The life of Thomas Coke

interviews, in which he never failed to express the happiness he enjoyed in his pleasing prospects.-About this time, there was a meeting convened of several Budhist priests on a particular occasion, near Galle, and the meeting was to continue for some days.I was apprehensive he might be shaken, or not be sufficiently prepared to stand the attacks of such a number of his former acquaintance. I however paid him a visit at this meeting, when they were all not a little surprised, to see me advance; but they were the more surprised, when they perceived my convert advance and join me, we then retired, and I began a very close conversation about the state of his mind, and found him unshaken. I asked him whether he did not feel reluctance at leaving his religion? He answered, that this reluctance was easily overcome, because he was about to receive a better. He added, that he felt no difficulty in casting his lot with mine, and he should be very glad to have the same place with me in the next world, and that he should have little trouble in his mind, if he thought he should be in the same situation with me at the day of judgment.

At this time a singular circumstance occurred, which added importance to all his past conduct. The afore-mentioned assembly of priests availed themselves of opportunities of receiving personal and public improvement, both by day and night, through the means of my faithful convert; and, he being the senior priest, was looked up to for instruction. One evening, when they were assembled, and were expecting him to preach on the religion of Budhu, he pulled out the Cingalese New Testament, and began to read the 1st chapter of St. Matthew, and proceeded to read other chapters, making his observations till morning, by which time he had nearly finished the whole gospel. He was heard with surprise and attention, and they frequently interrupted him, while he proceeded, with questions, which he answered to the best of his ability.

He came to me afterwards, and related this circumstance, and after a long conversation, expressed himself in the following manner, "I am like an hungry man tied to a tree, with a table covered with rich provisions near, but out of reach; and this will be my state till the day of my liberty comes." We then talked about his being baptized, and he expressed a wish to comply with that ordinance as early as possible, which he considers to be the grand characteristic mark of those who are not worshippers of idols.

Dr. Buchanan, in his "Christian Researches in Asia," says, "In the Island of Ceylon the population under the British government amounts, according to the best authorities, to upwards of a million and a half; and one-third is supposed to profess christianity." When at Jaffnapatam, in Ceylon, September 27, 1806, he remarked in his journal, "It will be scarcely believed in England, that there are here protestant churches under the king's government, which are without ministers. At this time there is not one Protestant European minister in the whole province. I ought to except Mr. Palm, a solitary missionary, who has been sent out by the London Missionary Society, and receives some small stipend from the British government. The only Protestant preacher in the town

of Jaffna is Christian David, a Hindoo catechist, sent over by the mission of Tranquebar. The Dutch ministers, who formerly officiated here, have gone to Batavia or to Europe. The whole district is now in the hands of the Romish priests from Goa; who perceiving the indifference of the English nation to their own religion, have assumed quiet and undisturbed possession of the land."—And when he was at Columbo, in March, 1808, he observed, "I find the south part of the island is much in the same state as in the north, in regard to christian instruction. There are but two English clergymen in the whole island.-I was not surprised to hear that great numbers of the Protestants every year go back to idolatry. Being destitute of a head to take cognizance of their state, they apostatize to Boodha (or Budhu,) as the Israelites turned to Baal and Ashtaroth. It is perhaps true, that the religion of Christ has never been so disgraced in any age of the church, as it has been lately, by our official neglect of the Protestant church in Ceylon. There are now three missionaries of the London Society established in the three different parts of the island. Government has allowed to each of them an annual stipend. In returning from the country, I passed through the groves of cinnamon, which extend nearly a mile in length. The whole of the New Testament has been translated, but only three books of the Old Testament. But even this portion has been translated almost in vain; for there is no supply of books for the use of the people. I reflected with astonishment on the fact, that there are, by computation, five hundred thousand natives in Ceylon, professing christianity, and that there should not be one complete copy of the holy scriptures in the vernacular tongue."

Such is the country, and such the state of religion in it, for the religious instruction of which Dr. Coke engaged six missionaries, and was conducting them thither, when he was "With sudden death, with sudden glory, bless'd."

The reader is desired to excuse the following errors, which were occasioned chiefly by the author's great distance from the press, and his not having an opportunity of correcting the proof sheets:

Page 25, Line 18, for Persecutions read Persecutors.

42,

25,