Climate and health of the Settlers.In the early years of the colony want of good houses, the great fatigues and dangers of the settlers, the discouragements they met with, their ignorance of the proper mode of living, and of the best remedies, aided the other causes of sickness, and produced great mortality. But those times are past and forgotten. Their houses and circumstances are now comfortable; they are abundantly supplied with medical assistance, and for the last five years (as stated in the address of the colonists in 1827) not one person in forty, from the widdle and southern states, has died from change of climate. The effect is most severely felt by those from the northern states, or from mountainous parts of the middle states; but experience has proved that, with ordinary prudence, no danger is to be apprehended even by persons from those places, provided that they are sober, and have no radical defects of constitution. . As the country becomes more thickly settled and better cultiaated, it will, like all other new countries, become more healthy. From the past mortality or present sickliness no discouragement will be felt by those who have read an account of the early attempts to found colonies in this favored land. At a little distance from the sea the land becomes more elevated, and there is the best reason to believe that the causes of disease on the coast are unknown in the interior. On these highlands settlements will doubtless soon be established. Under date of the 28th of April, 1832, Dr. Mechlin writes, " Among the emigrants by the Volador, Criterion, Orion, James Perkins, Margare. Mercer, and Crawford, the number of deaths will not average quite four per cent.' For emigrants from the wide extent of our southern country the climate may be pronounced salubrious.

Settlements.-The colony contains about 2800 emigrants from the United States, nearly half of whom are from Virginia. The colonists are mostly in six towns or villages, viz. Monrovia, Stockton, or the Halfway Farms, Caldwell, Millsburg, New Georgia, and Finley, a new settlement at Grand Bassa.

Monrovia is the principal place for trade, situated on Cape Montserado, (lat. about 6, 15 north) and contains from 800 to 1000 inhabitants.

Caldwell is a pleasant agricultural settlement on the St. Paul's, river, distant nine miles from Monrovia, between which places there is at all times safe communication by boats through Stockton creek, which unites the Monserado and St. Paul's rivers.

Mills and Burgess (or, by contraction, Millsburg) is situated above Caldwell on the St. Paul's, about twenty miles from its mouth.

Stockton, or Halfway Farms, is on Stockton creek, equidistant from Monrovia and Caldwell.

New Georgia, about three miles southeast of Caldwell, is a very flourishing village of recaptured Africans, that is, of Africans who, while it was attempted to introduce them as slaves into the United States, were taken by our government and humanely restored to their native country. In number they are about 400, very industrious and enterprising, a number of them professors of religion, and all exceedingly anxious that schools should be established for their children.

Finley, at Grand Bassa, (distant eighty miles southeast from Mon

rovia,) is a recent settlement, formed by about forty families from Monrovia, at one of the most important points on the coast, and likely to exert a vast and extensive influence over the natives.

Grand Bassa is a very fertile and populous country, abounding in rice, palm oil, and fine cattle, and offering every inducement to the industry and enterprise of agriculturists.

Contemplated settlement at Grand Cape Mount.-Possession has also been obtained at Grand Cape Mount; a position eminently advantageous for trade, and from which the annual exports are now estimated at from $60,000 to $70,000. The territory here ceded to the Society is situated at a short distance from the sea, on the shore of a lake, about twenty miles in length, navigable for small vessels, and into which flow several rivers, affording important facilities for commerce with the interior. The chiefs of the country, who are thought to be more advanced in civilization than any others south of Sierra Leone, have granted an unquestionable title to this land, on the sole condition that settlers shall be placed upon it, and that schools shall be established for the benefit of native children. Some of these chiefs having obtained the rudiments of an English education in Liberia, expressed earnest desires that the benefits of instruction should be afforded to their countrymen, and the young men declared their purpose of submitting to the laws of the colony, and their willingness to make farther grants of land, to any extent desired, whenever the terms of the present negotiation shall have been fulfilled. The spot selected for a settlement is said to be healthy, and the soil capaple of producing almost every thing of value that grows within the tropics.

Contemplated settlement on St. Paul's River.-It is the intention of the colonial agent to examine, in conformity with the instructions of the board, the country above the fallls, on the St. Paul's River, which, from the best accounts, is more salubrious, and at least of equal fertility with any other in the vicinity of the colony. The managers propose, with the least possible delay, to found and multiply settlements on the highlands of the interior.

Exploring tour in the Grand Bassa country.-The colonial agent, in a letter dated Feb. 28, 1833, speaking of the Grand Bassa country, says: "With a view of opening the communication with the chiefs residing a few days' journey in the interior, I have furnished Mr. Weaver with an outfit of such articles as were suitable for presents, and directed him to ascend the St. John's river, either in canoes, or travel along its banks until he arrived at the country of a king who is said to be very powerful, and whose residence is about one hundred and fifty miles distant from the settlement. Bob Gray, one of the Grand Bassa chiefs, has promised to furnish him with guides, and use every means in his power to facilitate his progress through the country. Should he succeed in his mission, which I have every reason to believe will be the case, we will open to ourselves a country represented as fertile in the highest degree, and abounding in the most valuable African productions. From what I can learn, I am of the opinion that we will have less difficulty in penetrating into the interior from this point than any other we could select-it therefore would be the most eligible for missionary operations."

Population. The number of the colonists a few months since was a little rising of 2,800; and although the manner in which this number is distributed among the different settlements is not accurately known, it probably does not vary materially from the following, viz. Monrovia 1000; Caldwell 600; Millsburg 400; New Georgia 400; Stockton 200; Finley 200.

Commerce. The colonists are actively engaged in trade, disposing of goods supplied by this country and England, for dye woods, ivory, hides, gold, palm oil, and rice, which they purchase by barter from the natives. The net profits on the two articles of wood and ivory, passing through the hands of the settlers, from January 1st, 1826, to June 15, 1826, was $30,786. In 1829 the exports of African products amounted to $60,000. In 1831, forty-six vessels, twenty-one of which were American, visited the colony in the course of the year, and the amount of exports was $88,911.

During the year 1832 commerce greatly advanced, and new avenues for communication and trade were opened with the interior. Caravans from a considerable distance visited the colony, and the people of the Dey country agreed to permit traders to pass without delay or molestation through their territories to the colonial settlements. They had been in the habit of obstructing the trade, by compelling the remote natives to employ them as their commercial agents, and thus monopolizing the productions of the country, and raising their price in the market. By a treaty with the Dey chiefs, the whole channel of trade with the remote tribes is now left clear, which must increase greatly both its measure and value. During the year, ending the first of May, 1832, fifty-nine vessels had visited the port of Monrovia, of which thirty-two were American, twenty-five English, and two French. The exports during the same period, (consisting chiefly of camwood, ivory, palm oil, tortoise shell, and gold,) amounted to $125,549 16; of imports, to $80,000-and the merchandize and produce on hand on the first of January, 1832, to $47,400. The colony is becoming known to tribes far distant from the coast, and Mandingo traders and others have visited it from the borders of Foota Jallo.

Education.-The great interests of education have been earnestly considered by the board and the colonial agent. There are six day schools, for children, and one evening school for adults, comprising altogether two hundred and twenty-six pupils. The two female schools (one at Monrovia and the other at Caldwell,) are attended by ninety-nine girls, and the salaries of their respectable and well-qualified teachers are defrayed by a society of benevolent ladies in Philadephia. Inadequacy of funds alone has prevented the establishment of schools among the recaptured Africans, who are importunate for means of education; but the board in their last report state that this deficiency has been supplied by the charity of the ladies just mentioned, and that under their patronage, a teacher for the recaptured Africans, of competent ability and excellent character, has sailed for Liberia. Many of these people can now read, and a Sunday school (of which there are several in the colony) has been established among them; some of their own number acting as teachers. Some regulations have been adopted, which it is thought will render the colonial revenue sufficient for the support of a general system of common school education.

A foundation for a high, school or seminary to prepare youth not only to become able teachers of the most useful branches of knowledge, but to fulfil successfully their duties as public officers or ministers of religion, has been laid by a munificent donation of $2,000 from Henry Shelden, Esq., of New-York, and of four hundred dollars from another distinguished friend of the Society, to be invested as a Dermanent fund for the support of such an institution, and it is hoped that one may soon be established on a broad and lasting foundation To this object the managers invite contributions, and express their anxious desire that the fund set apart for it may be sufficiently increased to secure the permanent prosperity of the seminary.

Moral state of the colony.-Open immoralities are rare; the Sabbath is strictly observed, and public worship attended by nearly the whole community with regularity and decorum. Three churches were erected during the year 1832; one at Monrovia, and two others in the villages of the recaptured Africans. The state of these recaptured Africans is most interesting. They manifest an earnest desire for knowledge, and especially for religious knowledge. Some of them have already professed Christianity, and they are represented to be, as a people, contented, and independent, and rapidly improving in intelligence and respectability.

Various pamphlets and tracts lately introduced in regard to temperance, have wrought a striking change in the minds of the colonists, and many seem disposed to abandon entirely the use of ardent spirits. The colonial agent has given it as his opinion, that this article is extremely pernicious in the African climate; and will discourage by all the means in his power, the consumption of it within the colony.'

CRITICAL EXAMINATION

Of those texts in the New Testament rendered before,' 'from,' and since, the foundation of the world.'

For the Methodist Magazine and Quarterly Review.

To come at a satisfactory answer as to the meaning of such passages, in the New Testament, where they evidently refer to the salvation of men, it may be necessary first to inquire whether they allude to the same period of time, either before or after this material world was actually created.

1. That they do refer to one and the same period of time is evident from the similarity in the language; in each passage the mind is carried back TO THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD; and though in one place it is said before, and in others from, and since the foundation of the world, there can be no dispute but that they refer to one and the same time.

2. This will appear still more evident if we consider that in all these passages reference is made to one and the same thing; that is, the salvation of men, through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of God.

3. The words before, from, and since, as they are used in the pas sages referred to above, do not militate against this supposition. This, however, will appear, perhaps, more fully in the sequel.

We may now inquire whether these texts of Scripture do refer to a definable period in the duration of time; and if so, to what period they do refer, and what was the design of Jesus Christ and the sacred & writers in the use of such language.

1. These texts do refer to a definite period in the duration of time. Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; Matt. xxv, 34. In this text we are told what was done; a kingdom was prepared, made ready, and the text declares when it was done; it was done at the very time when the world was first created. And again, According as he hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world; Eph. i, 14. Here also the apostle tells us what God has done, He has purposed, according to the good pleasure of his will, to give Jesus Christ a sacrifice for the sins of the world; this God did before, as long ago as the world was founded. This is that purpose of which the same apostle speaks in Heb. vi, 17, where he calls it God's immutable counsel, and declares that God confirmed it by an oath, that we might have strong consolation who embrace the Savior, so long before promised for the salvation of the world. There was a time, then, when this purpose was first formed, because if it never was formed, it does not and never did exist. But it may be objected to the above, that the purpose or counsel of God, mentioned in Eph. i, 4, never was formed, but exists without beginning. To this I answer, 1. If this purpose to give Jesus Christ for the salvation of the world, NEVER had a beginning, it does not exist now, as any one must see; for nothing exists now which never had a beginning, but the infinite God. It is true, this purpose is called eternal, that is, immutable—is never to be changed or altered for another. But, secondly, the passages of Scripture now under consideration declare expressly that there was a time when this purpose was formed, a time when God's promise was made; and it is every where referred to the foundation of the world. Now to say that a thing actually without any beginning took place at such or such a time, before, from, or SINCE the foundation of the world, is to use language directly calculated to lead the mind astray from the real fact in the case.

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It is the object of all language,' says Professor TITTMANN, 'not only to excite the same thought in the mind of others, but also so to excite the same thought, that it may be conceived, and, as it were, felt in the same manner. But when we read of something kept secret from the foundation of the world-of blood shed from the foundation of the world-of works finished from the foundation of the world-of sufferings since the foundation of the world—of a call to salvation, according to a purpose formed before the foundation of the world-and of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world-when we read such language, does it excite in the mind an idea of something which, in fact, really NEVER had any beginning? Is such language calculated to excite such a thought? Nay, is it not rather directly calculated to give us an idea of something directly the reverse, of something which had a beginning?