the same, amounts to one hundred and seventeen. In the Portuguese church four persons have by baptism been initiated into the Christian faith, their number being at present eighty-three. To which be pleased to add, fifteen Malabarick and five Portuguese catechu mens. "Most Honourable Gentlemen, "As your and our desire is, that the work of the Lord, by his powerfui influence, may daily gain ground in the Eastern countries, and the light of the Gospel of Christ effectually arise in these dark and be nighted places: so we hope that by such and the like means, vast numbers, who hitherto have sacrificed to demons, may be made partakers of the Spirit of Christ Jesus, and by virtue hereof bring forth fruits worthy of Christians. Give us leave therefore to submit, in all humility, the following heads to your judgment, that, after your advice therein, we may carry on the whole design the more prosperously, and with greater hope of success: "I. We humbly request, that by way of letter you would address his Majesty the King of Denmark on our behalf. There is no doubt that a representation coming from so honourable a body would make him favour the more with his royal protection this infant design of the mission, and by his powerful patronage put a stop to such hindrances as do still obstruct the work where in we are concerned. "II. Madras is a populous city, abounding not only with a vast number of Malabarians, but also with many other nations besides; so that, next to Batavia, there is hardly a city so fit and conveniently placed for propagating the Gospel of Christ in India. And because more than twenty-four distinct languages are spoke in this place, we very much wish that the preaching of the word of the Lord may begin in that city, and that from thence, as formerly from Je-usalem, the Gospel of Christ, both by sea and by land, may go forth, and spread itself over all the parts of India. But in what manner, and by what support, so laudable a work may be begun and promoted, you yourselves, whose care and concerns are constantly bent upon the welfare of souls, will best foresee and di rect. "III. We heartily wish that a seminary of missionaries be erected in India, and that such men be educated therein as by their life and conduct may give us some hopes of success in so important a work. We say that such a college be raised in India, where the same languages be spoke, which in time those candidates are to use in the discharge of their trust. The principal languages, by which the propagation of the truth of Christ may be promoted at present, are, Portuguese, Malabarick, Malaick, Peguan, Gentue, Wardick, Armenick, and the language called Kirendum. And truly some particular signs of the times afford us great reason to hope, that the glorious morning of the Gospel will shortly begin to dawn among the Eastern nations. "IV. Out of this seminary should be sent students qualified for missionaries, to Bengal, to the city of Bombay, to the kingdom of Pegu, to the city of Cudulur, or Fort St. David, to Armenia, and other parts, to lay the foundation of Schools in these places. But then it is requisite that the students be sent forth from the Seminary as ordained ministers of the Gospel; and in what manner that may best be done, you most worthy gentlemen will consider: every one of the said students or missionaries may take to himself one, or more, of the scholars educated by us, to the place appointed for him. We have been surprised (when, upon several occasions, we have made a progress to other places, and taken with us one or two scholars out of school), to find how much this hath contributed to the conversion of souls, both among Heathens and Christians. "V. The ministers of the English nation, who resided at Bengal and Bombay, being dead, we hope you will think it very proper to consult the worthy Directors of the East India Company, about the ability of those who are to succeed them; that they may, both in truth of doctrine and sanctity of life, prove shining patterns to the Heathens and Christians here: likewise that they join their endeavours with ours, and in brotherly love and harmony concern themselves with us about propagating the Gospel in these parts: true and faithful dispensers of the word being highly necessary in India, where false and worldly-minded Christians do so much mischief. "VI. It would certainly have a good influence upon the whole design, if, by means of your correspondence, the Governor at Fort St. George was entreated to lend us a hand in spreading the savour of the knowledge of Christ in these parts: And if the worthy Directors would be pleased to do the same in their letters to the Governor and Council in India, such recommendation would prove an effectual help, for furthering and enlarging the con cerns of the mission." "If ever any fellow-labourer should be sent over to assist us in this work; we humbly request, that not one alone be sent, but that two or three transport themselves on board the same ship, for their mutual help and comfort." "We might add many other things concerning the present state of our churches and schools on this coast; but having drawn up of late a particular history of the beginning, progress, and impediments of this undertaking, and sending it over with these letters, we refer you to the same, and hope that you and other well-wishers to the conversion of the Heathens, will praise the Lord for his divine goodness hitherto bestowed on this work. May JEHOVAH be your shield and your great reward!” The history which is here referred to by the Missionaries, is little more than an abstract of the accounts contained in their former correspondence, the material parts of which have already been inserted in preceding numbers of the Christian Observer. There is only one passage, giving an account of the method they pursued in instructing their catechumeus, which it seems necessary to transcribe. It is as follows: "Our private labours consist chiefly in this: We do in our own house daily catechize the members of the Damulian church, divided into two forms; for we have both beginners and proficients in our congregation. "The beginners are the smaller boys and girls educated in our schools. To these may be added some of riper years, that desire to turn from Pagan idolatry to the church of Christ: they are called catechumens, and are trained up and catechized in the Christian doctrine, and the method of salvation. After they have well imbibed the principles of the Christian faith, aud arrived to a sound knowledge of the will of God; we then do openly examine them before the whole congregation, and then present them at last to be grafted into Christ and his church by holy baptism. "By proficients, we mean the bigger boys and girls, and other members of the church, who have attained to a higher degree of the knowledge of the truth which is after godliness. To these, we daily explain the writings of the apostles in a catechetical method. But as the best wheat has always some chaff mixed with it; so there are too many among these, who rest satisfied with a mere historical knowledge of divine things. Some however do, by prayer, seek a more lively knowledge, and a spiritual disposition of mind. These neet together every Friday, and pend an hour in religious exercises. They use to pray one after another, as they are able to express it from their own experience. The men and boys meet together in one room, and the women and girls in another. And we observe, that the youth of both sexes do always exceed their elders, both in the knowledge of the truth of Christ, and also in the exercise of prayer to God." The books which they employed in instructing their flock, were Freylinghausen's Grounds and Principles of Theology, Luther's Catechism, and Dr. Spence's Exposition of that Catechismi. They thus conclude this first letter to the Society: "May the infinitely great and good God, who has given his Son to be a light to the Gentiles, and a Saviour unto the ends of the earth, establish this work more and more! May he strengthen it against the force and wiles of the enemy, that the glory of his own everlasting name, and the eternal salvation of the Heathen, may be thereby happily promoted! The name of the Lord be praised from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same." (To be continued.) To the Editor of the Christian Observer. MUCH has been advanced in your valuable publication, concerning the period of 1260 years; and the advocates of the different solutions proposed, respecting its commencement and termination, have very ably and closely investigated the subject. But there exists an era to which my mind has been long directed from the very moment, I might almost say, that divine truth engaged its attention-to which not even the most distant allusion, as I have seen, has yet been made; but which affords the most promising and satisfactory result, if more particularly and deliberately considered. It appears to me as forming a conspicuous mark of the over-ruling providence of God, that there should be used, through a great portion of the globe, and in the very country to which the prophecies of holy Scripture principally refer-in a period, too, when general expec tation is formed of the approaching close of the 1260 years-an era of years which has arrived at such a very particular date, that it seems more than any other to arrest and fix the attention: I mean, the computation of time adopted by the Mahommedans, the years of the Hegira, or flight of Mahommed from Mecca, now in its 1227th year. I cannot but think, from the existence of such an era, at such an eventful time, and so nearly approaching to the period of years so frequently pointed out in Scripture, that we are directed (as if the Lord himself had spoken), to regard the "Hegira" as plainly indicating the moment when arrived at its 1260th year, as the precise point fixed in his eternal decrees for the full accomplishment of prophecy. The more closely this period is examined in its bearings with respect to other parts of prophecy, I think stronger evidence will be ob tained of its being the appointed period. It will be found, on calculation, that the 1260th year of the Hegira (the Mahommedan year being only 354 days) commencing July 15 or 16, A.D. 622, will expire in August 1843. It appeared an inportant species of proof, in favour of Mr. Faber's interpretation of this subject, that the two periods of 2200 years, as he has stated in preference to the common reading, and the 1260 years, according to his calculation, and from his data, should expire at the very same period of time; and I must own it made a deep impression on my niind, and loosened my confidence in my favourite Mahommedan era, not having then arrived at the same conclusions which I now entertain; though it did not appear decisive that a proper event had been chosen from which to date his 2200 years; and his scheme proceeded also on a deviation from the authorised text of Scripture. Adopting, however, the same method of calcu lating back from the supposed expiration of the Mahommedan era in its 1260th year, in the year 1843, we arrive at one of the most memorable periods in Scripture history, without altering the generally received text; a period which demands our most serious attention, and, I conceive, with reference to this subject, our assent, as being the one from which "the Numberer of secrets," as it is expressed in the margin of our Bibles, would have us date his 2300 years; the very year from which the seventy weeks of Daniel are calculated; the year 457, B. C., one of the most remarkable and distinguished points of time in the whole Scripture chronology; and a year which the learned Dean Prideaux has incontrovertibly established as that in which Ezra received his commission from Artaxerxes to restore and build Jerusalem. Thus seventy weeks of years, or 490 years, reach to the close of the life of our blessed Redeemer, in his 33d year; and 1810 years, the remaining portion of the period of 2300 years, bring us to the year (1843, the precise period pointed out by the accomplishment of 1260 years of the Mahommedan era. I look then, with ardent expectation and holy hope, from these premises, to the expiration of the period in question in the year 1843, when, the 2300 years having been accomplished, "the sanctuary shall be cleansed;" when, the 1260 years, according to the Mahommedan's own calculation, thus fixing the limits of his own existence, being expired, this Eastern limb of Antichrist, who has for so many ages kept possession of the Holy Land, and polluted the sanctuary, in every possible meaning of the word, shall be subdued and destroyed; and God's ancient people converted to the "faith as it is in Jesus," and restored to their own land; for the promise still stands CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 107. sure, "that if they shall return to the Lord their God, and obey his voice, according to all that was.commanded them, that He will turn their captivity, and have compassion on them;" and, that "though any of them were driven out to the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord their God gather them, and bring them into the land which their fathers possessed.” I have one more observation to offer, and I shall conclude. The preceding remarks will derive further confirmation, if it could be made appear, on probable grounds, that the same period of 1260 years, as it respects the Papal power, or Western Antichrist, expired in the same year of 1843; and I cannot but. think there is also in this circumstance a great degree of probability. Your very able correspondents, according to their different hypotheses, have derived the commencement of the 1260 years from the decree of Justinian, or the grant of Phocas; but might it not, with more or equal propriety, be derived from the Epistles of Pelagius, the predecessor of Gregory, to the Bishops of Istria, in the close of the year 583, or beginning of 584; when, according to Bowyer, in his History of the Popes, that very distinguishing doctrine of the papal' power, the INFALLIBIDITY OF THE POPE, was first openly maintained, by which, in a more especial manner than any other, "He, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God?" If this be admitted as the data from which the 1260 years of the western Antichrist are to be calculated; we are carried to precisely the same year, 1843, as in the former calculations, taking the years according to the era in use in the country to which the prophecy refers. We have, then, the singular coincidence of three several periods ending at the same precise point of time which the Scriptures lead us to expect, and I trust we shall then have the satisfaction of seeing the 4 Q Mahommedan and papal tyranny arise from a variety of objects and subverted, and their abominable errors and superstitions overwhelmed in one common destruction, and "the kingdom of God established on the top of the mountains, and all mations flowing unto it." I am not competent to investigate the subject with either learning or criticism; but I trust these plain hints will be received with candour, which are offered upon the principle that many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased;" and that the subject will be more ably discussed by your highly respected and valuable correspondents. I am, &c. circumstances, which, in their turn, are dependent upon the will of a sopreme and almighty Providence. Without relatives he could not possess those refined sensations which exalt, at the same time that they delight, his heart. They are elegantly described by Mr. Scott, as "Those feelings which, to mortals givn, Have less of earth in them, than heav'n.” "Without the aid of commerce, manufactures, and civilization, he could not be provided with those inferior auxiliaries to his welfare, which supply him with food, covering, and information. His life would be spent in solitary wretchedness, and consist of an alternation of sensuality and apathy. J. A. B. To the Editor of the Christian Observer. THE writer of the enclosed essay, "On Confidence in the Love of God," lays no claim to originality; for the subject will hardly admit of it; but he considers that this defect will be no bar to its admission, as he does not remember to have seen it discussed in the Observer since its establishment. He has also to apologize for the Your constant admirer, ON CONFIDENCE IN THE LOVE OF When man arrives at the possession of his reasoning faculties, he finds himself a miracle of mechanism, situated in a world of wonders; and he perceives that his existence in it, his pleasures and comforts, But, in the present situation of the world, man is born into it, and finds society prepared to receive him; he is born to the enjoyment of advantages and luxuries, of which his ancestors had even no conception. If his mind be enlightened by divine grace, and he become "a follower of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises," he learns that "every good and perfect gift cometh from the Father of Lights, with whom is neither variableness nor the shadow of a change." His title to all these important mercies is founded alone on the love of God towards him; and he receives them all, temporal as well as spiritual, in token of that love, and in proof of his relationship to the glorious Head of the Church, the " great first-born among many brethren." The knowledge of the real follower of the Lord Jesus is ample and important. To view the world in its true light; to be sensible that in it there is no abiding home for him; and to know that" there remaineth a rest for the people of God:" these are all valuable portions of heavenly wisdom and when the Christian is enabled to fight the great fight of faith; to place |