copies in Danish, besides 10,000 in Icelandic. Its income, during the year ending the 31st March, 1822, amounted to a sum exceeding 20007. sterling, exclusive of your grant of 5007. This grant enabled the Danish Society to distribute 5100 Bibles and Testaments among the poor of Fuehnen and Zealand; and yet it is calculated that one half of the families of those Islands are still destitute of the Scriptures.

Among the recent contributors to this Institution, appear 120 Students of the University of Copenhagen.

As these (says the Report) are either Candidates for Holy Orders or Students of Divinity, a cheering hope may be entertained of their future usefulness.

The Bishop of Laland bears the following testimory to the evident benefits which have resulted to his Diocese from the dissemination of the Scriptures:

By the use of the Bible in Schools and at the catechetical instructions of young persons, especially previous to the act of Con firmation, a love of the Divine Word has been excited, and a desire to possess it has been inspired. It now recovers its weight and influence in public instruction, so that an excellent spirit of faith and piety begins

to revive.

From Dean Helgasen, Secretary to the Icelandic Society, the following gratifying communication has been received:

pos

It is a well-founded opinion, that every family throughout this island is now in session of a Bible or a New Testament, and many of more than one copy. The Sacred Volume is read with diligence, during the long winter evenings. The revision of the Icelandic New Testament is almost completed; and it is hoped that means will be found to enable us to print it-an object equally desired by the whole population.

The number of Bibles and Testaments circulated in the Duchies of Sleswig and Holstein, amounts to upwards of 27,000 copies.

The Society for the Duchies of Lauenburg-Ratzeburg has issued, since its formation, 2143 Bibles and Testaments. The number of copies still wanted in this district is estimated, in the last Report, at 18,000.

The Faroe Islands will shortly receive the Gospel of St. Matthew in their own language, printed in parallel columns with the Danish Version.

Your, Committee, while engaged on the first of July in transacting public business, were honoured by the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Christian of Denmark.

SWEDEN.

The Swedish Society has issued, during its seventh year, 20,000 Bibles and Testaments, from the Depository at Stockholm. An edition of 10,000 copies of the whole Bible in quarto is completed: a fresh impression of 5000 Bibles and 15,000 New Testaments, from standing types of the octavo size, has been struck off: an edition of the New Testament, on large standing types, has also left the press.

Since the formation of the Society there have been printed 86,700 Bibles and 103,600 Testaments-gratuitously distributed, 5700 Bibles and 15,897 New Testaments.

The efforts which have been made by the Central Society at Stockholm, either independently or in connection with its Auxiliaries, have nearly exhausted its resources. Your Committee have again come forward to its assistance, with a grant of 500l. The seasonable application of this grant to the wants of the Society, will appear from the brief but impressive comment on its proceedings, contained in a letter from its President, His Excellency Count Rosenblad :

1

We are making rapid progress in our labours, though with limited means. 1 feel, more and more, the importance of making every effort to promote this great cause; as my time on earth cannot be very long, and I know not into whose hands it may be consigned. I perceive the present to be a serious crisis, which will perhaps determine for centuries the moral state of mankind. God is abundantly sowing the good seed; but the enemy is no less active in Had not Bible Societies sowing tares. been established, through the merciful providence of God, to counteract the evils things, to what a state of moral degradation of ignorance and infidelity in spiritual must the world have sunk at this moment! What an awful responsibility shall we incur, if we do not improve the present favourable opportunity!

NORWAY.

The Norwegian Society completed the distribution of the 6000 copies of the New Testament, before its new edition of 10,000 copies had left the press. This edition of the New Testament will be followed by one of 3000 of the whole Bible, in the same large type. Measures have been adopted for carrying into effect the translation of the New Testa ment into the Norwegian-Lapponese dialect. The edition of the Norwegian New Testament of 5000 copies, under

The Auxiliaries and Associations, it appears from the Ninth Report of the Society, amount to 267.

The Moscow Society emulates the zeal and perseverance of the Parent Institution at St. Petersburg. This Society has finished the printing, during the last year, of 5000 copies of the Modern Russ Psalter, an edition of the Slavonian and Russ Testament, together with 7000 copies of the Polish Bible for the use of Catholics; and has completed a very important edition of 5000 copies of the Bible in Ancient Greek. The number of copies printed by this Society, since its foundation, now amounts to 57,000.

Your Committee, abstaining from entering more at large upon a survey of the proceedings of the Russian Auxiliaries, will limit themselves to the simple statement, that these Institutions, in conjunction with the Parent Society at St. Petersburg, aided by the exertions of your Agents and the grants of your Society, have advanced far toward effecting the promulgation of the Holy Scriptures, in more than thirty languages and dialects. Obstacles to the final acceptance of some of these Versions will probably arise, from the uncivilized habits and roving propensities of the tribes or nations for whose use they are destined: but still your Committee, observing the unremitting zeal with which the St. Petersburg Committee are animated, and the prompt and vigorous co-operation with which their efforts have been seconded by their fellow-countrymen, indulge with confidence the hope, that the present preparatory efforts of their enterprising associates may be rendered, under the direction of Providence, subservient to the ultimate extension of Christian Knowledge to the inmost recesses of Tartary and the farthest limits of Siberia.

Your Committee have only further to add, under this division of their Report, that the Rev. Drs. Paterson and Henderson have resigned their situations as Agents to the British and Foreign Bible Society; and are now engaged in the same capacity by the Russian Bible Society, with which they have been so many years connected. For a most

grateful and satisfactory testimony of their long and meritorious services, your Committee with pleasure refer to an extract from the Ninth Report of the Russian Bible Society, published in the

Monthly Extracts of Correspondence for February last *.

As the services of the Rev. Dr. Pinker. ton were deemed to be more necessary at present in other parts, he, though still continuing one of the Foreign Agents of the Society, has been requested by your Committee to take up his residence, for the present, in England; from whence he will visit such places and Societies abroad, as the Committee may find to require his attention; and, when at home, he will assist in the business of the Foreign Department, which has now become very extensive and arduous.

ITALY.

The Presses at Venice have furnished your Committee with 3700 Armenian New Testaments and 2000 copies of the Psalter; all of which have been forwarded to Malta, Smyrna, and Constantinople.

SPAIN.

The Corresponding Committee of Gibraltar have found means to circulate no less than 3175 copies of the Scriptures of these, upward of 1500 copies were Spanish, 500 Italian, and 400 Portuguese. At Barcelona, 10,000 copies of the Spanish New Testament, of Father Scio's Version, have been printed.

ROMAN CATHOLICS.

Your Committee will next briefly advert to the labours of Doctor Leander

Van Ess, among his Roman-Catholic

Brethren.

It appears, from a printed document, published at Darmstadt by this indefatigable advocate of your cause, in August 1822, that he had circulated, from the commencement of his operations up to May of the same year, 456,870 copies of his New Testament; besides 8934 copies of Luther's German Bible, and a number of copies in the Greek, Latin, and Hebrew Languages. His supportpersuasion, were on the increase: the Soers, among persons of his own religious cieties of the Netherlands, of Geneva, and of Bremen, had collectively contributed about 2001. to his funds; and, among the donations presented to him, is one from the Prince of Thurn and Taxis.

The following extract of a Letter,

This extract is 'printed at pp. 134, 135 of our Number for March.-EDITORS.

bearing date February 6th of the present year, from this distinguished coadjutor, whom your Committee have aided by grants to the amount of 6001. during the last year, will be listened to with pleasure :

I praise God for the experience which my extended correspondence affords me, that the more the people drink from the fountain of living waters, the more a thirst for them increases; and the Lord has raised up many Catholic Clergymen, who promote this work with energy and spirit. How wonderful is the love of God toward wretched and sinful man! From all quarters, I receive encouraging Letters, written by Catholic Clergymen, who approve of my exertions and struggles in the Biblical Cause; but I exclaim, with the PsalmistNot unto us, O Lord, not unto us; but unto Thy name give the glory.

Rev. J. Huddlestone, and G. Nicol, Esq.Rev. W. Johnson, and J. Mac Cormack, Esq. -Rev. G. Lane, and Logan Hook, Esq.Rev. H. Diiring, and Mr. Philip VaughanW. Cole, Esq., and F. Sawyer, Esq.-Rev. G. Lane, and M. Haffner, Esq.-Mr. Christopher Taylor, and Mr. James Bunyer-Mr. T. Davey, and J. Grant, Esq.-and the Hon. T. S. Buckle, and the Hon. John O'Neill Walsh.

This List revives melancholy reflections. In a short time after the Meeting, many who thus took a share in its proceedings were cut off by death.

State of the Funds.

to the Parent Society, leaving a balance in hand of 10l. 38. 8d.

Supply and Beneficial Use of the Scriptures. The circulation of the year was 151 Bibles and 184 Testaments,

On the general supply and use of the Scriptures, the statements of the Report will be read with plea

sure:

Personal visitation has been a particular object of attention. In visiting 7354 individuals, the parties could not expect to find every minute circumstance pleasing and satisfactory. The details will, however, shew, that many are in possession of the Sacred Volume, who can read it to their own edification and comfort; and that many more are desirous of learning to read, and of possessing THAT BOOK, which, under the Divine teaching, will lead them into all truth.

It afforded much pleasure to the visitors, to find, among the persons visited in Freetown, its Vicinity, and the respective Towns in the Mountains, viz.

Regent, Gloucester, Leopold, Charlotte, Bathurst, and Kissey, 1908 Readers, 679 Bibles, and 561 Testaments; and that there were still demands for 531 Bibles, and 610 Testaments.

Among the readers they found also 567 Prayer-Books, and inquiries for 1234 more.

The exertions of the visitors have furnished your Committee with some knowledge of the happy results of your former distributions of the Word of God.

Multitudes, in this Colony, search the Scriptures; and have been led to revere their Author, and to acquiesce in His will: they have found His service, which is the delight of Angels, perfect freedom. Under the teaching of the Holy Ghost, the Bible has led many of them, and their children, to the know

The total amount of Bibles and Testaments received from the Parent Instistitution is 8221. 2s. 9d., and that of Remittances 6067. 6s. 8d.; leaving a balance in favour of the Society of 2157. 16s. Id.

The Receipts of the Year, including a balance of 641. 1s. in hand, have been 1931. 18s. 8d.; and the Expenditure 1837. 15s., of which 1801. was remitted

Caspian Sea.

SAREPTA.

UNITED BRethren.

Destructive Conflagration. UNDER the head of Sarepta, in the Annual Survey, the Reader will have seen the state and progress of Missionary Exertions in connection with this Settlement of the Brethren. It was formed in 1765, by Five Brethren from Herrnhut, in the hope of its becoming the means of bringing the neighbouring Tartar Tribes to the knowledge of the Truth: the attempts, however, made for this purpose, during fifty years, did not prove successful; but a renewed effort, in 1815, has been blessed to the gathering of a small flock of Calumes, who encamp in the plains adjoining Sarepta. The inhabitants of the Settlement itself have increased, by degrees, to nearly 500.

In this state of the Settlement, a great calamity has been permitted by Providence to fall on the Brethren, which is thus described in a Circular, addressed, by the Elders' Conference of the Unity, to the Congregations and Friends of the Brethren :

It has pleased the Lord our God, whose ways are often inscrutable, but always righteous and full of love, to visit our Congregation at Sarepta with a very heavy disaster.

On the 9th of August, about one o'clock in the afternoon, a Fire broke out in one of the out-houses of the Tobacco Manufactory; and, as all those premises were built of wood, and by the long-continued drought and heat had become like tinder, the flames spread with such rapidity that all human help proved vain: and, in the short space of four hours and-a-half, the Shops, with all the build ings belonging to the Manufactory, the Apothecary's Shop, the large Distillery, the Warden's House, the two large Houses of the Single Brethren with all their shops and farming premises, and 24 Dwelling-Houses, comprising threefourths of the whole Settlement, were laid in ashes.

Thus 28 Families, all the Single Brethren, 70 in number, and about 20 Fa

milies of Workmen and Servants, were bereft of their habitations.

When the Fire had reached the most dangerous place, between the Single Brethren's House and the closely-adjoining out-buildings of the Minister's House, it pleased God to grant success to the unwearied exertions of those who came to our assistance; and to put a stop to the progress of the devouring element: otherwise, in half-an-hour more, the whole Settlement of Sarepta would have been converted into a melancholy heap of ruins, and all its inhabitants left without a home.

Bishop Benjamin Reichel, writing from the spot on the 14th of August, gives these further particulars:

:

Our Gracious God, who found it needful to treat us with paternal severity, His love, not lay a heavier burden upon would yet, according to the purposes of us than we were able to bear, but preserved to us our beautiful Church, and so many Dwelling-Houses, that, on the 10th of August, all the inhabitants, both members of the Congregation and strangers, could be provided with a place of refuge. The Single Brethren removed into the Church, the Single Sisters supplying them with victuals; and all the

rest of the sufferers were likewise fur

nished with food and lodging.

Our worthy Brother Wullschlegel, master of one of the manufactories belonging to the shop, anxious to save as much of the property as possible, exposed himself too long to the flames; and was burnt to such a degree, that he departed this life two days after. An aged Single Sister, Sophia Frantz, a servant in the Inn, escaped into the street without harm; but the fright had such an effect upon her, that she died of a fit in the street. Br. Hopf has assisted us, in harbouring the families of the Brethren Nitschman and Langerfeld; and indeed all, who have retained their houses, have most cheerfully accommodated the poor sufferers in the best manner.

That, which most of all comforts us in this state of deep distress and afflic tion, is, that the whole Congregation, with one voice acknowledges and confesses, "We have, indeed, deserved this severe chastisement; but the Lord, who has inflicted it, is our gracious God and Saviour, who will heal the wound, and yet