EXTENSION OF THE SOCIETY'S MISSIONS IN INDIA. In common with all classes of their countrymen, the Directors of the London Missionary Society have watched the progress of the disastrous mutiny in India with deep solicitude. But the peculiar and important duties devolving upon them increase this solicitude; for while they believe that the fearful evil has been permitted by Divine Providence for the accomplishment of great ultimate good to that land, they nevertheless feel that it entails upon those who are "put in trust of the Gospel," an urgent obligation to augmented efforts for the evangelization of its inhabitants. Under this conviction, they deemed it their duty to submit the subject without delay to the serious consideration of the representatives of the Society's Auxiliaries, at a meeting of the town and country Directors, specially convened at the Mission House, Blomfield-street, on Tuesday the 19th inst. At that meeting, which was large and influential, the following resolutions were unanimously adopted : 1. That the deeply affecting events which have occurred in Northern India during the last year, in connexion with the Mutiny of the Bengal Native Army, demand, from every section of the Protestant Evangelical Church, a great increase of zeal and liberality in extending the blessings of the Gospel throughout that vast Empire, as the best and only security for its future peace and prosperity. 2. That the London Missionary Society, having for the last half century employed devoted labourers in different parts of India, whose various exertions God has been pleased to crown with distinguished success, should take its fair proportion of effort for extending the blessings of the Gospel among the teeming multitudes yet involved in heathen darkness, and that, accordingly, the Directors employ their best efforts with all classes of their constituents, to enable them to send forth, within the next two years, at the least Twenty additional Missionaries, to aid in carrying onward this great enterprise. 3. That, as the accomplishment of this object would involve the expenditure of £5000 in the passage and outfit of the new Agents, and a regular increase in its expenditure of more than £6000 per annum, it is absolutely neces sary that a Special Appeal should be made to the zeal and generosity of the Society's friends, to enable the Directors to meet the first two years' outlay, and also for a permanently enlarged liberality to render the Society's Annual Income equal to this great increase in its expenditure. 4. That, in order fully to present the importance and urgency of the proposed effort, a Public Meeting of the Members of the Society be held in the Metropolis at the earliest practicable period; and that its friends throughout the country be also urgently invited promptly to adopt suitable and energetic measures, by holding public meetings or otherwise, in furtherance of the object. 5. That, in adopting the preceding Resolutions, the Directors cherish an entire and prayerful reliance on the Divine Redeemer, the Great Head of the Church, to sanction and prosper their humble endeavours for the extension of his Kingdom by disposing the hearts of his people liberally to contribute the free-will offerings required for the enterprise-by raising up well-qualified Evangelists, willing to consecrate themselves to this great service-by guiding them to their appropriate fields of labour-and, by the outpouring of his Holy Spirit, rendering their various efforts successful in the conversion of the Heathen, and the establishment of his kingdom. At the same meeting the Directors resolved to petition Parliament to withdraw its countenance and aid from every form of idolatry in India, and no longer to exclude the Christian Scriptures from the Government schools, and to recommend their constituents to present similar petitions. ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE PUBLIC MEETING ARE IN PROGRESS, AND THE DIRECTORS EXPECT ΤΟ ANNOUNCE THEM VERY EARLY IN THE ENSUING MONTH.' INDIA. Ix several preceding Numbers we have given extracts from the corre spondence of our Missionaries, describing the progress of events in the disturbed districts, their own trying experiences in connexion with those events, and their opinions in reference to the causes of the revolt, and the anticipated effects of those new principles of government which are likely to be introduced upon the re-establishment of the British supremacy. In resuming our extracts, we feel great pleasure in stating that those of our correspondents who occupy Stations in the North-West Provinces, in the near vicinity of the late scenes of terrible conflict, are now, in the gracious providence of God, relieved to a great extent from apprehension and anxiety, and while recording their grateful sense of past deliverances, have been enabled to collect their scattered people, and to recommence the work of Christian instruction with zeal and alacrity. In a letter to Dr. Tidman, under date Benares, 16th November ult., the Rev. James Kennedy writes: "I have much pleasure in acknowledging the receipt of your kind and sympathizing letter of October 10th. We were sure we had the deep sympathy of the Directors and of our Christian friends in England, and the expression of that sympathy is very cheer. ing and gratifying to us. Throughout our troubles and perils the thought that prayer was made without ceasing unto God for us by thousands of God's people in our native land was inexpressibly delightful and supporting to our spirits. In the peace we often enjoyed when danger seemed most imminent, and the faces even of the hopeful gathered blackness, we felt as if these prayers offered up on our behalf were being answered. On one occasion, when with the excellent Missionaries of the Church Missionary Society here, with whom, since the commencement of our troubles, I have spent many a happy hour in Christian intercourse and in supplication to our Heavenly Father -as we rose from our knees, the senior Missionary said that he felt as if a blessing were descending on us in answer to the fervent prayers of our brethren in England; and he spoke the sentiments of us all. How wonderful, too, has been our preservation! We cannot look at the past memorable months without adoring the goodness so signally vouchsafed us. The more we know of the perils we have escaped-the more intimate our acquaintance with the plottings of our enemies, and the circumstances which led to their defeat-the more reason we see for the exercise of ardent gratitude to our great Deliverer. We can with all propriety say, with Israel of old, 'If it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us, then they had swallowed us up quickly when their wrath was kindled against us.' Well does it become us to bless the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.' On several occasions we saw the light of the returning day shining on us in peace and safety with as much surprise as Peter found himself at large away from his prison and from Herod's grasp so imminent was the risk, in the opinion of the best informed, of our being attacked in the course of the night. On two different nights, when our force was very weak, large bodies of armed men were actually marching to attack us, when they hesitated, halted, and retired. May God give us grace that we may render again according to the benefit done unto us! We have passed through very peculiar discipline, and I trust the remaining part of our lives may show that we have improved under the teaching of our Heavenly Father. We cannot but anticipate the largest good to poor unhappy India from the prayers offered up on its behalf. The interest awakened by the startling events of this year will, we trust, be sustained. India will surely have henceforward a place in the minds of British Christians more worthy of its deep necessities, its debased condition, and its relation towards us, than the place hitherto assigned it. Prayer will lead to new effort, and effort put forth in the spirit of prayer will be blessed. What does India need for its deliverance from the dark superstition and debasing vice which have formed a character at once so beastly and satanic as to have, when displayed, astonished and horrified the civilized world, but the Gospel of God's grace carried home by God's Spirit to the understandings, hearts, and consciences of its inhabitants? How can they believe except they hear the glad tidings? How can they hear these tidings except those come to them who are sent by God, and sustained by his people, to whom he has committed this great undertaking? How can these messengers of the truth discharge their high duty except they be upheld by the Spirit of God? How can their message when delivered penetrate the heart of their hearers except that heart be opened by the same Spirit? How can we expect such results except in answer to fervent, persevering, believing prayer? When we hear of so much prayer being offered up, well may we rejoice in such an omen of good, and well may we anticipate the dawning of a joyful day. Instead of giving way to despondency, well does it become us to brace ourselves anew for our Master's work, in the full assurance that our labour will not be in vain. Satan will be again defeated. He doubtless intended, by this rebellion, to drive the Gospel from India; but he has only prepared the way, as often before in the history of the Church, for its wider diffusion. "It is quite unnecessary for me to give you an account of the events transpiring in Northern India. The newspapers furnish the requisite information in the greatest abundance. We have a few sad, sad months before us. There is too much reason to fear that blood will be shed like water. Whatever our feelings may be, we cannot but approve of punishment inflicted on the monsters who have disgraced humanity; but they cannot suffer without involving others in suffering. The community are suffering now to a mournful extent. Then our own countrymen are almost daily falling, though not in the frightful manner in which they did at first. Scarcely a day elapses but we hear of one and another killed. There is too much reason to fear that every succes. sive mail will for some months carry desolation to many a family in England. in mercy, shorten these days of bloodshed and of strife. God, "As to our own city, there is still much uneasiness, although the public mind is too much exhausted to be stirred as it formerly was. The whole of the south of Oude is swarming with armed men, whose avowed object it is to visit us. The Goorkhas are in the adjoining district of Jaunpore, acting as a breakwater against this torrent. Within the last four weeks there have been two bloody engagements in the Jaunpore district with the Oude rebels, who, though beaten, are gathering again in great numbers. Last week several of their agents were caught in our city, and one of them coolly acknowledged he had come to arrange for the Oude army, which might be expected here in a fortnight! About 300 English soldiers are now daily passing through Benares, and, if requisite, a con- Our next extract is from a letter of the Rev. M. A. Sherring, of the I am "Since writing my last letter, the Station of Mirzapore has passed through a series of troubles very similar to those which I have repeatedly described in my letters to you. Rebels from Behwr have been constantly coming into the south of the District on their way to Banda, where Koor Singh had collected together a large force. happy to say that this force has been lately completely routed and dispersed by the troops under the lamented Colonel Powell, who fell in the engagement, and a number of Jacks under Captain Peel. Nevertheless, rebels are still passing through our district, and evidently have not been cowed by the defeat of their comrades. Last week one detachment passed on, another is behind it, and a third is behind that. Our English troops were long ago removed from Mirzapore, having been drawn away by the more urgent demand for troops at Cawnpore and Lucknow. Subsequently our Madras troops were ordered away for the same reason. The entrenchments were then for a few days in charge of the jail-police, but have been since entrusted to the care of a police levy, which has been recently formed in this division, under Captain Catania, a gentleman of Italian extract. This force consists of Native Christians from several Missions in this neighbourhood, of Goorkhas, Hindoostanis, and others of various races, and numbers nearly 400 men. The levy is, doubtless, loyal, but its organization is at present imperfect. It is on this force, and on their own spirit and courage, that the residents of Mirzapore have of late had to depend. You will be able somewhat to realize our position when I remind you of the constant presence of rebels within a few miles of Mirzapore, and of the mutinous Sepoys of the 47th N. I. in our very midst. I will give you one instance of the circumstances in which we have been placed. A detachment of mutineers, with elephants and horses, came to Ghorawal, a town 30 miles distant, and were then quietly proceeding away from us towards the river Behwr. Suddenly they returned to Ghorawal, having been recalled, it was reported, on the invitation of the 47th to come and join them in an attack on Mirzapore. It was at once thought that the rebels, knowing the weakness of the Station, and satisfied that a new levy of a police corps would be unable to stand for a moment before disciplined Sepoys of the regular army, might possibly contemplate a descent on the place. It was difficult to assign any other reason for the return of the force. The magistrate sent a notice round to the European residents of the station, calling upon them, in case of an attack, to assemble in the entrenchments, and animate the police levy by their spirit and bravery. I had intended taking the native Christians into the entrenchments with me. My soul was sad and distressed, as it has often been under similar circumstances, as I meditated on the prospect of the entire Mission the churches, the school, the bungalows, the Christian houses, and all the property, being shortly one mass of |