From feven to eight, both catechumens and children fup, one or more masters being prefent, who, during that time, reads to them out of the New-Teftament. After fupper and prayers, they lay them down on their mats. I. The members of our congregation are present every day, at the usual hours of praying and catechizing; which is from fix to seven in the morning, and from five to fix in the evening. II. Both the Malabaric and Portuguefe miffionaries vifit the schools every day, teaching themselves one or more hours, as their other business will permit. The Malabaric mafter muft all this while be present, and by giving diligent attendance to the method used by the miffionaries, inure himself to a plain and easy way of catechizing. III. Every Saturday, the whole company of our boys is permitted to walk a little way out of the town, where they wash themselves in a pond all over their bodies. This is the custom of the country. After this fome go and visit their parents. IV. We endeavour to spend the whole Lord's day, as much as possibly we can, in devotion, and exercifes of piety. After the two fermons are over, one or other article of faith is repeated with the children: or the children themselves are made to call over the hiftories of the Old Teftament, and to fing fpiritual hymns, &c. V. During the time of knitting, fome useful book is read to thofe that are employed about this work. VI. Once in fix weeks, we repair with the children to a gar den joining to a village near this town. This is done on purpose, to afford the children fome profitable refreshment by walking. All the miffionaries and mafters attend them on this occafion, and difcourfe them about the works of creation difplayed in nature. Many Malabarians gather about us all this while, and express great fatisfaction at the pertinent answers returned to the queftions relating to God and religion. LETTERS. 22 22 22 ལོ ALALAL LETTER S. LETTER DL. [From the Rev. T. Davenport, to the Rev. J. Wesley.] Rev. and dear Sir, Alexton, Dec. 14, 1782. YOUR ́QUR favour of Aug. 14th came duly to hand, for which I thank you. I ftill want peace; I wait for it; and God enables me, in fome degree, to wreftle for it. 1 truft he will strengthen me to wait patiently his leifure. My great bur den is the care of fouls: and though I fee daily more and more of the evil of my heart; if any fin reigns, it is that of omiffion. God enables me to do fomething at ftated feafons; but I fall dreadfully short. I have not here a foul to strengthen my hands: nothing feems to take root. I often think my eyes are fo dim, that I only "fee men as trees walking." I had fome hopes from your last that one of the preachers would have called upon me here. I watched with a longing eye. I trust the Lord will commifferate thefe fouls, dead and hardened as they are, in trefpaffes and fin, fome having the form; but scarce one the power of religion. "Breathe, Lord, upon our dry bones, and bid them live." A fortitude, equal to that of a miffionary to the favages, is needful for one that comes here upon fo great an errand. But, what may not a two-edged fword do? We fee, in other places, what it has done : Mammon is the god to which every knee here bows. Alleine's Alarm to unconverted Sinners was put into my hand, and it has been profitable to me. Oh that I were able to give a few of them away! Who knows but a bleffing might attend it? I feel a longing defire to converse with you. I perfuade myself that God is carrying on his work in my own foul; but VOL. XIII. 4 P I have I have many conflicts from without. I thank God, that mine, and the prayers of my true friends, have not been in vain; and though my gifts are fmall, I am not left quite deftitute of the grace that bringeth falvation. I wish for nothing but more of the love of God, all else must be mingled with forrow: and I must eat my every morfel with bitter herbs, the bitter reflection of an unequalled obftinacy. Intercede for, Rev. and dear Sir, your humble and affectionate T. D. LETTER DLI. [From Mrs. M. Ward, to the Rev. J. Welley.] My dear Sir, THE Cork, Dec. 22, 1782. HE mercy of God, and his care of his vineyard has been abundantly displayed among us. Could you, Sir, fee the unanimity, the peace, the profperity of our little Zion, your heart would rejoice. There is a univerfal revival in our Bands and Claffes God is in the midft of us, and all feel that uniting principle of life exciting us to provoke one another to love and good works. Our congregations are large on Sundays; and on week nights of late, they are much increafed and deeply ferious. The fele&t Society is again affembled. A general conviction refts on believers for holiness of heart; fome, who formerly experienced it, but had loft their evidence, are again restored: and others are brought into that rest which belongs to the people of God. Prayer-meetings are in fome places kept up, but not fo generally as we could wish. I have now a young woman in the house with me, who is on full ftretch for purity of heart; fo that I am no longer like a sparrow alone on the house top, but have one in the houfe like minded with me. Where fhall fhall I begin to tell of those mercies that are infinite in their nature, and endless in duration! O my contracted heart! May God enlarge it, to contain more of his fulness! "Infatiate to the fpring I fly, I drink and yet am ever dry; Ah! who against fuch charms is proof? Ah! who that loves can love enough ?" Sifter M's heart is healed; her foul rejoices in the perfect love of Jefus; fhe is now the active, zealous, faithful difciple fhe was fome years ago. May the prayer-hearing God ftill continue to blefs the labours of his fervants! May your eyes behold, and your ears hear of the widening power of his gofpel! May it spread from heart to heart, from town to town, and from one end of the earth to the other: even fo, Lord Jefus, pour thy fpirit upon all flesh; reign in every heart; let all the people praise thee; make thy aged fervant rejoice, and give his fpirit into thy hands, when his eyes have feen thy falvation! I am, dear Sir, with true affection and respect, your loving daughter and fervant, M. W. LETTER DLII. [From Mifs A. Bolton, to the Rev. J. Wefley.] Rev. and dear Sir, Witney, Dec. 27, 1782. YOUR OUR letter was as a rich cordial to my spirits, which needed fuch a revival. I acknowledge it as a peculiar favour, that I have friends who care for my ftate; and frequently confole myself with a hope of being helped by their prayers. I view my prefent fituation in the light you do, as fomething permitted to raise and advance my foul in holiness. Nothing that happens to me can be the effect of chance; it is, it must be the will of him that is infinitely good and wife; and this, heartily fubfcribed to, 66 Lays the rough paths of peevish nature even, I am, through grace, enabled to receive evit as well as good at the hand of my gracious benefactor, with a degree of gratitude; believing one as well as the other is defigned to promote my present and eternal felicity. Sometimes my afflictions are fo heavy, and of fuch a nature, that I am expofed to temptation either to faint or fret ; but he who knows my foul in adversity, relieves me in the trying moment, and fuffers not my faith to fail, nor my foot to be moved. I cry to him in my distress, and he hears me out of his holy hill, and fends me help in the needful time of trouble. His word is indeed as a light unto my feet, and a lamp in my path. I cannot fully fet forth his mercy in this refpect, by fo feasonably helping me, and fo fuitably fuccouring my afflicted foul. I have been learning in the school of adverfity to humble myself under the mighty hand of God; and have endeavoured to adopt a language like that of David, faying, "If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me out of those oppreffive troubles, and shew me rest and peace in my habitation ; if not, behold here I am, let him do with me as feemeth him good." At prefent I am called to have no choice, neither can I determine any thing respecting my future life; but I know, while I thus give myself into the hand of God, he will order all things well. I am, dear Sir, your affectionate child and obliged fervant, A. B. POETRY. |