20 WHERE ARE THE LABOURERS ? [FEB. after a simple narrative of the historical part of God's plan of redemption, and an appeal to my hearers to accept of that salvation freely offered, I had to listen to an oration of one of them. "There was a time," said he, "when no Yoruba man knew of such a thing as an European plate, cloth, gun, &c.; but our fathers began to know them: but a white man they never saw in their country. Ten years before this I never dreamed of ever seeing one; but now I both see and hear him speak words of peace. Twenty years hence we shall see white men all over Yoruba, Haussa, and Bornu, and hear their words of peace.” www WHERE ARE THE LABOURERS? THERE are multitudes of men, qualified for the work of the ministry, who are as deeply immersed in the world's business as the apostles were before their call. We must go and look for them, as our Master did, on the quarter-deck and the parade-ground; in the laboratory and the court-house; the carpenters' workshop, the sail-loft, and the senatechamber. The world's business can go on very well without them, but the world's salvation cannot. Let the dead bury their dead, and the church say to Matthew in the custom-house, and Zenas in the courthouse, Joseph in the council-room, and Aquila in the tent factory"Go thou, and preach the gospel." Amos must leave his orchard, and Elisha his plough-land; Carey must drop the last, and Campbell close the ledger; Nathaniel must leave the fig-tree, and Knox the school-room: Peter must throw the gospel-net, and Milne build the house of God, and Luke prescribe for dying souls, and Williams go around the islands of the ocean with wisdom's merchandise, and Duff train young exotics for the courts of the Lord's house, if the Lord Jesus is ever to possess His inheritance. [Synod's Farewell, in the "Macedonian.” 1856.] BRIGHT SPOTS IN INDIA. "Not to myself alone," The heavy-laden bee doth murmuring hum, Content if he repay my cheerless toil "Not to myself alone," The soaring bird with lusty pinion sings, I cheer the drooping with my warbling tongue, I call the worldling from his dross to turn, "Not to myself alone," The streamlet whispers on its pebbly way, I sweeten and refresh the languid air "Not to myself alone" O man, forget not thou-earth's honoured priest, Live to thy neighbour, live unto thy God- BRIGHT SPOTS IN INDIA. 21 OUR readers would not wish that our notices of Missionary effort should be confined to those carried on in connexion with our own Society. They will be glad to hear occasionally of what is being. done in other directions, and by kindred institutions. The Missionary army which is going forward against the strongholds of the god of this world is an allied force, and between the different sections of it there ought to be strong sympathy; so that if "one member suffer, all the members" should "suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members" should "rejoice with it." We lose much, very much, by confining our view to our own particular operations-much that is beautiful and heart-stirring in the proceedings of our Christian brethren in America and elsewhere-much that is calculated to enlarge our own minds. By extending our circle of interest and observation, we shall discover 22 BRIGHT SPOTS IN INDIA. [FEB. many a pleasant spot, reclaimed from the wilderness, where "trees of righteousness," of the Lord's planting, are bearing their pleasant fruit. To one of these interesting localities we shall now introduce our readers. A deputation from the American Board of Missions has been engaged in visiting their different Missionary stations throughout India, and portions of their correspondence, which have appeared from time to time in the "Missionary Herald," are full of interest. The following letter from Mr. Thompson, one of the Deputation, to the Secretaries of the Board, refers to a field of labour contiguous to our own Tinnevelly Mission, the collectorate of Madura being to the northward of Tinnevelly. It is very delightful to behold the seed of God's word springing up in different directions, and Christian congregations gathered together, where a few years back prevailed the stillness of spiritual death. May the Lord increase and multiply a hundred fold these specks of light that are scattered over the dark face of India's peninsula! They are as morning stars, forerunners of the day. Mandahasalie, February 7, 1855. DEAR BRETHREN-After a short visit at Madura, we came hither last night. Mandahasalie is forty miles south of Madura, and is the centre of Mr. Taylor's large and fruitful field. At the station itself there is only a very insignificant village; but it has the very significant name of "Antioch;" for "here first were the disciples called Christians." There is little to attract the eye, except the fertility of the plain, which stretches to a great distance on all sides; yet the situation is advantageous for the general operations of a Missionary superintending the whole district. The native Christians of this part of the Madura collectorate had been previously informed that the deputation might be expected today; and accordingly, during all the earlier part of the forenoon, they were coming in from villages near and remote; till by eleven o'clock between three and four hundred had assembled on the verandah of the Mission house and the adjacent ground in front. There were representatives of full thirty different villages, distant from one to ten or fifteen miles; while a few came even from the sea-coast, twenty-five miles off. In the company were thirty or forty church members. After introductory religious exercises-invocation, reading of the Scriptures, and prayer in Tamil-they were addressed by the deputation severally, and twice each. Many things were said to them; and naturally, among the rest, they were told what interest is felt in them and their Missionary teachers by Christians in the United States; what money is contributed, and prayer offered, in their behalf; that as Christian labourers had come here, sowing the good seed of the kingdom, we had come partly to look at the harvest, which to the joy of our hearts has begun to wave under the eye of the Lord, and of which there was a welcome specimen before our own eyes; that the American Board and American churches were looking through our eyes, and with us would give thanks, as they should see what God hath wrought. 1856.] BRIGHT SPOTS IN INDIA. 23 In the course of his remarks, Dr. Anderson exhorted them very much after the manner of Joshua at Shechem-" Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served;" and, very much after the manner of Israel, "the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods." We "set up a stone of witness there, under an oak that is by the sanctuary of the Lord." After an earnest prayer by Henry Zilva, a native catechist, the boys who were present sang "Oh, when shall we see Jesus, And reign with Him above, We Old Samuel could contain himself no longer. He is a very active, warm-hearted Christian man, a little eccentric, and rather impulsive. "We are rejoiced," he exclaimed; "we are altogether glad. thank you; we pray for you;" with more of the same out-bursting emotion, as he came and touched our feet and clothes, as if we had not belonged to the same race, and as if our merit had been something more than that of being associated with others in making known to this people the great salvation. The audience then formed themselves into fifteen groups, according to their villages, headed respectively by their catechists or teachers; in some instances two or more villages, from which only a few individuals were present, being associated. "There was little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali." These companies presented themselves successively before the deputation, each with a formal and respectful salam; each expecting a speech from us; and each responding through their leader. First in order, I believe, came the residents of Caresacoolum, among whom was the potter of the village, who joined the Christians a few months since. He was a poor ignorant Pariah. When asked why he gave up idolatry, he replied, "Our religion is false. I am the man who makes gods of clay, and burns them in the fire. They have no life, no power; they cannot move. Can they save me?" It was a no small triumph of truth in Caresaculum, when the only manufacturer of idols in the place renounced his occupation. After being addressed, and responding themselves, they filed off, and made way for the villagers of Courttatoor. Their catechist, in replying for them, said, among other things-"We were once in heathenish darkness, but the true light has shined upon us. We believe in the religion of the Bible; and, by the grace of God, we will remain true to our new profession." Next came the men and women of Nuttacardoo; and they had many things to say, through their native teacher. "Thanks for your advice and your salutations! Give our regards to Christians in America. We are persecuted; but if we should be persecuted even unto death, we hope for grace to persevere. We have no money to give you in return; but we can, and we will, pray for you." Then followed a detachment from Kundakondamanikam. "" "We," said they, were worshippers of devils. Now the way of light has been opened up to us, and 24 BRIGHT SPOTS IN INDIA. [FEB. we have left the way of darkness. We thank you for coming here. People in America have done a great deal for us; but you alone have come to see us." They had hardly finished, when another group of villagers crowded forward; and their catechist said, "We were Roman Catholics; but we gave up our images to the Missionaries. We now believe there is only one Mediator between God and men. It is only a year since the gospel came to us. We have great joy in Jesus Christ." But I need not give further details. Such is a specimen, in brief, of what was said by the several parties, in reply to our salutations and exhortations. It appeared that one was expected to act as spokesman for each company; but so great was their eagerness to speak to us, that two and three would sometimes break out at once; and it was no easy matter for brother Taylor to interpret all to us. In one instance a small band came forward who had no one to speak for them; whereupon one of their women broke out, in a half chiding manner upon the men, but in a strain of hearty response to us. We were struck with the ease, fluency, and self-possession, with which the catechists fulfilled their parts. Before the turn for the fifteenth company had come, it was well on in the afternoon. Our strength was gone; and neither Dr. Anderson nor myself was able to stand, except as one relieved the other by rising alternately to receive and address these grateful and delighted members of small congregations, which have but just thrown their idols "to the moles and to the bats." Such exhaustion will not seem strange, when I tell you that the average maximum temperature here at five o'clock in the afternoon, for all months in the year, is 940 Fahrenheit. Late But our work and enjoyment for the day were not yet done. in the afternoon, as we were reclining for a little rest, we heard singing, which seemed to be in the open air, and to be approaching the house. On looking out, we saw a procession composed of catechists and teachers, and the pupils of the boys' boarding school, with a few others, having hymn-books in their hands, and moving slowly toward the Mission house. Mr. Taylor threw open the doors, and made all ready. They came in, chanting and bowing; while the leaders brought forward their presents of bread, sugar, eggs, rice, plantains, limes, betel nuts; and one also led up a well-fatted sheep. You will not understand that the scene at Lystra was re-enacted. It was a band of Christians; and this is a common, but not idolatrous, manner of expressing a peculiar welcome, and of showing the most marked regards. In the cool of the day, when the mercury falls to 85° or even to 80°, we visited the church. It is a mud-built house, with a thatched roof, but without seats, or other furniture, save matting, one table, and one or two chairs. You will readily believe me, when I say that this has been a day of the intensest interest to us, surpassed in that respect by no one since we came to India, unless, perhaps, by the ordination day of the two native pastors at Ahmednuggur; and that this interest has arisen mainly from the ocular evidence afforded us that the good work of Christian Missions is progressing in the land. |