the Board, that they instituted, in 1816, a Foreign Mission school at Cornwall, Connecticut, for the purpose of educating heathen youth, who may be cast upon our shores and fitting them for missionaries to their countrymen. A very general interest excited for some natives of the Sandwich Islands (one of whom was the lamented Henry Obookiah) who had renounced heathenism and were desirous of Christian instruction, led the way to this establishment. It has flourished and been blessed already to the hopeful conversion, as well as religious instruction, of several. The present num. ber of pupils is twenty seven, of whom twelve are hopefully pious.

Un

The Board have now, besides two school masters, twelve regularly educated and ordained missionaries in the field, and six more ready to be sent out. Their income for the last year was thirty five thousand dollars, and their expenditures thirty six thousand. der the active direction of their Secretary, the Rev. Dr. Worcester, and other gentlemen of the Prudential Committee, the plans and operations of the Board are extending, and it is presumed that the charities of American Christians will not suffer an institution so highly honourable to their country, and which has commended itself so evidently, not only by its effects on the heathen, but its reflected influence on our own churches, to expire, or even to languish, for want of support.

PART XII.

PROPAGATION OF CHRISTIANITY BY THE AMERICAN BAPTISTS.

CHAPTER I.

Formation of the Baptist Board-Mission to Burmah. THE Commencement of a mission to Burmah by the Baptists at Serampore has been mentioned. After the change of sentiment in Messrs. Judson and Rice had withdrawn them from the service of the American Board,

they fixed their eye on this station.

Mr. Judson im

mediately proceeded to occupy it. Mr. Rice returned home to solicit the patronage of the American Baptists, and succeeded in exciting a very general interest on the subject. In May 1814, a general convention, embracing most of the States from Massachusetts to Georgia, was holden at Philadelphia, when an effort was made to concentrate the energies of the Baptists through the country, and twenty one Commissioners were appointed as a Baptist Board of Foreign Missions for the United States. This very respectable body received Mr. Judson under their direction abroad, and Mr. Rice in promoting the object at home. Principally by the zealous labours of the latter, a great number of auxiliary societies were formed in different parts of the country, and it is believed that from four to six thousand dollars have been collected annually, for the Board.

In the mean while Mr. Judson was a solitary labourer in Burmah, persevering with admirable diligence amidst dangers and privations in qualifying himself to scatter light in those dark places of the earth full of the habitations of cruelty. In 1816, the Board sent Mr. Hough and wife to his aid; and Nov. 16, 1816, Messrs. Coleman and Wheelock, with their wives, sailed from Boston, to strengthen the station. The latter on their passage were blessed by the special effusion of the spirit attending their exertions among the sailors, so that five or six became hopeful subjects of Divine grace a glorious commencement of their labours!

With Mr. Hough a printing press was sent out. Two small tracts (the first printing ever done in Burmah) were immediately struck off, and these were soon followed by an edition of Matthew's Gospel. The missionaries do not venture yet to preach publicly, but by their press, and by private instruction, they are disseminating truth, and sapping the foundation of idolatry. CONCLUSION.`

The number of stations occupied by the different Societies mentioned is about 160; the number of Christian labourers, of every class, not far from 360;

the annual expenditures on objects directly missiona ary, near 350,000 dollars; and 450,000 for other obi jects connected with enlightening and civilizing the world; exclusive of all internal sources of income.

The effects of these efforts have been various, but on the whole very encouraging. A fair computation would probably show, that, in proportion to their number, missionaries have not been less successful, even in immediate fruit, than ministers at home. The converts now at the different stations may be reckoned at 50,000, which would give 139 to every missionary, including school masters and lay settlers; a number greater than is found in most of our churches. But if such are the first fruits, what will be the long harvest, when the posterity of these converts for ages to come are gathered in. It should ever be remembered, that the benefits of a heathen conversion are to be reckon. ed in an increasing ratio, involving generations yet unborn. In this view, the imagination, looking down the long vista of years, delights to contemplate the astonishing results of the late moral revolution in the South Sea Islands, but they are beyond computation.

Add to this the reflected influence of these operations on the churches at home. It is now about 25 years since the Apostolic spirit, which had so long slumbered in the Church, awoke; and the "Age of missions," commenced. What are the features of this age? Look at the Bible, Education and Tract Societies, which are blessing the world; look at the Sabbath schools and the numberless benevolent institutions of every class, rapidly renovating our fallen race. The least attention to the history of this period will convince us, that the spirit of foreign missions led the way to that whole system of Christian action, which is now working wonders before our eyes, and bringing forth events, which, while they dazzle by their novelty, and confound by their rapidity, strike us with admiration, and fill us with rapture, by their heavenly and prophetic aspect.