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derick county, Maryland, where he begun to preach the doctrines of Christ as held by Mr. Wesley; and such was the favourable reception of the word, that Mr. Strawbridge soon collected a Society, and thus prepared the way for the introduction of Methodism in that part of the country.

The following letter from Mr. Pilmoor to Mr. Wesley will shew the cordial manner in which the Missionaries were received, and the flattering prospects of doing good which appeared among the people :

"REV. SIR,

66 Philadelphia, Oct. 31, 1769.

"By the blessing of God we are safely arrived here, after a tedious passage of nine weeks. We were not a little surprized to find Capt. Webb in town, a Society of about one hundred members, who desire to be in close connexion with you. This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.'

"I have preached several times, and the people flock to hear in multitudes. Sunday evening I went out upon the common. I had the stage appointed for the horse race for my pulpit, and I think between four and five thousand hearers, who heard with attention still as night. Blessed be God for field preaching. When I began to talk of preaching at five o'clock in the morning, the people thought it would not answer in America: however, I resolved to try, and I had a very good congregation.

"Here seems to be a great and effectual door opening in this country, and I hope many souls will be gathered in. The people in general like to hear the word, and seem to have ideas of salvation by grace."

After continuing a short time in Philadelphia, Mr. Pilmoor made an excursion to Maryland, where he found Mr. Strawbridge, and preached with some success. He likewise visited some parts of Virginia and North-Carolina; and witnessing the happy effects of his labours in the awakening of sinners, he formed some societies. In all places which he visited, he found people eager to hear the word, and kind to those who came to preach it. From hence he returned to Philadelphia, and soon came to New-York, while Mr. Boardman went to Philadelphia; thus commencing, in the early stage of their labours, a regular change from place to place. The Society in New-York, under the labours of Mr. Embury and Capt. Webb, was in a flourishing state on the arrival of Mr. Boardman, whose godly simplicity and evangelical preaching were made a peculiar blessing to many. In this prosperous state of the Society, Mr. Pilmoor entered upon his charge over them. As he thought it most prudent to make a fair trial before he transmitted his account of the state of things to Mr. Wesley, he deferred writing until April 24, 1770, on which day he wrote the following letter:--

About

"Our house contains about seventeen hundred hearers. a third part of those who attend get in; the rest are glad to hear without. There appears such a willingness in the Americans to hear the word, as I never saw before. They have no preaching in some parts of the back settlements. I doubt not but an effectual door will be opened among them! O! May the Most High now give His Son the Heathen for His inheritance. The number of the blacks that attend the preaching affects me much."

From these representations of the state and disposition of the people in America, Mr. Wesley was induced to concert measures to send them over more labourers. Accordingly the next year, 1771, Mr. Francis Asbury and Mr. Richard Wright, who volunteered their services, were dismissed under the blessing of God for the help of their brethren in America. They set sail from Bristol, Sept. 2, 1771, and landed in Philadelphia the 24th of Oct. following. They were received with great cordiality, "the people hardly knowing," says Mr. Asbury, "how to shew their love sufficiently, bidding us welcome with fervent affection, and receiving us as the angels of God."

According to a notice in Mr. Asbury's Journal, Vol. iii. p. 109, it appears that when he arrived in this country, he found three hundred Methodists in New-York, two hundred and fifty in Philadelphia, and a few in New-Jersey, probably in all about six hundred. Those in Maryland do not appear to be included in this number. On the arrival of Mr. Asbury, he very properly judged that they could not expect a general spread of the work of God, unless they extended themselves into the country towns and villages. He accordingly led the way, by which the prospects of usefulness opened before them in every direction.

Such was the commencement of that work of God which has since extended over this vast continent, and which now numbers 1226 travelling preachers, and 312540 members. Feeble in its beginnings, it gradually rose under the fostering hand of God, until it has become "like a grain of mustard-seed; which a man took, and sowed in his field; which indeed is the least of all seeds, but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof."

AMERICAN COLONIZATION SOCIETY.

THIS Society is more and more attracting public attention. Agents are employed to travel through the country with a view to rouse the public mind to the interests of an institution, which, as far as we can judge, ought to enlist the sympathies, the benevolence, and the prayers of every well-wisher to the civilization, and the christianization of the depressed descendants of Africa.

In a former number of the Magazine, we published a communication from an agent of the Society in the South, who, in a more recent letter, informs us that he has succeeded in forming two auxiliary societies in Wilmington, state of Delaware. While in that borough the following appeal to the citizens appeared in the American Watchman, a paper printed in that place, which we take the liberty of presenting to our readers :

A VOICE FROM AFRICA.

We consider it out of the question for any person of liberal views and benevolent feelings, not to wish a universal expansion of the means of human happiness. And we are much deceived, if there is not at this time a powerful feeling of commiseration for the African race in the United States, extending itself from Maine to Georgia.

The condition of the free part of that people, (and there are 238,000 of them, in the different states and territories of this nation,) is universally admitted to be, if not wretched, yet certainly very uncomfortable, and altogether unfriendly to a developement of those intellectual and moral powers, without which man is but little better than the brute creation. It is true they do not labour under all the disabilities of the slave; and it is equally true, they do not enjoy all the immunities of the free white man; and never can in this country.

Many of them, (perhaps all,) are deeply sensible of their degraded state; and not a few have, within the last few years, turned an imploring look to the free white population of this country, beseeching them to grant the means of transportation to themselves and families, to the asylum prepared for them in the land of their ancestors, by the American Colonization Society.-Shall they plead in vain? Now that the territory is purchased, and the land awaits their cultivation, "and all things are ready," and all circumstances bid them welcome; will not the friends of humanity in the United States of America, hear and grant their prayer? May the Father of Mercies take from every eye the film of prejudice, and soften every heart into kindness and charity.

We fear that many withhold what their hearts and best feelings prompt them to give, under the erroneous impression, that the Colonization Society does not embrace a scheme of general benevolence, but is partial in its objects and equally so in its operations. We have honestly in our first number stated what the society would do, if its means were equal to its wishes. We will now, by way of banishing all suspicion and doubt upon this point, reiterate a part of the statements (referred to above,) in the language of an official document, which we have seen, which we hope will receive that implicit credence which its high authority claims. It is in the form of an address delivered at an anniver sary meeting of the society. Speaking of the institution it ré

marks" If its prosperity shall equal our wishes, it will be alike propitious to every interest of our domestic economy: and shall it lead, as we may fairly hope it will, to the slow, but gradual abolition of slavery, it will wipe from our political institutions the Only BLOT which stains them; and in the palliation of which we shall not be at liberty to plead the excuse of moral necessity, until we shall have exerted all the means which we possess for its extinction." Comment on this language, so plain and unequivocal, is needless.

But an objection is heard in this language" We cannot accomplish all this, and therefore efforts are useless.".

If the principle of this objection had obtained universally in our world, wretched and miserable indeed would its aspect be now. Those asylums for the sons of want and daughters of sorrow, which now greet the eye of benevolence in every section of our wide spread country, would never have been erected; and the miserable victims of poverty and disease, now protected and sheltered by them, would have been left to wander in innumerable multitudes, looking with the keen eye of despair to the grave as their only refuge. We venture to say, if this principle had obtained throughout the world, hundreds and thousands who have been reclaimed from the haunts of vice and infamy in Europe and America, and trained up to usefulness and happiness, would have been lost to society and virtue for ever.

All acknowledge the degraded condition of the children of Africa in America and elsewhere: and many feel under a sacred obligation, imposed by justice, humanity, and religion, to do for them all they can. And in doing this, they do nobly-" angels can do no more." Doing this, they put their "shoulder to the wheel;" and He who is greater than Hercules, stands ready, moved by the infinite benevolence of His nature, to crown their efforts with ample success.

Let not the Skeptic say "these are Utopian schemes; these are all visionary calculations, and never can be realized." The history of the world, of our part of it especially, demonstrates the practicability of carrying into full effect all the benevolent plans of this institution.

Had it been told two hundred and fifty years ago in England, that the wilds of America would be populated by millions of free, enlightened and virtuous men, rejoicing in the lights of science, and triumphing in the hopes of a religion as pure as its Divine Author-exhibiting to the nations of Europe, the majestic spectacle of a mighty people, making their own laws, governing themselves; and spreading with unexampled rapidity over a large territory, for ages before, the land of darkness, the abode of relentless superstition and savage barbarity-what would the author of such a prophecy not have been called? and shall we who are thus distinguished, free, and untrammelled, be so vain as to beVOL. VI.

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lieve that all the divine benevolence was reserved for us and our children? Shall we not rather look to the opening providences of the Great Moral Governor of the universe, and hail with emotions of delight and gratitude, the strong indications of his good will to that people, whose wretchedness and poverty draws the tear of sympathy from human benevolence, and the sigh of commiseration from poor imperfect man?

When it shall be demonstrated that the ways of Jehovah “are not equal"—that his mercy is exhausted, and his power impaired : then, and not till then, will we despair and say to bleeding AFRICA!" cease thy pleadings, for the iron fetters which have for ages pierced thy soul, are never to be taken off. Thy mountains high, and thy vallies deep, are never to hear nor echo the heavenly salutation-peace be to the children of this continent." " But the arm of Jehovah is not shortened that it cannot save; his ear is not heavy that it cannot hear; therefore do we hope and believe that the already stretched out arm of Ethiopia, will be upheld by the contributions of the pious, the humane and charitable part of the community. And not many years will elapse before their benevolence will display itself on the shores of Africa-to the complete discomfiture of all these cold-hearted predictions, "that the objects of the Colonization Society can never be realized." A FRIEND TO Africa.

SANDY-HILL.

THE village of Sandy-Hill, (N. Y.) is of recent origin, and the site on which it stands was formerly the scene of Indian barbarities: From Mr. H. a very respectable inhabitant, I learned the following singular piece of history. Old Mr. Schoonhoven, recently living in this vicinity, and probably still surviving, although at the great age of more than fourscore, informed Mr. H. that during the last French war, he and six or seven Americans, coming through the wilderness from Fort William Henry, at the head of Lake George, to Sandy Hill, had the misfortune to be taken prisoners by a party of savages. They were conducted to the spot which is now the central green of Sandy-Hill, and ordered to sit down in a row upon a log. Mr. Schoonhoven pointed out the place where the log lay: it was nearly in front of the house where we dined. The Indians then began very deliberately, to tomahawk their victims, commencing at one end of the log, and splitting the skulls of their prisoners in regular succession: while the survivors, compelled to sit still and witness the awful fate of their companions, awaited their own in unutterable horror. Mr. Schoonhoven was the last but one upon the log, opposite to where the massacre commenced; the work of death had already proceeded to him, and the lifted tomahawk was ready to descend, when a chief gave a signal to

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