look on with a distant approbation, whose entire exemption from all occupation, would make this effort a relief from the irksomeness of habitual listlessness. And in how many of the affluent would new sensations of gratitude and of pleasure be excited, could they witness the desire of improvement manifested by those whom God has placed in the humble walks of poverty; and could they, as the affluent and noble in other countries have done, aid in directing the hearts and minds of those humble, though interesting pupils, to the attainment of principles, calculated to make them useful and happy in this life, and blessed for ever in the life to

come."

Extract of a letter from one of the colonists, on board the ship Elizabeth, for the coast of Africa, dated Sherbro', March 29, 1820; addressed to one of the teachers in Sunday School No. 34, for the instruction of coloured men, kept in the Rose-street academy. [See our last number page 93.]

"I embrace this opportunity to drop you these few lines to inform you that I am well at this time. Our passage was very good, though we had three storms in the Gulf; but thanks be to God we got safe through them all. We have not got our land yet, but are now on shore on Sherbro Island. We were 31 days from New-York, and 3 from Sierra Leone to Sherbro; and we stayed at Sierra Leone a week. By the next opportunity, I hope I shall be able to give you a better account of the country. For my part I like it very well. We have sheep, and goats, and cattle, hogs, fish, and all kinds of fruit, such as pine-apples, plums, and all kinds that grow in the West Indies. Rice is plenty

here.

"Please remember me to all the teachers and scholars in the Sunday School in Rose-street."

Sir,

To the Editor of the Christian Herald.

I was much interested in attending the Anniversary Meeting of the Female Missionary Society, for the poor of the city of NewYork. From the report of their minister, it appeared that a church has been formed during the past year; that fifteen persons have been admitted on profession of their faith; and that in the Sunday School, there are taught 130 children of both sexes. The claims of the object were powerfully urged by Mr. Stansbury, principal of the institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb; and by the Rev. Mr. Frey.

I was pained to observe, that this society enjoys so small a proportion of the public patronage; that though the salary of their minister is hardly one third so much as is received by the clergy of the city generally, they are still in arrears; and, from the present aspect of things, entertain considerable anxiety for the future.

Surely our citizens are not ignorant, that nearly ONE HALF of the population of this city, may be fairly considered as having no churches to go to, nor ministers to preach to them. And can they not, will they not, cheerfully and fully aid, in at least, one attempt? In at least furnishing one minister, and one place of worship, when thirty are necessary? Let it be seen (I speak in the language of Owen, describing the charity of the British and Foreign Bible Society) let it be seen, that we are not so attentive to strangers, as to forget those of our own household; that we do not lose sight of a due provision for our own city, amidst our various and captivating engagements with foreign parts. Or rather let us cherish a holy dread, of appropriating to our pride or pleasure, that which we ought to expend, both at home and abroad, in saving the souls of men.

V.

Receipts by the Treasurer of the American Bible Society for the month of May, 1820.

To constitute the following ministers members for life, $30 each.-Rev. Aaron Green, Malden, Mass. by a number of young ladies of his society; Rev. John P. Bausman, jr. of St. Leonard's Calvert Co. Md. by the ladies of Christ Church Parish. Rev. Enoch Pratt, West Barnstable, Mass. by his church and society. Rev. Ralph Robinson, Fairsvale town, Granville, N. Y. by the Female Cent Society of that place. Rev. James Bradford, Sheffield, Mass. by the ladies of his society. Rev. Conrad Spence, jr. Augusta Church, Va. by the ladies of that parish. Rev. David Chassell, preceptor of Cambridge Academy, N. Y. by the Juv. Aux. B. S. of that place. Rev. Francis Pomeroy, Lyons, Ontario Co. N. Y. by the ladies of his congregation. Matthias Bruen, Esq. N. Y. a director for life by his own subscription, $150.

To constitute the following laymen members for life $30 each.-Zaccheus W. Elmore, Esq. Sherburne, Chenango Co. N. Y. by his own subscription. Sandford N. Elmore, of do. a minor, by the subscription of his father, Z. W. Elmore. Mr. Seth Porter, Cummington, Mass. by his own subscription. Mr. John Miller, do. by the subscription of his friend, Seth Porter. Col. Josiah Dunham, Windsor, Vt. from the D. C. Benevolent Society. Joshua Wallace Collett, an infant, by the subscription of a friend. Hon. John McCreary, member of congress from S. C.

Donations from societies and individuals and annual subscriptions.-A number of ladies of Malden, Mass. $19. S. V. S. Wilder, Esq. city of Paris, 50. Mr. Asaph Rice, Northborough, Mass. $5. Mr. John Monahan, New-York. $3 A bequest of Miss Ann Charlotte Broome, late of this city, deceased, $1450. Beaufort, S. C. Bible Society, $147 39, and $52 61 for Bibles, &c. Burlington, N. J. Fem. B. S. $14. Albemarle and Orange, Va. B. S. $71 84, and $48 16 for Bibles, &c. Madison Co. Alab. B. S. $50. Cambridge Juv. Auxiliary B. S. N. Y. $10. Saratoga Co. N. Y. B. S. 45 87, and $164 13 for Bibles, &c. Madison Co. N. Y. B. S. $31 17, and $25 83 for Bibles, &c. Berkshire B. S. Mass. $75, and $41 for Bibles, &c. Greensfarms, Con. Fem. B. S. $12 42, and $320 for Bibles, &c. Maury Co. B. S. Ten. $100. Lexington, Va. Aux. B. S. $200. Camden Co. N. C. B. S. $50. Kingston, Ulster Co. N. Y. Fem. B. S. $22 50. Wooster Lodge of free and accepted Masons, Colchester, Con. $15. Collected this mouth from individuals for annual subscriptions, $69 50.

For Bibles, &c.-Washington Co. N. Y. B. S. $300. Columbia Co. N. Y. B. S. $180. New-York Female Aux. B. S. $500 Pendleton B. S. S. C. $140. Nassau-Hall B. S. N. J. $40. Rockland Co. B. S. $10. Herkimer Co. N. Y. B. S. $26. Dutch River Ten. B. S. $10. Red-Hook and Rhinebeck B. S. $13 30. Essex Co. N. Y. B. S. $61. Fayetteville, N. C. B. S. $200. Colchester, Con. Fem. B. S. $14 40. Dutchess Co. N. Y. Female B. S. $14 15. Rensselaer Co. N. Y. B. S. $249 21. Schenectady Co. Female Aux. B. S. $45. Sold to individuals, 64 48. Lincoln Co. Maine, B. S. not auxiliary, $220 17. Total, $5489 31. WM. W. WOOLSEY, Treas. The issues from the Depository of the American Bible Society, for the month of May, were, 2773 Bibles, 2221 Testaments, and 12 Indian Gospels and Epistles; total 5006-value. $3314 15. J. NITCHIE, Agent A B S

We have the highest authority for asserting that the righteous shal! be had in everlasting remembrance. When they repose in dust, the fragrance of their piety will exist, fresh as the rose, to delight the followers of the Lamb upon earth, and their name will be remembered in heaven for ever. When such have finished their course, and entered upon that rest which remaineth to the people of God, it is becoming, if not a duty, to preserve some memorial of their worth, to comfort, encourage, and animate the friends of the Redeemer, while pursuing their pilgrimage to the celestial Canaan.

Mr. William Reynolds, the subject of this communication, was born at Elmly, in Worcestershire, Great Britain, in 1754. Не was the fourth son of John Reynolds, Gent. whose wife, originally Sarah Fox, was the mother of five sons and five daughters. He lived with his parents till twenty-four years of age; and then, for four years, with John Harwood, in Birmingham, tallow chandler, who had married one of his sisters. This happy couple, like Zacharias and Elizabeth, were eminent for their holy walk and conversation. Of their numerous apprentices, journeymen, and other inmates, not a few were brought, through their religious example and instructions, from the paths of folly and vice, to the love and the practice of the truth as it is in Jesus.

On a certain Sabbath, while at Mr. Harwood's, the subject of this memoir, and his youngest brother, had been to a public garden. Their sister, grieved at such profanation of the Lord's day, repeated to them, on their return, the following apposite passage; "Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things, God will bring thee into judgment." They were both very angry at her, and, not knowing that there was such a verse in the Bible, supposed that she had prepared this address for the occasion.

Mr. Reynolds was tenderly affected at the prayers of his sister, to which he was occasionally witness, as she habitually led in the devotions of the family, in the absence of her husband. She soon VOL. VII.

R

became the instrument, in the hand of God, of exciteing some serious reflections in his mind. At length he was invited by his friend, John Cauldwell, now of the city of New-York, to attend a Baptist meeting, where the preacher was the Rev. James Butterworth, brother to the author of the Concordance. He consented to go, but was careful to select a seat, in which he thought he should not be noticed by any of his acquaintance, feeling ashamed to be seen at any church of the dissenters. My grace is sufficient for thee, was the text used at that time, and it was so unfolded and applied, as to show the sinner, that, without an interest in this grace, his condition must be for ever hopeless and forlorn. The word spoken, was accompanied with special divine influence, and Mr. Reynolds was overwhelmed with convictions, which he never lost. His sins were set in array before him, till he was enabled to cast himself at the foot of the cross. He became a constant attendant on the ministry of Mr. Butterworth, and, through the goodness of God, realizing the all-sufficiency of grace in the blessed Redeemer, he found that peace to his soul, which continued to the day of his death, the greatest comfort of his life. Three months after hearing the sermon, rendered efficacious to his conversion, he was baptized by Mr. Butterworth, at the Cannon-street church, in Birmingham, where the late Rev. Samuel Pearce was afterwards settled. He was connected with the religious society, worshipping in that place till 1781; when he removed to Colchester, in Essex, and was under the pastoral care of the Rev. Thomas Stevens.

Previously to this, he had married Miss Lydia Thomas, a lady of congenial sentiments and disposition; a daughter of the Rev. Joshua Thomas, of Leominster, in Herefordshire. Her father, a native of Wales, was the author of the History of the Welsh Baptists, a work of considerable magnitude, but which has never been translated from the Welsh. He had three brothers settled over Baptist churches in Wales, and one of his sons is the present Rev. Timothy Thomas, of Islington, pastor of a Baptist church in Devonshire-square, London.

Mr. Reynolds remained at Colchester, enjoying the comforts of religion, happy in the friendship and frequent visits of many worthy ministers of the gospel, among whom were the late Rev. Andrew Fuller, D. D. and the Rev. Dr. Carey, now of India, till after the destructive riot at Birmingham. In 1794, he embarked with his family for America. He arrived at the city of New-York, and fixed his abode for three years, at Lansingburgh, above Albany; and then came to Cherrytree township, Venango county, in Pennsylvania, where he spent the remainder of his days, serving the God he had chosen for his everlasting portion. In this secluded region, far from the noise and tumult which sometimes characterize ancient and populous settlements,

he was contented and happy in his domestic enjoyments, and the bounty of providence, which blessed the labour of his hands. He used frequently to remark, in reference to his retired situation, that it was a great mercy that God had placed him and his family so far from the vanities and gaieties of the world.

The sickness, which was to terminate the time of his sojourning upon earth, was of five weeks continuance; but was not of such a nature as to excite any serious apprehensions till about a fortnight before his death. This period was diligently improved, so far as his strength would admit, in conversing with the members of his family and others, on the infinite concerns of religion. Soon after the commencement of his indisposition, a gloomy cloud seemed to hang over him; but it was presently removed, and he felt the heart cheering influence of the divine presence, with little interruption, till the immortal part took its flight to the mansions of glory. He had no pains except those of the body, and these were, at times, very great; yet these, he said, were trifling to what a guilty conscience must feel. Being once asked if he wished for any thing, he replied no, that he was meditating on the splendours above. One morning he told Mrs. Reynolds, he was in hopes to have been gone, desiring to depart and be with Christ, yet he was willing to wait his appointed time. Conversing with his bosom friend, not long before death, on the society of the blessed in heaven, she mentioned to him the names of a number of precious saints, with whom they had been intimately acquainted; but who, for years, had been with Jesus, and with whom he would reunite; "Oh," said he, "what a goodly meeting that will be!" He seemed to be in a rapture at the suggestion, and to have a foretaste of the happy scene. At another time, she remarked to him, that he was not so cheerful as usual, and asked if he were uncomfortable. He replied, that he had not such rapturous views as he had been favoured with, but that his foundation was sure. He prayed with his family every day till the last, lying in his bed, and said, "the posture is not essential, God looks at the heart." On being apprised that his oldest son, John Reynolds, Esq. was arrived from Meadville, whom he had feared that he should not have seen again, he said in a part of the words of Simeon, "now Lord lettest thou thy servant depart." On the last day of his life, many called to see him. He was able to say but little; he, however, told them, that when they should be on a death bed, he hoped that they would feel as he did. His son John, standing by him, and witnessing the triumphs of his faith in the Redeemer, said, "it was rejoicing to see him leaving the world in such a manner." He replied, "no one can tell what I en joy; it is impossible to express it." In the evening, as one of the family was about to read a portion of scripture, he uttered his last words, and said, "I am now just entering upon my everlasting