DEATH OF THE REV. WM. WARD,

ONE OF THE BAPTIST MISSIONARIES AT SE

RAMPORE.

[From the Loudon Missionary Herald.] The Society and the Christian world will learn with peculiar sorrow, that so eminent a servant of Christ as the Rev. W. Ward has been suddenly removed by death from the Missionary field

"This unexpected loss of a most pious, humble, and devoted Missionary, whose name has long been embalmed in the hearts of Christians of all denominations, will be deeply deplored. To the family at Serampore it must appear an irreparable breach, and taken in connexion with the affecting mortality amongst Christian Missionaries in India, it must have proved a stunning dispensation to all engaged in the arduous work of evangelizing the Heathen.

Clouds and darkness are round about God; 'he holdeth back the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it;'-but his people must even then bow with silent and adoring submission before him, for shall not the Judge of the whole earth do right?" It was expected that the readers of the Herald would have derived unmingled pleasure from the present number, the communications from the eastern world being unusually encouraging; but God has attempered mercy with judgment He answers by terrible things in righteousness, and while he appears to be preparing the minds of the Heathen for a more general reception of the gospel, He teaches his church to 'cease from man, whose breath is in his nostrils. How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways are past finding out!!

"The painful intelligence is thus communicated in a letter from Mr. Yates, dated Cal cutta, March 8, 1823, and enclosing the note he had received the night before from Dr. Ca

rey.

"About eleven o'clock last night, after I had retired to rest, I received the enclosed note from Dr. Carey, which records one of the most painful events that has ever yet happened to the family at Serampore.

Copy of Dr. Carey's Note.

"Our dear Brother Ward breathed his last about half an hour ago, viz. a quarter before five o'clock, and will be committed to the grave to-morrow evening. It will be a comfort under our affliction to see any of our brethren from Calcutta on that painful occasion.

"I am very affectionately yours, "March 7, 1723."

"I know not of any death that has affected me so much since that of our beloved Trowt. Chamberlain's death we were prepared to expect, but this has come upon us like a thunder clap, which has filled us with consternation. Brother Ward was down in Calcutta, at the Monthly Missionary Prayer Meeting, held at the Loli Bazaar Chapel, on Monday evening. Every one remarked how well and how cheerful he looked, but, alas, before the week has closed, he has finished his course, and entered

into the joy of his Lord. His sickness lasted only about one day, his complaint was the cholera morbus, the disease so fatal in this country, and that of which our dear brother Anunda died. Dr. Carey was in Calcutta on Friday morning as usual, and he informed us that when he left home, brother Ward was very ill of the cholera morbus, and in the same evening after he returned, he wrote me the note which I send enclosed. O! how true it is that in the midst of life we are in death! The disease of which he died was so rapid and so violent, that it incapacitated him for conversation, and I believe he spoke very little. How mysterious are the ways of Providence, that he should have been preserved in his journeys by land and by sea, and then taken away as in a moment fron, the bosom of his family, in the full enjoyment of health and strength!

"I pray that this event may be graciously sanctified to us all. Does it not say, "Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the son of man cometh?' His late visit to England and America will, I am sure, make his death to be deeply lamented by all the friends of the Mission."

Wesleyan Missionary Society.

The proposal for fifty Friends to subscribe ten guineas each toward the outfit of a Missionary to Jerusalem, is likely to be soon realized. A Correspondent writes from the Lincoln District

"Such a plan presents many claims worthy of notice; but there is one not to be overlooked. The contributors in this way will feel a sort of relationship with their Missionary: for him, and for his Mission, they will be peculiarly solicitous; so that with whatever zeal and frequency they may pray for other endeared objects of regard, they will never forget their Missionary and his errand of mercy! To contemplate him scattering seed on the very spot where the Saviour of the World died for sinners, will awaken emotions as new and delightful as those which the revivisence of a long-departed and lamented friend would occasion. The inclosed 501. in furtherance of the plan, is the offering of a Friend in this District."

The Rev. B. Clough, who was one of the founders of the Society's Mission in Ceylon, has returned home for the restoration of his health. The translation of the Scriptures into Cingalese, and the compilation of a Dictionary of that language, have engaged much of his attention. The Society's Missionaries were all in health, except Mr. Newstead; in whose case, however, there was nothing alarming. It is Mr. Clough's intention to return, should his health, which had for some time declined under accumulated labours, be sufficiently restored.

Outward Difficulties of the Mission.

The brethren continued to suffer great extremities, in the early years of the Mission, for want of food. They were often driven to allay the cravings of hunger with shell-fish and sea-weed: they had recourse even to the remnants of tallow-candles, and thought themselves happy when they could procure some train-oil to mix up with their scanty morsel of oat-meal. The severity of their trials, at the end of 1735, may be judged of by the following statement

Before the departure of the ship, they were pressed by every one to take their passage in it to Europe; and to return, if possible, the next year. Even the Greenlanders, who seldom trouble themselves with reflection, wondered much what could induce the brethren to remain among them. Their resolute perseverance only excited the contempt of these savages; who knew no other estimate of a person's value, than his wealth and his ability to give much away. "Your countrymen," they would say, are worthless people, for they have sent you nothing; and you are not wise if you do not return."

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poise, taken from the belly of its dam, which was enough for a meal. Once, after an unsuccessful chase, they were forced by a contrary wind upon a desolate island, and obliged to lodge there all night: here they espied an eagle sitting on the nest, and shot it: after some trouble they got at the nest, and in it found four large eggs, besides the bird, which weighed twelve pounds: it also supplied them with a quantity of quills, an article of which they were much in want. In all their external distresses, the examples of Elijah and Elisha afforded them the most emphatical consolation.

Unfavourable State of the Natives.

The ingratitude and cruelty of the natives to the Missionaries greatly aggravated their sufferings. Crantz says

When the savages perceived their necessitous condition, they not only raised the price of their wares, but most of them, especially such as had received the greatest benefits from the brethren, would sell them nothing on any terms.

He adds, soon after

The scarcity of food increased as the winter advanced; and very little was to be procured from the Greenlanders, who could not be prevailed upon to curtail the luxury of their dancing-feasts. On one such occasion, the brethren witnessed the consumption of eleven seals; yet the most earnest entreaties could not move the dis

gusting revellers to part with a single morsel.

To these acts of cruelty were added perverse opposition, insults, and mockeries. The spirit and conduct of the natives in 1736 are thus described: The Greenlanders sometimes had not time to listen, on account of their business or a dancing match: at other times they would hear nothing but news; and told the brethren that they had heard enough already of spiritual things from abler instructers. At the same time, they were not only volatile and trifling under instruction, but, in case the brethren stopped more than one night in their houses, used all possible means to entice them to conformity with their dissolute practices; and as these did not succeed, but the brethren maintained their serious deportment, they endeavoured to tire them out by mocking their reading, singing, and praying, with all kinds of ridiculous mimicry, or by accompanying their devotional exercises with drums. They also took occasion, from their outward poverty, to ridicule them with all manner of cutting sarcasms, which the brethren had by this time learned to understand; and if the latter replied that they did not stay in Greenland for the sake of outward advantages, good eating or drinking, they retorted with a jeer, "Fine fellows indeed to be our teachers! We know very well that you yourselves are ignorant, and have learned your lessons of others."

The brethren bore these rude mockeries with equanimity. But when the savages perceived that they could effect nothing in this way, they began to insult and abuse the persons of the Missionaries. They pelted them with stones, for sport -took their things, and shattered them to pieces-and tried to spoil their boat, or drive it out to sea. One night the brethren heard a noise on the outside of their tent; and perceived that some one was pulling its curtains, which were fastened with pins. On going out they beheld a company of Greenlanders collected about the tent, some of whom had naked knives in their hands, and could not be driven off till threatened with fire-arms. The brethren supposed, at that time, that they came only to cut their tent-skins to pie

ces; but, some years after, when a number of Greenlanders in these parts were converted, they were informed that a conspiracy had been set on foot against their lives, in hopes that the other Europeans would not revenge the death of such poor despised people.

In 1737, it is added

Five long years of continued toil and hardship had passed away without any appearance of success; and it had already come to the knowledge of the brethren, that their unproductive labours were a subject of ridicule to many persons in their native country.

The present prospect was, indeed, dreary and comfortless. The Greenlanders who came from a distance were ignorant and stupid; and the little which they could hear in a short visit was soon effaced by the hurry of a migra ory life. In those who resided at Ball's River, the only change that could be perceived was for the worse: they were tired and disgusted, and hardened against the truth. They resolved to lend their hearing no longer, except for a bribe. To any kind of news they listened with delight; and could bear to hear interesting Scripture narratives, and accounts of miracles; but as soon as the Missionaries began to discourse on the nature and attributes of God, the fall and corruption of the soul, God's wrath against sin, the necessity of an atonement, faith and grace, the sanctification of the disordered creature, and eternal happiness or misery, they grew sleepy, answered every question with a "Yes," and slunk away one by one; or else they showed open marks of displeasure, and began to talk of seal-catching; or they pleaded their incapacity of understanding the truths proposed. "Show us the God that you describe,” they said: "then we will believe on him, and obey him. You represent him as too high and incomprehensible: how shall we arrive at him? or how can he trouble himself about us? We have invoked him, when faint and hungry, and were not heard. What you say of him cannot be true: or, if you know him better than we, pray for us; and procure for us a sufficiency of food, a sound body, and a dry house: that is all

but

We

we want. Our soul is healthy already you are of a different race from us: people in your country may have diseased souls; and from the instances we see of them, we can believe, that for them a physician of souls may be necessary. Your heaven, and your spiritual joys and feli cities, may be good enough for you, they would be too tedious for us. must have seals, fishes, and birds. souls can no more subsist without them than our bodies: we shall not find these in your paradise, which we will, therefore, leave to you and the worthless part of our countrymen ; but, as for us, we will go down to Torngarsuk-there we shall find a superfluity of all things, and enjoy

them without trouble."

Our

By such arguments did they endeavour to ward off every thing that was calculated to make an impression on their hearts -not sparing, unless they were checked, the most sacred mysteries of religion, in mockery too profane to be repeated; for the most stupid Greenlander can misuse his understanding, as well as his superiors in intellect.

Matthew Stach's account of a residence of a month among the natives to the southward, is a lively representation of the painful circumstances under which he and his brethren were called to labour

My hosts are extremely changeable in their conduct-sometimes friendly, sometimes morose. At first, I conversed much with them, and occasionally read them a passage from the New Testament; but now their desire of hearing is gone. I have told them the reason why the Son of God was obliged to die; but they only desire me to go out with them, and call upon God's Son to give them seals, be cause they are in want.

All I say to them of divine things is made matter of chit-chat and laughter: on the contrary, they extol their angekoks, who can vanish out of sight, glide along an invisible rope to heaven and hell, and rescue the incarcerated seals from the infernal demon: when I point out the absurdity of these tales, they angrily bid me hold my peace, and turn their backs upon me. At other times they will tell me that they believe all I say, and would have me

to stay longer with them, and learn their language, that I may tell them more; but these fits of good-will are very transient.

On one occasion they danced two whole nights successively. I believe there were one hundred and fifty people assembled together in the house: some of them tried every thing to vex me; and they drummed and bellowed so horribly during the dancing that my ears ached. The next day it rained violently: then they begged me to pray to the Son of God, because he was Almighty, to send them good weather, that the rain might not penetrate through the roof. I told them there was no necessity to pray for that, as they might prevent the inconvenience by spreading their tent skins upon the roof: they should rather pray to God to be gracious to their souls. They scouted my advice, and said they understood nothing about it, nor did they need it; though for myself, perhaps, it might be very good; and, in general, they speak contemptuously and spitefully of all that they have heard and professed to believe. They frequently ask questions, which sound very foolish, and yet involve sarcasms Christian truths. My soul is often in a flame when they mock my God.

on

However, the children all love me, and run after me: sometimes I call them together, speak with them, and ask them questions. They listen with pleasure; but it is difficult to keep up their attention; and as soon as some new object catches their eye, away they run after it.

As I was one day reading to a Greenlander, there occurred the words, "We should despise earthly things:" he immediately said, "Why so?" I informed him that God had created mankind, not only for this earthly life, but for an everlasting state of existence; and that it was the unhappy effect of the Fall, that men concerned themselves solely for the body, careless of the imperishable soul, and of that doom which awaits them when Christ shall come to judge the world, and shall conduct those who believe to heaven, but shall consign the wicked and unbelieving to fire unquenchable. The Greenlander replied, "If the Son of God be such a terrible Being, I do not wish to