1858.] DECISION OF A NATIVE CONVERT. 95 in Rupert's Land-an article much needed by them, as it is principally on fish they are sustained throughout the year. Ladies working parties throughout the country also send annual supplies of warm and stout clothing to the same rigid climate, for the use of the Indians; and this year these contributions amount in value to some hundreds of pounds. Other working parties send clothing, &c., to India, Africa, and New Zealand. The personal efforts of one lady at Brighton, on behalf of Africa, where she sustains a native catechist, are well known to very many of our Church Missionary friends. But we have just heard of an instance of liberality in favour of a sister Society, which we would venture to place before Christian ship-owners as an example. A gentleman, largely concerned in ships for Australia and the East Indies, has lately offered to the London Missionary Society a free passage to any of their Missionaries, at all times, and in any of his vessels. This, probably, will be a saving of some hundreds of pounds to that Society annually. Thus there are many ways of helping on the cause. Not the least, however, is prayer. All, whether high or low, rich or poor, young or old, can give that, and prayer "Moves the arm that moves the world." DECISION OF A NATIVE CONVERT. THE Rev. E. Porter, of the London Missionary Society, stationed at Cuddapah, India, gives, under date of November 23, an interesting account of the conversion and stedfastness of a native woman at Burgala. The woman, whose name is Nullamah, is about 40 years of age, and for a long time followed the religion of Siva. After many years' practice in this superstition, she found no rest in her mind: in consequence, she was led to seek for bliss by other means. She therefore resolved, in company with some of her neighbours, to visit other heathen shrines, thinking by this to obtain merit. After this she again returned to her own village, having travelled upwards of 150 miles in vain. Some time after this, a native convert, having been publicly baptized in the presence of a large congregation, after his baptism returned with a copy of a part of the word of God, in his own language, to his native village. Here he made known the glad tidings of salvation to his neighbours. Nullamah heard from him the good news, her heart was impressed, and she resolved to visit Cuddapah, to see and hear more of this good way. She left her village, and came to one of our out-stations, where Moses, one of our catechists, instructed her in the great principles and facts of the Christian religion. When she heard the wonderful story of the cross, with great surprise, she said, "Oh, I never heard such a wonderful history as this! Since that time she heard the instructions of the catechist with great joy. Having manifested a great desire to see Cuddapah, Moses came, with this interesting inquirer, to see us at our bungalow. Nullamah was rather afraid to see a white lady, having never conversed with one before; but Moses told her not to be afraid, as Mrs. Porter would be very kind to her. She came accordingly, and we were much pleased to see this interesting woman, whose heart, we 96 DECISION OF A NATIVE CONVERT. [AUGUST, believe, the Lord has touched. She is a person of modest and retiring disposition, and appears of a sorrowful spirit. Mrs. Porter took her by the hand, and told her to sit down on the mat, as she would like to converse with her about religion. She then said how much she had been impressed with the wonderful story of the Saviour's love; that she thought this must be the true way; and that she wished to be baptized in his name. Mrs. Porter reminded her that her caste would go if she were baptized. Nullamah replied, "Never mind, my soul will last longer than my caste." Mrs. Porter replied, "But your husband: what will he think of it?" She replied, 66 True, I must tell him, and I hope he will come too." "But suppose he says no, what then will you do?" "I must come without him; my soul is of more consequence than my husband." She was then told, that if she were baptized she would take the name of Christ, and must walk in his holy ways. She replied, "Oh, that is what I want: I have seen enough of sin in my former ways. To become holy is the reason why I have gone to so many temples, but these journeys have done me no good." After the Sabbath service, she said to Mrs. Porter, "Oh, this is joy, to meet all the people of God for worship, and the singing, and the instruction. I am all joy." She afterwards came again to the Mission house, to take leave of us. She was advised by Mrs. Porter to defer her baptism until she had received further instruction in the principles of the Gospel. The next time she came she appeared as happy as ever. She sat down and had a long talk with Mrs. Porter. Among other things, Mrs. Porter asked her how she felt when she was sick. She replied, "Very happy. I thought I should go to Jesus and see God. How many miles I have walked to see God, but all in vain." Mrs. Porter then asked her how she felt when she was a heathen and in sickness. She replied, "Oh, all fear, all dark. Sometimes I thought my spirit would go away altogether; at other times I thought my spirit would go into some beast or insect, or it would be hunted down here and there by other spirits." "But how, Nullamah, do you now feel?" "Oh, now it is peace inside, such peace!" Mrs. Porter reminded her that she would have much trouble, after her baptism, from her heathen neighbours. She replied, "Yes, I think so. The heathen will not let me draw water from the well. Never mind," she said, "I can drink of the waters of salvation," (alluding to the story of the woman of Samaria, which she had heard read to her,) " and I can get a little water from the river, which is common to all. They will not give me fire either; but never mind, I must take care not to let mine go out. However, I must be baptized in the name of Jesus. I love Him, and rejoice in his salvation, and I must bear his name, cost what it may." Afterwards she was examined by me in reference to her views of Christian truth, and as her answers were satisfactory, it was decided that she should be baptized. She was, in accordance with her earnest desire, publicly baptized in the presence of a large congregation. Truly the lines of the poet may apply to her "Now will I tell to sinners round What a dear Saviour I have found: Missionary Chronicle. KO THAH A. FORTY-FIVE years ago the first Christian Missionary reached Burmah. It was for India that Judson had left his home. But on his arrival there the British authorities ordered him away, and Judson KO THAH A, A PASTOR OF THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, RANGOON, AGED 81. VOL. VIII. NEW SERIES. 98 KO THAH A. [SEPT. transferred himself to Burmah, to find, under heathen rule, that liberty to teach Christ's Gospel which was denied him under a Christian Government. There, in Rangoon, a close and fetid town, he devoted himself to learning the language. There was much to remind him of the spiritual destitution of the millions around him. Two miles distant from the city of bamboo huts and narrow streets, on a small hill, stands the celebrated pagoda called Shoo-da-gon, surrounded by many smaller pagodas, its top among the clouds, and its golden sides glittering in the radiance of an eastern sun. There Gaudama Buddha, a dead man, who lived about the time of the Babylonian captivity, is the object of religious worship. His image occupies the shrine; nay, indeed, everywhere the idol is to be met with. The images are usually in a sitting posture, and are of all sizes, from half an inch long to seventy-five feet; of wood, stone, brass, brick, clay, and ivory. Thither the people bring their offerings-bunches of flowers, articles of raiment, nicest eatables ready cooked-and, with uplifted hands, recite their devotions, often with a string of beads counting over each petition. Indefatigably did Judson toil to acquire the tongue and gain the ear of these poor idolaters. Twelve hours out of the twentyfour were occupied in close study. There he sat in a large open room, bent over a table covered with Burman books, his teacher beside him, a venerable man in his sixtieth year, with his cloth wrapped round his middle, and a handkerchief round his head. He had his fruits. God gave him a first convert in 1819; and and then followed others; amongst them the Burman, whose likeness appears in our engraving, and of whom the following notices appear in the "Missionary Magazine" for January 1855. Our earliest notice of him dates back to 1820. Ko (then Moung) Thah A is first introduced to us by Mr. Judson, as being a frequent visitor at the Rangoon Mission house, and shortly afterwards as "giving good evidence of being a true disciple." He is described at the time as "a respectable householder, rather above the middling class," about fifty years of age, unmarried, and living with his aged mother, who was dependent on him, in a small village called Nan-daugong, about half a mile from the Mission. He had formerly been an officer under Government, and had amassed considerable property, which he mostly spent in building pagodas and making offerings. "But he obtained no satisfaction, found no resting-place for his soul, until he became acquainted with the religion of Jesus. He now," wrote Mr. Judson, "rests in this religion with conscious security; believes and loves all that he hears of it; and prays that he may become fully a true disciple of the Saviour." (Judson's Mem. vol. i. p. 277). He was baptized in August 1822, just previous to Mr. Judson's departure for Ava. His manner of application evinced his earnestness. "Early in the morning, Moung Thah A came in, and, taking Mr. Judson aside, knelt down, raised his folded hands in the attitude of reverence, and made a very pathetic and urgent application for immediate baptism. He stated that he had considered the Christian religion for above two years; that 1858.] KO THAH A. 99 his mind was completely settled on every point; and that though he had been harrassed with many fears, he was now resolved to enter the service of Jesus Christ, and remain faithful unto death, whatever the consequences in this world might be." The rite was administered the following day, August 20th, making the seventeenth Burman who publicly professed his faith in Christ in baptism. He was ordained to the ministry and pastorship of Rangoon church, by Messrs. Judson and Wade, in 1829. "He had spent a few months, at the end of the war, in 1826, at a large village in the neighbourhood of Shwadoung; and there, devoting himself to the preaching of the word, had produced a very considerable excitement. Several professed to believe in the Christian religion; and three of the most promising received baptism at his hands. Others requested the same favour, but he became alarmed at his own temerity, and declined their repeated applications. On his return to Rangoon, he continued to disseminate the truth, but in a more cautious and covert manner. He had now come to Moulmein to inquire what he should do with those who wished to be baptized, and to get some instructions concerning his own duty." Succeeding years have shown that the "divine appointment" was not misapprehended. "The teachers have come and gone," he remarked on one occasion: "I have always remained here. When the teachers left Rangoon, the rulers seized me: they commanded me not to preach. They said, 'Do you intend to preach Jesus Christ?' I said to the rulers, I shall preach: Jesus Christ is the true God.'" Ko Thah A, as threatened by the rulers, has been subject to repeated persecutions, in common with his brethren; has been fined and imprisoned, his feet set fast in the stocks. Of the horrors of a Burman prison, some conception can be formed from the records of Oung-pen-la. One of these persecutions occurred in the viceroyalty of Moung Kinebeing, who was "envious at the religion of God." "I, with others," said Ko Thah A, (he had been requested to write out the particulars,) "was then greatly persecuted, and commanded not to worship Christ, but to return to our old religion, and worship Gaudama. Our property was seized; I was cast into prison, put into the stocks, and swung up by the feet. I had then to endure for many days the most fearful threatenings; till, by the grace of God, I was set at liberty. From that time till Pegu was conquered, I have been compelled to attend to my work, and preach with the wisdom of the serpent. Now," addressing Mr. Ingalls, who gives the narrative, "being permitted to live to the age of eighty-four, I can preach the glad tidings of God, with none to oppose, and can witness the multiplying of converts and the increase of the church." "The believers," he adds, "give proof that they have the life of Christ, for their prayers are attended with divine power." At this advanced age, when no longer able to stand up in the church to preach, yet still preaching by his life, his likeness was taken. Those who knew him pronounce it true to the life. It is strikingly in unison with our own recollections. There he sits with his pilgrim staff, robed in white; his head crowned with a neat red turban; his scarf of blue setting forth, rather than concealing, his aged hands, his feet exposed, in the fashion of his country; his countenance sedate, grave, as of one who had known long service, but lighted up, |