188 Letter from Rev. R. May, Missionary As to the internal state of the church-what shall I say y? Boasting is excluded; yet we have r ason to rejoice. If we have not many additions, I trust we have those among us who are sighing for enlargement; and will the Lord turn a deaf ear to the supplications of his people? I long to be the instrument of a work of grace on the hearts of our youth; but I must wait the Lord's time. There is, yet much rubbish amongst us, pray earnestly for us, that the strength of the bearers of the burden fail not.' Mr. Barker laments that, through his illness and various domestic circumstances, he is prevented from proceeding to Latakkoo, the place of his destination. FROM THE RELIGIOUS REMEMBRANCER. Extract of a Letter from the Rev. Robert May, to a friend in Philadelphia, dated Chinsurah, July, 1817. My dear Friend, Your letter was like cold water to my thirsty soul. Did the friends of Missionaries know how welcome and refreshing such letters are, they would surely write more frequent. I rejoice to hear of the good doing in Philadelphia, where I have passed some of the happiest, and perhaps the most useful days of my life. At some distant period, should my labours permit, and my health require it, I may yet see America again; but the precise time I shall be thus gratified, is at present quite uncertain. I wish we had a few warmhearted ladies in India; we want female schools very much; to the person who begins, it will be a work of some difficulty on ac count of the custom of the country being opposed to it, but " who art thou, O great mountain before Jehovah ?" It will be but a day of small things with the persons who begin to instruct the poor Hindoo girls; but the Lord will not despise the work of faith and la bour of love. Come then, ye dear American Missionary ladies come over to India and help us. How would I plead with you if I were now in New York and Philadelphia. There are thousands who will stay, and will not there be found one to come to India? I have under my charge at present 33 schools for native children, in which there are more than 2000 boys; but I want some noble minded female to commence with the girls: she must have grace, faith, patience, and perseverance; she must have a desire to devote her whole time and talents to the work, as far as she can possibly give them. She must have a love to the poor little girls. I often look at them with mingled emotions of pity and love, always fervently wishing for their instruction, frequently offering up an ejaculatory prayer that the time may soon come when the barrier of prejudice and custom shall be broken down. The natives themselves say, Though it is not the custom yet, the time will come. Within the last three years, nearly 100 schools have been established for native children; they are continually increasing, and if funds could be found, three times their number might be established in the same space of time in future A most important and uşeful Society was formed on the 6th of May, called The Calcutta School-book Society, the object of whish is the preparation, publication and cheap 66 at Chinsurah, in Hindostan. 189 or gratuitous distribution of works useful in Schools and Seminaries of learning Among the Committee are two evangelical clergymen ; Dr. Carey, the lord Chief Justice Secretary of Government, and the President of the Calcutta Bible Society. The Secretary is the superintendant of the Hindoo College which was established in 1816. Thus I have given you an account of its formation; try if you can form an Auxiliary Society to it. Propose the subject to Mr. Patterson, who has written to me. I shall write him on the subject. Surely you will send us some subscriptions. Let me know about the Society for the Instruction of Indian youth. Oh! let us go on and do all the good we can before we are removed from this sphere of action. Time is short. Every hour is precious Labour while it is called the day, for the night cometh wherein no man can work. concerning I had some expectation of hearing from Mr. S the school in New Fourth Street, which I used to superintend. You do not mention it in your letter Let me hear from you again, and crowd in all the news you can; the more particular you are, the more interesting it will be. Does any one give the children a monthly lecture as I did when I was in Philadelphia? they would have a much larger congregation than I had. wish I could tell you of ladies engaged in Sunday Schools here; but they are few in number. Mrs. Townley, in Calcutta, and Mrs May, in Chinsurah, take a part in this pleasing and delightful work, besides which I know not of any others. We have English preaching at Chinsurah twice every Sabbath, a prayer-meeting every month for the spread of the gospel, one every week of the persons who attend church, and on the last Monday in every month expressly to implore the blessing of God on our school labours. I hope you have stated prayer-meetings for this express purpose likewise. I do not forget the American children on the First of May. I have published my Lectures in Calcutta with some additions; I dare say you have seen a copy. I have sent six copies to America. They have also been republished in England. and I have received a copy. Thus I have the honour of having my Lectures printed in three parts of the world. O that God may make them useful to the young. Let me know every minute particular concerning schools when you write again, and do not forget to write to New York, for a particular account of the schools in that city. I feel deeply interested for the children in these two large cities. Pray for the poor Hindoo children. O all ye children in every Sunday School in this city, pray for them and pity them! they need your prayers and your compassion. Millions have none to care for their souls. O could you see the little creatures placing little lighted lamps at the water side, in honour to their imaginary gods! Could you see them making idols of mud, and offering flowers to them at the river side! Above all, if you saw their dead bodies floating down the river, or torn by the frightful birds of prey, and mangled by dogs and jackalls, you would pray for them, you would pity them. Could you behold the helpless infant at the breast, deserted by its 199 The Indo-Chinese Gleaner. mother, just about to ascend the pile to be consumed to ashes with the body of her husband, you would pity them, you would pray for them. Nay more, give your cents and silver for their instruction. Let me know what you will give, and then I shall know how much you love Jesus, and how much you desire that the poor wandering lambs may be brought into His fold. But it is Saturday evening and past 10 o'clock, therefore I must hastily conclude. Believe me to be your's in Christ Jesus, ROBERT MAY. COMMUNICATED. It is earnestly requested that those parts of the above letter which refer to children, may be read in the various schools in our country, especially Sabbath Schools: and that it be proposed to the children by their teachers, to form cent Societies for the purpose of educating these poor Hindoos. Thirty dollars a year will support and educate a child, who may have any name given to it that the Society shall think proper; thus a School of 650 children, paying one cent a week, may be the means of saving an immortal soul. The mo ney may either be sent immediately to India to Mr. May, or to "The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions." A Society of this kind was opened in the Presbyterian Church of the Northern Liberties under the pastoral care of the Rev. James Patterson, and the utility of it to the children themselves is enough to induce all parents to encourage their children to form similar Societies it employs their time; it occupies their minds; it prevents them from expending their money for sweet things, which are highly injurious to them; it accustoms them to exercise benevolent feelings and to imitate good examples; above all, it gives them an exalted idea of the value of the soul, and the unspeakable gift of a Saviour. : THE INDO-CHINESE GLEANER. An obliging friend has put into our hands the first Number of a Periodical Publication under the above title, which the Rev. Mis sionary, W. Milne, has undertaken to conduct at Malacca. Its general design is to publish extracts of the occasional correspondence of those Missionaries in the East who labour under the direction of the Missionary Society; together with miscellaneous notices relative to the philosophy, mythology, literature, and history of the Indo-Chinese nations, drawn chiefly from the native languages. It is announced to be published quarterly, or as often as matter can be furnished. The first Number was issued in May last. The following selections from that publication will, we trust, not be unacceptable. CANTON. The persecuting spirit of the Chinese Government still continues; and renders not only the greatest caution and most prudent care necessary in acting; but also prevents do in any thingpublicly and avowedly in the cause of the Gospel. The Rev. R. MORRISON, since his return from Peking, whither he went attached to the suite of the British Ambassador, continues his translation of the Old Testament as formerly. By the Intelligence from Canton. 191 latest accounts the Book, of Psalms was nearly finished. The Second Number of his Chinese Dictionary has been printed, and the printing of a volume of Dialogues was finished during his absence. A severe Edict, lately issued by the local Government, has obliged some of the natives employed by him and other Europeans, as assistants in the language, to abscond. This despotic measure has thrown some difficulties in the way of proceeding with the printing of his Dictionary; but these, it is hoped, may in course of a little time be overcome. From a Memoir of Mr. MORRISON'S journey to Peking, which will most likely be published in Eng-land, much genuine information respecting the real state of China may be expected. Mrs. MORRISON is not expected from England this season. THE OPINION OF A CHINESE PRIEST RESPECTING CHRIST. Extract of a letter from Mr. MORRISON, dated 19th March, 1817. Yesterday we had a visit from two of the principal Priests, of the Hae-chung-sze Temple. One of these old Priests, sitting in my room with several other Priests attending on him, expressed himself thus concerning JESUS: "I have heard that the people in your part of the world, are exceedingly quarrelsome, and that Jesus dissuaded them from cherishing that spirit, recommending mutual forbearance and a yielding temper. On this account, in a fit of passion, they nailed him to the Cross. He expressed an indifference about death, and, to the last, advised them to cherish the spirit he had recommended. After his death they saw him ascend to Heaven, and were so struck that they fell down and worshipped him whom they had crucified. Now the people in the west worship him, as we worship Fuh.* "He supposes, adds Mr. MORRISON, that our religion is the same with that of the Portuguese. He says Fan, (supposed by the Chinese to be the birth place of Fuh) is not the name of a place on earth, but in one of the Heavens, of which there are thirty-six! The old man is exceedingly full and fluent on all subjects of the pëën-heva, (i. e. transmigration) of various animals ;-their being transformed into Shin sëën, &c." ‡` * Fuh is generally spelled Foe by European writers. It is the Chinese name of the Founder of the Boudhistic Sect. This Sect, as is generally known, prevails to a great extent in China, tho' in some respects different from what it is on Ceylon, in India, and in Burmah. Fuh is probably an imitation of the Indian name Boodh. The Chinese have no character whose initial sound is B; hence in attempting to pronounce Boodh, they would say Phoot-or as here, Fuh. ED. Thirty-six Heavens.-Here there is a remarkable difference of opinion between the Boudhists of Ceylon and those of China: the former believe that there are twenty-six Heavens-but the latter always assert there are thirty-six, which they express by San sheh san chung t'heen—i. e. thirty-six orders of Heavens. It might perhaps be difficult to account satisfactorily for this difference of opinion. If we suppose, that this latter opinion prevailed in China before the entrance of Boudhism, and that the votaries of that Sect adopted it, perhaps we may not be far wrong.—ED. Shin seën are a kind of spiritual beings, who were originally mortal men, but who, by severe mortification and virtue, raised themselves to this dignity.-En. 192 Intelligence from Malacca-Poetry. MALACCA. Here things continue much as they were on the 31st December last. There are seventy scholars in the Chinese schools. The new edition of the Chinese New Testament mentioned in a former printed letter, is now throwing off. Translating and preaching are going on as far as health and strength permit. In consequence of the late edict issued by the Canton Government, several Chinese, some of whom were formerly employed about the Mission in China, have come hither. May this retreat to which they have found it adviseable to flee, prove the place of their emancipation from the bondage of sin ! An Edition of Bogue's Essay has just been printed here. Should there be an opportunity of disposing of any copies of this work at the different stations, our brethren will oblige us by sending for them. Of Mr. and Mrs. THOMSEN, we have heard nothing since November last, at which time they had engaged a passage in an American vessel, bound to Holland. Mrs. THOMSEN's health continued still in a very precarious state. Mr. T. also had been ill at Batavia--his last letter was written, on his bed. Should it have pleased God to favour them with a prosperous passage, they may now be in England; and he may be expected here again in course of this year. By a letter just received from Mr. MEDHURST, we understand that the Society have sent him out to assist us at this station. He was at Madras in February, waiting for the change of the Monsoon to come over. His arrival is looked for with great anxiety; for, besides carpenters and brick-layers employed in completing the plan of building, there are upwards of twenty men, Printers, school Teachers, and assistants in the languages, now constantly on the Society's books and pay-most of whom must be furnished with work by a single individual in a poor state of bodily health, and in the midst of family affliction. Should the Gleaner reach Madras or Calcutta before Mr. MEDHURST finds a passage, it is hoped, this consideration will lead him to endeavour to come on. without delay. He understands printing, and brings with him also a fount of English Types, which is very necessary to complete the fount already here, as the letter is old, and the fount very deficient. For the Christian Herald. THE CHRISTIAN ON THE BED OF DEATH. Now on the verge of life I stand, flow. This dust, by friends and neighbours borne To its last silent dark abode, To kindred dust shall soon return- |