ing of a day of grace and mercy, the sun of which has never set, however dark the clouds which at times have obscured it. Four of these brethren were soon cut off, or broke down in health in the midst of their labours. Yet still the work went on. Missionary stations were established, missionary chapels were erected, missionary churches were organised, and multitudes were added to the Lord. Among the most important were East Queen Street and Hanover Street, Kingston; Spanish Town, Falmouth, Montego Bay, and Savannah la Mar. In the month of June, 1827, the missionaries met in Kingston, and gave an account of the work of God at the different stations. There were eight churches in the island, numbering 5,246 members. This was the fruit of twelve years of patient toil. The clear increase during the previous six months had been 721. The news of these triumphs of the Cross created the deepest interest in Britain, and still larger reinforcements were sent out to carry forward the work. Our next view will show us CHRISTIANITY AND SLAVERY IN CONFLICT. The pro-slavery party in the island was now mustering its forces; and, as Christianity and slavery came face to face, the antagonism became more and more apparent. Our missionary brethren, strongly as they reprobated the wicked system, were enabled to restrain their indignation. Conscious of their helplessness to change the condition of things, they dared not by word or deed give utterance to the sentiments which were stirring in their breasts. This self-restraint became more imperative as the numbers of their people increased, and their association with the slave population became more close and intimate. It could not, however, be concealed that they were the haters of slavery, and the friends of the slave. They were, therefore, feared and detested by the oppressor. The persecuting spirit ere long showed itself in overt acts and organised schemes. For a time the wrath was kept in check; but it soon vented itself on their helpless flocks; and terrible tales of suffering have been handed down to us. Between 1827 and 1832, thirteen brethren were added to the mission band; and when the missionaries at Falmouth met to review the labours of the previous year, the clear increase to the churches was nearly 2,000, bringing the total membership up to 10,838. But a time of trial was at hand, and the work was literally to be tested "so as by fire." The agitation in Great Britain for the abolition of slavery caused the planters to fear that the system was doomed ; and they were eager to embrace any and every pretext to avert its overthrow. Unhappily occasion was given by an insurrection of the slave population, which broke out in the very district in which missionary labour had been most successful. It is not perhaps surprising that the first thought of the planters was that missionaries were the authors of the rebellion, while in fact they were the last to hear of the intended rising. It was not till the night before a meeting, held to open a newly erected chapel at Salter's Hill, that it came to their knowledge; and at that meeting, and the public services following, their pastors expostulated with the people, deprecating their intentions in the strongest terms, and exposing the delusion they were under, to the effect that "free papers" from the Queen, giving them their liberty, were being withheld from them by their masters; and exhorting them to return quietly to their work. But it was too late. The majority received the remonstrance with sullenness. The spirit of insubordination was deeply rooted. Fires in the interior were already kindled. arms. Estate houses were in flames. were being burned to the ground. presented a scene of desolation and ruin. Slaves on every side were up in Teash-houses * and cane-mills And far and near the country And now the pro-slavery spirit sought to avenge itself on the missionaries, notwithstanding that they had done all in their power to suppress the rebellious spirit of the slave population. Every effort was made to implicate them. Life was promised to condemned rebels on the scaffold if they would bear testimony against them. But not a tittle of evidence could be obtained. On the contrary, they universally declared that their ministers were free from. blame, and that, if they had followed their advice, there would have been no rebellion. Yet their pastors were insulted, arrested, imprisoned, and threatened with death. Knibb and others were dragged before the tribunals and tried as criminals, but only to be fully and honourably acquitted. Mr. Burchell, threatened with assassination, had to escape for his life, and flee to America. But the spirit of pro-slavery revenge was not appeased. The notorious Church Union was formed, with the avowed object of destroying the chapels, and driving the missionaries from the island. No fewer than twelve of the largest mission chapels, besides mission * Houses in which the refuse of the canes was stored-a most inflammable material. houses, were levelled with the ground. The value of the property thus barbarously pulled or burnt down amounted to £23,000 currency, or £14,000 sterling. During these disturbances memorials were addressed to the Governor without avail. Prayer, to the persecuted missionary, was his tower of strength. And, nothing daunted, it was eventually resolved that Mr. Knibb should proceed to England, to unite with Mr. Burchell in laying the whole case before the Christian public of Great Britain. Accordingly, he and his family sailed from Kingston on Thursday, April 26th, 1833, to inaugurate a new social era in Jamaica, and in the Jamaica Mission, through the wondrous grace and overruling providence of God. THE BATTLE OF FREEDOM had now to be fought in the mother country. The three men, who were evidently set apart by God for this service, were James Mursell Phillippo, Thomas Burchell, and William Knibb. The first campaign in this HOLY WAR, on the part of the Christian missionary, was opened in Spa Fields Chapel, London, at the annual meeting of the Baptist Missionary Society. Mr. Burchell had not reached the metropolis, but Mr. Phillippo and Mr. Knibb were both present. To Mr. Phillippo was assigned the duty of setting forth the missionary aspect of the work. His beautiful and impressive address was a suitable prelude to the thrilling statements, and scathing denunciations, and burning indignation of the succeeding speaker, WILLIAM KNIBB. Having given a harrowing description of slavery, as he himself had come personally in contact with it, he addressed the most impassioned appeals to the crowded audience. In closing he said, "God is the avenger of the oppressed, and the African shall not always be forgotten. I plead on behalf of the widows and orphans of those whose blood has been shed. I plead that the constancy of the negro may be rewarded. I plead in behalf of my brethren in Jamaica, whose hopes are fixed on this meeting. I plead in behalf of their wives and their little ones. I call upon children by the cries of the infant slave, whom I saw flogged on the Macclesfield Estate in Westmoreland. I call upon mothers, by the tender sympathy of their nature. I call upon parents by the blood-stained back of Catherine Williams, who, with a heroism which England has seldom known, preferred a dungeon to the surrender of her honour. I call upon Christians by the lacerated back of William Black of King's Valley, whose back, a |