the hour never arrived which could encourage him to make a more public effort in behalf of the institution.

Extracts from circular Communications to a few Fellow Chaplains.

"Under the head of events, some late sudden deaths have been marked in Calcutta.

"Mr. ** visited his indigo works one morning in his usual health, but returned home in a few hours rather indisposed. No danger however was apprehended till about eight or nine o'clock in the evening; but, by two in the morning, he was dead!! He had some knowledge of the gospel. But he who lives according to the course of this world, whatever may be his knowledge, will die in uncertainty: and so it ought to be, that presumption may not be encouraged in any. Yet Mr. ** left, I find, some religious testimony in writing. I gave to a friend, for his estimable widow, 'Cecil's friendly Visit to the House of Mourning.' She returned the following answer :

6

I offer you my grateful thanks for your 'wish of administering consolation to me. I shall read with care the work you have sent 'me; but can any words of man afford greater

' relief,

' relief, and comfort and support, than the 'promises of the gospel? I am in possession of the written declaration of the strong and ' entire trust and faith in Christ alone, of him 'whom I have lost. I find in my loss, his gain; and I find in my deep sorrow, cause of great thankfulness to God!'

6

"During the last quarter we have lost several members of the mission congregation. Mrs. H. left a bright testimony, and had an entrance ministered unto her abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To preach the obituary sermons of departed saints is delightful work. May my dear brethren have much of it! It has been one of my best supports. Now and then one going off triumphantly to glory, is a sweet refreshing consolation. And when I stand by the death bed of such my dear children of the New Testament, I forget the labor and sorrow which I have had by the way.

"A lady who attends on the ministry at the mission church, told her husband a month ago, that it had pleased God greatly to change her mind in some respects, and brought her to a patient acquiescence in his will; that she had formerly considered the loss of a child as more than she could bear, and that she should cer

tainly become distracted; but now,' said she, if it should please the Lord to take away a child, I hope, I hope I could submit.' Within the month a child was taken away, and suddenly. After some apparently slight indisposition, the mother found it one morning black with mortification from the knee to the foot, and from the elbow to the fingers ends, and it presently expired. The mother kneeled down before all present, and gave thanks to God with a loud voice, blessing his rod, and adoring his hand.

"An old lady lately afflicted with sickness, and yet very ill, has by deed of gift made over to the Evangelical Fund, in Company's paper, sixteen thousand rupees. Is not that an event? The fund, now worth forty-three thousand rupees in cash, and an house, &c. is valued at upwards of half a lac of rupees. Thus has God prospered an undertaking which begun, in December 1802, as a grain of mustard-seed.

(Signed) "D. BROWN, 1807."

*

A Letter from a Member of the Mission Church Congregation, (once a Roman-Catholic) to Mr. Brown, connected with the subject of his labors in that Church.

"Reverend Sir,

"Calcutta, 3d January 1812.

"Our blessed Lord teaches us that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;' and this exhortation he enforces with a parable of a woman who being troublesome to the judge from whom she looked for relief, at last for her importunity-sake she got her case redressed. But this he said with a view to encourage sinners to address the throne of grace without ceasing, though they seemingly meet with no immediate answer to their prayer. But can we not make use of this parable in any other way? I find we can, and I beg leave to state to you in what sense I intend to do it now.

More than once I have had occasion to apply to you for the loan of some of your sermons, that I might retain a copy of them for my own improvement, but I was flatly denied one; yet I was satisfied that you had for wise reasons refused compliance with my requests. But, notwithstanding this discou

ragement

ragement, must I conclude that I shall always meet with a denial to my applications? Must I sit still and never importune you any more for some particular discourses which you deliver to the congregation in the old church? No; but I shall again take fresh courage from the text, and make a further attempt with a hope of success. Your sermon of new year's-day last, contained, besides other matters, these particulars, namely, a subject for prayer, that the Lord would accomplish his work amongst us, and a definition of the work itself; and a direction to know who are concerned in it; how they should, through divine grace, devote and exert themselves to promote it in themselves, in their offspring, and in the world at large. But, my dear Sir, whatever strength of thought or retentiveness of memory others may possess, to remember the several points detailed in your sermon, I must frankly declare that my memory is very weak; and I would therefore wish to have the whole of your discourse nigh at hand, that I may refer to it from time to time; and, looking up to the Lord for his assistance, may engage myself afresh as an unworthy instrument in that great work. To such an end will you not indulge me with the loan of your