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other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours." We could devoutly wish to see similar results in this and other districts with us.

After the market we moved on to our camp at Baramania, and during our stay visited the Chatra and Chandal markets, both of which are very large, and at both we had large congregations. There is an annual car festival held near Chatra market, and of course there is a large number of brahmins in the immediate vicinity. We had a good number of them in our congregations, and they behaved well. At the Chandal market more rice was brought for sale than I had ever seen at a market before. This was bought up by brahmins, and I congratulated them on trying to earn money honestly. It is quite true that some classes of brahmins have more energy and enterprise than the people in general. There was a grain store close by, and there, imagine, all the rice would be disposed of to the merchant for exportation. Many of the people were too busy with trading to pay much attention to us; but at our two standings we did pretty well, and a good number of books were sold afterwards.

On our way to Kendrapara we breakfasted under some trees, and then attended the Balia market. I have scarcely ever known the people at this market hear quietly. There is a temple close by; and whether this exercises an influence I don't know, but the people are almost always disposed to bicker and dispute. The zemindar lives near, and is almost always present at the market, and he is in no way disposed towards Christianity.

From our camp at Kendrapara we visited the Mahipaluni, Echapore, and Thakoorpatna markets, all of them large -larger than formerly. Near the Echapore market there is a large temple of Balabhadra, elder brother of Juggernath, and there is an annual car festival at the

time of the Pooree one, and it is a place of pilgrimage. There is a good deal of property connected with the temple, and a large establishment of brahmins who derive their support from it in one way or other. The walls of the Goondicha, or resting-house for the god during the festival, after long dilapidation, are being put in repair. The market is held just outside the Goondicha walls, and different parties of brahmins go round amongst the sellers and collect toll, either by consent or by force. It is quite true that an Oriya seldom pays till he is compelled in anything of this kind; but my temper has frequently been roused by the injustice witnessed. Might is often right in the eyes of a brahmin, and he is not slow to use it. The people are not generally well disposed to listen in quiet, and the present time was no exception. This was the only place on our tour where a direct insult was offered, and was from a dealer in intoxicating drugs; but Sebo bore it for the Master's sake: not one of the people besides showed the least sympathy.

one.

Thakoorpatna market is a very large We attended it on the Sunday, and had a large crowd round us. Besides direct preaching, some time was spent in answering objections of various kinds, and in discussing different subjects. We hoped to meet at least one young man who has manifested considerable interest in the truth, but he was not present that day.

This was the last day we continued together in labour. The brethren left for Patamoondae the same morning I left for Cuttack. We had spent thirteen days together very pleasantly, and it is hoped profitably. During that time we had attended thirteen of the largest markets in the district, one large festival, and several villages. May the Lord of the harvest bless His own word!

Village Visitation and Preaching.

BY REV. H. WOOD.

AFTER a very pleasant and refreshing ride, I arrived here, Padri Polli, early this morning. I am very pleased with the clean aspect of things. I have had the chapel, bungalow, and preacher's house repaired and white-washed; and as to-day there is to be a feast, most of the houses have been thatched and made to look more tidy than ever I have seen them. All this has acted like a tonic on me. This is the month of May, and in that month, as you know, the thorns in the flesh make themselves unpleasantly felt, where there is any constitutional weakness.

The feast we are to have to-day was promised last harvest; but through an attack of illness that I experienced at that time, and a visitation of small-pox at the village, it was postponed; and I think as far as the people are concerned,

VILLAGE VISITATION AND PREACHING.

383

it falls more opportunely now. Many of them will have a better meal to-day than they have had for months. Daniel Babu and the preachers are here with Bhobani, and I hope we shall be able to do something for the souls of the people as well as their bodies before the day is over.

Did I ever tell you about the new country cart I have built? I began to construct it immediately after returning from the last cold season tour, and have often found it useful since. It is much the shape of a caravan, only smaller in size. At a push it serves for a tent, and I have often slept in it at night. The whole affair cost only a trifle over 50 rupees, and for rural evangelistic work it does very well. It is all country work, even to the wooden axle. In this cart, drawn by a pair of bullocks, I usually come to Padre Polli, and I have made several visits to the villages around Berhampore in it.

Sometimes I take a watch or a little pocket compass with me, on these excursions, and sitting down on a verandah or in some shady place, I exhibit the little wonder to the people until their interest is excited, and then make it the starting point for a little religious talk. I am most partial to the pocket compass because it gives me the most points and the best direction. For instance, the other day I was out with the preachers at a village three or four miles away. They had delivered their message, and were trying to sell the gospels and tracts. The people were shy about buying, so I spoke to them as follows: "Look at this compass. You see that, however I turn it round, the needle does not turn round. It is always true to one direction. I might fasten this needle to the right or to the left, but if I leave it alone, it will not change of itself. Now there is something like this in every man. He has a conscience needle. He may turn about as he likes, but this conscience needle will not turn; at least if he does not tie it up. If he has got into the condition in which he does not feel a lie to be a lie, or a theft to be a theft, then he has tied up his needle. But until then his conscience will not mislead him." Having brought my listeners so far, I waited a minute to see if they believed me. Sothya! sothya!" (true! true!) they said. Resuming, I told them that "when I came to this country we had one of these instruments on board our ship, so that when there were neither sun, moon, nor stars visible, we could tell in which direction we ought to go. But that was not all; our captain had a book in which was written down the road to your country, the rocks and dangers to be avoided, with all needful directions in order that there might be no shipwreck or mistake. So that you see the book was needful as well as the compass. The compass you each have, but you have not the book; and though the captain of a ship has to pay a great price for his book, you may have yours now for a trifle."

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I do not quite feel that this is catching the people with guile, though it may have somewhat that appearance. Anyhow, it has sometimes succeeded in getting the people to buy the books, which is a very important matter.

Of course it does not succeed in some villages, and I don't know what would. If there were no other signs, I could almost invariably tell when we are among Brahmins, by the way in which we are received. One of our preachers was, as I thought and felt, delivering a very good address the other morning in a village some little distance down the Chicacole Road, but some brahmins were all the time questioning or contradicting what he said. One of them actually said that what would be a lie from a man, would not be such a thing from a god. I had some conversation with the man, and took occasion to say that what the people commonly believe about Lunka (Ceylon) being a heaven of golden streets and houses, was all a delusion, because I had been and seen the place for myself. The man replied, "Impossible! What you say must be untrue, because you can never have been able to get to Ceylon." With ignorance, conceit, and falsehood so dense, what can be done? Brahminism dies hard, but it is dying for all that, though it still sometimes gnashes its teeth at that which has given it its death-blow, Christianity.

There are many signs that our holy religion will yet be the prevailing faith in this country. The wonderful gathering in Ungole seems to have caused some excitement in England and America. You know, of course, that I am almost in the Telegoo country. Pooroosootum our senior native preacher and some of the members of our church are Telegoos, and should my lot seem likely to be permanently fixed here, I shall feel the importance of getting some knowledge

of the Telegoo language. Our first baptized convert, Erun, was a Telegoo, and lived at Berhampore. There is an old man here, a Christian, whose income is supplied by a gentleman in the Civil Service, who desires me to employ him among the Telegoos. It is in my mind to get a fresh supply of Telegoo tracts, &c., from Madras, so that I may utilize this possibility of service.

Here I must abruptly close my letter, as pressure of other duties calls for my attention.

Mission Services,

Up to the end of the denominational year were held as under :

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Much valuable help has been rendered in preaching and speaking for the Mission by our own ministers and friends, as well as by those of other denominations, which help is here gratefully acknowledged.

Foreign Letters Received.

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Received on account of the General Baptist Missionary Society from July 16th,

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to August 15th, 1879.

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General Baptist Societies.

FOREIGN MISSIONS.-TREASURER: W. B. BEMBRIDGE, Esq., Ripley, nr. Derby.

I.

II.

CHILWELL

SECRETARY: REV. W. HILL, Crompton Street, Derby.
COLLEGE.-TREASURER: T, W. MARSHALL, Esq., Loughborough.
SECRETARY: REV. W. EVANS, Leicester.

III. HOME MISSIONS.-TREASURER: T. H. HARRISON, Esq., Wardwick, Derby.
SECRETARIES: REVS. J. FLETCHER, 322, Commercial Road, E.,
and J. CLIFFORD, 51, Porchester Road, London, W.
IV. BUILDING FUND.-TREASURER: C. ROBERTS, Jun., Esq., Peterborough.
SECRETARY: REV. W. BISHOP, Leicester.

Monies should be sent to the Treasurers or Secretaries.

Information, Collecting

Books, etc., may be had of the Secretaries.

Voices from the Pews:

WITH A WORD FROM A PULPIT ON THE PULPIT AND PUBLIC QUESTIONS. In his Essay on "Popular Ignorance" John Foster charges those who up to his day had filled the pulpits of the Established Church, and more especially that section of the clergy who had lived amongst the rural population, with having neglected to rightly discharge the duty they had taken upon themselves of teaching and leading the people in all that concerns their temporal and spiritual welfare, and with having left them to grope their way through the world in the densest ignorance.

Now as Baptists, and as believers in the power of the Christian religion to purify and elevate the whole life of man, no matter where, or under what circumstances, we often take credit to ourselves for having been, as a party, found in the very forefront of every struggle for the rights and liberties of the people, whether civil or religious, and for having had as our leaders men who, if they were not able to publish to the world such grand and noble sentiments as those given forth by John Foster, have testified to the "thoroughness" (to use the favourite word of Lord Strafford) of their Christianity by zealous and self-sacrificing efforts for the good of the people at large.

As one who not only occupies a pew, but who endeavours to make himself acquainted with what is going on inside as well as outside the churches, I have long been of opinion that the occupants of our pulpits will, before we can expect any great change for the better, have to take up a more decidedly antagonistic position with reference to some three or four questions or systems which are in direct opposition to the Christian religion, viz. :

I.

STANDING ARMIES, including the Volunteers and Militia.
II. THE STATE-CHURCH.

III. THE TRAFFIC IN OPIUM, and in

IV. ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS.

It has been my happy privilege to listen to the ministrations of many excellent men for a period of something like fifteen years, and I have been a member of a Christian church for about ten years, but during the whole of that time I have very rarely indeed heard any of the questions named dealt with in the light of Christian teaching, with a view of showing the people the direct attitude which should be assumed towards them by all Christ's followers, and of showing the great national wrong that is being inflicted, not only upon the people of this country, but upon the peoples of India and China by three out of the four systems named. It is true we have a good deal-sadly too much, in my opinion, considering our action-of prayer about our national sins; but there is too much vague, very, very vague, generalization about the discourses we listen to, as well as too much assumption that those addressed are as well acquainted as they might be with our national doings at home and abroad. It seems to me that what our ministers need, as a rule, is, more communicativeness as regards the GENERAL BAPTIST MAGAZINE, OCTOBER, 1879.-Vol. LXXXI.-N. S. No. 118.

facts with reference to some phases of our commercial and political life, and more of the practical in their application of the teachings of the Bible to our trading policy, especially as regards India and China; in short, a more Cobdenic style in their dealings with the people who frequent our places of worship.

I have said something about there being too much prayer, considering our actions. Let me illustrate. Every one who has been in any way regular at worship of late will not have failed to notice with what frequency, as well as fervour, God has been pleaded with in reference to the weather, and the consequent comparative failure of the crops, pleadings which, no doubt, have been prompted by the knowledge that through the bad harvests of the last four years the wheat supplies have fallen off to the extent of sixteen million bushels a year. How are we to denominate this action in the face of a still more awful fact that during the same period we, as a nation, have wilfully wasted one hundred and eighty millions of bushels of produce a year in the manufacture of intoxicating liquors. Now, while I have no doubt that many of our "people in the pews" are acquainted with the first fact, I would ask, How many are familiar with, or have been informed by "the people in the pulpit," of the second? We are often told that our prayer should be "intelligent." I should like to know if there is any intelligence about the prayer for fine weather and good crops in the face of the two facts I have mentioned. Now what applies to the questions I have chosen as an illustration, applies with equal force to others.

It is not long since I saw a quotation from a speech delivered by the late Emperor of China, which runs as follows: "I notice that wherever Christians go they whiten the soil with human bones, and I, therefore, will not have Christianity in my empire.”

In 1870 Keshub Chunder Sen said, in a speech delivered in St. James' Hall, "I have freely acknowledged that the British nation has been educating India, enlightening it, civilizing it. We have there telegraphs and railways, and all the great things introduced by modern civilization; but if you have taught us Shakespeare and Milton, I ask, have you not taught us and our people the use of brandy and of beer ? It is painful to contemplate that. What was India thirty or forty years ago? and what is she to-day? The wailings and the cries of widows and of orphans, at this moment, methinks, fill the whole horizon of India. The whole atmosphere of India seems to be rending with the cries of thousands of poor helpless widows, who, I may say it, oftentimes go to the length of cursing the British Government for having introduced this thing. . . . It has often been said, 'Let those who wish to be intemperate be so, we have nothing to do with the question as far as it concerns others; if others will not mend their manners it is for God to judge them and to save them!' My friends, a nation that every day repeats the Lord's Prayer cannot use such logic as this, 'Lead us not into temptation." And yet where, I ask again, is the congregation which is made acquainted with these facts, and which is exhorted to strive to put an end to these abominations? It is true, as I have said before, that we have a good deal of very vague generalisms as to "man's inhumanity to man," but we very rarely have particulars given showing how we, as individuals and as a nation, are the great sinners in a matter

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