Total number of white and coloured members this year, 229627 Great Britain Ireland Total number last year 224853 Increase this year 4774 The total number of this persuasion in the known world thus enumerated, from the latest authentic documents: may be In the United States 229,627 193,670 21,031 175 157 54 30 20,283 2,353 467,380 France, Brussels, and Gibraltar Southern and Western Africa Ceylon and Continental India New South Wales West Indies British America, including Newfoundland The number of travelling preachers are not included in this enumeration. In Great Britain there are 671 travelling and stationed preachers; in Ireland 104; on foreign missions 101; in the United States and in Canada 748; making in the whole 1,592. In addition to those who receive their stations annually from the conference, there are not less than 5000 local preachers, who generally devote the sabbath to the service of the sanctuary without any pecuniary reward. AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY. Amount of Contributions to the AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, received in November and December, 1818, and January, 1819. From Auxiliary Bible Societies, Bible Societies not Auxiliary, Benevolent Societies, Congregational Collections, Individuals, for Bibles and Testaments sold, Ministers, members for life, Other members for life, Annual Contributions, $6952 11 320 00 250 40 00 186 31 1496 00 170 00 42 00 2.00 $9210 92 The amount received in the first three quarters of the current year, is $31,016 67 The number of Bible Societies auxiliary to the American Bible Society, is one Aundred and eighty-six. VOL. V.] Saturday, March 6, 1819. From the American Baptist Magazine. BURMAN MISSION. [No. 23. Extract of a Letter from Mrs. Judson to her Friend in this Country. MY DEAR MRS. C. It is four long years and a half since we took up our residence in this spiritually benighted land, and to this day do we continue to offer our thanks to God for having brought and continued us here. To this day can we testify that God is good, that he is a faithful covenant-keeping God, who is worthy of the entire trust and confidence of all his creatures. Never, for a moment, has he left us to feel that our views of the practicability of missions, on our first setting out, were visionary; consequently, we have been preserved from those distressing, agonizing feelings resulting from regret and disappointment in a darling enterprise. On the contrary, we feel that missions to the Heathen are practicable, and not only so, but the very blood of Heathen souls will be required at the band of those Christians who do not make every possible exertion to send the gospel among them. This is all that is required of the Christian world. To give success is another thing from using the means. God will not call us to an account for not converting the Heathen. This, this is the work he reserves for himself. But he will call us to an account for not using the means, for this part of his work he has given his creatures to perform. Neither have we any reason to be discouraged because he has not given efficacy to the first communications of Divine Truth which we have made. It would be almost a miracle for these Birmans to throw away a system of religion which they have been accustomed to consider sacred from time immemorial, on the very first intimations of its being false, or on the first intelligence that there was another and a better. They must have time to examine, to read our sacred writings, and to see the effect our religion produces on its professors, before they will (humanly speaking) feel the least inclination to embrace the humbling doctrines of the gospel. They do not feel themselves in such a miserable, perishing condition as we view them, consequently they do not feel the necessity of laying hold on the hope set be'fore them. We hope our friends and patrons will not be discouraged because no one of those poor Birmans who have heard the gospel has embraced it, but continue to strengthen and encourage us by their prayers and communications, and in time, we doubt not, they, with us, will reap if they faint not. We are anxiously looking for the arrival of the Missionaries, who, we hope, have long since left America. God grant that they may prove true Missionaries of the Cross, prepared and willing to suffer whatever may await them here. We consider the circumstance of other Missionaries having their hearts turned toward the Birman empire, as an indication of the will of God to strengthen and establish this mission, and a prelude of his more merciful intentions to turn the Birmans from idolatry to serve the living God. I anticipate much happiness in once more enjoying the society of "sister spirits," in once more uniting with female friends in social prayer. And oh, may it not be long before our number will be increased by the addition of Birman sisters, chosen from the ranks of idolatry to enlist under the banner of the Prince of Peace. I have a meeting of females, consisting of between twenty and thirty. Sometimes I feel as if I could not leave them until they had embraced the Saviour of sinners. Some of them really listen with attention, and ask pertinent questions, but I dare not hope that any lasting impressions are made on their minds. None of them can read, consequently they retain but a short time what they hear. I have desired some of them to learn to read, but they say they are too old, they cannot learn. Mr. Judson is absent, or he would write to Mr. C. He left us six weeks ago for Chittagong, expecting to be absent three months. He was very anxious to see the Christian Mugs there, and if possible bring one or two round with him to instruct others, as they speak the Birman language. But the awful intelligence we have received since Mr. Judson's departure, respecting the instructor of these Mugs, forbids us to hope much from their piety. Their instructor has proved a murderer, and must (if not already) be executed. The object of his wrath was the Missionary De Brun, whose name you no doubt have seen in the circular letters or periodical accounts. We are extremely anxious to have some account from Mr. Judson. You will readily imagine my situation is very lonely in his absence. Nothing but a sense of duty could have induced me to consent to his departure. Mr. Hough is very kind, affords me every assistance in his power, and will, I think, prove a good Missionary. I rejoice, my dear sister, in your domestic happiness, and pray your little children may be spared and made blessings to you. Pray much for me, my dear Mrs. C. Oh pray that I may have much personal religion, live near to God, and be faithful unto death. I have many trials of a spiritual nature. Oh, could you see my heart, my little devotedness to that dear Redeemer who has given his life for sinners, you would feel that I was very unworthy of the high privilege of living among the Heathen. I send you a Birman catechism. It is the first thing I ever wrote in the Birman language. I.designed it only for the children in our enclosures, but it has since been printed and put in circulation. I do not expect you will be able to read it, but it may be a curiosity if you have never seen the Birman manner of writing. I have since written a translation of the book of Jonah, and part of Daniel, not because I consider these books of any more importance than other parts of the scripture, but because they were easier to translate. My paper is filled, therefore I must conclude with respectful compliments to Mr. C. Affectionately yours, NANCY JUDSON. Extracts from Mrs. C's. Journal, written on her passage to India, addressed to her mother. MY DEAR, VERY DEAR MOTHER, Ship Independence, Feb. 8, 1818. Attended divine service below this morning as usual. In the afternoon Mr. C. delivered a discourse on deck from Heb. ii. 3. "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation ?" There are some favourable appearances among the sailors. Two of them are considerably affected with a sense of eternal things. We are afraid to put much dependance on these appearances, but we fondly hope that they will not prove like the "morning cloud, and early dew." I suppose that mamma, and my dear brothers and sisters are now sitting in the sanctuary of God. What a rich privilege do they enjoy! While some are bathing in the Ganges, to cleanse their souls from sin, and bowing the knee to senseless idols, Jesus is presented to your view as the only atoning sacrifice for the iniquities of men. May you this day find his worship to be pleasant, and have reason to say, that "a day spent in his courts is better than a thousand." How animating to my soul would it be to behold a temple dedicated to the service of the Most High, and to unite with the saints in solemn prayer and praise! I am often ready with the Psalmist to exclaim, "How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts! My soul longeth, yea even fainteth, for the courts of the Lord." But this is not the language of discontent. No, dear mamma, I am happy in my present situation. Nor would I exchange it for the palace of a king. If I know the greatest desire of my heart, it is that I may do the will of my heavenly Father, and glorify him on earth. I choose "rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." I have had to-day some sweet peace of mind, while contemplating the perfections of God. How animating the idea that he is omnipresent! He is at the same moment with my dear friends in America, and with me upon the ocean. And I trust that he will watch over me in the sultry climes of Burmah. The world is indeed a bubble. Sublunary objects cannot satisfy the soul. All things below are fading away. But God is unchangeable. If we possess that religion which he alone can afford, it will be to us a never-failing portion. It will support and solace us amidst the afflictions of life, and prepare us for eternal felicity. Brother W. delivered a discourse this afternoon from Acts xvi. 30. "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" This, I trust, is the anxious inquiry of some on board. Two or three of the sailors are much impressed with a sense of divine realities. All are remarka bly sober, and attentive to the preached word. I firmly believe that the Lord is about to display his power here, in the conversion of poor sinners. Feb. 15. Rejoice with me, dear mamma, in the goodness of the Lord, and let us exalt his name together. Salvation has, I humbly trust, come to this ship. One of the sailors, of whom I wrote the other day, is now a hopeful convert! Mr. C. had some interesting conversation with him this evening. He does not himself believe that he is a christian. But from his appearance and conversation Mr. C. feels satisfied that a gracious change has been wrought in his heart. Indeed the alteration in him is so visible that it is observed by all his companions. They say that he is a different man from what he was once. He acknowledged to Mr. C. that he had been a great sinner: bad been much addicted to profaneness, and bad never thought any thing about Christ. "But now," said he, "I love Christ: he is my all. I think of him, and love him every minute. I cannot bear the idea of his leaving me." Feb. 21. It is with unusual pleasure that I take my pen to record the glorious events which are transpiring on board. The Lord is with us of a truth. Yes, he is here making a wonderful display of his power and love in the conviction and conversion of sin. ners. Believing that it will gratify the heart of my mother, I will attempt to give her some account of this pleasing work from its commencement to the present time. As near as I can learn, the < person of whom I last wrote had some serious impressions the first Sabbath on which we had public worship. These, however, were transitory. During the week he became as light as usual, and continued so until about four weeks since, when he was again powerfully awakened to a sense of eternal things. After much distress, he obtained relief to his mind, and gives satisfactory evidence that he has experienced a gracious change. This single instance of conversion excited, I trust, our gratitude, and greatly encouraged our hearts. We were stimulated to be more importunate at the throne of grace. Nor did the Lord turn a deaf ear to the voice of our supplications. He is now pouring upon us the blessings of his grace in rich abundance. The Holy Spirit is descending like "rain upon the mown grass," softening the hearts of sinners, and causing them to produce the "peaceable fruits of righteousness." On Thursday morning brother Titcomb saw one of the sailors, whom he teaches navigation, standing at the helm. He observed to him, that at a certain hour in the forenoon he would come forward for the purpose of giving him some instruction. He replied, "You need not come to day, for I have something of more importance than navigation to attend to." He then freely related the distress which he felt on account of sin. Mr. Colman conversed with him in the evening, and found him deeply concerned for his soul. It may not be uninteresting to mamma, if I write a few of his expressions. Said be, "when I first came on board I was a swearing. creature. I was continually using curious expressions, and telling |