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&c., &c. Balaji gave a history of the suf- him, and keep his commandments; for, by ferings and death of Christ, and besought so doing, they would obtain heaven. them to forsake their sins, and believe in (To be continued.)

ANNIVERSARIES OF RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS.

THE return of the month of May brings with it not only the interest of the spring, but is hailed by multitudes of good men as being the period when the various religious and missionary associations which adorn our country, and bless the world, hold their annual meetings. The most that our very limited space will admit will be a very brief statement of the chief facts contained in the reports, the names of the principal speakers, with one or two of the chief resolutions. As every true hearted dissenter has turned his attention to the project of Sir James Graham for the factory districts, it was not to be expected that the speakers at these meetings would avoid allusion to it; and it is delightful to know that every condemnation of it met with the most enthusiastic approval of the immense audiences collected together. It will be seen, that, notwithstanding the depres. sion of commerce, and the various obstacles ever in the way of doing good, the philanthrophic and missionary spirit still flourishes amongst us.

BAPTIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY. The fifty-first anniversary of this institu. tion was held at Exeter Hall, on Thursday, April 27th. Notwithstanding the threat. ening aspect of the weather, nearly 3000 persons were present. On the platform were the Rev. Drs. Alder, Cox, Godwin, Leifchild, Murch, and Steane; the Revs. J. Clarke, from Africa; J. M. Philippo and J. Merrick, from Jamaica; H. Kelsall, Esq.; J. Tritton, Esq., &c., &c. The chair was taken by J. L. Phillips, Esq.

The committee were glad to be able to state that, in a few months, they had reason to hope four missionaries, with at least eight teachers from Jamaica, would be employed in regular mission work at Fernando Po, and the coast of the neighbouring continent. To render that agency more efficient, the committee had resolved, after lengthened consideration, on the purchase of a vessel for the use of the mission in Western Africa. In connexion with the Baptist Churches in Jamaica there had been added during the last year by baptism, 2925; by letter, 604; by restoration, 388; while the decrease had amounted in all to 2062, leaving a clear increase of 1855: the number of inquirers was 14,353; and the total number of members, 33,658. The number of children in the mission schools was 6944, somewhat less than last year, though the number of Sunday school children had proportionably increased, being 13,402. The new missions at Trinidad, Hayti, South America, and Canada, were in a flourishing condition. The total amount of the Jubilee fund was £32,500. The summary stated, that the total number of members added to the Churches during the past year, was 3569, the total number of members in all the Churches being 36,622. There were also about 18,000 inquirers, 165 stations,

seventy-nine missionaries, fifty-nine female missionaries, with seventy eight native preachers. The number of day-schools was 137, of schoolmasters 155, of children taught in day-schools 1226, in Sabbathschools about 15,000. The number of volumes of the Scriptures printed was 90,000. The total receipts for all purposes £50,806 12s., exclusive of the additional sum of £2812 still due to the Jubilee fund.

The speakers at this meeting were the chairman; Rev. J. Angus; Rev. J. Ed. wards, of Nottingham; Rev. Dr. Alder, Secretary to the Wesleyan Missionary Society; Rev. Dr. Leifchild; Rev. C. M. Birrell, of Liverpool; Rev. J. Clarke; Rev. J. P. Mursell; Rev. C. Elven; Henry Kelsall, Esq., of Rochdale; W. B. Gurney, Esq.; Rev. Dr. Murch; and Rev. Dr. Steane.

The following interesting resolution was passed:-"That this meeting has heard with sincere pleasure of the success of this society in Jamaica: it is greatly cheered and encouraged by the zeal and liberality of the mission Churches in that island, which have now resolved to maintain the cause among them without pecuniary aid from the society, while they are largely contributing at the same time to send the Gospel to Africa. This meeting affectionately commends them to the care and blessing of the 'Great Shepherd;' assures them of its sympathy in all their trials and discouragements; and will rejoice to hear of their increasing spirituality and success."

An adjourned meeting was held in the evening, at the Finsbury chapel. C. Hindley, M. P., in the chair. The speakers were, the Chairman; the Rev. J. Angus; the Rev. W. Hamilton (of the National Scotch Church, Regent Square); the Rev. R. A. Philip; the Rev. J. Merrick, from Jamaica;

and the Rev. Alexander Fuller, a man of colour from Jamaica, and about to join the mission in Africa.

BAPTIST IRISH SOCIETY. The twenty-ninth anniversary of this institution was held at Finsbury chapel, on Tuesday evening, April 25th. D. W. Wire, Esq., in the chair.

The following resolutions were passed at this meeting:-"That the report which has now been read, and which calls for ardent thanksgivings to the Great Head of the Church for the success with which he has favoured the society during the twenty-eight year of its existence, be adopted; and that it be printed and circulated under the direction of the committee."

"That, animated by the growing success of the cause of evangelical truth in Ireland, persuaded that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation there as well as in hea. then countries, and assured of its ultimate triumph, this meeting would cheer on their beloved friends and brethren in the holy work in which they are engaged, and would still fervently entreat the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, whose mighty influences are essential to the accomplishment of our great undertaking."

The following gentlemen advocated the claims of the society:-the Rev. S. Green; the Rev. S. J. Davis; the Rev. J. P Mursell, of Leicester; the Rev. R. W. Overbury; the Rev. J. Webb, of Ipswich; the Rev. Denis Mulhein, one of the society's agents in Ireland; the Rev. Mr. Pottinger; the Rev. F. Trestrail; and the Rev. J. Edwards. BIBLE TRANSLATION SOCIETY. The annual meeting of this society was held on Wednesday evening, April 26th, in New Park Street chapel, Southwark, and was attended by a numerous and highly respectable audience. The chair was taken by C. B. Robinson, Esq., of Leicester.

The report stated, that "since the last statement, published in 1841, by the Baptist missionaries in Calcutta, they had printed 89,500 copies of the Sacred Scrip. tures, or portions of them, in the Bengali, the Hindustani, the Hindui, the Persian, and Sanskrit languages; and that these, added to those of former years, made an aggregate of 282,900 vols., printed by them on behalf of the Baptist mission, the American and Foreign Bible society, and the Bible Translation society. The works now in progress amount to 99,000 vols. more in the Armenian, Bengali, Hindustani, Hindui, and Sanskrit languages. Besides aid. ing those versions in the East, assistance had been given to a translation recently

commenced and now in progress into the Karif tongue, by the Rev. A. Henderson, Baptist missionary at Honduras. And Dr. Yates, it was further stated, was about to undertake the translation of the entire Bible into the Sanskrit, the classic and sacred language of India; the probable cost of which was estimated at £1500, towards which the committee of the Bible Translation society had voted one-third of the amount."

The claims of the society were very ably advocated by the Rev. Dr. Godwin, of Oxford; the Revds. R. Brewer, of Colesford; Williams, of Agra; Birrell, of Liverpool; Spashett, of Bideford; and Elven, of Bury.

SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION.

The bearing of the Government bill for Factory children on Sunday schools, gave increased interest to the Anniversary of this Union. Many of the speakers were very strong and decided in their expressions of hostility to the bill, and these invariably secured the entire sympathy of the vast audience.

The Annual Meeting of this Institution was held at Exeter Hall, on Thursday evening, May 4th. Although every part of the large room was crowded to suffocation, vast numbers had to retire unable to gain admittance. On the platform were, among others, the Rev. Drs. Belcher, Campbell, Cox, Jenkyn, Hoppus, and Morison; the Rev. Messrs. Archer, Green, Soul, &c. &c. The chair was taken at six o'clock by Lord Morpeth, amid the enthusiastic cheers of the assembly.

W. H. Watson, Esq. read an abstract of the report, which commenced by stating that the committee had had the pleasure of receiving numerous applications for assistance on behalf of Sunday-schools established in the British colonies and foreign countries. Extracts from these communications were then read from Denmark, Belgium, France, Corfu, Van Dieman's Land, Antigua, Jamaica, the United States, Nova Scotia, and Canada. With reference to home proceedings, it stated that cash grants had been made in aid of the expense of erecting Sunday-school rooms amounting to £254, making the total number of grants up to the present time 228, amounting to £5,073. The number of Sunday-school lending libraries granted this year had been 107, making a total of 966. The pecuniary loss sustained from the grants of last year amounted to £299. The schools which had thus been assisted contained 14,661 scholars, of whom 8,259 were able to read the Scriptures. The cash grants, in order to promote the extension of Sunday-schools in

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THE CHRISTIAN INSTRUCTION

SOCIETY

Held its eighteenth annual meeting in Finsbury chapel, on Tuesday evening, May 2nd. The numerous attendance showed the high esteem in which the society con. tinued to be held. T. Challis, Esq., the treasurer, occupied the chair.

The chairman made a number of startling statements, from which we select the following: "We have in London a million of human and immortal beings for whom no christian instruction is prepared, who have no place of worship, upon whom no Sabbath to sanctify ever dawns. There are 30,000 persons living in London by theft and fraud; 10,000 children are in London training for crime; 3,000 houses are continually open for the reception of stolen goods; 4,000 persons are annually committed for criminal offences; I make this distinction because more than six times that number are constantly committed; 10,000 are addicted to gambling; 23,000 are taken up by the police, helplessly drunk in our streets, annually; 150,000 are habitual gindrinkers; and as many are living abandoned

90,052 The sales of publications at the Depository during the last year had amounted to £8,827, Os. 24d., being a decrease of £727. Is. 3d. on the sales of the previous years. That falling off had been occasioned by the distress which has prevailed during the last year in those parts of the country where Sunday.schools were so generally established, and had not been so consider. able as might have been expected, The demand for the publications sold at the Depository was, however, again reviving. Various publications had been issued by the union; donations had been received amounting to £166 13s. The proceedings of the union with reference to the Factory to systematic debauchery and profligacy. Districts Education Bill was then detailed. On the obnoxious clauses of the bill being read, they were received with general hisses, while the efforts of the committee to overthrow them were loudly cheered. The total receipts of the benevolent fund were £1,474 10s. 74d.

Heart-stirring speeches were made by Revds. J. W. Richardson; J. Smith; G. Smith; T. Archer; Dr. Cox; Dr. Jenkyn; and C. Hindley, Esq., M. P. Altogether this was one of the best and most effective meetings ever held by this Society.

Three millions of money are annually spent in gin. Where is the antidote to all the sources of misery which I have described! The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Who are the most fitting persons to employ? Who are likely to feel most strongly their duty to the metropolis. The first object that the propagate the Gospel? The Churches of society proposes is, that every Church shall become a missionary society for London, and every Church member a missionary.”

An abstract of of the various associations presents the following facts and figures.

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THE transcendent excellence of the christian religion appears in its peculiar adaptation to the varied circumstances of human life. It lays the basis of our present and eternal happiness. Its promises, threatenings and instructions are eminently calculated to expand the mind, to elevate the affections, and to control the wayward passions of the soul. If the mind be encompassed with the gloom of ignorance, christianity communicates the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ; if the heart be polluted and depraved, it directs to the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world; when assailed by strong temptations, it commands us to look unto Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith, who possesses boundless power and love, and has in the most emphatic language engaged to throw around us the shield of defence. Christianity contains instructions not only in reference to our spiritual and eternal welfare, but it teaches us how to live, how to moderate our desires, how to place our confidence in a superior power in seasons of calamity and distress. If its momentous injunctions were universally obeyed, this world would speedily assume a different aspect. The murmurings and groans of discontentment would be hushed into silence, and the voice of thanksgiving and praise would echo from every human habitation.

We are not to suppose, however, that our holy religion encourages apathy and indifference in trying circumstances, but it calms the tumult of the mind by assuring us that there is a kind and tender Father subordinating all the events of Providence to the most merciful designs, causing them to work for his people a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Religion does not deprive us of those blessings which the Father of mercies showers in rich abundance on the children of men; but it represses the influence of those passions which would grasp the world and crave for more. Its sacred influences in these respects is sufficiently obvious from the following interesting passages:-"Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?"-Matt. vi. 25-34. "Be careful for VOL. 5.-N. S.

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nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." Let none however, imagine, that these encouraging words sanction inactivity or listlessness. Indolence is an evil of incalculable magnitude, and were it universally to prevail, the most deplorable consequences would inevitably ensue. In every part of creation we perceive unceasing activity. Those bright intelligences who are in the immediate presence of God, are represented as serving him day and night in his temple. And are we to suppose that man, who has been endowed with such exalted powers, has been brought into existence merely for self-gratification. To cherish a supposition of this nature, would not only be pregnant with mischief, but would be a direct attack on the wisdom of the Supreme Being. It is the duty of all to be useful members of the community of which they form a part. Indolence dissipates the mind, enervates the frame, degrades the character, and invariably entails degra dation and misery. An indolent man is a mere drone in society; a worthless recipient of favours which belong only to the infirm and the aged; a listless, inanimate, and loathsome cumberer of the creation. Nor is it to be supposed, that the passages to which we have referred encourage carelessness and indifference. The careless man can have no concern for his reputation, or the glory of God. Sagacity and care are indispensably requisite in order to manage our affairs with prudence and discretion. If destitute of these important virtues, our character as christians will be justly doubted, and those who seldom distinguish between the intrinsic excellence of religion, and the character of those who are its ostensible friends, will reproach the sacred name we profess. What the inspired penmen condemn, is inordinate anxiety about the things of this world. Distracting and heart-rending care is not only injurious to our own minds, but directly at variance with the genius of the Gospel.

So overwhelming is the anxiety of some persons relative to temporal things, that if circumstances at all appear gloomy, their minds at once yield to the baneful influence of despondency and sorrow, they become wholly unhinged, and spend their days in a state of continual agitation. This immoderate and solicitous care is highly sinful in the sight of God; it implies a want of faith in his gracious promises, and a distrust of his fatherly protection. "O ye of little faith, consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they toil not, neither do they spin, Wherefore if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you." Has he not said, "Lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." If inordinate anxiety is criminal, so also is that worldly care which tends to alienate our affections from heavenly realities. Let it be borne in remembrance, that all the grandeur of earth is temporal; and it often happens that riches make to themselves wings and fly away, as an eagle toward heaven. The titles of nobles, the achievements of heroes, the dignity of kings and emperors, all are temporal. Emptiness and brevity characterize all things visible, and whatever promise they may give of long continuance, they must eventually yield to the devastations of time, and the period is approaching when the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements melt with fervent heat. "Why should this earth delight us so,

Why should we fix our eyes

On these low grounds, where sorrows grow,
And every pleasure dies."

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