Girls' Asylum at Cuttack. officer in the service of government at Secunderabad. It stated that he and a few other friends there deeply interested in the prosperity of the kingdom of Christ, met together on the first week of each month for prayer; and that their plan was to take one particular mission at one of their meetings, and make that the subject of their prayers at that time. It added that they had decided on the following month to pray especially for the Orissa Mission, and that they were anxious to receive all the information that could be given of our state. This information was of course at once supplied: and thankfully do we record that the gracious promise was fulfilled. "While they are speaking, I will hear;" for at the time of their meeting there was an unprecedented spirit of religious inquiry and concern in our midst. We may add that these friends felt the importance of giving as well as praying, for shortly after we received a donation of eighty-eight rupees . (£8 16s.) from them. We have long felt the desirableness of having A NEW AND LARGER CHAPEL, but the pecuniary responsibility involved has till now deterred us from entering on so important a work. The church has however recently taken up the matter; and our native friends are zealous in it. Many have with a commendable spirit of liberality promised to give a month's income to it, and if all do so the sum realized will be little, if at all short of fourteen or fifteen hundred rupees. Our prayer in reference to this enterprise is-" Establish thou the work of our hands upon us : yea, the work of our hands establish thou it." We may here add that the sum collected from our native friends at the last annual collection for cleaning and repairing the chapel was nearly double the amount obtained the previous year. It amounted to eighty-six rupees or (£8 12s.) In this we unfeignedly rejoiced. GIRLS' ASYLUM. 279 Miss Guignard writes,-I have been teaching the girls in the Cuttack Female Asylum about eight months. During that time I think they have made creditable progress in the various branches of education, some of which were new to them. For instance, the native mode of teaching arithmetic appeared to me to be a very roundabout one. Doubtless it accomplishes its purposes when thoroughly understood, but that is by the few, and not the many. So I introduced our English style, partly for the reason assigned, and partly because understanding it, I could more readily use the little of the language that I knew. Of course they had literally to begin at the beginning, but the progress they have made encourages me to go on. Nearly all, excepting the very little ones, can work the four simple rules readily, and the elder girls are making good progress in the compound ones. I hope next yearshould I occupy my present position -to be able to report that they have made such progress as shall entitle them to be classed with English children of the same age and ability both for quickness and correctness. With the writing I have made an alteration. Instead of allowing them to write so much on the ground as they have been accustomed, I have substituted slates at the time when they are commencing to put the characters together, and their progress in writing has been as rapid as it is correct. I shall of course continue the practice. In teaching geography, I use maps freely, being satisfied that it is the only effective mode of communicating that branch of instruction. I am happily supplied with a very nice assortment, which were presented to me by the Ladies' Society previously to my coming out. Reading, of course they learn with their writing; but, as an encouragement to persevere, I allow them, as soon as they are at all able, to take their turn in reading with the elder girls at worship, when as Mr. Buckley is present, they feel it to be a great honour. The flush of gratified pride, when they have accomplished the task, is to me a sure omen that they value the privilege, and will not willingly lose it again. You will not, however, be satisfied with an account of their progress in school studies merely. The moral and spiritual justly claim our highest consideration. For this we come, for this we labour, and for this we are willing to die. Eight of our dear girls have made a public profession of faith, but why do I write eight? It should be nine; eight on earth, and one in heaven. The latter was taken from us after a few days' illness, and made the all-important confession only a few hours before her departure. With regard to those who remain, I have been much pleased with their deportment, both before and since. They have been more industrious more patient under reproof-and evidently in earnest to conquer the first risings of anger. I feel that their influence is for good over the other children in the school. CONCLUSION. Is this a work in which it becomes any of the children of God to grow weary ? A fact related by Mr. Goadby will form an appropriate answer to this inquiry. He states: A native christian with his wifeboth rescued Meriahs-from our new location near Berhampore, came to see us yesterday at Russell Condah. They were returning from a visit to the latter's sister, who is a Khond, and living in a village near the Ghaut in the middle of an almost trackless jungle. The night before they left they sat up until very late talking to the villagers in their native language, of the death of Jesus and His matchless love. "All listened," they remarked, "asked hosts of questions, wished to know more, and would have had us sit and talk all night." They referred to their own religious privileges and the degradation of their countrymen with an amount of feeling that showed a high appreciation of those mission labours. to which they owe so much. When leaving, this Khond christian sister said to me: "You must not think that preaching to them once, or MISSION PRINTING OFFICE. twice, or thrice will be sufficient, THE affairs of the printing office were successfully conducted by Mr. Hill up to the commencement of the present year, when Mr. Brooks again entered upon his duties as superintendent. The new and smaller fount of Oriya type is being prepared by Mr. W. M. Watts, of Crown Court, Temple Bar, London, whose eminence as an Oriental type founder is a guarantee for accuracy and care in the execution of the work. It is hoped that the whole will be ready to send out to India in the course of the summer, and that its manifold advantages will soon be realized by both the christian and heathen population of Orissa. 66 and if they will not listen and try to understand become disheartened. You must preach and pray, preach and pray, and God will give His blessing, and we can hope to meet our relatives in heaven." This is sterling counsel! Words like these coming from a converted Khond woman are worthy to be engraved in letters of gold, and might worthily become the motto of this Mission. "PREACH AND PRAY, AND GOD WILL GIVE HIS BLESSING." No missionary society upon earth can prosper, however ample be its funds, without incessant labour, earnest prayer, and Jehovah's benediction. Subscriptions and Donations in aid of the General Baptist Missionary Society will be thankfully received by Robert Pegg, Esq., Treasurer, Derby; and by the Rev. J. C. Pike, Secretary, Leicester, from whom also Missionary Boxes, Collecting Books, and Cards may be obtained. THE GENERAL BAPTIST MAGAZINE. AUGUST, 1863. OUR ANNUAL THERE is quite enough interest felt in the business and public services of an ordinary Association held in the Midland Counties to ensure a large attendance. But this year there were various collateral and special sources of attraction in our Feast of Tabernacles. These were certain to draw together from the different cantons of our Israel an unusual number of representatives and visitors. Among the collateral attractions we may mention the picturesqueness of the town and neighbourhood of Nottingham,-a town which in its situation a certain old divine declares 'runneth parallel with Jerusalem; the proverbial cheerfulness and generous hospitality of its inhabitants; and the splendid weather, the more exhilarating from the cold and showery summers which have recently visited our shores. The special attractions were threefold: the Chilwell College, in the success of which all General Baptists unfeignedly rejoice; the Orissa Mission, with whose present difficulties it was soon evident its subscribers VOL. IV.-NEW SERIES, No. 8. ASSOCIATION. were by no means disheartened and were at once prepared to cope; and the collective celebration of the Lord's Supper, long and anxiously waited for, and now at length to take place. To many visitors busy meddling memory brought back the image of the foremost men in a similar gathering at Nottingham eight years ago, and the recollection shaded with sacred sadness their present joy. They looked round in vain for the chairman of that gathering--Rev. Joseph Goadby, of Loughborough; for the writer of the letter and one of the moderators, Rev John Jones, of March; and for the energetic speaker at one of the public meetings, the tutor for fourteen years of our College-Rev. Joseph Wallis, of Leicester. Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever? The preliminary devotional meeting of the ninety-fourth annual Association was held in Broad-street chapel, on Monday evening, June 22nd, and was presided over by Rev. W. Orton, of Louth, Lincolnshire. Brethren Wood, of Bradford; move along. The important purposes for which we are met together forbid us more than a momentary pause even at the grave of the holiest. We rejoice that there is at least one object on which even the sepulchral hand of mortality does not write the inscription of vanity, and that He who is our precursor to the skies, invites us to be followers of them who though faith and patience are now inheriting the promises. Numerous topics of deep and significant interest thrust themselves upon our notice, on most of which we can but give the passing glance.' The chairman then adverted in his own forceful way to the Bicentenary Celebration of last year, and to the stigma which was sought to be cast upon Nonconformists as if banded in an unholy confederacy composed of Jews, Socinians, infidels, atheists, and noisy demagogues to overturn and destroy Christ's holy church. 'In all fair Batey, of London; Towler of Bar- | however, paying this tribute of rowden; Hester, of Loughborough; respect to the departed, we must Harrison, of Birmingham; Hunter, of Nottingham; and Gill, of Shore; took part in the devotional exercises. On Tuesday morning the states of the churches' were read till ten o'clock, when Rev. J. Salisbury, of Hugglescote, was unanimously appointed vice-chairman, and W. Newman, Esq., of Louth, assistant secretary, and Rev. J. C. Jones, M. A., of Spalding, took the chair and delivered the annual address. Our position,' said the chairman, is like that of soldiers shaking hands with each other after a toughly contested campaign. The sturdy but almost superannuated veteran, the manly and athletic standard-bearer, and the raw recruit with his armour only just tried, are talking together of how each faired | in the conflict, and of this or that comrade that has fallen in the field. Blessed be God, our fathers and brethren died in harness, and we intend to do the same. Perhaps could they interrogate us, we should have to say that time has passed but roughly with us since we saw them last; but no small satisfaction indeed is it to know that they are safe and, brethren, ours is a poor and feeble faith, if we do not believe that they still serve the same Master, though in a higher and holier sphere; that they have entered upon a service in which the pure incense of perfect devotion rises uncontaminated by the noxious ingredients of earth; where the melody of the lip is undisturbed by the ruffles of an anxious heart; and where, in substitution for the lights and shadows of fleeting life, they enjoy the light without a shadow, day without night, happiness without alloy, and the pure river of the water of life without a sediment. How inferior are even the excellent of earth to the excellent of heaven. Here, the purest gold has its alloy, the most precious stone its flaw, the most glistening crystal is dimmed with impurity-but there all are without fault before the throne. While, ness,' said the chairman, 'a distinction ought to be made between the motives and feelings which actuate different individuals. Let it, then, go forth throughout Christendom, and let it be uttered from a thousand voices, that we have no common ground with such persons; that our dissent is not a passion but a principle; that it arises from no desire for supremacy, from no political disaffection, from no dogged obstinacy, from no revoluntary spirit; that we are not dissenters because even of the injustice of church rates or tithes (for if it were a matter of bare injustice we would submit); but we are dissenters, because, loyal and loving as we are to the person and government of Her Majesty, we love Christ better than the purest sovereign that ever adorned the British throne, or the wisest assembly that ever composed the British senate; because we dare not form an alliance with any church at the expense of Christian feeling and individual piety; because we be The Chairman's Address. lieve (whether right or wrong is another matter), but we believe that over and above all the incidental evils (and they are not small), every state establishment of religion involves a violation of the kingly prerogative of Christ, interferes with the rights of individual conscience, hinders the progress of Christ's kingdom by deluging it with worldlings, quenching its spirituality, and crippling its energies; and lastly, because a combination is presented more monstrous than the Horatian blending of a human head with a horse's neck-the union of a living body chained to the carcase of a dead slave, under the loathsomeness of which many an evangelical minister is saying, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? If our reasons for nonconformity were feebler than they are, or in other words, if they did not involve fidelity to our conscience and our God, then, in order to put an end to this strife, to secure peace among brethren, if not for a richer incumbency, we would conform at once; but, seeing that these reasons are what they are, whatever may be our status politically, however, disadvantageously we may be placed by acts of Parliament, we have a right to expect and to demand that our convictions shall be honoured, at least by every good man. We ought not to be scandalously libelled as heretics and schismatics, to be classed in a common category with those who have no sympathy with Christian sentiment, to be regarded as innovators and disturbers of the public peace, to be treated by a Diotrephan class with an air of patronage and scorn, to be met in the street or on the platform with a kind of apology for a recognition, and to be tolerated as ministers of Christ in proclaiming the glorious gospel of the blessed God. So far from wishing to uproot and destroy the Church, we should mourn over it as one of England's heaviest calamities. Our deepest conviction is, that by unrivetting her chains, 283 unmuffling her beautiful form, unfastening her bandages and setting her free, she would march along a career of Christian enterprise with a peacefulness and power such as the world has never seen, and which would astonish her most devoted adherents. And further, we may safely affirm that if these chains be not unrivetted, the time is not far distant when political convulsions, which we should all deprecate, will with a rough hand break them, and Christ himself will speak with a voice and an emphasis hitherto unknown, Loose her, and let her goMy kingdom is not of this world." The topics afterwards dwelt upon were, the marriage of the Prince of Wales, the American war, the cotton famine and the distress in the North, the Colenso controversy, and lastly, the true business of the Christian minister and the grand essential qualification for preaching the gospel. The whole address rang like a trumpet-call, and produced a deep and powerful impression. It was unanimously ordered to be printed. After the chairman's address the rules of the Association were read by the secretary, Rev. Thomas Goadby, B.A. A resolution welcoming the ministers and friends of other denominations to the sittings of the Association was passed by acclamation. The first business related to the Baptist Union. It was agreed to commend this promising nucleus of some wider gathering, as it seems to us, to the liberality of the churches. Small committees were then appointed to consider various cases from churches, and to report during the sittings of the Association. At five o'clock, the annual meeting of the committee of the Orissa Mission was held in the vestry of the Mansfield-road schoolroom, J. Heard, Esq., in the chair. The attendance was very numerous, and the business more than ordinarily important. It was agreed that Mrs. J. O. Goadby should return to India in August, and that Rev. H. Wilkinson, returned mis |