behalf; and that "whoso is wise, and will
observe these things, even they shall understand the loving-kindness
of the Lord." In the work of missions, "God is our refuge and
strength, a very present help in trouble." The history before us
often presents cases, in which there is no more reason to doubt the
divine agency, than the human; and no intelligent missionary would
labor hopefully and cheerfully, after becoming a disbeliever in a
particular providence.

Nearly all the early laborers in the fields here presented, have
finished their work on earth. Parsons and Fisk were the only ones,
with whom the writer had not a personal acquaintance. Of not a few
others,--and of some who, like himself, still linger here,--he has
many pleasant personal recollections that sweeten anticipations of
the heavenly world. He is thankful in being allowed to commemorate
their labors and virtues, and only regrets the want of space and
ability to do it better. His constant endeavor has been to present
the missions to the reader as their imprint is left on his own mind.
More biographical notices would have been gladly inserted, had there
been room. The details of persecution are sufficient to furnish
glimpses of the severe ordeal, through which it has pleased the Head
of the Church to bring the infant churches of those fields.

The Syria and Nestorian missions passed under the direction of the
Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions in the year 1870, and our
history of them closes at that time. Up to that date, the
Congregational and New School Presbyterian Churches (the Old School
Presbyterians also up to the year 1837, and the Reformed Dutch
Church for many years) sustained an equal relation to all these
missions. The mission to the Jews in Turkey was relinquished in
1856, out of regard to Scotch and English brethren, who had
undertaken to cultivate that field. The communities in Turkey among
whom our missionaries now labor, are the Armenians, Greeks,
Bulgarians, Mohammedans, and the Arabic-speaking Christians of
Eastern Turkey.

The Board has ever acted on the belief, that its labors should not
be restricted to pagan nations.1 The word "heathen" in the preamble
of its charter, is descriptive and not restrictive. It is not in the
Constitution of the Board, which was adopted at its first meeting
only a few weeks after its organization. The second article of the
Constitution declares it to be the object of the Board, "to devise,
adopt, an