the refreshing dews of heaven. The zealous efforts of Christians are now imperiously required. The apostles of the Prince of Darkness have been, and are, assiduously employed in sowing the seeds of infidelity; and they have been but too successful with the unstable and the ignorant. Multitudes are perishing for lack of knowledge, even in this christian country, and in this enlightened age. Men of Israel, help! Help by your prayers, your contributions, and your labours, to extend the kingdom of the great REDEEMER, and as humble instruments to promote the salvation of immortal souls. "Brethren, let him know that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." L. THE FIFTEENTH ANNUAL ADDRESS OF THE REV. E. WARD, MINISTER OF IVER, TO HIS PARISHIONERS. Jan. 1st, 1824. DEARLY BELOVED, I FEEL thankful to a kind Providence for having at length enabled me to relieve my conscience, and supply my lack of service to you, by adding to my own the labours of a faithful Brother and fellow-servant in the LORD. I have long been deeply sensible of the heavy responsibility resting upon me as Minister of this large and populous Parish: and though I humbly hope, I have not been altogether unfaithful to my charge ;yet have I often lamented with an aching heart, how insufficient were my single labours to the spiritual wants of my numerous and widely scattered flock. I bless GOD, however, that, under all deficiencies, he has not left me wholly without seals to my ministry. Some, to whom I have been privileged to preach the Word of Life, are fallen asleep in the LORD; and some remain, (and long may they remain !) living proofs of the power of divine grace on the heart and life. But still, still I have painful evidence, that a large proportion of those, whose spiritual welfare I am pledged to promote, are yet unaffected by the preaching of the Gospel, and unconcerned about their never-dying souls. I see it in their profanation of the Sabbath; in their neglect of divine worship; in the careless, and worldly, and irregular lives of many around me. Either they refuse to hear, or they hear, alas, in vain! O, let me indulge the hope, that the joint testimony of two will be more availing than that of one! You will now be more frequently visited by my fellow-labourer or myself at your respective homes; the invitations of the blessed Gospel will follow you to the distant hamlets of the parish; those, who would not hearken to my voice, may be induced to listen to his; and while one plants and the other waters, a gracious GoD may give the increase. Believe me, we seek not yours but you! We solicit your earnest attention to the truths we bring before you: we beg you to search the Scriptures, and see, whether these things be so; we implore you, ere it be too late, to accept salvation, so freely proffered, though so dearly bought. But whether you will hear, or whether you will forbear, a dispensation of the Gospel is committed unto us: and we are bound to admonish every one; "The kingdom of GoD is at hand; repent ye, and believe the Gospel ;" and bring forth fruits meet for repentance Behold, now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation! O, flee unto JESUS, the hope and refuge set before you! Forsake all other refuges: renounce all other dependencies: give up all excuses; and apply to Him without delay for pardon through his blood, and sanctification through his SPIRIT. On the clearest evidence of infallible truth, we affirm, that there is no forgiveness but through his atonement; no redemption but through his blood; no salvation in any other name under heaven! Brethren, pray for us! Ye espe cially, who have tasted the good word of GoD, and know the value of a Gospel-Ministry, pray for us; that the influences of the HOLY SPIRIT may so accompany our preaching, that the Word of the LORD may have free course and be glorified in awakening sinners, in reclaiming backsliders, and in comforting and edifying those who through grace have believed! But we claim not only your prayers, but your personal exertions: we challenge you to come to the help of the LORD, and join your efforts to ours in winning souls to the SAVIOUR. Do you ask, whether we require you all to quit your farm, and your shop, and your plough, in order to become preachers of the Gospel? No, my brethren, by no means:on the contrary, we caution you not to touch, with an unauthorized hand, the ark of the LORD!-No, we wish every man to remain in the vocation wherein he is called, and therein to glorify God and serve his generation. Do not say, your influence is confined to a narrow sphere!-Yon little taper is not a sun: yet observe how brightly it shines, how far it spreads its rays in the dark night! Hide not then your light, whatever it be, under a bushel; nor keep your talent, because it is a single one, wrapped up in a napkin. Of this I can assure you, that if you adorn the Gospel by a holy conversation, you will give light to some who sit in darkness, and prove a blessing to your relations, friends, and neighbours. You will preach to the eyes, what we preach to the ears. You will be living epistles, known and read of all men.And can you hesitate to plead his cause before men, who is ever pleading yours before his FATHER in heaven?-Can you continue silent, when you see so many profaning his day, slighting his word, forsaking his house, and blaspheming that holy name, whereby you are called? Can you remain at ease, when numbers round you are blindly straying in the paths of the Destroyer, and approaching that precipice, from which if they fall, they fall to rise no more? Have you forgotten the admeni tion, which says, "Thou shalt not suffer sin upon thy neighbour?" Do you not bear in mind the gracious promise, "He that converteth a sinner from the error of his ways shall save a soul from death," and "those who turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars for ever and ever?" And do you not eagerly long to share in that blessed work, which shall swell the number of the redeemed, shall diffuse new joy among the angels of heaven, and add fresh trophies to the SAVIOUR'S glory? If you refuse to lend your aid in promoting the great end of our ministry, where is your love to CHRIST, where is your affection for those Ministers whom you acknowledge as your fathers in him?-As you value the salvation which JESUS offers; as you prize his tears, his labours, and his death ;-O pass not another day without praying for those who will not pray for themselves; without making some affectionate attempt to do good to the souls of others, by dropping at least a word in season, which may be, in the hand of God, the turning point of a sinner's salvation! But if it be the duty of every one, to consult his neighbour's good to edification, how much more binding is the obligation on those, who stand towards each other in the endeared relations of life! Are you a Parent? Can you then look upon your children, that heritage and gift that cometh of the LORD, and not breathe out a fervent prayer,-0 that they may live before thee!-Remember, you are entrusted with the care of immortal beings; and it will mainly depend on your precepts, your prayers, and your example, whether they will be the heirs of eternal bliss, or endless woe! O, bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the LORD; in that holy course of discipline and instruction, which Gon is usually pleased to bless, and which will fit them either for earth or heaven. Lose no time in sowing the seed: you know not how soon the opportunity may be closed. Keep evil out of their minds by storing them with good,with Gospel principles: but be sure, they be the principles of the Gospel ; not that meagre thing which the world calls religion,-worshipping GoD one day in the week, and worshipping the world all the rest; but that religion which humbles the sinner, which sanctifies the heart, which gives the SAVIOUR the supreme place in the affections, and which is, in fact, the kingdom of heaven begun within us. Make them familiar with the Bible. Bear them often on your hearts before a throne of grace. Pray for them! weep for them! and though for a time you may perceive no fruit from your pains, your prayers, and your tears, depend upon it, sooner or later it will be found, that "your labour" for your children "has not been in vain in the LORD." Are you a Husband or a Wife? Remember, you have promised, before GOD and man, to love each other with peculiar affection. Fail not then to show this affection by endeavouring to promote a work of grace in each other's heart. Take sweet counsel together, and walk to the house of GOD as friends. Watch over each other's souls; daily suggest some useful hint; bear each other's burdens; strengthen one another against temptation; encourage one another against the cross, which all must bear that desire to follow CHRIST. Pray for each other, and pray with each other. Live continually as heirs together of the grace of CHRIST; and then you will enjoy a happiness, both present and in prospect, far beyond what the most affectionate pair ever yet enjoyed, whose affections were bounded by the present life. Are you a Master, holding authority, having servants and labourers under you, saying to this man, "Go, and he goeth,' and to another, "Do this, and he doeth it?" O bear in mind, that you are entrusted with this authority, not merely for your own accommodation, but for the protection, the instruction, and the salvation of those that are under you. In furtherance of this object, let me earnestly recommend to you family-religion. Establish, without delay, morning and evening worship at home. Read the Scriptures to your household. Ask, in devout prayer, the mercies and blessings of which you mutually stand in need; and beg for grace to perform your respective duties, as unto the LORD.— And when the Sabbath comes, fail not to conduct your dependents to the house of GOD; you cannot command a blessing upon them, but you can place them where the blessing usually is vouchsafed. Be not satisfied, either for yourself or for them, with a half-attendance on divine worship: remember the influence of example: and think it not much to come twice to his house one day in the week, who comes daily, nightly, and hourly with comforts and blessings to yours. -Have you weekly labourers to pay? I beseech you, pay them early on the Saturday, or, what would be better still, on the Friday; that they may have time to make their needful purchases, without encroaching on the day of the LORD, and be enabled to prepare both body and mind for the service of the Sanctuary. O that I could prevail on all who are engaged in trade amongst us, to leave off the unhallowed practice of selling goods on the Sabbath day !—It is breaking, they must know, the laws both of GOD and man: it is unfitting both buyer and seller for the peaceful and pious observance of the day of rest: it resembles the unsanctified traffic, which our LORD so severely reprobated, in the courts of the temple: and it entails upon hundreds, throughout the week, the curse of a broken Sabbath.-I rejoice to perceive (and I sincerely thank them for it) that some of my neighbours have set the salutary example of shutting up their shops on the Sabbath, and have resolved, on a principle of conscience, to forego custom and profit, rather than thus trespass any longer against the LORD. And you, my friends, who get your bread by selling that liquor, which in moderation refreshes and strengthens the poor man, but which in excess poisons and destroys him ;-0 take heed, that you do not seek your profit in the intemperance of your guests: if you encourage, or if you allow them, to add drunkenness to thirst, and to squander in drink those earnings, which should feed, and clothe, and comfort their wives and children at home, then your house becomes a moral nuisance; and you dearly purchase your gains: you be come in the sight of GoD accessary to that wretchedness which prevails in the drunkard's family; to those diseases which destroy his bodily health; and to that awful ruin which awaits his soul! I thought I had done,-but I feel I cannot lay down my pen without a word of tender encouragement to those dear Children, who have for some time been the objects of our public care.-Even you can help your Ministers!-for "out of the mouths of babes and sucklings the LORD can ́ordain strength."-Let all then see, in your meek, and humble, and dutiful conduct, what a lovely thing it is to be religious. Who knows but the hearts of some thoughtless parents may be touched by your pious example, and your affectionate behaviour;-and though only children in years, you may set a pattern of godliness to those who are older; and be the honoured and happy instruments of communicating spiritual life to those, from whom you derived your natural existence? How greatly would it strengthen the hands of your Ministers, if we could find, in every class and in every station, helpers in the work of the LORD; if every man would teach his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, "Know ye the LORD!"-Then we should speedily witness, through the blessing of God, a serious concern for salvation pervading the parish; an increasing thirst after the water of life; a more diligent attendance on the public means of grace; and a more humble, holy, and consistent walk in private. Then I might indeed indulge the blissful hope, that when I pen my fold for eternity, not one of those now numbered in my flock would be wanting! And now, Brethren, I take my leave as your Annual Monitor; affec-· tionately commending you to GoD, and to the word of his grace, "which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among them which are sanctified!" I remain, dearly Beloved, your NARRATIVE OF THE CONVERSION OF MIRZA MAHOMED ALI, A LEARNED PERSIAN. (From the "Scottish Missionary and Philanthropic Register.") THE following extracts from a letter dated Astrachan, April 28, 1823, and from some other Documents recently published, detailing the particulars of the conversion to the christian faith of a learned and accomplished Persian, by the instrumentality of the Missionaries connected with "The Scottish Missionary Society," will not be deemed too long by any of our readers. "MIRZA MAHOMED ALI, aged twentyone years, is the only surviving son of HAGI KASEM BEK, a venerable old man, who is descended from one of the chief families of Derbent, and who, until a few years ago, held the office of Chief Kazy or Judge in that city. For reasons which we do not well understand, the old man was accused and convicted of treason; and, by orders of the GovernorGeneral of Georgia, had all his property confiscated, and along with some others, was sent prisoner to Astrachan. Some months after their arrival here, another order came from the Governor-General to send them all further up the country; but the old man having procured an order from one of the physicians, stating that from sickness it was impossible for him to travel, he was in consequence of this allowed still to remain, while the rest of his fellow-prisoners were moved to the distance of about three hundred versts from Astrachan. The old man feeling himself lonely, and having an only son at Derbent, wrote for him to come and be the companion of his exile, which the young man immediately did, and arrived at Astrachan about five or six months ago. Soon after the HAGI came to Astrachan, the Missionaries became acquainted with him; and in the journals of MESSRS. GLEN and M'PHERSON, formerly transmitted, you will frequently meet with his name. It was with him that the long dispute took place respecting the authenticity of MOHAMMED's alleged miracle of dividing the moon. The acquaintance of the son with the whole of the Missionaries was a matter of course, the more particularly as MESSRS. GLEN and DICKSON had given him a New Testament, and had had frequent interviews with him during their residence in Derbent; and until the order from the Directors to MR. BLYTH to commence the study of Arabic arrived, he was in the habit of frequently visiting us. Then, being a good Arabic scholar, we engaged him as MR. BLYTH'S Teacher; and DR. Ross and MR. M'PHERSON also agreed to take lessons from him,-the former both in Turkish and Arabic. Soon after this, the German Missionaries from Basle were led, in a manner which they had not anticipated, but which had been evidently directed for wise and gracious ends, to part with their former Turkish Teacher, and to engage MAHOMED ALI; and by this means he was necessitated to spend five hours every day in the employ of them and us. Although, for reasons the propriety of which you will at once admit, we are not in the habit of entering into discussions with our Mohammedan Teachers, upon those points in which we differ, yet we seize opportunities, when they occur, of making remarks which may be calculated to shake their faith, and excite their inquiries after truth. But from the first, MAHOMED ALI was so free and open in his manner, that we ventured to use greater freedom with him than we otherwise would have done. Frequent discussions took place between him and those of us who were his pupils, as well as with some of the German Missionaries. At first, and indeed till within these few days, he firmly opposed all that was laid before him concerning the christian religion. At times, when the truth was plainly stated to him, he got completely angry, and gave vent to his feelings in blasphemous expressions against that holy name by which we are called. But still there seemed to be something about him that differed from what was observed in most of the Mohammedans; and within a few days after such ebullitions, he would begin his inquiries again, and endeavour to provoke discussion. Once, while reading a Turkish manuscript with him, DR. Ross pointed out some of its absurdities, particularly one sentence, which asserted that the world, angels, and men, were created for MOHAMMED, and that, had it not been for his sake, these would never have existed. MAHOMED ALI maintained the truth of the assertion strenuously. How,' said DR. Ross, 'is it possible to conceive that all these were created for the sake of a sinful man?' 'Ha,' replied he, do you say MOHAMMED was a sinner?' Certainly,' it was answered, he was.' Here he broke out into a strain of reproachful language against CHRIST and against his religion, and maintained that neither MOHAMMED nor any of the prophets were sinners. DR. Ross considered it proper to say nothing more to him at the time, and for several days never mentioned the subject of religion to him. He in future left it to MAHOMED ALI to introduce the matter, which he did pretty often; and thus obtained a better opportunity of laying before him the truth, than if he himself had been the mover of it. In the course of the time that was thus spent by him among us, we were enabled to make him acquainted with many things of which he was formerly totally ignorant; such as the respective numbers of Idolaters, Christians, and Mohammedans in the world; the exertions made by Christians in all parts of the earth to save the souls of men; the success which had attended their endeavours, both among idolaters and Mohammedans; and the certainty with which, trusting to prophecy, we expected the conversion of men of all ranks, climates, and religions, to the belief of the one GOD, and JESUS CHRIST Whom he had sent. These various points of information made a deep impression upon his mind at the time they were mentioned to him, particularly the belief which we cherished that all the Mohammedans would one day be Christians. He said to DR. Ross, Shall I too become a Christian?' It was answered, I do not know; but if you do not, am sure your children or descendants will.' He replied with force, I shall never become a Christian, and I will never marry." That this affected his mind considerably, appears from the circumstance that he more than once referred to the subject, and asked how soon such a change would be, how many Mohammedans had been already converted, &c.; and with regard to another of these points so communicated to him, that of there being Missionaries in every part of the world, he has since confessed that this fact had made a deep impression upon his heart, that a religion which could lead men to do so much for their fellow-creatures, must be from GOD, and not from themselves; whilst among Mohammedans, seemed to take any interest in the condition of others, whether they were in the way to heaven or not. none "These things, we hope, will be a sufficient introduction to the extracts from MR. M'PHERSON's Journal which |