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towards those who are fincerely feeking, either in a public or private capacity, his honour in their life and labours. O what a bleffed thing is it for the foul to be kept in an even poife, and fteadily endeavouring to diffufe the favour of the knowledge of Chrift, when difappointments are multiplying upon us! It is true, he fometimes fuffers our imaginations to have a little scope, and our hearts to be fomewhat elated with a profpect of fuccefs upon our labours, when a few concurring events seem to favour our defigns. But does he not often fend a nipping east wind, whereby many buds and bloffoms, yea, young and tender fruits, are blighted fo that our hope and patience are put to the trial? What unwarranted expectations were in the minds of many, perhaps in England, when thirty Miffionaries left England for the South-Sea Islands: yea, how bufy were fome in lifting them up upon the pinnacle of imaginary honour: whereas we had not, as yet, buckled on our harness. God hath been fweeping us and fifting us; and what he hath still farther to do with us, he only knows: but, fure I am, he will make both the Heathen and his own know that he is the Lord who fanctifieth Ifrael, when his fanctuary is in the midst of them. What will be the iffue in England from these unexpected events which have already taken place, and what may ftill occur concerning us and the poor Heathen, time will manifeft. But I do earnestly entreat of the Lord, that Directors and Miffionaries may evidence to an ungodly world, their honeft, holy, increafing affection for Chrift and his cause, by perfevering through all difcouragements; fo ufing the facred fword, that their hands and hearts may be well employed, and their knees kept from waxing feeble.

It is likely it will add to your disappointments to hear, that I am far from being able to preach Chrift to those poor Heathen; but fhall I, through pride and impatience, withdraw and forfake them? What becomes of my name or reputation is of no confequence, when compared with the difhonour which may fall upon the name

and intereft of our bleffed Lord, from fuch conduct.→ What knowledge of it I have through grace obtained, the hope he hath given me, not only in his word in ge neral, but fome particular promifes, with my private and public devotedness to the fervice of Chrift among the Heathen, and my obligation to the Lord and the Directors, I judge each to be an indifputable argument for my perfeverance in the name and ftrength of Chrift.

The eye and hand of God have been fo conftantly on us for good, that our mercies have been more numerous than our moments. Notwithstanding my fituation here is peculiar, my wife being the only woman on these Heathen fhores that left our native country, yet I have obferved, I think, that the Lord hath been crowning our unworthy heads with fuch tokens of his loving kindnefs and tender mercies, as to give us to understand we are in that fituation which he is best pleased with.

Ceafe not to pray for us, though unworthy the bleffing, while we remain yours in the Lord,

T. & E. EYRE.

Extra of two Letters from the Rev. Dr. Erskine, of Edinburgh, to the Rev. Dr. Rodgers, of this City, dated Dec. 31, 1800.

"A heavy cloud, indeed, hangs over Britain-yet there are appearances that, though our God may chaften, he will not caft off and utterly deftroy us-befide the remarkable work of the conviction and converfion of finners at Moulin, and fome neighbouring parishes in the Highlands, the Lord feems to be raifing up, and fitting for future usefulness, many of our youth. Our prefbyteries have licenfed feveral young gentlemen of diftinguished piety and talents; and there are fome others, who promife equally well, studying divinity under Dr. Hunter, Divinity Profeffor in our University. Three of these are in opulent circumstances, and from the most pious and difinierefted motives, have dedicated theinfelves to the fervice of God in the gospel of his Son."

Edinburgh, Feb. 10, 1801.

"The religious concern at Moulin goes on without any irregularities, and the mouths of oppofers are wonderfully stopped. Dr. Hunter, our Profeffor of Divinity here, is greatly ufeful-feveral of his ftudents, licenfed by different Prefbyteries, acquitted themselves with great reputation upon their trials, and, by their piety and abilities, give the pleasing profpect of their being eminent bleffings to the church of Chrift. I have not known, at any time, fuch a number of promifing candidates for the miniftry here as thefe two years paftfome of them are already comfortably fettled, and there is every appearance that the reft of them fhortly will be." Extract from the Preface of the Edinburgh Miffionary Magazine for 1801.

"The events of the preceding year, relative to the progrefs of the Gospel at home and abroad, must have excited, in the minds of our readers, various fenfations. Circumstances both encouraging and otherwife have oc

curred.

"With regard to Miffions, we have beheld the afpect of Providence wearing a lowering appearance, in the almoft total failure of a few of them, in places where we hoped the favour of the Redeemer's name would have been spread abroad. Such tidings could not fail deeply to afflict the hearts of many, and, perhaps, for a season, to excite a fpirit of defpondency.-In the midst of fome adverfe difpenfations, however, there has not been wanting much cause of thanksgiving, in the profperity with which the Lord has been pleafed to accompany fimilar measures. The fuccefs which appears to attend the vigorous and unremitting exertions of the London Miffionary Society, whofe Miffionaries are ftill employed in the South-Sea Iflands, in Africa, Bengal, Canada, and in Twillingate; the labours of the Baptift Society, who have lately ftrengthened their miffion in Bengal, and by whofe affiduous efforts the Scriptures, completed in the Bengalefe language, are about to be VOL. II. No. 3.

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published; the patient diligence of the Moravians; the pleafing accounts lately received by the Edinburgh Society from their Miffionary in Jamaica; together with the zeal to diffufe the Gofpel, which feems to be increafing at home and abroad, notwithstanding the difcourgements that have occurred:-thefe are circumftances highly calculated to keep alive the hope of the friends of miffions, and loudly call for re-animated exertion.

"The enemies of the Gofpel are difpofed to triumph, when schemes intended for its propagation are unfuccessful; and even the friends of Jefus, taking too close a view of the dark fide of the cloud, are ready to give up hope, and to adopt the language of fome of old, for which they were feverely rebuked; "The time is not come, the time that the Lord's houfe fhould be built." When the first difciples of Chrift "afked him faying, Lord, wilt thou at this time reftore again the kingdom to Ifrael?" our Saviour reproved them in terms which equally apply at the prefent day: "It is not for you to know the times or the feafons which the Father hath

put in his own power.' Duty is ours; the iffue belongs to God. Deaf, therefore, to the fuggeftions of carnal reason, let the fervants of Jefus attend to his authoritative command, " Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gofpel to every creature." The value of one immortal foul far exceeds human calculation; and if even one foul be faved by the united exertions of Miffionaries, their labours are more than compenfated.

"The various plans for diffusing the knowledge of the Gofpel lately adopted in our own country, promifes, by the bleffing of God, to be extenfively ufeful. For this, many prayers are doubtless offered up. Were all thofe who know the infinite importance of divine truth, ferioufly to confider in what manner they might be most ufeful during the few years of their pilgrimage on earth, and were they to occupy diligently in their refpective fpheres, and according to their feveral abilities, in laying out their time, talents, and property, of which they ought to confider themfelves only the ftewards, how

much good might be done! The prince of darkness would not be fuffered to maintain undisturbed dominion. Every where, and in a variety of ways, the word of life would be held forth: nor would there be an individual among us, who had not heard the joyful tidings, that "God hath given to us eternal life, and that this life is in his Son."

Extract of a Letter from a refpectable Clergyman in England to his Friend in this City.

DEAR SIR,

"It has pleafed God to remove one of our laft Miffionaries, about ten days after he landed in the Eaft-Indies. He was a young man of this city, wonderfully converted from the depths of infidelity. He has left a wife and two children. The British The British government refused to let the others go up the country to join the former, and therefore Carey and Fountain are gone down to them to Serampore, where the Danish Governor shows them much favour.

"They are about to print the New Teftament immediately, and the Old is nearly neady for the prefs. Mr. Carey is much pleased with them, and finds them very diligent and prudent, and men who enter into their work with their whole foul. They and their work are indeed objects of ridicule among many of the Europeans; but one of them juftly obferves, " I do not wonder that such men fhould think the attempt a foolish one: having never felt the influence of divine truth, how is it poffible they fhould know the effects it will produce on those who receive it in the love of it. The things of the spirit of God are foolishness to them, neither can they know them. The arguings of fuch men never raise any doubts in my mind about the fulfilment of the divine promifes. They only prove their own ignorance of divine things, and the native enmity of the heart to every thing holy. To be fure, it is kind in them to diffuade us from fuch a fruitlefs, unprofitable purfuit, and to counfel us to direct our attention to fomething that will turn to better ace

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