sideration; and which I have since been carrying into execution, with more success than I expected. I told the congregation that I proposed to commence a course of visits, which should be strictly and exclusively pastoral visits; that I should appoint them on the Sabbath, specifying the days to be appropriated to to this object, and naming the families, from time to time, on which I intended to call; that, on these occasions, they must not expect me to enter into any but religious convertion; that I should wish them to be free in opening the state of their minds, asking important questions, and the like; and that I should catechise their children, and pray with them, before we separated, if they wished.

In this way, I have now gone about half through my parish. The families, knowing when to expect me, can make their calculations accordingly. I generally find all the members together; can introduce religion every where because nothing else is expected; visit more because when appointments are made they must be attended to; have gained more knowledge of the spiritual state of my charge, within these few months past, than for years before; and have found the method I am pursuing apparently very acceptable to all classes of people.

It is more than possible, Sir, that some of my Fathers and Brethren in the Ministry, have met with discouragements, similar to those that I at first encountered, in attempting to make religious visits. Numbers, probably, have formed and adopted

plans, similar to that which has been mentioned. Some I know have, and with very flattering success. I cannot help wishing that all, who have not, would at least make the experiment, unless a better mode can be devised. The undertaking is certainly arduous, especially in a large and irreligious society. The discouragements in prospect are many, and some of them formidable. But I can testify, so far as my own experience extends, that they are much greater in prospect than in reality. When I have been most depressed; when I have set out with the greatest reluctance to fulfil an appointment, I have generally been very agreeably disappointed in my visits. I have either found some persons much more serious than I expected, or have found reason to hope, that the time has been spent very profitably to myself at least, if to no one else.

Fathers and Brethren, will you suffer a word of exhortation from one who will thankfully receive the exhortations of the youngest of his fellow laborers? Let us remember that we watch for souls, as they that must give account; that we are bound to be instant in season, and out of season; that we were charged, by those who invested us with the pastoral office, to teach not only publicly, but from house to house; that our Master expects us to do every thing in our power, to promote the salvation of precious souls; and that only those, who are found faithful unto death, will receive a crown of life.

MIKROS.

For the Panoplist.

DR. VANDERKEMP.

THE death of the venerable missionary, Dr. Vanderkemp, as announced in the Panoplist for May last, naturally excites many solemn thoughts. It is not my Intention to say all that might be said on the occasion; much less to write an eulogy on that good man; but simply to express some of the first and most obvious reflections, which have occurred to my mind.

The history of Dr. Vanderkemp is a striking illustration of the power and excellence of the Christian religion. Till about the age of fifty he was an infidel. Immediately after his conversion, he offered himself as a missionary to the heathen, and went to the most ignorant and degraded people in the whole world, the Hottentots of South Africa. He freely gave up the delights of society, the pursuit of science, the endear ments of friendship, and became an exile, a wanderer in savage countries, exposed to the dangers of an untried climate, to the beasts of the forest, and to the malice of ferocious and cruel men. He entered upon the laborious, and, to human appearance, most unpromising enterprize of instructing, enlightening,reforming, and converting to the true religion, the naked, houseless, roving tenants of the wilderness. He gave up the hope of any such rest and comfort, as we are accustomed to enjoy in a civilized country. All this he did cheerfully, voluntarily, with joy and zeal. His great motives were love and gratitude to his Savior, and love to the precious souls of

the heathen, for whom Christ died. These motives strengthened him on his pilgrimage, supported him in sickness, and illumined his passage through the dark valley of the shadow of death. What but Christianity ever induced a man in such circumstances, to make so great sacrifices? What out Christianity ever sustained the soul for such a length of time in such a state of privation?

Again; the blessing of heaven upon the labors of Dr. Vanderkemp is a sufficient encouragement to labor and pray in the most unpromising circumstances. What could be more disheartening than the attempt to rescue the Hottentot from a state of filth, ignorance, and cruelty, a state which can be adequately described only by the word brutism, and to bring him into a state of civilization, industry, and religion? Yet the result of this attempt was most honorable to the cause in which it was made. In the midst of this savage country a permanent settlement was soon brought about; and, in the course of thirteen years, several settlements were fixed, at which the rudiments of knowledge and virtue began to be taught, and the great salvation was proclaimed from Sabbath to Sabbath. The temporal state of the people was greatly improved by the introduction of cleanliness, industry, order, and some of the habits of civilized life; and there is reason to believe that a considerable number of immortal beings have been made heirs of glory, of whom some have fallen asleep, and others remain as lights in a benighted region.

This volume (1000 copies) was published in July, 1802. After that was done, the Missionaries proceeded to print a hundred copies of the Psalms and Isaiah, for a class book for the College. This was finished the January following. By the end of the year 1802, it was calculated that 30,000 tracts had been distributed. A cordial friend to the Mission (who appears to have been William Hunter, Esq. of the College,) had begun to translate the New Testament into Hindostanee, which gave occasion to Mr. Carey to say, "I have much desired to see the Bible printed in Bengalee and Hindostanee before I die." That year the Missionaries baptised seven natives, and two others, one a German lady since married to Mr. Carey. The sum collected for the translations that year amounted to only $78,23.*

On the 27th of January, 1803, Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain arrived. Petumber Shingo, the first native preacher, delivered his first sermon on the 6th of March. Kristno Presaud, son in law to Kristno Pawl, and the first brahmin that was baptised, began to preach in May. In August, only 600 copies of the first edition of the New Testament remaining on hand, they began to print 1500 copies of a new and improved edition. Hitherto the Missionaries had undertaken only one translation, but the preparations making in the College for the study of various languages, and a more general work of translation, the commencement already made in two versions,

N. Y. M. M. vol. iii, p. 47 5. Vol. iv, p. 245, 247. Pan, vol. vi, p. 39. Ch.Res p. 89, 90. Nar. p. 32, 62.

(the Persian and Hindostanee.) the animating effects which had followed the distribution of the Bengalee Testament, and the general countenance of the pub. lic, encouraged them, in the year 1803, to enter upon a plan for the translation of the Scriptures into various other languages. But the account of this plan, with its execution, will be altogether reserved for a future Number. That year they collected for the translation $102,56, and baptised, besides William Carey, (Mr. Carey's second son,) thirteen natives, one of whom was a brahmin of Assam.†

In

Mr. Fernandez was ordained to the work of the ministry, Jan. 16, 1804, and began to preach at Dinagepore, in a brick house which he himself had reared. The same month Mr. Chamberlain was chosen to begin a new establishment at Cutwa, on the Ganges, 70 miles from Serampore, to which station he repaired in May, and removed his family in July. On the 5th of February Petumber Shingo and Kristno Pawl were set apart to the work of the ministry. April the Missionaries had begun to print Mr. Carey's Shanscrit Dictionary for the use of the College, the Council of which had agreed to take a hundred copies of the work. They were repairing at the same time the Mission-house, and enlarging the buildings appropriated to the school, which had increased so much that the English department contained forty boarders, and seven day scholars, besides their own children In May the Mission received from a friend a

Nar. p 31-35, 37, 62, 63. Pan. vol. vi. p. 39.

donation of 200 rupees. The expenses of the Mission for the first five years of their residence at Serampore, amounted to 13,000 of which they had received from England only 5,7406 17s. 7d. and even that sum they had vested in the real estate belonging to the establishment; the rest had been supplied by their own industry, and the benefactions of friends in India. That year they baptised a son of Mr. Fernandez, and fourteen natives.

In printing the second edition of the New Testament, besides the 1500 copies of the whole, they struck off 10,000 extra copies of Luke, Acts, and Romans. In September the Testament was in great forwardness, and the edition of 10,000 was begun. By the 8th of February, 1805, the separate edition of Luke was nearly finished, and the printing of the general Testament advanced to the First of Thessalonians. Another volume of the Old Testament, comprising the books from Job to Canticles inclusive, (inaking the third volume in the set,) was printed to the 136th Psalm.*

Mr. Carey had proposed to the Council of the College to publish all the Shasters, in the Shanscrit character, with an English translation. The Council agreed to patronize the publication, not of the whole, but only of the most useful parts. The proposals to translate and print select portions of these works were also accepted by the Asiatic Society; and Sir John Anstruther, its late president, was conspicuous in encouraging the

Nar. p. 37, 38, 62, 63. R. P. A. vol. i, p. 391. vol. iii, p. 18, 19, 22— 24, 32, 36, 37, 40, 41, 60. Pan. vol. ii, p. 13%. vol. vi. 39.

undertaking. The Society and College engaged to pay an annual stipend of 4506 sterling, and Mr. Carey, and Mr. Marshman undertook the work. The first thing that issued from the press under this patronage, was a volume containing a translation of the first book of the Ramayuna of Valmeeki, a poem supposed to be more ancient than any of the Puranas.

In the beginning of 1805 Mr. Carey was still employed in compiling his Shanscrit Grammar. Before he finished that work he was appointed Teacher of the Mahratta language in the College; and he has published, besides various other things, a Grammar of each of the three languages which he taught.t

The concerns of the Mission were now becoming exceedingly various and important. The four families, (for Mr. Ward was married to Mrs. Fountain, and Felix Carey had been married in October,) constituted but one; and that family, including boarders, found its workmen, and servants, amounted to no less than seventy persons, besides the native brethren who often visted them. The Mission-house and other buildings were proportionably large. The following description drawn up by a brother lately arrived, is too interesting to be omitted. "The Mission-house-is pleasantly situated on the banks of a river [the Hoogly] about half a mile wide. As soon as we ascend the bank, which is rather steep, we enter a gate with a green 120 feet by 90. The first room we enter, by ascending

† Mem. p. 44, 67 Note. Q R. No. i, p. 46 No. vi.. p. 379, 380. Pan, vol. vii, p. 278.