MISSISSIPPI.

The Mississippi Baptist State Convention.-Unanimously Resolved, That it is the sense of this body, that the Am. and For. Bible Society should be left free and unfettered in its operations-at perfect liberty to distribute the sacred oracles wherever God in his providence may open a door.

ALABAMA.

The Alabama Bible Society, the Cranty Creek Bible Society, and other bodies in Alabama, sent as their delegate to the annual meeting of the American and Foreign Bible Society, Rev. Alva Woods, D. D. As a member of the "Committee appointed to ascertain the views of the denomination in the United States, as to the duty of the Society to engage in the work of home distribution," Dr. Woods stated, that as far as his knowledge extended, the Baptists in Alabama believe it to be the duty of the A. and F. B. S. to engage in the work of home as well as foreign distribution.

LOUISIANA.

On the second Sabbath in May last, a Bible Society was formed in the town of Clinton, in the State of Louisiana. The Society and Board were organized on the following resolution, offered by H. D. F. Roberts.

Resolved, That we deem it expedient to form a society at Clinton, E. Feliciana, La., auxiliary to the "American and Foreign Bible Society."

After the society was formed, the following resolution was offered by brother Smith, and unanimously adopted, viz.:

Resolved, That we highly approve of the prompt and decisive measures adopted by the Baptist denomination; in organizing the American and Foreign Bible Society, in resist ing the unconstitutional, and unkind course pursued by the American Bible Society in regard to the denomination, and in resolving to give to all nations the pure Word of God, without addition or diminution, alteration or concealment of one of God's words.

ARKANSAS.

Spring River Baptist Association:-Resolved, That we correspond by letter with the American and Foreign Bible Society, and we unanimously agree to request said society (as far as their means will permit) to furnish these United States, as well as other nations, with a pure translation from the original Hebrew and Greek of the Holy Scriptures.

The Baptists of Arkansas, favourable to missions, have but one voice on this momentous subject. They believe the time has fully come, and that eternal truth speaks to the denomination in language not to be disregarded, that the world, yea! the whole world, should have a literal translation of the Bible.

The above are only a few extracts from numerous similar documents in the possession of the Board. They cannot avoid the conclusion, that the finger of providence, and the voice of the denomination are pointing out the way, and directing them to go forward. If God should graciously incline the hearts of his people to furnish means, may we not say of the world, what the man of God said of Canaan :"We are well able to go up and possess the land."

"THE FIELD IS THE WORLD."

This is the declaration of the Saviour, and his words have reverberated through every part of the land. Nor can we believe that Baptists will ever suppose that they have performed their duty to God, until the simple truth, as it is in Jesus, shall have spread from pole to pole.

The Board of Managers see an inviting field opening before them. Communications from all our Missionaries, (some of which will be found in the Appendix,) as well as from every state in the Union, call for the vigorous and persevering ef forts of the A. and F. B. S.

The whole of Asia demands the particular attention of this society. $7500 have been appropriated to aid in printing the Sacred Scriptures in China. In the great celestial empire, and the numerous islands of the Eastern Archipelago, comprehending in all, not far from four hundred and fifty

millions of souls, we behold a vast territory, covered with pagan darkness, but now, in the providence of God, accessible to the heralds of the cross. One of our own missionaries now in that part of the great field, assures us, that as fast as they can print them, Bibles may be distributed to eager multitudes, even in the vicinity of heathen temples. Another missionary at Rhio, near Singapore, says: "A new temple for idols has recently been erected in this place. On the day appointed for its dedication, a multitude assembled to present their offerings at the altar. But, by the grace of God, I was enabled to enter into the temple with a copy of the glorious New Testm nt in my hand, from which I preached unto them the way of salvation by Jesus Christ. They suspended their ceremonies, and gave heed to the things that were spoken."

The Board cannot refrain from expressing their deep solicitude on behalf of China, when they contemplate the appalling moral destitution, compared with the small amount of means at present employed for the spiritual benefit of a nation, millions of whom must inevitably perish ere they can be invited to come to the Saviour. Two presses have been put in charge of an American printer, with native assistants, together with founts of type in the Siamese and Chinese languages, and other requisite apparatus. An edition of 1500 copies of the Gospel by Mathew, in Siamese, translated by Mr. Jones, was printed at Singapore as early as 1835, to which a version of the Acts of the Apostles, in an edition of 3000 copies, was added in 1836 from the press at Bankok.

The New Testament, in the Shyan or Tai language, has for sometime been in a course of translation by brother Brown, at Sadiya, and the same brother, assisted by an experienced printer, has commenced the publication of an Asameese version of the Parables of Christ, originally translated by Dr. Carey, and subsequently revised by brother Brown. Select portions of the Chinese Scriptures will be printed during the current year. But, all the missionaries of every denomination now labouring for the salvation of Chinamen, do not furnish more than one teacher for every nine millions of souls. From all the presses now in operation, if we may

judge from the amount of their issues in by-gone years, not more than one out of every one hundred and fifty of these idolaters, could, during the current year, be furnished with a single leaf of the Bible. Surely, then, the churches will not be surprised that, with such facts before them, the Board of Managers feel anxious to be put in possession of more ample means for printing and distributing the Holy Volume in a land covered with the shadow of death; especially, since great facilities are now afforded by the labours of Mr. Pauthier, of Paris, in the preparation of metallic types, embracing the whole of the 30,000 characters, not obsolete, as found in the imperial dictionary of Kang Hi, the acknowledged standard of the Chinese language.

This great improvement will enable the society to stereotype the sacred scriptures, and furnish them at a reduced price and of superior quality.

To all the friends of Christ we would say-in your morning and evening devotions remember China-when you enter the closet, or the public sanctuary, pray for China-and when in the enjoyment of your multiform spiritual and temporal blessings, you think of the question: "How much owest thou my Lord," then remember poor, degraded China, with her millions perishing in sin; and let your prayers and your alms come up together, as a memorial before God.

From Burmah, with her millions, now accessible to us as a denomination, divine providence calls, in a voice too audible to be unheard, and too intelligible to be misunderstood. It is indeed, a lamentable fact, that the lips of missionaries cannot, as yet, proclaim the glad tidings to the multitudes of that populous region; but they may all be reached by the appliances of the press, that modern gift of tongues.

A volume might be compiled from the journals of our devoted missionaries, showing that with the divine blessing, men and means are all that are needed to extend the influence of the cross throughout the length and breadth of that benighted land.

In the Burman language a translation of the entire Bible was completed by brother Judson, in 1834, and an edition of about 5000 copies printed in 3 volumes, 8vo. of about 600

pages each. 3000 copies of the New Testiment were printed as early as 1832, and a revised edition of 10,000 copies was put to press in 1836. Separate editions of portions of the Old and New Testament have also been printed; and in 1833 an edition of the Psalms was issued, and another of about 10,000 copies in 1836.

To these may be added the Taling or Pequan New Testament, advanced to 2d Corinthians in 1835, and the Gospels in Karen, both of which are probably completed, as brother Mason is almost exclusively devoted to the work. Printing presses with ample founts of type, and founderies for casting type into all the languages spoken from the Bay of Bengal to the western borders of China, are waiting for orders from the American Baptist Churches, to be kept in motion, until every family in Burmah, willing to receive it, shall possess a perfect copy of the Bible.

The recent political revolution in the Burman empire has terminated in favour of Thayawotte, whose favourable opinions encourage the hope that a liberal policy in respect to commercial intercourse with foreigners may be expected. From this change in the affairs of the nation, as well as from the great influence of Colonel Burney, the British resident, we may hope that Christian institutions will be unimpeded, at least in the British provinces, and that even the favour of the court may in some measure become subservient, although a cloud at present obscures our prospect.

In India, also, the Board have found a wide and promising field of labour. In Orissa alone, a population equal to that of Great Britain and Ireland, are in a measure prepared to receive the word of the Lord. From Vizagapatam to the Hoogly, and from the mouth of the Ganges to regions stretching more than a thousand miles into the interior of Northern India, where, until lately, the messengers of peace never trod; the A. and F. B. S. may now proclaim the tidings of salvation through the instrumentality of the Bible. But time would fail us to speak of the millions of Hindoos, Tamuls, Teloogoos or Telingas, and other nations of India, to all of whom this society may impart the knowledge of Christ, if adequate funds are provided by the churches in America.