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BETHESDA.

world, that Christian efforts to instruct the have been converted. Their improvement Negroes have met, in Barbadoes, with more in civilization is great, and they practise no than usual resistance. By the last returns, there less than sixteen trades The Settlement conwere only 54 persons members of the Wesleyan sists of about 1200 persons. Four hundred Society; and we know, from the Report of the and forty-two adults, besides children, have Assistant Secretary of the Church Missionary been baptized. They are now building a Society, who landed at Barbadoes on his re-School-house and Printing-office, and the Soturn from Sierra Leone, that the Missions of ciety has lately sent out a Printer. the United Brethren do not meet there with their wonted encouragement and success. Very little has, at any time, been done, towards the instruction of the Negroes; and, at the time of the insurrection, and for many months preceding, there was no Methodist Missionary on the Island. If the Slaves at Barbadoes had been diligently instructed, and brought under the influence of the Gospel, no such event would have taken place. Some of the Planters themselves have discernment enough to see this.

BELHERAY.

In South Africa-formerly called Oorlam's
Kraal-on the Great River-about 700 miles
from Cape Town.

LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.-1808.
Christopher Sass.

BOMBAY..
The third of the British Presidencies in India,
and the principal Settlement on the west coast
of the Peninsula-population above 220,000;
of whom about 8000 are Parsees, nearly as
many Mahomedans, and about half that num-
ber of Jews; the remainder Portuguese and

A town in the Mysore, in India. The lan- Hindoos, the Hindoos composing more than guage is Telinga.

LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY-1810. John Hands, Joseph Taylor, W. Reeve. Mr. Hands is translating the Scriptures into the Canara Language; he has also established several Schools, in which he is assisted by Mr. Joseph Taylor, a native of the country, and his first convert. Mr. Reeve is on his voyage to India.

BERBICE.

In South America.

LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.-1814.
John Wray.
BERHAMPORE.

A town in Bengal, about 120 miles N. N. W.
of Calcutta.

BAPTIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Pran krishna, Nidhee-rama, Natives. A Station lately formed. Mr. Gardiner, born in the country, assists the Native Missionaries.

BERMUDA.

An island in the West Indies. WESLEYAN MEHODISTS-1788. Wiliam Wilson, jun. William Ellis.

Number of members, 96.

BETHELSDORP.

three-fourths of the whole population

AMERICAN BOARD OF MISSIONS.-1813.
Samuel Newell, Gordon Hall.
WESLEYAN METHODISTS-1816.
John Horner, (sailed.)
BOSJESVELD.

In South Africa-sometimes called Kramer's
District-in the Drosdy, or District, of Tul-
bagh--about 40 miles north from Cape Town.
LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
Cornelius Kramer.

CAFFRARIA.

A country in South Africa-700 miles N. E.
from Cape Town.

LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.-1816.-
T. Williams, Tzatzoo, a Native.
CALCUTTA

The chief of the three British Presidencies in
India-the seat of the first Protestant Bishop's
See in India, and of an Archdeaconry; the
Diocess extending over all the Territories of
the Company-population estimated variously,
from 500,000 to 1,000,000-habitations of in-
dividuals, in 1788, not including the new and
old Forts and many houses belonging to the
Company, were 78,700; of which those of the

In South Africa, about 500 miles from Cape British subjects were 4,300. Armenians, 640,

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Portuguese and other Christians 2650. Hin-
doos 56,460, Mahomedans 14,700, and Chi-
nese 10.

BAPTIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
For the connexion of this Society with
Calcutta, See Serampore.

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY-1816. Readers, and Schoolmasters. Serjeant M'Cabe

has, at present, the charge of them.
LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY-1816,
Henry Townley, James Keith.
CALEDON.

CANOFFEE.

On the Rio Pongas, in Western Africa, upwards of 100 miles N. W. of Sierra Leone-a Station among the Susoos.

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Melchior Renner, John Godfrey Wilhelm, Jellorrum Harrison, Native Schoolmaster. Jacob Reaner, Native Usher.

W. Greenwood, C. F. G. Schroeter. The concerns of the Society in the North of India are under the management of a corresponding Committee at Calcutta, to whom is allowed the sum of 15001. per annum; the Eu See ZUREBRACH ropean Residents and others adding several hundred pounds, to be applied in the most promising methods which may offer, in furthering the Society's designs. The Corresponding Committee are anxious to discharge the trust reposed in them in the most effectual manner. They have established, in behalf of the So- | ciety, various Schools, in Meerut, Agra, Chunar, on the Coast, and in Calcutta At Kid- This Mission was first established by the derpore, near Calcutta, a School Room has Rev C. F. Wenzel, now stationed at Kissey been erected on land given by a Native; and Town, in Sierra Leone. Bashia, which was a Teacher has been provided to carry into ef- the first settlement of the Society, and had fect the New System of Instruction A Chris- been supported for several years, bas been gitian Institution, as a Seminary for Students ven up; the children being removed to Canand Missionaries, with requisites for translating offee, a few miles higher up the river; that and printing, is in contemplation An estate situation being better adapted for their instruchas lately been purchased, with this view, at tion. The Society maintains and educates the cost of 12,000 rupees, or nearly 1500l. Six 100 Native Children at Canoffee. A Church Native Youths, who came down from Agra, has been erected there. Mr. Wilhelm is transwith the Rev. Daniel Corrie, on his embarka-lating the New Testament into Susoo, and tion for Europe, are preparing as Missionaries, preparing Elementary Books.

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Literary Intelligence.

RECENTLY PUBLISHED,

THE History of the Origin and First Ten Years of the British and Foreign Bible Society, by the Rev. JOHN OWEN, A. M. &c. one of the Secretaries of the British and Foreign Bible Society. New-York, Published by JAMES EASTBURN & Co. 1817.

This work is very valuable. It is well written; a large portion of it is entirely new; and the whole is in the highest degree interesting. It affords most decisive evidence of a special Providence, and of the interposition of that Providence in favour of that institution, which is truly an invaluable blessing to the world, the British and Foreign Bible Society.

We recommend it to every one of our readers, who can afford to purchase the work, to possess himself of it.

To Correspondents.

X. on Sunday Schools, will be inserted.

The writer of the Essay on Prayer, will excuse its omission from our first number; there was not room for it. It shall find a place in our next.

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THE liberty of presenting our weak supplications to the Ruler of heaven and earth, with the assurance of an answer, is undoubtedly the noblest of Christian privileges. There is something so unutterably sublime in the very idea of a creature holding converse with its Creator, that it has been incorporated in every system of religion which hath prevailed in the world. But it is to the Christian system, and that alone, we can look for a clear and satisfactory account of its nature, foundation, and object. Whatever may have been the relations and rights of man in original innocence and perfection, it is certain that now there can be no access to the living God, but upon the ground of express revelation. As rebels against our legitimate Sovereign, we are in a state of distance and alienation, and are to be considered as having forfeited any claim that may have been originally bestowed. In addition to this, we are, by reason of transgression, under positive wrath, "How then can we come before God? how can we bow ourselves before the Most High?" To restore intercourse between heaven and earth, is the sole prerogative of an offended Deity. Unless He by a positive act of pardon and reconciliation reveal himself gracious, "no flesh can abide in his presence."

There is another consideration of radical importance. It is not enough that the sinner be furnished with the discovery that the great God has "thoughts of peace;" he must moreover be satisfied as to the manner in which a holy and just VoL, I....No. 2.

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Legislator is consistently merciful. A sense of punishment following guilt is deeply fixed in the heart of man; and therefore whatever testimony he may have of the fact that he will be accepted, he cannot divest himself of a spirit of bondage, until he receives explanation how the connexion hath been dissolved. It is in this grand point the Bible excels in glory. Various are the systems of religion which have professed to exhibit God as merciful, and fed their votaries with hopes of favour. But it is the peculiar character of God's own plan, that while it makes sufficient provision for the sinner's necessities, it as abundantly takes care of the divine glory. It reveals a method of dispensing with punishment, so perfectly according with all the principles of punitive justice, that the very law which doomed the transgressor to eternal death, has become more honoured in the breach than the observance. This is the feature of the Gospel which so admirably qualifies it to be the balm of a wounded spirit, and entitles it to be emphatically called "glad tidings of great joy." It provides a righteousness so full, so perfect, and so glorious, that it more than answers all the demands of the law: this righteousness it imputes to the miserable conscience-burdened sinner, who, fully satisfied that by this means God is just in justifying, exclaims with the ancient Saint, "I am brought into a large place;" feels boldness to enter the holiest by the new and living way, and draws nigh with the "full assurance of faith." In discussing more particularly the important subject of Prayer, two points naturally present themselves :

Jst. Its laws;

2dly. The various methods in which God is pleased to answer.

1. By the laws of prayer, are meant the particular rules to direct us in offering up our petitions, and obedience to which entitles them to the reward. This is a subject of radical importance, and cannot be viewed with indifference by a Christian mind. The same principle that induces a good man to pray, will urge him so to perform the duty as to obtain an an

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swer. Besides, let it be remembered, that want of conformity to the instructions God hath given us for direction in prayer, be followed by more than the simple evil of our not being answered: Asking without rule, is "asking amiss;" "asking amiss" is sin, and shall be attended, even in God's people, with appropriate correction. It is by no means the design of the present essay to explore the whole of the vast and diversified field that the "laws of prayer" open to view. Our remarks shall be confined to two of the most important, and at the same time, liable to violation. The first is "Implicit reliance on the Divine power and faithfulness, with respect to the blessing requested." Though the great God might at once, without the intervention of means and second causes, secure the happiness of his people, yet he has been pleased to administer his Providence in such a manner, as to impress upon them (in the act of blessing) a sense of their dependence and his own sufficiency: Hence the constitution, "I will be inquired of by the house of Israel." To honour God then in this important ordinance, and procure our acceptance, it is of the highest moment, that we feel full confidence in the divine ability, to give us the desire of our heart." Herein indeed is 'the virtue of prayer. While, on the one hand, it is the exercise of a deeply humbled spirit, convinced of its own deplorable weakness, and utterly despairing of its own resources; on the other, it is the hope and expectation of a believing heart, fixed on strength from above. To use the expressive language of the sacred oracles, it is "travelling between our weakness, and God's fulness;" it is saying amen to the solemn declaration, "ye are utterly insufficient of yourselves; all your sufficiency is of God."

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But the faith of which we speak, is to be viewed as fixing on .a further foundation, viz. God's promise; and thus it glorifies, with thankful acknowledgment, another perfection-his unchangeable veracity. This is an attribute in which, relating to sinners, God takes peculiar delight, and of which, he is especially jealous, "I am the God of truth;" "God is not a man that he should lie," &c. hence the damning aggravation

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