11. The Bishops and chief Ministers of the Church being at the head of it, is my best security that its affairs will be properly administered. 12. Although its object is, to bring the WHOLE WORLD to the knowledge of Christ, it makes it its' duty to begin with those nations, who through the Providence of God, are my fellow-subjects. And I believe, that when God joined these many nations to the crown of England, His purpose was that through the Charity of English Christians, they might be brought to the knowledge of their Saviour. 13. To some of these countries many thousands of my fellow countrymen have gone to settle, driven thither by their poverty at home; the greater part of these are as Sheep without a Shepherd, having no Christian Minister to instruct and confirm them in the faith, into which they where once baptized: These are members of the Church of Christ; and so a portion of God's chosen people; and many of them are now earnestly crying to us, "come over and help us," but if we refuse, there is danger, lest they lose this heavenly desire, and "perish for lack of knowledge." Can I refuse to help them, and be blameless, when God has commanded me to "do good unto all men, but especially unto them which are of the household of faith?" (Gal. vi. 10.) For instance: In Upper Canada there are more than 600 thousand souls, nearly all of whom have gone out from Great Britain; there is little more than one Christian Minister for every ten thousand souls, and these ten thousand scattered over the space of an English County. Many there and elsewhere never see a Christian Minister for years together. A Clergyman, who lately travelled round the Island of Newfoundland, met with families, who once worshipped God in England, but who since they settled there, had not even seen a Christian Minister, some for ten, others for twenty years. "Ah Sir," said these poor people, as they thought of the blessings they once enjoyed in England, "when we are sick or sad, no one comes to visit us; no one cares for our souls." And the Bishop of Nova Scotia states, that as he passed along the sea coast of his large Diocese, preaching the Gospel and administering the holy Sacraments, many persons followed him in boats from place to place, eager to make the most of an opportunity, which, alas! came so seldom. In New South Wales there are many thousands of my fellow-countrymen, who for their crimes and for our peace and safety have been sent thither from this Christian country, and who with their families will live on and die in their sins, unless we send them Christ's Ministers to call them to repentance. Sad indeed is the case of of those poor unhappy convicts! During the time they passed in an English prison, they were daily visited by a Christian Minister, who told them of the mercy, which for Jesus Christ's sake God has promised to every penitent sinner; but now many of them never hear those happy tidings, and are never warned of the yet greater misery, which awaits them, "except they repent:" and thousands of them have in consequence grown worse and worse, from the day they left our shores. Their country has thus inflicted on them a double punishment: for it has not only sent them far away from their homes and their friends, but, by not sending with them Christian Pastors, it has, as far as man can see, put it out of their power to attain that blessed home and that never ending happiness, which through the unbounded grace of their God and Saviour, they might have hereafter attained in Heaven. Thus has our country taken to itself a right, which belongs to God alone; it has punished those unhappy men and women, not in time only, but in eternity, not in this world only, but also in that which is to come! Surely our Country has greatly sinned in this; and we are every one of us partakers of that sin, if we do not all that in us lies to bring back those lost and long neglected Sheep to "the Bishop and Shepherd of their Souls." (1 Peter. ii. 25.) But this is not all : In the West Indies there are nearly a million of people, who were slaves; we have lately given them liberty; they are no longer slaves, but free men; we still owe them "the liberty, with which Christ has made us free." (Gal. v. 1.) And in the East Indies, there are nearly 100 millions of souls, who lie "in darkness and the shadow of death," given up to gross idolatry, and knowing nothing of the precious blood shed for them by their Redeemer. In these and the other foreign countries, which are a part of the British Empire, and are thus especially committed to the care of the Christian people of England, this society has long laboured and is still labouring zealously and faithfully "in the Lord," to spread the knowledge of the Gospel. It employs 268 Missionaries; of whom 159 are in British North America; in New South Wales, 32; in the East Indies, 27; in the West Indies, 48; at the Cape of Good Hope, 2. Besides 178 Catechists and Schoolmasters, paid entirely or in part by the Society. But what are these among more than 100 Millions of souls, inhabiting countries 30 times as large as England? Truly "the harvest is plenteous but the labourers are few!" How then can I call myself a CHRISTIAN, but especially AN ENGLISH CHRISTIAN, and refuse to help this Society? If I am rich, then I am without excuse; and if I am poor, neither may poverty hinder me from joining in this work of mercy; for all that my God requires of me is, that I "be merciful after my power, saying, "if thou hast much, give plenteously; and if thou hast little, do thy diligence, gladly to give of that little ;" and for the comfort of those that have little, it is written, "if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not." (2 Cor. viii. 12, St. Mark xii. 41-44.) Christian Reader, you are earnestly prayed seriously to consider these reasons, why you should assist in the holy labours of this Society. All that is asked of you is, that you DO YOUR BEST but this is asked, nay more, is required of you in the name of your God and Saviour. Do it then freely and cheerfully, and then, though it be little, God will graciously accept your offering, and bless it to the benefit of your own soul, and the souls of many others, for whom, as well as for you "Christ died." By regularly subscribing something weekly, monthly, or yearly, you will be rendering the Society real help; because they will thus know what they may every year expect from their supporters, and how far they may increase their valuable exertions; and, to show you how much is in the power of even the poorest Christian, it has been reckoned that, if every family in our Church would give one half penny a week the whole sum would amount to £200,000 a year. This would at once enable the Society to send nearly Two THOUSAND instead of two hundred Missionaries TO PROPAGATE THE GOSPEL IN FOREIGN PARTS. "FREELY YE HAVE RECEIVED; FREELY GIVE." (St. Matt. x. 8.) THE END. PRINTED BY E. PEARCE, HIGH STREET, ALCESTER. |