The Litchfield County Post

LETTER FROM SYRIA.

Extract of a Letter from the American Missionaries in Syria, to the Society of Inquiry in the Auburn Theological Seminary, dated BEYROOT, JUNE 16, 1826.

With the Armenians, an interesting and intelligent race, it is now an important crisis. Just beginning to awake from the slumber of ages, and to break away from the customs of their fathers, they are in a state to receive a powerful and desirable impression from the example and instruction of able and elevated Missionaries. They universally speak the Turkish language, and read it with the Armenian character. "One of us is devoted to the attainment of this language; while the other attends exclusively to the Arabic, which is spoken by Christians of the Greek, Greek Catholic, and Maronite rites; by Mussulmen also, and to a considerable extent by Jews. Christians of the Greek faith, though superstitious, are yet friendly, receive the Scriptures, and do not object to the establishment of schools among them. The Maronites are the most hostile to our objects, and avoid, as much as possible, all intercourse with us; and yet all our public controversies have been with them; and the first fruit of the American Mission in Syria is a Maronite. Should either of us be removed by death, (and the evidence of God, as well as his word, has taught us that our life is but a vapour,) the great and good work in this department would be almost entirely suspended, till a reinforcement should arrive from America, and become prepared, by much study and experience, to commence the work anew. Mr. Temple is also entirely alone at Malta, nearly a thousand miles from us; and in case of his removal, that mighty engine, the press, which he superintends with great ability, in Italian and modern Greek, and which has already put in circulation ten thousands of Religious Tracts, must lie unemployed, till a person should be sent forth, and become (of course after the lapse of considerable time,) prepared to put it again in operation. Since the departure of Mr. King, and the death of our beloved brother Fisk, we have found it impracticable to occupy even the important post at Jerusalem as a missionary station. We look to the American church for help. We look to her Theological Seminaries. We look to you. Yes, dear brethren, we look to you. Sad indeed shall we be, if Auburn send not forth her Warrens, and her Newells, and her Fisks; if a high tone of missionary feeling be not identified with her earliest existence, and missionary subjects be not inscribed on her earliest records, and her name do not become associated with the moral purification of millions in the four quarters of the globe. Brethren, the danger is not that you will imbibe too much of the spirit of missions, or of Christian enterprise; nor that you will impress too much of a missionary character upon your infant Seminary; nor that you yourselves will burn with too intense a desire to break forth on the right hand and on the left. Let the subject, then, be examined prayerfully and thoroughly, with special reference to your own duty; and let the question be asked, as a favor, Why may I not mount up as on eagle's wings, and be privileged as an angel of God, to fly swiftly through the midst of Heaven, "having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell upon the earth--to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people?" The last command of our Saviour is binding on you at Auburn; and we beseech you by the mercies of Him who hath counted you worthy, putting you into the ministry, that you act as you would act were you really to hear the voice of Him "who was dead and is alive again," saying, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." Go, "bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth."

Western Recorder.

* Since this letter was written, the Rev. Messrs. Gridley and Brewer have left this country for the Palestine Mission; and Rev. Eli Smith, and Mr. Homan Hallock, printer for Malta.