work; not merely because of its object, but because of its important communications; and we rejoice to bear testimony to our dissenting brethren, labouring in a spirit of love, in the great cause which calls out the army of the saints, marshalling according to their denominations, to fight for the Lord against the mighty.

The authors were, we believe, Missionaries of the London Missionary Society, but by ill health were compelled to separate from it. They have left this book as a proof of their industry in India, and it furnishes to the British population a very creditable one. The first dissertation is a translation from the Tamul, in which it was originally written, by Samuel Flavel, a converted Hindoo, being his testimony against Hindooism, Mohammedanism, and Popery, in very strong terms. It is written with a simplicity and a power peculiarly interesting, and exhibits his own particular conversion, in a manner that proves his sincerity. We shall extract from this work some passages relating to his own conversion, as the most interesting we can adduce, prefacing them by a very just address to the British churches.

"Brethren in Jesus Christ, in the British churches, you have by the great assistance of the living God, pitied the poor heathen, and sent them relief. You have overcome difficulties, and you have given an example of your true love to Christ before hypocrites and wicked professors of our holy religion, by seeking out those who had wandered far from God in the wilderness; you have sent the gospel of the blessed God to this land of darkness. I have seen many copies of the holy Scriptures in the villages and towns, and many of the poor people are reading them, but I have seen very few preachers. There are many voices crying out among the heathen and Roman Catholics and Mahommedans, as the Eunuch of Ethiopia did when Philip asked him, "Understandest thou what thou 'readest ;"' Some say, 'We wish we were as Cornelius, then would we send servants to find out preachers, but we cannot.'

"O, dear brethren, in the British churches, we have taken root from your extended branches; we need constant support from you, as the way to receive it from our Lord, who is the root. The living God has given great light to the churches in Britain. He has made you as the light of the world. Here darkness covereth the earth, and gross darkness the people: Give us of your light, that the candle of the Lord may also shine brightly upon our tabernacle, and chase away the darkness which is felt.....O, brethren, send us some of your skilful warriors. Give us your council, farthers. Send, to refresh our fainting 'spirits in this wilderness, some more of the ripe fruits of Canaan.

Do not forget, brethren, the way that God has led you. Recollect that you were not only slaves in Egypt, but you also were captives in Babylon. The marks of your chains are yet visible on your hands and feet..... You thought upon Zion, but would not sing her songs in a strange land. How much were you indebted to your Zerubbabels, your Ezras, your Nehemiahs? How did your hearts faint when your enemies conspired against you, and would not suffer you to raise your holy city from its ruins.....O think on us, and compassionate us, your brethren, whose face is Zion-ward, but surrounded with many enemies. "Allow me, my dear brethren, to explain more particularly to you. The Scriptures and tracts are given away to the poor people; but many cannot read when they get the Scriptures....Many complain because that they have no per.

son to teach them. I judge this is very much the case in every place where the word of God and tracts are distributed, from what I have heard the people say, and what I experienced in my own mind, when the Lord in his merciful providence gave me a part of his holy book. Very few places can yet be visited by preachers of the gospel, their number is so small. The schools of the prophets are yet very few. The Saviour has given his assistance to his servants in translating his blessed word into many languages, but very few preachers there are to read and explain it to the people."

He illustrates this by an account of his own conversion :

"When I found the four gospels under the tree in my own language, whilst I lived in Ceylon, I read them, and I believed what I read, and I was convinced that all my religion, and the religion of my father, was folly. I was convinced of this before I had finished reading the ninth chapter of Matthew....I greatly wanted some person to teach me how to understand this book: I made many inquiries, but could find no person to explain in my own language this holy book to me.

"I felt so uneasy in my own mind when I could not find any person to teach me after I had made many inquiries for three months, that I left a very comfortable situation, and went a great distance to seek for teachers. I found out in this strange place some worldly friends that I had known before, but by dwelling with them for a few weeks, and by their conversation, I lost my desire to seek after teachers, and I did not find so much pleasure in reading the word of God. Instead of keeping the book to read, I now began to lend it. I was very desirous to have a name among my countrymen, by letting them know that I had a printed book. The persons to whom I lent the book often came to me for explanation, and I could not give it. I was ashamed to tell them so, and I would leave them by saying I had no time to explain to them.

"One very kind friend of mine, who was a Roman Catholic, and was rich, gave a great feast on one of the saints' days, chiefly at his own expense. The friend wished me to assist him during the feast, which I did. I gave directions to the people how to put the idols in order, some how to tie and prevent their falling when they placed them on their shoulders during the procession. I marched before them with the word of God under my arm....The same night, whilst I was standing near the altar with my book, my friend came into the chapel in company with a person nearly intoxicated. When the latter saw me, he pointed me out to the other people, and said: 'How dare that fellow stand so near the altar! he is a Lutheran: turn him out!' I thought a Lutheran signified a murderer, or something very bad, so I answered: No, I am not a Lutheran.' He asked, 'Are you a Roman Catholic, then?' 'Indeed I am not.' Are you a heathen?' No,' I answered, I am not; I am a higher religion than all these.'"'

He procured another volume at the expense of eight rupees.

"A few weeks had elapsed, when I was going in company with some people to see a heathen feast and dance; as we were passing a small dwelling, I observed a light burning in a corner, and an old man reading. I stood and listened to hear what the old man read, and I soon found that the language was the same with that which was in my own book. I immediately left those who were going to the feast, and I took my seat beside the old man, and heard, with great attention, what he was reading. The language was the same, but the copy and

the print were different. I spoke very humbly and kindly to the old man; he put the book into my hand, some parts of which I began to read. When I asked him to explain it to me, he answered that he could not for he was a hea then.....I said to the old man, Oh! will you give me this book? He an swered, "If I give you this book, what will you give me in its place ?', I immediately offered him eight rupees, which he readily took.... Now I began to rejoice greatly, because I had got another book for that which I had lost. I began to read it; constantly did I read it; and some places I understood better than I had before done."

His ulterior progress and struggles are very interesting.

"When I was journeying to another part of India, I found a few people in the way, at a place where my employer stopped for a short time, and I was informed that they belonged to the congregation of the gospel. I was very happy to see them: I did run to them, and salute them, as if they had been my old and very dear friends. I said to them, I have long wished to know something about the gospel. This day the Lord has brought me to see you, to know more clearly his holy word.' The people were a little astonished, and began to ask me many questions about my journey, and what I had seen....I felt a great thirsting after the truth, but I remained very ignorant how I should serve and please God. I talked to the people about what I read in the book, and endéavoured to explain to them what I thought I understood; and I found great benefit to my own mind by talking with the people. I was much more lively and comfortable in my mind, yet now feel doubts when I look back, that what I told the people was in many things not correct.

"Next morning, when about to proceed, one of the persons with whom I had been speaking the day before, came to me and wished very much for a copy of the catechism before I left the place. I consented to write him a copy. Before this was done, a person who owed me a considerable sum of money, arrived at Mysore on business. We met quite unexpectedly, but he very willingly `settled my account. My mind was made very easy on money affairs. Whilst I was writing the catechism, two natives, who had heard of my reading and conversing with the people, came and asked me many questions about the book which I had. They soon felt much interested in what they read with me, and the answers I was able to give to their questions. Our conversation was very pleasing and profitable to me.

"We met together, and after prayer, we began and wrote a very long letter to the teacher. We informed him that we were much pleased to hear of his teaching, that we were ready to come to Madras to see bim and join the congregation, and requested him to write to us, and inform us how we should conduct ourselves as the servants of Christ, till we arrived at Madras. We did not know his name, but we intended to direct it to the Unitarian Teacher, Madras.

"I now began to think that it was necessary for me to be baptized, but I knew no person to whom I could apply for that ordinance. A man came one day and told me that the Roman Catholics, the Heathens, and the Mahommedans, were preparing a petition to present to the magistrate, in which they entreated him to drive me from the place. The reason they gave for this was, that I had never been baptized, that I was no Christian, but I had come only to trouble the people, and put them into confusion. I was afraid on account of my not having been baptized. I immediately wrote to the people at Cannanore, and the

morning following, about three o'clock, I rose and proceeded to Cannanore, that I might be baptized."

Such was the progress of this man; and he gives, in his sermon, sufficient evidence that Mr. Spring did not baptize one who was unacquainted with the ordinance, or unlikely to do honour to the vocation to which he was called.

We shall give, as a companion to this, the ordination of Isaac David, who was set apart for the ministry by the usual forms of the Independent church, to which the Missionaries belonged. The charge and exhortations by the Rev. Messrs. Massie and Laidler are excellent; but not so interesting to our pages as the answers of the Hindoo; we might indeed say, that the former seems to have been more intended for his European than his Hindoo auditory. It is an able and judicious address, but we should think, we speak in our ignorance, rather above the intellect of the persons addressed. "The reason which makes me to believe myself a Christian is, that before I understood the things I have mentioned, which are in the word of God, I did not know that I was a sinner, or how to fear God; I did not know that there was any Saviour for the world, or any resurrection or eternal life; now I have come to the knowledge that it is my duty to fear God, I am convinced that Christ must be my Saviour, and I love him as my Saviour: before I did not fear nor hate sin, hut now it is filthy and hateful to me; before I did not exercise humility, but now there is a great deal to make me humble. Since I have believed in my Saviour, all the old things in my mind seem to be dying away, and new things are rising in me. Why this change? because I believe in Christ Jesus. Is it not then my duty to believe that I am a Christian ?

"Some are blessed with a large light, as a stick burning; some have lamps without oil. All the faithful servants of God have rich spiritual blessings and enjoyments. The indolent servants have alwaye a whip to press them onward ; the sleepy servants have hard and painful work given to them to keep them awake; and the slothful servants, who have no oil in their lamps, are entirely separated from the church of God. The spiritually proud get a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet them."

We regret that we cannot give the whole of the unfeignedly sincere and pious sentiments of this person. He is now, we believe, labouring efficiently in Cannanore. Samuel Flavel, whose sentiments we have quoted seems to have been much blessed in his exertions about Bangalore. The last essay in this interesting volume contains an account of "the character and labours of Hindoo Christians," the modes adopted by the Missionaries at Banga. lore, and the success that has attended their labours. Flavel has been instrumental to much good, and both among Roman Catholics, Socinians, and Hindoos, seems to have been preaching with great effect. Students, introduced into the seminary, have been sent out, when qualified, to preach the Gospel; and, although they have met with much opposition, their words have not gone forth void. The account of these persons, and the characters of those with whom they have to do, abound in interest; we annex a passage or two :

"Alexander and Rufus were brahmins. They gave encouraging evidence of

their sincere attachment to the truth. When they were baptized by Samuel, before a large congregation of natives, at the chapel, in August 1825, they made a public renunciation of their religion and caste, and took their brahmin cords from their shoulders, and gave them to Samuel previous to their baptism. Alexander is twenty-eight, and Rufus twenty-four years of age. In vain did they seek direction and peace of conscience from their interviews with popish priests. A copy of the New Testament, which the former had obtained in the Tenloogoo language, aroused his attention to ask questions of a Roman Catholic priest his inquiries and objections in a short time : were displeasing to the priest. Observing the Testament in his hand on one occasion, and inquiring what the book was, the priest on being informed, told him to throw it away, for it was an accursed book. A conversation Alexander had with one of the students, and one afterwards both he and his brother had with Samuel, were blessed as the means of leading them to embrace the truth as it is in Jesus. "They went to a large market (or sundee) held in a bazaar near the R's palace to converse and preach, as had been their custom. It had been lately the practice of the R- to visit this bazaar merely for pleasure. The cutwal saw Zechariah and Lazarus, and informed the R that those whom he had been seeking were standing and speaking to the people in the market-place. This was on the 26th of May. The R- sent two peons immediately, who took them into custody, and brought them into his presence; he was then mounted on his horse, there were some Brahmins and courtiers with him at the time. The R- seemed highly incensed, and employed a Brahmin to act as his interpreter. He first asked the following questions :- Where do you come from? how many of you are come? are you dwelling in my city?' He then said, 'you give my people date-fruit, and intoxicate them: you shall not stop in my city; I will give you great punishment: this time I will let you go for pity's sake. You must go to the Honourable Company's city. If you do not leeve this, I will tell Mr. C. to drive you away. What caste are you?' They replied: They came from Bangalore, that they were only two out of many, that the tutors sent them, and that they were of the caste of the priests.' They then addressed the R- nearly as follows: Do not let your Highness be angry, for we have come, and bring a word which will give benefit to your own soul, and good to the whole of your city.''

6

If our limits allowed, we would gladly give more copious extracts from this interesting work, to which we may again recur, recommending it at present, as well calculated to give accurate knowledge of the means employed in spreading the Gospel in India.