| 889 called a butterfly. O foolish man, that is afraid to venture as much faith and foretelling as a worm!
Without prophecy the world is a wilderness and mankind like wild beasts. Without revelation the world is a "charnel house," and men and women only subject to the "cracky sound" of death. O vain man! the snake, that crawls into his den in September, possesses more wisdom for the future than thou! Learn from animals what thou lackest from God. Thou canst not be too wise, nor too good. A wise man keeps his heart, but the fool hath said in his heart there is no God. The infidels might be the "salt of the earth," while the sects of the day, are preparing to devour one another, if they would: suppose they read the 1 Kings xix:11, 12 and 13 and then reflect that eating is better than talking, to strengthen the body, temporally and spiritually.
"THE PLAGUE IN INDIA.-A letter to a gentleman in Baltimore, dated Hoogly, Dec. 22, 1844, states that the plague was making fearful ravages at Caubool, where it had never appeared before, and fears were entertained of its spreading through Bengal."
(->) It will be recollected that the great plague of fifteen or twenty years ago, which destroyed so many millions of human beings, commenced at Jessore, in the same quarter of the globe.
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.-The Anniversary was held yesterday morning at the Tabernacle. The audience was not so numerous as at the other meetings during the week. Rev. Dr. Beecher opened the meeting with a prayer. The annual report states the operations of the board during the past year to have been generally successful, particularly at the stations in Western Africa. The mission to the Nestorians has been discontinued on account of the unsettled condition of that people. The situation at Jerusalem has also been discontinued and the mission is now concentrated at Beireut [Beirut], in the region of Lebanon. The work of spiritual reform has been steadily advancing among the Armenians in Turkey and encouraging accounts have lately come from the missionaries at Gabroon, in Africa. It was stated that accounts received during the year from the mission among the Mahratta people of Southern India are of the most favorable character, and Hindooism [Hinduism] is fast losing its ascendancy over them. The Board are desirous to extend their influence in that section and propose sending twenty additional laborers into Ceylon and Southern India generally. The success in China has exceeded the most sanguine expectations, and ready access has been had to the inhabitants of the vast empire and with the best results.-N. Y. Sun.
(->) Several important questions present themselves upon reading the foregoing summary of missionary labors. 1. Have the common propensities of the heathen to do evil been lessened by the labors of the clergy, in as great a proportion as drunkenness and debauchery have increased by civilized intercourse under the board of foreign mission? 2. Do the heathen, as they are called exhibit any more prominent signs of barbarity among themselves than the Americans do in a land of liberty and gospel light? 3. As the evangelizing the nations cost money now-a-days what is the use of that prophesy and scripture, that forbids it?
But we may as well stop asking questions, for should we go on, we might inquire where they get the authority to go as God has said he that scattered Israel, will gather him. The idea we have in making these remarks upon the missionary labors, is this: and our humble opinions, as Christ said by the hypocrite, the beam is in their own eye. Look at the mobs and riots throughout the length and breadth of our land. Pennsylvania riots, Missouri mobbers, Illinois assassins, and ten thousand other crimes, call louder for the voice of humanity to say, peace be still, in the United States, than the ignorance of simple nature, abroad can ever plead for spiritual guides.
Should God speak from the heaven of heavens, now, to ameliorate the condition of men, throughout the world, the first sentence to the sectarian portion would be; -pluck out the beam out of thine own eye, and then thou canst see clearly to pull the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Religion, rightly understood, is the charter of the soul;-and if that contains the only rules by which we can be saved, we shall have to follow the rules, or else lose the reward. Then if God commands his servants, clothed without "purse or scrip," and the sectarian missionaries, go well supplied with cash and coats, where will their reward come from, and of what use is the revelations? The old prophet said:-"Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams! The present missionary array of men and means to better the heathen would be better applied to better matteas [matters] at home. There is a lion in the path.
SLAVERY AMONG THE PRESBYTERIANS.
As the Methodists and Baptists are about to
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