New Testament among the Jews. I could have given away many hundred copies more, had I possessed them. In general I first examined the person who made application for a copy, whether he was able to make use of it, by making him trauslate to me a few verses of the 5th chapter of St Matthew, the 1st chapter of St John, or the 1st chapter of the Hebrews; and when I found that he understood what he read, then I bestowed the precious gift. In several instances I was offered money for the copies. The number of those Jews who are capable of understanding the Hebrew Testament, particularly about Witepsk, Orsha, Skloff, Minsk, and Wilna, is far greater than I formerly believed; and there seems to be a general readiness among them to accept of it, an impelling curiosity to read the doctrines of Christ and his Apostles in the Hebrew language. Surely nothing is so well calculated to remove the prejudices of the Jews against our religion, as enabling them to understand it in its genuine purity and simplicity.

I have repeatedly reproached my. self for having done so little, in my former travels, for bringing the consolatory doctrines of the Gospel to the wards of the sick in hospitals, and the cells of criminals in prisons. It is true, at the formation of Societies, I have more than once recommended these abodes of distress and misery, as places which ought to share the first fruits of their benevodence; yet, personally, I have seldom been in any of them. But it is never too late to form a good resolution. On leaving St Petersburg, the last time, I resolved to visit the prisons and hospitals, on my future travels, to supply their unfortunate and suffering inhabitants with the Word of God. Accordingly, from St Petersburg to this place, I visited five provincial prisons, which contained 515 of the most unfortunate of our race. In each cell or apartment, I -commonly found one or more, who were capable of reading to their fellow-prisoners. With tears of grati

I HAVE spent two days in visiting the prisons and hospitals of this city. In all of them I did not find a single Bible or Testament in any language. I bestowed a copy on the inmates of each apartment. What a deep impression the sight of the Bible seemed to make on the 309 criminals, whom I visited in five different prisons! In almost every cell, some of them were so much touched at the sight and reception of a copy of the Word of God, that they literally wet their chains with their tears. The sight of a stranger with the Word of God in his hand, and the message of peace on his lips, seemed powerfully to affect these most hardened and unfortunate of the human race; many of them wept bitterly, probably at the recollection of the days of their youth, when they read the Bible at school, or in the habitation of their parents, but suffered not its principles to sink into their hearts. The keepers of the prisons themselves, and a member of the Society who went with me, frequently wept like children. The former said, that they never had beheld the prisoners so much affected on any occasion before; and the latter could not refrain from repeatedly expressing his surprise, that no one had before thought of putting the Word of God into the hands of these poor unfortunate creatures. So many tears were shed, so many blessings implor

Christ, and that alone, teaches the true worship of God: it shews that it consists not in any outward forms; but that those who will worship God, must do it in spirit and in truth: John iv. 21-24. John xv. 8. Mat. v. 48.; xv. 1—20.; xxii. 36-40.; and xxiii. 23-28."

The substance of Mr Van Ess's request in behalf of these two young men was, that this Society would grant them such pecuniary assistance as would enable them openly to prosecute their study of Christianity; as a public declaration of their seutiments would inevitably involve them in an entire want of the means of subsistence. To an application from so highly respectable a source in behalf of objects so strongly recommended, it is extremely painful, to your Committee to return an unfavourable answer. The state of the Society's Funds, however, render it, in their judgment, imperative upon them to do so. Having learnt caution from experience, they acted upon the firm resolution of adapting their wishes to their means. They could not, however, but feel that the very necessity which they were under of declining to accede to such a proposal, most powerfully appealed to the zeal and liberality of the Public. Nor were they singular in this view of the subject. As soon as the circumstance was known to one of the most active members and supporters of this Institution, he undertook, in conjunction with some other kind friends, to supply Professor Van Ess with the sum immediately necessary to carry his wishes into effect. And, at the Anniversary Meeting of the Leeds Auxiliary Society, held in October last, the statement of the case excited so lively an interest, that L.65 were contributed towards defraying the expenses incident to the education of the two young men and your Committee are happy to inform you, that they are now studying, at a Protestant University in Germany, under the direction of their pious friend and advocate, Mr Van Ess.

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A correspondent of the Rev. Dr Steinkopff thus writes, in a Letter, dated Brunswick, October 3. 1817: -“I know some Jews, who desire a reformation of their present system, and are perplexed about the coming of the Messiah. For my

own part, I cannot but indulge a hope, that the conversion of the peo ple of Israel is at hand. There is now a young man at who is teacher of the Jewish school of that place, in whose mind the light of a crucified Redeemer is risen, and who seems to be full of zeal. I have requested him silently to proceed in his labours, as many Jewish chil dren are sent to his school, even from distant parts; but he rather wishes to join those Christians, converted from his people to Christia. nity."

An aged missionary, under the venerable Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, stationed at New Brunswick, North America, expresses, in a Letter to a member of the Bristol Committee, his cordial approbation of the designs of this Institution, and his anxious desire to co-operate with it. "I think," says this faithful servant of the Gospel,

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as we first received Christianity from the Jews, they have the first claim upon us; and, as we are now labouring to send the Gospel of the kingdom through the Heathen world, it would be not only unjust, but cruel in us, to neglect the Jews."

EXTRACT FROM THE REPORT OF THE EDINBURGH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

April 1818.

Under the head Astrachan, the Report states concerning the Missionaries at that station, "They have likewise had repeated conversations with several Jews from Endery, a town of the Kumack country, about a day's journey to the south-west of Kitzliar, and in which there are no fewer than about three hundred families who profess the Jewish religion. Besides these, there are said

to be five hundred Jewish families at no great distance to the south of Endery; among whom they reckon about a hundred rabbies. They all speak the Persian language in their families, but have no books except in Hebrew; and, indeed, they are acquainted with no alphabet but the Hebrew. They appear to be completely ignorant of the New Testament; and when the prophecies concerning the Messiah were mentioned to them, they endeavoured to explain away or pervert the meaning of almost every one of them. They said, however, that they would read the New Testament, if they had it in Hebrew. The Missionaries accordingly, having procured some co. pies from the Astrachan Bible Committee, Mr Dickson, after a long and interesting conversation with them, in which he laboured to convince them, that the expectations they still cherished of the personal appearance of the Messiah, as their temporal deliverer, would never be realized, because he has already come in a very different character, as a spiritual Saviour; presented them with nine copies, which, with one formerly given, make in all ten copies of the Four Gospels and Acts of the Apostles in Hebrew."-May his prayer and ours be heard and answered, that the reading of them may be the dawn of Gospel light among the Jews of Endery; that so the veil may be removed from their hearts, and many of them be made to see that Jesus is the Messiah promised to their fathers, and that he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him.

they have adopted the exterior ceremonies of the Christians. This proceeding has been strongly objected to by the rabbies and others of the sect, but hitherto in vain.

MORAVIAN MISSIONS.

OUR brethren, the Moravians, have just published the Szd number of their periodical accounts. From Hopedale settlement, on the coast of Labrador, in a letter dated Aug. 10. 1818, the missionaries express their gratitude to God for the safe arrival of the "Jemima," the Society's ship; also, for the deliverance of several missionaries and their children from the danger of shipwreck off Cuxhaven. They say, "The word of the cross, and the atonement made for sin, by the suffering and death of Jesus, has been the subject of our daily worship, and its power was manifest among us. We have seen many instances of the faithful leading of the Holy Spirit, and of his work in the hearts of the Esquimaux, particularly in the return of many to the good Shepherd from whom they had strayed." They al. so acknowledged the gift of copies of the Acts of the Apostles in the Esquimaux language, with fervent gratitude, from the Bible Society. From the settlement at Nain we find that they are about to form a fourth establishment at Kangerluksoak. They have sent the epistles, and the three first chapters of the Revelation in the Esquimaux language, requesting the Bible Society to print them. From Okkak, the other settlement, they say, "The distribution of the Acts of the Apostles among those who can read, excited great thankfulness towards their noble benefactors." Of this last settlement they say, During the last winter 17 persons were added to the candidates for Baptism; 14 adults and 7 children were baptized; and 4 persons became communicants. There were 237 Esquimaux dwelling on our premises, 178 of whom are members of the congregation. Thus our dear

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brethren will perceive, that the Lord's blessing continues to attend our poor and defective congregation at Okkak."

A very interesting 'Letter from two Mongolian Noblemen, of whom we inserted an account in a former Number, will be given in our next.

SOUTH SEAS.

Extract of a Letter from Mr Ellis to Mr J. B. Moor, dated Eimeo, 4th Dec. 1817.

"THINGS are going on well here. We have printed 7,000 copies of different kinds of school-books; have finished the first sheet of Luke (24 pages) of which we intend to take off 3,000 copies. Several hundreds of the natives have learned to read since the spelling-books have been printed. Some thousands are now waiting for the publication of Luke's gospel. Canoes are frequently arriving from various parts, with per sons whose business is to inquire when the books will be ready; and an increasing desire to become acquainted with the Word of God, powerfully pervades the minds of the people.'

I work seven or eight hours, most days, at printing: it is warm work here but thanks be to God who has condescended to engage me in so useful an employment, as that of assisting to prepare the Word of God for a people so anxious to re'ceive it.'

NETHERLANDS.

Extract of a Letter from an English Gentleman at Brussels, dated Sept. 1818.

SINCE my landing in France I have spent a little time with my friends at Cambray. The state of religion among the French Protestants is very gloomy in that city; the government will not permit them to meet for divine worship. The Bourbons are intolerant bigots, wholly devoted to the priests. In my

journey I passed by a village called Jassey; most of the inhabitants are Protestants; but having no minis ter, and little or no religion, and being under the frowns of government, abundance of the young people have turned, and are turning Papists. There is a great work among our soldiers in and near Cambray. A bout 150 meet in small societies for prayer and exhortation: they are Wesleyans. My friend P, of Jer sey, about a year and half since, had introduced the preaching of the gos pel at St Maloes, but was persecu ted by the government, and obliged to desist. Upon his informing me of it, I advised him not to be dis couraged, but to attempt to place a station in Brabant, where is a tole ration. I sent him my mite, and re commended it to him to try Tour. ney and Mons, as French is the lan guage of the country. He adopted my plan, and about a year ago sent a steady young man of the name of De F to Tournay. I spent two very agreeable days with him. I trust the acorn is planted, which will one day become an oak. When De F- came to Tournay, he found but one Protestant, who told him he

believed he could not find another in the city. A persecution arose, and he expected every day to be taken by the horse-soldiers, called the Gens d'armes, and to be banished from the kingdom; but God, who has the hearts of all men in his hands, raised him up a friend, an officer in the army, whose wife has the title of baroness. This lady being related to one of the Ministers of State, he wrote to him in favour of De F-. The Minister related the case to the King of the Netherlands, who replied, that he wished the spread of the gospel in his dominions. His Majesty ordered a church in Tournay to be set apart for him to preach in when he pleased, and has settled fifty pounds ayear upon him to preach the gospel, and signed the order with his own hand. The king is accessible to the lowest of his subjects. I