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INTELLIGENCE.

Stevenson, W. M. Baker, &c. From the collections, tea, and collecting cards, £200. were realized, and the meeting engaged to liquidate the £70. still remaining on the school, &c., by Good Friday next. A very excellent spirit pervaded the whole of the services, and from the account read by our pastor, it was evident that special prosperity had been vouchsafed during the past year, and that the various institutions had been liberally supported, and were in a thriving state.

The

SPALDING, Lincolnshire.-The anniversary services connected with the General Baptist chapel in this town, took place Oct. 20th, and 21st. On Lord's-day, the 20th, Mr. Hoe, Mr. Simons, and Mr. Strutt, (Indep.), preached, and collections were made. annual tea-meeting was held on Monday, when a very respectable company sat down to tea in the school rooms. The meeting was addressed by Messrs. Everard, Goldsworthy, Strutt, (Indep.) and Wilkinson, (Wesleyan.) The meeting was much enlivened by singing several pieces of sacred music. Mr. Butters was called to preside, when he briefly stated that the Baptist interest at Spalding had continued nearly 200 years, the first preacher's name was Denney,—in 1646; the first chapel, built in the year 1689, cost £89; the second in 1716, £137. 18s. ląd.; the third, 1811, £400.; the fourth, which is the present, on the same site, in 1828, £800.; considerable enlargement was made in 1842, at a cost of £450.; also one built at Pinchbeck, by the Spalding friends, in 1818, and cost £160. The proceeds of this interesting meeting were upwards of £70, leaving a debt of £200., which we feel anxious to pay off the next two years, which will complete the second centenary.

WISBECH.-At the last anniversary, Nov. 4th, a gentleman offered £100 towards the £350 debt, providing the remainder should be collected in one year; upwards of £200 has been already offered.

THE MIDLAND CONFERENCE will meet at Loughborough, on Tuesday, Dec. 31st. Brother Hudson is expected to preach.

REMOVALS.

MR. J. LINDLEY has resigned the pastoral care of the Church at Macclesfield. His closing service was on Lord's-day, Oct. 27th. MR. W. GOODLIFFE has resigned his ministry at Kirton-in-Lindsay.

MISCELLANEOUS.

THE ACADEMY, LEICESTER.-At a committee meeting held in Leicester, Oct. 29th, it was resolved:

1. To sanction and approve the engagement of Mr. J. Lewitt with the church at Coventry.

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2. To sustain the arrangement of the subcommittee in the appointment of Mr. J. Noble, of Belgrave, as treasurer, pro tem., consequent on the resignation of Mr. J. Hodgson, on account of distance, feeble health, and various engagements.

3. To confirm the following probationary students in the enjoyment of the privileges of the institution; viz., Messrs. J. C. Sarjant, W. Greenwood, John A. Jones, and Caleb Springthorpe; in consequence of the favorable report of the tutor as to their talents, conduct, and application.

4. To receive the two missionary students into the institution, subject to such charge on the Foreign Mission funds as shall be agreed on by the finance committee.

5. As several churches have not collected for the Academy, or the special appeal, it was agreed to address them by circular on this subject, soliciting their co-operation and

assistance.

6. That we request the sub-committee to take into their consideration what steps can be recommended as adapted to promote the benefits and efficiency of the Academy.

SINGULAR OPEN-AIR SERVICES.-Being on a visit to the coast, at Hunstanton, Norfolk, in July last, I was delighted, when walking on the sands, to meet Mr. Underwood, from London, Mr. Pike, of Wisbech, Mr. Pegg, of Derby, &c. Will it not add to the pleasures of heaven, to see first one and then another of our acquaintances that we have loved below? I persuade myself it will; and I do expect to see many of my relatives and friends, with whom I have often held sweet converse, and recount the love and mercy of Him who has brought us safely to Canaan's happy shore. But I am digressing. There were some interesting services held here in the open air; and they excited considerable attention. Mr. Hamilton, of Lynn, an Independent minister, preached one Lord'sday evening, on the shore; a large rock served him as a pulpit, and the surrounding rocks were used as seats by a considerable audience. Mr. Underwood preached on a piece of ground called "the butt land," to a good congregation, on the week night; and, the following Lord's day evening, the congregation met again on the rocks. A Wesleyan gave out the hymns; Mr. H. preached an excellent sermon, from, "Go up now, look toward the sea;" and two grey-headed deacons, one a Particular Baptist, from Lynn, and the other a General Baptist, from Nottingham, raised the tunes. The sun shone in all his glory, while the ever-moving sea rolled at our feet with all its solemn grandeur. These interesting services, of course, somewhat disturbed the equanimity of certain clerical dignitaries in the place.

JAMES SMITH.

MISSIONARY OBSERVER.

ARRIVAL OF MR. BUCKLEY AT MADRAS.

[We are exceedingly delighted to receive the following letter from our dear brother Buckley. The voyage was very prosperous, performed in little more than eleven weeks. Our brother regards his pleasant and safe voyage as an answer to prayer.-ED.]

Madras, Sep. 10th, 1844.

MY VERY DEAR BROTHER,-I rejoice, in commencing my first letter to you from this idolatrous land, that the information I have to communicate is such as constrains me to say to all my dear friends, "Come magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together." I have had a remarkably propitious voyage; it is, with one exception, the quickest voyage ever made. We lost sight of dear Old England's shores on Friday, June 14th, being then within a mile of Eddystone light-house, and seventyeight days after, Aug. 31st, we anchored in Madras roads. In this respect, then, of all the thousands who have gone to India by way of the Cape, none have been more favored than we, and only one ship's com pany equally so. We have had much less rough weather than usual, though it is singular that most of our Sabbaths were rough. With captain Toller I was a good deal pleased, and my fellow passengers were for the most part agreeable and intelligent, a goodly number of them were truly devoted to the Lord. For three or four days after the pilot left us, I suffered considerably from sea-sickness;-but afterwards I bore the motion so well that I was as able to read and study as on land. Indeed often when in smooth water I could scarcely realize being at sea, it seemed as if I was pacing to and fro in the study, instead of being in a floating habitation, thousands of miles distant from that land which, with all its faults, I shall always ardently love. I frequently regretted, especially during the former part of the voyage, that I had not the opportunity of preaching to my fellowpassengers. The clergyman who was with us was very friendly,-was warmly attached to evangelical doctrines, but not sufficiently catholic to unite in conducting service with a dissenting minister. The captain expressed his regret that it could not be arranged for us to preach alternately, and I expressed mine more strongly, believing, as Philip Henry says, that "candles were made to burn, and ministers made to preach." I regularly devoted a part of the Sabbath to the soldiers and sailors, and could not but hope that these exercises were a good preparation for my future work. Shall I furnish you with a description of one of these

opportunities as a specimen ? It shall be the first. After entreating Divine assistance, I went forth, scarcely knowing how to begin, and fearing that I should not be able to adapt myself to the class of minds with which I had to deal. On seeing a number

of sailors smoking their pipes under the forecastle, I went and sat by the side of one, and began to tell him that I felt myself to be in the sight of God on a level with him, that his soul was as precious as mine, or as the captain's-that I felt that I was a sinner born to die, and in danger of the wrath of God, but that I hoped through Christ I had obtained mercy-that I was going to tell the poor idolaters of India of Jesus Christ, who came into the world to save sinners, and that I was glad of an opportunity of directing him, and his companions, to the same blessed Saviour. Others soon gathered round, and all that could read eagerly received the tracts, with which I was favored by the Religious Tract Society, many of which I have no reason to doubt were attentively read. I found, from the answers which some of them returned to my questions, that they were deplorably ignorant and indifferent: they needed line upon line-here a little, and there a little. I had, also, a lengthened conversation with one of the soldiers; several others sitting or standing by as listeners. I asked him what his mother said when he enlisted, which I found he had but recently done. He was startled; and though he tried to suppress emotion, was obviously touched by the question; he confessed that he had run away from home, and that she did not know what had become of him. I expostulated with him-told him that I was surprized and shocked at his conduct, as well as grieved for his poor broken-hearted mother. Could not but think that I had proof, in this instance, that there is no readier way of arresting the attention, and of getting at the stony heart of a thoughtless youth, than by reminding him of his best earthly friend. On learning that this youthful trifler was a Roman Catholic, and that he placed great dependance on the apostle, who, according to the Papists, keeps the keys of the kingdom, I told him that I had two of Peter's letters in my pocket. He looked amazed; but I assured him that my statement was perfectly correct, and then taking out the Holy Book, I read some select portions from the first letter, on Christ "bearing our sins in his own body on the tree;" and on the awful "end of those who obey not the Gospel of God." Altogether, it was to me an interest

ARRIVAL OF MR. BUCKLEY AT MADRAS.

ing opportunity, and, though what was done must not be dignified with the name of preaching, it was much more adapted to those addressed than any regular sermon would have been. As most of the soldiers were Irish Roman Catholics, and as I could not but hope that I gained their confidence, I was favorably circumstanced for judging as to the influence which popery exerts over its deluded votaries. My previous impressions of its being essentially mischievous were very decided, and they have been abundantly confirmed. I was especially struck with the influence which the belief of purgatory has. It at once destroys the hope of heaven and the fear of hell. They had not the most distant expectation of being with Christ as soon as they departed, nor were they alarmed by fears of being consigned to endless misery. They expected, as a matter of course, that at death they should go to "limbo," as they usually designate purgatory; and that they should be released at the day of judgment, if not previously delivered by the prayers of the priest; and this belief emboldened them in sin. One of the men lent me the Douay version of the New Testament, and I carefully looked it over. There was more scriptural truth in some of the notes than might have been expected-a circumstance which reminded me of an old remark, that Satan generally mixed truth with his lies, that they may be more readily believed; but, in other places, the impudence of the statements (I use that ugly word advisedly) was amazing. I have entered at some length into the matter in my journal, which I hope to forward to Mr. Pike by the overland next month.

We had evening worship in Mrs. Gordon's cabin. Mrs. G. is the wife of one of the Independent missionaries at Chicacole. With many of these opportunities I was a good deal pleased. By request of the ladies, I expounded. Our number was usuully ten or eleven, a very gratifying number indeed, when it is considered what a ship's company too often is, and when it is added, that all who united with us were Episcopalians, and that none were invited.

I paid considerable attention to the language, not, I hope, without making some improvement, though scarcely so much as I expected. I often pleased myself with the thought that the peculiar mercies of this propitious voyage were vouchsafed in answer to the prayers of many dear friends in England, and some in India; but I do not imagine that any of my friends sup. posed that I was so happy as I really was. I have never enjoyed, in the same length of time, so much of that "calm and heavenly frame," which is so desirable and welcome. Happier hours than many spent in the Wellesley I neither expect nor desire to

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spend upon earth. In musing, as I often did, on the arduous but most blessed work to which infinite grace has called me, Joshua i. 7-9, was much in my thoughts, a text which clearly teaches that if the servants of God enter on his work with holy courage,exercising strong confidence in him, and with an humble determination to make his word the chosen theme of their meditation and discourse, he will bless them in all that they do, and attend them whithersoever they go. My prayer is, that my missionary career, which I cannot but feel has been auspiciously commenced, may be marked by an adherence to these grand principles. Henceforth, I only wish to live to promote the kingdom of Christ in this idolatrous land.

I wish I could describe the scene witnessed as soon as we anchored, but it would require a much more practised pen, the strange appearance of the boats, the swarms of natives, their being almost naked, and their responsive singing while conveying us to the beach, presented a scene which beggars description, and which produced strange emotions; it is as common, however, as the arrival of a vessel. I could not but be thankful on seeing my degraded brethren in human nature, that "honor all men," was a part of the divine word. And then, how peculiar the feelings realized on landing! How afflictive the thought, "In this land satan has probably done more mischief than any where else!" But O how cheering, that the divine faithfulness is pledged, that India, which is now "the hold of every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird," shall be wrested from the malignant grasp of the great adversary, and become one of the brightest gems in Immanuel's crown! It must be so, it will be so ; and it is to my present circumstances, a most animating consideration that my humble labors, by the blessing of the eter nal Spirit, may accelerate the glories of that day when bright spirits of light, bending from their thrones, will see every idol banished from India, and her millions uniting in the song, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain." But I am digressing. I must proceed, then, to inform you that I was introduced on landing to Mr. Van Someren, (who is a Baptist, but as there is no Baptist church in Madras, he is connected with the Independents,) and was soon conveyed to the hospitable abode of this gentleman; and while enjoying a refreshing cup of tea, I found to my surprize and pleasure that one of the company, (a missionary's wife), was intimately acquainted with Harboro' and its vicinity. At once I felt myself at home; and when the evening had been agreeably and profitably spent with christian friends who I had not previonsly seen. As Mr.

Van Someren had another visiter on the Monday following, he transferred me, reluctantly, as he said, to the Rev. A. Leitch, an estimable missionary of the London Society, to whose christian kindness, as well as to that of his brethren with whom I have enjoyed daily intercourse, I am deeply indebted. At first I regretted that we should be detained at Madras as much as ten days, but now rejoice that this has been the case, as it has furnished a good opportunity of obtaining much information respecting missionary operations in Southern India.

I

should like to communicate much of what I have seen and heard, but have not time; hope to do so on a future occasion. Have been gratified with the kind manner in which our dear mission band are always spoken of. Have preached twice for Mr Porter, (pastor of the English Independent church), and have addressed his Bible class. Last evening I had the pleasure of meeting with ten missionaries: the subject discussed was the character and success of popish missions in India. Much important information was elicited.

The ship will leave the roads early tomorrow morning, and all my overland letters must be finished this evening. We expect to reach Vizagapatam on Friday or Saturday. Brother Wilkinson will meet me there. Berhampore is 150 miles from Vizagapatam, but travelling in India is a very different affair from railway-travelling in England. I have only in conclusion to say that I feel as deeply desirous as ever that my dear friends will," for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake and for the love of the Spirit, strive, (agonize, you know is the original word), together with me in their prayer to God for me." With kind regards to Mrs. G.,

Yours, very affectionately,

JOHN BUCKLEY. P. S. Tuesday-night, Sep. 10. Have just heard from Berhampore. All is well. Farewell.

GENERAL BAPTIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

RECEPTION OF ADDITIONAL MISSIONARIES. At a meeting of the committee, held in Dover Street vestry, Leicester, Oct. 29th, 1844, the treasurer, Mr. W. Stevenson, in the chair, a considerable amount of very important business was transacted.

It had been ascertained by the secretary, that Mr. W. Jarrom, of Northampton, was willing to engage in the service of the society, and to devote himself to the China mission, the committee, after serious deliberation, agreed, nem. con., to invite Mr. Jarrom to commit himself to this important work, and accompany brother Hudson at a period early in the spring. It was also

agreed that the designating services connected with Mr. Jarrom should take place at Wisbech. The addition of Mr. Jarrom to the China mission is generally considered most important and valuable; as his vari ous learning, and other mental and moral qualities, cannot fail to be of essential service to an infant missionary enterprize.

Applications for engagement in missionary labor were received from Mr. W. Bailey, son of Mr. J. Bailey, of Woodhouse; and from Mr. W. Millar, of Staley Bridge. Various testimonials were read respecting these two enterprizing and devoted young brethren, and it was determined that they be accepted as candidates for missionary labor, with a view of ascertaining if they may be qualified to go out with Mr. Stubbins in June or July next; and that they be placed under the care of Rev. J. Wallis, tutor of the General Baptist academy Leicester, in order to receive such instruction as the period will admit. Both these brethren go out unmarried, and will reside severally with a missionary after their arrival in Orissa, that they may be there assisted and prepared for missionary labor. It is probable one will be stationed at Cuttack with brother A. Sutton, and the other at Berhampore, with brother Stubbins.

A pious lieutenant being stationed near to our brethren, and having displayed a zealous disposition to labor in the work of the mission, it was resolved that, in the event of lieutenant becoming identified

with our body, and being likely to be removed by his superiors into a distant part of the country, that the Orissa conference should be empowered to engage him as a regular missionary for the Society.

A communication having been received from Mr. Wilkinson, as to three young men, Oreah converts, who display considerable talents for the ministry, it was agreed, that they be employed and trained under the direction of the Orissa Conference, and that the Conference receive instructions to support and train, at the expense of the Society, any such persons as possess suitable quali fications; it being considered of the highest moment, that the raising up of an effective native ministry should be encouraged.

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