SOORY.
From Mr. Williamson to Mr. Dyer, dated Soory, October 14, 1834.
You will be gratified to hear that we have been meeting with some little more encouragement of late. A short time ago I had the pleasure of baptizing seven persons; three young men, and four young women. They are all of Christian parentage. One young woman (a Miss W.) is the daughter of the head English writer at this station. After finishing her education in Calcutta, she returned with us to Beerbhoom, about three years ago; and was then a very thoughtless girl, but for some time past she seems to have undergone a decided change of mind. She has been in the habit of attending our English worship on Lord's day and Thursday evenings; and occasionally at other times. These opportunities, together with reading of religious books and tracts, and occasional converse with us, appear to have been blessed to her. I trust she has made a sincere profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that she will continue to walk in him. All the others belong to our native Christians, and have given us reason to hope well concerning them. Two of the young men having received a superior education, may therefore be expected to be of more eminent service in this land of darkness.
You will also be happy to learn that one of the highest or monitor class girls of the Central School, from conviction of the Christian being the only true religion, has given up her caste as a thing in her estimation of no value, and cast in her lot with the followers of Christ. A short time ago, when she first made known her intention, Mrs. W. examined her respecting her motives; she said that our shasters were good, and our people were good; and that she could not live among her relations, who were idolaters and drunkards, &c. When Mrs. W. again asked her whether she thought she would be better off by becoming a Christian, the girl replied that she was already sufficiently well provided for, and that her sole intention in becoming a Christian was to obtain salvation. The first time she came with the intention of giving up her caste (which was just as the noise of the doorga pooja commenced), her parents dragged her away, and watched her narrowly for a few days, during which period she had no opportunity of making her escape; but as soon as their vigilance relaxed a little, she improved the first opportunity granted her of regaining her liberty. Her father threw away all her books and tracts, and is highly displeased with me for having betrayed the trust he had reposed in me. The girl is about sixteen years of age, and is pretty well versed in the gospels and scripture history. She has been latterly under a Christian teacher, and was employed as a monitor, which accounts, in part, for her having remained so long in the school. Another girl, belonging to the same class has a good mind, we hear, to follow her example, but has not as yet been able to muster sufficient resolution. May the Lord draw her and many others to himself, with the cords of his divine love!
Our three schools (Bengalee boys', Bengalee girls', and English school) were all lately examined by the ladies and gentlemen of the station, who, I am happy to inform you, expressed themselves highly gratified with the progress the children and youth had made during the year; particularly with that of the higher classes of the English school: one class, in the course of six months only, having made themselves perfectly masters of the principles of English Grammar. I am inclined to hope much from the English school. As for the two Bengalee schools, on account of what has lately taken place, I am afraid they will be much diminished for some time, especially the girls' school.
To aid me in the great work of preaching the gospel among the heathen, I have now four native assistants, for whom I draw 25 Rs. in addition to my salary of 150 Rs. per month. They are out daily, morning and evening, in the neighbouring villages, preaching and distributing tracts. They tell me that prejudice is fast declining, and that they have had repeated proofs of the tracts they give away having been read. I always take one of them with me, in my daily visits to the bazar of this place, when we have generally a pretty good congregation of attentive hearers. The season for our more distant excursions is now approaching, and will allow us to extend on all sides our hitherto confined labours. May the Lord assist us faithfully and fully to make known his glorious gospel among those who are perishing for lack of knowledge, and make us the savour of life unto life, unto many precious souls! "The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few."
JAVA.
In the following extract of a letter from Mr. Bruckner, dated Samarang, November 12, 1834, our readers will observe an affecting allusion to the massacre of two missionaries from the American board, who lately fell victims to the revenge or the suspicions of the Battas, in the northern parts of Sumatra. When our late friend, Mr. Burton, resided, for many months, among the same people, he felt quite secure, and made long journeys into the interior of the country. But the power is now wielded by other than British hands; and we greatly fear the change will operate as a very serious obstruction to the cause of the gospel in these beautiful islands for many years to come. But we rejoice in the assurance that every obstacle must in the end be surmounted; and in the belief that events, in different parts of the world, are concurring to hasten onward that blessed event.
Since I wrote you last, I have drawn up another tract in Javanese, under the title, "The Son of God in the World." 1500 copies have been printed of it, as we had no more paper for a larger edition. A translation of this tract has been sent to the committee of the Tract Society. It is true the prohibitions, as to a free circulation of tracts among the native inhabitants of this island, have not yet fully been removed, although several applications have been made on this subject to the men in power. And this is rather a disappointment and an impediment to a more extensive communication of the principles of the gospel at large; yet a goodly number of tracts have found their way, notwithstanding, among the people. The power of darkness in this country appears so great, that it would quite dishearten me, were it not for Him who is with and in us, who is more powerful than he that is in the world. When I shall have the pleasure to see that this general darkness of ignorance as to divine things, and of superstition and sinful lusts, shall give way to the light of truth and godliness, is not for me to say; under present circumstances, this period seems to be still afar off. It would seem, however, as if the truth of the gospel was gaining ground: now and then instances appear of this. Last Sunday, when I went out among the natives, to take a New Testament to one who had asked me for it,—and when I had preached the gospel to two small companies of people, and was still walking about for some more,—I came to a house in which I saw several persons sitting together. I entered, and began a conversation on religion. One of them expressed soon his Mussulman sentiments, on the power and glory of Mahomed; that he was the person to whom we had to look, as he bore all things. I asked him, in return, if Mahomed were so powerful, how it came that he, even at this moment, was still lying in the dust? from which it was evident, added I, that he was no more than any common man. A young man who was present, and who had read some of the tracts, then took up the subject with him, and told him that Jesus was the All-powerful, which was evident from his having left the grave, and ascended to heaven, and would come again at the last day to raise all the dead from their graves. I wanted to apply the subject further to the consciences of the hearers, particularly to that of the first man, by proving that all men are in a most lamentable condition on account of their sins, and needed therefore an Almighty Saviour to save them. But this man had so much to tell, like one of old, of his own goodness, that all further reasoning with him on the subject seemed to be in vain.