with a number of bags of money, said to contain a certain sum. When he had expended the sum with which he was charged, he found there was still 1000 Rs. remaining in the bags. He consulted his friends as to what he should do. They told him to keep it and say nothing about it. He replied, No, I cannot do that, for it would be dishonest. He reported the fact to the proper officer. The books were examined, and no account could be found of the surplus MISSION ROOMS, NEW-YORK, JANUARY, 1841. First Sabbath of this Month. attention should be directed to missionary life, as that to which they may perhaps be called in future? Are there still others, who might be safely en As the Chronicle will be in the hands of its readers before the first Sabbath of this month, we would of-couraged to act as collectors in local fer a few suggestions in addition to the remarks made in our last number, in reference to the observance of that day as appointed by the General Assembly. We would respectfully suggest to our clerical readers to inquire, whether any thing more can be done amongst the people of their respective charges, towards awakening or strengthening a deep and pure missionary feeling. Would it be expedient to preach more frequently on missionary subjects? Or, to make a more full and well considered reference to them in conducting the public prayers of the congregation? Or, to bestow more time and labor on preparation for the Monthly Concert? Or, to make further efforts for the spread of missionary intelligence? Are there members of the church, with whom private conversation on missionary matters might be the best way of re. moving objections and of obtaining their co-operation? Are there others, especially among the young, whose associations, or as voluntary agents, to promote the circulation of the Chronicle, the Reports of the different Boards, the occasional papers published by them, &c. ?-We do not propose these questions because we think that our brethren in the ministry undervalue their importance, or have neglected the duties to which they relate, but because they deserve attention on such a day, and at the beginning of another year. This Sabbath ought to be a day for consideration and a day of prayer. We sincerely wish that our readers would consider earnestly the condition of the heathen. They are sitting in darkness and the shadow of death. They are sinners like ourselves by nature and practice. They are subject, as we are, to all the evils that sin has brought into the world, and need the support and the help of the Gospel as much as we do ourselves. They are dying by thousands every day. They are soon to appear before God in judgment. Eternity is before them-how can it be an eternity of blesseduess to them, if they know not the way of life? And how can they know the only true and living way to the Father, if Christians do not go or send, and make it known to them? And when this is done, and while this is doing, Prayer must be offered unceasingly to God for the influence of his Holy Spirit,-without which we use all means and make all sacrifices utterly in vain. God will gra ciously hear and answer the prayers of his people. Let us, then, draw near to the throne of his heavenly grace, deeply impressed with the greatness of the interests for which we pray, and in the exercise of faith and hope; and let us plead that the spirit of missions may be poured out in large measures upon all the churches, and that the impenitent amongst our countrymen, and the deeply de. graded millions of the anti-christian Missionary Chronicle. Regarding this Magazine as an important Agent of the Board, through which information can be given fully, at stated times, and at comparatively little expense, the Executive Committee have decided that it be sent, until farther notice, free of any charge except postage, to every Pastor and Stated Supply in our connection, who is willing to receive it. Letters from Missionaries. Miscellanies. Bishop's College, near Calcutta. The vast population of India must ever give that country a high importance as a field for Christian missions. All the inhabitants of the continents of America and Africa, are not probably more numerous than are the inhabitants of India. All the people in the missionary countries around the Mediterranean, with the addition of all who inhabit the numerous islands of the Pacific, would not out-number the millions of the Hindus. Besides their numbers, the Hindus have strong claims on the missionary zeal of Christians, from their being so per fectly accessible to the means of grace. We may go to them, and live among them, and labor uninterruptedly for their salvation, if we will. China has more people, but not near so many that are accessible. Other missionary fields afford perhaps greater en couragement, the seed sown in them appears to spring up sooner into life, and to yield more fruit; but no other field more needs the labors of the servants of God, and in no other, we believe, will the final result be more completely successful. We are glad to see, therefore, that so many bodies of christians have missionary esta blishments in India. We wish indeed, that their forces were far stronger; all the ministers of the gospel, in India, from all christendom, are less in number than we have in our two cities of New York and Philadelphia. In the northern provinces, where our own church has her missions, there are more people than in these United States, and only between twenty and thirty missionaries, most of whom are under the care of our Foreign Board. "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of harvest that he will send forth laborers into his harvest." There will always be great difficulties, however, about sending missionaries to such distant countries; and when they are sent they labor under serious disadvantages, from their being foreigners, from their imperfect knowledge of the language and the usages of the people, from the trying nature of the climate and manner of living; || they can begin the work, but they require native helpers to carry it on. India is to be brought under the Saviour's blessed reign by her own soldiers, though they may for a while require to be commanded by foreign officers. The whole work of extending and upholding christianity among the Hindus, must eventually devolve on themselves. For these and other reasons, we look with the greatest interest on every Institution, which is intended to provide native ministers and teachers for that people. The Engraving on the next page represents by far the most expensively endow. ed and complete Institution of this kind in India, or indeed in any Protestant missionary field. It was founded by Bishop Middleton, and the corner stone was laid in December, 1820. "A grant of land, amounting to about twenty acres, was made by the Government in India for the purposes of the College: to this land some addition has since been made. It lies about three miles below Calcutta, in a fine situation, on the opposite bank of the River Hoogly, which is there less than half a mile wide. The situation is very favorable for privacy and retirement; and the scenery such,' Bishop Middleton observed, 'as to gratify and soothe the mind.' "The College consists of three piles of buildings, in the plain Gothic style. These buildings form three sides of a quadrangle; the fourth, or south side being open the River, which in that part lies nearly east and west. The pile which fronts the River consists of the College Chapel to the east, divided by a tower from the Hall and Library on the west. The buildings on the east and west sides of the quadrangle contain the apartments for a Principal and two Professors, with Lecture Rooms, and Rooms for the Students. The whole is formed on the plan of combining comfort and convenience with an elegant simplicity." On the north side of the main building there is a Printing Office, with several presses, and a dwelling house for the Printer. The College grounds are laid out with good taste, and adjoin the East India Company's celebrated Botanical Garden, which affords extensive and delightful walks, and contains the greatest number and variety of botanical productions. Towards the endowment of this College the Gospel Propagation Society, Christian Knowledge Society, Church Missionary Society, and British and Foreign Bible Society, each, gave £5,000: upwards of £45,000 were collected in Great Britain under the authority of the King's Letter in 1819; and various sums, of which we have seen notices of £20,000, were obtained from different sources previous to 1825, for the purpose of supporting scholarships. Upwards of $400,000, therefore, have been given towards the buildings, library, professorships and scholarships of this College. The number of scholarships we do not perceive mentioned in the statements, from which we compile this account, though we observe a donation of £6,000, for the support of five, being an investment of nearly $6000 for each scholarship, or say $300 per year. The original plan was to have a Principal and two Professors: Bishop Wilson recconimended a few years ago, however, that one of the Professors should for the present be dispensed with. The annual payment of £1700, sometimes of a larger sum, is mentioned in the accounts of several years for these Instructors; and so lately as 1837, the salary of the Principal was officially stated at £1,000 per year, with a retiring pension of £500 per year, after fifteen years' service. These are certainly liberal allowances The number of students has heretofore been small. In 1835, Bishop Wilson mentioned eight as the number then receiving instruction: we believe, the number has never risen to as many as twenty during one term. One design of this College deserves parti cular statement, the facilities which it affords to missionaries on their first arriving in the country for learning the language; though, doubtless, they might acquire that knowledge in other ways, as indeed most missionaries do, the advantages of this Institution being strictly confined to Episcopalians. It is a more important recommendation of it, that its professorships are stations; which men of talents and education might make greatly to subserve the inte rests of religion and education. Notwithstanding the high praise which has been bestowed on this College, we must acknowledge that it appears to us to have been founded in the erroneous opinion, that the most advanced and matured institutions of an old christian community should be at once established among the heathen; and, moreover, it will be found, if it has not been, that such large salaries and so much literary leisure are temptations to neglect the spiritual and self-denying labors incumbent on those who would be useful to the heathen, which will require a high degree of religious principle and earnestness to overcome. But, ultimately, this Institution may accomplish great good for India, and the hopes of its founders and friends will not, we trust, be disappointed. If the scale of expense on which this Col. lege has been founded be one extreme, we apprehend that the opposite extreme is not to be less guarded against. In missionary matters, saving of money is not always economy. There ought to be, undoubtedly, judicious care and even frugality in the expenditure of moneys, which have been con: ecrated to the service of God, and to the salvation of dying men. But to restrict a missionary's expenses to what is necessary for a bare livelihood, though he may be devoted enough to account it the least of his trials, will be found in the long run to be injurious; it will be attended with privations which, in most climates where missionary labors are supported, would shorten the days of a man's life. And it is still more important that a missionary should enjoy good facilities for carrying on his work. His translations of the Scriptures, his schools, and especially his pious native assistants, should be fully supported, for they are the hands by which he holds out the bread of life to the heathen.-Much wisdom from on high is needed by those to whom is entrusted the management of missionary funds, to enable them to decide correctly on the numerous and varied cases which come before them; and much of the grace of liberality is needed by the people of God, lest by their withholding the requisite pecuniary means, their messengers to the heathen should have the discouragement of seeing most important ways of doing good unimproved, and even untried. * |