sume the Mission there, p. 114. His voyage to Europe, and return, Mission to the Namaquas, p. 127. First preaching to them, set- tlement of the Missionaries, character of the inhabitants, &c. p. 128-132. Success of the Gospel, progress of the Mission, &c. p. 133-138. Mission to Caffraria, p. 138. Doct. Vanderkemp's journey, inter. view with Gika, transactions in Caffraria, return to Graaf Reinet. &c. p. 139–148. His removal to Algoa Bay with a congregation of Hottentots, successful labors there, &c. p. 149-153. Removal to Bethelsdorp, progress of the Mission, account of some of the con- verts, &c. p. 154-160. State of the Mission in 1804 and 1805, p. 160-164. Progress of the Mission to 1810, Mission to Madagascar proposed, death of Doct. Vanderkemp, &c. p. 164-171. Exertions of the South African Missionary Society, p. 172, 173. Missionary Seminaries at Gosport, and at Berlin, p. 173, 174. Missions to India, p. 174. Mr. Forsyth sent to India and establish- Mission to Vizagapatam, p. 175. Messrs. Cran, Desgranges, &c. sent out, their residence at Madrass, settlement at Vizagapatam, Mission to the Tinavelly district, p. 186. Mr. Ringeltaube's view of this district, his settlement at Palamcotta, his Missionary excur Mission to Ceylon, p. 189. Missionaries sent out and settled, Doct. Buchanan's view of the religious state of Ceylon, various la- bors of the Missionaries, &c. &c. p. 189-200. Mission to Surat and Madras, p. 201, 202. Mission to China, p. 202. Mr. Morrison's conversations with some of the natives, his efforts to learn the language, compile a dictionary, &c. p. 203---205. His translation of most of the New Testament, printing the Acts of the Apostles, &c. p. 206. Mission to Bellary, and to the Burman Empire, p. 207, 208. Missions to North America, p. 28-210. Missions to South America, and the West India Islands, p. 210. Demarara, p. 210-219. Tobago, p. 219, 220. Trinidad, p. 220, 221. Various Exertions of the Society, their deputation to France, printing and distributing the Scriptures, &c. &c. in the French and Italian languages, preaching of Mr. Frey to the Jews, Mission to the Greeks, number of Missionaries employed by the Society, p. 221-→ Abstract of the Report in May 1812, containing a view of the So. Edinburgh Missionary Society, Mission to Tartary, p. 247. Jour. ney of Messrs. Brunton and Paterson through the Russian Empire to Astracan, p. 247, 248. Their settlement at Karass, their prospects, kindness of the Emperor and others to them, p. 248-251. Situation of Karass, description of the surrounding country and its inhabitants, p. 251-257. Arrival of more Missionaries, state of the Mission in 1804, p. 257--268. Translation of the New Testament into the Turkish language, begun by Mr. Brunton, p. 269. More Missiona- ries sent out, p. 272. Letter from Abdy, the Mahometan priest of Karass, who gave up his charge and taught the mission-school, p. 273, 274. Baptism of three of the natives, p. 279. Description of the Sonna people, p. 281, 282. A tract of land and various privileges granted to the Missionaries by the Emperor, p 286. Journal of Messrs. Brunton and Pinkerton on a tour in the neighboring country, p. 288-295. Interview with the Kalmuck Tartar Princess, p. 295, 296. Baptism of two natives, death of a Sultan, &c. p. 299, 300. Printing of the Scriptures in Turkish begun, p. 300. Baptism of Katagery a young Sultan, p. 301. Letter from Katagery, p. 303. Visit to the Sonna people, conviction in the minds of several chiefs and priests of the truth of Christianity, Katagery's zeal, &c. p.304- 306. State of the Mission in 1807, p. 306-312. List of books and tracts printed and circulated by the Missionaries, letter from Kat. Society for Missions to Africa and the East, p. 323. Tracts pub. lished in the Susoo language, p. 323, 324. Mr. Venn's address to the Missionaries, Mission sent to the Susoos in Africa, their settle. ment at Bashia, &c. p. 325-330. Progress of the Mission in Africa, Missionaries sent out for New Zealand, character of the New Zea. landers, &c. p. 331, 332. Progress of the Susoo Mission, plan of Church Missionary associations, more Missionaries sent to Africa, American Board of Commissioners, their Mission, &c. p. 334--336. INTRODUCTION.' To introduce the subject of this work, the following extract from the Christian Observer, is deemed particularly suitable. "The preparation of the world for the coming of Christ was suitable to the grandeur of the event itself, and of the purposes which it was designed to accomplish. A mind rightly instructed perceives in the incarnation and sacrifice of Christ,a glory which eclipses all that the universe ever beheld. Christ in the manger and Christ on the cross, are scenes of such infinite importance, in their causes and in their consequences, that such a mind can see the highest wisdom in that long preparation for the exhibition of them, which seemed good to divine providence. That God should "at sundry times, and in divers manners, speak to the Fathers by the Prophets," might seem the ordinary and natural method of his intercourse with men; but, that he should "Speak to us by his Son," that he should "send forth his Son made of a woman," and that "God" should be thus "manifest in the flesh," is a "mystery so great," that it might well wait till "the fulness of time was come" for its completion. It becomes us, indeed, in no case, to prescribe what it is fit God should do; but it is not unsuitable, either to our state or character, to inquire, with humility and reverence, into the fitness of what he has done. This preparation, however, consisted not merely in various and increasing intimations of the approach of the Redeemer, calculated to awaken expectation and desire of that event, but in suffering the world to arrive at that pitch of spiritual darkness and moral depravity, which might demonstrate the necessity, and illustrate the mercy, of a new and brighter dispensation. This will appear upon a view of the state of the Gentile world at the birth of Christ. All the nations which occupied the vast extent of the Roman empire were degraded by the grossest superstitions and vices, varying. according to the genius and circumstances of the respective people. Paganism had manifested itself to be so dreadfully vicious in its nature and tendency, that it was become the just object of contempt to the wiser part of mankind. It had been suffered to demonstrate its utter inefficacy to benefit man; yea, it had left him, and, in part, had led him to debase himself lower than the very brutes. The Apostle draws an awful picture of the immoralities of the Gentile world, in the latter part of the first chapter of his epistle to the Romans. And all this was at a period when human genius shone with greater splendor than at any other; and when the most refined and sublime intellects were occupied in the investigation of truth! But "where," asks the Apostle, "is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?"; and hath he not demonstrated how despicable are genius, and acuteness, and almost intuition, when compared with "soberness, righteousness, and godliness?" The Apostle plainly tells us, that it was "in the wisdom of God," for his own wise purposes, that "the world by wisdom knew not God." (See 1 Cor. i, 18, ad fin.) We may trace the same design in the state of the Jewish nation at this period.. Our Lord chose that period for his appearance upon earth, when his own people were brougnt to the lowest state of degradation. Subjected to the Roman authority, with scarcely the shadow of liberty under Herod, and reduced after his death to the form of a province, they imbibed the worst vices of their masters. The priests and rulers were, in general, profligate men; their religion had wholly degenerated from its primitive purity and simplicity; the multitude were grossly ignorant and superstitious; the learned were captious, disputatious, and trifling, and split into various sects and parties; and the whole body of the nation, a very few persons excepted, had lost the true sense of their own scriptures, misunderstood the character of the expected Messiah, and, instead of a spiritual deliverer from sin, looked for a mighty conqueror, who should free them from their servitude. The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes disputed with one another, not only upon subordinate points, but even upon the points essential to salvation. The oriental philosophy had infected eir religious opinions. Their ritual was augmented by human inventions. The spiritual intention of it was lost. It was regarded as an external service, and their reliance upon it, in this view, for acceptance with God, was a fatal delusion, and their practice of it was carried to a ridiculous pitch of extravagance. Such was the state of the most highly favored of nations when the Messiah appeared. That this picture is not overcharged, the reader may satisfy himself, by turning to the account which St. Paul has given of his own nation in Rom. ii. It is scarcely to be conceived, that the moral state of mankind could more loudly call for divine and peculiar aid. The civil state of the world too, was peculiarly favorable to the opening of a new dispensation, The Roman empire extended, at this period, over a great part of the known world; and, being under the control of a single man, and enjoying an uncommon state of tranquillity, these circumstances facilitated the propagation of the Gospel, in a manner that no former period could have done. At this juncture the Savior appeared. The Life and Death of Christ demonstrate him to have been appointed to rescue wretched man from the bondage of darkness and sin. He came, indeed, in such a form, and taught such a doctrine, that he proved a "stumbling-block" to the carnal apprehensions of his own nation, and "foolishness" to the captious minds of the Greeks. But every circumstance attending his appearance upon earth was calculated to correct the faise views and taste of mankind. Born in privacy, of humble parents, in circumstances of external meanness, and living retired and unknown, probably in the laborious occupation of his reputed father, but certainly in dutiful subjection to his parents, for by far the larger portion of his life, and proving hereby to a mind rightly instructed, that his "kingdom was not of this world;" yet, born above the course of nature by miraculous conception, he wanted not the acclamations of the heavenly host at his birth to reproach, as it were, the stupidity of his people, nor the homage of distant sages to reproach their ingratitude. He wanted not a harbinger to prepare his way, and make proclamation before the approaching king; but it was a proclamation of the true nature of his kingdom. He wanted not the clearest marks and evidences that he was the very person who had been the object of the Church's expectation for several thousand years, and the subject of prophecies, types, and ritual insti |