glory, and honour, and power; come, Lord Jesus, come quickly, with power and great glory; come to be glorified in thy saints, and to be admired in all those that believe. Thus have I been supported and cheered during the whole period of my failing strength. "O give thanks unto the Lord, for his mercy endureth for ever." How touchingly affecting is the account given by her husband of the death of Mrs. Thomason; in whom it may be truly said he had a help-meet both in piety and active benevolence, as well as in that very catholic spirit which would recognise and admire godliness under any external garb or denomination. Of her self-denying benevolence a very remarkable instance is mentioned in this volume. It appears that some time after the formation of the Orphan Asylum, the mistress was removed, and an epidemic attacked several of the children. Mrs. Thomason, unwilling to trust the orphans to native management, left the comforts of her home, and acted for some weeks as the sole guardian, nurse and mother of these poor children. Instances of a somewhat similar character have occurred amongst ladies of the Roman Catholic persuasion, and were common in the primitive days of the church of Christ; but to the honour of Mrs. Thomason and the disgrace of Protestantism but seldom amongst them. "Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.” Easter-day, March 26, 1826. "I feel it right to lose no time in communicating to you the sad intelligence of our common loss. It has pleased God, whose ways are unsearchable, to defeat our sanguine hopes. He has taken to himself your most beloved parent. Assured as I am that it is simply solidly true that she is with Christ, it is yet with anguish of heart that I record our irreparable bereavement. O that I might have been spared the pain of this afflicting communication. But it is the will of God, and I desire to submit with resignation to the disposal of infinite wisdom. About midnight on Good Friday, she was seized with the agonies of dissolution, which were greatly protracted; she did not breathe her last till near ten o'clock the following morning. About ten minutes before ten on Saturday morning, her spirit took its flight. O the unutterable anguish of this sad-sad scene; sad to us -but she has joined the innumerable host of glorified spirits and angelsshe died in the Lord. Three days before her death she expressed to me a strong hope that God would raise her up to be a comfort to her husband and children: "But what if it should please him to dispose otherwise," I said; then,' said she, His will be done!' She added expressions of dependance on her Saviour, but complained that her heart was dull and sluggish: conversation was highly injurious; I could only read with her at intervals, with a few words of prayer. To a question whether the Saviour comforted her, she said, 'He does.' Her countenance indicated that she was much exercised in prayer. On Saturday evening her precious remains were committed to the deep. The evening was still, and all was solemn ; the service was read by dear S.-whose brotherly tenderness and sympathy I cannot adequately describe. Being myself overwhelmed with the bereavement, I was unable to perform the last service, but I saw from a distance the coffin dropped into the sea, and heard the words, 'We commit her body to the deep, to be turned into corruption, looking for the resurrection of the body (when the sea shall give up her dead) and the life of the world to come through our Lord Jesus Christ, who at his coming shall change our vile body, that it may be like unto his glorious body, according to the mighty working, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself." O my beloved boy, I cannot tell you the consolation afforded by that hope. I earnestly trust it will be as a healing balm to your own heart. I felt comfort in the thought, that the whole Christian world were celebrating the death and resurrection of Christ. She was committed to the deep on Easter even, when we commemorate the Saviour's lying in the grave, thus consecrating it as the place of repose for his faithful followers, previous to the great and joyful day of resurrection. I must not forget one circumstance that made an indelible impression upon my heart. Before she took to her bed, your beloved mother sat and read a few hymns. She came at last to the hymn, "O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, And our eternal home." And never can I forget the sweet affectionate tone of her voice. She was deeply affected. In reading the second verse her voice faltered; however she continued to get through, till she came to the verse, "In every scene of life and death Thy promise is our trust, And this shall be our children's song When we are cold in dust." "In reading these last lines she was quite overpowered. God grant this hope may be realized! my heart springs toward you all with a new tenderness. I can only in deep anguish commit you to God, who I trust will provide for you all needful good. If you seek him he will be found of you -if you forsake him, he will cast you off for ever. Seek him earnestly then; read your Bible more, I beseech you, with prayer for divine teaching. This will consecrate all your other labours, and will be a fruitful source of happiness to you here and hereafter." Our last quotation will refer to the last hours and the death of this eminent child and servant of God. "The voyage to the Mauritius proved beneficial to Mr. Thomason, and she who had accompanied him had brighter hopes of his recovery; but when the anchor was dropped at Port Louis, June 7, which proved to be his birth-day, alarms and fears greatly exceeded favourable expectations. For himself, he was quietly waiting the Lord's will in a humble, patient, thankful peace of mind, full of praise, yet lying low at the feet of Jesus.' And on Sunday June 21, twelve days after landing in the Isle of France, his earthly tabernacle was dissolved, and his spirit numbered amongst the just made perfect. "On Saturday morning the 20th,' it is from her pen who watched over him with unremitting tenderness, 'his cough and breathing became worse, which intimated that his change was drawing near; he requested me to read the appointed psalms for the morning, (as was my frequent custom) the first of which being the 102nd, he said, How descriptive of my case! On Sunday he had a very suffering day, but his mind was composed: he was quite sensible his end was approaching, and his frequent prayer was for patience: yet indeed he was an example of patient suffering. Toward the evening I perceived evident signs of approaching dissolution, and therefore requested a Christian friend to be with me at the closing scene; he can bear witness with myself, to the firm faith and strong hope which disarmed death of its sting, and shed a holy quiet and peace around. 'Many sweet expressions we heard from his dying lips, in the midst of severe bodily agony, such as the following, 'This is a dark valley, but there's light at the end.' "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. "Lord Jesus receive my spirit." "Lord give me patience, may patience have its perfect work." "When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers." About three o'clock in the morning, he inquired what time it was, and when told, he replied, I thought I should have been far away before this.' He complained of a sharp pain in his heels, and also at the back of his head, which reminded him of the first great blessed promise vouchsafed to fallen man. He seemed to watch the progress of death as it advanced up his cold legs. He asked why there was not a candle in the room: on being told there was, he said, 'Oh then, I am losing my sight, for it appears dark.' After a slight convulsion, I saw his change was near, and said to him, The Lord is coming quickly:' he replied with a smile, 'I hope so.' Shortly after this his heart ceased to beat, his spirit fled, and he entered the joy of the Lord. 66 During the voyage from Calcutta to this island (the narrative proceeds), a period of nine weeks, in which that season of the year was included, wherein we commemorate our Saviour's Death, Resurrection, and Ascension, he read twice over the Harmony of the Gospels, which, as he intently perused, he frequently said, I have been feasting on the bread of life. He appeared sometimes to be absent from all earthly scenes; so elevated was his soul with meditation on the boundless love of God in Christ, which was heightened by his deep sense of his own vileness: indeed, this characteristic much increased as he ripened for glory: he lamented his great defect in every relative duty, in his ministerial office especially; and in deep humility of heart used to break out in the publican's prayer, and frequently said, I cast myself on the boundless mercy of God. I throw myself at my Saviour's feet: if I perish, I perish there.' 'He was very earnest in his petitions at the throne of grace for the spiritual welfare of India, for the coming of Christ's Kingdom, and the fulfilment of those prophecies relating to it. He left an affectionate farewell to those most dear to him in the following words,- To my dearest Mother, give my most affectionate love, and may her last days be her best days. To my very dear Mr. Simeon say, I feel unworthy of the great love he has at all times honored me with. Oh may his bow abide in strength, and may he be, if possible, still more useful in his age.' After reading a quotation like this, who does not seem to hear a voice from heaven, saying, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours, and their works do follow them." And whose heart does not say, "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." We had expressed our gratitude to the Author of this volume; since writing the above we have heard that he too "sleeps with his fathers, and is gathered unto his people;" where he is far removed, either from the praise or censure of mortals; "having come to the innumerable company of angels and to the spirits of just men made perfect." We take our leave of the subject by congratulating the Christian public in general, and the members of the Old Church in particular, that they have in this volume, a monument more durable than marble, of a man of exalted worth, who consecrated all his powers to the glory of God, and their everlasting welfare. Poetry. For the Calcutta Christian Observer. Remember, thou'lt be to dire perils no stranger; But let not this truth serve thy courage to weaken, To the goal, which appeareth already in sight! The pleasures of earth, oh! how quickly they sate thee, When toss'd by the tempest on life's dreary ocean, Think! soon thou shalt reach that blest shore, where commotion, Oh let not then earth, and her false joys possess thee, Aspire thou to happiness nobler and brighter, Enduring and fadeless, that knows no decrease; As the soldier, when on to the battle he speeds him, Thus, Christian, remember the duties that call thee; The above lines derive a melancholy interest from the fact, that their young and amiable writer is no more. Her perils and her temptations are over; and we have reason to hope, that she has attained unto that happiness, after which she aspired.-ED.] Missionary and Religious Entelligence. CALCUTTA. 1.-NATIVE CHRISTIAN BOARDING SCHOOL. On Wednesday, October 3rd, a School was opened at Allipore, for the education of the children of native converts, in connection with the London Missionary Society. The boys are to be instructed in English and Bengalee, are to be boarded and lodged in the house, and to be continually under the eye of the resident Missionary. Experience has proved the important consequences resulting from removing the children of Christian Native parents from the contaminating influence of heathen associates, and placing them in circumstances where by example and precept they are trained in the ways of God's commandments. The Boarding School at Jaffna, in the island of Ceylon, conducted by the American Missionaries, has been attended with the greatest success:-no less than 120 youths have been hopefully converted to God, and have joined the Christian Church. In a similar Institution, established at Chitpore, under the charge of the Calcutta Baptist Missionaries, much good has also been done :-a few months ago no less than six lads were publicly baptized in the Circular Road Chapel. The School at Allipore was opened under very favorable circumstances, and is under the immediate management of Mr. and Mrs. Campbell, who reside on the premises. Mr. Lacroix on the morning of the Lord's day conducts Divine Service in Bengalee. There are at present 24 boys in the school. 2.-GENERAL ASSEMBLY'S INSTITUTION. The Annual Examination of the Seminary of Education for Native Youths, supported by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and conducted by the Rev. Messrs. Duff and Mackay, took place in the Town Hall on Friday, the 4th of October. It was carried on with great spirit for upwards of four hours, and was attended by a very large and respectable assemblage of individuals connected with Calcutta and its neighbourhood-among whom we observed the Lord Bishop of the Diocese, one of the Judges of the Supreme Court, many Gentlemen of the Civil, Military, and Medical Service of the Honorable Company, some Members of the Bar and of the Commercial Community, several Clergymen and Ministers of different denominations, and some Native Gentlemen of the highest respectability. From the brilliant results which had been witnessed on former occasions, as well as from the distinguished reputation enjoyed by the Teachers, the expectations of the visitors were very highly raised; but, if an opinion may be formed from the expressions of astonishment and delight that occasionally escaped from some who, from their talents and education, are entitled to be considered competent judges, we may affirm with confidence, that these expectations were not only realized, but exceeded. The manner in which all the boys, about 300 in number, acquitted themselves in their various exercises, was truly admirable; and, while it reflected the highest credit on them for their industry and application throughout the year, demonstrated the superiority of that system of tuition which is pursued in the seminary—a system which effectually excludes learning by rote, and which at once makes an incessant demand upon all the activities of the scholars, and calls into vigorous operation not only their memories but also their other intellectual powers. The lads in the highest class, as might have been expected from their having for the longest period enjoyed the peculiar advantages of the institution, attracted the largest share of attention; and we feel that no description could convey to those who had not the good fortune to be present, any thing like an adequate conception of the appearance which they made. The questions proposed to them by Messrs. Duff and Mackay, and by two or three Gentle |