sion had been formally made. About the period referred to, a child of one of the native Christians died, and was buried according to Christian custom. The father's former caste (the same to which Bhaichand had belonged) used all their influence to get the body of the child burned, which the father did not permit. This roused their indignation-they held meetings on the subject-influenced his wife to forsake him-declared they would not allow her to return unless he renounced Christianity-publicly intimated that he, Bhaichand and his family, and all others who had professedly embraced Christianity and had formerly belonged to that class, were expelled from the caste and had become unfit associates for any Hindu, and threatened with the same punishment all who should in any way assist them, or should even have a Christian book in their possession, or go to a place of Christian worship. Many who had till that period been loud in their declarations of esteem for Bhaichand and the religion he had embraced, now shewed the hollowness of their professions by openly joining the opposite party, and by every means in their power annoying him and all other natives who in any measure named the name of Christ. These things opened his eyes, and perceiving the cloud which was ready to burst on all who professed to love the Saviour, he opened to them his heart, his hand, and his house. From that day he appeared clad in all the armour which the gospel supplies, he encouraged the timid, warned the unruly, visited all the melas which occur during the rainy season in the neighbourhood of Surat, to distribute tracts and to speak of what he had tasted and handled of the word of life to the assembled crowds, invited and encouraged many to attend on the preaching of the gospel in the Mission Chapel and in his own house, and daily seemed to increase in his labours and self-denial in behalf of the really poor, the sick, and the dying. Making allowance for human infirmities, he literally went about doing good, and regarded no service too laborious or mean if he could benefit a fellow-creature. the same time his private conversation became much more savoury, and his whole demeanour such as indicated a deep acquaintance with the evils of his own heart, the temptations of Satan, and the snares of an ungodly world; and also manifested a clear view of the way of salvation, as originating in the sovereign mercy of God, flowing to us through the merits of his Son, and applied by the agency of the Holy Spirit. On these themes he delighted peculiarly to dwell in private conversation, and his discourses in public with the poor and others were generally interesting and appropriate. There was a softening or mellowing of his whole character, which was very pleasing, and gave vivid indications of rapid growth in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. About the 20th of September he was attacked with fever, and during the remaining ten days of the month he called several times at the civil hospital and received the requisite medicines. He seemed to be convalescent, though in a weak state, and no fears were entertained respecting his recovery. On the morning of sabbath the 29th he was not present at worship in the Mission Chapel, but appeared improving in health and lively in mind at the afternoon's service in his own house. On the 1st instant we were informed by a person connected with his family that he was still improving. It appears however that in the evening of that day he became suddenly very ill, and during the following night frequently manifested symptoms of delirium. Early on the morning of the 2nd we were informed of the change. Immediately I went to see him, and concluded that though the fever was high, and his speech somewhat indistinct and incoherent, yet there was no instant danger, and that my duty was to get a native assistant doctor to visit him with as little delay as possible. In order to accomplish this I returned, and

At

having obtained the desired individual set off again at half-past eight o'clock. He however died before we reached, and the body had been taken down to the lower hall near to the outer door of the house. Though he had been turned out of caste for embracing and professing Christianity, many of the caste people had entered the house and were preparing to dispose of the body in the usual Hindu way, while a very large concourse was assembled in the street. I requested his wife to give me the charge of the body for interment according to Christian custom, and his well known sentiments on the subject, and I would proImise that the funeral should be in full accordance with his wishes and his station in society; and endeavoured to strengthen my request by mentioning the incongruity of his former caste having any thing to do with the body of an individual expelled from their society, especially as it was in direct opposition to the wishes of the deceased. To this she gave me, as I then conceived, and afterwards found to be the fact, an evasive answer; and lest any impression should be made on her mind, she was dragged away, and I could see no more of her at that time. The people now became much excited, and wished me to leave the house. I begged them to become composed, to allow the body to remain a short time, and I would endeavour to settle the matter both amicably and honorably. A few of them then went into a back room, and having wrought themselves up into a perfect passion by stamping with their feet, beating on their breasts, and howling, returned where the body was, and declared in the hearing of all that they would do with it as they pleased, and stand all consequences, even to the giving up of life. A few of them now endeavoured to thrust me out of the house by sheer strength, but fearing they could not accomplish this without using violence, a few more by artifice dragged me into a corner and kept me there, while the others removed the corpse into the street. Considering it then beyond my influence, I was left at liberty, and the people proceeded with the corpse to the place of burning, and there consumed it in the usual Hindu way. After requesting the individual in charge of the affairs of the house to act as a faithful servant, and to avoid the most distant approach to peculation in the least matter, and begging all present to follow the example of the deceased as far as he had followed Christ, I returned home deeply impressed with the recollection of what I had witnessed, and the scene through which I had passed; but comforted by the assurance that "precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints," under whatever adverse circumstances He may in his infinite wisdom see meet to permit it to take place, or to be followed; for "He maketh even the wrath of man to praise Him, and the remainder of wrath," which will not subserve his purposes, "he restrains." "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord."

Surat, 16th October, 1839.

Remarks. The above detail, while it affords a bright display of the power of divine grace in changing the heart and reforming the life of an individual, points out, to those who are endeavouring to promote the kingdom of Christ in India, some of the obstacles with which the gospel has to contend-the many disadvantages under which converts still labour-the deep and abiding claims which they and their instructors have on the sympathies and prayers of all the people of God-and the prudence, zeal, and energy with which their Christian friends ought, not only to watch over their spiritual interests, but also to induce them to adopt and uphold, in the spirit of meekness, such measures as may maintain their civil rights inviolate. When any fear is entertained respecting the disposal of their bodies contrary to the manner which they themselves may choose, the insertion of a clause in their last wills has been strongly recommended.

As many of the natives in this land are ready to misconstrue the burning of the bodies of Christians, and in many instances grossly to pervert every occurrence of the kind, it appears of importance that all who are engaged in communicating divine truth to their minds, should plainly state to the unconverted, as occasion may require, that no form of burial or burning is supposed by Christians to affect the salvation of the deceased; though in the case of converts from Hinduism to the truth as it is in Jesus, burial is preferred to burning, as being not only more in accordance with the word of God, but in order to prevent the possibility of its being asserted that the Hindu customs are, in the least, approved.

What a flexible, and ridiculous mixture of absurdities must Hinduism appear to every reader of the latter part of the concluding paragraph of the above recollections. Many know that it is by no means scrupulous about the terms on which it receives back apostates while living; but few, it is imagined, are really aware that its arms are so widely extended as to embrace the very dead. Some of its votaries in Surat must be in a pitiful plight for props to support the falling mass, when they could degrade themselves so far as to co-operate in the burning of the body of one who had been expelled from their society when alive, as an unfit associate for any of its true members, and who had actually died under all the frowns and curses which, in their opinion, that expulsion included. "Bhaichand according to Hindu law," remarks the Rev. Dr. Wilson of Bombay, in giving me his opinion on the subject, "was an out-caste; and no expression of repentance for abandoning Hinduism (even supposing that such an expression were, falsely or otherwise, alleged in their defence by the members of his former caste) could have restored him without atonements which were altogether impracticable in his situation as a dying man. Those who took an active part in his funeral ceremonies, have subjected themselves to the penalty of excommunication. In the present state of relaxed discipline, which I do not regret to observe, it is improbable that even the most zealous supporters of the Hindu communion will insist upon their being visited with the punishment, which, according to the dictates of the shastra, they have merited." It is now generally reported among the natives in this place, that some individuals in the caste suggested the necessity of slightly punishing the offending members; but that a few very wise and benevolent brahmans devised an expedient by which all has been amicably settled and the purity of the Hindu faith preserved. They are said to have made a pútlí, image or effigy, of the deceased, the trunk and head of coarse flour and the extremities of reeds and grass, and by the power of Sanskrit prayers to have transformed this figure into the very body and soul of Bhaichand, who though he spoke nothing audible by vulgar ears, nor did any thing visible by vulgar eyes is, nevertheless, believed to have, in the presence and hearing of the initiated, renounced Christianity, again embraced Hinduism, been regularly received back into caste, and in that communion to have become sick and died-this effigy, this real body of the late Bhaichand, was then carried to the place of burning, and, after a few more Sanskrit prayers had been repeated over it, and several maunds of oil, &c. burned beside it, was consumed by fire, and the ashes according to the usual custom thrown into the river-the brahmans who performed the marvellous part of this farce were then presented with Rs. 100 by the widow of the deceased, and Rs. 100 more were given by her to the opposing party in the caste, and by this means all was hushed up. Some accounts state that the money was paid before the ceremony commenced on either supposition, it may truly be said respecting them, "A deceived heart hath turned them aside."

Christian Brethren! supposing only the one-half of the above ridiculous story to be true (the whole is believed by many here), what a humbling view it gives us of human nature! what need of the gospel and the influences of the Holy Spirit to turn these people from darkness to light, and from the power of satan unto God. "Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, and give him no rest, till he send forth his light as brightness, and his salvation as a lamp that burneth." Surat, 9th November, 1839.

V.-Missionary Conference-Itinerancy.

Most of our readers are doubtless aware that the Missionaries residing in Calcutta are in the habit of meeting on the first Tuesday of each month, for the purposes of social prayer and of conference on some prescribed question relating to the work in which they are unitedly engaged. The meeting of last month was held at the house of the Rev. Mr. Meiklejohn of the Scotch Church. The subject of conference was "Itinerancy as a form of Missionary operation." So important is this subject in its bearings on the conduct of Missions, that we believe we shall render an acceptable service to many of our readers by presenting them with a concise statement of the views expressed by the members present, interspersing or appending such remarks of our own as it may occur to us to make.

The question was proposed by the Rev. Mr. Lacroix, the Missionary who, we believe, most of all now in this part of India, has had experience of this branch of labour. Remarks were made by all the members, and particularly by Messrs. Wenger, Morton, Campbell and Macdonald.

On almost all points the sentiments of the speakers completely harmonized; and on none more than in regard to the high place that ought to be assigned to itinerancy among the various departments of Missionary duty. Indeed on this point there can scarcely among Christians be two opinions. While the duty of the Church is to preach the gospel to EVERY CREATURE, and while, in proportion to the multitudes to whom the gospel has not yet been preached, the number of preachers is so small, it is clearly the duty of those who are in the field to endeavour that their services may be made available to the instruction of the greatest possible number. The Missionary must sow beside all waters. His work will not be done till every individual on earth, male and female, rich and poor, young and old, has heard the gospel of salvation through the blood of the Incarnate Son of God. Hence those to whom has been committed the high and holy office of preaching the

gospel of the grace of God must not circumscribe their exertions by any limits narrower than those of the inhabited world. "In the morning they must sow their seed, and in the evening they must not withhold their hands, for they know not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good." Since all Missionaries believe and know that it is the Spirit of God," who worketh when and where and how he pleaseth," that can alone accomplish the work of a sinner's conversion to God, and since they know that their work consists merely in doing that by means of which the Spirit may do his part, it must at once appear manifest that the Missionary should see to it that as great a number as possible may be furnished with the knowledge of that truth by means of which the Spirit of the Lord works; as it is written, "Sanctify them by thy truth-thy word is truth."

If we knew that in the Lamb's book of life, this man's and that man's name is written, prudence-yea, mercy, might dictate that we should address ourselves only to those, and leave all the others to that fate which we cannot avert, and which our preaching only aggravates, by increasing their guilt, and placing before their eyes those blessings which are never to be theirs. But God has in great mercy and in great wisdom concealed from us his purposes in regard to individuals. He reserves to Himself the secret counsels of His will, but marks out as with a sunbeam the path of our duty. "Preach the word;""Be instant in season and out of season;""Preach the gospel to every creature." The first preachers of the gospel acted to the letter in accordance with these commands. Now we find them in Jerusalem, in the temple, and now in an apartment resorted to by strangers sojourning in the Jewish metropolis. Now we find them leaving the capital and travelling through cities and towns and villages-in places of public resort and in private dwellings, freely dispensing unto all who would receive it the gospel of that grace which had been freely bestowed upon themselves. In a few short years they traversed the principal countries of Asia and Europe. To the idly curious loiterers of the Grecian capital, to the humble women who resorted to the chapel by the river's side at Philippi, to the officers and courtiers of Cæsar's palace, and to the solitary Ethiopian traveller in the desert, we find them bearing the same precious message of grace and peace; "and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." In journeyings were they often. Not contented with letting it be known that they were in such a place, and that they would willingly receive all who should choose to come to them, they carried their message to the homes of men, and urged it upon their