ANNUAL MEETING

THE public services connected with the Annual Meeting of the Baptist Missionary Society, were commenced by a sermon at Great Queen-street Chapel, on Wednesday morning, June 20, by the Rev. T. S. Crisp, one of the tutors of the Bristol Academy.

At nine, on Thursday morning, a considerable number of friends to the Mission assembled at Eagle-street Meeting, for the purpose of uniting in prayer on its behalf.

As much interesting intelligence, particularly in reference to the progress of the translations, had recently arrived, it was found necessary to abbreviate the Report considerably, in order that the meeting might not be protracted to an inconvenient length. The parts which were read, occupied nearly an hour in the delivery, and were received with great attention.

A statement of accounts was afterwards read by William Burls, Esq. the Treasurer, by which it appeared that the income of the Society had been upwards of £13,000, being considerably more than in any previous year of its existence, but that the expenditure had exceeded 17,0001. leaving a balance of about 3,500. due from the Society.

The first Resolution was moved by the Rev T. S. Crisp, in the following terms:

"In rising to move that the Report be printed and circulated, I am sure I express a feeling that pervades the whole assembly. Such a meeting as this is a meeting of sympathy; a sympathy of souls alive to the same object,

and animated by the same desires. Our object is to spread the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ, of which the Saviour himself is the source and the glory, and our desire is, that the diffusion of that gospel may be as wide as those wants which its blessings alone can supply; and those evils which its power alone can overcome. In hearing the details brought forward this morning, we are all ready to say, let the Report which has been given be circulated, and in all those by whom it is read may it excite fresh and growing ardour; gratitude for the past, and this united with hope that the future may exceed all that has been done in the past!

But there is a still more important topic, in the motion in my hand than the printing and circulating the Report-I mean the absolute necessity of the influence of the Holy Spirit-that while we should be thankful for what has been done, we should long to see more and more of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit; and while animated by feelings which the past excites, we should be anxious that the future may open to our view a scene much more verdant and fruitful. We ought to derive gratitude to God from the appearances of our own Society, and of other Societies, whose exertions call on us for still greater zeal. But is this gratitude-is this zeal enough? No, we would say, we desire to obtain more of that of which we can never have enough. We look beyond the circle of Missionary labours, and we see extensive regions over which the dark

ness of moral death is yet brooding, and through which Satan is yet exerting all his baneful influence, and stretching over it his iron sceptre. What are we then to hope for, to give success to our labours, but a more abundant effusion of that Spirit, whose quickening influence gives vitality to our exertions, and must give vitality to those souls for whose welfare we are labouring; and if nothing else should arise from our meeting; if it should be seen in our minds, and through our Societies in general, that there is a more strong and growing conviction that we stand in need of Divine influence to prosper our best endeavours, and that till that Spirit which first moved over the waters is seen to go abroad, and produce spiritual life in the chaos of the moral world, our exertions will be vain, our meeting will prove a blessing to ourselves and the world. The Christian world will never present a more interesting feature, and never have a greater pledge of success, than when this ardent desire for Divine influence from above is seen in the greatest force. We are thankful that God has promised to give success to the measures we make use of: but we are to use our efforts. To say we are to do nothing, would be practical Antinomianism. Instead of drawing from the gracious promises of God an argument for indolence, we would draw a motive for diligence; for how great is the pleasure to reflect, that we are workers together with him, and become fellow-labourers with God!"

The motion was seconded by the Rev. J. HUGHES, of Battersea, who spoke to the following ef fect:

"If I have evinced any reluctance to speak on this occasion, most assuredly that reluctance has not been produced by indis

position to appreciate our holy and excellent cause. If I am not mistaken, the state of feeling which such a Report, as we have now heard, either finds or produces. furnishes at least a partial test of character. To listen to such a Report with aversion, is to betray the infidel-to listen to it without distinct and deep emotions, and those for the most part of the most delightful kind, is to show that the temperature of our piety approaches at least to the state of ancient Christianity in Laodicea :-but to receive such a Report with the sentiments of this motion in my hand, is to receive it with some good evidence that we ourselves have thrown our hearts into the vital cause of Christianity. I believe I should offer no wrong to our blessed Saviour, whom we profess to serve, if I pronounce him the Prince of Missionaries; a Missionary, who came down to this earth of ours, to circulate those glad tidings which, whereever the heart receives them, become its salvation and its heaven;-a Missionary, whose views of charity were so large, that they are never to be confined by any limits upon earth; and the purposes of his Mission so extensive, that they will never be completed till Jew and Gentile, Barbarian and Scythian, bond and free, shall be brought to the knowledge of the Lord. What was each Apostle but a Missionary, sent forth by the high authority of Immanuel, who commanded them to go forth into all the world, and preach his gospel to every creature? And surely if that antichristian state of corruption had not succeeded the glory of the primitive age, we should have found, as Mr. Ward has expressed it, in his own pious and striking manner, in every church the seeds and elements of a Missionary Society.

Nothing can be more expansive than divine grace; it never enters the heart of an individual, but it inspires the man with the noblest sentiments for the salvation of his fellow-creatures in the East and West, and North and South; it breathes the divinest sentiments of Christian charity, accompanied with the most anxious measures that the glorious and spiritual kingdom of our Lord may comprehend every in dividual, every family, every people of every nation under heaven. In later days it should seem that the Spirit, for whose continued and augmented influence we are directed to pray by this motion, has been poured out the lethargy of good men has been shaken off, and where can you now find a Christian of warm feelings, who does not aim to extend, both in our own country, and to the remotest parts of the earth, the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus? As far as translations of the scriptures are concerned, I cannot but allude to the kindness with which they are noticed by the British and Foreign Bible Society. Your Report has mentioned that we have received from them in the last year, or rather in the last few months, the sum of £2000; and I must say, that it was voted with a cordial unanimity, on the part of the Committee of that Society, which convinced me that they live, and move, and have their being in an atmosphere of Christian catholicism. I hope I shall not be considered as taking too great a liberty in stating, that at two separate interviews which I have had with the Bishop of Durham, he has expressed in the most decided manner, the admi, ration with which he views the proceedings of this Society. I mention this as an additional motive, if an additional motive were

wanted, for extending our Christian charity through the whole nation."

After expressing his astonishment at what had been accomplished in the work of transla tions, Mr. H. proceeded." Only think what was the state of this Empire twenty-five or thirty years ago, when it was first thought necessary to send pious Missionaries from hence, to the natives of that country, who were bowing before the bloody idols of superstition! They were obliged to go from hence to some other power to obtain a passage to that country; but now, how changed is the scene! No longer have we to go to some north. ern power to beg them to supply a vessel by which these excellent men may be transmitted: every facility which prudence dictates is likely to be afforded to them, by which they may be conveyed to that land to proclaim the knowledge of the Redeemer and promote the salvation of the human race.

Allow me also to express my decided approbation of that part of the motion which carries our hearts from earth up to heaven. It is our happiness to live under a dispensation of the Holy Spirit; and what should we do without such a sanctifier, enlightener, and comforter in the absence of the bodily presence of our Redeemer? What should we do without the guide of the ancient church? But, blessed be God, that though the heavens have received the Saviour, the earth has received the Holy Spirit, which is, in my view, the most cheering augury of the success of any work to which we put our hands and hearts. It appears to me, that the spirit of these meetings is improved: we have said in effect by our conduct, Away with empty

compliments; the colour and complexion of them is gone, and they are withered flowers not worth gathering up. I am glad to see in this and other societies the friends are now endeavouring to go straight forward without encumbering themselves with any alloy of public vanity; and the language already suggested seems to be our motto. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy name give glory!"

Rev. JOHN CAMPBELL of Kingsland moved the second Resolution, expressing respect for Mr. Ward, and gratitude for the restoration of his health. "I look, Sir, upon this good man as the means of effecting, under God, together with his cotemporaries, a new era in the East Indies. Previous to these brethren going to India you might have advertised for twenty years for ten christians residing in India, and without success; but now I suppose there is not in any part of the world, so great a proportion of the rich population living and acting and contributing so much to the glory of God, and for the benefit of the souls of men. I look upon all this as arising from these Missionaries; you are the John the Baptist to India, and this is acknowledged by all there. It has been the custom for many years for gentlemen in India to come to the Cape of Good Hope for the purpose of bracing their nerves, to be able to bear years longer of residence in India. Al

most the whole who come are men of the highest rank in India; and I am happy to say they are all friendly to religion, and many of them feel anxious to attend where the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached, and to contribute to many excellent institutions in Southern Africa for doing good. I was pleased to hear from your report of the kind treatment shown to your Missionary at St.

Helena, especially by that excellent clergyman and his lady whom I visited. I must also mention, that the ship, on board of which I was, came from India, and had touched at St. Helena for water and provisions. We had service on board morning and evening, and there was not a person on board from India but had a Bible; not a servant but had a Bible; nay, there was not even a sailor on board but brought his Testament or Bible to the deck during public worship. I own, in one sense, it is dangerous when religion becomes fashionable; but it is a proof of the value of it, when it becomes so generally esteemed. Perhaps you will think it strange for me to notice the apostle's admonition respecting provoking one another to love and to good works; but in this sense I do think that your Society is a very provoking Society. While I have been sitting here I have felt quite provoked; but it was to love you, because God has given you so much zeal and so much success, and that you act as a spur to drive on others in the same cause. I recollect with great pleasure that I had a considerable hand in assisting our dear brethren, Mr. Fuller and Mr. Sutcliffe, in their visit to Edinburgh some years ago. I believe I was never away from them, and they got 900 pounds in a few days; and on many other occasions this society and others have experienced the liberality of my countrymen in the North." Mr. Campbell concluded by referring to the statement, from which it appeared that a large sum was owing by the Society.

Rev. Dr. COLLYER, on seconding the motion, observed, "that he was glad of the opportunity of testifying the very sincere regard he had always borne to this denomination, independently of those exertions which they had