JANUARY, 1822.

SURVEY

OF THE PROTESTANT

MISSIONARY STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD,

IN THEIR GEOGRAPHICAL ORDER.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

In reviewing those events of the year, which are connected more immediately with the extension of Christ's Kingdom on earth, it will be found, that one of the most observable, in reference to this country, was the Coronation of our Gracious Sovereign.

This event has brought into observation, the Prayers and Exhortations appointed for these solemn occasions; and which were known to very few persons throughout the Kingdom, two generations having passed away since the Coronation of His Majesty's Father-now with God! The publication of the Services, used on the late occasion, has awakened, very generally, among good men, feelings of grateful surprise. They saw, with admiration, True Christianity, in its most vital principles, laid, by the wisdom and piety of our ancestors, as the foundation of the Throne; and the subserviency of the Kingly Office to the establishment of Christ's Reign upon earth, strongly and unequivocally declared.

It speaks well for our country, that His Majesty had been led, while governing in the name of his Illustrious Father, to give the Royal Sanction to the Propagation of the Christian Faith throughout the vast dominions, which it has pleased God to entrust to the British Sceptre. The Solemn Services of the Coronation cannot but have confirmed these feelings. If cherished and acted on, this Nation will, doubtless, bring down on it the Divine Blessing. And the awful Retribution, now working toward those Nations which have corrupted the Truth or have defied and persecuted it, and have oppressed and held in cruel bondage their fellowmen, is most striking: may the Nations which possess the pure Word of God, and avow their subjection to that Word, labour, with redoubled zeal, to establish its Authority throughout the world!

A brief review of the principal Ceremonies attending the Coronation of our own Sovereign, will shew that His Majesty is only acting in character, and fulfilling His most solemn obligations, when He supports and countenances every prudent measure, entered on

by any of His subjects throughout his vast Empire, for the Propagation of the Faith to every nation, and kindred, and people, and tongue.

After taking an Oath, in the presence of all the people, on his knees before the Altar, that he would govern in Justice and Mercy and according to the Laws, the King was consecrated to his Office, by the significative act of anointing with Oil-denoting those Gracious Influences and that Heavenly Unction of the Holy Spirit, without which he could not fulfil his awful obligations. To this end, Prayer is put up for the strengthening Grace of the Holy Ghost; followed by another, in the way of Benediction, pronounced over the King, for Prosperity and Success in his Royal Station.

After this Consecration to the Kingly Office and Dignity, and before the Crown is placed on the head of the Sovereign, he is invested with the Ensigns of Royalty-all denoting the Graces and Virtues with which he should be adorned, and the Ends and Purposes for which he should reign.

The four principal emblems are, the Sword, the Robe, the Orb and Cross, and the Rod and Dove-denoting Power, Majesty, Piety, and Mercy.

The King is girded with a Sword, to denote that Power with which he is armed, in order that he may punish the wicked and support the good. The Prayer offered by the Archbishop, before the Sword is girt on the King, shews the intention of this Ceremony:

Hear our prayers, O Lord, we beseech Thee; and so direct and support Thy Servant King George, who is now to be girt with this sword, that he may not bear it in vain; but may use it as the Minister of God, for the terror and punishment of evil-doers, and for the protection and encouragement of those that do well, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!

And the Exhortation, addressed by the Archbishop to the King, as soon as the Sword has been girt on him, most strikingly points him to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, as his example in using the power entrusted to him:

Remember Him, of whom the Royal Psalmist did prophesy, saying, Gird thee with Thy Sword upon Thy thigh, O Thou Most Mighty: good luck have Thou with Thine honour: ride on prosperously, because of truth, meekness, and righteousness-and be thou a follower of Him! With this Sword do justice, stop the growth of iniquity, protect the Holy Church of God, help and defend widows and orphans, restore the things that are gone to decay, maintain the things that are restored, punish and reform what is amiss, and confirm what is in good order; that, doing these things, you may be glorious in all virtue; and so represent our Lord Jesus Christ in this life, that you may reign for ever with Him in the life which is to

come. Amen!

The King is then clothed in a Royal Robe; and has an Orb, or emblem of the Earth, fixed under a Cross, put into his hand. The Blessing and Exhortation of the Archbishop, on this occasion, shew, most impressively, the design and purport of this Ceremony:Receive this Imperial Robe and Orb; and the Lord your God endue you with knowledge and wisdom, with majesty and with power, from on high! The Lord clothe you with the robe of righteousness and with the garments of salvation! And when you see this Orb set under the Cross, remember that the whole world

is subject to the power and empire of Christ our Redeemer; for He is the Prince of the Kings of the earth, King of Kings, und Lord of Lords; so that no man can reign happily who deriveth not his authority from Him, and directeth not all his actions according to His laws.

A Rod, with a Dove on the top of it, is placed in the hand of the King. The Archbishop's Exhortation fully explains its signifi

cation:

Receive the Rod of Equity and Mercy: and God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed, direct and assist you in the administration and exercise of all those powers which He hath given you! Be so merciful that you be not too remiss: so execute justice, that you forget not mercy; punish the wicked, protect the oppressed; and the blessing of him who was ready to perish shall be upon you-thus, in all things, following His great and holy example, of whom the Prophet David said, Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest iniquity; the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre; even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!

After these solemn introductory Rites, the Crown is placed on the head of the King, with Prayer for the Divine favour and blessing.

After the King was crowned, the Holy Bible was solemnly presented to His Majesty; the Archbishop, while a number of Bishops surrounded him, saying these remarkable and impressive words:

Our Gracious King! we present unto your Majesty this Book-the most valuable thing that this world affordeth. Here is Wisdom. This is the Royal Law. These are the Lively Oracles of God. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this Book; that keep, and do the things contained it. For these are the words of eternal life; able to make you wise and happy in this world, nay, wise unto salvation, and so happy for evermore, through faith which is in Christ Jesus; to whom be glory for evermore. Amen!

May our Heavenly Father, in His infinite goodness, endue the heart of His Majesty, more and more, with the grace of the Holy Spirit; and shed that Divine Influence on all, who minister under Him the affairs of this Kingdom, or who direct its counsels: that, entrusted as they are, with the Government of at least one-tenth of the whole Human Race, and exercising a powerful controul over perhaps another equal portion of mankind, this mighty dominion may be swayed for the only worthy and honourable end of a Christian Kingdom-the establishment of the throne of the Almighty Saviour!

A review of the past year will fix attention on another subject, intimately connected with that of which we have spoken.

In the Services at the Coronation, the necessity of the constant and abundant influences of the Holy Spirit, in order to success in the labours of Government and in the conduct of the Christian Life, is not only distinctly recognised, but is strongly enforced.

To this most important subject, as connected with the propagation of the Faith throughout the world, the attention of Christians has been, of late, in various ways, very powerfully directed.

The success already granted to the Christian Labourers among

Jews, Mahomedans, and Heathens, is but as the drops, which are sometimes the precursors of the abundant shower, but, at others, pass away and leave the earth comparatively unblest by the rain of heaven.

The Missionaries, in all quarters of the field of the world, acknowledge the difficulties around them to be insurmountable by human strength and wisdom; and freely confess the need of patient faith, in most cases under disappointed hopes and few actual conversions. Some scoffers in these last days eagerly seize on such ingenuous acknowledgments; and labour to disparage and to expose to scorn the sacrifices which Christians are making, as a useless waste of money and toil, and even as a shameful dereliction of duties nearer home!

But Wisdom is justified of all her children: for they who are endowed with the wisdom which is from above, know that this is the course in which it pleases their Heavenly Master usually to lead His servants.

In the mean while, abundant proof is afforded that the Almighty Arm is still the same. Entire communities, as in the Islands of the Southern Seas, are turned from idols to the profession of Christianity, and numbers among them to the devout service of the living and true God; while, in other quarters, as in Western Africa, the dews of heaven descend in abundance, and convert barren deserts into the garden of the Lord.

It is the revealing and making bare, in all quarters of the world, of that Almighty Arm, for which the Christian Church should unceasingly pray. Missionaries still labouring in their places among the Heathen, and Missionaries whose debilitated frames have required a visit to their native shores, all unite in urging on Christians the duty of especial prayer for the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit, in order that the Saviour may be exalted.

This is a very observable feature, in the History of the Year which is just closed: and though it is a part of the trials of the Christian Church, to see Labourer after Labourer compelled to seek renovated vigour at home; yet those who are, in the judgment of their friends, unavoidably driven to this resource, may be assured, that, if they return home in this spirit, any loss of time or money, which may be occasioned by their temporary retirement from the field, will be abundantly repaid by the beneficial influence of their spirit at home. We would urge this point on the consideration of every Missionary throughout the Heathen World, before he quits his Station for a temporary retreat, to inquire of himself how he may best, in his debility, still serve his Master's

cause.

In pressing this important subject on our Readers, we would particularly call their attention to that PROVIDENTIAL PREPARATION OF THE WORLD FOR THE OUT-POURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, which cannot but be noticed by reflecting men.

The issue of the fearful conflicts, in which the Civilized World was so long engaged, has been, to vest those Nations with the

largest measure of power, which are most favourably situated and best disposed to make a beneficent use of it. Britain, Russia, and America, are forward in schemes of good-will toward mankind; while access is opened to these Powers, to all the shores and almost all the countries of the earth; and the spirit of Discovery and of Commerce is making rapid advances, toward intercourse with the yet-unknown portions of the human race.

But, not to dwell on this topic, the state of India in particular, with its vast population, clearly points out to thinking men the preparation of the Divine Hand.'

The whole population of India is placed either under the direct controul or the powerful influence of this country. Those parts of it which are still under Native Princes, are so interlaced by the British Possessions (as any one may see by consulting those Maps of India which distinguish the British from the Native Territories), that it would seem to have been the especial object in view, in the acquisition of territory by this country, to prevent all efficient combinations of the Native Powers against us. And yet it is manifest, that this territory was acquired without any such plan. A passage in the Address of the Governor General of India to the Gentlemen of the College of Fort William, delivered at the Public Examination in July of last year, on the manner in which the British Territories were acquired and on the necessity for maintaining them when they had become ours, is most worthy of attention in this particular view:

To any one who reviews the steps by which British Power has attained its stupendous elevation in this country, it will be obvious that no foresight was exercised: our countrymen acted from the exigency of self-defencc-the necessity of protecting those establishments, which, for purposes utterly unconnected with schemes of domination, they had legitimately sought, and had received from the deliberate free-will of competent authority.

Urged by a succession of events independent of our controul, we had, without plan, pushed our occupation of territory to an embarrassing extent. If axioms of theoretic policy ever prompted the narrowing of our frontiers, and the concentrating of our strength within a more convenient compass, imperious motives opposed themselves to the attempt. Our moderation would not regulate the conduct of the Native Powers on our border. Our relinquishment of rich and tranquil Provinces could, in their view, be ascribed to nought but conscious weakness. Strengthened by those resources which we had abandoned, those Chieftains would follow fast at our heels, giving to our retreat the appearance of discomfiture; and the supposition of our debility would be an irresistible temptation for that very warfare, the avoiding of which could be the sole rational inducement for such a rate of sacrifice. Beyond this, we had plighted protection to the inhabitants of the districts in question, as the price of their acquiescence in our rule: their submission had been honest, confiding, and cheerful: they had fulfilled their part of the compact; and it would be base to leave them to new masters, who would, by vindictive severity of oppression, grievously punish those helpless victims for their temporary acknowledgment of our sway.

My more immediate predecessors saw the peculiarity of the public circumstances. They judiciously endeavoured to connect and to mould into shape, those materials of Empire, which had chiefly been heaped together from accident, without unity of design.

I have indulged myself in this detail, to shew how incorrect are the notions so generally entertained, of our country's having achieved dominion in India through projects of conquest. No! we are not Conquerors! Those dignified personages,