husbandmen, mechanics of every useful occupation, and seamen of every class, from the experienced navigator, who can guide his gallant ship in unknown seas, to the hardy sailor, who is willing to buffet the waves of every ocean, and run the hazard of every climate. Persons of all these descriptions stand ready, and wait only for the word from our churches to go forth into all lands, and proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ to the ends of the world.

There is ability to support them.

If the inquiry be made, whether the people of the United States are able to send forth such a number of missionaries, as the heathen nations seem to demand from us, the answer must be in the affirmative. We profess, as a people, to receive Christianity; and it is not common to hear infidelity openly avow. ed. A great multitude scattered throughout our extensive empire, profess to have evidence of a personal interest in the promises of the Gospel; and this multitude embraces many individuals of great wealth, a more numerous class who possess competent fortunes, and a class still more numerous, composed of persons, who, in consequence of their activity and industry, are capable of imparting a continual and powerful impulse to any beneficent exertions, in which they should be generally and heartily engaged. Could not such a Christian community achieve wonders in the work of benevolence, compared with which all that the world has yet witnessed would appear small and unworthy of the cause? There are many ways of estimating our ability as a people, in all of which no man can avoid coming to the same result; viz. that the process of enlightening mankind by the Gospel, could be carried on by us to an extent, which should leave all present exertions out of comparison and out of remembrance. When it is considered how much a nation will cheerfully pay, through a long series of years, to support a war, and to discharge a debt im

posed by war; when the millions annu. ally wasted in the consumption of spirituous liquors are computed; and when the numerous other millions, expended in the thousand modifications of extravagance, are taken into the estimate, to what an astonishing sum would the whole amount; and how would it change the moral face of the world, if brought by the willing hands, and accompanied by the fervent prayers, and applied by the collected wisdom, of such a community? If we take as a rule what is known to be paid to this great object, by a few individuals of enlarged benevolence, and suppose the same disposition were graciously imparted to the mass of professed Christians, we arrive at a similar conclusion. What an awful picture does it give of mankind, to reflect, that even in Christian countries, it should be thought impossible to spend as much for the salvation of our fellow-creatures, as is freely spent to effectuate their destruction. How strange that it should be deemed chimerical even to desire, that one-tenth part as much should be appropriated, to send the Bible and preachers of righteousness among the ignorant and destitute, as is actually spent to bring intem. perance, misery, and pauperism among ourselves.

Effects of Christianity on converted pagans.

One of the first effects of the preva lence of Christianity among a people, who had hitherto been pagans, is, that they make great sacrifices to send the Gospel to other pagans. Having lately escaped from the bondage of Satan, they feel the greatness of their deliverance, and gladly aid in breaking off the manacles by which any of their fellowmen are held. If the highly favoured Christians of this country were to make sacrifices, in proportion to their numbers, and property, as the newly converted South Sea islanders have done; -or the Esquimaux on the Labrador coast; or the Hottentots of south Af

rica; or the Negroes of Sierra Leone; -a revenue would be furnished corresponding with the magnitude of the cause, and the claims which it has on the best affections of the heart. But is the enlightened Christian of Europe or America under less obligation to spread the Gospel, than the converted Esquimaux, or Otaheitan? And why should he wish to be excused from a service, which is their glory and their joy? a service more dignified in its nature, more beneficent in its aspect on mankind, and more acceptable to God, than any other service performed by men, since the creation of the world.

Large funds easily managed.

If it should he suggested, that so vast an increase of funds, as is here supposed, would render the concerns of the Bible and Missionary Societies unwieldy and unmanageable, on account of their magnitude; let it be considered, that in the conduct of worldly affairs, whenever the hearts of millions are set upon the accomplishment of any object, the work does not stop for want of agents. The immense revenues, which are collected for war, do not fail of application from this cause. The opulent merchant can find factors to manage his hundreds of thousands annually, at the extremity of the globe. And shall it be said, that a vast Christian community, embracing in its limits so many gentlemen of tried character, of liberal education, of professional eminence, of practical knowledge, of unquestioned piety, cannot bring into concentrated operation, wisdom, and experience, and Christian integrity sufficient to make a faithful and judicious application of the resources placed at their disposal? We would not for a moment forget, that no missionary work can prosper, whatever may be the talents and attainments of its conductors, unless it enjoy the favour of God. But is it not as easy for God to provide faithful and competent agents at bome, as to send faithful missionaries abroad?

The men to be selected for responsible stations in religious charitable societies.

And here the Committee would earnestly solicit the prayers of the members of this Board, and of all who contribute to its funds, or desire its success, and of all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, that the persons who shall be designated at this meeting, or at any future time, to manage its growing concerns, may be qualified for this responsible station by eminent piety, zeal, industry, activity, and disinterestedness. Nor do we deem it out of place to suggest, as a subject of continual prayer among all friends to the promulgation of the Gospel, that the Lord of the harvest would select such labourers as He will approve; and especially, that the higher and more responsible stations in all our charitable societies of a religious nature may be held by men of God, designated with the full and hearty approbation of their brethren; men who seek not the offices, directly nor indirectly, but are sought for the offices; men, whom the Saviour will honour, by making them the successful instruments of his mercy, and who shall secure, not for their own gratification or distinction, but for the success of the great cause in which they are embarked, the unhesitating, uninterrupted confidence of the churches, and of the world around them. Whether the Committee, who make the present report, shall have any further agency in this divine work, and what that agency shall be, is submitted to the disposal of Providence. The work itself must proceed, however, with accele ated steps, 1 ng after their feeble labours on earth shall have ceased. If any good shall have been effected by their instrumentality, to God would they unfeignedly ascribe all the praise; and most sincerely would they pray, that all who succeed them in this office, may greatly surpass them in every requisite qualification, and receive continual tokens of the divine presence and blessing.

Standard of Christian exertion.

It is to be always remembered, that the standard of Christian exertion is not to be taken from what the church has ever done, except in the apostolic age nor from what is now doing in any part of Christendom; but from what the church is able to do; what the plainest dictates of benevolence require; and what the expres command of Christ enjoins. In reference to this subject, as well as many others, we are not to count ourselves to have attained, but are bound rather to press forward. Glorious will be the days, and greatly are they to be desired, when all who profess to be disciples of the Saviour shall put forth their full and united powers to extend that spiritual kingdom, which shall at length become universal. Obligations of different classes, in rela

tion to this work.

The design of converting the world has for several years been distinctly before the church. The indispensable duty of promoting this design has been clearly proved, in many different ways, and with irresistible force. The proof must have been brought home to many consciences, and taken hold of many hearts. At such a period, ignorance cannot be pleaded in extenuation of indifference. No person in a Christian country, endowed with common intelligence, can with propriety be ignorant of what God is doing for his people, and of what he has promised to do. Every person must therefore be responsible for the part he takes, or neglects to take, in this great business. But upon those who possess influence in the church, and in the community, a peculiar weight of responsibility rests.

Ministers of the Gospel have it in their power to do more than any other class of persons, in aid of this cause; the same cause indeed, to which they have, in a peculiar sense, devoted their talents and their lives. If the clergy do not kindle into animated and zealous exertions, at the prospect of bringing new

trophies to the feet of the cross, how can it be expected that their people shall become possessed of missionary ardour? What can be more consonant with the office of faithful preachers, than a systematic and vigorous course of labours, to send forth men of like faithfulness into every land? What can more clearly show the benign tendency of the religion which is preached, than well-directed efforts to make its blessings co-extensive with the human race? What can operate more powerfully to raise the tone of piety and the standard of Christian charity, than the united and concentrated action of those who are set for the defence of the Gospel, and who apply to the promulgation of the Gospel all the advantages which God has put into their hands?

No truth is more forcibly exhibited in Scripture, than our strict accountability for all the talents committed to us; and for the use of no talent can men be more responsible, than for the influence which they may be capable of exerting, in consequence of occupying a public station, to which Divine Providence may have called them for the highest and noblest purposes. How cheering the thought, that while a minister in a Christian land is preparing for heaven the immortal beings committed to his charge, he may be exciting them to aid in conferring spiritual blessings upon other immortals, the inhabitants of a distant continent or island; thus putting in operation a series of beneficent causes, the effects of which shall never have an end; and thus laying a foundation for eternal gratitude and praise, that they were the voluntary, though feeble and unworthy, instruments of contributing to so glorious a consummation. How delightful the anticipation of meeting, in the New Jerusalem, redeemed sinners from different and remote parts of the world, proclaiming their obligation to the same benevolent agency, which was not only the means of eternal life to many within the sphere

necessity of keeping a large stock of publications on hand, or of issuing at one time more than are immediately wanted.

At the close of the last year, there were with the Depositary, 307,960 tracts, of which 214,720 were English, 54,676 French, and 38,564 Spanish. There have since been printed 41,008 English tracts; of these, several have been stereotyped.

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By this mode of printing, although the quantity struck off is much smaller than would otherwise be the case the plates remain, the work accomplished is really equal to that of printing a much larger number of copies.

Of the publications of the Society, the following are new selections: "A Plea for Missions," "The 5th, 6th, and 7th parts of the Boatswain's Mate," "Thomas Brown," "Contemplations on Eternity," "The Worth of the Soul," "Two Ways and the Two Ends." Of these, the seven last are republished from English tracts received from the London Society.

Your Board have still to lament the difficulty they meet with in procuring original tracts. The tract entitled "A Plea for Missions," by a member of the Princeton Theological Seminary, is the only one written in this country which they have been able to obtain in time for publication the present year. Of this little work 2,000 copies have been published; and there is reason to hope, that the demand for it will be such as to elicit other productions of the same useful character.

The whole number of tracts sold and distributed the past year, is 131,331 English, 7,150 French, and 5,350 Spanish. Of these, 25.141 English have been drawn out by members, on account of their subscriptions; 76,128 have been sold from the Depository. Of the remainder the following grants have been made:

To the Mission among the Osages, 2000 To the Male and Female Sunday