their own interests in seeking the benefits of English education at his hands."

The next is some account of the Church Missionary Society's labours at Krishnaghur. Our readers will remember that we, some time ago, gave an account of the wonderful success of the gospel in that part of India.

Visit of the Bishop of Madras, and the Archdeacon of Calcutta, to Krishnaghur.

We take the particulars from a Letter of the Archdeacon to the Bishop of Calcutta, dated Calcutta, March 7, 1846. He writes

"The Bishop, his Chaplain, and myself, reached Krishnaghur on the morning of February the 11th.

the

Erection of Buildings-Wants in this department. Since I was last there, the premises at Rottenpore and Kabastanga have been built. At four stations-Krishnaghur, Chupra, Rottenpore, and Kabastanga buildings are all that could be desired. The missionhouses, the churches, the schoolrooms, the out-houses, most neat, healthful, and appropriate; presenting a fine centre for their respective districts. At Solo it is otherwise. The Bishop of Madras and myself have recommended that another site should be chosen, to the northeast of the present site, and a neat and suitable house, church, &c., built, as at Kabastanga: the external apparatus of the several districts will then be complete.

General View-Particulars of the Visit to Kabastanga. With regard to the general state of the missions, nothing can be more encouraging. At every station it did my soul good to see what was going on. Earnestly did I wish that those half-hearted worldly-minded men, who tell us that nothing is doing in our missions, could be transported for a little while to these districts. It would, I am sure, silence their objections, and put to shame their doubts and suspicions.

I will just mention our proceedings at one station, Kabastanga, as a specimen of the rest. As we entered Kabastanga in the morning of the 19th of February, the

children-all Christian children-were drawn up in long rows, the boys on the one side, the girls on the other, so clean, so neat, and orderly; so superior in appearance to the heathen around. We walked to the church, a most picturesque and beautiful building: the children followed us, and formed themselves into a quadrangle by the side of the verandah. Oh, to see them as they stood around us, and to hear them strike up a beautiful hymn in Bengalee to the tune of the Old Hundredth Psalm! It was truly a refreshing and inspiring sight, and well worth going from Calcutta to see.

After breakfast, we had the Native Christians collected for Service and for Confirmation. There were about 350 present. There are upwards of 1000 in the Kabastanga district. It was a gratifying spectacle. The Rev. E. Reynolds read Prayers, and then came the Confirmation. There were more than 100 confirmed at this time. Greater order, devotion, attention, and heartfelt response, throughout the Service, I never witnessed anywhere. The bishop then gave a plain, faithful, and affectionate address from Mark x. 13-18, to which the people gave the most earnest heed.

In the afternoon the schools were examined. There are a Christian Boys' School and a Girls' School on the premises, containing more than 120 children; and all gave the most satisfactory evidence of their general knowledge of Christian truth, and of their industry. These children are brought up to different callings. As to the boys, one is sent to the carpenter, another to the cook, another to the bearer, &c. to learn each that calling by which his future maintenance may be secured. The girls are taught different kinds of useful work, and are constantly employed. They are not permitted to be idle for a moment. This school is supported by the

Ladies' Society.

Outside the premises, there is a little community of Christian weavers, who entirely support themselves by making cloth for the Native Christians. So, also, there are families of cow-keepers, who supply milk, butter, &c. In this way they are forming a little commonwealth, who are independent of the heathen around them. This is

more or less the case with the other districts. Nothing will tend more to raise the tone of Christian feeling among the native converts, and to spread the leaven of truth throughout the district. The missionary informed me that the conduct of the 1000 professing Christians in this district, as a body, is more consistent than that of the same number taken in general in any of the towns in England.

Next morning after the Bishop left us to return to Krishnaghur, we had the Christians again assembled in the church. I addressed them from Ephesians v. 8. In my first head I drew a representation of their former state of darkness, as one of ignorance, vice, misery, insensibility, and death; and asked the question, 'Are you not indeed grateful to that Saviour who has brought you out of such a state?' To have heard the burst of feeling which resounded from every quarter of the church! 'Yes, indeed we are! indeed we are!' It would have done any one good to have heard it. My own heart, and those of several of my reverend brethren present, were full to overflowing. Surely, I said to myself, the Lord is with this people, and His glory is here most distinctly manifest.

It was nearly the same through all the mission. There is the same labour going on, and similar success manifest.

Progress of the Mission.

On the whole, there are many things which I have learned as well as enjoyed in this visit.

1. The progress of the whole mission, in all the districts, is greater than I had expected to find it; and in two or three of the districts no one can, I am sure, have any just idea of what is going on. The work is most assuredly of God, and is steadily advancing.

2. There have been a considerable number added to the Church in the various districts. I cannot at this moment say what number; but from a rough calculation, I should say more than 500.

3. The present Christians are much more advanced in knowledge; and, from the testimony of the Missiona

ries, far superior in their general habits and conduct, and more consistent in their lives.

4. The missionaries themselves are more encouraged in their labours, and more joyful and happy in their work. This was very evident.

5. The external appearance of the Christians is much improved, exhibiting a far more striking contrast to the heathen around.

6. The prospect of the whole mission is more hopeful.

Benares.

Our work is going on well. The Lord is still with us. I have of late seen some signs which convince me that there is not merely a form of godliness, but that its power also is manifested among us. I hope that, with the beginning of the next year, our native Christians, although poor, will support a Christian reader to preach the Word in their stead to Hindoos and Mahomedans. They believe that the command, Preach the Gospel to every creature, is binding upon them, and therefore wish to follow the example of the Church of Thessalonica in sounding the Gospel abroad-1 Thess. i. 8. O that every Protestant congregation throughout the world would do the same!"

SHORT REFLECTIONS ON THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THE EPISTLE GENERAL OF ST. JAMES.

THIS chapter begins by admonishing us not to judge by the outward persons or circumstances of men, which we are too apt to do, but to be more like our heavenly Father, with whom there is no respect of persons. How true is the picture given by the Apostle, of an entertainment, or assembly, to which the poor and humble, but deserving man comes, and is thrust down into a low, mean place; while the rich man, proud of his wealth and gorgeous apparel, is exalted into the highest seat, although he may be much less worthy of it than the other. This shows how very early corruptions and a false respect for mere riches crept into the Church. Yet how often the poor man is rich in faith, and poor

in

spirit, as well as in outward circumstances! Let us pray then, brethren, that those among us who are rich, may add to their wealth the unsearchable riches of God, and lay up treasure "where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal;" and that our poorer friends may cultivate poverty of spirit, and become heirs of the kingdom of heaven.

How well is that called the "royal law," which teaches us to do to our neighbour as we would have him do to us; to weigh well each word and action by the unfailing standard of how we should feel if they were applied to us; to love him as we love ourselves, and strive to do him good, to "rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." This is indeed what God commands us to do, as a proof of our love to Him, for "he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" Therefore, if we do not follow this rule, we are convicted of breaking the law, and whosoever offends in one point, is guilty of all. But if we had only the law to rest upon, how miserable we should be! Let the law, therefore, bring us to Christ, as the only way in which we can hope for eternal life; let it show us our many sins and shortcomings, and lead us to cast our burden upon Him, who bare our sins in his own body on the tree. The "law of liberty" means the Gospel, because it sets us free from sin; not that we may follow our own wicked inclinations and desires, but that we may be free to walk in the way of salvation and holiness.

The remainder of this chapter shows us how faith and works should never be divided. At the time the Epistle of St. James was written, errors were beginning to arise on the subject of justification by faith; and the Apostle illustrates the impossibility of faith alone saving a man, by the example of saying to a poor man, "Be ye warmed and filled," and yet giving him nothing. A fruitless faith is dead, and cannot justify a man; such a faith as the devils have, only adds to their misery, for "they believe and tremble," but a real, true faith produces good works, and changes the whole heart of man. Abraham's faith produced good works, for he offered up