Page images
PDF
EPUB

vernment, who made to the Society a prefent of all the corn which he had in the field at Graaff Reinet.

If it pleafe the Lord to make us fuccefsful in the execution of this laft plan, it will require confiderable expence, the reimbursement of which is very precarious and uncertain! we with, therefore, that the Directors will favour us with their inftructions, by which we may be regulated; chiefly in refpect to the fum of money which they may intend to devote to this work, and the general directions of it. As to the money, it is, I think, for the prefent, and without making an actual experiment, impoffible to eftimate the expence; I can only fuggeft two or three obfervations, which may give fome affiftance in forming a rough calculation:-A Hottentot family, which I fuppofe to confift of a man, woman, and five children, may live upon the milk of four cows, a fheep and a half, and forty-two pounds of bread every week. A cow is, at prefent, fold for eight or twelve rix-dollars; a sheep for two: most of the Hottentots have one or more cows, and a few fheep of their own. We day to a Hottentot for a day's work, one fhilling (two fhilangs Dutch) befides his victuals. The hut in which a Hottentot may live, cofts him nothing. Brick and mafon's work cost nothing, except the pay of the workmen, and a waggon, with oxen, to fetch the wood and clay, &c. to form and burn the bricks. Timber for building is enormoufly dear, unless we live near a wood, where timber may be cut freely; which is not the cafe near Graaff Reinet; and iron work is till dearer,

Satan ftruggles very hard to keep the Gofpel of Chrift from the Heathen; but his artifices and delufions are not unknown to us. I doubt not but he employs not only his own flaves in this work, but he perverts alfo the pious intentions of the children of God, and caufes them to affift him in executing his wicked defigns, making them, in the mean time, believe that they greatly ferve the caufe of God. O! that the London Directors may be kept upon their guard against thefe delufions! O! for a few faithful minifters like my dear Prother Read, who will devote themselves to go ftraight-way to the helplefs Heathen, and not give ear to the enchantment of thofe who may endeavour to diffuade their labours from thefe objects which call for our immediate help, under the fpecious pretext of labouring where fufficient means of inftruction and grace are already, by God's providence, provided,

Recommending my Brethren and myself in your earnest prayer, particularly that we may be kept immoveable against the machinations of the Devil, I am, with the fincereft refpect,

Dear Sir, and beloved brother in Christ,

your affectionate Brother and Servant,
J. F. VANDERKEMP.

Bota's Place, near Algoa Bay, March 19, 1802.

Much refpected and beloved Fathers and Brothers in Chrift.

S the Dragoon, who is to carry our letters from Fort Frederick to Graaff Reinet, is detained a day longer than we expected, I embrace this opportunity to add a few lines to the full account which our Brother Read has given you of our prefent circumftances :-It is uncertain if we fhall ftop in this place, as it feems of important ufe for Fort Frederick, on account of the timber, lime, and pasture which it affords: but it is probable that Government will either give it up for our establishment, or affign us another place in its vicinity. However that may be, we fhall endeavour to fix it in the neighbourhood of Algoa Bay (the fituation of which you may learn from Barrow's Map); and this will afford you an excellent opportunity of fending Miffionary Ships immediately to us, without touching at the Cape, either with articles for the intended Hottentot village, or with Miffionaries for the remoter parts of Africa, and Madagafcar; which island I hope continues ftill to be an object of your attention. In erecting this fettlement, you may be affured that we shall keep the pecuniary interefts of the foci. ety as much as poffible at heart. We have inculcated it upon our people, that all which is neceffary for their establishment and fubfiftence, ought to be the product of their own labour, except tools, and the iron-work neceffary for building, &c. I have taken the liberty to lay a confiderable portion of them upon the fhoulders of the Governor, encouraged by his Excellency's liberal and voluntary offerings; and I fhall annex the lift of them, in detail, to this Letter. Though we expect (if the Lord blefs us) that afterwards your Miffionaries, employed in this fettlement, may live upon the produce of their own induftry, the prefent circumflan

ces of Brother Read feem to require an annual pecuniary affiftance out of the Fund of your Society: he has only drawn, when at the Cape, 100 Rix-dollars (at four fhillings) upon your account; of these he has ftill fixty in hand; and I request you to determine in what manner this purpose may be beft answered. To authorife him to draw a certain fum, annually, upon the Cape Society, may, perhaps, be looked upon as the moft convenient. Brother Vander Lingen we have left at Graaff Reinet, with about fixty Hottentots, upon a fmall piece of ground, given, by the Commiffioner Maynier, to your Society (2,660 feet long, and 537 broad). Time only will difcover if it will be advise able to keep up this feparate establishment, or to incorporate it with our new Inftitution. For the prefent, we are entirely feparated; and Brother Vander Lingen, as we fuppofe, will himfelf write to you, refpecting the money required for his fubfiftence, and the expences of his Miffion. The Plan of our Inftitution, of which Mr. Read, in his Letter, fpeaks, I have fent you, in my Journals of the 31ft of January. It is evident that the Lord is carrying on a great work among the Hottentot nation; and we thank his name that it had pleafed him to make us, in fome degree his inftruments in the execution of it. The work is arduous, and the oppofition ftrong; but if the Lord be our help, the end will be glorious, and the reward exceeding great. I am, with the utmoft refpect and fraternal love,

Dear Brethren and Fathers in Christ,

Your affectionate Brother and
Servant in Chrift Jefus.

J. F. VANDERKEMP.

ON SERIOUSNESS.

WOW fhall we defcribe the nature of true seriousness? It is effentially different from gloom or melancholy; and yet, how often is it fo called, or rather miscalled, by the world! Many, especially young perfons, are in much danger, by the too current opinion of men in general, that an habitually ferious frame of mind is utterly incompatible with happiness. It is, indeed, incompatible with feeking all our felicity in the toys and trifles that furround us, and taking up our reft here; but it is by no means inconfiftent

with the true and rational enjoyment of the various gifts of God.

True ferioufnefs may be faid to confift in an habitual recollection of the importance and nearness of eternal objects, and a fenfe of our intereft in them; a regard to the omniprefence of God, as our constant obferver; a suitable impreffion of our fpiritual danger, arifing from various caufes; a fympathetic feeling for the mifery of others; and a prevailing defire to walk before the Lord in all "goodness, and "righteoufnefs, and truth." A fpirit of levity and trifling ftands directly opposed to all these. Perfons of this difpofition cannot take pleasure in the contemplation of eternal realities; their hopes, their joys, their purfuits, their defires, and their fears, are all bounded by time; "God is "not in all their thoughts;" they dread his omniprefence, and delight in none of his fublime perfections; yet, infenfible of their danger, they walk, careless and secure, on the brink of an awful precipice!

How frequently is ferioufnefs inculcated in the Scripture, under the terms watchfulness and sobriety; which latter term has doubtlefs a more extenfive meaning than mere temperance in meat and drink*. What is faid refpecting mirth, in Scripture, recommends ferioufnefst; "The heart of fools is in the house of mirth ;" but "It is better to go to the house of mourning than to the houfe of feafting." For what are all the various diversions and amusements, which are every where to be met with, but to counteract ferioufnefs and promote levity!-But the end of all fuch mirth is heavinefs.

Let none fuppofe we are speaking against real joy. "True joy," (faid a heathen) " is a very ferious thing." The ferioufnefs we would recommend, will promote and ftrengthen it and all other joy is vain, empty, and delufive.

"Can joy unbottom'd in reflection stand?
"And in a tempeft can reflection live?
"Can joy like this fecure itself an hour?
"Can joy like this meet accident unfhock'd ?

"Or ope the door to honeft poverty ?

"Or talk with threat'ning Death, and not turn pale ? "In fuch a world, and fuch a nature, these

"Are needful fundamentals of delight;

Thes. v. 6, 8.

Titus ii. 2, 4.

+ Prov. xiv. 13.

1 Pet. i. 13.—iv. 7.—v. 8. Jam. iv. 9, 10.-v. 5.

"Thefe fundamentals give delight indeed!
"Delight, pure, delicate, and durable ;-
"Delight unfhaken, mafculine, divine;
"A conftant, and a found, but serious joy."

YOUNG'S NIGHT THOUGHTS.

A period is fwiftly approaching when we must be serious. Sicknefs and death will come: And fhall we live the lefs comfortably by being prepared for their approach? Let the world deride us as melancholy, we have a joy which no man taketh from us; for if God giveth quietnefs, who can cause trouble?

"I have fomewhere read of one" (fays Mr. Henry) "that had been a great courtier and ftatefman in Queen Elizabeth's time, I think it was Secretary Walfingham: that in his advanced years he retired into privacy in the country, whither fome of his pleafant companions came to fee him, and told him he was melancholy. "No;" faid he, "I am serious; and it is fit I fhould be fo, for all are ferious round about us; and why then fhould not you and I be ferious? God is ferious in obferving of us-Chrift is ferious in interceding for us-the Holy Spirit is serious in ftriving with us. The truths of God are ferious truths ;his laws, his promifes, his threatenings, all ferious ;-angels are ferious in their adminiftration to us,-our fpiritual enemies ferious in their attempts against us,-glorified faints are ferious in the embraces of divine love,-poor damned finners cannot but be ferious under the pourings out of divine wrath; and we ourselves fhall be ferious fhortly."

This fubject comes recommended to us by the best examples. The wifeft and beft of men in all ages have been ferious characters. "Search and fee" in the Scriptures, if the holy men, whofe lives are there recorded, were not ferious. Yes; and our divine Mafter himself, was "a man of forrows;" and grief, was his acquaintance. He wept over Lazarus; and it was faid of him, "Many have seen him weep, but none ever faw him laugh." Let fuch examples influence us, and may it be our prayer,

« PreviousContinue »