more unreservedly cast all his cares upon the Almighty and truly never did the Lord put to shame the confidence of this His servant. Among the people whom he loved, and by whom he was venerated, has he closed his useful life. His remains lie, not very far from the spot in which were written the affecting lines in his journal, already quoted in another page. On the 12th May, he commenced a letter to a friend in Europe, but did not live to conclude it. He now ceased from his regular occupation, and although he sat up every day, even till that of his death, he contented himself with occasionally giving some unimportant directions in the Mission. His last act in the service of his Lord was signing some notes to the residents of the station, asking for subscriptions to the Madras Auxiliary Bible Society. This he did on the morning of the day of his death. During his illness, he frequently had the 14th chapter of St. John read to him, and portions of the epistles to Timothy and the Colossians. Four or five days before his death, he admitted into his room all the Seminary boys, desired them to pray that if it were the will of God he might be restored to health, and reminded them of the words, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." There was during the three weeks preceding his death a constant dry heat about the head and neck. The whole time of his illness he suffered no pain he complained only of a drowsy feeling, and a kind of heaviness in the head. For some time, the remedies employed appeared to be useful; but on Sunday, the 3rd of June, the symptoms of determination of blood became worse. On that day and the following, bleeding by leeches was resorted to as before, and all was done to induce moisture and coolness about the head and neck; but in vain. On the morning of the 5th he appeared indeed to feel better, but about half-past two in the afternoon, the symptoms suddenly became very urgent. He was quite restless, and already it seemed as though his last moments were come. It was a mercy that during these trying hours, and for a week preceding his death, there was a medical friend in the house-a surgeon attached to the Travancore Mission-and it was a consolation to us to think that all the means possible would be used. The medical aid of the station was also obtained; but all in vain. A little after five, the apoplectic fit came on in all its violence, and about half-past seven o'clock he ceased to breathe. His age at death was 47 years and 7 months. India 24 years, all but one month. Of these he spent in The nature of the attack did not admit of his speaking much, during the last hours, to any around him. The evening before his departure, he derived great comfort from the 23rd Psalm, which he desired to be read to him; and, on the afternoon of the 5th, before he became insensible, when asked whether he felt the presence of God, he faintly said "yes," and already joy indescribable brightened his countenance. Several words and sentences escaped his lips, while he was in the delirious state. He was heard to say the German for the words " my be loved Lord," and to speak of "the remainder of life." Also, while in the state of restlessness he sat upon the bed for a few minutes, when the fear was expressed to him that he was going to leave us, he replied, we must have patience-patience." He expired amid the sobs and tears not only of his family and friends, but of many natives, Christian and heathen, who collected at the doors, as soon as they heard of his dangerous condition. 66 When in health, he is remembered several times to have expressed a wish that when his end drew near, he might be taken away unexpectedly. It was but natural that a man of his usual health and acti vity should recoil at the thought of bodily pain or comparative idleness. And the event has been according to his desires. Suddenly was he deprived of sensibility, and it was solemn to witness the gradual sinking of his earthly frame. He quietly fell asleep in Jesus. Most affecting was the sight, when, one after another, the Catechists who were out in the District, and the people, came breathless to the house, to try if by any means they might once more behold the face of their long-loved teacher. Many were too late, even to be present at the funeral; and for a whole fortnight after, Catechists and people were coming in here, in order to mourn the loss of their spiritual Father with his surviving brethren. We now bring to a close this hasty review of Mr. Rhenius's life. Imperfect it must be confessed to be; and we trust that we shall be excused for having dwelt at some length upon the last hours of his existence. These, at least for the present, retain the strongest hold upon our memory, and have inflicted the deepest wound upon our feelings. But we are assured of the joy unspeakable and full of glory which has now become his portion; and we mourn for ourselves, not for him. His religious course has been that of "a strong man" rejoicing. To us it appears to resemble the scene, which we in these climes witness nearly every day. His sun was not preceded by a long and faint twilight. He rose at once into brightness and warmth, and took his steady course upwards, and increased only in splendour: but, scarcely had he reached the meridian, when he has been snatched away to fairer worlds. His was the life of a cheerful Christian from first to Jast; and we shall not perhaps better express the feelings and thoughts which were present with him during the whole of his eventful career, than by transcribing a passage from his journal of the year 1811. The following lines, originally in German, were written when he was on the point of devoting himself to the work of a Missionary, by entering the Institution in Berlin. His will be done,' was the motto of my heart, in respect to what was to happen to me in future. On him, who is the Lord of the whole creation-the greatest Benefactor of men-the All-wise finisher of the great work of making known his Gospel to every nation, I could implicitly trust, because he would do all things well. And indeed I have at all times-even under the most trying and afflicting circumstances experienced his free grace. For without him, I should be a miserable grovelling creature, who would have for ever perished. "The glory of his name sound far and wide from eternity to eternity-from one end of earth to the other; and in all the heights of heaven be sung, Amen. Hallelujah !” July, 1838. Basle Missionary Society. The Missionary Society at Basle have determined to establish a Mission in Northern India. Two of their Missionaries who have been expelled from the Russian dominions are now on their way to Calcutta and others may be expected direct from Basle in the cold season. Our friends have been encouraged to take this step partly from the liberal donation of 1200 rupees forwarded to them through our medium last year. We hope to insert a full account of the subject in our next. IX.-A few Remarks on Cinsurensis' notes on my Paper in the last Observer. To the Editors of the Calcutta Christian Observer. DEAR SIRS, I thank you for having published in the last number of the Calcutta Christian Observer, my paper "on the employment of the Roman Character," and am equally delighted to see that both you and Cinsurensis have been employed in writing notes on it. I maintain in that paper that one of the many characters, now in use in Hindustán, must become general before the natives can be enlightened. C. asks: must? and adds, “This is a novel and felicitous idea truly." I appeal to all reflecting men in the land whether we, or the poor natives, can form a national literature in about 10 different characters? My second argument for employing the Roman Character is, that books in that character can be prepared for half the expense of what they cost when prepared in the native character, and add that this important fact is undeniable, C. says, "We deny it point blank. Roman typography has been under a long course of improvement; to it the utmost efforts of European skill have been applied. The Indian characters are almost as yet in all the rudeness of MS." Here C. to my great_satisfaction, denies and affirms my statement in one breath. C. will understand that because more than 300 years' time and labor have been bestowed upon the improvement of the English characters, and because the Indian characters are almost as yet in all the rudeness of MS., books in the latter are two and often three times as expensive as in the former. We do not know in what state the Indian characters will be after 3 or 400 years, and it is useless to argue on unknown facts, and mere assertions are useless. 1 The other notes are unimportant; for instance, in my paper on the employment of the Roman or English characters in writing the native languages, I use the phrase "exclude the English characters"-on which C. thinks it proper to inform the intelligent readers of the Calcutta Christian Observer that "our friend means their alphabetic characters, not their moral and social habits." !! Banaras, 9th Aug. 1888. Your's truly, * Our correspondent errs: we did not append any notes to the paper referred to.-ED. REVIEW. SHORT NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. Letters on the Evidences of Christianity addressed to Hindu Youth, by Philalethes.-Tract Society, 1837.-price 12 annas. This is a very excellent compendium of evidences, well adapted to the youth of India; the arrangement is lucid, the style chaste, and the whole argument conducted in the temper of the religion it proves divine. The following is a fair specimen of the author's manner of treating the subject. "To whom do the poor apply with confidence, for pity and assistance? Who are they that visit the dark and lonesome alleys, and search for the wretched and the starving? Who are they that go from house to house, making the heart of the widow and the orphan rejoice, and imparting the consolations of truth to the ignorant and the despised? Who are they that are distinguished for building hospitals for the sick and the destitute,-almshouses for the aged and infirm,Schools for the children of the poor, and for providing religious instruction for those who are otherwise unable to obtain it? Who are they that leave the endearments of home and of country, tear themselves from the arms of parents, of sisters and brothers, and go to a far distant and insalubrious clime, to pity and instruct, and save a people of a strange tongue, of a different colour, and it may be, of a fierce and forbidding aspect? Who but Christians are distinguished for such acts of self-denial, benevolence, and kindness? "Compare the lives and practices of infidels with what has been just stated regarding Christians. I shall not refer you to the conduct of the low herd of infidels, who swarm in the sinks of vice and profligacy, that too often disgrace the large cities of Christian lands. No, I require not to take any such advantage, I request you only to consider the sentiments of their champions and philosophers, their Humes, and Tindals, and Bolingbrokes, and Paines, and Voltaires, and Rausseaus, as affording the average of their characters, and standing in fearful contrast to the ornaments of Christianity. Herbert maintained that the indulgence of lust and anger is no more to be blamed than the thirst of a fever, or the drowsiness of a lethargy.' Hobbes, 'that every man has a right to all things, and may lawfully get them if he can.' Hume main. tained that self-denial, self-mortification, and humility are not virtues, but useless and mischievous; that pride and self-valuation, ingenuity, eloquence, strength of body, &c. are virtues; that suicide is lawful and commendable; that adultery must be practised if we would obtain all the advantages of life, &c.' Bolingbroke, that ambition, the love of power and vice and sensuality, may be lawfully gratified if they can be safely gratified;' that adultery is no violation of the law of the religion of nature, that there is no wrong in lewdness, except in the highest incest.' Gibbon's moral character is seen in his History of the Roman Empire. A rage (says an able writer) for indecency pervades the whole work, but especially the last volume. If the history were anonymous, I should guess that these disgraceful obscenities were written by some debauchee, who having from age or accident, or excess, survived the practice of lust, still indulged himself in its speculations and exposed the impotent imbecility after he had lost the vigour of the passions." " : We do most cordially recommend our friends to purchase a few copies as presents to Hindu youth. It would make an excellent school-book. Questions for Examination for every day in the year.—Baptist Mission Press, 1838,-price Rs. 1-4. This excellent little volume is the production of a lady, a member of the established Church. The design is most commendable and the execution good. It is well calculated to excite pious and devout reflection, which is, we suspect, the highest reward sought by its devout authoress. It has our hearty recommendation. An easy Primer of the English language, particularly adapted to assist Indian youth in learning the English tongue. By Babu Ramchunder Mitter. We must apologize to the author of this neat little primer for not noticing it before. It is highly creditable to his industry. We are pleased to see that the author has not relaxed in well doing; our advice to him is, go on.' We recommend his primer as a useful school-book. A letter to a Friend on the State of Religion.—Mendes, Calcutta, 1838. This is a little reprint on the Irvingite question. We have always a respect for a noble and frank antagonist; but towards such a one as the author of this letter we have but one feeling-that of undisguised sorrow. The few pages it contains are filled with as much uncharitableness, theological perversion, and spiritually libellous matter as could possibly be contained in the same space. We gather from it that there are but a very, very few who understand and practise the truth, "and that the author is one of the few." Christianity, with the author and his coadjutors, appears to be a kind of religious freemasonry with which only the initiated can have sympathy. We do not recommend it as we have no wish to exhibit such a spirit ourselves, nor to witness its exhibition in others, under the lovely name of Christianity. Psalms and Hymns.—Church Mission Press, Calcutta, 1838. We have been favored with a copy of a work under the above title. It is a compilation containing 326 psalms and hymns, suited to pub. lic and private devotion, some of them original and others such as are usually found in our popular selections. Upon the whole, as far as we have had an opportunity of judging, it is an impartial and useful selection, though from the cursory glance we have been able to give it, we fear it is not free from the blemishes common to its class; such as the application of too familiar and endearing epithets to the Saviour, and the introduction of unsingable and mere sentimental verse. It is however devout and not sectarian, which are its best recommendations. We hope to treat the subject of public psalmody at length in au early number, and therefore do no more at present than recommend the psalms and hymns. They are we believe compiled by one of our most devoted city ministers. A Comparative View of the External Commerce of Bengal, during the years 1836-37 and 1837-38, by John Bell, Esq.-Bishop's College Press, 1838. All such persons as may wish to become acquainted with the growing wealth and importance of this port, may consult Mr. Bell's work with advantage; our object in noticing it is to offer the author our thanks for his just, opportune and eloquent exposè of the cooly trade: want of space alone prevents our copying the article entire. We rejoice to see this trade condemned by all but those immediately interested. An Exposition of the XIth, XIIth and XIIIth of 1st Corinthians.— Woollaston, Calcutta. A Tract in favor of Irvingism. For nearly all the advocates of the |