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Society, both in town and country. This will no doubt form one of the votes of this General Meeting. But it is merely justice to say that the Auxiliary Societies, both in town and country have, by their zeal and activity, greatly encouraged the Directors to proceed in their labours, and, without fear, to lengthen the cords and strengthen the stakes of this institution. To the generous exertions of our Female Friends we are peculiarly indebted, and we calculate with confidence on the continuance and increase of their most valuable assistance.

Every succeeding year will, we hope, present to you the gratifying fruits of your past labours, and the animating prospect of new scenes of action. The world is opening to our view, and inviting us to far more extended efforts. The Directors still look forward to the proposed mission to the Afghans, near Persia; the Monguls and Manjurs in Tartary; and to the interesting island of Madagascar. These missions will be commenced as soon as we are furnished with suitable instruments for the purpose.

These, respected brethren, are the outlines of our proceedings, the pleasing details of which, as they would occupy many hours, must appear in another form. But, from this general sketch, we trust it will be evident that the warmest wishes of the Society are, in some happy measure, attained. It is no longer a question of doubtful speculation whether it be practicable to propagate the gospel among the heathen,whether suitable persons can be found to do the work of Evangelists or whether it may please God now, as in ancient times, to prosper the efforts of his servants. The work is accomplished. Able and faithful Missionaries have been ob tained; they have been sent forth to the ends of the earth; they have found an open door among the heathen, and their entrance among them has not been in vain. "The wilderness and the solitary place have been made glad; the desert has rejoiced and blossomed as the rose." Christ is preached among the heathen; and therein we rejoice, yea, we will exceedingly rejoice. Many thousands of the pagan tribes have heard the joyful sound of the gospel; and many hundreds have found it to be the power of God to their salvation.

During the past year, our Seminary has received an addition of several promising students. Many more are candidates for the same honour. We have been enabled to strengthen our foreign stations by many additional labourers. New missions of great importance have been commenced; and to support the whole, our funds have been augmented by the growing liberality of the public, and especially by the zeal of our Auxiliary Associations. What need we more? What,

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but the grateful heart, and the cheerful song? And what now remains, but to persevere with undiminished, or rather with redoubled ardour, in the pursuit of our glorious object-the propagation of the gospel---the conversion of the heathen--the glory of Christ.

MISSIONS IN INDIA.

Extract of a letter from the Rev. Dr. Carey to the Editor of the Baptist Missionary Magazine, containing interesting remarks on the American Baptist Mission in the Burman Empire, &c.

My dear Brother,

CALCUTTA, Oct. 7, 1815.

THE peace between England and America having now happily opened. that intercourse between Christian friends which has so long been obstructed, I take this first opportunity of replying to your kind and interesting letter by Mr. Burr.

I sincerely wish that nothing may ever occur, to interrupt that free communication between the members of our Redeemer's kingdom which is at all times highly important, but in the present state of the world, more important than ever it was before.

The exertions now making by our American brethren, both in the forming of Bible societies and Missionary Societies I most sincerely rejoice in: And there can be no doubt but the numerous bodies of Christians engaged in this work will find, that " He that watereth shall be watered himself." Such is the nature of the gospel, that a fervent and persevering devotedness to the Redeemer's interest in the world, is constantly attended with the most important spiritual advantages to the individual; nay, the thing itself is one of the graces of the Holy Spirit, called forth to exercise itself upon the most important of all objects.

I fear that our forefathers, notwithstanding all their excellencies, were very deficient in their attempts to spread abroad the gospel. It is true some of them mention it as an important and desirable thing, and others have made solitary attempts to promote that best cause in certain places; but I am greatly mistaken, if the present zeal for extending the Redeemer's kingdom be not a new era in the Christian world. The "Angel is now flying in the midst of the mystical heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell upon the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people."-Babylon is not yet fallen, but probably will not continue much longer; and some of them, now entering into life, may, and probably will see the kingdom of our Redeemer set up universally. I shall die on the borders of the land, without being permitted to enter it; but the spread of the Redeemer's cause will, I trust, be with me an eternal theme, in which expect to unite with my dear brethren, Pearce, Sutcliffe, and Fuller, who are already in full possession of the fullness of joy at our Redeemer's right hand.

I rejoice that our American brethren have set their minds upon the Burman Empire, and the countries bordering thereon. I wish them to consider those countries as the lot which falls to them, of the vast regions of Asia. My son has withdrawn from the Mission. I trust he will still pursue the work of translating and publishing the word of God. The Burman Empire, including Arakan and Pegu, will, itself, require eight or ten Missionaries, who should be as much dispersed, at nearly equal distances, as circumstances will allow. Siam next claims your attention, to which you should add Malacca, and Cochin China.-This division will give to you, as your lot, the whole of the eastern peninsula, bounded every where by

the sea, except on the north, and north-west, on which sides lie Bengal," Tibet, or perhaps Tartary, (for we are ignorant which) and China. Arise and take possession of the land, and behold we are with you, and will help you, by our advice and influence to the utmost of our power.

Our Missions are now spread over a very large extent of country, and are, generally speaking, in a prosperous state: our brethren are as much in earnest in pursuing their work, as they ever were, and, perhaps, more so; and the translations are now become numerous. Our Missions are' · eight-viz. 1. Bengal, in which we have 10 stations. 2. Hindostan, in which there are 4 stations, and one constant itinerant preacher at present. 3. Oorissa, in which there is 1 station. 4. The Mahratta country, where there is also 1 station. 5. Surat, where we have only 1 station. 6. Ceylon, where brother Chater labours at the town, and in the neighbourhood of Columbo. 7. Java, in which island there are 2 stations occupied by our Mission; and 8. Amboyna, where there is 1 station.-The Burman Mission now properly belongs to our American brethren. Two of our brethren have lately removed to Calcutta. The Church there, and the wide, and very encouraging field for missionary exertion, required the constant labours of two brethren, at least; and the other avocations, which occupy the whole time of brother Marshman, brother Ward, and myself, make it utterly impossible for us to pay any thing like a proper attention to these important objects; on which account we have taken this step. Our brother (Yates) has also been lately associated with me in the work of translations; this has lately been much upon my mind, and considering the time necessary for acquiring a competent knowledge of these languages, and that I am now 54 years of age, I considered it to be highly important to take measures for providing a successor in this work, whose ideas should be, in some measure, engrafted upon my own, and who should live for the purpose of carrying to perfection what I have been so long employed to carry on thus far.

I trust we, and especially myself, shall have an interest in your prayers: and that the joint labours of the English and American Baptist Societies may be blessed to the promotion of our Redeemer's interest in the east, and of giving light to them who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. I am, my dear Brother, very affectionately yours, Dr. BALDWIN-Boston.

W. CAREY.

Arrival of the Missionaries at Ceylon.

By the arrival at Salem of the ship Herald, from Calcutta, information has been received from the brig Dryad, which sailed from Newburyport last October, with the American Missionariest on board. Two letters were received in Newburyport from the Supercargo, who informs that they arrived at Columbo in Ceylon, (not Calcutta, as stated in some newspapers,) on the 23d of March last, after a very pleasant voyage. Their labours of love among the ship's crew, in giving them religious instruction, were blessed -two of the crew, it is hoped, became through their instrumentality, the subjects of Divine Grace. The Missionaries met with a cordial reception from the Governor of Ceylon, who expressed his willingness that they should pursue their work in Columbo, or any other part of Ceylon. From the English and Baptist Missionaries at Ceylon, they received the most Christian attention. At one of their houses they were invited to reside, till they could be better accommodated. In a few days. the dwelling-house belonging to the Rev. Mr. Norton, a Baptist Missionary, becoming vacant, they

established themselves in it, and the Supercargo had the pleasure of dining with them at their own table. The brethren and their wives were in perfect health. Mr. Warren, in the words of the writer," is a new man," and Mrs. Poor is as well as any of the ladies. The Dryad, who is now, it is supposed, on her passage from Calcutta, is expected in a few weeks, with despatches from the Missionaries themselves.

Extract of a letter from a gentleman at Chapel Hill, N. C. to the Editor of the Weekly Recorder, dated September 10th, 1816.

Certainly it must make the heart of every well-wisher to the prosperity of Zion leap for joy, to know that the glorious work of redemption is rapidly progressing-that God is watering many parts of his vineyard with the out-pourings of his holy Spirit-that the followers of Christ, in every part of the world are uniting heart and hand in helping forward the ark of Godthat infidelity no longer stalks abroad with an impudent effrontery, but as ashamed is hiding its face that Missionaries are carrying the glad tidings of salvation to all parts of the world-that the nations of the earth are rapidly supplied with the bread of life, and dagon is falling before the ark of God. Must not every Christian rejoice to behold the reflecting rays of the millennial sun already begin to enlighten our horizon? And how can such information be so conveniently or so rapidly propagated as by the circulation of religious newspapers, conducted by men whose hearts are warmed with love to God, and to the souls of their fellow-creatures, and who earnestly long for that glorious period when there will be no need of teachers, saying, "Know the Lord; for all shall know him, from the least to the greatest."

On the 27th July, a Missionary Society was instituted at Raleigh, for the purpose of sending ministers to preach the Gospel in destitute parts within the bounds of the Synod of North Carolina. A considérable sum was then subscribed. The prospects of the Society are promising. More than 300 dollars have been subscribed in this village. Many of those who compose this So-ciety are men of the first characters in the state. Several gentlemen of the law department are enrolled amongst its members. Its vice-president is one of the associate judges of the United States, but more honourably distinguished by being of that number who profess that this world is not their rest.

Although God has not been pleased to visit us with any remarkable revival of religion in this part of his vineyard, yet we have reason to praise him even for the day of small things. In many places there are marks of his gracious presence, and of his attending the ordinances, of his appointment with his blessing. There is evidently an increased attention to the things of religion and the prosperity of the church. Many are praying for "the salvation of Israel to come out of Zion." But, alas! there are many amongst us, who regard none of these things-who are living without God

grace,

and without hope in the world-whose conduct evinces that they are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise. Many are destitute of the means of have none to break the bread of life among them, to tell them of the astonishing love of Jesus, or direct them to the crimson stream that issued from the Saviour's side, and cleanseth from all sin. There are many who rarely hear the "terror of the Lord," that "the wicked shall be turned into hell," or the invitation of the Gospel, "Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters," &c. But we have reason to bless God, for any prospects that ministers will be sent to preach the Gospel in destitute parts of the state. The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few. O that the Lord of the harvest would send forth many faithful labourers into his harvest.

Remarkable revival of religion at Sedgwick and Bluehill, in the District of Maine; communicated in a letter to the Rev. Lucius Bolles, of Salem.

Rev. and dear Sir,

SEDGWICK, July 1, 1816.

I embrace the present favourable opportunity, to give you a brief sketch of the work of divine grace, which has appeared in this town and its vicinity, within a short time past. The state of religion continued among us to be much as it was when I wrote you last, till the latter part of February. Previously to this, however, the Lord visited some of the islands and towns, at the westward of us, in pouring out his Holy Spirit, and causing gracious revivals of religion to take place. The work has appeared, ever since, to be progressing towards the east.

The church in this town, and that in Bluehill, back of us from the sea shore, "hearing," as it were "the sound of a going on the top of the mulberry trees," listened themselves, and appointed meetings for fasting and prayer, as the sound drew near. Some time in the month of February, the pastor of the Baptist church in Nobleborough, came on a visit to Bluehill to see his son, who was in a decline, and has since died. Under his preaching the work soon became visible. Its progress was so rapid, that it soon extended into every part of the town. It was solemn and still; but remarkably powerful. Its subjects were children, youth, and the middle aged. We now beheld the multitude of thoughtless, giddy youth, who just before were engaged in the height of vanity, flocking to meetings every day. They seemed to hear, as for their lives, the precious word of God which was dispensed.

There was no very special appearance of this work among us, until the beginning of April. Its commencement and progress in this town have been similar to what has been mentioned above. It soon spread in every direction; East, West, North, and South, through every part of the town. It now prevails rapidly in most of the adjoining towns, all around us. Hence, we have a very pleasing prospect of a general reformation in this part of the country. Oh, dear brother, "This is our God, we have waited for him, he has come and will save us."

*

Since May 2d, there have been 121 baptized on a profession of faith, and added to the Baptist church in this town. In Bluehill, 98 have joined the Baptist church, and 28 the Congregational church in that town. The oldest Christians among us say, they never saw a work of grace equal to the present since these eastern regions have been inhabited. They have seen reformations equally powerful, but none before so extensive, and so

* Orly two months!