collection was completely restored to her, and she took her husband's hand, and said, "My comfort and joy are still the same; they remain with me. But you are all employ asked her if all was well within, and whether she still knew him; to which she replied, "Yes, you are my husband: all is well." After this she only opened her eyes occasionally; and when she did so, she looked at her husband, and replied to his anxious looks by nodding her head, in token of her enjoying peace and assurance. She now lost the faculty of speech, and ber eyelids closed for ever; but she still pressed his hand, and, her head being turned towards him, she continued smiling from time to time, as if to express her inward joy. At length the phlegm suddenly accumulated, and, after some painful efforts, she became apparently insensible; in which state she continued until about seven o'clock on the Monday morning, when she ceased to breathe. ing yourselves about my body"(they were wiping away the perspiration from her forehead)-"leave that now alone, and let me think of my soul." Her husband then suggested to her, in a low tone of voice, some supporting texts of Scripture with short ejaculations for strength and victory. She thanked him; but at this time the faculty of hearing was rapidly leaving her, and therefore she requested him to speak louder. He then inquired, whether she could attend while he prayed with her; to which she eagerly assented; and upon his asking if he expressed her wants and feelings, she replied in the affirmative, and repeated after him some of the expressions of her own sinfulness, and of her entire reliance on the efficacy of her Redeemer's blood. After prayer, he took the Bible, and offered to read to her. She said, "Yes, do so; but keep your mouth close to my left ear: I shall hear longest with that.' He read a part of 1 Cor. xv.; and when he came to the 55th verse, she repeated two or three times, with great emphasis, "Oh death, where is thy sting?" She then said, "Stop-now let me pray by myself." Her husband could not hear what she said, but she frequently raised her hands joined together, and appeared to address herself to the Throne of Grace with great warmth and earnestness. She then turned towards her husband, and said, "Let nobody move, keep all quiet and still." After she had continued some time in this act of meditation, he inquired whether she experienced any foretaste of heaven, and if any of its glories were shewn to her. She laid her hand upon his, and said emphatically, "yes, yesthis is what I am waiting for-keep all quiet." Soon after, being anxious to ascertain whether her recollection still remained to her, he EAST-INDIA MISSIONS. (Continued from p. 483.) T. In the Report of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge for 1777, the Missionaries at Madras are represented as stating the congregation there to be pretty numerous. Many of the poor enter into the church of Christ." The hope of converting the rich will be vain, till God brings down their pride, and "awakens also the European gentlemen to a pious desire for propagating the kingdom of Christ."Mr. Swartz laments the death of an able and exemplary catechist, Rayappen, whose "solid knowledge of the Christian doctrine, whose meek behaviour towards all, whose contented mind, particularly his love of Christ and humble zeal in preaching the word of God, were acknowledged by Christians and heathens." About fifty persons at Tritchinapoly had offered themselves for instruction, with a view to being baptized. The Missionary Mr. Schoelkops, who had gone out from England the preceding year, died soon after his arrival at Madras. In the Report for 1778 is insert ed a communication by Mr. Diemer, from Calcutta. "We had, says he, the other day, a conversation with a Bramin, who asserted that the whole Universe is God: what now speaks in me is God, and what animates a dog is God, and when God retires out of the dog he must die immediately.' They account God the author of all, their immoralities and wicked actions; and so strongly do they adhere to this notion, that a Bramin will expressly say, when I have an inclination to steal I cannot help it, because God made me so:' and when such a one is punished, he says, I cannot help it, it was so destined.' The Bramin despises all other casts, and the lowest is despised by all, "The veneration for the cow and the sacred bulls is exceedingly great among the Bengalees. The other day, says Mr. Diemer, the leg of one of their bulls was broken. The beast was immediately surrounded by many hundred people, and the Bramins especially were very busy and much concerned for the bull; some brought him food, others medicine, and others ropes to remove him to a dry place. Thus was the sacred bull carried away with all possible care, and every method used to recover him. But when a poor wretch lies in the streets, and bis distress calls loudly for the compassion of those who pass by, if he is of a low cast he is entirely neglected. The merciless and haughty Bramin passes on without being atfected at the sight of such an object of compassion. But were he a sacred bull, proper care would be in mediately taken of him. When a Bengalee's house takes fire he is obliged first to save his cow, and though his wife and children should be consumed by fire, it signifies nothing, but if the cow perishes in the flames he loses his cast." "Mr. Swartz mentions the arrival of Mr. Pohle, speaks highly of CHRIST, OBSERV. No. 153. him as possessing a clear head and a pious heart, with a great desire of doing good to the natives, and as having made great proficiency in the oriental languages, so as to be able in three months' time to preach in the Malabar language.' The Report for 1779 contains an account of a visit paid by Mr. Gerické to the great pagoda of Tirukkoolikunnam, where was a vast numiber of Bramins. "It was with difficulty that he was permitted by the Bramins to go up the hill. Yet when he came to talk to them,and to tell them what he thought of this, and all their celebrated places, pagodas, rivers, images, deities, and what they in reason ought to think of them, and what they would think of them if they inclined their heart to hear and attend to the Gospel of Christ, w which he was come into that country to preach among them; wherein the most high God had revealed his glory, his Divine perfection, will, and works, and taught them what to think of the sun, moon, stars, and the rest of the visible creation, which they, in their ignorance of the true God, looked upon as so many deities, whilst they were the works of the great and living God:when I came, says he, to talk to them of these things, they rejoiced, they behaved civilly, they commended me greatly, applauded my doctrine, and said they would gladly embrace it, if all the nation would embrace it with them, and provide a livelihood for them." Yet this is the people of whom we are told that the slightest attempt to disturb their faith, even by argument and persuasion, would issue in insurrection and blood. The following sketch of Mr. Gerické's daily employment may prove instructive, not to Missionaries only, but to every English Clergyman who peruses it. Let him measure by it the labour of his own day. "From eight to nine o'clock Ma 4 D Gerické catechises in the English school, and from ten to eleven in the Malabar school. In the afternoon, from three till seven, he generally goes out to visit the sick, to remind the Malabar Christians of what they have heard at church, and to talk with such heathens as he meets with. When it happens that he passes near the hospital, he generally goes in to visit the sick soldiers. In the evening, from seven to eight, he expounds a portion of the New Testament in the Malabar school, when, beside some of the biggest children, the catechists, and those that live near the church, attend. After this, the catechists relate what conferences they have had with the Heathen; what objections they have answered, and how they have answered them; and what in the course of the day has fallen under their observation, that in any respect concerns the Mission. This gives him daily opportunity to instruct them in and exhort them to their duty. The rest of his time he employs in visiting the schools which are near to his house, in corresponding with his friends, in the study of languages, and in collecting materials for his discourses, and in writing down almost every sermon he preaches, both in English and Malabar, dictating sometimes the former to the English schoolmaster, the latter to the Malabar schoolmaster, which serves both his convenience and their advantage." Mr. Swartz had succeeded in inducing the Governor and Council at Madras to sanction and assist in the erection of a church at Tanjore. He observes, that, among the Heathens at Tritchinapoly and Tanjore, were many thousands, even among the Bramins, who confess that their idolatry is a vain and sinful thing, and that nothing but fear keeps them from embracing Christianity. "For my part," he adds, "I entertain a cheerful hope of seeing better days, and therefore rejoice in the present opportunity of preach ing the salutary doctrine of Christ, frequently calling to my mind that there is a time of sowing preceding that of reaping." In the succeeding year, 1780, the Missionaries at Madras, Messrs. Fabricius and Breithaupt, state an increase of twenty-two Heathens, and twelve Roman Catholics. The following extract is from the journal of these Missionaries. Not far from Vepery, in a chouldry (or open building for travellers), one of us addressed himself to the Heathens that were present, and said, 'I can see that you are people who do not know the true God, because the marks on your forehead shew that some of you are worshippers of Vustnoo, and others of Siven. But your worshipping them as gods is a great sin and folly; because he to whom divine worship is to be paid, must have divine attributes, and be all-knowing, almighty, and most holy. Vustnoo, Siven, and others you worship as gods, are quite destitute of such attributes. The histories which you have concerning them among you, shew that they were ignorant, weak, and unholy, and governed by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.' Is it not then one of the greatest sins for you to pay divine worship to such, and to their images? Let me tell you whom you must adore and worship, namely,none other but your Maker, by whose goodness you live, move, and have your being.' Besides him there is no other God.'" After some further conversation, he observed, If you desire your welfare, you must also begin to pray to God your Maker, who is present every where, which you can do in the following or the like words, saying, O Lord God, maker and ruler of the world, an European has told me that those we have hitherto worshipped are no gods, and that Thou only art the true God. I have, instead of knowing Thee, O God, and adoring Thee, worshipped He thus concluded his address: "Abandon your false gods, and turn to Him. Do not serve any longer the devil, who is the author of all idolatry: come and devote yourselves to the living God, as obedient children and servants: then you shall not perish, but be saved. "After they had heard these instructions with attention, he offered a little treatise to one of them, who was a Conicaply, which he accepted with much politeness and thanks." On another occasion one of the Missionaries found a number of Hindoos busy in making a sacrifice to their goddess Ammey, by whom they conceive the small-pox to be inflicted. "The Missionary represented to them how miserably they were deceived by the devil, and told them that the small-pox was an universal disease also in Europe, where the people knew nothing of such a reputed goddess; and shewed them that their not fearing and worshipping God their Maker, but the Ammey, and by her the devil himself, was the greatest sin and folly. "The Missionary reprehended particularly one among the said Heathens, whom he knew, and with whom he had several times before conversed, for his joining the other deluded people in their idolatry. He said he was drawn away by their multitude." It is impossible to read these extracts, without being struck with the near resemblance which the proceedings of the Society's Missionaries bear to those which have been reported by the Baptist Missionaries in Bengal, and which have afforded to some of our Anglo-Indian writers and orators such fruitful themes of declamation. There is, on the part of the Missionaries, the same distinct and uncompromising condemnation of the idolatrous worship of the Hindoos; the same assertion of the rights of Jehovah, even in the precincts of the Heathen temples, and before the fires of their impure deities; and the same circulation of tracts recommending Christianity, and attacking the native superstition:-and on the part of the natives, the same disposition to listen with patience to the arguments of the Christian minister, and even to acquiesce in them as unanswerable. This year Mr. Swartz was sent for, in great haste, to Madras, by the Government. The occasion of his journey is thus related by himself. "The Governor told me, that they wished to preserve peace with Hyder Ally; but as he entertained some mistaken notions, and evil people endeavoured to confirm him in those bad ideas, the Honourable Board desired I would take a journey to Seringapatnam in a private manner, and undeceive him by a fair declaration of their pacific sentiments: particularly as I, from my knowledge of the Moorish language, could converse with him without the help of an interpreter. The novelty of the proposal surprised me at first; for which reason I begged some time to consider it. At last I accepted of the offer, because by doing so I hoped to prevent evil, and to promote the welfare of the country. I thought also that I could thereby give some small proof of the gratitude which I owe to the Honourable Board for many favours, which they have bestowed on me during my residence at Tritchinapoly: besides, I saw that I should have an opportunity of conversing with many people about the things of God, who perhaps never had heard a word concerning God and a Redeemer. "I spent three months in Hyder Ally Khan's country. I found Englishmen here, Germans, Portugueze, and even some of the Malabar people whom I had instructed at Tritchinapoly. To find them in that country was painful; but to renew some part of the instruction, which they formerly received, was very comfortable. A tent was pitched on the glacis of the fort, wherein divine service was performed without the least impediment. "Hyder Ally gave a plain answer to all the questions I was ordered to put to him; so that the Honourable Board at Madras received that information they desired. "Being told that the Governor, Sir Thomas Rumbold, intended to procure me a present from the Board, I begged leave to decline accepting any, declaring that if my journey had been any way beneficial to the public, I rejoiced at the opportunity. I signified at the same time, that it would make me very happy, if the Honourable Board would allow to my colleague at Tritchinapoly the same yearly present they had given to me, being convinced that he would use it for the benefit of the "school and the maintenance of some catechists. This my request was granted. Mr. Poble receives at Tritchinapoly yearly a hundred pounds sterling, as I do here at TanJore. By which means, we are ènabled to maintain in both places schoolmasters and catechists. "One circumstance relative to my journey I beg liberty to add. When I took my leave of Hyder Ally, he presented me with a bag of rupees for the expense of my journey. But having been furnished with all necessaries by the Honourable Board, I delivered the bag to them. As they urged me to take it, I desired their permission to appoint this sum, as the first fuud for an Eng lish charity-school at Tanjore, hoping that some charitable people would increase that small fund, consisting of three hundred rupees. General Munro promised to recommend the plan to the gentlemen of the settlement." The simplicity and unaffected modesty of this narrative will not prevent our readers from admiring, with us, the traits of true greatness which distinguish it, and rejoicing in the splendid testimony which it bears to the character of the Christian Missionary. (To be continued.) To the Editor of the Christian Observer. IN a paper, which appeared in your number for the April of the present year, under the signature of AN INQUIRER, I put to Mr. Penn a question relative to the basis of bis proposed interpretation of Ezekiel's prophecy of Gog and Magog. Mr. Penn supposes the overthrow of Gog and Magog to have been accomplished in the overthrow of Bonaparte and the French in the year 1812, when they invaded Russia. For this purpose, as he makes Bonaparte to be Gog, and the French to be Magog, he, of course, finds it necessary to assert, that the French are descended from the Patriarch Magog. And this descent he would make out in the following manner: Magog, says he, is the father of the Scythians; and the Scythians are the ancestors of the Franks. Now, it must be evident to the -most superficial observer, that the whole of the proposed exposition rests upon the alleged fact, that the French are the lineal descendants and present representatives of Magog: for, if this be not the case, they clearly cannot be the Magog of the prophecy. Hence, as the proof of the fact is of vital importance to the interpretation, I thought it not unreasonable to request Mr. Penn to furnish us with such proof; not being |