Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

Portuguese lorchas engaged in the trade. It contains a Roman Catholic chapel. This ship was owned by Roman Catholics, and possibly some of the more intelligent Chinese may have been able to attribute to Rome that traffic in slaves and souls of men which is due to her.

The novelty and cheering interest of this step does not lie in the use of native evangelists. These have long been employed, and found quite indispensable in the instruction and extension of the church; but the singular interest of what has just been begun is, that these two native evangelists are as completely There are hopes that this trade has independent of foreign money as the received a check-here at least-from ministers of Canada or Australia. Of the expression of general opinion course the church itself is still dependent called forth at the time from a meeting for instruction on the foreign missionof the community, called by Mr. Burns. aries, and on agents paid by them; but Last Lord's-day was the ordinary in the case of these two new evangelists day for dispensing the Lord's Supper a beginning has been made of the selfat Pechuia. It was the day, too, on supporting principle. which the elders and deacons formerly chosen by the church were set apart to their office. The duties of the day were discharged by Mr. Talmage, who addressed the office-bearers and people undertake this office was quite indeon their duties in the new and solemn position they stand in to each other. The old cloth merchant-who has for a month or two, ever since the election of the office-bearers, been confined to bed, but to whose restoration Dr. Bell was privileged to contribute, by an operation he performed, the last week of his residence in Amoy-was able to be carried to the chapal, along with Buliat, who has long been the faithful preacher at Pechuia, set apart to the office of the eldership.

May we not hope that now God's work will be revived among us, even more than it has been during these months, and that henceforth such as shall be saved may be added to the Lord ?

Believe me, my dear Mr. Matheson,
Yours very truly,

ALEX. GRANT.

Mr. Burns's present destination is Foo-chow.

FROM THE REV. CARSTAIRS DO UGLAS.

THE following letter is dated

Maping, August 1, 1859.

Last month a step in advance was taken by the Amoy church, which seems to me the most important and the most cheering which has been taken since that church was organised. It was the setting apart of two native evangelists, entirely supported by the native church in Amoy, under the care of the American missionaries.

It was after abundant prayer, and careful counting of the cost, that this work was begun, The choice of the two brethren honoured by their Master to

pendent of the missionaries—the names being only submitted for approval or rejection, after the choice, before the setting apart. On that day the native members of the other church in Amoy-that, namely, under the care of the London Missionary Society-were invited to be present. Almost all the missionaries of the several societies were there; and already both that church, and the younger churches on the mainland, are considering whether they may be able to follow the example so well set to them.

The field chosen for these new labourers is the unevangelised portion of the island of Amoy, which is dotted over by nearly a hundred villages. Already in one village they have been very favourably received, a house having been given up to them, free of expense, to stay and hold meetings in, and the villagers coming in numbers to listen. But it is yet too early to say what may be the results. The unevangelised part of the island is just the whole island (almost thirty miles in circumference), except the corner on which the town of Amoy stands. How wonderful and gracious the ways of God! While he is opening up our way to the towns and cities at a greater distance around, he is taking care that the populous villages of the immediate neighbourhood be not neglected.

About the same time, Mr. Burns, Mr. Talmage, and I, met with the members of the Pechuia church (a small but solemn meeting) in the upper room of the chapel, in order to elect office-bearers. Amoy and Chioh-bey have already appointed their own elders and deacons;

and in this meeting we consulted together, awakening and hopeful conversion of in God's presence, and in his name, many previously the slaves of sin and whether the time was come to do the Satan. Throughout this movement the same at Pechuia. Two members were Spirit of grace and supplication has chosen to be elders and two to be dea- been largely outpoured. It is in those cons; but the actual appointment was meetings of the saints where God is delayed, to leave room for examining honoured, and which he in all ages has whether anything unsuitable to the office so honoured with his presence, and should be found in any of the four. One which his manifold and gracious proof those chosen for deacon having been mises are so calculated to create and somewhat objected to, because he was in foster-it is there that I would seek partnership with a cousin who (not being God's people to plead for China, and a Christian) did not keep the Sabbath, he specially for Swatow and the adjoining has dissolved the connection; but the ap- region. I need not dwell on the warpointment is now further delayed by the rant that the Word of God gives for dangerous illness of one of those elected such a petition. It is one of the profor the eldership; he is the old man who mises in the eternal covenant that Christ keeps a shop for selling cloth, one of the shall receive the heathen for his inearliest converts; his son is the other heritance, and the uttermost parts of deacon-elect, besides the one mentioned the earth for his possession; and the above. Now, both the old man is dan-accomplishment of this sure word is gerously ill, and almost all his family are prayer: Ask of Me and I will give ill, and an unusual number of the con- thee." The promise is made to Christ gregation are also sick. O that God may directly, but he and his people are one: now have mercy on his poor people, and his life is their life, his desires their that this trial may be the preparation for desires, and their prayers are his rean abundant blessing! At Maping also quests. there are trials: one of the members, an old man, has just died in peace and hope. Special grace is needed that these young congregations may be refined by their trials as gold and silver are refined, and so made meet abundantly to glorify his name.—I remain, ever yours,

CARSTAIRS DOUGLAS.

PRAYER FOR CHINA. THE following letter was lately received by the Rev. G. Campbell, of Aberdeen. It is from the pen of the Rev. George Smith, of Swatow, and merits the attention and consideration of our readers :

Swatow, July 27th, 1859. DEAR BROTHER, I write you at present with the express object of solicit ing through you a special interest in the prayers of God's praying people in Aberdeen in behalf of the cause of Christ in China, and specially in behalf of Swatow and the surrounding dis

trict.

With joy and gratitude I have learned by private letters, and through the public press, that God has been displaying the wonders of his grace in the midst of you both in the spiritual quickening of his own people, and in the

64

I cannot conceive of any object more worthy of the earnest and prayerful attention of God's people than this vast empire. Its population is calculated at upwards of four hundred millions, and I can well believe it. At present it is on the eve of some great change. Its religious systems are effete, and cannot satisfy the cravings of its teeming millions. Its Government is utterly powerless to protect its people either from external aggression, or internal revolt and insurrection. Its rulers are

Its

thoroughly corrupt, and seem chiefly
bent on using their position to amass
wealth. Its learned men have little or
no moral character, and as a class are
the victims of opium-smoking.
cities, towns, and villages, are infested
with thieves and robbers. Its clans
are ever and anon engaged in bloody
feuds. Its old men bewail its waning
glory. A general feeling of insecurity
and alarm pervades all classes. Whither
shall we look for help? Shall it be to
any earthly government? Cursed be
the man that trusteth in man, and
maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart
departeth from the Lord." "Put not
your trust in princes, nor in the son of
man, in whom there is no help." Shall
we not plead that Immanuel, whose
right it is, shall take to himself his
great power and reign? That shall be

[ocr errors]

a glorious day in the world's history, wonderfully opened the door, so that when this great empire of human souls now there is not the slightest obstruchas become the kingdom of our Lord tion to the full preaching of the Gospel. and Saviour Jesus Christ. Is not the God has already spoken with the voice present aspect of things one of great of terror, now he speaks in the still hopefulness, when viewed in the light small voice of mercy. He who has said, of God's word? "I will overturn, over- if Sodom and Gomorrah had seen turn, overturn it; and it shall be no his works and heard his words, they more, until he come, whose right it is, would still have stood,-is able to reand I will give it him." "And I will generate and sanctify this corrupt and shake all nations, and the desire of all degraded people. Ŏ pray that where nations shall come." While urging now Satan has his seat, Christ may the importance of such an empire as erect his throne; and that where now China on the most serious considera- there is but one festering mass of cortion of God's people, allow me to claim ruption, there may speedily be a centre a special interest in behalf of my own of spiritual life and light diffusing its sphere of labour. Swatow is a sea- hallowing and ennobling influences port, near the eastern extremity of Can- over the whole of this region. We need ton Province. It is a town of recent specially the raising up of a native formation. It is an emporium of very agency, single-hearted, full of love to extensive commerce, and is every year Christ and to their perishing fellowincreasing in importance. It carries creatures, giving themselves entirely on an import and export traffic with to the work of Christ. Will you not the various ports of China and the In-plead for this place? We are not withdian Archipelago, &c. It is the chief out many tokens of God's favour, but port of a department called Tie Chin. hitherto no souls have been gathered This department is very densely popu-in; it is fruit unto eternal life that we lated, having within it nine cities, to seek. gether with a vast number of towns and villages. The Foo city is Chan Chan, and is said to contain a population of some 800,000. The second city in the department is said to contain upwards of 360,000, &c. In Swatow we have men of business from all the cities and towns of Tie Chin, as well as many from other regions. This town is the outlet for the overflowing population of the more inland region. The importance of Swatow as a missionary centre cannot be easily over-rated. At the same time, there are peculiar and great difficulties in the way of its evangelisation. Superstition, vice, and earthly-mindedness, fearfully characterise its inhabit ants. Uncleanness, gambling, and opium-smoking, are some of the most formidable barriers that oppose the progress of the Gospel. The Rev. W. C. Burns, well known as an honoured instrument of God in Scotland, laboured here for about three years; but hitherto no fruit has been gathered into, the Christian Church. Last year God visited this place with the tempest and pestilence, and much loss of life and property was sustained; but the inhabitants repented not of their sins. Till the present year there were peculiar difficulties in the way of living and labouring here; but God has this year

At the time of my appointment to China, considerable interest was manifested in Chinese missions. I would seek this interest to be revived, and to be turned into earnest prayer to the God of missions. China has no small claims on Aberdeen. The second missionary to China was from Aberdeenshire. Two of the London Society's missionaries at Hong-Kong are from Aberdeen, also one at Amoy, and another at Swatow, while another, Dr. Carnegie, is by this time on his way to Swatow, all from Aberdeen, and many more, I trust, to come. I feel assured that, in making this appeal, the people of God in Aberdeen will readily own the debt they owe to China and respond to it by importunate prayer on our behalf.

Dear brother, I put this statement into your hand, leaving it with you to use it at your discretion, as you may see best, for the interests of God's work in this grand field of missionary labour. That the Lord may continue to shine upon you with his face, and own and bless you in your work more and more, is the prayer of

Yours, most affectionately,
GEORGE SMITH. ¦

[ocr errors]

CORFU.

We have great pleasure in calling the especial attention of our readers to the following very interesting letter from Corfu. Our devoted missionary has laboured long without seeing much fruit, and therefore it is all the more gratifying to hear, now, of so many of our soldiers stationed on that distant island seeking the Lord "with full purpose of heart.' Let the readers of the following letter rejoice in this, and try to assist our brother and his believing hearers with their prayers. In a letter to the secretary, dated Corfu, November 23rd, Mr. Charteris says

house is full. There are those among the men with talents and piety sufficient to conduct these meetings so as to promote edification, and they go on very well when left to themselves. However, Mr. Clark goes on one evening, Mr. Howe's Scripture-reader on another, and I on another, in order to help them. We try to lead them to an easy conversation on the chapter read, and to confine to the text their observations, which are perhaps a little discursive. I assure you that I always leave these conferences with a conviction that they are well calculated to advance the eternal well-being of the soldier, and with the feeling that I have myself been edified. Very often, among the old things which are brought out of the Scripture treasury, I see something which is new, and which had never occurred to me before; which, moreover, I do not believe has found a place in

of it. These may be called scintillations produced by the action of one mind on another. Sparks they are, in which there

not seem to be the least tendency to cherish a spirit of disputation or of striving for superiority. On the contrary, all present appear solemnised, earnest, teachable, and ready to hear rather than to speak.

"I am very happy to express my conviction that a good work is going on in the garrison here. To begin with a good sign, the blessed word is being accounted precious by many of the men in all the different corps, and equally among Epis- commentaries, though, perhaps, worthy copalians and Presbyterians. You know that for several years the depôt of the Corfu branch of the Bible Society has been under my care, and I have sold more is frequently much light. There does | Bibles within the last three months than in the two preceding years. Formerly, the sales were chiefly of large family Bibles; now of one-shilling, and twoshilling, and half-crown ones. These have been purchased by soldiers, who already possessed the copy given by Government, but who wished to have others with marginal references, that by this help they might better understand the Scriptures, and find more to edify each other at meetings which they hold for reading, prayer, and praise, in various places. I mentioned that, besides my Sunday evening service, my prayer-meeting on Tuesday, and my class on Thursday, in my own room, I allowed it to be occupied on the Friday evening by from twelve to twenty people. On the other At Vido, on Sabbath, my audience evenings of the week these same men amounted to fifty men, chiefly from the associated with a few others who met in 14th. I said to one of them who became a the portico of the garrison church, and communicant for the first time three weeks there joined in prayer at about dusk. ago "Well, how are you getting on?" The Rev. Mr. Clark, having been made This question, when put to a pious solaware of this meeting, provided for their dier, leads him to speak at once of prouse the school-room of the Royal Artil-gress or declension, or to tell you what lery, which is contiguous to the church, means of progress he is adopting. He and situated in a quiet corner of the said, "We are but few in number-not citadel. In this place there is a meeting more than four or five, and we have no every evening, between half-past six and place to meet in, but we contrive to coneight o'clock. The attendance varies vene each evening about dusk near the according to the turns for garrison duty. sea-side. There we pray together and In general there assemble from forty to enjoy it very much." On the return sixty.

There are other meetings of the same kind at Fort Neuf and Vido. The 9th are stationed at Fort Neuf, and the men of that regiment have been rather slow in coming out, but I have just heard with pleasure that they are likely to do well. On the evening of Sabbath last about sixty assembled for prayer, after a pious young corporal of artillery and several others had gone round all the rooms, and given an invitation. I go there almost every Friday evening.

On the Lord's-day evening the voyage, I told this to the commandant,

who came over in the boat with Mr.mited, nor are cards to be introduced. Clark and myself. The commandant, Some, and myself among the number, Colonel Sankey, said he would try to may have doubts as to the propriety of have a place fitted up as a reading-room; games; but where all are neither literary and added, that as he was not making nor intellectual, and where many, just use of his orderly-room, those who because they are such, cannot beguile the wished might hold a prayer-meeting in leisure hour with books, and are, thereit. Both Colonel Sankey and his lady fore, exposed to temptation in the town, are ready to engage in any good work attraction in the way of amusement that may tend to the benefit of the sol- may be at least advocated. I candier. Mrs. Sankey teaches the Sabbath- not tell you how much I rejoice in school at Vido. the success of this institution, which is so well calculated to lead the soldier into the path of sobriety, and to keep him in it. I have found intemperance to be the great hindrance to ministerial success among the soldiers throughout these fourteen years. I have seen how rapidly the soldier advances himself, if he has been a sober man. Sobriety may well be called one of those things that accompany salvation. They who are taught by the grace of God live soberly; but even before being visited by the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, if soldiers looking to evil consequences, both temporal and eternal, could be induced to live soberly, what a hindrance to a minister's success would be removed! I rejoice to say, I never saw this field look so promis. ing as at present; may we not hope that the dew which has descended on other parts of the vineyard has fallen here also, and that our God is sending his blessing, even life for evermore.

I have not yet done. There has been established a Temperance Institute, which is likely to make all other improvements more permanent. The 14th arrived from the islands with about 100 teetotallers in their ranks. Previously there was a movement in the same direction among the troops in garrison. I believe there are now nearly 300 members, and the numbers are on the increase. The Rev. Mr. Clark is president; I, vice-president; Mr. Howe, treasurer; the schoolmaster of artillery, secretary. The chief management, however, is in a committee of ten, composed of non-commissioned officers and privates, two from each corps in garrison. An apartment, the first floor of my old friend Baron Thiotsky's house, has been rented as a hall. It contains one long saloon, three side-rooms, and a kitchen. In the latter tea and coffee are prepared, and ginger-beer is served out. The furniture has been partly purchased, partly given, by officers and others. The Many of the more pious of the soldiers tables are covered with green cloth. A regard it as a revival; and while I would library is being formed. As secretary of be cautious in judging of initial progress, the Corfu branch of the Tract Society, II would yet say, Verily, what has God had the pleasure of presenting £5 worth of books selected from the depôt here. Colonel Irving, commanding the Royal Artillery, takes such a lively interest in the success of the movement, that he has presented books to read, portfolios, with pens and writing materials, to be laid on the tables, and used by the soldiers, who may retire to the rooms to write their letters, as I believe many of them do. Other officers have given presents in money, one to the amount of £5; others in books, others in pictures to decorate the saloon. Dr. Gallway, Royal Artillery, a gentleman whose friendship I have enjoyed for a number of years, and whom I highly esteem, presented an eight-day clock, that the soldiers, who have not all watches, might know when to leave. Dr. Gallway has now left this station. Quiet games, such as draughts, chess, dominoes, &c., are allowed. No gambling is per

wrought! This is his doing. It is marvellous in our eyes. One day, before matters assumed their present dimensions, and when some were beginning to be anxious, the Rev. Mr. Clark, on our way to Vido, said, "Well, if any one, six months ago, had told me that things would take this turn, I would have told him it was impossible; I could never have seen my way to it." Six months ago, from a whole garrison of several thousands, he had, perhaps, some five or six in his reading-class, and I not many more; yet we taught and prayed with these as if they had been more numerous, and pleaded the fulfilment of the promised blessing on the few. Now, our hearts are cheered with more success; yet much remains to be done. "May the Lord make his people ten thousand times more than they are, how many soever they be."

We are all enjoying, very much, the

[ocr errors]
« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »