indeed. The law of kindness was ever on his lips, and not on his lips only, but he continually exhibited in his life the characteristics of a true follower of the Lamb. He was instant in season, and loved to quote the Scriptures, but never did he quote them with more ease and frequency than they emanated from him in his last afflicted days; his every word was submission and resignation to the will and providence of that God he so ardently loved. I visited his widow's abode yesterday, it was an affecting scene to see her and her children running and crying round me calling (but alas in vain) to the father that I was come, but when these emotions subsided, they told me many of his expressions: he frequently made friendly mention of your name and Captain D. and a Mrs. S. in Limerick. He was perpetually repeating by way of soliloquy scriptural phrases. STEPHEN RYAN. From the Rev. W. Thomas to the Secretaries. Limerick, Jan. 19, 1829. people never heard of the Scriptures. Until the Society sent me among them, they were as destitute as the idolatrous nations, The priest spoke greatly against N. but, surprizing as it may appear, some of the people got up in the chapel and contradicted him, saying, that N. was not the man which he represented him to be. I trust this work will not be let fall to the ground for want of support. Those who can aid the cause, and do not, will have to give an account to God, for it is the cause of God and truth, and of perishing sinners. Poor N. has no pay for his night school, and has consumed about 10lbs. of candles at his own expence, in about a month, teaching the people. I have just come from a long journey. I preached and expounded the Scriptures in a number of places in the counties of Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, and King's County. In some places I had a number of Roman Catholics, who were very attentive to the word. The school at Parson's Town wants furniture very much; in fact, a larger place; as the W. THOMAS. Limerick, Feb. 18th, 1829. MY DEAR SIRS, I FORWARD to you the Irish Readers' journals as usual, with two or three exceptions, which have not yet come to hand. Thomas Bush's I could not expect, as he is very ill; and I fear, if the Lord has not interposed, by this he is in the other world. If it be the divine will to remove him, the Society will sustain a great loss in the death of their pious and devoted servant; the Lord has From the Rev. W. Thomas to the Secretaries. prepared him for himself. I often heard him express his gratitude to the Society for a preached Gospel. Since the Lord has called him by his grace out of popery and nature's darkness, he has adorned and proclaimed the Gospel of his God and Saviour with earnestness and zeal. He often dwelt with pleasure on the words from which he heard me preach the sermon that the Holy Spirit made the power of God to his salvation, Rom. iii. 24, 25, 26. “ Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,' &c. Mr. S. keeps A. Thynne so busy, that I was informed he had not time to write his journal for the past month. He is greatly pleased with him. I send you a journal from John N. the Society's schoolmaster and reader at K. in the west; it is full of labour, but it only gives a glance of his work, his exertions, and the attention of the people to hear the Irish Scriptures, and bis pious remarks on them as he reads is unprecedented. Besides his day school and Sabbath reading, he has an adult night school, where numbers hear, and are taught to read the Irish Scriptures. What a blessing in that distant and remote place, where the MY DEAR SIRS, IMMEDIATELY after seuding off my monthly letters to you with the Reader's Journals, I went to Ballycar about sixteen miles from Limerick in the county of Clare, where I preached six or seven times to chiefly reformed Roman Catholics. I returned on the 30th of January to Limerick, and next day, 31st, went off to Cloughjordan. Lord's day, 1st, I preached there and administered the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, and expounded the Scriptures in the evening at Claremount, about five miles from Cloughjordan, the latter thirty-five from Limerick. Having a severe cold, I was requested to stop next day and lectured in the evening. On the 4th, I went to Nenagh. On the 5th, I went to Bindhill, inspected the school, which gave me great satisfaction, and preached in the evening to a considerable congregation; next day I arrived in Limerick. On the 8th, had a meeting in my own house, and visited some sick persons. On the 9th, went off to see Thomas Bushe, who I heard was on the point of death, and to see the schools in that direction and preach. As I went on, I was informed that the Society's Itinerant reader, Thomas Bushe, was buried the day before. He was an eminent servant of God, in him the Baptist Irish Society has lost one of its most distinguished ornaments, and in truth, a zealous, patient, and devotional advocate; with burning zeal he was eminently pious and patient; he bore the contradiction of sinners against himself, with great meekness, so that some who came to try and taunt him, were astonished at his patience, and called him Job. I greatly lament his loss, while I have reason to rejoice, particularly as he was converted under my ministry, that he continued faithful unto death and received the crown of life. In his conversion and salvation there is abundant encouragement and recompence to the Society for all their exertions; but this is only a small portion of the fruit of their work of faith and labour of love, which the divine spirit has been pleased to bless and acknowledge. On the 11th Feb. I went to Moynoe to see his poor widow and six helpless children. I stopped about three hours with them, it was a time of great feeling. I did every thing I could to instruct and comfort them, and prayed with them and for them. Their loss is irreparable. In every respect the widow lost the best of husbands, and the children the most affectionate of fathers. He was esteemed and respected by those who knew how to estimate his worth. He died on the 7th, and was buried on the 9th of February. He served the society with out a blot on his character for about seven years. The Rev. John Franks liked him greatly when he saw him here last October, as a man of piety and worth, and mighty in the Scriptures. As I passed through Scariff, I was hooted and shouted at, and called many names. After leaving the afflicted family, I went on to Mount Shannon in the county Galway. I inspected the Mary's philanthropic school there, with which I was greatly pleased; and in the evening at Clonola near Mount Shannon, I preached our departed friend's funeral sermon, to a crowded and greatly affected congregation, from Matt. xxiv. 44. "Be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the son of man cometh." On the 12th, I inspected the Clonola School, and returned as far as Tomgrany. On my way, I came to the grave of our friend Bushe, but he could not speak to me, he could not lift up his countenance with brightness as he did whenever he saw me come to the country. But now he beholds his Saviour's face in glory, who redeemed him with his precious blood, and elothed him with his righteousness, and he is now before the throne of God, in whose presence there is fulness of joy, and at his right hand pleasures for evermore. As I returned to Tomgrany, I was again hissed and shouted at, and again next day on the way to Killaloe. On the 13th, I had a long walk over the Ogonelly hills, inspected the Rabena and Anghnish schools, which are doing very well. I found 86 scholars in the latter, 25 of whom were in the Testament class, and read very well, and committed a great deal to memory; this is called the Seven Oaks school. In the evening I got to Killaloe, and next morning took the packet to Limerick. I hope my kind friends will remember me at a throne of grace. Believe me to be, my dear Sirs, Yours in truth and affection, Subscriptions and Donations in aid of this Society will be thankfully received at the Baptist Missionary House, No. 6, Fen Court, Fenchurch Street, London: or by any of the Ministers and Friends whose names are inserted in the Cover of the Annual Report. BAPTIST MISSION. FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. CALCUTTA. From the "Auxiliary Missionary Herald" published by our friendstigation, and in this way you will perceive at this station, we make the following miscellaneous extracts :— From the Journal of a Missionary resident in Calcutta. gold is salvation, without which we must be miserable for ever. The person or book which professes to direct us to heaven should be carefully examined before that direction is followed, lest we afterwards find our. selves awfully deceived. We do not wish you to embrace Christianity without examining its facts, precepts, and doctrines; but rather we recommend, we urge you to inveswhich is superior, Christianity or Hindooism. Bab. I know much of the history of Christ, that he was holy, merciful, and died for the redemption of sinners; but we cannot believe in him, for we have no power in our hearts. Miss. If you pray to God, he will dispose your mind to believe; for he bath "12th Feb.-At Bow Bazar Chapel, a promised to do so. In company with this Baboo, after listening a good while to my Baboo there were three others, all of whom preaching, addressed me in the following gave much attention: they frequently remanner. How can we, who have heard but peated, that Christ was a debta, against recently of the religion of Christ, forsake whom nothing could be alleged; that he the religion of our fathers, unless you pro-became incarnate in our country, and on duce convincing evidence of the truth of our account, but that in time he would be Christianity? If you can convince me, by worshipped by the Hindoos. fair reasoning, that you are right, and we are wrong, I will immediately embrace the Christian faith. Miss. What we proclaim and invite you to embrace, if you calmly examine, you will find very striking. None ever heard of any one beside Christ Jesus, who died, the just for the unjust, in order to deliver sinners from eternal misery. Bab. There will be no end to our arguments, if you continue to praise your religion, and mine why should I believe you, who are a stranger to me, and disbelieve what my spiritual teachers say, unless you give me something satisfactory? Miss. The merits of any system of religion must be ascertained by examination. Suppose you are in want of a piece of gold, and a friend of yours, a Brahmin, should offer you a piece for sale, would you not examine it, and ascertain its quality, before you made the bargain; and if, after examination, it should prove base, would you, to please your friend, buy that which was of no value? Bab. Of course, if I wished to purchase some gold, I should first examine it, whoever might offer it for sale. Miss. Infinitely more precious than Feb. 13th.-Wellington Square Chapel. While addressing the congregation, which amounted to about sixty persons, a young Massulman interrupted me by saying, You cannot say that we are ignorant of Jesus, for we know and believe in him. Miss. Do you believe that he died and arose again? Mussul. We do, for it is so recorded in the Koran. Miss. Do you believe him to be the last of all the prophets? Mussul. No, we believe that Mabomet is the last and greatest of all the prophets. Miss. How can you maintain that Mahomet is greater than Christ, who you have first confessed died and rose again; but Mahomet died, and rose not? To the last question he was unable to reply; upon which several of the hearers acknowledged by signs the force of the argument, and one boldly said that Christ was far superior to Mahomet. My interrogator feeling himself confuted, endeavoured to persuade the rest that he had not made the acknowledgment, but in vain; and some told him that the living were better than the dead. After speaking a short time longer, I dismissed my hearers. ON THE DEFECTS OF NATIVE CONVERTS. (From the Missionary Intelligence, published in Calcutta.) " "It has struck me in reading the Bishop of Meaux's work, that a writer equally able, equally unflinching, and, in particular, acting under the influence of a misguided Among the obstacles to the success of the conscience, would find little difficulty in gospel among the Heathen, the unworthy con- composing much such a book, drawn from duct of some who profess themselves con- the New Testament itself, and directed verts is one. The mind of the Missionary is against Christianity, as he has composed, often much cast down, on discovering that professedly from the writings of the rehis hopes respecting individuals prove delu- formers against the Reformation. The sive; and the opposers of the gospel in such 23d chapter of St. Matthew would be made cases are ready to cry out, "there, there to furnish specimens of the violent and unso would we have it." It is, however, well measured language in which the Founder known to all who enter into the particulars of the system indulged, even against chaof what is doing by Missionaries, that though racters the most venerable for rauk and some prove unfaithful, some also prove sin- station. The answers, "It is not meet to cere converts to Christianity, and that all take the children's bread and cast it to that objectors have said on the subject of dogs," and "Let the dead bury their dead : unsound conversions, is to be received with but go thou and preach the kingdom of God;" limitations. Any person who can enter into would be converted into proofs of insolence the Scripture idea of conversion, must and imperiousness: which, with the senknow, that even in the regenerate, "the in- tence, I am not come to send peace upon fection of nature doth remain ;" and that earth, but a sword:" "I am come to send every appearance of doubtful, or even of fire on the earth, and what will I if it be really evil import, is not to be set down as already kindled?" would be considered as a mark of a hypocrite or an apostate. "Af- avowals, that the Author of the doctrine ter we have received the Holy Ghost, we cared not what consequences followed from may depart from grace given, and fall into his attempts to establish it. The epistles sin, and by the grace of God we may arise to the Galatians and the Corinthians would again, and amend our lives." It is well be eminently serviceable to the composer of known to every reader of history, how at such a work. They would detect the same the time of the Reformation the Popish disagreements occurring among some prinparty endeavoured to discredit that great and cipal agents in the cause, as are objected good work, by dwelling exclusively on the to the Protestants; the same divisions and defects, real or imputed, of the leading men contentious among their converts, and abuses among the reformers. And that celebrated of sacred ordinances not less gross. Nay, work, entitled, The History of Varia- the foulest charge of all, that men became tions," by Bossuet, bishop of Meaux, in more immoral and vile after embracing the France, the most imposing production per- reformed doctrine than ever before, would haps of any which has appeared on the be- not be without its parallel, from the very half of the Romish church, rests almost words of an apostle: "Such fornication entirely on the candid confessions of their among you as is not so much as named own imperfections, or the imputed defects among the Gentiles." Yet who does not of the leading reformers. "The great in- see that all would be perversion and misternal counteraction which that book carries representation, and of no real weight? As with it, is to be found in its so much over- it would be in the one case, so is it in the doing;" and the same may be said of the other." stress that is laid by some modern opposers of missionary efforts, on the defects of converts. They overdo the argument. The fact of so many natives having even nominally embraced the faith of Christ, proves that some impression has been made by Missionaries. Among those who have given cause to doubt the sincerity of their conversion, all are not radically defective; whilst of those who in silence persevere in walking humbly with God, little or nothing is heard by the public. The following passage from Scott's continuation of Milner's Church History, on the History of Bossuet, seems well worth the attention of all who allow too much to the argument against missions, arising from the imperfections of either missionaries or converts:- MONGHYR. From Mr. Leslie to the Secretary, dated Monghyr, 8th July, 1828. The lapse of another quarter and upwards admonishes me to write. Alas! that nothing else should. But here I sit in mournful solitude, with little to keep up my spirits, and little that I can send to refresh yours. Were it not for the revelation that God has *Gal. ii, 11-16. given us concerning the ultimate conversion of the heathen, I should be ready to give up the ghost in despair. But the word of God abideth for ever; and on that word I do feel myself firmly depending. I have oue thing, however, to tell you, which is of an unusual nature here, and as far as I know is unprecedented, to the same extent, at any other station--a thing which I am willing to hope is an omen of good. You will recollect that I told you in my last, that I had erected a new meeting-house, and I think I gave you some account also of its opening, and of the crowd that attended. I expected the crowd that came, and I thought it probable that a similarly numerous company might attend for a few succeeding sabbaths; but I did not anticipate what has happened. The place has been well attended every Sabbath, and sometimes such numbers have come, that there was no room to allow them to enter. I think that if the meeting-house had been two or three times as large as It is, it would sometimes have been filled. The greater number of hearers have no doubt come from curiosity; but oftentimes extraordinary attention has been observed in their countenances while the gospel has been proclaimed. Since this meeting-house has been built, hundreds, yea, I can say with truth, thousands have heard the name of Christ. About a year ago, a faqueer, the heir to a very large property in land, came to Monghyr to attend the court on some law business. Through the providence of God he was brought into contact with some of our native Christians, from whom he heard the gospel and received gospels and tracts. After his legal business was settled he called on me, and certainly his appearance did not produce any very favourable impression on my mind. His body was rubbed over with dust, in the manner of faqueers, his hair was exceedingly long, and bound round his head in the manner of a turban, and in his hand was a string of large seeds, or the stones of some fruit, which he was counting over in precisely the same manner as the Roman Catholics do their strings of beads, and I believe for much the same purpose. I sat down and conversed with him, but did not discover in him any great disposition to enquire into Christianity. At length we parted with the usual ceremonies, and he returned to his house, which is about 60 miles off, carrying with him the gospels and tracts. These he read and dispersed among all his friends, and the consequence has been that be himself has thrown away his beads, washed the dust off his body, and though he has not * See our Number for Jaunary, p. 42. yet renounced his caste, he has declared himself a believer on Christ. A great clamour has been raised, and he is threatened with disinheritance, which I suppose will be his fate, if be takes the last step, that of fairly casting himself among us. Poor man, I greatly pity him! He is with us at present, and has been so for some time; and he frequently gives us much pleasure; but he is timorous, and I fear greatly for him. A few weeks ago he was, through some unintentional accident, thrown into confinement, which gave great triumph to his enemies and the enemies of Christianity. I wrote to the magistrate on his behalf, stating the real circumstances of the case, which I knew, and had the pleasure to receive a very respectful reply, with the instant liberation of the man. The triumph, therefore, of his enemies was but short. But on its becoming known throughout the whole town that he was liberated throagh my interference, the clamour became general that he had become a Christian, and almost day and night he is besieged by the Brahmins and rich natives, all poisoning his mind against Christianity. What will be the end of it I know not. Should he not, however, embrace Christianity, still there is one good result, Christianity has become much more extensively known. The disposition he has shewn to embrace it, has made it talked about, and enquired about by persons far and near. Aud who can tell what may be the result of this diffusion of knowledge in days to come? Let us hope and pray. The church continues peaceful, and I would hope generally prosperous. The schools also are going on as usual. As to myself, I am on the whole better in health, though very weak, and with no appetite. The hot season was very trying, but it is now past, and the rains have commenced, which have cooled us a little. For a succession of days and nights, I got nothing like continued sleep, but lay almost continually on the hard floor of my room, that being the coolest place; and several times I had to go out in the night, and seek relief by lying in the open air. Truly, I never understood till then, the comfort of the prospect held out to us of a land where the sun doth not light on them, nor any heat. The cholera morbus was raging in every direction, and cutting off its hundreds and thousands. Many Europeans also have fallen victims to its ravages, and some too of the most useful and pious of the land. God be merciful to this dark and benighted portion of the earth! |