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was not satisfied with them. He met with many who professed to be spiritual physicians, but there was none among them who could bind up his wounds. They prescribed medicines for his diseased soul, but they were not healing, but only served to irritate and aggravate the disease. In company with his wife he frequently made this matter one of serious conversation. At one time they seriously thought of visiting the shrine of Juggernaut, that he might there cleanse away the guilt of his soul, and escape that wrath which they feared would descend upon them on account of sin. But on hearing of the wicked practices that were there carried on by the priests, and of the fearful ravages of cholera which often broke out amongst the pilgrims, they determined on relinquishing their purpose. Thunuah then began to inquire earnestly into the nature and reality of the Christian faith, and to compare it with the dogmas and ceremonies of Hindooism. About this time he was stationed at Kimmedy, (a large town, about forty miles from Chicacole,) as hospital peon, and was much benefitted by the society and counsel of assistant-apothecary Edwards, who gave him considerable help in his inquiries after truth, and had frequent conversation with him relative to the things which belonged to his eternal peace. He gra dually became convinced of the truth and superiority of the Christian faith; and was confirmed in his convictions by the interviews which he had with myself at various times. At this time a severe struggle commenced in his mind. His desire to take up the cross and follow Christ was strong, but his wife and relatives kept him back from carrying out the purpose of his mind. Again and again he resolved, and again and again he held back, through the entreaties of his wife, who dreaded the consequences that might ensue from his breaking caste. At length, in answer to his fervent prayers, it pleased the Lord to open her heart, and to bring her to the decision of taking up the cross with her husband, and publicly renouncing idolatry. When he had obtained her consent, he immediately wrote to me at Vizagapatam, to come and baptize him and his family at Polcandah. As I was about to leave Vizagapatam for Cuddapah, this letter was forwarded to Mr. Dawson, who went shortly after to the town where he resided, and baptized this intere: ting convert, with his wife and four children. Mr. D., writing of this event, says, "I could scarcely entertain the belief that they were in earnest, until I saw them, and then indeed my joy was such as few can imagine. Their reception of me and my catechists, their conversation, their entire mode of living, their house, their dress, and the report given of them by their neighbours, strongly evidenced a thorough

change of heart and life." This was indeed a lovely sight to the heart of the downcast missionary, who had sown in tears, and was now called to reap in joy. Here was a little garden, planted and enclosed by God's hand, and bringing forth the fruits of righteousness to his glory. Well, indeed, may we exclaim, when looking on this stream of living grace in the desert, "What hath God wrought?" This convert now presents a fair example of a steady and consistent Christian, and his wife also continues to walk with him in the fear of God.

The orphan school received an addition this year of eleven boys, one of whom returned to the gentleman who placed him in the school, and another accompanied Mr. Gordon when he returned to Vizagapatam.

A few additions were made to the church this year, and also to the number of the baptized; and at the close of it, we find the number of Christians connected with the mission, as follows: baptized adults and children, 51; inquirers, 14; total, 65. (To be continued.)

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in the course of Divine Providence, and for the sake of the advancement of Christ's cause by the preaching of the glorious gospel, to reside for a few days in our northern metropolis, I gladly accepted the invitation of a friend, a student in the Free Church College, to accompany him one afternoon to hear Dr. C. lecturing on theology. While waiting for the professor, who was a few minutes too late, I had time to look around the crowded class-room. Here and there I could distinguish those who had been well-known to me in the university of another city, but who either did not observe me, or, from the length of time that had elapsed since the period of our acquaintance, joined to the unexpectedness of my presence there, could not recognise me. Thus, thought I, is it in all spheres of life; we meet but to separate; and those who in boyhood exchange the friendly grasp and the merry smile of recognition, when they have filed off in different directions, as they advance in years, and suddenly encounter each other on this world's highway, interchange looks of comparative coldness, or such as indicate entire forgetfulness; but all those who love Jesus, to whatever denomination of Chris

tians they may have belonged here, and however unacquainted with each other they may have been upon earth, shall meet in heaven, and spend eternity in unbroken and closest intimacy. The pleasant hum of friendly conversation subsided into stillness when Dr. Chalmers entered. He wore his professor's gown, and carried his portfolio under his arm. His expression of countenance was quite the same as I had often seen in the far- spread likenesses; and, without being a professed physiognomist, one could easily read in his features the manifest traces of the intelligent, the eloquent, and the generous man. He immediately

led the devotions of his class in a brief but evidently sincere prayer. One expression struck a chord of sympathetic response in my heart. When I expected to hear the simple name of Jesus pronounced in one branch of the petition as the ground of the sinner's acceptance, or of the answer to prayer, the doctor, in his own emphatic manner, used the powerful prophetic appellation, "The Lord our Righteousness." It showed the heart of him who addressed the throne. He had no righteousness of his own to look to; nor did he desire that his fellow-worshippers should trust to their righteousness. Every mind was at once directed outward and Christ-ward-away from self to the Saviour, by the apt introduction of the name by which the Hebrew seers declared he should be called, "The Lord our Righteousness."

The professor said that he would first offer a few remarks upon an essay (which had either been read in his hearing or handed in to him for revision), and would then continue the consideration of the subject on which he was daily lecturing. It happened that the essay to be reviewed was on "Faith." At this I was glad, inasmuch as the opportunity was afforded me of hearing the opinions of Dr. Chalmers on this momentously important subject—a subject, moreover, that has been the occasion of much theological debate, and concerning which, at this very day, there exist wide diversities of opinion among professing Christians. After bestowing its due meed of praise upon the essay, the doctor said that there was, however, one important point to which he begged leave to call the attention of the essayist and his fellowstudents. The essayist had made a distinction between the assent of the mind and the consent of the heart in the exercise of faith. He had given the name of trust to the latter stage of the process, and had maintained that a sinner in believing the gospel required not merely to perceive its truths with the understanding but also in some undefined manner to rest or trust upon them with his heart. It was upon this

statement that the doctor especially animadverted. He firmly avowed his opposition to the distinction that had been made. In words nearly identical with the following, he commenced his important, and to me most satisfactory criticism: "Gentlemen, this subject is most important to a Christian minister; and therefore I am extremely desirous that you should have clear and correct views upon it. Although there may be moral qualities antecedent to faith, and moral qualities subsequent to it, yet faith, properly so called, i.e., the very act itself, is purely intellectual. It is the intellect, the understanding, that is exercised in faith, and not the heart. What, then, you will ask me, is trust? I answer, that whenever faith is exercised upon an object having a personal reference to a man, it becomes trust, and cannot be anything but trust; not, however, because there is any moral addition made to the act itself, but because of this personal relation to him of the truth thus believed. For example, the devils believe and tremble. They are verily persuaded that Christ is a Saviour; that he is able to save to the uttermost those for whom he died but still they tremble; they cannot trust. And why? Because the truth

as it is in Jesus has no reference or relation to them. But a sinner of mankind, under the sound of the gospel, when he hears the good tidings of great joy preached to "all people;" whenever he is firmly persuaded of this truth, when he can take hold of such a wide word as the world, and be assured that the death of Christ extends to him, necessarily trusts it, not because of any consent of the heart in addition to the assent or perception of the intellect, but because the truth he has found is a rock; and a man cannot believe any statement to be true to him, especially one of which he was in urgent need, because of the extremity of his case, without trusting it. Observe, then, that I define trust to be faith in an object in which I am concerned and which has a personal reference to me. So long as a sinner believes the gospel for others merely, he does not and cannot trust it; but whenever he looks upon the work of the Saviour as having a blessed relation to his own individual soul, the proper philosophical name for his faith is trust. But possibly some one will object, and say to me, There is surely something more in that faith which governs the heart and life than the mere assent of the mind; for do we not observe men saying that they believe the gospel,that they assent to it,-while they nevertheless live wholly uninfluenced by it?" grant that we do find many such; but where lies the defect? Let us here take an illustrative case. There are many, for example, who admit the certainty of death; yet remain

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careless men, uninfluenced by that solemn reality. And why are they not salutarily influenced thereby? Not because there is any deficiency in the act of mind by which they admit the truth; but because they do not fully understand, and do not attach sufficient weight to the truth which they say they believe. Let one of our busiest merchants only sit down and muse in rapt meditation on death,-let him think on what death is to him,-how it takes him away from this world that contains his all, and transports him to another which is altogether unprovided for; and when thus he weighs and understands the fact that is brought before him by the word death, he cannot fail to be affected and influenced by it. Precisely so is it with those who say that they believe the gospel, while they remain uninfluenced by it. Where does the fault lie? Not in their faith. They firmly believe in the fact, that Jesus died. But they do not give the gospel due attention; they do not understand what the death of Jesus fully imports. Only let one of such a class sit down and calmly review his own circumstances as a lost sinner, and then behold the Lamb of God in all the beautiful adaptation of his death to the sinner's soul; and when he comes to see fully the meaning of that precious truth to which he gave merely a general credence before, his heart will be melted and cheered by the love and the smile of God. Thus, Gentlemen, it appears to me that the trust which the sinner is called upon to exercise in God is simple faith in his love to him as an individual; and it appears to me that all objections against this view of the matter may be consistently and scripturally answered."

These, as nearly as I can remember them, were the critical remarks made on this important subject by Dr. Chalmers. The ideas, I am certain, are correctly given, although the verbiage may be slightly different and somewhat amplified. I was highly delighted with what I heard, and also much benefited; for I have felt much pleasure since in laying before my hearers similar views of Divine truth. The venerable professor evinced his sincerity, and the importance which he attached to the subject and the statements he was engaged in making, by the earnestness of his manner. At the outset of his remarks, he remained sitting; but ere he had advanced far, he rose, and assumed all the attitudes and vehemence of his peculiar pulpit oratory, so that towards the close he was delivering himself in the strains of the most thrilling and impassioned eloquence.

The learned doctor occupied the rest of the hour in the continuation of his lectures on theology. The topic for the day was, "The Importance of Studying the Word of God in the Original Languages." He

counselled his students to prepare for the pulpit with the Hebrew Bible or Greek Testament lying before them in preference to our English version, because many ideas suggested by the text, and appropriate to it, would be elicited by the original language that could not be expected to spring from the use of the English version, however excellent that might be. One remark which the doctor enforced with his own characteristic brilliancy was this, that, “as when a friend who has been long absent, suddenly presents himself before us, and we cannot recognise his features nor mention his name, yet if his dress be similar to that which was formerly worn, it may prove a most useful auxiliary and restore its unknown wearer to our memory and acquaintance; so, although the passage of Scripture to which our attention may be called may seem sterile and unproductive, yet a regular and diligent use of the original languages may cause the most apposite and powerful ideas to start up before our delighted minds."

On retiring from that class-room, I felt that any opinions which I had formerly entertained of Dr. Chalmers had fallen far short of his real power and value. Indeed, although I had never heard more of him than I heard that day from him, I could at this season of sorrow join in the train of those who mourn the fall of a great and a good man.

THE JEWS IN NORWAY.

The King of Sweden has commanded his Minister of Justice to prepare a law to admit Israelites to the enjoyment of civil rights in his dominions, from which they have hitherto been excluded.

ORANGE-STREET CHAPEL, LEICESTERSQUARE.

This ancient place of worship was reopened, after extensive repairs and improvements, by the Rev. R. W. Hamilton, LL.D., D.D., of Leeds, on Thursday, 23rd Sept. On the following Lord's-day, 26th Sept., two sermons were preached, by the Rev. S. Luke, late of Chester, the newly-elected pastor, and the Rev. George Clayton, of Walworth. We rejoice to state that the cause is greatly revived, under the devoted labours of its present pastor.

VOL. XXV.

MISSIONARY MAGAZINE

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CALCUTTA.

THE NATIVE YOUTH OF INDIA PLEADING WITH THE CHURCH FOR CHRISTIAN INSTRUCTION.-Vide page 554.

PROPOSED ESTABLISHMENT OF A CHRISTIAN INSTITUTION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION IN CALCUTTA.

AMONG the auxiliary means for the extension of Christianity in India, none have proved equally efficient with a judicious and well-conducted course of Scriptural Education.

The desire of the natives generally is strong, that their children may enjoy the advantages of early Instruction; and the multitudes of the youth of India, especially in large Cities, are open to its salutary influence-many evince an ardent desire for mental improvement and religious knowledge-(page 553). A devoted Friend of Education in Madras bears testimony to this fact in the following decisive statement:

"There are many indications of the progress of mind and christian influence among all ranks. I have received lately several Deputations of Natives to request a School for the instruction of their children. In one instance, all the principal men of the village came, bringing their Petition in their hand and urging their request with great earnestness. I said, We have every disposition to comply with your request, but you must clearly understand it would be a Christian School we should establish; in short, that, while we taught secular learning, our main object would be to teach your children the Christian Scriptures. This, they said, they fully knew; and to this they were perfectly agreeable. You have scattered abroad a great deal of knowledge,' said a fine young man; 'you have done us much good-you have given us a great number of books—a hundred can read now, where only one could read formerly.'

The Friends and Agents of the London Missionary Society, resident in CALCUTTA, have for many years taken an honourable share in the good work of Education; and, at the present time, their principal Establishment at Bhowanipore, with its several branches, supplies instruction to nearly 800 pupils.

Many of these are youths of fourteen to eighteen years of age, and, consequently, well able to appreciate its high importance; while a considerable proportion are the children of Brahmins, and others of high Caste, who are destined hereafter to occupy influential stations in society.

The value attached by the Friends of Christianity to these efforts is well expressed in the following extract from the last Report of the Institution:

"These Schools we find a very important branch of Missionary Labour. Education and the Public Preaching of the Gospel are sometimes placed in opposition to each other. But, why should it be so? They embrace two different spheres of labour, and mutually assist each other. Amongst our present scholars many are Brahmins; and, in the Behala School, decidedly the majority are of the Brahmin Caste. Many of them, we expect, will occupy stations of influence and usefulness, when they grow up to be men. While they remain under our charge, the Bible is their constant study: its all-important truths are impressed again and again upon them. They learn, too, that all subjects of study may be accompanied by the spirit of the Bible; so that God is seen not only in the natural world, but in history-the great world of men-ruling society, and, by its vast machinery, accomplishing His plans."

The course of Instruction for the Senior Classes includes the English Language, the Evidences of Christianity, History, Geography, Astronomy, Mathematics, the Elements of Mental and Moral Philosophy; and with these is combined the regular and minute study of the Sacred Scriptures.

The Work of Education has hitherto been carried on in a Native Building of very frail construction,-insufficient in size, and held on a precarious tenure; but an opportunity is now afforded of purchasing the Land and erecting suitable and substantial Buildings. The devoted Friends of the Institution in Calcutta are anxious to secure the property: they have evinced their sense of its importance by generously engaging to raise £1,000 towards the undertaking, half of which they have already contributed; and the Directors of the London Missionary Society, under the influence of the same conviction, have also engaged to contribute an equal amount from the Funds of the Institution.

But the accomplishment of the entire design, including the purchase of Land, will involve an

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