ten every six months. On examination, the names of those who were very irregular, unless there be a sufficient reason for their irregularity, have been taken out of the list, placed at the end of the book, and an account kept of their attendance. If they improve in attendance, they are re-entered in the list. Such discipline though it may diminish the numbers in our congregations has, I believe, a wholesome effect upon the people." Report for 1863, p. 7.

In most cases, it will not be practicable to call out names in cities: nor even in some rural districts. It is very desirable, however, to keep some account of the attendance.

Learning to Read.-Converts, not too old, if unable to read, should be urged to learn. By using large sheet lessons, beginning with easy words of two letters, many may be taught. A commencement should not he made with the alphabet, for the number of the characters is apt to be discouraging.

Every Missionary should know exactly how many of his converts can read.

Copies of the Scriptures.-Inquiry should be made whether each family, containing a member able to read, possesses a copy of the Word of God.

Family Worship.-The observance of this should be frequently enjoined, and the necessary directions given. At least one discourse a year should be devoted to the subject of family religion.

Visiting The maxim is well known, "a housegoing minister makes a church-going people." Much knowledge and influence may thus be gained, which may be turned to the best account.

Social Meetings-Christian headmen and others may occasionally be asked, with advantage, to tea. Care will be necessary to prevent jealousy on the part of those who cannot be invited.

Missionary Meetings.-A Missionary Prayer Meet ing on the first Monday of the month has long been maintained by some denominations. Interesting intelli

gence might then be communicated.

An Annual

Missionary Meeting, in connection with efforts made by the congregation, should also be held.

Hinduism has numerous festivals which please the people. A little variety and excitement of a Christian character may be legitimately employed.

The Missionary Diagrams of the Working Men's Educational Union, or Magic Lantern Slides illustrative of Mission work, may be exhibited with great advantage.

SELF-SUPPORT.

"

Importance.-Dr. Anderson justly remarks, "The self-supporting principle among Native Christians, in all its applications, needs an unsleeping guardianship and culture."* It has, in some cases, been greatly overlooked. In a Minute by the Church Missionary Society, on the Organization of Native Churches, it is said, "taking nothing of the Gentiles," is apparently read by some as "taking nothing of the Christians. The compiler once asked a Missionary in Bengal, what his Native Christians did for themselves? The answer was, that many of them gave 1 pie a month to a burial fund, for which a free coffin was provided for them when they died! It is probable that there are some stations in India, where, from one year's end to another, the people do not raise a farthing for religious purposes. Some Missionaries seem to go on contentedly, pursuing a pauperising system, debiting every expense to home funds.

The compiler urged upon some Missionaries in Bengalt the great importance of training their people to self-support. One reply was, Our Native Christians are, in general, only nominal professors; when truly converted they will give. The Gospel has been faith

* Memorial Volume, p. 326.

To prevent misconception, it should be stated that some Native Christians in Calcutta have displayed very commendable liberality.

fully preached to the above Native Christians for 20 years. Why is it that there are so few real converts ? One great reason is, that they have had every thing done for them; the reverse of our Lord's saying has been practically taught, "It is more blessed to receive than to give." Experience seems to show that where Native Christians hang like a dead weight on a Mission, the preaching of the Gospel seems to lose its power. A more cruel wrong can scarcely be inflicted than to render people helpless dependents on others. So far from exciting gratitude, none have less of the feeling.

An experienced Missionary once remarked to the compiler," Our Native preachers are always making excuses for their poor people." One of the surest ways to improve their temporal circumstances is to train them to give to the cause of Christ.

But it is not merely the actually poor who do nothing. The compiler has a list before him of a Christian village in Bengal, containing 87 families. Each had on an average 3 acres of land under cultivation, and possessed 3 bullocks. So far as he could. ascertain, their religious contributions were nil. He has another list, supplied by the Rev. W. Clark, of a village in Tinnevelly, containing 59 families. The land owned is given in native measurement, which the compiler cannot reduce to the English standard. However, there was on an average only one bullock to each family. The contributions of the people in the latter case amounted during the year to Rs. 109-14-2; or about 1 Rupee 14 As. per family. In 1863, about 400 families in the district of the Rev. E. Sargent, Palamcottah, raised Rs. 1,371 or £137-28. When it is considered that a labourer in that part of India earns little more than 2s. a week, the foregoing sum must be increased nearly sixfold to represent a proportionate amount in England. £137-2s. × 6= £822-12s.; or upwards of £2 for each family. For some years, in

addition to a considerable sum for other purposes, half the salaries of all the Native Agents have been met by the contributions of the people. Mr. Sargent now hopes to relieve the Society entirely from every expense connected with Native Agents. For other contributions of Native Christians, see "Ten Years' Missionary Labour in India," p. 117.

The original state of those who placed themselves under instruction in Kishnaghur and Tinnevelly did not differ so very widely as some suppose. The former, however, seem to have been continually thinking, what can we get from the Mission ?" whereas the latter, from the outset, were trained to help themselves.

It has been well observed, "If you wish to get up a party, don't give them money; but take money from. them.' D. F. McLeod, Esq., remarked in his Paper read at the Punjab Conference :

"It has been found, that even children of the ragged schools begin to take an interest in Mission work, when once persuaded to contribute to it,-as this gives them (to use their own expression) a share in the concern.' And I believe that in churches gathered from amongst the heathen, an increase of spirituality has always occurred, when they have undertaken to support their own Pastors." p. 137.

To teach people to contribute towards the erection of their church, often leads to higher things. They will value the building more; they are likely to attend more regularly; and to give more heed to the things that are spoken..

There are other advantages. A Missionary in Bengal complained, that after he built a fine church for his Native Christians, they would not take the trouble of stopping a hole in it to keep out jackals. Not many miles. off, the Native Christians belonging to another Society, built a church entirely at their own. expense. Of course, they looked upon it in a very different light. And not only so. An old Muhamma-

dan in the neighbourhood remarked, "Now that the Native Christians themselves have taken to build their own Christian mosques, they must be in earnest."

At present the resources of Missionary Societies are absorbed, to a large extent, by the maintenance of religious ordinances and schools among converts, so that new stations cannot be occupied. It is evident also, that the many millions still perishing for lack of knowledge cannot be evangelised by the Protestant Christians of Europe and America alone. The great aim should, therefore, be, with the Divine blessing, to rear a vigorous Christianity, able to propagate itself.

If due means were employed, probably in few parts of the world, would converts give more liberally in proportion to their incomes than in India. Judging from the fact, that for many years reports of some Mission stations have appeared without a line of reference to self-support, it would appear as if, in some cases, neither Missionaries nor Home Committees cared about the matter.

A Missionary in Persia remarked, "Nestorian oxen eat from the straw of America." A Native Christian afterwards said, "That word has worked in my heart ever since. I trust that hereafter we will eat our own straw."* May a similar change soon take

place in India!

Objects. Some of the principal may be mentioned:SUPPORT OF PASTORS AND CATECHISTS.-This is the primary duty of the Native Church. It should therefore be the leading object presented. Every effort should be made to bring it prominently before the people. In South Travancore sometimes nearly two thousand Native Christians assemble at Missionary gatherings. The Annual Meeting, when the accounts are presented showing what has been done towards selfsupport, should be regarded as one of special import

* Woman and her Saviour in Persia.