this aged man of eighty coming into the meeting with two of his grandchildren with him.

"An adult school has been opened, in which some persons have been taught to read, one of whom is a man of fifty years of age.

"It is a pleasing fact, that in this district Socialism has been so far brought under, that your Missionary cannot find one Socialist in the whole of it. Mr. M., who was on my first visit very sceptical, has not only embraced Christianity, but has become a steady and zealous professor of its doctrines and practice both at home and abroad, and has manifested extraordinary decision of character. Before his conversion his house was a nuisance to the neighbourhood.

"My labours have been greatly blessed to the sick and afflicted, many of whom would have had no spiritual instruction had it not been for my visits. The prayer-meetings have been made a great blessing to many of the poor, who have not had clothes to attend other places of worship, and they have expressed their thankfulness to God that such places were opened for their benefit, many of whom have been brought to a knowledge of the truth.

"I shall notice the case of Mr. J., who formerly held Infidel principles and was given up to everything that is wicked, but he has been laid on the bed of affliction, and I am happy to state that he receives me very kindly, and has promised, when he is able to go out, to attend a place of worship. He is brought to see himself a guilty sinner. If his confession is real (of which I have no doubt), it is a very favourable case, for when first I visited him he would not listen to anything I said, and used to make a ridicule of religion, but I trust, under the blessing of God, that he is reclaimed from those pernicious errors.

"There are forty-two Irish families, which form a very important field of missionary labour. My visits to these have been both trying and interesting. Much ill usage have I received from them, sometimes even to violence, but for one case of this description, I have had ten to hear me read or pray with thein. Many of them have been found in an incredible state of ignorance and superstition. As an instance, a man asked me one day how many persons were in the Trinity. I answered, Three;' he rejoined, And is not one of them the Virgin Mary?'

"A large day-school has been opened, which will receive any of the wretched outcast children in the neighbourhood. A little light being thus communicated to the minds of the children, has dispelled some of the dense darkness from their wretched dwellings. As an instance, your Missionary visited a low lodginghouse during the past week, where he found one of the Sundayschool boys, with his Testament in his hand, in the midst of a low group of people, looking for a sentence of condemnation in the first chapter of 2 Thessalonians, which he had pointed out to the children on the preceding Sabbath, with a request that they

would read it to their parents. The boy was not expecting the Missionary."

SUMMARY OF LABOUR.-Hours spent by the Missionaries in domiciliary visitation, 6,929; meetings held, 507; total average attendance at each meeting, 24; calls and visits, 26,214; visits to the sick, 1,700; induced to attend public worship, 131; Scriptures distributed, 124; tracts, 30,759; children sent to school, 312.

Your Committee, having considered the agreeable side of the question, are compelled, however reluctantly, to make statements which, although unpleasant, from their importance must not be overlooked. It is mournful to observe that, notwithstanding the usefulness of your Society, and all the good of which the Missionaries are the means, it is still languishing for want of funds. One Agent has already been taken away; and, unless the funds of the Auxiliary are increased, Westminster must shortly be deprived of another, which would be an incalculable loss. It is earnestly hoped that all friends to the cause of the Gospel will unite in not allowing this. During the year ending March, 1841, the whole amount of money received is 65. 158. 1d., being a considerable decrease from last year's subscriptions.

Your Committee would, therefore, appeal to your generosity. Amid so much darkness, who would refuse to spread the glorious Gospel light? Where there is spiritual disease, who can withhold the only healing balm? Your Committee would hail with delight every effort for the conversion of the heathen, and would join with heartfelt earnestness in prayers and good wishes for those who, having the love of Christ shed abroad in their hearts, spend their lives in foreign lands to make the Saviour known to the ignorant inhabitants; but there are heathen at home as well as abroad, and thousands, even in Westminster ;-yes, thousands around your very doors, are living in utter neglect of the only way of salvation, and many appear never to think they have a soul; and, although the accounts of Missionary exertions in London are not so imposing as those in distant countries, still, at the last great day, it is believed, many trophies of grace, through their instrumentality, will appear, and unite with those of all lands in singing the Saviour's praise. Your Committee, then, in the name of the souls perishing around you, and in his name who " was content to suffer death on the cross for our sakes, beg your prayers, your influence, and your support in this good cause. Carry your thoughts through the vista which hides eternity from the present scene. Soon must this generation pass, and yourselves, with those around you, pass with it. Carry them on still further -think of that day when all shall meet, not around the mercyseat, but the judgment-seat of Christ. Before it is too late, reflect, what will power, influence, riches, talents, or time be then, but as far as they have been employed to the honour of God, and the good of souls? This question, if applied by the Holy Spirit,

will be effectual to the stirring you up to every good work. In conclusion, your Committee would pray that the promised blessing may be realized by you, "He that watereth the souls of others shall himself be watered with the dews of heaven."

HAGGERSTONE, KINGSLAND, AND PHILIP STREET
ASSOCIATION.

THE following Annual Reports of Missionary labour on the districts embraced by the above Association were read at the last public Meeting held at Kingsland.

HAGGERSTONE.

Haggerstone used to be, a few years since, notorious for almost every species of crime and immorality. The house of God was neglected, the Sabbath-day profaned, religion opposed, and the people altogether, with a few exceptions, spiritually considered, walking in midnight darkness.

This description of what Haggerstone was, has been repeatedly reiterated in the ears of your Missionary. And now, although many Christian exertions have been brought to bear upon the moral state of the people, an immense mass of human depravity remains to be grappled with and overcome, before Haggerstone will be evangelized. One feature of the district, especially, presents a fearful aspect. A large portion is divided into small gardens; these, on the Sabbath morning, when the weather will permit, become the resort of great numbers of men, mostly labourers or mechanics, who come here to spend the hours of the sacred day, either in cultivating the grounds, or idly rambling through them. Your Missionary, sometimes alone, and sometimes in company with a brother Missionary, has frequently visited this place, and although immediate good results have not been witnessed, yet it is hoped something has been said which, followed by the Holy Spirit's influence, will produce effects the last great day alone may reveal. Two or three cases that have come under notice will suffice to show the importance of these visits.

Sunday, Oct. 11, 1840.-Presented a tract to an old man selling fruit, and affectionately reproved him for the sin of Sabbathbreaking. He replied, "That it was not choice but real necessity that compelled him to be there; he had for a long while been afflicted, but now being sufficiently recovered, he felt himself obliged to do what he could to procure subsistence. He felt conscious he was acting wrong, but being forced to it by circumstances, he hoped the Lord would have mercy upon him." He was urged to give up his unlawful pursuits, and seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and every needful blessing would

be added. He was not seen there again after the following Sabbath.

Sunday, Nov. 8th, 1840.-Being in company with Brother Dubber, we presented the tract entitled, "One Glass More," to a poor old labouring man, who upon receiving it said, "He should like to have a glass of spirits just then, he was sure it would do him much good." After exposing the destruction of health and morals, and the poverty and misery which arose from intemperance, we addressed him seriously upon the danger of neglecting his soul. He listened attentively to our conversation, although at the same time many men upon the gardens were reviling us.

Sunday, March 7, 1841.-I presented a tract to a young man, accompanied with a few remarks upon its contents and the importance of religion. We entered into conversation, during which he made the following statement:-"I was brought up in the country in connexion with the Baptist denomination, was a teacher in a Sunday-school, and rejoiced in the ways of righteousness; but having a strong desire to come to London, my father complied with my wish and sent me. Here I formed new acquaintances of an irreligious character, then neglected the house of God, and so gradually by little and by little fell into a disregard to religion and a love to sin. I know I am in a wrong course, and hope the Lord will again place me under the influence of his grace." I endeavoured to convince him that if he really wished to regain the favour of God he must use those means through which he dispenses his favour, and must abandon the paths of iniquity. I attempted then to contrast his present state with his former, when, as the tear started in his eye, he exclaimed, "I am not now a happy man!"

DOMICILIARY VISITATION.-In this department of my labour I have not much reason to complain of direct opposition. A cold indifference to spiritual things seems rather to pervade the minds of the people. They will listen and assent, but my words too often seem like idle tales.

I have, however, during the six months that I have been engaged upon the district, by the blessing of God, been able in some measure to ingratiate myself in the good-will of the people, so that now my tracts are received, doors are open, and conversations entered into in many places where formerly I was rejected. This affords me some ground to hope that the Lord will be pleased to work by me, and that the truths I am permitted to proclaim in the sinner's ears will, by the Holy Spirit's influence, be applied to the heart, and lead to genuine repentance. One case, from several of an encouraging nature, shall be mentioned.

of

When I first called on Mr. he accepted the tract, but acknowledged that he had no regard for religion. Indeed, the whole tone of his conversation was highly sceptical, objecting to the immortality of the soul, and consequently of future rewards and

punishments. His objections were answered, and religion pressed upon his attention. At a subsequent call he requested me to step into his apartment, for he had something to say to me. I complied, and he in a little while gaining confidence, unreservedly opened his mind to me, telling me, that a great change had taken place in his views and sentiments. He was now convinced of the truth of the Bible, and felt himself to be a great sinner, and feared that he should never obtain mercy. He said, these fears caused him alarm, so that his peace was broken, and he had no rest day or night: "I have tried," said he, "to put these thoughts away from me, but I cannot, and if this is what you call religion, I wish I had never known anything about it." After being told that these feelings were common, in some degree, to every truly awakened sinner, he was directed to look to Christ alone for pardon and salvation. He now attends the house of God, and gives satisfactory evidence of a work of grace in his soul.

MEETINGS.-An additional meeting has been opened on the district under my immediate care. There is an increasing attendance; and I trust, through the Divine blessing, it will be rendered useful in the neighbourhood.

AFFLICTION. Many cases of affliction have been visited, and the consolations of the Gospel administered to those who could not attend the sanctuary of God. In some cases, ground of hope has been afforded that the stroke has not been in vain, while in others the impressions made by sickness, and the fear of death, have been absorbed by the return of health and the busy cares of life.

KINGSLAND.

The inhabitants of the Kingsland District are principally brickmakers, most of whom are very ignorant and depraved. There is also a large number of policemen, who almost universally neglect public worship; and some printers, who are employed at the Bible Printing-office; many of whom say, they have enough of the Bible at their work.

There are in the District thirty-nine streets, lanes, &c., in which are 436 visitable houses, containing 534 visitable families, 521 of whom are visited. There are about 1,400 adults, 265 of whom usually attend church or chapel, and 202 cannot read, and 852 children under fifteen years of age; 321 of them attend day-schools, and 293 Sunday-schools. Some of them attend both day and Sunday-schools, thus making the actual total attending schools, 424. There are five public-houses on the District, and thirty-five shops open on the Sabbath; more than half are for the sale of fruit, nuts, &c.

I commenced my work here in the latter end of April last. Much coldness and indifference were at first manifested, and some direct opposition, (in some instances from professors of religion,) but this has in a great measure given way; yet there are