nessed the Christian affection and zeal manifested by the friends and supporters of the Society in those places, and to whom the most grateful tribute of thanks is cheerfully paid. The female friends in the metropolis, at Tottenham Court Chapel, at the Tabernacle, at Hoxton, at Surry Chapel, and at other places, (equal in zeal though not in numbers,) have done worthily, and have shewn the world what great and good effects may be expected from the exertions and influence of pious females.

In the autumn of the last year the Rev. Dr. Jack of Manchester, and the Rev. Mr. Tracy, paid a visit to Ireland, where the cordiality with which they were received by ministers of every church, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, and Independent was highly gratifying. The auxiliaries which have been formed in the four northern counties, and in Cork in the south, which have already contributed to the funds of this Society, are proots of the lively interest which the Christians in that province of the United Empire feel in the great cause of missions to the heathen, and pledges of what may be further expected from our fellow Chris tians in Ireland.

Nor can the Directors pass over in silence the praise-worthy efforts of their youthful friends in Bristol and Hull, as well as in London and other places; with joy they receive these tokens of their love to Jesus and to their fellow

Who

creatures. Their sacrifices of juvenile gratifications, made for this purpose, will, we doubt not, be acceptable to Him, who, when on earth, treated with so much Kindness the rising generation. does not hail, in these pleasing buds of Christian philanthropy, the future and precious fruits of that beneficence which shall hereafter contribute largely to the happiness of the whole world.

We congratulate our Christian brethfen on those most wonderful and merci. ful crents which have recently taken place on the Continent In the terraination of those calamitous hostilities which have desolated a great part of Europe, and in the prospect of general peace, we rejoice with all the friends of humanity; ad as Christians, associated for the parpose of publishing to all nations the Gos

of peace, we feel peculiar cause of exkation; for we trust that many impediments to the fece course of the Gospel will be now removed, and that to whatever port the mercantile vessels may sail, the glorious Gospel of the blessed God will also be transinitted. The effects of this Society on the Continent, which have bech for ung years avoidably suspendc, wil, we hopt, Le soon renewed, and

on a far more extensive scale. Already have the Directors resumed their intercourse with their worthy coadjutors in Holland, who ardently desire to promote the missions in Africa and Batavia. From our old friends also at Basle, in Switzerland, we have lately received pecuniary aid. Our German and other brethren, will, we are persuaded, soon manifest their zeal to support and extend the efforts of Christian missionaries.

We conclude with entreating the fervent prayers of all our numerous friends throughout the British empire, for the blessing of God upon our Society, and upon all similar institutions. The increase of a spirit of prayer among us will be (of all others) the most encouraging token for good. The number of monthly prayer-meetings in the metropolis for the spread of the Gospel is already increased at the instance of our friends; and we' trust that the same spirit is manifested throughout Britain. He who has himself directed us to give him no rest day nor night, till he make Jerusalem a praise in all the earth," will assuredly hear the voice of our supplications; then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shali bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

POSTSCRIPT.

SINCE the preceding report was read, letters have been received from India, fron which the following brief accounts are extracted.

GANJAM.

MR. LEE, in a letter dated at Ganjam, Aug. 2, 1813, says, that his regular Eng lish congregation is from one hundred and ten to one hundred and twenty, and that they hear the word with remarkable attention. Immediataly after the service of the Lord's day evenings, he reads a portion of the Scriptures to the natives, who are present, and explains it to theni in the Gentoo language. He was then erecting a place of worship, fifty feet by thirty-eight, in doing which he is assisted by the government. His monthly missionary prayer-meetings are attended by forty or lifty persous. He has translated Dr. Watts's first Catechism, and other useful books for children. He is also proceeding in his translation of the book of Genesis into the Telinga.

Ganjam is described as very populous; both the Telinga and Odea languages are spoken; and as the situation affords great felities for the wide diffusion of Gospek

BELHARY.

MR. HANDS, in a letter dated October 29, 1813, informs the Directors that he coutinues in a weak and languid state of body, in consequence of a very severe attack of the liver complaint, so that he has not been able to proceed so rapidly as he wished in the translation of the Scriptures; bat as he was gradually gaining strength, be hoped to be soon enabled to go on with more vigor.

His schools, in which he is much assisted by Mr. Taylor, continue to flourish. Mr. Taylor is also studying theology and the Canara language. Some copies of the New Testament in the Telinga tongue, which Mr. Hands brought with him from Vizagapatan, have been distributed among the Gentoos at Belhary, and several have been sent into the surrounding districts by strangers who have called to visit him. He has also a class in the native school, who read the Telinga Gospels.

The zeal of the country-born people who attend upon his ministry has afforded him much pleasure; they have raised upwards of five hundred rupees in aid of the Auxiliary Bible Society at Calcutta. He had the pleasure also of sending to the same Society one hundred and thirty-three rupees, received for Bibles sold to the soldiers and others. He speaks with great d light of the piety of some of the mili tary. There has been a great mortality anong the 56th regiment, who were in camp; many are also sick at Belhary, for whose instruction and consolation Mr. Hands and Mr. Taylor labor assiduously, He mentious the death of one man, whose ead was remarkably triumphant, and excited much attention among both the offcers and privates of the regiment—all said, that he was a true Christian, and one expressed an earnest desire that his latter end might be like his.

A large parcel of excellent books, which were sent out for Mr. Hands and others who wished to possess them, together with apparel for Mr. H. have unhappily been lost in a vessel which was taking them from Calcutta to Madras. The disappointment is severely felt. The country had suffered severely by drought; but Mr. Hands and his family were greatly assisted by the kindness of ladies and gentlemen in the neighborhood, without whose friendly aid they could scarcely have ob tained the necessaries of life. He expresses also much thankfuless, that the Government has favored him with a grant of the ground occupied by the Mission Garden, which contains about eight acres, and is to be held free from rent, as long as it

School.

CHINSURAH.

MR. MAY, in a letter to the Directors, dated November 26, 1813, mentious the death of Mrs. May on the 17th of September. Her last moments were peaceful and happy. On the following Sabbath the solemn event was improved by two funeral discourses; one in the morning by Mr. Forsyth, and another in the evening by Mr. Lawson, one of the Baptist missionaries, who kindly came to visit him on the mournful occasion.

Mr. May superintends the Free School at Chinsurah, in which he has introduced some beneficial improvements; he intended to commence a native school in the month of January, on the British plan." Speaking of schools, he says, "It is among the rising generation chiefly, that I look for success. By teaching them to read the Scriptures, and laying before them the grand principles of our holy religion, we may remove their prejudices without shocking them." He is looking out for na, tive teachers, as recommended by the late Dr. John, and wishes to pursue the plan of a good lady up the country, who em ploys two or three native teachers, giving each of thein four rupees a month, and two annas for every regular scholar; this renders them diligent in procuring and retaining the children.

Mr. May has rec ived some encouragement from the children under his care, several of whom not only attend his mini" istry, but are much impressed by the word, repeat the catechism, prayers, and hymns, and receive a short lecture weekly on sacred history. He much wishes for more assistance, and particularly de sires that any who may come out may be well acquainted with the improved method of teaching. He regrets that he had not made himself master of it before he left England.

He had heard from Vizagapatar, about a fortnight before he wrate, that Mr. Gordon was then recovering from a se. vere attack of the liver disorder, which had confined him to his room for three weeks. The number of children then i the school was about seventy.

MADRAS.

A VERY pleasing letter from Mr. Loveless, dated August 23, 1813, has just been recerved, containing many pious reflections on the instances of mortality among the missionaries; expressing also his earnest hope that the Legislature of t!'s country would afford that liberty for sending missionaries, which we now rejoice has been granted. He mentions that the American bacdren Hall and Nott were at Bombay;

where they were permitted to remain, and it was expected they would proceed to Surat. He recommends strengthening the mission at Belhary especially, on account of the state of Mr. Hands's health. Mr. Loveless was attended at the chapel as usual, and was greatly encouraged by the generous exertions made by the friends of religion at Madras to liquidate the debt of his chapel. One liberal gentleman who would not suffer his name to appear, has contributed seven hundred pagodas for that purpose. He longs for additional help in that great and populous city.

BAPTIST CONVENTION FOR MISSIONARY

PURPOSES

Soon after it was known in America, that Messrs. Judson and Rice had chang>ed their opinions on the subject of baptism, and had joined the Baptist church in Caleatta, measures were taken by per ons of the same denomination in this country to support them as missionaries in the employment of the Batist churches in the United States. Several societies were formed for this purpose before the return of Mr. Rice to America, in September 1813. Soon after his return, he entered upon a journey to the southern states, with a view to assist in the formation of Foreign Mission Societies. The result is, that such societies have been formed in nearly all the states of the union. The great outlines of the plan are two, that the members of these societies engage to make an annual payment, and are represented in a triennial convention, which is styled,. The General Missionary Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the United States of America, for Foreign Missions. A Convention of this kind met at Plutadelphia, on the 18th of May last, consisting of thirty three delegates from Societies in eleven states. The delegates proceeded to deliberate on a plan of combined operatious, and adopted a constitution, which is in substance as follows:

Art. 1. Gives the name of the associa tion as above d

2. There he triennial convention composed of net soreshan two delegates from each on society, or other religions but of the Baptist denomination, which shit contribute one hundred dollars or more to the general xaissionary fund.

3. This convention shall triennally ap point twenty one persons, who shall be members of said societies, to be called The Bast Board of Foreign Missions for the United States.

4 The Board shall employ missionaries, and conduct all the executive basiness.

5. Such ersons only, as are in full communion with some regular church ot the Baptist denomination, and who furnish satisfactory evidence of genuine piety, good talents, and fervent zeal for the Kedeemer's cause, are to be employed as missionaries.

6. The officers of the Board shall be a President, two Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, a Corresponding and a Recording Secretary.

I he remaining articles relate to the duties of the officers, the mode of transacting business, and of altering the constitution.

The next meeting of the Convention is to be held at Philadelphia, on the first Wednesday in May, 1817, on which day a sermon is to be preached before the Convention, and a collection to be made.

A Board of Commissioners was appointed, the officers of which are as follows:

Rev. THOMAS BALDWIN, D. D. of Boston, President.

Rev. HENRY HOLCOMBE, D. D. of Pennsylvania,

Rev. WILLIAM ROGERS, D. D. of Philadelphia, V. Presidents.

Mr. JOHN CAULDWELL, of New York, Treas..

The Board took Messrs. Judson and Rice under their particular care and direction, and provided for their support as missionaries. They expressed thanks to Mr. Rice for his zealous, disinterested, and faithful services; and directed, that he should be employed, for a reasonable time, to continue his itiuerant services in the United States, with a view to excite the public raind more generally to engage in inissionary exertions. Mr. Rice conimitted to the Board about $1000, which he had received from Foreign Mission Societies and individuals, for the purposes of the institution, during his tour. He made a communication to the Board, in which grateful notice is taken of the hospitality, Kindness, and generosity which he had experienced in a great variety of instances.

The Board enumerate seventeen auxiliary societies as having been already formed, the aggregate of whose annual payments, and of the payments from soci eties about being formed, is estimated at $5,850. Several societies have since been formed, particularly in Vermont and New Hampshire. The balance in the Treasury

*The towns in which these gentlemen reside are not known to the Editor.

In this day when the public mind is waking up to the alarming abuses of the Sabbath, I wish to call the attention of your readers to a small volume, recently published containing, "Frve Discourses on the Sabbath, preached at Durham, NY. by Seth Wil liston, Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in that place" In the first three Discourses the author spreads before the eye the most interesting passages of Scripture, which relate to the Sab: bath, making suitable comments, and applications to the practices of our country, as he goes along. By passing over those ideas in later quotations, which had been the subject of previous remark, be constantly presents the reader with something new.

In the fourth Discourse he offers you the arguments for the perpenity and change of the Sabbath. The fifth is filled with Reflections. The whole concludes with an Appendix, containing "Some brief Strictures on Paley's Scripture Account of Sabbatical Institutions."

Dr.

This useful little work would be a valuable acquisition to any family, particularly those which

contam children. If it is not too large, (144 pages 12mo) it may lay a reasonable claim to the nouce of the Tract Societies. At

least those benevolent individuals who are in the habit of pur. chasing small books for gratui tous distribution, may find this among the many which are worthy of their pious attention.

0.

Having received the preceding communication after the former part of the number was printed, and being unwilling to defer it, we are obliged to give it a place, which may seem not the most appropriate. ED.

FOREIGN MISSION SOCIETY FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.

the 31st of May last, at East Guilford. THIS Society held its annual meeting on The missionary sermon, by the Rev. Erastus Ripley, of Meriden, was very appropriate and uncommonly interesting. Text Isaiah xi, 9. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: fr the earth shall be fall of the knowledge of of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

The next annual meeting is to be held at Gailford; and the Rev John Elliott, of East Guilford, is appointed preacher.

The following gentlemen were chosen officers for the year ensuing: viz,

Rev. JOHN ELLIOTT, Pres. Rev. DAVID SMITH, ? Dea. ABRAHAM CHITTENDEN, S Rev. TIMOTHY P. GILLETT, Sec. Rev. MATTHEW NOTES, Treas.

Dea. DANIEL PARMELEE,

Rev. AARON DUTTON,
Col. JONATHAN TODD,
Maj. BENJAMIN BALDWIN,
Dea. TIMOTHY ROSSITER,

V. Pres.

Trustees.

THE FOREIGN MISSION SOCIETY OF BOSTON AND THE VICINITY