MISSIONARY CONTRIBUTIONS, From the 1st to the 30th of September, 1843—inclusive. Aux. Society, Beaumont, Esq. с Ward 200 For Native Schools...... 1 0 0 61 26 360 Muston...............**** 620 0 0 Birmingham, Carr's lane 452 15 1 Doncaster, on account... 14 16 4 Tarves and Craigdam, for 0 CDalkeith Sabbath school, at Rev. Mr. Brown's... 1 10 0 8 On account of the Legacy 37 1 2 Stow United Seces. Cong. 500 Rev. Mr. 0 Per Rev. A. Lind Buchan Fem. Society, for N. Tea. A. Lind 1000 For Nat. Girl at Be 36 4 1 Cornwall. Falmouth, Rev. T. Wild bore....... ......(D.) 5 Cumberland. For a Nat. Girl, to be Carlisle 60 13 2 WALES. Penrith, on account For the Chinese Mission 1 0 ...... 37 4 C 0 Nat. Tea. Rowland 10 0 1 1 ..........185 40 0 O Linlithgow, Livery-street 16 15 For N. Tea. J. Austin 10 0 Legge-street........... 7 9 0 0 For Nat. Tea. J. B. 700 gal 110 19 14 0 .........135 18 5 BRUSSELS. 13 6 0 Miss Peterson for the Chinese Mission SOUTH SEAS. 500 Contributions in aid of the Society will be thankfully received by Rev. John Arundel, Home Secretary, at the Mission House, Blomfield-street, Finsbury, London; by G. Yule, Esq., Broughton Hall, Ed.burgh; J. Risk, Esq., Cochran-street, Glasgow; and by Rev. John Hands, Society House, 7, Lower Abbey-street, Dublin. Tyler & Reed, Printers, 5, Bolt-court, London. THE EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE, AND MISSIONARY CHRONICLE. FOR DECEMBER, 1843. MEMOIR OF THE LATE PROFESSOR KIDD. "THE Lord's voice crieth to the city, and the man of wisdom will see thy hand hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it." Loud sounds the rod that smites to the dust of death that one man who was prepared to teach Zion's sons to go forth at the cry of the hundreds of millions who are calling, "Come over to China and help us." "The man of wisdom, who sees God's name inscribed on the rod, will say, Deaf indeed must he be who hears not the blow, and dull, who learns not the lesson God has appointed it to teach. For how many years have we neglected to avail ourselves of an instrument most costly and efficient; and God hath said, From him that hath not to good purpose, shall be taken that which he hath.' At least, let it not be said, The benevolent man is taken away, and no one layeth it to heart.' We will muse over our loss, that, 'by the sorrow of the countenance, the heart may be made better.'" Samuel Kidd was born at Welton, near Hull, on the 19th of June, 1799. VOL. XXI. His pious mother trained him to prayer and praise, and some of Watts's Divine Songs made a deep impression on his mind. Affectionate and teachable, he was accustomed to sit and read by her during the winter evenings. After he left the village school, he was instructed by his maternal grandfather, a man of considerable education; and from him obtained a knowledge of English grammar and the mathematics, ere he had attained his twelfth year. re Before he was fourteen, he removed to Hull, where, though placed with highly respectable and pious friends, yet, not being under the same straints as in his father's house, he fell into many flagrant sins. His brother, Rev. G. B. Kidd, of Macclesfield, writes, "At this time he was much addicted to swearing, and lived in great contempt of all religion, though regularly attending the ministry of the venerable Mr. Lambert, of Hull. By the funeral sermon for Mr. Lambert, preached by the Rev. E. Parsons, of Leeds, my dear brother was convinced of sin." 3 с The . recollection of means of grace abused and trampled on, now gone for ever, produced such effects, that some of his friends feared he was losing his reason, and his mind affecting his health, he returned home for awhile. He at length found peace through the blood of the cross. The Lord Jesus appeared as if crucified before him who now depended on Christ alone for salvation from that "fiend of hell" (to use his own expression) by which he felt he had been pursued. In his previous distress of mind, he had written to the Rev. Geo. Browne, who then occupied the pulpit in Fishstreet chapel. On the sabbath following, he preached from Matt. xiv. 12, and this sermon was made the means of imparting consolation to Mr. Kidd's broken and contrite spirit. In October, 1817, he was admitted a member of the church in Fish-street, then under the pastoral care of the Rev. J. Gilbert, whose ministry Mr. Kidd much valued, as, at that time, very useful to him. Henceforth, his attendance on the means of grace, both public and private, was constant; the early prayermeeting, village preaching, and all the varied means of usefulness, were engaged in, that he might be useful to others, as well as obtain benefit to his own soul. In the ardour of his first love, he desired to spend and be spent for that Saviour who had brought him up out of a horrible pit, and had put a song of praise into his mouth. About this time he was favoured with the Christian counsel of Mr. John Gibson, of Hull, and a friendship was formed which lasted throughout his life. With a heart formed for the pleasures of Christian friendship, with what grateful emotion did he often speak of the kind pious friend who early took him by the hand and encouraged him, by advice and example, to walk closely with God. In 1820, Mr. Kidd was recommended, by the church at Fish-street, as a pious, devoted, suitable person to receive the benefit of the institution a Gosport, preparatory to his being em ployed under the direction of the London Missionary Society. In September, 1820, he came up to London to be examined, and having been accepted, he went down to Gosport immediately. On this occasion, he thus writes to his friend at Hull: "Let us, then, my dear friend, unitedly adore the great Author of all our mercies for his unspeakable goodness; and O suffer me to enjoin it upon you as a duty, to remember me in your supplications, by praying that I may be preserved from all the temptations to which I may be exposed during my preparatory studies; and that I may have, in pursuing them, no other object but the glory of my Divine Saviour. I begin now to feel something of the responsibility under which I am laid; but I will still trust that He who has sent me into the work will not leave me comfortless." I am favoured in having the following account of the estimation in which he was held at Gosport, in a letter from our esteemed friend, the Rev. W. Campbell, of Croydon, addressed to Mrs. Kidd. 66 Croydon, 10th Aug., 1843. "MY DEAR FRIEND,-The sad intelligence has quite overwhelmed us. How distressing and how mysterious is the event! Most deeply do we sympathize with you and your beloved family in this heavy bereavement, while, in reference to our departed friend, we entertain the most delightful assurance that he is safely landed on the heavenly shore. Well did we know him, and much did we love and esteem him, and it is very gratifying to my own mind, to review a friendship which began so early in life, and has continued, without interruption, for more than twenty years. "As far as I can charge my memory, Mr. Kidd joined the seminary at Gosport after the vacation in 1820. It was very soon evident to all that he was a young man of no ordinary talents, and that he was a great acquisition to the missionary band. As we so often read together in class, and pursued the same studies, and were united in the bonds of friendship for nearly three years, I had a good opportunity of observing the spirit, the attainments, and the course of our beloved friend. As a classic, he greatly excelled. What was often most difficult to others, seemed a mere trifle to him, and was speedily overcome; and his advances were so rapid, that he soon left all his competitors behind him. It was the custom in the seminary, both before the theological tutor and before all the students assembled, for two of our number to read sermons every Thursday afternoon in turn, and to receive the remarks which every student might have to make upon them. During the time I was at Gosport, Mr. Kidd was the only student who ventured to compose |