At our last Annual Conference I suggested to the Superintendency, that in the neighbourhood of Bush-River circuit, there were many places destitute of the gospel, and that, by altering the circuit, those places might be supplied. It was accordingly done-and it fell to my lot to labour on this circuit. At first, the prospect appeared somewhat gloomy, having an extent of territory of about three thousand square miles to range through, including a few small societies, some distance from each other. Most of the other professors were of the Baptist order; but the great proportion of the people made no preten tions at all to religion.

Into this field I entered in the name of the Lord; and blessed be his holy name, the scene is somewhat changed for the better; for in many of those barren places we have witnessed the outpourings of the spirit, and I may say that hundreds have been brought from darkness to light, and several societies have been formed; many of the old professors are quickened, and encouraged to a more vigorous discharge of their duty. Thus we have been greatly blessed of the Lord, and the prospect brightens before us.

The means used to effect this change have been the faithful preaching of God's word, fasting and prayer, both public and private. In addition to the regular fasts on the Fridays previous to each quarterly meeting, other days have been observed as days of fasting and prayer: one in particular, I will take the liberty of mentioning. On my way to a quarterly meeting, I met with a small society who were engaged in a prayer meeting on one of their days of fasting; and this was the commencement of a gracious work of God among them. Several of their children and neighbours were happily converted to God; and the work is still progressing in that place. Such indeed was the display of God's power among the people, that it was thought by many to be the greatest work ever known in that quarter. The ensuing quarterly meeting was attended with great good to the souls of the people.

At a camp meeting, which closed the second instant, the Lord wrought mightily among the people; so that upon a moderate calculation, it was estimated that upwards of one hundred found peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ: Indeed, both preachers and people caught the flame of divine love. We have some opposition, but not more than might be expected from the present state of society. The subjects of this work have been generally of respectable families, and with few exceptions, bave so far remained stedfast in the faith. It is therefore hoped that they will exert a salutary influence upon others. May God carry on his gracious work in this, and in every oth er place.

STATE OF RELIGION IN ASIA.

An extract from "The Report of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society of 1819."

CEYLON.-The accounts from Ceylon continue to afford the greatest satisfaction to the Committee, and to encourage the best hopes. An interesting view of the state of the Mission in the South or Cingalese division of the island is contained in a recent letter from Mr. Fox.

"I am happy to say, that the more I know of this Mission, the more I am convinced that there never was, for the time, a more extensively successful Mission to the heathen, nor one more likely to secure lasting good. As some of my subsequent communications, and those of my brethren may be a little obscure from an imperfect knowledge of the geographical situation of the different stations, I shall give a general outline of them. Our most southerly station in the Cingalese parts of the island is Matura. It is a hundred miles S. E. of Colombo. The Matura circuit extends five or six miles (beyond which the country is thinly peopled or uninhabited) towards Batticaloa. This station extends west on the Galle road fourteen miles. In the Matura circuit are fourteen places to which the brethren itinerate regularly, and in most of these children are instructed daily. There are other places occasionally visited. The whole number of children instructed on the Matura station, is 779. The Galle station extends four miles eastward on the Matura road, leaving a chasm between the two stations of about eight or nine miles, and that part is thinly inhabited and truly a wilderness. From Galle the coast turns direct north, and the Galle station in this direction extends towards Caltura twenty miles. In this station are fifteen places of worship, and 1033 children under instruction. The Caltura station extends south twenty-one miles, leaving a space of seven miles between that and the Galle station. It extends into the jungle in one place four, and in another twelve miles. It extends northward ten miles, leaving a space of five miles between it and the Colombo station. In this are twelve places of worship, and 644 children instructed daily. The Colombo circuit extends twelve miles southward on the Caltura road, and on the Negombo road north seven miles; and it extends in one place ten miles into the interior. In this station are thirteen places of worship, and about 835 children daily instructed. Negombo is twenty miles north of Colombo. This station extends about seven miles north and about seven south, extend

-ing to within about six miles of the Colombo station. In the Negombo station are nine places of worship, and 412 children daily instructed. Thus we occupy the whole of the Cingalese coast, in which we have, in a well-connected chain, in five stations, sixty-three places where we preach, and 3703 children daily instructed. In all these places the English Liturgy in Cingalese is read, with portions of the New Testament every Sabbath-day, where we are not present. When at any of these places, we conduct the service in Cingalese, in the same manner as at home. As far as I can judge from my own congregations, and those in the two neighbouring stations, we have about fourteen or fifteen hundred adults, who distinguish between the Seventh day and others, by attending places of public wor ship, and when I came to this part of the island, there were not ten men in a line of coast upwards of sixty miles in length, who heard amongst them three times ten sermons of any kind in a year."

Caltura.-In the North of the island, where the difficulties in the way of the spreading of Christianity appear to be greater than in the South, and where circumstances of a discouraging kind as to some of the stations had occured, the Brethren, who had been under considerable depression, now write with renewed feelings of confidence and anticipation. Our congregations, say the Jaffna Missionaries, are all on the increase; both the Malabar and Portuguese congregations fill the Chapel. Our Schools begin to assume a more encouraging appearance than ever. We informed you in our last of our intention to open one at Vannarpanny, which we did on the 26th of April, with 64 Boys; it has since increased to 92; 24 of whom are the children of Mahometans. Many of them can already read the Scriptures, and all are making rapid improvement.

The total number of the Mission Schools in Ceylon is 75, and the number of children instructed in them is now 4484, a circumstance which calls for gratitude to God, who has thus inclined the heathen to put their children willingly and even thankfully under the care of Christian Missionaries, to be instructed in Schools in which neither heathen books nor heathen masters are admitted. The schools here have likewise afforded access to the adult natives themselves, in whose villages and jungles the brethren now regularly publish the gospel of peace and salvation to the votaries of Budhu Atheism, and the systematic worshippers of devils.

The School Report for the last year, which the brethren publish in Ceylon, has not been received, but is expected daily. Upon its arrival we shall give to the public the information it contains.

(To be Continued.}

Obituary.

DEATH OF MISS FRANCES EVANS CAREY. DIED on the 20th of October, 1820, peace of God; and during her illness, Miss Frances E. Carey. She expe- which was long and severe, she manirienced religion, and joined the Meth- fested a perfect resignation to the diodist Society in the city of Quebec, vine will: and though frequently seLower-Canada, in the year 1814. verely tempted, she seldom doubted Her meek disposition and humble de- of her acceptance with God. The portment, are well known to those who last half hour of her life, she appeared were acquainted with her. Though extremely happy, and rejoiced in hope much circumscribed in her means of of the glory of God. She said, "I have doing good in active life, being but a just passed through a cloud, and I see youth when she died, yet she sympa- the heavens opened, and Jesus sitting thized with the distressed, and evinced ready to receive me." Turning to a disposition to do all she could. She her friends, she said, "Angels call was ever ready to declare the good me! Do you not hear them sing?" She ness of God to her soul, and to per- then attempted to sing, suade her youthful associates to seek the salvation of their souls.

While in health, for most of the time, she enjoyed an abiding evidence of the

"I'll praise my Maker while I've breath," &c. and repeated, praise-praise-praise ! and then expired without a groan.

Poetry.

"CHARITY SEEKETH NOT HER OWN."

METHOUGHT I, (in a dream which fancy wove,
While Morpheus lull'd the busy cares of day)
Was wandering in a fine elysian grove,
Tasting the pleasures which those scenes convey.
As thus I mus'd in pleasing wonder lost,
I seem'd to tread upon enchanted ground;
Methought I'd landed on some airy coast,
Where purer spirits breathe their odours round;
When lo! upon an eminence I view'd
A form celestial, clad in robes of white,
Whose features with a soft expression glow'd,
Encircled with a ray of heavenly light.
Compassion beam'd from her effulgent eye,
While o'er the earth she glanc'd a pitying look;
A tear upon her cheek I then did spy,
Which more than common sympathy bespoke.
Charity I thought the name of this fair maid,
For by her side I saw the orphan's face,
Tu all the charms of innocence array'd)
Well pleas'd to view the smiling Angel's grace.
While thus enwrapt in transport as I stood,
She mov'd majestic towards the plain below;
When lo! behind a numerous train I view'd
Of infant forms, that mov'd both soft and slow;
Their voices echo'd in the evening breeze,
Rising aloft upon the ambient air;

The sound I strove to catch among the trees,
And to retain it on my raptur'd ear.
But ah! so soft, so tremblingly they sing,
Their numbers in such quick succession rise,
They vibrate through the soul, they touch the
spring,

Where every soft and tender passion lies.
Again I listen'd, Oh! I caught the strain,
Which now responsive on my heart does dwell,
Their notes symphonious, and their words were
plain,

And suited to their infant voices well.
Praises resounded from their lips and tongue,
Whilst every eye was on their leader cast;
A hymn to charity at first they sung,
And long, quite long, the pleasing theme did last.

The Sunday School was heard amid the throng,
And every voice in harmony began:

To thee, fair charity, does the praise belong,
The greatest blessing e'er bestow'd on man.
Well pleas'd to hear, the highest angel smil'd,
And op'd the portals of eternal day-
Light dawn'd, ineffable, serenely mild,
And shew'd the lustre of its heavenly ray.
Darkness dispell'd, and scarce a cloud was seen
To damp the ardour of the youthful breast ;
A path was open'd leading to that scene,
Where each may find an everlasting rest.
Ignorance abash'd, hid his deformed head,
Nor dar'd to claim a superstitious right;
Back to the cell of bigotry he fled,

And sunk beneath a dark oblivious night.
The fiend, alarm'1, sent forth a hideous groan,
Which echo'd through the caverns of despair."
Vice, that deformed spectre, stood alone,
And with his cries, he rent the darksome air.

The vision fled the truth shall still remain,
Effects of which are in our cities seen;
And those who this fair visitor retain,
Are bless'd with minds both tranquil and serene.
Here asylums are to the wretched shewn,
And every effort to suppress their fears;
A cordial, for those wounded breasts that mourn,
Is giv'n, to heal and stop the falling tears.
The sacred volume does an entrance find,
Among the poor, despised, outcast race;
And bere the restless, the wandering mind,
May find a refuge, and a hiding place.

The sabbath now with reverence is beheld,
By thousands who were ignorant of its worth,
And who, with words obscene, have oft compell'a
The rising blush on those who heard their mirth,
Thanks be to God, the day begins to dawn,
The morning star is rising in the east;
Even on the distant Isles its light hath shone,
And many are coming to the marriage feast.
Wafted on wings of light'ning may it fly,
Until the mind from darkness finds release,
And the whole world, like an unclouded sky,
Be fill'd with intellectual light and peace.
MIRANDA.

N. York, Nov. 2, 1820.

THE

METHODIST MAGAZINE,

FOR FEBRUARY, 1821.

Divinity.

A SERMON FOR NEW YEAR'S DAY.

(Concluded from page 11.)

Part II. Above all things observe, that the apostle leaves no middle way between looking at the things which are seen, and the things which are not seen and eternal. For to imagine a state of neutrality and indifference between the two, being disgusted with this world and insensible to that which is to come, renouncing what we see, and discovering nothing better, to recompence the loss we make, this would be considering the evil without remedy or alleviation, and tearing ourselves from the present without any assurance of the future. This, however, is the sad and lamentable state in which worldlings are found; you see them perpetually fatigued and disgusted in the midst of their pleasures, and weary of their possessions and honours. Vexation seizes them at seeing themselves always agitated by the inequalities of fortune; they retire in despair, but this disgust proceeds from an excess of worldly-mindedness, and not from any desire for enjoyments of another nature; it is because their pleasures are not sufficiently refined, or their honours sufficiently great to satisfy them. At the same time that they appear to despise the world, and declaim against it, they form no idea of, nor feel any inclination for the things which are to come. And can there be any thing more grievous or deplorable than to be void of enjoyment either from God or the world? To be disgusted with what we possess, without looking for any thing better; and to be placed between time and eternity, without hope in either? It is a monstrous situation, which it behoves us to quit. Our minds cannot remain inactive; rejecting the one, emptying themselves of temporal things, it is requisite they should be filled with the things which are eternal.