upon earth in a bodily shape, could hardly have been more industrious in tempting to infidelity and profligacy, than I was.

You have kindly sketched me out abundance of employment. I need not now complain for want of subjects, if I had but ability and leisure to fill up your plans. But if you were here a few days, a better knowledge of me and of my situation, would convince you, how unable I am to answer your desires. Judge by this one instance: I have longed to thank you for your last letter from the day I received it, and yet almost five months have elapsed before I could set about it. Do not imagine hy this, that my time is incessantly taken up with business of real importance. I hope I am not quite idle. But, alas! as I grow in years, an indolence grows upon me; I cannot do as I would, nor even as I once could.

The letters I have thoughts of publishing, will be real correspondence; letters of friendship; returned to me by friends for that purpose: some of them written more than twenty years ago. I believe there will be two volumes of them. I suppose they will contain the substance of the little the Lord has taught me upon a variety of subjects, but very few points in detail; as not one of them was penned with the most distant view to publication.

I have likewise upwards of three hundred hymns*, which I purpose to prepare for the press, in the course of the winter, if the Lord spares me so long, and favours me with health. If I live to see these two designs completed, I believe I shall try to retrench my pen, and apply myself more closely to the word of God and prayer. For I have more reason than Mr. Hervey, to be ashamed, that I have writ

* These hymns have been since published under the title of Olney Hymns; and the letters above mentioned, under the title of Cardiphonia.

ten so much, and read so little; and have read so much of other books, and so little of the Scriptures.

I could hardly believe my eyes when I read your age. Twenty-four years and a half! O, you are highly favoured! I was almost as old before I quitted the chair of the scorner. May the Lord preserve your life and health, and bless your studies. I hope he has much for you to do. It is an honour and a favour that he has so soon admitted you into his interior school-I mean the school of the cross. My short-sighted regard would wish your trials to be very few, and very light. I can venture, however, to premise, that you shall not have one too many or too heavy. He will do you good, and enable you to do others good, by them. You will find your strength according to your day, and all shall contribute to enlarge your experience of his wisdom, power; and goodness. You are his, and not your own; therefore, he has a right to put you in any situation which he sees most conducive to manifest his glory and to do him service: and he is rich enough to make you abundant amends for all you can suffer for his sake. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart.

*

Have you read Ganganelli's letters? They are, in my judgment, admirable. Doubly so, considering from what quarter they came. But I must break off. I seldom write such long letters as I da to you. Mrs. N sends her hearty love and best wishes to you. She hopes you will see her sister.

I am,

Dear Sir,

Your affectionate friend and servant,

JOHN NEWTON.

Olney, Bucks, 10th July, '78.

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE,

FOREIGN.

FROM THE CHRISTIAN OBSERVER.

The London Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

THE report of the Society for promoting Christian knowledge, for the year 1810, has recently been published. From this it appears that the new edition of the Welsh Scriptures, with the Common Prayer and singing Psalms, amounting to 20,000 copies, which the society resolved in March, 1805, to print for circulation in Wales, is now in a course of distribution. The whole charge of this edition, with the binding in calf, is defrayed by the Society, and copies are furnished to any of the inhabitants of Wales, through the medium of the Bishops, or any other members of the Society, at six shillings each, which is considerably less than half the prime cost. This intelligence was communicated to the principality in a circular letter addressed by Dr. Gaskin to the members of the Society residing within it." "The communication," it is added, "has been received with great satisfaction, and numerous applications are made and continues to be made for copies." "The society cannot but feel grateful to Almighty God, that they are thus enabled to dispense the sacred records of His holy word, and the pure apostolical Liturgy of the Church of England, amongst a people so anxious to receive them; and they continue fervently to supplicate the great Head of the church, that these their efforts may be productive of lasting good, to the glory of his name, the enlargement of his fold, and the eternal salvation of souls." To this pious prayer we add our cordial amen!

Five thousand copies of the Common Prayer in the Manks language have also been recently printed and distributed in the Isle of Man, at a little more than one third of the prime

cost.

The number of subscribing members to this institution is now 3,560, of whom about 475 have been added since the be

ginning of 1809. The number of schools under their direction is 116, containing about 5,000 scholars. The number : of Bibles sent to the members during the preceding year is 8,760; of New Testaments and Psalters, 12,540; of Common Prayers, 19,060; of other bound books, 19,440; of tracts, 120,236. Besides which, 773 Bibles, 2,629 New Testaments and Psalters, 76 Common Prayers, 424 other bound books, and 6,114 tracts, have been sent gratuitously to the East-Indies, to the Royal Navy, and in various other channels. We observe a very proper note at the end of the Society's list of books. It apprises members that the packets of books which they receive on the terms of the Society, ought to be paid for within three months after they have been received; and that no books on the Society terms will in future be granted to any member who is in arrears for two years' subscription, or the amount of five pounds for books.

In this Report are inserted resolutions on the subject of auxiliary societies, to be formed in the different dioceses throughout the kingdom*.

· The expenditure of the Society, from the 13th April, 1809, to March 29, 1810, amounts to about 16,000l. Of this sum, about 12,4007. have been paid for books, &c. including the Welsh Scriptures, the Manks Common Prayer, and some prayer books for the Danish prisoners in Great Britain. The expense of the East-India mission is 1,2087. and of the Scilly mission, 3877. Upwards of 7001. more are expended in different charitable purposes; and the remainder in salaries to officers, and various contingent expenses. The receipts are to a similar amount, and consist of benefactions and legacies, 1,1777-subscriptions from members, 3,033/-receipts for books, &c. 6,2301. (besides 5,000l. of arrears still due)-dividends of various funds, of which 646/. are specifically for the East-India missions, about 5,100%. The remainder consists of a remission of the Income tax, 3081. and the produce of an estate, 1687. The account of the society's funds is followed by a statement, which has also been separately circulated, with a view to repel a prevalent opinion that the income of the Society exceeds its annual expenditure, and is in an accumulating state, and to prevent the donations which would otherwise be made to them from being diverted into other channels. So far is this opinion from being correct, that in the year ending April, 1809, it was necessary to sell 1,7657. three per cent. stock to meet the excess of their expenditure over their income; and at the last audit a sum of 3,0201. re

These Resolutions are omitted.

mained due to the bookseller and printer, which was over and above the amount of their receipts for the year. The Board, however, trust, "that that gracious Providence, which for more than a century past has enabled them to carry on their designs for promoting Christian knowledge, and edifying the body of Christ, will still furnish the means by which these objects may be pursued with increased activity and vigour.” We very sincerely hope that this may be the case, and that the Society for promoting Christian knowledge, laying aside all prejudice and partial affection, will devote itself with energy and simplicity to the one great object of its institutionthe universal dissemination of the pure, unadultered Gospel of Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

We now come to the account of the Society's Protestant Mission in the East-Indies, for the year 1809.

The Rev. Mr. Pæzold having written that the spirit of refractoriness and disorder which had appeared in the Malabar congregation at Vepery, had been in part subdued by means of the Secretary's letter in the name of the Society, but that a; few still continued refractory; the Society intimated to Mr. Pazold, in reply, that the ancient rules of the mission ought to be observed as strictly as possible, and that the government of the country, they trusted, would protect their missionaries from disturbance. This the government had shown itself willing to do. From a subsequent account it appears that. things were more quiet.

Mr. Pezold, in January, 1809, visited the Christians at Pullicat, to whom he preached several times. He administered the Lord's Supper to thirty-nine Portuguese and twenty-three Malabar Christians, and baptized twenty-three children. He also visited and consoled the aged and infirm. In February he went to St. Thomas' Mount, and on his arrival found all the good people assembled to hear the Gospel preached to them in their own language. Two Roman Catholics were received into the congregation, and seven heathens were publicly examined and baptized, who had been under instruction for some time. Before he departed, the people gave him the contents of their alms-box, about nine pagodas, for their poor fellow Christians at Pullicat; and though poor themselves, they promised, should God bless their undertakings, to continue their weekly collections for the same purpose. Mr.. Pezold has sent extracts from his diary, from which it appears, that the religious duties of the mission had been reguJarly performed by himself, in conjunction with the catechists and schoolmasters. The number of communicants in the native congregations on Easter-day, was nearly 200, who were all quiet and peaceable Christians.