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TWENTY-FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MISSIONARY SOCIETY OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. (V £ 6 MS6C, The following is a list o f Officers and Managers. R e v . BISHOP SOULE, President. BISHOP HEDDING, 1st. Vice President. BISHOP ANDREW, 2d do. BISHOP WAUGH, 3d do. BISHOP MORRIS, 4th do. BISHOP HAMLINE, 5th do. BISHOP JANES, 6th do. CHARLES PITMAN, Corresponding Sec. GEORGE LANE, Treasurer. JOHN F. WRIGHT, Assistant do. M r . FRANCIS HALL, Rec. Sec. MANAGERS. G e o r g e S u c k l e y , S t e p h e n D a n d o , L . S. B u r l in g , W m . B . S k id m o r e , H e n r y W o r r a l l , G . P . D is o s w a y , H e n r y M o o r e , R a l p h M e a d , J. B. O a k l e y , D r . J a m e s L . P h e l p s , D r . S. T hrockmorton , B . F . H o w e , J. W . H o w e , P . E . C oon, D r . A l f r e d S. P u r d y , F r a n c is G o d in e , S c h u r e m a n H a l s t e d , G e o r g e T . C o b b , W i l l i a m E . B a r n e s , J ohn B . E d w a r d s , John M . H o w e , O l iv e r L o v e l a n d , N. M i l l e r , John R a y n o r , T h o m as M a c f a r l a n e , D r . M . S t e p h e n s o n , J o h n M ’L e a n , N ic h o l a s S c h u r e m a n , T . W . M a r s h a l l , W m . C a r t w r ig h t . D a n i e l B a r k e r , A . W . B r o w n . ANNIVERSARY MEETINGS. T h e twenty-fifth anniversary of the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church was held in the church in Greene-street, on Monday even­ ing, May 13th, and continued, by adjournment, on Tuesday evening the 14th. The meetings on both evenings were numerously attended. Besides a large assembly of the laity, most of the delegates to the General Conference were present. The meeting on Monday evening was one of the most interesting and de­ lightful within the reccollection of the oldest members of the society, whether we regard the excellence of the speeches, the respectability and numbers of the audience, or the noble and hallowed feelings that pervaded the assembly. Bishop Waugh presided, and near him sat the Rev. Bishops Soule and Hea­ ding, and the Rev. Dr. De Witt, of the Reformed Dutch Church. The plat­ form was filled by a lafge number of the clergy, with several distinguished laymen, the Hon. Theodore Frclinghuysen, and others. The church was crowded throughout the galleries and aisles with a highly respectable auditory. The Rev. Dr. Pierce, of Georgia, opened the meeting by giving out the hymn commencing “ Arm of the Lord, awake, awake! Thine own immortal strength put on,” &c., and engaging in prayer. The Rev. C. Pitman, Corresponding Secretary of the society, then read an abstract of the Annual Report. It was an able, luminous, and comprehensive document, as the reader will find by reading the entire Report. The Rev. Dr. Winans, of Mississippi, moved the following resolution ;— Resolved, That no enterprise which God enjoins, or is known to approve, can be too great, too difiicult, or too costly, for his servants to undertake, in reliance on his favour, and in compliance with his will. Therefore those en­ gaged in the missionary enterprise should prosecute that enterprise with good courage. He said he would reduce his resolution to the form of a syllogism, the first proposition of which would be that an enterprise enjoined and favoured by the Most High God cannot be too great, too difficult, or too costly to be pro­ secuted, in reliance upon his aid or in compliance with his will, by those who devote themselves to his service. But the missionary enterprise, though very great, and very difficult, and very costly, is enjoined by Him and has Ms decided approbation. Therefore those engaged in the missionary enterprise should prosecute their work with good courage. The first of these propositions might be advanced without support from argument; he would, however, substantiate it by a reference to some remark­ able facts in the history of the world. The first of these should be the his­ tory of our own beloved country; for he claimed to be, not a Christian only, but a Christian patriot. The revolutionary struggle was exceedingly great, difficult, and costly. But in the estimation of our pious fathers it was an enterprise enjoined by the providence of God, and one that would secure his favour; and with this view they engaged in it with good courage. And the result justified their confidence. So with the gospel in its primitive presen­ tation to the world. The enterprise of spreading out that gospel over a world covered with thick darkness was great, difficult, and costly. And yet it was undertaken, and with what results ? In a very short time heathenism was dethroned from the seat of the Cesars, and the proud Roman empire pros­ 4 ANNIVEESAEY MEETINGS. trated at the foot of the cross whereon the Saviour had been crucified. Upon this enterprise God had smiled with his favour. It was enjoined by his reve­ lation and his providence, and it was for that reason that it secured such glorious triumphs and unexpected victories. These two facts he relied upon as sufficient to establish the first proposition in his resolution. Now the missionary enterprise, though great, and difficult, and costly, is nevertheless enjoined by God, and under his special favour and approbation. Here, then, are some important concessions and some important assumptions. The concessions are these,—the missionary enterprise is great, difficult, and costly. It is great in its purposes—who can tell its magnitude ? It medi­ tates the dispersion of the thick darkness from the face qf the world—the lifting up from their moral degradation a large portion of the human family, and changing the moral character of the man from the image of the earthly, and the character of the devilish, to the image of God and the character of the Saviour! It is a great work, not only in magnificence of design, but be- causeof the extent of its operations, stretching out its arms and embracing the mass, properly so called, of moral human nature. It is great, also, in the mighty results it contemplates, elevating man in his individual and social character, and in his immortal destination. But it is conceded that this enterprise is difficult as well as great. It has to contend against the great radical principle of man’s fallen nature, “ the carnal mind,” which is “ enmity against God, and is not reconciled to the law of God, neither, indeed, can be.” This is the true source o f all the diffi­ culties in the way of the success of the missionary enterprise, whatever form they may assume. He would not say that this difficulty was invincible, but it was so by any effort which unaided man could put forth—by any array of mere human ability or secular power. These difficulties were seen in Judea, when the whole power of the priesthood, the sanhedrim, rabbis, doctors of law, and the mass of the Jewish people were arrayed against the cause of Christ among them; in Greece, where the cross was foolishness; in Rome, proud and imperial Rome, where the pride of the Roman looked down with scorn and contempt upon the despised Nazarene and his followers. But let these difficulties take what form they may, this opposition springs from the source we have already traced it to—the enmity of the human heart. This enterprise is costly, too! O how costly! Money it has always cost, and must ever do so, for how can they preach except they be sent ? And how many are perishing for lack of knowledge, without the means or dispo­ sition to bring out the gospel at their own charge ! Their claim must be met. There are the Indians on our frontier. These have claims upon us not merely as men having immortal souls, but as injured by American Christians. W e owe them a vast debt, and our only way to pay them is to send them the gospel! And the coloured people—the slaves. He was glad to be their advocate; they had a peculiar claim on the missionary enterprise of the Ame­ rican people, and of all who speak the English language. The cupidity of England and Eastern capitalists fixed that dark spot on the American es­ cutcheon, planted slavery deeply among the institutions of the south, and in­ terwove the evil throughout southern society. Those who fixed the evil on the south—for he was a southern man—were battening on the gains of their abominable traffic—and did we not owe much to these poor coloured people, and how could we pay it so well as by sending them the gospel} And Africa, bleeding, lacerated, down-trodden, insulted, murdered Africa! W e have robbed her of her sons and daughters, and shall we not return to her the gospel of Jesus Christ ] It will cost much—mark it—for there was yet China opening to them, and India, where they might go in the fulfilment of their glorious iimer<m£*mission— Go ye forth into all the world, &c., &c.

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