CHAPTER XXII.

""Tis the abode of one,

A heathen once, but now a humble saint.
He greets with placid gaze the fresh'ning breeze,
And lifts his eyes to heaven solemn and glad,
In silent adoration. At his door

He sits attired with decent nicety,

And reads with inward joy the sacred page,
Outspread upon his knees. Who is he? say.
The holy volume answers, "Tis a brand
Pluck'd from eternal burnings.' O the cross
Hath triumph'd o'er the sinning soul, and won
A slave from Hindoo darkness. Blessed change!
A worthy theme for angel minstrelsy.

Yea, angel praise could not express such change,
Produc'd by grace divine.”—Lawson.

NATIVE CHAPEL OPENED-IDOL GIVEN UP-EFFECT OF ITS REMOVAL-PERSECUTION OF NATIVE CHRISTIANS -THEIR DELIVERANCE-MESSRS. BENNET AND TYERMAN HINDOO FABLE REV. MICAIAH HILL'S SPEECH MUSSULMAN MOONSHEE BAPTIZED HISTORY

REV. MR. WAYLAND'S OPINIONS.

HIS

DURING the time that the deputation from the London Missionary Society was in Calcutta, a very pleasing circumstance occurred, which was no other than the opening of a native chapel, where an idol temple before had stood. The day

was indeed a hallowed festival, and Messrs. Bennet and Tyerman seemed highly to enjoy it. It was the celebration of a signal victory obtained over the powers of darkness. This chapel was situated at Rammakal-choke, a village about nine miles south of Calcutta. Ramjee, a land-owner, was the proprietor of the temple, which had been erected by his forefather, in honour to, and as the residence of Sheeb. This man heard the Gospel preached by Mr. Trawin, one of the missionaries from the London Missionary Society; and such was the effect produced under the Divine blessing, that he determined to destroy the temple, and give up the idol to the missionary, to be sent to the Museum in London. On the 20th of March, 1825, the idol was hurled from its throne, and given to Mr. Trawin, thus fulfilling the prophecy, "The gods who made not the heavens nor the earth, shall perish from under those heavens and from off that earth." The effect of its removal was, as might have been anticipated, most peculiar. The officiating Brahmin stood as if petrified with horror; and raising both his hands, expressed himself almost literally, in the language of Micah, when his Teraphim was stolen: "Ye have taken away my god, and what have I more?" The people ran together, some crying one thing, and some another; but all its wretched and deluded votaries seemed with one voice to say, "Great is Sheeb of the Hindoos."

Whoever reflects on the nature of idol worship

T

in general, and on that which is paid to the idol Sheeb in particular, which consists not merely in stupidity and folly, but in the most disgusting obscenity, the most libidinous revelry, and the most savage and merciless cruelty, must with admiration exclaim, "This is the Lord's doing, it is marvellous in our eyes."

The zemindar, or native officer in the village of Rammakal-choke, commenced an outrage upon the native Christians by levying from each a fine of ten rupees, for destroying, as he termed it, the village. Refusing to pay this unjust demand, they were apprehended, and severely beaten with a shoe, a mode of punishment exceedingly abhorrent to the feelings of a Hindoo, to whom it is expressive, more perhaps than any other chastisement which could be inflicted, of degradation, debasement, and scorn. After various other insults and injuries, such as stripping their trees of the fruit, robbing the ponds of the fish, &c., he put them in close confinement, where they were detained for some days, until application being made to the magistrate, they were liberated, and have since enjoyed unmolested their freedom and their faith.

The zemindar afterwards apologised for his conduct, and expressed his desire to dwell in peace with his Christian neighbours. Ramjee also presented a piece of ground large enough to build a school-room, as well as a chapel; and when the day arrived on which the opening took place, all

"It was never so

the inhabitants seemed to say, seen in our village before." Messrs. Bennet and Tyerman were anxious to see the person who had made so great a donation to the cause of truth, expecting to behold some great man, with flowing robes; but they were much surprised when their attention was directed to a plain-dressed Hindoo, sitting at the feet of the preacher, the tears flowing down his swarthy cheeks, whilst he seemed to eat the words as they fell from the speaker's lips; so that when told that this was Ramjee, they almost seemed to doubt it. The villages all around this place present a cheering aspect, and indicate that the Gospel morn will soon be ushered in; the streaks of light already appear in the horizon, and most of the natives in this quarter seem prepared to hail its approach. Farther still to the south, the Baptist missionaries have been highly encouraged by similar tokens of the divine recognition of their labours, amongst the inhabitants of the islands around the salt water lakes, and the borders of the Sunderbunds. The prejudices of the native mind seem swiftly to have passed away. This has been the case generally throughout the whole of India, where opportunities have been enjoyed of hearing the Gospel. The efforts of the Church Missionary Society have been crowned with great success; and the labours of the Serampore and Calcutta missionaries, in translating and circulating the Scriptures, have been productive of vast results. The great moral revolution of India

must be effected by legitimate means, by those prescribed by the great Founder of Christianity himself. And as we depart from his directions, (however human wisdom may point to the use of means apparently more fitted to attain the great end,) so far shall we prevent the success of the object in view. As Mr. Wayland, of Boston, in America, observes: "It is by going forth and telling the lost children of men, 'that God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son to die for them;' and by all the eloquence of such an appeal, to intreat them for Christ's sake to be reconciled unto God, that we may expect the world to be evangelized. This is the lever by which the moral universe is to be raised: this is the instrument by which a sinful world is to be regenerated.' The triumph at Rammakal-choke was not effected by the coercive weapons of war, but by the attractive influence of the Gospel: not by a desolating army, but by the quickening energy of the Spirit of the living God. The Hindoos believe, many of them, that the world when first formed was placed by him who created it, far nearer to the sun than it is in its present situation; but that from a certain period, it has continued, by a retrograde motion, to verge from that luminary, and that all the calamities now experienced are to be attributed to this circumstance. They believe also, that, as this retrograde motion still continues, the period will soon arrive, when the orb of day, in its size, its heat, and its light, will