General View of the Station. The Congregation at Church on Sundays has evidently increased. We wish that we were able to attribute this increase to a desire in the people to hear the Word of Eternal Life; but we fear that it arises chiefly from their having been more pressingly invited to come, and from their unwillingness to offend us: but, from whatever cause it arises, we are glad to see an increase in our Congregation; and, though many appear to pay little attention, yet to some we hope that the Word is not spoken altogether in vain. In our visits to the people at their own houses, and in our meetings with them at the Country Schools, we find many things to try our faith and patience; many things which ought and sometimes do, we hope, excite our pity and compassion; and some things to encourage us to persevere in the strength of the Lord. They add the following account of the Difficulties in the Mission. We have met with some trials from the circumstance of two Buddhuist Priests having come to reside in the village, at no great distance from the Mission Stations. They attract large Congregations; and establish, we fear, in the faith of their false system, some who were beginning to waver. They are very zealous in their cause, and daring in their opposition to Christianity: they have not feared to deny the Living God. One of them arguing with Br. Faught said, “If there be such a God of Mercy and Power as you say there is, let Him now manifest His Mercy and display His Power. I disregard His Mercy-I defy His Power!" This, together with the trials which we meet with from the Schoolmasters, from the Mission Boys, from the very doubtful state of some of whom good hopes were entertained, and from the perfect unconcern about eternal things manifested by the generality of the people, is truly disheartening, and sometimes almost casts us down. But we know that it is our duty and privilege, not to be discouraged by any of these things; for the cause in which we are engaged is the Lord's. The strength and the battle are the Lord's, not ours. His is the power to pull down the strongholds of Satan, and to extend His own dominions to the ends of the earth. And it may be His pleasure fully to shew us our own weakness and insufficiency, by bringing a host of enemies, trials, difficulties, and oppositions against us, that we may learn to look more to Him and less to ourselves; that He may display most clearly His more invincible power; that all may know and confess, that it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. Pernicious Nature and Influence of Buddhuism. The Rev. G. C. Trimnell gives the following account of the appaling Superstition by which the Natives are held in bondage: I imagine there are very few of God's servants who have come to preach the Gospel in Heathen Lands, who have not been much discouraged and even disappointed. At home, we are apt to think that the Heathen are prepared to welcome the Gospel. It was so with me. I thought that the Heathen, having been so long in ignorance and possessing some natural consciousness of sin, would be as much delighted as surprised to hear of a Saviour-to hear, that the Son of God had suffered and died to bring to everlasting happiness miserable sinners. I little knew or imagined how the Heathen Mind is defended against conviction of sin and fear of punishment-how the poor creatures are taught to believe, that good actions will altogether preserve from the consequences of those which are evil-that giving alms to the poor, making little wooden bridges over rivulets, assisting to build rest-housesstanding, instead of sitting, to hear the books of Buddhu-the offering flowers to his images and food to his priestshow these things can atone for many sins, and purchase much happiness in the world to come. And if a man who has sinned should die before he has done any good works to overbalance his crimes, he is taught to expect to be born again, either as a human being in a state of poverty and affliction, or in some inferior animal, as dog, snake, fish, or insect; in which state he will have opportunity of doing works which will merit something better in the next: having passed through many transmigrations, if their merits exceed their demerit, they will be born in the world of gods, and finally become annihilated; but if their crimes have been very great, and they have no merits to help them, they will be born in hell. But they have no idea of being there for ever: having suffered awhile, they may be born again in this world; and, by pass ing through many changes, will at length come to the summit of happiness-annihilation. They are taught, that all will come to this state finally; and that according as their good actions are abounding much or little over their evil, will be the length of time before they arrive at perfect happiness. Thus, if they should have any consciousness of sin, they see no great excellency in a Saviour: for the works of merit, which do away with the consequences of sin and purchase happiness, are easily performed; or, if omitted, the consequence is but trifling, and they have a certainty of finally coming, without any Saviour, to all the happiness which they desire. This view of Buddhuism may, in some measure, account for the almost incredible concern respecting a future state, which we have so much to lament. All that we tell them is quite contrary to what their own religion teaches: and their Priests are held in such reverence, that what they say would be credited, even should it be contrary to common sense and what every man's natural reason would judge to be false and absurd. If their judgment be convinced of the falsehood of any notion, their conviction is at once stifled by, "It is written in the books" and the truth of any thing which is asserted there, they dare not doubt; and are taught, that they sin if they question or examine it. Though He has not yet manifested His great power and mercy among us, as He has been pleased to do in some other places, we have not reason to think that our labours have been altogether unattended by His blessing. His Word is constantly preached; and we hope that some who have heard it have felt its power. Numbers of children are daily reading and committing to memory portions of the Scriptures. Our Schools have greatly increased; and we are now about to establish Girls' Schools in the neighbouring villages where we have Boys' Schools. We do not find that there is any more readiness in the people to hear the Word of God; but our Congregation at Church, in consequence of the School-children attending, has much increased. We have on Sundays, if the weather be tolerably fine, about three hundred children attending Church. That the Word of God will be blessed to the conversion and salvation of some of them, we cannot doubt. It is our endeavour and purpose, by the Lord's help, to preach Christ Jesus and Him crucified; and though we cannot make the people feel their need of Him, we believe that the Lord will, and will also enable them to see His excellency. We labour in hope, in the midst of discouragements and difficulties. We have much to be thankful for, in that our health and strength are continued; and that we have been kept from fainting ticular discouragement. This morning (Jan. 5, 1828) about nine o'clock, Juwan Alwis departed this life, no doubt for a better. This is the third Christian Brother here from among the Heathen who has died in faith and hope. Blessed be the Name of the Lord, who has not allowed His servants to labour here in vain, but has given them to see three of their spiritual children fall asleep in Christ, witnessing a good confession! Mr. Trimnell, in the midst of and giving up our work in times of parthese evils, adds the following Encouraging Considerations and Facts. Such strong-holds has Satan provided for the defence of his kingdom, and with such armour has he enclosed the minds of his slaves! No weapons of human inventions, nor any power of man, can enable us to enter the house of this strong man armed, and deliver his prisoners. But, there is a Power that can; and we are waiting to see the puttingforth of that power. The Word of God, when applied by the Spirit, is quick and powerful. There is no heart so hard, which it cannot soften; no mind so blind and prejudiced, which it cannot enlighten and subdue. Though, therefore, we see no immediate prospect of the conversion of the Heathen around us, we believe that the day may be very near, when this people, now dead in trespasses and sins, shall live. The kingdom of heaven may be at hand. The Lord, with convincing and converting mercy, may come suddenly, as a thief in the night. NELLORE. The Rev. Joseph Knight gives the following Indication of the Increase of Light among the Natives. Though the mass of the people are still involved in thick darkness, yet we have much evidence that light is spreading. While many are determined, from various motives, to adhere to their system, bad as it is-and the more so, the more its deformity is exposed; yet others, though as far from loving and embracing the light as ever, convinced that the levies made upon them by the crafty Brahmins and Pandarams, and the offerings made to the temples, are vain and fruitless, have for some time begun to withhold them: but as too many of this class are far from yielding to the superior claims of Christianity, by the enlightening rays of which they begin to discover the vanity of their own system, they must be considered as feeling themselves relaxed from all religious obligation, and thus to be fast verging toward the principles and practice of atheism. Some others, however, not only feel ashamed of the superstitious darkness in which they have been so long enveloped, but seem half-inclined to emerge from it and come to the light: and were it not for fear of the reproach and persecution commonly attending such a course from their ungodly relations and countrymen, to whom they are bound by a thousand ties, through caste, family connections, &c., we might expect that a good number of this class would soon be willing to renounce Heathenism, and to make a public profession of Christianity. In this class we may number several of our Schoolmasters, and others in connection with the Station; as well as a larger number, we would hope, in the villages around, who have listened from time to time to the preaching of the Word; or who, by the various other means employed, have learnt that there is salvation in none other than the Lord Jesus Christ: and we hope, not only that this number will gradually increase, but that, ere long, many of them, taught more effectually by the Holy Spirit their guilt and danger, will wholly relinquish these delusive hopes and heathenish practicesembrace the Saviour in faith and loveand, opposition notwithstanding, boldly declare their attachment to his cause. In view, however, of the innumerable chains which bind the people to their system, and of the difficulties which oppose their embracing the Christian Faith, however much we may rejoice and take courage in the spread of Divine Knowledge, assured that thus the way is preparing for the coming of the Lord, we can entertain but faint hopes that any human efforts will prove successful to the pulling down the strong-holds of the enemy, or that Idolatry will to any extent be relinquished by this people, till the Spirit be poured out from on high, and God Himself make bare his arm to accomplish the work. Though not as yet permitted to witness large accessions to the Church of Christ, or to hear the Heathen, convinced of their folly and delusion, crying out, What shall we do to be saved? yet I would rejoice in the encouraging hope, that there are a few at the Station who have tasted that the Lord is gracious; and whose earnest desire, we trust, it is, to press forward in the Divine Life, and to be as burning and shining lights to those around them. The Rev. W. Adley states the following Instances of the Influence of Religion among the Natives. We have lately had a small accession to the Church of two members. My cook was baptized, by the name of Solomon, on the first Sunday of this month, and received to communion with a Young Man named John, who has been taken into our employment from one of the American Stations, and of whose piety we have every hope. It is with no small feelings of joy and gratitude that I am permitted to add, that the Wife of Samuel, and a Young Man, a relative, having no connection or employ with Missionaries, are admitted as candidates for Baptism. I have been much pleased with all that I have seen respecting them, and fully trust that they are the subjects of converting Grace. Samuel's Wife attributes her first convictions to the Evening Preaching, about twelve months since; and these were nourished and carried forward by the daily reading, conversation, and prayers of her husband. Samuel, when requesting that she might be received as a can didate for admission to the Church, said, "We have refrained from doing so for some months, in order that I might first be fully satisfied that she had undergone a change of heart." The mind of the Young Man was also awakened through the same means; and he has, for many months, been a regular and apparently devout attendant on the Means of Grace. Samuel has had much to contend with, from his relatives and neighbours; but I rejoice to say, that he has passed through his trials as gold through the furnace. Through grace and mercy, strengthened by his Saviour with the armour of God, he has hitherto been enabled to stand in the evil day. General View of the State and Effects of and attend to the preaching of the Go the Mission. The Missionaries remark, in their last Report With one exception, by the exercise of discipline in the case of an individual on whom we have reason to hope that salutary effects have been produced, the Communicants have continued to hold on their way with a consistency and zeal that we trust, as an example, will be productive of good. To the inquirers, among the Youths formerly mentioned, who continue in the exercise of the Means of Grace, and are manifestly obtaining increasing knowledge, two or three cases of a very hopeful kind have lately been added, and a general feeling of increased anxiety on the important concerns of the soul and eternity is at present evinced by most of those attending these means. Mr. Adley adds, at the end of February Many circumstances of general interest have occurred since my last com munication, indicating slow but gradual and certain progress. Many of those living at a little distance in the villages around us, who, when the School Lads first went to them to read the Scriptures and Tracts, instead of hearing would revile, and in some cases cast stones at them, are now willing to hear when visited, though they still find excuses for keeping from the Lord's House. The lads have, of late, frequently noticed this difference in their reception. Some few of the more intelligent discover a more favourable feeling toward Christianity, and a desire to become further acquainted with it: they observe, that possessions, supposed by evil spirits, which before the Missionaries came were frequent and productive of sad effects, are now scarcely known; and the apparent success of fortune-tellers and jugglers is greatly diminished. With respect to our immediate neighbours at Nellore, we are, perhaps, more unfavourably situated than most of our Missionary Friends in this part-they being more in the country, and with country people, or tillers of the ground; while those around us are chiefly braziers, and silver- or gold-smiths, whose conduct is, like that of Demetrius of old, directed to the support of the craft of Idolaters, as the chief support of their own craft; and they are consequently more difficult of access, and also to be persuaded to leave their employments, spel. An instance has occurred lately, in the case of five poor widows, with several Their children, who reside near to us. house caught fire, and the roof and timber part of it was destroyed by the A collection was made for them flames. at the Station, of about 20 rix-dollars; which, with a few collected by other means, was nearly sufficient to repair their loss. On presenting the money to them, I urged it upon them, as a debt of gratitude, that they should attend the Church on the Lord's Day: they promised that they would do so; but hav. ing often done that before, and excusing themselves on failing to come, I said I would send a School Lad on the Sabbath Morning, to tell them the time, and come with them. Finding that they had no way of escape, they declined taking the money, rather than have it on these conditions; conceiving, that by attending constantly on Christian Worship, they should bring a reproach upon their caste. I gave them the money; saying, that if they would not come to see us, since it was for their eternal good, we would visit them; and hoped that they would see, ere long, how vain and sinful such conduct was. We rejoice in the instances there are of the bursting asunder of this brazen bond of caste. Oh for that time when it shall be severed, never again to be united-when there shall be neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free; but all shall be one in Christ Jesus! Pernicious Influence of Caste. On this point the Missionaries say: We are pained to witness, after so long a residence among this people, how much we are regarded as foreigners, and how little inclination they manifest to cultivate a closer acquaintance with us, or to listen to the sacred truths which we proclaim; except as prompted by some sinister motive, some hope of advancing their temporal interests. Their unfriendly disposition must be ascribed, in a great degree, to the exclusive sy. stem of caste prevalent among them; which, while it retains its hold on the mind, presents an almost impassable barrier to social intercourse with all who are not by birth of the same rank with themselves. But the stern aspect which caste holds toward Christians, whose religion consists, not, like their own, in meals and drinks, and divers washings and carnal ordinances, but in purity of heart and life, utterly forbids the hope that any thing like real friendship can be cultivated between them and us, till caste is totally abolished by the operation of the principles of the Gospel. State and Promise of the Boarding Youths. Mr. Adley thus reports When not from home, or particularly engaged, I usually have one, in turn, a short time with me in the evening, to converse with him about his soul. In these conversations, I am much gratified at the readiness with which they turn to the Scriptures in proof of any duty or doctrine, and at the length and accuracy of their verbal quotations. Some of the Youths require a very watchful hand, and we have not been without our trials with them: indeed, to look for other than this, in the present state of things, would be to expect miracles. They are surrounded by tempters and temptations; strengthened by the force of evil example and previous habitual practice, which must have a weight and influence over them, to which we, as Europeans, must be strangers. Long after their minds are convinced of the errors of Idolatry, they will return and bow in the House of Rimmon, and burden themselves with a load of earth. But, in general, they continue well: the pious hold on their way: those of whom we have long had hope, continue to give proofs by which our hopes respecting them are confirmed: they are diligent in the use of the Means of Grace, and are increasing in the knowledge of Divine Things; and most of them are making very creditable progress in their studies. That some of them are, and that many of the others will be, a great blessing to their country, we confidently hope and trust. North-American States. GREEK.SCHOOL COMMITTEE. OUR American Brethren, as will be here seen, are enlarging their efforts in behalf of Greece. Formation and Object of the Committee. This Committee was lately formed at New York, and consists of the following Gentlemen :— Hon. Albert Gallatin, ChairmanMr. Arthur Tappan, Treasurer - Rev. M. Bruen and Mr. Knowles Taylor, Secretaries Seth P. Staples, Esq.Eleazer Lord, Esq.-Dr. Samuel Akerly -and Mr. Richard T. Haines. The object in view is, to establish The Greek Committee believe that the cause of common School Education needs no advocate in this enlightened nation. The miseries of the southern half of our Continent have been prolonged by the want of good Common Schools. By a recent survey, known to this Committee, the Common Schools of Greece are found to be in that dejected state, which might be anticipated from her long subjugation, and the wars attending her late Revolution. American efforts upon that soil have been greeted with the warmest gratitude; and the parents, who fed their children with our bread, last year, will rejoice to have them enriched with the intelligence of a country, whose philanthropy is its glory. Already the Government of Greece has applauded the first attempt to improve their Common Schools; and lends the most favourable countenance to our countrymen, embarked in the enterprise. If Ten or Twelve Thousand Dollars can be collected here annually for a few years, the present plan will be crowned with complete success. Two learned Greek Professors, already possessed of the confidence of their countrymen, united with several men from the United States competent to instruct in our best Colleges and acquainted with all the recent improvements in science and education, can at once open in Greece a Seminary for Schoolmasters; and, as the result, other Institutions will soon be formed, which will diffuse and perpetuate their blessings co-extensively with the Greek Language. In a few years, these Institutions, it may be hoped, will all be assumed and supported by the Greeks themselves. |