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let it be read. The writer feels deeply that, as the Lord's steward, he is bound to bring the facts contained in this paper before the hearts and consciences of the Lord's people. He believes, too, that these facts must produce some fruit in the heart of each Christian reader. The legitimate fruit will undoubtedly be, not vain words of empty sympathy, but effectual fervent prayer, and strenuous self-denying effort for the salvation of the benighted Chinese. And if in any instance they fail to produce this fruit, the writer would urge the consideration of these solemn words: 'If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; if thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not He that pondereth the heart consider it? and He that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works ?'

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Early in the course of our Saviour's ministry, the Lord Jesus taught his people that they were to be THE LIGHT-not of Jerusalem, not of Judea, nor yet of the Jewish nation, but-OF THE WORLD. And he taught them to pray-not as the heathen, who use vain and unmeaning repetitions; nor yet as the worldly-minded, who ask first and principally (if not solely) for their own private benefit and need: For,' said he, your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye:

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"Our Father which art in heaven,
"Hallowed be THY name;
"THY kingdom come;

THY will be done; as in heaven, so in
earth.'
And it was only after these petitions, and
quite secondary to them, that any personal
petitions were to be offered. Even the
very moderate one, 'Give us this day our
daily bread,' followed them. Is not this
order too often reversed in the present day?
Do not Christians often really feel, as well
as act as if they felt, that it is incumbent
upon them to commence with Give us this
day our daily bread;' concluding with, 'If
consistent with this, may thy name be
hallowed too '? And is not the popular
version of Matt. vi. 33 (even amongst the
Lord's professed followers), Seek first food
and clothing, health, wealth, and comfort,
and then the kingdom of God and his
righteousness? Instead of honouring him
with the first-fruits of our time, strength,
and substance, are we not content to offer
him the fragments that remain after our
own supposed need is supplied? While we
thus refuse to bring the tithes into his
storehouse, and to prove the Lord there-
with, can we wonder that he does not open
the windows of heaven, and pour us out
the fulness of blessing that we desire ?

"In the life and in the death of the Lord Jesus we have a striking exemplification of the manner in which we should seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And when risen from the dead, ere he ascended on high, he committed to his people the work of making known the glad tidings of free salvation through faith in his finished work. This duty he enjoined on us; enjoined in the most unmistakable form, and to the most definite extent; saying, Go YE into ALL the world, and preach the Gospel to EVERY CREATURE.' Grievously has the Church failed in fulfilling this command. Sad it is to realize that in this the nineteenth century of the Christian era, immense tracts of our globe are wholly destitute of the means of grace, and of the knowledge of salvation. Leaving other fields, however, let us concentrate our attention on the Chinese empire. Let us reflect on its great antiquity, its vast extent, its teeming population; on its spiritual destitution, and overwhelming need. Let us survey the efforts that have been put forth for its good, and contemplate the work which still remains to be done, ere the Gospel is preached to every creature' throughout this empire. And may the view we shall obtain give rise to devout gratitude to God for our own superior privileges, to humiliation before him for our past want of earnestness in the dissemination of the truth, and to more strenuous efforts in future for China's good.

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"It is surely high time that this most interesting and venerable empire had the Gospel proclaimed in its purity and soulsaving power. Long enough has it been left in the thraldom of sin and Satan. No other nation has been left for so many centuries to suffer in darkness, and to prove how unable man is to raise himself without Divine revelation and Divine regeneration. As to the antiquity of this empire, it stands the sole remaining relic of the hoary ages of the past, and of patriarchal times. For forty centuries it has enjoyed many of the fruits of a certain measure of civilization and of literary attainment. Our own antiquities sink into insignificance in comparison with those of this country. As early as the reign of Edward the First, firearms were invented in China. The art of printing was discovered there in the reign of our Saxon king Athelastan. Paper was first made about A.D. 150; and gunpowder about the commencement of the Christian era. While the inhabitants of our now highly-favoured island were wandering about, painted savages, the, Chinese were a settled people, living under the same form of constitutional government as they at present possess. Or to go back to times

long antecedent to the history of our own country, when Daniel foretold the rise and fall of the Persian, Grecian, and Roman empires; when at an earlier period Isaiah foretold the downfall of Babylon; or earlier still, when Jonah threatened the destruction of Nineveh-the Chinese nation was one of the greatest nations of the world. When Solomon reigned in Jerusalem in all his glory; when David, the sweet singer of Israel, composed his beautiful psalms-the Chinese were enjoying many of the benefits of civilization and good government. One of their classical writings-to this day committed to memory by every scholar in China -was composed by Wung-wang, one of their emperors, a century before David's reign. When Moses, learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, led the people of Israel from the house of bondage to the promised land, Chinese laws and literature were probably not inferior to, while their religious views were far in advance of, those of Egypt, the worship of graven images not having been introduced into China until some centuries after this period. Upwards of 200 years before the call of Abraham, certain astronomical observations were recorded by Chinese historians, which have been verified by astronomers of our own times. And the oldest record of antiquity, still possessed by the Chinese, graven on the rocks of Hung-shan some half century antecedent to this early period, was intended to perpetuate the memory of engineering works not less remarkable for extent or difficulty than those displayed in the erection of the pyramids of Egypt. Since that time Egypt has risen to the zenith of its glory; has faded and become the basest of the kingdoms.' Since that time the once famous empires of Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, Greece, and Rome, have waxed and waned and passed away; but China still remains, the only monument of ages long bygone. For 4,000 years this empire has been preserved by the power of God, and it shall be yet preserved, until his word, delivered more than twenty-five centuries ago by the mouth of his servant Isaiah, shall be fulfilled to the last jot and tittle-'I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim (China)."

MISSIONARY RESULTS.

THE objection most pertinaciously urged against Evangelical Missions at the present moment, is the limited extent of the results. But this is precisely that which a right

perception of the subject would lead us to expect, and therefore, so far from shaking our confidence, it confirms us in our conviction of their reality. Results on an extended scale are not to be expected from the foreign missionary. It never was intended that he should evangelize great masses, or accomplish extraordinary national movements. On the contrary, the effects to be wrought out by him were purposely designed to be apparently feeble, in dimensions small, and little calculated to attract attention.

Are they indeed worthless because thus small? Is not the seed the germ of the forest tree, and yet is it not small? Is not the leaven, when put into the mass, so small that it disappears and is hidden, and yet is there not in it a concentrated energy, so that the little dominates over the much, and, by its superior influence, subdues to itself the mass which had absorbed it ? Has the philosophy of the present day accepted this as an axiom, that small beginnings are incapable of expanding into great results ? Can anything be more contrary to fact and the experiences of every-day life? “Behold how great a fire a little fuel kindleth." And if this be a principle which prevades nature, why should the explanatory force which it carries with it be excluded from the philosophy of missions? There is between nature and grace a wonderful analogy, so much so, that the phenomena of the one are continually made use of in Scripture to illustrate the other. If evangelical missions are to be put upon their trial, let them at least have fair dealing.

The foreign missionary sows the seed; he prepares the leaven, and places it in the lump. His work is small in compass, so small, that it seems lost amidst the dense masses of prevailing heathenism; and men despise it as a thing of nought, and lose sight of it as they do of the buried seed or the hidden leaven; but that it should be thus humiliated is a part of the singuar process through which it has to pass; and, when least expected, it will appear again, like the seed when it springs, or the leaven when it has leavened the mass.

And if we look into the mission field, we shall find that the position of the European missionaries is precisely this-they are busily occupied in their own initiative work; they are preparing the leaven in divers places, in order that it may be introduced into the contiguous mass. In some instances they have done more than this: the leaven, having been prepared, has been introduced into the lump, and already there are evidences to show that it is working.

In Africa a portion was broken off from the great mass of population. In Africa there are divers nationalities, and the frag.

ment was homogeneous with the parent mass, so that the individuals composing it were of divers races, and spoke divers languages.

This was placed in the hands of the European missionaries, that they might prepare it as leaven. To this task they addressed themselves, and at what cost of health and life need not now be stated. The records are before the Church. They were prospered in their work. Sierra Leone is now a land of Christian profession like our own, and, like our congregations at home, the native Church there, amidst much that is evil and fictitious, includes very many real Christians. There is much gold in the quartz.

heathen tribes of the Igbiras and Bunnus.
Well might the Bishop say,
"The Gospel
is fermenting among the measures of meal
in which it has been hid."

Again, India, like Africa, consists of
various nationalities, and from these also a
leaven has been prepared. The mode of
operation has not been the same as in
Africa. The representative specimens of
races have not been gathered from out of
their own localities, brought into one place,
and there put into the hands of the Euro-
pean missionary. This process has not
been requisite in India, because, being under
British influence, the whole land is acces-
sible to the European missionary;
does climate interfere in the same degree
that it does in Africa.

nor

The initiative agents, therefore, have gone into the localities of the different races, learned their languages, and on the spot prepared the leaven, Thus, for instance, the missionaries of the Church Missionary Society have made converts or raised up congregations from amongst Tamils, the Malayalim-speaking people, Telugus, Bengalees, the Urdu-speaking people of the north-west, Punjabis, Affghans, the people of Sindh.

In some cases, as in the case of the Affghans, the leaven prepared is very small in quantity, but especially quick, pungent, and penetrative.

This is the leaven. It is now being put into the lump. Along the banks of the Niger the process is going on. Amongst the heathen Ibos, at Onitsha, were introduced a few Christian men of the same race, part of the leaven prepared at Sierra Leone. The quantity was small, but in quality it was genuine. It wrought. There is now there a Christian congregation, consisting of 135 converts, with 48 communicants, and the work is spreading. At the Confluence, higher up, there is a confluence of nations, and we have placed there a leaven made up of Christian men of the same races. "Glebe," observes Bishop Crowther, "being a place forming a nucleus of languages, such as Igbira, Nupe, Hausa, Eki, Yagba, Igara, Amongst the Tamils the leaven is comKakanda, and Gbari, it requires the know-paratively large in quantity, there being no ledge of two or three of those to be most less than 33,000 Christian Tamils under the useful here; but Igbira is the native lan- charge of the missionaries of the Church guage of the people, which must be learnt Missionary Society, besides those which by the resident teachers here, the others being connect with the Society for the Propagaintroduced by mere sojourners from other tion of the Gospel. There is among these places through the unsettled state of their thousands a genuine element, although mixed country from war when they came to sojourn with others that are less valuable. The here. Onitsha possesses this one great people are well instructed: they have been advantage over Glebe, that the Christian brought up, not in a formal ritualism, but teachers have to deal with a people of one in the knowledge of the word of God. language only, while at Glebe they have to They have been taught, not through the do with about half-a-dozen." eye by ceremonies, but through the understanding by sound doctrine. They can read -do read-their Tamil Bibles. They can give a reason for the hope that is in them.

When introduced into the lump the leaven was left. From various circumstances, communications with Lagos and Sierra Leone being interrupted, the work was isolated for months, nor could any one from without approach to ascertain whether the leaven was doing its work: when, however, the station was revisited, it was found that the leaven had wrought effectually. Men and women had turned from their idols; they had embraced Christianity; they desired baptism. On a recent occasion, at the Confluence, Bishop Crowther administered the Lord's Supper to a company of twenty-five converts, and afterwards baptized ten adults, and seven children of converte. A few of the converts were from among the Mohammedans, but the greater part were from the

The congregations have yielded an efficient native pastorate. The people value their Christian ordinances. Like the Sierra Leone Church, they prove that they do so by contributing liberally to their support. They are anxious for the evangelization of their heathen countrymen, and are putting forth corresponding efforts.

Again, in Travancore a leaven has been prepared. The population there is strangely composed of various castes and racesBrahmins, Naire, Soodras, mountain tribes, slaves, besides the Syrian Christians. From amongst these various sections there has been gathered together a body of native

Christians, more than 9,000 in number. The mission on the Mosquito coast contains a adaptation of the leaven to the lump is at startling account of the devastations of the once evident. If the population to be in- recent hurricane. There are seven statiors fluenced is mingled, the leaven is of the in Mosquito: Bluefields, Rama, Magdala, same character. In this respect it resem- Raitipura, Bethania, Corn Island, and bles the Christian leaven at Sierra Leone, Ephrata. Of these, the last named alone and stands in the same relation to the popu- escaped, being beyond the range of the lation of Travancore, which that prepared storm. At Bluefields the mission-house is at Sierra Leone does to the nations and injured, while the church, school-house, languages of Africa. There is something dwelling for the schoolmaster, and all the admirable and exquisite in the similarity of outhouses, are totally destroyed. At Rama arrangement under circumstances so differ- the mission-house is unroofed, the church ent. There presides undoubtedly over the also, and otherwise greatly damaged, and widely-extended mission work a Divine the outhouses are all destroyed. At Magsuperintendence. The earthly agent sees dala the mission-house and church are little more than the contracted sphere of nearly destroyed. Raitipura, an Indian present and personal duty. He is often village, with a new church, is entirely under discouragement; and so feeble does swept away. Bethania, a new station, his work seem to be, when compared with whose church was recently completed, the urgent necessities of the heathen, that whose mission-house was about being he cannot realize how it can tell with any thing of beneficial influence on the future. Yet these apparently feeble efforts are links in the great chain of events by which God is working out his own great purposes.

SAD NEWS FROM THE MORAVIAN
MISSION IN MOSQUITO.
A LETTER from the superintendent of the

erected, is also entirely gone, except one post of the church. On Corn Island, from which no full report has been received, at the time the letter was despatched the mission-house and church were both said to have been very much injured, and the missionary (the Rev. J. Hoch) and his family were reported as having sought shelter under the fallen roof of the church.

Bome Intelligence.

PRESBYTERY OF BERWICK.-This Presbytery met at Berwick on the 6th day of February. Sederunt: the Rev. R. Scott, Moderator; Messrs. J. Fraser, D. Terras, A. Cant, P. Valence, J. K. M'Lean, and W. Dunn, ministers; Messrs. Brown and Smith, elders. Mr. Valence stated that the deputations appointed to visit Bankhill, Belford, and Norham, for the purpose of meeting the office-bearers and recommending the establishment of Associations in these congregations, had not been able to do so, and asked that they be re-appointed. Agreed that the deputations be re-appointed, and that they be prepared with a report at the next ordinary meeting to be appointed at this Session. The ministers present reported that, as recommended, they had observed in their congregations, Sabbath, the 19th day of November, as a day of thanksgiving for the late abundant harvest, and humiliation because of God's threatened judgments in the cattle plague and pestilence. The members present who were not at Etal on the day of Mr. M'Guffie's ordination, stated that they were unavoidably prevented being present on that occasion. Belford Session

Record, Baptismal Register, and Communion Roll, were produced, examined, and attested. School schedules from Ancroftmoor, Bankhill, Lowick, Horncliffe, North Sunderland, and Tweedmouth, were read and ordered to be attested. Mr. Valence, Convener of the Statistical Committee, intimated that because of no return from Etal, and others being too late, the Committee had been unable to complete the report which they were instructed to bring upon this occasion; but with the Presbytery's concurrence, he would now read it so far as it had been prepared. Agreed that the report as it is be now read, and instruct the Committee to bring up a full report at next meeting. Mr. Fraser stated that a difficulty-the desirability to secure a site-which prevented a manse being built at Lowick some years ago, had now been got over-that a good site had been purchased in perpetuity, for a small yearly sum. Mr. Fraser also submitted a ground plan of the building, which the Presbytery approved of. Mr. Fraser gave notice that at next meeting he would move that this Presbytery meet in future at eleven o'clock a.m., and on Wednesday in

stead of Tuesday. The Presbytery_appointed its next meeting to be held at Berwick on the first Tuesday of April next, at eleven o'clock a.m.

opened by Mr. Douglas, whose suggestions were cordially concurred in by the Presbytery, whereupon the following resolution was adopted:-"The Presbytery having THE PRESBYTERY OF LONDON.-The held a conference on the subject of the monthly meeting of this Presbytery was held college, do not deem it expedient, under on Monday evening, Feb. 12, in Queen Square existing circumstances, to overture the House. Rev. Mr. Dinwiddie, Moderator. Synod in regard to the future constitution It was agreed, on the motion of the Rev. which it may be desirable to provide for Mr. Matheson, of Hampstead, that the Rev. that most important and permanent instiMr. M'Coll, of Glasgow, who was present, tute of the Church. But being deeply imshould be associated with the Presbytery, pressed with the necessity of increased The clerk road a letter from Professor Lums- efforts being made to secure a competent den, on behalf of the Colonial Committee of supply of students, and entertaining the the Free Church of Scotland, to the effect conviction that much valuable material is that he understood that there was an im- lost to the service of the Church, from the pression amongst the members of the Lon- want of pecuniary means to prosecute the don Presbytery, that that committee had preparatory education requisite for entering been a party to the appointment of the our Theological Hall, unanimously resolved Rev. Mr. Jeffrey, late of Guernsey, to a to record their opinion, fortified by facts charge at Singapore, and to his transference brought under their notice-that if the to that sphere of labour, without taking the Church should see her way to provide a ordinary steps in such cases of bringing the bursary fund, either by the resumption of matter before the Presbytery with which he the college collection or otherwise, for the was connected. Professor Lumsden begged purpose of aiding young men of accredited to state that they had no share of the blame talent and piety, and of known predilecof any such irregularity, as the case had tion for the ministry, to avail themselves never been before the committee, and the of the benefit of a University educationappointment had been made without their as was done in Scotland during the 28 intervention in any way. The Clerk then years in which the Church was in an read a letter which he had received from the unendowed condition in that countryRev. Dr. Edmond, Clerk of the London such a fund, properly administered, would United Presbyterian Presbytery, enclosing prove a productive source of the needed the resolution passed by that body in refer- supply." "The Presbytery, sympathizing ence to the step taken by the Rev. Mr. very much with Mr. Hoy's protracted illSandie, to establish the nucleus of a con- ness, and finding that the supplies which gregation at Eyre Arms, St. John's Wood. they had provided for three months will Dr. Roberts and Mr. Maclagan having, in be exhausted on the 2nd Sabbath of Febthe name of the English Presbyterian ruary, resolve to instruct Mr. Hoy, if he Church at St. John's Wood, expressed their should not find himself at the end of that readiness to welcome Mr. Sandie to his time fit to resume his pulpit duties, to new sphere of labour, and other members of communicate to the Clerk his incompetPresbytery having spoken, it was agreed that ency, and, in that case, the Clerk is herea reply of a general character should be by appointed to correspond with the Home given to Dr. Edmond's letter. Mr. Alex- Mission Committee, and to convey to ander reported favourably of the state and them the earnest request of the Presbyprospects of the new congregation at Not-tery that they will be pleased to afford tingham, where he had been lately preaching. A call from the Guernsey congregation to the Rev. Dr. Stewart was then laid on the table, and having intimated his acceptance of the same, Dr. Stewart was inducted into the charge according to form. Mr. John Matheson reported that the services of the Rev. John Pirie, of Edinburgh, had been secured for Devizes during the spring months. Mr. Chalmers gave notice of an overture to the Synod on the subject of a psalter and hymn-book.

some seasonable aid to enable them to supply the pulpit at Felton during Mr. Hoy's illness." Mr. Hoy took the opportunity of expressing his grateful sense of the fraternal sympathy and kind consideration which the Presbytery had shown him under the painful circumstances in which he has been placed by Divine Providence. Mr. Forsyth gave notice of an overture to the Synod to be brought up at next quarterly meeting, on the rela tion in which their schools stand to GoThe Presbytery then ad

PRESBYTERY OF NORTHUMBERLAND.-vernment.
An adjourned meeting of the Presbytery journed.
was held at Felton on Tuesday, Jan. 30, Mr.
Edwards (Widdrington), Moderator.

The

Presbytery resolved itself into a conference

ST. ANDREW's ENGLISH PRESBYTERIAN

on the subject of the college, which was CHURCH, BIRKENHEAD.-On Monday even

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