at this Station, in season and out of season, it pleased the Lord to visit him with a peculiar kind of affliction; which, at first, deprived him of the use of his intellectual powers, and terminated in an acute spasmodic pain in his bowels and stomach, which brought him to the grave in ten or twelve days: the very first day that he was attacked with that acute pain, his mental faculties were restored to him again. All kinds of medicines were tried for the preservation of his life, but the disease baffled all the remedies which were applied. About eight or nine days before his death, I went to see him; and, when I asked him respecting the state of his mind, he said-" O Sir! I am useless now in the world: I wish to depart from it, and go to that world above where I shall be with our Redeemer, which is far better." On Thursday, the 15th, in the morning, I went to see him again; and when I asked him how he felt himself, he replied-"I feel myself very weak and very ill." He added-" I have nothing more to think of in this world, except Christ, who is in my heart." I asked him whether he should feel any fear if it should please the Lord to remove him out of this vain world! He replied "I am ready to go: and, although I am a wretched sinner, yet I believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is able and willing to save all sinners; and, therefore, I depend entirely upon His mercy." A minute or two after, he said again-"I truly believe that Christ is able to forgive all our sins: but will He forgive mine?" I told him, that our Lord Jesus Christ has faithfully promised to forgive them who truly repent and believe in Him; and I added-" Do not you recollect reading the invitation of our Lord in the Eleventh Chapter of Matthew Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest? and His promise in the First Chapter of the First Epistle of John, which has been printed in your language-The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin? He replied "Oh yes!-very true! how happy am I!" He then lifted up both his hands, and said-"O Lord, be merciful to me a vile sinner!" I then read part of the Fourteenth Chapter of St John's Gospel; and, after having expounded a few words of what I had read, I offered up a prayer at his bed-side. On the 16th, his Father entered his room; and, after having a short conversation with him, asked him whether he would allow him to thatch the roof of his house, which was quite out of order: to which he replied "Father! I have nothing more to do with this house, as I am not going to continue longer in it. I am going to a better house, which is prepared by our Redeemer, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." On the 17th, in the evening, I entered his room again; and, when I asked him how he was, he said “I am very ill: I shall not live; but do not doubt about me. 1 believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and I am happy." Between two and three in the morning of the 18th, while the light of the Sabbath Morning was approaching, and while he was surrounded by his relations and friends, he called his Father, who was full of tears, to come near his bed; and, on his approaching him, 'he said—“ Father! as you and I have been brought, through the mercy of God, into the Covenant of Christ by Baptism, let us be faithful unto Him till we die; and, I beg of you, love not this vain world, for I have tasted it and found that there is no happiness in it. This world seems to be in a blaze of fire; so, therefore, draw all your affections from it, and fix them upon Christ, in whom there is eternal life." As he saw that his Father was in tears, he said "Why do you cry? I am happy. I am going to the Lord Jesus, who has forgiven all my sins." He then called his Father-in-law, who is still an Idolater, and spoke to him thus-"I have often spoken to you about Jesus Christ, but you seem not to believe what I have told you. I shall now, from my dying bed, speak to you once more; and this will be my last exhortation to you. Remember that there is no Salvation to be found in any other but the Christian Religion, and that there is no other Saviour but the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh cast away all your idols! Repent of your sins-and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and your soul shall be saved and receive eternal life in heaven." As soon as he had spoken to his Father-in-law, he lifted up his hands again, and prayed that the Lord would comfort and support his Father and his Wife under so great a trial: he then prayed for the prosperity of the Church of which he was a member, and for the conversion of his Countrymen. At the conclusion of his prayer, while his voice was fast failing, he addressed the Society. Bibles. Testaments. BRITISH & FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. TWENTY-SIXTH REPORT. Issues of the Scriptures. THE Issues from the Depository have consisted of 325,453 copies; and on the Continent, 108,969; making a Total of 434,422. This Total was formed of 162,299 Bibles and 272,123 Testaments: to which if the copies previously issued at home and abroad (see p. 385 of our last Volume) be added, the total issued on account of the Society will amount to 2,583,709 Bibles and 3,970,089 Testaments; or a Grand Total of 6,553,798 copies. Hebrew. German. Do. in Hebrew Character Polish, in Hebrew Charac. Greek, Ancient& Modern Do. Anc. & Mod. Psalms Do. Anc. & Mod. Gospels Do. Modern Do. Modern, Gospels Armenian, Anc.and Mod. Do. Ancient Do. Anc. Acts & Epistles Do. Modern ........ Arabic. Do. Gospels and Acts Editions of the Scriptures printed for the Indo-Portuguese English, various editions, 2,097,060 2,206,895 13,050 5,882 6,000 2,000 Coptic and Arab. Psalter 2,014 Coptic & Arab. Gospels 2,000 Spanish and English... 150 Indo-Portug. Gen. & Ps. Syriac and Carshun 2,000 ... Carshun 4,000 Do. Psalms..... 12,280 Esquimaux.. 1,000 Do. Gospels and Acts... 5,198 Mohawk, St.John's Gos. 2,000 Welsh 115,763 183,638 Ethiopic Gospels ...... 2,036 Welsh and English 1,986 Do. Psalter 2,100 Gaelic 55,604 59,739 Malay,in Roman Charac. Irish.. 10,000 54,188 Malay,in Arabic Charac. 10,000 Do. Genesis 5,000 Turkish.. Do. St. Matthew 10,000 Do. in Greek Character. 3,000 Do, in Irish Character 5,000 Do. in do. Acts & Epist.. 1,000 Manks 5,000 2,250 Do. in do. Psalter.. .... 3,000 French.. 83,530 358,060 Hindoostanee. ...... 5,000 French and English 5,000 Greenlandish 1,000 Do. Ps. Prov. Eccl. & Isa. 15,000 Amharic Gospels.. 2,000 Do. Gospels and Acts.. 2,000 Basque, St. Matthew 2,000 Persian, Genesis 1,020 2,000 Do.................... Breton.... Flemish..... Do. and Latin Do. Ps. Prov. Eccl. & Isa. Do. St. Luke and Acts.. Aimara & Span. St.Luke Portuguese Do. Ps. Prov. Eccl. & Isa. Do. St. Luke and Acts.. Italian Do. Ps. Prov. Eccl. & Isa. Do. and Latin Psalter.. Dutch Danish... 5,000 10,000 15,000 Summary of Languages and Dialects In which the distribution, printing, or translation of the Scriptures, in whole or in part, has been promoted by the Society, either directly or indirectly; viz. Do. Psalms 2,000 Do. Testaments. 5,080 Bohemian 10,000 Polish 5,000 Judæo-Spanish. 1,000 Latin Bible.. 1,000 Albanian & Mod. Greek 2,000 Negro-English Tests... 1,000 Servian Testaments.... 2,000 Reprints 42 5 Languages and Dialects, in which the Scriptures have never been printed before the Institution of the Society, 62 New Translations commenced or completed Total 37 It is also stated in the First Report, that, in the 1681 vessels visited and supplied by their Agent, only 1475 Bibles and 725 Testaments were found among 24,765 men, or a copy to every eleven or twelve men. In the last year it appears, that, of the 1000 ships boarded at 146 Gravesend, only 250 had not been visited by him before in these 250 ships there were 3891 men, of which number 3483 in their hands were found 1966 Bibles were reported to be able to read; and and 92 Testaments, or more than a Bible or Testament to every two men upon an average. Auxiliaries and Associations. It appears, from the last Appendix, that these amounted, at the Twentyfifth Anniversary, including all the United Kingdom and its Dependencies, to 2896: from the present Appendix it will be seen, as follows, that an addition of 168 has been made to the number : In Great Britain: Auxiliaries, 274; Branches, 403; Associations (of which about 650 are conducted by Ladies) 1672; making a Total of 2349-In Ireland, connected with the Hibernian Bible Society: Auxiliaries, 73; Branches, 294; Associations, 256; Total 623-In the Colonies and other Dependencies: Auxiliaries, 33; Branches, 40; Associations, 19; Total, 92. Grants of Money and Books. £. s. d. .10,113 17 0 .13,798 19 4 1960 16 11 68 16 3 1118 10 10 5 3 America and West-Indies..... 1098 From the Report of the Merchant Seamen's Auxiliary, the Committee extract a very gratifying testimony to The Increased Attention to the Scriptures in the Merchant Service. In the First Report of the Committee, it is stated, that upward of 590 ships, having 6149 men on board, of whom 5490 were reported to be able to read, were absolutely without a single copy of the Bible or Testament; and, but for the seasonable benevolence of this Society, would have proceeded to sea, many of them on distant and dangerous voyages, wholly destitute of this invaluable source of instruction and consolation." But what is the state of the case now? By an Abstract of the Returns of Captain Cox, during the year ending the 18th of May last, it appears, that only four vessels, having forty-seven men on board, were found to be wholly destitute of the Scriptures; and these four were all foreigners. Appointment of an Editorial Super- The concerns of the Institution have character, that, for some time past, the become so extensive and varied in their want has been felt of an individual, whose special duty it should be, to exercise a superintendence over the Versions and Editions prepared and printed with the aid of the Society. It was not, of course, expected that any one person should be met with competent to understand all the Languages in which the Scriptures have been translated, or to become personally the Editor of many Versions, or, indeed, to be capable of examining copies of the Bibles and Testaments, to ascertain that they contain nothing contrary to the Laws of the Society but it was not deemed an unreasonable expectation, to meet with some Gentleman, of such literary talents and attainments in languages as would qualify him to act the part of an Editor himself in some Versions, and, by conference with others who might be employed by the Society as Editors and Correctors of the Press, or Examiners of Versions submitted mittee for the general fidelity of the to them, to be a guarantee to the ComVersion, and accordance of the copies printed with the Rules of the Society. Mr. William Greenfield, who has been for the last six years engaged in various Editions of the Scriptures, has been appointed to this office: the Committee remark, that -their friends, Professor Lee and Mr. Platt, experience, in common with themselves, much satisfaction in the appointment. The Committee add Mr Greenfield, having entered upon the duties of his office, is engaged in examining the emendations in the So ciety's plates of the Arabic Bible, sug- doors have been more effectually closed While the addition of another year's experience has only strengthened the conviction of the desirableness and the importance of putting the Scriptures of Truth into the hands of all-be they Christians at home or abroad-be they of this or Encouragements in reference to Roman A spirit of opposition to the circulation of the Scriptures still prevails in various parts of the world: but, perhaps, nothing is more grateful in the whole course of their labours, nothing makes them feel more thankful to God for the existence of the Society, than when your Committee are called upon to assist those, among Roman Catholics, who have been led to appreciate the value of the Scriptures; but who must turn their longing eyes in vain to other quarters, while here they may look, and hence obtain, those copies of the Scriptures for which so great a desire has been excited in their breasts. It may be added, that, in some Countries, the The Committee dwell, in conclusion, with grateful exultation, on the beneficent influence of Scripture Light, particularly in the Islands of CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Regulations relative to Disabled Missionaries, and Widows and Children. THIS subject was noticed at p. 304 of our last Number. We subjoin the Regulations adopted by the Committee. They seem to us to proceed on the most safe and prudent view, which can be taken of this confessedly-difficult matter; and offer to benevolent persons a strong motive for assisting this fund by Voluntary Contributions, as they give the best security that their charity will be well applied. I. That the principle on which Missionaries, Catechists, and others, connect themselves with the Society, is, that of giving up themselves and their time to the prosecution of its objects; receiving such a salary, while connected with it, their necessary expenses in prosecuting as may be found requisite to provide for those objects at the Stations where they may be severally placed. II. That, taking into consideration the principle on which the connection between the Missionary and the Society thus rests, the Committee recognise the following obligations on its part : 1. To make such provision for the Missionary or Layman who may have become sick or disabled in the service of the Society, and during the continuance of such sickness or disability, (unless he be otherwise provided for,) as the circumstances of the case may, in the judgment of the Committee, require, and the funds of the Society enable them to afford;-respect being had, in making that provision, to the class to which the individual may belong. 2. To extend such aid to the Widow of a Missionary or Layman who enable them to afford;-unless she 3. To render such aid in the education III. That it appears advisable to make that provision for Sick and Disabled Missionaries and Laymen, their Widows and Children, which is contemplated in the preceding Resolution, through the medium of a separate Fund, to be opened for that purpose; under such regulations, as to the rate and mode of its distribution, as the Committee may from time to time determine. L. s. d. Congregational Collections For the Purchase of Bibles IV. That the said Fund be formed Interest.... from the following sources: 1. By the Grant of 5007. from the V. That the proposed Fund shall be entirely under the charge and management of the Committee of the Society for the time being: and under no circumstances shall it be liable to be appropriated to any other object whatever. SCOTTISH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. ANNIVERSARY. ..... ....... .2661 7 79 7 7 833 18 475 4 Repaid by British and Foreign Sale of Missionary Register..... £. s. d. 5666 13 3 Payments of the Year: 596 11 4 .2696 19 2 .1684 18 8 Russia Mission East-India Mission...... Jamaica Mission. Allowances to Returned Missio THE Annual Meeting took place on |