might be produced by a single word? Drop it pleasantly among a group, and it will make a dozen happy, to return to their homes to produce the same effect on a hundred perhaps. A bad word may arouse the indignation of a whole neighbourhood, it may spread like wild-fire to produce disastrous effects. As no word is lost, be careful how you speak; speak right, speak kindly. The influence you may exert by a life of kindness--by kind words, holy words dropped among the young and the old-is incalculable. It will not cease when your bodies lie

in the grave, but will be felt, widely and still more widely as years pass away. Who then will not exert himself for the welfare of millions?

TRUST IN GOD.-Nothing doth so establish the mind amidst the rollings and turbulency of present things, as both a look above them, and a look beyond them; above them, to the steady and good hand by which they are ruled; and beyond them, to the sweet and beautiful end, to which, by that hand, they shall be brought. (1 Peter iv. 19.)-Leighton.

BAPTIST FOREIGN MISSIONS.

INDIA.

We have received the following interesting letter from the Secretary of the Young Men's Missionary Association, to whom it was addressed. It should be read in connexion with Mr. Phillips's last letter, extracts from which appeared in our November and December numbers:

"My dear Young Friends,

"I shall leave generalities and things unconnected with missionary work, to tell you of that which more immediately concerns mission work.

"I shall, therefore. now give you a few facts about missionaries and their assistants, in this paper.

"1st. On European and American Missionaries. We have, in India, English, Welsh, Scotch, Irish, Swiss, German, and American missionaries, and, probably, men from other countries. These have almost all been educated in some college or university in their native country. The body are on a par with ministers in England as to intelligence. We have some very superior men, equal to the mighty names of former days, such as Carey, Marshman, Ward, Morrison, Judson, Swartz, &c. From the fact of their following these men; from their being lost in a crowd of brethren nearly approaching them in greatness of character, intellect, and knowledge; and from their not being obtruded to public notice by favourable circumstances, little is known of them in England. Should they happen to engage in translations, write books, commence a new mode of missionary labour, meet with unwonted success, or visit England, to rouse you up by their startling facts or burning eloquence, then they become famous. But, as in the army, many a gallant soldier who does his ordinary duties well, attracts no public attention, because it has not been his lot to fight in some important battle, so here there are many missionaries, hard working, superior men, whose crowns shall shine brightly in the ranks of heaven, but are scarcely noticed here.

"Of course there is a mixture here with

respect to talent and piety, as in England. There may be some men who had better have remained at home; men who, perhaps, will do neither much harm nor good to the cause. These are, however, few; for missionaries are, generally, selected with care. I think the Scotch Church (now the Free Church) have been most careful in selecting their men; consequently, they work well, and, I suppose, seldom or never disappoint those who send them out. Some missionary bodies appear to lay more stress on learning, and some, more on piety. Some missionaries appear to have given more attention to theology, and others, more to the classics, than others. Many of our laborious and eminently pious German brethren have not received a college education; whilst others, like our German-Swiss brother, Wenger, are profound scholars.

"The salaries of these missionares are generally derived from the societies which send them out; but some are supported by benevolent individuals in India, as Mr. Start's missionaries, about Patna and Cherrapunji. The salaries range in different societies and localities between two and three hundred pounds a year. This may seem to you a great sum, but if you will examine the letters of the early missionaries of fifty years ago, you will see that these sums are really necessary for the moderate comfort and health of Europeans in India. It may be laid down as an axiom, that an European requires twice, in this land, to what would make him comfortable at home. Some men insist that civilians and others should receive five times the salary in India, which they would have received for similar posts in England.

"The many servants, the necessity for keeping a conveyance, the high price of European articles, the comforts which become necessaries in this debilitating clime, all conspire to demand liberal salaries, to keep missionaries in an efficient state for labour.

"And now let me tell you a sad fact, which impairs the efficiency of these European and American missionaries. They almost all become sickly after a few years' residence in India. This is partially the

effect of the climate; partially of their engagements; and partially of their own imprudence. With the greatest care, and every advantage, all begin to yield within the first two years of their stay here, and all require a change after ten or twelve years roasting and steaming. The exceptions to this are rare. The duties of many, again, lead them to sedentary habits, which all students, clerks, &c., know to be very injurious, unless alternated with activity.

"No doubt you are aware that different missionaries have different labours allotted to them, according to their various talents. One is a translator, another a printer, a third a schoolmaster, a fourth a preacher in English, a fifth a preacher to the natives, and a sixth a composer of tracts and books. Some missionaries take up two or three of the above employments. As to the comforts of life we have nothing to complain of. We live nearly the same as in England. There are many more servants, thinner clothes in the hot weather, certain arrangements for making the house as cool as possible, more confinement during the day, and far less extent and variety of society, except in such places as Calcutta, than in England. The trying climate, the want of christian intercourse, and the loss of the society of our relatives, are, I apprehend, our severest trials.

"2nd. Besides missionaries from Europe and America, there are many most worthy, useful men who have been engaged in this country, and also are generally EastIndians. This is, therefore, the land of their birth and their home. In many respects they are more admirably adapted to the work of missions than we are. The climate is natural to them; they generally know how to speak and read the native language well, in fact much better, as to pronunciation, than any foreigners. They are intimately acquainted with the customs of the natives, and a little study makes them familiar with their religion and literature. There is no expense in bringing them out and sending them home; and many of them, as our beloved, learned, pious, useful brother Thompson, are quite equal to a good European missionary. He was, however, remarkable for possessing the quality of energy and decision, which is too often wanting in our East-Indian brethren. Many of them are also deficient in general knowledge; but almost all have amply sufficient for important posts in the wide field. There is room for every degree of talent, piety, and energy here. Every mission should have a large corps of these men.

"3rd. Native labourers. I have been informed by one of the Secretaries of the Baptist Missionary Society, that you want to know more about these preachers, in common with their native brethren. As in the two former classes, it is very difficult to make any general assertion respecting them, as, in every respect, they differ so widely, according to the circumstances of their parentage, previous habits, education, natural talent, and character. They are

generally a passive, inert race of men, in common with their countrymen; consequently, they have not such lively christian feelings, and such restless, dauntless energy in their work, as European and American missionaries display. There are a few splendid exceptions. Then, again, our brethren are but imperfectly renewed in their souls. The filthy stains of their former lives, their long established habits, are not easily shaken off at once. The love of money, of ease, and of the praise which cometh from man,-the propensity to wrangle with and backbite one another,—and, above all, a want of a high estimate of perfect truth and sincerity-evidence a great weakness of moral character. They are also strongly tempted to grosser crimes. Considering, however, the little instruction they receive, the distance at which they are kept from their missionaries and European fellow-christians, and their previous moral and mental disadvantages, it is really wonderful to see some of them thrive and endure so well. I am acquainted with two eminent brethren in our mission-one Shujātāli of Calcutta, and Nain Sookh of Monghyr. They appear to me to be humble, hard working, holy men, such as apostles would have rejoiced in. When Nain Sookh visited the North West Provinces some years ago, his conduct and labours were a silent rebuke to our lukewarm, money-loving brethren at Agra. His loving, winning manner in addressing the heathen and his brethren, with his constant zeal, produced a great impression on all. One of my own native preachers has also gained the high esteem of all christians, European and native, who are acquainted with him. You may see my confidence in him, by the fact of my leaving him in charge of my station, Muttra, for this whole year. He has only one new convert to help him. The school, the native church, preaching, and distribution of books, are all attended to by him.

"These brethren generally adhere closely to their native customs as to dress, food, habitation, &c. They also live near the missionary for the sake of instruction, uniting in family prayer, and being under the watchful eye of their pastor. They exhibit great affection to their missionary and his family, and take much interest in the children. The servants of course despise them, because they have left their old religion and have become outcasts, and, in the absence of the missionary, do not hesitate to shew their dislike. The people of the city also often rail at them for abandoning their national and parental religion, and worldly Europeans often despise them as hypocrites, whom the love of money has tempted to christianity. They, therefore, demand much love, and much watchfulness on the part of the missionary.

"These men should form the main army, the Sepoys of Jesus Christ our Lord. By their instrumentality the gospel may be spread widely. They live on one-tenth of our salaries. They can bear the heat almost with impunity. They know their

neighbours' characters, sins, and literature, and the best mode of touching their hearts. Oh! that I had one hundred first-rate native preachers, and I would, with God's blessing, evangelize central India in ten years.

"I am, my dear young friends,
Yours affectionately,

THOMAS PHILLIPS."

IMPORTANT CAUTION TO DISSENTERS.

Though briefly, we think it most important to advise all Dissenters to watch with the utmost care every public act of Parliament this year. Our all-engrossing, rapacious, and haughty State- Church will endeavour to use the Papal business as a means of acquiring increased advantages at the cost and to the injury of Dissenters. Worse than this, we are compelled to believe our Premier Minister officially untrustworthy. Ever since he sacrificed the "Appropriation Clause" to State - Church clamour, he has annually become, less liberal, and is, probably, now, one of the most formidable hindrances to the nation's political progress, and to its deliverance from Ecclesiastical bondage. Let Dissenters remember that the Session before last, in an act professedly for another purpose, he allowed a clause to be introduced by stealth, so that it was never suspected till the Session was over, empowering magistrates, not merely to distrain, but to imprison for three months, any one who should disobey their order to pay a Church-Rate! In the hands of such a Government our liberties are not to be trusted for an hour. We think Dissenters ought to appoint a VIGILANCE COMMITTEE, containing men of high legal attainments, but of thoroughly Dissenting and Anti-State - Church principles.

PUDSEY.

On Wednesday, January 8th, 1851, the new Baptist Chapel, Pudsey, was opened for divine worship, when sermons were preached in the afternoon, by the Rev. J. Stock, of Salendine-Nook, and in the evening, by the Rev. A. M. Stalker, of Leeds. On the following Sunday, three sermons were preached by the Rev. J. Crook, of Hebden-Bridge. The evening service was held in the Pudsey Wesleyan chapel, when about a thousand people were assembled. On Sunday, the 19th, the Rev. J. Foster, of Farsley, preached in the morning, and the Rev. R. Holmes, of Rawden, in the afternoon. In the evening, Mr. Holmes preached in the Pudsey Independent chapel. On Wednesday evening a public tea meeting was held, when addresses were delivered by neighbouring ministers and friends. delightful feeling pervaded the different services, and many friends from neighbouring churches rendered liberal help. of ground, chapel, school-room, &c., £520. The collections at the different services, and the proceeds of the tea party, amounted to £71; previous subscriptions to £279; remaining debt £170. Some further particulars respecting this interesting effort may be found in "The Church," for July, 1850.

A

Cost

DUNDEE.

On the evening of Tuesday, 19th Dec., a number of the friends of the Rev. Thomas Henderson, late pastor of the Baptist church, Seagate, Dundee, entertained him at a soirée in the hall of the Watt Institution. Patrick Watson, Esq., occupied the chair, and, after a brief address, presented Mr. H. with a purse of sovereigns, the contributions chiefly of temperance friends. Mr. Henderson suitably acknowledged the gift, and the meeting was addressed by several ministers and friends. Mr. Henderson has, for some time back, acted as agent of the Dundee Society for the Suppression of Intemperance. He has long been a zealous advocate of this good cause, and has been instrumental in reclaiming many victims of this degrading vice. He has now been appointed secretary and agent of the Scottish Society for the Conversion of Israel, and has removed to Glasgow to enter upon the duties of that office.

LEITH.

On the evening of Thursday, 2nd Jan., the Baptist church in Leith held its second annual soirée. About fifty persons sat down to tea; Mr. Pearson, the minister, presiding. A testimonial of esteem was presented from the church and congregation to the Rev. Thomas Rix, whose labours among them were shortly to terminate. The testimonial was Bagster's English Hexapla, and bore the following inscription:-"Presented to the Rev. Thomas Rix, by the members and friends of the Baptist Church, Leith, in token of their esteem for him as a christian minister." Mr. Rix acknowledged the present in very feeling terms, and concluded by giving an account of the steps by which he had been led to resign his connection with the Wesleyans, and to become a Baptist.

SHREWSBURY.

Our constant and valued correspondent, the Rev. James Smith, informs us, that as Liverpool does not agree either with himself or his family, he has accepted a unanimous invitation from the church at Shrewsbury, which has sunk into a very low and depressed condition, to endeavour to revive that ancient cause, and will enter upon his regular labours there the first Lord's day in February; and he desires the prayers of all his friends, that he may succeed in this attempt to the Lord's glory.

ELGIN, SCOTLAND.

The Rev. John Gregson, late of Horton College, and subsequently of Glasgow University, has accepted the unanimous invitation of the church in Elgin, to become their pastor, and has already commenced his stated labours in that place.

RISHWORTH, NEAR HALIFAX.

The Baptist congregation in this place, has just succeeded in liquidating the debt which was previously a burden on their place of worship. On Dec. 1st, 1850, the Rev. J. Whitaker, of Golcar, preached two impressive sermons on the occasion of the accomplishment of this desirable object.