The missionary. (Mt. Zion, Hancock County, Ga.) 1819-182?, March 02, 1821, Image 2

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culture and gardening. The total number of resident inhabitants are about six thou sand ; but they are exclusively of the male species. No woman is permitted to enter the holy precincts of Mount Athos. Even the Turkish Vaivode, statioaed on the isthmus to collect the taxes, is not al lowed to bring his harem with him ; and sees no woman during his tedious govern ment of three years. Like the Therapeu tic of Pliny, the inhabitants of the holy mountain are ‘ gens asterna in qua nemo nasictur.’ But not only are women exclu ded, but the female of every domestick ani mal : not a cow, an ewe, a she cat, or even a hen is to be found here; the consequence of which judicious arrangement is, that milk isnd butter aud eggs (the chief part of the diet of the inhabitants) are brought •from the main land at about ten times the cost for which they might be produced on the spot. Those who are not employed in the cultivation of the ground usually occupy their leisure time in knitting stockings,mak ing oils aud essences, painting rude pictures of their saints, cr writing Out psalters, which they sell or exchange at the town of Chariest, on vh.e peninsula, for coffee, sugar, tobacco, snuff and cordials. These are certainly very innocent, if not very im portant occupations, and may tend, as Dr. Hunt candidly observes, to justify the poor monks, individually, from the general im putation of indolent and vicious-habits, so generally brought against them ; whether iiis estimate of their utility as a body be as sound and judicious, may, we think, admit of some doubt. 4 Defects,’ he says, 1 there certainly are iu this religious repubiick; but even in its present oppressed and degraded state the establishment is an useful one. It contri butes to preserve the language of Greece, from being corrupted, or superseded by that of its,conquerors ; it checks, or rather entirely prevents, the defection of Chris tians to Mahometanism, not only in Euro pean, but Asiatick Turkey ; almost all the Greek didascaloi or schoolmasters, and the higher orders of their clergy are selected from this place. If it sometimes hide* a \ culprit who ha fled from puhlick j'wtice, j yet that criminal most probably reforms j liis life in a residence so well calculated to j bring hi? mind to reflection. The oath of! a person who becomes caloyer on Mount i Athos is very solemn and simple; it implies j an absolute renunciation of the world, en joining the person who makes it to consider j himself as quite dead to its concerns. Some j are so conscientiously observant of this vow, that they never afterwards use their family names, never correspond with any of their relatives or former friends, and decline informing strangers from what country or situation of life thev have re tired.’ c>o*-o<=— From the Chillicothe Weekly Recorder. CHOCTAW MISSION FAMILY. We are happy in presenting to our read ers the following communication from the Missionaries on their way to Elliot, in the Choctaw nation, state of Mississippi. It is sincerely hoped, that the liberality of'Chris tians on the bunks of the Ohio river, will excite many on its tributary streams, and in the country at large, to contribute cheer- j iully of the good things which providence has bountifully bestowed on them. Shawanee Town, Dec. 29, 1320. j To the Editor of the Weekly Recorder. Dear Sir—The Mission Family, which sometime since left Goshen, Mass, has, in i the good providence of God, been brought to this place. Our passage has been slow. We have been detained by head winds, by low water, and by the kindness of friends, sometimes remaining in a place three or four days. We left Pittsburg on the 4th of November. God has blessed us with good health, and has raised us up many kind friends. The tokens of their benev olence, and love, which we carry with us, are now, while far removed from them, precious in our eyes, and their promises to remember us at the throne of grace we often gladly press to our hearts. Through the medium of your paper 5 we j should be glad to make a general statement ‘ cf the benefactions we have received, and j also to express to our many friends the strong obligations their kindness has con-1 ferred upon us, to be faithful in the service of our Redeemer. We received many do- i nations before we reached Pittsburgh. An ; account of them, and all we have received,, ive shall render to the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. But we will furnish you with a list only of those which we have received on the Ohio riv er. .We have received a great variety of useful articles of household furniture, far ming utensils, clothing, provisions, &c. &c. And in many places we have received handsome donations in money. We shall give you the names of the places where we received donations, and the amount of the donations, as nearly as (hey could be •estimated. Places. Articles. Amount. Pittsburg, clothing, furniture, pro visions, tools, money &c. SB9 7G Beaver, do. 20 00 Georgetown and places opposite, 20 00 Cross Roads and Three Springs, 81 99 Steubenville, 177 82 Cross Creek, 03 87 Marietta, 56 00 Gallipolis, 25 00 Maysville, 41 00 Cincinnati, 330 00 •Valnut Hills, 20 00 Hadison, 61 00 !vouisville, 261 00 New Albany, 37 52 Yellow Banks, 16 67 Whole amount $1,300 62 This statement will show to the Chris tian world the great obligations, we are placed under by the benevolence of the people who reside along the banks of this river, .where once and that hut few years ago, there was nothing but a howling wil derness. This great and noble stream was not made by the Lord without reference to his vineyard. He designs that it shall wa ter and refresh many parts of it. For the encouragement of those friends of Zion, who, on. the 15th of February next, design to send a large boat from Marietta, loaded with thqir freewill offerings to the Mission ary station in the Choctaw nation, -ve might furnish many facts. Indeed, what we have already stated shews that there is an enlarged and expansive charity in the hearts of many who reside along the banks of the Ohio. Avery respectable clergy man said to us, that iri two weeks he could procure us a thousand dollars worth of provisions from the Presbytery to which he belonged. Another one said that he could easily collect four or live hundred dollars worth in his own congregation, in a short time. Other remarks of a similar kind we could here repeat, did ,ve deem it necessary. It was not a little gratifying to see the son of the pious Indian chief, Bar net, of Upper Sandusky tribe, employed by Ins guardian and instructer, the Rev. Mr. M’Curdy, of Cross Roads, to draw provis ions for ns, to aid us to go and carry the Gospel to the Indians of another tribe.— It was affecting, it was humbling to us to know that a pious black man, who was a slave for life , brought us his Sabbath coat, and consecrated it to the aid of the mission ary among the Indians. Many other cir cumstances we might relate which encour age us in our undertaking. And we do confidently hope that the cause of missions will not languish because provisions will not be furnished those servants of the Lord who ask only food and raiment. Would you be kind enough to insert the above in your paper, you would greatly oblige us, as you would allow us to speak to many friends whom we have seen, whose memorials we have received, from whom we have parted, and whom we may never again meet till the trump of the archangel sound. We are respectfully your friends, Cyrus l-yington , John Smith , jr. Calvin Cushman , Elijah Bardwell , * IVm. Cooper. MISSION TO THE CHICKESAWS. David Humphreys and Thomas C. ri.iart, Mis sionaries, in their letter to the Missionary So ciety of the Synod of S.Carolina & Georgia,thus write respecting the Chickesaw Indians whom they vidted. The Missionary Society of the Synod of South Carolina and Georgia have commen ced measures for a mission to toe Chicke saws. It appears from the report of the treasu rer, that from November 1819 to April 1820, there were received ii life subscrip tions, 90 dollars ; in donations, 84 dollars 50 ; in annual subscriptions, 110 dollars total $284 50 ; of which 20 dollars were expended on printing. Ai the meeting of the society in November last, the treasu rer received in life subscriptions, 150 dolls. —in donations, $61 1 45; in aunuai sub scriptions, sll5 —totai $876 45 cents. On Monday the 12th of Juue, we resum ed our journey, and passing by Columbus and the Cotton Gin Furl, entered the Chickesaw nation on the evening of the 17th. This tract of country now held by the Chickesaws extends from the Tombec bee on the east, to the Mississippi on the west, a distance ol 100 miles, and from Tennessee on the north, to the Choctaw line on the south, which is about the same distance. The face of the country is iev el, and has rather a barren appearance, be ing interspersed with many large savannas, in consequence of which timber is scarce. The soil, however, is rich, and yields when cultivated, a plentiful supply ot the neces saries of life. The climate is temperate, pure and health}'. The population is sup posed to be about 3,500 souls, includii g blacks, of whom there is a considerable number. The Chickesaws are a Iriendly, hospitable people, open m their manners, and free from that timidity in the presence of white people which characterizes al most all the Indian tribes. They are, how ever, (like the rest of their red brethren) in a deplorable state of heathenism, in which situation their Forefathers, for cen turies past, have gone down to the cham bers of death. The recollection of these things ought to call forth the vigorous ex ertions of all the friends of Zion’s King, in order to save the present generation from the same lamentable fate. We held a council with the chiefs of this tribe on the 22d of June, to whom we ex plained our. errand. They at once acced ed to our proposals, and granted ns every thing we desired of them. They were, however, not entirely free from suspicions, as they required from us an obligation in writing, that we would not seize upon their land arid make private property of it. In order to satisfy their minds, and to prevent any misunderstanding in future, we entered into the following agreement. Articles of agreement between David Humphrey's and Thomas C. Stewart, (Missionaries) and the Chiefs of the Chickesaw Nation—viz. Art. I. We, the said David Humphries and Thomas C. Stewart, on the part of the Society of Domestick aud Foreign Missions, promise to teach the people of said nation, reading, writing, arithrnetick, and a know ledge of the mode of agriculture and the mechanick arts. Art. 2. We promise that we will not take more land than may be necessary for the support of the institution ; yd should we leave the institution, our houses and the land which we have occupied, shall revert to the Indians. Art. 3. We, the Chiefs of the Chickesaw nation, on the part of said nation, do per- 162 mit the Society to send Missionaries into our nation, to teach and instruct our young peo ple. Art. 4. Wedo hereby bind ourselves to allow said Society as much land ns may he necessary for the support of their Missiona ries, whicfi land they shall hold as long us they continue to teach our cnildren. Signed this 22d day of June, 1820. Staholops,x King of the Choctaw’ Natiop. Cnpt. Sanm. \ Seajpy, James x Drown, Wm. x M’Gillvery, James Colbert, lXS.lnt. Mj. Levi x Colbert, D. Humphries, George x Pettigrew, j Thus. C. Stewart, Thos. x Seclso, j Attest.-*— M m. Vans, Agent pro tem. from tub [nm.AD.] Rr.Luuoi'S remembrancer. THE MARINERS’ CHURCH. On Sabbath morning January 21st anew flag, the signal for meeting, was hoisted at the .Mariners’ Church in this city. this dag was procured by the exertions ol Miss Elizabeth White & sister, of the Northern Liberties, in collecting subscriptions for the purpose. It was made by Mr. Dunlon at a very low charge, and gratuitously painted by Mr. Woodside ;'so that, with the money obtained, besides the flag, several chairs have been purchased for the use of the Church, and some tracts for distribution. The flag is in size, 1:3 by 3 feel, with an azure field, and white border; The symbols are—on the top, the morning and evening stars; in the centre, a dove on the wing, with an olive branch in her mouth ; and at the bottom, an anchor. Inscription, ‘ MARINERS’ CHURCH.’ The. Rev. Mr. Eastburn, the Stated preacher, addressed the congregation from the four last verses of the 6th chap. He brews. He spoke of the stability of the Christian’s refbge as predicated of God’s immutability; and of the necessity for sin ners actively to endeavour u to obtain sal vation,” by 4 flying for refuge to lay hold ; on the hope set before them in the gospel.’ He illustrated the import of the doctrine by referring to the emblems on the flag; that, as the evening star indicated the ap proaching darkness of night, so the shades of death were advancing ; and as the morn- j ing star denoted the dawn ot day, so the j light of everlasting day would rise upon i every soul, who, like the dove that “ found’ no rest for the sole of her foot,” would fly j to Jesus Christ the Ark of safety, and thus 1 become personally interested in (hat hea- i venly hope, which, as an anchor , would se- j cure him from shipwreck, and ensure him: an abundant entrance iuto the haven of red. The following hymn, of which a number! of printed copies were presented by Mr. Mentz, was sung on the occasion. A MARINER’S HYMN, C. M. Presented to the Rev. Joseph Eastburn, a Pilot • of Jesus Christ, the Captain of his salvation, and now cruising in the offing of Eternity. Written by the Rev. J. W. - Scott, and sung by ‘ the Congregation in the Mariners’ Church, in Philadelphia, on Sabbath 21 st January , when j the new flag of the Church teas hoisted. 1 While o’er the swelling sea of life, Poor sinners heedless sail, Their guilty passions drive them far, Till cheering prospects fail.. 2 Then gloomy storms and fearful roar Os tempests threaten death ; And yet all hands despise the name OCGod who gives them breath. 3 But Oh ! how merciful! how good Is He whom sinners hate 1 He kindly sends his Pilots out To warn them of their fate. 4 [ Along the dang’rous coast of Time, The Pilots hail each crew— ‘ The gulph-strearn sets to endless woe, 4 The dismal port’s in view !] 5 ‘ See hoisted high thejlag of love, ‘ By heav’nly breezes waved ; 4 Here Sailors, stop, and orders hear, — 4 Obey, and you’ll be saved. 6 4 The Captain of Salvation calls, 4 O wretched Seamen stay ! 4 Now change your course and heav’nward ste<-r, 4 The Pilots show the way. 7 4 Then, like the stars of morn and eve, 4 Your future days shall prove ; 4 Nor storms of ijeath your hope destroy, ’ 4 For Christ your souls will love. 8 ‘The dove of peace portends the land 4 Os joy and holy rest; 4 There Jesus dwells and makes his saints 4 With him forever blest.’ The two last stanzas particularly allude to the emblematical figures on the flag. The doye of peace portends the land-- —lt is common for vessels at sea, when nearing the land, to be visited by the plumy inhabitants! of the forests. And sometimes, after recent stroms, having been driven by the gale beyond their usual flights, These little warblers, Weary on the wing, alight upon the masts, And cheer the sailors with their grateful sone. J. W. S. London, Nov. 21. STATISTICS. In Great Britain, the number of men ca pable of bearing arms, en masse , from lifteen io sixty years of age, is 2,744,817, or about four in every 17 males. The total number of inhabited houses in England, in 1801, was 1,474,740. In 1790, there were 1,319,215. In 1759, the surveyors of the house and window duties returned 886,412 ; and iu 1791, 1.005,810. In 1801, the proportion of persons to a house in England were live and two IhiPds ; iri Wales, 5; in England and Wales five and three-fifths; in Scotland, five and two fifths; and in G. Britain live and five ninths. The total of the male population of G. Britain, in 1801, was 5,450,292, and of fe-j males, 5.492,354,which is in the proportion ! of 100 females to 99 males. There are in G. Britain six millions of males, and in Ireland three millions ; of whom, in the year 1812, 807,00 u were in arms, that is in the proportion of one to It In G. Britain there die every year about 332 700 ; every month about 25,592 ; eve ry week, 6,398 ; every day, 914 ; and ev ery hour, about 40. The proporti< of deaths of women to, that of men is nhy to fifty-four. There are about 90,000 marriages year-j |y ; and of 63 marriages, three only are observed to he without offspring. In country places, there are, on an ave-; rage, four children horn ot each marriage. | In cities jind large towns the projporiion is: seven to every two marriages. The married women are, to all the .e-’ male inhabitants of a country, as one to three, and the married men to all the males, as three to five. ■ - I The number of widows is to that of wid owers as three to one ; hut that ot widows who remarry, to that of widowers, as tour to five. , | The number of old persons who die du-| ring the cold weather, is to those who die during the warm season, as seven to lour. Half of all that are born die before they . attain seventeen years. _ i The number of twins is to that of single J births, as one to 65. The proportion of males born to that of females, is as 26 to 25. In the seaports ot G. Britain there are 132 females to 100 males; and, in the manufacturing towns 113 females to 100 males. Taking the whole population of the me tropolis, according to the last enumeration, 1,099,104, the proportion of males to fe males is as 100 to 123. The small pox, in the natural way, usu ally carries off eight out of every hundred. By inoculation, one dies out of three hun- j dred ; hut, according to Dr. Wilson, one in j two hundred and fifty dies of inoculated j small pox. During the first thirty years of the 18th j century, the number of deaths in London, from small pox, was 74 out of every thou- i sand. In the last 30 years of the same century,! the deaths from the same cause were about j one-tenth of the whole mortality, or 95 out J of every 1000. Inoculation for the small j pox has, therefore, actually multiplied the ! disease which i? was intended te meliorate, j in the proportion of five to four. It is estimated that, of the number of I persons who are blind, one in four lose their I sight by the small pox. | Out of more than 40,000 cases which had ; fallen under the observation of an eminent I physician, he never met with one in which a person with red or flaxen hair had the | small pox to confluence, j The. clergy of the church of England, including their families, form about one eightieth part of the population of England; In the county of Somerset, the number ofmales to that of females, i9 in the pro portion of 87 to 100; and in the four wes- j | tern counties of England, Cornwall, Devon, ; Somerset, and Dorset, the number ofmales I is to that of females a= 88 to 100. i It appears from tables, from 1772 to 17- j 87, that nearly one in eight of all the cases I of insanity, are imputed to religious fanati- j cisrn. According to Dr. Simmons. 6000 insane j patients have been admitted into St. Luke’s Hospital in the course of the last 30 years,. half of whom have recovered. Out of 6000 patients, 78 were aged 79 years and upwards, only one in live of whom were cured. According to the population returns of 1811, taking the integral number of twen ty, there were seven employed in agricul ture, nine in trade, manufactures and hand icrafts, and four who lived either on rent als of lands or houses, or on the interest arising from accumulation of money. In Wales, the farmers are to the manu facturers as two to one, or on the three above mentioned classes in the proportion of eight, four and two. A nation, without being exhausted, can 1 annually afford to employ the one hun-| dredth part of its population in the proses-j sion of arms. The quota which England could afford according to this proportion, in addition to its military and naval estab-! lishment previous to the peace of 1814,! without exhaustion, would be 170,000, of’ which 70,000 would suffice for the navy and 100,000 for the army. REVIVAL IN PITTSFIELD, MASS. Communicated for the Christian Spectator, by Rev. Heman Humphrey. Since my installation over theCongrega-; tional church in this town, which took place ! in the fall of 1817, there have been from time to time, flattering indications of seri ousness among (he people. Particularly in the Spring of 1818, a number of persons were suddenly and deeply impressed, inso much thet we began to feel as if a revival> had actually commenced ; but these little ! clouds soon passed away, distilling but a few drops upon the dry and parched land, i The church was not awake though her sleep was oflen interrupted by the voice of: conscience ; and then she would half open ! her eyes upon the moral desolation around her ; would lament her own drowsiness and j stupidity ; am! would resolve to arise! and shake off her sloth at once ; but alas ! would directly sink down again and slum-: ber on. (n the month of October 1819,a very un happy rencontre took place between a few United States recruits, and some of the coloured people of the town, in which one of the latter lost his life. This sudden and violent death afforded a good opportunity to address the blacks in an earnest and af ; fectipnate manner, upon the uncertainty of j life, and the infinite importance of a speedy ! preparation for another world. As many j of them were found to have a hearing ear, stnteVl meetings were appointed for their in struction & benefit,which were betteratten (ieri than we had dared to hope,lor the space of two or three months, and some precious ; fruilsef is Wklic-vcd, are new rip tu ning for hcaveff And here let me ask whether (his unfortunate class ol our fel low beings has cot been too much rieglec j ted by the minislers and churches of New- Englaod? Might not a great deal be done in places where they are considerably nu merous by establishing separate meetings for them, and giving them such instructions and encouragement, as are adapted to their peculiar circumstances? Notwithstanding this little gleam of light in the fall, our prospects grew darker thro’ the winter. Vital religion manifestly de clined in the church, and stupidity reigned throughout the congregation. A Sabbath evening conference of many years standing was almost forsaken.—Weekly lectures prolonged but a precarious existence. Our monthly prayer meeting was indeed kept up, and often was the church beard to ac knowledge her backslidings, but with the distressing consciousness, that she was con tinually making progress in spiritual de clension. About the first of March last, a revival commenced in the adjoining town of Rich mond. The news of what God was doinjijf there, enforced by the question, Do you wish for an awakening here ? was evident ly blessed to some of our members. With a few there were great searchings of heart. The great Physician was curing the spiri tual maladies of our neighbours. With us sinners were perishing in great numbers, for his help, and as he was never known to discourage un application from the most unworthy creature, why should we not im mediately invite him to come and heal us ? j such were the mingled emotions ot fear I and encouragement, in here and there a Christian bosom; and as it was a case | which admitted of no delay, it was agreed, though at first in a whisper, that 44 some -1 thing must be done.” Christians were ex j horted to visit the town thus favoured, and j take their children with them, hoping thf ! such a course would he attended with ben efit. The breaking up of winter, however, was a great hindrance to this kind of inter course ; but was evidently blessed to some, who were favoured with it; and here I wish to suggest a few thoughts on this very point, which have lately struck my own mind with great force. Revivals it is well known, are often confined within town aud parish limits. All upon one side is serious ness, all upon the other stupidity. Now 44 is there not a cause ?” 1 am satisfied there is. God works by means, as well in spiri tual as temporal things. We are so made that the eye affects the heart. Not only is our sympathy excited by seeing our friends and companions in distress, but when that distress arises from a sense of guilt and dan ger, we can scarcely help asking ourselves, whether we have not equal, or even grea ter cause for alarm. Thousands have been awakened, by associating with persons al ready under conviction; by attending the same meetings; by hearing the same ex hortations; and, in a word, by being much in the same religious atmosphere. Not that the most powerful means can have any saving effect, without the special agen cy of the Spirit. But they are to be dili gently used, because God has appointed them, and because he seldom works with out them. It is an unquestionable fact, that the Holy Spirit often employs one awakened sinner or new convert, as the instrument of awakening many of his com panions. Many a revival has most obvious ly spread from house to house, and from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, till a whole parish has been shaken, by means of that constant and familiar intercourse ia religious matters which exists among mem bers of the same congregation. And where revivals have spread from town to town., the work of God has often been carried on in the same way. Ministers and private Christians have been surprisingly quicken ed by visiting neighbouring societies, and have carried back the sacred fire to thev%t. own. Sinners too, in hundreds and hun dreds of instances, have had their attention arrested in the same way, andipvcii a casual visit has not unfrequently been the com mencement of a great revival. Without laying any unwarrantable stress upon means, therefore, may we not safely pre sume, that a more familiar intercourse be tween contiguous parishes, when a revival makes its appearance in any one of them,, would, by the blessing of God, greatly pro mote and extend the work. Hardly a doubt j exists in my own mind, that if professors of : religion, would make a point of going oftert to the meetings of their brethren in other towns, where God is carrying on a special work of grace, and taking their children with them, revivals would spread much fas ter, and much farther than they generally do. (j ; But to return from this digression. The , excitement in a lew minds, which I have already mentioned, increasing, a private i meeting was agreed on by three or four pious young men, in the latter part of ; March, the express object of which was prayer, for the out-pouring of the Spirit upon this church and people. In this meet ing, which for sometime was attended al i most every evening, Ihese young brethren found themselves greatly strengthened in the resolution which they early formed, that 4 for Zion’s sake they would not hold their peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake they would not rest, until the righteousness thereof should go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burn etii. ’ Other meetings both male and fe male, were soon formed on the same plan, : and were equally blessed to the souls of those who attended them. Their hearts I we,,f - much enlarged in prayer, and the : hope that God was about to 4 appear in his .glory and build up Zion,’ which trembled j i,n( l wavered for a time, now daily gathered I strength. This state of feeling, how ‘ ever, was by no means general in the church. But few, comparatively, as yet,