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names.' I answered, 'It is agreed.' Those names are in the enclosed paper, which I have sent for your inspection. Have I done wrong in this? Perhaps I have; let me, my friends, know the whole of your mind in respect of this matter.*

May you, my friends, be saved by Jehovah the true God. I have written to Mahine for a house for the use of the Missionaries; when they arrive you will let Mahine know where the house is to be, and he will get. the people to remove it there. Let it be at Uaeva, near you.

It is reported here that there is a ship at Morea, and I was thinking it might be the ship with the Missionaries; but it may be that it is only an idle report. However, should the Missionaries arrive at Moorea, write to me quickly, that I may know. Let me know also what news there may be from Europe, and from Port Jackson. Perhaps King George may be dead, let me know. I shall not go around Tahiti before the month of March.

May you be saved, my friends, by Jehovah, and Jesus Christ, the only Saviour, by whom we sinners can be saved.

POMARE, King of Tahiti, &c. &c.

Tahiti Motuta, Feb. 19, 1816.

Correspondence of the London Tract Society.

The Committee of THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY (of London) have lately issued a printed sheet of Extracts from their correspondence subsequent to the last annual Report of that Institution, for the purpose of circulating among its auxiliaries and elsewhere the interesting intelligence contained therein. That sheet we have recently received. We have room only to insert the following Extracts from it in this Number of the Christian Herald:

CHINA.

From the Rev. Robert Morrison.

Canton, Feb. 24th, 1817. I have received and drawn your Society's grant of 500l., in behalf of Mr. Milne, for the publication of Religious Tracts in the Chinese Language. Those he has composed I deem exceedingly well calculated, under the blessing of God our Saviour, to promote the diffusion of divine truth. He complains much of want of health, in his last letters.

I have here a very anxious time, from the Government being so averse to the least acquaintance with their language. We must look to God, our Father and our Friend, for help. I would study to give no offence in any thing; and at the same time I wish to

* This was in imitation of us; for during 1814 and 1815, after our monthly missionary prayer-meetings, we used to take down the names of such as renounced heathenism and embraced Christianity in a public manner; but since the state of affairs is altered in the islands, and the profession of Christianity is become general, we have thought proper to discontinue the practice, as now not likely to answer the ends intended.

avoid an undue fear of man. I often I often pray that I may be prepared to suffer and to die for the sake of our Lord Jesus! and, though conscious of great unworthiness, I trust the unseen hand of the Almighty sustains me.

From the Rev. Wm. Milne.

Malacca, July 25th, 1816.

By the kind aid of the Religious Tract Society, I go on publishing Tracts; and have the satisfaction to know that they are sought after by multitudes of the Chinese.

From the late Rev. J. C. Supper.

Batavia, Java, Oct. 17th, 1816.

Long before I left Europe, I felt in a great degree the importance of the Religious Tract Society; but never so much as I have done since the worthy Missionary Milne and myself commenced the distribution of your Tracts among our Chinese brethren in this island; to whom they appear to have been of much benefit.-They read with much delight these little Messengers of grace, which prepare their minds for the Bible, and for the exertions of Missionaries.

By the good providence of God, I have been enabled to establish among the Chinese a Reading Society, consisting of sixty persons, who are supplied with sixty copies of each Tract, every month, which I receive regularly from Mr. Milne at Malacca; and when these sixty have read them, they put them into the hands of their brethren, for the like purpose. I will not say that these Chinese are become Christians; but that they have, through the means of these Tracts, become acquainted with Christianity, is a fact which none can reasonably deny; and which I feel constrained to communicate, for the encouragement of the Members of the Religious Tract Society.

Last week, I received from Mr. Milne sixty copies of a Tract On the importance of speaking Truth; and two Chinese being at my house, a butcher and a shoemaker, I presented them each with a copy, which they read, at my request. When, in order to try if they understood and kept in mind what they had been reading, I inquired, if they did not, by the contents of those Tracts, learn that it is their duty to speak falsehood, and to be dishonest whenever they have opportunity. "Oh! no," (replied the shoemaker,) "on the contrary, we are here taught that we should speak truth, and be honest at all times ;" and the butcher with an air of reverence, said, "The great Lord of Heaven speaks to us in this book."

The Dutch and German Tracts which I received from your Society before I left London, were distributed soon after my arrival here, and read with great interest; and, I hope, with no less advantage, by many. If you could send me more Dutch, German, and Portuguese Tracts, I should feel much obliged, as I am ready to devote myself to the Religious Tract Society, as I have done to the Missionary and Bible Societies. A share in your noble exertions I consider to be of more value than all the gold of Ophir, or the riches of India. You may therefore command my services

as long as I live ;* and by the grace of God, I shall use every exertion I can in your behalf.

If the Religious Tract Society should be forgotten to be mentioned in the annals of the world, I am confident she will shine with great lustre in the everlasting annals of heaven. With sentiments of profound esteem, I have the honour to be,

Your humble and obedient Servant,

J. C. SUPPER.

PIEDMONT, GERMANY, &c.

From the Rev. John Keetman.

Neuwied, March 31st, 1817.

In conjunction with my other Christian friends, I have, by the liberality of the Basle Tract Society and that of the Association in the North, been enabled to distribute, in the course of last year, 1,200 Tracts here and in the neighbourhood; and we were much pleased by receiving accounts of the effects resulting therefrom. Among others, a woman told me that her husband used to spend every evening at the public house, till a present of The Christian Children's Friend being made to the little boy, he had some part of it read to him, remained at home, and was frequently moved to tears by its contents. Two pious Prussian soldiers distributed many books among their comrades.

one.

May 16th, 1817.

From the Berlin Tract Society. A wide field is now opened for our Tract Society, which indeed requires unabated labour, that we may do something for every Branch Societies have been formed at Memel, Grypswald, Gorlitz, Magdeburg, Coeslin, &c.; and the number of Members has, this year, much increased; but the demands have been in proportion. We shall soon be obliged to have translations of some of the Tracts made into the Polish and Wendish languages.

An apprentice, belonging to the Catholic persuasion, received six years ago, from a Lutheran Minister in Saxony, besides a gift in money, a present of a small Tract:-it was entitled, The One Thing Needful for Salvation. He did not care much about it at the first, but curiosity led him to look into it; he perused it frequently afterwards, and it created a desire in him after the Holy Scriptures, in which he was gratified, as he was in the employ of a religious master, who procured a Bible for him, in which he now eagerly reads. You will be glad to hear, that, with the blessing of God, a lively interest is excited both for the Bible and Tract cause, by the circulation of the Monthly Publications.

From the same. Berlin, Aug, 5th, 1817. We received, yesterday, your very kind letter of the 7th of July-, and thank you for the effectual assistance you have given to a Society which is yet only in its infancy. Though six Auxiliaries

Shortly after the receipt of this Letter, the Committee received the painful intelligence, that this indefatigable and eminently disinterested servant of Christ had been unexpectedly removed from the scene of his labours by death.

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have already been formed, and from forty to fifty regular Correspondents acquired, this is trifling in a sphere of usefulness so very extensive and promising. Your benevolent recent donation of 201. was therefore highly acceptable; and I can assure you that our whole Committee will feel in the highest degree thankful for it. Most of our Tracts are translations from yours.

Continue, dear Sir, to turn your benevolent attention toward an Institution from which, we trust in God, you will reap joy here below, and hereafter the approbation of Him who will not leave unrewarded even a cup of cold water given in his name.

140

LONDON SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIANITY AMONG THE JEWS.

A Letter of the Rev. Professor Leander Van Ess to the Society. "To the venerable Society for promoting Christianity among the Jews.

"From the enclosed copies of three letters from a Jewish teacher, the venerable Society will perceive, that he has a strong desire to embrace Christianity, and that with him another Jew is ready to do the same. He has often attended divine service in my church; I have also spoken with and examined him, and found hitherto that he is sincere and true in his profession. He is, for his station, a pretty well educated man, to whom the Lord has given much light and knowledge of himself. The only impediment to his openly professing Christianity is, that this step would at once deprive him of his living, and of all means of maintaining himself; for he, as well as the other Jew, has not where to lay his head. His German style is tolerable, and he understands also the Hebrew; but, not being acquainted with the Latin, he desires to be enabled to study at some university; which example the other also desires to follow. I immediately applied to the university of Freiburg, but have received answer, that the most I could expect was a yearly stipend of sixty florins, a sum by no means sufficient. I entreat, therefore, the venerable Society for promoting Christianity among the Jews, to facilitate to these two Jews the execution of their pious designs, by granting them pecuniary assistance for some years, out of Christian charity and generosity, in order that they may obtain the accomplishment of their ardent desires, and be able to continue their studies without being exposed to extreme want. I shall be a conscientious steward of your charitable donations, and take care that they receive the supply of their necessities through a third equally conscientious hand. To save immortal souls, by leading them to Jesus, the sanctifier, the glorifier, without whom there is no salvation, is the most exalted reward: for this reward's sake, I appeal to the piety and Christian charity of the venerable Society, for the kind accomplishment of my earnest request. To have saved but one soul will be a most glorious reward on the great day of the harvest, before the throne of God and of the Lamb. Solemnly to receive these two Jews by baptism into the Christian

Church, will be to me a most delightful feast, and it might, by the
blessing of God, be useful in some way or other to their brethren.
"To the above earnest request, I add one more, which is,
that
you will have the kindness to send me some copies of the New
Testament,, translated by your Society into the Hebrew, entitled,

-The Nezu Covenant of Messiah, toge ברית חדשה על פי משיח

ther with the Reports of your Society. Mr. Luke Howard will gladly undertake the care of remitting these books to me..

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"Let us pray with fervour, both in our love and in our exertions, Thy kingdom come! Yes, and it does come with power, and the light penetrates mightily, and with an increasing spread through the darkness of Gentiles and Jews, and reproaches Christians for their lukewarmness in the faith and in love. With the deepest veneration, "Your brother, united with you in Christ, VAN ESS.

"Marburg, July 28, 1817."

Extracts of some Letters from a Jewish Teacher to the Rev. Professor
Van Ess in Marburg.

No. I.

Jan. 16, 1817.

Your learning and philanthropy, so well known throughout all Germany, but especially the excellent means by which you are promoting true illumination and genuine virtue, encourage me, an Israelite by birth, to approach you with reverential confidence, at the same time begging you to accept of this little book of mine here following, as a token of my high esteem and regard.

Permit me to acquaint you, under the seal of the greatest secrecy, of the little satisfaction the religion of my fathers affords to my mind. For many years past I carried about me a clear conviction, that our religion is a compound of absurdity and superstition of every kind. In this conviction, you may imagine, I could not take my rest; and, as I considered religion the most momentous concern of man, I consulted the writings of the New Testament, where I found a religion perfectly suited for the human heart, which truly ennobles man, which instructs him in what it is his truest interest to be instructed in, which furnishes him with the best motives to virtue, with the most solid consolations in adversity, with the most joyful prospects in a world to come. I found in the New Testament a religion suited for every nation, for every form of government, for every age, for every country; nor is there, I think, any doctrine that can equal that which an enlightened reason builds upon the principles of Christianity. This religion, by assuring man of immortality, arms him with fortitude in affliction, enhances his every temporal enjoyment by the certain hope of a future and better estate, enables him to look at death as his natal hour to a far more perfect life, and gives perfect satisfaction to the boundless desires of the human heart. Here, reverend Sir, is my sincere confession of faith, and my conceptions concerning the Christian religion; conceptions which could not but generate in me the

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