Penny and Panchon came to see us, and instead of having worship only with the servants before breakfast, we went to the road side after breakfast, and collected an audience by singing, reading, and praying, to whom we declared the gospel of salvation. Amongst our hearers were two pundits; one of them the pundit with whom I have read since I came to the country, and who, in compliment, I suppose, to his late pupil, remained to hear only during the short time that I addressed the people; the other was the pundit of a wealthy Baboo, or what I suppose may be called a native nobleman, who, when the service was over, in a respectful manner, begged permission to propose some questions. The first question was addressed to Panchon, who had read a poetical tract of Mr. Chamberlain's, in which a person is represented as saying that the veds could not show the way of salvation: he was now asked if he had ever read the veds. Panchon, unable to say that he had, attempted to turn away the question; but the pundit, a very acute man, held him fast, and would not let him go. I therefore replied, that those who had read the parts of the veds that are extant, could not find one word in them about the innumerable gods and goddesses that were worshipped in this country for salvation-that we were authorized, even by the veds themselves, in warning them to forsake idolatry and be. lieve in the one God, and that there was certain evidence that the way of obtaining the pardon of sin and the favour of God, which we made known to them, was indeed the way which this one God had himself appointed for all people. He then proposed several questions about God, and the design he had in view in creating the world; but was obliged to leave us by a message from his master. Soon after a servant came to us inviting us to the Baboo's house, that he might know what we were preaching to the people. He made very particular inquiry if this was our sole employment; what object we had in view by it; whether we were sent out by the Company, and received money from them. After answering these inquiries, and proposing others to him in return, we found that he professed to be a believer in the one God, and despised the worship of idols, although in public he conformed to the popular superstition; here we had an opportunity of addressing his conscience-an opportunity which we did not fail to embrace. The pundit, on the other hand, asserting the unity of God, endeavoured to prove that we were inconsistent with ourselves, since out of one we had made three, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. To this it was replied, that he ought first to examine the evidences of Christianity, and according to the strength of these, to receive or to reject its doctrines, since it was only from God himself that we could learn the true made of his existence, and that while he was truly one, he had yet been pleased to reveal himself, in the plan for our redemption, as three, as sustaining three characters in the contrivance and execution of that plan. Before taking leave, I proposed to the Baboo, that I should come once every week and instruct his servants; to which, although he made no particular objection, he did not seem very willingly to accede; and the books which he had himself asked of us, he afterwards returned by a servant. seems a man wholly without thought about divine things of any kind; but his pundit,whom he keeps as his family priest, has a great deal of natural acuteness and penetration, though, as far as I could judge, not much learning. The former seemed to regard both us and our message with mingled surprise and contempt He the latter professed more respect, but seemed as much desirous of displaying his ability in finding out difficulties, as of searching for the truth. Indeed the great difficulty here, as every where else, is to persuade men that they are personally interested in the salvation of the gospel. In the afternoon we collected an audience in a very public part of the road; but there were several drunkards among them, and they were altogether so noisy and unruly, that we were obliged to leave them, that no confusion might happen in the streets, and the gospel be charged as the cause of it. A man about forty years of age standing by us, was flying his kite all the time we remained amongst them-such is the childish character of the native mind, and the indifference which it feels about divine things: they are indeed a valley of dry bones. The next place where we stood, we had a moderately numerous, and very quiet audience. Whilst we were engaged in preaching, several Europeans passing by, stood, wondered, and went away. The preaching of the gospel to the natives, is even now a strange thing to them, as well as to the natives themselves. Saturday, 20th.-Yesterday, Panchon. came to live here, and this morning I went out with him between five and six o'clock, and in one of the lanes of the city had an attentive and inquisitive congregation, about fifty in number. They received all the books we had brought out with us; and in giving books we uniformly satisfy ourselves that the persons who receive them at least possess the ability to read, which we in general ascertain by actual trial. It is to be feared, however, that some of the shopkeepers are eager to obtain them for another purpose than that of reading; but this we endeavour to prevent as much as possible. Monday, 22d.-Mr. Carey came to us on Saturday evening, and remained till this morning. On Lord's-day morning, as before, we had worship at the side of the road, where we had a good congregation addressed by Carey and Panchon. Mr. Renton, a countryman of mine, who has been lately baptized, and added to the Lal-bazaar church, joined us about the conclusion of the service. Accompanied by him we went into Calcutta on the Chitpore Road, and retiring a little from the street, we took our stand in a lane, where we soon collected a congregation. Amongst them was a young man very impertinent, against whom it was difficult to repress our anger, and an older man, whom we could not refrain from pitying. The latter demanded some visible proof of the existence of Jesus, and of his power to save; declaring that he believed nothing but what he saw, and that, therefore, he had rejected the Hindoo deities. He was asked if he believed in the existence of the Divine Being? No, he was just on a level with Veeshnoo, Seeb, &c.-Did he believe in the existence of his own spirit? He muttered something, turned, and went away. After we had distributed some books, a Baboo, who lived in the next house, requested us to come to him, that he also might hear. We found that there were two brothers, who, assisted by their pundit, were the only speakers. Carey briefly explained the need we had of the gospel, and how sufficient it was for all our wants; after which, the elder brother proposed several questions of a very trifling and silly nature, and which sufficiently showed that he was not accustom ed to think, or to converse on such subjects, such as whether Christ's skin was white or black, how many eyes, hands, &c. he had?-from all which Carey endeavoured to turn away his attention, by directing him to consider what was necessary to salvation. The pundit seemed much better acquainted with the gospel, had apparently read some parts of the Pentateuch, and professed only to be waiting for some certain evidence that Christ could save, in order to believe in him, as he was fully convinced of the insufficiency of all the means presented by his own religion for obtaining the pardon of sin, and holiness of mind. In the evening, when we had worship at some distance from our own house, I conversed with a person, who professed in the same way, to be entirely dissatisfied with his own religion, and anxious to find out a better way. The number of these seems to be increasing, and whether they be the first that will embrace the gospel, or not, they are a defection from the ranks of idolatry, and serve in the mean time to strengthen the hope of those who long for the salvation of the heathen. Tuesday, 23d.-This morning I went out with Panchon, and with some difficulty procured a small congregation- in speaking to them we seemed to be unsuccessful in persuading them of our seri ousness. 24th. To-day six persons called upon me, who had heard that I had come to live here for the purpose of keeping a school, in which the various country languages should be taught: two of them wished to be employed as Moonshees. I explained my object to them, and em braced the opportunity of calling their attention to the gospel. They willingly received the Tracts which I offered, and proposed calling again. Monday, 29th. - Yesterday, brother Pearce came to be with us on Lord'sday. Nothing particular occurred dur ing the day, except that on one occasion we had an unusual number of females to hear us. When this country comes to stretch forth its hands unto God, it will indeed be a mighty revolution in their manners, if women, in any considerable number, and of a respectable character, willingly attend on the means of grace, and mix with the other sex in publicly worshipping God. At present there is not, perhaps, a single Hindoo woman of this description, who has ever been reached by the voice of a Missionary, and through the ignorance in which all are kept, perhaps not six competent to read the books which are distributed throughout the country. MONGHIR. W. ADAM. Extract of a Letter from Mr. Chamberlain to Mr. Lawson, dated Monghir, Feb. 25, 1819. You will have heard of the favourable turn things have taken relative to me, God has graciously, and I hope, effec tually, interposed. I still continue to as recruit health, and am about resuming, by degrees, cautiously, my beloved em. ploy. Here I need prudence to moderate my sanguine disposition. I feel though returning to life, and all things around wear a renovated aspect. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Unite with me in thanksgivings, dear brother, for Jehovali has done great things for me. Oh, that all may be for his praise! We hope to get our meeting-house up in six weeks, or two months. It will hold nearly one hundred people comfortably. One person is to be baptized in the course of this week. But we have some trials. One of our native brethren went off a few days ago in a very unaccountable manner, saying nothing to any one. The other two brethren are very lively and active. One has been at Bhagulpore lately, and has met much perse cution. The man who is about to be baptized began to learn to read last year; and in reading the 11th chapter of John, the word came with power to his heart. Praise the Lord on my behalf, and pray for me always! Beloved,-Through the favour of the Lord we have great joy, and our desire is, that you also may have abounding gladness in your souls. Blessed be the Lord, and blessed be his servant, by whose means the gospel has been brought to this place, and to our ears; and by which we have been brought into the Lord's church. We were overwhelmed in sin and darkness; but now, by the favour of God, and the labours of our brother, his servant, we are come into the light of holiness, You will continue to pray for us, that we may never again return into that sin in which we lay involved, but that our hearts may remain in faith and love, abounding in joy. May love abound in the hearts of all who are brethren and sisters in Christ Jesus. We cannot pretend to be able to pray; if the Lord grant his favour, our hearts vent forth petitions. For this we pray, that as the Lord hath had mercy on us, so he may have pity on all his creation, that all may take refuge in Jesus Christ, and become his true followers. We know but little. The Lord has done great things for us by his people; we cannot declare them. We are very mean and worthless, but our desires are for Extract of a Letter from Mr. Chamberlain, good. We wish for the water of life, but dated Monghir, August 16, 1819. OUR native brethren, Brindabun and Hingham Misser, are, through mercy, continued very active and faithful to their profession. The latter is a most excellent man. He continues firm in his zeal for the cause he has found mercy to espouse; and is instant in the work, in season, and out of season. Though greatly disliked for what he has done, he is gaining growing respect from his countrymen, who cannot but acknowledge that he is sin cere. We have hired a shop in one ba zaar, where our native brethren go, twice, thrice, or oftener, in a week, and continue engaged for some hours at a time. Many resort to them to hear, and some to dispute and ridicule. I requested these brethren to write a letter to the friends in England. They wrote as follows, « Brindabun and Hingham Misser, to the Brethren and Sisters in the Churches of Christ Jesus, in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland: To the believers in Jesus Christ, brethren and sisters, as many as may be resident in the city of London, and in the cities, towns, and villages throughout the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ire. land, to all, Brindabun and Hingham Misser, Christians, send their love and salutations, greeting. cannot obtain butter-milk by our own efforts. In ignorance we have written these few words, as a child just beginning to speak, to whose lisping, stammering accents, the parents listen and are pleased. Thrice blessed be the Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who has saved us sinful, guilty, wretched creatures. Who is there in the world, who ever will be, who to save a sinner will give his own life? But Jesus, the Son of God, for us sinners gave that a gift, which is the object all desire. For us the Most Beloved has been given. The Most Beloved is a son, and beyond a son, yea, an only son, he is life; it remains that we continually and increasingly believe in the death of Christ, by which we obtain salvation, and without which there cannot be any, by any means, saved. Our deficient supplication you will in condescension regard, as though it were more full and pertinent, and ever shew your affectionate regards towards us. Thus far." ment of native schools, and with some We have re-attempted the establishprobability of success Three are in operation, or rather are beginning to operate, containing about sixty boys. At one of the school-houses, the native brethren have Christian worship every Sabbath morning, where many assemble. Thus we are going on very slowly, or rather stand rallied round our colours, which we endeavour to keep displayed. Many look at us, and wonder, at a distance; | some come nearer, and seem to join us; but, alas who says, "Let me go with you?" We will however wait, and hope that Immanuel will hasten his work. We have a small Society, auxiliary to the Mission, which has been in existence about a year, and I hope it will support brother Hingham Misser, and perhaps one school. Ours is a day of small things. upon me. In the work of translating I make but little progress, my affliction lies so heavy In the Brij Bhasa I am employed after tea and prayer in the evenings till ten o'clock, when I can bear it; but sometimes I cannot sit to it for ten or fifteen days together. Amidst these interruptions, however, I have been enabled, through help obtained, (I bless my Helper,) to get through the minor prophets to Zechariah. The next month will, I hope, see them completed. I have upwards of six hundred pages of this translation in my own hand-writing, besides the Epistle to the Romans, and part of the second Epistle to the Corinthians in the other dialect, (the Hinduwee,) in which the printing of the New Testament has proceeded as far as the eighth chapter of Luke's Gospel. It has been a grief to my heart that I should not make greater progress in the work to which I am devoted. However, I restrain myself, and moderate my distress. Shall not the Lord do what he will with me? I am dumb; he hath afflicted me, and laid me aside. He can raise me up refined, and set me to again with increased vigour, if he please. So far "all is well." MOORSHEDABAD. bourers in the cause of God. I am, therefore, not straitened for want of room, but for strength for this immense field of labour. I have two native brethren with me, and we daily publish, in the streets and markets, the good news of salvation by Jesus Christ. These two native assistants give me much pleasure by their walk and conversation. They are completely weaned from all their supersti tions, and have truly embraced the Saviour. My acquaintance with the Bengalee language is now such, that I can speak it with some degree of fluency; indeed it cannot well be otherwise, for where I am obliged to speak one word in English, I am obliged to speak a hundred in Bengalee; there is no one with, or very near me, who is acquainted with English. Besides my other labours among the natives, I have worship in my house twice a day in Bengalee; but though I have, in some measure, acquired a knowledge of one foreign language, my difficulties are not yet surmounted, for there is another language so prevalent near me, (the Hindoostanee,) that I cannot fulfil the duties of my station without a knowledge of it. I shall, therefore, immediately apply to this also. At Berhampore, which is only at the distance of six miles, I have likewise a very attentive European congregation of about fifty persons, chiefly of the 59th Regiment. I administer the ordinance to the church there every month, and likewise endeavour to preach to them three Sabbaths in the month, morning and evening. The seasons I have enjoyed have been exceedingly refreshing, and I have reason to believe my labours have not been altogether in vain in the Lord. It is pleasing to behold with what thankfulness the word is received. There is one circumstance, which I consider peculiarly pleasing and en Extract of a Letter from Mr. Sutton to couraging in my labour; that is, the as Mr. Ivimey, dated Moorshedabad, June 4, 1819. You will probably be surprised to hear of my settling in my present station, but I think it is the station appointed by God. At least it is the only one to which I have heen permitted to proceed, and it possesses many advantages which the other stations to which I wished to go did not possess. I shall not enter into a minute description of this place; suffice it to say, that I am dwelling in a city which was supposed in 1810 to contain upwards of a million of heathens. Besides this, at the distance of a very few miles, there is a considerable population of Europeans, amongst whom there is much need of la sistance I think I shall derive from the respectable European gentlemen in the neighbourhood. When I arrived here first, I considered it my duty to observe narrowly every thing which has either an immediate or a remote tendency to affect the interests of the kingdom of Christ. Hence I perceived, immediately after my arrival, that much assistance might be procured for the support of those things, that in the end would tend materially to advance the kingdom of God, though they might not at present. For instance, by my exerting myself, there would be little doubt of forming a very respectable Native School Society, the beneficial effects of which may be experienced for a long series of years. I therefore drew up and printed a statement of my views on this subject, and have circulated them around me. I have met with great success in soliciting support for it; this day I have received a letter from the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeal in this place, in which he promises me his assistance. I hope to have a public meeting in the course of two or three weeks, when I suppose the Society will be instituted. Thus you see I have a number of objects before me; the scene of labour is very extensive, and I hope the Society will be induced to send me help. If they do not, I may be taken off suddenly, and then all will be lost. I am here in a trying and tempting situation, without a friend, brother, or companion; but my trust is in the Lord God of Jacob, who can sustain me, and make me equal to all my difficulties. I do not want to be in any other situation; it is the work and station of my heart. CUTWA. IN a letter lately received by Mr. Ward from Mr. William Carey, he mentions, with gratitude, the pleasing prospect at his sta tion. THE Lord has been very merciful and good to me this year. I am happy to say that I have already baptized thirteen persons, and soon expect to see others come forward, as they are on the inquiring list. From Mr. Kitching to Dr. Ryland, dated Kingston, October 25, 1819. MANY continue to attend, and not a few come forward to be baptized. I engaged in this sacred employ on the 15th of August last, when thirty-three were immersed. Again, on the 26th of September, we had one of the most heartcheering sights my eyes ever beheld. We assembled a little before sun-rise on the sea shore, where our friends, with posts and cords, had formed a semicircle. There was another semicircle formed upon the water by canoes. In the middle of the circle thus formed, stood thirty-seven candidates for baptism, and myself. On the outside of the ring thus formed by posts and cords, and in the canoes, were about three or four thousand spectators, who listened to the proceed. ings of the morning with the greatest attention; nor am I without hope that we shall have another such a day very soon. May the great Head of the church grant that both the baptizer and the baptized may be saved in him with an everlasting salvation. Brother Coultart having mentioned in a letter his wish that I should look for a situation where I might attempt to form a new station, I embraced the earliest opportunity of doing so. Ac. cordingly, on Monday the 2d of August, I left my house about half-past three in the morning, for Moraut Bay, thirty-one miles from Kingston. I arrived there WE stated the month before about half after eleven in the morning. last, that Mr. Kitching had comand was kindly received by Mr. Horne municated the mournful intelli- sionaries, stationed in the parish. I took and Mr. Underhill, two Methodist Misgence of the decease of Mrs. some refreshment with them, and my Godden. We subjoin the letter horses were supplied with provender. At in which this account is contained; half after three in the afternoon, I took but, alas! how little did we ima- thirteen miles. In going to Bath, I was my departure for Bath, a distance of gine, when announcing it to our twice wet through, was under the necesreaders, that it would be the last sity of changing my linen in the high communication we should ever road, and had to drive nine miles in my receive from his pen! Such, how-just as the sun was topping the western shirt sleeves. I reached my destination ever, is the distressing fact. A fever, which appears partly to have originated in his sympathy and attention to an afflicted Christian friend at Kingston, terminated JAMAICA. hills, and have to praise God for his goodness, as I did not receive any cold. which is on the north side of the island, On Tuesday I got to Manchineel, and about sixty miles from Kingston. Miss Mary C. a brown lady of that place, |