Dec. 19. Preached this morning at Berhampore, from Malachi iii. 16, They that feared the Lord spoke often. Preached again in the evening to an attentive congregation. I find these Sabbath-day seasons with my brethren and friends at Behrampore peculiarly endearing to my soul. After labouring during the week with my studies in the Hindoostanee language, and in preaching to the natives, it appears like a day of rest to stand up amongst my countrymen, and divide the bread of lite to their hungry souls. Dec. 20. Was at a prayer meeting this morning at Berhampore, with some soldiers. After breakfast visited two Native Schools at Kalkepore and Kayra. One was in a good state, but the other not. Afterwards established another in a good situation. In the evening, on my way home, conversed with several pilgrims going to Juggernaut, and informed them that holiness was only to be found in the heart, and not from the pieces of ground which they called holy places. Dec. 22. There is one great evil among the heathen, namely, the idea of fate. Satan cannot destroy that principle which is called conscience, but he appears greatly to have injured it, by inculcating the idea that fate is the author of all things; and nothing is more common, when speaking to the Hindoos about the necessity of holiness of life and heart, than this answer, What can we do? that which will be, will be;" and therefore they rest satisfied without either thinking or acting, - Dec. 23. Was engaged to-day in conversing with two of my inquirers. The answers of one were very pleasing. In his figurative way he told me, Christ was a good pilot, and would steer in the greatest storms; that Satan's garden was pleasant to behold at a distance, but within every evil weed; that a house unguarded would be entered by thieves; and the mind without watchfulness would be filled with evil. Dec. 29. Went again to-day by the side of the river, when the majority heard willingly, but several, like the Pharisees of old, were only anxious to cavil at things of little importance, while they would believe those of the greatest absurdity. I endeavoured to argile against one error in particular, namely, fute, and told them, by attributing every thing to fate they made God the author of sin. But this is an argument which has little effect with heathens; for it is well known nearly all their gods are guilty of the worst crimes. While speaking, many told me they were igno. rant, and what could they do but tread the road their fathers had before them. (To be continued.) DELHI. ACCOUNT of a jourley, by Mr. Thompson, from Delhi, tó Loodiana, (or Ludheeana,) a town about 210 miles to the north-west, on the borders of the Punjab. home, with a thousand books and tracts in December 8, 1819. At two p. m. left various languages. In half an hour passed out from Delhi at the Lahoree-gate, in a N. W. direction. The country was weil stocked with fruit; gardens are very mu merous and extensive. The first piece of water was one of no great depth, yet afford ing a large reservoir of clear and sweet water throughout the year; this spot is made a halting-place. Beyond Badlee there are no more ruins, but one extensive plain, with here and there a mound of earth, a solitary tree, or an isolated village. The fields on all sides seem very partially cultivated. On reaching the vil lage of Nerila, 1 found, that on account of a dispute between the Nabob of Lucknow and the widow of a Mahratta chief respecting the right of possession, a vast tract of land remains uncultivated. NERILA; twenty-four miles from Delhi. Nerila is a populous though a straggling kind of village: it sends great quantities of dried cow dung for fuel to Delhi. After a little inquiry, 1 found a few well-disposed Hindoos, and among them the pundit of the village: they expressed great pleasure on hearing me address them respecting the way of salvation. The poor men seemed to hear with all their souls, and promised themselves much pleasure from the perasal of the books given them. One bralimon, who at first laughed at every thing serious, and declared himself satisfied with this world, afterwards made many inquiries. The poor man said, that now I had made him my disciple, he would count the days till my return. The pundit, whose house is frequented by Vidy art'hees, readily took a few tracts for distribution: others took some for themselves. SOONPUT; forty miles from Delhi. Excepting the ruins of two large and puckah built inns, there is nothing but extensive plains all the way to Soonput, a large village, with the ruins of a fortification; on which account it is still called a city. It boasts of great antiquity. Here I had a good opportunity of distributing the word of God in Persian and Hindee. These parts have never been visited with the word of God, and the people are eager Vidyart'hees," men who profess to search for knowledge. AMERICA. Extract of a Letter from a Christian Friend, who lately went to the Settlement of Honduras. to read it: some proposed to me to come and spend a few days occasionally with them, that they might obtain more instruction: others offered to become Chris tians if they were rewarded for losing cast; but the generality believed that the religion of Jesus would prevail, and said Great it only required to be known. Honduras, Belize, July 18, 1820. eagerness was manifested for books, and from mid-day till near midnight, I was BELIZE is not a regular built town; the variously engaged with the people; but I houses are from twenty to a hundred feet was obliged to send multitudes away with apart, for the benefit of air, as the wintracts only. A poor drunken Sikh on dows, or jalousies, are on every side. being reproved, fell at my feet, and touch-Some houses have glass in part: jalouing my thighs, promised for ever to renounce liquor and intoxicating drugs, and give himself wholly to the reading of the scriptures, which hearing me read in his own language, he asked for. He was a respectable man and well attended; tre could read; one of his attendants said he had squandered thousands of rupees since his taking to liquor. Some sipalees were among my hearers, and were particolarly desirous of the only two copies of the scriptare selections I had; when I told the books would encumber then on their marck, and tracts were more convenient, they repeated, that tracts would be crumpled, but a well-stitched book would be safer in their knapsack. A young Moosulman soldier, who applied for the scriptures, mentioned the parts he wanted, saying, that since his brother had, some years ago, given him an account of their contents, he had been desirous of perusing them. This is pleasing, and shows that the scriptures are talked of among the natives. In the evening I heard one of the native soldiers repeat a stanza in praise of sertain virtues. I called the man is, and giving him some tracts, recommended the gospel to him: after some conversation he offered to resign his situation, and attend me for further instruction. I told him, that his gooroo Busunt-Misr had taken a New Testament, and recommended to him to peruse it attentively. Between two and three this afternoon an immense flight of locusts darkened the air for a considerable time, and awakened the fears of the poor husbandmen, who ran out into their fields, and waved their clothes and hands to prevent their de scent upon their fields, which were but just sown. (To be continued.) sies are like Venetian blinds, only muck larger. The houses are built on large mahogany blocks, three to six feet long. The house consists of a cellar for proxisions; over that the store, or what we should call the shop; and over that are the apartments in which they live. In the evening, we use large glass shades to protect the candles. Mattresses are used instead of feather beds, and a pavilion to keep off the flies. It is not an uncommon thing to have scorpions in our bed-rooms: have killed three in mine. As it respects religion, I am at a loss what to say. I fear the principal part of the people think nothing of it. Of the negroes, perhaps not one in fifty can read. Qu Sabbath-days they work for themselves, making bowls, paddles, &c. and attend to their plantations, the produce of which they sell to their masters. About the end of June, I had nccasi u to survey some mahogany on the Rio Grande. I had a cutter prepared for me, to take me to the mouth of the river, where I took a doray, (a kind of small boat cut out of a tree,) and went forty miles up. As I was passing along, about five o'clock on a Sabbath-day, I saw a number of little sheds. All the negroes were at work, making large bowls of 3 feet diameter, used for washing, dorays, pad dles, &c. I addressed myself to one, but I soon had a dozen, I pointed out the evil of working on the Sabbath, but they said, My massa no give me mo ney, so me work to get money to buy tings." At half-past six, I suppose there were near thirty; but after I closed, they went to their usual amusements, beating the drum, singing, dancing, and firing guns, till one in the morning. THE Committee of the Baptist Missionary Society beg to express their cordial thanks to the Ministers, and other Christian Friends, in Scotland, by whom the Secretary and Mr. Mack were so kindly received, and cheerfully assisted, in their late Journey. The following Sums should have been inserted in the List of Monies received in our last Number. ........... 10 Thrapstone, Collection and Subscriptions, by Mr. Stevenson .... ..... N.B. Of the Sum of £49 11ș. 51⁄2d. received from Abingdon, as mentioned in the Herald for December, it should have been specified that £14 1s. 2d. was subscribed for the Support of Native Schools. For Evesham, in the same List, read Ensham, The amount collected at Newbury should have been entered £45 13s. instead of £35. Just Published,-THE Annual Report of the Committee of the Baptist Missionary Society, read at the General Meeting, June 22, 1820; together with an Appendix, and List of Subscriptions, Donations, and Collections for the Year. London: Printed by J. BARFIELD, 91, Wardour-street, Soho. THE Baptist Magazine. FEBRUARY, 1821. WORLDLY ANXIETY PRODUCTIVE OF RELIGIOUS DISTRACTION; THE apostle is here cautioning the Corinthians against worldly anxiety. The 35th verse is the key which unlocks his design in urging the advice with which this chapter abounds. It is as if he had said, "Christians, that is a snare to you, whatever it may be, which so occupies your thoughts and your anxieties, that you cannot serve the Lord without distraction. To engage in his service, whether in reading his holy word, or in attending to secret, or family, or public worship, with a divided and distracted mind, is neither comely in itself, nor for your profit. You cannot justify it, that when you are in the house of God, instead of thinking upon his loving-kindness in the midst of his temple, you should be thinking upon some person or favourite object, that absorbs all your affections. But if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things." To check these contrivances about worldly connexions and pursuits, which relate merely to the present life, and to events. pertaining to the earth, the apos VOL. XIII. tle proposes one principle, short, but weighty; trite, but convincing; laconic, but grave;~" Brethren, the time is short." Marriage occasions great anxiety and employment for the mind. The unmarried are anxious to enter into that endearing relation; and there is no impropriety in the desire,-only let it be "in the Lord." The married are anxious to promote each other's happiness; and all married persons should consider themselves bound to do this, even at the expense of their own individual inclinations: but let them not forget that the time is short-and let this regulate their anxieties and enjoyments. The afflictions of life are another source of anxiety. Rachel mourned for her infants; Eli and David for their sons; Jacob for his Rachel; and Mary and Martha for their brother Lazarus. We do not blame you for weeping; for Jesus wept. But let not grief occupy all your thoughts, and consume all your hours and days." The time is short." The prosperities of life may have a similar effect in distract F licitous; so delighted when you buy cheap, and so vexed when you have purchased a bad article; so constantly employed in calculating how many shillings profit will produce so many hundred pounds upon the whole, and then how much per annum you will get for your savings, and where you shall place them to the best advantage. Alas! alas! were men only born to count pounds, shillings, and pence; and not they might apply their hearts unto wisdom? Psalm xe. 12. ing the mind, and in drawing it off from God. You "rejoice," for you have gained the object of your affections, and have entered the married state. You have done well; marriage is honourable in all; but rejoice with trembling. There is probably a cankerworm, though unseen, at the root of your comforts, and a blasting wind may soon destroy the flower of the field. You" rejoice;" for God has heard your prayers, and has delivered you from the pinch-rather to number their days, that ing straits of adversity, and you are now placed in easy circumstances. But remember, the wheel is still going round. Do not let these pleasant feelings engross all your thoughts, and draw them off from God. You "rejoice;" your children are about you; your root is spread out by the waters, and the dew lies all night upon your branch; the blessing of the Almighty is with you; you wash your feet in butter, and the rock pours you out rivers of oil. Job xxix. 5, 6, 19. It is well you should be thankful: but take heed lest even these things draw off your heart from God, distract you in his worship, and render you unfit for his service. "The time is short." Buying and selling are other engagements which are necessary to the well-being of society, and to the providing of things honest in the sight of all men. But take heed lest these engross all your attention. It is not necessary that the buying of articles of provision or of dress should so occupy your thoughts, that you cannot serve God without distraction. It will require thought and care to buy a house, or an estate; and to buy articles for your trades, on the profits of which your families depend. But surely you • should not be so anxious; so so "And they that use this world, as not abusing it; for the fashion of this world passeth away." The apostle, addressing Christians, takes it for granted that they would not abuse the things of the world; that they would not through covetousness hoard them, nor in prosperity extravagantly waste them in eating or drinking, in dress, in furniture, in unnecessary journeys, &c. But even they who use the world as not abusing it had need take heed lest their minds be too much exercised, and too much employed about it. There are some of you who have not much to use; and what you get, you use well. You are industrious, and support yourselves by your labour. You are honest, and therefore contract no debts which you have not the prospect of paying. Take care lest your honest anxiety to render to all their dues, become a sinful anxiety, which shall lead you to forget or distrust the providence of God; and thus your hearts be overcharged with the cares of this life, Luke xxi. 34. There are others of you that have an abundance of the world to use, so that (like Solomon) you withhold not your heart from any joy, |