Page:Annual report of the missionary to the Negroes of Liberty County, (Ga.).djvu/12

 the Sabbath, that meetings will be held during the week on such and such plantations. The negroes assemble in some convenient room prepared by the planter, and the exercises are precisely those of a common Lecture, with this difference, that the audience is catechised on the subject of discourse. In this, however, the Missionary is governed by the nature of the subject and the degree of attention. The Lectures on Thursday evening, at Walthourville, have been conducted in the same manner, with a diminution of tire catechetical exercise, and with the addition of teaching hymns and spiritual songs and tunes adapted; to which should be added, portions of scripture.

Meetings on the Sabbath.On the Sabbath I have two regular services, morning and afternoon, more or less catechetical. Also, teaching hymns, spiritual songs, and portions of scripture. After dismission in the afternoon, a meeting of inquiry is held, and all professedly under concern of mind, are personally conversed and prayed with. These inquiry meetings are indispensable, and of great utility.

A class of instruction for professors of Religion of all denominations, was formed, the last winter, at Newport, embracing male and female, over 400 members. The afternoon of the Sabbath was appropriated to this class. The men and women occupied different seats. I gave them familiar lectures on the doctrines and duties of Christianity. Such classes, well conducted, will be productive of great good; and I hope to form, at some future time, a regular course of instruction for them. The station at Newport, I resigned to Rev. S.S. Law, in the spring. His meetings have been very nearly every fortnight, well attended and interesting. I have established a class of instruction for children and youth at the station on Fraser's Plantation. It is deeply interesting, and varies in number from 25 to 50. I meet this class between morning and afternoon services, and my hope is to establish such a class at all the stations. Without pausing to lay before the Association my reasons, I will say, that such classes are, above all others, to be desired, and upon the rising generation of negroes, our hope of success mainly depends. The children and youth have been, to all appearance, much interested. I instruct them from a Catechism which I am attempting to prepare for them. I also instruct them from