TERS TO HIS WIFE. my side. in peace. With the advice of EXTRACTS FROM MR. JUDSON'S LET brother Judson, I have hired Moung Hia' to assist me, and have undertaken to perform for good cataracts, and all easy surgical Rangoon, Sept. 5, 182 2. operations. I have also the help ligion that I do. 6 I hope you enjoy more reof Moung Shwa Ba, who, since fiction does not have that sal This heavy Mrs. Price's death, has hardly left With the assistance of utary effect on my heart, which these two faithful men, I occupy I anticipated. Mercies and judgnot more than two or three hours ments seem to be thrown away on me, and I am afraid that I a day in attending to the cases. shall never make much advance in the divine life. I had such a Favourable Prospects. view and sense of my depravity, this morning, as made me ready The governor's wife has sent to give up all for lost-Dot, I för me twice, and I am strongly mean, as it regards my interest in inclined to hope that the Lord is Christ—there I feel strong—but intending to grant us favour in as it regards any attainments in the sight of the rulers of this land. holiness, while remaining in this The multiplicity of business thus state of sin. Oh! how consoling heaped on me, has proved a most it is, to give up myself and you, happy antidote to melancholy re- and the interest of the mission, inHection—though it has necessari- to the faithful hands of Jesus, ly very much wearied my mind, and to look forward to that blessand injured my health. God's ed state, where we are sure of dealings have, however, been all meeting, though we should meet ordered in kindness; and I am no more on earth. The Lord obliged, in the midst of my tears, reigns, and I feel, at times, that to rejoice that God reigns--for he I can safely trust all in his hands, will do all things well. and rejoice in whatever may betide. If we suffer with Christ, we shall also be glorified with Mr. Judson writes, under date him. of July 1st, that the translation of Sept. 12. Company continued the New Testament was nearly with me, until after three o'clock, completed, and that he hoped to and then I found myself alone, finish it in three or four months, and, for a fe:v hours, was very The zayat, after having been al- desolate and unhappy. most deserted, is again visited by' bout sunset, the time mentioned some of the most respectable Bur- in your last letter, for mutual mans, who appear to be earnest- prayer, I felt more comfortable. ly inquiring. One of the converts, And now, evening worship be. Moung Nyo-dwa, has been ex- ing past, I am sitting in my room. cluded for such inattention to re- Your last letter lies before me, ligion, as appeared to be incon. and Winchell's Collection also ; sistent with a christian profession. open at the hymn, “Blest be the Moung Thalah died in the faith. tie that binds." Not that I canA female has offered herself for not repeat it without book, but baptism, and her case was under I wish to refresh myself with consideration. She is one of the a view of the very words. How Nandau-gong women, with whom exactly suited to our case ! How Mrs. Judson spent many days. it describes the manner in which (Lum. we have lived together, for 8 But a many years, the pain which we feel in being parted, and the glorious hopes and prospects before us! One thing, however, it omits, namely, the hope which we entertain of meeting again in this world. Lord's day. But few Burmans present at worship. Some others would probably have attended, had it not been for the rain. I have, consequently, had a dull day. Religion, however, has afforded me some comfort, especially this evening. But O how small a part of our daily comfort and gratification is derived from the right source ! And how apt are christians to deceive themselves, in this particular! It is only when deprived of outward means, that we learn to correct our error. Then we find that the depravity of the heart is so great, that we cannot be satisfied with the pure bread of heaven, but are continually hankering af ter the more gross and palpable food of this world-the husks of time and sense. And, alas, our minds are so weak and ill-disciplined, that frequently, when we are in a spiritual frame, and obtain some glimpse of Heaven, present grief will intervene, and swallow up all anticipations of future joy." MR. COLMAN TO MR. SHARP, OF [Written a few days before his death.] Cox's Bazar, April 16, 1822. Rev. and dear Sir, My last informed you of our expected departure from Chittagong. Since that time, we have had the happiness of seeing a bungalow erected at this place, which will render us comfortable during the dry season. Mrs. Colman has been able to raise a small school. It flourishes be yond our expectations,-especially when we consider that there is not a single Arrakanese who resides on our premises. Could an appropriation be made, or funds raised for its support, much benefit might result to these ignorant, wretched children. Since our arrival, I have had considerable conversation with many who live around us, and with many who live in different parts of the Burman empire. The imperfect views of divine truth which have been given, (for imperfect they must be while I am deficient in the language,) will not, I hope, be entirely in vain. From some we have been favoured with several visits, and one or two afford considerable evidence of being renewed by divine grace. Inquiry has been excited. The people frequently meet together in small companies, and have warm debates concerning the christian religion. These ap pearances are encouraging, and sometimes lead me to indulge the belief, that the way for the spread of divine truth will be opened, whenever myself and others are qualified to speak Arrakanese with fluency and clearness. It is not however reasonable to suppose that the seed can be sown, and the harvest reaped in a single day. The present may be properly denominated the season of preparation. A regular series of labour has not as yet been commenced. Most of my time is still employed in study; nor can I at present be more profitably engaged. It affords me, however, great pleasure to look forward to the time when I shall be partially released from this work, and shall enjoy the privilege of daily preaching preaching the gospel to this perishing people. We need not took and hid in three measures of meal until the whole was leavened." a I had scarcely finished the preceding sentence, when a man came in, of whose conversion we entertain strong hopes. told him that I was writing to a teacher, in the great country of America. "Tell the people there," said he, "that among all the kindreds that dwell on the earth, the Arrakanese are the darkest. They are, to use comparison, as dark as the darkest night in the rainy season. Let the disciples of Christ therefore be exceedingly diligent in praying and labouring for their salvation." Is not this, thought 1, a Macedonian cry from the wilderness? Here are two thirds of a nation, not inconsiderable in point of numbers, exiled from their country, and compelled to take shelter in one governed by christian rulers. This movement of divine Providence has placed them within the reach of benevolent exertions. May we not therefore hope that He, who guides the affairs of kingdoms, has sent them away from the land of their fathers, that they may become acquainted with the gospel? Until within a short time past, they have been in too unsettled a state to admit of the residence of a missionary among them. But now they have built for themselves towns, and planted vineyards. The field of labour among them is open-is open to the American Baptists. And shall the privilege be granted them in vain ? Very affectionately yours, But We arrived at this place about seven months ago, and have since that time, had the satisfaction of seeing a small building completed; the sides of which are of bamboo, its roof of thatch, and its floor of boards. It is situated on a rising spot of ground, and commands from the front a most delightful view of the ocean. I think I observed in my last, that it was our intention to return to Chittagong at the commencement of the rainy season. finding we here enjoyed such excellent opportunities for improving in the language, and Mr. C. also having commenced a regular course of instruction for the benefit of the Arrakanese, we finally concluded it was best to continue our residence at this place. In order to secure ourselves as much as possible from the damp and wet, we have bad our bungalow (a na ne by which buildings of this sort are called.) enclosed with a large kind of leaf. We are both favoured with good health, and were never more happy, On the 13th of February, wệ opened a small school consisting of eleven Arrakanese childrentwo girls, and nine boys. fortnight ago, a young woman A about twenty-five years of age, was added to the number. The superintendance of this little community belongs to my department. Beneath the little roof where they meet for instruction, I spend a considerable part of my time; the remainder of it is devoted to study and domestic avocations. Mr. C. spends a part of the day in studying the language; the other part in conversation with the Arrakanese. He is now able to communicate his ideas, though not fluently, yet so as to be understood upon any subject. He expounds the scriptures regularly every Sabbath, to an assembly of about thirty, including the scholars. I rejoice to say that our teacher has, for some months past, given good evidence of being a real christian. Mr. C. will, I expect, shortly baptize him. There is also another person whom we believe has met with a saving change, although he does not himself feel satisfied that this is the case. A spirit of anxious inquiry appears to be excited in the minds of a few, and we are greatly encouraged to hope that God has a blessing in reserve for this benighted people. Chittagong, Sept. 24. Again I resume the pen, to address my dear Mother and Sisters. But oh! how different are my present circumstances from those in which I was placed, when writing the above! Then, I was blest with the calm sunshine of prosperity; enjoyed the friendship of one of the best of husbands, and together with him anticipated the pleasure of seeing many of the superstitious heathen renounce their idols, and unite with us in the worship of the one true God. But now, alas! the dark clouds of adversity fill my horizon. I am bereaved of my amiable, and dear ly beloved companion, and all my fond hopes are extinguished. You will, undoubtedly, have heard of the afflicting intelligence of Mr. Colman's death, long before the arrival of this letter. He was called from this world of uncertainty and pain, on the 4th of July, after an illness of only six days. For the particulars, however, relating to his sickness, &c. I must refer you to a letter which will accompany this to his dear mother. You can more easily imagine, than I can describe, what were the acuteness of my sufferings in the final hour of separation. I scarcely know how I went through this agonizing scene, without a single European friend to sympathise with me, or to alleviate the cares which pressed on my burdened mind! But God strengthened me until after the lovely remains were deposited in the cold grave. Then I was almost immediately seized with a fever, which, together with great depression of spirits, so exhausted my strength that I was hardly capable of preparing for my departure from Cox's Bazar. I left that place with a heavy heart--a place endeared by many a tie, and to which I had latterly been accustomed to look as my home while on earth. Oh, how much I wished that another missionary family had previously joined us! In that case, I could have enjoyed the melancholy pleasure of spending my days by the grave of my beloved partner, and endeavoured to do a little towards the promotion of that glorious cause in which he so ardently engaged. The poor Arrakanese are left in a most melancholy situation. Previous to my leaving Cox's Bazar, all who had been in the habit of visiting us assembled in the bungalow, and lamented the loss of Mr. C. in such simple and feeling language, that my heart was wrong with pity. "We have," said they, "lost our teacher and father, and are now about to lose our mother. We are wicked and unworthy of a teacher, and there fore God has taken him from us." They inquired with deep solicitude if I thought another missionary would come to instruct them. I told them that they must pray to God for one, and if agreeable to his will, their prayers would be answered. The scholars also were all present on the occasion. I keenly felt for these poor little children who had been for some months under my care, and whose moral and religious improvement we had anticipated with such high satisfaction. Oh! how inscrutable are the dispensations of Providence! After making it a subject of earnest prayer that God would show him the path of duty, Mr.C. was led to settle at Cox's Bazar. He commenced his labours among the natives in that place, and had the pleasure to see a spirit of inquiry excited in the minds of a few, when suddenly the scene was closed, and these poor creatures were left without any one to point them to "the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world." But though time should never disclose the reasons of this event, yet it will be seen in the light of another world, that it was ordered in the best possible manner. "I know thy judgments, Lord, are right, I arrived at Chittagong on the 9th of July. Here I found friends, ready to afford me every attention and kindness which my afflicted situation required. The fever by which I was attacked previous to leaving Cox's Bazar, continued for several weeks. I was brought so exceedingly low, that I frequently concluded, (that if a christian) I should soon have a happy reunion with my beloved companion, and in that blessed world too, where another separation would never take place. God, however, saw fit to order it otherwise. Through his tender mercy, 1 now find myself nearly restored to usual health. But, my dear mother and sisters, I feel that sickness of heart which no earthly physician can cure. The loss of Mr. C. is more and more deeply felt. I take not the least enjoyment in any thing of an earthly nature; but feel as disconsolate and afflicted as David did when he said, "My heart is smitten, and withered like grass, so that I forget to eat my bread. By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bones cleave to my skin. I am like a pelican in the wilderness: I watch, and am as a sparrow alone on the house top."" I trust I do feel the importance of looking to God for consolation. I know it cannot be obtained from any other source. If He heals me I shall be healed. I must leave writing for the present. I expect soon to be in Calcutta, and after my arrival there, I shall endeavour to write again. In deep affliction, I remain, my dear mother and sisters, your af fectionate daughter and sister, ELIZABETH W. COLMAN. LETTER FROM MRS. COLMAN TO MR. COLMAN'S MOTHER. Chittagong, Sept. 26, 1822. My dear Mother, Your letter of Aug. 28th, 1821, was duly received. While reading the account which it contains of the death of Mr. H. Pearce, I little suspected it would so speedily fall to my lot to communicate to you, intelligence of a similar |