From the Rev. J. C. Supper, Secretary to the Java Auxiliary Bi ble Society,

Batavia, Aug. 12, 1816.

I have the pleasure, in the name our Society, to assure you, that the contents of the highly esteemed letter of your Committee, as well as their present of £500, caused an extraordinary sensa-. tion of joy, and greatly animated us to proceed in our labour.

The Chinese New Testaments, which the zealous Missionary, Mr. Milne, (who is now in Malacca) distributed among the Chinese in this neighbourhood, and those which I had the means of distributing, have been visibly attended with blessed effects. A member of my Portuguese congregation came to me, last week, and said, "I am acquainted with some Chinese, who generally come to me twice a week, when the word of God is the theme of our conversation; they have read the Chinese New Testament, and find the contents of it of far greater excellence than those of any other book they have ever read; yet they do not understand every thing that is said in it, and therefore apply to me, to explain and clear up some passages which they cannot comprehend. I then give them such illustration on the subject, as I recollect from your discourses." This Portuguese is one of my Catechumens, and, thanks be to God, I may say, that he is my crown, and the first fruit of my labours here. These Chinese have already turned their idols out of their houses, and are desirous of becoming Christians.

Another of my Portuguese pupils came to me, a few days ago, and told me," that a certain Chinese, who had read the New Testament in his mother tongue, visits him three times a week, to converse about the doctrines of Christianity; he seems to love Jesus : Christ better than Confucius, and wished I would give him a few more books in the Chinese language; he has, likewise, turned his paper idols out of his house, and is ardently desirous of becoming a Christian.

I was lately on a visit to a gentleman, where one of the richest Chinese in this country was also a guest, He spoke to me in Dutch, and said, "I have read Mr. Morrison's New Testament with pleasure; it is very fine, and it would be well if every one led such a life as Jesus Christ has taught them to lead." I cannot describe to you what effect these words, spoken by the mouth of a Chinese, had upon me.

I commenced a discourse with him about his many idols, and said, "You believe, by the doctrines of Confucius, that there is but one God who has made heaven, the earth, man, and every living

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Letter from the Rev. J. C. Supper.

creature." Yes," answered he; "but God is too far above us; ne dare not address ourselves to him, without the intervention of the demi-gods." I then said, "As God is the Creator of mankind, should we not, therefore, call him our common Father?" " Yes, certainly!" was his reply. "Well, if this be admitted, are not children obliged to place confidence in their father?" Answer"Most assuredly." In what consists this trust?" No answer. "Are not you a father of five sons?" "Yes," was his reply. "And, now, what would you think or do, if three of your sons took it into their heads to paint images upon paper, or carve them out of wood; and when finished, pay them all the veneration, and put that confidence in them, which are justly due to you, as their father? Would you quietly submit to such conduct in your sons?" "No; I would severely chastise them, and place them in a madhouse, as labouring under a fit of insanity." "But, if they acknowledged, by way of exculpation, that, from the great veneration they had for you as their father, they could not venture to approach you but through the intercession of images which they themselves had made, what would you say then?" I should answer "I have chastised you for your want of confidence in me ; these images being unable to hear, see, move, or help themselves. I pronounce you to be out of your senses.' "But," said 1, "do you act more wisely than they, when you worship the idols in your temples, and pay every honour to them in your houses, which is due to our Heavenly Father only ?" "Ah!" replied the Chinese, "we have never directed our views so far; but I am convinced that our idolatry can never be pleasing to the only true God, and that, by so doing, we provoke his vengeance upon us.

The conversation being ended, he went home, seemingly dissa tisfied with himself; and, on his arrival there, tore all the painted images from the walls, and threw them into the fire. He has never since frequented the Chinese Temples, and contents himself with reading the New Testament, and other Religious Writings, with which I supply him from time to time. Is it likely that this Chinese is far from the kingdom of God? Is not the grace of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit, able to convert even Chinese to the true Christian faith? Many of the Europeans here are inclined to doubt this, and, therefore, look upon my labour as an unnecessary waste of time; but their seemingly repulsive doubts animate us to greater zeal, and strengthen our faith and hope, that God will convince such unbelievers, by the evidence of facts, that the labours of his servants among the Chinese, will not be "in vain in the Lord."

I sold, lately, two more copies of the Arabic Bible to a Mahommedan Priest of the first class, and another to one of the Governors of a district in the interior; each for five rix dollars.

One of my pupils reads the Holy Scriptures with Mahommedans, three times a week, converses with them upon what they have read, and they join in prayer in his own house afterwards. of the upper servants of a Mahommedan Mosque told him the other

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Extract of a Letter from Rev. E. Henderson.

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day, "I have served many years in our temple; but have never yet heard so many agreeable truths from the priests, as are contain ed in your Christian Koran. I look upon the Christian worship, as the best and most intelligible; and, since you have taught me to pray, I always feel a peculiarly agreeable repose to my mind, when I have prayed in a morning or evening, such as I never experienced before."

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Extract of a Letter from Rev. E. Henderson.

Petersburg, December, 28, 1816. THROUGH the medium of the different Reports, I doubt not but you are already in possession of the most important data relative to my labours these two or three years past. The Bible Society flourishes almost universally; and though many have been induced merely from motives of a worldly nature to become subscribers, and otherwise to help forward the Institution, the good that results from local efforts of this description is incalculable. The infidel point of view in which the Bible was regarded, is lost sight of by multitudes here, their attention being again directed to its contents and thousands, yea tens of thousands, who were hungering and thirsting after the spiritual information contained in it, now find that food of which they stood in need. There are now few places in the North of Germany where Bible Societies do not exist, and from which, as a centre, the influence of revealed truth operates to a greater or less extent on the surrounding country. In the duchies of Sleswig and Holstein, Auxiliary Societies are forming in each deanery, and in some of these, Bible Associations are forming in every parish. The central establishment in that part will pub, lish a Report in the spring, which I have every reason to expect will furnish the friends of the cause with a great deal of new and highly interesting matter.

A glorious day seems to be dawning upon Russia. You know what has been done since our dear friend Mr. Patterson came here in 1812. The energies of this vast empire have been called forth against the disturber of the tranquillity of Europe; they are now called forth against the prime enemy of all order and peace, and lending most powerful aid in the mighty exertions that are now using for the dissemination of the saving truth among all nations.— There are now not fewer than nineteen Auxiliaries or Branches in the empire, and the 20th is forming in Wietha on the confines of Siberia. The demand for the Scriptures is increasing every day, and our utmost efforts are unable to satisfy them. The Slavonian Scriptures in particular are much sought after. We have lately received intelligence from the Crimea, of a very flattering nature. Jews, Mahomedans, Pagans, and nominal Christians, discover an ardent wish to possess the New Testament. A considerable number of the Tartar Turkish New Testament, printed by the Missionaries at Karass, have been distributed among Imans, Mallahs, and Effendi, who have discovered much joy and gratitude on receiving the gift. A second edition is printing in Astrachan, by

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Caledon Bible Society in South Africa.

Mitchell, at the expense of the Society here. Indeed the strong holds of Mahomet will now be attacked in a way they never have been before. From every quarter, the pure beams of revealed truth are pouring in upon his deluded votaries; and we know they are able to pierce the thickest film of darkness, and overcome the most determined enmity of the human mind. They will make the strongest bulwarks of the false prophet totter to the very base; and he shall ere long be put under the feet of Immanuel. All is activity here. Letters relative to Bibles are going and coming with every mail. Large bales are dispatched almost daily. Types are founding the Scriptures are composing and thousands of sheets are struck off every day. I attended a meeting of the Cominittee yesterday, for the first time since my arrival. Of course I understood but little of what was said, but it was highly gratifying to see so many men of such distinguished rank, met to deliberate on such important matters, and to observe the spirit which animated their proceedings. A very interesting account was given of the establishment of a Bible Society at Mohileu, the Russian head. quarters, in which many distinguished military characters took an active part..

:

AFRICA.

FROM THE CALEDON AUXILIARY SOCIETY IN SOUTH AFRICA

Caledon, Marth 4, 1816. THROUGH the instrumentality of the Reports of the British and Foreign Bible Society, which happened to fall into our hands, we have been rouzed, likewise, to cast our mite into the treasury, in aid of that Society; and, in order to do this in a regular manner, we have established a Society, under the title of "The Caledon Auxiliary Society," a plan of which you find enclosed. We now beg to be informed who is the Agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society at the Cape, in order that we may annually deliver our small contributions to him, against a receipt; soliciting, at the same time, to be favoured with the Society's Annual Reports, and with a small number of Bibles, together with an instruction in what manner the Society wishes the distribution thereof to be made."

Wishing that the British and Foreign Bible Society may abide upon a lasting foundation, until the earth be covered with the knowledge of Christ, as the waters cover the deep,

T

I remain, &c.

A. C. BERGMAN, Secretary.

WESLEYAN MISSIONS.

BRITISH NORTH AMERICA.

Of the British Provinces it is stated:

The Mission employs twenty-four Missionaries, and contains twenty Stations; and, as each of those Stations. is connected with a circuit in which every Missionary itinerates, the Gospel is, by this means, extensively administered to numbers of the scattered

Wesleyan Missions.

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inhabitants of those countries, who, but for such a plan of Missionary Labour, would be wholly deprived of the ordinances of Christianity.

STATE OF THE FUNds.

The Income of the year has been £10,423. 10s. 9d. [upwards of forty-six thousand Dollars ;] and the Expenditure, £.9,859. 2s. 9 d.

On the increase of the Funds it is said :

This the Committee ascribe, under the blessing of God, to the operation of Missionary Societies, adult and juvenile, formed in different parts of the kingdom; and carried, in some places, with great zeal, into full efficiency. Here the rich and the poor have met together: the aged, and the youth, and the child, have united, in the service of Christ, and presented their offerings to bis cause: and the Committee trust, that wherever it is practicable, the recommendation of the Conference of 1814 on this subject will be adopted, that the supply may be coNSTANT as the moral necessities of an unsaved world, and INCREASING as, by the providence of God, are the opportunities for communicating to it that only means of its salvation, the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

INCREASE OF MISSIONARIES.

During the last twelve months, the Committee have sent out 19 additional Missionaries to different parts of the world; viz. 4 to Ceylon, 1 to Bombay, 1 to the Cape of Good Hope, 4 to the West Indies, 2 to Nova Scotia, 3 to Newfoundland, i to Quebec, 1 to Gibraltar, I to Brussels, and 1 to France; making the whole num ber of Missionaries employed on Foreign Stations, under the di-, rection of the Methodist Conference, 80.

To the effect of that greater publicity which has lately been given to the state of the Heathen World, by different means, and the enforcement of the obligations of Christians to extend the kingdom of their Lord, the Committee attribute that increase of Missionary zeal which has this year furnished them with a full SUPPLY OF MISSIONARIES for every Station. Not less than 12 preachers, stationed in English Circuits, and enjoying all the comforts and advantages of the Home Ministry, have offered themselves as Foreign Missionaries, exclusive of those who had previously acted only as Local Preachers. Of these, several have already taken their departure for different Stations; and the rest wait the call of God, and the direction of their Brethren. Their piety, their talents, and, in some cases, considerable learning, give the best promise of future usefulness in all the departments of Missionary Labour; and the Committee, cannot refrain from calling on the grateful acknowledgments of their friends to the Lord of the Harvest, for thus sending forth more labourers into the harvest. With the increase of the Funds, there has been also an increase of men suited to the work, and willing to embrace it. This is a coincidence which cannot fail to lead to the recognition of those evident indications of Providence, which now, more than ever,, make, it imperious upon us to go on, in the name of the Lord.