they exist, having the pure word of God in their hands, and speaking in their churches that same language which our Savior himself spake in the streets of Je rusalem.

We may contemplate the history of this people, existing so long in that dark region, as a type of the inextinguishable light of Christ's religion; and in this sense it may be truly said, "We have seen his star in "the East."

The probable design of the Divine Providence, in preserving this people, appears to be this: That they should be a seed of the Church in Asia: that they should be a special instrument for the conversion of the surrounding heathen, when God's appointed time is come; a people prepared for his service, as fellowlaborers with us; a people, in short, in the midst of Asia, to whom we can point as an evidence to the rest, of the truth and antiquity of the Christian Faith.

And this shall suffice as to the testimonies of the general truth of Christianity existing in the East.

II. We proposed, in the second branch of the discourse, to lay before you some evidences of the di. vine power of the Christian Religion exemplified in the East.

To say that Christianity has been propogated in the East, as other religions have been propagated, is to say nothing. It is little to say that thousands have adopted the name, and that it pervades populous pro.

vinces. For three centuries past, the Romish church has diffused the name of Christianity throughout the East; and this success demonstrates how practicable it is to "propagate our religion," (in the common sense of that expression) througout all nations of the world. Providence seems to have ordained this previous labour of the Romish church, to facilitate the preaching of the true Gospel at the appointed time; for Christianity is found, even in its worst form, to possess a moral and civilizing efficiency.

But it is in the East, as it is in the West-all are not Christians who are called Christians. "He is "not a Christian, who is one outwardly; neither is "that baptism which is outward in the flesh." The fact was, the Romish church preached Christianity in the East, without the Bible.

Let us now inquire, what has been the consequence of sending the Bible to the East. It is nearly one hundred years since the Bible was sent to the Hindoos; but not by our country. This honour was given to the Protestant churches of Denmark and Germany. It was sent to a certain nation in the south of India; for there are many nations in Hindostan. What then was the effect of giving them the Bible? It was the same as that which followed the giving the Bible to us, while we lay in almost Hindoo darkness, buried in the ignorance and superstition of the church of Rome. It gave light and knowledge; God blessed his own word to the conversion of the heart, and men began to worship him in sincerity and truth.

That province in India, which was blessed with the Bible, hath since "seen a great Light." During near. ly the whole of the last century, multitudes of Hindoos (both heathens and Roman Catholics) became members of the Protestant church, one generation after another; and amongst them there has ever been found, according to the records of the Mission*, such a proportion of serious piety, as you might expect to find, when the Gospel is preached with faithfulness and

zeal.

but

During the whole of the last century, Providence favored them with a succession of holy and learned educated at the Universities of Germany: among men, whom was the venerable SWARTZ, called the Apostle of the East; and others not much inferior to him, men whose names are scarcely known in this country, who are as famous among the Hindoos, as Wickliffe and Luther are amongst us. The ministry of these good men was blessed in many provinces in the south of India, and the bounds of their churches are extending unto this day. The language of the country is called the Tamul; and the first translation of the Bible, in that language, was made, as we said, about a hundred years ago. Like Wickliffe's Bible with us, it became the father of many versions, and, after a succession of improved editions, it is now considered by the Brahmins themselves (like Luther's Bible in German) as the classical standard of the Tamul tongue.

* These Records are published in upwards of 30 yelumes, thick 4to.

.

A jubilee has lately been celebrated in India, în honor of the Gospel. In the month of July, 1806, a jubilee was observed by these Hindoo churches, in commemoration of the arrival of the two first Protestant missionaries on the 9th of July, 1706. The year 1806, being the hundreth year (or the second fiftieth) since the Gospel first visited their land, was to them "the year of jubilee." The happy occasion had been long anticipated, and was marked with demonstrations of joy and gladness. The people, as we were informed, walked in procession to their churches, carrying palms in their hands, and singing the 98th Psalm; and, after offering up praises and thanksgivings to the Most High, they heard a sermon suitable to the day. The sermon at the jubilee of Tritchinopoly was preached by their aged minister, the Rev. Mr. Pohle, from these words: "Go ye, therefore, "and teach all nations; baptizing them in the name "of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy "Ghost*."

ઠંડ

These were the effects of sending the Bible to the East. Men were "brought to a knowledge of the truth ;" and at the end of a hundred years, the natives kept the jubilee of the Bible.

Such, my brethren, was the light in the south of India. And now a light hath sprung up in the north, of which you have heard. Our own country hath begun, though late, to dispense "the word of life."

* See Accounts of the "Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge,” just published.

And although the time has been short, the success has been great. In the north, in the west, and in CeyIon, translations of the Scriptures are going on in almost all the languages of Oriental India.

Our own country hath at length assumed an interest in diffusing the Gospel. "In the fulness of time," we trust, her different societies have come forth, as with one consent, to begin the work of evangelizing the East. "In the fulness of time" we trust, hath this country begun, by these instruments, to employ her great power, and her enlightened zeal, in extending the knowledge of the true God, throughout the world.

We ought not to regret that the work is carried ou by Christians of different denominations; for if they teach the religion of the Bible, their labor will be blessed. We have no contentions in India, like those in Britain, between Protestants of different names. There they are all friends. The strife there is between light and darkness; between the true God and an idol. So liberal and catholic is the Christian in Asia (while he looks over the map of the world, and can scarcely find where the isle of Britain lies) that he considers even the term " Protestant," as being in a certain degree exclusive or sectarian. "The religion of the Bible," or, "the religion of Christ," is the name by which he would describe his creed. For when the idolator once abjures his own cast for the Gospel, he considers the differences of Protestants (if he ever hear of them) as being very insignificant. Indeed he