effort ends. We can sow the seed, but cannot cause it to grow; we can launch the vessel, but cannot insure it a prosperous voyage. How needful is prayer, persevering prayer; and how difficult to abound in prayer in circumstances like ours! A Missionary ought, above all men, to be a man of prayer; but he generally breathes an atmosphere which is almost death to prayer. We must now call your attention to another part of our Missionary work, that of preaching the gospel; and this, we are sorry to say, is precisely that part in which we meet with the least encouragement. The attendance on public worship in English is very thin, and our prayermeetings are nearly abandoned. Hitherto, the strong armed man has not only retained possession of his palace, but has, with a few exceptions, kept his goods in peace. There are but a few who seem susceptible of serious impressions; and, with respect to these few, we are constrained to allow that transient impressions are not conversion. The fetters of sin are exceedingly strong, where men form such connexions as almost exclude the possibility of their salvation. They may reform, and become much less abandoned than formerly; but to relinquish all known sin, and to aim at Christian purity, they find too hard a task. Those who constantly attend become more enlightened; conscience in them is more more awake; death and eternity excite more alarm. Formerly, persons died here without fear or concern; but we have lately witnessed a very different scene. An aged gentleman, who had lived a very loose life, became, in some degree, an altered man a few months before his death. He regularly attended both English and Malay preaching, but still there was one sin which he could not relinquish. In his last illness he was the subject of better regret, and of considerable alarm. "The lusts of the flesh," said he, "have ruined me." He was sensible of his danger, was desirous of religious conversation, and said, if he should recover, he would purge his house and attend every meeting, but in a few hours after he expired. Whether he was a true penitent or not, we pretend not to decide; but his case forms the first instance of regret and alarm on a death-bed which we have seen in this place. We have better hopes of a young man who has been ill for several weeks, and who appears to be gradually approaching the gates of the grave. There seems in him some evidence of a change. His fixed attention the last few times he was able to attend public worship, shewed the in terest he felt in what he was hearing; and the deep sense of sin which he has since expressed, united with his earnest desires to be found in Christ, encourage us to hope that a work of grace is begun on his heart. This is all our success in English, and in the Malay department things are still worse. With the exception of one poor woman who attends regularly, and who has occasionally manifested some little concern about her soul, there is not a symptom of any thing like conversion. In the markets, and other public places, the natives seem tired of hearing us. Their curiosity is now gratified, and having no desire after salvation, they would rather we should be silent than speak to them on so uninteresting a subject. SALATIGA, (Java.) SINCE our last number was printed, we have received, through the medium of an esteemed correspondent in Holland, a letter from Mr. Brückner. Our readers will know how to appreciate the spirit of humility and patient zeal with which this good man is pursuing his important, but unostentatious labours. IN the month of September, I received a letter from the Bible Society of Batavia, to this effect;-that I should subject my translation to the examination of one or two able men in the Javan tongue, and, after a favourable report should have been made respecting it, it should be printed at the expense of that society. The persons who are called for this work, are the interpreter to the court of justice of Samarang, and another citizen who understands the Javanese language well too. By this examination, the translation is improved; for those gentlemen make remarks on it, and if these remarks have foundation, or are real improvements, the translation must give way; and we are now busy to write out a fair copy of the translation in order, after it is finished, to present it to the Bible Society of Batavia. This process, I own, appears rather humbling to me, but I do not care for that, if the work is but improved by it, and the spread of the gospel facilitated among this people. We are now advanced with this examination to the end of the epistle to the Romans. The Bible Society of Bencoolen had also come to a resolution, to print, at least, a part of my translation; and had, for that purpose, ordered 500 rupees for putting in order the press there, for the same end. These resolutions I received, I think, two days after the letter, from the Batavian Bible Society. I have communicated the reasons which induced me to work together with the Batavian Bible Society, to the society of Bencoolen, and they have been received there as en tirely satisfactory; thus I have been led to give no offence to either party. The Bible Society of Batavia have written for a lithographic press, in order to effect their purpose. They have proposed to me, when all should be ready, that I should come to Batavia, to have the translation printed under my own eyes; but this is a difficult point to be attended to on my part, which I have not as yet discussed with them. I should be inclined to consider all this as so many beams of light penetrating a thick dark cloud which has surrounded me hither, for which the Lord is to be praised, and which we may consider as a token for good of our future progress in our mission on this island. Respecting the real effect of my preaching and talking to the natives, little can be said; some, even of them, seem to have receded, who seemed, when at first hear ing the gospel, to be inclined for it; but, this is a disappointment, how grievous it ever may be, for which each Missionary ought to be prepared; for when the carnal mind begins to perceive, that the love of sin, and practising all manner of injustice, will not agree with the demands of the gospel, it must feel an aversion against it; and the more it is urged upon them, the greater the enmity will be. Others seem to have become inclined for the gos pel; but a Javan is little to be depended on, either as to his sayings, or to his steadiness. The almighty power of the Holy Ghost alone is able to raise the feel. ings of their brutal minds, to that degree which is required to perceive the excellence of the gospel. When these effectual workings shall take place in a more visible degree than hitherto on the minds of these natives, is hidden in the secret counsels of God, into which secrets no human eye can penetrate. That a time of visitation shall come for this brutish race of men also, we are sure, by the divine promises. Our business is to work and pray for it. How I am going on, I hope, will appear sufficiently clear to you from my journals. Sometimes I feel my self happy in my call, without seeing any of the long wished-for effects of the gospel. JAMAICA. SEVERAL letters have lately reached us from our brethren in this island, and the intelligence they communicate is, on the whole, as satisfactory, as, in the present state of the colony, could be expected. Mr. Coultart had been induced, by a concurrence of favourable circumstances, to purchase some premises that were for sale at a place called Mount Charles, around which were many persons anxious to hear the gospel, and who have shewn their interest in the cause, by subscribing towards the purchase. At Kingston, eighty-eight persons were baptized, and added to Mr. C.'s church in October last. Mr. Philippo has at length received permission from the chief magistrate, at Spanish Town, to renew his public labours there; and it is expected that no further impediment will occur, at the next Quarter Sessions, to the regular confirmation of his li cense. The premises belonging to the Society at Spanish Town are, however, in a very dilapidated state, and a considerable sum will be required to render them at all eligible for the purposes of public worship. Mr. Phillips, at Auotta Bay, has experienced less opposition and hostility than our other friends have had to encounter; and his prospects, it will be seen from the following extract, are encouraging. OUR attendance of every class is still good, which is rather an unusual circumstance for the whites. I have heard from respectable sources, (and I partly believe it) that there is already a surprising alteration in the morals of the people here. No place could possibly be more heathenish than this, before we came here: there was no observance of the sabbath, no worship of God at all, but rioting and drunkenness, and every evil work: one of the resident gentlemen told me, that he had been here 21 years, and had only been twice to church in all that period: it is, (besides the want of înclination) so for 1 midable to travel long distances in the sun in this hot climate. But I hope more positive good has been effected, than merely improving the morals of the people. This is only like clearing away the rubbish but we have been instrumental in "planting in the wilderness the cedar;" though, "not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name be the glory." On the first sabbath in this month, we formed number was about forty, who had all been previously baptized by different persons, and of all, I have reason to entertain pleasing expectations. Our church is principally composed of, negroes; many more would gladly have come, but I wished to wait a little longer, as I have exercised the strictest scrutiny, and the closest personal investigation. Our or ourselves into a Christian church; our dinance was a solemn scene, many were in tears: I felt quite happy in my own mind, and quite at home in my master's work." At Montego Bay, Mrs. Burchell was safely delivered of a son, about the end of September; but, we are sorry to add, that her health, which has always been delicate, appeared to decline from the period of her confinement, and, at the date of Mr. B.'s letter, (Oct. 11th) her situation was very critical and alarming. Our Missionaries in Jamaica have peculiar reason to exclaim to their Christian friends in Britain, "Brethren, pray for us!" Contributions received by the Treasurer of the Baptist Missionary Society, from December 20, 1824, to January 20, 1825, not including Individual Subscriptions. FOR THE MISSION. Clipston, Collections after Sermons, by the Rev. Messrs. Hall, Page, and Franklin .......... Cardiff, collected at the English Baptist Meeting, by Rev. T. Hopkins by Ditto Towcester, Subscriptions by Mr. Barker and Mr. Ållen · Huntingdonshire, Society in Aid of Missions, by W. Foster, Esq. Sutton in the Elms, Ditto, by Ditto ...... Gloucester, Auxiliary Society, by Mr. G. B. Drayton Subscriptions Collection ...... Weekly Subscriptions Imber. ................ 14 13817 8 17 8 7 10 297 67900 Laverton Devonshire-square Auxiliary Society, (Mr. E. Smith, Treasurer). Penny Subscriptions, by Mrs. Wayland... 5 Including the following Legacies, Donations from Societies, &c. ... .... Part of a Legacy of the late Mrs. Halyburton, Glasgow, by Mr. Greenock and Port Glasgow, West Renfrewshire Bible Society, Glasgow Female Association for Oriental Translations of the ..... Paisley Auxiliary Bible Society, by Mr. R. D. Symington••••• Legacy of the late Mr. Gibson, Stewarton, by the Rev. Mr. Bible and Missionary Society Relief Congregation, by Rev. Mr. ...... by Mr. G. Powell, .... Ditto .Ditto Hamilton Bible and Missionary Association, by Mr. Mather... Thomas Ellis, Esq. Sandhurst, .Ditto, Mrs. Ware, Clapham Common. Samuel Pope, Esq. The late, by T. Bickham, Esq...Ditto Mr. Scoones, East Malling, by Rev. J. Upton.... Glasgow, Female Education Society, by Mrs. Buchan, Treasurer, for ... Cardiff, Female Society, for " Cardiff School," by Mrs. Hopkins. * Dundee, Auxiliary Society, by Mr. Gourlay. TO CORRESPONDENTS. The thanks of the Committee are presented to a Friend at Dudley, for several Volumes of the Evangelical Magazine, and other pamphlets, forwarded by the Rev. C. Hardcastle; and for similar parcels, to Mrs. Taylor of Shacklewell, and Mr. Avery, Benham. London; Printed by J. BARFIELD, 91, Wardour-street, Soho. BAPTIST MAGAZINE. MARCH, 1825. REMINISCENCES OF VILLAGE PREACHING. MY DEAR FRIEND, As you have expressed so much pleasure in the relation of my intercourse with the Gilmerton people, and especially in the narrative of Mrs. Ramsay, I know not how to refuse your wish to have some particulars in writing respecting that interesting woman. What I now write, however, will only be the out line of her story; which you will be able, in some measure, to fill up by the recollection of many incidents mentioned to you in the course of conversation. In the winter of 1814-15, whilst a student at Edinburgh, an opportunity was afforded me of endeavouring to be useful, by preaching in the village of Gilmerton. This village is situated about four miles from the city, and contains a considerable number of inhabitants, who are generally people employed in the coalpits which are in the neighbourhood.* The place in which the * The predominant reason which induces the publication of these details, drawn up some years since, to gratify a beloved friend, is, the hope indulged by the writer, that they may tend to promote Village Preaching amongst the students at college, whose views are directed to the Christian ministry. From observation and experience, it is his heartfelt persuasion, that such engagements on the Sabbath, form the best relaxation from the class-room, keep up that spirituality of mind, which, in this imperfect state, it is the tendency of the legitimate, but engrossing occupations of the session to deteriorate, and provide for after days some of the sweetest pleasures of memory, re VOL. XVII. people assembled was a large room, or hall, in the centre of the village, that would hold, in its unpewed contents, about three hundred hearers. This hall, in the week-time, was used as a school-room, and the master, who rented it, received a stipulated sum, supplied by friends in Edinburgh, for allowing me the use of it on the Lord's-day. About a mile from Gilmerton, there is another village called Libberton, where the parish kirk of both is situated. This kirk, at the time referred to, was rebuilding, circumstance which made me more desirous of preaching to the villagers, thus deprived of their accustomed privileges. Libberton was a field of usefulness occupied by a near friend of mine, and, then, a fellow-student, whilst other villages were regularly visited by two of our companions, with whom it was our happiness to associate, as kindred spirits. a About twenty or thirty people were collected on the first day of my visiting this new scene of labour, but Sabbath after Sabbath the congregation progressively and greatly increased. By degrees, I had an opportunity of forming an intimacy with many of the people, and had reason to bless God, on account of several who gave good evidence of their conversion by his grace. After freshing the heart with the dew of youth, in the recollection of these early labours and successes, amidst the forms and habits of a settled ministry.-Hæc olim meminisse juvabunt. K |