ment he was receiving from the people divine honours! On my replying respectfully, his face was swollen with rage, and his eyes seemed ready to strike fire, when he told me, with a most indignant air of wounded pride, You have usurped our dominions, robbed us of the power and privilege of governing ourselves, and degraded us as a people!' A most pompous eulogium on their forefathers, as to their antiquity and superiority over every other race, followed this charge of usurpation. On being reminded of the circumstances under which our government came to possess so large a portion of territory, he was somewhat surprised and confused, and could not help betraying his own ignorance of the whole matter. He was now told, however, that this was not my concern; and that I served a Master whose kingdom was not of this world.

“A most interesting conversation now took place, on the subject of his own religion and that of Christianity. He was first asked respecting the sacred place where we were then present, and as to the benefit derived by those who visited it. To this he replied, According to the faith and merit of each person, so will be his reward.' When will this reward be obtained, and what will be its nature?' The body is the cause of all suffering, and of every kind of evil; and emancipation from the body is the reward ultimately expected by the devotee of our holy religion." Does this emancipation take place immediately at death to every one who observes the directions of your holy men and holy books?' No one observes them perfectly; and therefore it is necessary, to complete emancipation, that each individual should pass through several births.' Is the present birth one of the number? ‹ Undoubtedly.' Is it the first?' Hesitating,It is impossible to say.' Then each person, in every successive birth, is unconscious of any one besides it?' This was admitted. • Is each successive birth for the punishment of sin ? Yes; these various births are hell. Each one's present sufferings are for sins committed in a past birth." * But if the person be unconscious of any previous existence, he consequently does not know for what sin he is suffering his present punishment.' No; how should

he?' It was now shown, that the purposes of the Divine Government in the punishment of sin could not, by this means, be answered: to this it was replied, that what I had said was very true, but that what God did, he did; meaning, I suppose, that He giveth not account of any of his matters." To this I replied, that God was all-wise; and that all which he does is always agreeable to his own nature and character, as holy, just, and good. I then observed, that the alliance of a soul to a body conceived and born in sin could never effect its purification, even admitting that it passed through ten millions of births. No reply was made; but, with a manifest change of countenance, evidencing better feelings than had been at first evinced, I was desired to give an account of my own religion. This I readily proceeded to do: it was the point to which I had wished to come. In almost every instance, where much interest is excited, we are thus obliged to hear and combat error, before we can be heard ourselves. After proceeding some way, I was interrupted, and told, that all I had said was very good, but that I had learned it from the Hindoo holy books, and that he would proceed to finish what I had left unsaid. I begged hard to be heard on, but could not succeed. In the course of this interruption the head pundit of the place arrived, and was desired, after introducing me to him as a person disputing the truth of Hindooism, to satisfy me that the Hindoo religion was not only true, but the best. The opportunities of conversing thus with these infatuated people are the best means of making Christianity known.'

The following statement was made by a gentleman in the civil service of the East India Company, on a visit at Goruckhpore, and gives a very encouraging view of the state and prospects of this Mission.

"There are two circumstances here highly interesting: the first, that in several instances conversions have actually taken place among the natives, principally the Mahomedans, and those after mature and deliberate inquiry; and the next, that there is a considerable spirit of inquiry abroad, and apparently rather increasing than diminishing. Yesterday a respectable Mahomedan was baptized, in the presence of a large congregation. He is the owner of a

village of considerable value. He was led to Mr. Wilkinson by a young man who was baptized some time ago: he heard of that young man's baptism, and went to remonstrate with him; it ended in his going himself to Mr. Wilkinson; and under his instruction, by the blessing of God, he has become a Christian. He is very desirous to have schools in his village; he explained his step and his reasons for it, both before and after his baptism, and his people are all anxious for further information."

At the end of October, 1828, Mr. Wilkinson wrote: "The past month has been one of much interest in Missionary labour. The Ram Reeta (a great Hindoo festival) occurring in the early part of the month, a vast number of people every day assembled, and afforded opportunity of distributing tracts, preaching, and conversation. Six of the larger boys from the central School accompanied me: each took a distinct standing, and I superintended the whole. The demand for tracts and books was unusual; and although none were given but to such as could read, not less than 2000 were distributed."-Missionary Register.

NOTES BY A MISSIONARY.

No. I.

"But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly." Heb. xi. 16.

THE island of Zante, belonging to the Ionian States, will ever be reckoned one of the most lovely spots in nature. High hills surround an extensive valley of some miles in length, which sends yearly to market many thousand tons of currants, besides wine and oil. The olive tree adorns the hills, and numerous villages are scattered among them. In the gardens are found orange and lemon trees. So that it is said, in the popular proverb, "Zante, flower of the Levant.' On the east side are the eity, the mole, and the road, where vessels of war lie secure in good anchorage. It was from this port I sailed, in the month of January, 1829, in an English brig; and, after four days, land was seen. As is usual on board of ships, there was an anxiety to reach the port as soon as

possible. It was the display of that feeling which led me to the motto which is placed at the head of this paper. The captain, a very careful man, had never been on the coast of Egypt before. Though he had a good chart of the Mediterranean, a good compass, and a good quadrant yet, not expecting to take this voyage when he left England, he had no harbour-chart of Alexandria. The coast was represented in the book of directions as shallow; and the land has few marks by which it can be known. A man on board professed to be a pilot; but we were convinced that he knew but little about the coast; and was likely to lead us sadly astray: for when we came oppo site Arab's Tower, the mark to which all steer when coming from the West, he protested that it was some other object; and had we followed his advice we might have steered for, the western coast of Barbary, instead of the city and country we sought. At last appeared the date-trees, another mark for sailors,-and then the harbour; which we desired to enter as speedily as possible. Ah! how eager we were to reach this earthly country, whilst we too little desire the heavenly one! The word "Land," as shouted from the mast-head, often cheers a whole ship's company; and either the lofty mountain, the white cliff, or the sandy beach, when the wind blows moderately, is looked on with pleasure; but in entering the port, there is a feeling of greater satisfaction: and when the anchor is cast, and the vessel rides securely, it is said, "Now all is well;" and a sensation of security is felt. How necessary it is to have not only good directions to seek the better country, not only to know the doctrines of the Gospel and its duties, but to feel the witness in the heart, that Christ is formed there the hope of glory! Then, when the voyage of life is over, the soul enters into that haven where all is calm, and joy, and peace.

There are not at Alexandria such forms to go through as in the European ports. A Janisary merely comes on board to know the name of the vessel, and of the captain, the nature of the cargo, and from whence the ship is come, and you have immediate liberty to go ashore. There is neither passport nor police-office.

Zante.

W. O.C.

t

PRINCIPLES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION.

OF GOD.

QUESTION 1. What is God?
Answer. A Spirit.

Q. 2. What do you mean by a spirit?

A. A being that is not material, not composed of parts, not capable of being seen or felt.

A spirit hath not flesh and bones.
Noʻman hath seen God at any time.
The King eternal, immortal, invisible.

Q. 3. But if God be an invisible Spirit, how is it said of Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, and others, that they saw God?

A. We must understand such passages of Scripture as meaning, that they saw emblematical representations of the glory and majesty of God; or else that they saw God in the person of Jesus Christ; who in early ages frequently assumed a human or angelic form, and in the fulness of the time became incarnate and appeared as a man upon earth.

Q. 4. What kind of a Spirit is God?

A. An infinite and eternal Spirit ; immutable, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, sovereign, and independent; wise, just, faithful and true, good and merciful.

Q. 5. What do you mean by an infinite Spirit ?

A. One whose attributes are not limited by any imperfection or defect; infinity being a quality that is combined with every perfection of the Deity.

Q. 6. What Scriptures prove that God is an infinite Spirit ?

A. The heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee.
There is no searching of his understanding.

His understanding is infinite.

Q. 7. How may the scriptural truth be confirmed by rational considerations?

A. If God be not an infinite Spirit, his perfections must be limited by something; and that which limits them must be either matter or spirit. That he cannot be limited by matter, is evident; for matter, being inert and passive,