courage, or permit them; and that, holding these views, they still occupy positions of power and influence at home and in India; and that, having this vantageground, they will not fail to avail themselves of it, it is evident we have nothing to hope from them, and everything to fear, with regard to the future. Should there be no departure from the "traditional policy" in the Government of India, our martyrs will have suffered, our soldiers will have fought, bled, and died, in vain; the cry of our expiring countrymen and country women for Missionaries to instruct these Pagans in the knowledge of God and of Christ, and in their personal responsibility, will have been in vain. The agonies of horror, and indignation, and suspense we have endured, month after month, will all have been in vain. India will remain under the dominion of Paganism: and caste, and other works of the devil which Christ came to destroy, will flourish under the eye and patronage of British functionaries, if the system, with its present tendencies, is to continue unchanged. Such is the calamity which awaits India, such the disgrace we shall have to endure before the world, and such the guilt we must as a nation incur before God, unless, by the Divine blessing on the efforts of the Christian people of these lands, a change can be introduced into the councils of the Government of India at home and abroad. GENERAL HAVELOCK. Resolution of the Committee of the Baptist Missionary Society. AT the last quarterly meeting the attention of the Committee of the above Society was naturally directed to the lamented death of General Havelock. It was felt to be an event of such unusual importance, and connected as he was with the denomination, and incidentally with the mission, it seemed naturally to call for some expression of feeling. And this deviation from their ordinary practice is justified, if that were needed, by the fact stated in the closing paragraph of the resolution which we subjoin : "Resolved-That this Committee have heard with feelings of profound regret of the death of General Sir Henry Havelock, K.C.B., son-in law of the late Dr. Marshman, one of the first missionaries of the Society. More than forty years of his life were passed in the faithful service of his country, during which he was engaged in almost every great military achievement connected with the growth of the British empire in India; manifesting, in the constant discharge of his duties, the highest mental and moral qualities, and the most chivalrous cour age. They unfeignedly rejoice that he was enabled throughout his whole public life to maintain, with honourable consistency, the Christian name and character, and that he was, both in public and private life, known to be a man who feared God above many. His superior officers were accustomed to express their reliance on him and the troops under his command, as always prepared for any exigency. Having ultimately obtained an independent command, he proved his fitness for it by his heroism, endurance, devotedness, ability, and success; and in the act which crowned his honourable life, the relief of the beleaguered garrison of Lucknow, he endeared himself to the hearts of the people of England, by whom his death is mourned as a national loss. His reputation as a soldier was, if possible, surpassed by his character as a Christian. His long professional life was marked by a most conscientious and rigid adherence to duty, and by the uniform display of an exalted piety. The Committee cannot but rejoice that the grace of God was manifested by him in every walk of life. "While thus recording their sentiments regarding their departed brother, they desire to express their deep sympathy with Lady Havelock and her children, and with their esteemed colleague, John C. Marshman, Esq., in the loss they have sustained; and they deviate, in this instance, from their usual practice, because they cannot but remember that they, as well as the late Sir Henry Havelock, are intimately connected with the venerable name of one who was among the first, as he was one of the most eminent, of the missionaries who were first sent forth by this Society to labour for the evangelisation of India." RECEIVED ON ACCOUNT OF THE GENERAL BAPTIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY, Subscriptions and donations in aid of the General Baptist Missionary Society will be thankfully received by Robert Pegg, Esq., Derby, Treasurer; by the Rev. J. C. Pike, Quorndon, Leicestershire, Secretary; and by the Rev. W. Miller, engaged, during his sojourn in England, as Travelling Agent to the Society. A DISCOURSE PREACHED IN THE BAPTIST CHAPEL, ILKESTON, "He being dead yet speaketh."-Hebrews xi. 4. ONE of the most solemn facts connected with humanity is that it is possessed of influence. Every man, whatever and wherever he may be, whether the monarch on the regal throne, or the mendicant by the way side, both directly and indirectly has social power. Nor is this limited to life. It continues after death has laid his cold hand upon us. We are endowed with a two-fold immortality, for we exist not only in another world, but also in the memories of those whom we leave behind. Thus, Paul, though dead, yet speaketh, by means of his epistles, to a larger audience than he ever had in the days of his flesh. Bunyan, though dead, yet speaketh to admiring multitudes by his wondrous and truthful allegory. Fenelon and Massilon, Hall and Foster, though dead, yet speak to grateful thousands by their sermons of wisdom and eloquence. Such being the case, we may say of every good man, in the words of the poet, "Thy great example left behind, Shall still to men extend thy care; It will be readily admitted that these remarks are applicable to the justly revered christian whose unexpected loss Britain yet mourns. Taking it for granted that it will not be needful to enter into a detail of his life, we would ask your attention to some of the thoughts suggested by his character and deeds. What may we learn from his career? 1. He being dead yet speaketh of piety. Havelock was a man of unaffected devoutness. He dwelt in an atmosphere of prayer. Two circumstances shall suffice as illustrations of this. It was his custom to spend two hours early in the morning in supplication and in reading the scriptures. If the troops were up and marched at six, then he was up at four; if they marched at four, he was up, engaged in his devotional exercises by two. Again, as he was going from Persia to India, the vessel in which he sailed was wrecked, and greatly owing to his presence of mind, the whole crew was saved. When all were safely on shore, while some were lamenting their losses, and others congratulating themselves on their escape, a manly voice was heard calling upon them to give thanks to God. And whose voice was that? It was Havelock's. Who led their united thanksgiving? Havelock did. Yes, kneeling down upon the beach, and surrounded by his fellow passengers, the one who was least daunted by danger, showed that he was least ungrateful when delivered. Truly, he speaketh to us of piety. Go There is nothing exceptional here. You will find that real greatness always has its foundations in a spirit of devotion. The tree of righteousness is ever watered by the nightly and morning dews of prayer. Do I turn to the heroes of ancient days? I find that Moses, the lawgiver, whose statutes are yet the basis of wise legislation; David, the bard of Israel, whose lyre still breathes its music in our midst; Gideon, the warrior, who drove back with valiant hand the hordes of Midian; and Isaiah, the seer, whose faithful portraits of the Messiah entitle him to the honours of the historian, as well as those of the prophet,—all were men of prayer. Do I glance at the heroes of modern times? Milton, whose name is 'familiar to our mouths as household words; " Cromwell, that mighty bulwark of European freedom; Howard, who, like his Master, went about doing good; Wilberforce, who broke the fetters of the injured and despairing slave; and Luther, "that solitary monk who shook the world,"-all these were men of prayer. and do thou likewise. In these days of scepticism, when the moorings of faith are so often loosened, and full many a gallant barque is wrecked on the ruthless ocean of infidelity, there is but scant homage paid to prayer. But whatever else you doubt, my brethren, doubt not the full value and efficacy of supplication. Whatever else you neglect, forsake not the throne of grace. It is one of the grand motive-powers of the christian life. It cannot be dispensed with without the most serious injury to our highest interests. Ye who are young, and are eager to pursue the pleasures and toils of existence, if ye would be kept from an end ignominious and hopeless, be men of prayer. Ye who, with blanched locks and wrinkled forehead, having borne the heat and burden of the day, are upon the verge of the tomb, if ye would enter into rest immortal, be men of prayer. Doubter, think not by reason alone to dissipate thy misbelief. Well has it been said, that would reason, let him pray.' Believer, if thou wouldst persevere in the narrow way, and reach the eternal city, there to receive the crown which cannot fade, frequent the mercy seat of Emmanuel. As we sometimes sing, "Prayer makes the darkened cloud withdraw, Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw, Gives exercise to faith and love, "He 2. He being dead yet speaketh of unity. The deceased warrior displayed in his intercourse with various sections of the church, a spirit which none can fail to admire. He proved the worth and beauty of religious union. A firm adherent to the tenets of the Baptist denomination, of which he was 66 66 a member, he was nevertheless the antipodes of a bigot. While he would concede no iota of what he believed to be true doctrine, he was second to none in sympathy with every concientious servant of God. Like the magnanimous Paul, the utterance of his life was this, Grace be with all that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity." In proof of this hear a brief extract from a speech which he made at a public meeting, while he was in Bombay. Whilst he should part with his Baptist principles only with his life, he declared his willingness to fraternize with every christian, who held the Head, and was serving the Redeemer in sincerity and in truth. And here he would protest against its being alleged, as adversaries would insinuate, that where men of various denominations met as this evening in a feeling of brotherhood, they could only do this, paring down to the smallest portion the mass of his religion; on the contrary, he conceived that all brought with them their faith in all its strength and vitality. They left, indeed, he thought, at the door of the place of assembly, the husks and shell of their creed, but brought into the midst of their brethren the precious kernel. They laid aside, for a moment, at the threshold, the canons and articles and formularies of their section of christianity; but carried along with them up to the table, at which he was speaking, the very essence and quintessence of their religion." A valuable lesson is conveyed to the church of Christ in these words. One of our great wants is unity. Perhaps more is said of the lack of it, in some quarters, than is necessary. We are not disposed to think that there is that bitter and intolerant feeling on the part of one sect to another that some would insinuate. Albeit none of us have too much oneness of spirit and co-operation of endeavour. Therefore we plead for more unity. Mark, we do not ask for uniformity. Exact accordance in creed, perfect agreement in points of doctrine, is not to be looked for. Just as no two human beings are alike in countenance, so no two are exactly the same in temperament and intellect. And as long as this is the case, there will be difference of opinion, as the natural result. But this is compatible with unity, the display of a loving spirit and combined effort in overcoming sin and error. Look at those stars above. Theirs is the union we should emulate. How different are they in magnitude and glory, in the velocity with which they travel, and the orbits in which they move. Yet they all declare the glory of God," and are 66 "For ever singing, as they shine, Look at the grand forest population. Those trees are not fashioned and clipped, as we sometimes see them done, by the absurd inventions of man, they are not alike, either in fruit, shape, or foliage. But all lift their branches, like fingers pointing to heaven, and all bring forth fruits to the honour of God. This is the union we desiderate. To quote from the sermon of a distinguished clergyman of the Anglican church :"Be sure, my friends, that in proportion as we really love the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall love those who love Him, be it in never so clumsy or mistaken a fashion; and love those too whom He loved enough to die for them, and whom He loves now enough to teach and strengthen. We shall say to them, not 'wherein do we differ?' but, wherein do we agree?' Not, because I cannot worship with you, therefore I will not work with you;' but rather, ‘I wish that I could worship with you; I will whenever and wherever I can, 6 |