FROM THE POWER OF SATAN UNTO GOD." A TRUE STORY FROM CEYLON. (See the picture of a Devil-dancer's Mask in the GLEANER of January.) T is not easy to conceive a greater change than that which these words imply, or to imagine anything producing in a man a more entire alteration in both position and nature. To many they may seem a mere figure of speech, but to every truly Christian man they have a meaning learned from personal experience, and to most missionaries they have an intense reality, and express a precious truth which finds frequent illustration in the work in which they are engaged.

It cannot be too plainly recognised that every unconverted man, whatever his nation or religion, is under Satan's power; but the fact becomes an unquestionable one in the case of the many nations where actual devil-worship is the prevailing form. of religion, and where men avowedly look to devils for protection, guidance, and help. In South India and Ceylon actual devilworship widely prevails, and missionaries in those countries are literally fulfilling the command of the Risen Lord given to Saul of Tarsus, and are engaged in turning men" from the power of Satan unto God."

The following case is a rather remarkable one, as illustrating how suddenly, and under what peculiar circumstances, this great change sometimes comes.

The GLEANER for January of this year contained a picture of a hideous mask. That very mask had been used in the awful and obscene devil-worship of Ceylon, by one of the oldest Kapuwa's, or devil priests, in the island. Some years ago, when about to visit England, I obtained possession of this mask, in order to show English Christians something helping them to understand what devil-worship meant. It attracted much painful interest; few gazed on it without feelings of horror, mingled with pity for the blind devotees of the terrible system to which it belonged.

It will not lessen the interest of those who have seen it, or who may still see it at the Church Missionary Society's house, though it may alter their feelings in other respects, to know that the old Kapura to whom it belonged has recently professed his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The last Sunday in 1879 I spent at Talampitiya, a large village in Ceylon. Here the Kapuwa had lived, and here the mask had, years ago, been given to me.

A great change has passed over that village since my first visit. Then there was not one Christian there. Buddhism and devil worship enthralled the people in their dreadful slavery. Wickedness and vice of the most degrading character reigned in the place. Now the hill-top is crowned with a substantial church. Large numbers of the villagers are consistent and wellinstructed Christians, and some of their number have proved

successful evangelists in the surrounding country.

On December 28th I held service in the well-filled church, and on that occasion fourteen men came forward as candidates for baptism, and about twenty-five communicants gathered round the Table of the Lord. My heart was full of thankfulness as I contrasted the present with the past.

I felt the opportunity was not to be lost, and spoke to him earnestly, pressing on him the acceptance of life and salvation in Christ. The Christians had frequently spoken to him before, but he had heard only to reject. Still, such occasions had given him some knowledge of the great facts of Christianity.

After a time he replied to my remarks. He said, "I am more than a hundred years old. I have for many years sought to acquire merit in order to obtain future happiness. Now you tell me to abandon all this, and accept your religion. What time have I, at my age, to practise a new religion, and do what it requires in order to obtain salvation?"

My reply pointed not to what he was to do, but to what Christ had done. I told him of complete salvation to all who with hearty repentance and true faith turn to Him.

He looked at me earnestly, and said, "Do you mean to tell me that I have only to believe? that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will obtain salvation for me?" "Yes," I answered, "we have but to look to Him with true faith, in order to obtain full pardon and complete salvation." It seemed as though the Holy Spirit brought those words direct to the old man's heart. He clasped me round the knees, and with much feeling said, “I do believe, I do believe."

There seemed no reason to doubt the sincerity of the old man's profession, and after some further conversation he knelt with us, as we heartily thanked God that he who for so many years had been the servant of Satan had now become a little child in Christ. I commended him to the care and teaching of the Christians living in his neighbourhood, that he might be instructed with a view to his baptism. A few days later I was unexpectedly summoned to England, so that I had little opportunity of obtaining further information about him, but all I heard during those few days was satisfactory, leading to the belief that his conversion is real, and that he is another and a striking instance of what the Holy Spirit effects, in turning men "from the power of Satan unto God." J. IRELAND JONES.

OUR PORTFOLIO.

N old Hindu, known to be wealthy, on being asked as to his income, said it was twenty-five rupees (about £2 5s.); and that his age was only two or three years. Being asked to explain, he replied, "I reckon my income as limited to the portion of it which I have given to God, and my age as only the time which I have spent in His service."

THE Protestant Episcopal Church of America has engaged in its foreign missionary work five bishops (Hayti, Mexico, West Africa, China, Japan), thirty-six clergymen, three physicians, sixteen ladies, and 168 teachers and catechists.

Aisin Wales lately handed his clergyman £30 for the Church

Missionary Society, with these words: "Forty years ago I started life with that sum. I then said that if God prospered me I would devote that amount to Him. He did prosper me; for during all those years I have not had a death in my family; I never skinned a horse, nor lost a bullock. I wish this money to go to send the Gospel to heathen lands."

SEEIN

EEING myself surrounded by a large congregation of mendicants, I said to them," I see a great many lepers here to-day." The eyes of all ment, "Sahib, there are only thirteen lepers here." "Count again," I said; and I soon received the same announcement. A wise man in the company, on seeing me still unsatisfied, sagaciously said, "I think you must be speaking figuratively." "Yes," I said, "THE LEPROSY OF SIN cleaves to you, and if you are not washed in the fountain which has been opened for sin and for uncleanness,' it will destroy you."-Dr. John Wilson, of Bombay.

gathered sick in the streets of Jerusalem, healed as it swept over them; even so is Christianity going throu.h the earth like a spirit of health, and the nations, miserable and fallen, start up and live as she passes.

THE CENTENARY OF CHRISTIANITY IN
TINNEVELLY.

UST one hundred years have elapsed since the glad tidings of the Gospel reached the now far-famed Province of Tinnevelly. That was before the time when missionaries were forbidden to reside in British India. And although hardly any of our Missionary Societies then existed, and not one had agents in India, there were ministers of the Lutheran Church at work, Germans and Danes, who were supported by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (S.P.C.K., not S.P.G.), and of whom the most eminent was Swartz. He paid several visits to Tinnevelly, and on one occasion baptized a Brahmin widow, who had been instructed by an English officer, and who took the name of Clorinda. She built the first church in the province, at Palamcotta; and

we

the register of the Native congregation connected with it begins in 1780. In this present year, 1880, has therefore been celebrated the Centenary of Christianity in Tinnevelly. In 1790 Swartz ordained (according to the Lutheran form) a Native catechist named Sattianadhan; and the S.P.C.K. Report for that year, in recording this fact, used these remarkable words:" If wish to establish the Gospel in India, we ought in time to give the Natives a Church of their own, independent of our support . . . and secure a regular succession of truly apostolic pastors, even if all communication with their parent Church should be annihilated." Under Swartz's successors, Janické and Gerické, the work grew, and at the beginning of this century there were 4,000 Christians in Tinnevelly. But a time of trial ensued. The S.P.C.K. was unable to devote so much of its funds to India; the East India Company forbad missionaries to land in the country; and many of the Native Christians, left without pastoral care, fell back to their old devil-worship. There were, however, some 3,000 in 1816, when the Rev. J. Hough became Government Chaplain at Palamcotta.

BISHOP CALDWELL.

Rs.24,498 . Rs.13,056 ... Rs.37,554* (About £3,280.)

Thus Swartz's little congregation of forty persons a hundred years ago has grown to ninety-seven thousand; and of these, about a third, comprising the greater part of the unbaptized,' have joined in the accessions of the last two or three years.

BISHOP SARGENT.

Mr. Hough was the founder of the present Missions in Tinnevelly. He applied to the Church Missionary Society, and the Committee responded by sending out the devoted Rhenius, who began his great work in 1820. In 1829 another good Lutheran minister, Rosen, was commissioned by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel to take charge of the old congregations, which the S.P.C.K. had just handed over to it; and from that

speeding by, and the great work is not standing still. Sometimes its progress seems slow to us; but what would our fathers have thought of it! Taking all Protestant Missions into account, the number of converts in the heathen world is now increasing at the rate of sixty thousand a year. Surely the Lord's word to us is, "Behold, I come quickly!"

CENTRAL ASIA-ISLAM OR THE GOSPEL?

E hear a good deal about the advance of Mohammedanism in 13 Central Asia, and even in far-off China. There may be exaggeration in these accounts, as there certainly is in similar statements about Africa. But they at all events call upon us to remember in our prayers those great countries that lie between India on the south, China on the east, and the Russian Empire on the north, and which at present seem more utterly closed to Christian effort than any other part suggestion. of the wide world. The picture opposite may serve to emphasise this

TALKS WITH YOUNG WORKERS.

BY THE REV. J. E. SAMPSON.

CHAPTER VI.

SHOULD like to know," Mr. Green said when the meeting next assembled, "how that Mission in Sierra Leone has prospered. We were talking last time, you will remember, of its early trials and difficulties, and how, after anxious waiting, our fathers were permitted to see the smile of God upon their patience of hope. Was Mr. Johnson long spared to carry on his great work there?"

"Only seven years. During that time his labours were incessant, and in the midst of it he had to return to England. Though he had then been but three years at work, the blessing of God had been so richly bestowed upon him, that hundreds came down to the shore to bid him a weeping farewell. 'Massa,' said one, pointing to the sea, suppose no water live here, we go with you all the way, till feet no more.' Mr. Johnson, however, was soon back again, and laboured on until the year 1823, when he died on his way home."

"Seven years seems a short time," said Mr. Treddel, "for so great a work."

"Yes," Mr. Harper said, "it shows us again what we have been noticing so often, that the work of Christian Missions is God's work, and not ours. We speak of it and think of it too much as our work; but when the great missionary apostle exhorts us to continue in it, he says, 'Always abounding in the work of the Lord.' The Lord taught this to our fathers when He withheld visible blessing from them. He taught it as clearly when He gave that blessing. If Johnson had lived forty years working on in Africa, we cannot tell what the results might have been. But when God removed him at the end of seven years, He showed that He could do without him; and He shows us still that the battle is not ours, but God's."

"Cursed be the man that trusteth in man," interposed Mrs. Hope. "Yes, it is written so," said Mr. Harper; "and so those Christian Africans felt it. When the news of the death of the good man who had begotten them again through the Gospel reached them, they held together a solemn service; and at a subsequent meeting several of them gave expression to their sorrowful feelings. One of them said, 'My dear brethren, I think God took him away because we looked more to Mr. Johnson than we did to the Lord Jesus.' And, dear friends, I would say to you, if you want the work of the Lord to prosper in your hands, think less of human instruments; think more of Christ, whose Spirit

alone can reveal Him in the sinner's heart."

"Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord,'" said Mrs. Hope.

"I think," remarked Mr. Treddel, "we need to remember this in all our works. We talk of our missionary work, our collecting, our sewing meetings, our systematic organisation. It is, no doubt, good and necessary, but we need to keep these things in their proper place and honour God."

"When Mr. Johnson died he left in Sierra Leone over six hundred communicants, besides schools containing more than three thousand scholars."

"Is Sierra Leone a large territory?" asked Mr. Green.

"No, it is chiefly comprised in a peninsula measuring twenty-two miles long by twelve broad. The fixed population is about 37,000. "And how many of these are Christians?"

"All, with the exception of about 4,000, bear at least the Christian name. Nearly half of these are connected with the Church Missionary Society; the remainder are for the most part allied to the Wesleyan Societies."

"Then Sierra Leone is as much a Christian country as England is ? " remarked Mr. Green. "Quite so. In 1852 it became a diocese. The first three Bishops lived a very short time. God was still teaching us, in our first mission station, His first great missionary lesson-Trust in God."

"Who is the present Bishop?"

"Dr. Cheetham has now presided over the diocese of Sierra Leone since 1870. He is the fifth Bishop. God has mercifully spared him; may He still keep and bless him in the work! His diocese extends far beyond the peninsula of Sierra Leone."

"I think I have heard you say, Mr. Harper, that the Church Missionary Society does not do much now in Sierra Leone?"

"It has no need. The Society is for the heathen, for those who know nothing of Je us ar d His cleansing blood. I cannot say that the name which is above every name is owned and loved by all in that favoured 1 lace, any more t an it is in the most favoured parish in England, but there is no one there who has not heard it, I suppose; and I am sure there is no one who may not ear of its saving power i he will."

"Then i we have no missionaries there, how is the Church supported?" asked Mr. Green.

"She supports herself. She has grown strong enough to su-tain her

own ministers, build her own churches, and work her own parishes. The peninsula is mapped out in parishes, just as an English diocese is, each parish having its clergy, its day and Sunday-school, and its Church council. By their own voluntary subscriptions the cost of all is met. This was done nearly twenty years ago

"What hath God wrought!" ejaculated Mrs. Hope.

"And besides this they give liberally for the Bible Society, and their own mother-Missionary Society.. I noticed in last month's GLEANER, that on Easter-day there were 313 persons who partook of the Lord's Supper in one church at Lagos, and that in three years no less than £3,412 bad been contributed by that congregation for Church objects." "Is Lagos in Sierra Leone?"

"No, but your question raises another point of interest. We have looked at this Mission in its almost hopeless beginning. We have seen it when it was a helpless infant. Now we see it in its vigorous maturity. You must not think that it was idle in its youth. By no means. It couldn't have grown if it had. When Africans found salvation, they yearned, as I trust you do, to make known that salvation to others." "Yes," said Mrs. Hope,

"The heart with love to God inspired,
With love to man will glow."

"You must remember," continued Mr. Harper, "that all the clergy in the ten churches in Siera Leone are Africans, with skin as black as coal. They are workers for God. I will give you an instance of how one of them showed his love for souls on his dea h-bed. He said to his sister, 'I am going home. I advise you to work while it is day; when the night of death comes, then you will be able to work no longer.' You see how his heart was in the work of God. Then he said, 'That Saviour whom I have loved--that Jesus whom I have pointed out to others-on Him alone is my trust.' And do you think men like these could confine their zeal to their own parishes?

"I don't think they would have much blessing in them if they did,” Mrs. Hope said.

"No, they thought of the heathen around them. They did what they could to preach the Gospel among them. One of them is now a Bishop, telling of Christ on the banks of the Niger. Christian England held on in her good work for G d. Sierra Leone, though the first, is not the only Mission we have in West Africa. There is Yoruba, with i's eleven stations, its thirteen African clergy men, its more than two thousand communicants, its nearly six thousand professing Christians. There is the Niger Mission with its African Bishop and clergy, is two hundred communicants, its fifteen hundred Christians, though commenced only twenty

three years ago."

THE WARRIORS AT REPHIDIM.

OWN in the valley the battle is raging,

Fierce was the onslaught by Amalek made,
For the first time in stein combat engaging,
See the freed bondmen for warfare arrayed!
Up on the hill, by two comrades attended,
Standeth the Leader of Israel's bands,
And the success, till the long strife is ended,
Hangs on the strength of his uplifted hands.
When they sink wearily, Amalek gaineth,
When they are steady, the I-rael prevails.
So the brief history ever remainen

A lesson to teach us that payer never fails.
Art thou aged, or feeble, and is thy heart sidlened
By thinking how useless thy life seems to be ?
Muse well on that story and thou shalt be gladdened,
A place in GoD's army is open to thee.

It is not far from thee. Alone in thy dwelling,
Thou art nigh to a moun'ain exceedingly high,
And Rephilims, balling the power of thy telling,
Lie stretched out around it, to Faith's piercing eye.
Earth is a ba tlefield. Two mighty Powers
For ages have striven for victy there.

O CAPTAIN of Israel! the day will be urs!
We, too, are Tax warriors, it "hel, ing by prayer."

FIRST EXPERIENCES OF CHINESE TRAVEL.

ERY quickly have our brother and sister, the Rev. J. B. and Mrs. Ost, who only sailed for China last October, had to learn how to endure hardness in their missionary life, as the following graphic letter will show. It is pleasant to see peril and privation faced with so much Christian patience

and good humour :

SHAOU-HYING, CHINA, Feb. 20th, 1880. You will have already learned of our safe arrival in the "City of Perpetual Prosperity." You may be sure our hearts were made glad indeed when we reached this place. upon meeting with dear brother and Mrs. Valentine, and unitedly thanking our gracious 1ving Father for all His goodness to us by the way. We had special cause for devout thanks and grat tude, inasmuch as we were twice mercifully preserved from serious danger by water. We were shipwrecked setting out in the Australia, and our journey concluded with a boat accident.

I will not again refer to the former mishap more than to say that during the time the ship was in the greatest danger we felt that our Father in heaven was watching over us, and would not only rescue us but would also grant us our hearts' desire, and bring us safely to China. Here we are, living proofs that our trust was not misplaced.

Our second serious accident occurred to us between Ningpo and this city. We had spent a most happy week with dear Mrs. Russell, Mr. Hoare, Mr. and Mrs. Shann, and Miss Smith, and the former had arranged for our being comfortably situated on beard the Mission boat during the three days it was supposed to take in performing the river and canal journey; but the second morning after our departure we were providentially awakened by our little dog barking most piteously-to find the boat fast filling with water. There was 14 feet of water in our cabin, and the water was flowing in very fast. We hurriedly got up, and my wife had to dress in the open part near the boat's bow, whilst the snow was coming quickly down. She was most fortunate in finding her things dry. I was less so. The previous afternoon I had fallen into the river and wetted most of my garments. I did not put on my dry change, but lay in bed intending to do so in the morning. Alas, in the morning I found my portmanteau filled with water, and everything saturated. I did the best I could under the circumstances, and that was to put on my overcoat and roll myself in a blanket.

As a boat conveying some coals for us happened to be alongside when we discovered the leak, all our effects were put on board, and we lay down on top of the coals until a boat could be hired to take us on as quickly as possible. We were then fifty miles from Shaou-hying.

A foot boat was procured after some time, and we were taken on in it. Our blankets were spread over the boat's bottom, and covering ourselves up we lay down in our limited space, and remained in a lying position for twenty hours. To move was dangerous, as the boat might easily be overbalanced, and we did not wish for another wetting. My wife's head was close to the stern, mine was towards the bows. It was bitterly cold, freezing very hard, and the snow was falling quickly the whole time. Drifting in on us our blankets were mostly covered, and this afterwards froze, making our covering anything but comfortable. My wife was ill

most of the time.

I presented a most laughable picture on presenting myself to our good brother and his wife. I had a frozen hat (soft fel:) on my head, an overcoat, partly frozen, over a flannel vest, a plaid shawl wound round my legs as a substitute for trousers, and a heavy pair of long Chinese bootsmy boys. It was some little time before our hosts quite took in my sad condition. They thought that wearing plaid shawls thus round one's legs was a part of the "latest fashion" in London. When, however, I had fully explained myself, I was speedily supplied with all necessary articles. As I am rather slight, and Mr. V. is pretty stout, these were not a good fit, so when I presented myself at the breakfast table I was still an object of amusement. I must say I quite enjoyed the fun myself. It was with thankful hearts that we joined in the family prayers that morning for being so miraculously preserved from danger.

I am now settled in the house built by Mr. Palmer, and am hard at work studying the language. My wife sits with me, and goes over the same work with my teacher. I am thankful to say he is a Christian, so that he sympathises with us in our work. He regularly asks for God's blessing every morning before we commence work. He comes in time every morning for prayers, which he conducts for the Chinese on the premises, and I say the benediction, which I have studied so as to be able to take part in their devotions. He reads the lesson from the New Testament appointed by our Church for the day, and comments upon it for a few moments, and then concludes with prayer. I forgot to mention that at the outset he gives out a hymn, which is sung very nicely. As he writes this out in Roman characters for us, we are able to join our voices with theirs in thus praising our common Lord and Master How one longs to have a loose tongue to be able to speak to these people about the Lord Jesus!

IR,-i find this Missionary Tea is Comming off again these teas i like i hope there will be a good Number. Now Sir do you remember What you Said last year you give us a hotten [hot one] or two in Speaking you Said Something about Self sacrifice you said some might do with a little less Beer that i could not do without giving up all together then you Said some might do with a little less tobaco which i do Not use then Sir you Said some might do with a feather or two less them things i never wore in my life but Sir you had me after all i had a hobby which Cost me six rence a week one penny a day. Well Sir i thought on the first Working day of the week i would Save that Penny which i have sent to you for the Church Missionary Cause and i hope you will except it and i hope the GREAT MISSIONARY of all will except it then i know it will Bring down a Blessing on some poor soul.

So no more from your humble Servant,

A VISIT TO JAPAN.

BY THE REV. A. B. HUTCHINSON, C.M.S. Missionary at Hong Kong.

VI.

Hiyeizan, the Sacred Mountain-Lake Biwa-A terrible tragedy-Otsu-The Gospel in a prison-A night in an inn.

ITH much regret we bid adieu to the courtly and polished people of Kioto, leaving behind us countless unexplored mines of interest in temples and antiquities, arts and manufactures.

We are bound for Hiyeizan, the sacred mountain, and ere long have to leave our jinrikishas and secure, coolies to carry our luggage, for we have before us a long and steady ascent until we shall cross the summit some 3,000 feet above the sea. The city is soon hidden from our view as we turn a spur of the mountain and commence ascending a lovely valley. We are accosted in a kindly way by the dwellers in a little Swisslike hamlet that clings to the mountain side, warned to prepare for rain, pressed to take one more tiny cup of fragrant tea; and then we plunge into the everlasting hills.

After some hours of steady up-hill walking, amidst varied and most beautiful scenery, we turn an angle in the path, and the first impression is of an enormous chasm in the horizon, which slowly resolves itself into a vast lake, bosomed amid dark hills whose outlines are lost in the distance to our left. We are gazing upon the famous Lake Biwa, which is some sixty miles long, and which forms a marked object in the very centre of the map of Japan. Turning round we behold beyond and below us the valley of Kioto, and still farther off the plain of Osaka and faint gleams of the yet more distant inland sea.

More climbing brings us across a shoulder of the mountain, through a magnificent fir forest, and we emerge upon the plateau of an imposing temple. Below us we can detect numerous massive roofs with their grand curves nestling amid the forest giants that clothe the thirteen valleys which open out from under our feet. Pagoda spires peep out here and there; and long flights of granite steps, whose pearly grey contrasts pleasantly with the dark foliage, indicate the steepness of the descent towards the lake beneath us, across which in the distance fairy steamers can be seen threading their way amongst fleets of fishing boats whose sails gleam white as the wings of the snowy herons which line the shores.

This lovely site has been the chosen home of Buddhism for the past ten centuries. Hundreds of temples were flourishing here when the Conqueror landed on the shores of England. Three hundred years have just elapsed since these hills and vales were the scene (in 1571) of a massacre almost without parallel in history. The great warrior and minister Nobunaga perceived the danger to the state of the grand monastic institutions, the forts and arsenals of these belligerent monks, who led lives of