the aboriginal station on the Loddon, about eighty miles from Melbourne, where they will see something of the natives-learn something of one of the principal dialects-and, at least, get some insight into the character of their work and their prospects for the future. The welcome given to them by our excellent bishop, has been truly gratifying to me, and fully appreciated by them. It will be very satisfactory for you to hear this, and to know, that, on all hands, they have been most kindly welcomed, and a great disposition shewn, by the various christian denominations, to sympathise in their proposed work, and by individuals of substance to assist. They have, however, with my fuk concurrence, declined, for the present, asking or accepting assistance, stating that the expense which is absolutely necessary being already provided for, they only desire the prayers of their christian brethren on behalf of themselves and their work. They have attended, with blessing, the services of the Church of England, during the Passion season, and been encouraged and edified by the truly evangelical discourses delivered by the Bishop. Some extra-ecclesiastical services, which he has introduced, such as meetings before the Communion, and others of the same character, approaching more to the habits of their own church, they have greatly enjoyed. I have not seen them as often as I could wish, owing to my manifold engagements, and the distance of their lodging from my house; but, I am pleased to find that they understand this, and always come to me for advice or help. They will write in due time; meanwhile, I may say that they are both in good health and activity, and of good heart-knowing that, if it be the will of the Lord that the poor heathen of this far end of the earth should become the recipients of His gospel, whenever the hour may strike, and whoever the instruments may be, they will believe. They desire to be affectionately remembered to you and to all their dear christian friends. The brn. Taeger and Spieseke left Melbourne for the Loddon district on the 11th inst. From the Melbourne "Church of England Messenger, No. 4, for April, 1850." MORAVIAN MISSION TO THE ABORIGINES. The Prophet Isaiah, when he saw, in vision, the gospel heralds proclaiming the kingdom of God, exclaimed, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, &e," (Isaiah lii, 7); and it is with deep emotions of liveliest joy and gratitude that we announce to our readers the arrival on these shores of two Moravian brethren, who are sent forth as heralds of salvation to the unenlightened and ruined Aborigines of this island. 1 Br. Andrew F. C. Taeger, and br. Frederic W. Spieseke, the former an ordained minister, the latter a lay-helper, arrived in Melbourne on the 25th of February last, by the ship "Sibella." The ultimate destination of these gentlemen we understand to be the banks of the river Murray, where they will endeavor to form a settlement amongst the black population; but before proceeding thither, their intention is, if possible, to acquire some knowledge of the native language in one or more of its various dialects, and also to obtain an acquaintance with the character and habits of the natives themselves. For this purpose, they propose residing for a few months on the Loddon, at the interesting station of Mr. Parker, Assistant protector of the Aborigines; and they hope, in the spring of the year, to commence more direct missionary exertions. The difficulties which the messenger of peace must encounter in preaching the Gospel to the Aborigines, are but too obvious to every intelligent observer; nevertheless, with a joyous anticipa tion of success in their labors, we can say to our newly-arrived brethren in Christ, "We wish you good luck in the name of the Lord." In the Lord's work they will experience, we are persuaded, the Lord's presence and blessing: they will see, we are sure, the might of His holy arm. We should have gladly welcomed missionaries to the natives from any body of faithful Christians; yet, we confess it gives us peculiar pleasure to see amongst us the representatives of a church, whose praise is in all the world for its zeal in winning souls to Christ. God has greatly prospered the Moravian missions, and the devoted laborers of the church of the United Brethren have always selected as the objects of their compassionate efforts the most ignorant and degraded of the human race-the Negro, the Esquimaux, and the Hottentot. The Moravian church has its fields of successful labor in Labrador, Greenland, North America, the West Indies, South America, and at the Cape of Good Hope; and if in all these places, men are to be now found worshipping God in spirit and in truth, who formerly were both debased in their minds and depraved in their habits, ought we sot to take courage, and to hope in God that a brighter day will yet dawn, through His mercy, upon our neighbors, the poor benighted Aborigines of Port Phillip? We confess, that, in sight of all the difficulties in the way of the realisation of our hopes concerning this people, we are "perplexed;" nevertheless, "we are not in despair." We know who hath said, "Preach the Gospel to every creature ;" and we silence every misgiving as to the conversion of the natives, with the inquiry, "Is anything too hard for the Lord ?" The work to be done shall be accomplished by Divine power. We sympathise greatly with those christian men who have yielded themselves to the Lord, if haply He will vouchsafe to use them, as instruments for the accomplishment of His purposes of mercy. Let us endeavor to strengthen their hands in God. Let us fervently intercede both for them and for their work. Let the souls they seek to win, be the objects of our special love and supplication; and if pecuniary aid should be needed for promoting their christian efforts, let us esteem it a high privilege to offer them our substance for the Lord's sake. It gives us great pleasure to hear that a lady in England devoted 20007. for the purposes of the above mission; and such an example of Christian liberality should provoke a lively jealousy in our Divine Master's cause, as it is written, "Your zeal hath provoked very many."—2 Cor. ix, 2. N. B.-The generous donation referred to was 1000%, not 2000, and was applicable to the New Missions generally, which the Synod of 1848 had resolved to undertake, not merely to that which is the subject of the foregoing truly Christian and brotherly paragraph.-Ed. Original Communication. THE FIRST FRUITS. "I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance." Psalm 2, 8. Eastern Magi saw the shining Chaffered they with human honor? Gathered Israel's vales among ? Cared they, that His home was "little," No! Afar from Chaldea's fountains, Yet they leave the tombs of ages, Power, and wealth, and friends-they leave: Tell us, Hebrews! where your Jesus, Gifts and homage will receive? Lo, His wondrous star came shining, Tell us where your king's reclining? Knelt there in Christ's stable down; AND CLASSICAL SEMINARY FOR BOYS AT NAZARETH HALL, PENNA. $50 00 Board and Tuition, including Reading, Grammar, Composition, Elocution, Writing, Arithmetic, Bookkeeping, Geography, History, Singing, German, Latin, Greek, Mathematics etc. per Quarter in advance. The German to be spoken on three days of the week. Lessons in French, per Quarter For the use of the Library if requested, Age of admission from 9 to 14 Years. Application received by the Rev. Levin T. Reichel. 2.00 3 00 4.00 5 00 4.00 2.00 PAYMENTS received for the Moravian Church Miscellany. David Michael, Nazareth, $1. John Buehn, Hopedale, $1. Donation from a sister in Gnadenhuetten for the Foreign Mission fund for FORM OF BEQUESTS. To the Society of the United Brethren for propagating the Gospel among the Heathen.-I give and bequeath unto "The Society of the United Brethren for propagating the Gospel among the Heathen," at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the sum 2. To the Home Mission Society of the Moravian Brethren's Church at Bethlehem.-I bequeath to my executor or executors the sum of..... Dollars in trust, to pay over the same in days after my decease, to the person, who, when the same is payable, shall act as Treasurer of the Society, called "The Home Mission Society of the Moravian Brethren's Church," formed at Bethlehem, Penna., in the year one thousand eight hundred and forty-nine to be applied to the charitable uses and purposes of said Society, and under its direction, in the Home Mission field. |