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THE GENERAL PLAN.

Two kinds of Societies are desired-one large; the other small; and the larger to include the smaller. The larger societies are designed for large cities, collections of towns, or counties. They are to be immediately auxiliary to the American Board of Foreign Missions, and should be denominated Auxiliary Societies. The smaller societies are designed for towns, parishes, or school-districts. These are to be immediately auxiliary to the larger societies, and should be called, for the sake of distinction, Associations. The Auxiliary Societies are to be the medium of communication between the several Associations and the Board. It seems to be expedient, that every town, parish, or school-district, have two Associations-one composed of males; the other of females. There are many reasons for this arrangement, which we have not room to mention here. The amount of them is, that, in most places, greater funds will be secured, and in the manner least objectionable.

FORM OF A CONSTITUTION FOR AN AUXILIARY

SOCIETY.

Article 1. This Society shall be composed of the members of the several Gentlemen's Associations in [here name the towns, or county,*] and shall be called The Auxiliary Foreign Mission Society of

Art. 2. The sole object of this Society shall be, to raise funds in aid of the missions under the patronage of the AMERICAN BOARD

OF COMMISSIONERS FOR FOREIGN MISSIONS.

Art. 3. The officers of the Society shall be a President, Vice Presidents, a Treasurer, and a Secretary. These officers, in connexion with at least one person elected from each of the several Associations of gentlemen belonging to the Society, shall constitute an Executive Committee, of whom not less than five shall form a quorum.

Art. 4. Every minister of the Gospel, who is a member of the Society, shall be entitled to attend and vote at the meetings of the Executive Committee.

Art. 5. It shall be the duty of the Execu tive Committee to adopt the most energetic measures in their power to accomplish the object of the Society; especially by distributing such publications as shall be committed to them by the Parent Institution, or as they shall otherwise obtain-by deputing some of their number to attend the annual meetings of the several Associations-and, in general, by aiming to excite, by the use of all suitable means, a powerful interest in favor of the missionary cause.

Art. 6. The President shall have power to call special meetings of the Society.

* Sometimes a county will be too large, in respect to territory, for one Auxiliary Society. In that case, there might be two or more formed in it.

Art. 7. The Treasurer of the Society shall receive payments from the Treasurers of the several Associations of males and females, and shall pay over the funds in his possession, after deducting incidental expenses, into the Treasury of the American Board of Commis. sioners for Foreign Missions.

Art. 8. The Secretary shall record the proceedings, and conduct the correspondence, of the Executive Committee and of the Soci ety.

Art. 9. There shall be an annual meeting of the Society on the

day of when the accounts of the Treasurer, properly audited, shall be presented; the proceedings of the past year reported; and the other business of the Society trans acted. [It will probably be found practicable and expedient to have a sermon, or addresses, on the occasion; and to print the reports of the Executive Committee and Treasurer, and distribute them liberally among the several Associations.]

Art. 10. A copy of the Constitution, authenticated by the Secretary, with the names and residences of the officers annually elected, and also a copy of the Annual Reports, shall be transmitted to the Corresponding Secre tary of the American Board of Commission. ers for Foreign Missions.

FORM OF A CONSTITUTION FOR AN ASSOCIATION.

Art. 1. All Gentlemen for Ladies] be longing to the town of

[or par

ish, or school-district,] and contributing, an nually, not less than

members of the Association.*

shall be

Art. 2. There shall be elected, annually, President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, and as many Collectors as shall be thought expedient.

Art. 3. The four principal Officers shall perform the following duties:

The President, and, in his [or her] absence, the Vice President, shall preside in all meet. ings of the Association, and shall have power to call special meetings at pleasure.

The Secretary shall keep the records, and manage the correspondence.

The Treasurer shall take charge of the money collected; and, after deducting inciden. tal expenses, shall pay the same to the treas urer of the Auxiliary Society of the County, [or otherwise, as the case may be,] at or be fore each annual meeting, on condition of that Society granting to this Association the same privileges, which it receives from the Parent Institution, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.t

The four officers above named shall form an Executive Committee, to manage the bus. iness of the Association not otherwise appro priated by the articles of this Constitution.

Art. 4. The business of the Collectors is, to obtain funds. And, in order to do this most effectually, they shall, as soon possible after their election, have a meeting, at which

as

* The Ladies of the Associations lately formed in Boston, have made one dollar a year necessary to membership.

+ What these privileges are, will appear under the subsequent head of "Distribution of the Missionary Herald," and, also, in Article 4th of the constituti for the Auxiliary Society.

they shall elect a Moderator, and Secretary; and shall agree upon their course of operations for the year. They shall either obtain a list of all persons within the limits of the Association of whom it shall be expedient to solicit, or shall divide the town [parish, or district,] into a suitable number of territorial districts; and shall then agree upon the individuals to whom, or the districts of territory in which, each collector shall make solicitation. The assignments thus made shall be recorded by the Secretary of the Collectors.

Art. 5. The Annual Meeting of the Association shall be held on the and

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shall be opened with prayer. At this meeting the Report of the Treasurer shall be presented, and shall be audited by a Committee chosen for the purpose; a joint Report of the Executive Committee and of the Collectors, shall be made through the medium of the Secretary of the Association, (a copy of which Reports shall be forwarded, as soon as convenient, to the Secretary of the Auxiliary Society;) the Officers and Collectors for the year ensuing shall be chosen; and such other business and services shall be attended to, as shall be deemed expedient.

REMARKS,

1. The system of raising funds by means of Collectors regularly appointed, promises happier results, than any other, which has been tried, or which occurs to us. If the system is thoroughly pursued, the subject of aiding to send the Gospel to the unevangeliz. ed nations, will be distinctly proposed to most persons in the community; and from most persons, it may be presumed, something will be received. If a sufficient sum to constitute membership cannot be given or obtained, a less sum should not be despised. The Collectors should, however, adopt for themselves an elevated standard of Christian activity and liberality. As every Christian has virtually covenanted to aid this cause, the Collectors should aim, by a judicious application, to secure this general aid.

2. The first article in the constitution for the Auxiliaries, is so formed, that the sub. scription is but for one year, and, of course, must be repeated annually. Supposing, what ought to be supposed, that there is an active, faithful body of Collectors, this will be the best arrangement.-1. It will tend to create a feeling of responsibility in the Collectors. Unless they act, the Association dies.-2. It secures a good share of action, which will conduce, not a little, to the life and perpetuity of the Association.-3. It may fairly be presumed, that the standard of liberality will rise, from year to year, in a place where this system is in operation; in which case, more

will generally be received on the second application, than on the first.-4. Persons will be likely to subscribe more liberally, where the subscription is to be made for one year only, than where it is for several. It should be remembered, that the application is not for "one dollar," or for "two dollars," so much as for whatever the person, to whom the application is made, can afford to give for so good, and great, and glorious a cause, as that of evangelizing the world. It should also be remembered, that though there are various classes of operations, all indispensable to the attainment of the grand ultimate object of Christian benevolence, there are very few of these classes, if any, so noble in themselves, as that of the missionary efforts for the benefit of the heathen;-nor has there a single one ever been recognized by the Christian Church, which has stronger claims on the affections and aid of the people of God.

3. It is desirable that the several Auxilia ries should ultimately so arrange the times of their Anniversaries, that a delegation from the Board, or from the Prudential Committee, may attend a considerable number of them, during a single tour of a few weeks. This arrangement, however, must be the result of time.

GRATUITOUS DISTRIBUTION OF THE MISSIONARY HERALD AND ANNUAL REPORT.

THE Board has, for several years, made it a rule to give a volume of the Missionary Herald to every individual, or society, contributing $12, at any one time, to its Treasury. Owing, however, to the difficulty of ascertaining the donors, the Herald has not hitherto been generally given in this way, except when the payment was made directly to the Treasurer of the Board.

The Committee design to carry this regulation into full effect, as fast as they can. Every Association contributing, annually, a sum not less than $12, shall receive the current volume of the Herald, or the volume for the folowing year, if preferred.

Every individual donor shall be entitled to a volume of the Herald, on paying at any one time to the Treasurer of the Association, a sum not less than $12.-This is not to be understood, however, as meaning, that any donor will, by a single donation, be entitled to more than one volume.

The Committee have, also, resolved to adopt a practice, which has been successfully

tried in England,-that of giving a volume of the Herald to every Collector of a certain sum. For the present, every Collector of a sum not less than $0, shall be entitled, on paying the same to the Treasurer of the Association, to a volume of the Herald, in the same manner as a donor of twelve dollars.

The Treasurers of the several Auxiliaries are requested to inform the Treasurer of the Board, how many copies of the Herald, and also which volumes, will probably be needed for donors of not less than $12, and collectors of not less than $20. These copies will be forwarded to the Treasurers of the Auxiliaries, to whom the Treasurers of the Associations are requested to apply for the copies to which they are entitled.

The Treasurers of the Auxiliaries are moreover requested to give notice, before the Annual Meeting of the Board in September, how many copies of the Annual Report will be desirable for the several Associations of both sexes.

Thus there will be a free and regular circulation through the whole system, and we may hope ere long to see the church stand up for the battle, an exceeding great, well organized, invincible, irresistible army.

FORMATION OF SOCIETIES.

Auxiliaries.

Tennessee, Giles County; Robertson's-Fort Society. Im. Ussery, President; E. M. Massey, Secretary. Formed, in January. One half of its funds to the Board; the other half to the Chickasaw mission.

Associations.

Massachusetts, Boston; Old South Association of Ladies.-Mrs. Pliny Cutler, President; Mrs. B. B. Wis ner, Vice-President; Miss Frances Erving, Secretary; Miss Callender, Treasurer; and twelve Collectors composed of young Ladies. Formed, Oct. 22d.

Park Street Association of Ladies.-Mrs. Henry Homes, Prest.; Mrs. S. E. Dwight, Vice-Prest.; Mrs. J. F. Bumstead, Sec.; Mrs. Henry Hill, Treas.; and fifteen Collectors, composed of young Ladies. Formed, Oct. 23d.

Union Association of Ladies.-Mrs. John McLean, Prest.; Mrs. Samuel Green, Vice-Prest.; Mrs. Bulley, Sec.; Mrs. John Tappan, Treas.; and eight Collectors. ormed, Oct. 24th.

DEFICIENCY OF RECEIPTS.

IN the minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Board, at p. 331, it appears that the expenditures of the last year exceeded the receipts by more than 10,000. The particulars of the accounts will be published in the Annual Report, which is now in the press. The expenses were by no means larger than the

public had been led to expect. It is belier. ed, that no additions were made to the vari ous missionary establishments under the care of the Board, without the cordial approbation of the friends of missious generally in our country. These increasing expenditures can be defrayed with the most perfect ease, if more system is adopted, and activity in obtain ing collections adequately increased. Is there a man, or a woman in our country, whose heart burns with love to the Savior, and who will regret that so many missionaries have been sent forth, so many Bibles and tracts have been distributed, and so many children have been brought from the depths of ignorance, and had their minds enlightened by the Gospel?

HYMNS FOR THE MONTHLY CONCERT.

Hymns and Sacred Songs for the Monthly Concert and similar occasions. 18mo. pp. 108, price 25 cents. Andover; published by the Society of Inquiry respecting Missions: 1823.

THIS little volume contains 106 hymns and sacred songs, several of which are original. It was published, as appears on the title page, by the Society of Inquiry respecting Missions in the Theological Seminary at Andover. This respectable association has conferred a favor on the Christian public, by taking the pains to bring together so many pieces appropriate to the Monthly Concert of prayer. The following remarks of the Editor are taken from the Preface.

To criticise is easier than to correct. It has often been remarked that a collection of Psalmody, in which all the deficiencies of the present collections shall be supplied, is a desi. deratum in the churches. Of this, however, I am well assured,-the man who shall attempt a work like that, will find it as difficult to be executed as it is easy to be conceived. When the business of collecting these hymns was assigned, to me, the opinion was indulged. in view of the interest which every depart ment of benevolent exertion has excited for the last thirty years, that it would be easy to find a sufficient number of hymns, in which purity of Christian sentiment should be united with purity of expression, and the elevated feelings of true devotion should be embodied in the images, and accompanied with the har mony of genuine poetry. The result must show how far these expectations were correct. The work is not indeed what we might wish; but he who would make it essentially better, must either derive his materials from sources to which I have not had access, or put forth a far bolder and more skilful hand than I have done to the work of remodelling the ma terials which lay before me.

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VE are not particular to notice all the | cended up into heaven. The time is now isits, which this enterprising missionary ade to the inhospitable climate of Greennd. The following incident happened uring his second visit.

"The settlement was sometimes visited y hostile Greenlanders, who would lie n the watch to injure the Brethren. A arty of this description beset it about this me, when all the men were absent exept Matthew Stach, whose courage and ithfulness on this occasion were admirble. We quote his own account of what assed

"My room was crowded: and the rest of he house was filled by those who could ot gain admittance. Though I knew hat they had threatened, I felt no alarm, nd went on quietly with my translation. fter sitting some time, their chief said, We are come to hear something good.' told him I was glad of it. After singing a erse, I prayed that the Lord would open heir hearts to understand what he should ive me to say. I then proceeded to speak || few words on St. Paul's preaching at thens. Yet, said I, "I will not dwell on his topic, for you know already that there a Creator." To this they all agreed, with the exception of one man. "You lso know that you are wicked people." They unanimously assented. "Now then, come to the main point, that you and we ave a Savior-the same great Being who reated all things in the beginning. He ived upwards of thirty years on earth, to nstruct and bless mankind; after which He was nailed to a cross, and slain by His Countrymen who would not believe His vords. But on the third day he rose gain from the grave, and afterward asVOL. XIX.

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approaching, when He will come again in the clouds of heaven, and all the dead will rise and appear before Him, as the Righteous Judge, to receive sentence every one according to his works. But thou, poor man!" said I, turning to their Chief, "how wilt thou stand aghast, when all the souls whom thou hast hurried out of this world, shall step forth and say to him that sits upon the throne, "This wicked wretch murdered us, just as thou hadst sent thy messengers to publish to us the plan of salvation.' What answer wilt thou then return?" He was silent, and cast his eyes down to the ground. Observing that tremor had seized the whole company, I proceeded"Hearken to me! I will put thee in a way to escape this tremendous judgment: but delay not, or death will seize thee; for thou art old. Fall then at the feet of Jesus. Thou canst not see him, yet He is every where. Tell Him that thou hast heard that He loves the souls of men, and rejects no one that cries for grace. Beseech Him to have mercy on thee, poor, miserable man, and wash out thy sins with his own blood." He promised with an affected heart, that he would.-They all listened with attention to the exhortations of Anna, whose brother they had murdered; and afterward walked up and down the place in a thoughtful mood, and with folded hands; but toward evening they departed."

After assisting in laying the foundationstone of a church at New Hernnhut, Matthew Stach returned to Europe in 1747, taking with him five natives, at their own particular desire. So greatly had the labors of the missionaries been prospered, that, at the close of that year, the congregation

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consisted of one hundred and twenty-six baptised, and eight had departed in the faith, since 1741.

In June 1749, Matthew Stach reached Greenland a third time, with three of the natives who had accompanied him to Europe, the other two having died.

He continued to labor in the mission with much diligence and faithfulness, till 1751, when he was called away to begin a mission among the Esquimaux, on the coast of Labrador. With this view, he arrived in London in the beginning of 1752; but the brethren were under the necessity of deferring for a season, the commencement of that mission.

His fourth visit to the mission was made in the summer of 1752; and his fifth, two years afterwards. Of the last visit of our missionary to the scene of his early labors, we have the following account from his Memoir in the Periodical accounts of the United Brethren.

"About this time our late brother met with some very heavy afflictions in his family, which, had not the Lord supported him in an extraordinary manner, would have been sufficient to break him down. In one of his papers, giving an account of these circumstances, he says, that he then prayed that he might be taken out of this vale of tears, to rest from all his labor. But the Lord had reserved him for further

services: 'For continues he, 'on the 22d of February, 1757, I was called to go again to Greenland, and establish a new mission at Fisher's Bay. Two brethren, Jens and Peter Haven, were appointed to accompany me. We set out March 15th, and arrived June 28th in New Hernnhut. I called to mind my first arrival in this country,|| May 20th, twenty-five years ago: and now rejoiced to see above four hundred Greenlanders who had turned with their whole hearts unto the Lord; two hundred and upward having departed this life rejoicing in God their Savior." "

In July, Matthew Stach and his fellowlaborers set out for Fisher's bay, accompanied by four Greenland families, consisting in all of thirty-two persons; and pitched their tents at Akonemiok, the spot where Lichtenfels now stands.

Of this new undertaking, and of Matthew Stach's last labors in Greenland, the Memoir thus speaks:

"In beginning this mission our late brother encountered many difficulties inseparable from such undertakings. July 21st, 1761, the Chapel, sent over from Europe, was erected; and he soon had the joy to baptize the first family of converts from among the heathens of this place, consisting of father, mother, son and daughter. After the death of brother Boehnish, then first missionary at New

Hernnhut, he undertook the care of that settlement for some time, and then returned to Lichtenfels.

"Having long had a desire of visiting the southern part of Greenland, the inhab itants of which, by trading with our pecple, had conceived a desire of hearing the Gospel preached in their own country, he made a voyage thither in 1765, accompa nied by some Greenland helpers.-Not knowing what dangers he might be liable to in the course of this undertaking, be took a most affectionate leave of the two congregations. However the Lord was at his right hand, and brought him safe home again; and to complete his joy, he heard afterwards, that a settlement of the brethren was established in the south, called Lichtenau, and that the seed which he had sown sprung up and bear fruit.

"Beside the many and various occupations with which he was continually engag ed, he spent his few leisure hours in com piling a Greenland Grammar and Dictionary, by which the study of this difficult language is rendered more easy to begin

ners.

"In 1771, he returned to Europe; where he laid the whole state of the Greenland mission before the brethren appointed by the Synod to have the direction of the missions, in so clear and circumstantial a manner, confessing whatever he thought mis managed through too great zeal, that all present were greatly affected,and could not but revere this venerable disciple of Jesus."

His Death.

Having intimated his wish to close his! days in one of the Brethren's Settlement: in North America, the aged missionary arrived there in August 1772. Of his last days the Memoir gives the following ac

count.

Being unaccustomed and unwilling to spend his time in a state of inactivity, he offered his services to keep a school for boys; and, being used to much exercise, chose to undertake hard labor in gardening, &c. to preserve his health, as much as his advanced age would permit.-The pros perity of Christ's kingdom, and the propa gation of the Gospel, were the subject of his daily and most fervent prayers. Noth ing gave him more joy, than to hear ac counts of the different missions; and the whole Congregation at Salem, where he then resided, joined in celebrating the Jubilee of the Greenland Mission in 1783.

"His mental faculties, which had been remarkably strong, began about this time to fail; and he was so hurt by a fall that he had in 1785, that from that time he was mostly confined to his bed. His pains and confinement he bore with exemplary pa

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