Part 2 (1/2)
The American society soon received aid within its own boundaries, which was a far better beginning than to be dependent upon outside resources Mrs Mary Norris, the wife of one of the founders of Andover Seminary, bequeathed thirty thousand dollars to the Board
God's Spirit generally revived the churches, opening the eyes and hearts of His people, their purses as well, though not many of the latter ell filled in those days
God only has a full record of the anxious courage and faith which was exercised by the supporters, gling years Under the care of this board Mills and his friends placed themselves, and by it most of them were sent out in the year 1812
CHAPTER VI
AN APOSTOLIC JOURNEY IN THE UNITED STATES
From the first throb of his Christian life, the heart of Mills beat like a soldier's He called out the recruits, captained the forces, and died in service--a hero! In his student days he had a co influence upon his classeneralshi+p in his faculty of organizing The establishely consequent upon his suggestions; in the formation of the American Board he was one of the foremost personal instruments
Studies finished, his heart firling clai their help-beckoning fingers, was persuading hi glance He saw occasion for vast concern, and here was his first response To go first, opening the way for others through the tangled wilderness, was his design, his e worked the good of ho chosen a coraduation in 1812, he went to view a goodly land, which he desired to have the people of God go up and possess This tour was undertaken under the patronage of the Connecticut and Massachusetts Home Missionary Societies Heretofore these societies had prayed and wept over young missionaries sent to the uncivilized wilds of Western New York! The plan of Mills and Scher between the great lakes and the Gulf of Mexico, to learn the ood they ion, as published in Morse's school atlas of 1823, is curiously different from the maps of the present day The state and territorial lines have been altered, those green, pink, and yellow blanks have become densely freckled and wrinkled, by the dots of cities and towns, and by the complicated tracery of railroads
These travelers did not telegraph their intended arrival, nor sleep and dine their way to their journey's end, on the ”Flyer,” and then rest in so with thee all that was necessary for the trip,--tent, provisions, clothing and Bibles They plodded through miry swaes, and cut their way through canebrakes with a hatchet When they had creeks to cross they swaht they camped, often in the rain and sometimes without food More than once they were serenaded by Indian hoops and the howling wolves Stopping at town or settlement they were made cordially at hoht prospects, the gerht to stay and preach the gospel permanently
They found everywhere the Sabbath profaned, only a few good people in any one place, and Bibles rare possessions In so for the Gospel In all the leading towns they formed Bible societies, and everywhere preached and distributed Bibles, which were gladly received
From Nashville they went down the cumberland and Mississippi with General Jackson and fifteen hundred volunteers In New Orleans they gained the consent of Bishop DeBury to distribute the Scriptures in French to the French Romanists, who made up three-fourths of the population of the state They found no Protestant church in the city
They here organized a Bible society, and res
CHAPTER VII
MILLS' SECOND TOUR
In the year 1814 Mr Mills having obtained the assistance of so chosen as companion the Rev
Daniel Sh the South and West
They went laden with Bibles and the prayers of Christian friends
They went through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri
In all these states they found the people ”exceedingly destitute of religious privileges,” and a ”lamentable want of Bibles and missionaries” They found ”American families who never saw a Bible, or heard of Jesus Christ” There was only one minister to ten thousand people if equally placed; but there were districts containing from twenty to fifty thousand ”without a preacher” These ers to this ”valley of the shadow of death,” as Mills called it They found English soldiers, French Roreedy for the bread of life
They traveled h a variety of climates; they endured ”perils in the city, perils of the wilderness, perils on the rivers and on the sea,” that they ht cast that bread upon the waters which you and I are finding after many days
Mills arrived for the second time in New Orleans, soon after the celebrated battle of January 8, 1815, and cheeredHe visited the soldiers in prison, the sick and wounded in the hospitals; kneeling on the bare floor where they lay, he prayed and talked with theave theiven him a quantity of French Bibles The people were claed the distributor's door, and reiven that noday They careat distances In one week a thousand copies were given away In one instance a Romish priest assisted in this work