with a nation that is rapidly and irresistibly progressing and extending its borders, and the more, therefore, our missionary activity among them assumes a peculiar modification, the more every Christian, who sympathizes in their weal and woe, will feel induced to remember in his fervent prayers, both the congregation and its laborers, as well as those who constitute the missionary board, that the Lord would manifest to them his will, and grant them wisdom and grace to understand the intimations of his providence, and to act agreeably to his mind.

ON PRAYER.

Prayer is the soul's sincere desire utter'd or unexpress'd,
The motion of a hidden fire that trembles in the breast.

2.

Prayer is the burden of a sigh the falling of a tear,
The upward glancing of an eye when none but God is near.

3.

Prayer is the simplest form of speech that infant lips can try : Prayer the sublimest strain that reach the majesty on high.

4.

Prayer is the Christian's vital breath, the Christian's native air: His watchword at the gates of death, he enters Heaven with prayer.

5.

Prayer is the contrite sinner's voice returning from his ways; While angels in their song rejoice and cry "Behold he prays!"

6.

In prayer on earth, the saints are one in word, in deed, in mind: When with the Father and the Son sweet fellowship they find.

7.

Nor prayer is made on earth alone, the Holy Spirit pleads;
And Jesus on the eternal throne for sinners intercedes.

8.

O thou! by whom we come to God, the life, the truth, the way; The path of prayer thyself hast trod-Lord, teach us how to pray! J. MONTGOMERY.

4767 88

:

Statement of Assetts and Liabilities of the Sustentation Diacony, May 31st, 1853:

III. Contingent Funds

900

IV. Creditors in Acc. Ct.

8664 66

V. Special Permanent Fund

LETTER

from Br. C. R. Kalbing, at Gnadenthal, South Africa, to Br. Eugene Frueauf, at Litiz, Pa.

Dear Br. Frueauf,

GNADENTHAL, June 13, 1853.

Several weeks ago I received a donation from you of $30, in a draft upon br. Roederer, which, as br. Mallalieu writes, was chiefly collected by sr. Julianne Rice, being partly the proceeds of a fair, got up by her among some of the pupils of the Boarding school, for missionary purposes. At the same time another draft for $75 for our missionaries at Shiloh came to hand, which has since been forwarded to br. Bonatz. Already, (at an earlier date,) in January, 1851, I had received a similar charitable gift of £16 (through you) from Miss Elisabeth Daniels. At that time I requested, that our thanks might be presented to you, and to the donor, (whom we only know by name;) but not learning whether this has been done, I now embrace the shorter and safer way, of addressing you personally, in order to express, through you, our most cordial acknowledgements to sr. Rice and the other benefactresses, and to wish them the blessing of God. Of the first donation, about onehalf has been disbursed for the benefit of those Fingoes, at Shiloh, that remained faithful, previous to their having received any subsidies from other quarters; the other part has been used for the benefit of the poor at Gnadenthal, in order to provide coverlids and clothing, or provisions for the sick, many of whom with tears, invoked the blessing of God upon their unknown benefactors. This donation will be applied to similar purposes, possibly also for the benefit of our schools.

Whereas our brethren and sisters in North America interest themselves so deeply for the prosperity of our South African mission, it is but reasonable that I should report something concerning the state of things here. I would that it were in my power briefly to select and report such matters of importance as you do not read in the Periodical Accounts, or in the German "Missions-Blatt." You are, of course, aware of the termination of the Kaffir war, after a duration of more than two years; and what hardships and trials our missionaries and their flocks had to endure. The Lord only knows, whether peace has been permanently established; many doubt it: for the Kaffirs have not, strictly speaking, been vanquished, but are merely tired of fighting. Our missionaries have, however, set about repairing the most indispensable dwellings, as well as the mill and half demolished church, inasmuch as the school-house cannot accommodate all the worshippers. The meetings during the Passion- and Easter-week were greatly blessed. There are rising of 500 Fingoes at Shiloh, and about 12 Hottentot families, who have partly remained faithful, and accompanied the

missionaries during their flight; and partly, have had no share in the insurrection. Fifty men had joined the rebels, many of whom have been condemned to hard labor for two years. Their readmission into Shiloh, after their term has expired, will occasion perplexing deliberations. Still we rejoice to find, that many now rue the step they have taken, and no longer ascribe their misfortunes to their teachers, but to themselves, in having forsaken the Lord. We trust that Goshen will be rebuilt, because we are now furnished with the Governor's written permission to that effect; but as it is doubtful whether any of the Fingoo tribe will be permitted to move to Mamre, it is therefore uncertain whether that station will be recommenced. Enon has suffered greatly by the war, because the Zuur mountains in its vicinity afforded the Kaffirs desirable hiding places. At the commencement of the war, the people of Enon lost all their cattle; two men being killed at the time, the congregation fled, only br. and sr. Lehman and a few men remaining there. During the second year, their gardens were frequently plundered, and owing to the erroneous suspicion of being in league with the insurgents, they were exposed to danger from the colonists. The Lord, however, put his arm around them and guarded their town, and now the whole flock is again gathered together. All our congregations in the colony are made up of villages of colored people, who partly derive their support from their gardens, and partly gain their livelihood by serving, chiefly in the capacity of cow-herds among the farmers, whereby they are absent from town for a longer or shorter period.

Since the emancipation in 1838, the greater part of the ransomed slaves have moved to the missionary stations; one-fourth, if not one-third of the population of Gnadenthal is made up of them. This congregation contains a mixed population; there are very few genuine Hottentots found here any more, and scarcely six can be found who speak that language. The negroes from Mozambique and the eastern coast of Africa are more numerous. The great mass, however, is composed of mingled races, resulting from the blending of Hottentots with negroes, and of these two with Europeans; and of the latter, many might pass for true Europeans. The language they speak is a corruption of the Dutch.

The impression our people make upon visitors, who interest themselves in their spiritual condition and christian mode of life, differs according to the stand-point which the inquirer takes; but still probably no stranger ever visited our establishments, who was not delighted with the well cultivated gardens, richly garnished with fruit trees, and with the host of children frequenting the schools. Moreover, let a man see the churches on the Lord's day filled with devout and decently clad worshippers, while remembering, that sixty years ago not a single Hottentot had ever heard the word of God, and that they were then nothing better than semi