The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-08-23

better known. So, going from mousse 10
house, they spoke to men, women and chill
dren, reading and singing hymns, and thus
making friends with them. After year of
praying, working, waiting and watching, the
first fruits were given. Three boys confessed
Christ and were baptized. They had seen
Hae intense earnestness with which the mis-
sionaries had prayed and worked, and the
same spirit went into the hearts of the San
thai lads, who prayed day and night for the
conversion of their parents and relatives
Evidently their prayers were heard, for their
friends were converted. Soon some girls
became Christians, and not long afterward
Santhal chief, and then number of his peo-
pie. After time man came to the mis-
sionaries from q neighboring village under
the influence of dream he had had, bring
ing paper written on one side which ne
wanted explained. 1t was found to be a
Santhal hymn, in which sinners were exhorted
to 90 to Jesus Christ. Mr.. -, the ex-
convict, took the Bible, and read from the
Acts about Cornelius and Peter; and while
he read, the Holy Ghost fell on this poor
Santhal as of old he did on Cornelius. He
Jumped up quickly in great JOY, he said, 81
have found the truth" Then after praying
together he went away rejoicing, but in three
or four days he came back, his face beaming
with Joy. Mr.. - asked him what he
wanted. He said that the village people all
wanted to become Christians. "Why," said
the missionary, 1--WE have not preached to
them" 81 have preached to them" he re-
piled. The man had gone home to his vii
lage, and had not left man or woman any
peace till they had heard the word of the
Lord. That word spoke to their hearts and
many came to him with weeping eyes, and
said, Yes, sir, we want to become Chris
tians, because these excellent things that
this man has told you never reached our ears
before" Within month he brought the
people of five villages to the missionaries, and
in one day eighty FIVE of them were bap-
tized, the five village chiefs being among the
number Immediately they formed them
selves into a church, each village constituting
branch church. They at once set about
building chapels themselves. AT the first
church meeting remarkable thing took
place. Mr.. - explained what church
was, and asked whether they had anything
for discussion or not. eyes," they said,
" Having become Christians, in what way
shall we best show our gratitude to Christ (!
He told them that as the Lord Jesus had
cleansed their hearts, they could best show
their gratitude to him by keeping them clean,
and that if they were drunkards before, and
did not drink now, and if they cheated be-
fore, but did not cheat now, then their neigh
bors would say, There is something differ
ent about these people; surely there must
be some good in Christianity;" and 80 it
proved. One old man said, eff went to
heaven without ever having brought any one
to Christ, l would 60 into corner, and not
be able to look at Jesus Christ or any of
you"
But storm came. 1t was not to be ex-
pected that the adversary would be idle while
such work was going on. The Indignation
of many chiefs was aroused, and they made
up their minds to excommunicate the San
thai Christians. But the missionaries, d.
vinely helped, were instrumental in bringing
the chiefs to an agreement that no native
Christians should be communicated on &C.
count of their religion. Then, as on the ces-
sation of persecution in the primitive ages,
"the churches had peace" Then they COM
menced to build their own chapels, pray in
their own villages, and meintain their own
pastors and schoolmasters; and they have,
in addition, formed missionary society to
carry the Word of God to other people two
thousand miles away. Five hundred chiefs
have expressed wish to enrol themselves as
Christians, more than hundred of whom,
having given satisfactory evidence of sound
conversion, have been baptized. Indeed, the
converts, as general thing, show a real and
thorough change. The money the men
used to spend on drink they now devote to
the mission work and the women, instead
of keeping their ornaments, have brought
and laid them at the feet of the missionaries,
saying: "Sell them and put the proceeds
in the mission-box." The Santhal Chris
tians are trained also from the start to be
workers in the vineyard. There is not a
boy, girl, man or woman, who does not
preach the gospel and, as already stated,
they build their own churches and school
houses and support their own pastors and
teachers.
All these facts, not stated in the letter OF
my correspondent, l gather from an address
made by him two years ago at missionary
meeting in London. The speech was re-
ported in the Times, and its statements ap'
peared to the conductors of that journal so
extraordinary, so almost incredible, that they
detailed special reporter in India to visit
the scene of these labors and verify the story.
AS the result of his inquiries, the reporter
addressed series of letters to the Times, in
which he confirmed all that had been related,
and said, in substance, what the Queen of
Sheba said of the wisdom and glory of Sol
ONION, that the half had scarcely been told.