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Societies Auxiliary to the American Jews' Society.

691

AUXILIARY SOCIETIES FOR MELIORATING THE CONDI

TION OF THE JEWS, RECENTLY FORMED.

THE Rev. Mr. FREY, agent of the A. S. M. C. J. since he set out on his tour to the South has visited a number of places, in the states of New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, the city of Washington, &c., and has met with very gratifying and encouraging success. Besides increasing the funds of the Society, by the collections which have been taken up in the different churches, where he has preached—and which have been liberal-He has also assisted in the formation of a number of important Auxiliaries.

BALTIMORE AUXILIARY SOCIETY.

Agreeably to public notice, a meeting was held in St. Peter's Church, Sharp-street, on Thursday, January 16th, 1823, for the purpose of forming a society auxiliary to "The American Society for Meliorating the Condition of the Jews"-Edward Johnson, Esq. Mayor, was called to the Chair, and Robert Beveridge appointed Secretary. The Chairman having stated the object of the meeting, called upon the Rev. Mr. Frey, a converted Jew, for information respecting the designs of the Parent Institution. That gentleman, with much feeling and eloquence, portrayed the present distressed state of the Seed of Abraham," and stated the measures which have been adopted to meliorate their condition. He was followed by the Rev. Mr. Henshaw, who, after an impressive and learned address, moved, that this meeting deem it expedient to form a Society Auxiliary to "The American Society for Meliorating the Condition of the Jews, formed in the City of New-York, in 1820," and that a committee be now appointed to present a constitution to this meeting.

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The Committee by their Chairman, submitted a Constitution, which being read on motion of the Rev. Mr. Nevins, seconded by Mr. Helfenstein, was unanimously adopted.

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WASHINGTON (D. C.) AUXILIARY SOCIETY.

Ar a large and respectable meeting, held agreeably to public notice, in Dr. Laurie's Church, on Thursday evening, January 30, 1823, ELIAS B. CALDWELL, Esq. was called to the Chair, and the Rev. J. N. CAMPBELL appointed Secretary.

The meeting was opened by prayer, by the Rev. Dr. Laurie. The object of the meeting having been stated by the Chairman, and the commission of the Rev. Mr. FREY having been read, the last mentioned gentleman, at the request of the Chairman, stated feelingly and at large, the present state of the Jews, and the objects and utility

of the " American Society for Meliorating the Condition of the

Jews."

Whereupon, after some impressive introductory remarks, the following resolution was offered by the Rev. Dr. Laurie, and was unanimously adopted:

Resolved, That this meeting do now form a Society Auxiliary to the American Society for Meliorating the Condition of the Jews.

Dr. Laurie and Mr. Chalmers were then appointed a committee to prepare a constitution-which was presented and adopted.

The Meeting was closed with prayer, by the Rev. Mr. Rice. The following Officers were elected to serve till the first Monday of April next, being the day of the first annual meeting of the Society.

ELIAS B. CALDWELL, Esq. President.

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Donations. To the United Foreign Missionary Society during the month of January, $639 57-February, $636 31. To the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, from the 13th of January to the 12th of February, $4,364 60; also, legacies, $1000, and donations in clothing, &c. to a considerable amount. To the American Bible Society during the month of February, to constitute ministers members for life, $210,-laymen members for life, $60,-director for life, $150,-donations, $5,-do. from auxiliary Societies, $746 66,do. from societies not auxiliary, $108 75,-in payment for Bibles, $1,341 67total, $3,513 33. Five new Auxiliaries acknowledged. To the American Education Society during the month of February, $314 26.

United Domestic Missionary Society.-A special general meeting of the Society was held on the 10th ultimo at the city Hotel. Hon STEPHEN VAN Rensselaer, President, was present and took the chair,—and the Rev. J. M. Mathews opened the meeting with prayer. The corresponding Secretary, Eleazer Lord, Esq., read extracts from letters from several of the missionaries in the Society's employ, which represented the need of more efficient exertion, the want of more missionaries, and the encouragements which the districts alluded to offer to the zealous and faithful labourer. The Rev. W. W. Philips, John B. Romeyn, D. D. Samuel H. Cox, and John D. Keese, Esqr. addressed the meeting, and urged upon the attention of a very large and respectable audience the pressing claims of the Society. Committees were appointed to solicit subscribers and donations, and on motion of Peter Hawes, Esq. a resolution was unanimously passed, embracing a vote of thanks to Mr. Chester Jennings, keeper of the Hotel, for his liberality in granting the Society the use of the room free of expense, and constituting him a life member of the society. The Rev. G. Spring, D. D. closed the meeting with prayer. Persons may become members by paying $3 annually, or $30 at one time; and the payment of $50 constitutes a director. Donations received by Peter Hawes, Esq. Treasurer, corner of John and William-streets.

Obituary.—John McFarlane.

693

Young Men's Missionary Society.-A society bearing this name has recently been organized in this city, auxiliary to the United Domestic Missionary Society, under very favourable prospects for extensive usefulness.

Jews' Society-The Rev Mr. Frey, agent of the A. S M. C. J. arrived in Charleston, S. C. on the 12th ult. and after a short stay at that place, preaching in several of the churches, and assisting in forming two large and highly respectable auxiliaries, one of them the "Shiloh Society of Charleston," proceeded into Georgia.

Notices and Acknowledgments.

Exchanges. We receive a very large number of very small papers, indorsed with the request," Please exchange," and at the same time that we thank the publishers for the friendly feeling which this expression may indicate, we must say the request is in many instances most unreasonable Let such publishers consider

for a moment the following comparison. In a year we publish eight hundred closely printed octavo pages on a new long primer and brevier type, with good ink and paper—stitched in twenty-five printed covers,—about one half original matter-the editorship occupying nearly all the time of one man, (as yet without compensation)—at three dollars per annum, Some of the papers above referred to are printed on a large worn-out type, with poor ink, coarse paper, no coverseight octavo pages a week-selected matter-without editorial labour-at two dollars per annum. The number we have already placed on our exchange list of this class of publications and others, added to the number of copies for which we neither receive nor expect pay, amount to one hundred and sixty copies, which, if paid for in advance, would leave, after deducting the price of the papers received in exchange, a sum of above four hundred dollars. We hope this statement will satisfy any who have thought us illiberal in not placing their papers on our exchange list.

Life of Brainerd-Religious biography has received a valuable addition, in a complete life of BRAINERD, by the Rev. Mr. Dwight of Boston. It embraces the whole of the Life and Diary, including the Journal, formerly published in two parts by the correspondents of the "Society in Scotland for propagating Christian knowledge," now for the first time incorporated with the rest of the diary, in a regular chronological series: also, all his letters, and other writings (as far as they are known to the editor,) two letters of John Brainerd, the ordination sermon, by the Rev. E. Pemberton, pastor of the [Wall-street] Presbyterian Church in this city, and the reflections on his memoirs and funeral sermon, by President Edwards. It is a neatly printed octavo volume of about 500 pages-price $2 50.

Life of Elliot.-The Rev. Mr. Moore, of Natick, Mss. has recently published, "Memoirs of the life and character of the Rev. JOHN ELLIOT, apostle of the North American Indians."

Edwards's works-Stephen Dodge, of New-Haven, Conn. is collecting, and proposes to publish a complete edition of Dr. Edwards's works.

Obituary.

For the Christian Herald.

THEY are not of the world even as I am not of the world. John xvii. 16. This is the account which the divine Saviour gives of his approved followers; and he knew what was in man and what was the best evidence of a heart devoted to his

service. And there are few men of whom it could more justly be said," he is not of this world," than of JOHN MCFARLANE, who departed this life on Monday the 10th March, at his house, in Greenwich-street, in the 83d year of his age, after a short illness of somewhat more than three days.

He was a native of Scotland, but emigrated to this country about fifty years ago, and since that time resided almost constantly in this city. He was for a considerable time in business, but in this he was unsuccessful. Here, however, it is sufficient to state that, whatever might be his embarrassments, he was universally allowed to have acted with honour and integrity.

In all the vicissitudes of life he was uniform and diligent in the public and private duties of religion, and was for a great number of years a member and an elder in the Associate Church. These things, however, are mentioned only as events of secondary importance in the life of this holy man. For he was a genuine follower of Christ, and he loved and esteemed his fellow-men, not for their country or kindred, but for their piety and worth, persuaded, as he used to say, that "in Christ Jesus there is neither Jew nor 'Greek, but all are one in him." Though strongly attached to the religious principles held by the Christian society of which he was so long a much respected member, yet there never was a man who showed less the spirit and temper of a partisan.

But we may pass from the events of his life, for in so far as this world is concerned, "the short and simple annals of the poor" are soon rehearsed. Not so the many labours of love, and the many good works of this distinguished saint. The example of his holy life-his fervent charity-his ardent piety-his meek humility and savoury conversation, will live long in the cherished recollections of his pious friends. For although he had a good report of all men, yet it was only kindred spirits who could either understand his character or form a just estimate of his real worth.

Being largely endowed with the spirit of his Master, whom he served with dili gence and zeal, and followed through good and through bad report; many of the Christian graces shone conspicuous through the gloom of outward calamity. In him patience had her perfect work. Under all the crosses, afflictions and disappointments of life, of which a very great share was his, he was never heard to repine at his condition, nor to charge God foolishly. His meekness and humility were equal to his patience. His temper did not rise at the reproach of the foolish, but when he was rashly spoken against by any, his uniform reply was, had they known him better, perhaps they would have said something more to his disadvantage.

In his intercourse with his Christian friends he was uniformly cheerful, obliging and kind. As to the business of this world his heart had long been weaned from it; and for many years past his conversation was almost all in heaven. The general tenor of his life seemed to be a practical commentary on the following passage of Holy Writ: One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.

But among all his attainments his skill in the Scriptures, and his gift in prayer were not the least remarkable. The Bible was his daily companion, and the statutes of the Lord were the men of his counsel. Nor was it possible to observe his fervour at the throne of grace, without thinking of him who, "as a prince had power with God and prevailed."

With such gifts and endowments he was eminently calculated to administer religious instruction and spiritual consolation to the distressed and the dying, and he was often found in the house of mourning. There, with an interest and solicitude that can only be felt by those who have just ideas of the value of the soul, he showed the way of life-he pointed to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, and preached peace through the blood of the cross, as the only but all-efficient means of banishing terror from the conscience, and imparting consolation to the disconsolate and troubled mind. It was on his way to the house of affliction that he was arrested by the messenger of death. He was seized with a kind of giddiness to which he was sometimes subject, and with some difficulty he reached a friend's house which was on his way. By the care of the family he so far recovered as to be able to walk home with an attendant, but was again taken ill in the course of a few hours.

He was much afflicted all the afternoon and evening, and on the following day,

Civil Retrospect.-Foreign.

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when medical aid was called in, having some presentiment that he would not recover, he patiently composed his mind for the issue, resigned to the will of Providence, and willing to depart Two days after, the evening before he died, being now convinced that his end was approaching, he said to one standing by"If God were pleased to take me out of the world by this affliction I am willing to depart. I have always thought the time of sickness a bad time to prepare for death, and I now find myself so much distressed that I cannot compose my mind to attend to the duties of religion. I hope my friends will pray for me-I believe God will take care of me-I wait for his salvation."

Next morning he was evidently much weaker, and although perfectly sensible, (as appeared by his recognizing a friend and inquiring for her sick husband a few minutes before he died,) yet he spake little and acted like one done with the world. Though greatly afflicted he endured his sufferings without one murmur, and at last fell asleep so sweetly and so insensibly, that although several persons were standing by, not one of them could say at what moment his departing spirit left its earthly tent.

So lived, and so died this holy man of God: all who knew him, for he was one of those that the more they are known, the more highly they are esteemed, and to be esteemed as they ought must be intimately known, will readily bear witness that the above is but a very faint sketch of his excellent character and heavenly endowments. These things have not been mentioned to call forth sorrow for his departure; for he was ripe for heaven, and he came to his grave in full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season, but to stir up all who knew him to consider his conversation-to imitate his many virtues, and to follow his good example. Mark the perfect man and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace. R. New-York, March 18, 1823.

CIVIL RETROSPECT.

FOREIGN.

Europe. The news this month from Europe is wholly warlike. Contrary to our anticipations and hopes, France has expressed a determination to make war on Spain, to compel the latter to suit her government to the views of the former. The jealousy of despotism, or the fear of the effects of an example of a government of a popular form so near to France, has no doubt induced the government of the latter to assume the attitude she bears; while the dormant, but far from extinguished military spirit of the French people, has probably been viewed by their rulers, as a trait on which they might rely for the popularity of the war. Still they may find their calculation erroneous: the veterans of Napoleon will endure hardly, the promotion of superannuated courtiers, or of the beardless members of the present noble families, over the military nobles of the former reign: and the people, tired and willing to enjoy a respite from war, may perhaps conceive that if they must endure its evils, they would prefer struggles for liberty to crusades against it. It will not therefore surprise us to hear, either that France has receded from the stand she has taken, or that she is herself a prey to intestine commotions similar to those which, like a fratricide, she is fomenting in Spain. Besides, it cannot be doubted that the issue of a war with Spain is very uncertain: its mountains, the guerilla or partisan habits of its population, the spirit of resistance which a call on such an occasion must naturally inspire, will make its conquest neither easy nor certain, and render the possession of it very unsafe. Although we have little hope that the war will be averted, yet we consider it possible, and cling to our hopes almost as we should to life.

The bearing of this war on Spain will be important, far beyond ordi

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