LEANG-AFA.

OPEN the map of Asia, and you will there find traced the vast empire of China; the great Pacific washes its eastern shores, Hindostan and the tropical kingdoms of the east, form its southern boundary, while the northern stretches far up towards the snowy plains of Russian Tartary. Its riches, prosperity, and civilization, equal its extent; it has fine towns, beautiful gardens, and well cultivated fields, and a population as skilful in inventing, and as eager in enjoying the comforts and luxuries of life as ourselves. It has existed too, from very remote times, before the coming of our Lord upon earth, and when England and the rest of Europe were covered with forests, and inhabited by barbarians, the Chinese were, what they are now, a learned, civilized, and polished people.

Is there, then, no difference? might we have lived as well and as happily had we been born natives of that far distant country, as we may in our own land? No; for the Chinese know not

God; perhaps you think that all the heathen are savages, but it is not so; however wise or clever people may be, they know nothing of the will of God, unless He teaches them; of this, the Chinese, as well as the Egyptians, Grecians, Romans, and other great nations that have existed, are a striking proof; for notwithstanding they are, as I have told you, a civilized people, and have been such for thousands of years, they are plunged in the profoundest ignorance in all things relating to religion. Not only are their idols multiplied through the land, but they offer sacrifices to the hills, the rivers, and the winds, and to the great men who lived in former times, the principal of whom is a philosopher called Confucius. Does a fire happen? they attribute it to an evil spirit; a long pole is erected in a public place, and adorned with lanterns; it is visited each morning with music, and the people bow towards it. A theatrical exhibition is then appointed in the hope of appeasing the evil spirit. Does an inundation overspread the country, destroying the grain, and reducing multitudes to famine? "It is the Dragon," say the Chinese, "moving his tail under-ground, and causing the water to come up!" But let not my little reader smile at this; we

should have been as foolish and ignorant as they, unless it had pleased the Lord to teach us better. Perhaps you will ask, why do we not send missionaries there? The Chinese will not allow them to come; they are filled with a preposterous idea of their own greatness and wisdom; they call the English, and all other nations, "Outside barbarians," and despise every people on earth, except themselves. Some few years ago, the king of England sent an ambassador to China, with presents for the Emperor. As the ambassador offended the Emperor,* he refused to receive him, and wrote a letter to our king, in which he told him, that he did intend to have feasted the ambassador in the "hall of light and splendour," and in the "garden of mutual pleasure," to have granted him leave to ramble among the "hills of ten thousand ages," and to have conferred rewards at the "Gate of Concord ;" but "in consequence of this affront, although he did not inflict severe chastisement, he sent them away." It cannot be doubted, that the ambassador was wrong, for he said, he was ill, I believe,

By refusing to enter the Emperor's presence immediately on his arrival from a long journey, without having had time allowed him, even to change his dress. Lord Amherst was the ambassador.-See Dr. Morrison's Memoirs.

when he was not, and thus had a journey of so many thousand miles in vain ; the letter, however, goes on, after mentioning the acceptance of a few presents, to inform the king of England of the Emperor's pleasure in the following terms:"The celestial empire," (by which he means China,)" does not value things brought from a distance; all the curious and ingenious productions of your country, it does not look upon as rare pearls. There is no occasion for the future to trouble yourself to send an ambassador so far; but pour out your heart in dutiful obedience, and for ever obey this." Such was his Majesty's mandate to the king of England! but if the selfconceit of the Chinese lead them to despise the "outside barbarians," they equally dislike them : no stranger is ever allowed to go to any Chinese town except Canton, no woman is permitted to land even there; and the Chinese government absolutely forbids its subjects to teach the language to foreigners. But the written Chinese is the language of five nations; the language of 300,000,000 of people! whatever, therefore, may be the consequences, the difficulties, or dangers, attending the attempt, it has been the earnest desire of Christians, to send missionaries to acquire

the language, and to preach the gospel in it. A missionary, Dr. Morrison, passed nearly all his life there, translating the Bible into Chinese, which he completed before his death. The Chinese is a language very difficult to learn, as it contains 80,000 different characters. The translation of the Bible was the great work of Dr. Morrison's life; but both he, and another missionary, Dr. Milne, though prohibited from preaching, and watched, and suspected on every side, yet found means to convey instruction to a few of the people, who in their turn became persecuted, when their knowledge of Christianity was suspected. Amongst these few was a Chinese, named Leang Afă.

Dr. Morrison lived at Canton; but although he was suffered to remain there, no sooner did Dr. Milne arrive from England, than he was immediately ordered to leave the place; he, therefore, went to Malacca, a town not very far distant, where he occupied himself in learning Chinese, and in printing Dr. Morrison's Chinese translation of the Bible; for this purpose, he engaged two Chinese printers, one of whom was Leang Afă. Leang Afă was an idolater; yet he does not appear to have been entirely thoughtless upon