and pastors themselves had been converted in revivals in New England. They had been trained in an atmosphere of revivals, under such men as Dr. Nettleton, Dr. Lyman Beecher and Dr. N. W. Taylor. They believed in them; labored for and in them. Said one of those pioneer ministers, after speaking of the difficulties encountered in his pioneer work: "There was no trial or suffering so feared as a failure to win souls to Christ. One revival of religion and one ingathering of young converts counterbalanced months and years of pioneer fare, and the severities of prairie blasts and other incidental inconveniencies."

One of these, Rev. E. Jenney, as agent of the American Home Missionary Society, in ten years had to do with the organization of 41 churches, with the building and dedicating of 39 houses of worship, with the graduating of 21 churches to self-support and with the promoting of numerous revivals of religion.

Rev. Dr. Bascom, of blessed memory, who recently finished his course with joy, at the ripe age of 86 years, having labored in this State more than half a century, at the beginning of his ministry in Tazewell county, held in several places open-air four days' meetings; on one occasion using an old ox sled as a pulpit, and his ministry was blessed with revivals of great power wherever he labored. Hundreds of prominent, devoted men and women in our churches to-day were converted in these revivals.

There are no recollections of my own early experiences on this field more delightful than of those revivals in which I was privileged to labor among the churches of the Fox River Valley and elsewhere.

WHAT DID THESE PIONEER MINISTERS DO?

Almost without exception they stood foremost in the ranks of temperance and anti-slavery reformers when it cost much to be such.

It is a significant fact that when, in 1844, the Illinois State Association was organized, among the standing rules adopted, to which all ministerial members were required to give assent, was this: "No one shall be admitted to membership in this body who does not regard slaveholding as a sin condemned by God." Among those who stood by the martyred Lovejoy in his defense, at the risk of life, were Dr. Edward Beecher and Rev. Asa Turner, as well as Rev. Owen Lovejoy, brother of the martyr.

At an early day Congregational churches encountered much opposition and odium, because of the bold and united stand which they took as anti-slavery and temperance reformers. One of the pioneer missionaries, Rev. Thomas Lippincott, had an important part in saving Illinois from becoming a slave State, as Gov. Ford in his history of Illinois, testifies, doing efficient service by his contributions to the press and his fiery hand-bills.

Nor was this spirit less manifest in the Congregational churches of this State at a later day. It is an interesting fact, as stated by Dr. Roy, that in the Civil War of 186165, the Congregational churches of Illinois furnished for the Union army, one in four of their entire male membership, including old men, invalids and boys.

They were leaders in the temperance reform. In most of the early churches abstinence from intoxicating drinks was made a condition of church membership. Many early church covenants, like that of the St. Charles and Elgin churches, read, "You further agree not to make, vend or use ardent spirits, except for medicinal and chemical purposes.

I hardly need add, that they were hearty supporters of missions, home and foreign. From the first, the feeble churches which they organized were educated to contribute freely and generously for objects of Christian benevolence. Their motto was, "America for Christ," and they gave themselves and trained their people for

this work. Yet it was in no narrow spirit of home missions as against foreign, but they took in the whole world in their sympathies, their prayers, their gifts. These pioneer ministers, by their personal contributions, were examples to their people of the same liberality which Paul recognized in the Macedonian Christians "whose deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality."

I cannot close without, in a word, paying some tribute to the devoted and sainted wives of these pioneer ministers. Upon them rested the heaviest burdens of the inconveniencies and self-denials of this pioneer work. Many of them taken from homes of culture, refinement and wealth, had to endure the privations of meagre fare, of life and labor in log-cabins, in rude and uncultured communities, often ending in an early death. Yet, with rare exceptions, they bore these with a cheerfulness and Christian heroism beyond all praise.

They encouraged and sustained their husbands in all their labors and contributed much by their fidelity and wise counsels to their success.

The record of their devoted and useful lives, though not written by human hands, is written in God's book of remembrance, and I am not sure that when these books are opened, it will not appear that their share in the work done has been the larger and most blessed.

REV. G. S. F. SAVAGE.

CIRCULAR APPEALING FOR AID FOR COLONIZING FREE NEGROES IN LIBERIA.

OFFICE OF THE MISSOURI COLONIZATION SOCIETY,
ST. LOUIS, Oct. 28, 1845.

DEAR SIRS

In asking your aid to advance the interests of the Colonization Society, I propose, in few words, to explain its present position, and plan of future operations.

The Colony is governed entirely by officers of the African race and citizens of Liberia. The expenses of its Government are paid from its own revenue, with the exception of the salary of the Governor, who is appointed and paid by the Society, and transacts its business in reference to the reception and settlement of new emigrants, &c.

The literary and religious institutions of the Colony are in a prosperous condition.

The influence of the Colony over the native tribes is good, and increasing in power and extent; and it is believed, that if the Colony were now left by the Society to its own resources, it would gradually grow into an extensive and powerful commonwealth.

The great object of the Society now is, to develope the resources of the Colony by fostering its institutions, enlarging its capacity for the comfortable reception of emigrants, and encouraging the emigration thither of persons of suitable character to promote its prosperity, as well as to advance their own happiness.

It is believed, that this last object would be greatly promoted by the purchase of a ship to run as a regular packet between New Orleans and Liberia, leaving New Orleans twice a year, on fixed days-say, 1st Jan. and 1st July.

It is proposed to raise the necessary funds (say $10,000) in the West and South-west.

I secured $1,000 of this sum during my recent visit to Kentucky, and principally at two efforts,-$500 and upwards having been subscribed by the members of the Synod of Kentucky, (most of it during their late session at Harrodsburg,) and upwards of $500 more was subscribed by a few friends of the cause in Henderson, where I stopped a few days on my return from Louisville to St. Louis. For this last subscription I am indebted principally to the co-operation of Rev. D. L. Gray, of Henderson.

I may here state, that Rev. A. M. Cowan, Agent of the American Colonization Society for Kentucky, has raised, within the last year, in that State, about $5,000 for the purchase of territory in Liberia for the settlement of Kentucky emigrants; and that a company of emigrants are expected to leave Louisville on the 15th of December, via New Orleans, to take possession of said territory.

It is also hoped that the Legislature of that State will make an appropriation of money to encourage the emigration of free people of color from Kentucky in America to "Kentucky in Africa."

I am now making an attempt to raise $1,000 in each of the States of Missouri and Illinois, to be paid by 1st Jan., 1846, and appropriated towards the purchase of the Liberian packet. It is proposed, that a simultaneous effort be made throughout these two States to accomplish this object at once. Two plans are proposed: 1st, Collections by the clergy; 2d, The formation of auxiliary societies in every county in each State, and the collection of funds through that medium. If each minister of the gospel to whom the African Repository is sent gratuitously in those two State would collect $3.00 for this object, it would amount to more than $2,000; and if the friends of colonization in each county were to form an auxiliary and collect $11, it would also amount to more than $2,000.

Let a simultaneous effort be made by the ministers on the 1st Sunday in December, and by the friends of the cause in each county to form auxiliary societies on the 2d Saturday in December, and forward the money, and the names and post-office address of the officers of the same, by mail, as soon as they are organized.

I subjoin the form of the constitution for an auxiliary society.

Respectfully, yours,

ROBERT S. FINLEY,

Agent of the Missouri and Illinois Colonization Societies.