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and brethren to throw away their idols. At present, his father is much incensed about his wishing to join us, and is doing all in his power to prevent it. Mamen, however, has made up his mind to renounce heathenism, and is unmoved at his father's threats.

"Sept. 6: Lord's-day. I had a large number of candidates for baptism, most of whom have been under instruction for some time. Including the infants baptized, the whole amounted to thirty-two, to whom I administered baptism after the reading of the second lesson. I had examined the adults previously for some days, and felt satisfied of their determination, by God's grace, to renounce the service of sin and Satan. One of the adults baptized was Mamen, to whom I gave the name of Stephen, and his wife was named Lucy. There were three high-caste women of the Soodra caste baptized, and their children, three in number. The rest were of the Chogan caste. There are still about twenty candidates for baptism, who are under instruction, beside the thirty-two admitted into the Church to-day.'

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In South India there is the Syrian church professing the faith of Christ, but together with many corruptions. It seems that the presence of the Missionaries of our Church is likely to be a benefit to them as well as to the heathen.

"Dr. Hawkesworth received, in September 1846, after previous communications on the subject, a formal document, written in Malayalim, and signed by the Catanar and the churchwardens, and heads of the congregation of Maramana, proposing to join the Church of England in a body, comprising 300 families and 1000 individuals, and to make over the church property, which, as they conceive, is under their full control, to the Society, on condition of having a missionary stationed among them. This remarkable document states:

"The late Rev. Abraham Malpan, our spiritual father and much-beloved minister, through the blessing of God and the aid of the Missionaries in this country, was enabled to undertake a reformation of our Church; and by his exertions, preaching, and godly example, he succeeded, to a considerable extent, in removing all errors

as to doctrine or practice, and substituting in their place a pure system of religion. But in the midst of his labours it pleased the Almighty God to take him away from us; and since the day of his dissolution, our Church has begun to fall into a state of gradual decline. But this, being not an unforeseen evil, the venerable Malpan had cautioned us to guard against; and as, from the present circumstances of the Syrian Church, he could form no probability of a general reformation being ever effected, he had also advised us to join ourselves at his death to the Church of England. We have accordingly formed our firm resolution to follow his advice, and with the simple desire to honour our Lord Jesus Christ and promote his kingdom by our conduct and example."

"We are not at present able to say what will be the issue of these overtures. The missionaries of the Society, under the direction of the successive bishops of Madras and of the Metropolitan of India, have received into the Church of England all those Syrians or Romanists who cannot, with a safe conscience, continue in their Such secessions are encouraged, not for the sake of enlarging the borders of our Church, but in the hope of establishing in those lands a pure and scriptural faith and form of worship."

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EXTRACTS FROM DIFFERENT AUTHORS. "SOME doubts about future events will often arise in our minds, and tormenting fears sometimes prevail; but they should be resolutely checked with this thought, 'My times are in God's hands, and He careth for me.' Do you fear any painful event? Think with yourselves,

'Is this an affair in which God will choose for me? or is it an affair in which He will choose otherwise than well? Can infinite wisdom be mistaken? Can perfect goodness intend me evil? Have I left my eternal interests with God; and can I not trust Him with those of time?' Let me be ashamed at such an inconsistency. Remember that anxiety is vain and fruitless; that there cannot be greater folly than to anticipate afflictions, and bring the evil of the morrow upon the day, when that of the day is sufficient for all the strength

and patience bestowed upon us by the Holy Spirit. Remember, likewise, that it is impossible for us, in many cases, to pronounce, whether any event or circumstance will be good or bad in its ultimate tendency. If it be of God's choosing, we may be sure it will be good. Let us not, then, admit a thought of anxiety; but wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He will strengthen our hearts.' In order to support a patient, composed, cheerful spirit, let us live near to God, by the daily exercise of faithful prayer; and especially pray that He would fulfil in us all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power,' and help and cure the remainder of unbelief, which is the foundation of all our sorrows, fears, and anxiety."-ORTON.

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"When the heart is really engaged for God, time will always be found for secret duties, and rather will be redeemed, as with David, from sleep, than lost from prayer. And when we see a man, like the king of Israel, engaged in the most active employments of life, yet, 'sanctifying' such frequent seasons, in the short period of each successive day,' with the word of God and prayer,' we cannot want a clearer evidence of the insincerity of the excuse, that professes that no time can be spared from the pressing avocations of the day, for the service of God. It is not that such men are busy, and have no time for prayer; but that they are worldly, and have no heart to pray."-Rev. C. Bridges.

"The largest and clearest print can never satisfy our sight, as long as a covering remains before our eyes. So neither can the Holy Scriptures enlighten the mind, until 'the veil is taken' away from the heart. Oh! how needful then is the prayer- Unveil'Open thou mine eyes!'

"Those who have been best taught and longest taught, will be the most ready to sit at the feet of Jesus,' as if they knew nothing, and had every thing to learn. It is indeed an unspeakable mercy to know a little of the Lord, and at the same time to feel that it is only a little that we do know. In this spirit we shall be longing to know more, and yet anxious to know nothing except as we are taught of God. Cultivate the disposition of simplicitythe spirit of a 'little child'—willing to receive, embrace,

submit to, whatever the revelation of God may produce before you. It is to this spirit that the promise of heavenly light is exclusively made-"The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The meek will he guide in judgment; the meek will he teach his way.' It is beautiful to see a man like Solomon, endued with enlarged powers of mind-acknowledging himself to be a little child (1 Kings iii. 7); afraid of trusting in his own light; and seeking instruction diligently in prayer and meditation upon the word.

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"Oh! be constant in meditation upon this blessed book; Eat the word,' when you have found it; and it will be unto you the joy and rejoicing of your heart.' The name of Jesus, the great subject of the Word, will be more precious; your love will be increased, and your heart enlivened in the spirit of praise. Thus bringing your mind into close and continual contact with 'the testimonies of God,' and pressing out the sweetness from the precious volume, it will drop, as from the honeycomb, daily comfort and refreshment upon your heart'. Thus Luther recommends us to pause at any verse of Scripture we choose, and to shake, as it were, every bough of it; that, if possible, some fruit at least may drop down to us. Should this

mode,' he remarks, 'appear somewhat difficult at first, and no thought suggest itself immediately to the mind capable of affording matter for a short ejaculation; yet persevere, and try another and another bough. If your soul really hungers, the Spirit of God will not send you away empty. You shall at length find in one, and that, perhaps, a short verse in Scripture, such an abundance of delicious fruit, that you will gladly seat yourself under its shade and abide there, as under a tree laden with fruit.""

1 Shortly before his death, Dr. Buchanan, giving to a friend some details of his laborious revisions of the Syriac Testament, suddenly stopped, and burst into tears. On recovering himself he said, "I am not ill, but I was completely overcome with the recollection of the delight which I have enjoyed in this exercise. At first I was disposed to shrink from the task as irksome, and apprehended that I should find even the Scriptures fail by the frequency of this critical examination. But so far from it, every fresh perusal seemed to throw fresh light on the word of God, and to convey additional joy and consolation to my mind."-Bridges.

"THY WILL BE DONE."

O LORD, Thy will not mine be done,

In faith I humbly pray;

May the example of Thy Son
My coward fears allay.

O let my faith more brightly shine,
In sorrow's darker hour;
Teach me to profit, not repine,

When threatening tempests lower.
In kindness Thou dost oft reprove
Thy children here below,
And by a chastening hand remove
The cause of all our woe.

O God of mercies, only source
Of health, and life, and light,
Enable me to bear my cross,
And keep me in Thy sight.

F. T.

THE REQUEST.

"WHAT shall I give thee," saith the Lord,
"From all my bounty's ample board?
Ask not amiss, and thou shalt have,
All thy desiring soul can crave."

And shall I ask for many years?
Ah, no, they may be spent in tears!
For riches? they are wing'd and gone,
Or wring the heart they fix upon!.

Lord, give me wisdom, all Thine own,
To seek and find Thee in Thy Son,
To live to Thee in faith and love
Until I reach Thy courts above.

Lord, give me grace, while pilgrim here,
'Till in Thy glory I appear:

The passing wants of time and sense
I leave to Thy good providence.

S. B.

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

We have received the communications of a Layman; M. B.; S. B.; F. T.; Pastor Sexagenarius; X. Y. Z.; R. M.; and a Constant Reader.

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We are sorry to inform E. A. that the article on Locusts" has already appeared in our pages. See the Number for April, 1845.

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