called by this or that name? No. You love him for the excellencies of his character, not for any thing in his outward appearance; so you ought to love God for his glorious perfections and excellencies, though you cannot see him. You ought to love him for his righteous justice, his unsullied purity, his boundless goodness, his infinite wisdom, his long-forbearing mercy, his immaculate truth, his constant kindness, &c. Q. Shew me God, and I will worship him; I can see Juggernath, Krishna, &c. &c. I want something Akar (form), how can I worship Nirakar (what has no form)? 4. You acknowledge you ought to worship God. Yes. Is God spirit or matter? Spirit. And can you see spirit? No. Then you ought to worship what you cannot see. Moreover, it is im possible to see God and live; he dwelleth in unapproachable light. Look, brother, at yonder blazing sun! No, you cannot; his splendour overpowers your sight! How then can you look upon the glories of the Divine Majesty. The sun is but one of his servants, and you cannot bear his brightness at the distance of ninety-five millions of miles; what would you do before him who is brighter than ten thousand suns? Q. We apply to the gods to obtain for us what we want, the same as we do to the judge and collector, in order to make our petition to the governor. A. O brother, if your son were hungry, to whom would he apply? Would he go to the servants, or his parents? Of course he would apply to his parents. So God is our kind Father, who supplies all our wants we are his children; what have we to do with all these gods? Let us go direct to him. The governor places his judges and collectors in different places, because he cannot do all the work himself; and because he can only be in one place at one time. But God is Almighty, Omnipresent, Omniscient, and his ear is ever open to our cry. [Here we may introduce Christ as the true Mediator.] Q. Why do you charge me with sin? God does all, it is just as he pleases. What am I? A. Take care, friend, how you throw the blame of your sin upon God. Would you give your son a rupee, and tell him to go and get drunk, then commit fornication, then come home and abuse you? No. Now then you, a sinful man, would not do this by your son, and do you think that the all-wise, compassionate Father of us all would instigate his children to sin ? Moreover, would God punish us for doing his will, if he instigates us to sin? Would he teach us to pray to him to pardon what pleases him? Would he teach us to forsake sin and practise holiness? A. S. VI.-Queries on Important Subjects. To the Editor of the Calcutta Christian Observer. The object (at least one), if I mistake not, of your periodical, is to diffuse Christian knowledge and information; for this purpose, therefore, I am induced to present myself, in the character of an inquirer, in order not only to benefit myself, but that others also may derive that aid and assistance that Christians mutually stand in need of, from those who may be better qualified to point out certain duties that devolve on the Christian, and to avoid errors, that all are prone more or less to fall into. With this object in view, I beg to solicit the impartial opinions of such of your correspondents as have leisure and inclination, on the following subjects. 1. Is it justifiable, taking the Bible alone for our standard, to employ unconverted Heathens or Musselmans to expound the Scriptures to other unconverted Natives? 2. What extent of piety and Christian zeal can that man be supposed possessed of, who endowed with the talent or rather ability of speaking himself, refers an inquiring Hindoo or Musselman to an unconverted Hindoo, for an explanation regarding Christianity? 3. What evidence should be considered satisfactory, as to the sincerity of a Native Christian's profession of being born again, when the only feature in his character is, that he was baptised when a child, and has since lived, to common observation, a moral character? 4. How is the sincerity of a Native Christian to be understood, if he is employed after his conversion, and thus, in a measure at least, placed in better circumstances of a worldly nature than he was in, in his unconverted state? 5. Is a Native who has become, as he says, a Christian, an object of charity while possessed of health, and strength, to labour for his maintenance? 6. Are not those who give support to such persons (vide par. 5) virtually placing stumbling blocks in the way of the spread of the Gospel-(humanly speaking?) Should any of your correspondents feel disposed to offer a few remarks on these paragraphs, I doubt not but much good may result; and I presume to think that such subjects will prove more beneficial than filling your pages with shreds and patches from "lovely Georgiana's" enamoured swain's productions; or a long sermon of thirteen pages, exhibiting the genealogy* of an English barrister. * That the eyes of our correspondent may be opened to the utter unreasonableness of the charge preferred against Mr. Wolff's Journals, we refer him to our number for January-from a perusal of which he may gather, that many condemn these journals in a way which only proves their own incompetency to appreciate the intentions, or estimate the merits of the Jewish Missionary. And as for the remark on the Sermon, we hold it to be at once inconsiderate and unjust. Twelve pages of it are devoted to a practical exposition of the text: and who has a mind so uncultivated as called by this or that name? No. You love him for the excellen cies of his character, not for any thing in his outward appearance; so you ought to love God for his glorious perfections and excellen cies, though you cannot see him. You ought to love him for his righteous justice, his unsullied purity, his boundless goodness, his infinite wisdom, his long-forbearing mercy, his immaculate truth, his constant kindness, &c. Q. Shew me God, and I will worship him; I can see Juggernath, Krishna, &c. &c. I want something Akar (form), how can I worship Nirakar (what has no form)? 4. You acknowledge you ought to worship God. Yes. Is God spirit or matter? Spirit. And can you see spirit? No. Then you ought to worship what you cannot see. Moreover, it is impossible to see God and live; he dwelleth in unapproachable light. Look, brother, at yonder blazing sun! No, you cannot; his splendour overpowers your sight! How then can you look upon the glories of the Divine Majesty. The sun is but one of his servants, and you cannot bear his brightness at the distance of ninety-five millions of miles; what would you do before him who is brighter than ten thousand suns? Q. We apply to the gods to obtain for us what we want, the same as we do to the judge and collector, in order to make our petition to the governor. A. O brother, if your son were hungry, to whom would he apply? Would he go to the servants, or his parents? Of course he would apply to his parents. So God is our kind Father, who supplies all our wants we are his children; what have we to do with all these gods? Let us go direct to him. The governor places his judges and collectors in different places, because he cannot do all the work himself; and because he can only be in one place at one time. But God is Almighty, Omnipresent, Omniscient, and his ear is ever open to our cry. [Here we may introduce Christ as the true Mediator.] Q. Why do you charge me with sin? God does all, it is just as he pleases. What am I? sin A. Take care, friend, how you throw the blame of your upon God. Would you give your son a rupee, and tell him to go and get drunk, then commit fornication, then come home and abuse you? No. Now then you, a sinful man, would not do this by your son, and do you think that the all-wise, compassionate Father of us all would instigate his children to sin ? Moreover, would God punish us for doing his will, if he instigates us to sin? Would he teach us to pray to him to pardon what pleases him? Would he teach us to forsake sin and practise holiness? A. S. VI.-Queries on Important Subjects. To the Editor of the Calcutta Christian Observer. The object (at least one), if I mistake not, of your periodical, is to diffuse Christian knowledge and information; for this purpose, therefore, I am induced to present myself, in the character of an inquirer, in order not only to benefit myself, but that others also may derive that aid and assistance that Christians mutually stand in need of, from those who may be better qualified to point out certain duties that devolve on the Christian, and to avoid errors, that all are prone more or less to fall into. With this object in view, I beg to solicit the impartial opinions of such of your correspondents as have leisure and inclination, on the following subjects. 1. Is it justifiable, taking the Bible alone for our standard, to employ unconverted Heathens or Musselmans to expound the Scriptures to other unconverted Natives? 2. What extent of piety and Christian zeal can that man be supposed possessed of, who endowed with the talent or rather ability of speaking himself, refers an inquiring Hindoo or Musselman to unconverted Hindoo, for an explanation regarding Christianity? 3. What evidence should be considered satisfactory, as to the sincerity of a Native Christian's profession of being born again, when the only feature in his character is, that he was baptised when a child, and has since lived, to common observation, a moral character? 4. How is the sincerity of a Native Christian to be understood, if he is employed after his conversion, and thus, in a measure at least, placed in better circumstances of a worldly nature than he was in, in his unconverted state? 5. Is a Native who has become, as he says, a Christian, an object of charity while possessed of health, and strength, to labour for his maintenance? 6. Are not those who give support to such persons (vide par. 5) virtually placing stumbling blocks in the way of the spread of the Gospel-(humanly speaking?) Should any of your correspondents feel disposed to offer a few remarks on these paragraphs, I doubt not but much good may result; and I presume to think that such subjects will prove more beneficial than filling your pages with shreds and patches from "lovely Georgiana's" enamoured swain's productions; or a long sermon of thirteen pages, exhibiting the genealogy* of an English barrister. * That the eyes of our correspondent may be opened to the utter unreasonableness of the charge preferred against Mr. Wolff's Journals, we refer him to our number for January-from a perusal of which he may gather, that many condemn these journals in a way which only proves their own incompetency to appreciate the intentions, or estimate the merits of the Jewish Missionary. And as for the remark on the Sermon, we hold it to be at once inconsiderate and unjust. Twelve pages of it are devoted to a practical exposition of the text: and who has a mind so uncultivated as [APRIL This discourse might have proved very interesting, and I trust more than interesting to many; for of the abilities, as well as Christian excellencies of its author, I have an high opinion; yet to us poor Le, who are scorched on the plains of Hindoostan, something else besides long sermons, is necessary, to allay our thirst. Let us have something on Christian love-a revival of real religion among professors in the city of palaces, and a renunciation of that inordinate thirst, that disgraces the Christian profession, manifested alas! by too many, in aping the dress, folly, and expence of worldly people, and squandering away on self what ought to be applied to the cause of Christ. For the present, farewell. الف بي VII. Alleged Mis-statements in Annual Reports. To the Editor of the Calcutta Christian Observer. It is the duty of all persons to correct error as far as in them lies, and to endeavour to state the truth. Upon taking up the first number of your valuable Observer, I was surprised to see 100given as the total number of Christians under the Missionary here, Upon inquiry from two respectable members of the congregation, they informed me, that 35 was nearer the true mark, and that of these about 16 or 18 were the deserted wives of European soldiers, I would fain indulge a hope, that the error I have pointed out is the only one in the above list. It is perhaps not generally known, that at several stations in India, the greater part of those who are entered on our books as converts, are the deserted wives of European soldiers, to whom Christianity has become a matter of mere temporal necessity. I would beg therefore to propose, that in future a column be set apart for the members of this class of Native Christians at our several stations, and a distinct column for those, who not to admire its elegance, or a heart so flinty as not to be melted by its tenderness? Only five pages are occupied with an account of the excellent man whose death was felt to be a universal bereavement: and if ever we heard any regret expressed on the subject, it was, that this part was so short. The complaint too respecting the want of articles breathing Christian love, we fondly believe to be wholly groundless, as the slightest reference to our pages will at once render evident. Indeed, the latter part of the communication appears to us to be written in so querulous a tone, as to indispose ordinary minds to give that attention to the former part which it deserves. Nevertheless, we shall be rejoiced if any of our numerous correspondents feel inclined to accede to the request made, and furnish satisfactory solutions of the different queries. The remarks of which we do not, and cannot approve, have been inserted to shew that no reflections of even a personal nature will drive us from the prescribed path of openness and fairness. To the concluding wish of our correspondent, we cheerfully subscribe; and pray that the God of all grace would stir up the hearts of Christians, that they might become more visibly garmented in the robes of immortality.-En, |