and expects, when he returns, to go to Rangoon. He has not been in very good health lately, owing to several attacks of fever, to which he is subject. The last we heard from Ava, bro. Cutter was quite ill.* At this station we are all in good health. He making any charges. We have long | Rangoon, and the removal of bro. DO. felt the importance of such a school, Bennett to this place. Mr. Judson and that a trial should be made by is now absent on a visit to Tavoy, some of us. Some time in January, an Episcopal clergyman arrived at Maulmein from Calcutta, as chaplain of the army, and curate of Maulmein. He soon commenced his labors, and it was rumored that he designed to have schools established with all possible speed. Knowing the wishes of the Board, and having spoken to different persons connected with the English Baptist church and congregation, respecting their children, intimation was given that Mrs. S. would instruct them for three hours every day. A part of the regiment left this place for Madras, a fortnight ago, when we had to part with some of the members of the church,-three men, and one woman, and one inquirer. They had a prayer meeting at the chapel, on the morning of the members leaving, and prayer was made on their behalf. Being commended to God, they parted, after singing together "Blest be the tie that binds At Madras, there are churches of every denomination, except of the Baptist. As persons have gone from this station there, and others in time may go, there might be a church established there of our order. The particulars I will give in my next. All the members of the mission are at present in health. Yours, in the Gospel, THOMAS SIMONS. Rev. Dr. BOLLES. MR. BROWN TO DR. BOLLES. Rev. and dear Sir, Although I have nothing special to communicate, yet I improve the opportunity to drop you a fine, as I understand a vessel leaves to-day for Bengal. You are probably aware, before this, of the arrival of bro. Webb at We are going on with our studies, as usual-find ourselves able to converse a little. For several weeks I have been reading a Burman work, containing an abstract of their system of philosophy, geography, &c. Their systems of geography and astronomy, (if it may be so called,) are very stupendous. The great central mount, and the superior celestial mansions are represented as most magnificent. Their ideas of geography and astronomy are, in nine cases out of ten, exactly the reverse of the truth. Yet their whole religious system is so based upon, and interwoven with their geography and astronomy, that they must inevitably stand or fall together. Let a Burman only believe that there is such a country as America, at a distance, and of a size corresponding to our description of it, and his faith in Boodhism is annihilated at once, however unwilling he may be to receive the Christian religion in its stead. This makes me think that more attention ought to be paid to schools, and especially to the inculcating of correct ideas on geography, for it will be impossible for the children thus taught, ever to become conscientious believers in the religion of the country. Your letter to bro. Webb and myself, came to hand about a week ago, together with quite a quantity of newspapers, which were a rich treat to us. With affectionate remembrances to all friends, I am as ever yours, NATHAN BROWN. Rev. Dr. BOLLES. * Bro. Cutter, is since recovered. See his letter above. TAVOY. (Continued from page 114.) Karen Prophets. Jan. 19. The Karens have a class of people among them who have been denominated conjurers and sorcerers, but who are really prophets; as they always come before the people, declaring, each in his particuar way, that God is about to save his people. One prophecies that God is about to raise some one of their fathers from the dead as a forerunner of their salvation; another that the "Sufferer" immortalized in their legends is about to appear again; and a third, that God himself will quickly take a human form and descend to earth. Each succeeds in obtaining a train of followers, but none appear to believe so sincerely as the prophet himself. One concerning whom nothing is now remembered but his hymn, sung, "Jehovah will return when the paddy Erect for Jehovah a dwelling. be a rock; when it shuts, a precipice. (a) In all things pray and praise God. Our mothers and fathers in this state of existence are not our mothers and fathers. (b) Our mothers and fathers are in a future state; but it is like the sons of earth to call things false. They know absolutely nothing. O disciples, Satan keeps a strict watch over us to tempt us, therefore pray unceasingly that God may watch over us to preserve us. Then fear nothing. Offering to Nats is enmity to God, and therefore very wrong. To be delivered from suffering, pray to God only." Among the prophets a prophetess sometimes appears, who immediately adopts the dress of the other sex. Although the morals of these people are always good, they are not the most favorable persons to the people. In an obscure ambiguous manner they usually convey the idea that they themselves are sent by God to be as it were his ambassadors, and although some of them assent to the gospel, few cordially receive it. A Karen Prophetess. I was led to the preceding remarks from a prophet and prophetess coming into the village to day. I walk with the iron staff of God, After worship closed I sent for the woman, who came into the zayat, and after prostrating as in the A prophet has a zayat erected for act of prayer immediately comhim, where he assembles his follow-menced singing as follows: ers around him every night, and af- I walk with the silver staff of God; ter praying with them, he recites And when old return to youth again: verse by verse some of the hymns And my age is changed to youth again. that he himself has composed, and My God who wast in the beginning, O which are sung by the congregation accompanied with instrumental music. Preaching does not form a part of regular worship, but he sometiines exhorts the people of which the following has been given me as a specimen. great God, God the Lord who wast God originally, (a) This is a Karen idiom to express a strictly just man, who is unalterable in his decisions. "O disciples act righteously with (b) This is a Karen idiom to express all men; and be holy that you may the transitory character of the present dwell in the silver town, the silver existence, where we have as though we had not. The meaning is sometimes excity that you may enter the golden "In the present state wa palace. Covet not the things of pressed thus: are on the castle like pilgrims or travelothers, neither use falschood or deers, but in the next we shall be permanent ceit. When the mouth opens, let it as the caves of the earth.” My God, who wast God in the beginning, I am overwhelmed with suffering in the Thou who wast in the beginning, save me, I bow down to thee O God. The Sufferer sat on the edge of the verandah; There in former time they spit upon him, they spit upon him. I am the one, Lord, I am the one. After singing the above in most affecting tones, she went away and would not be induced to return. In the course of the day I met with her again, and had some talk with her or rather to her, to which she replied by singing extempore, "I, who live in Mergui, have arrived To where my good lord is manifested; I, who live in Mergui, have come, And my good lord I have heard." She quietly assembled with us at worship but in the middle of the sermon commenced singing, "Porter open the gates of heaven: I come up singing praises to Jehovah." Not being disposed to encourage the gifted sister in the church, I had her turned out. them in contempt; and, while in my presence he professes himself an humble Christian, he goes forth among the ignorant declaring that dwells in him, and that all his forthe Eternal God of the Christians mer prophetical hymns had reference to this gospel, and appeals to them as incontrovertible evidence of his inspiration. He even tortures baptism out of some of his hymns. He is an excellent singer. After worship this evening, he sung several verses that he evidently composed at the moment, but Karen poetry loses its beauty in a translation. The following is a part of his hymn. "Our former justification is overwhelm ed, It is overwhelmed by the justification of Our former justification is destroyed. We must act righteously, we must holy. The Old Lying Prophet. The prophet is the man who MR. MASON TO DR. BOLLES. brought the English book of Psalms to Brother Boardman, and seems The following letter from Mr. Mason, now more anxious than ever to be of a still later date, will show the advanadmitted into the church: but while tages arising from having two missiona he possesses more talent than, per-ries at this station, from the interruptions haps, any other man in the jungle, which a single one is necessarily exposed and is wholly free from immoral habits, few it is believed are farther to, and the irregularity of effort thence ensufrom the kingdom of heaven than ing. Before this, it is probable a second himself. The story he told in rela- has arrived at Tavoy. tion to the book of Psalms was false throughout. The people never Dear Sir, thought of worshipping the book; Tavoy, June 3, 1834. I have little that is called interest and instead of a Yogus bringing it ing to communicate. Immediately to him in the jungle, he obtained it after writing the short note by Mr. himself of a white man in Tavoy. and Mrs. Judson, when they left us, The Christian books Br. Boardman my whole family was taken sick, so gave him, he threw down in the road that, at one time, Mrs. Mason and on his way home, and stampt upon the two children were confined to their beds, with no nurse but myself, on the Sabbath. We have one canunwell, and taking medicine like the didate for baptism among the few rest. This was at the hottest sea- that attend. Despise not the day of son of the year; and the Commis- small things! Two deaths have sioner, Mr. Blundell, having kindly occurred in the church since last offered us his house in the suburbs January, but no other changes. of the city, cooler than the one we One died a few days ago, particuoccupy, thither we removed. Our lars not heard; the other was killed dear little boy expired a few days by an elephant. From Jan. 14, to afterwards, and Lucy, even yet, lies March 14, I was travelling through sick beside me. Mrs. Mason has the Karen jungle, to Mergui and recovered, and is trying to re-estab- back. Such part of my journal as is lish the day schools in town again, copied, I sent you. besides taking charge of the Karen boarding school in the compound. I had expected, and promised to visit the Karens at the south and east again, before the rains, to administer the ordinances; but God in his providences has ordered it otherwise. Yours &c. France. F. MASON. MR. PORCHAT TO THE BOARD. (Translated from the French.) Paris, Jan. 5, 1835. Very dear Brethren in Christ, By way of the correspondence of Mr. Pyt with you, I was, on the 20th of last May, informed respecting your letter of the 25th of March. While waiting for the arrival of Mr. Wilmarth, I went to visit some villages in the vicinity of St. Quentin, where I preached many years ago, and where I still had some subjects of joy and encouragement. It was in June, that I had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with our dear friends, Mr. and Mrs. Wilmarth. I dared not yet accept your invitation; and I returned to the vicinity of Orleans, without having made any determination. We have a school of forty, at Matoo-myoo, and a boarding-school in the compound, of eight or ten Karens. In this department, we experience great difficulty for the want of books. I have a tract going through the press, which is wanted at the present moment; but the proof sheets have to come down to me for correction, and there is little hope of its being out before the close of the rains. All the schools, Burman and Karen, are under the superintendence of Mrs. Mason; and, from her, particulars are to be expected. Moung Shway-moung has removed to Maulmein, but I have the young man to assist me in that department, whom I baptized last year; and a most valuable assistant he is. We have considerable com- But soon, in consequence of my pany, but every thing has been so correspondence with Mr. Wilmarth, irregular here, that when people be- and of his and Mrs. Wilmarth's sogin to think, the Gospel has been journ at my house, I decided to set abandoned; and then the work is myself down with that dear brother. begun over again, to be again aban- I then came to Paris in August. doned, as it certainly must be when There we searched, with a great the rains close. We have no deci- deal of pains, to find a situation for ded inquirers, except one or two a chapel, and apartments for ourwomen, who attend on Mrs. Mason's selves and our family. I returned instruction. I am going to try what to put my affairs in order for my recan be done, in having a regular moval; and I arrived at Paris with meeting for the Burmans, once a my numerous family, towards the week, in the English chapel, situated end of September. At last, after in another part of the town. This various unavoidable difficulties conevening is to be the first attempt. nected with our establishment at As usual, I preach in English once Paris, our little chapel was ready; and I preached, for the first time, the | counterbalances, to a certain point, 9th of November, on Col. ii. 8. Be- her perceptions of the truth. It is ware, lest any man spoil you through worthy of being added, that she auphilosophy and vain deceit, after the thorizes her female servant, who is tradition of men, after the rudiments also a Catholic, to attend regularly of the world, and not after Christ; our meetings on Tuesday evening, and, in the evening, on 1 Cor. ii. 1, 2. which are held at my house. By the And I, brethren, when I came to you, grace of God, we have learnt to concame not with excellency of speech, duct ourselves with respect and or of wisdom, declaring unto you kindness towards such poor and prethe testimony of God; for I deter- cious souls. mined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified. Since that time, I have preached regularly twice every Lord's day, and once every Thursday evening. Since the 9th of November, we have also had, on Tuesday evening, at my house, a meeting, where some females from among our Catholic neighbors attend, and where I present the divine truths in a very familiar manner. Another person, a young lady, a Catholic, and a friend of the married lady of whom I have spoken, manifests towards us the same confidence. She is even more firm and decided than her friend. She frequents our meetings, with perseverance. She declares that she has never heard the doctrine of justification explained in a manner so clear. She is pretty well instructed, and has considerable acquaintance with the Scriptures. She has many times brought to the meeting a young female, her friend, who, also, has appeared to take a lively interest in our instructions. I should be happy if I could communicate to you some interesting circumstance, as a fruit of our little beginning; but, to complete this letter, I give you the following de- In consequence of our relations tails. with these persons, I have made a visit We have had many interviews to a Catholic priest, an old man, of with a Catholic lady in our neigh-eighty years, who professes the borhood, who, notwithstanding her doctrine of grace; but, along with prejudices, and although she dares that, he is entirely set upon certain not attend our meetings, has given opinions not very important; and, us some touching proofs of confi- being remarkably timid, he has a dence and affection. Often has she great dread of his colleagues. Beembraced Mrs. Porchat, with all the sides, he converses in so rambling a effusion of a religious heart. Often manner, that I have no hope of sushas she said to us, "I feel my-taining any useful intercourse with self united to you." Once, when I him. explained something to her, by a The persons whom I have mencomparison, referring to the disciples | tioned, make profession of Jansenat Emmaus, she interrupted me, by saying, "Ah, that is as I feel towards you." One day, she brought to me her son, aged twelve years, but already well taught, and requested me to give him some religious instruction. While I conversed with him, she was present herself, and seemed deeply interested. A multitude of little circumstances have convinced us, that she has, really, a religious affection for us. "I am certain," she says, "that you are Christians." At the same time, the force of prejudice ism. They receive the doctrines of grace, and reject the infallibility of the Pope. They have spoken to me of the number of twelve hundred, reckoning those at other places, as well as at Paris. But these ladies acknowledge that these Jansenists are in a miserable religious state, and are falling more and more into formality and indifference. Accept, dear brethren, the assurance of my respectful and fraternal affection. A. PORCHAT. |