tians, strong in faith, will not abandon in despair a generous enterprize of evangelization, because of trying difficulties in the incipient, or the advanced stages of the work. They know that temporary unsuccessfulness is not to be taken as an omen that they are engaged in an impracticable undertaking; that menacing obstacles in the beginning or in the progress of a service, are no certain signs of failure in the end. Discouraging events of this nature, while they try, serve ultimately to strengthen the faith of the church. They detach it from all alliance with base and corrupt motives, and give it more simplicity and energy. New resources are thus developed in the church, and a more effective enginery is made to bear upon the fortresses of pagan superstition.

Much more might easily be said to show how strong and steady an impulse to missionary effort a high degree of faith is capable of affording. There can be no doubt that the work of spreading the Gospel through the world, requires all the aid it can derive from the utmost energy of this principle. Who, then, can cast his eye over the church, and survey the incommensurateness of the existing operations to the magnitude of the object to be accomplished, without feeling that there is needed a great increase of faith?

It was my intention to speak of some other constituents of a scriptural piety, and to show, from their relation to the missionary enterprize, that they must be possessed in the church, in a higher degree than they are now seen to exist, in order to furnish the best combination of moral forces to bear successfully on the unevangelized world. But this address has already, perhaps, exceeded its justifiable limits; and I hasten to conclude, by noticing a few considerations suggested by the preceding view.

I hardly need repeat what was intimated at the beginning of this discussion, that if the view which we have now taken, is correct, it furnishes a most powerful motive to us, to cultivate in ourselves, and to promote in the churches, so far as our influence may reach, the spirit of a thorough scriptural piety. No increase of numbers, no accessions of talent, learning, or wealth, can compensate for a lack of spiritual graces. The moral power of the church is in her piety. This is the grand moving force which must first impress itself upon, and direct all her subordinate energies, or they will never act consentaneously and effectually on the unevangelized world. How anxious, then, should we be to bring ourselves and the church under the pervading influence of the Gospel!

The view which we have taken, is also fitted to show the value of a well-instructed ministry. We have seen that the successful prosecution of the missionary undertaking requires a high degree of scriptural piety in the church. This scriptural piety we have explained as consisting in such views and feelings as are in harmony with the true nature and design of the Gospel. But whether the churches shall have these views and feelings, must depend very much on their religious teachers. If these teachers possess minds of limited range, unable to seize with a strong grasp, and

exhibit clearly to their respective churches the various parts of divine truth, the pious affections deprived of their proper aliment will have, instead of a full and healthful, but an exceedingly diminutive and sickly growth. It is not from the ministrations of such men, that the missionary cause is to derive the largest amount of benefit. But let the ministers of the Gospel be well instructed, let them have meditated deeply on all the great Christian doctrines, as they stand connected with the glory of God and the salvation of men, and their preaching will foster a deep and scriptural piety, in perfect sympathy with the enterprize to send the Gospel among all nations. These remarks may serve to show how intimate is the relation which theological institutions bear to the prosperity of religion, in our own, and in foreign lands. Another reflection arising from the views which have been presented, respects the manner in which the Gospel should be habitually contemplated by Christians. If it is a provision for all men, and if it is at length to be universally made known, it would seem that every one must take a very inadequate view of it, who does not look at it, much and often, in this its relation to the necessities of mankind. Any inferior view of it, besides its tendency to restrain benevolent feeling and effort, fails to do justice to the Gospel itself. It draws a circle of limitation around that which God, so far as man is concerned, has left wholly unlimited. It thus contracts, within unauthorized dimensions, perhaps the grandest subject which the faculties of men or of any higher order of beings will ever be permitted to contemplate. It is to this disposition to view the Gospel on too narrow a scale, that we must attribute the habit, still too common among Christians, of regarding the missionary enterprize as a thing by itself,-as something quite apart from the concern of supporting the Gospel at home, and in complete disconnexion with any of the plans and movements for the religious benefit of those around them. It is true of some, we fear, that when they hear a minister pass quickly from the duty of supporting the Gospel among themselves, to the duty of sending it to the heathen, they imagine he has made a transition to an entirely new subject, instead of proceeding from a view nearer and more confined, to one more remote and general, of the same subject. These two views do not lie in contiguity to each other in their minds: there is no state of friendly sympathy between them: one of them may be entertained a long time without a thought of the other. But it must be of essential disservice to the missionary cause, to be thus unnaturally divorced, in the contemplations of Christians, from the cause of religion at home. Just views of the Gospel, as a provision for the race, will, in time, I cannot doubt, break up the vicious associations which lie at the foundation of this habit of thinking. Meanwhile, let us not fail, whenever we stand in connexion with the churches, to exhibit the Gospel in all the fulness of the blessings which it has to bestow. Let us do what we can to bring all Christians to dwell habitually on the final, comprehensive design of Christianity, that of multi

plying converts to itself from all kindreds and nations. Let this just association be familiarized to the mind, and it will no longer be in the power of ignorance or prejudice to dissolve it. The progress of religion at home, and its prosperity in foreign lands, will then be regarded, as in reason they ought to be, the success of one and the same cause.

The brethren of the Society will indulge me in one additional remark. It is often said that the interests of religion at home are best consulted by encouraging a spirit of missions. No one of us, I suppose, doubts that this is a fact. The train of thought through which we have before passed, enables us to account for the fact. We have seen that the missionary cause depends for its prosperity on a high degree of scriptural piety in the church. Now this is precisely the thing which is most essential to the success of the Gospel at home. Just as a high degree of the missionary spirit implies, as a necessary condition, a high degree of piety, does an unusual measure of activity to aid the Gospel at home, imply an unusual depth of religious feeling. The source of these two kinds of activity is the very same; it is piety. In either case, also, the measure of the activity is as the measure of the piety. But that measure of piety which prompts to missionary activity, is manifestly greater than that measure of piety which is satisfied with engaging in no missionary activity. This is true, if the main substance of this address is not wrong. It follows, then, that it is in the very nature of that higher degree of piety which feels an interest in missions, that it should also feel a deeper concern for the success of the Gospel at home. The piety which excites to missionary activity, differs not at all in its nature, though it differs much in its degree, from the piety which, overlooking the heathen, busies itself only with the immediate neighborhood or district. But the higher degree and the wider scope of activity which belong to the one, never supplant the lower degree and the narrower sphere of effort which belong to the other. On the contrary, that piety which prompts its possessor to do the most for the pagan nations of Asia, will also, from the very circumstance of its superior degree, prompt him to do the most for the people of his own neighborhood and country. Let us, then, my brethren, never fear ourselves, and let us give no countenance to the fears of others, that the missionary spirit in the churches ever will, or can become so strong and general as to endanger the prosperity of religion in our own land. In mercy to the heathen, and in mercy to the churches in this nation, I could wish that this spirit were increased a hundred fold. Language like this might appear paradoxical to men of worldly wisdom; but I doubt not that we shall show by our conduct, that we regard it as "truth and soberness.”

DECAY OF HINDOOISM.

Suppression of Hindoo Cruelties.

The Bishop of Calcutta thus writes to the Rev. James Peggs, in reference to his volume, entitled "India's Cries to British Humanity:"

"All the subjects which you treat with so much feeling are enjoying the attention of Christians in this country: SUTTEE has already been abolished; and INFANTICIDE, though in Cutch and Guzerat this latter is said still to prevail: the EXPOSURE OF THE SICK on the banks of the Ganges remains, as well as the various disgraceful scenes which many of the annual festivals exhibit. But public opinion, even among the natives themselves, is rapidly dragging out these monstrous customs, and exposing them to the just abhorrence of mankind. This very Spring, two of the invasions on decency, the DHOLE JATTRA and CHURRACK POOJAH, have been denounced in the daily Journals, by native writers, and the aid of the magistrate in suppressing the open immoralities of them invoked; while the GHAUT MURDERS (nineteen hundred were said to have been exposed in the month of November last, at one ghaut alone, in Calcutta; one half of whom might otherwise have survived, at least for a time,) have induced a Hindoo gentleman to build a hospital on the banks of the river for receiving the sick. In the mean time, the honors done to the memory of Rammohun Roy-the native schools, which are pushed on all sides-the thirst for knowledge-the progress of missions-the growing liberality and zeal of Government in all its subordinate details-the amazing strides which the new charter will take in the employment and elevation of the natives, will rapidly, I trust, through the mercy of God, accelerate the deliverance of this beautiful country from the cruel and impure dominion of the God of this world."

Growth of British Influence.

One striking indication of the decay of Hindooism is an increasing persuasion among the Brahmins, that the British must prevail, and the power of the Ganges come to an end. The Brahmins of Hurdwar appear fully to expect a speedy termination of all the sanctity of their idolized rivers: one of them, who had buoyed up his hopes by the national opinion, that while Bhurtpore stood the English would not prevail, said, 'Let now but the Ganges cease, and nothing will remain to Hindoos but to embrace the Christian faith." When this Brahmin was told that, within the last fifteen years, many of the Brahmins of Delhi, who attended at the ghauts or steps of the river, to mark the foreheads of the people after bathing, had left their employment, and thence it was concluded that the Hindoo faith was declining, he made these remarkable observations:

Why go so far as Delhi? I am an instance of what has been said. I have no want of wealth at home; and, as to honor, the

hundreds of thousands of rajahs, baboos, and men of all ranks, who come to this fair, come to bathe in the Ganges and to worship us Brahmins. Yet the Sovereign Ruler of all has so withdrawn my mind from my employment, that I wander with a kind of fatality among Europeans for some degraded occupation. Now, what is this, but God himself turning my heart, first to the English people, and then to their ways?

Increasing Power of the Native Press.

We shall quote on this subject the statements of the Serampore Missionaries:

"About ten or twelve years after our brethren had sat down at Serampore, some of the natives began to print in Bengalee for their own countrymen. The first Hindoo who established a printing press in Calcutta, was Baboo Ram: he was followed by Gunga Kishore, formerly employed at Serampore-the first man who conceived the idea of printing works in Bengalee, as a means of acquiring wealth. This he did for six years, when he removed to his native village; and appointing agents for the sale of his works, in the chief towns and villages of Bengal, they were purchased with avidity. By the close of 1820, there were no less than four native presses in constant employ; and they have been going on increasing to an extent beyond our present knowledge. By 1825, there were six native newspapers; and six such papers in seven years, with about a thousand subscribers, was no slender proof of awakening intellect. The first English Gazette was published in 1588; and for many years, England had no other paper; so long was the twilight of general knowledge protracted, even in the age of Bacon."

Since 1825, not less than ten other native papers have been begun at Calcutta. Of these, and of the native presses generally, it is said,

"The art of printing has, it is true, been employed in favor of the reigning idolatry. This was to be expected; and it may well rouse the energies of Christians at home and abroad. But, amidst all the trash or worthless things which the native press has thrown into circulation, we not only discern the seeds of future improvement, but various works of great utility. The native mind, roused from the lethargy of so many ages, is rejecting gradually the influence of darkness and delusion; for Hindooism is such a compound of error and absurdity, that though the press may for a time appear, in certain instances, to espouse its cause, it cannot fail in the end to inflict a mortal blow on its influence, and more especially when it is so vigorously opposed and sifted by other native presses. Meanwhile, prejudices are combating, and insensibly melting away, the asperities of bigotry are softening down-and a tone of thought and feeling is encouraged, which, though it go not the length of building up the edifice of true religion, is shaking the foundations of the ancient structure of idolatry."