70 SAMUEL, THE TINDAL. out of the little catechism, then he was taught some prayers out of a Prayer-book in the Urdu, and eventually the lady read portions of the Scriptures to him. He expressed a wish to learn to read and write; and the advantage of a native teacher being afforded him, he applied himself so diligently that, in a few months, he commenced reading the New Testament in Hindi. A marked alteration now showed itself in the man's conduct and demeanour: the truth was at work in his heart and conscience. He read for himself the precious words of Jesus, and His invitations to poor sinners; and he felt his heart drawn towards Him, until at length, made willing to part with every thing that had hitherto kept him back from God, he resolved openly to become a follower of Jesus. The account of the Saviour's nativity, as given by St. Luke, and the opening verses of the sermon on the mount, first laid hold on his heart. These, he said, convinced him that Christianity was true, and nerved him to endure the troubles which he knew he should have to meet on becoming a Christian. Those troubles soon commenced, as is usual in India, and his friends and relatives laboured, both by persuasion and force, to get from him the books of the English, as they called them, but in vain. Aware of the power which sin has over the natural heart, he avoided the company of those who had been his former associates, and prayerfully strove against its power. Continually might he be seen in a corner of the verandah reading his Testament, sitting thus, as it were, at the feet of Jesus, and hearing His words. And now and then would he give expression to what was passing in his heart, in words such as these "I often wonder at the change which has taken place in me, for I now find that those very things which once were pleasant to me, either I never think of, or wonder I should have ever delighted in them. I do, therefore, believe that God. has changed my heart. When first you told me this was necessary, I wondered. But now I feel it is no hardship to give up sin-nay, that it is for one's own good and happiness to do so. No doubt it was for this purpose He spared me, that I might be brought to know Him, and His name be glorified in my conversion." Afterwards the tindal went down to the plains, and, having received instruction from an eminent Missionary during several months, was baptized at Ghazipur on February the 8th, 1852, receiving the name of Samuel. He then returned to the hills, and to the service of the same family. His first meeting with his own people after his baptism was a trying period; and, as he seemed somewhat depressed in the prospect of it, he was asked if he regretted having become a Christian. "O no!" was his reply: "I would not be as I was before, one of them. I thank God daily for having caused me to be snatched, as it were, out of the fire, and opened my eyes to see the way of life; and I am determined, by His help, to live as His servant always; but I know not what they may do to me, through malice and ignorance of the truth, for such a thing has never occurred among them before." Some of his friends would not look at him when they met him; others told him that they could not believe what was said of him to be true, and entreated him to say that he had not yet eaten with Christians, and to return home with them, when they would try and reconcile him to his friends. But when he confessed that he had done so, they raged against DEATH OF A NATIVE CHRISTIAN AT KARACHí. 71 him and abused him. But, amidst all this, the Lord has been faithful to uphold him. He is now able to read any part of the Scriptures in Hindi with fluency: they are his constant study, and, as he often says, his chief delight; and often he expresses his admiration of them in words such as these-"I am more and more astonished at what this book contains every fresh chapter I read. I suppose because it is new to me it seems so wonderful a book, containing an endless variety of truth and wisdom." He is much concerned for the salvation of his kindred, especially his aged and widowed mother, whose youngest and favourite son he has been. Let us pray that he, also, may be "wise to win souls." DEATH OF A NATIVE CHRISTIAN AT KARACHÍ. THE following deeply-interesting fact has been communicated by our Missionary at Karachí, the Rev. A.Matchett, to a friend in England We learned, one Sunday morning, that there was a poor native Christian in the bazaar, who was very ill. My brother Missionary, Mr. Rogers, being engaged, I went in the evening to see him. He showed me a letter that he had received from Captain C., and also from the German Missionary at Cannanore, in both of which he was spoken of in the highest terms. I was much taken with the man. Although he was suffering much from dropsy, yet that sweet Christian temper, and that heart warmed with grateful love to Christ, shone forth in him. I read a chapter and prayed with him, and then took my leave. Mr. Rogers and I visited him next day; and as he was very ill, sheltered from the sun, we invited him to our compound, and within two or three days, he, his mother, and wife and little daughter, came to us. He appeared to get a little better, but in a short time he became worse. We told Dr. G. his case, and that dear Christian, in the midst of a great deal of medical duty, used to come every day to see the poor pariah. The sick man's name was Stephen Francis: he understood English well. We did all we could to make his last days comfortable, and nothing could exceed his gratitude. It was a rich privilege to sit by his bedside. When we talked to him, from time to time, of the dying love of the Saviour, and of His ever-sustaining grace, the tears of gratitude would roll down his cheeks, and expressions of self-abasement and of confiding trust in Jesus, would fall from his lips. His sufferings became very intense, but his patience was greater still. Often used he to speak of Captain C. with much, very much, respect and affection, and say it was he who had led him to Christ. Once Satan appeared to buffet him he doubted how he could be saved. At such a time there is nothing like the word of God: it was too solemn a time for me to speak my own words. I opened the Bible. I read to him passages which showed the completeness of the Saviour's work, and the fulness of blessing which is in Christ for the vilest and most helpless, and then I prayed with him. He obtained grace from on high. He was enabled to feel that his feet were upon a rock, and so he continued to the last. We were with him in his dying moments, and when we were commending his soul to God, he fell asleep in Jesus. He died on the afternoon of the 1st of December, and we accompanied his : remains, on the following morning, to the camp burying-ground, where he was decently interred. Seeing all this, I "thanked God and took courage." This touching fact will no doubt produce the same effect on our readers. How many instances of the same kind may occur throughout India, which never come under European observation; blessed results of souls converted, and gradually ripened for glory, until they have been gathered into the holy place above. It is said that in the jungle fastnesses of India, where the foot of man has scarcely ever penetrated, beauteous flowers bloom: they expand and open out before the eye of Him who formed them, but are unseen by the eye of man. They remind us of those more glorious manifestations of God's new-creating power-souls, under the influence of His Spirit, opening forth in holy desire and affection to Himself, unknown even to the human agents by whose instrumentality they were brought to the knowledge of the truth, and discerned only by the eye of God. THE TWO HOMES. (Composed for the " Church Missionaries' Children's Home" by the IF in this Home, so far away If here, remote from want and care, We gather oft for praise and prayer, Oh, how intensely blest are they The Saviour whom we love Who there behold, nor lose again, What tongue shall tell to mortal ear, What mind conceive their bliss, Where God's own hand hath wiped the tear, O that our souls, in this renewed, With thousands to the Lord subdued And there with parents, kindred, friends, Partake the joy that never ends Before the Saviour's throne! ABBEOKUTA, AND ITS CONVERTS. Our engraving represents an animated scene-the entrance of Captain Foote and Dr. Irving into the town of Abbeokuta in December of last year. They are mounted on active, sure-footed Abbeokuta horses, which have borne them along a difficult and trying route, safely and steadily, to the end of their journey. Around them may be seen a promiscuous assemblage of chiefs and others, some on horseback, others on foot, many of whom had gone forth to meet them as far as Awoyadi, a distance of nine miles, and were now conducting them, with all due formality, into the town. At the corners of the buildings, clusters of people, men, women, and children, may be seen, from whom proceed gestures and words of lively welcome. The interior of Abbeokuta is very unlike all our preconceived ideas of a town. The houses are built in squares, the doorways of all the apartments opening into a central area, which occupies the interior, while on the outside appear nothing, save low mud walls, with one low entrance from the road. Streets there are none, the pathways passing along the irregular openings that intervene between the neighbouring houses. Along these dusty roads the cavalcade proceeded. Now, a wild-looking warrior on horseback, with a high-peaked saddle, heavy iron stirrups, ornamented bridle and saddle-cloth, would dash past them, and then, reining up his steed, would retire into the rear, prepared to rush forward again on the first opportunity. pre These gentlemen, during their brief stay at Abbeokuta, saw much in which they were interested. On the Sunday they attended Ake church, an unpretending building, filled with a congregation of some 300 Abbeokuta converts. The order and propriety which vailed, the earnest attention and devotional bearing of the people, and the psalmody-English tunes sung by children's voices to hymns in their native Yoruba-all were satisfactory. God does indeed seem to bless abundantly the work in which our Missionaries are engaged; nor can we refrain from presenting to our readers one or two instances, as proofs that their "labour is not in vain in the Lord." In our Number for October last, we gave an account of John Baptist Dasalu, a native of respectable position and influence among his countrymen, who had become a convert to Christianity. This man, who was at first supposed to have been slain in the battle with the Dahomians beneath the walls of Abbeokuta-but who, it afterwards appeared, had been taken prisoner by the enemy, and carried into captivity-has a very aged mother, about whose conversion to Christianity he was very anxious, and whom he tried, we regret to say without any apparent result, to bring to the knowledge of the alone Saviour. Since the disappearance of her son she has become seriously impressed: his loss appears to have been instrumental in accomplishing that which his presence could ། |