is in the diocese of the arch. bishop of Persia, or Ispahan. There are two orders of priests in the Armenian churches, the one called doctors, the other, secular clergy. The doctors belong to the convents: they elect bishops, but do nothing in the

any money is given for help; 51. 101. 201. 301. for a cart, to bear forth into the fields some choice things, which were ready to be consumed; and some of the carmen had the conscience to accept of the highest price, which the citizens did then offer in their extremity; I am mis-churches except preach. I once taken if such money do not burn heard one of the doctors preach worse than the fire out of which extempore for an hour. He had it was raked. The ruins of the on a cloak and hood, and held a city was 396 acres, viz. 333 acres long staff, like a cross, in his left within the walls, and 63 in the hand. The learned men amongst liberties of the city; of the 26 the Armenian clergy, belong to wards, it utterly destroyed 15, this body. The doctors are either and left 8 others shattered and unmarried, or are widowed secuhalf-burnt; and it consumed 400 | lar clergy, who have entered the streets, 13,200 dwelling-houses, convents. The secular clergy 89 churches, besides chapels, may marry before ordination, but four of the city gates, Guildhall, not afterwards. They perform many public structures, hospitals, all the services in the church; schools, libraries, and a vast sometimes there is one, somenumber of stately edifices." See times four or five of these in Time's Telescope for 1816. Calcutta. They have no fixed salary and are unable to claim any thing. Their salaries arise from fees, or gratuities. When there are several, they share the fees among them, be they more or less, or be the clergymen two or five. In the Armenian Church at Buzur-Bazar, Calcutta, there are prayers read every day at three, or, in the cold weather, at five in the morning, and at five in the evening. They use a common-prayer book and psalm-book; they read the Bible in the Armenian tongue, used by all the Armenian churches. Mass is celebrated every Saturday and Sunday, besides all saint-days. Their feasts and fasts are like those of the Roman church, in a great measure. They never celebrate a feast on the Wednesday, Friday, or Sunday. The Wednesday is kept holy to the virgin; Friday to the passion of Christ, and Sunday is considered holy, being the sabbath. The Armenians pray

4. If the fire of London was so dreadful, what must the fire of the whole globe be? "The earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burnt up." 2 Pet. iii. 10. Let the young reader hasten to "flee from the wrath to come."

DESCRIPTION OF CALCUTTA.

(Continued from p. 334.)

THERE are two churches in Calcutta where the service of the church of England is performed, one called the Presidency, and the other the Mission church. Besides these, there is an Armenian church, a Roman Catholic chapel, and several Mussulman mosques and Hindoo temples. The orphan and the free-schools, are excellent institutions.

The head of the Armenian church is called a catholicus. He resides in Armenia. Bengal

for the dead, and, of course, be- | holds the doctrine of transubstanlieve in purgatory. The catho- tiation. There are about two licus grants no indulgences. In hundred Armenians in Calcutta, Persia, Astrakan, &c. they bap- The gentleman who communitize in rivers, but,in Calcutta, they cated this information to me, said, baptize grown-up persons in a the Armenians had never persetank, and have a large font for cuted those who differed from children. They baptize by trine them. immersion. Before the person Europeans at Calcutta breakenters the church with the child, fast about seven, eat their tiffin, the gates are shut, and the god- (luncheon) about twelve or one, father is then asked, if he, for the and dine in the evening, drinking child, renounces the devil, &c. tea almost immediately after dinThen two or three creeds are ner. The tiffin often resembles repeated, and, after this, the child dinner. They seldom eat sup is admitted into the body of the per. They visit in what are called church. Then they go towards palanquins, viz. a kind of box the font, where certain prayers with venetian blinds, in which a are read, and certain ceremonies person either sits or lies down. are performed; and, at length, the At each end of this box, a pole is clergyman asks the god-father fastened, which four native men, what he requests. He says, The called bearers (two at each end,) baptism of the child. This is place on their shoulders, and asked and answered three times. thus in the pa the carry person The clergyman repeats the words lanquin, from place to place. of Christ, "Him that cometh This preserves a European from unto me, I will in nowise cast the heat of the sun, when he out." The child is then signed goes out on business, or for with the cross, and after other pleasure. It is rather disrespectceremonies, is baptized. First, ful in Calcutta for a European the priest says, I baptize this ser- to visit another on foot, or withvant of God, (mentioning his or out a palanquin. Persons with her name,) in the name of the large salaries keep not only two or Father, (then he immerses him,) three palanquins, viz. one for the of the Son, (then he immerses husband, another for his lady, him,) and of the Holy Ghost, another for the child, &c. but (and then he immerses him they go out morning and evening again.) After baptism, the chrism for air, in one-horse chairs, phais performed, and the anointing tons, coaches, &c. Many natives with holy oil. The catholicus also have palanquins. I have consecrates the holy oil, and sends heard of a native man who drove it every six years by the hands of a coach and six in the English bishops to all the Armenian chur-style, and kept an Englishman for ches. In receiving the sacrament of the supper, the Armenians dip the bread in the wine, and the priest puts a morsel of this dipped bread on the tongue of the communicant. The communicants make confession, before receiving the sacrament. They receive it kneeling. The Armenian church

his coachman. Some Europeans of property having several young children, keep a light carriage, the body of which is railed round and covered over, and drawn by two large bullocks. In this carriage, the children are drawn, morning and evening, to take the air, and their nurses accompany

them. Carriages something like | port from France, Holland, Por

the latter, drawn by small horses, are hired by the natives, to carry them from one place to another. Near a dozen natives, will be seen in one of these carriages at once. But beside these, there is a Mussulman carriage, which beggars all description, though very common in the native large towns, and upon the roads. It is called chukra. The lower part is like a dray, but much lighter, it is covered with an awning of bamboos and cloth, painted red. It is drawn by two miserable ponies. The driver sits upon the shaft, with a whip in one hand, and a string for reins in the other. The wretched passengers,huddled together under the awning, lie on a bamboo bed, stunned with the creaking of the wheels, the cracking of the bamboos, and the bawl of the driver, unable to get out of the way of other carriages. The fare for these vehicles is one rupee, for seven or eight miles.

Men, from almost every country in the world, are to be seen in Calcutta, as English, Scotch, Irish, French, Dutch, Germans, Portuguese, Danes, Americans, Africans, Persians, Turks, Arabians, Chinese, Armenians, Malays, Mahrattas, Cashmirians, Shieks, Mugs, Moguls, Jews, Bhootyas; in short from every part of the eastern world, and from most of the countries of Europe.

tugal, Spain, &c. &c. The small craft, from different parts of the upper provinces, loaded with the produce and manufactures of Hindoostan, are without number. The different docks also, on both sides the river, near Calcutta, add much to its grandeur as the emporium of the East.

The river washes the sides of the houses, and the people de scend from the town by flights of steps, called ghauts. In conse quence of the whole filth of Cal cutta being thrown into the river, with the dead bodies, &c. floating down it, the water of the river is very filthy. Notwithstanding this, thousands and thousands of natives, every day, bathe at the different ghauts, wash their mouths in the filthy stream, and carry home what they want. No outward filthiness makes any alteration in their ideas of its be ing a sacred and cleansing stream. The ghauts are very numerous in great towns and their precincts. For twenty miles up the river, from Calcutta, innumerable flights of these steps are erected, up and down, which the inhabitants are seen ascending and descending continually, but especially morn ings and evenings, at the time of bathing. Below the steps, crowds of men, women, and children, of all casts, bathe and perform those daily ceremonies of their religion, which are connected with ablu tions. Some, with their eyes closed, are meditating on the form of Shivu or their guardian deity; others, with raised hands, are wor shipping the rising or setting sun; others are pouring out water to their deceased ancestors, and re

The shipping, at anchor in the river opposite Calcutta, forms a truly grand sight. Here ships are to be seen from every quarter of the world, as England, America, Denmark, the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, Bombay, the Malabar coast, Ceylon, Madras, the Coromandel coast, Penang, Ma-peating certain forms called mun lacca, Sumatra, Batavia, Manilla, China, Port Jackson, &c. Also, in time of Peace, vessels visit this

truo, &c. Most of them manifest great inattention, while perform ing these ceremonies.

(To be continued,

Obituary.

JOSIAH AUGUSTUS THRUPP, withstanding his early death,

AGED 27.

THE subject of this obituary, removed prematurely at the age of 27, from usefulness in the cause of the Redeemer, resided in George Street, Oxford Road, London and belonged to the church in Eagle Street; of which he had been a member about nine years his death has been felt as a serious loss to that society, as the excellence of his character, and the correctness of his judgment, united with easy circumstances, and a benevolent heart, rendered it likely he would be an extensive blessing, not only to his more immediate religious connections, but to the general interests of humanity and religion.

it

"came to his grave in a full age, as a shock of corn is gathered in in its season," Job, v. 26. The writer of this article visited him not long before his death, and found him in the most happy frame of mind, expressing his firm dependence upon the merits of the Saviour, and his assured expectation of enjoying everlasting happiness through faith in his blood. "I cannot," said he, "express the goodness of my Lord and Saviour towards me: seems as if he was with me by the influence of the Holy Spirit upon my mind both night and day. I am so happy I can scarcely sustain my feelings, but I still feel my utter unworthiness, and only expect to be saved as a poor sinner, trusting in Jesus. O, what a mercy it was, that I was so early made acquainted with the gospel of Jesus Christ: how much misery might I otherwise have known; and, through it, how much pleasantness and peace have I enjoyed." He was informed, that news had just been received, that Mr. John Lawson, with whom he was baptized at Eagle Street, had been chosen pastor of the church at Calcutta. "Ah,” said he, " I am

With an enlightened mind, well established in the fundamental doctrine of the gospel, viz. free justification, through the imputed righteousness of the Lord Jesus, to all that believe in his name; and, manifesting the constraining influence of an interest in this inestimable privilege upon his mind, he walked humbly and circumspectly, proving it was his chief concern, as he had "believed in God," to be "careful to main-glad to hear of his usefulness. I tain good works." Though it is did not think much of his tanot intimated, that he was free lents, when he first joined the from imperfections, yet it has church; he was a shy plant, been thought, that his character but sometimes these shy plants accorded, in some good degree, take root, and bring forth abunwith the apostolical injunction, dant fruits." The strong affection "Not slothful in business, fervent expressed by him for his religious in spirit, serving the Lord." Rom. connections, even in the immexii. 11." He served the will of diate prospect of death, gave God in his generation," and, not-additional proof of the import

ance he attached to those distin- | guishing sentiments, which nothing but steady principle could have led him to adopt and maintain!

secure and safe in the ark; I am, indeed, riding upon the waters; not like Peter, sinking, but riding upon the waters, safely inclosed in the ark, with every needful provision-nothing, whatever, wanting: he has made rich pro

It is thought some little partof his experience, during the few last days of his life, communi- vision. He evidently was fearful cated by one of his family to the writer, may not be unprofitable to our readers, as it may serve to raise the hopes of dejected believers, who are in bondage through fear of death; and lead them also to expect, that, when dying, the gracious promise shall be fulfilled. "As thy day is, so shall thy strength be."

I might be injured by close attention, and requested, without my knowledge, that a friend should be written to for a nurse; but I proposed, that a servant should share the fatigue with me; this he assented to, with apparent satisfaction: but he was so restless, and required such fre quent change of posture, that to sleep was impossible. During the whole of the day, neither his medicine nor opium took any effect, though each was increased, which was a matter of great regret. But I have since been enabled to regard it as the special interferenee of God, who had determined that he should leave a dying testi+ mony. He had never, indeed, from the beginning of his illness, been suffered to have a doubt cross his mind, respecting the presence of God in the time of need: He said, he had never for a moment left me, nor will he. In the evening, he began giving me a few directions relative to his being laid out after his decease, when he was requested to give himself no concern about the frail cottage he was leaving, as I would see to that.

"One night, on the departure of one of our family, he said, It is a great mercy that, as a family, we are one, Christ is our exalted head, so that we never can be separated: I know that we shall meet again.' The tenth of John, particularly the 25th and 26th verses, were very pleasant to him. One night he called me, and said, Christ is the resurrection and the life, those that believe on him shall never die. To another, he said, I am a little nearer, and God increases in goodness to me every day.' That night proved one of great weariness and fatigue, being exhausted by incessant spasms and sickness, yet, upon discovering some fresh little attention to his wants, after acknowledging it in much too grateful terms, he cried out, 'Sure-swered, I desire, indeed, to ly, no one living is surrounded have no concern about the cotwith so many mercies and com- tage.' You will soon,' I said, forts as I am; blessed be God! drop this worn-out garment, and He is indeed a gracious Father be clothed in the glorious robe in Christ.' On desiring me to of your Saviour,-righteousness.' fetch his seal, which has the im-Yes,' he said, 'I shall see him pression of the ark, that he as he is.' At half-past eleven, might himself give it me, he put he was extremely restless, his it into my hand, and, with great mouth much parched. I obanimation, said, 'We are both served to him, You lie, now,

He an