really and heartily thus enter the service of God, whether missionaries abroad, or persons devoted to different branches of the same great work at home, though so often charged with enthusiasm and foolishness, are, after all, if the principles of our religion are true, the only reasonable men. They place themselves just in the attitude that exactly adjusts all our relations to God, to ourselves, to the world, and to eternity. Our individual interests are of minor importance; they treat them as such. God's great wish, the spiritual welfare of all, is the only object comparatively worth seeking; and they aim at it. My brethren, did we all thus merge our interests in those of Christ's cause, each regarding himself as a simple private in one great army, marching onward to the universal establishment of his kingdom; great would be our satisfaction and joy! Contemplating the exalted nature of our service, we should look down, free from anxiety, upon the trifling events of the world, knowing that whatever they may be, the will of the Lord, which it is our object to promote, will be done. Having laid our foundation upon the Rock of ages, no storms and tempests would shake us. Sickness and death would not disturb us. Wars would not trouble us. Men devoted to this service have braved the frowns of kings with firmness, have faced persecution with boldness, and smiled with indifference at the fires of martyrdom. But to describe the advantages and pleasures of the service of God, requires the harp of David, and the pen of Paul. Let us be satisfied with their description, and endeavor by obeying their direction to experience the reality.—Rev. Eli Smith. American Baptist Missionary Union. MAULMAIN KAREN MISSION. - Letter and we may suppose with more suc of Mr. Binney. Karen Theological Seminary-Report of the rent. Sixth Term. Oct. 18. The term commenced the 18th of April and closed on the 2d of Oct. The studies of the term were much the same as in previous terms, except that more attention has been given to the Old Testament. They have carefully gone through with Genesis and with the Old Testament epitome. This was found to be essential to a profitable study of the Epistles. In the class of older assistants (who were ordained) this necessity was not so appaFrom their intercourse with their teacher, they had become somewhat familiar with the most important facts and usages of the Old Testament, so that they could with more success prosecute the study of the Epistles. The present classes, with me, have had no such advantages, and I found it impossible, without making almost every allusion the subject of a lecture, to proceed farther than the gospels and the Acts. The pupils have been deeply interested in the study, and will engage in the more difficult portions of the New Testament with more zest, cess. The whole school have continevenings of each week for the term. ued the study of the Pwo dialect five More diligence in all the studies assigned them, I could not reasonably ask. My only fear has been, lest they should injure their health and thus unfit themselves for the work for which they are designed. They have, however, been active in their physical exercise morning and evening; and to this I attribute the unparalleled health that has been enjoyed in the school during the past term. Character of the assistant- "Thy servant heareth." For all this, I have been largely indebted to the well directed energy of my assistant. He is rapidly improving in knowledge and in his ability to teach others, and is an example to the school and in every good work. He is, however, a jungle-bird, and I fear may sometime take his flight. My only hold upon him is his love to the cause of Christ, in connexion with a good conscience. At the close of the term, he requested permission to spend the coming dry season in the jungle. The only reply given to his request was, a statement of my wants, and of what he could do for me. His immediate decision is worthy of record, “So if God bids, we must do what he bids." That is, a simple statement of the wants of the cause of Christ, and the knowledge that he could meet them, was to him the plain bidding of God. So long as he retains his present disposition, I shall spare no pains to keep him. Right teaching, its aim and profitableness. One feature of the past term is especially encouraging, the deep feeling often manifested at the recitations. The pupils had always manifested interest in the subjects before them; but it was too much of what concerned the intellect; or if it belonged to practice, it was too much received as what they should teach others. The depth of their interest was too often indicated merely by smiles. It was evident that this would prepare them only to show off their own ability in presenting a subject, or in defeating an opponent. It could not fit them to press home upon the guilty before God the heart-subduing truths of the gospel. The minister of Christ to make others feel, must himself deeply feel what he preaches. This point has never been lost sight of in the recitation room. In previous terms they have at times felt; but often during the past "rains" the recitation room has been more like some of our church meetings at home, where the Spirit of God was plainly applying the truths of his word to each one's heart and conscience. I have more than once seen the face averted to wipe away their tears, and have often waited for minutes for an auswer, because no one was disposed to break the solemn silence that pervaded the room. Different, very different this, from what was seen in the recitation room on our first term-when even the betrayment and crucifixion of their Divine Master was treated with a rude familiarity and jocoseness more becoming a company of sceptics,-when their teacher was compelled to adjourn the recitation, and to tell them that they could not recite those passages with him, until they possessed a widely different spirit. They were good men; but they had just come to the "school for preachers," and thought they were to be the great men, and that they must show off their abilities. Thanks to Him whose Spirit hath power over the heart, for any indications that they begin to understand in what consists the greatness of a preacher of the gospel. In the early part of the term, I found it necessary to expel two of the pupils, -one for unchristian conduct, the other for unfaithfulness and insubordination. With these exceptions, I have not had occasion even to reprove in any case during the season. The conduct of the pupils has been worthy of all praise. I had expected some difficulty arising from the long intermission of study during the last dry season. I am happy, however, to state that no evil resulted, except the loss of time, their habits of study, and some ground they had gained. They were compelled to review considerable, before they were again prepared to advance. This, however, was of minor consequence,-what I most feared, did not occur. Employments of the "dry season 1 11 The The older pupils, those who have formerly been employed as assistants, are dismissed until the next "rains." With the amount of supervision that I am able to give the churches, &c., left by Mr. Vinton, the services of these assistants are indispensable during the dry season. The younger pupils will return after a vacation of four weeks and continue their studies for two months, when I suppose we must again break up. I must go and do what little I can for the churches in the jungle. By this arrangement two months will be saved to the younger pupils, and I shall do for the churches as much as I should be able to do by dismissing the school the whole season. At least, I hope so, from the experience of last year. The kind of jungle work, which I dare attempt, covers comparatively little ground. Indeed, it is hardly worthy the name of jungle work. It is the best, however, I can do, and I do it merely for the want of something better. The Karen Normal School is doing admirably; it has more than met my most sanguine expectations. Five of the children were admitted to the church during the past rains. I have desired Mrs. Binney to report progress, and hope she will be able to do so by the next mail. Miss Vinton is indefatigable and successful in her efforts here, as she has been in all her missionary work. strongly in favor of Boodhism, to which he seemed sincerely attached, and drew a comparison between the hearer of Christianity and nigbau, from which he drew the conclusion that they were essentially the same. "Here we see things and desire them,there," he continued, "we shall desire no more. Here we are constantly liable to anxiety and trouble; but there, is an entire freedom from every thing that annoys. It is a state of rest and peace; and not annihilation, as you say. It is quite equivalent to your happiness in heaven." Another house we entered was a green-grocer's shop, where we found the merchant himself sitting by his goods. He proved to be a crabbed, morose man, without a thought, apparently, beyond the present world. "We grow old and sicken and die," he remarked, "and so do Christians." When something was said of an exemption from these evils in a future state, he said, "What can any one know of a future state? We know nothing beyond the present existence. Your books say so and so, and you believe them; and our books say so and so, and we believe them. It is mere custom with us both. We have our customs and you have yours." Darkness of Boodhism, Christianity the true light-Proof from consciousness. -- 1 answered, "which you have not for your books. This boat-racing your religion condemns." "Yes," he said, god is not pleased with it." "Still," I continued, "the whole of Gaudama's disciples here in these suburbs go to see them, and bet on them; they do wrong, knowing that they do wrong, because they have hearts to do wrong, and have not hearts to do right. Once I loved such scenes too. I had just such a heart as these people, who have gone to the boat-racing, have. Here is the difference between our books, and the difference in the evidence that we have of their truth. Our books say, Ask God for a new heart, a disposition to do good, and they say the gift will be granted. As the books direct, I asked; and as the books promise, I obtained. I received the new heart I asked for, and never since have I desired to join in sinful worldly pursuits. I carry about with me the living evidence of the superior advantage of my law over yours, and of the evidence of the truth of my scriptures; and if you will ask, as I did, you will obtain the same advantage, and like evidence." He was at least silenced by these and like remarks, and I left him in the hands of the Burman assistant who had followed me in. 15. There were no strangers at worship again to-day. It is the day before the English regatta; the second edi8. There were no strangers at Bur- tion of the boat races. Though Sabman worship this forenoon. It is the bath day, boats were to be entered first day of one of their greatest holi- until noon; and it was to see them, days not a religious festival, but that had taken away the most of boat-racing, which in this month is the inhabitants. After the service I practised throughout the Burman Em- visited one of the neighbors, an elderly pire, and has been from time immemo- man mentioned in my journal of Sept. rial. After worship, I visited a neigh- 24. He seems to be a sincere inquirer boring house where I found an elderly after truth, but so entangled in the couple, the usual complement of meshes of Boodhism that he cannot young people around them. The head find his way out. "Our religion," he of the family said he had no idea observed, "makes the law eternal, where he should go when he died, your religion makes God eternal. whether to hell or to the nat country. There is that difference. Christ was I took occasion to show him the supe- born of a woman, like Gaudama, and riority of Christianity as bringing life he died too, though he remained dead and immortality to light. He seemed only three days." His mind seems to to see the superiority of Christianity as run on the differences and resema system over Boodhism, which is blances between the two religions. more than some do; but he turned at He said his mind was unsettled. once to question its truth. "Sometimes I lean this way," he said, ever seen Christ ?" "No," I answered. accompanying the action with the "The books tell you he is in heaven." word, "and sometimes that way." He "Yes," was the reply. "Your know-was told that he must pray to God for ledge of him," he continued, "rests on the books. We, too, have our books, and we believe them." "But we have evidence of the truth of our books," I "Have you light. "I do occasionally," he answered. "I pray 'O God, who art eternal, cause light to shine in the darkness of my mind."" "Dear Brethren, We have been profoundly afflicted to learn that our American brethren are discouraged on our account, and that they have manifested their dis I also visited the house of a small dealer by the way-side, where I was politely received and civilly listened to, both by the woman of the house and two or three men that came in to trade. To every thing I said they re-couragement by saying that the French plied, "Honkha, Honkha,"-true, true. When I was going to meeting, I endeavored to persuade an elderly man, who was sitting at his door, to go with me; but he excused himself. I have conversed with him before; and he is one of the few on whom the truth seems to have made a considerable impression. He said, addressing a looker on, "The teacher preaches an eternal God, a God who is unchangeable, exempt from old age, sickness and death. And I like his doctrine." FRANCE.-Letter of the "Pastoral Meeting." help themselves. Baptists so little understand the work of evangelization that they will never be able to do without the help of their brethren abroad. We acknowledge that there are French Baptists who have not yet made the sacrifices which they should have made, that none of the French Baptists have yet done all that it is possible for a Christian to do in a cause so sacred as that of the advancement of the Savior's kingdom. But do our brethren, who judge us so severely, and doubtless without knowing us well, think that we alone are delinquent ? We think the French Baptists are making progress, and that, if the diffi French churches-Ability and disposition to culty of their situation were laid in the balance, they would not suffer by a "The following letter," says Mr. Wil-mit us to expose to you what we have comparison with other brethren. Perbeen, and what we are, that you may be able to judge. lard, Our own motive for its publication at this late period, is not so much the vindication of our French brethren from re Your envoyés,* on arriving in France, were forced to take laborers without any scientific or theological training; some of them were already of mature age, yet knowing only their patois; which, in reference to the language of dition as difficult as that of strangers. their country, placed them in a conThus unprepared, inexperienced and ignorant, they were put into a work the most difficult; they found themselves on the one hand among men who were infidels, men of levity, mockers, who must have learning; and on the other hand they had against them superstition, learning, and the ill-will Catholic clergy and the civil power, all of a great number of Protestants, the united in mutual efforts to arrest their work, or, at all events, to paralyze it. Add to all this the natural enmity of the human heart towards the gospel, proach, for this can hardly be needful to those who have allowed due weight to Mr. W.'s published declarations, as to confirm the impressions already made in regard to the self-denying zeal and devoand the fact that the work has almost tedness of the native preachers and church-universally begun among the poor, and es, and their unquestionable claims to our sympathy and support. The letter is addressed to the Executive Committee. hope it will be read, as also the one which follows it, by all the members and friends of the Missionary Union, and that, so far as concerns our maintenance of the French Mission, the question may be considered as definitively put to rest. We you will then have a specimen of the difficulties with which we have had to struggle,—and you will, perhaps, cease' to wonder that the ability of the little rising churches is no greater. But our little churches, notwithstanding their poverty, have made some sacrifices. Permit me to exhibit to you, as a proof of this, what has been done *Missionaries. in the field of Verberie. There are thirty-four members, four of whom receive help, eight of whom scarcely earn sufficient to meet the most pressing wants of their families, and thirteen, though they possess nothing, or almost nothing, can by their labor supply the most necessary wants of their families; the others are people of the middling class, who can live by their labor on their little possessions. There are but two members who can, by economy, lay by small gains. The following is a view of what the church has done from the 1st of January, 1847, to the 1st of June, 1848. For the relief of different brethren in need, "printing religious books, "the mission, Francs. Ct. "chapel at Verberie, and other things, Total, 71.00 38 00 72 00 411 50 Letter of Mr. Lepoids. The subjoined letter relates to the same general subject as the preceding, and was addressed to Mr. Willard, who had requested him to give some particulars concerning the disposition of his flock.” Relative to the good will and the capacity of the members of my church for maintaining the gospel in France, I can say to you, dear br. Willard, that if the ability is wanting, the good will is manifested by many proofs. I say that the ability is wanting; indeed, if we except four or five, whom we cannot call rich, but who live somewhat at their ease, all the rest are poor, and 230 50 several of them so poor that the poor themselves are obliged to help them. A French journal has proved that the weavers of the canton of Chauny do not earn more than twelve sous a day for some years past,-how bring up a that? Now several of our brethren are family, pay heavy taxes, &c., &c., with weavers. Nevertheless, all, or nearly all, do something for missions; you know that 100 francs or more are given every year by the friends in the department of Aisne for the advancemembers in more easy circumstances ment of the kingdom of God. give also, one fifty francs, another thirty, twenty, fifteen francs, to the unHersigny alone, both for the mission, fortunate among their brethren. Mr. for the poor and for printing religious books, gives, to my knowledge, more than 100 francs a year, without countabout. This good brother was one of ing what he gives that I know nothing The members of this poor church have, then, given each the sum of 12 francs 10c. for the cause of the Lord in seventeen months. And if you add to this the gifts which are not known, and consider how great was the dearness of provisions in 1847, and the want of occupation in 1848, with the increase of taxes, it seems to us that none will henceforth think, much less say, that they are discour aged because of our want of devotion to the cause of Christ; and that none will refuse us an increasing sympathy and the efficient aid of their prayers and gifts. Yes, brethren, yes, we cry to you still;-come and help us. You have been, in the hand of God, instrumental in aiding us to make these small beginnings; and we hope, now that we have liberty and a great prospect before us, that you will be able to furnish us the means of forming for France such preachers as you form for the United States, men who may be capable of reaching the learned and rich classes, who alone can put us in a condition not only to do without the aid of our brethren, but also to give, in our turn, to the work of the Lord. Receive, gentlemen and well beloved brethren, our profound gratitude for the good you have done us, together with our Christian salutations. For the Pastoral Meeting, Our the first to set on foot a collection when br. Besin was sick, and it amounted to nearly sixty francs. The establishment of a parsonage and a chapel adjoining it at Chauny, by means also a proposition of br. Hersigny. On of a collection made by Christians, is that occasion, when a female friend said to him," But who will be able tell you," replied he, "to think who to give, since all are poor?" "I do not will be able to give; but to ask the Lord for more faith, that you may beit." Then he cited the example of lieve that he will himself provide for German orphans, who, though conFrancke, the pious benefactor of the stantly in want, prayed, and all that he asked for was granted him. I forgot to tell you that our brethren of Béthancourt are obliged also to pay the |