witness for the truth. But, chiefly on his brother's account, he made up his mind to go and to take with him his family. HIS BAPTISM. It so happened that on the day I was to leave Kway T'ham for Swatow he came in with the express purpose of seeking baptism, saying that he earnestly desired this before leaving for Kwang-si, and professing his faith in the Lord Jesus, and his determination to follow him. Previous to his making this request I had been in considerable doubt as to whether it was not my duty to baptize him; his own earnest desire, and the opinion of the native brethren with me, confirmed the feeling I had that it would be wrong to deny him the ordinance appointed by the Lord for ad ission to his Church of as many as believe. Though our acquaintance with him was but short, and though in ordinary circumstance a longer probation as a candi late for baptism would have been proper, yet, considering that now was his only opportunity for baptism, and that we all seemed agreed in judging him to be indeed a believer, I resolved to baptize him. A few Hakkas were present at his baptism, and of one or two of these we are not unhopeful. A-Long has probably ere now left for Kwang-si. May the good Shepherd, whose eye is upon every member of his fold, and who is present to teach and help where all other help is wanting, keep and guide him, and make him both a "light" and a "leaven" in the distant place to which he is going. Let me ask the prayers of the Church at home on his behalf; and also on behalf of the mission work throughout all Tie Chin. Dr. Gauld is at present in Hong Kong. We hope in a few weeks to have the pleasure of welcoming him back to Swatow, accompanied by Mrs. Gauld. With kind regards, I remain, INDIA. WE give the following extract from the Fourth Indian Report of the Rajshai Mission, prepared for subscribers in India by our missionary, Behari Lal Singh. He continues to labour single-handed, but pleads in almost every letter that a missionary may be sent out to join him from this country. The Committee would gladly do so could they meet with the They underwent a searching and minu e purpose of making known the Gospel to examination in all the useful branches of her benighted sisters, by means of private education. The acquaintance manifested conversation, or any other mode which the by them with the various topics was cre- circumstances of the case may suggest. In ditable to them and to their teachers. At the prostration of mind now visible in the conclusion of the exam nation, the these remote districts, the religious immagistrate distributed the prizes, consist-provement of the females should be as streing of books and clothes purchased from a fund (Rs. 20) generously placed at our disposal by Mr. R. B. Chapman, of the Sudder Board of Revenue. nuously sought after as that of the male population. This is a sine qua non without which the civilization and evangelization of the whole body of native population can be but half and incomplete. Here we have a little oasis in the mid-t of (as far as Christian education is conThe Bible woman has been maintained cerned) a desert country. May it long by Mrs. Lowis, of Furreed pore, who has continue to flourish and increase under the always taken a warm interest in our work. fostering care of the English Presbyterian This is an example well worthy of Church. A Bible woman has been engaged for the imitation. ORDINATION OF A MISSIONARY FOR CHINA. WE take the following report of the ordination of the Rev. D. Mas on from The Weekly Review : "The Presbytery of London of the English Presbyterian Church met on Wednesday, June 20th, in Hampstead Presbyterian Church, for the purpose of ordaining the Rev. David Masson as a missionary to China. The Rev. Mr. Edmonds, moderator, presided. There was a large attendance both of members of Presbytery and of the general public, the area of the church being well filled. angel might be the Son of God himself, and they might be made to glory in their trials. Dr. Hamilton, in g owing language, also pointed out how well fitted the consideration of such a passage as he had selected for the text was for an occasion like that; as it conveyed to them the glad some and refreshing thought that if Christ is gone into Heaven, and if all power is given unto him, then nothing could go wrong with his kingdom on earth. No doubt days of darkness came down on the Church-days of desperate "The oper ing devotional exercises were difficulty; and there were those, perhaps conducted by the Rev. Dr. Hamilton, who not the least to be sympathized with, preached from 1 Peter iii. 21-Jesus tremblers for the ark of God, who were Christ, who is gone into Heaven.' In this apt to get daunted and dismayed; but they discourse the rev. doctor, in eloquent and had the assurance that their confidence did touching terms, showed that the Divine not rest so much on particular predictions, Saviour by his sojourn on earth had on isolated passages, precious as there acquired a peculiar experience of suffering were, as upon the whole scheme of reand there and of death, which marvellously fitted demption from first to last ; him for the exercise of his mediatorial was no other possible outgoing for the office, and made him a High Priest who Incarnation, and for the work finished on could enter into the varied feelings of Calvary, than that the Lord Jesus Christ humanity and minister to all our wants. s' ould see of the travail of his soul, and The believer knew by joyful experience should see of it till he was satisfied. that it was no adamantine Lord who They might expect that when a great reigned on high, or a far off impassive accomplishment was awaiting the Church beneficence, but a gracious loving Saviour. He knew that the government of Christ's kingdom, of all power and empire, was in the hands of a sympathizing and compassi nate Saviour, and that his people could, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace. When called upon to make some paroxysmal effort, or when exceedingly sorrowful unto death, their strengthening of Chr st, the Prince of the power of the air should raise special storms and hindrances, so as if possible to frighten out of faith the very elect of God; but even now there were streaks of dawning that made it easy to say that the darkest hour preceded the dawn; for they thought that the darkest hour was passed; and moreover they knew that God had said, 'I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, missionaries of the English Presbyterian and the uttermost parts of the earth for a Church in China had always been remarkpossession.' In his closing remarks the able for the care they exercised in this rev. doctor made a practical enforcement respect, knowing well that every true of the lessons which the text was so well convert was a real acquisition, while every fitted to teach, both to missionaries on the other was a source of weakness. He also field of labour and Christians at home. showed the special importance of this in "The Rev. John Matheson then pro- an empire like China, as it was to a native ce ded to put the usual questions to Mr. agency that they must ultimately look for Masson; but before doing so offered a few the diffusion of the Gospel in such an exremarks explanatory of the circumstances tensive region. He also dwelt upon the by which the latter had been led to offer encouragement which the friends of himself as a missionary to China. He missions and their own Church in parstated that some time ago Mr. Masson, ticular had to cultivate the missionary work then a student at Aberdeen, was led to in China, from the success with which the think of the claims of the foreign field, and Lord had been pleased to bless the exertions to reflect upon the fewness of those who which had already been put forth, and offered to go abroad as missionaties as from the fact that China was open to the compared with the number looking preaching of the Gospel throughout its forward to the ministry at home. Wile wide borders. The times too were proin this frame of mint he heard a lecture pitious. China was no doubt an ancient in Aberdeen on China and China Missions. and decaying empire; and if it was to be This led his thoughts directly to China; renovated and revigorated, it could only be and afterwards an address was given by the by the diffusion of the Gospel of the Rev. Mr. Carstairs Douglas, himself a grace of God, which was the elixir of life Chinese missionary. Subsequently, in the to a nation. In conclusion he urged his Free Church Missionary Record he read a young friend and brother to cherish the letter from the pen of Dr. Hamilton, as encouraging reflection that his course convener of the China Mission of the would be watched with interest by symEnglish Presbyterian Church, urging the pathizing friends at home and by those claims of China, and telling of the der friends with whom he would have spiritual destitution of that vast empire, fellowship in the arduous labours of a misand of the need of their missionaries being sionary of the Cross amid the countless strengthened; and in the same Record thousands of a heathen land. there was a statistical statement comparing the number of ministers in the Free Church of Scotland at home, and those labouring in the foreign mission field. These considerations ultimately decided Mr. Masson to offer himself as a missionary to China in connection with the English Presbyterian Church. They had been praying that the Lord would send them men, they had been looking here and there, and they had found in Mr. Masson an answer to their prayers. Mr. Masson was now licensed to preach the Gospel by the Free Church Presbytery of Aberdeen, and was there that evening to be ordained as a minister and missionary of Christ in the far distant Chinese field. After putting the questions to Mr. Masson from the formula, that gentleman was solemnly set apart for the office which he had undertaken, and was afterwards suitably addressed by Mr. Matheson on his solemn and responsible duties, besides offering to him, in the name of the Presbytery, a few words of brotherly counsel and encouragement. In doing so he referred to the importance of missionaries being more careful about the quality than the quantity of the acquisitions which they might be instrumental in making to the mission cause; and said that the "The Rev. W. Dinwiddie then addressed the friends who had assembled to witness the proceedings. He said that by their presence there they recognised their duty to send forth labourers and ministers to the Christless Chinese. Mr. Masson went as their representative and servant, carrying with him the Gospel message of life and peace. The tie which had been formed between them that evening was a solemnu and deeply interesting one; and did it not call upon them to make a more adequate provision for the clamant wants of the spiritually destitute Chinese, and remind them of the strong claims which Mr. Masson and his missionary brethren had upon their prayers, their sympathy, and their active and entire co-operation, so far as it could be given at this distance from the scene of their labours? Christians might be separated by continents and seas, but there was a spiritual unity subsisting between them. Mr. Masson would be separated from them as much as it was possible on this earth; but they might meet at the same throne of grace, they might feel the emotions of the same Spirit, and they might share in the same so rows and joys, and in this way might encourage each other more than they were wont to do. Mr. Dinwiddie then made some observa tions on the subject of missions in general, dividing them under the two heads of the astonishing progress which missions had made in the world, and the happy effects which they had had on the Church at home. There were, he said, many people yet living who remembered the time when Christian missions were unknown, and when the Church itself frowned on the very idea as a presumptuous intermeddling with divine methods and processes. There was, however, now hardly a nation to which the light of the Gospel had not penetrated, and there was ardly a human } anguage in which the Word of God was not printed. When he thought of all that Christianity had achieved in connection with the missionary cause in so short a period, and with such slender support, and when he considered the opposition it had to incur, the number and character of its agents and converts, the permanent footing which it had acquired in many heathen lands, and the way in which its power was recognised in all lands, he must confess that he was filled with astonishment at the progress which had been made, and could not but feel that the greatest miracle of modern times was not to be found in the departments of science and art, or in the inventions of human genius, but in the triumphs of the Gospel of Jesus through the instrumentality of their brethren the missionaries. As to the effects of the working of missions on the Churches at hone, they had only to cast their thoughts back half-a-century, and see how cold, dead, worldly, and corrupt, and indolent, and sceptical they were then, but so soon as they entered on the work of the evangelisation of the world a great and ble-sed revival was awakened; and from that time to this that revival had continued and extended. So marked was this, that he could not but recognise these two facts as associated together-missionary enterprise abroad and religious life at home. If the missionary cause had done nothing else than the widening and deepening of vital godliness in this and other Christian lands, they had abundant reason to be thankful and to rejoice. They, as a Church, should congratulate themselves that od had a lowed them to take part in this work. It was singular that they, the least, he might say, of all the Churches, should have been allowed to enter into the largest and most difficult missionary field in all the world; but it was, in a sense, still more singular that that effort should have been crowned with such signal and sch wondrous success. Their own little mission enterprise now numbered its converts by hundreds. It occupied a large and growing field, had planted many thriving stations, and they saw wide and new doors and effectual opening up, that they might enter in and possess the land. They, as members of this favoured little Churchfor God was blessing their Church-should realize the honour which God was conferring upon them, and should understand the vastness of that responsibility which must accompany the possession of such a high and distinguished privilege; and in this conviction he was anxious that something practical should issue from this most interesting meeting. Mr. Dinwiddie then suggested that there should be a more extensive circulation of the English Presbyterian Messenger, which was published monthly, and contained letters from their missionaries in China. They should endeavour to become acquainted with the names of the districts in which the missionaries laboured, with the hab ts of the people, and with the nature of the work carried on; and thus, he said, would be laid a foundation upon which a glorious superstructure might be raised. He also stated that the missionaries were extremely desirous that they should be remembered in the prayers of the Church and of its members at home, and further that Christians should contribute to the missionary cause as God had prospered them. The Church was not yet alive to its duty in the latter respect, but he was sure that the work which they were carrying on in China would yet have a reviving effect on all their congregations at home, and that then no difficulty would be felt by their Foreign Mission Committee either as to men or as to money. "Mr. Masson then delivered a brief address, requesting those whom he was addressing to take a more prayerful interest in the missionaries and in their work. If their mission was to be successful they must pray for its success. "At the close of the proceedings, Mr. Masson shook hands with the audience as they retired." Bome Intelligence. PRESBYTERY OF LONDON.-The monthly meeting of this Presbytery was held on Tuesday, 12th ult., in the Queen-square House, the Rev. Mr. Edmonds, Moderator. The Rev. Mr. Wright, Southampton, urged the importance of immediate steps being taken by the Presbytery to carry out the Church extension movement within the bounds; and said that this was the more n cessary if they, as a Presbytery, were to receive any share of the funds which were coming in from the collection which had been made in Scotland. The Rev. John Matheson, of Hampstead, said the Presbytery's Church Extension Committee were alive to the importance of the subject which had just been brought under their notice; but what they had to contend with was the want of funds to overtake the work. They had got a sum amounting to upwards of £400 a-year from wealthy and liberal friends of the Church to whom they had made a pe sonal appeal, but they had not succeeded in obtaining anything from the congregations except in the ease of one or two. The committee had, however, not been idle, for they had made a survey of different parts of London in order to ascertain where suita le sites could be obtained. The Rev. Mr. Dinwiddie, after referring to some of the difficulties which the committee had to encounter, said it was exceedingly desirable that monthly reports should be given in by the Church Extension Committee. Mr. J. E. Mathieson deprecated any precipitate action at that meeting of Presbytery in fixing upon sites for stations, especially considering that the Presbytery's committee were earnestly feeling their way towards securing proper places for planting stations. It was much better that they should proceed with caution in this matter than that they should plant stations which, like Jonah's gourd, were to grow up and perish in a night. The Rev. Dr. Hamilton entirely agreed with the remark that had just fal'en from Mr. James Mathieson. Whatever might come to the Home Mission Committee from the great Scotch collection, it would be a mere trifle compared with the sum which they would require to get from the wealthier members of their own communion. The Rev. Mr. Chalmers took the same view, and further said that he did not think it right that where there was a mere handful of people unable to give anything like a suitable stipend to a minister, that they should be put in the position of calling a minister. After some remarks from the Rev. Mr. Alexander, the Rev. Dr. Fisher, the Rev. Dr. Lorimer, and other members, it was agreed to 1 ave the matter in the hands of the Presbytery's Church Extension Committee. The Rev. Mr. M'Laren, of Brighton, requested the consent of the Presbytery to borrow £400 upon their church to enable the Deacons' Court to make necessary alterations and repairs on one of the school-houses. He also stated that they had now raised within £300 of the sum requisite for the purchase of the church, the estimated cost of which was £2,063. The Presbytery, on the motion of the Rev. Mr. Wright, seconded by Mr. D. Maclagan, remitted t e application to the Church Extension Committee, with instructions to the Moderator and Clerk to sign the necessary documents in the event of the Committee giving their sanction. The Presbytery then, on the motion of the Rev. Mr. Ballantyne, agreed to appoint the ordination of Mr. D. Masson, a licentiate of the Free Presbytery of Aberdeen, to take place at Hampstead on Wednesday, the 20th, at 6.30 p m. Mr. Masson is about to proceed to Swatow as one of the missionaries of the English Presbyterian Church. It was also resolved that the Rev. Mr. Saphir should preach the sermon on the occasion of the ordination, that the Rev. Dr. Hamilton should put the usual questions and offer the prayer, that the Rev. Mr. Matheson should give the charge to Mr. Masson, and that the Rev. Mr. Dinwiddie should address the congregation on the subject of Foreign Missions. The Presbytery then adjour. ed. THE PRESBYTERY OF LANCASHIRE.This Presbytery met at Liverpool on Tuesday, June 12th; Rev. J. M. Ross, Moderator. The Rev. David Henderson requested, in name of the Session, the Presbytery to moderate in a call at Chester on an early day. An adequate stipend will be guaranteed, and there was the reasonable prospect, not only that the existing debt will be liquidated, but that school-rooms and a more ecclesiastical-looking front than the present would be built. The Presbytery agreed to meet at Chester on the 20 h inst., Rev. R. H. Lundie to preach and preside. We understand it is Mr. Lewis, of Dudley, who is to be called. The Rev. W. R. Moore reported on behalf of the committee appointed to examine Mr. William Elliot, student in divinity, that they had, by written questions and answers, examined him in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Logic, Moral Philosophy, Divinity, and Church History. He had the papers in his hands, and, if the |