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Moonshi. I have hope that God may

and carry on his work in the midst of us.

at last appear

'May 9. I have added nothing to these memoirs since the 19th of April. Now I observe that for the last three sabbaths my soul has been much comforted in seeing so large a congregation, and more especially as many who are not our own workmen come from the parts adjacent, whose attendance must be wholly disinterested. I therefore now rejoice in seeing a regular congregation of from two to six hundred people, of all descriptions: Mussulmans, Brahmuns, and other classes of Hindus, which I look upon as a favourable token from God. I this day attempted to preach to them more regularly from a passage of the word of God, Luke iv. 18: 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor,' &c.; in which I endeavoured to prove the miserable state of unconverted men, as spiritually poor; as bound by a sinful disposition and by pernicious customs, and false expectations of happiness, from false and idolatrous worship; in which I took occasion to observe, that both in the Shastras and Koran there were many good observations and rules, which ought to be attended to; but that one thing they could not inform us of, viz., how God can forgive sin consistently with his justice, and save sinners in a way in which justice and mercy could harmonize. I told them that their books were like a loaf of bread, in which was a considerable quantity of good flour, but also a little very malignant poison, which made the whole so poisonous that whoever should eat of it

would die; so, I observed, that their writings contained much good instruction mixed with deadly poison. I appealed to them whether any of their idols could give them rain, a blessing much wanted now, or whether they could do them any service at all; when an old Mussulman answered, 'No, they have no power at all;' and in this he included the Mussulmans' peers, or spirits of their saints, as well as the heathen idols. I observed that the caste was a strong chain by which they were bound, and afterwards spoke of the suitableness and glory of the gospel, which proposed an infinitely great sacrifice for infinite guilt, and a free salvation for poor and perishing sinners. In the afternoon I enlarged upon the same subject, felt my own soul warmed with the opportunity, and hoped for good. Of late God has given me a greater concern for the salvation of the heathen, and I have been enabled to make it a more importunate request at the throne of grace.

'Blessed be God, I have at last received letters and other articles from our friends in England. I rejoice to hear of the welfare of Zion. Bless God that the Leicester people go on well. O may they increase more and more! Letters from dear brethren Fuller, Morris, Pearce, and Rippon; but why not from others? I am grieved for Carleton church. Poor brother West! I am grieved for England. A residence there with propriety is extremely difficult. Bless God we have no such spies or informers here; we are in peace, and sit under our vines and fig-trees.

'June 14. I have had very sore trials in my own

family, from a quarter which I forbear to mention. Have greater need for faith and patience than ever I had, and I bless God that I have not been altogether without supplies of these graces, though, alas, I have much to complain of from within. Mr. Thomas and his family spent one Lord's day with us, May 23. He was much pleased with our congregation; and we concerted means to get all the old Hindu professors together, having it now in our power to furnish them with some employment. We spent Wednesday, 26th, in prayer, and for a convenient place assembled in a temple of Seeb, which was near to our house. Moonshi was with us, and we all engaged in supplication for the revival of godliness in our own souls, and the prosperity of the work among the natives. I was from that day seized with a dysentery, which continued nearly a week with dreadful violence; but then I recovered, through abundant mercy. That day of prayer was a good day to our souls. We concerted measures for forming a baptist church, and to-morrow morning I am going to Moypal, for the purpose of our organizing it. Through divine mercy our congregation of natives is very promising: we have rather fewer people now, owing to this being their seed-time, the rains being just now setting in. I hope for and expect the blessing of God among us. Though it is painful to preach among careless heathens, yet I feel preaching the gospel to be the element of my soul. Had much seriousness to-day in addressing them from the words of Paul, Come out from among them, and be separate, and touch not

the unclean thing, and I will receive you;' and I thought the people behaved seriously. The translation also goes on; Genesis is finished, and Exodus to the 33rd chapter. I have also, for the purpose of exercising myself in the language, begun translating the gospel by John, which Moonshi afterwards corrects; and Mr. Thomas has begun the gospel by Luke. O Lord, send now prosperity!'

SECTION III.

LETTER TO HIS SISTERS-LETTER TO THE SOCIETY-LETTER TO MR. PEARCEBRIEF NOTICE RESPECTING HIM-LETTER TO HIS SISTERS-LETTER TO THE SOCIETY-REMARKS ON SECULAR EMPLOYMENTS-MISSION TO AFRICA REFERRED TO-LETTER FROM MR. THOMAS.

'MY DEAR SISTERS,

'Mudnabatty, March 11, 1795.

'Many changes have taken place with me since I left England; but I find that all have been conducive to my good, and I trust will be found so to the promotion of the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ; though I have abundant cause to complain of my leanness from day to day, and the exceedingly ungrateful returns that I make to God for all his very great goodness and bounty towards me. I am surrounded with favours, nay, they are poured in upon me; yet I find the rebellion of my heart against God to be so great as to neglect, nay, forget him, and live in that neglect day after day without feeling my soul smitten with compunction. I trust that I am not forgotten in the prayers of my friends; and perhaps it is in answer to their requests that the spark of love to God is not quite extinguished.

The inestimable blessing of christian society is enjoyed but scantily here to what it is in England; for though we have very valuable christian friends, yet they live twenty or thirty miles distant from us;

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