2. The Legacies received in 1837 amount to .... ... N. B. The Legacies received in 1836 amounted to £3735. 9s. 6d. ; exceeding those of this year by £553. 3s. 5d. 3. Special Donations, for the Foulah Mission and Translations, for Dr. Clarke's Irish Schools, &c., and other Miscellaneous Income N. B. This item is less by £1123. 3s. 9d. than the similar 4. Donations on Annuity for Life. 8 7 5. Amount collected (chiefly by the Rev. Edward Frazer,) towards the erection of Negro School-Houses, to meet the Parliamentary Grants of 1835 and 1836, and towards the Passage and Support of Teachers, &c. .. 2789 From the preceding statement our friends will see, that the two great Items of Contributions and Legacies, which constitute what can alone be considered as the regular and ordinary Income of the Society, have amounted in 1837 to the noble and heart-cheering sum of £73,875. 1s. 2d., being a net Increase, under those two heads conjointly of £5,891. 138. 10d. But it is our duty to add, that the Expenditure of the Society, during the year 1837, has exceeded the ordinary Income from Contributions and Legacies, large as that Income is, by a very considerable sum. The increase of Expenditure has in fact far surpassed the increase of income; so that, with abundant reason for joy and gratitude, the friends of the Society will still perceive the absolute necessity of further exertion on behalf of its funds. DEATH OF THE REV. G. O. WRIGLEY.-With the most painful feelings we record the death of this devoted and excellent Missionary, which took place at Cape Coast Castle, Western Africa, on the 16th of November. The particulars we are obliged to postpone. ARRIVAL OF MISSIONARIES.-Mr. and Mrs. Freeman arrived at Cape Coast Castle on the 3d. of January; and appear to have entered on their work, though under the distressing feelings naturally resulting from the recent melancholy removal of Mr. Wrigley, with a cheerfulness of spirit, and humble confidence in God, truly admirable and edifying. We entreat for them the earnest and continual prayers of our friends to "HIM who is able to save them from death." FEJEE MISSION. WE rejoice to state, that, since our last Notice of this subject, the Committee have resolved to send another additional Missionary to the Fejee Islands, in company with Messrs. Jaggar and Hunt; viz., Mr. Calvert of the Wesleyan Theological Institution. This Resolution has been highly influenced by the truly noble offer of an old and esteemed friend of Missions, in Lincolnshire, that if the total number of Missionaries to the Fejees could be thus at once increased to Seven, she would pay the whole expense of Mr. Hunt's Passage, and contribute £50 per Annum towards the support of the Mission for three years. The offer has been very gratefully accepted.-Other Special Contributions for the Fejees will be found thankfully recorded on our Cover. LONDON:-Printed by James Nichols, 46, Hoxton-square. CCXXXIII. MAY, 1838. ANNUAL MEETINGS. On WEDNESDAY, May 2nd the Rev. JOHN BIRT, of Manchester, will preach the Annual Sermon, at Surrey Chapel, Blackfriars Road. Service to begin at half-past six. On THURSDAY, the 3rd, the Annual Meeting of the Society will be held at Finsbury Chapel, Moorfields,* (and not at Exeter Hall, as previously announced). CHARLES LUSHINGTON, ESQ., M.P., in the Chair. The doors to be open at Ten, and the chair taken at Eleven. * From a want of clear mutual understanding among the parties concerned, Exeter Hall was engaged for another Society at the hour specified. FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. CALCUTTA. Extract of a letter from Mr. C. C. A ratoon to Mr. Pearce, dated, Oct. 25, 1837: I inform you with much pleasure that my only brother, with his wife and four children, are come to Calcutta. My Lord Jesus has sent my only brother here now to comfort me. He comes from Bussorah, in the Persian Gulf. He brought most pleasing news about our Armenian tractshe tells me all I wanted to know-the language is understood by all-the errors of the Armenian church are unmasked-he has derived great benefit himself. He says, when your tracts arrived at Bussorah, about two years ago, and were distributed there, according to your directions, there was great inquiry made after them by many; and a young man gave out that he was preparing a reply to them. As soon as I heard this, says my brother, I went to him, and said, Friend, I hear you are going to reply to my brother's Armenian Tracts. He said, Yes, I have written about four or five pages. Then my brother asked him to show him what he had written; but he said, I cannot show you till I finish it. My brother asked him, Friend, have you ever seen or read any of the tracts? He replied, No! never. My brother said, You had better get a copy, and read first,-after underyou stand well, then you will be able to make a good reply to which proposal he consented; and my dear brother supplied him with a copy of our last Armenian tract, which the young man gladly received, and began to read it. My brother, after a few days, : went to see him, and inquired from him if he had read it. He replied, Yes. My brother told him, Now you can know what to reply. He said, I have nothing more to say, because the author proves the Scriptures to be the only rule and guide of our faith, life, and conduct, so that, he said, I cannot write anything more. Poor Armenians ! Yet, they are my dear nation. Some of them are trying to hurt me, but how they will do it they don't know. However, my dear brother himself was despised for the sake of the truth, for he left the Armenian church, and is thinking to be baptized. From Mr. Thomas, dated Dec. 20, 1837:: I mentioned in my last the indisposition of brother G. Pearce. I regret to say, he still continues to suffer, and I much fear his complaint will prove chronic, if it should ever be removed. His nervous system has suffered a severe shock, and his mind is now so weak that he is hardly capable of the slightest exertion. It was brought on by exposure to the night air in going to and returning from the villages. He was taken on the sabbath just after his return, with giddiness from determination of blood to the head. It was at first supposed to be connected with a bilious state of the system; but it has proved of a much more serious character; and the medical gentlemen whom he has consulted, give little hopes of speedy improvement. The hot weather, it is thought, may prove beneficial, He has been directed to try the effect of 2 trip by sea, and is just about proceeding to Bombay, with Captain Holmes. He will have to return by some other vessel. I hope the change will be blessed to his improvement. His case is afflictive, and to us mysterious. Cut short, for a season at least, in the prime of life, and the most useful period of his missionary career, and when it is utterly impossible for either of us to attempt to supply his lack of service. I can hardly refrain from asking, Is not our Society guilty of sin against the God of missions, to allow of our being placed in circumstances in which the department of each depends for its efficiency, and I may almost say continuance, on the health and life of the individual himself? Mrs. Pearce is very well; she will accompany Mr. Pearce, and Mrs. Penny will take care of those of the children who may remain at home, most of them going to their friends. We have also had brother Yates ill much as he was some years ago at Mr. Beeby's house, quite as severe. From the Friday, when he was taken, until the next Monday, or Tuesday, he was in a dangerous state, and prompt measures were necessary. These the Lord graciously blessed; but as he did not recover his strength so rapidly as usual, he went the following week to the Sand Heads, from whence he returned last Thursday, much improved. He is now tolerably well again, and at his accustomed labours. To our great comfort Mr. Sutton came up just as brother Yates was taken ill, so that no difficulty was felt in supplying his pulpit. Mrs. Yates seemed to be better than usual during the early part of Mr. Yates's illness, but she has been suffering since, chiefly from weakness. She is about going with Captain Holmes up the Red Sea. Mrs. Holmes goes with them. Brother Penny and family are in pretty good health, as are Mr. and Mrs. Ellis, who have greatly profited by their late trip. He will write you about his school, &c., so that I have no need to refer to them. From Mr. Penny, Jan. 11, 1838. We had a favourable and satisfactory examination of the Benevolent Institution this year. On the first Monday in the year, being New Year's Day, we had one of the most interesting meetings ever held in India. The Missionaries and the Dissenting churches met at the Union Chapel from ten in the morning till one o'clock, when short speeches were delivered by Messrs. Robinson, Sutton, Morton, and Stronach, and the Lord's Supper administered to the three churches, by Mr. Boaz. The chapel was nearly filled with communicants; it was a solemn and profitable meeting. The missionary prayer-meeting was held in the evening, at the Bow Bazar Chapel, when the writer of this gave the address, from "Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children." The meeting was well attended, and all seem determined to cultivate a spirit of love, and to persevere in the great work. I hope we shall hear that some of the spectators or outer court worshippers, were affected, and that they will say, "We will go with you," &c. The Sabbath following, two were added by baptism to the Circular Road Church, before a large congregation. Mr. Yates preached from Remember me for good," and your correspondent baptized. I sometimes attend your native church; they appear to be at peace. I often see Sujatali, he is as good as ever. I wish we had more such men. DIGAH. A letter has been received from Mr. Lawrence, dated Nov. 6, 1837, from which we learn that he has been under the painful necessity of dismissing Pybah, one of his native preachers, for conduct inconsistent with Christian uprightness. He adds, While I have had to mourn over Pybah, I have cause to rejoice that Hurri dás remains firm. Notwithstanding all his defects, I have every reason to believe that he is a genuine Christian; he seems to take a real interest in the cause of the Redeemer. He has not a talent for making lengthened addresses to his countrymen, but he never seems more in his element than when he can gather a few of the more intelligent of them around him, and engage them in religious discussion. I have known him to be engaged incessantly from morning till night, for several days in succession, in reading and explaining scriptural subjects to strangers who have for a few days taken up their abode in our compound. Through his instrumentality, many who have come to us ignorant of the gospel, have departed admiring and wondering at its sublime doctrines. Whether any will have cause to rejoice in the day of the Lord Jesus, is known only to the searcher of hearts. I am happy to say also that Baldeo is still with us, and affords us reason to hope that he is a sincere convert. I think of baptizing him shortly. I trust the work of the Lord is still going on among the soldiers of H. M., 31st, at Dinapore. Our church has much increased since it was formed about this time last year. When I wrote last, I believe we numbered about twenty. Had all who joined us remained with us, we should now have numbered more than fifty; but a few, alas! have fallen back into the world; two have deserted us from the fear of man, and two have been invalided, and sent home to Europe. Still, however, we have reason to rejoice that the greater number are stedfastly walking in the truth. They have had much opposition and persecution to endure, but by the grace of Christ they have been enabled to bear all with becoming patience and fortitude, and I trust all has been overruled for good. Thanks be to God that the storm has now somewhat subsided. PATNA. From Mr. Beddy to the Secretary, dated Patna, Oct. 9, 1837. I had the pleasure of writing to you in last June, when I was just recovering from an attack of bilious fever; through the mercy of the Lord I continue well since, and have recovered my usual strength. None of my family except one child have been seriously ill, yet nearly all have been more or less laid aside for a while, through fever, of which we have had a good deal this year. We have had also a visitation of ophthalmia among the children, but praised be the Lord, this too has been removed, without any bad consequences being left behind. But it now devolves on me to communicate the death by cholera of two dear native sisters, who died on the 4th and 5th of last July; their deaths may be truly called happy deaths, they had no fear, but with the utmost Christian joy, resigned their souls to Christ-they had but a short warning. She who died first was taken ill on Sabbath morning; she had every attention, but all to no purpose, she continued quite sensible, and aware of her approaching dissolution, at least till within eight or nine hours of her departure. In consequence of her being young and vigorous (about 19), she died rather hard; but, during her illness up to the time mentioned, all was meek resignation. To the question, "Do you wish to die and go to Jesus? she sweetly replied, "O yes, I shall be most happy!" To her mother she occasionally spoke (a heathen), and as she saw her crying, she said " Cry not for me, but for yourself, and your sinful and impenitent children." She died about two o'clock on the Tuesday morning following, and we interred her Tuesday evening in the European burial ground, amidst a vast number of natives, many of her own family and the native brethren and sisters, assisted by dear brother Lawrence and Hurrí dás. The other was an old woman past 60. "Mussee, Mussee," Christ, Christ, was her constant theme, "he died for sinners." She was asked if she was thinking of him; she raised her hands, and said, "O yes!" She sank without a struggle about four o'clock on Wednesday morning, having been taken ill on Monday night. In addition to these particulars, we have had a Mr. and Mrs. W, young persons who have been constant in their attendance at the chapel for the last eight or ten months. Mrs. W. was formerly in the habit of attending. She has given very satisfactory evidence of a work of grace begun in her heart, and about four months ago she applied to join the church. She was proposed to the church about two months and a half ago, and last Sabbath week, having preached from the words, "The Master is come, and calleth for thee," she came to me the following morning, and with tears requested she might be received into the church. That evening she was, and last evening being moonlight, I baptized her after our English service, in the presence of nearly all the congregation; the judge, the collector and his lady, Mrs. Page, of Monghyr, and many others were present. May the Lord command his blessing upon his ordinance. I regret that I cannot send you word that the word of the Lord is prospering among us; there seems to be a settled indifference among the natives, the novelty is worn offthey know what we have to say, they feel no interest, and are very seldom actuated by any other principle than to cavil and object, if not blaspheme. My English service has again been well attended, and I hope not without effect. The cold season is now approaching, and with it the opportunity for missionary labours. May the Lord enable us to labour in faith, and so bless us and make his word powerful, that the strongholds of Satan may be overturned. JAMAICA. Having just received the Tabular View,' as completed from the returns made to the association of our churches, held at Spanish Town, in January, we publish it on the following pages. Our readers will rejoice with us in the proof it affords of a continued blessing on the labours of our dear brethren. We have also received a very interesting report, separately of their schools, which, having been drawn up a little afterwards, gives the aggregate number of scholars a little more. That report will be printed in the appendix to our forthcoming report. |