But what hopeful prospects have succeeded to these real difficulties and these gloomy prognostications! Such (said Mr. Ward) was the appearance of India; and I have mentioned these circumstances to show, that, if in that part of the world (of all others the most hopeless,) the Gospel has obtained any success, then you need not despair of Africa, or of any part whatever of the world. But I have now to tell you, that all these difficulties, great as they appeared, have vanished into air. The Government of India acts, as far as is prudent, entirely with us; and, in a variety of ways, they are assisting us, and assisting us in the most powerful manner: they have established Government-Schools for the instruction of the Natives; and the name of the present GOVERNOR OF INDIA will live in their recollection to the latest posterity: it would be unjust in me not to mention the name of the MARCHIONESS of HASTINGS, who is doing every thing in her power for the benefit of the Female Natives of that country. In our own country every facility has been kindly afforded to us, and the Missionaries can go without opposition to every corner of India. Such a door is opened there, as never was before every voice cheers the Missionaries as they enter. Of our own countrymen, I scarcely know one individual who opposes us on the contrary, they now have a Calcutta Bible Society, chiefly supported by the AngloIndians, which has circulated extensive editions of the Scriptures in the various languages of India. There is a Calcutta School-Book Society, and there is a Hindoo College. Natives themselves are being taught and educated, for the very purpose of becoming preachers of the Everlasting Gospel and thus the distance of fifteen thousand miles is subdued and superseded, by God's raising up Natives themselves to become Missionaries to their countrymen, who are inured to the climate and familiar with their manners. The languages of India are now subdued; and the holy Scriptures, or part of them at least, with a number of Tracts, have already been translated and circulated in twenty-five languages of the country. The prejudices of the natives have been overcome as one proof of this, I can state, that, when I left Serampore, a deputation had come from a village at some distance, in which they were attempting to establish a school, to request one of our Schoolmasters to visit them and afford them some instruction as to the manner of conducting their school. There cannot be a stronger proof of their prejudices being subdued, than for the natives to solicit a visit from a man whose appearance in their school would have once been thought a crime: these schools are now so common in India that there is scarcely a town or even a village that has not one. The ignorance of the natives has been overcome we have found a conscience at last; and several thousand Hindoos have turned from the worship of idols to serve the living and true God; have renounced their superstitions and embraced the faith of Christianity. Public opinion, which had been almost universally against us, is now almost universally for us. The foundation is laid, and we have only to go forward in the work that has been so successfully begun. I have been thus minute in the statements of the situation of the work of God in that extensive empire, in order that I, as an eye witness, might excite the thankfulness of this Society for what God has done there; and that, when I am gone into those distant regions again to aid by my feeble efforts this great cause, your prayers may be excited and encouraged by the prospect of ultimate success. In enumerating the grounds on which, though entertaining some opinions different from those of the Society at whose anniversary he was assisting, he yet felt for it the highest regard, Mr. Ward touched on a subject of the very first importance to the success of Missions, and which is beginning most justly to attract the serious attention of Christians in a degree that it has not hitherto done :- The Missionaries of this Society (said Mr. Ward) depend especially on DIVINE INFLUENCE. On that influence their eyes are always fixed; and, feeling that they are but weak instruments in the hand of God, they go forward in their simple career, looking to Him. On this most important topic he added I have lately come from the Continent of America, in which there is at present a great out-pouring of the Holy Spirit. In Connecticut, in Massachusetts, and other places, a large measure of Divine Influence has been experien 28 ced. If these things be done in America, (and we want nothing else,) if God is pleased to pour out his Holy Spirit there, and this work go on as it has begun, the whole world will at no distant period be converted to God. For this, let us be instant in prayer. It is only for us to be frequently on our knees at the throne of grace, and then shall the earth yield her increase, and God, even our own God, shall give us his blessing. Mr. Shaw, in remarking the increasing good-will of the Planters in the West Indies toward the instruction of their Slaves, stated a fact which exhibited a striking contrast to this wiser and better disposition: A Slave, whose Master was strongly opposed to his attending prayer-meetings, went to him, and begged him to let him go to a prayer-meeting, but was refused. "Well, Massa, you sell my liberty?" "I have no objection to that." "Well, Massa, how much?" "Two hundred and fifty guineas," was the reply. This was a great sum; but, such was the effect which had been produced on the poor slave's mind by attendance on religious ordinances, that, by dint of self-denial and hard working, he amassed the money, paid the 250 guineas, and became a freeman. We quote the following passage from the address of Mr. Bunting, as a specimen of the lively and happy manner in which this Great Cause is advocated by its able friends Our Treasurers are responsible on behalf of our Institution for more than they have yet received, notwithstanding the very liberal contributions of our friends during the last year. We have had a Sub-Committee on the subject; and they were not a little staggered by the report which your Treasurers laid before them, that they were obliged to borrow sums of money from time to time to defray the expenses of the Mission. It was then considered whether we could not give up some of Our Missionary stations: the list was Jaid before the Sub-Committee: they went through the stations one by one, and found that it was much easier to talk of this than it was to do it. It brought to my recollection, Sir, a circumstance which occurred in one of the provinces of Germany during a time of great distress. A poor man, his wife, and four children, were on the point of being starved. It was at length proposed to sell one of their children for their The last Report of the Society having been so lately published as to enable the Committee to bring down the account of receipts and payments to the end of 1820, the accounts of the present year will be printed with the next Report. The Contributions of the Sermons and Meetings amounted to upward of 10001.; besides 1001. promised toward the support of a Missionary at Van Diemen's Land. CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. TWENTY-FIRST ANNIVERSARY. On Monday evening, April the 30th, the Annual Sermon was preached at St. Bride's Church, Fleet-Street, by the Rev. William Jowett, M. A. late Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge, and one of the Society's representatives in the Mediterranean. From Revel. iii. იე He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches, the Preacher considered, 1. With what degree of attention or neglect the voice of the spirit has hitherto been received. 2. What the Spirit yet saith unto the Church of Christ, at large; whether to the reformed part of it, or to that which is yet enveloped in the darkness of past times-inferring, from these views the plain line of duty which lies before the Society, and the strong appeal which may be justly grounded thereon to the members of the Church and to the Christian World. In illustrating his subject, Mr. Jowett naturally directed the thoughts of his hearers to that which lies nearest his own heart -the Mediterranean Mission of the Society. We shall only say of this Sermon, that we trust it will serve as a guide and stimulus to other Missionaries to return home, should the Providence of God call them to do so, fraught with enlarged and intelligent views of the scene of their labours, and with tenderness of heart toward those who may have been the objects of their attention and toil. At the Annual Meeting, which was held on Tuesday, May the 1st, at Freemasons' Hall, the noble President of the Society, Lord Gambier, took the chair, at twelve o'clock, and opened the Meeting in that spirit of piety and devotion, which has so great a tendency to give a right direction and tone to the proceedings on these occasions. From the Report, an abstract of which was read by the Secretary, it appeared that there had been an increase of about 10001. in both the receipts and expenditure of the year-the receipts of the twentieth year having been about 30,000l. and its expenditure 31,000l.; while the receipts of the twenty-first year had been rather more than 31,000l., and its expenditure 32, 0001. The Hibernian Auxiliary had contributed 1615l. 15s. 10d., and the Bristol Association 21411. 9s. 3d. Two Legacies, one of 500l. and the other of 1000l., were announced as bequeathed by benefactors who had become acquainted with the Society through the Bristol Association. County Associa tions, and those of several Congrega tions in the Metropolis and of some larger towns, had respectively contributed sums, varying from 300l. to nearly 1000.; that for the town and county of Leicester having reached 9761. 18s. 11d. His Grace the Archbiship of Tuam had become a Vice-Patron of both the Hibernian Auxiliary and of the Parent Society. As the resolutions convey a view of the chief points enlarged on in the Report, we subjoin most of them : -That the Report now read be received, and printed under the direction of the Committee: and that this Meeting, on a review of the past year, desires to express its humble thankfulness to Almighty God, for the continued increase both of the means and opportunities afforded to the Society, of promoting the knowledge of Christ in the world; and that, feeling the necessity of earnest prayer for the enlarged influences of the Holy Spirit on this Society and on all kindred Institutions, this Meeting will labour to cherish the Spirit of prayer, and affectionately urges a serious attention to this duty on all the members of the Society. -That this Meeting, recognizing the obligation on the Protestant Churches to communicate in every practicable way, the full light of the Holy Scriptures to such churches of Christ as are suffering under the want of that light; and anticipating the beneficial effect on Jews, Mahomedans, and Heathens, of the enlightning and purifying of such Churches-witnesses, with thankfulness and joy, the rapid diffusion of the Scriptures round the Mediterranean, and the share which the Society's representatives have been enabled to take in this labour. -That this Meeting witnesses with pleasure the increase of the Society's exertions among the Heathens and Mahomedans of the British Empire in the East: and begs to express its grateful acknowledgments to the Society's friends at the three presidencies of India, for their kind and assiduous attention to its concerns; and to all those civil and military servants of the crown and of the honourable East India company, who, in various ways have promoted the objects of the Society. -That this Meeting feels greatly encouraged by the progress of true Christianity among the Heathen of Western Africa, and cherishes hopes respecting the labours of the Society among those of New Zealand: and, feeling the great importance of the favour and countenance, in the various Missions, of the Local Authorities, begs to express to his excellency Lieut-Col. Sir Charles Mac Carthy, Governor of his Majesty's colony of Sierra Leone and its dependencies, its particular thanks for the kindness shown by him to the Society's Mission on that coast; and to their excellencies, major-general Sir Thomas Brisbane, K. B. and Lieut. General the hon. Sir Edward Paget, G. C. B., proceeding, respectively, to the governments of New South Wales and Ceylon, for the favourable intentions which they have expressed toward the plans of the Society in those quarters. -That this meeting regrets the necessity under which several of its friends have been laid of returning for a time from their labours, while it rejoices in the testimony borne by them to the prospects of success in the places where they have laboured; and the Meeting returns its cordial thanks to the Rev. William Jowett, for his sermon preached at this anniversary before the Society, and requests him to allow it to be printed with the Report. This last resolution had reference to the Rev. W. Jowett, the Rev. Marmaduke Thompson, and the Rev. Thomas Rock Garnsey from Sierra Leone, who had all left their labours through indisposition, and were present at the Meeting. These resolutions were moved and seconded, respectively-by the right hon. Viscount Lorton; and the Rev. W. Dealtry, of Clapham--by the Rev. W. Jowett, from the Mediterranean; and the Rev. Edward Burn, of Birmingham-by the hon. and right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Gloucester; and the Rev. Marmaduke Thompson, chaplain of the hon. East-India Company at Madras---by the right hon. Lord Calthorpe; and the right hon. Charles Grant, M. P.-and by the Rev. Dr. Thorpe; and the Rev. Dr. Steinkopff. A general motion of Thanks to the patrons and friends of the Society, made by the Hon. and Rev. Gerard Thomas Noel, and second by the Rev. Daniel Wilson, closed the business of the day; in the whole of which a peculiar savour of piety prevailed. Mr. Dealtry in the course of his address, referred very feelingly to the views of the Missionary Cause with which Christians should be impressed as life draws toward its close : I rejoice (he said) my Lord, at the catholic spirit which prevails through this Report, it speaks so honourably of the labours of other similar Institutions. Dearly as I love my own church, and this Society, I sincerely rejoice that there are so many other institutions established for the same purpose, and prospering under the Divine blessing; and I am persuaded, that, in that hour when all the things of this world shall appear in their real character-when vanity is inscribed on all earthly possessions--we shall feel most emphatically the importance of this great cause. The account in the report of some Legacies left to the Society, seems to show the propriety of the observation which I have just advanced. It brought to my recollection what I heard of an excellent lady who is now no more: wen near death, she desired, by signs, to have a book read to her several were brought, which did not appear to be what she meant: at length, the one was found to which she alluded, and, from the reading of which, she appeared to feel much pleasure. That book, my Lord, was the Missionary Register; and, whether it might be from hearing of the extension of the glorious gospel, or from a contemplation of the depth of the riches of the wisdom and power of God which that gospel reveals, that she derived so much joy, I would ask, Where is the individual who would not wish to possess the same feelings under the same circumstances? These, indeed, are the subjects on which we shall delight to dwell, if we are permitted to look down hereafter from the heights of heaven on this lower world. Mr. Jowett and Mr. Thompson corroborated, from their own experience, the testimony of other Christian residents in foreign parts, in respect to the numerous openings for successful labour. Mr. Thompson, after assuring the Society that, notwithstanding all difficulties, the work of God is prospering in India, stated the following affecting facts: But the wants of India are still the same. The destruction of infants and the burning of widows still continue; and the wheels of the car of Juggernaut still crush many of its deluded victims. On the subject of burning widows, I would remark, in opposition to what has been so often affirmed, that this practice is confined to the more wealthy class and to those who are voluntary victims; that the instances which 1 have seen have proved the contrary. The first I ever saw in India was in contradiction of the first of these assertions; and it was a scene, the recital of which must make any sober man shudder it was the burning of a widow in deep poverty: so poor were the relations, that they could not afford a sufficient quantity of fuel to cover the body: I saw her and the body of her deceased husband, partly covered with fuel, and partly exposed; and, in this dreadful state, she was slowly consumed. The next instance which I saw was in direct opposition to the other assertion, that they are all perfectly voluntary: it was that of a poor woman who was dragged to the pile, making all the resistance in her power, and fainting under the thought of what she was going to suffer: she was then taken in the arms of two men, to be carried round the pile the appointed number of times; but when, from her fainting and the resistance which she made at intervals, they could not succeed in this, she was laid on the pile in a state of insensibility; but, coming to herself for a few moments, she struggled so violently as nearly to throw down the pile: a Brahmin seeing this, immediately ran to a little child about four years of age, the eldest son of the widow, took the child in his arms, put a torch in his hand, ran with him to the pile, held out his little arm, and made him set it on fire; and, in a few moments, the struggling mother was in flames! In reference to some touching narratives of the influence of religion on the liberated negroes of Sierra Leone, Lord Calthorpe, after regretting that his honourable relative (Mr. Wilberforce,) to whom such instances of the power of religion would yield very peculiar delight, was withheld from attending the present anniversaries by the state of his health, said-- I cannot but express the cordial pleasure with which I have heard of the growing success of this Institution, in those climes, of the natural beauty of which we have often heard; but whose natural beauty is likely soon to be surpassed by the growing triumphs of religion which they exhibit. Where the voice of desolation was lately heard, some of the songs of Zion are now sung; and these places resound with such hallelujahs of praise, (though they come not from the lips of those who can speak the language of educated feeling,) that they strike into our hearts with a delightful force, because they are the indisputable evidences of that spirit, to which the best blessings of Christianity are promised. It is indeed one of the most remarkable triumphs of Christianity, that its effects should be illustrated by a class of individuals, who so lately hardly obtained the name of a people---that they should not only be free from human bondage, but should aspire to the best of all liberties; and prove that the greatest spiritual blessings may be enjoyed by those, who have by some been considered as the basest and meanest of the human race. In seconding the motion of Lord Calthorpe, Mr. Grant made a powerful appeal to the meeting:-- It is impossible to hear what we have this day heard, and to return with cold hearts to our firesides, and fold our arms in carelessness and indifference on this subject. I cannot express the satisfaction which I feel, that this Institution, and other institutions of a similar kind, are vindicating the name of Briton from a most melancholy stain: for surely it was a stain that, while Britain has been famous for her religion, yet that Britons, when they have left their own shores, have seemed to forget their principles; and while they have shown to distant nations the splendour of our earthly glory, they have forgot to mix with it the brighter splendour of our religion. In Africa, it would have been an insult to have named Christianity. Indeed, it seems as if the very character of Britons had sometimes been changed: but we now see brighter scenes, both abroad and at home: and, while we feel attachment to our own church, we feel that there is a charity paramount to all minor distinctions; and therefore we hail any institution, under any denomination, composed of those who kneel round the same cross, and weep over the same calamities of man. |