MISSIONS.

RESOLUTION OF THE ESSEX AUXILIARY MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

We

WE request the particular attention of our readers to what follows respecting China. The opening for the introduction of Christianity into that country, so earnestly prayed for, and granted, at an earlier period, and in a greater degree than could have been anticipated, calls for the devout gratitude and the strenuous exertions of British Christians. gladly insert this notice as it will keep the subject alive in the thoughts and prayers of our friends, and may induce some benevolent individuals to present donations to this important object without waiting for the time to which the committee have wisely postponed the general collection. In that case it will be desirable to send them to the treasurer of the Essex Auxiliary.

At a numerous meeting of the committee of the Essex Auxiliary Missionary Society, held at the Horn Inn, Braintree, on March 13, 1843, it was unanimously agreed :"That a respectful and earnest recommendation be addressed, through the medium of their Officers, to all the Churches of Christ connected with the Auxiliary, for making a Congregational Collection, specially on behalf of CHINA, on the last Lord's day in September next ensuing."

MY DEAR SIR,

Chelmsford, March 14th, 1843.

It is with unfeigned pleasure I call your attention to the foregoing resolution; and doubt not, that you will feel the liveliest satisfaction in communicating it to the members of your flock, and in endeavouring to secure the best practical answer in your power, on the day appointed. It is also hoped, that you will receive with no little kindness and candour, the accompanying address to the friends of the Redeemer, on the subject of the Resolution, and believe me,

Your's faithfully,

JOSEPH GRAY, Secretary,

ADDRESS.

BELOVED BRETHREN and SISTERS in CHRIST,

You are not in ignorance of what, He whose name alone is Jehovah, has been-and is do ing, in CHINA'S far-distant land, to prepare the way of your Lord and your God.

It has doubtless, occasioned you much high and holy joy to know that the cries of more than three hundred millions of the intelligent sons and daughters of fallen Adam, ready to perish through lack of the knowledge of Jesus, have entered into the ears of the Directors of the London Missionary Society, deeply affected their hearts-called forth the spirit of faith and of prayer, and led to the adoption of prompt and energetic measures to send without delay, a chosen and a faithful band of the devoted servants of the Prince of peace, to lift up their voices and publish the good news of salvation through that interesting empire. For these vast multitudes dead in trespasses and sins, you too have already experienced great searchings and meltings of heart-your eyes have yielded the full tribute of pity's warmest tears and your soul has sent forth its most earnest desires to your Father in Heaven, that his grace which bringeth salvation, may speedily appear to such numerous myriads of Man's wre tched and sinful race.

It will excite in your mind no surprise, to be informed that some of the Friends of Christian Missions belonging to this County Auxiliary, anxious to give inmediate encouragement to the Directors of the Parent Society, and at once to testify their love to Christ and to souls have already placed their offerings for this service in the treasury of the Lord; and probably you would have thought the Committee of the Auxiliary wanting in zeal and love, had they long forborne the expression of their sentiments and feelings; or should they eventually neglect to invite a single congregation of believers scattered through the length and breadth of Essex to be partakers of such an honor, privilege, and pleasure. With due consideration for the exigencies of the present times, and for the many pressing claims to which Christians of Essex must first attend in the Spring and earlier parts of Summer, a day has been selected somewhat late in the year, in which a general invitation will be given for the proof of love and of professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ. Should you not, therefore, according to that full measure of

ability which God may have bestowed upon you, have consecrated such a portion of your substance for this important object, ere the appointed weeks of harvest have been fulfilled, well am I persuaded, that you will no less gratefully respond, than you will joyfully listen to the loud and imperative call of the Great Lord of the spiritual harvest to devise and to execute liberal things, on the last Sabbath in September, for sending forth labourers into his harvest, that the wide-spread fields of China may be reaped, and much precious fruit gathered unto life eternal.

Your's in the bonds of the Gospel,

JOSEPH GRAY.

REVIVAL--NO, I.

"Thou art neither cold nor hot :- -thou art lukewarm.” Rev. iii. 15, 16.

HOWEVER striking the similarity between our condition and that of the Laodiceans, there is at least one, and that a most important, point of difference between them. The Laodiceans were utterly unconscious of their spiritual state; we on the contrary seem, to some extent at least, to be aware of ours. They considered that they "had need of nothing," we in terms at any rate, acknowledge our need of a revival, personally in our own heart, and generally in our churches. They allwoed the solemn charge prefixed to this address, to be laid against them by another, we on the contrary, are always virtually bringing it against ourselves. Notwithstanding this, however, the striking similarity still continues to subsist; the difference, though important, hitherto appears to have been followed, but by few, if any, practical results. This is a fact that surely requires patient, calm, and prayerful thought.

Charity forbids our thinking one another to be otherwise than perfectly sincere; but faithfulness to ourselves and to the church, and to our God, requires that we should endeavour to investigate the reason why no greater and more visible improvement is secured. Sincere we may be, and yet not fully understand the nature, much less be alive to the alarming consequences of the evil over which we mourn,

Our sorrow may be consequently superficial, our prayers feeble, our efforts to attain revival neither scriptural in character, nor in spirit; simple, earnest, and persevering. It may be that confessions of "lukewarmness," "spiritual deadness," and the like, have become so general that we associate with them, no other than such vague, and indefinite ideas, as can serve but very feebly to affect our hearts. It is possible that prayer for revival has degenerated into something like a habit which we indulge rather as a thing of course, than of necessity; and become an exercise in which we cannot help engaging, though we know not why. If this really be the case, it is no marvel that the evil still continues to prevail, and that so far from being mitigated, it is on the contrary confirmed. Heartless, such confessions cannot quicken us, nor can they be acceptable to God:feeble-such prayers cannot benefit ourselves or reach the Majesty of the eternal throne! No wonder therefore, that we "mourn," but are not "comforted;" "sorrow," but are not "rejoiced;" "cry," but are not answered. "Luke warm" we continue, revival always acknowledged to be needful, is not often realized, and constantly prayed for, is but seldom indeed attained.

Impressed with thoughts like these, it is proposed, briefly to direct the attention of our readers, to the general subject of revival, its necessity, its nature, and its means. May the Holy Spirit so indite our thoughts, and prepare the minds of our readers for their consideration, that under its blessing, the result may be a realizing on the part of many a "time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord."

SUNDAY-SCHOOLS.

THE INSTRUMENTALITY, AS RELATED TO THE DESIGN OF SUNDAY-SCHOOLS.

HAVING in a former paper considered the conversion of the soul as the Design of Sunday-schools, it will be our object in the present, in accordance with our proposed plan, to consider the Instrumentality which Sabbath-schools employ to effect their Design.

It is a matter of great moment, as well as a mark of great wisdom, in every undertaking, to suit the means to the end.

Let us first fix our design, and then let us use a right instrumentality, and use it in a right manner, for the accomplishment of the design. The importance of this is seen in a thousand instances, and might be illustrated by a thousand examples. Let us take one, that of an astronomer. He is desirous of making his pupils acquainted with some one of the heavenly bodies, to which they have hitherto been entire strangers. They are unable to discern it with the naked eye, and he must therefore bring something to his aid, seek other means, employ additional instrumentality. What does he do? He obtains a glass;-but not a microscope, such an instrument would not be suitable; he wants his pupils to see something that is distant-in the heavens; a microscrope is intended to assist in viewing what is near-on the earth. He obtains a telescope; this is suited to his purpose, it is intended to assist in viewing what is distant. So far then, he is right. But this is not all, he does not stop here. When he has procured the telescope, it has to be used, and he is careful how he uses it. He does not put the wrong end to his pupil's eye, (for a right thing may have a wrong end,) but he puts the right, that which brings the object seen through it nearer, and makes it appear larger, not than it really is, but than it would be if did not so apply it. Thus he uses the right instrument, and he uses it in the right manner. But suppose, when he had proceeded thus far, he discovers that his pupils are all laboring under some defect of vision, and that in consequence of such defect they are still unable to perceive what he is endeavouring to show them. Here is another and a new difficulty to overcome, greater than that which he has already conquered. He is moreover, altogether unable to remedy this evil. What does he do? Does he not go to some one who can remedy it, if such person is to be found, and solicit his aid, endeavour to get his advice, and to enlist for himself and his pupils, his assistance ?-Certainly he does, and we may conclude that he procures it, and that the consequence is the removal from his pupils of that defect of vision which had prevented a successful use of the telescope, and their possession of a power so to look through it, as to discern, with wonder, gratitude, and joy, the object which had before been hidden from them.

Thus it is with Sabbath-schools and with Sabbath-school Teachers. Thus it is when they seek, by their instructions, to convert souls, to bring the children under their care, to behold Calvary, the cross, the Saviour, and beholding him to