for at our hands? Is it not that we should love Christianity, and extend it? Is it not that we should be living epistles of Christ, and that we should make known to those sitting in darkness the great and glorious truths by which alone they can be elevated, sanctified, and saved? I would there were more zeal in reference to this great and glorious cause throughout all sections of the Christian Church.

There is a period in past history which has sometimes occurred to my mind as furnishing a sort of illustration of what is desirable in this work. You recollect, that, centuries ago, Peter the Hermit went forth on his crusade to awaken the nations of the earth to the fact that the Holy City was in the hands of infidels. He sent forth men, who went abroad proclaiming this fact, and pressing upon the Christianity of that age the duty of rescuing the Holy City. The effect produced was an immense excitement. I believe that two persons could not meet without speaking of the crusades, and putting to themselves the question, what could be done in order to the attainment of that object, which appeared to them of such high and paramount importance. Now, surely, if the rescuing of the literal Jerusalem was an enterprise which awakened Europe at that time, and which led to the equipment of armies to go forth to bloody strife, the idea of rescuing the whole world from the grasp of the prince of the power of darkness is an object fitted to enkindle higher, and holier, and more fervent emotions, and more unquenchable zeal, in those who profess to be the disciples of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. We seek to win back to Him His blood-bought inheritance, and we seek to win it back, not by the shedding of blood, but by the influence of that system whose very spirit and essence is love.

There is another thought suggested by the Resolution, and that is, increased liberality. I am glad that the Report is more favourable this year than it was last; still, if I heard aright, the balance is on the wrong side of the account. I trust, that, having adopted this Resolution, you will see to it, that, by increased liberality, the Directors shall have a much larger sum on the other side, and that they will have to send forth urgent appeals for Ministers of the Cross to come forward and offer themselves, that they may occupy the fields which God, in His providence, is opening for us in every part of the world-that they may spread more widely and rapidly the waters of life. Allusion was made, very elo

quently, to the necessity of increased prayer. It is because prayer is restrained that spiritual influences are withheld. I believe that there is a fault amongst us in this respect. A few cold and formal petitions, at the conclusion of our addresses to the Throne on high, too frequently sum up our desires on behalf of heathen lands. That ought not to be so; and I am persuaded that it will not be till the Church on earth, like the Church in heaven, is one vast united worshipping congregation, surrounding the Throne of the Eternal in the attitude of suppliants, their hearts burning with ardent zeal for the glory of God, glowing with seraphic love towards our fallen helpless race, giving utterance to the uncontrollable emotions of their zeal in language of deep and fervent expostulation, laying hold of the faithfulness of Jehovah, and putting Him in remembrance of His covenant-it will not be till then that we shall see the heathen given to Christ for His inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for His possession.

KIRO, a Native Christian from Rarotonga, then addressed the meeting in his native language, which was translated by the Rev. Mr. Buzacott:-God has in mercy brought me to this country, and I am permitted now to come before this immense assembly, to see what I never saw before. It is a great pleasure to me that I have the honour of shaking hands with you to-day. It gives me great delight to sce that you receive us cordially, and that you rejoice in seeing a man that has come from a heathen country to greet you. But when we think of the joy that exists in the heavenly world over one sinner that repenteth, perhaps you may feel something of that joy over me, who came from a land of darkness. The distance from my country that I had to traverse before I came to this place is very great indeed, and the way is extremely dangerous. It cannot be effected except by a vessel : that vessel has been provided. But I am reminded also of another distant country—a country which is a great distance from us, in consequence of sin; but a ship has also been provided for travelling there, and that ship is the Lord Jesus Christ. We owe it to you that our country was first discovered, and that it was known that such a country existed in the world. It is from you that we have obtained that Word which has driven from our shores those deeds of cruelty which formerly existed, and that abominable idolatry in which my father was engaged. Those gods which were formerly worshipped are now no more in that country, and you would now suppose that the

people there knew nothing at all about idolatry. The Word of God has conquered the deeds of darkness, and the land is filled with that which is good, and that which is evil has been abandoned. Perhaps there are some captains of vessels here. Oh, if there are any, let me entreat them not to carry guns in their vessels to shoot the heathen. These are the kind of guns which they should carry (exhibiting a New Testament). I conclude by repeating what I have already said: be diligent in using the means which God has put into your power -be earnest in prayer for the success of those means; and may the blessing of God rest upon you all! Amen!

The Rev. J. A. JAMES, of Birmingham, after adverting to his long connexion with the Society, and his unabated attachment to the Missionary cause, said-There is an omission of which I was guilty yesterday morning-I forgot to say one word about money. It was not intentional—it was really a lapse of memory. I had intended to say, that, when I preached last at Surrey Chapel, the collection was 5367., the largest, I believe, that was ever made there, and that I thought the Directors would be tolerably well contented if they obtained half the amount on that occasion. Now, it was an infirmity of good Mr. Hill's to be rather in the opposite extreme to that of which we have been reminded by my excellent friend, Dr. Robson. Mr. Hill was very proud of his annual collection in Surrey Chapel, and he always set his face against the auxiliary institution, lest he should spoil the collection after the preaching of the annual sermon. This was an infirmity of the good man, and I wish none of us, when we are gone, may be found to have been guilty of a greater infirmity. However, it was an infirmity; for Auxiliary Societies, when well worked, are certainly more to be depended upon, as supplying the exchequer of our Institution, than one annual appeal from the pulpit. But my good friend, Dr. Robson, said he did not like the habit of great sums. Now, I do like it. I agree with him in principle-I do not like one large sum being put in lieu of a great many small sums; but then the habit of great sums is better than the habit of little sums. What we want is, to cultivate, among the rich, the habit of great sums. The poor are in the habit of giving great sums; and they are the only people who are so. Why, every penny that a poor man gives for the support of the Missionary cause is something abstracted from the comforts, even from the necessaries of life. The palm of benevolence must still be awarded to the

poor. The sums that rich men give are not taken out of their necessaries, nor even out of their luxuries; and as to enjoyments, there is as much luxury left to them after all these abstractions as there was before. Well now, rich men, let us have the habit of great sums; and not merely now and then, on an extraordinary occasion, when there is a deficiency to be made up. Deficiency! Why, this Society has always a deficit; and, therefore, we want the perpetual exertion of a splendid liberality, in order to keep up the Society to its present standard. Now, then, let us begin afresh. I have lately preached, more than once, from a text which I wish every one of us, man and woman, rich and poor, would take up in reference to this cause-" Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" Lay the emphasis upon another word-"Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" Let that be the text for use in the Missionary year on which we are entering. Let the rich man and the poor man, when they go from this anniversary, put up that prayer to God, and wait for the answer which conscience, as the voice of God, will give, and we shall not next year have to speak of a deficiency.

The Resolution was unanimously adopted, and the Collection was then made.

The Rev. E. CRAIG, of Pentonville, on rising to propose the next Resolution, said :Our Missionary Societies have now nearly completed their Anniversaries. We have gone the round of the Anniversaries of the Baptist Missionary Society, the Wesleyan Missionary Society, and the Church Missionary Society, and now we have that of the London Missionary Society. We cannot but consider them all as one great combination which is brought to bear upon the heathen world; we cannot but regard them together as one of the wheels in that cherubic manifestation of which we read in the Prophet Ezekiel, intimately associated with the mystery of the Triune God. There can be no check to the work of God. It is not that we are carrying out, as Missionary Societies, our several systems, whatever they may be-it is that we are fulfilling the great purpose of Him who has awakened us by His own blessed sanctifying Spirit. We go forth, in all our Missionary Societies, with a dispensation of pardon and of peace, to a world which has a deep sense of guilt impressed upon its inmost heart. Out of that sense of guilt arise all the sanguinary superstitions which have defiled and degraded the earth. Some faint tradition of a redemption through blood has everywhere obtained in the earth,

and it has led, in the ignorance which Satanic influence has applied to an evil object, to the establishment of sanguinary superstitions; and all the speculations, and innovations, and delusions of priestcraft, from the lowest idolatry of the South Seas up to that idolatry which has lately been disturbed in its central seat at Rome, have had their foundation in that deep sense of guilt which exists in fallen man. It is customary in India, in order to get rid of that sense of guilt, to endeavour to induce a high-caste Brahmin to take upon himself the sins of those who are disposed to pay for that service.

Now, it is to meet that sense of guilt that our message goes forth. It tells us that God, in His everlasting love, laid help upon One that is mighty-that "He laid upon Him the iniquity of us all;" and it is in the true, sincere, and hearty belief of this mysterious truth that guilty human nature finds pardon and peace. In the fulfilment of the Divine command, and in the accomplishment of the Divine purpose, this and other kindred Societies carry this truth, as a mighty power, to speak peace to all the races of the inhabitants of the earthpeace on earth, and peace in heaven. It is only when man knows that God is a being to be loved, that he can delight in obedience. It was under "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" that man learned to doubt the benevolence of his Maker. The point to which he must be brought back is a thorough belief in the benevolence of his Maker; and it is written for him in the blood of that great Sacrifice. Whenever we really believe that God is love, and look at His love as proved in the agony and bloody sweat, the cross and passion of our blessed Lord, then we have the principle of obedience. The love of Christ, then, constrains us to "live no longer to ourselves, but to Him who died for us, and rose again." Every field in which the Missionary has laboured, in connexion with the various denominations of the Christian Church, presents to us the most satisfactory and cheering evidences of this glorious restoration. Take only one instance-in New Zealand. An English carpenter, being at work at his board, was again and again questioned by a New Zealander. Being a man of violent temper, he was irritated by the intrusion, and he at last struck the native. The New Zealander was a man of Herculean powers. He immediately laid hold of his assailant and laid him prostrate on the ground with one hand. He then seized his hat, and said, "Now I have you in my power. I could kill you; you know I could

take away your life, and my natural heart wills it; but I have heard your Missionaries

I have heard of Jesus Christ-and because I have heard of Jesus Christ I spare you—you are free." Such are the blessed results of carrying forth the grand truths of the Cross of Christ, which testifies to us of the holy and benevolent character of our God. When this is known-when it is known that the way of access to Him is open, and that the controversy between Him and us is over, then the heart of the Briton, of the Asiatic, of the African, of the New Zealander, and of all who have received the message, flows into a willing and happy obedience.-Mr. Craig concluded by moving :

"That Sir Culling Eardley Eardley, Bart., be the Treasurer; that the Rev. Arthur Tidman be the Foreign Secretary; and the Rev. Joseph John Freeman be the Home Secretary, for the ensuing year; that the Directors who are eligible be re-appointed; and that the gentlemen whose names will be read be chosen to fill up the places of those who retire; and that the Directors have power to fill up any vacancies that may occur."

The Rev. G. SCOTT, formerly a Missionary in Sweden, in connexion with the Wesleyan Missionary Society, said—I feel, in common with others of my brethren who have addressed this meeting to-day, very great pleasure in taking part in the proceedings. A great and good man once termed Christianity the expulsive power of a new affection. I believe I may say, that Christianity is also the impul sive power of a new life. The "Author and Finisher of our faith” has so constructed the Gospel of His grace, that, when it becomes the experience of a regenerated soul, that soul cannot possess spiritual life without active exertion for the extension of His kingdom. Instead of attempting to confirm this position by arguments which would be more weakly enunciated by me than by many whom I see around me, I would occupy one or two minutes in drawing an illustration from that foreign country with which for twelve years I was connected. When I entered the country, in 1830, no such thing as a Missionary Society existed, or ever had existed, in Sweden; but, about five years after I arrived there, I had the satisfaction of witnessing the formation of the Swedish Missionary Society. Money flowed in from various parts of the country, and I had the very great pleasure of communicating to your Directors, time after time, a donation of 1007. in support of this Institution. That such contributions have not been continued up to this period is not to be regarded as evidence of any change in the

feelings of the persona referred to. The truth is, that a very great work has been commenced, and is proceeding, in Lapland; and that work demands all the resources which the Directors have been able to gather together. I am happy to say that Sweden is now assuming an active position in the Mission-field. I have already said, that excellent men of God have gone out from that country to other lands, under the auspices either of the Church Missionary Society, or the London Missionary Society. I am happy to say, that there are at this time in London two excellent and devoted young Swedes, clergymen of the Swedish Church, going to Hong-Kong, in China→ the first, in the history of Sweden, who have been sent out direct by that country on the Missionary Enterprise; and my heart is rejoiced at the evidence thus afforded that some thing like living Christianity is reviving in that land.

The Resolution having been agreed to, W.A. HANKEY, Esq., said:-My Christian friends, I stand here to perform a pleasing task. I have to propose

"That the grateful and most respectful acknow. ledgments of this meeting be hereby presented to his Grace the Duke of Argyll, for his kindness in presiding over the present meeting, and for his valuable assistance in conducting the business of the day."

As one of the oldest members of the London Missionary Society, it has been my high grati. fication this day to see that exalted nobleman filling the office of Chairman at one of our annual meetings. It is an augury for good, that the Spirit of God has been pleased to alight with His blessed influences on one of such exalted rank; and I trust He will cause those in fluences to descend on every rank in society, that there may be a union amongst all grades and conditions of men, in that which is necessary to the fulfilment of the great obligation that rests upon all-to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, and our neighbours as ourselves.

The Rev. Dr. HALLEY, in seconding the Resolution, said :-On entering the room today, I heard, for the first time, that the sermon hitherto preached in a Church pulpit had been refused. On this subject I will cast no reflections on another communion. However I may have felt at first, that a Catholic bond should have been thus broken, the sight of this platform has greatly relieved me. I must say, that the manner in which the chair has been filled this day, both at the commencement and at the close of the meeting, affords the most striking proof that could have been given of the Catholic character of our Society. No two men have differed more in their theoretical views of Church Government than his Grace the Duke of Argyll and yourself. I was glad to see his Grace presiding at this meeting; but I am equally happy in having seen you, Sir, in the chair as his successor. You are one in spirit, however you may differ in opinion; and most cordially, therefore, do I second the Resolution.

The Resolution was then put and carried, with loud acclamations.

The CHAIRMAN, in acknowledging the Resolution, said-My friends, it has occurred to me that there is a very striking contrast between the state of our own country at this moment and its position about 1850 years ago. We have this day received accounts from that country, in the language of which Virgil sung, to the effect that the armies of France, of Austria, and of Naples are marching down upon the devoted city of Rome. And what does this teach us? What but this-that whatever may have been the glory of a nation, it is as nothing when weighed in the balances against that Gospel, the possession of which has made England what she is, and the want of which has brought Rome to her present prostrate condition?

The Doxology was then sung, and the meeting dispersed.

The CHAIRMAN then rose, and, after a brief allusion to the morning meeting, went on to observe-In Christian Missions we recognise the most direct method of promoting the highest object which God has privileged His

creatures to pursue for the advancement of His own glory. We feel it to be a high privilege, on this occasion, to turn aside from worldly engagements and pursuits, to see that great sight which God is carrying on in the

heathen world by the instrumentality of His servants. It is indeed a spectacle of such grandeur, vastness, and variety of interests, that it may well fill the whole space of our vision while we gaze upon it. It is like a prospect obtained from some Alpine height stupendous, vast, and varied-stretching over half the world below; and the more we contemplate it, the more we become familiarised with it, the more is our enthusiasm kindled and our understanding enlarged. The Report, to which some of us listened this morning, is a document of unparalleled interest. Compare it to Queen's speeches, to messages of the American President, to the expositions given from time to time of political affairs by Ministers of State, and all these shrink into absolute insignificance compared with such a Report. When I hear the simple fact, that Robert Moffat, who, after twenty-five years of service in the Missionary field, is labouring to complete that great work of the translation of the Scriptures, which so long ago he began -the fact that he has been privileged to in troduce a knowledge of grammar, poetry, music, and the arts of life, and, above all, the revelation of Divine Truth, to tribes of men formerly sunk to the lowest and most brutal debasement, but now raised by his instrumentality to the rank of men and Christians, I am assured it cannot but be deeply interesting to every feeling mind.

After adverting to the delightful progress and inestimable advantages of Christian Education, as a branch of Missionary labour, the Chairman concluded with a brief reference to the state of the Society's funds.

The Rev. E. PROUT then read some interesting extracts from the Report; after which, The Rev. JOHN WATSON (Theological Tutor of Hackney College) rose to move

"That this meeting regards the cheering intelligence received from the various scenes of effort occu

pied by the devoted agents of the London Missionary Society, both as an encouragement and a claim on

its constituents for more vigorous and persevering

exertion on its behalf."

The statements (he said) which have been made by the Chairman, and the passages read from the Report, prove that God continues to bless the Society, and the facts adduced ought to afford them encouragement in carrying on the important work of Missions. Music, poetry, legislation, were all objects of interest, but would not, for a moment, bear comparison with the grandeur of the Missionary enterprise. The success of Missions was to be seen, not in a solitary conversion here and

there, but in Churches planted, the Scriptures translated, education extended, and the spirit of liberality by which converted heathens were characterised. The encouragements which had been received hitherto ought to induce them to put forth renewed efforts for the diffusion of the Gospel.

The Rev. W. FAIRBROTHER, in seconding the Resolution, adverted to the progress of the Missionary cause in China. For many years there was nothing but discouragement connected with that country, but now they had to rejoice in success. While other nations had yielded to the truth, China had remained impervious. She had strengthened her fortresses and consolidated her empire, but on her altar was inscribed, "To the unknown God." But the Chinese had now begun to understand the object of the Missionaries, and to appreciate their efforts. The revision of the Chinese Translation of the Scriptures was rapidly advancing, and he doubted not, that, when these revised translations were placed in the hands of the people, there would soon be witnessed a most encouraging change.

The Rev. T. Boaz, in supporting the Resolution, said that he loved India; but no man could live twelve or fourteen years in a country, whatever the character of its inhabitants, and not love it. The deeper they were sunk in ignorance and barbarism, the greater the claim they presented to the exercise of Christian sympathy and labour. They must remember that it was from Eastern lands that the Western nations had obtained the knowledge they possessed. Both Mosaical and Christian knowledge had emanated from the East. Light sprang from the East, and he only asked them to send it back again. The people of the East were capable of receiving all that was sent to them; and there were great facilities for the spread of the Gospel in India. The land was free; the trade was free; and a Minister of Christ might stand on the steps of a Pagoda and preach the Gospel of Christ, none daring to make him