but "from the collective impression made by such an assembly, from the air which pervaded it, from single expressions here and there, publicly or in smaller circles, one may be allowed to derive an approximate conclusion; and we hesitate not to say, that a combination pro aris et focis was a pretty general motive. In times of danger, those of like mind assemble to seek support in each other. Each wishes to know how many there are who remain faithful to the standard. Counsel is sought from friends, and many an anxious soul needs consolation and encouragement. That these are times of danger to the church who would deny,- of especial danger; where, as in Prussia, the church has been so entirely amalgamated with the State, that she must intimately share its sufferings and its fate. This is more especially the case in the eastern provinces, where but little aid, and perhaps only increasing danger can be expected from the Government, and where religious conviction has been generally undermined. Church order, which rests entirely upon the authority of the old State system, cannot escape the concussions which have shaken social order. In the passive position which the S.ate has already adopted in reference to the church, in the highly secular and profane character which belongs to the present stadium of the political movement, the clergy have every reason to address to themselves the question: "How long shall we still have congregations, and what is then to become of us?" This, together with a sense of past short-comings, must produce a feeling of apprehension for the future. Distrust and trepidation occupy the place of confidence and resolve. When the devout and eloquent Krummacher, referring to the possibility of martyrdom, asked whether one, to whose lot this might fall, could count upon the help of the rest, he was answered by a unanimous yes, and the solemn testimonies given to the truth were heard with manifest joy; but there was far from being that enthusiasm which a lively faith in the Head of the church would have inspired. "There was more disposition to cling as long as possible to the dismantled ship of the State, than to understand the signs of the times and resolve accordingly." It was but too manifest that a new work must be commenced within, before a victorious war can be carried on against infidelity. To this Professor Hengstenberg pointed in an appeal for holding a general

fast.

Still, whilst a trembling sense of danger was too prominent a feeling, there were not wanting some who took a more cheerful view of the crisis,-who, looking upon the dislocations of the time with grief, on account of the multiplied sufferings which they

must bring upon the world, nevertheless cannot lose their faith in the wise purposes of Him who when the tempest shall have fulfilled its end, will say to the wind: Peace, be still." He will prove to his disciples, that when the storm is at its wildest, he is nearest to them; and that though their little bark may be "filled with water," it cannot sink. Nay it is possible, in the passing events, to see not only the security of the church, but also the bursting of the bonds by which she has long been bound to secular institutions, so that she may take her flight as on the wings of an eagle, towards the Sun of righteousness, and with him go forth conquering and to conquer, till the whole earth shall be enlightened and saved.

Amongst the few who thus greeted the sad events of the day as, in one respect at least, fraught with good to the church, was M. Wichern, President of the Ranhehaus at Horn, near Hamburg: "a man who may well be said to have looked deeper into the mysteries of our times than many others." In his speech, on the afternoon of the first day, he greeted the new era as the rising sun, the beginning of a new triumph which Christ is celebrating, - of course he meant this in its bearing upon religion, not upon politics. His speech was altogether extraordinary, and produced a healthful effect upon the tone of the meeting. He described the general condition of the working classes, which he seems carefully to have observed, as one of deep depravity. Amongst other things, he mentioned, that 100,000 young men, journeymen of all trades, are in the habit of "going on tramp," through the different states to seek for employment; that the most disgusting orgies take place in the lodging-houses where they stay; and that the principles which they imbibe and promulgate are of the most revolting character. It appears, indeed, that there exists among them a fully developed and wide-spreai conspiracy against faith in God. He made these disclosures, in order to impress upon those present the necessity of home missions, which Germany has hitherto neg lected, and is now reaping the reward of its neglect. He described, likewise, the forlorn state of multitudes of neglected children, and the condition of criminals, in order to awaken the interest and co-operation of Christian females, pointing to the examples of Miss Sieveking, of Humburg, and the late Mrs. Fry. Should his appeals be successful, the results will prove, that the present convulsions which are shaking society to its foundation, whatever evils they may cause, will bring good to the church.

The object of the present remarks was rather to give a general idea of the position of the church in Germany, and of the cha

racter of the meeting referred to, than to enter into any detail of its proceedings. The resolutions adopted were more matters of form than of general interest. Perhaps events may lead to the speedy calling of another assembly for more active measures, and furnish an occasion for continuing these reflections. In the mean time, we pray that, in the present sufferings of Germany, God would make " the valley of Achor a door of hope" to his church.

CHINA.

INTERESTING LETTER FROM DR. Legge, of HONG KONG,

l'ictoria, Hong-Kong, 25th Sept., 1848. MY DEAR FATHER,-Last month the mail went away, through one annoying and engrossing matter and another, without bearing from me any letter to you. My intention was to commence writing to you shortly after, and have a long letter finished before the middle of this month. Alas! little did I think of the event that must form the burden of my present communication. I have attempted, since the 10th inst., again and again, to take up my pen, and have laid it down, hoping that another day would find me more competent to the duty.

On the morning of the 10th, the Sabbath day-the Lord's day-our darling little Annie was taken from us,-from cur imperfect fellowship, and from all the evils and dangers of this life: she went to be for ever with the Lord, growing up in truth before him in his own courts above. We do not mourn on her account: but what a desolation has her removal made in our hearts, and in our house! And what a grief it will occasion to you and dear Mamma, who welcomed her into life, who drew forth her first little smiles, and who mourned over her once before, as not apparently destined to be long in this world! But the Lord has done it! Affectionately would you have poured the balm of consolation into Mary's smitten heart, had the affliction happened in England. Not a few sympathizing friends have we had here, though none that can feel so deeply with us as you: but our consolation from the truth has not been small. She has gone before us. We shall see her again. You will both go to her, it may be before us; but we shall all meet where she is. She is where our hearts are now: we must, therefore, all be comforted.

But to enter into some detail of her death, I must go back to the beginning of the month. Thus far, it has been marked by events of trial, affliction, and encouragement, which give it a remarkable pre-emi

nence in the brief period of our earthly existence.

On the evening of the 30th ult., I embarked, with our Missionary BrethrenMessrs. Cleland and Gilfillan-in one of the regular passage boats, for Canton,our object being to see whether a house for Mr. Cleland could be rented in that somewhat riotous and disturbed city. We made but little way during the night; and next forenoon there were strong indications of an approaching storm. These very speedily and fearfully increased, and, about three o'clock, we were compelled to run for shelter into the bay of a small village, Fokwing (Happiness Everlasting), perhaps fiveand-twenty miles from this. It was well we did so; for, as the night closed in, it blew most furiously; and from about ten o'clock at night till six next morning, there raged one of the most frightful typhoons by which this coast has been visited for many years past. We rode in safety in our frail bark; and my chief anxiety during the night was on account of dear Mary, and the injury that might be done to the Mission property at Hong-Kong. Mamma will enter into dear Mary's anxiety, and will conceive what were her feelings on the Friday morning, when the day broke, and she saw half-a-dozen fine strong vessels dismasted or driven on shore at different points of the harbour. The havoc among the houses, too, was not small. The Governor was obliged to flee from his; and many were nearly or quite unroofed. Thanks to the strength of the Mission House-or, rather, to the Providence of God-the damage which it sustained, though considerable, was much less than was to be feared from the elevated position which it occupies.

It was Monday before tidings of our safety reached Hong Kong, though I embraced an opportunity of writing from Whampoo, before we got to Canton, where we heard of all the fury of the tempest. We saw, indeed, many melancholy traces of what it had done along the river from Whampoo to the city, in the Chinese junks and boats which strewed the banks or im

peded our passage. Not fewer than a thousand souls perished in the storm; and this mail will carry sorrow to some two score families in England, of which the father, or the brother, or the son has perished. One of the most melancholy cases is the loss of Mr. Smithers, the Inspector of Police, and his son, a fine youth of eighteen. This was the gentleman whose mother I saw at Stepney, where she thanked me, with earnestness, for having been the instrument of his conversion. He had gone out in a large boat on the Thursday morning, with some eighteen policemen, all invalids; and they intended to

cruise about for their health for a few days. Of twenty-eight men, including Chinese, in the boat, twenty-two were lost. His widow is left destitute, with one little girl.

I got back, through God's mercy, on Wednesday morning. Our meeting was one of tears and smiles. We thanked God, who had disappointed all dear Mary's fears; and that evening we praised Him with a full heart for his goodness to us and our children.

Dear Annie was a little fretful on the day of my return, but we thought nothing of it. No smile was more bright than hers when I came home. She had become a sweet, endearing child, full of intelligence, and fuller still of love, with a disposition that often made us think she had been sanctified from the womb,-ever happy-ever playful. On Thursday morning, it was evident that acute dysentery had attacked her. We called in the doctor, and Mary devoted herself entirely to the care of her. But, alas! the disease made rapid progress. A most distressing restlessness came on. She slept none on Thursday night, and none on Friday. We were loath, however, to give up hope; and when, after the most energetic measures, she sank into a sleep on sabbath morning, between one and two o'clock, we thought she might open her eyes with the promise of life. But, no! at six o'clock she awoke, too evidently soon to be taken from us. She became slightly convulsed, and in half-an-hour was with us only her lifeless clay.

Dearest Mary felt and suffered only as a mother can feel and suffer; but we have reason to thank God that He has been with her in this sore affliction. The case commands us to be “dumb with silence." The child was given to her through much tribulation; and shortly after God showed us by how slight and uncertain a thread we held her precious life. The prayers of many were at that time answered, and Annie was spared to us, when her removal would have been pre-eminently an addition of sorrow upon sorrow. She grew up; and her health and brightness drew every day a song of gratitude from our hearts to God. I was ready to say, "Surely our Heavenly Father is intending that this child shall remain with us. My dear Mary's harp, that hung so long upon the willows, will not need to be suspended there again." But God's "ways are not as our ways." "Verily He is a God that hideth himself." His "judgments are a great deep." Yet is He at the same time our Father. Surely he is so!-all-wise and all-kind! He has | taken our child to himself;-and, growing up in his immediate presence, how glorious shall we find her when we are taken to the same sphere and bliss. We comfort one another, and, were our dear parents here,

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they also would comfort us, and be comforted themselves, with these words. Dear Mary was obliged to keep her bed for two days after our bereavement; but she has since been about. Having much to do has, in the meantime, been of benefit to her; and the weather is now setting in delightfully cool, and we may expect the next five months to be invigorating. Little Mary is quite strong and robust. Eliza has not been so well as we could wish her to be. She has hut little appetite, and we hail the winter on her account.

I said the month had been marked by events of encouragement as well as trial. And what is so much calculated to encou rage us as the evident blessing of God resting on my labours. On Saturday, the 17th inst, I met, for the first time since my arrival, with inquirers and applicants for baptism, and had a most interesting interview with six individuals. I appointed to meet them again last Saturday; and, after six o'clock, went into the library for the purpose. Five of those six men were there; and you may judge of my delight when, after the cases had been gone into, I was told that there were others waiting to see me; and no fewer than ten others presented themselves. It was a great sight; fifteen Chinese, all "inquiring the way to Zion" sincerely, "with their faces thitherward." They are, indeed, but few among so many; but had Dr. Morrison, the father of the Chinese mission, or Dr. Milne, seen such a company, they would, with overflowing hearts, have given glory to God. Of the first five, one was a boy in the seminary; and of the other ten, four were his companions. Three of these cases were of the deepest interest; and I hope to be able to communicate particulars respecting them by the next mail to the Directors, and to your own beloved flock. The boys are now corresponding with their parents. May God incline their hearts to allow their children to embrace the faith of Christ! If they oppose, as they have hitherto done, it will be a severe trial to the youths, but one which I think they will be enabled to stand. A most cheering prospect is opened by their decision for the permanency of my labours in the Theological Seminary, and for a succession of faithful and able men to whom the truth may be committed. Everything about our mission work here is going on well.

My own health is perfectly good. I am just getting into all my work, and fancy I am better able for it than before I left.