Mr. Milne's labours appear to have been abundant. He has translated the books of Genesis and Deuteronomy, and part of Joshua, into the Chinese language; he has also paid considerable attention to the Malay, in which he can read with tolerable facility. He has now two Chinese schools, into which he has introduced the Lancasterian plan, as far as it was practicable. The children learn Dr. Morrison's Chinese Catechism.

Mr. Thomsen is proceeding with the Malay Mission. He has translated the Ten Commandments, and Dr. Watts' first Catechism. Mr. Milne wrote an introduction to the Ten Commandments, explaining their design; judging that the holy law of God, as expressed in the Decalogue, is peculiarly calculated to strike at the root of their false principles, base practices, and abominable idolatries.

The arrival of Mr. Medhurst at Malacca, in July last, afforded great satisfaction to Mr. Milne, as he appears to be well qualified to superintend the press, having been brought up to the business of a printer, and having made some proficiency in the learned languages.* This settlement has now the advantage of possessing two presses, with suitable workmen, and an able superintendant. Mr. Thomsen, who obtained in England a knowledge of letter-founding, will materially assist in this department. The buildings necessary for the several purposes of the Mission have lately been much extended; but the expenditure, though considerable, will, we trust, be richly compensated by the utility of this very important institution, from which, throughout the numerous and populous regions of India beyond the Ganges, we trust the waters of the sanctuary will issue to fertilize the vast and dreary waste.

The Directors, urged by the solicitation of Dr. Morrison and Mr. Milne, have lately sent out four additional labourers, Messrs. Milton, Fleming, Beighton, and Ince,† the first of whom is designated to the Chinese Mission, the other three to such stations in the East as may be deemed the most necessitous and the most promising.

AMBOYNA.

Accounts received from Mr. Kam, at Amboyna, are very encouraging. His stated ministry in the Dutch Church appears to have been greatly blessed, as well as his preaching to the Heathen, in the Malay tongue. In the year 1816'he baptized nearly 200 adults, who had relinquished the religion of Mahomet, and professed to embrace the gospel of Christ. The number of heathens and Mahomedans who have made a profession of Christianity through his instrumen

Mr. Medhurst, while at Madras, was appointed agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society at Malacca and Penang, and was furnished with a quantity of Dutch, Portuguese, and Arabic Bibles for distribution.

These Missionaries, with the wives of Mr. B. and Mr. J. were exposed for several weeks to severe storms, and particularly to that which happened on the 4th of March. Their apparent danger was extremely great, and their preservation demands the thanksgivings of the Society to their great preserver. They embarked at Gravesend, Feb. 18, but were driven about by stormy winds until the 24th of March, when they left Spithead, with a fair wind.

tality, since his arrival in Amboyna, exceeds 1200. Mr. Kam has commenced the building of a place of worship for the use of the heathen slaves, but the work has been impeded in consequence of the distressing events which have taken place in the island, which have also occasioned some interruption of his own labours. The unhappy commotions in Amboyna have occasioned much bloodshed. The insurgents endeavoured to compel the Christian inhabitants to join them, many of whom, on their refusal, were cruelly murdered. Mr. Kam appears to have been in some personal danger, so that he says, in a letter to the Directors, "O my God, my soul is cast down within me; all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me: yet neither my body nor my soul has been hurt. I have escaped many dangers by land and by sea; and, out of the darkness which now surrounds me, I have confidence that light will arise, probably greater than before. Surely the mercy of the Lord has accompanied my poor labours from the time of my arrival in Asia! Surely the time of salvation is at hand, in favour of the numerous heathen of this colony." In another paper he says, "Whenever I am in great distress, then I say in my heart, and sometimes with a loud voice, Lord be mindful of thy praying people in England and every where else in Europe, on our behalf."

Mr. Kam's zealous labours have not been confined to the island of Amboyna. In the months of September and October, 1816, he visited several of the Molucca islands, where his ministry was most joyfully received; and in the negerys (or villages) of Aboro, Hulaliuw, and Kariou, the inhabitants, who had been long devoted to the service of dumb idols, arose, and with holy indignation destroyed their false gods. Mr. Kam speaks of this triumph of Christianity over heathenism with pious exultation; and says, in his address to British Christians, "Many of you will not see much of this glorious conquest, but in heaven you will see thousands of these poor black people, who have been saved through the Gospel by our precious Saviour, who bled and died for our sins. There I shall see you again, my dear brethren, and there you will find that your faithful labours of love for the name and cause of Christ have not been in vain.

The directors have acceded to the earnest request of Mr. Kam, and have sent out a printing-press, which he much needed, for the purpose of supplying the people with religious tracts, which were before transcribed with great labour; they have also sent out a large number of tracts in the Malay language, printed in London, for dispersion in Amboyna. We trust that the inhabitants will soon be favoured with a large supply of the Malay Bible, now printing by the British and Foreign Bible Society, of which they are in earnest expectation, and which they will gladly purchase at any price.*

* Mr. Kam says, that he needs at least 20,000 copies of the Bible for the supply of the people in Amboyna, and neighbouring islands. A single copy of the Bible was lately sold by auction for eight pounds.

On account of the dangerous state of affairs in Amboyna, the Directors have deferred sending out additional Missionaries to that station; they are also in expectation that the Netherland Society will, ere long, send more labourers into that extensive and promising field.

JAVA.

It is with the deepest regret we have to record the death of Mr. Supper at Batavia, his labours in that populous city were useful. He possessed great advantages, which he employed to good purpose. He had been a principal instrument of establishing Auxiliary Societies in behalf of Missions, of Bibles, and Tracts, and had the prospect of much usefulness both among the Portuguese and Malay Christians. The loss of so zealous and active a labourer in the prime of life is deeply to be lamented; but we bow to the Sovereign Ruler of the world, and say, "Thy will be done." The Society has at present no Missionary in that interesting station; but we trust it will be kept in view by the Directors.

CEYLON.

Our information from Ceylon during the past year is very scanty. Mr. Palm continues to preach in the Dutch church at Columbo. Mr. Ehrhardt, who was for several years our Missionary at Matura, and afterwards at Cultura, where he preached alternately in Dutch and Cingalese, and superintended schools, has lately been appointed by the Madras government (on the recommendation of Sir R. Brownrigg) Missionary to the Dutch inhabitants of Cochin. Mr. Reade continues to superintend a school.

(To be continued.)

FOR THE CHRISTIAN HERALD.

A PERSECUTOR CONVERTED.

BEING

A NARRATIVE OF FACTS.

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb.-Isaiah, xi. 6.

William L was born at in New-Jersey, and was by nature a child of wrath, even as others. Neither father nor mother, although they had dedicated him to the Lord in baptism, endeavoured to train him up for the Lord. O ye christless parents! how can ye wish your children to be good, and make no exertions to train them up in the way in which they should go? Or, do ye not tremble at the thought of your solemn engagements to Jehovah, compared with your criminal neglect of the religious education of your children? William had the advantage, however, of being sent to a school which was under the care of a godly teacher a great blessing at all times, but a great rarity at that time. May every school in christian lands soon have godly praying men at their head. This holy man was careful for the souls of his pu

pils. Convinced that no labours can be truly successful without the divine blessing, he opened and closed his school every morning and evening with prayers and thanksgiving; and at stated times instructed the children in the first principles of the religion of Christ Jesus. He frequently seized on passing incidents to drop a word in season, which, although forgotten or disregarded at the time, might afterwards spring up and bear fruit. Two of these shall be noticed in reference to the subject of this narrative. On a certain occasion, when the teacher had chastised him for his misconduct, and William stood beside him weeping, he looked at him with bowels of compassion, and said, "Ah, my lad! If now I saw you crying for your sins, what pleasure it would give me." William was bold in wickedness, but feared the thunder. One day, in school hours, the heavens gathered awful blackness, the lightning ran down the sky, and soon there came a dreadful peal of thunder. William was terrified; he laid down his head upon the table, troubled by a guilty conscience and the fears of death. The teacher kept this in mind, and on a set day, when conversing with the children concerning needful things, asked William, "Do you not fear to die?" The sun shone bright, no cloud darkened the heavens, no flash of lightning was seen, nor any roaring thunder heard. William answered, "No." Why, then," said the teacher, "did you hang down your head the other day when Jehovah thundered?" William was mute. Ah, conscience! thou art a witness for God, a witness against sin; one of the sweetest mercies, or one of the sorest judgments.

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William followed the evil example of his father, grew up in sin, and waxed worse and worse. I have heard a neighbour say, that William was a high lad. He and his father, when at work in the field could be heard at a great distance cursing and swearing in the most fearful manner-endeavouring, as it should seem, who could swear the most, or loudest. He was at length taken from the farm, and put out in New-York to learn the trade of a book-binder; in which he acquired some skill. His master was no fearer of God, and William was not checked in his dreadful career of sin. Masters are secondary parents: but how often are they mere mercenaries-consulting only their temporal interests, and not compassionating the perishing souls of their apprentices. How much is this to be regretted. What fearful witnesses will apprentices be against their unconverted masters in the great day of God! I have heard an apprentice, who became a true convert soon after he was out of his time, remark in the time of his soul's distress, "Oh! . what a great blessing it would have been to me, if he who endeavoured to teach me my trade, had also strived to make me acquainted with the Lord Jesus Christ."

When William had attained to manhood his inclinations led him to seek a partner for life. At this time we find him with his father, in the country. A mysterious providence directed him to a pious family. The widowed mother was opposed to his visits, and warn

ed her daughters against him; for she was a godly mother, and could not endure the thought of any one of her daughters forming a connexion with so wicked a youth, and so wicked a family. But all in vain. William gained the heart of one of her daughters, and opposition only made him, more intent upon the match. Contrary to the solemn, affectionate, and frequent admonition of her good mother, Agnes became the wife of William. How often have I lamented the lot of poor Agnes, and felt inclined to talk with the Lord of this judgment. Was another name to be added to the mournful list, already numerous, as an evidence that grace does not descend from parent to child, like an inheritance! Or had Agnes provoked the Lord to cast her out of a godly family into the bosom of the wicked world-into its snares and temptations, to be entangled and destroyed? Can it be possible, that so many and such wrestling prayers, as a godly father had offered up for her in the days of his flesh, should all be as water spilt upon the ground? Such were my reflections on this melancholy union. How often did Agnes lament that she had disregarded the advice of her good mother. How often did she regret her misplaced affection-her blind choice. Many a sad and painful hour now fell to her share. William turned out to be a brute of a husband-a son of belial; and took pleasure in wounding the feelings of his wife. For several years after their marriage he scarcely ever spake a kind word to her. All his study was to gratify himself or vex the wife of his youth. To whom should Agnes complain? to her mother? she dared not. She bore the yoke in silence.

It pleased the Lord at length to sanctify her afflictions, to bring her to a right knowledge of herself, and of the way of salvation through Jesus Christ, his son, according to that word of the prophet Hosea; Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she shall sing there. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever. Hosea 2. 14-20. Agnes was made to feel that it is a grievous and a bitter thing to sin against the Lord. For many a month was she tossed on the waves of spiritual distress before she learned that sweet truth, Unto God the Lord belong the issues from death. Ps. 68. 20. He that gets the best knowledge of the greatness of his sins and miseries, will have the most exalted views of free and sovereign grace. Such was the case of Agnes. She did not receive the word, like the stony-ground hearer, "anon with joy ;" but " in much affliction," as the Thessalonians, 1 Thess. 1. 6. and became a follower of the Lord.

How would it have gladdened the heart of her father to have seen his child sorry for her sins after a godly sort! What an evident answer to his many and fervent prayers! But her father was not-be was gone to his rest! He is where there is no lack of joy nor pleasure. Certainly the good news has greeted his ears, and called forth another song of praise to God, even the Father of our