The following letters are full of interest to those who are in full sympathy with the work: —
WEST INDIES. — Mr. R. E. Gammon is employed by the Baptist Missionary Society in the Bahamas. He has one native preacher (J. H.
Pusey, from Calabar College), and thirteen schoolmasters and other Christian workers under his direction at the fourteen, stations and sub- stations. He has just sent us the following letter with statistics of the several stations. Fifty-seven converts have been baptized during the year, and the several churches under our brother’s care have an aggregate membership of seven hundred and sixty-eight.
“Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo, January 15, 1883. “
My dear President, — Enclosed is the schedule of statistics of work done during the year just closed; we have been far from realizing many of our hopes;; still, our Master has not left us without tokens of his presence and blessing.
“On Christmas-Eve eleven candidates, in the presence of a crowded
congregation, including a large number of Roman Catholic natives, publicly professed their disciple-ship to Christ by baptism, in Puerto Plata, and our increase in this church for the year is thirteen. In a Roman Catholic country like this, we have to be glad of small additions, as a proof of the spread of the truth as it is in Jesus. There were to have been twelve candidates, but
the husband of the last (so I am told) followed her with a revolver, threatening to shoot her, and would not allow her to be baptized — perhaps, later on, he may repent of his folly, and permit her to obey her Lord’s command.
“On New Year’s Day the Padre (priest), ex-President of this republic, in consecrating 8, new image of San Felipe (the patron saint of Puerto Plata) gave a long address to a large audience, and amongst other things said: —
‘they (the Romanists) were vilified by non-Romanists as image worshippers — that it was untrue, they merely had them as visible representations of the good and saintly of past days, to bring their lives more vividly before the untutored and ignorant minds’; but I fear the ignorant ones are just those who do not distinguish the difference between admiring the virtues of the saintly ancients and worshipping them; and were some iconoclast to enter their church and smash one of their saints, no doubt he would fare badly if the people caught him. Some few weeks ago an ‘Alcade’ (a kind of magistrate here) who has been attending our services for some time, was suddenly stricken with blindness, and some of the people immediately said, it was a judgment on him because he had left off praying to the saints. Although we do not make rapid progress, we are hopeful because the Romanists manifest a kindly spirit towards us.
“The total number baptized in the district (i.e., Santo Domingo and Turks and Caicos Islands,) is fifty-seven, and the net increase for the year is twenty-three in Turks Islands, many of the old members having died during the year.
“Hoping to present a better report before long, I remain, wishing prosperity to yourself, your work, and the College,
“My dear President, affectionately yours,
“R. E. GAMMON.”
The following letter intended for last Conference, arrived about a week too late; but we insert it here that all our brethren may see it, and remember in prayer their comrades who are battling bravely against the idolatry and superstition of India: —
“EAST INDIES, MARCH 20, 1882.
“Beloved President, Vice-President, Tutors, and Brethren, — From this distant part of:’ our Master’s vineyard we send our united love and
greeting, praying also that your gatherings in Conference may be seasons of ‘ refreshing from the presence of the Lord.’ Scattered over this vast continent of India, and engaged in work as varied as the: languages we have to employ, we still feel united to each other, and to you, by the blessed associations and memories of our beloved College. Three of us have to labor in English, one in Telugu, one in Hindee and Hindustani, and one in Bengalee and Mussulmani-Bengalee; and yet we have but ‘ one Lord, one faith, and one baptism’ to declare to these different races. Our spheres of labor are very far apart. One of us is in Madras, one in Agra, two in Calcutta, one in Bachergunge, and one in Darjeeling. In each of these places idolaters, or followers of the false prophet, abound. ‘ At Athens, Paul’s spirit was stirred in him when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry; ‘ and we often feel the same; yet we desire to be stirred up to far greater devotion in our work and zeal for our Master. Everything here tends to deaden and depress, unless we are constantly conscious of our Savior’s presence and help. Could we meet with you in Conference, we feel it would be the means of arousing and quickening us; but it will help to cheer us greatly to know that these few words will reach you, and that we have your sympathy and love.
“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may run, and be glorified (in India) even as also it is with you: and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men, for all have not faith. But the Lord is faithful. In Him is our trust, for ‘ He must reign,’ and every form of idolatry and error must ultimately perish.
“With intense love to you all, and especially to our revered President, we remain, faithfully yours in Christ,
“ROBERT SPURGEON, Barisaul.
“WILLIAM NORRIS, Calcutta.
“G. H. HOOK, Lall Bazar, Calcutta.
“R. W. MAPLESDEN, Ongole, Madras Presidency.
“JAMES G. POTTER, Agra, N.W.P.
“H. RYLANDS BROWN, Darjeeling, Himalayas.”
“West Melbourne, Victoria, 15th Nov., 1882.
“THE STUDENTS OF THE PASTORS’ COLLEGE, NOW SETTLED IN VICTORIA, TO THEIR
BELOVED PRESIDENT, C. H. SPURGEON.
“Dear Sir, — You received a letter from us two years ago so kindly that we gladly avail ourselves of this opportunity, when we are gathered at the Annual Session of the Victorian Baptist Association, to send another. Two of the brethren who signed the last letter have gone within the veil. Horatio H. Garrett, so beloved and useful, was called home with dread suddenness by a railway accident; and Henry Marsden received the summons to go up higher, after long weakness through wasting disease; yet he was enabled to preach to the last, and singularly glorified Christ by a holy, loving life and ministry.
“We feel sure that our President, with the Tutors and friends of the
College, will be pleased to learn that, by the suffrages of the denomination, Brother William Clark, of Ballarat, has been called to the chairmanship of the association; Brother F. G. Buckingham, of Emerald Hill, Melbourne, preached the association sermon this year with marked power and general appreciation; whilst Brother A. J. Clarke, of West Melbourne, is the chairman elect for next year. Several years ago Brother W. C. Bunning, of Geelong, was similarly honored.
“Whilst we mourn that we have not to record greater and grander
successes achieved for our Divine Master, we yet feel there is great cause for adoring gratitude that sustaining grace and much blessing have been given. Many souls have been won for Jesus, the churches have been built up in the faith, and church-building debts wholly or partially liquidated this year.
“Suffer us to repeat our assurances to you, beloved President, of our desire to be faithful to the truth we learned from you and our Tutors; to be
instruments our Lord cart use because he finds us lowly and purified; and that distance may never weaken our affection for you and yours, or for the Institution which God has so honored at home and abroad.
“Through you, dear sir, we greet the goodly fellowship of our brothers in the ministry, and those who are now studying in College. May we all live so near to hint who is the life and light as to draw from him power to do and suffer faithfully even unto the end.”In token of loving salutation to
you, and of holy pledge of fealty to our Redeemer-King, we sign our names.
“Farewell. May all grace be yours, for soul and body, through the Son of God. Amen.
“WM. CHRISTR. BUNNING, Geelong.
“WILLIAM CLARK, Ballarat.
“ALFRED J. CLARKE, West Melbourne.
“F. G. BUCKINGHAM, Emerald Hill.
“FREDERICK PAGE, South Yarra.
“JAMES BLAIKIE, Kew.
“ALEX. J. HAMILTON, Eaglehawk.
“JOHN DOWNING, Melbourne.
“HARRY WOOD, Melbourne.”