Lion Street, Walworth. Female Aux. Soc. by Mrs. Chin, Treasurer ....... 100 0 Collections, at Queen Street, by Rev. Robt. Hall.........£158 16 0 New Mill, Offering of a few Poor Friends, by Rev. D. Clarabut East Lane, Walworth, Aux. Soc. by Rev. R. Davis Sir Thomas Baring, Bart. M.P. .... ..... .... 361 2 9 16 1 0 1 17 10 13 6 10 FEMALE EDUCATION. Cheltenham, for the Female School at Serampore, by Rev. O. Clarke Trowbridge, Female Association, ..... Westerham, Female Society, by Mr. Wearing by Miss Dunn ..... Maze Pond, Ladies, for Maze Pond School, by Mrs. Gouldsmith.... Any inaccuracies or omissions in the above list must be ascribed to the extreme baste with which the whole has been prepared for the press. Littlewood and Green, Printers, Old Bailey. CHRISTIAN FRIENDS, The above print represents a curious Taj, or heathen temple in miniature, which has lately been presented to the Society by the Missionaries at Calcutta, and is now placed in the Mission House. It was brought from Burmah. The lower part is hollow, the front opens on hinges, and displays a gilded idol within, exactly resembling that of which we gave a drawing in our Quarterly Paper for October last, No. 20. These temples, though very heavy, are carried about in their idolatrous processions on mens' shoulders; and as they are covered with gilding and small pieces of glass of various colours, they make a splendid appearance in the sun. But, after all, what "Tying vanities" are these! We hope that when you look either on such objects themselves, or on representations of them like that before you, you will not merely view them as curiosities, or wonder that people should be so foolish as to honour such deities, or engage in such worship. Meditate upon them as the practical symbols of the most fearful evil which has ever visited our hapless race as constituting the highest practical insult ever offered to the infinite Creator and Lord of all-for such is the genuine character of idolatry-and then you will surely feel a warmer glow of gratitude in being delivered from such a curse your selves, and deeper compassion for the vast multitudes who are to this day living and dying under the influence of these horrid delusions. A CHRISTIAN FRIEND, who spent many years in India in the military profession, has lately sent us the following pleasing account of a young man, now living at Nagpore, a large city, nearly 600 miles south-west of Calcutta. It is another interesting proof of the benevolent tendency of genuine religion, and the happy effects which, under the divine blessing, may proceed from disinterested efforts to promote the good of our fellow creatures. "Soon after my arrival at Nagpore, in 1806, an old invalid soldier came there very ill and distressed, whom I often visited to read to him. Henry Antone, then a very little boy, was in his family, and I obtained the soldier's consent that he should be educated under my care with a few others, the children of European Portuguese parents. Henry, in a time of distress and famine, was bought of a Mahratta family, (and who also had purchased him) for one Rupee, or half a crown, so that he could not tell who his parents were. While with the Mahratta family he led a wandering life, begging from door to door. From the time he came under my roof, I had the daily satisfaction of witnessing his great attention to his learning, the delight he took in the Scriptures, and his very modest and amiable disposition. He rendered himself very useful in reading the Mahratta and Hindostanee Testaments and Tracts to those natives who daily came to my house to be instructed in them: he was also of great assistance in my native school. There being no place of worship at Nagpore, Sunday, in the afternoon, the parents of the native boys attended for divine worship, when the Scriptures and parts of the Liturgy, translated into Hindoostanee, were read, in which they all felt a pleasing interest. These means were savingly blessed, 1 trust, to a poor Hindoo, who, a few days before his death, felt much delight and spiritual consolation under the word. The day before this poor man died he was brought into my house, where he declared openly his hope and faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, as he was well assured his idols could do him no good. Then breaking off a necklace, the badge of his idol worship, he cast it away from him, thus bearing his testimony to the truth of the gospel of Christ. One excellent Missionary who laboured and suffered for several years in this very country of Burmah, has lately been removed by death. ' We refer to Mrs. Judson, of whose afflictions and perils a brief statement was given in our last number but one. A more detailed account of the same afflicting scenes from her own pen was inserted in the Missionary Herald, for January and February last. Probably, you could not read that narrative without tears of sympathy for her sufferings, and tears of joy for their happy termination. But, at that moment, all tears had been wiped from her eyes; her warfare was ended; and she had been admitted into the pure and peaceful region where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest. May we be followers of them, who through faith and patience are inheriting "In 1814, I had the pleasure of rethe promises, and count every thing vain ceiving into my family, from Serampore, and trifling compared with a scriptural one of their native Christians, a conhope of finally attaining the same unut-verted Brahmin, named Ram Mohun, terable bliss! who, when a youth, according to the custom of his country, set fire to the funeral pile, which consumed his living mother with the corpse of her deceased husband. Ram Mohun, accompanied by Henry, preached with pleasing success at Nagpore, and the surrounding country, and distributed the Scriptures and tracts very largely. He had a peculiar gift for prayer and preaching, and I have often seen his audience in tears. "In 1818 I left Nagpore with a military force, to proceed to Chutturghur, 220 miles to the eastward; and when the country, which had been in a state of open warfare, was again settled, I sent for Ram Mohun and his family; but he was taken very ill soon after his arrival, and died at my house. His conversations with the natives, and the happy and peaceful way in which he departed, impressed them very deeply. I buried him in my own garden, and a great many attended, to whom I read a portion of Scripture, and spoke to them; and I have seldom seen more attention and feeling than they shewed. It was as if they said, 'Let my last end be like his.' "Some time before I left Nagpore, Mr. Jenkins, the British resident at that court, very kindly took Henry into his employ, as a writer, a situation be has held ever since, highly respected for his steady and upright conduct. Aided by subscriptions on the spot, he has kept up the school establishment to the present time, and his correspondence continues to show his genuine piety and zeal. A few extracts may not be unacceptable. “Jan. 23, 1824.—You will be happy to hear that I have formed a native school in a house within my compound, and I have now between 30 and 40 native scholars, and six English. Most of these boys can read the Scriptures very well; they always carry them home to read to their parents after school hours. On a Sabbath day, when I am at Nagpore, I spend it amongst the boys, and you cannot conceive what inward pleasure I feel to hear them read the Scriptures, repeating the Lord's prayer and the ten commandments, as well as many passages from the Bible, in which they seem to take great delight. To encourage them, a few pice (or halfpence) are distributed amongst them, particularly to such as have been good boys, and repeat their lessons correctly. In the evening I distribute among the whole the produce of my garden, which is in a very flourishing condition. The schoolmaster is a Brahmin-a very civil and good-natured old man, and bas a great regard to the Bible." "Bombay, Jan. 17, 1825.—I have every reason to be thankful to God for his goodness towards me. I often feel I have neglected him in thousands of instances, but his mercy and kindness have been ever the same, and more than I deserve. Oh, that he may evermore make me sensible of his love, and his care and protection in saving me from everlasting death! In my last letter I mentioned Mr. Hall, American Missionary at Bombay; I have often seen him since my arrival here, and heard him preach in Mahratta, the best of Mahratta, to the poor perishing heathen about him, in a most striking and impressive manner; and I have found much benefit in his conversation, which is that of a true Christian. His translations of the catechisms, &c. are of great use to me in my infant school. He sincerely labours for his heavenly Master. My school at Nagpore is getting on moderately about 30 to 40 attend regularly." In October following he states, "Sabbath days, the forenoon is spent in my own house in reading, and in the afternoon among the boys. We have our family worship twice a day, when three or four of the family attend. I have often written to Mr. Lawson for a native preacher: I pray the Lord to send more labourers into this forlorn part of his vineyard. How happy should I feel to see the Mahrattas and Brahmins join in singing the songs of Zion, and with contrition of heart kneeling down before Jesus their only Saviour. You would be delighted to hear some of my boys saying by heart, on Sundays, Mr. Chamberlain's Hindoo hymns; and sing, when I give out the verse, and lead off the tune. It is a new thing to them and to me likewise. Frequently I ask them if they understand what they sing, and whether the songs they sing before their Deos (idols) are like them. They readily answer that they understand this, and they are good words, but their own they do not, as they are in Sanscrit. The boys pay great attention when any thing is read to them." The last extract, dated from Nagpore, Oct. 8, 1826, merits peculiar attention, as recording a noble act of enlightened liberality on the part of the native sovereign of that district. The provision thus made for public instruction by this heathen prince, is equal to £6000 per annum; and it appears highly probable that its origin may be traced to the generous philanthropy of Henry and his pious master. "The rajah's attention has been called on for establishing schools for the educa tion of native children, to which his consent has been confirmed. In each pergunnah (district) there is to be one public school, and in the city five or six, including one of English, one of Persian, and one of Sanscrit. The rajah is to pay 5000 rupees monthly, to cover the whole of the expenses of this establishment. There are other schools to be established, where the arts and sciences are to be studied in all their branches by pundits. Printed books have been already sent for from Bombay; and the schools are to be formed on the Lancasterian system. Mr. L. W. is, I understand, to be the superintendent over all these schools, as he is a very clever scholar in Sanscrit. My school is also to be reformed on the same pian; they will commence the buildings for the schools next month. We have not had a chaplain appointed in the room of the Rev. Mr. Arnold, and no religious so ciety; but blessed be God he has not left us altogether without some comfort, as I am happy to say that on every Lord's day we make a practice of worshipping God publicly, in our own house, with our own family and servants, about ten after breakfast, as I am always allowed to remain at home without any public business, when the whole of the presidency writers attend on the means of grace. We sing four hymns, read a chapter in the Bible, and a suitable sermon is read from some good author, and conclude with singing and prayer. They have attended regularly for the last two months, and generally not less than twelve or thirteen, including children, four of whom daily come to learn English at our house. I still keep up my correspondence with the Missionaries, Messrs. Pearce and Yates, in Calcutta." How beautifully do such instances exemplify the cheering prediction: The remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth. for the sons of men. N. B. These papers are intended for distribution (gratis) to those friends who contribute a penny a week or more for the Baptist Missionary Society. Persons collecting to the amount of sixpence a week are entitled to a copy of the Missionary Herald, which is published monthly, containing a variety of interesting intelligence. Those friends who are disposed to become collectors, and who know not where to apply in their own neighbourhood, may write by post to the Rev. John Dyer, 6, Fen Court, Fenchurch Street, London, who will send them Cards and Papers, and direct them how to remit the money. J. Haddon, Printer, Castle Street, Finsbury. |