several years previous. Revivals are not, in general, so rapid or apparently powerful, as at some former periods; the number of hopeful conversions is not so great as the same amount and extent of feeling in the churches might lead us to hope for; yet the whole number is indeed cheering, and the influences of the Spirit on the churches are extensive and happy."

MASSACHUSETTS MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

The last anniversary of this society was its thirty-ninth. The fathers who organized it have, most of them, gone to their rest. But the churches which they established and strengthened, and the souls enlightened and redeemed through their instrumentality, are mementoes, on earth and in heaven, of the wisdom and the benevolence of the principles on which they acted.

Two interesting characteristics have marked its more recent history.

limits gathered out of congregations no longer recognized as evangelical, until many of them have become vigorous and independent; and others are fast taking their places among the most beautiful of the daughters of Zion:-the other is, its large contributions, in addition to what it has bestowed upon the churches under its immediate care, to the great work of evangelizing the land. These contributions have exceeded, for several years, those from any other state-have encouraged us in our work when we must, otherwise, have been disheartened-have enabled us to distribute the bread of life to those who must, otherwise, have been unfed.

And we are happy in being able to add, that notwithstanding but little agency has been employed the past year for the purpose of collection, there have been received from the treasury of the Massachusetts Missionary Society, and from various individuals, congregations and auxiliaries of Massachusetts, including $2,500, a legacy of the late Richard Cobb, Esq., of Boston, $11,005 09, and $9,210 01 have been expended in support of missionaries within the state. The receipts of the state society, from April 1st, 1838, to April 1st, 1839, were $11,954 65, and the payments $14,814 51, and a balance remained in the treasury, April 1st, of $4,962 82.

The Rev. R. S. STORRS, D. D., having been obliged, by the failure of his health, to retire from the work of the general agency, which he has so long and so successfully prosecuted, the Executive Committee, a few months since, appointed to this office the Rev. JOSEPH S. CLARK of Sturbridge, who is now actively engaged in the discharge of its duties.

CONNECTICUT MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

The churches of Connecticut have ever been distinguished by their pious concern for the spiritual welfare of their sons and daughters, who have sought a home in our new settlements. Immediately after the revo

ciety of the Western District of Fairfield county, and the Home Mission

lutionary war, as emigration to the North and West increased, they sent out one and another of their own pas-ary Society of the Eastern District tors, to feed, for a season, the sheep that had no shepherd.

In 1788, the district associations took up this description of missionary labor on a larger scale. In 1798, the General Association resolved itself into the Connecticut Missionary Society, and in 1802 received an act of incorporation from the legislature.

of New-Haven county, and from individuals and congregations in other sections of the state, $3,062 59; making the total amount contributed to the cause of Home Missions in this state, during the year, $8,337 06.

WESTERN AGENCY, N. Y.

The report of this department of the Society is peculiarly animating. The work of the Lord has prospered in the hands of the mission

As this was the first state missionary society in the country, so it was, for many years, the only society extensively known as a missionary society, and may be considered as the parent of many others. Its mission-aries. aries were pioneers of mercy on all our frontier settlements, and hundreds of churches, and thousands of souls, in Vermont, in New-York, in Ohio, in Missouri, and in other sections of the land, will call them blessed.

This spirit of Home Missions, so early developed, has descended, from generation to generation, so that now, the small state of Connecticut is behind only the much larger states of Massachusetts and New-York, in the amount which she contributes, annually, for turning the wilderness into the garden of God.

And while Connecticut has done so much to plant the institutions of the Gospel in other states, it is a fact worthy of devout recognition, that she is herself better supplied with an educated, evangelical ministry, than any other state in the Union, and perhaps better than any other section of the globe-a beautiful illustration of the promise, "He that watereth shall be watered also himself."

The number of appointments during the year has been 61, which, with 20 previously appointed, makes 81 laborers in this field. Eighty-six churches have received the benefits of this evangelical labor, which has, in all, exceeded 57 years. Sixteen of the missionaries were never before enrolled on our list, and eight of the fields occupied are new attempts to reclaim the ground to the dominion of Christ. Nine churches, and two smaller places of worship, have been erected on missionary ground. The spiritual interests of the churches aided have also been prospered. Nineteen instances of revival are reported, in several of which there have been 100 cases of hopeful conversion, and upwards of 500 have united themselves to the followers of the Lamb. The receipts of the year-notwithstanding its embarrassments-have amounted to $8,424 16, which is about $3,000 more than the pledges to missionaries on this field.

The history of the Western Agency, Our auxiliary in this state has aided, for the thirteen years of its operathe past year, 34 feeble congregation, is the fairest illustration of the tions, within its limits, in sustaining the institutions of the Gospel, and appropriated $1,000 in aid of feeble churches in Rhode Island. Its receipts have been $5,274 47; and its expenditures $4,217 33, and there remained a balance in its treasury, April 1st, 1839, of $3,003 64. There have also been received into the treasury of the A. H. M. S., during the year, from the Home Missionary So

practical working of our Home Missionary system, because, in the providence of God, it has there enjoyed the co-operation of men who appreciate its claims to the confidence of the churches. Since May, 1826, when it first received the attentions of a permanent agent, this organization has been the foster parent of the congregations within its bounds. And it is a fact which ought to bind our

of the beneficial results of this agency; and though there have been few revivals, yet in nearly every church some are reported as having been hopefully born again.

Rev. ABIJAH CRANE is the Secretary

hearts to this blessed cause, and to fill us with gratitude to God for what he has enabled us to do, that within only thirteen years five sixths of all the Presbyterian and Congregational churches in the eighteen counties covered by the Western Agency, of the Agency, and Agent for the A. have been planted or nourished into|| H. M. S. on that field. fruitfulness and strength by this Board. And to what spirit the community has thus been trained, may be seen in another fact, viz. that within the same period the contributions to the Home Missionary cause have amounted to $86,000, a sum which has sustained the missions

on the field, and furnished $31,000

to send the bread of life to other parts of the land.

Rev. JOHN A. MURRAY is the Secretary of this Agency, and Agent of the A. H. M. S. within its bounds. For the Report see the Appendix.

CENTRAL AGENCY, N. Y.

CANADA H. M. 8.

disastrous influence of the rebellion In our last report we spoke of the in Canada upon the cause of Mis

sions.

from this source have since been fully Our worst apprehensions realized. The Presbytery of Upper Canada, comprising seven or eight ministers, twenty-five churches, and having an aggregate of 700 or 800 communicants, has been quite broken up. The Report of the Canada H. M. S. remarks, in reference to the injury occasioned by the political disturbances in the Lower Province, "A second rebellion has extended The wide region over which this the evil; and at this time, some of agency extends its labors, comprising our churches are mourning over the central, northern, and eastern prostrate altars, on which they were portions of the state of New-York, preparing to offer their thank offerincludes a large share of its more ings to the Lord for special mercies. destitute communities. In seven But these are the dark colors of the counties, containing 135 churches, picture: it has a brighter aspect. only 43 are able to sustain the Notwithstanding the discourageGospel without assistance. Many ments which have been mentioned, churches have been reduced to a state some of the churches have been of dependence by the drain of emi- visited with seasons of refreshing gration to the new states. During from the presence of the Lord; the past year, 31 appointments of others have made gradual, but steady missionaries have been made, progress in their course of duty, and which, with 7 previously appointed, even those who have been most semakes the aggregate of 38 on this verely tried, have increased in numfield. These have furnished a regu-bers and in strength. Chapels have lar supply to 43 churches, besides ministering, with greater or less frequency, to many others. The receipts of the year amount to $3.564 02, As an illustration of the power of which is $314 22 more than the whole || him who is "wonderful in council," expense of the Agency, besides about to cause the wrath of man to praise $1,000 remitted from that field di- him, a missionary states, that God is rectly to the Parent Society. An in- overruling the political disturbances, creasing interest in the Home Mis- so as to bring the Catholic population sionary work is manifested by the into more immediate contact with churches generally, and especially their Protestant neighbors than ever by some of the ecclesiastical bodies. before. "A spirit of inquiry, and a A growing estimation of the advan- desire for improvement, are awakentages of a permanent ministry is one led in multitudes, which no threats or

been dedicated, pastors installed, and, in some places, a permanency given to the institutions of the Gospel."

in coming years, we think is evident from a comparative view of the receipts of the Agency from the time of its organization.

flatteries of the priesthood can effec-work to be done, and is to be detually quell." Twelve missionaries, pended on, as a faithful auxiliary six of whom were aided by the Parent Society, labored within the bounds of this auxiliary during the past year. Income, $798 47. The Agent, Rev. W. F. CURRY, is transferred by the Executive Committee to the Western Reserve, O., where his labors are to commence with the ensuing missionary year. His associates in Canada speak of his labors there with strong commendation.

PHILADELPHIA AGENCY.

In the field of this Agency, which consists of Pennsylvania, New-Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, there have been in commission, the last year, 38 missionaries; some of whom Occupy stations, which demand a more than ordinary degree of patient endurance and of faith in God. They have, generally, been encouraged in their labors, by an increased attendance on the preaching of the word, by the active efforts of their people for the instruction of the rising generation and the conversion of the world; and some of them have witnessed the special effusions of the Divine Spirit upon the congregations of their care. One reports 30 recent cases of hopeful conversion; another, 71 added to his church on profession of their faith; and another, from 70 to 80 rejoicing in the hope of forgiven sin.

In 1835 its receipts were $5,539 65

In 1836

In 1837

do do

In 1838

do

In 1839

do

5,830 49

6,901 41

8,349 93

8,911 28

The report of the Secretary of this Agency-Rev. GIDEON N. JUDDwhose labors have contributed so much to its efficiency, will be found in the Appendix.

MISS. SOCIETY Germ. reformed church.

This auxiliary reports twelve missionaries, as having labored under its appointment during portions of the last year. Besides these, four other ministers of that denomination have been commissioned by the Parent Society. The details will be found annexed to their respective names in the general table.

WESTERN RESERVE D. M. S.

With the exception of the occasional services of the former Secretary, Rev. O. P. HoYT, this auxiliary has not enjoyed the benefits of a regular agency for nearly two years past. In consequence of this fact, and of the general embarrassments of the community from sickness, and the prostration of business, the receipts of the society have been small; and a considerable portion of its appropriations to missionaries have been paid from the Parent treasury. Ten years of service have been performed on the field of this society by 15 missionaries. Connected with this auxiliary, and prospectively under its supervision, is an extensive region in the north-western section of Ohio, rapidly filling up with imThat the liberality of these migrants, and needing the fostering churches is not fitful and uncertain-regard of this society. This new the result of an ephemeral excitement, but of a growing conviction of the importance and magnitude of the

The friends of Home Missions on this field have also testified their favorable regard for the labors of these missionaries, and their interest in the great objects of the society at large, by their generous contributions. Notwithstanding the ecclesiastical dissensions, so painfully conspicuous within the bounds of this Agency, and the partial continuation of pecuniary embarrassments, the receipts, for the past year, have been $8,911 28, which is $561 35 more than in any preceding year.

missionary field, together with the feeble churches on the Reserve, constitute a sphere of christian effort too