The Lord has visited me with his affectionate rod. I take very little food, and I have no strength. However, my Lord Jesus Christ strengthens my soul and body every day, and visits me kindly, and comforts me by His Spirit; assuring me that although I was a great and weak sinner, His righteousness and grace are sufficient for me. He tells me, as he told his disciples in the sea, It is I, be not afraid.' In my present happy state, my friends the catechists read to me, agreeably to my desire, the Sermons on the Passion of our Saviour, with and for me. Death and life in my

and pray Lord Jesus are happy things to me. Sir Mwas so kind to write to Mr. Tucker about my being very ill. Mr. Tucker wrote me a comforting letter, stating that our Lord Jesus Christ is desirous to purify me more and more, and directing also Dewaperasadam, catechist, to assist me. It is thus also the Lord increases the peace of my soul and body, through His faithful servants. I don't inform you this for pride, but I consider it my filial duty to inform you with a broken heart, like Hannah." After speaking of Sir Henry Montgomery's and Mr. Nimmo's kindness to him, he adds, "I wrote to you some time ago a letter, in which I used several murmuring expressions, owing to my sufferings; I beg you to pardon them."

"With my own, my mother, wife, and son's best regards to you and your family,

"I remain, your faithful servant.

"STEPHEN."*

Is not this a touching letter? and it is the more interesting, as being written from one native to another; for they naturally write more freely to their own people than to an European.

I will only add, that Stephen's old aunt (or, as she is often called, his mother), is still at Mayaveram, and maintains her Christian character. She is partly indebted for her support to friends in England. His wife Johanna went for a little while to Palamcottah, where she engaged in teaching some of the children connected with the Mission. She afterwards came to Madras, and is employed in the Church Missionary Institution; while Samuel, the child of so many prayers, has a small native school at Madras. He is steady and well-conducted; and we trust the earnest prayers of his pious father will yet be fully answered.

I remain,

Yours affectionately,

S. T.

* This translation is by the Rev. John Dewasagayam.

LETTER XV.

MY DEAR LUCY,

THE more I know of the Mission at Mayaveram, whether from published accounts, or from the information of private friends, the more do I find in it to excite the interest, and call forth the prayers, of the people of God; so much is there on the one hand to dishearten and disappoint; and on the other, so much cause is there for gratitude and encouragement. Often, when the hopes of the Missionary have been raised, by the willingness to listen, and the apparent interest shown by some of his hearers, has he been cast down by finding they were influenced by curiosity, or by the expectation of some temporal advantage. Frequently, too, has he been practically taught how far the intellect may be enlightened by human reasoning and instruction, while the heart remains untouched, because the Spirit of God has not breathed upon it.

Mr. Barenbruck mentions, among others, one

particularly interesting conversation, which he once had with three or four Bramins, who came to visit him from a distance; and though the account is too long to relate in detail, I must just give you the outline of it. They had by some means acquired a considerable knowledge of Scripture-they had a vague idea of the only way of salvation-speaking of some great High Priest, who was to make an atonement for sin-and they appeared sincerely desirous of being taught the whole truth. They even went so far as to visit all the heathen festivals within their reach, for the express purpose of endeavouring to draw the people away from their false deities, and to lead them to the one true God.

Hopeful, however, as all this seemed, their hearts were too much entangled with the "wisdom of the world," fully to receive "Christ crucified;" they could not make up their minds to take the decisive step of receiving baptism; nor could Mr. Barenbruck prevail on them even to remove the badges of Síva or Víshnoo from their foreheads.

But indeed, in this Christian land, we can form but little idea of the sacrifice that must be made, nor of the degree of grace it requires for a highcaste man to be willing to be baptized. Not only is he despised, but entirely discarded by his relations; his former friends will not eat with him, nor

enter his house, nor take a cup of water from his hands; while his wife, unless her mind has been also changed, is taken from him, and his children are taught to treat him with contempt. Can we then wonder that many stop short at this fiery trial of their faith?

But though Mayaveram, like other stations, has much that is dark and gloomy, yet there is also in its history many a gleam of light that bids us look beyond the cloud, and to walk more by faith, and less by sight.

Visuvasanaden, instead of resuming the saffron robe, of which he was once so proud, and which told of the zeal that had carried his wearied feet in pilgrimage to Benares, has, we trust, put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Only one instance has occurred, of any convert returning to heathenism ; and children who were removed by their parents from our schools, because they sometimes in their sleep repeated the sacred truths they had imbibed during the day, were, at their own earnest entreaty, allowed to return, and drink still deeper of the fountain of heavenly wisdom. The examinations of the different schools were also often very satisfactory, particularly of one, of whose master I will give you a little account, and then close my history of Mayaveram.