ten been asked in this vicinity during the last
six months, Who is putting up that large building called the 'Saratoga
Street African Baptist Chapel?' 'What are they putting it up for?'--'Who
will own it, when finished?' 'How much will it cost? and who will pay
for it?'"

These questions have often been answered, but it seems proper, and
indeed necessary, at this time to answer them plainly and clearly, for
the information of this large assembly.

First, then, I reply: This entire building has been reared under my
directions, in the name of the Saratoga street African Baptist Church.

This Church was organized with only four members, six years ago, with
brother Noah Davis, a missionary of the Md. Baptist Union Association,
as its pastor, who has labored most faithfully in his work. But,
although colored churches of the Baptist denomination in all of our
Southern and Western cities count their members by thousands, this
church has now only thirty members--but our hope and prayer is, that
established here in the centre of a population of full thirty thousand
colored people, God may bless the humble devoted efforts of His people,
and increase their numbers a hundred fold. Four years ago, the 1st of
January, we commenced a Sunday school in Courtland street,--where this
church has always held its regular meetings, which notwithstanding its
many discouragements--mostly from a want of devoted self-denying
teachers--has been unremittingly kept up morning and afternoon, till the
present time, with an attendance varying from thirty to over one hundred
scholars; and we feel assured that the hundreds of Bibles and
Testaments, tracts, &c., with the Sunday school instructions, and the
preaching of brother Davis will have laid the foundation for a lasting
blessing to his people. This little church and Sunday school have met
to-day for the first time in this building, and in the language of the
Psalmist David, probably on an occasion like this, we would exclaim,
"Send now, we beseech thee, O Lord--O Lord, we beseech thee, send now
prosperity!"--(Ps. 118: 25.)

But what are the objects for which this house has been built? I answer,
the first object was, to furnish such a room as this, for the use of
this church, where the gospel might be preached and its ordinances
administered, and where Sunday schools and religious associations might
be properly accommodated. The second was, to furnish rooms in the next
story, for a male high scho