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ness-in utter spiritual darkness. They are, the Bible tells us, 'sitting in darkness,' without God, without Christ, without hope. Now the object of the missionaries is to take light to them-the light of the Gospel; and the use of missionary meetings is to stir up people to help in this blessed work. You, my dear children, give your pennies and your half-pennies; and they are like the little boy's candle-ends, which he begged of the men as they passed. They go towards getting the light of the Gospel spread abroad among the heathen; and when they have heard and believed the glad tidings of salvation, they sing praises to Him who has called them out of darkness into His marvellous light, just as the child sang when he had got a light in his coal pit!"

TINNEVELLY.

"Or all the Indian Missions of the Church Missionary Society," says the Annual Report (7th May 1856), "Tinnevelly claims the precedency, in respect of the number of Christians, and its advance towards a permanent settlement of a native church. Five years ago the several districts of Tinnevelly were under the pastoral care of twelve ordained missionaries, of whom ten were European and two native. Now the number of ordained missionaries is still twelve, but five only are European and seven native. At the former period the converts were 24,552, and the communicants 2743. Now the converts are 27,140, and the communicants 3821. At the former period there were 295 places of worship, and 6682 children at school. Now there are 375 congregations, and 8253 children at school. A second proof of the progress of the missionary spirit is evidenced by voluntary contributions and unpaid missionary agency. The poor Christians of Tinnevelly contribute more than £70 a-year to the Church Missionary Society, and ten times that amount, in the whole, to other pious objects. Besides this, there is a native Missionary Society, supported and managed by themselves, which maintains six native catechists, who are associated with the itinerating missionaries in North Tinnevelly, and a

JUVENILE MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION,

supported by two vernacular schools, which pays the whole stipend of a pilgrim missionary among the heathen. A third evidence of progress which the committee notice, is

the general desire which has sprung up for books of solid information, and of deep practical piety."

There is a new and deeply interesting branch of labour going forward in the North Tinnevelly district. Three missionaries of the Church Missionary Society, Messrs. Ragland, Fenn, and Meadows, assisted by several native helpers, are occupied in itinerating and sowing the seed of the Gospel over a large district of country. In one year they have visited 1200 villages, and 700 of them three times. It is very pleasing to hear that the native Christian churches and congregations to the south are zealously co-operating in this work.

"A catechist is sent forth from one or other of these congregations to be associated with the missionaries in their labours. He remains with them a month or more, and during this period all his expenses are provided for by the congregation which has sent him forth. During the last six months of which detailed accounts have reached us, they have had associated with them six catechists, "scribes well instructed unto the kingdom of God," and desirous that their heathen fellow-countrymen should know and embrace the Gospel. Besides this, individual members of the various congregations, at their own expense, and simply from a desire as they have freely received freely to give, have expressed their willingness to join the work. One has done so the headman of Pragasapuram-to be followed, we trust, by many others.

66 COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM.

"On this interesting branch of labour a blessing has already begun to descend. At a place called Kalbothy, a most interesting service was held in February last, when the firstfruits of this itinerating mission, sixteen converts, were baptized by the Rev. J. Thomas. An extract from a private letter of the Rev. D. Fenn supplies some interesting information respecting them :

"Yesterday, April 17, I spent at Kalbothy, in the verandah of Masillamani's house. Through God's great mercy, the poor people seem going on very well. They have just had a trial, against which they have all stood firm. The great yearly heathen feast in their neighbourhood was held two or three days ago, and Masillamani feared that some of the inquirers-not the baptized-would, in some way or other, join in it, either to please their relatives or their masters. The only approach to such a thing was in the case of a young man, well meaning, I think, but weak, a member of

a large family, all heathen. He himself has only joined the Christians since the baptisms in February. His brother asked him, when all was ready, to come in and eat with them. He was afraid to refuse. Masillamani heard of it, and sent Samuel, the best of the young men, to call him. He rose up, and left at once. He had not eaten anything."

The interest shown by these poor native Christians in the spread of the Gospel is further shown in what remains of Mr. Fenn's letter.

MISSIONARY BOXES.

"Last week I received a Tamil letter, with a missionary box, or rather earthen pot, sent by the inventor, Vathanayagum Simeon, Mr. Sargent's catechist at Palamcottah. At the missionary meeting in January, Mr Sargent had told a story of a little girl who had been refused a missionary box, because she was too young, but had, with the help of her brother, constructed one, and brought it to a meeting at which Mr. Sargent was present last year in England. It contained, I think, threepence, for Mr Sargent had brought away the box with him, and showed it at the meeting in Palamcottah. Vathanayagum Simeon had his ingenuity stirred, and soon after invented the missionary earthen pot, which costs one pie, (half a farthing). Forty of these have already been given out, and more, he tells me, are being applied for and although, at present, none have been opened, yet, from inquiring amongst his own people, who are mostly very poor, he found that they are putting one, two, or three pice a-week into it. "Before," he says, "they used to pray for the North-Tinnevelly heathen: now they are glad to give something for their spiritual good."

This letter and the missionary pot I showed last Saturday to Masillamani, who had come over to my tent. He asked for them to show to his people, and yesterday he told me that seven of them begged that they might each have a similar one. And I have now with me a Tamil letter, from him, to a friend in the south, asking for ten to be sent, as the potters in this neighbourhood do not understand them.

THE NEED OF JESUS.

I NEED Thee, precious Jesus, -for I am full of sin;
My soul is dark and guilty, my heart is dead within.
I need the cleansing fountain where I can always flee;

The blood of Christ most precious,-the sinner's perfect plea.

I need Thee, precious Jesus,-for I am very poor;
A stranger and a pilgrim, I have no earthly store.
I need the love of Jesus to cheer me on my way;
To guide my doubting footsteps, to be my strength and stay.

I need Thee, precious Jesus,-I need a friend like thee;
A friend to soothe and sympathise-a friend to care for me.
I need the heart of Jesus to feel each anxious care;
To tell my every want, and all my sorrows share.

I need Thee, precious Jesus,-for I am very blind;
A weak and foolish wanderer with a dark and evil mind.
I need the light of Jesus to tread the thorny road;
To guide me safe to glory, where I shall see my God.

I need Thee, precious Jesus,-I need Thee day by day,
To fill me with thy fulness-to lead me on my way.
I need thy Holy Spirit to teach me what I am,

To shew me more of Jesus, to point me to the Lamb.

I need Thee, precious Jesus,-and hope to see thee soon,
Encircled with the rainbow, and seated on thy throne.
There, with thy blood-bought children, my joy shall ever be,
To sing my Jesus' praises, to gaze, O Lord, on Thee.

F. W.

MORE FRUITS OF THE LONDON CITY MISSION. THE great day alone will reveal the rich harvest of fruits that will be gathered in through the persevering efforts of the agents of the London City Mission, in the lanes and dens of that great city. We subjoin two instances, in addition to our former notices, of some valuable results of their labours. The first tells of

THE CONVERSION OF A PAPIST.

"Early in August 1853," says the missionary in his narrative, "I was made aware of the illness of Mr of

place. The first time I called to see him I failed, but, calling again the next day, I succeeded. His history is this. He was born in -shire, and, though of English parents, was brought up a most rigid papist, which he conscientiously and rigorously continued. But the last time he made confession to a priest, the questions put to him were of that character he determined never to go again. And, living in Protestant families in the capacity of gardener, he became gradually weaned from Popery, until within three or four years of his death he attended no place of worship whatever. He was, notwithstanding, frequently

concerned about his eternal welfare, and was a sober, industrious, and valued servant of a gentleman of this village. At the beginning of his illness, he was one Sabbath evening walking towards Weston Street, Upper Norwood, when, seeing the tent in which we were conducting service, and hearing a noise, he was induced to enter, and stayed the whole time. I am not sure that he ever attended any other Protestant service. But what he heard that night revived his solicitude about his soul. To use his own words, "I felt under that service as I never felt under any service that I attended." He was after that increasingly anxious to know the truth, and, although he thought Popery wrong, he did not know what was right, and was wretched in consequence. In this painful state of mind, and swollen to a frightful size with the dropsy, I found him at my first visit. I read to him from God's Word, that as a sinner he had every reason to be alarmed, but also of Christ, "in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." But I found in him the naturally dark mind, still worse by the teaching of Popery. Hence I had to labour long with him before the simple Gospel found its way to his heart. I think I shall never forget the joy and delight that lit up his countenance as he saw one Popish dogma after another demolished by the majestic truth of Jehovah. On one of these occasions I asked him, "If some of his Roman Catholic friends were to come, whether he would hold by the truth?" He exclaimed, "A regiment would'nt move me, Sir; a regiment would'nt move me. No, Sir, I see now as I never saw before; I am astonished. But, then," he continued, "I have always been taught so different; never allowed to read the Bible, and have always heard the Protestants spoken so much against.” As it were to test his sincerity, I may mention, that his father and mother, who are still living, while he was on his dying bed, frequently wrote to him, imploring him to have a priest, then they should be easy, but they could have no hope for him without. But, although he avowed his affection for his parents, he could only pity them, and pray for their deliverance from such a delusion. He would not entertain the thought for a moment. Said he, "What can I do, Sir? I would'nt have one of those men come near me for such a purpose on any account." But, though he was converted from Popery, and saw the truth partially, he could not for a long time rejoice in Jesus Christ as priest and victim for his salvation. Hence in subsequent visits I sought to show him the fulness and freeness of Gospel blessings;

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