CAPITAL, KIOTO, BEFORE THE REVOLUTION OF 1868.

CEYLON: A CONVERSION AND A DEATH.

(From the Rev. J. Allcock's Annual Report.)

E have to record the conversion of another leading character of Baddegama, commonly known as Sinhaley Appuhamy. He is about fifty years of age, and had for a long time been the diligent and mighty agent of the great adversary. When strong men fall on their knees, and by promises, professions of faith, and the reception of the heavenly sacrament, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, we do and ought to rejoice and be glad. His little boy, of about six years of age, knelt on his left side, and entered into the same covenant relationship with God. One present well observed that the event would make a good picture. He was not so much moved by the preaching of the Gospel as by the fruits of faith and the grace of God which he had observed in some Christians. He said that the charity, humility, spirituality, happiness, and zeal and activity of some Christians whom he knew intimately won his heart to the Gospel. He added, "Not one true Buddhist priest or a layman have I found, but I have found a few true Christians. Buddhists," says he, "are envious and jealous when their neighbour gets something to eat. I perceive that the really pure people and well-wishers of the world are the true Christians."

The catechist of Kitulampitiya lost his wife with almost the startling suddenness of the prophet Ezekiel. She was attacked with a disease, and was dead in less than fifteen minutes. She leaves behind a bereaved husband and six little motherless children, the eldest not more than ten years. She was surrounded by many heathen relatives, many of whom her death deeply impressed. She was quite ready, and appears to have had some premonition of the approaching preferment. The few minutes and the little strength she had to spare were spent in purely spiritual conversations. The poor carnal Buddhists had never seen a saint's death before. When a poor heathen dies, his last conversation is about his estate, his money, and this world. Some went so far as to wish, or pretend to wish, that their death might be like hers. To her husband she said, "I count myself a blessed woman in being called to the eternal home first." One of the last thoughts on her mind was one of her delicate little children, which shows in very strong colours the depth and strength of a mother's love. It appears that the little child, when it gets its mouth opened, has not the power to shut it again. "Be careful," she said, "never to use the rod when the child is in that condition."

Until the time that the body was put in the coffin the children thought that their mother was only sleeping. The father said, "It is not right to bury her till they are undeceived." He took them and said, "Children, this is not your mother, but the nest in which your mother once lived! Your mother has gone to heaven; you will never see her again on earth." To which one child replied, "Oh, yes, father; we shall see mother again at the resurrection day."

At the grave some heathen remarked, "The husband does not sorrow like the Buddhists. He does not beat his head against the earth, and make loud lamentations. Did he really love his wife ?" The husband replied, "Friends, I have a hope which much chastens and diminishes my sorrow." That was the explanation. Even the strong-hearted Buddhist father seemed melted for the time. Once he told his son to take a knife and stab him, if he wished; “But don't preach the Gospel to me," said he.

A GIFT OF TEN THOUSAND BRICKS.

MANY of our readers will remember the two persecuted converts of

Bonny who were kept in cruel confinement for a year and a day, and were then released on the intercession of the English traders; and who appeared in a picture in the GLEANER of July, 1877.

MISSIONARY LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF
ST. PETER.

V. THE LABOURER'S HIRE.
"What shall we have?"-Matt. xix. 27-xx. 16.

ETER and the others had now been long with Jesus: what had they got by it? No kingdom yet-no honours for them-only a life of wandering and a "bag" for their little money. And now Jesus calls a rich lord to give up all his wealth, and come and join them; and the rich lord sorrowfully says, No (chap. xix. 16-26). What does Peter think of him? Not surprised. We (he thinks) gave up all for Jesus, and what have we gained? Then thinks, Surely we shall gain yet -what shall it be? Asks Jesus (ver. 27).

How does Jesus reply? Wonderful promise (ver. 28, 29)—" twelve thrones," "an hundred fold," "everlasting life." Yes, but Jesus tells him something else-Parable-read it (xx. 1-16). What does it mean? Look at

(1) Hiring time. Vine-grower wanting extra men-good vintageget it in quickly-wages agreed-off go the men. Comes back again and again-more men wanted-even at 5 P.M. will take them on--but no bargain with these-glad to be hired on any terms.

(2) Working time. Toiling away-long hours-fierce sun and parching wind ("heat" in ver. 12 is the dry east wind)-but work on-be done by-and-by-then the pay. But the men just come as sun sinking-can't think that don't know what pay will get-know they deserve very little -never mind-do all they can-master generous.

(3) Paying time. How pay "these last"? Master rich and kindknows they were willing to work, only not hired before-will make them a present-whole day's wages--fancy their gratitude! Then the others -full pay-nothing short-master a just man; why then black looks and bitter words? Not because they have not enough-quite content with that-but because others have too much! What is that to them? -if he chose to give them even a larger present, why should he not?

What did this Parable tell Peter? That he must not think of what he should get if so, would become selfish, envious, discontented-rather work for love of Master-think less of himself-then much happier-then glad that all should share His bounty.

What does the Parable say to us?

1. Christ calls us to work for Him. Harvest plenteous, labourers few. If you put off serving Him till "eleventh hour "-thinking will get heaven then-only care for the pay-which labourers will that be like? Can you say, "No man hath hired us "-when He is calling now? If the eleventh-hour labourers had refused work all day, would they have been taken on at the last? But if do all we can, as soon as we can

2. Christ will give us a rich reward. Not because we deserve it! (Luke xvii. 10; 1 Cor. xv. 10.) Not wages, but a gift (see Rom. vi. 23). How much? (Eph. iii. 20)—“ exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think!"

OUR PORTFOLIO.

N the early days of the Church Missionary Society, two difficulties confronted it. First, there were no openings. Secondly, there were no missionaries. China was hermetically sealed against the messengers of the Gospel; India was shut against them by the regulations of the East India Company; New Zealand by cannibalism; NorthWest America by ignorance (for nobody then knew anything about it); West Africa by pestilence."-From a recent Speech by Canon Hoare.

In those same countries alone, the Society now has nearly 140,000 Christians. And it has sent out, from first to last, some 900 missionaries. THE Indian people themselves have come to regard the Gospel which

a living ever since as brick-makers. The following touching letter was lately received by the C.M.S. Secretary at Lagos, the Rev. J. A. Maser:

LAGOS, 20th December, 1879.

REV. AND DEAR SIR,-We, the undersigned, are sensible of the large debt of gratitude we owe to the Church Missionary Society for the kind help given us in our distress, to secure a means of obtaining our livelihood here at Lagos, whither we have been forced to come as refugees.

The sincere desire of our hearts is to request of you kindly to accept these 10,000 bricks as a thank-offering towards the Society's new building

at Faji, Lagos, as a token of our most cordial appreciation of the Society

service to facilitate our condition at this our place of refuge.-Your most grateful Servants,

S Note by Mr. Maser

110,000 bricks at 27s. 6d. = £13 15s. Od.

THEIR

JONATHAN X APIAFA, ISAIAH X BARA.

MARKS

confer upon India, and that, whether it be for weal or for woe, whether it be for war or for peace, as things appear to the temporal eye, that there is nothing in all our arts, in all our civilisation, in all our legislation, in all our military domination, in all the protection we afford to life, and property, and opinion, there is nothing that compares with that which is the great secret of all our success--the truth of the Gospel as it is in Christ.-Sir Bartle Frere, Speech in 1871.

ATSIMSHEAN Indian once asked Mr. Duncan what the white men

meant when they spoke of "the year 1868." "How appalling to my mind," wrote Mr. Duncan, "when I tried to make him understand the origin of this date! I never felt the fact to be anything like so awful before. To me it seems that this must form one of the greatest stumbling-blocks to all the present generation of intelligent heathen. What can Christians in past ages have been thinking about? and what is the present generation doing ?"

ท

GOOD NEWS FROM A RURAL DISTRICT.

To the Editor of the GLEANER.

EAR SIR,-The past year, in spite of the failure of crops in our agricultural districts, has given so much cause for encouragement, and for thankfulness to our gracious God, that I think a few plain facts from my District may be of interest to your readers.

First. The subjoined figures show not only a steady progress in pecuniary support, but also a great increase of missionary zeal throughout the District (containing 24 parishes).

In 1877, 7 parishes supported C.M.S., sending up £78.
,, 1878, 9

دو

109.

152.

1879, 17 Second.-One parish in the district has advanced from £45 in 1877 to £60 in 1878 and to £91 in 1879, and the advance in this country village is mainly owing to the fact that their 56 missionary boxes produced £47, made up of about 3,000 coins.

Third.-The contents of two of these boxes were as follows:

(a.) The largest, in a shop:

£6 0 0 4 16 2 108

Total £11 16 10

LETTERS FROM THE REV. W. T. SATTHIANADHAN. [The following letters to the Editor need no introduction. Our many friends who remember with so much pleasure Mr. and Mrs. Satthianadhan's visit to England two years ago will read them with affectionate interest.]

CHINTADREPETTAH, MADRAS, Sept. 15th, 1879. OUR Sundays ago I baptized in my church at Chintadrepettah a young Brahmin from Madura. He was for a time educated in the American Mission School at Madura, and the seed there sown in his heart has now ripened in his conversion. He is highly connected. His father is a village Moonsiff and well-to-do. He has a young wife of fourteen, but she has refused to join him. He was employed at Tuticorin, in a mercantile house. He wrote to me from there that he was very willing and anxious to come up to Madras and receive baptism from me. As he was a perfect stranger to me, and as I knew nothing about his antecedents or circumstances, I did not reply to his letter, but one evening, all on a sudden, a young man called, and on inquiry I found that he was the very person who had written to me. Of course I received him on probation. Three or four days after, his father and father-in-law arrived from Madura, and endeavoured to persuade him to go back with them to Madura. He was, however, very firm. But as I had reason to think that they would give him much trouble, I asked Mr. Arden to take him under his protection. This he readily and promptly did, and received him in the Mission House. But I may say that for about a fortnight the Mission House was in a state of siege. Many of his relatives and friends, both male and female, constantly visited him, and tried by threats and persuasions to draw him away. Immediately after his baptism, the same Sunday morning, a scene took place at the Mission House which I can never forget. His stepmother and aunt embraced him, and wept in such a manner that it was really heartrending. His father, who heaped curses and abuses upon him and all his Christian friends, finding that he was unyielding, flew at

him like a tiger and tried to smother him. His coat was torn to pieces. It was, indeed, a trying scene. But the Lord graciously helped him, and he stood firm to the very last. Subsequently, several efforts were made to decoy him, but all in vain. He is still at the Mission House, and will probably attend the Madras Christian College for a time to further his education. Mr. Arden is very kind to him. He gave a stirring address on the occasion of his baptism.

We are expecting another young convert from our school at Strivilliputtur. He is a Vellala by caste. He, too, wrote to me expressing a mind to receive baptism in Madras. Mr. Arden has very kindly asked him to come up. Mr. Vêdanayagam, of Vagikulam, speaks very highly of him, as regards his sincerity and earnestness. So you see the Lord is pleased to encourage us with the tokens of His favour and blessing.

Nov. 30th, 1879. The other day, having heard of the death of his father, Somasundram, the young Brahmin from Madura, went thither to settle his affairs. He has sent me two letters since, relating all the trials which he encountered from his relatives, and his purpose to stay at home and manage his affairs as a Christian. I hope he will have grace to remain steadfast unto the end, and that he will be the means of bringing his young wife and other relatives to the foot of the cross.

The young Vellala was baptized last month by the name of Devanayagam. He has a widowed mother and a stepbrother, and other relatives at Strivilliputtur, but none of them came up to Madras, nor gave him trouble like Somasundram's friends. He has a fair knowledge of Scripture, and seems earnest and sincere. I trust the Lord will uphold him to the end.

I am thankful to be able to report progress, on the whole, in the two congregations composing this pastorate. The number of baptized members, including children, is nearly 400, of whom 177 are communicants.

As a proof of the reproductive and aggressive character of the work, I may mention a case which is full of interest. There is an assistant surgeon in charge of the Civil Hospital at Pullachy, in the Coimbatore district. His name is Dr. Munisawmi. He was a member of my congregation at Madras, and still keeps up his membership by continuing his subscription to our Church Fund. At his earnest and repeated request I visited Pullachy in September last, and was truly gratified with what I saw and heard there. Though connected with Government, yet Dr. Munisawmi exercises a great influence for good. To his numerous patients, from all castes and classes, both at the hospital and in private families, he speaks about Christ earnestly and impressively. I accompanied him to several villages, and, wherever we went, the people flocked to him in such numbers, with presents of fruits, &c., and spoke to him in such terms of endearment and esteem, that I could not but conclude that his influence over the people was very great and beneficial. The people were ready to listen to his message, and do anything for him.

In his own family he is still more influential and exemplary. He has six children, and several nephews and nieces. He conducts family worship very regularly, both morning and evening. All the members of his family, about twenty in number, meet together round the family altar, and he reads and expounds the Word of God in a familiar and effective manner. His children sing Christian songs, or Tamil lyrics, very nicely, and answer questions in Scripture readily and accurately. I was quite struck with the way in which he conducted family prayers. In fact, I may say of him, as has been said of many primitive Christians, that there is a "Church in his house."

He also prepared three heathen lads belonging to higher castes for baptism. I examined them, and was very much struck with the knowledge of Christianity which they possessed, and with the careful manner with which they were prepared for the sacred rite. These three youths, and his own child, a nice little boy of about fifteen months old, were baptized by me on a Sunday. The large hall, which was used for service, was quite full. Besides the few Christian residents of the place, there was a large number of respectable officials and inhabitants present, viz., the Tasildar, or Native magistrate, the overseer of the district, and other leading members of the Native community.

March 11th, 1880.

The Bishop of Madras is going to hold a confirmation in my church to-morrow. The number of candidates is thirty. I trust the service will be profitable to us all. Mrs. Satthianadhan's brother, Mr. Samuel John, is to be ordained in the cathedral next Sunday. May the Lord fill him with all the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit!

Our congregation has grown so much that we have felt the need of enlarging the church. We begin the work next week. During my stay in England, in 1878, a sum of £390 was contributed by various English friends to be devoted to the benefit of my work in Madras. Of this, £130 has already been expended on new lights, harmonium, bell, &c., and erecting a belfry. The balance can be used for the enlargement, but £180 will be wanted besides. The members of my church, though for the most part poor, give about Rs. 1,000 (about £90) a year for the support of their church and ordinances; but I may calculate on realising

about £20 from them. For the rest I venture to appeal to the Christian public. I do hope there will be no deficiency in the Society's funds this year. If our Christian friends could but see and realise the vast mass of heathenism as we do in India, and souls hurried into eternity without a ray of hope from the Sun of Righteousness, I am sure there would not be one who would not give a ready and liberal response to the appeals of your Committee. Oh for more self-denial and self-consecration in the Church of Christ! W. T. SATTHIANADHAN.

THE FIRST CHURCH FOR THE ESQUIMAUX. Letter from the Rev. E. J. Peck to the Rev. H. Wright. [The GLEANER of December last contained some letters from Mr. Peck, the last of which, dated August 19th, 1879, mentioned the arrival at Little Whale River of the Iron Church sent out from England expressly for the Esquimaux of Little Whale River, after being two years en route. And now we rejoice to hear of its being put together, and opened for the service of God. Let not Mr. Peck's special request for prayer in this month of May fail to be noticed.]

LITTLE WHALE RIVER, HUDSON'S BAY, Dec. 20th, 1879. OU will be delighted to hear that God has enabled me to erect the Iron Church. It is a nice neat little building, measuring (exclusive of chancel) forty feet long by twenty wide. I was about eight weeks erecting it, the Esquimaux being employed by the Hudson's Bay Company. I was only able to have their help for eight days, so that the lion's share of the task came to my lot. I had also plenty of puzzling work, as the ground plan could not be found, but with experiments, perseverance, and hard work, I managed finally to get everthing in its place.

The building was opened on Sunday, October 26th. I preached in Esquimaux, Indian, and English to my small flock. I spent a most happy day; and I think our poor Esquimaux, Indians, and others were

very thankful for the gift which has been sent them. For my own part I feel deeply thankful to God, and God's people, who have given me such a help in my work. You know how necessary it is to have a proper place wherein to worship God; I shall now be able to speak to my people with some comfort, whereas formerly I was forced to pack them in my little house, or go into the open air, or have them in the Hudson's Bay Company's quarters. I have no doubt the Esquimaux who arrive in the spring will be glad to assemble within the building; they will see for themselves the gift which has been sent them, so that I hope their hearts may be inclined to receive Him who is willing and waiting to give them a still greater gift-even life eternal. As the church will be visible to all, it will be a silent witness for God. The Esquimaux will also understand our desires for their welfare far better than if mere words were used. I am happy to say that God is still helping and blessing me in my work. The Esquimaux continue desirous to learn, and some of them show signs of spiritual life, for which blessings I am indeed thankful. I have a firm persuasion that God has a great blessing in store for the Indians and Esquimaux. I have been led to plead much for them of late, and if the Holy Spirit has incited me to more earnestness in prayer, it is (according to my mind) that He may use and fit the weak instrument for a means of blessing to others. God, as you know, generally works upon our own souls when He intends to use us. Oh! may He often work within us, inciting us to more earnestness and devotion in His blessed work!

May I ask you to make the month of May a particular time of prayer for the Esquimaux ? It is then that the greatest number are near me; then I am in the midst of the fearful battle against Satan, sin, and indifference, and I need particular grace. You know there are special seasons when we need our hands upheld by special prayer and sympathy.

The news of the Iron Church being erected, will no doubt be a matter of much joy to Miss Agnes, yourself, and other friends who thought of the poor isolated Esquimaux, and who sent them such a token of love and sympathy. Gratefully yours in that blessed hope, E. J. PECK.

I

A STORY OF THREE YOUNG WIDOWS.

OW wonderfully God often makes use of small instruments and overrules trifling incidents for the working out of His gracious purposes! Many instances of this will occur to all who watch the course of events; but how many more will remain unknown till the last day shall reveal to our sorrowful regret or our thankful surprise the untraced influence of a single word, the unexpected consequences of a trifling act. In the following little history we may trace the overruling hand of the Master in leading, through apparently trifling causes, to the appointment of a lowly worker in a field which He has blessed.

During the rainy season of 1871, the road to one of our out-stations in Bengal became absolutely impassable; and the time which had been devoted

they obtained a hired conveyance, and arriving after dark one evening, were received with sisterly love by many Native converts, especially by their former instructress, now resident at the Mission, and by a lady of high birth, who had not long before been cast off by husband and friends for embracing the truths of the Gospel. It was really a pleasure to see the loving welcome she gave to these poor sisters of originally much lower position. The relatives were very angry at their flight, more especially with the Christians of the neighbourhood for the assistance they had given, and they determined at once to marry the little daughter of one of the women to a Hindoo youth. The poor mother on hearing this was dreadfully distressed; the wedding, we were told, was to take place that very night. No time was to be lost. We immediately had letters written to the police and to the intended bridegroom signed by the mother, in which

with power to the poor women of the village whom she visited, and it was not long before she told with joy of the strong wish expressed by S- and two of her friends to be baptized. Interviews with them convinced me of their sincerity, which was put to the test when, after my refusal to take them away secretly to the Mission compound three miles distant, they, with repeated prayer for strength, consented to declare their convictions in their own homes. Their wish for baptism was met with strong opposition by their friends, and, finding that they could not act according to the dictates of their conscience, they determined to take refuge with us, knowing that, under these circumstances, they would be received with a warm welcome, although we had felt it right to decline to take them ourselves from their homes when they were secret disciples.

With the help of a Christian youth of their neighbourhood

she, as the lawful guardian of the little girl, protested against the marriage, and declared her wish that the child (not quite seven years of age) should be brought up as a Christian. We were thus, with God's blessing, enabled to prevent the marriage, and, shortly after, had the pleasure of restoring the poor child to her mother in the midst of an exciting scene of opposition from the villagers, headed by the uncle and grandmother, who only allowed us to leave with the little girl on the promise on the part of the mother to give up a document which was in her possession-a promise we readily concurred in on finding that there would be nothing prejudicial to her interests in giving it up.

The three young women are all widows. They, with the little girl and one or two other children, were all baptized in their own village, in a little church which has sprung up on the very site of the school before mentioned. Their relatives made no opposition, though some of them came to look on during the ceremony. They have been entered as pupils of the Calcutta Normal School, in connection with the Indian Female Normal School and Instruction Society, where they will, I trust, be prepared as teachers. I would ask the readers of the GLEANER to pray for these poor women, that they may remain firm in the faith which they have embraced; and that being endowed with the graces of the Holy Spirit, and with wisdom from on high, they may be the honoured instruments of bringing others to the loving Saviour. In the accompanying group, taken from a photograph, S- is the one standing in the centre; the one seated at the right hand is the mother of the little girl before mentioned. This child is now placed in the boarding-school at Augurparah, being supported there by a kind friend in England; this lady and her husband, lately a judge in India, having always been warm friends of Christian Missions during their long residence in that country.

H. J. N.