Benefit of Trials and Difficulties.

I shall take leave to offer a few suggestions, by way of encouragement to those who have exerted themselves in promoting Missionary Labours, and who have closely and anxiously considered this subject. That difficulties and hindrances should lie in the way of Missionary Labours, is nothing more than might be expected: but it is consoling to think, that many of the difficulties are transitory; and there is encouragement in the reflection,

that there are no difficulties or obstructions which patience may not endure and perseverance subvert. It is a sufficient incentive to consider, that thousands are famishing to partake of those counsels of wisdom, which it is the object of Missionary Labours to supply to all, and that the promised reward of such labours is the treasure of everlasting love. In the difficulties and hindrances which present themselves to the progress of Missionary Labours, it is also to be observed, that the fulfilment of an express promise may be recognised. It is nothing more than what the Holy Scriptures give the friends of the Missionary Cause reason to expect. It is necessary that the leaven should purify itself gradually, until all should be purified; and that the light should shine more and more, until at length all is brightness. In reading the history of military achievements or of commercial adventure, the mind is distressed by considering the loss of life which such contests and enterprises lead to, and thousands fall victims to war or to commercial

enterprise; but, in this peaceful, but glorious struggle, comparatively few lives have been lost, and the names of the individuals who have fallen victims to their zeal for propagating the Gospel may be counted man by man. The objects, however, with which wars are in general commenced and commercial speculations carried on, are extremely insignificant, even when confessedly just and laudable, compared with the Great Cause which this

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

TWENTY-NINTH REPORT.

State of the Funds. THE state of the Funds during the past year has been such as to occasion the Committee considerable anxiety. At the close of the Third Quarter, December 31, 1828, the Expenditure of the Society, on the General Account, had exceeded the Receipts on the same account by upward of 6000%., exclusive of 33001. advanced to the InstitutionBuilding Fund. Under these circumstances, the Committee deemed it necessary to take measures to reduce the Expenditure of the Society; and, with that view, they passed a Resolution at

Meeting has assembled for the purpose of advancing; and which must prosper, because

it has the sanction of God Himself.

[Bp. of Calcutta-at the Church Miss. Ann. Duty of watchfully cherishing Personal Religion.

There is danger, if people do not habituate themselves to the study of the Scriptures, lest they should lose sight of the chief peculiarity of the Scriptures; and lest, instead of feeding upon those blessed truths which they contain, and which are designed to make the heart fit for heaven, they should rest in a way in which they may be useful to their fellowcreatures, without inculcating the spirit of religion upon themselves. We are apt to think that religion consists more in acts to be done, than in habits and characters to be formed. But though religion tell us to be useful to mankind, and to employ ourselves in labours of beneficence; yet man's great business is, through the mercy of the Redeemer and the agency of the Spirit of God, to have that character formed within him, which will fit him to be the inhabitant of a better world, and to behold the face of God. The more, therefore, the Holy Scriptures are studied, the more will their essential truths be likely to sink into the mind, and to produce their just impression. Yet, with all the deep conviction which I entertain, that these Institutions are in themselves useful, I cannot but feel that there is a tendency in that machinery, by which we carry on our purposes, to distract our minds; and to prevent our remembering, that the grand benefit of Religious Institutions is to be found, not when we are met together, and are animating one another in the great cause of Christian love and charity which we assemble to support, but when we retire to our closets to humble ourselves before God, and when those lessons of animating hope, which we are to derive from the Scriptures, have their proper influence upon us.

[Mr. Wilberforce at the Bible Soc. Ann.

the beginning of February, limiting the number of Students to be received into the Institution at Islington to Twenty: as the reception and preparation of Students is the seminal principle of expenditure throughout the different Missions; and it is only by limiting the number of Students received, that the Foreign Ex. penditure can be materially lessened.

The Committee deemed it necessary to lay before the Members a detailed statement of the situation of the Society, and had made some arrangements for that purpose. It was, however, thought more advisable, previously to doing so, again to revise the Expenditure of the Society; and a Committee was appointed

for that purpose on the 21st of February last. Their proceedings have not yet been brought to a close.

While these measures were in progress, the Committee had the satisfaction to find, that the Receipts of the Fourth Quarter, terminating March 31, 1829, amounted to upward of 19,000l.; carrying up the Gross Receipts of the year, on the General Account, to 58,4621. 12s. 1d. For this large and seasonable supply the Committee record their grateful acknowledgments to Him, whose is the earth and the fulness thereof.

It is requisite, however, to add, that the Expenditure of the Year has amounted to 55,273. 15s. 3d., including 44001. advanced to the Institution Building Fund, for the completion of the works at Islington; creating an excess of Expenditure over the Receipts, of 18117.3s. 2d.

It is also necessary to remark, that the Receipts of the Year include the sum of 25587. under the head of Legacies-a much larger proportion than usual; and that there is reason to believe that considerable sums have been contributed during the year under the form of Benefactions in aid of the known deficiency in the Funds, the repetition of which, therefore, cannot be calculated on in future years. In connection with this subject, the Committee would remind the Members of the Society, that their continued efforts are necessary to enable it to meet the claims which are pressing on it from almost every scene of its operations.

In the statement relative to the Funds which appears at p. 209 of our Number for May, the Gross Total of Receipts is 53,675l. 8s.: but, in this total, the sum of 4997. 8s. 8d., received on account of the Missionary Institution, is included; and another of 286l. 12s. 9d., the amount of Drawbacks on Paper and Books, as not being considered part of the available Income of the Year, is not included. If 4991. 88. 8d. be deducted from 53,6751. 8s., and 2861. 12s. 9d. be added, the total will be that given in the Report.

The Total Payments in the Year are stated by us at 48,671l. 38. Sd. If to this be added the sum of 44001. advanced to the Institution Fund; and the further sum of 22021. 11s. 7d. deducted, in our statement, from the Receipts of the Year as being the

Cost of Publications for Collectors and Contributors, the total will be that stated in the Report.

Seventeen New Associations have been formed during the year.

Candidates, Students, and Missionaries.

Eight Candidates for Missionary Service have been received during the year.

Five of the Society's Students have been ordained Priests by the Bishop of London, and Three admitted to the Order of Deacons.

Two of the Labourers in connection with the Society have, in the providence of God, been removed by death during the year. Eight, with their Families, have returned home; and Two are on their voyage. Four have withdrawn from the Society. Ten individuals have gone forth to labour in various parts of the world: and Four have returned to their Stations.

All the Missionaries, whose departures were stated in the last Report, have arrived at their respective destinations.

Most of the particulars included in this summary were noticed by us as they occurred; except that, among those who have gone forth to labour, we omitted to state that Mr. Weiss, a Printer, after spending some time in London, left on the 10th of December on his return to Bâsle, in order to proceed to Malta - and that Mr. Joshua Wood sailed in the "James Harris," Captain Tilley, for Jamaica, on the 14th of November; but did not leave Falmouth till the 2d of January: of February. he arrived at Kingston on the 3d

Missionary Institution.

It was stated in the last Report, that Seventeen Students were then in the Society's Institution. Ten have since been admitted, including Two from Bâsle; making a total of Twenty-seven. Of this number, Four Missionaries and Two Catechists have proceeded to their Stations; Three have withdrawn; Two have been dismissed; One is at present in the country; and Fifteen are now in the Institution.

Summary View of the Missions.

Comparative View of the Missions. If the preceding Summary be compared with that of the Year 1827-28, given at p. 225 of our last Volume, there will be found such difference as may perhaps require some explanation.

The MISSIONS continue the same in number. The STATIONS have undergone some change, and have been increased by 4: in West Africa, the Station among the Sherbros has been suspended: in the Mediterranean Mission, Egypt and Abyssinia are at present counted as one Station in South India, Tellicherry has been added; and in the West Indies, 5 Stations have been added,

:

all in Jamaica. The TEACHERS have, according to the Returns, been much reduced in number; but some of these Returns are, in this point, particularly defective: the English Clergymen are diminished by 10, and the Lutheran increased by 1: the European Laymen are less by 3, and the European Women by 10: there is a diminution, in the Returns, of141 Native Male Teach ers and 4 Female; arising chiefly from the imperfect Returns from some parts of the North-India Mission, and from the omission of all Returns of Native Teachers in the West-India and Ceylon Missions. The SCHOOLS shew a diminution of 9 in number. The SCHOLARS are increased by 877 Boys, but are diminished by 678 Girls and 341 Youths and Adults; making a diminution, on the whole, of 142: the diminution in the Girls arises from the adoption (see p. 75 of the last Survey) of a more restricted, but apparently more efficient, system, at Calcutta ; and from the de

rangement of the Society's Schools at Antigua: to the same cause in Antigua, and to the want of Returns of Youths and Adults from Calcutta, Benares, and the North-WestAmerica Mission, must be attributed the deficiency above stated in their numbers.

Printed Forms of Returns have been prepared and forwarded to all the Society's Stations; and the Missionaries have been desired to make regular and full Returns of their respective Missions.

Conclusion of the Report.

In reviewing the progress of that Work, in which the Society has now for so many years been engaged, the Committee avow their conviction, that the forth, have been followed by results fully means, which have hitherto been put equal in importance and extent to those just and reasonable expectations which are warranted by the Word of God. A contrary opinion has been maintained by some, who, having indulged sanguine expectations, are disappointed at their strengthened by the statements of others, not being realized; and has been

who, though resident abroad, have, either from their limited means of information, or from other causes, been incompetent judges in the matter. In reference to this class of persons, the Madras Committee remark-

nion, that because persons live in a country,

It is a general, but very erroneous opi

or in a particular place, they therefore know what is doing by Missionaries in those parts. But, to constitute Individuals competent authorities on these points, it is necessary that that they should have had the means of INFORMING THEMSELVES that they should have made their inquiries from those who were capable of giving them correct informa. tion-and that they themselves should have been diligent and unprejudiced in their researches after truth.

In this remark, made by their friends at Madras, the Committee entirely concur; and would further observe, that, while some Christian Men, from the circumstances adverted to, may not be fully informed of Missionary Proceedings, the natural man, as he cannot discern the things of the Spirit of God, is incapable of forming a sound judgment of the progress of that Kingdom, which, above his comprehension. as it is not of this world, is necessarily

That the Society has, by the blessing of God, met with abundant encourage

ment in the prosecution of its labours, there is the most satisfactory evidence: and, if the proficiency of Children under education-if the acquisition, by igno rant Heathens, of a knowledge of the letter of God's Word-if an increasing respect to the Messengers of Salvation, and an increasing attention to the truths which they deliver-if a gradual improvement in the Heathen Character, in places where the genial influence of Christianity is felt, though its doctrines be not yet received-may be deemed sufficient evidence of success, not only the rising Converts of Southern India, but the softened Inhabitants of New Zealand, supply unequivocal proof.

In that higher success, to which, in subordination to the will and glory of Jehovah, the Society aspires-the calling out of the world the scattered sheep of Christ, and conducting them into His fold-there are many occasions of gratitude to the Exalted Head of the Church, who has condescended to use our unworthy efforts for the advancement of His own glory. The measure of blessing vouchsafed may not possibly have equalled the anticipations of those who, ere the seed was scarcely sown, were looking for the harvest; or who, on something like a principle of arithmetical calculation, have expected success in exact proportion to the means which have been used. But the Work, be it remembered, is exclusively God's. He carries it on in His own way, by instruments of His own appointment, and at times of His own selection; and they, whom He employs, are responsi ble for faithfulness to the trust reposed in them, not for the success or failure of their proceedings. Let this be borne in mind by those, who are disposed to estimate a Society by the extent of its means or the number of its Converts; and let those who reverence the command, who trust in the promise and know the power of God, go on in their course, labouring according to their means, that the Lord Jesus Christ may be preached in the glory of His Person and in the fulness of His Work-assured, that their labours shall not be in vain in the Lord; but that He will employ them in the degree in which He sees fit, in gathering together His sheep, and to the glory of His own Name.

Appendix to the Report. The Appendix contains the following articles :

I. Instructions of the Committee to the

Rev. Samuel Gobat and the Rev. Christian Kugler; delivered October 17, 1828.

II. Resolutions of the Madras Committee, relative to the Formation of a Seminary on the Nilgherry Hills; July 22, 1828.

III. Extract from the Instructions, delivered Feb. 9, 1829, to the Rev. Messrs. Dixon, Farrar, and Brown; and Mrs. Farrar, Mrs. Brown, and Mrs. Hart; proceeding to Bombay and New Zealand.

BAPTIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
ANNIVERSARY.

AN open Committee was held, on Tuesday Morning, the 16th of June, at Salters' Hall Chapel.

A Sermon was preached on Wednesday Morning, at the Wesleyan Chapel, City Road, by the Rev. Mr. Murch, of Stepney, from 2 Cor. iii. 11. In the Evening, the Rev. Thomas Swan, of Birmingham, late of Serampore College, preached at Surrey Chapel, from part of Ps. lxxii. 17. Men shall be blessed in Him.

The Annual Meeting was held, at Eleven o'Clock on Thursday Morning, at Spafields' Chapel; W. B. Gurney, Esq. in the Chair.

Movers and Seconders. Rev. W. Giles, of Chatham; and Rev. Josiah Wilkinson, of Saffron WaldenRev. W. Orme, Secretary of the London Missionary Society; and Rev. Joshua Tinson, Missionary from Jamaica-Rev. J. Dixon, of the Wesleyan Society; and Rev. James Smith, of Ilford-Rev. Eustace Carey, from Calcutta; and Rev. Thomas Swan, late of Serampore College-Rev. Dr. Cox ; and Rev. Mr. Groser-and Rev. Joseph Ivi. mey; and Rev. John Dyer.

The very liberal Contributions made on this occasion were noticed at p. 286.

SCOTTISH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
ANNIVERSARY.

ON the 5th of June, the Annual
Meeting was held, in the Assembly
Rooms, George Street, Edinburgh;
G.Ross, Esq. President, in theChair.

Movers and Seconders. Rev. Mr. Marshall, of Edinburgh; and Adam Fergusson, of Woodhill, Esq.Mungo P. Brown, Esq.; and Dr. Young