individual is to rule and govern the whole body." "If the church, as a body, was satisfied that the individual was sincere in his profession of re- "If any thing further is necespentance, it cannot be a question sary for the satisfaction of a that it is the duty of an individual humble inquirer' on this or on to acquiesce in the opinion and any other subject connected with conduct of the church, unless it church discipline, he is recomcan be proved that a church must mended to procure Bane's Recibe all perfection before it is our procal Duties, or a Well Reguduty to continue in its commu-lated Church, sold by Wightman, nion, or that the opinion of an Paternoster Row, London." LETTER FROM MESSRS. BURCHELL AND KNIBB. DEAR FRIENDS, THE haste of our departure from England, again to resume our much-loved employ in Jamaica, prevents our personally, or even by letter, acknowledging the many acts of kindness we have received during our stay with you; we have therefore chosen this medium of expressing our gratitude. our earnest solicitation that they will still bear us upon their hearts at the throne of the divine Majesty. To our dear young friends who have SO cheerfully collected towards the re-erection of our demolished Chapels, and who, through the whole of the momentous struggle between tyranny and mercy, have manifested so deep a sympathy on behalf of deeplyinjured Africa, our most grateful acknowledgments are presented, while we express our fervent hope that they will not relax those efforts so nobly made in a pecuniary way, nor ever tire in the work of mercy till the last slave shall be free. During the whole of our sojourn in our native country, our heavenly Father has been manifestly with us, has supported us in all our sorrows, has rescued our characters from the aspersions cast upon them, and, in the liberation of our fellow Christians, has abundantly compensated us for all our trials, and has opened To the Committee, who manage a way for our return to the the affairs of the Society to which people ofour charge. We therefore we belong, our public acknowledg desire thus publicly to acknow-ments are justly due. They forsook ledge his hand, and, in reviewing us not, when, with characters the eventful path he has called blackened by the powers of darkus to tread, devoutly to express ness, a prison was our home. The our sense of His goodness who consoling letters then received hath done all things well. from the worthy Secretary of the Society, the efforts then put forth for our rescue, the casting the whole weight of the Society's influence in the redress of Afric's wrongs, and the uniform sympathy and kindness we have received from them during our residence at home, are too deeply engraven upon our hearts ever to be effaced; and in thus rendering the thanks To those Ministers and other Christian friends who flew to the throne of mercy when we were in adversity, and who have so materially assisted and so frequently encouraged us by the affectionate interest they have taken in our welfare, we render our sincere thanksgivings, accompanied by our best desires for their prosperity, and we feel, we do earnestly entreat an interest in their prayers, that our future conduct may be marked by that elevated consistency which will fully justify the confidence His Majesty's Government have, with them, reposed in us, in so distinctly marking their opinion of our past conduct while in Jamaica, by the liberal grant made to facili tate our return. In concluding this hasty epistle, we would earnestly entreat a parting benediction. When our friends read this, we, our wives, and our little ones, will in all probability be on the mighty deep; may we there indulge the hope that on the first Monday in September, when you are assembled at your Missionary prayer-meetings, you will especially remember those who, just separated from their brethren, are about to enter once more upon the awfully important work to which God has permitted them to devote their lives. We know the difficulties, and feel our total incapacity to overcome them; but Finally, dear friends, farewell. Pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified, even as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men ; for all men have not faith. POETRY. THE FIRST OF AUGUST. What joyful songs are these, That wake the slumbering morn, Shed thy most gladdening beam, away. Sing, happy souls,-you're free, Unmingled now your song sward, With nought but the scourge for your reward. That you their blessings may partake, Hear those whom you were wont to slay Can change the Negro's heart, The fiend that makes him smart; Thus the same spirit that his Lord pos. sessed, Glows in his bosom, animates his breast. Thought you their blood and groans, Had reached not Mercy's ears? No longer plead in vain, And broke the cruel chain. Hear, tyrants, and your hearts must break, Restorers of their liberty. E. S. REVIEWS. Memoirs of the Life and Writings of the Edition, with some retrenchments.- proverb, "A word spoken in due season, how good is it!" Prov. xv. 23. Soon after this, he wrote, anonymously, to the Rev. John Newton, of St. Mary Woolnoth, and Mr. Newton gave notice in his church, that if the person who had written to him anonymously on such a day was present, and would call upon him, he should be happy to converse with him on the subject of his communication. An early interview took place, which gave a strong tinge to all the current of Buchanan's Whatever relates to the propagation of the gospel in India, must be interesting to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ. There we have, it is said, a hundred millions of fellowsubjects. There, too, was planted the Bengal Mission by Thomas and Carey, in the year 1793. Whoever has read the Periodical Ac-future life. counts of the Baptist Mission, and the correspondence of the late Rev. Andrew Fuller with the first Missionaries, will be glad of an opportunity of becoming better acquainted with Dr. Buchanan, to whom Mr. Fuller has often referred. was Dr. Claudius Buchanan born at Cumbreslang,near Glasgow, March 12th, 1766. His parents wished him to be a minister of the church of Scotland, but at the age of seventeen a romantic passion for seeing the world led him to think of making the tour of Europe on foot. "I had," he says, "the example of the celebrated Dr. Goldsmith before me, who travelled through Europe on foot, and supported himself by playing on his flute. I could play a little on the violin, and on this I relied for occasional support during my long and various travels." This wild project, however, which plunged him into many privations, and indescribable wretchedness, was soon abandoned. Observing one day an advertisement in a newspaper, for a clerk to an attorney,' he offered himself and was accepted. It was not till June, in the year 1790, that he felt the power of the gospel from the conversation of a serious young man, who entered into a long expostulation with him, and concluded with a very affecting address to the conscience and the heart. Let the reader pause a moment, and call to recollection the Mr. Newton received him with open arms, and in his family worship remembered him in a very affecting manner, and soon encouraged him to devote himself to the ministry of the gospel. The same venerable friend introduced him to the late Mr. Henry Thornton, who put him to the university of Cambridge at his own expense, and placed him at Queen's College, under the presidency of Dean Milner, at Michaelmas term, 1791. Here he appears to have studied with great ardour and diligence, so that he obtained both the classical and mathematical prizes. Here, as a Christian, he was much indebted to the conversation of Mr. Simeon, and the correspondence of Mr. Newton; while he wisely steered a middle course as to society, neither shutting himself up in absolute seclusion, nor exposing himself to the danger of mixing indiscriminately with the young men by whom he was surrounded. "You talk to me," he says, "of academical reputation and dignity. If I were Regius Professor of Divinity to-morrow, I would resign the dignity to any man for a little brokenness of heart." Mr. Buchanan was ordained a Deacon in 1795, at Fulham, by the late Bishop Porteus, and became Curate immediately to Mr. Newton. His curacy, however, was resigned after a few months; for on March 30th of the following year, we find him appointed one of the Chaplains of the East India Company. Dr. Gaskin, Secretary to the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, introduced Mr. Buchanan to the Rev. David Brown, one of the Company's Chaplains resident in Calcutta. He embarked on the 11th of August following, and landed at Calcutta on the 10th of March, two days before the completion of the thirty-first year of his age. In his correspondence soon after his arrival, he says, " A woman burnt herself with her dead husband about three days ago, a few miles up the river. This happens very frequently. My servants bring me a glass of wine and water. Two are concerned in this operation; one of them will not touch the glass, though he will pour the wine into it! So strange are the superstitions of these people. Another will wipe my shoes, but he will not wash my feet. A third will bathe me, but he will not fan me. You see, Miss E., what strange things we travellers behold." For a considerable time, Mr. B. was in comparative obscurity at Barrackpore, as a Military Chaplain, His correspondence with a few friends in England is interesting. "An active mind," he says, "if it be a virtuous one, finds time for every thing.' In a long letter to Mr. Newton, in 1798, he adverts to the Baptist Missionaries, Messrs. Thomas and Carey. Of the latter he speaks in terms of • much commendation. of Mr. Carey, I confined myself to him. I stated the origin of the Tranquebar Mission, and its success under Swartz; and I represented Mr. Carey as endeavouring to do in Bengal what Swartz did in the Deccan. He called upon me lately in his way to Calcutta. He considers himself as sowing a seed, which haply may grow up and bear fruit. He is prosecuting his translation of the Scriptures. This is a good work. It will be useful to those Hindoos who are somewhat influenced by Christian instruction, and particularly useful to Hindoo children brought up in Christian schools. I told Mr. Carey that I thought he could not employ his time better than in translating the Scriptures. I explained to him, from sources with which he seemed unacquainted, the plan and progress of the Tamulian Scriptures, and the circumstances attending the publication." p. 118. Towards the close of the year, Mr. B. was appointed by Lord Mornington third Chaplain to the presidency. This required him to reside in Calcutta. The date of the institution of the College of Fort William is 1800. Lord Mornington, having been created Marquis Wellesley, appointed Mr. Brown Provost, and Mr. B. ViceProvost and Professor of Classics. Compelled though we be to pass over many things, we will not leave unnoticed that tender regard to his mother which his excellent biographer has repeatedly mentioned. 66 Early in the year 1802, his inThe marriage of Mr. B. took come being now considerably augplace in 1799, when he was united mented, he, with that filial piety to Miss Mary Whish, third daughter which marked his character, authoof the Rev. R. Whish, then Rector rized his mother to draw upon his of Northwold, in Norfolk. In a letter agents for the sum of three hundred to Mr. Newton, about two months pounds annually." The same geneafter his marriage, he thus writes. rous principle urged him to send "Lord Mornington is taking mea- back four hundred pounds to Mr. sures to send home all Frenchmen Thornton, being the amount of and republicans. I was applied to his expense on my account at Collately, in a kind of official way, to lege, for four years. I told him I give some account of the Baptist only sent it back to the fountain, Missionaries. It was asked, What from whence it would probably soon was their object? How supported? flow again in some act of benevoWhether they were not of republi- lence. I also told him that I meant can principles ? As I had some to devote five hundred pounds for good data for speaking favourably the support of a young man at the 66 |