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MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE.

BURMAH.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM REV. DR.
STAUGHTON, TO ONE OF THE EDITORS,

DATED

College Hill, (D. C.) March 7, 1825.

My dear Brother,

A few days ago, I received a letter from Eustace Carey, directed to him by a brother of the name of Jones, residing in Calcutta. It is under date of August 29, 1824. It contains the following passage: "No news has lately been received from Ava direct, but report says that our troops have no doubt arrived ere this. A letter from Mrs. Wade states that they have every reason to believe, that Dr. Price, and Dr. and Mrs. Judson are imprisoned. They have been nearly in a state of starvation at Rangoon, and for six days were obliged to live on food of any kind, which their servants could obtain. Their sufferings have indeed been great. particularly of the Missionaries; no doubt, have suffered."

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The same letter states, that the British || troops have been visited with severe sick

ness.

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ABOUT the first of October last, we thought some symptoms of the gracious influences of the Holy Spirit, were discovered in our family. The tenth of that month, was a day never to be forgotten. It will, no doubt, be spoken of in heaven. We had often looked for, and at length had concluded that we saw, "a little cloud like a man's hand arising," and now the rains indeed began to descend. Several hired men in our family began in good

Two thousand soldiers have been earnest to lament for sin. Some of our sick with fever, at the same time. I much Indian pupils, and one, or perhaps two of fear for our beloved missionaries. Nothour neighbours were wounded in coning is left for us, but to commend them science about the same time, and began by frequent and fervent prayer, into the to inquire what they should do to be saved. hands of that Redeemer, for whose sake On the 7th of November, I was allowed they have been content to suffer the loss the satisfaction of baptizing one of the of all things. young men alluded to. On the 15th, I Our College prospers. Preparation is baptized three other young men, in our making for the erection of another edifice,|| employ; and on the 12th of the present of the same size with that already built. month, I baptized a fifth young man, conWe have not room for the accommodation nected with us like the former; and two of the students. I trust the Lord will others give evidence of a gracious change. appear for the provision of the requisite funds.

In Washington, conversions seem rare, but there is found upon the people of God, the spirit of grace and supplication. Prayer-meetings are held almost every evening, and are attended with much holy feeling, and pleasing indications of the

To our grief, most of our Indian neighbours had, ere this, departed on their annual hunt, so that our visits to their villages were suspended; yet to a few who come to our house, and others who lived with and about us, we endeavoured to || preach the gospel of peace. Among those who had departed on their hunting excur

sions, were three, who, we trusted, were serious in their religious inquiries. Our desires for the conversion of our Indian pupils, became much enlarged, and our joy was proportionably great,when we discovered the fire enkindling among them. None of them have yet professed a hope in Christ; yet it is melting to our hearts and eyes, to hear some of them, in broken English, tell in a style, the most artless and ingenuous imaginable, how bad they have been, how bad they still are. They try to pray, yet it seems as though they could not pray. They try to be good, yet seem to get worse. Their hearts are very bad; they seem to be more wicked than any body else. They are sorry, and yet they are not sorry enough. If they die as they are, they know they will go to destruction.

as well as his, were bathed in tears. Yes, my brother, and I cannot refrain from tears while I write you the story. In the evening, I spoke to him alone on the subject, when he again began to weep, and tell how wicked he was.

Our whole establishment has assumed an aspect, different from what it formerly wore. Our young men have their meetings for prayer, and our pupils delight to sing hymns to Jesus.

Such has been the distressing pressure of business, that I have not been allowed an opportunity of acquiring such a knowledge of the Putawatomie language, as to be able to preach in it. I usually address the natives through an interpreter ; one of our pupils having become capable of serving us in this respect, much to our satisfaction. Sometimes, however, I read to them a written discourse in their own tongue, with which they usually appear better pleased, than with an address through the medium of an interpreter. We have also hymns in their language, which we sing to our own congregation tunes. This excites much interest among them. Yet, do not imagine that we find here little else than blessings and comforts. We have our toils, our trials, and our griefs; and the tale of our woes is fully told to none but God. O for strength to bear, for patience to endure !

I know not, my dear brother, that I shall ever be allowed the pleasure of baptizing any of these youths, yet I verily believe, that some of them have already learnt what nature could not teach, and therefore I hope to meet them in heaven. Among these children of the woods, are five girls and four boys, whose hearts, we trust, the Lord has opened to receive the word. In this number, I have not included a small boy about 13 years of age, who can read and write with facility, whose change of manners has astonished us. He is very bashful, scarcely ever speaks English, except in reading, and has always been much inclined to play and mischief. For a while past, his sobriety has become remarkable, his fondness for retirement and reading noticeable, and at all our meetings for prayer and religious conversation, which the smaller pupils are noted, so as to remove these embarrassments. required to attend, we find this boy within hearing.

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The Society that we have the privilege to serve, has not been able to remit, directly, of its funds for our assistance, any thing for many months. This circumstance has increased our difficulties, our labours, our anxieties. We trust that the funds of the Board will again be replenish

By evening prayers, I was called from the writing of this letter. In the interim, I conversed with an interpreter, a lad about 15 years of age. "Some time ago," said he, "I did not think I was bad. I thought I was good; but since I have heard you talk so much, and heard those young men who have been baptized talk, I think I am bad too, and that I have a bad heart. Sometimes I have been in great trouble on account of my sins."

I afterwards conversed with this young man, who returned from a visit to his

friends on the 12th inst. The result of our conversation was, the pleasure of believing that he had received the spirit of adoption. His mind had, at divers times, since he came to our family, been deeply impressed with the importance of religion; and often had he mourned for his sins. Again his griefs would subside. He told me of times and places, when and where his grief had been pungent. "I often," said he, “looked back upon my life, and reflected on the kindness of God to me, and on my ingratitude to him. I resolved to do better, and these resolutions I would forget, but when at any time I determined to do wrong, I did not forget it. I tried to keep all that was bad out of my heart, but I could not do it. When I tried to pray, my heart could not pray. My prayers did not seem to go to God. They appeared to be all lost. O my heart is so hard, I can't feel as I want to feel. Last Sabbath, the preaching discovered every thing so plainly, that I felt more grief than I ever had before. Sometimes it

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EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM REV. ISAAC
M'COY TO ONE OF THE EDITORS, DATED
Carey, Jan. 19, 1825.

Dear Brother,

I wrote you rather lengthily on the 30th ult. Since that time, the religious excitement in our family has increased. One week ago to-day, I baptized an elderly Dutchman, who is in our family; and a young man who is our blacksmith; and a young woman, full Indian, one of our pupils, about 17 years of age. This was the first of our Indian scholars, who followed the Lord in baptism. On the following day (Thursday) I baptized two young men and a boy, all of them Indian youths of our school; and last Monday, I baptized four others, three of them Putawatomie lads, about 14 years of age; and one of them a Putawatomie girl, about the same age. One of the boys, Noaquet, and the girl, are our principal interpreters, one among the males, and the other among the females. This circumstance we view as very auspicious. Two others of our pupils, we believe, have faith in Christ;

adult Indians, are seriously inquiring after and several others, together with some

the truth.

Yours with respect,

ISAAC M'COY.

AMER. BOARD OF MISSIONS.

REVIVAL OF RELIGION IN CEYLON.

seemed as though I could hardly get my
breath. On Monday I felt better. My
troubles were gone. O my heart felt so
good, I wanted to be all the time singing.
I never had such feelings before. Now
when I read the Testament, it makes my
heart glad. I can't understand much of
the Bible, (Old Testament) but the Tes-
tament is plain and easily understood."
When I asked him if he would be bap-
tized, if we all should deem him a Chris-
tian; he replied, "I don't know that I
would be baptized. I am afraid I am not
fit. I am afraid of being mistaken, &c."
This young man was taken into our
family from the woods, an entirely unim-
proved and wild Miami, unacquainted with
the English language, in August 1820, then
about 17 years of age. Like most of those
who have been adopted into our family,
when approaching the years of manhood,
his unwillingness to be controled, gave us
some trouble. For a long time, however,
he has been a respectful and good boy.lence of the work.
He speaks, imperfectly, French and En-
glish, and the Putawatomie with tolerable
facility. The Miami is his mother tongue.
Yours with respect,

ISAAC M'COY.

THE outpourings of the Holy Spirit in the present day, have generally been confined to our own country. It is with lively gratitude, that we are allowed to record a remarkable instance of the goodness of God to the Missionary Stations in Ceylon. It looks as though God were about to make these special manifestations of his presence, universal among his churches.--The following notices from the Missionary Herald, will give our readers some idea of the power and preva

Tillipally.

On the 18th of January, near the close of the morning service at Tillipally, Mr. Woodward observed some of the boys to

be peculiarly affected by what was said. | fill all the place where we were together. Thus encouraged, he appointed another The brother, who was leading in prayer, meeting for them in the afternoon, and was so much overwhelmed with a sense of another in the evening. The next day, the divine presence, that he could scarcebeing unwell, he sent for Mr. Winslow, ly proceed. The same influence was felt who repaired to Tillipally in the after- by all; and the afternoon was spent in noon, and found seven or eight of the boys prayer, interrupted only by a few passamanifesting much anxious concern for their ges read from the Scriptures, and by singspiritual welfare, and others more or less ing and weeping. The next morning also serious. Most of them belonged to the was set apart for special prayer, and was Boarding School. They were assembled a precious season." together for religious services, when he arrived, and the Spirit of God seemed evidently present.

The disposition to serious and anxious inquiry continued to increase, till all the members of the school, (about 40 in number,) the domestics of the family, and two or three schoolmasters, were among the inquirers. The result was, that most of the older boys, and two girls gave pleasing evidence of a change of character. On the 24th of March, when Mr. Winslow wrote, the revival in that place still continued to prevail.

Oodooville.

Mr. Winslow returned to Oodooville,|| impressed with the importance of looking for a similar blessing on his own station. And a similar blessing was granted. In dispensing the word of life, on the next Sabbath, he was himself favoured with a remarkable tenderness and fervency of spirit. The effect of his preaching upon his hearers, he thus describes.

"Some were much affected, and tears began to flow from those unused to weep. The impression continued through the other meetings of the day; and at evening, I found that a number of the girls in the Female Central School here, were convinced of their sinfulness and need of salvation by Jesus Christ. Meetings for inquiry into the state of individuals followed, and the Lord graciously caused the work to proceed, until no one in the school remained wholly unaffected."

Batticotta.

After giving the above notice of the very hopeful beginnings of a work of grace at Oodooville, Mr. W. passes to Batticotta, where the Central School, or Mission College, is established.

The monthly prayer-meeting was held at this place on the 2d of February, at which most of the missionaries of Jaffna district, together with J. N. Mooyart, Esq. and some others, were present. Mr. W. observes:

"It was a day ever to be remembered. The promising appearances around us gave new feeling and hope to all. The forenoon was occupied in relating, as usual, whatever of particular interest had occurred at our different stations; but a new spirit prevailed and we had scarcely assembled in the afternoon, and sung a hymn, when the Holy Spirit seemed to APRIL, 1825.

Manepy.

The next Sabbath was a new day at Manepy. The holy supper was celebrated, and an adult man baptized and ad

mitted to the church. The serious lads from Tillipally, and the girls from Oodooville, were there; also Mr. and Mrs. Winslow. Mr. W. adds:

the Spirit of God was evidently present; "During the sermon and ordinances, and when, in the afternoon, the children and youth of the Boarding Schools of that and the other stations came together, an affecting scene was exhibited. Many were in tears. More than 30 expressed a desire to forsake all for Christ. The Lord has since carried on the work, till, in a school consisting of about 45 boys, many of whom are young, nearly half profess themselves to be the Lord's.

Panditeripo.

"But a more remarkable visitation was yet to be experienced. This was at Panditeripo. There had been some previous attention at that station. But, on the 12th of February, while Mr. and Mrs. Scudder were absent, and after the boys had gone to their room, and were about to lie down to sleep, Whelpley (a native member of the church,) was induced to exhort them most earnestly to flee from the wrath to come. They were roused, and could not sleep. By little companies they went out into the garden to pray, and the voice of supplication was son heard in every quarter. It waxed louder and louder, each ing as though all were alone. More than one, or each company, praying and weep30 were thus engaged in a small garden. The cry was, What shall I do to be saved?' and, Lord, send thy Spirit.' In about an hour, Dr. Scudder returned, and, after waiting awhile, rang the bell for the boys to come in. They came, and with weeping, proposed to him the inquiry, What shall we do to be saved?' The next day I saw them. They seemed to be earnestly seeking for the salvation of their souls. More than 20, at that place, now indulge the hope, that they have obtained the forgiveness of their sins. And the Lord is still there.

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Central School at Batticotta. "There had yet been, however, no uncommon attention in the Central School at Batticotta, in which our feelings were

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much interested. Prayer was made, and had been made, almost without ceasing, for that school; and, in two or three instances, some little meetings, held for this purpose, experienced very sensible tokens of the divine influence, and continued in supplication through a great part of the night."

At length several of the serious lads of Tillipally, where the revival of religion commenced, visited this seminary, and conversed with the youths there, with good effect. The Sabbath following, a serious influence on the minds of the scholars, was manifest. The next Tuesday, most of the missionaries were there, with their wives. A meeting, held on the evening of that day, was deeply interesting. About ten of the youths expressed a determination to forsake all for Christ, and scarcely one in the school was altogether unmoved. The good work in this school continued, at the time Mr. W. wrote. He remarks:

"The next Thursday was our quarterly meeting and communion, and was such a day as we have never had before. The sermon was from the text, "Bring ye all the tithes into my store house, &c."

During this very interesting season of special attention to religion, not less than 150 persons, at all the five stations, mani

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But, as many of these are quite young; as the native character, owing to the operation of various causes, is not remarkable for firmness, and as peculiar temptations and dangers are always present, the missionaries rejoice with much trembling. Still, as the former converts from among the boarding scholars have, in general, sustained a good Christian character, though their age and circumstances were the same, strong hopes may be indulged respecting the subjects of this revival. The churches should remember them at the throne of grace.

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

CIRCULAR OF THE VERMONT BAPTIST
STATE CONVENTION.

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pathies, the prayers, and the benevolent efforts of all who cordially desire the advancement of the Redeemer's cause.

The Board of the Baptist Convention of the State of Vermont and Vicinity, to These considerations, together with that the churches composing the same, of a world lying in wickedness, and perto the friends of the cause of benevoishing without the knowledge of salvation, have impelled the Board to call upon you' lence, send Christian salutation. in this manner, in the hope of exciting you to greater exertions.

THE work of evangelizing the world, is now successfully commenced by the friends of Christ; and, in this labour of love, we, as a denomination, are attempting to bear some humble part. There are already, in the various fields occupied, 28 competent Missionaries-16 males and 12 females. Nine of the males are ordained preachers. These Missionaries have, under their immediate instruction, about 200 scholars. They have also established four churches among the heathen. In addition to this, we have a number of institutions, literary and theological, which make a demand on our charities, and ought not to languish through our neglect. Also the condition of our own State, (in which there are at least one hundred churches of our own denomination; and of ministers, not more than two thirds of that number,) demands the sym

Our missionaries require immediate assistance, in order to continue their operations. The resources of our brethren which were called into action for about three years from the formation of the General Convention, manifested that they were both able and willing to do much for the spread of the gospel. If, then, for any reason, we have become inactive and indifferent, let us not remain so. It is time to awake and put forth our energies in the best of causes.

Does not He, who gave His life for us, require it at our hands? Consider how large a portion of the church in America is made up of our brethren; and shall we withhold our portion from the treasury of the Lord? Let each one now act with eternity in view. And let it not be found in the great day of account, that, for the

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