worship other idols, but only those who have no other or better ground of hope than this monstrous delusion of Satanworshipers of this once false god. Behold the vast procession as it begins to move, numbering more than five hundred millions! From China, Japan, Borneo, Sumatra, Cochin-China, Loo Choo, Siam, Hindostan, and the beautiful islands of the East India Archipelago, Ceylon, Singapore, Penang, they come. Take your stand on some lofty elevation, and count them as they pass! At the head of the column appears an enormous wooden image, dressed in rich silks, with costly jewels glittering on his forehead, breast, and hands. A million of yellow-robed priests appear as his immediate servants, while more than a million trumpets bray his praise in frightful discord, as millions of censers fill the atmosphere with perfume! Heading westward now the grand procession moves, begin the task of counting. Night and day, without rest, or food, or sleep, you continue the weary work, yet eleven days have passed before you have counted the first million. Day after day the moving column advances at the rate of thirty miles for every twenty-four hours. Over mountains, over deserts, oceans, seas, rivers, onward in its solemn march the endless column doubles upon itself, then doubles again, and again, and again, until it girdles the earth twenty-one times! Days and weeks, and months and years, have passed away, and still they come-men, women, and children. Fifty years have rolled over you since you began counting these devotees of a false religion. The little child has become a man, and the generation has removed itself, since the march began. For fifteen hundred years this awful delusion has been leading the hosts of Asia to the region of eternal night!

This picture (suggested by Dr. Culbertson's estimate of the population of China) is not exaggerated. The worshipers of Buddh are increasing with the population of the Eastern world. The Church in Christendom seems asleep! Fifteen thousand ministers of the Gospel in the United States, with a population of 30,000,000,

and two hundred in China, with a population of 400,000,000! The Church in the United States gives less than twenty-five cents a member for the conversion of the heathen world, while the native Christian churches of Asia give more than one dollar to each member for the same purpose! The Buddhists in China pay four times as much annually to support their religion, as the Christians of the United States do to support the Gospel! These are not guesses, but facts. When will Christians awake to their responsibilities to the heathen world? No wonder we find it difficult to maintain the conflict with the world around us. We are not doing our duty as a Church.

"Go ye into all the

world," said the Saviour. But we will not go. Would a military commander dare treat the order of the chief as we do the command of our risen Lord? Would a mercantile agent interpret thus loosely, or thus despise the instruction of his employer? The condition of the heathen world, going to destruction, is scarcely more melancholy than is the Christian Church asleep.-W. G. Cunningham.

Are You One of God's Men?

LATE in the autumn of 1867 a Mr. T. T. Cooper, an English gentleman of adventurous spirit and excellent education, left Shanghai, with the intention of forcing his way through the mountains and reaching either British Burmah or Upper India. Having reached the border of China, and finding the people of Thibet intensely hostile, he crossed, about the first of May, 1868, over the Salwen, to the headwaters of the eastern branch of the Irrawady, hoping in some way to find a route which would lead him to Prome, nearly eight hundred miles distant. At the first village to which he came on the Irrawady he was brought to the chief, a noble, athletic and almost gigantic specimen of the mountaineers of that region. The chief at once said, "You are a white man. one of God's men ?" Mr. Cooper, astonished to hear such a question asked in such a place, replied, a little evasively— he was not, he acknowledged, in any evangelical sense, a Christian. The chief went

Are you

on to say, "If you are one of God's men, I want you to tell me and my people about God. Some of my people have heard from white men down the river about the great God, and I want to know about him myself, that I may become one of God's men." Mr. Cooper told him, as well as he could, the general truths of Christianity, though painfully conscious that he was not himself familiar with them; but the chief did not seem fully satisfied, and finding that the traveler was desirous of descending the river, he sent him in a boat with a delegation of his own people, liberally supplying his needs, to Prome, and forwarded an urgent request, both by Mr. Cooper and his own people, to our missionaries there, to send him a teacher who could tell both him and his tribe how they might become "God's men."

An Incidental Lesson.

BY R. G. PARDEE.

THE lesson was Luke 5: 16-26. Jesus withdrawing himself from the multitude for prayer. And Jesus healing the man of the palsy and forgiving his sins. Of course the little girls, in the application, told me that, in imitation of the example of Jesus, we ought to go away and praythat little girls should leave their playmates and go by themselves and prayled by the example of Jesus.

They told me that as the men brought the man sick of the palsy to Jesus, so we ought to bring our friends to him, and never mind the difficulties and obstacles, but persevere. But when I came to the question of the Pharisees, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" I asked the little girls, "Who can forgive sins?" The reply was, correctly, "God alone." "Je

"Jesus is God," &c.

whether the Virgin Mary can forgive sins or not. Please turn to the 1st chapter of Luke, 46th and 47th verses, and read what the blessed Virgin says: 'My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour, &c. Who did the Virgin Mary say was her Saviour?"

"God." "Is Jesus God?" "Yes." "Who is your Saviour ?" "Jesus." "Who was the Virgin Mary's Saviour?" "God." "What does a Saviour save from?" "From our sins." "What did God save the Virgin Mary from?" "From her sins.""Then the Virgin Mary was a "Sinner." "How do you know?" she said she had a Saviour." we find that she said this?" 1st chapter, 47th verse." "Then, if any body asks you about the Virgin Mary, what would you tell them ?" "That she had to have a Saviour as well as we, for she said so." "Where do you prove that?" "From Luke 1: 47."

"Because "Where do "In Luke,

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Many intermediate questions, of course, were put, to arrive at all these results, but the pupils followed it all so closely and consecutively that it amazed me. Thus an incidental lesson was thrown upon us of the greatest importance. Was it not clearly duty to make thorough work of it? Methinks all those six little girls received impressions from God's Word in those few moments that can never be effaced.

INFLUENCE OF CHILDREN'S PRAYERS.

IN one of the darkest periods of the Reformation, when Luther, Melancthon and others, were assembled to consult upon what should be done, Melancthon retired from the council under great dejection of spirit. After a short time, he returned, his countenance beaming with confidence and joy; and when all were surprised at the change, he told them that he had just seen a sight which assured him of success. He had seen some little children engaged in prayer for the Reformation. Their mothers, who were assembled for the same purpose, had brought them together, and heard of God. Courage in the needful hour he was assured such prayers would be for the greatest work ever accomplished by uninspired men was thus breathed into the soul by children's prayers. Such do you pray-not only for father and moprayers the church need yet. Children, ther, for brother and sister, but also for the church of God in the world?- Visitor.

Spain.

SEVILLE.MR. HALL.

Our work is going forward in Spain. Mr. Alonzo has written you of his chapel work, and of the marvellous power which the simple truth has had and is having on his hearers.

I consider it as not one of the least evidences of the presence of the Spirit, that at a season when the thermometer for weeks ranges 100 and upwards, his little unventilated chapel is nightly crowded with those who are eager to learn, often the street is also filled. The voluntary organization of a Society among his own people to aid the poor, and his provision of cheap dinners for the working classes are, a friend writes me, working wonders. Alonzo says-"there is one person who is not satisfied with all this work, and that is the priest of San Bernardo; he calls us all sorts of names, but the people laugh at him and come to us." His (Alonzo's) people beg him to become their priest.

Alonzo is indefatigable in his labors. I have been obliged to check him occasionally, and I do fear he is wearing himself out. A friend writing me from Seville, says "Alonzo works with all his might, and is most self-denying and earnest in all he does. God is giving him good success."

Mr. Tugwell, our Depository at Seville, for three months has been endeavoring to obtain the Kiosk in Seville. The position is unexceptionable, and the man whom we have in charge is the best Bible salesman in Spain. He has sold more than one hundred thousand copies of Bibles, Testaments and Portions, in Spain since I went there.

Mr. Tugwell has found his school rooms too straight for him, and has secured much larger ones. He hopes to be

able to report at least five thousand children under his care, taught and singing from our American books, before the end of the year. Mrs. Tugwell has in operation a Normal School for Young Ladies, (Spanish). They are taken into her own family, and thus trained in a Christian household; the cost is about £30 sterling per annum.

We have opened a Bible Depository at Huelva, near the precise spot whence Columbus set sail for America. It is the centre of a large mining region. The man in charge acts as missionary to the miners and sailors.

The "Eco" is doing finely. Our Scotch friends at Seville, seeing its efficiency, have established a fortnightly religious paper. The Scotch have an agent at Seville, who is well adapted to his work, and have organized congregations there, at Cordova, and Malaga, also at Granada.

The cause of evangelical truth is thriving at Malaga, but a good earnest Christian teacher is almost absolutely needed.

There is not a large town or city in Southern Spain in which a congregation of three hundred to one thousand persons could not be gathered and sustained.

Chili.

DR. TRUMBULL.

You have here in hand agencies that, on the system of grand tactics, will bear forward the Christian banner to more rapid conquests than those achieved in Pagan lands.

I do not urge the abandonment, by any means, of your previous efforts to provide the Gospel for Americans and English people in foreign cities. That would be to ignore the history of our enterprise, which really is yours, in this

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very city and land. The effort of the Foreign Evangelical Society, which afterwards was merged into the present 'Union," was made to set up preaching here in English. The movement was purely your own, in response to a call from residents here; and the results are, first, a strong, active English congregation, self-sustaining, with Sabbath school, a day school of two hundred and fifty children, grown indirectly out from the congregation; second, full religious liberty, recognized as the law of the land; third, a local society, for the distribution of the Word of God in all languages, sustaining and superintending two colporteurs; and fourth, three distinct Spanish congregations, in two of which churches have been organized containing native converts. The movement has there been successful; though begun in English, and for the benefit of foreigners, it has brought the Gospel at length to the native Roman Catholic population. Your policy, then, in 1845, was correct in regard to this country, and I would not dare say relinquish it. On the contrary, while arguing concentration, I conceive it to be wise at every point in this country where you can to retain a Gospel hold on our own countrymen-meaning all who speak English. It is vain to attempt bringing in the Gospel for natives, if we are leaving foreigners and their children to become Papists.

Now there are three points to which these suggestions apply-1st, to Santiago, where the English congregation has returned to Mr. Gilbert's care. This, however, should only be a temporary arrangement. It will not promote the best prosperity of either congregation, and I urge the Board to send a minister who may preach in English there, entirely relieving Mr. Gilbert of all care except of the Spanish flock which he has gathered, and which will need every grain of his strength and every hour of his time. The English community in Santiago is increasing continually, and would be able, in great measure, to sustain its own ordinances after a little, if a fitting man was sent out.

2d. At the North there are two important fields of labor now entirely unoccupied. There is Copiaps, where now a congregation of thirty persons assemble for worship; from Copiaps, which is inland, there is connection with two ports nearly the entire distance of railway, at each of which ports congregations of from forty to fifty persons, without counting children, could be gathered. One man could hold this circuit; doubtless it would be in a measure self-supporting after a while it would be so in part perhaps at once.

3d. Then at Coquenibo there is another similar field; a chapel exists there nowan English chaplain has just withdrawn ; at Serena, the capital of the Province, nine miles distant by rail, there are a number of foreign families; and at Guayacan, three miles distant, there are a still larger number, where a service and a Sabbath school have been maintained for some years by private Christian men, most of whom are from Wales.

Now, again, let me say that the Lord can inaugurate valuable missions in each of these fields, first in English and then in Spanish, and for such labor the way should be prepared. I believe, further, that in each of these instances more than half the outlay would be borne by the people themselves, or by those who sympathize with them, and to whom I offer to apply.

My judgment would be that the two missions be commenced, each with one missionary. I came here single, and remained so for four years; but that has its disadvantages. Say, then, the amount were to be $15,000 for each; of this sum I believe your outlay would not exceed $2,000 currency for the two efforts.

SANTIAGO.-MR. GILBERT.

The following account I take from the "Valparaiso West Coast Mail :”—

"OPENING OF A PROTESTANT CHURCH IN SANTIAGO.-The dedication of a dissenting church took place in Santiago on the 29th ultimo. This is the first edifice that has ever been erected and set apart

for Protestant worship in the Spanish language, in Chili, or in fact on the west coast of South America. We refer to it with satisfaction, as a gratifying indication of the growth of Christian toleration in this country, so long bound in the fetters of religious exclusiveness imposed in colonial times by old Spain. This new church is designed for preaching, in the Spanish language, to a congregation of native worshipers, gathered by the Rev. Mr. Gilbert. The cost of land and building has been for the greater part borne by individual subscriptions, amounting to seven thousand dollars in all. [The cost thus far, without finishing the base ment, has been nearly $11,000, and it will require about $1000 more to complete the basement.] The services of dedication were commenced with invocation by the Rev. Mr. Merwin, and the reading of the 24th Psalm; a Spanish hymn having then been sung, the Rev. Mr. Gilbert gave an historic sketch of the congregation. After singing and prayer, the Rev. Mr. Trumbull preached a discourse on the duty of dissenting from error, held ever by dominant and established churches, and concluded by dedicating the church to the worship of God, according to the doc.trine of the reformed churches.

A Chilian gentleman, Mr. J. M. Ibanez, followed in a spirited address to his countrymen composing the congregation.

The attendance was very numerous. Every seat was occupied, the gallery filled to overflowing, the aisles crowded, as were the vestibule, porch, and stairways. The audience gave excellent attention throughout. Once or twice there was a disposition to express applause, but this was hushed by the judiciousness of the people themselves, whose only impatience was manifested when aught occurred to interfere with their hearing what the speakers said.

The singing was sustained by a sweettoned harmonium (a present from Alexander Balfour, Esq.,) which was played by James Harper, junr., and was listened to with interest by the audience-in fact, not a few joined in it. The services occupied two hours, and were concluded by

the Apostolic benediction, pronounced by the preacher."

Six hundred persons were present, and almost as many more went away unable to enter. The church will seat three hundred and fifty. The order which prevailed was truly remarkable. Many predicted trouble on that day, but thanks to the Disposer of events, we were unmolested, and a large and appreciative audience gave undivided attention through all the exercises. When Dr. Trumbull protested against some of the doctrines of the Romish church, I could not discern any manifestation of displeasure on the part of the audience. We are led to praise and magnify the Lord for the preparedness for the Gospel which we witness in Santiago this day.

United States.

CINCINNATI.-MISS L. PURLIER.

I have solicited, obtained, and distributed about three thousand books, tracts, papers, and Scripture cards, with visibly good result in many cases. Thus access can be gained to children, and usually to adults.

Family visiting has been pursued with more hopeful evidence of success. If a family is passed by they feel grieved, and do not fail to remind the missionary that they too have souls to save. How many have reason to complain, "No man careth for our souls!" An unusual number of calls have been made on the sick. After conversing with a poor dying man, and speaking to him of the Lord Jesus, on leaving he asked me to return. His wife said he would at times cry out, "Will she not come again,—why don't she come,— I wish she would come and comfort me." But he soon went down into the deep cold stream. Poor souls! the crucifix, the oil, and the consecrated wafer, are poor substitutes for a living faith in Jesus.

With hesitation I visited a young Catholic man on his death bed, but he was free to converse. He assented to the truth, and when I asked if he would like me to pray with him, he answered "yes, better than anything else." Soon after