give books, and that I should not. | rent. This, together with some Over and over again, they flatly de- things not connected with my donied ever giving me any permission ings, has probably aroused the govto preach or give books. They then ernment. We feel greatly distresscalled upon me to promise that I ed on account of the disciples here would preach no more, and give no-there are also many promising more books of any kind. I replied, "I dare not promise." They said, "You must promise." I replied, "I cannot, I dare not make such a promise; I fear God more than kings; and if you cut off both my arms, and then my head, I cannot make such a promise." One said, "Remain quiet, and you can stay." I replied, "I dare not remain quiet; I came here to preach, and the command of God is, to preach in all the world." Half a dozen cried out furiously: "Send him away! send him away!! he is not fit to live in the empire! inquirers, and a few who give evidence of piety. It seems to us like being driven from the field of labor to relinquish our footing here. O God! look in mercy on these millions. The cause is God's-this is a cheering thought; the counsels of men cannot overthrow the doings of God. But O, sir, I feel the need of having more of that wisdom which cometh from above. One of the ministers said to me, "If we do not oppose you, we shall go to hell." I said, "Do not I preach the divine law?" He replied, "We dare not listen to you; we are afraid of hell! " I then made an appeal to the prince, the queen's brother; he list- Thus, they would have you think ened to my story till I came to that that from pious motives they set part where I said the Woongees' themselves against you. I have promise induced me to rent a house some hopes that this fit of bigotry at considerable expense. He then will wear off, and the sun of prosinquired how much money was ex- perity again shine upon our path. pended, and said the owner of the I know the day of opposition will house should pay back the money. come; I know the empire of darkI have omitted to say, in its proper ness is not to be overturned without place, that they called the owner of much toil and suffering. We must the house, and before me threatened not be discouraged; if driven from the old man with prison, and death, one point, we must seize upon anothand every thing that makes a Bur- er; and as good soldiers of the man's blood freeze in his veins, for cross of Christ, we must continue renting it to me. The poor old fel-struggling on the field of battle, till low prostrated himself before them, the triumphant shout is echoed begging for his life. Though the through heaven and through earth, old man was a great villain, I pitied him, and told the ministers they had no reason to blame him, for if they had not given him permission, he never would have rented me his house." Do not punish him for what you gave him permission to do." The old man dared not utter a word To Dr. Lemuel Covell Paine. in his own defence. "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of Christ." PRAY FOR Us-pray for the little bund of redeemed souls in Ava. Your ever affectionate friend and brother, EUGENIO KINCAID. TAVOY. MR. MASON TO DR. BOLLES. Tavoy, July 14, 1834. Thus I have given you a concise view of the affair; and what will be the result it is impossible for me to say. For two months past, great numbers have been calling at the house, and an increasing interest to We have but a short notice of a read our books has been very appa-vessel to Maulmein, and I can only Dear Sir, send you a continuation of my jour-equally surprised and gratified by nal to Mergui, with a brief notice of the knowledge of scripture manifestmy present employments. English. Burman. Ko Myeat h'ta, the Tavoyer I baptized last year, is my assistant in this department, and occupies the zayat daily. He affords most valuable aid, and his progress in Christian knowledge is truly surprising. His respectability draws company, and we have more visiters at the zayat now, than ever heretofore since I have been in Tavoy. Our meetings on the Sabbath also are unusually well attended. I wish I could add that the truths preached were blessed to their conversion. On Tuesday evening I conduct a Burman service in the English chapel, on Wednesday forenoon Mrs. Mason has a female prayermeeting,-on Saturday night is the prayer-meeting for the males, and on the other evenings Burman worship is conducted in the zayat. Two persons, both females, are now before the church and their baptisms have been appointed for Wednesday. ed by some of the oldest scholars. All the most important parts of the New Testament they are both able My services in the English chapel to repeat and correctly explain; and have been as usual whenever sick-that, too, in a manner which indiness has not prevented, which it re-cated that their hearts were not unpeatedly has. There are two or affected. three in the congregation who, I trust, are new men in Christ, but none have as yet been admitted to baptism. Of the three Europeans baptized last year, two were removed with the troops six months ago; the third, who is in charge of the Commissariat Department, alone remains to exhibit a most interesting example of the power of religion. Before he began to entertain Christian views of himself and God, he lived unmarried with a native woman, by whom he had several children. He could not give up his children nor abandon the mother that bore them. Christianity left him but one alternative; and, humbling as that was to the human heart, he readily chose it and I married him. His baptism followed, and his growth in grace has been most apparent ever since. Before his conversion he kept a horse; but, after the event, he discovered that this was a luxury, and a luxury with which, while he could walk, and the wants of the world were so great, he said he was determined to dispense; and, instead of keeping a horse, he has ever since given fifteen rupees per month, as the subscription of himself and family to the missionary society for the support of a native preacher. The duties of his situation require but a small portion of his time, and Christianity soon taught him that the rest ought to be usefully employed. To be short, he now spends his forenoon in the study of Burman, with a view of rendering himself useful to the native population, and his afternoons are devoted to an English school consisting of soldiers' children, Portuguese children, and a few European soldiers who are now desirous of learning to read. Last week I visited his school, and was Karens. The season precludes the possibility of our doing much for this people at present, except in the way of a female school in our compound, which is superintended by Mrs. Mason and myself, and one or two other schools in the jungle, taught by native Christians. Öne great difficulty is want of books. I have one tract nearly through the press; and a considerable part of my time, with the aid of Moung Sha-too, is devoted to the composition of another intended to consist of thirty small chapters, one for each day in the month. Every chapter is in three parts,-the first a striking portion of scripture, the second explan atory thereof, with practical reflections, and the third an appropriate hymn. It is intended to be a companion for family worship, and will, at the same time, be a suitable school-book and a useful collection of hymns for our public service until a larger one can be composed. Allow me just to add that Mrs. Mason's day schools have nearly doubled their numbers since she wrote to Mrs. B. Yesterday there were more than fifty at the Sabbath school, which she regularly conducts every Sunday morning, the afternoon being devoted to a Sabbath school with the Karens. Yours, &c. FRANCIS MASON. MR. MASON'S JOURNAL. Monday, Jan. 20. curred, as related to me by a spectator:-While the persons who came to visit the oracle were sitting round, he addressed the spirit,-" My Lord, my Lord, surely this is a difficult affair. O my Lord, look about and assist: this individual is most grievously sick." (The spirit now speaks in him.) "O my disciple, my disciple. A Ka-lu has got his guardian angel and you cannot restore him." (The necromancer again addresses his spirit.) "O my Lord, what shall we do? Speak, I entreat. Assist, I beseech." (The spirit again.) "Offer a hog and you will be delivered, my son, my son." Here the farce closed, and the people returned to offer the hog, as they had heard the spirit direct. These offerings are made to malignant spirits, several of whom are designated by name, but others are known as the "spirit of the waters," "the spirit of the To-day we started on our south-forests," "the spirit of the mounern journey, intending to go up the tains," and many others. river Ben so far as it is navigable for canoes, and then to cross over the mountains to the Karen settlements in the southwest. We are encamped in a populous village of Meet-kheens, who have nothing to recommend them but what drew the Saviour to earth. They have been visited repeatedly, yet they all remain decided enemies of the Gospel. The head man is what may be denominated a necromancer. He is one of a class of persons among the Karens, each of whom professes to possess a "familiar spirit." These spirits give information to their possessors concerning any future event respecting which inquiries may be made, more especially concerning the sick. The process has been described to me as follows: The necromancer sits down cross-legged, and, placing The The-ray-tha-kha are the solhis hands on his knees, shakes him-diers of Pla-shaw above. They are self until he trembles all over; at which point the spirit enters him: he then addresses it, and the spirit replies through him in a manner which seems to make real the poetical description of the sybil when visited by Eneas. The following is what really oc Pla-shaw is the king of Nats; all others being his servants, and appointed by him to the several stations they occupy. He is worshipped once a year, about the time of harvest. Spirituous liquor is poured out to him, and fowls sacrificed, with offerings of plantains and sugar-cane, praying as follows:-"O lord of the streams, lord of the land, lord of the hills, lord of the mountains, lord of the trees, lord of the bamboos, thou to whom we offer food and drink of spirituous liquor, boiled rice, fowls, plantains, sweet sugarcane and every thing, let comfort and happiness come to us. In going and returning, in labor and toil, let success attend our endeavors. Let us be exempt from enemies, and wild beasts of every description." represented as carrying pipes with very long stems, such as the Chinese use, and when they lie down in the woods to sleep, people often walk across their pipes, arms and legs, at which being very indignant, they uniformly afflict the transgressor with sickness. They are believed beyed the instructions of the persons God sent us, he would have continued to afford us the aid of such persons in each succeeding generation; but because we did not obey, unho to be the spirits of persons, who prived them of their aid. They say, have died violent deaths. The offer-"had we not in ancient times disoings are made in the woods and consist of spirituous liquor poured out, and boiled rice scattered about. The offerings are accompanied with the following prayer:-"O ye, who eat both raw food and cooked, ye, wholy and wicked necromancers abound have died from accident, ye, who among us." The people are all evihave been starved to death, ye, who dently conscious that the whole of have died from falls, ye, whom the these offerings to Nats is wrong, and tigers have devoured, ye, whom the most acknowledge them to be so, lightning has struck, O ye, who have which feeling is kept up by the died unhallowed deaths of whatever prophets that are constantly rising description, this person having walk-up among them, who uniformly coned across your silver pipe-stem, your demn the practice. The people are golden pipe-stem, across your arms very tenacious in protesting that it and your legs, you have brought is not religious worship, and that sickness and suffering upon him. fear only impels them to do thus, I now offer thee food and drink, of while they continue to believe In black boiled rice, and red boiled rice, and worship God. and white boiled rice, and yellow The individual before me this boiled rice, of curry also and spirit- evening says, that he gave himself uous liquor; therefore, let this per-up in form, to the spirit he serves, son return to health again.” for fourteen years, twelve of which They are strong believers in are already past, that he must obey witchcraft, and sometimes they are the spirit until the time expires, told that they are bewitched, in when he intends to become a Chriswhich case the rule is to take every tian. I have had a long conversathing out of the house, and throw tion with him since worship, but it it into the jungle with the follow-were as well to talk to a maniac, for ing prayer:-"O cheet-khun witch, on this subject reason seems to have cheet-tho witch, Taling witch, Bur- left him. man witch, dog witch, pigeon witch or sparrow witch, you have come and asked of us food and drink, and we have this day given for your nourishment, every thing that was in the house. Go, eat and drink what has been offered to you, and carry food to your own region, to your own city, to your own village. If you do not go back I will cut off your head, and overcome you with my weapon." The last sentence is uttered, while flourishing a knife or sword about the house. Jan. 21. Nya h'tsaway. This is another large village of Meet-kheens, which we reached this afternoon by wading a few miles without shoes or stockings up a small tributary of the Ben, at the month of which we left our canoes. The people, like all their tribe, are characterized by dislike to the gospel. Of one man, however, I am not without hope; he hangs around us now, as he did last year when we were here, but his confidence in God is not yet strong enough to overcome his fear of malignant spirits. These necromancers are regarded as wicked men, and like the spirits The head man, who was our viowhich they serve, are feared by the lent enemy last year, lies in a high people. Tradition says, that formerly fever, afraid, he says, of dying and God gave them a succession of in-going to hell, and appears very dividuals, who were instructed by grateful for the medicine I have prehimself to give occasional informa-scribed for him. tion in relation to future events, but Two Toung-thoos are here, with the instruction of these pious indi- whom I have had a long conversaviduals being neglected, God de- tion, but find them incorrigible Bood hists. There are none of the tribe written too much about ourselves. dwelling in this province, but a few In this letter I wish to write of came, trading in trinkets, from the something more important. Still provinces of Maulmein and Marta- self is so sly it may insinuate itself ban, where they reside. They claim even here to some extent. I wish the honor of first bringing the Bood-to plead the cause of the heathen. hist scriptures from Ceylon, and it is, It is true we have not been a long I believe, generally conceded there, time in this country, but we have though not strictly correct; for, al- been long enough to perceive what though Bug-da-gan-tha was born heathenism is, not only in theory but among them, he was the son of a in practice. The daily and hourly Brahmin. This honor proved their degradations and abominations we ruin; for, in the year eight hundred witness, pain our souls. Humanity and eighty-six of the Christian era, revolts, decency is outraged, natural when Bug-da-gan-tha returned from affection, except in its basest forms, Ceylon with two copies of the scrip- is unknown-humble poverty is optures, the Toung-thoos were an in-pressed, and iniquity triumphs. A dependent nation, governed by kings full fed, insolent, indolent and almost of their own. These nations were innumerable priesthood riot upon unquestionably Boodhists, before Boodhism was introduced from Cey ́lon; and, when it was noised abroad that the king of the Toung-thoos was in possession of the copies of books so valuable, the king of Pughan sent and demanded one. The Toung-thoos refused to comply with the demand and war ensued in which they were completely conquered, their royal family exterminated, and their capital, the sight of which is stil! shown near the Seet-toung river, was razed to the ground. The people were carried into captivity, or driven into the forest where they have since dwelt. (To be continued.) Do the wealth of the country, and delude the people with a superstition which God abhors. Have Americans compassion? here is a field for its exercise.-Do they love decency? let them try to implant that love here. Have they a regard for the ties of nature? let them teach that regard. Do they love freedom? let them compassionate the oppressed. they hate imposture let them attempt its overthrow. Do they fear God? let them persuade their fellowbeings to fear him too. But earthly circumstances and prospects are hardly worth mentioning here. The prospects of a future state to such beings, as they are disclosed to a believer of revelation, are appalling. An apostle has said, "Now the works of the flesh are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; and that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God," and I can safely add, that if such be the fact, for this people as a mass there is nothing but a "certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation." They know not God and our Lord Jesus Christ. In view of their character and prospects and the commands of the Saviour, I ask, what ought Christians in America to do? In writing to you hitherto, I have Ought they to be contented with a Siam. BANKOK. The following letter, which has been kindly passed to us for publication, needs no comment. We would simply reiterate the expostulatory demand of our beloved brother, "If men do not think, how can they act? When called to any important station at home, they think, and think deeply, whether they shall accept it. Why will they not think about poor, miserable, deluded, perishing pagans?" MR. JONES TO REV. H. MALCOM. Bankok, Siam, Jan. 16, 1834. Dear Brother, |