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 Mateer, Samuel, 1835-1893 
 The gospel in South India 
 
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IMAGE OF ONE OF ' THE FIVE PANDIANS ' IN THE FORT AT TEEVANDEUM. 
 
( MAR 10 j 
 
 THE ^^koi jmm % 
 
 GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA 
 
 OR 
 
 The Religious Life, Experience, and Character 
 of the Hindu Christians. 
 
 EEV. SAMUEL MATEEE, F.L.S., 
 
 Missionary of the London Missionary Society, 
 
 Author of 
 The Land of Charity,' 'Native Life in Travancore,' etc. 
 
 'BV THEIR FRTfTS YE SHALL KNOW THEM: 
 
 THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY: 
 
 56, Paternoster Row; 65, St. Paul's Churchyard; 
 AND 164, Piccadilly, 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The foliowing work lias been compiled as the conclusion 
 and complement of two others previously published, viz., 
 The Land of Charity, on the general features, superstitions, 
 and mission history of Travancore, and Native Life m 
 Travancore, on the social and political condition and 
 ethnography of the people. To the Christian missionary 
 everything ethnological, social, and political, is but sub- 
 ordinate, and leads up to the spiritual features of mission 
 work — to the great end, the salvation of souls and the 
 universal extension of the Church of Christ. Valuable 
 and full reports of the Travancore Mission of the London 
 Missionary Society, prepared by each of the missionaries 
 from year to year, have been locally published for nearly 
 thirty years past, and these contain a vast storehouse 
 of facts and incidents which are in danger of being lost 
 in this fugitive form. My purpose has been to rescue 
 from oblivion, and place on record in a more permanent 
 form, these authenticated and verifiable facts and 
 phenomena of spiritual life and vital Christianity. It 
 seems a pity not to preserve such valuable information, 
 which will be needed a century hence. The incidents are 
 related with but little comment, leaving to others to draw 
 the moral, make fair and reasonable deductions, and 
 
6 PREFACE. 
 
 apply the examples to Christian conduct. Incidentally 
 a great deal may also be learnt of the various t}*pes 
 of character and modes of thought of the people, 
 Eastern customs and usages, and the manner in ^^-hich 
 missionary- work is now carried on. Much of the work is 
 necessarily a compilation from these reports, and I have 
 not thought it necessary to encumber pages intended 
 for popular reading with marks or references for each 
 separate quotation. 
 
 These facts being all drawn from the history of one 
 gi-eat typical Mission in South India, and that estab- 
 hshed in a gi-eat stronghold of idolatry and chosen 
 battle-field of Satan, the volume should be of permanent 
 value, serving as material towa.rd5 a complete history of 
 the ^lission. The same plan might with advantage be 
 followed in the case of other missions, thus collecting 
 and classifying facts of Christian experience for the 
 instruction of the people of God. 
 
 We shall attempt to show in some detail, by 
 authentic illustrations and instances taken from actual 
 life, the working of Divine grace and Christian principle 
 in the heaits and lives of Hindu Christians, from which 
 it will be seen that their experience does not gi-eatly 
 differ in essential featm'es from that of God's children 
 in other lands. We lay the case before readers 
 interested in missions, or who desire to investigate the 
 subject, and we boldly and unhesitatingly claim for 
 the Gospel of Jesus Christ an iniinite superiority 
 over all false reHgions, not only in its direct spiritual 
 result, of subduing rebels to God, regenerating the soul 
 and setting the heart right, but in furthering education, 
 ci\-ihsation, refinement and true morahty ; teaching 
 
PREFACE. 7 
 
 each class its respective duties, healing by the gospel 
 of love the caste hatreds, the vile superstitions, the vast 
 moral evils that prevail in India, and welding opposing 
 classes of the population ultimately into one nation, 
 one brotherhood, animated by faith in the true God — 
 the Father of all — and by love to one another. 
 
 Christianity alone can do this ; it has begun the 
 work, and will complete it. We hope that enough 
 will be found in the following record to give us heart 
 and hope for India. Tliis beneficent influence has only 
 to continue at work, leavening the mass, more especially 
 now to bring in the higher classes (if they do not 
 wilfully reject salvation, as the rich and worldly too 
 often do), till this beautiful country becomes subject 
 to our God and His Christ. Cm- Omnipotent Sa\'iour 
 will assuredly conquer all to Himself. He will 
 overturn all that opposes, and break down the strong- 
 holds of sin and Satan. The idols He shall utterly 
 abohsh. 
 
 Will our readers, therefore, continue instant and 
 importunate in prayer that that happy time of 
 millennial glory may speedily arrive ? Pray that the 
 Holy Spirit may be outpoured upon Travancore ; that 
 those who profess and call themselves Christians may 
 be all truly converted to God ; that eflicient and 
 successful preachers may be raised up from among 
 the children in our schools and the students in our 
 seminary ; that the princes and nobles of the land 
 may be subdued by the all-conquering power of the 
 love of Christ ; and the door of faith thus opened still 
 more widely to the Gentiles. * Ye that make mention 
 of the Lord keep not silence, and give Him no rest 
 
8 PREFACE. 
 
 till He establish and till He make Jerusalem a praise 
 in the earth.' 
 
 May this simple record of the operations of Divine 
 grace tend to commend the cause of Christ and of true 
 religion to all who may read it. * For of Him, and 
 through Him, and to Him are all things, to whom be 
 glory for ever ! ' 
 
 S. MATEEK. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP, PAGE 
 
 I. — Inteoduction 11 
 
 II.— The Mission in South TnAVANCorvE . . . . IG 
 
 in. — Various Classes who Profess to be Christians . 2G 
 
 IV. — Conversion through the Word of God and Prayer 43 
 
 V. — Disappointment in Idolatry and Devil-Worship . 59 
 
 VI. — Conversion through Remarkable Providences . 71 
 VII. — Examples of Inferior Motives leading to 
 
 Ultimate Conversion 93 
 
 VIII. — Steadfastness, Faith, and Zeal of Hindu Christians 99 
 
 IX. — Deaths of Believers 129 
 
 X. — The Liberality of the Native Christians in- 
 Supporting God's Cause 146 
 
 XI. — Efforts for the Salvation of Others . . . 160 
 
 XII. — Hindu Christian Women 170 
 
 XIII.— Early Piety 184 
 
 XIV. - Hindu Christian Preachers 223 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTEATIONS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Image op one of 'the Five Pandia^s' in the Fort at 
 
 Trevandeum " Frontisinece 
 
 The Arms op Travancore 16 
 
 Kali Destroying Children ...... 18 
 
 Hook Swinging 19 
 
 KicHARD Knill . , . , 22 
 
 A Hindu Brahman and his Wife 42 
 
 Devil Music .76 
 
 Sacred Tree, Serpent Gods, and Bathing Tank, 
 
 Trevandrum 104 
 
 A Hindu Blacksmith and his Wife 112 
 
 A Palmyra Climber 127 
 
 A Village Surrounded by Rice-fields .... 145 
 
 South Indian Coins 155 
 
 A Bible-Woman 171 
 
 A Sudra Lady 173 
 
 Hindu Girl Writing on the Sand 101 
 
 Children's Cots 202 
 
 Christ Bearing the Cross 209 
 
 A Native Pastor ... 222 
 
CHAPTEK I. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 They rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how He 
 had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. — And they caused 
 great joy unto all the brethren. — Acts xiv. 27 ; xv. 3. 
 
 Friendly critics have remarked that missionaries 
 returned from India and other heathen lands are 
 sometimes tempted to dwell with disproportionate 
 fulness on the strange manners and customs of the 
 people amongst whom they have lived and laboured; 
 on the painful details of the heathenism which they 
 have witnessed ; and to particularise too little 
 respecting the gracious operations of the Spirit of 
 God in the minds and hearts of the converts, and 
 their experience of the regenerating and sanctifying 
 power of the Gospel. There may be some truth in 
 this observation ; yet it is, at times, very difficult to 
 decide as to what part of the wide subject of the 
 missionary enterprise one should take up within 
 the short time usually available for a missionary 
 address. If some clear and definite conception 
 of the immoral character and soul-destroying 
 influence of idolatry and heathenism in its 
 various forms be not impressed upon the minds of 
 
12 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 our hearers in Christian lands, they cannot feel such 
 profound sympathy or pray with such earnestness 
 and understanding as the occasion demands. 
 They may even be left with the erroneous notion 
 which some entertain, that because most idolaters 
 believe that there is some divine or supernatural 
 being inhabiting the image and distinct from the 
 material of which it is composed, such adoration 
 is acceptable to God and is not sinful. They 
 may imagine, for instance, that the Hindus are 
 seeking after God and doing their best, though 
 ignorantly and mistakenly, to know, and worship, 
 and serve their Creator and Benefactor. 
 
 If missionaries relate merely instances of 
 individual conversion, without first supplying some 
 general information regarding the country referred 
 to and its peculiarities, its inhabitants and their 
 need of the Gospel, no deep or lasting emotion 
 is excited that may lead the hearers to further 
 reading, concern, and inquiry on the subject, 
 and to Hfe-long and intelligent interest in the 
 work of the Lord in foreign lands. Hence some 
 missionaries have thought it preferable, on the 
 whole, to give a comprehensive sketch of their 
 fields of labour, the classes of the population, their 
 superstitions, and the means employed for their 
 evangelisation, with a somewhat general statement 
 of the spiritual results ; at the same time, however, 
 strongly urging the careful perusal of the monthly 
 Missionary Chronicles, Annual Eeports, and other 
 
INTRODUCTION. 13 
 
 publications of missionary societies, in the hope 
 that the interest awakened by the descriptive 
 accoiiiat would lead to, or further encourage, the 
 attentive and prayerful perusal of those periodicals, 
 in which detailed and authentic information is 
 given of the progress of the kingdom of Christ 
 in each land, and in which only full particulars 
 can conveniently be supplied. The promise of 
 interesting information respecting a distant country 
 and people also sometimes secures the attendance 
 at missionary meetings of those who otherwise 
 might not take the trouble to come. 
 
 When men are once thoroughly interested in 
 a particular sphere of missionary operations, they 
 will eagerly look out for, and peruse, all the 
 accessible intelligence about it, as they would the 
 war news, which is looked for with intense avidity 
 from day to day in times of national conflict 
 or popular commotion. In order both to afford 
 information and stimulate interest in our work, I 
 have put together some of the materials accumu- 
 lated regarding the spirihial residfs of evangelical 
 labour in the Travancore Mission, and here seek 
 to rehearse hoiv ' God has opened the door of 
 faith to the Gentiles ' of that strange and beautiful 
 country. 
 
 The work of the Christian missionary in modern 
 times does not greatly differ in character and 
 essential features from that of the apostles. In 
 accordance with the great commission of our Divine 
 
14 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 Master, His servants have gone to heathen nations 
 in various parts of the world, to preach the Gospel, 
 baptizing those w^ho profess faith in Christ, in the 
 name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
 Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things 
 whatsoever Christ has commanded them. To those 
 who have gained some knowledge of God's Holy 
 Word, and outwardly embrace the religion of 
 Christ, we proclaim, as did the Saviour and His 
 apostles, the necessity of regeneration and of 
 holiness in heart and life. ' Ye must be born 
 again ; ' ' Let him that nameth the name of Christ 
 depart from iniquity.' 
 
 Churches and congregations are established in 
 various cities and villages, wherever men appear 
 to have been influenced by Divine grace to reject 
 their superstitions and to ' turn from idols to the 
 living God.' These churches are superintended, 
 and directed, and cared for, led on in the way of 
 holiness ; the sacraments of God's Word and the 
 ordinances of His house are administered for 
 their comfort and edification. Men of God, 
 natives of each country, fitted by knowledge and 
 grace, and called by Providence to His service in 
 the church, are appointed as teachers, or ordained 
 as pastors, of these local churches; and God's written 
 Word is placed in their hands, as the grand subject 
 of their teaching, the rule of life to all men, the 
 great and final standard of appeal. The young are, 
 at the same time, trained up and prepared to occupj^ 
 
INTRODUCTIOX. 15 
 
 their place, in due time, as members of the Christian 
 Church, or teachers of their fellow-countrymen. 
 
 Thus we endeavour to imitate and follow the 
 apostles : and God has been graciously pleased to 
 place the seal of His divine approbation on such 
 labours. While we deeply feel, and often mourn 
 over, our extreme weakness and our insufficiency 
 for the great charge entrusted to us, we are yet, 
 through grace, permitted to rejoice with those 
 early labourers. ' Thanks be unto God, which 
 always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh 
 manifold the savour of His knowledge by us in 
 every place.' 
 
THE ARMS OF TRAYANCORE. 
 
 CHAPTEK II. 
 
 THE MISSION IN SOUTH TEAVANCOEE. 
 
 In the midst of opposition, 
 Let them trust, Lord, in Thee. 
 
 When success attends their mission, 
 Let Thy servants humble be. 
 
 Never leave them 
 Till Thy face in heaven they see. 
 
 Of the missions conducted by the London 
 Missionary Society in various parts of the world, one 
 of the most flourishing and well organised is that 
 in South Travancore, a beautiful and picturesque 
 strip of country, occupying the southernmost 
 
THE MISSION IN SOUTH TRA VANCORE. 17 
 
 part of the western coast of India, and lying 
 between the long range of mountains called the 
 Western Ghauts and the Indian Ocean. A hundred 
 years ago this Hindu kingdom was impervious to 
 the Gospel, and almost inaccessible to European 
 civilising influence, from the bigotry and pride of 
 the Brahman priests, who virtually ruled the 
 government, and from the despotic and exclusive 
 policy of the native Eajahs. The country has been 
 from time immemorial a stronghold of Hindu 
 idolatry, caste variance, and gross superstitions. 
 It is crowded with richly endowed temples, sacred 
 groves, symbols, and shrines, where worship is 
 maintained at great expense, with elaborate cere- 
 monial and intense devotion, and supported by all 
 the pomp and prestige of the State. Caste restric- 
 tions were enforced to such an extent that but a 
 third of the population were sufficiently respectable 
 to enter the temples or enjoy fall rights of citizea- 
 ship. Another third were regarded as of low caste, 
 were subject to the rapacious exactions and cruel 
 oppressions of the higher classes, and forced, 
 according to their several gradations of caste-rank, 
 to display in dress, by going naked from the 
 waist upwards, in speech, by the use of degrading 
 idioms, and in their whole deportment, innumer- 
 able marks of inferiority. The lowest third of 
 the population — the slave castes — were held in a 
 condition of oppressive slavery, prohibited even 
 from the use of the public roads ; from near 
 
THE COSPEL in south IMDIA. 
 
 approach to courts of justice or respectable houses, 
 lest they should pollute the higher orders. They 
 were sunk vastly lower than slaves in other lands 
 by the caste notion of their essential and inherent 
 religious pollution. 
 
 Besides the wor- 
 ship of the ordinary 
 Hindu gods by the 
 Brahmans and other 
 high castes, which 
 has been so fully 
 described in most 
 works on India, 
 Travancore is also 
 a principal seat of 
 the demon worship 
 practised by many 
 aboriginal races in 
 Asia and Africa. 
 This strange and 
 W^ terrible superstition, 
 dishonouring to God 
 and degrading to 
 mankind, varies somewhat in details amongst 
 the different classes of the population. Though 
 not a Brahmanic form of religion, the Sudras of 
 Malabar practise it to a great extent, along with 
 the adoration of the Hindu deities, Vishnu and 
 Shiva, and their subordinate gods. With them 
 il? assumes the form of the worship of Kali or 
 
 KALI DESTROYING CHILDREN. 
 
THE MISSION IN SOUTH TRAVANCORE. 
 
 19 
 
 Bhagavathi, queen of the demons, Shastavu, a 
 demon chief, and other local spirits of evil. 
 
 HOOK SWINGING 
 
 Amongst the Shanars and other Tamil castes 
 in the South, these malignant spirits, male and 
 female, of various names and antecedents, are 
 
20 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 supposed to haunt houses, burial-grounds, and 
 gigantic trees, to produce fever, small-pox and 
 cholera, to possess women and others, and to 
 kill children ; indeed, every accident, disease, or 
 misfortune is attributed to this demoniac agency. 
 The worship consists of dancing, drumming, and 
 songs, bloody sacrifices and other offerings to 
 deprecate the wrath or appease the anger of the 
 devils, and to invoke demoniac inspiration. 
 
 The corresponding tribe of Havars in Central 
 Travancore worship Kali or Bhagavathi and 
 Shastavu, to whom regular temples are dedicated 
 and annual festivals celebrated, lasting several 
 days at a time, when devil-dancing is practised, 
 hook swinging, piercing the sides, or other 
 tortures in honour of the bloodthirsty goddess, 
 and cocks are sacrificed in large numbers. In 
 former times even human sacrifices were offered. 
 
 The spirits of deceased persons are also supposed 
 to become demons, and wander about seeking to 
 do ill, epecially the spirits of those who have 
 died of small-pox, or fever, or in child-birth : 
 these also are commonly worshipped with various 
 offerings, to propitiate them and prevent their 
 injuring the survivors. 
 
 Amongst the lowest and servile castes, the 
 Pulayars, Vedars, and Kuravars, this superstition 
 assumes still more of the form of the worship of 
 the spirits of deceased ancestors. If not pacified, 
 the kind father and mother, the departed loving 
 
THE MISSION IN SOUTH TRA VANCORE. 21 
 
 wife, the virgin daughter, become enraged devils 
 and ghosts, injuring and slaying their own children 
 and friends, producing misfortune and disease ; 
 while, if duly gratified, these famihars may be set 
 upon the enemies of the family. The pretended 
 magicians and sorcerers (generally of their own 
 caste) are therefore called on occasions of sickness 
 and distress, are well fed and fee'd to discover and 
 remove the assumed cause of the affliction. Fowls 
 are sacrificed, grain and fruit presented to the 
 demons, and dancing, songs, and incantations con- 
 tinued until, as the priest pretends, the demon 
 becomes visible to him, or is seized and subdued, 
 or reveals to him the cause of its wrath, and the 
 mode in which amends may be made. 
 
 This revolting superstition is inexorable in its 
 hold upon the minds of the classes from whose 
 ranks our converts are principally drawn ; and in 
 the account of the work of God in Travancore 
 on which we are about to enter, reference will 
 often be made to its influence in tempting to 
 apostasy or to distrust of our gracious Father in 
 heaven. The fear of the demons is the last super- 
 stition that leaves the native mind. 
 
 The seclusion of Travancore was first broken 
 through its invasion by Tippu Saib in 1789, 
 alarming the Rajah of Travancore, and compelling 
 him to appeal for succour to the rising British 
 power at Madras, and to promise, in return for 
 such aid, to pay an annual subsidy, to receive a 
 
22 
 
 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 British resident (or representative) at his Court, 
 and to accept such advice as this official should 
 give on matters affecting the happiness of the 
 people and the welfare of the State. 
 
 The first Political Eesident, Col. Macaulay, arrived 
 
 RICHARD KNILL. 
 
 in 1800, and in 1806 the first missionary of the 
 London Missionary Society, Eingeltaube, obtained, 
 through his friendly intercession, permission to reside 
 in Travancore, where a few poor people had heard of 
 Christianity, and had invited Eingeltaube to settle 
 
THE MISSION IN SOUTH TRA VANCORE, 23 
 
 amongst tliem and teach them. Before this solitary 
 and self-denying missionary left in 1816, six or seven 
 chapels had been built, several schools established, 
 and 900 Tamil converts gathered mider instruction. 
 
 In 1818, Messrs. C. Mead and E. Knill arrived in 
 Travancore, v^^here the former laboured actively for 
 thirty-six years, and the latter for one year, till 
 compelled by ill-health to return to England. Mr, 
 and Mrs. Maull arrived in 1819, and laboured on for 
 thirty-six years. In 1821, Quilon (a few miles north 
 of which is the boundary line mutually agreed on 
 between the work of the Church Missionary Society 
 in North Travancore and the London Mission in the 
 South) was occupied, and the Malayalam Mission 
 formally organized. 
 
 Every year from the beginning congregations were 
 established and placed under the care of native 
 teachers or catechists, schools maintained, and the 
 operations of the mission enlarged. In some years, 
 thousands of the natives cast away their images and 
 emblems of idolatry and demon worship, and placed 
 themselves under Christian instruction. In 1827 
 there were twenty-six chapels, with 2,851 native 
 Christians, 33 catechists, 95 schoolmasters, with 
 1,916 children under their instruction. In that year 
 a persecution was commenced by the higher caste 
 and government officials, enraged at the spread of 
 Christianity and education among the humbler 
 classes, which continued till 1830, but was so 
 overruled by the good providence gf God that it 
 
24 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 resulted in the increased liberty of the Christian 
 converts, and the multiplication of their numbers. 
 
 In 1838 a new era of extension and progress 
 commenced with the arrival of six new missionaries 
 and their wives, several of whom were spared to 
 labour in the mission with much success for 
 upwards of twenty years. Other valued European 
 labourers were added from time to time, and the 
 mission grew, spite of frequent difficulties and 
 opposition, so that in 1859, when the writer 
 joined the mission, there were seven principal 
 stations, with seven European missionaries, 210 
 congregations, with 16,939 native professing 
 Christians, of whom 2,195 were baptized, and 980 in 
 full communion with the Church. Amongst these, 
 394 native catechists and school teachers were at 
 work. 
 
 The South Travancore Mission extends over a 
 tract of country about a hundred miles in length by 
 forty in average breadth, comprising a population of 
 about a milhon and a half This territory is now 
 divided into six mission districts, five of which are 
 presided over by European missionaries, while 
 another is in charge of the seminary for the 
 higher training of native agents, and the seventh is 
 a medical missionary, having charge of a hospital 
 and seven dispensaries, in which a total of over 
 ,25,000 patients are treated every year. The con- 
 ^gregations number 252, comprising a total of 
 43,000 native Christians, who are instructed by 
 
THE MISSION IN SOUTH TEA VANCORE. 25 
 
 twenty ordained native ministers and 162 mission 
 catechists. Of the whole, 12,360 are baptized, and 
 4,418 are communicants. Forty Bible women read 
 the Scriptm-es and exhort, chiefly amongst the 
 heathen ; and in 230 schools there are under 
 instruction 11,500 pupils, half of whom are the 
 children of Christian and half of heathen parents. 
 The contributions of the native Christians them- 
 selves towards the expense of this great work 
 amount to Ks. 13,000 every year ; and it is hoped 
 that, before long, many of the native congregations 
 will become entirely self-supporting, and that 
 ultimately the Travancore churches may be 
 privileged to aid in carrying the Gospel to other 
 parts of India. 
 
CHAPTEK III. 
 
 VAEIOUS CLASSES WHO PEOFESS TO BE CHRISTIANS. 
 
 Sow, though the rock repel thee, 
 
 In its cold and sterile pride ; 
 Some clift there may be riven. 
 
 Where the little seed may hide. 
 Fear not, for some will flourish, 
 
 And though the tares abound. 
 Like the willows by the waters 
 
 Will the scattered grain be found. 
 
 In order to present a full and impartial view of the 
 fruits of missionary enterprise in India it is necessary 
 at the outset, to premise that numbers of people 
 who call themselves Christians are not recognised 
 as such by the pastors and the native churches. 
 Not all who profess the name of Christ and are 
 under instruction are truly and spiritually converted 
 to God. There are merely nominal Christians in 
 India, as elsewhere. 
 
 Some, for example, are the children of Christian 
 converts, but have never themselves shown any 
 interest in personal piety. They hang on the out- 
 skirts of the Christian Church, and, when it suits 
 them, claim the credit of religion, but have never 
 taken upon themselves its duties and responsibilities. 
 And there are others who may have been, at one 
 
CLASSES IVHO PROFESS TO BE CHRISTIANS. 27 
 
 time, more or less promising, but have fallen away 
 through negligence, or been excluded from church 
 fellowship for immorality, intemperance, or dis- 
 honest conduct, yet continue to class themselves as 
 Christians, while their claim to be recognised as 
 such is repudiated by us. Hence the complaint 
 sometimes heard from inconsiderate Europeans 
 that ' Christian servants are worse than heathens.' 
 These employers have probably never made inquiries 
 as to whether the names of the nominally Christian 
 servants are found in our lists of church members or 
 even of regular hearers ; and were such investigations 
 made in the proper quarter, they would probably 
 receive a warning against the hypocrisy and deceit 
 of such false professors. 
 
 I have known a native who called himself a 
 Christian, and doubtless did believe that Christianity 
 is the true religion, yet who scarcely ever was 
 seen in the house of God, his name was not enrolled 
 in any congregational list, and who went about 
 with two concubines, and defrauded several of the 
 coffee-planters. The man was a clever workman, 
 and the employers accepted his services at their 
 own risk, perhaps ' making haste to be rich,' and 
 taking but little interest in the religious condition 
 and welfare of their servants, when they might 
 easily have been enlightened as to his true character 
 and what might be expected of him. Such hardened 
 reprobates are truly worse than the heathen. 
 
 The n£(,mes of mere occasional attendants at 
 
28 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 Christian worship, or of any who are known to 
 indulge in immoral practices or heathen ceremonies, 
 are not even entered on our lists, nor are such 
 counted in the total of ' native Christians.' If such 
 sins or evil habits are discovered, the names already 
 on the roll are expunged, and the offenders and 
 the congregation publicly warned. Even those 
 who begin to attend our meetings and express the 
 wish to join a congregation, and thus to place 
 themselves under instruction, are not recorded till 
 after six months' regular attendance and probation. 
 
 After this period has expired, the names of these 
 new ' adherents,' or regular hearers, are entered, 
 and thenceforward included in the total of * native 
 Christians ' in India. We gladly receive and teach 
 all who accept the rules of the Christian religion, 
 give up idolatry and superstition, attend the 
 public worship of God, and send their children 
 to school for education. Yet we hesitate to apply 
 the expressive term ' convert ' to these, except in a 
 general way when speaking of Christians as a whole, 
 or as distinguished from heathens. They are probably 
 not, in most instances, at first, savingly converted to 
 God and thoroughly in earnest in seeking salvation ; 
 therefore we do not baptize them, nor receive them 
 into communion with the church till they are 
 sufficiently taught to know the way of salvation, 
 and to make an intelligent and credible profession 
 of faith, and till some evidence is seen of their 
 sincerity and obedience to Christian obligations. 
 
CLASSES WHO PROFESS TO BE CHRISTIANS. 29 
 
 In the London Mission, hitherto, a much smaller 
 proportion of the adherents are baptized and 
 admitted to chmxh privileges than is usual in the 
 neighbouring missions of North Travancore and 
 Tinnevelly ; not, I apprehend, because our people 
 are inferior in knowledge or sincerity to those, but 
 because we administer baptism, not to mere pro- 
 fessors or learners of Christianity, but only to those 
 who show by their lives and conduct, as far as we 
 can judge of them during a lengthened probation, 
 that they are actuated by love to the Saviour, and 
 are living, not merely in the practice of external 
 morality and obedience to the requirements of 
 Christianity, but in faith and holiness as children 
 of God. 
 
 There may be more true piety amongst these 
 adherents than human eye can see, and we quite 
 expect that under such favourable circumstances 
 they will be brought, one after another, into the 
 spiritual fold of the Redeemer; but we consider it 
 well to be cautious, and to ' hasten slowly.' It is 
 our business to warn such of the insufficiency of 
 mere profession or attendance on the means of grace, 
 to remind them of the distinction between * hearers 
 of the Word ' and the * doers,' and to preach to 
 them, as did our Lord, * Except a man be born of 
 water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the 
 kingdom of God.' Without the conversion of the 
 heart, the personal reception of the Lord Jesus 
 Christ as a personal Saviour, and the regeneration 
 
3Q THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 of the soul by the Divine Spirit, no mere diligence in 
 hearing or orderly attendance on the means of grace, 
 no outward morality, not even ' the righteousness of 
 the Scribes and Pharisees,' will avail for salvation. 
 
 And if men continue, year after year, to attend 
 our worship without profit or showing any earnest- 
 ness in candidature for further privileges, they must 
 remain without participation in baptism or church 
 communion and continue to be regarded and 
 addressed as merely ' nominal Christians.' 
 
 But it is difficult thus to attend the external 
 means of grace with outward propriety and religious 
 demeanour without receiving benefit. It requires 
 actual resistance of the heart to the gracious in- 
 fluences of the Holy Spirit, to the calls of the Gospel 
 and the warnings of the Divine Word. And while 
 toivards God the unsaved and unregenerate in heart 
 are not Christians, as regards Hinduism and the 
 progress of the Church of Christ, they are on our 
 side. In this sense, being not against us they are 
 for us. They have rejected idolatry and demon 
 worship and external superstitions, immoral habits 
 and participation in the common vices of the country. 
 They contribute to the support of Christian ordi- 
 nances, and are considered by their neighbours and 
 treated as Christians. Although the native Christians 
 of Travancore are generally of humble caste and 
 belong to the working classes — for Christianity has a 
 special mission to the poor — it should not be supposed 
 that they have nothing to give up or to suffer on 
 
CLASSES WHO PROFESS TO BE CHRISTIANS. 31 
 
 account of their Christian profession. Some of these 
 converts have been men of considerable property and 
 expectations, and held in high esteem in their own 
 circles on accomit of their native force of character, 
 or as native doctors, priests, devil-dancers and 
 songsters, ascetics, or astrologers. Some of them 
 suffer much contempt and abuse from their relatives 
 and former associates, or have given up worldly 
 advantages which had been within their reach. 
 Their children also, be it remembered, are under 
 daily and efficient training in our schools, and are 
 thus being prepared to take a position in advance 
 of their parents ; and their accession tends, so long 
 as we keep their spiritual conversion distinctly in 
 view, to their own good and the spread of the truth 
 throughout the land. 
 
 'The work in the congregations,' says the Eev. J. 
 Emlyn, 'is often very slow. Some people go on year 
 after year making no apparent progress. Having 
 had no education in childhood, and having been sent 
 to the laborious work of drawing palmyra juice when 
 mere boys, their minds are so dull that they cannot 
 take in much. Still, by being patient with such, and 
 taking care to instruct their children, encouraging 
 results often follow. A man in the Parisvakkal 
 congregation embraced Christianity about thirty 
 years ago, but during all this time he has made less 
 progress than one would think he might have done 
 in as many weeks. In fact, he is stated by those 
 who know him well to be in the same position now 
 
32 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 that he was when entering on his Christian course. 
 But if he has been stationary, his family have moved 
 on. Three of his sons, who have had some education, 
 are now intelhgent young men, and have taken wives 
 from good Christian famihes ; and two sons and one 
 daughter-in-law have been received into the church. 
 The household at present is a good Christian house- 
 hold, where the reading of the Scriptures and praise 
 and prayer to God may daily be heard.' 
 
 At the same time, we trust and believe that 
 many of the dear children under our care who are 
 not yet of the age to come to the Lord's Supper 
 are subjects of Divine grace, and will be partakers 
 of eternal salvation. 
 
 The members of our congregations may n fact, 
 be compared with those belonging to any ordinary 
 Christian congregation. A few persons may occa- 
 sionally attend who are of evil reputation or bad 
 character ; but such generally have no interest or 
 object in attendance at Divine service, and will 
 not long persevere. Many, again, are more or less 
 undecided and half-hearted, weak in faith, or 
 hindered by some bosom sin from thorough union 
 with the people of God. The difficulties and 
 hindrances to religious decision are very much 
 alike both in India and at home — from former 
 companions and friendships and the opposition of 
 relatives, from old habits, worldliness, and injurious 
 customs and employments. Then a certain pro- 
 portion of our people, as large perhaps as in 
 
CLASSES WHO PROFESS TO BE CHRISTIANS. ZZ 
 
 England, are earnest and living Christians, but 
 still not free from the imperfections, temptations, 
 infirmities, and errors that continually beset us 
 while we are in the flesh. 
 
 Even amongst those Hindu converts who, we are 
 convinced, are true believers, there is often too 
 much vagueness and indefiniteness of Christian 
 experience and of realisation of the saving power 
 of grace. Some show by their changed character 
 that they are actuated by true religion, yet, being 
 wholly uneducated, possessing little knowledge 
 of the letter of Scripture, and unaccustomed to 
 mental introspection, are unable to state their 
 inward feelings or spiritual experience accurately 
 and definitely. 
 
 I have often wondered at the rarity on the part 
 of many Hindu converts of that definiteness 
 of experience which is more common amongst 
 European Christians. Many there are of whose 
 piety, prayerfulness, and purity of life we are 
 witnesses, but who are unable to express themselves 
 clearly as to the present experience of pardon and 
 peace with God. This may arise partly from the 
 absence of intellectual cultivation, and partly from 
 the lack of deep and overpowering emotions under 
 any circumstances which may affect them; or it 
 may arise from a deficiency of fulness and clearness 
 in our own teaching which we ought to remedy. 
 The chief outward test of piety, doubtless, is 
 holiness of life, and this we see in greater or less 
 
34 THE GOSPEL LN SOUTH hXDLA. 
 
 measure in many. But we long to see also a greater 
 depth of inward experience and a clearer enjoyment 
 of the spiritual blessings of the gospel, a warm, 
 glowing piety and enthusiasm in the service of the 
 Lord. 
 
 Many show too few tokens of faith and holiness 
 and ripeness of piety — too little active manifestation 
 of grace — too little rejoicing in the Lord and 
 glorying in the cross of Christ— yet there are some 
 signs of spiritual life and fruit, some struggling to 
 do right and to fight against evil, some following 
 on to know the Lord, and, on the whole, a 
 gradual improvement and growth. We would 
 therefore judge tenderly and encouragingly of all 
 such. We would not ' quench the smoking flax, 
 or break the bruised reed.' We would hope the 
 best of these, and compare them, not with what 
 Christians should be according to the perfect 
 standard, but with what they once were — covetous, 
 worldly, profane, lustful, worshippers of false gods 
 and dumb and lifeless idols, or of malignant spirits, 
 whom they adored and propitiated with offerings of 
 blood, frantic dancing, blasphemous invocations, 
 and fearful midnight orgies. 
 
 The various classes of professing Christians have 
 been well described by the late Kev. S. Jones, in 
 the following remarks : — 
 
 ' The inner circle of our Christian community we 
 try by all means to keep select. Yet, in spite of all 
 our care, unworthy people creep in. I know some 
 
CLASSES WHO PROFESS 70 BE CHRISTIANS.. 35 
 
 among us whose example and influence are not 
 good. They often go to law with one another and 
 with the heathen aromid them. They are con- 
 stantly causing trouble in the congregations as 
 well as grief, difficulty, and worry to the missionary. 
 I fear also that some are secretly given to 
 drinking and other vicious practices. It is from 
 this class that our expulsions occur from year to 
 year. 
 
 * There is another class, by far the most numerous, 
 which I scarcely know how to describe. I cannot 
 praise them much, and they do not deserve much 
 blame. I cannot say that they are cold-hearted, 
 neither should I like to call them lukewarm ; but 
 it would be equally incorrect to give them the 
 appellation of iv arm-hearted. They are decent 
 ordinary Christian people, such as compose the 
 majority of our church members at home. They 
 give cheerfully to the cause of God, but not always, 
 nor even commonly, as God has prospered them. 
 They are devout and prayerful, but might be less 
 worldly-minded. I will not say they do no good, 
 but I do say that they ought to be of much 
 greater service to the church and the world than 
 they are. They appear too satisfied with present 
 attainments — making but slow progress in know- 
 ledge and holiness. 
 
 ' There are others whose excellence it would be 
 difficult to exaggerate. They are pearls of great price. 
 They live the true higher life. They are burning 
 
36 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 and shining lights. They have truly put on Christ, 
 and would, rather than deny Him, joyfully submit 
 to torture and death. For sterling character and 
 worth they are perhaps not inferior to the best 
 specimens of our Lome church life.' 
 
 Human nature is Iho same everywhere, and 
 similar temptations, snares, and stumbling-blocks 
 lie in wait for men in India as in Christendom, and 
 as in all ages of the church's history. Church 
 discipline is, however, decidedly more strict in our 
 missions than in European churches, and incessant 
 care is exercised respecting the spiritual progress of 
 our flock. We endeavour, also, as far as possible, to 
 provide against the rise of serious evils in the 
 future by the circulation and frequent exposition of 
 the Holy Scriptures, by useful books and devoted 
 attention to the education of the people. 
 
 The sins for which individuals are, from time to 
 time, excluded from communion are principally 
 caste hatred and quarrels, immorality, breaches of 
 truth and uprightness, intermarriage with the 
 heathen, and continued neglect of the means of 
 grace. 
 
 Any attempt at observance of caste is destructive 
 to personal piety. Some would-be defenders of 
 caste among Christians mis-state the case when 
 they ask, ' Is a man bound always to eat with 
 strangers, with people far beneath him in social 
 position, or with people of uncleanly habits ? ' 
 Common sense says, No. But the caste-man in 
 
CLASSES WHO PROFESS TO BE CHRISTIANS, yj 
 
 the Christian Church is one who has resolved 
 never to intermarry with Christian converts 
 from a different caste, however cleanly, educated, 
 pious, or refined. One can scarcely add, however, 
 loealtliij, for money will often overcome such 
 wretched scruples. The * caste Christian ' is re- 
 solved rather to die than partake of food cooked 
 by one of lower caste, or take a draught of the 
 purest water from his hand ; and this solely in order 
 to retain his caste position with the heathen, and 
 avoid the reproach of associating with low-caste 
 Christians. That is the spirit and temper to which 
 we object with all our might. Is it at all possible 
 that such a one can have been born of God, 
 renewed in nature, and filled with love to 
 the brethren (1 John iii. 10-14; ii. 9-11)? The 
 distinctions of caste are of the very essence of 
 Hinduism and diametrically opposed to the spirit 
 of Christ. Were such a case to present itself, we 
 should object to a highly-educated girl of humble 
 caste marrying a stupid, ignorant Brahman : he 
 would not be good enough for her. Nor should we 
 advise a Brahman convert to take any but an 
 educated, pious, and suitable wife, of whatever caste. 
 What we do recommend is, that persons practically 
 equal in social position should intermarry from 
 considerations of mutual affection, suitability, faith, 
 and temporal means. The families of catcchists, 
 for example, or of native clergy, or merchants, or 
 farmers, should form such unions as may be con- 
 
3S THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 venient without regard to their former caste ; and 
 former caste distinctions should not be remembered 
 to the reproach and injury of those who have risen 
 by merit, and are worthy of their present more 
 elevated social position. 
 
 Again, the loose marriage customs which prevail 
 in Malabar amongst the high-castes, and the gross 
 immorality amongst the low-castes, produce an 
 atmosphere of sensuality which is injurious to 
 pure morals. 
 
 The general weakness of moral character amongst 
 the Hindus, and their deficient sense of truth and 
 righteousness, also tend to depress the character 
 of native Christians. "Wrongful disputes regarding 
 property arise : some fall into debt ; others prove 
 unfaithful or dishonest in business. * Nothing 
 reveals character more clearly than business affairs, 
 and one great lesson that some Travancore Chris- 
 tians need to learn is, not only to forgive men 
 their debts, but to pay their own.' 
 
 Yet there are also numberless instances of probity 
 and honour. Kecently a heathen had a lawsuit 
 with some people about a piece of land, and proved 
 his legal right to it in the courts ; but after becoming 
 a Christian he called his opponent and said, ' You 
 have a more real claim to the property,' and 
 relinquished it to him. 
 
 Intermarriage with the heathen for wealth or 
 respectability is contrary to the Word of God, but 
 sometimes professing Christians are tempted to give 
 
C LASSES WHO PROFESS TO BE CHRISTJANS. 39 
 
 their cliilcTren in heathen marriage, or to assist 
 at such ceremonies. Lastly, gradual backsliding, 
 falling into a state of slothful negligence of divine 
 worship and ordinances, is not uncommon in every 
 land. 
 
 Having thus given a general description of the 
 various classes of Hindu Christians, a more agree- 
 able part of the subject now presents itself — the 
 selection and narration of cases of conversion, and 
 the circumstances under which they have come 
 about. 
 
 Here it is interesting to note the variety of modes 
 and means by which men are brought to God. 
 * The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou 
 hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence 
 it Cometh, and whither it goeth, so is every one 
 that is born of the Spirit.* Some, like Lydia, have 
 their hearts gently opened by the Lord, to give 
 heed to the things spoken, and are tenderly led to 
 Christian piety. These may be the grandchildren 
 of our earliest converts — perhaps trained up, like 
 Timothy, in the knowledge of the Scriptures in the 
 home or the school, or gradually transformed by the 
 power of the preached gospel. Others have been 
 like the jailor of Philippi, violent opposers of the 
 gospel, openly wicked, and forced to cry loudly for 
 mercy and salvation. Or, like the young woman 
 at the same place who had a spirit of divina- 
 tion, some have been devil-dancers, priests, and 
 sorcerers, seeking and pretending to divination 
 
40 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 and magical powers for their own vile purposes 
 and profit. 
 
 The various modes in which conversion to God 
 usually takes place amongst us are chiefly these, 
 viz., the early training of children in Scripture 
 knowledge and piety; inferior motives bringing 
 men under the sound of the gospel and faithful 
 preaching, through which they ultimately become 
 truly earnest and pious ; providential circumstances 
 impressing and directing some ; disappointment in 
 heathenism and demon worship leading others to 
 consider the claims of Christ and His religion ; and 
 the direct influence of prayer and Scripture truth, 
 often blessed to the conversion of individuals. 
 
CHAPTEE IV. 
 
 COXVERSION THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD AND 
 PRAYER. 
 
 Speak peace to the people who mourn, 
 
 Bowed dovMi with their guilt and their grief ; 
 The burden's too great to be borne, 
 
 Unknowing the way of relief. 
 Oh, send them the message benign, 
 
 Which peace through a Saviour displays, 
 That earth, like a temple divine. 
 
 May echo the shouts of Thy praise. 
 
 A PRINCIPAL feature of our mission work is the 
 reverence paid to the Holy Scriptures, by their dih- 
 gent circulation amongst aU classes, and their public 
 reading and exposition on all suitable occasions. 
 One can have great satisfaction that our chief aim 
 and effort are to bring revealed truth to bear on 
 both heathens and Christians, assured that God's 
 Word shall not return unto Him void, but shall 
 prosper in the thing whereto He has sent it. We 
 take our due share in the translation and revision 
 of translations of the Holy Scriptures. Bibles and 
 Scripture portions are offered for sale by colporteurs 
 and readers, and urged upon all. Our most suc- 
 cessful pastors are those who most assiduously 
 
44 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 teach the Scripture lessons to the people, and thus 
 build them up and establish them in the faith. 
 Persons joining our congregations are usually said, 
 in native idiom, 'to learn Christianity.' God's 
 inspired Word is taught week by week, and com- 
 mitted to memory by young and old. We have few 
 formularies, but the Scriptures and two or three 
 catechisms of Scripture-history and fundamental 
 doctrine are regularly taught in all the schools and 
 congregations. The native preachers draw their 
 illustrations chiefly from Scripture, as, ' The sword 
 of the Spirit,' and ' The oracles of God.' His Word 
 is reverenced and appealed to as our unerring guide — 
 the standard of all truth, and it proves itself by its 
 operation to be indeed that ' law of the Lord which 
 is perfect, converting the soul,' ' able to make men 
 wise unto salvation.' ' Faith cometh by hearing, 
 and hearing by the Word of God.' 
 
 Already, in consequence of the wide dissemination 
 of evangelical truth, there is an impression working 
 in the public mind in favour of Christianity. Scrip- 
 tures and Christian books are sold, and tracts 
 distributed widely. Christianity is a power in the 
 country. A Brahman of Karamana, who was some 
 time ago baptized at Cottayam, told me that 
 he attributes his first impressions solely to the 
 perusal of the Christian Scriptures sold him by 
 our colporteur. Tracts, especially poetical ones, 
 are generally, in our experience, the first means 
 of introducing Christianity to the notice of 
 
CONVERSION THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD. 45 
 
 respectable heathens ; then they ask for portions 
 of Scripture, and are ready to converse with the 
 mission agents. The Bible certainly is, on its first 
 perusal, difficult to Hindus, the proper names and 
 geography puzzling them. ' What is it all about ? ' 
 they ask. So much the more need is there for 
 maintaining and extending the sale of the Scrip- 
 tures and our open-air preaching, were it only to 
 familiarise the people with our technical terms, and 
 the facts on which our doctrines are based. 
 
 That our Christian publications are prized by 
 many is often clearly seen. Not long since, at a 
 discussion between a catechist and some people 
 attending a market, a man sneeringly asked, ' Of 
 what use are your tracts ? ' To which a Brahman in 
 the crowd at once replied, ' They are not of earthly, 
 but spiritual usefulness. Why do the Christians 
 spend so much money if they do not believe they are 
 really useful ? Look at that Jack tree' (he pointed 
 to a large tree, under the shade of which they were 
 standing, a tree as large as an oak). ' Years ago a man 
 buried a nut. That sprouted up and grew. Now it 
 is a big tree, laden with plenty of fruit. So are the 
 Christian publications. They are like little seeds, 
 which may in future bear plenty of refreshing fruit.' 
 
 Educated Hindus approve of the Bible-teaching 
 still kept up in the Maharajah of Travancore's High 
 School. The deity of Jesus Christ and His atone- 
 ment are, as ever, the stumbling-block; otherwise 
 they confess that Christianity is w^orthy of admira- 
 
46 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 tion. They profess to care little for caste, and some 
 of them help our preachers in reproving idolatry, 
 They like to talk with us on the sahject of religion, 
 and if they do not themselves receive the truth, 
 it is not so much because they dislike the Bible, 
 as through fear of losing public employment and 
 social position in their respective castes and under 
 a heathen Government. ' Cannot we be saved,' 
 they ask, * although we do not observe your 
 ceremonies of baptism and so forth ? ' 
 
 * It is my impression,' writes Mr. Hacker, 
 * that many of the most thoughtful of the 
 educated natives go secretly to Christ in the hour 
 of sorrow, and lean upon Him in the hour of 
 death. I experienced this year a striking illustra- 
 tion of this last statement which gave me much 
 courage. Dr. Thomson was called to visit an 
 old man belonging to a high caste, and to his 
 surprise the man asked him if he could be ba,ptized. 
 The doctor came and told me about this, and 
 I said, ''By all means let him be baptized if 
 he believes on the Saviour." The next morning 
 early. Dr. Thomson and I went to the house 
 of this man. He was about seventy years of 
 age, and would evidently soon pass from this 
 world. I asked him if he loved Jesus, and if he 
 was trusting Him for his soul's salvation. The 
 old man said, " I am clinging humbly to His feet." 
 I then asked him if I should baptize him, and his 
 face lighted up beautifully as he said, '' Yes." All 
 
CONVERSlOlSj THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD. 47 
 
 his family had by this time gathered romid, and 
 they brought me the water and a clean cloth, and 
 gladly assisted me in all I asked them to do. We 
 all knelt down and prayed, and when I asked the 
 old man his name, " That is a heathen name," said 
 he ; "I want you to give me a Christian one." I 
 mentioned several, and he stopped at one, Yesudian 
 {i.e., a humble servant of Jesus). Accordingly, in 
 the presence of his heathen relatives, in his own 
 house, I baptized him in the name of our glorious 
 Master. It was worth coming to India to see this 
 dying man's peace in the love of his Saviour. The 
 remarkable thing is that he had never been in a 
 Christian church, but years ago he bought a Bible, 
 had been reading it privatelj^ and its truth had 
 fallen into his heart and brought forth this seed in 
 his dying hour. May God hasten the time when 
 our Saviour shall have all the heathen thus as His 
 inheritance ! ' 
 A Bible woman at Nagercoil writes : — 
 'I went to see a woman who had just lost her 
 husband. On seeing me, she said, *■ My husband's 
 last words, and those I have read from the Bible, 
 have comforted me greatly." Her eldest son was 
 standing near his mother while she was speaking 
 to me, and said, " While my father lived he was a 
 Christian, and he died believing in Christ. He 
 used to read the Bible regularly, and prayed to 
 Jesus every day. When dying, he was very calm 
 and peaceful, and told my mother not to mourn 
 
48 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 for him as other heathen women, because he was 
 going to a happy home where he would enjoy 
 many blessings. Just before his death, my mother 
 said to him, ' What have you to say to me ? ' 
 His reply was, ' Believe in Christ, read the Bible, 
 and love the Christians.' " ' 
 
 In the conversion of heathens, the simple reading 
 or hearing of Holy Scripture, with loving exhor- 
 tations, is sometimes the means, under God, of 
 leading them to the truth. 
 
 In this neighbourhood there is a devil-dancer, so 
 fierce and wicked that he may justly be called the 
 terror of all around him. No man, whatever be 
 the amount of his property or authority, ever 
 attempted to utter a single word against him, 
 however persecuted or ill-treated by him. The 
 reason is that every one was sore afraid of him, 
 thinking that he would instantly send his favourite 
 devils against his enemies, and torment them. 
 Moreover, when any one became sick, the sick man 
 or his friends would go to him, fall down prostrate 
 before him, offer him whatever sum of money he 
 would demand, and beg him to have compassion on 
 the invalid. Because he was held in so much 
 honour he was exceedingly haughty, and thought 
 himself superior to every other human being in the 
 world. Being afraid, or rather anticipating, that 
 if the heathen around him heard about Christianity, 
 and embraced it, he would no more be the object 
 of their fear and reverence, he forbad them to hear 
 
CONVERSION THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD. 49 
 
 the Word of God, and threatened those who Hstened 
 to it. He was always busy inquiring whether the 
 new converts to Christianity were afflicted with 
 disease, and was glad to hear when they were so, 
 for then he would immediately send his friends to 
 them to threaten them in his name, and persuade 
 them to renounce their faith in Christ, and seek 
 the aid of their former friend, the devil-dancer. 
 There are instances of persons who had but 
 recently come over to Christianity, and whose 
 faith had acquired no strength, renouncing their 
 profession through the persuasion of these enemies 
 of Christ ; but I am glad to add that none of those 
 who by a strong faith are founded on Christ, the 
 Eock of Salvation, have ever been moved by such 
 winds of ' vain conceit.' The man seemed to be 
 a representative of the devil, and would, no doubt, 
 put a stop to the progress of Christianity in these 
 parts, if it were in his power to do so. One day, 
 when I was reading the fifth chapter of the Gospel 
 by Mark to a heathen crowd, composed of men and 
 women, this man suddenly made his appearance 
 among us. Though I was sorry to see him there 
 at that time, thinking the hearers would, from fear 
 of him, be discouraged from listening, yet I con- 
 tinued to read on. My hearers, also, were much 
 terrified, like young chickens at the sight of a kite, 
 and the more so as the man looked at them furiously 
 with his fiery eyes, and walked off without uttering 
 a single word except, ' Very well ; I shall see to 
 
 £ 
 
so THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 this.' When the people heard that word, they said, 
 * Please, sir, depart from us, that cruel raan will 
 find out who we are, and do us harm.' Before I 
 could wind up my exhortation they all walked off 
 one by one. Not long after I found this man 
 sitting in the shade of a tree with two others ; 
 and, thinking it useless to turn out of my way to 
 speak to him, walked straight on, turning my face 
 away from him. But he accosted me, and requested 
 me to read to him the book which was then in my 
 hand. I was much surprised at hearing his words, 
 and thought that he was only jeering ; but he made 
 me sit down at his side, and then said that as to 
 himself his belief was that the devil was utterly 
 powerless for good or evil, and that he was 
 thoroughly convinced of the truth of this, though 
 he made others to believe the contrary. I then 
 embraced the opportunity to teach him the will 
 of God and of Christ, and continued teaching him 
 for the space of two hours. He heard me very 
 attentively, and promised to become a Christian. 
 
 A very interesting case, of somewhat similar 
 character to the preceding, is related by a cate- 
 chist at Neyoor. ' I feel bound to give thanks to 
 God for the change effected in a recent convert. 
 He lives not far from our chapel, and his father 
 was a famous devil-dancer. Whenever he was 
 spoken to about Christ, he would say, *' I mean 
 to live and die like my fathers." He became 
 connected with Nathaniel and other Christians in 
 
CONVERSION THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD. 51 
 
 trade, and they prayerfully put into his heart the 
 seed of life. His pride would not permit him to 
 enter the chapel ; but he would come and stand 
 by the door and windows every Sunday and listen 
 eagerly to the sermons preached. He requested 
 me to buy him a Bible, which I did gladly ; for 
 nearly three months he read this eagerly in private, 
 coming to me at intervals with notes of difficult 
 portions, to have them explained- In the middle 
 of the year he publicly attended divine service, 
 tellinor his wife his conviction about Christ and his 
 obligation to become a follower of Him. The 
 woman grew angry, expressing her fear that the 
 demon whom their forefathers worshipped would 
 become enraged ; she besought him to kill the big 
 ram, and sacrifice it to the demon ; he said. No, he 
 would not sacrifice it to the demon, but he would 
 give it to the poor. Finding her husband so firm, 
 she yielded and came to the chapel. He killed the 
 ram, invited a number of the poor people, and gave 
 them a feast. I also was present and was called 
 upon to ask God for a blessing upon him and his 
 family in their new course of life. When the feast 
 was over, he came and said, *' To-day I have shaken 
 off the heavy yoke of Satan, and I am no longer 
 his servant. I want to be baptized in the name 
 of Christ." ' 
 
 A man named Neelan, a heathen songster and 
 teacher, was converted in 1881, with his whole 
 family. He, with his three brothers and their 
 
S2 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 families, were very zealous in their superstition, 
 possessing a small temple of their own, with 
 images of Kali, Isakki, and other demons. A 
 yearly festival was observed, and offerings made of 
 goats, fowls, plantains, cakes, etc. The catechist 
 often visited Neelan, to speak with him about 
 Jesus Christ and His great salvation ; and the 
 man, being intelligent, did not greatly oppose, 
 but, in fact, often promised ' to learn the Vedam.' 
 One evening he repeated this promise, when the 
 catechist solemnly exhorted and warned him against 
 further delay, urging him to yield at once to God. 
 He seemed touched, and promised an early decision, 
 and the Christian teacher left, praying that the 
 Lord might bring his soul to Himself. During the 
 next few hours, he was under great anxiety and 
 perplexity, halting between two opinions ; but next 
 morning he sent a message requesting the preacher 
 to come over in the evening and offer prayer with 
 him and his family, and promising to attend divine 
 service on Sunday morning. The catechist, over- 
 whelmed with joy, offered prayer as requested, and 
 the whole family came to the chapel, and remained 
 steadfast in their profession. 
 
 Soon after their conversion, the offerings belong- 
 ing to their temple, such as golden bracelets, golden 
 garlands, etc., were taken out and fairly divided 
 between the brothers. Each received his due 
 portion, and part of the amount coming to the 
 Christian converts was given for a new chapel at 
 
CONVERSION THROUGH THE WORD OE GOD. 53 
 
 Nellikakuri. They were somewhat puzzled as to 
 how to divide the idols amongst the co-owners. 
 The temple and idols are now left ownerless and 
 disused. The other brothers still remain in 
 heathenism, but astonished and ashamed that their 
 demon goddess did not punish the daring violators 
 of her worship. 
 
 The following account of a converted slave is 
 given by Kev. J. Emlyn : — 
 
 'Yakob was of the Palayar caste, and was 
 born and bred in slavery. Yakob, in addition to 
 labouring for his Sudra master, laboured occa- 
 sionally on his own account as an highwayman; 
 he was also the head of a band of docoits, and 
 was respected by his comrades for his daring and 
 skill. He first attended a Christian place of 
 worship during the severe famine in 1861, his 
 aim, like that of the four persons who accompanied 
 him, being to place himself in a position to obtain 
 the help of the missionary, in case the lower 
 revenue officers of the Sircar should oppress him, 
 as it seems they had just oppressed some of his 
 neighbours. Attending the services regularly, he 
 soon obtained enough insight into Christianity to 
 make him feel that it must be the religion of the 
 true God, and he valued it accordingly. He gave 
 up robbery, settled down to his work as a small 
 agriculturist, and, exerting his influence among 
 the people of his caste, was of great service in 
 the formation of the congregation at Tevikode. 
 
54 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 Like most of his class, he found it extremely 
 difficult to break off his drinking habits, and did 
 not do so till within three years of his death. 
 In November, 1873, on my return from the 
 Neilgherries, where I had been for a time for 
 the benefit of my health, the congregation of 
 Tevikode, like many others, came and paid me a 
 visit of welcome. After receiving their small 
 presents of plantains, fowls, etc., and listening to 
 their speeches and singing, I spoke to them for 
 some time, dwelling particularly on the importance 
 of their giving up drink, and addressing Yakob 
 personally, pointed out his especial responsibility 
 in the matter. Having often spoken in vain to 
 him on this subject before, I had no reason to 
 hope that on this occasion my words would produce 
 much effect. They were, however, the means of 
 his deciding to become a total abstainer, and from 
 that time he drank no more. After this he made 
 greater progress in his Christian life generally, 
 and was soon admitted into the church and 
 appointed deacon. He could not read, and being 
 about fifty years of age, believed it too late for him 
 to learn. He had no great objection to public 
 speaking, and once, at a Sangam at Vengodu, gave 
 an address which was listened to with much interest. 
 His death, which took place rather suddenly, was 
 a great loss to the congregation, as also to his 
 widow and children. His last hours were spent in 
 urging his fellow-Christians to unity and progress.' 
 
CONVERSION THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD. 55 
 
 The following brief account of a Christian will 
 serve as a type of others : — 
 
 Japheth was the son of one Mallen, a clever 
 and strong gymnastic, and a chief man in demon- 
 worship amongst the Shanars of Tornkel. This 
 man died as a professing Christian at the age of 
 seventy years. Japheth also imitated his father 
 in devil-worship, and was, till about fifty years of 
 age, quite careless about salvation. As a heathen, 
 he was honest and diligent, but quite illiterate, and 
 somewhat deaf. In 1850, the catechist at Torukel 
 used to exhort him about his soul. Once when he 
 went to his house and spoke seriously about his 
 dangerous condition, he asked, * Is there any pro- 
 pitiation for all my sins ? ' The teacher told him 
 of the blessed Saviour and His history. He at 
 once called his wife and urged her to consent to 
 learn Christianity, and attend to God's worship 
 from the very next Sunday. This was done. He 
 attended and paid great attention to what was 
 said, and often seemed to receive into his heart 
 what was preached. He would ask more fally 
 about difficult doctrines. After he was admitted 
 into the church he grew in piety, as is testified 
 by all the catechists who w^ere stationed at 
 Torukel. He esteemed his teachers, and exhorted the 
 people to attend regularly and give contributions. 
 Often he came to the teacher to express his 
 gratitude. He seemed to have some presentiment 
 of his death, went to one of his intimate friends, 
 
56 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA, 
 
 whom he took to his house, and, after givmg him 
 refreshments, said, ' My friend, I am sure we shall 
 not see each other again in this world ; but I am 
 ready to depart.' The same night he was 
 attacked with cholera, and died in peace at the 
 age of eighty years. 
 
 No human effort or teaching is of value without 
 earnest, believing, importunate prayer ; and the 
 power of prayer is often exemplified. As one has 
 well said, ' Prayer is the secret of all success in 
 the church's work for the world's conversion. 
 Without much prayer, all efforts for this end must 
 ever prove vain and fruitless. God alone can do 
 the work, and His must ever be the exclusive and 
 undivided glory. Prayer is the direct recognition 
 of His immediate agency and paramount claims.' 
 
 Another says, 'It is a serious thing to do religious 
 work, to take the power of the world to come to 
 convert the nations, unless we plange into the 
 presence of the eternal God, and in prayer and 
 close communion with our Master gather out the 
 forces of eternity, that we may use them in the 
 realms of time.' 
 
 'At the meeting of candidates for church member- 
 ship,' writes a native missionary, ' the catechist 
 
 informed me that P should be baptized. 
 
 "How could I receive such a character as that," 
 said I, " notorious as he is for all kinds of wicked- 
 ness ? " " Wait till you see," replied the catechist ; 
 " there is a ejreat change in that man." At the 
 
CONVERSION THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD. 57 
 
 meeting, I began the service, and after prayer, 
 proposed various questions to the candidates. 
 Coming to the subject of the sufferings and death 
 of our Eedeemer, I solemnly urged on them that 
 He died in order to save us and give us eternal 
 life. During the address this man was shedding 
 tears. His sorrow became so great, that we had 
 to stop and offer special prayer for him with tears. 
 After the meeting I had a private conversation 
 with him, and he appeared to be a new creature 
 in Christ Jesus. He was baptized along with 
 others, and is now useful in his congregation.' 
 
 * A new convert to us was the slave of a Sudra. 
 After he embraced Christianity his master and all 
 his relatives persecuted him. He had a daughter 
 given in marriage to a heathen. The daughter's 
 husband, angry that his father-in-law had become 
 a Christian, beat his wife unmercifully, and sent 
 her back to her father's house. The father received 
 her heartily, and taught her what he himself had 
 learned about the love of Christ. He brought her 
 to the chapel, and through his prayers and efforts 
 his daughter became a Christian. This being 
 reported to the husband, he was much enraged, and 
 determined to fetch her back and force her to give 
 up Christianity. When he reached the house where 
 his wife was staying it was evening. The outer 
 door was shut, and all the inmates of the house 
 were engaged in prayer. He stood at the door and 
 overheard the words of prayer, and his heart was 
 
58 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA, 
 
 so much touched that all his auger vanished. 
 "When he entered the house his father-in-law spoke 
 to him so affectionately that he determined to 
 honour Christianity and take his wife back again 
 and live kindly with her. The man and his wife 
 were baptized at the close of the year.' 
 
CHAPTEK V. 
 
 DISAPPOINTMENT IN IDOLATRY AND DEVIL-WORSHIP. 
 
 Souls are famishing with hunger all around us every day, 
 
 We have bread with which to feed them; let them have it 
 
 while they may. 
 Souls are bound in Satan's prison, under sentence of the King, 
 But we hold for them His pardon ; let us haste the news to 
 
 bring. 
 Souls are wanderers from the Father, they aro prodigals from 
 
 home, 
 But He sends by us the message. He will have them back to 
 
 come. 
 Shall we keep the bread and starve them? — hide the pardon ? — 
 
 let them die ? 
 Never give the Father's message? Let them stay in misery? 
 Nay. But in and out of season, give again what He has given. 
 Let us live to tell of Jesus, as the way for all to heaven. 
 
 Men are often forced to see, by bitter disappointment 
 in their ancestral idolatry and demon-worship, the 
 folly and uselessness of these superstitions, and to 
 seek help from God and from miion with His people. 
 The Scriptm-es often refer to the unprofitable 
 character of idolatry as ' lies, vanity, and things 
 wherein there is no profit.' ' What profiteth the 
 graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it ? 
 the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the 
 
6o THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 maker of his work trustetli therein, to make dmnb 
 idols? Woe unto hijn that saith to the wood, 
 Awake ; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach ! 
 (Hab. ii. 18, 19.) 
 
 Continually the heathen are compelled to realise 
 the fruitlessness of their sacrifices and appeals. 
 Weary and heavy laden, 'restless wanderers after 
 rest,' they run in their distress from one god to 
 another, and try ceremony after ceremony. Hence 
 the openings which have always existed in India 
 for imposture. Every pretender can secure a trial 
 from hungry and thirsty souls, who have found their 
 false religions to be 'broken cisterns that can hold 
 no water,' but whom only Jesus Christ, the Way, 
 the Truth; and the Life, can ever really satisfy. 
 
 Far and wide, though all unknowing, 
 Pants for Thee each mortal breast ; 
 Human tears for Thee are flowing ; 
 Human hearts in Thee would rest. 
 
 The idols are not worshipped for spiritual 
 blessings, as pardon, holiness, and aids to moral 
 culture ; but to obtain exemption from the physical 
 evils of life, relief from sickness, victory over 
 enemies, healthy offspring, wealth, good luck, 
 worldly gain, temporal prosperity. According to 
 the philosophical system of Hinduism, only tem- 
 poral benefits are to be obtained from worshipping 
 idols, and it is not the highest form of religion. 
 The test, therefore, of answers received to petitions 
 for such blessing, is a fair one in this case, whereas 
 
DISAPPOINTMENT IN ID OLA TRY. 6 1 
 
 it is not applicable to Christianity, which does 
 not profess in this way to remove temporal evils 
 and suffering. The Hindus are dissatisfied and 
 angry — and justly so — if the deities, after having 
 been paid for it, as it were, by offerings, prayers, 
 and praises, do not answer petitions and reward 
 their votaries for their expenditure and trouble. A 
 man was seen, one day, w^orshipping a brass idol 
 earnestly, ringing a bell in its presence, and at the 
 same time reproaching the god for not having heard 
 his prayer, ' I am w^asting my time on you, praying 
 and waiting so long.' 
 
 A Sudra woman one day said to a Bible-woman, 
 * Just as I was about to pay a visit to the great 
 temple at Vaikkam, my child took seriously ill. 
 I therefore thought it useless to travel so far for 
 nothing. I perceive that the Vaikkam goddess 
 cannot save her votaries : if she were mighty, my 
 child would not have fallen sick at that time.' 
 
 Another Sudra lady, wife of an official, being 
 without children, made a vow to the god Supra- 
 manian, that if she obtained offspring she would 
 present a silver peacock to the god ; that bird being 
 the vehicle on which he is supposed to ride. She 
 also bathed every Friday in the tank at the temple 
 of that deity. Some time after, fancying she was 
 with child, according to her vow she presented 
 the silver peacock, costing about a hundred rupees. 
 The same day, meeting a Bible-woman, she boasted 
 of her god. 'Now,' said she, 'throjgh the blessing 
 
62 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 of our god Supramanian, I have expectation of a 
 child. So powerful is Supramanian, but your 
 Christ is not so. Could I have obtained such a 
 blessing by presenting an offering to Him ? ' She 
 afterwards discovered that it was merely ill-health 
 that affected her; then she began to abase and 
 curse her false god. 
 
 Idolatry is unprofitable for this life as well as 
 for that which is to come. 
 
 Nor is demon-worship any more satisfying 
 or substantial ; and when the attention of the 
 unfortunate devotees is directed to its failure, it 
 is easy for them to see how infinitely preferable are 
 the sweet, reasonable teachings and the helpful 
 institutions of Christianity to the silly and wicked 
 ceremonies of devil-worship. * How sweet,' said 
 a heathen woman, hearing the Holy Scriptures 
 read, 'are the words of your Guru, Jesus Christ; 
 whereas we get no instruction whatever from 
 our devil-dancers.' Tired of the cruel bondage 
 of Satan and of these dark superstitions, they 
 naturally resolve to shake it off, and seek the 
 liberty and privileges of the children of God Here 
 are several illustrative cases. 
 
 One day, when the Bible-w^oman was reading 
 as usual to some women at Mankully, where 
 more than seven families attentively hear the 
 Word of God, a certain widow called Neelu, 
 remarked as follows : — ' We had a pagoda on the 
 bank of yonder tank. It was a splendid building, 
 
DISAPPOINTMENT IN IDOLA TR V. 63 
 
 highly valued. We had a priest to offer sacrifices 
 and perform other ceremonies, two songsters and 
 a devil-dancer. The fear we then had of these 
 men, and especially of our temple, was unspeakable. 
 We annually performed our vows with great 
 splendour and at great cost. "When everything 
 was going on regularly, the priest, songsters, and 
 devil-dancer died unexpectedly ; my husband also, 
 who took a lead amongst them, died at the same 
 time. These sudden deaths put a stop to the 
 annual ceremonies in our pagoda. It is more than 
 two years since it was trod by human foot, and 
 consequently it is now in a ruinous state. If a god 
 dwelt in that temple, I do not doubt our beloved men's 
 lives would have been spared. This teaches me 
 there is nothing to be expected from Hindu gods, and 
 they are unable to render any help to their devotees. 
 I believe it is not beyond the power of Jesus Christ 
 to do good. He quickened the dead, healed 
 the sick, and worked very many miracles. I hear 
 you reading that He is ready to accept any sinner. 
 I do pray to Him to give me both spiritual and 
 bodily good. Our ignorant caste people often come 
 and trouble me to give my portion of money 
 to repair the dilapidated temple, but I will never 
 do it. I intend to come to your church to worship 
 that Saviour who does not forsake sinners. I do 
 not care if they refuse to bury me when I die, 
 on account of my embracing Christianity.' 
 A Bible-woman gives the following incident : — 
 
64 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 ' In the village where I teach, there is a very rich 
 man who has built a large pagoda at his own 
 expense. He had no children, and for twelve years 
 made offerings to the god, thinidng that by so 
 doing the idol would grant him a son. At last his 
 wish was gratified. Both the man and his wife 
 disliked Christians, and were very averse to learn 
 anything about God or His "Word. A short time 
 ago I went to see this woman, and found her in 
 great grief. She told me that her child had become 
 ill a few days before. Special offerings were made 
 to the god for the recovery of the child, but he 
 gradually became worse. As a last resource, the 
 father went into the temple and lay on the ground 
 in front of the god for a whole day and night. 
 While there, the child died. After the funeral 
 ceremonies w^ere over, the father and grandfather 
 pulled down the temple and destroyed the idol. 
 From that time their faith in their own gods has 
 been completely shaken. The woman is now 
 learning with me, and I have had many opportu- 
 nities of speaking of Christ to the whole family.' 
 
 An evangelist at Nagercoil describes the following 
 cases of conversion : — ' A woman of Irulappapuram 
 has been suffering from hysteria for the last three 
 years. Every paroxysm was considered by her 
 husband and neighbours as a special attack of the 
 demon, and every means were tried to expel it. 
 Her husband expended over thirty rupees in making 
 offerings to four several demons. Vows requiring 
 
DISAPPOINTMENT IN WO LA TR V. 65 
 
 an outlay of fifty rupees more were also made, but 
 all in vain. In November she had a fit, by which 
 she suddenly lost all motion, speech, and feeling. 
 Devil-dancers were called in to attend upon her. 
 They sang songs, danced, and daubed her with 
 sacred ashes, but to no effect. One of them, an 
 old man, became so irritated at what he considered 
 the wilful silence of the spirit, that he ran to the 
 woman with a large knife uplifted, saying, ''Demon, 
 I will cut you to pieces if you do not at once reveal 
 your name ! " Another, a woman, stood by the 
 patient with a firepot, saying, '' I shall burn you 
 now if you do not tell your name." As the poor 
 woman was lying down speechless, they thought 
 that if the demon that had seized her was forced 
 to tell its name, offerings suited to propitiate it 
 might be made, at whatever expense. This scene 
 continued till midnight, when the husband, who 
 had made arrangements to set out for the hills 
 the next morning, lost his temper, rose up and 
 said, " How can you, who are unable to discover 
 the 7iame of the demon, be able to exorcise it? 
 Begone ! with your worthless dancings." Then he 
 removed his wife to the care of a Christian who 
 lived close by, saying, " I have heard much of your 
 God. Henceforth I am a Christian. Should my 
 wife die before my return from the hills, you are 
 at liberty to bury her in Christian form. I will 
 have nothing more to do with demons." The 
 Christian and his sister offered prayer on behalf 
 
66 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH h\DIA. 
 
 of the patient, and I also was called for this 
 purpose. The woman recovered, and the whole 
 family are regular in attendance on divine service. 
 Ever since her entrance into the chapel the woman 
 has been free from hysterical fits.' 
 
 * In Pernvilei, there lives a Christian family, 
 consisting of a pious woman called Martha, educated 
 in the boarding school at Santhapuram. The very 
 next house belongs to a devil-dancer, an ignorant 
 but bigoted worshipper of the demon called Pala- 
 veshakaran — a demon sprung from the perspiration 
 of Siva, and sent by him to destroy a giant who 
 robbed one of his servants of his nectar. He 
 owned a small pagoda at the back of his house, 
 which he built at his own cost, amounting to 
 upwards of fifty rupees. In the centre of this 
 building stood Palaveshakaran on horseback, with 
 a crown on his head, large rings in his ears, 
 and a sword in his hand. On his left stood 
 Sudalamadan and his brother, and on his right 
 stood Guru Swamy, the Brahman priest who kindled 
 the sacrificial fire from which Sudalamadan sprung 
 forth. Owing to the drought, which told very 
 much on the resources of the people, Palavesha- 
 karan and his companions were reduced to want, 
 and the roof-work of his pagoda was broken up and 
 removed — the gods standing within an enclosure 
 of walls under a tree, exposed to the weather. The 
 time at last came for the uprooting of the gods 
 themselves. Our Abraham, for that is now his 
 
DISAPPOINTMENT IN I DO LA TR V. 67 
 
 Christian name, had an only son about twelve 
 years of age, who fell ill of fever. Vows requiring 
 an expenditure of fifty rupees were made, but in vain. 
 On a Monday night the boy became insensible, and 
 they set up a loud cry. This caused a large crowd 
 to assemble, and Martha was one of the spectators. 
 Abraham, who had often abused her, and had been 
 angry with us for preaching the Gospel, and who 
 once did not allow me even to sit in his verandah, 
 was so far softened by this affliction that he asked 
 her of his own accord to pray, saying, '* I have 
 nothing to do with these worthless things." 
 Martha prayed, and sent us a message to do the 
 same. The Lord heard our prayers, and the boy 
 became better. Just at this time, a slight quarrel 
 arose between Abraham and one of his heathen 
 neighbours. He expressed his grievance to the 
 headman of the village, but was sorry that no 
 justice was meted out to him. This strengthened 
 his convictions to have nothing to do with 
 demons and their worshippers, and he was quite 
 willing to give up all the articles m his possession 
 connected with demonism, and even to break his 
 idols to pieces, in proof of his sincerity in attending 
 Christian services openly. A thick club, a large 
 knife, breeches hung with beads, and a cap were 
 accordingly delivered into the hands of the Eev. S. 
 Jones ; and one Sunday in December was fixed for 
 breaking his idols to pieces. On the day appointed 
 a considerable number of people assembled to 
 
68 THE GOSPEL EN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 enjoy the sight. Mr. Jones, after speaking to 
 them about the folly of demon-worship, asked 
 Abraham, ** What do you want me to do?" He 
 replied, " I have nothing to do with these images. 
 I want them all to be broken down." " Why do you 
 want them broken down?" *'I was formerly in 
 darkness, but now I am in the light. I do not 
 want darkness again." So saying he kicked one of 
 the altars and broke it to pieces. The pot-horse 
 which bore Palaveshakaran was then broken to 
 pieces, and Palaveshakaran himself would have met 
 with the same fate, were it not for the desire of 
 Mr. Jones to preserve his head and arms as a 
 curiosity. A week after, Abraham's wife was 
 attacked with fever, and every one of the village 
 attributed this to the anger of the demon, and tried 
 hard to bring them back to heathenism, but in vain. 
 The mission dresser gave her some medicine, and 
 prayers were offered on her behalf. To our great 
 joy, she recovered, and stands firm in her profession.' 
 The Eev. C. Yesudian also tells of one who 
 was * resolved to serve none but Jesus.' 
 
 'Yesudian was a devil-dancer till he passed his 
 sixtieth year, when he was attacked with rheumatism, 
 which made him unable to dance. His gods failing 
 to answer his repeated earnest prayers, he resolved 
 to pray to Jesus for relief, and was, through God's 
 help, restored to health by the medical aid of the 
 dresser at Neyoor. The old man then decided 
 for Christ ; but his wife and children forsook him, 
 
DISAPPOINTMENT IN I DO LA TR V. 69 
 
 so that he was obliged to beg for his rice. His 
 former adherents promised to take proper care of 
 him if he would become their priest again ; but he 
 solemnly refused, observing, " I held a cat's tail 
 before, but now I hold the tail of an elephant for 
 my j)rotection and safety. I can no more serve 
 devils. I am resolved to serve none but Jesus. 
 Come ye also to Jesus for your salvation." His 
 consistent life and earnestness induceil us to admit 
 him into church fellow^ship. His wife and two 
 other families that were devil-worshippers have 
 been brought over to Christianity through his 
 instrumentality. His frequent prayerful Tamil 
 rhyme may be put into English, thus : — 
 
 I come to Thee, Lord, I come, 
 
 A sinner depraved and base ; 
 I'll cling to Thee till I become 
 Partaker of Thy grace. 
 
 ^Yith a httle help from the poor-fund he is now 
 trying to support himself. Though old, he is 
 learning to read. Though yet unable to read, he 
 distributes handbills, asking others to read them.' 
 ' An old demon-worshipper in Xeyoor district was 
 converted some three years ago, and requested the 
 missionary and the catechist to come and destroy 
 the httle devil shrine at which he had worshipped. 
 With terror and awe, he saw the missionary begin 
 to pull off the thatch from the place w^here he 
 had bowed in worship for fifty years, and w^hen it 
 was over he said, " Kow Christ has made me free 
 
70 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA, 
 
 from slavery to Satan. Had I remained a heathen, 
 how miserable would my condition have been ! " ' 
 Are not these good tidings, well worth hearing 
 — Christ proclaiming liberty to the captives of 
 Satan, the opening of the prison to them that are 
 bound ? * Glory to God in the highest, on earth 
 peace, good-will toward men.' 
 
CHAPTEK VI. 
 
 CONVERSION THROUGH REMARKABLE PROVIDENCES. 
 
 Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, to 
 bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light 
 of the living.— Job xxxiii. 29, 30. | 
 
 We are often led to mark, with wonder and adoring 
 gratitude, the marvellous operations of an all-wise 
 Providence in saving souls from death, and leading 
 men to God. Indeed, the whole history of the Travan- 
 core Mission illustrates the co-operation and agency 
 of Divine Providence ; just as in the early ages of 
 the Christian Church it was God that wrought 
 among the Gentiles by the ministry of His servants. 
 
 The providence of God has often been remarkable, 
 for instance, in opening the way for the establish- 
 ment of Christian congregations. Many years ago, 
 in returning from a preaching tour, I saw the 
 burning of a corpse at a village near Pareychaley. 
 The mourning relatives then assembled were 
 addressed and urged to become Christians. Prepared 
 by their sorrow to listen to our exhortations, they 
 agreed ; a catechist was sent to instruct them in 
 the way of the Lord ; within a year or so several 
 were truly converted and baptized ; and the con- 
 gregation still exists and flourishes. 
 
 Again, a few years ago, two of our church 
 
72 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 members in a country congregation in the Nevandum 
 district were going out on a Sunday afternoon to 
 speak to the heathen, when they heard the death- 
 wail in the house of a respectable man, on account 
 of the death of his wife. Entering the house, they 
 spoke kind and sympathising words to the mourners, 
 and told of the Lord Jesus. They found that the 
 people had been thinking of becoming Christians, 
 having conversed with some Koman Catholics. They 
 had learnt that their offerings of fowls and sheep to 
 the demons were of no avail. They promised to 
 receive the mission catechist and to call their neigh- 
 bours to hear. A work was immediately commenced 
 at Karivur, where there is now a little congregation 
 of sixty-eight souls, and a flourishing day school. 
 
 Personal and domestic affliction also has often been 
 blessed by the Lord to the salvation of those who have 
 been exercised thereby. 'Before I was afflicted, I 
 went astray : but now have I kept Thy word.' Such 
 cases are very numerous, and are brought into 
 prominent notice, more especially in connection with 
 the medical mission here, under loving Christian 
 teaching and benevolent medical and surgical care, 
 many having been led to serious reflection, and 
 brought to God. Scarcely a month passes without 
 some being influenced to decide for Christ or place 
 themselves under Christian instruction in the 
 churches. High-caste men, who otherwise might not 
 have come under the influence of the Gospel, have, 
 in their affliction, turned to the Lord, been converted 
 
CONVERSION THROUGH PROVIDENCES. 73 
 
 and baptized. One young man of respectable and 
 wealthy family said, ' I have been taught of Jesus 
 here, and have a firm grasp of Him/ A young man 
 stabbed by a drunken father in a dispute about a 
 chuckram (a penny), said, ' My sin has been forgiven 
 through the precious blood of Christ shed for me.' 
 
 An aged man, a Sudra, called Murum Pillay, was 
 taken ill with dysentery and brought to the hospital. 
 He had been in the habit of perusing Christian 
 tracts and conversing with mission agents. After 
 being further taught of Jesus, he said, * I love the 
 Lord Jesus, and I wish to be baptized, that when 
 I die I may go to heaven.' We pointed out that 
 there must be a change of heart, a baptism of the 
 Holy Spirit, before he could go there. And he was 
 earnestly pointed to the Lamb of God who taketh 
 away the sins of the world, and told that if he 
 believed on the Lord Jesus Christ with his whole 
 heart he would be saved. Frequent visits were 
 paid to him. On one occasion he was asked, 
 
 * Have you sought forgiveness of your sins through 
 Jesus?' He replied, 'Yes, I am a great sinner, 
 and Jesus is my good Saviour. I am holding on 
 to His feet, and will not leave Him.' When asked, 
 
 * Why do you love Him ? ' He said, ' Because He 
 suffered and died for me on the cross, and saved 
 me from hell. I fully depend upon His promises, 
 and I have peace of mind by so doing.' The Eev. L 
 H. Hacker, having called and talked with him on the 
 grounds of his faith in Jesus, agreed to baptize him ; 
 
74 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 and at his earnest request did so on the following 
 day. Murum Pillay desired his heathen name to 
 be changed to Yesudian, meaning * servant of Jesus.' 
 He lingered on a few days, desiring much to go to be 
 with Jesus ; and when his hour came, his friends said 
 that they wished * to have such joy and die like him.' 
 A devoted native missionary writes of another 
 patient : — * The higher classes are far more attentive 
 to the glad tidings of salvation than formerly, and 
 a good work is going on among them. I have to 
 make special mention of a Sudra belonging to a 
 very rich family, who was visited with continued 
 illness, and went to Neyoor Hospital to seek relief. 
 While in the hospital, he was taught in the truths 
 of the Bible, but his disease being fatal, he was 
 removed home. The doctor visited him one day, 
 and taking me with him, asked me to visit him 
 daily. The doctor spent a great portion of that day 
 with him, and then left him under my charge. I 
 had regular conversations with him, and one day 
 when I went near him I found him very low, and his 
 bed surrounded by his friends. As his last moment 
 was to all appearance drawing near, I asked him 
 whether he had any fear of death. The man looked 
 in my face, and with a beaming countenance repHed, 
 *' I have some sorrow on account of these my friends. 
 But my heart rejoices now in the hope of going 
 to heaven. On my sick bed I was taught of Jesus, 
 and I trust I have a firm grasp of Him. He gives me 
 great comfort and joy in these my last moments, and 
 
CONVERSION THROUGH PROVIDENCES. 75 
 
 though I have been a vile sinner, I trust that He has 
 pardoned all my sins, and will receive me intoheaven." 
 In 1879, the conversion and peaceful death of a 
 man in a congregation in Trevandrum district were 
 worthy of notice to the praise of God's grace. He 
 was a shepherd by occupation, born and brought up 
 in heathenism, uneducated, and leading a vicious 
 life in his youthful days, stealing sheep, and 
 practising other sins. Somehow he became an 
 occasional attendant on Christian worship, but 
 irregularly and without spiritual concern for many 
 years, though often exhorted and rebuked. His 
 strength, however, began to fail, and he was 
 occasionally laid up through illness, when the 
 catechist visited him for instruction and prayer. 
 After a few visits, a sudden change appeared in his 
 conversation and temper. The Lord had been 
 pleased to work on his heart. . He expressed deep 
 compunction for his sins, and an earnest desire to be 
 baptized. He delighted in prayer and in speaking or 
 hearing of Christ's suffering for our sins. Appearing 
 truly penitent and surprisingly changed, he was 
 baptized in his own house, being unable to attend 
 the chapel, and was received into the church in 
 the midst of a number of members who visited the 
 house for the purpose. It was a joyful day to his 
 family, who said, ' The Lord has done great things 
 for us : salvation has come to our house.' He displayed 
 a peaceful and grateful spirit during the week, and 
 on the next Lord's day entered into his eternal rest. 
 
76 
 
 THE GOSPEL /A SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 In the same congregation a very remarkable 
 conversion of a devil-dancer and sorcerer occurred 
 in 1881. This dancer v^as named Kali, after the 
 Queen of the Demons. He performed the cere- 
 monies at the annual festival, singing heathen 
 songs, and exciting the assembled multitude and the 
 devil-dancers. He was also accustomed to play on the 
 musical bow, much used in this worship, hung with 
 
 y.'/y 
 
 % 
 
 :-i!l)| 
 
 III 
 
 '1,.'"^ 
 
 '^■■■M^ 
 
 111 
 
 DEVIL MUSIC. 
 
 bells, and placed upon a narrow-mouthed earthen 
 pot. Being of a respectable family, and greatly 
 esteemed by the people, as well as their cleverest 
 songster and dancer, he made much money by this 
 work, and became rich. It was the general belief 
 that the dancers obtained the demoniacal possession 
 through the influence of his exciting soiigs. 
 
 This man used to persecute the Christians by 
 words and deeds, and showed much hatred to the 
 
CONVERSION THROUGH PRO VIDENCES. 77 
 
 servants of God ; and in this dreadful state he 
 continued up to his eightieth year. But three of his 
 fellow-priests were suddenly cut off within a year by 
 insufferable and incurable diseases. Now Kali was 
 left alone, bent with age and infirmity, when it pleased 
 our gracious God to change his mind by His con- 
 verting grace, and turn his precious soul from sin 
 and Satan before his departure from this world. 
 
 At first he was not willing to listen to our 
 words about the Saviour, nor to have prayer offered 
 with him. But w^e continued visiting his house 
 till the Holy Spirit touched his heart, and he 
 himself began to think of spiritual things. Then 
 he wished to know something of the principles of 
 Christianity, and to hear our lyrics sung, and to call 
 upon the name of the one living and true God. 
 
 He remarked that our Christian lyrics were very 
 interesting, and conveyed good lessons, while the 
 heathen songs are merely for the amusement of the 
 hearers. Henceforward he asked us to go daily to his 
 house to sing and read and pray with him. The village 
 preachers and elders of the congregation and myself 
 did so, and we sometimes took with us the school 
 children, who can sing beautifully about the birth, 
 sufferings, death, and resurrection of our Lord, and 
 other Scripture subjects. While they sang, I explained 
 the meaning, and now he rejoiced to hear the Gospel. 
 
 One Tuesday morning the old man came to our 
 chapel in a bullock cart, being unable to walk, and 
 expressed his desire to worship the true God in the 
 
78 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 chapel, as he had never attended it before. He asked 
 me to pray for his spiritual welfare, and to commit 
 his soul to Jesus the Saviour. Perceiving his 
 earnest desire, I opened the chapel, and he was 
 carried into it, and seated on the floor. He said, 
 * I have been sunk in tlie darkness of heatlienism 
 during my past life ; the devil and lifeless idols 
 have been the objects of my worship. Though I 
 have been so devoted a serva.nt of Satan, I am 
 perishing, and have no peace in my soul. I now 
 give myself to Jesus Christ, confessing my past 
 most dreadful sins.' He seemed to think that his 
 sins were unpardonable, but asked me to pray for 
 forgiveness for him through the holy blood of 
 Jesus Christ, through whom alone men can come 
 to God. I called together some of the nearest 
 Christians, and we prayed with him and gave him 
 advice suitable to his anxiety and fears. I reminded 
 him that the most cruel and terrible sins may be 
 blotted out through the precious blood of Christ, if 
 we repent and believe in Him. Our sins are laid 
 on Jesus. Then he said, ' As Jesus Christ gave 
 His life for my sins, I need not fear. I believe I 
 shall be saved through Him.' Henceforward he 
 determined to walk according to the Word of God 
 steadfastly, and to reject the heathen custom of 
 wearing the kudumi, or top-knot of hair, by which 
 heathens are distinguished from others in this 
 country, and he himself, whilst speaking with me, 
 tried to pull off some of his grey hairs with his hands. 
 
CONVERSION THRO UGH PRO VJDENCES. 79 
 
 He was now earnestly desirous of baptism, and 
 next morning I visited the old man, to instruct and 
 encourage him, as I had witnessed his deep sorrow 
 for sin and agitation of mind. As soon as he saw me 
 he rose from his bed and made salam with much 
 pleasure. Then he called one of his sons to bring 
 a pair of scissors and cut off the top-knot of hair, as 
 he had promised on the previous day. This was done, 
 and he requested me to pray for him, and to assure 
 him again of pardon through Jesus Christ. I talked 
 with him, and prayed at his bedside. Some other 
 Christians also went to comfort and pray with him. 
 
 On the next Sunday morning he came to the 
 chapel for worship in a cart, out of which he was 
 carried and seated in the chapel, to the great 
 admiration of all. I preached a sermon purposely for 
 his instruction and encouragement, on the repentance 
 and salvation of the thief on the cross. He listened 
 attentively, and, after the service, expressed much 
 joy, and went to his house again cheerfully. Within 
 a few days his strength began to fail. One day he 
 said, ' When I was a heathen, I ordered my sons to 
 perform my funeral ceremonial according to the 
 heathen custom, and to gather the ashes and bones 
 and cast them into the sea, with the usual rites and 
 display. Now, as I have become a Christian, I beg you 
 to see my funeral conducted in a Christian manner, 
 burying me in a coffin, with the tolling of the chapel 
 bell, and with prayer and reading of the Scriptures.' 
 I promised to attend to this in an honourable manner. 
 
8o THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 As his desire for baptism daily increased, and 
 had not yet been accomphshed, a cart was sent 
 to Trevandriim to bring Mr. Devalam, the native 
 missionary, who came at once, and baptized the 
 old man in his house in the presence of some 
 Christians and heathens, as he was nnable to come 
 to chapel. Three days after he was baptized he 
 slept in Jesus, and entered into eternal joy in the 
 presence of Him in whom he had found refuge at 
 the last moment of his life. Mr. Vethamanikkam, 
 evangelist, the members of the church, and myself 
 assembled together, and conducted the funeral, 
 according to our usual custom, in the presence of 
 a multitude of heathens who assembled to witness 
 the scene, with which they were greatly struck. 
 The sudden conversion and happy death of this 
 man created much awakening in the minds of the 
 surrounding heathen, and all expressed approval 
 of the Christian customs and worship. 
 
 The eldest and another of this man's sons were 
 displeased at his conversion, and opposed it very 
 much, speaking most insultingly of their father. 
 The eldest son has a demon temple for his own 
 family. They boldly declared in public that their 
 father will not depart this life without at least 
 once again being possessed by their ancestral 
 demon, and without also transferring the charge 
 of the familiar and its weapon, a sword, to the 
 eldest son for future veneration, as was usually 
 done when their forefathers died. With such 
 
CONVERSION THROUGH PROVIDENCES. 8l 
 
 expectations they watched the death-bed, telhng 
 us that, * though you baptize our father, and take 
 him to the chapel many times, offer thousands of 
 prayers for him, yet it will assuredly happen as we 
 say.' We told him, to the contrary, that 'We have 
 committed your father to the charge of the true and 
 living and Almighty God ; and now he is the 
 Lord's, and not the devil's, as before. The demons 
 cannot approach him. Your father will die peace- 
 fully and enter into the kingdom of God.' The 
 Lord, who graciously works with us for His own 
 glory, made all things happen according to our 
 hopes. 
 
 On the day of his death I had been to see the aged 
 convert, and found him rather better, apparently, 
 and taking some refreshment. After spending some 
 hours with him, and thinking that he would yet live 
 a few days, I left him and returned home. Half an 
 hour after I arrived a Christian came and told me 
 that the old man had died peacefully without speak- 
 ing a single word to any of his children, who were 
 waiting at his death-bed. All this was a great 
 marvel to the heathens, and they confessed that 
 the Christian religion is more powerful, and the 
 Christian's God is mightier, than the demons. 
 
 Domestic affliction and bereavement also lead men 
 to think of God and to seek Him. At Santhapuram, 
 in 1878, one family was brought under Christian 
 teaching by the marked operation of Providence* 
 The catechist often spoke to them about the folly of 
 
82 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 dolatry and the excellence of Christianity, hut they 
 treated his words with contempt, and showed great 
 attachment to demon-worship. One day, on his way 
 to visit some Christians, he passed the hushand and 
 wife engaged at work, and told them of the history 
 of om- Saviom- from His birth to His resurrection. 
 They only laughed at this, and he left them with 
 grief, and prayer that their hearts might be moved 
 by the Spirit of God. 
 
 Not long afterwards, while the husband and wife 
 and eldest son were watching their garden by night, 
 the son was bitten by a deadly serpent. Unable to 
 endure the violent pain, the boy begged his parents 
 to make earnest vows to their gods. This they did, 
 promising sheep and goats and other gifts, but in 
 vain, the boy speedily died. From this time they 
 began to attend Divine service on the Sabbath. One 
 day when the teacher went to their house to teach 
 the catechism and Scripture lessons, the mother 
 requested him to change the surviving son's name. 
 Asking her what was his heathen name, she replied, 
 * I am not willing again to utter the name of the 
 demon after whom my son was called, and whom 
 we have now entirely renounced.' The catechist gave 
 the lad the name ot Manuel. Another instance : — 
 
 Kuttikan of Peyankuli, now called Devadasan, is 
 a wealthy, influential and intelhgent headman of 
 his village, and is held in great respect by all. The 
 demon Kah, whose worship is celebrated with the 
 most horrible rites, was his family god. Since the 
 
CONVERSION THROUGH PROVIDENCES. 83 
 
 death of his only child, a daughter, which happened 
 three years tigo, his thoughts have been turned 
 towards Christ. He has constantly read the Bible 
 and other Christian books. With this began prayer 
 to the true God, observance of the Sabbath, and a 
 discontinuance of the grosser forms of idolatry. For 
 example, he has not, for three years, allowed 
 sacrifices to be offered at the village pagoda. This 
 pagoda is now in rains and will soon wholly dis- 
 appear from the face of the earth. 
 
 When his maid-servant died, he sent for our 
 catechist to bury her according to Christian usage. 
 Although he would not then attend the public 
 services in the chapel, he often went to the Friday 
 evening prayer-meetings, which were held in the 
 houses of the Christians. He also desired us, at 
 last, to have prayer-meetings in his own house. 
 Finally yielding to a strong sense of duty, he 
 boldly began to attend public worship, on the 
 Lord's day, in the mission chapel. 
 
 Veluperumal, who at his baptism received the 
 name of Stephen, is an interesting convert. His 
 ancestors were rich, in great favour with the king, 
 built temples to Brahma, Yishnu, Siva and 
 Patrakaly, and celebrated pompous and costly 
 festivals. From his youth he knew the heathen 
 Manthrums, and early in life became a priest — 
 having several minor priests to assist him. On the 
 fifth day of a grand festival, which he was celebrating 
 in his twenty-ninth year, his eldest son was seized 
 
84 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 with cholera and died in spite of the special offerings 
 that were made for his recovery. He and his wife 
 were most disconsolate. At this time he was told 
 of Muttukutti, and made up his mind, after some 
 consideration, to join that sect. He dressed as a 
 Pandaram, sold his property, and built a Muttukutti 
 pagoda. On the dedication day, he gave a great 
 feast, and his name was changed to Ponniperumal. 
 To preserve the life of his second son, he was 
 directed by the priest to beg in the villages and to 
 feed some Pandarams daily. Various other bur- 
 densome rites were also imposed on him. This son, 
 in his ninth year, became an assistant priest, under 
 the name of Vadivel, but shortly after died from 
 the effects of a snake-bite, although sacred water 
 and other supposed infallible remedies, prescribed by 
 the priest, had been given. Nor was this all. 
 Another calamity must fall on him ere his eyes are 
 fully open to the new imposture. His second wife 
 was attacked by a dreadful disease, which soon 
 carried her to the grave, although jewels, cattle, 
 etc., were sold to bribe the swamy to save her life. 
 Poor Stephen was now in despair. Gods and priests 
 had played him false — had shown their utter help- 
 lessness to render aid in times of need. What should 
 he do? To whom should he pray for succour and 
 help with any certainty of being heard ? A Koman 
 priest visited him and tried to convert him. No, that 
 would not do. He had had quite enough of image 
 worship. He would go to the Mission Chapel. He 
 
CONVERSION THROUGH PROVIDENCES. 85 
 
 had heard our catechists preach, and was not wholly 
 ignorant of our books. His mind and heart opened 
 to the truth. He saw in Christianity the only religion 
 sent from God — the only way by which sinners can 
 be saved. He became a very zealous disciple of 
 Christ as he had been a very zealous heathen. 
 
 The practice of making special vows is common 
 amongst heathen nations, as it was also amongst 
 the Jews, and is still occasionally retained amongst 
 the native Christians of India. ' The following in- 
 stance will show,' writes Eev. W. Lee, ' the kind of 
 religious feeling which exists amongst many of our 
 people. A man made a vow in secret that if he 
 obtained profitable employment he would give fifty 
 fanams, about fourteen shillings. He succeeded in 
 getting it, but forgot to fulfil his vow. He was 
 afterwards seized with fever ; and when very ill 
 the catechist and schoolmaster and some other 
 Christians went to see him and to pray with him. 
 When they got up from prayer, he told them of his 
 vow, but again, after he got well, he was slow to 
 perform it. After this, a heathen man preferred an 
 unjust complaint against him in the Court, for two 
 hundred fanams, about two pounds sixteen shillings. 
 Upon this, he said, ' Ah ! the reason of this is, that I 
 did not perform my vow to the Lord.' Afterwards 
 he sent for the catechist and some of the people, and 
 said, * I have no money in hand just now, but I wdll 
 give it soon,' and wrote a document binding himself 
 to give the money with interest within a certain time. 
 
86 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 This will serve to show, what we have often 
 occasion to remark, that conviction of sin takes 
 the form of regret for one special act, or that 
 calamity is regarded as sent by God as punish- 
 ment for some specific act of disobedience, and 
 that often service is rendered to God with the 
 idea of averting some special evil, or of seeming 
 some desired temporal prosperity. 
 
 Singular and impressive dreams, too, are some- 
 times related as having induced individuals to 
 hearken to the preaching of the gospel. And 
 whether these are really gracious communica- 
 tions vouchsafed from on high, or are but the 
 natural product of the excited mind, we cannot 
 but rejoice v/hen they lead men to that which 
 is right. 
 
 A priest of Muttukutti was a great nuisance to 
 the small congregation near whom he lived. He 
 hated the chief member of the congregation, and 
 raised a persecution against him, because he had 
 not only himself forsaken the worship of Narayana, 
 bat also had persuaded two of the most devoted 
 dancing maidens of the god to embrace Christianity. 
 Neethindian, the object of his hatred, together with 
 the little congregation, laid the case before the 
 throne of mercy, most earnestly begging God to 
 convert the wicked priest. This was done for over 
 six months. The Hearer of prayer at length granted 
 the petition. One night the priest saw, in a dream, 
 a bright and glorious personage of extraordinary 
 
CONVERSION THROUGH PROVH)ENCES. 87 
 
 appearance, who warned him of his impious oppo- 
 sition against the Almighty. Upon this the man 
 shedding tears of penitence, was directed to go to 
 the missionary for instruction and counsel. On 
 doing so, he was shown the will of the Lord 
 concerning perishing sinners; and the missionary, 
 after kneeling down with him in prayer, and 
 commending him to God and His grace, pre- 
 sented him wdth a copy of the Gospel by John, 
 and a pair of spectacles. On returning home 
 he told his friends that the treatment he met 
 with in the missionary's house was exactly what 
 had been represented to him in the dream ; and 
 he soon joined the prayer-meeting at Neethindian's 
 house. He now, to the astonishment of his 
 former disciples, preaches the very faith which he 
 once thought to destroy. 
 
 A similar case is reported by a Bible-woman at 
 Neyoor, as follows : — 
 
 ' As I was going through a street at Talakulam, a 
 woman from one of the houses called me, saying, 
 '' Come here, teach me and my children. Moreover, 
 I have something particular to tell to you." I went 
 and asked her what it was. She said, ''A few days 
 ago, I had a dream. While I was fast asleep a man 
 came and said, ' Kise up, a house of prayer will 
 soon be established in this place ; you and your 
 husband must not be a hindrance to it. You 
 are a great sinner ; you must obtain pardon of 
 your sins through Jesus Christ, who was crucified 
 
S8 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 for you. Keep away from all your heathen deities ; 
 learn about Christianity, and embrace it.' From^the 
 very day I had this dream, I have been very anxious 
 to know something of your religion. Although I 
 often tried to shut out the idea of learning about 
 the Christian faith, I cannot do it, so please come in 
 and teach me and my children whenever you come 
 to this place, and as often as opportunity occurs." 
 I was struck with astonishment when I heard this, 
 and asked her husband, who was standing by her, 
 if it were true. He said, "It is true; when she 
 related this dream to me, I had much anxiety 
 about your religion ; we will therefore soon be- 
 come Christians. As this is the season of palmyra 
 juice, we are busily engaged in making pots ; 
 when this is over, we will come to worship." I 
 was glad to hear this, and taught them a short 
 prayer. They said decidedly that they would em- 
 brace Christianity.' 
 
 Another Bible-woman relates a remarkable vision. 
 
 * When conversing with a man at Mankulay, 
 he said, ''In order to find out which is the true 
 reHgion, I shut myself in a room and prayed to 
 God for three days together that He would reveal 
 it to me. For three days my prayers were not 
 answered, but on the fourth, while I was sleeping, 
 a man suddenly came and stood before me whose 
 face shone like the sun. Then I was frightened, 
 and said, ' Sir, I am a great sinner.' " I read to 
 this man ^rom the first chapter of Kevelation. He 
 
CONVERSION THROUGH PROVIDENCES. 89 
 
 said he would come to my house to hear more of 
 our Bible. He came one morning, and I asked him 
 if he was persevering in his determination. He 
 answered, " I am fully resolved to become the 
 follower of the only true God." I told him the 
 gods mentioned in their Vedas were not true 
 gods, and he said, *' I have no wish to worship 
 them. Now I search the Scriptures only. As I 
 promised, I have read all the tracts you gave me. 
 The whole village mock me. I am not afraid of 
 them, but as I am anxious to know more and 
 more about Christianity, I wish to have some 
 more tracts." ' 
 
 Very remarkable cases certainly do sometimes 
 occur of healing and relief in sickness, always 
 with the use of suitable means, but accompanied 
 by fervent prayer and expectant faith. The medi- 
 cine is openly declared to be used in the name 
 of the Lord Jesus Christ. The late Dr. Thomson 
 writes : — 
 
 * A heathen named Supramanian had been suf- 
 fering from inflammation of the lungs, and when 
 brought to the hospital the disease had reached 
 the third stage. His friends had tried all they 
 could with the native physicians, but no good 
 was done. I despaired of his life when he was 
 brought here. But it was the Lord's pleasure to 
 bring the patient and his large family within the 
 Gospel net by this sickness. He stayed here one 
 month. One night it was proposed to his wife 
 
90 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 and other near relatives who were attending him 
 that they should confess their sin of idolatry and 
 pray to the only true God for the recovery of 
 the man and the conversion of his large family. 
 Earnest prayers were then offered to God in the 
 name of Jesus, vowing that henceforth they 
 would worship Jesus only. God, who is the 
 Hearer and Answerer of prayers, heard our cries. 
 The following morning he had wonderfully im- 
 proved, and from that day he dated his recovery. 
 During the night he lay so quiet that his friends 
 thought his life had departed. On his recovery, 
 he told the following dream, which he related 
 with tears and sobbing : — " I was taken in spirit 
 to some higher region, which is immeasurably 
 great. It seemed as if there were no end to it 
 or to its beauties. After showing to me this 
 blessed place, the Great One expressed his in- 
 tention of showing me heaven and hell. But His 
 attention was arrested by the cries that were 
 going up to Him on my behalf, and He ordered 
 me to return. When about to return, the Great 
 One asked me if I would like a palace to dwell 
 in. I said I did not ask so much. He asked me 
 if I would like to have immense wealth, to which 
 I said, 'No.' He then asked me, 'What is 
 your request?' I rephed, 'Lord, grant for my 
 people and myself that we may have grace to 
 behold Thee in heaven for ever,' at which the 
 Great One nodded assent with a smile, and I 
 
CONVERSION THROUGH PROVIDENCES. 91 
 
 awoke." This dream has much affected him, and 
 he says, "Nothing in the world can sever me 
 from Christ hereafter, for He has certainly taken 
 hold of me." When speaking with him about 
 Christ, the emotions of his heart gush out in 
 tears.' 
 
 On the other hand, alarming dreams may be 
 seen to hinder men from Christian instruction, in 
 which case they should be disregarded and 
 opposed. 
 
 ' Neethindian, aged forty-three, from Zionpuram, 
 admitted 7th August with mortification of the 
 index finger, causing death cf the bone, inflamma- 
 tion, and sinuses in the hand, extending to the 
 wrist. The finger was removed and sinuses opened 
 and treated antiseptically. Kesult, cured. He is 
 a new Christian. When he was under treatment 
 here, some of his heathen relatives who came to 
 see him advised him to renounce Christianity, lest 
 he should die by the curse of their family gods. 
 The same night he dreamed that a devil-dancer 
 who died a year ago came with great fury, and 
 grasping his inflamed hand firmly, said, " If you 
 dare to remain here any longer, you will certainly 
 die. Therefore make a vow to sacrifice to me a 
 black goat, and I will relieve you." Neethindian, 
 being much frightened, came to me in the morning 
 weeping, and telling me all very sadly. I told 
 him how Jesus cured the man with the withered 
 hand, and prayed with him. He became courageous, 
 
92 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 and remained here till cured. Now I hear from 
 others that he urges his heathen relatives and 
 friends to become true followers of Christ ; and 
 the pastor and neighbours bear witness to a 
 saving change in his own heart.' 
 
CHAPTEK VII. • 
 
 EXAMPLES OF INFEKIOR MOTIVES LEADING TO 
 ULTIMATE CONVERSION. 
 
 Oh, the bitter shame and sorrow, 
 
 That a tmie could ever be 
 When I proudly said to Jesus, 
 
 ' All of self, and none of Thee.' 
 
 Higher than the highest heaven. 
 
 Deeper than the deepest sea, 
 Lord, Thy love at last has conquered : 
 
 • None of self, and all of Thee ! ' 
 
 A DISTINCTIVE feature of the South Travancore 
 Mission, arising, in the providence of God, in 
 large measure, from the oppressions practised on 
 the lower castes, and from the beneficent domi- 
 nance of the British power, is the coming over 
 of the people in masses, influenced at first, and, 
 to some extent, still, by inferior and selfish con- 
 siderations. They do not come, of course, for 
 temporal support, which is not given, but for 
 sympathy, protection, .and aid in their distresses. 
 
 An illustration of this is given by Eev. J. 
 Knowles as follows : — 
 
 ' A new congregation has been formed at a 
 place called Vembayam under rather interesting 
 
94 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 circumstances. The people there had heard of the 
 Christians at ParnttipalH, and went to that place 
 to the meetings to see them. Perceiving that 
 Christianity was conducive to their bodily as well 
 as spiritual well-being, they determined to adopt 
 it. On their return they built a shed for a school, 
 gathered the children, and presented themselves 
 one day at the bungalow with a request for a 
 schoolmaster. On the principle of helping those 
 who help themselves, I at once sent a catechist. 
 A boy and a girl were taken into the boarding- 
 school, and are both doing very well. I have been 
 much pleased with the people when visiting them.' 
 A similar movement took place in the Parey- 
 chaley district. * For some time in the earlier 
 months of 1875,' writes Kev. T. Emlyn, 'a large 
 number of persons in the employ of the Sirkar were 
 busy taking a census of all buildings and people in 
 the kingdom. Ignorant of the value of a census, and 
 their ancestors having been oppressed by their rulers 
 for perhaps thousands of years, multitudes of the 
 lower and many of the middle classes watched the 
 proceedings of the enumerators with a good deal of 
 alarm. The care taken and the expense incurred to 
 secure accuracy could not, it was believed, presage 
 any good, and the least evil supposed likely to follow 
 was an increase of taxes. 
 
 ' While the people were in this state, a report w^as 
 spread that fowls would be taxed a quarter of a 
 rupee each, and sheep and goats half a rupee each. 
 
EXAMPLES OE JNEERIOR MOTIVES. 95 
 
 This report was doubtless got up by the small 
 merchants — general^ Mahomedans, and wise in 
 their generation — who, as the reward of their 
 labours, purchased immense numbers of fowls and 
 goats — sheep we have few of — at half their usual 
 prices. 
 
 * Soon after, another cause of alarm appeared : a 
 schooner was noticed remaining for some time near the 
 coast. She was there to survey the port of Colachel, 
 but the people knew nothing of this : to them her 
 continued presence was a mystery. After a while 
 an explanation was invented and diligently pro- 
 pagated, to the effect that a far-distant country, a 
 possession of the British crown, was to be colonized; 
 or, according to some, a distant British colony had 
 become depopulated by disease, and was to be 
 re-peopled, and the ship was here to carry thither 
 the required inhabitants, the chief capturers being, 
 it was said, the missionaries who were erecting on 
 the coast large sheds to receive the captured. 
 
 ' The inventors and propagators of this explanation 
 were the Sudra farmers, who, by means of some 
 such tales, often endeavour to keep their Christian 
 labourers from attending our services. Never were 
 they so disappointed, however. Not only did their 
 Christian labourers attend regularly, multitudes 
 of their heathen labourers, with Shanars and 
 others, began to do the same. Our chapels generally 
 became crowded, some of them had to be enlaro^ed : 
 and, notwithstanding our difficulty in supplying 
 
96 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDJA. 
 
 catechists, six new coDgregations had to be formed. 
 Such a scene had not been witnessed in this district 
 before. It is evident that the lowest of the 
 demonists have seen enough to convince them 
 that missionaries, so far from taking part with 
 their oppressors, are their sincere friends, seeking 
 their highest good both for time and eternity. 
 
 * Of the four thousand souls that have joined our 
 congregations this year, a large proportion had long 
 since believed in the truth of Christianity, and were 
 more or less desirous of casting in their lot publicly 
 with us ; but the dissuasions of relatives and friends, 
 as well as a natural shrinking from breaking up old 
 connections and forming new ones, succeeded in 
 keeping them back. The general movement this 
 year towards Christianity helped them over their 
 difaculty.' 
 
 Such cases still occur to some extent. ' Men often 
 come to us,' writes Mr. Hacker, ' for the purpose of 
 gaining some worldly advantage, and having obtained 
 it, they are satisfied and come no further ; or, if they 
 do not obtain it, they go away again and disgrace 
 us in the eyes of the people by bearing a Christian 
 name. A case came before me only a short time 
 ago. Some of our Christian girls are becoming 
 educated and very respectable ; and as a result, 
 many of the heathen young men want them as 
 wives. A heathen man who wanted a wife from 
 a Christian family attended the chapel for six 
 months, professed to have renounced the devil 
 
EXAMPLES OF INFERIOR MOTIVES. 97 
 
 and all his works, and pleaded to have his name 
 entered as one who had left idolatry and was 
 anxious to become a true Christian. Under these 
 professions he married a girl, with the Christian 
 service, and all went merry as a marriage bell. 
 After the marriage he never attended the church, 
 but beat his wife because she would not join him 
 in his offerings to the demons. I visited the man, 
 and tried to put the fear of death in him, but he 
 has not yet come back, although he permits his 
 wife now to come to the church.' 
 
 A similar case is related by a catechist, but with 
 more cheering results. ' There was a notorious devil- 
 dancer living within the limits of my congregation. 
 He contrived, by deceitfully attending Divine service 
 for some months together, to marry a Christian 
 woman. No sooner had he gained his object than 
 he relapsed into his old course of life. One day he 
 had been performing some devil ceremonies for a 
 family, and he brought home the offerings given 
 him, such as plantains, cocoa-nuts, and rice, and 
 offered them to his wife. The wife with tears of 
 sorrow told him how his deceit had pained her, and 
 that now his deceitful nature was before the world. 
 The words of his wife, by the blessing of God, 
 reached the man's heart, and he has left off his 
 dancing, is regular in his attendance at services on 
 Sundays and prayer-meetings in the week.' 
 
 Incidents like the above show F.ome of the low 
 motives which move men to join our community. 
 
 H 
 
98 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 On the other hand, there are many who come to 
 us, and place themselves under instruction, because 
 they truly believe that Christianity has a message 
 of life to them. It is one of a missionary's joys 
 to see men come to a church and begin to grow in 
 grace. While I write, there comes to my mind the 
 memory of many who have thus come, and whose 
 changed life proves the truth of their profession. 
 During my first tour in the district some six years 
 ago, I met two young men who had just come to 
 the church for the first time. I saw them a month 
 ago. They were Church members, and they were 
 not alone, for their wives and children and other 
 members of the family were there, all rejoicing in 
 the light of God's love through Jesus Christ. There 
 are no happier experiences in life anywhere than 
 seeing men come from heathen darkness into the 
 hght and beauty of Christian truth. 
 
CHAPTEE VIII. 
 
 STEADFASTNESS, FAITH AND ZEAL OF HINDU 
 CHRISTIANS. 
 
 To Him the Brahman proud shall bend the knee, 
 And outcast Pulayan from his chains be free : 
 The differing castes shall cease ignoble strife, 
 And poor Chandalas eat the Bread of Life. 
 
 With Him ' no high, no low, no great, no small,' 
 His mercy and His love extend to all 
 Who, meekly humble, hear the Shepherd's voice, 
 And wisely make His heavenly fold their choice. 
 
 Innumerable instances might be adduced of the 
 operation of Divine agree in the hves of Indian 
 Christians, evidencing itself in steadfastness under 
 temptation, strong, unswerving faith, patience, 
 hohness of life, and resistance to former super- 
 stitions and fears. 
 
 To begin with the last. The dread of the demons 
 commonly worshipped in South India as imper- 
 sonations and agents of evil, to be pacified with 
 offerings of blood and other gifts, is, in most 
 cases, well-nigh unconquerable. After a family 
 have placed themselves under Christian instruction, 
 should any sickness or accident befall them, it is 
 attributed to the wrath of these malignant beings. 
 
loo THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 Times of sickness are therefore times of peculiar 
 trial amongst our people as, on these occasions, 
 their heathen friends strive to draw them away 
 from Christianity. But in many cases we have 
 noble displays of steadfastness in the faith. 
 
 A respectable carpenter who often made inquiries 
 about the Christian religion, asked with some 
 anxiety, 'Is God mightier than the devil? Can 
 he afflict men against God's will?' This matter 
 was explained to him, and he seemed very 
 thoughtful about it. Not long afterwards, his 
 wife was attacked with small-pox. He was 
 advised to offer fowls to the goddess, and not to 
 leave the house, but he paid no attention to this 
 advice. Afterwards the nurses who watched his 
 wife asked for fowls to offer, that his wife might 
 have a speedy recovery, and they might have 
 flesh to eat. He told them that they should not kill 
 fowls to offer in sacrifice at his house, but he would 
 give them flesh to eat. Then they urged that 
 the goddess would be offended if nothing were 
 offered to her, and would kill his wife, but he boldly 
 said, ' You need not fear this. I will give you 
 enough to eat.' So he himself killed several 
 fowls, and gave them afterwards to the nurses. 
 His wife happily recovered. 
 
 On removing to a new house, the same man 
 was again urged to make offerings and perform 
 the usual ceremonies to insure a safe residence 
 there, but he refused to do so. People said he 
 
STEADFASTNESS OF HINDU CHRISTIANS. loi 
 
 would soon be seized by disease, and waited to see 
 what would happen to him, but he continued to hve 
 there courageously and happily. ' Now,' said he, 
 ' I know by experience that God in whom I trust 
 is mightier than the devil, and He only should 
 be worshipped and feared.' This man is a secret 
 Christian, prays daily to the Lord, and never 
 goes to heathen temples. 
 
 At Chani a convert owned half of an idol grove : 
 eight other famihes owned the other half. When 
 he became a Christian he was so bold as to cut 
 down his half of the grove, burn the trees, and 
 cultivate the ground. The others heaped curses 
 upon him in the name of their gods. 
 
 Soon afterwards a great affliction befell him in 
 his family. His only and beloved child was taken 
 by the Lord. Then his enemies mocked, saying, 
 ' This is the result of cutting down the grove. 
 But he took courage, and said, ' The Lord gave, 
 and the Lord hath taken away ; blessed be 
 the name of the Lord.' He is steadfast in his 
 profession, and the Lord has blessed him with 
 another child. 
 
 There was a nominal Christian who was lonsf 
 indifferent about spiritual things. He had not a 
 foot of land of his own, and was therefore obliged 
 to put up a hut in a plot belonging to a heathen. 
 One day the proprietor asked Peter to climb a 
 palm tree and bring down a few cocoa-nuts and 
 young fronds, to be offered to his demon. Peter 
 
I02 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 replied, ' I cannot help you in the least thing 
 connected with devil sacrifices. Please ask some 
 one else to do this. I cannot offend my Saviour 
 Christ.' The heathen proprietor, in a great rage, 
 compelled him to remove his hut from his ground, 
 and he v^as obliged to accept a temporary shelter 
 in a Christian's house. Though he has not much 
 knowledge, he has a simple trust in the Lord. 
 
 Mr. Hacker quotes the following instance of 
 how a Christian's faith was tried : — 
 
 ' Gurupatham is a Christian of about twelve 
 years' standing. By trade he is a woodcutter. 
 A short time since, a Hindu met him, and, knowing 
 that he was a Christian, said, " With all your 
 faith in Jesus Christ, will you go to a certain 
 wood and cut down a tree in the demon-grove?" 
 (These demons, according to native notions, have 
 their dwellings in groves.) The Christian man 
 said he would, as he was challenged, and taking 
 his axe went to the supposed sacred spot. A 
 crowd of demon-worshippers had gathered round 
 to witness the scene — evidently expecting some 
 evil would happen to him. The man knelt down 
 and prayed, then rose and began to chop. When 
 he was about half way through the tree, he fell 
 from exhaustion. The demon devotees set up a 
 shout, and, running to a pagoda, asked a Brahman 
 priest what they should do. The priest gave 
 them sacred ashes, and told them quickly to smear 
 him with the ashes, and make him say he was quite 
 
STEADFASTNESS OF HINDU CHRISTIANS. T05 
 
 defeated by the demon. But the man recovered, 
 and seeing these ashes upon him, went to a river 
 and bathed. Then he came back and completely 
 cut down the tree.' 
 
 With this poor Christian man, who had only a 
 few years emerged from demon-worship into the 
 light of the Gospel, this was a real trial of faith, 
 a real fight with the devil. 
 
 Vethakan, whose brother-in-law was sick, had 
 him removed to his own house. Finding there was 
 no hope of recovery, the patient's heathen relatives 
 came to Vethakan and said, 'We intend to make 
 a sacrifice to the devil to-night. It must be 
 performed in your house, but you need not take any 
 part in the ceremony.' Vethakan sat silent for a 
 while, then said, ' Why can't you perform it in 
 the daytime ? Why choose the night ? ' The reply 
 was, ' To guard you against the displeasure of your 
 teachers.' Vethakan said, ' The Vetham (Bible), 
 which I believe in, is neither of the pastor nor the 
 catechist, but it is of Jesus Christ, to whom day and 
 night are the same. I will not have the sacrifice in 
 my home.' With great anger they removed the 
 patient, and made the sacrifice the same night. 
 The next morning the patient died, aud Vethakan's 
 faith has done great good. 
 
 The grace of God, happily, is sufficient even 
 for those who are young and in other respects 
 weak. 
 
 'Pakkiam was a pious girl, about fifteen years of 
 
io6 THE GOSPEL IX SOUTH IXDIA. 
 
 age, but it pleased God to try her in the furnace of 
 affliction. She suddenly lost her eyesight and the 
 use of her arms and legs. The dresser in charge of 
 the mission dispensary treated her very carefully, 
 but ^'ithout any success during the first two 
 months. During this time she suffered from 
 excessive pain, and laboured under the miseries 
 resulting from bhndness. Most earnest prayers for 
 her recover}', from many a Christian, ascended to 
 "the Hearer of prayer."' She herself would often pray 
 to God to rescue her from her wretched condition. 
 ^^Hienever I visited her, she earnestly requested 
 me to read and explain to her the sufferings of our 
 Lord, as well as the miraculous cures effected by 
 Him. Once, on reading to her the cure of the 
 man bhnd from his birth, she fell into an ecstasy, 
 and asked me most earnestly, " Will Jesus open my 
 eyes also ? " I assured her that if she would beheve 
 on Him, He would do even greater things than that. 
 From that time forward she (together with ourselves) 
 prayed with full belief in her recovery. After two 
 months she began to make decided improvement, 
 at which the dresser and myself were stimulated 
 to treat her with increased care and assiduity. 
 Some attributed her illness to the anger of a demon, 
 when she was out in the field with her mother to 
 fetch water ; and her mother was most strongly 
 advised by the heathen neighbours to appease the 
 anger of the demon by making sacrifices to it 
 without delav. The timid mother be£fan to talk, as 
 
STEADFASTNESS OF HINDU CHRISTIANS. 107 
 
 if inclined to do so. The daughter, however, being 
 informed of it, felt exceedingly sorry, and addressing 
 her mother, told her that the suggestion, the carry- 
 ing out of which was enough to cast the whole 
 family and herself into hell, was much more 
 agonizing to her than her illness. Afterwards, at 
 the request of the patient, I spoke to the mother 
 about giving way to such wicked thoughts. While 
 on her sick-bed the girl called to memory a certain 
 vow of her father, and she strongly advised him to 
 buy a globe for the chapel in fulfilment of his vow, 
 made when doing some contract work on the hills. 
 By her repeatedly reminding him of it, he was 
 forced to furnish the chapel with a lamp. The girl 
 is now almost recovered, and is strong enough to 
 attend the services on Sundays. God has overruled 
 her illness for the edification of all the people of the 
 family, who, since her recovery, have led a consistent 
 Christian life.' 
 
 A noteworthy illustration of Christian steadfast- 
 ness and zeal for the furtherance of the Saviour's 
 kingdom is found in Visuvasam, a man of faith 
 and prayer, of whose history several incidents are 
 supplied by Eev. C. Yesudian as follows :— 
 
 'Visuvasam, seeing one day some of his Sudra and 
 other neighbours coming to sacrifice to the idols 
 worshipped by his grandfather, expostulated with 
 them and said, " These idols are mine by right of 
 possession. I cannot allow you to worship them, 
 seeing that I am a Christian." But they positively 
 
io8 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 refused to comply with his advice, which forced 
 Visuvasam to take steps to frustrate their object. 
 He, hke another Gideon, inspired with zeal for 
 Jehovah, demolished the idols, Poothatthan and his 
 wife Kattisaki, and cut down the sacred grove. The 
 sight of the desolation enraged the bigoted devotees 
 when they returned next morning, and after a long 
 and fierce disputation with him they went away 
 with a threat that " if their ancestors' swamies were 
 real gods, they would send a speedy retribution for 
 his gross impiety and sacrilege." Some months after, 
 the Sudras observing his buffaloes attacked by 
 cattle disease, said to him in exultation, *' Don't you 
 now see what the wrath of Kattisaki can do to 
 you? Do one thing. Listen to our advice. Build 
 her altar again. Set up the images and restore 
 their worship. Why should you ruin yourself so 
 foolishly ? " But, nothing daunted by their threats, or 
 moved by their enticing words, Visuvasam entered 
 his cattle-shed, shut his door after him, knelt 
 down and prayed, saying, " Gracious God ! It is 
 Thou that hast given me all I have ; I pray Thee 
 that Thou wouldest heal my cattle, if it be Thy 
 good pleasure : if not, not my will but Thine be 
 done." The Lord heard his prayer, and saved him 
 from loss and anxiety, while disease, together with 
 wild beasts, visited the cattle of his opponents, 
 and committed very great destruction. This un- 
 expected calamity wrung from them the following 
 confession : " Visuvasam's God is the only true 
 
STEADFASTNESS OF HINDU CHRISTIANS. 109 
 
 God, and Poothatthaii and Kattisaki are utterly 
 powerless, and are no gods ! " 
 
 * This Visuvasam being known among bis neigb- 
 bours as an upright character, a Sudra farmer 
 voluntarily offered to give him his paddy-lands on 
 lease. But Visuvasam refused to accept it, pleading 
 that he was poor and weak, having neither seed to 
 sow nor money to procure manure and enrich the soil, 
 nor friends to watch the farm lying amongst the 
 jungle infested by wild boars. But the Sudra, how- 
 ever, succeeded in getting from him a chit (writing), 
 acknowledging the receipt of the land, enticing him 
 by words such as the following : " I cannot entrust 
 anyone else with my land. I know that your God 
 will bless you with all timely help, and therefore 
 please cultivate my land." The time of sowing 
 approached. And the leaseholder, feeling greatly 
 his inability to cultivate his new farm, committed 
 his care to God in earnest prayer. Late at night, 
 in a dream he saw the figure of a great person 
 addressing him : " Visuvasam ! Do not fear. You 
 will receive help. You need not manure nor care 
 to watch the field. I will give you this season 
 an income to the amount of three hundred rupees." 
 In the morning, while his mind was deeply engaged 
 in thoughts as to the meaning of the dream, 
 a Sudra who passed by came to him, saying, 
 '' Visuvasam ! You seem to be much perplexed. 
 I know you have got a paddy-land on lease ; if 
 you would like, I should be glad to provide you 
 
no THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 with seed and money at no interest, and you 
 may go on with the cultivation." Visuvasam did 
 as he was advised by this heathen friend. He 
 had no reason to be anxious about manuring and 
 watching the fields, for the productiveness of the 
 lands had not been exhausted, in consequence of 
 frequent failure of previous crops, and the incur- 
 sions of wild hogs had been prevented by the 
 clearing of the adjacent hills for coffee cultivation. 
 But now his anxiety arose from another source. 
 His heathen neighbours, fearing a drought for want 
 of timely rains, set about to make offerings to 
 Varuna-Bhagavan, the god of rain, and called 
 upon him to contribute for the object. On his 
 refusal to comply with their impious demand 
 they were greatly enraged, and threatened and 
 cursed him in the name of their gods. But he 
 calmly replied, "Do not vainly trust on your 
 gods, who have no power to grant our earnest 
 petitions for rain. It is the Christians' God alone 
 who is able to give rain or to withhold it." This 
 bold protest made, however, no impression on 
 the hearts of the superstitious idolators, who 
 remarked that Visuvasam would have to suffer 
 a serious loss for his continued opposition to the 
 worship of Kattisaki as well as other deities. But, 
 by the grace of God, his fields gave their full 
 increase, so that his income was by no means less 
 than three hundred rupees, the sum specified in the 
 dream. The neighbours that have witnessed this, 
 
STEADFASTNESS OF HINDU CHRISTIANS. 113 
 
 feeling greatly astonished at it, said : " This is a bad 
 omen ; this good-for-nothing fellow will soon die, 
 or his fields would not have yielded such a good 
 crop while ours have failed." But Visuvasam, in 
 no way disheartened by this superstitious remark, 
 replied : " Sirs ! God has pitied and blessed me, 
 and He may do the same to you, if you will but 
 renounce your faith in idols, and put your sole 
 trust upon Him. Think no more that idols can 
 save or kill. The time of my death is in my 
 God's hand ; idols have nothing whatever to do 
 with it." ' 
 
 Missionaries are also often privileged to be 
 witnesses of happy instances of the adherence 
 to duty of these Christians, and their faith under 
 trial or persecution. 
 
 * A man of the blacksmith caste in Pareychaley 
 district was converted to Christianity, and became 
 an earnest believer. When he first embraced 
 Christianity, he had to undergo from his relatives 
 much annoyance and petty persecution on the 
 occasion of domestic festivities, etc. But he stood 
 firm, and would say to his persecutors that, though 
 all forsook him, the living God alone, whom he 
 worshipped, would never desert him. In process 
 of time their rage against him was mitigated. 
 Afterwards he had a severe attack of fever, which 
 did not yield to any medicine for more than four 
 or five months together. Persons of different castes 
 who visited him ascribed the illness to the anger of 
 
 I 
 
114 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA, 
 
 family demons. But he contradicted their state- 
 ments with great abhorrence. At last he recovered 
 Tinder the good treatment of the catechist. In the 
 meantime I visited him as often as my duties v^ould 
 permit. Two months afterwards he had a severe 
 attack of dysentery, which put an end to his life. 
 Whenever he saw me he was used to say he had no 
 hope of recovery. I asked him in return, '' Where 
 will you go after your death?" "To heaven," 
 replied he. " Are you not a sinner? can a sinner 
 go to heaven ?" I added. " The Lord Jesus Christ, 
 who died for sinners, died for me also ; I believe in 
 the same Jesus who, I am confident, will grant 
 me admission into heaven," replied he. He was 
 constantly heard to say, ** Jesus, save me ! Jesus, save 
 me ! " On a Saturday evening he called together 
 his brothers, and asked them to get him buried 
 according to the Christian mode, the evangelist of 
 the place conducting the funeral service. A little 
 after this he breathed his last. According to his 
 wish, he was buried after the Christian rule. We 
 have every reason to conclude that he was among 
 those that " die in the Lord." ' 
 
 ' Zephaniah, deacon of the congregation at Kottu- 
 mulei, was, before his conversion, an officiating 
 priest in a temple which belonged to some Sudras, 
 numbering about one hundred families. A wooden 
 idol, which they called the crown of Kali, was the 
 object of worship. An annual festival, which lasted 
 ten days, was observed in honour of this idol. A 
 
STEADFASTNESS OF HINDU CHRISTIANS. 115 
 
 few days before the festival, Neelan, as he was at 
 that time called, would prepare himself for his 
 services by fasting and incantations. During the 
 fiist nine days he would appear in gorgeous attire, 
 and once every day would circumambulate the 
 village with the idol on his head. The procession 
 was attended by a great concourse of people and 
 the beating of the tomtom, with other musical 
 instruments. On the tenth day, all the people of the 
 district would assemble. They occupied temporary 
 sheds erected for the occasion. Zephaniah (or 
 Neelan) was, on this day, believed to be inspired 
 by Kali, and his predictions were received with 
 veneration, not only by the common people but 
 also by the rich and even by ofiicials. By this he 
 got much money, besides a good deal of honour 
 amongst the people. But the Christian instruction 
 which he received, and the fact that some of his 
 people had embraced Christianity, led him to give 
 up this lucrative post, and to become, not in name 
 merely, but in reality, a believer in Christ. He 
 counted all his worldly gain and honour as of no 
 value in comparison with the salvation which is in 
 Christ Jesus, and shortly afterwards made an open 
 profession of Christianity. The Sudras said he 
 would be sure to return to them, and for five years 
 appointed no successor. Zephaniah was taught to 
 read the Bible when he was sixty-five years old. 
 His children and some of his relatives have, through 
 his instrumentality, been drawn to Christ. As a 
 
Ii6 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 deacon, he was very useful to the congregation. 
 He stirred up the people to attend Divine service 
 regularly, persuaded them to thatch their place of 
 worship, and visited the sick and prayed with them. 
 He often used to say that the privileges which he 
 formerly enjoyed were not equal to the consolation 
 which he felt at present. Once the Sudras, 
 who were formerly afraid of him, lodged a false 
 complaint against him. He was in great trouble 
 about this, and came to my house once at midnight 
 to tell me of the matter. I knelt down with him 
 and prayed to God on his behalf. When leaving the 
 house he fully assured me that he would in no wise 
 relapse. By the grace of God, he escaped the 
 dreaded punishment, and two of his adversaries 
 were sentenced to rigorous imprisonment. Often, 
 when listening to the Scriptures, tears would run 
 down his cheeks. When ill, he professed his faith 
 in Christ, and died peacefully trusting in the 
 Lord.' 
 
 The Christian patience of these humble believers, 
 and their resignation under suffering, are charac- 
 teristic and exemplary. Cases of this kind are 
 very numerous. For example : — 
 
 A catechist in Tittuvilei reports that his congrega- 
 tion attended to Christian duties one year better 
 than in some previous years. ' The deacons rendered 
 me much help in the Divine ministry, in conducting 
 prayer-meetings, in rousing up the careless, and 
 in visiting the sick. The interest evinced by our 
 
STEADFASTNESS OF HINDU CHRISTIANS, uy 
 
 women to raise contributions is encouraging. 
 Besides their ordinary subscriptions, they have 
 started a fund for the poor, by saving a Httle 
 from the rice allotted for their daily food. This 
 is ov^ing to their better attendance on Divine 
 worship. They have shown real pleasure and 
 interest in night prayer-meetings, for which they 
 supplied oil at their own expense. The progress 
 they make in their Bible lessons is also pleasing. 
 Family worship has been better attended to by 
 them. When they were afflicted by any dreadful 
 pestilence, such as fever, or dysentery, which swept 
 away several, they uttered no ivords of murmur, 
 hut calmly looked up to heaven, repeating the 
 words, " God is our refuge and strength." And 
 when they found that their prayers were heard, 
 they praised God, who gave them strength to bear 
 the trial.' 
 
 Cochumani was a God-fearing woman, descended 
 from a Boman Catholic family, and educated in 
 the boarding school at Neyoor. Her daughter 
 Bachel having been married to a station-master at 
 Shoranoor, she was accustomed to visit her now 
 and then. On one of her visits, she became a 
 member of the church under the care of a German 
 missionary, the Bev. E. Diez, and on her return 
 to Neyoor, with a certificate from him, became a 
 member of the church here. When on another visit 
 to her son-in-law, he was transferred to Tadputri 
 in the Cuddapah district, and she removed there 
 
Ii8 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA, 
 
 with the rest of the family. In the fearful outbreak 
 of cholera there in the month of August, the 
 family met with a severe visitation of Providence. 
 The station-master himself, his eldest boy, his 
 nephew, and Cochumani, were suddenly snatched 
 away by cholera in the space of a single week. The 
 survivors were also taken seriously ill, but recovered. 
 We believe that Cochumani has left her place in the 
 church militant for one in the church triumphant. 
 Her daughter, who has since been brought back 
 to Neyoor by her father, and who attended her 
 mother when dying, gives the following account of 
 her last days : — ' My dear mother died on the 22nd 
 August, 1875. After the death of my husband, 
 she was constantly engaged in comforting us and 
 praying for us. In all the calamities that befell us 
 at this time, she consoled herself by saying that the 
 Lord does all things for our good. The day my 
 husband died, we were sunk in great sorrow, but my 
 mother comforted me, saying, " My dear daughter, 
 be not disheartened. Our Heavenly Father 
 overrules everything for our good. No one can 
 fathom the depths of His all-wise dispensations. 
 It will grieve Him to find us unbelievingly 
 sorrowing at His providential dealings." That 
 night we were greatly exhausted with weeping 
 and want of food. My mother, though in the 
 same state, roused us all up for family prayer. 
 She said that as long as my husband was alive 
 he never once failed to have prayers in the family, 
 
STEADFASTNESS OF HINDU CHRISTIANS. iig 
 
 and that it would be for our benefit to follow his 
 example and cry to our Heavenly Father for help 
 and grace. We felt the force of her exhortation 
 and sat down for prayers. She made her nephew, 
 a boy then alive, read the first chapter of 
 Job and the 22nd Psalm, and herself offered 
 the prayer. She had no sooner finished than she 
 fell down senseless. The heathens who were 
 present were struck with wonder, remarking the 
 great eagerness she had for prayer even under such 
 fatigue. The next morning, when she was a little 
 better, and came to know that my eldest son also 
 was attacked with cholera, she prayed, saying, 
 '' Lord, Thou hast found it wise to chasten us 
 on account of our manifold iniquities. Give 
 me strength to assist my grandson." The Lord 
 answered her prayer, and in a short time she was 
 able to help the dying boy. Then my cousin, my 
 younger sister, and myself were attacked. Quite 
 calm, however, she exhorted us to find courage by 
 trusting in the Lord Jesus. Seeing her nephew's 
 death approaching, she exhorted him to commit his 
 spirit to his Eedeemer, and fervently prayed for 
 him. Then her niece was taken ill. This tilled 
 my dear mother with great alarm, and made her 
 pray for the recovery of the girl with tears. The 
 Lord answered her prayers, and the girl got better 
 in a few days. On the 21st August, my mother was 
 taken ill. She told me nothing about it, fearing 
 that I should get worse, but at night she was very 
 
120 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 weak, and could not take care of my child, as she 
 had done. Then I came to know the truth, and 
 gave her some medicine. Though suffering greatly 
 all night, she continued giving me valuable advice 
 about domestic management, training the children, 
 family prayer, etc. My eldest boy dying at 4 a.m. of 
 the 22nd, overwhelmed with sorrow, I went aside 
 to a room and sought relief in tears. Coming back 
 to attend to my mother, she, with tears in her eyes, 
 tried to comfort me, saying, " Daughter, be not dis- 
 mayed. Call to mind the patient suffering of Job. 
 The Lord tries you by these calamities because you 
 are dear to Him. You need not be troubled for your 
 son, he is in the bosom of his Heavenly Father." 
 At noon the same day, the train came in. She 
 eagerly asked me whether my father was come. On 
 being answered in the negative, she was cast down, 
 and said, "Lord, Thy will be done. I obey Thy 
 summons. I commend my poor daughter and my 
 little one to Thy gracious care." She could not 
 speak further, but breathed her last at two o'clock 
 that day with great calmness.' 
 
 Serious accidents sometimes occur. 
 
 Paripooranam accidentally fell from the verandah 
 of her house, and her leg being seriously injured, she 
 was confined to the house for four years. While 
 well, she habitually attended the prayer-meetings, 
 and was now grieved that her illness prevented her. 
 At first she murmured a little, but was visited 
 by the catechist from time to time, and comforted 
 
STEADFASTNESS OF HINDU CHRISTIANS. 121 
 
 and instructed. One day she said she had nothing 
 in her mind now but heavenly thoughts, and that 
 if it were not so her condition would be sad 
 indeed. That night she calmly fell asleep in the 
 Lord. 
 
 A Christian woman was left a widow some 
 years ago, with three young children unprovided 
 for. Her heathen relatives advised her to return 
 to her father's house, and he would support her. 
 * No,' she replied ; ' my father is still a heathen, 
 and I will not forsake my God and Saviour. I 
 will live amongst the Christians, and God will 
 not forget me.' "When her children sometimes 
 cried for food, she would kneel down and pray 
 with them ; and God heard the cry of the widow 
 and the fatherless. Her children are now growing 
 up and getting able to help her, so that much of her 
 trouble is alleviated. She gives regularly her small 
 mite to the cause of God, and is in all respects an 
 example to others. 
 
 In a heathen land, and in the employment of 
 unbelieving masters, difficulties are sure to arise 
 with reference to Christian servants keeping holy 
 the Lord's Day, which is so needful for health 
 and rest and for spiritual exercises. Some time 
 ago a remarkable testimony was borne by a heathen 
 to the consistency of a Christian's conduct in this 
 respect. 
 
 ' This rich Sudra was rather bigoted in the 
 worship of Thanumalayan, but when told of the 
 
122 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 shameful conduct of the god towards the wife of 
 a Eishi at Susindram, he jumped from this topic, 
 and said that the restrictions which Sunday imposes 
 upon the Christians are highly injurious to their 
 welfare. I asked, ''How?" He rephed, "I know 
 of a Christian called Swaminathan, who cultivates 
 a paddy-land close to mine. He is one of my 
 servants, and I trust him implicitly. As he has 
 a large family, I also assist him in various ways. 
 Last season, when sowing commenced, the paddy- 
 lands were all in a fit state for sowing on a 
 Sunday. The whole of ihe ryots were seen in 
 their lands, but Swaminathan was absent. I 
 went to his house and asked him the reason. 
 He said that he could not work on Sundays. I 
 rebuked him for his foolishness in losing the 
 best opportunity for sowing, and, finding him too 
 superstitious to yield to my counsel, I asked him 
 for a loan of his bullocks and ])lough. He replied 
 that it is the commandment of God that a man's 
 beast also must not work on the holy day. I 
 was astonished at his words, and was unable to 
 gain my point. But see the result. All but 
 this foolish man had a very good crop. He is 
 now suffering for his folly." I told him that I 
 could not believe as to the faihire of crop, and that 
 even if that was true, Swaminathan would feel 
 that the loss he sustained could not equal his 
 pleasure in having obeyed the law of God.' 
 
 A man named Yesudian, with some heathen, was 
 
STEADFASTNESS OF HINDU CHRISTIANS. 123 
 
 hired to reap the fields of a rich Sudra. On the 
 Sunday all the reapers were there as usual, but this 
 man was absent. The owner of the fields saw him 
 on this day and said, ' Why do you not work 
 to-day with the others?' 'Sir,' said the man, 'I 
 am a Christian, and our Lord has commanded to 
 keep holy the Sabbath day.' The Sudra went 
 away saying, ' You need not work to-day.' The 
 next evening when all the reapers were gathered 
 together their employer said to Yesudian, * You 
 call yourself a Christian, but what do you know 
 about Christ ? ' The man briefly related the life 
 of Christ, and told his master that it was only 
 through Jesus Christ that sinners can be saved. 
 The heathen laughed him to scorn. But their 
 master rebuked them and said, ' You shall not 
 revile this man. What he says is true. We are 
 all sinners, and it is only those who believe upon 
 the Lord Jesus Christ that can be saved. He 
 gave His life for us. I am relying upon Jesus Christ 
 for the salvation of my soul.' He then took 
 Yesudian aside, and master and servant knelt down 
 and prayed. Every subsequent evening they were 
 both engaged in offering prayer to God. The 
 Sudra entrusted Yesudian with the distribution of 
 wages and the inspection of the harvest, and 
 treated him kindly till the work was finished. 
 
 Still greater difhculties with reference to Sabbath 
 observance have those converts to contend with who 
 come from the the low castes ; once enslaved, but 
 
124 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 now free by law, though not yet in a position fully 
 to avail themselves of their liberty, they greatly 
 prize the holy day of rest. The following incidents, 
 related in a conversation with a native missionary, 
 will give some idea of the moral courage manifested 
 by a Christian convert of the lowest caste, who is 
 quite dependent on his master. 
 
 * My master is an officer in the palace. He is 
 a well-to-do man, having many servants under 
 him. I and my household embraced Christianity, 
 and after that I did not consent to work on Sundays, 
 though all of my fellow-servants did so as usual. 
 When the matter was reported to my master, he 
 became angry, and for the sake of amusement asked 
 me to tell him if I knew anything about the new 
 religion. On repeating the Ten Commandments 
 and the Lord's Prayer, and singing a few lyrics, he 
 seemed to be rather interested. He declared that 
 he had no objection to my being a Christian, if I 
 would attend to his work on Sundays as usual. I 
 humbly pleaded for him to exempt me from working 
 on Sundays, promising to attend to my business 
 with increased diligence and industry on other days. 
 He then asked me why it was that I could not 
 work on Sundays. I replied to him that though my 
 miserable condition would not allow me for a single 
 day to be without work, yet the conviction that 
 the violation of the Sabbath w^ould result in great 
 misery prevented me from doing so. He was 
 greatly provoked at this, and threatened me with 
 
STEADFASTNESS OF HINDU CHRISTIANS. 125 
 
 dismissal, but was afraid to flog me as in former 
 times was the custom. He again sent for me and 
 ordered me to supply him with a bundle of grass 
 at least on Sundays. "When he saw that I would 
 not do even this, he was enraged to such a degree 
 that he dismissed me from his service, and sent me 
 away from his compound in which I had been living. 
 This was indeed a great trial to me. However, by 
 the unspeakable mercy of God, I found favour in 
 the sight of another master to whom I offered my 
 services. But as he was not a man of much property, 
 I could not get enough for my living, and in 
 consequence I had to suffer a good deal. However, 
 the passages of Scripture which I had committed to 
 memory, the prayer-meetings in which I had the 
 privilege of taking part, and other means of grace 
 were more than enough to comfort and console me 
 in such a condition. At the expiration of a few 
 years, however, my former master unexpectedly 
 sent for me, and asked me again to tell him all 
 I knew about Christianity. Then I repeated a 
 number of passages of Scripture and sang a few 
 lyrics ; on hearing which he asked me to serve 
 him again, saying that I should not be compelled 
 to work on Sundays. I went back to him, and 
 continue to be his servant until the present day.' 
 
 I have often felt deeply grieved at the custom, 
 which is generally considered unavoidable, of 
 climbing the palms and preparing, or partially 
 preparing, the sap, from which the country sugar 
 
126 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 is made, on the Lord's Day, as well as on week- 
 days. This very much reduces the attendance at 
 public worship during the climbing season, and 
 is a great hindrance to the improvement of the 
 people in several respects. In order, therefore, 
 to test the practicability of dropping this Sunday 
 work, I once made an experiment with thirteen 
 trees in the mission compound, ordering them to 
 be left wholly untouched on Sundays, and the 
 daily produce of sap to be carefully measured. 
 This was found to be, on the average, about two 
 pints from each tree daily, while ordinary trees 
 climbed twice a day, including Sundays, produce 
 from five to fifteen pints. I felt obliged, therefore, 
 with deep regret to come to the conclusion that 
 this is really a work of necessity, and as such 
 must be suffered, so long as many of our people 
 are engaged in this employment. 
 
 In a recent report of Neyoor district, the native 
 teacher, speaking of a convert, observes that ' he 
 is very regular at Divine service, and by his influence 
 his brother, who was a heathen, has come to the 
 church with his family. He finishes his palmyra 
 climbing earlier on the Sunday, and dehghts to 
 come to the house of prayer.' 
 
 ' This last sentence,' remarks Mr. Hacker, ' is 
 to me a great test of a man's sincerity. Palmyra 
 climbing is the principal occupation of hundreds 
 of people, during six months of the year. The 
 palymra tree is a tall palm, growing from sixty to 
 
STEADFASTNESS OF HINDU CHRISTIANS. 127 
 
 ninety feet high. It is one of God's greatest gifts 
 to the poor people, affording them leaves for the 
 covering of their houses, food and drink, and 
 
 A PALMYRA CLIMBEE. 
 
 almost all a man requires. It flourishes in dry and 
 barren soil where scarcely anything else can grow. 
 At the beginning of what is called the palmyra 
 season, which commenced in August and ends m 
 
128 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 March, the palmyra climber ascends the tree, and 
 cuts off the flower and fruit stems, under which he 
 ties a small earthenware pot for the sap to flow into. 
 This sap is called the pathaneer, or sweet water, 
 which is very sweet and wholesome. This juice 
 is either drunk as soon as collected, or boiled down 
 into a coarse brown sugar. The tree has to be 
 climbed twice every day, in order that the flower 
 or fruit stems may be trimmed, for the sap to exude 
 freely. Consequently these trees have to be climbed 
 on Sundays, or the tree suffers injury ; and this, 
 in the palmyra season, is a great hindrance to 
 attendance at our services, and to the keeping 
 of the Sabbath-day holy. Therefore for a man 
 to get up before it is quite light on a Sunday 
 morning, to climb forty or fifty trees, which is a 
 very laborious work, and to be ready for the service 
 at seven o'clock, means some self-denial and a fair 
 amount of earnestness of purpose.' 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 DEATHS OF BELIEVERS. 
 
 Yes, the Christian's course is run, 
 
 Ended is the glorious strife; 
 Fought the fight, the work is done, 
 
 Death is swallowed up of life ! 
 
 Borne by angels on their wings. 
 
 Far from earth the spirit flies, 
 Finds his God, and sits and sings. 
 
 Triumphing in paradise. 
 
 Dark and dismal are the prospects of the 
 expiring devil-worshipper, utterly ignorant of any 
 future life ; or of the Hindu idolater, anticipating 
 an endless series of transmigrations, or faintly 
 hoping that the costly and elaborate ceremonies 
 which have been or are to be performed, will 
 save him from a miserable hell of mere physical 
 torture, and help him on towards entire release 
 from all conscious existence. The Christian believer, 
 on the contrary, meets death with calm resignation 
 and a sure and certain hope of a joyful resurrection 
 to eternal life and glory. Christ has conquered 
 death for him ; its sting is taken away. To the 
 true disciple, it is a sleep in Jesus — it is infinite 
 gain — it is to be ' absent from the body, and present 
 with the Lord,' The Church in South India is 
 rich in blessed examples of this truth. 
 
i3o THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 ' Samuel, of Puliade,' writes the Eev. C. Yesudian, 
 
 'was one of the slaves redeemed long ago by 
 
 the kind efforts of the late Eev. C. Mault. The 
 
 old man called himself a Christian for some thirty 
 
 years, probably without being benefited by the 
 
 truths that were presented to him either in his 
 
 hamlet or in the places of Divine worship. While 
 
 in this condition, on hearing a sermon, the Spirit 
 
 of Christ graciously opened his heart and eyes to 
 
 see the truth, and in it himself and the Saviour. 
 
 From that time a real change was wrought upon 
 
 his soul. He committed to memory with eagerness 
 
 the Scripture contained in our catechism, applied 
 
 for baptism, and in due course joined the church. 
 
 He was found a man of prayer. He not only 
 
 prayed for himself, but incessantly prayed for the 
 
 conversion of his son, Shadrach, who was a wicked, 
 
 unpromising character, and he witnessed with 
 
 uncommon joy that the lad was converted, and 
 
 began to love and serve the Saviour by a life 
 
 consistent with his profession. Two years ago, 
 
 Samuel, then seventy-three years of age, got a 
 
 fall while going to church, and became a cripple. 
 
 This deprived him of the privilege of worshipping 
 
 God with His people freely. Yet, so full of thirst 
 
 was he for the Word of God, that often, as soon 
 
 as Divine service began, he endeavoured to come 
 
 to the chapel by creeping. But he could not do 
 
 it, as there is a brook between his hut and the 
 
 chapel, which was crossed by a piece of timber 
 
DEA THS OF BELIE VERS. 1 3 1 
 
 too narrow for him to crawl along, so that he 
 was often, for want of help, obliged to remain on 
 the bank of the streamlet, so as to be able to 
 overhear the preacher, as the distance was very 
 short, measuring but a few yards. His attention 
 was so keen that he was able to catch and 
 repeat to the catechist several things mentioned 
 in the sermon. About a week before his death, 
 the catechist visited him and inquired, ''Friend, 
 what do you now find the Saviour to be ? " The 
 old man replied, " Sir, I find Him to be my 
 present help." "What leads you to feel that He 
 is such a help?" "Because I entreat Him to be 
 my help for ever." " "What is your pledge for this 
 belief? " " The Scriptures, that tell us that ' those 
 who seek the Lord shall not be confounded.' " 
 *' What do you think of yourself as a sinner?" 
 *' I feel, sir, I am a great sinner, but I know 
 that the blood of Christ has washed me from 
 my sins." Hereupon he begged the catechist 
 to offer a farewell prayer, and followed it in a 
 gentle whisper. He lingered for a week, and 
 calmly fell asleep in Jesus.' 
 
 Perinbanayagam embraced Christianity in middle 
 life. In youth he was a bigoted heathen. He had 
 a fair knowledge of the stories about the Hindu 
 gods and demons. But at the time of his death 
 he had been for twenty-five years a Christian. He 
 was at first much opposed by heathen relatives 
 and friends. He was a man of influence, and was 
 
132 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 spoken of as being like a right eye to the catechist 
 of his congregation. He would accompany him 
 when preaching to the heathen, and was often able 
 to silence objections by his knowledge of Hinduism. 
 He was strict in the observance of the Sabbath, 
 and regular in reading the Bible. Fear of men 
 did not prevent him from discharging his duties to 
 God. He took a deep interest in the building of 
 the new chapel. He was very ill for four months 
 before his death. 
 
 He did not murmur, but would ask people who 
 visited him to read to him the Word of God. Upon 
 being asked whether he believed in Jesus, he 
 replied, ' Yes, I believe that He has forgiven my 
 sins and will save me.' When asked whether he 
 did not wish to remain on earth a little longer, he 
 replied, ' Yes ; but I am prepared to quit this world 
 and join the victorious church above.' Some of 
 his heathen relatives tried to induce his wife to 
 make offerings to a demon for his recovery from 
 sickness. He would not hear of it. His death was 
 a great loss to the congregation, but it was blessed 
 to the spiritual awakening of his wife, who had 
 before been quite indifferent. She has since been 
 baptized, and seems an earnest Christian. 
 
 The following brief memoirs of two pious youths 
 are given by the pastor of Nagercoil : — 
 
 * Swaminathan was born of heathen parents, but 
 was brought up from boyhood in the house of one 
 of the deacons of Nagercoil Church. The good 
 
DEA THS OF BELIE VERS. 1 33 
 
 instructions which he received at home, in the 
 school, and in the church were, we have no doubt, 
 the means of his conversion. He was a member 
 of a party of singers, and it was his habit at the 
 close of the singing exercise to read a few verses 
 of the Scriptures, to say a few words of exhortation, 
 and to offer prayer. He was regular in his attend- 
 ance on the Divine service and the Bible class on 
 Sundays. Towards the close of his life, he was 
 long laid up of fever. His Christian teachers and 
 friends used often to visit him and to pray for him. 
 Many a time he expressed his consciousness of 
 his sins being forgiven through Jesus Christ, and 
 that he had no fear of death. One day he asked 
 his mother and brother to recite the 23rd Psalm, 
 and when they were not able to do this without 
 mistakes, he reproved them, and taught them the 
 same himself. Also, he earnestly enjoined upon 
 his mother that after his death she should not 
 return to her heathen relatives, but should stand 
 steadfast in the faith. A few days before his death, 
 some of his companions, hearing that he was getting 
 worse, paid him a visit. He asked them to sing a 
 Christian lyric. When questioned what lyric they 
 were to sing, he answered, " Sing a sweet song in 
 praise of God." Then they sang the one beginning, 
 " Sweeter than honey is the name of Jesus, seek 
 for it, long after it and hasten to it, ye His saints." 
 As each verse was sung he beckoned with his hand 
 to stop, and asked a number of questions, so as to 
 
134 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 impress Tipon their mind the meaning of the verse 
 forbidding grown-up persons to answer those ques- 
 tions, and earnestly entreated them to put their 
 trust in Jesus. During that time the bystanders 
 were struck with the extraordinary brightness that 
 shone in his face. Next he asked them to sing an 
 Enghsh hymn. One on the vanity of human Hfe 
 was sung, and one of the company offered prayer. 
 Then he said, '' I am very happy, and I give salam 
 to you all." Five days after this he departed in 
 peace. He was then about twenty years of age.' 
 * Equally interesting is the account of the life and 
 death of G. David Selliah, a boy about seventeen. 
 He was born of Christian parents, and was baptized 
 when an infant. He availed himself of the advan- 
 tages of the school and of the church, and bore 
 traits of good Christian character. He never 
 associated with wicked boys, but was very regular 
 in attending the weekly prayer-meetings, held at 
 night in the houses of the village for stirring up 
 non-communicants to Christian faith and activity. 
 He was foremost to pay respect to those who 
 deserved it. Whenever he came in contact with 
 such as propagated spurious doctrines, he inquired 
 of his religious teachers concerning the correctness 
 of those doctrines and their consistency with the 
 Word of God ; and when he could command time 
 he used to go to a public reading-room, which 
 was not far from his home, and read the books 
 and periodicals he could find there. Once on his 
 
DEA THS OF BELIE VERS. 1 35 
 
 way to his father's field, he found a beautiful 
 pencil-holder of ivory, and, contrary to the custom 
 of most boys, did not rest until he searched out the 
 owner of the lost article and delivered it to him. 
 He was always ready to render service in the 
 church in leading the singing when necessary. He 
 attended the Bible-class on Sundays, and paid good 
 attention to what was said. In the seminary he 
 twice obtained a certificate of honour. Even when 
 learning in the matriculation class, he cheerfully 
 obeyed his parents, and helped them by doing 
 every menial service. If rebuked by his parents, he 
 never said a word against them, but withdrew until 
 their anger abated. He attended very regularly the 
 meetings of the Young Men's Christian Association, 
 and at times read essays before the same. 
 
 * At the time of his death, he had written about 
 half of an essay on precious stones, to be read to 
 the association at his next turn. He selected the 
 choicest books of his father's and read them one 
 after another. When his parents had difficulty in 
 paying his school fees, he took off his earrings to 
 find money for the same. 
 
 * As he was rather dull of hearing, it was not 
 convenient to converse with him freely in his sick 
 bed. About half an hour before his death, the 
 evangelist of the church wrote the following words 
 on a slate, and showed it to him : " Put your trust 
 in Jesus, He loves you, don't be afraid," and again 
 he wrote, '' Jesus died for you, He will save you." 
 
136 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 " Say, Lord be merciful unto me a sinner." He 
 looked sharply into these words, and nodded as if 
 he meant that he did so. He calmly slept in 
 Jesus, full of faith and hope.' 
 
 ' The death of Sebatthian is worth notice. Six 
 months after his marriage he fell from a tamarind 
 tree, and although he had much care from Dr. 
 Thomson he. lingered on for some time in great 
 agony, and then died. I visited him daily and was 
 grieved to see the suffering of his young wife, but 
 surprised at his calmness. Upon one occassion he 
 said, " It is my body alone that suffers pain, my 
 inward man is strong. If I am disturbed now, 
 where can I be comforted on earth? If I forget 
 my Lord and Saviour at such a time, what other 
 refuge is there for me?" Seeing the comfort this 
 young man had even at the point of death, those 
 sitting by his bedside praised and glorified God. 
 He died rejoicing in his Saviour.' 
 
 'Adam was more than sixty years of age at his 
 death. He was very regular in attending divine 
 worship. Although not able to read, he could repeat 
 from memory many of the Scripture lessons. He 
 used to teach his heathen neighbours the Bible 
 knowledge which he had committed to memory. He 
 had been formerly a most degraded heathen and a 
 drunkard, but about sixteen years ago he renounced 
 the worship of his demon gods, and became a true 
 convert to Christianity. Ever since he was baptized 
 and admitted to the church, he lived as a sincere 
 
DEA THS OF BELIE VERS. 1 37 
 
 Christian and peaceably amidst his heathen neigh- 
 bours. I frequently visited him in his last hours. 
 When I spoke to him of Christ, the very sound of 
 the name Jesus seemed to him very sweet. A few 
 minutes before his death, he said, " Though I am a 
 sinner, I am not now afraid of my enormous sins, 
 which are, I believe, propitiated by the death of 
 Jesus, and when I die I will go to the presence of 
 God." Anticipating that his heathen relatives would 
 not allow the Christians to bury him according to 
 Christian rites, he, two days before his death, called 
 some of his near relatives, and said, '' You know 
 that I have lived for a long time as a Christian, 
 and now I am going to die also as a Christian ; if 
 you have any love towards me, you must now 
 promise to give me the honour of a Christian 
 burial, by the Christians, without beating of drums 
 and performing other heathen ceremonies." ' 
 
 * Porumeiyudian became partaker of faith in 1867. 
 When he died he was eighty-five years of age, so he 
 well knew the various kinds of oppressions which the 
 lower classes of Travancore experienced from Sirkar 
 authorities and Sudras in former times, and being 
 naturally intelHgent and of good disposition, would 
 speak thankfully of the great good brought to this 
 poor people through the British Government. He 
 was a zealous worshipper of the goddess Pattira 
 Kali, but when he knew the truths of the Gospel he 
 eagerly laid hold on them, and proved a devoted 
 follower of Jesus- Nothing pleased him more than 
 
138 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA, 
 
 to hear of the crucified Saviour, and the prospect of 
 heaven comforted him every day. He could not 
 walk well, neither was his sight good, yet he 
 attended services very punctually. All God's 
 servants who saw him had real pleasure in him. 
 He committed to memory the Tamil hymn, 
 " Guide me, Thou great Jehovah," and would be 
 often repeating it. But it pleased God to remove 
 him from this frail tabernacle by a butt from a 
 bull when out walking. He was on his bed two 
 days before he died, so that we had good opportuni- 
 ties for visiting him. Till he was quite unable he 
 would repeat the words of the hymn he had learnt. 
 The replies he gave to questions we proposed as to 
 his feelings were in substance as follows : " I am a 
 great sinner ; I served Muttukutti for some years, 
 and made offerings to devils. These are great sins. 
 My sins are pardoned by my Saviour Jesus. Jesus 
 is sweet to me. He will give me a happy place in 
 His presence. I do not fear to die. My children, 
 we shall meet each other in heaven. Do not be 
 sorry on account of my death, for I am going to my 
 dear Father." Thus he died happy in Christ, and 
 we all believe that he is enjoying eternal bliss.' 
 
 Sudden death is not always unprepared death. 
 A young communicant, about twenty-two years of 
 age, was bitten by a cobra in attempting to prevent 
 the snake from biting another man who was work- 
 ing along with him in the same field. The heathen 
 doctors tried their remedies, but unsuccessfully. 
 
DEA TIIS OF BELIE VERS, 1 39 
 
 The catecliist asked him, ' Have you any fear of 
 death? ' He repHed , * No; my sins are forgiven by my 
 Saviour, who suffered on the cross. I shall soon 
 be with Him in heaven.' He also asked that his 
 heathen relatives should be prevented from repeat- 
 ing the incantations they are accustomed to use on 
 such occasions. The catechist prayed, and gave him 
 such medicines as were available, remaining with 
 him all that night, but he died in the morning. 
 
 Just before the death of an old man who had 
 been a member of the church for thirteen years, 
 the pastor went to see him. In the conversation 
 which ensued the old man said, * Sir, I have no 
 doubt of being with the Lord after my death ; but 
 I am much concerned about one thing.' 'What 
 is that ? ' He answered, ' For some time I have not 
 been on good terms with a relative. I wish to see 
 him and speak with him before my death, but am 
 unable to walk so far. Will you please to call him, 
 and make peace between us ? ' Though this man 
 was the one who suffered injury from the other, he 
 himself thus desired reconciliation. 
 
 Pakkianathan, deacon of the church at Pulipa- 
 nam, and a Christian of many years' standing, died 
 in 1878. When he first became a Christian, his 
 heathen relatives burnt down his house, and put 
 him to much grief and loss. Trials not unlike 
 those of Job fell upon him, but his faith remained 
 firm. A few years ago, he lost two of his daughters 
 and an only son by fever ; but he calmly bore his 
 
I40 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 troubles, resting upon his Saviour. In his last 
 illness I had many opportunities of seeing him and 
 praying with him, but he did not wish to see any of 
 his heathen relatives. At the time of his death, 
 neither I nor the evangelist were present, for we 
 did not think his end was so near. He inquired 
 for us, but when he found we were not present, he 
 called his daughter-in-law with his grandchildren 
 to come to him. He counselled her to train up 
 her children in Christian truth and faith. He 
 exhorted her to see that the native minister buried 
 him with all Christian rites, and not to allow his 
 friends to perform any heathen ceremonies. He 
 died trusting in that love which guided him, and 
 which has now placed him in the heavenly paradise. 
 * Gunamudian, of Senamvilei, lived amongst a 
 number of Koman Catholics and heathens, and his 
 Christian behaviour showed him to be altogether 
 different from men of the world, and had also been 
 a means of shutting up the mouths of those who 
 spoke against Christians. The time when he was 
 suffering from the disease which ended w^ith his 
 death was very remarkable. He suffered fully four 
 months from dysentery. I frequently visited him 
 and prayed with him. Whatever conversation he 
 began, it was something connected with him and 
 his Saviour. A great part of his life he had been 
 often visited with days of affliction, so that he was 
 well taught in the stern school of adversity. He 
 uttered no words of murmuring, and would always 
 
DEA THS OF BELIE VERS. 141 
 
 praise the name of his God, who gave him strength 
 to bear the trial. His words were full of comfort. 
 He would say that he was ready to depart and be 
 with Christ, and not unfrequently requested us to 
 pray that he might be taken without any long delay 
 to God's presence. When the hour of his death 
 came, he called his wife and children to him, and 
 having spoken to them about his confidence and 
 courage to meet death, earnestly entreated them to 
 have faith in his God as their God, in his Saviour as 
 their Saviour, and to live as he had lived, putting 
 their trust in Jesus in days of trial and want. He 
 ended with a short prayer that they might be kept 
 steadfast in Him to the end, and that none of his 
 family might be lost. Then, in silent prayer and 
 with great calmness, he breathed his last. All 
 who witnessed his death said, '' This is the end 
 of a true Christian." ' 
 
 Nor are the Christian women of India behind 
 in courage and hope, and joy, in the prospect of 
 eternal bliss. 
 
 Paripooranum sustained a great loss in the death 
 of her only child, Dorcal, who left a little son a few 
 months old. Dorcal for a short time taught the 
 lower classes in one of the mission schools. Her 
 greatest pleasure was to speak of Jesus to others, 
 and her mother said that she never missed an 
 opportunity for doing so. She was attacked 
 with inflammation of the lungs ; and, though all 
 was done for her that could be thought of, she sank 
 
142 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 rapidly under it. At one period of the illness she 
 was in great darkness, and said, ' I try to find out 
 my Jesus ; I think He hides Himself.' The whole 
 of next day she was repeating Scripture texts and 
 singing hymns. That same night she was wearied 
 and slept soundly. Suddenly she, with great joy, 
 said, ' Mother, I have seen my Saviour. He calls 
 me home. The door is wide open. I need not care 
 for anything now.' Later on she could not speak 
 clearly, but was trying to repeat some hymns. 
 She had a good voice, and could sing well. In 
 the night she heard sweet heavenly music, and 
 said, * Children are playing on the harp, and they 
 sing, ''When He cometh." How sweet it is ! Do 
 you hear it, do you hear it ? ' Two days after, feeling 
 better, she had more desire to live. She told her 
 father to take her husband regularly to chapel, 
 and to give the little money she had been collecting 
 to the church. It amounted to two shillings. At 
 three o'clock, she calmly slept in her Saviour's 
 arms. 
 
 The catechist of Arambuli writes : — 
 
 'I had the privilege of attending the sick-bed 
 of our old friend, Sarah, who died lately of cholera. 
 Her faith was firmly fixed on her Redeemer. It 
 was she who, once being asked whether she was 
 not afraid of the demons, replied, "Can an iron 
 post, sir, be eaten up by white ants ? I am a 
 child of the Almighty Jesus. What can devils 
 do to me ? " 
 
DEA THS OF BELIE VERS. 1 43 
 
 * Her aged husband, perceiving her end to be near, 
 asked whether she was prepared to go to the 
 Saviour. She answered, **Yes," and summoning 
 her strength to raise her hands up prayed, '* Lord 
 Jesus, take me by the way that leads to Thy dwell- 
 ing-place ! " and gave up her spirit in peace. Her 
 face appeared as if lit up by the gracious presence 
 of the Good Shepherd condescending to comfort 
 her in the valley of the shadow of death. 
 
 ' " Tliey shall he Mine, saitJi the Lord, when I 
 make tip My jeivels." ' 
 
 Another writes:— 'I have to communicate to 
 you the sad news of the death by cholera of our 
 beloved Maria, who was a precious pearl of this 
 congregation. But, in the midst of our grief and 
 sorrow, we have cause to rejoice and be thankful. 
 Maria suffered sorely for a whole week, but sought 
 consolation in the Word of God and in prayer. 
 When the pangs of death, accompanied with 
 unquenchable thirst and severe convulsions, came 
 on, she looked upwards and said, '' merciful Jesus, 
 I perceive that Thy time has come to call me up 
 to drink the sweet waters of life and thirst no 
 more." In a few moments she was gone to Him 
 who was the supreme object of her life and hope.' 
 
 Cases have occurred in which those who have 
 been afraid to confess their faith in life have found 
 courage to do so on the bed of death, and have 
 passed away rejoicing in Christ. Of such a case 
 the late Dr. Thomson in his last report wrote : — 
 
144 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 ' A much-esteemed Sudra friend died lately. 
 
 Having found peace in Jesus, he could say, " 1 have 
 
 put my trust in Jesus Christ, and I am glad of it" 
 
 He told those around his bed that ''believing on 
 
 Jesus as our Saviour is urgently required. I am 
 
 a sinner, but I depend upon the merits of Jesus 
 
 Christ. Don't cry, I've been with you for the last 
 
 sixty years ; v^ill that not do ? I am going to be 
 
 v^ith my old friends Dr. Leitch and Mr. Baylis." 
 
 His last words, the name of Jesus — '^ Jesic ! Jesu I " 
 
 made a deep impression on those around. At 
 
 the funeral time, as well as during the short illness, 
 
 the solemn opportunity was taken to tell the good 
 
 news of salvation through Jesus Christ to large 
 
 crowds gathered together from many places 
 
 around. He was the chief Sudra of his place, a 
 
 Thambi, or king's son, and well known in the 
 
 country. 
 
 ' " Prayer is better than medicine," he once said 
 to the dresser. Before taking the physic from his 
 hands, he asked him to pray. He also said, " I 
 remember the words I learned when I was a boy 
 at Neyoor School : Death is certain ; time is 
 uncertain." ' 
 

 .^ ^ I 
 
 A VILLAGE SURROUNDED BY RICE FIELDS. 
 
 CHAPTEK X. 
 
 THE LIBERALITY OF THE NATIVE CHRISTIANS IN 
 SUPPORTING god's CAUSE. 
 
 We give Thee but Thine own, 
 
 Whate'er the gift may be, 
 For all we have is Thine alone, 
 
 A trust, Lord, from Thee. 
 And we believe Thy word, 
 Though dim our faith may be ; 
 
 What'er for Thine we do, Lord, 
 
 We do it unto Thee. 
 
 In India, if Christianity is to be established on 
 a permanent and self-supporting basis, and to 
 become really indigenous, the converts must be 
 
 L 
 
146 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH hWDIA. 
 
 taught to aid in support of the work unitedly and 
 according to their abihty. In various forms this 
 aid is rendered : assisting with money or labour 
 in the building, thatching, and repair of chapels, 
 providing for them seats, lamps, and other furniture ; 
 contributing in money or kind towards the support 
 of the native ministry, the Bible and tract societies, 
 the hospitals, and the poor, and other religious 
 and benevolent objects in due proportions. Every 
 year the Christians of our mission contribute a total 
 of about thirteen thousand rupees for such purposes. 
 In the erection of new chapels they bestow much 
 free labour, or if too poor to work a day without 
 wages, they are content with the plainest refresh- 
 ment provided for the day. In one congregation 
 an elder annually gives a feast to all who come 
 to thatch the chapel and the catechist's house. 
 When the work is finished, and the place cleaned 
 up, they enter the house of God, and offer prayer 
 and sing praises for the privilege of working for Him. 
 Then the food is distributed and eaten with 
 gladness of heart. For church building some give 
 trees from their gardens for the woodwork, or 
 cut and carry timber from the jungles. In the 
 erection of several chapels in Trevandrum district 
 some years ago, in which we were largely aided 
 by special contributions from kind friends in 
 Bristol, delightful and encouraging evidences were 
 afforded of the interest of the native Christians 
 in the work. In almost every instance, only the 
 
LIBERALITY OF NATIVE CHRISTIANS. 147 
 
 skeleton of the building was at first provided for 
 the people, and they were left to plaster and finish 
 it in the course of the next few years. 
 
 The need was great. Convenient accommodation 
 for public worship was at that time decidedly the 
 most urgent want of this district. Some of the 
 buildings were utterly insufficient in size, others 
 were going to ruin almost beyond the possibility 01 
 repair, while the people were hard pressed for the 
 support of their native teachers. The congregations 
 continued (as they still do) to increase both 
 in number and size, while the accommodation 
 remained almost stationary, or w^as increased simply 
 by the addition of open sheds erected by the new 
 adherents. 
 
 The new chapel at Neyattankara y/as opened and 
 publicly dedicated to the worship of Almighty God 
 in October, 1876. It is a nice brick building, 
 measuring sixty by thirty feet inside, and furnishing 
 accommodation for fully five hundred persons 
 seated, as usual in our country congregations, 
 on the floor. The plastering and other finishing 
 touches have since been completed, and the 
 pastor and people take delight in keeping the 
 place in beautiful order and cleanliness. Of the 
 help given by the people, the pastor wrote : — 
 
 ' The congregation continually increasing, we 
 were much straitened for room. Some materials 
 were collected years ago, but we saw no way to 
 erect a good chapel. The Lord raised up for us 
 
148 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 kind friends in England, and the foundation was 
 laid on '27tli October, 1873. The poor Christians 
 here have undertaken much labour to assist in the 
 erection, amounting in value to 840 fanams (about 
 iJ12). They carried the heavy beams and pillars on 
 their shoulders, and worked at the roof, standing on 
 high scaffoldings. Not only men but women, and 
 those the most respectable in the congregation, 
 worked, preparing mortar, carrying stones and 
 gathering sand. About a week before the dedica- 
 tion, a number of women assembled and offered 
 prayer in the old chapel, and then swept and 
 smoothed the floor of the new chapel with great 
 joy. Children also have done what they could. 
 People came from the neighbouring congregations 
 to carry the granite stones for the base of the pillars, 
 and especially to help in putting up the roof. 
 
 ' By the mercy of our God, this fine chapel was 
 opened on 11th October, 1874. I cannot describe 
 the joy we realised on that day and the following, 
 when a great missionary meeting was held. On 
 that day eighteen persons were baptized. 
 
 * While the work was going on, the Government 
 officials now and then came to see and admire it, 
 and heard much of the Christian religion, but not 
 openly. They acknowledged that this alone teaches 
 the way of salvation. 
 
 ' A woman of this congregation has given 100 
 fanams to provide two good globe lamps : and 
 another woman promises to pay for another lamp, 
 
LIBERALITY OF NATIVE CHRISTIANS. 149 
 
 and the people for the fourth. There is still some 
 work to do, which the people will accomplish as 
 they are are able.' 
 
 The chapel at Paruttipalli was opened on 10th 
 October, 1875. There is a good congregation of 
 poor people there, and we have a dozen congrega- 
 tions besides in that quarter. The site is central 
 for united meetings, so the building is seventy-five 
 by thirty-two feet inside, the largest in our mission, 
 I think, except three or four. The people worked 
 diligently at this also, and on the opening day no 
 less than thirteen hundred (young and old) were 
 present, nearly a thousand of them being packed 
 inside the chapel. One or two European friends 
 also kindly came from Trevandrum to this special 
 service. 
 
 On 29th April, 1877, another good-sized chapel 
 was opened and dedicated to God at Nellikakuri. 
 While the building was in progress, the catechist 
 wrote as follows : — ■ 
 
 ' Besides the usual work of teaching and 
 preaching, collections are diligently made for godly 
 purposes. Some of the people of this congi'egation 
 are descendants of the early converts, who were 
 devoted and faithful, and have entered into the 
 kingdom of eternal rest. Several agents employed 
 by the mission have sprung from this place. The 
 people are not rich — mostly labourers, and unable 
 to give much ; but they do their best. Three of 
 them are elders, and one is a village preacher, 
 
ISO THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH I AW I A 
 
 These render valuable aid in all church business 
 and in preaching to the heathen. Some pious 
 women also help much by conducting prayer- 
 meetings amongst the females. 
 
 ' In the old place of worship there is not room for 
 all the attendants, and some are obliged to stand 
 outside. But now, through the generosity of Mrs. 
 Sergeant, a new chapel is being built, for which the 
 congregation are raising 300 Es. as their contribu- 
 tion. They are doing even beyond their power for 
 this great object. Some that had not money are 
 doing work gratis at the building, some gave trees, 
 some carried the timber, bricks, and sand for 
 mortar. Some have even borrowed money by 
 mortgages on their lands and valuable trees, and 
 paid their donations. We rejoice much at their 
 willingness and zeal for the glory of God and the 
 good of their posterity. 
 
 ' For a pulpit and table, three of our friends gave 
 thirty-five rupees. These have been finished. A 
 catechist's house also, close by the chapel, nas been 
 built, in which I now live, with my family.' 
 
 Thus five or six new chapels were built in 
 localities where they would be most useful, and in 
 such a way as to draw forth self-help and increased 
 activity on the part of our people. Every care 
 was exercised to avoid pauperising them by free-and- 
 easy expenditure of foreign funds ; on the contrary, 
 the people worked hard, and gave in addition 
 contributions of money as they could afford. 
 
LIBERALITY OF NA TI VE CHRIS TIA NS. 1 5 1 
 
 So it is in other mission districts. Mr. Leo 
 writes : — 
 
 ' A case of liberality worthy of mention is that of 
 Mr. P. Paul, deacon of Mayilady. During this year 
 a long-cherished intention of covering the roof of 
 the chapel with iron sheeting has been carried into 
 effect. What makes the case the more remarkable 
 is the fact that it was executed by his express 
 request after his death. He had been preparing 
 to do the work for some years, and had purchased 
 the necessary iron just as he was taken ill ; but his 
 illness and death were not made an excuse for not 
 finishing the work. He was very liberal in the 
 congregation, and kind to the poor, and will be 
 much missed. These are services rendered which 
 we are able to estimate ; but, even as in England, 
 there are gifts, the result of self-denial and self- 
 sacrifice for Christ's sake, that though small in 
 amount are yet of infinite value to Him to 
 whom they are offered. 
 
 'P. Paul was born a Christian, as his parents 
 received Christianity some time before his birth, 
 and he received a good education in the Nagercoil 
 Seminary. On leaving the seminary, he went to 
 Ceylon, and was employed for several years as a 
 conductor in the coffee estates, and returned to 
 his native place with a heathen wife, who, though 
 she professed to be a Christian, was a great trial 
 throughout his life. After his return from Ceylon, 
 he became a true Christian, and was admitted to 
 
152 J HE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 clmrcli fellowship, and led a consistent life. While 
 he was in the hills he regularly conducted Sunday 
 services in his house with Christian coolies and 
 friends. Through his influence and instrumentality 
 some of his heathen relatives were converted to 
 Christianity. While he was in the congregation, 
 he was a great help to the pastor and to the 
 catechist by deciding cases and exciting the people 
 to keep up regular attendance on Divine worship 
 and pay attention to Christian literature. He was 
 accustomed to give an annual feast to the poor, 
 and provided clothes to all the poor widows in the 
 congregations, and contributed thirty rupees to our 
 sangams. He was very sorry at his wife's impious 
 conduct, and once destroyed her two idols, and 
 burned down the temple she built for Isakee at the 
 cost of fifty rupees. Towards the erection of the 
 school-room at Mayilady he was glad to pay half of 
 the expense. One-tenth of his income was devoted 
 to the mission, and from that he determined to 
 roof the chapel with iron, and began the work, 
 which was finished after his death, at a cost of 
 s'x hundred rupees.' 
 
 In Pareychaley, the people make great efforts to 
 erect chapels for themselves. 
 
 'The people at Yendoku manifested great earnest- 
 ness in this work. At Otteicherimangalam they 
 gathered wood and made preparations for the work. 
 
 'At Venkodu, a meeting was held in October, and 
 it was then manifest that the roof of the old building 
 
LIBERALITY OF NATIVE CHRISTIANS. 153 
 
 was so weak that it could not be re-thatched, and 
 might fall at any time. A beginning was made by 
 the collection on that day being devoted to the 
 erection of the new place of worship. After the 
 sangam was over, many of the people went to their 
 houses and brought brass vessels, lamps, fowls, 
 goats, a cow, cases of writing materials, in fact, such 
 things as they possessed; as contributions towards 
 the object. 
 
 *At Kunnattoor the people themselves erected a 
 small, neat and strong chapel at a cost of about two 
 hundred rupees. The congregation is small, but the 
 Christians there were in earnest in their efforts, and 
 succeeded in accomplishing their purpose.' 
 
 Sometimes odd scenes take place, and ingenious 
 devices are resorted to, in order to excite one another 
 to liberality, or to procure funds for necessary work. 
 
 ' John, deacon of Tittuvilei, though blind, is a 
 great help to us in the work of the mission. We 
 often see him in one congregation or another sitting 
 by the side of the catechist with a staff in the hands 
 of his little boy, whom he employs as his guide. 
 Waiting for permission to speak a word or two, he 
 earnestly presses upon the people the necessity of 
 raising contributions for the work of the new chapel 
 at Tittavilei. He is not only a speaker, but a very 
 earnest worker himself. He carried stones on his 
 head for the foundation. He collected some ten 
 cottahs of paddy, worth about thirty-five rupees, in 
 aid of the work.' 
 
154 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 In the progress of the work of Tittuvilei chapel 
 this good man rendered valuable aid, drilhng the 
 labourers, stirring up the overseers, and holding 
 meetings for special prayer. Whenever he found 
 the people dull and tired, he would stimulate them 
 by asking his little boy to lead him to the work, 
 and carrying on his head a load of fuel, or dragging, 
 with others, a log of wood for burning in the kiln, 
 cheering them on all the while with the workman's 
 song. 
 
 Pakkiam, a devoted servant of God, white-washed 
 the chapel at Arasankuli inside and outside with 
 her own hands, except a foot and a half all round 
 within the top. When I asked the people what 
 they meant by the black line left, they appeared as 
 if quite ashamed ; but Pakkiam cheerfully answered, 
 * Sir, my hands could reach only so far.'' The whole 
 congregation promised to whiten what remained 
 before Sunday next. But they failed; and Pakkiam, 
 who had waited the whole week, to see whether her 
 friends would make good their word, resolved at 
 any cost to finish the task. She brought in her 
 rice-mortar, and using it for a scaffold, completed 
 the work in which her heaven-born heart deeply 
 delighted. 
 
 Even children may take an interest and effectually 
 aid in this good work. Here is an instance in the 
 report of the catechist of Puliadi. 
 
 'My heart had to suffer much regret and anxiety 
 for my people in the Puliadi congregation during 
 
LIBERALITY OF AATIVE CHRISTIANS. 155 
 
 the first part of the year, owing to deaths and back- 
 slidings occasioned by the cruel malaria. Sabbath 
 attendance was irregular, and the prayer-house 
 became leaky, as sufficient hands were not found 
 to help in thatching the roof. My soul ^vas sorely 
 sickened in consequence of such a painful disaster. 
 I knew nothing else to do, but taking my case to the 
 throne of grace for mercy and help at this time ot 
 need. I prayed with my people, and for them, and 
 comforted them in the name of the Saviour. This I 
 did for many days and weeks, visiting every hamlet 
 in the village as frequently as time permitted. The 
 God of mercy heard our prayers, which w^e humbly 
 offered to Him in the name of His beloved Son. 
 He touched the hearts of several of 
 the people, and they were comforted 
 by the Holy Spirit. Two young 
 men, who displayed remarkable 
 interest in God's cause, roused the 
 people to come forward to thatch 
 the house of Divine worship. 
 
 ^ T 1 • ITT SOUTH INDIAN 
 
 Immediately a meetnig w^as held coins. 
 
 and the object was set before 
 the people. AVhen some hesitated, a lad rose up in 
 great earnest to say that he would at once lay out 
 before them his two chuckrams (~2d. nearly) 
 towards the expense of the thatching, if they would 
 imitate his example. Strongly aroused by this 
 juvenile proposal, an elderly man seconded him, 
 saying, "Two chuckrams per head cannot make up 
 
156 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 the sum required. Let us all give ten cliuckrams 
 each." This suggestion was ■unanimously carried. 
 The collection was made, and preparations were 
 attended to without further delay, and the thatching 
 was at once accomplished, and we offered thanks to 
 Him that blessed our humble efforts.' 
 
 We "urge the people to give something every 
 Lord's day at Divine service, even if it be but a 
 copper casli (quarter of a farthing) each ; something 
 monthly, at least a silver chuckram (a penny) ; and 
 pasteboard collecting boxes are placed in each 
 family, and opened thrice in the year for the church 
 building, the Tract and Book, and the Auxiliary 
 Missionary Societies. The Sunday collections 
 are mostly given by the women out of their small 
 change in hand, the monthly collections by heads 
 of families. The united anniversary meetings are 
 called sangams ; and to these pleasant gatherings 
 the people assemble, with their families and friends, 
 from all the surrounding congregations. Addresses 
 are dehvered upon topics bearing upon the object 
 of the meeting and the prosperity of the work 
 of God, and interesting information is communi- 
 cated in reference to the progress of the Gospel 
 in India and other lands. These meetings in 
 January, May, and September are of the highest 
 interest, enabling me to meet the congregations 
 and to examine the school children unitedly, as 
 well as in their several localities, quickening the 
 people to Christian duty, the education of their 
 
LIBRkALlTY OF NATIVE CHRISTIANS. 157 
 
 children, and efforts for the spread of the Gospel 
 by warm addresses; and powerfully cultivating 
 general good feeling and sociality amongst Christians 
 of different castes. 
 
 By these means many are trained to form a 
 conscientious habit of giving. 
 
 A Christian at Kakaravillay died of cholera. He 
 was a good man, and was accustomed to contribute 
 four and a half fanams at each of the sangams. After 
 his death the catechist of the place asked his wife for 
 her sangam money, expecting that the subscription 
 would be much reduced, as she has no one to 
 look after her affairs. He asked her to give what 
 she could, telling her that she need not be grieved 
 because she was unable to pay the usual amount. 
 She answered with a smile, 'The death of my 
 husband has indeed proved a great loss to me 
 as well as to the congregation ; but though he 
 has departed from us, he has not taken with him 
 the little property he had procured; that is in 
 its place, and I will try to continue giving the 
 same amount as long as I live.' This woman is 
 not able to read, neither has she much Biblical 
 knowledge ; her desire, therefore, to keep up the 
 subscription is the more striking. 
 
 A catechist reports :— 
 
 *The female members of the congregation have 
 fixed upon Friday for their prayer-meeting. On 
 the first day of their gathering, one of them 
 proposed the desirability of requesting the mistress 
 
158 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 of the house to put, in her turn, one chuckram 
 into the missionary box. In emulation of which, 
 another said, " Not only the owner of the house, 
 but let each one of us bring a chuckram for the 
 purpose." And while a third observed, *' That 
 will be rather too much for our ability," she was 
 answered by a fourth thus : " I can suggest to you 
 a plan to render the matter easy and less burden- 
 some. Let us save a chuckram one day per week 
 by seasoning our supper with a thuvayal (composed 
 of tamarind, salt and chillies) instead of fish 
 curry/' Meanwhile one ran home to bring a 
 collecting box, which immediately had four 
 chuckrams put in. This inspired another sister 
 with a desire to keep the suggestion by laying by 
 a small quantity of rice from what is allotted to 
 her as her daily supply, which she brings in 
 every Saturday evening, when she gets down from 
 the hill where she works as a coolie in a coffee 
 estate.' 
 
 * One day I asked a new convert the following 
 question: **What do you think of the Christians 
 of this place, comparing them with the heathen ? " 
 He replied, " I have never seen such kind people, 
 who help their neighbours and the poor, and I 
 believe this to be a good religion." Again! asked, 
 " How do you know ? " He answered, *' When Joseph 
 had gone to the hills there was nothing in his 
 house for their livelihood, and his wife Mary was 
 ill. Until her death, her husband Joseph did not 
 
LIBERALITY OF NATIVE CHRISTIANS. 159 
 
 return. Still the Christians themselves helped her 
 by providing food and medicine. Also they spent 
 for burying her. Not only that, until Joseph's 
 arrival they looked after his two children, and they 
 did not ask him to repay their expenditure for 
 his v^ife and the two children ; and from this I 
 know that nobody but Christians would do such 
 generous and kind deeds." 
 
 Although these poor Christians, many of whom 
 earn but at the rate of a few pence a day by the 
 sweat of their brow, are thus trained and encouraged 
 to contribute, as is due, for the spiritual instruction 
 and intellectual improvement of themselves and 
 their children, yet they are nothing the worse 
 for all their givings, even in a temporal point of 
 view, but are steadily rising and advancing in 
 social circumstances and consideration. * There 
 is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is 
 that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth 
 to poverty' (Pro v. xi. 24). The same principles 
 of self-help and godliness that induce them, and 
 habits of thrift that enable them, to support 
 Christian institutions, lead them also to diligence 
 and virtue, temperance, honesty, and intelligent 
 effort to improve their circumstances. * Godliness 
 is profitable unto all things.' 'The hand of the 
 diligent maketh rich.' ' The blessing of the Lord, 
 it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it.' 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 EFFORTS FOR THE SALVATION OF OTHERS. 
 
 Never was the world more needy, 
 Human hearts more sad and poor 
 
 Crying blmdly for a healer, 
 Seeking not the heavenly cure. 
 
 Never did the great ensnarer 
 
 Spread his spells with wiser skill, 
 
 Turning light to darkness, mingling 
 Sweet and bitter, good and ill. 
 
 Never was the harvest greater; 
 
 Yet the reapers, where are they? 
 Far and few, where most are needed, 
 
 Faintmg in the heat of day. 
 
 In the Travancore Mission, voluntary effort to 
 spread the Gospel amongst their neighbours and 
 friends has always been expected of the converts 
 and encouraged, and has been a considerable factor 
 in the success achieved. Every one that heareth 
 the Gospel should say to others, according to his 
 abilities and opportunities, Come to the Saviour. 
 God requires of all believers to cultivate * the 
 mind that was in Christ,' who wept with Divine 
 compassion over perishing sinners ; to follow their 
 Lord's example in doing good to all ; and to live to 
 
ErrORTS FOR SALVATION OF OTHERS. i6i 
 
 Him who died for them and rose again. Like the 
 apostles, every Christian should, ' knowing the 
 terror of the Lord,' realise the tremendous danorer 
 of sinners, and their need of a Saviour, and should, 
 at the same time, be 'constrained by the love of 
 Christ,' and sympathy with the blessed Eedeemer 
 in His great purposes of salvation for mankind. 
 All should be as missionaries. The whole Church 
 should be a working and witnessing Church. 
 
 This, in fact, is the only way in which Christianity 
 can possibly spread over the whole of the vast 
 empire of India. While European Christians begin 
 and lead in the work, organise missions with 
 systematic institutions and agencies supported, for 
 the time, by foreign aid, native Christians must also 
 in large numbers give their voluntary labours, their 
 united contributions and prayers, preach and exhort 
 and conduct meetings, distribute tracts and Scrip- 
 tures, and withal must ' adorn the doctrine of God 
 their Saviour in all things.' In course of time the 
 older and more established native churches in India 
 will themselves send forth missions to unevangelised 
 provinces and districts. For this we need a 
 thousandfold more zeal and aggressive action than 
 at present exists in our Indian churches. Many 
 are indifferent and lukewarm. But we have always 
 had some amount of voluntary effort to spread the 
 Gospel put forth by native Christians ; and some- 
 times instances of singular zeal and devotedness, 
 such as ought to appear in a people saved from sin 
 
 M 
 
i62 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 and hell, from devil-worship and idolatry, for the 
 enjoyment of the love of God and the light and 
 blessedness of the Gospel. 
 
 In some mission districts, select chmxh members 
 have been appointed as village or local preachers 
 to conduct Divine service in outlying places not 
 sufficiently reached by the mission catechists. These 
 men are of various castes and grades of education, 
 but are diligent and useful. They, and the elders 
 and deacons and unofficial church members of the 
 congregations also, visit the sick and lead prayer- 
 meetings. Some visit the houses of heathens, and 
 invite them to attend the worship of God. The 
 women's prayer-meeting is conducted weekly by 
 pious and educated females. Several are accustomed 
 to call a few children, give them food, and teach 
 them to read. 
 
 We have one case of a Christian man of property, 
 who labours regularly in a Christian congrega- 
 tion, in all respects as a catechist would do, 
 without receiving any salary. This is not merely 
 an impulsive act, but a service w^hich has been 
 rendered for some years. A new house of prayer 
 has been finished for his congregation through his 
 efforts. 
 
 * I am pleased to find,' writes a native pastor, 
 *that six persons of this congregation help me 
 much in my work. They teach the lower classes 
 after the morning service, and conduct Sunday 
 eervices occasionally. Though these men have not 
 
EFFORTS FOR SALVATION OF OTHERS. 163 
 
 received a higli education, they can preach out of a 
 full heart the blessings of salvation.' 
 
 There was a native doctor, named Joseph, in the 
 Vakkam congregation, whose character and conduct I 
 often viewed with admiration. Though many years 
 a Christian, his wife still remained in heathenism. 
 No day passed in which he was not engaged in 
 speaking about Christ to several families. He 
 prayed thrice a day, and was noted for all kinds of 
 good actions. By becoming a Christian, he lost his 
 property and position, and was in very poor circum- 
 stances, yet never repined. 'If I desire riches,' 
 he would say, ' sin might destroy me. But if for 
 Christ one must leave house, and land, and friends, 
 eternal glory will be his position.' Thus he spent 
 his life for God's glory and the good of souls ; and 
 to him a sudden death was sudden glory. 
 
 It is loving, earnest effort that moves the hearts 
 of men everywhere. ' There must be something 
 wonderful,' said a Hindu lately, 'in the Christian 
 religion. Christians build schools, pay teachers, 
 publish books, and take great pains in spreading the 
 Gospel. They ■woidcl not spend their money for 
 nothing.' 
 
 In one of our congregations in Trevandrum 
 district, a very poor Christian widow, with her only 
 son, live in a miserable hut. The boy learnt to read 
 in the mission school, and taught his mother the 
 lessons of Scripture, the hymns, and prayers he 
 learnt, so that she became a member of the church. 
 
l64 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 They are poor working people, possessing nothing in 
 this world, but happy in knowing that Jesus Christ 
 is their help. 
 
 The first-class scholars are in the habit of reading 
 to their unlettered heathen parents the magazines 
 and other tracts they get from us. This seems to 
 work well. A few have been thus led to a better 
 understanding of the nature of Christianity. 
 
 One night, as a boy was singing in his house a 
 poem on the sufferings of Christ, his father, being 
 greatly affected by it, asked : ' Who is this good 
 Man, my son, that has suffered so much? His 
 sufferings appear greater than those endured even by 
 our celebrated King Arichandra.' His son replied, 
 ' This Person is not a mere man. He is God-man.' 
 ' Is it possible, then, for any one,' observed 
 the father, 'to ill-treat Him in this manner?' 
 'True,' answered the son, 'but He voluntarily 
 submitted Himself to all these in order to save 
 us from sin.' ' What ! ' said the father, ' you speak 
 of sin and saving. I do not understand what you 
 say ; can you explain it? ' 'Father, you may recollect 
 that our Nadan's stray bull fell into that yonder 
 well, where two cobras were found on its back, and 
 Nadan, who heard about it, ran in great haste and 
 cleverly removed the serpents and saved the bull. 
 Like that bull, we, going astray from our Maker 
 and His way, have fallen into a most dangerous pit, 
 and our sins, like the cobras, are about to destroy 
 us, and Jesus is come to destroy sin and to save 
 
EFFORTS FOR SALVATION OF OTHERS. 165 
 
 US from ruin. If you think of this illustration, 
 father, you may perhaps understand the meaning 
 of sin and salvation.' ' Now, my son, I think 
 I understand it from your explanation. The 
 more a person hears the Christian Vedam, the 
 better he may see its excellence. The quality of 
 fine gold becomes known only from rubbing it 
 on the touchstone. Had it not been for your 
 explanation, I should not have understood what 
 is meant by sin and salvation.' 
 
 The schools are a great blessing, notwithstanding 
 all their defects. On the Sabbath they are all 
 turned into Sunday-schools ; many children learn 
 ' the old, old story,' which is ever fresh and new, 
 and we have many encouraging proofs that this 
 work is not in vain ; for example : 
 
 As Andrew came and stirred up Peter his brother 
 to go to Jesus, so one of our Christians has been 
 all his life doing the same. His parents and all his 
 family were heathen, and belonged to a family of 
 dancers. He learnt to read in one of our mission 
 schools, and the Christian truths then taught him 
 made a deep impression upon his heart and brought 
 him to Jesus. He then made friends with the 
 Christians, and as a boy he began to attend our 
 services. When there were demon ceremonies in 
 his house, for days together he would not go near 
 his home. His parents persecuted him, destroyed 
 his Christian books, and threatened to cut him off 
 from the family. Finding they could not drive 
 
l66 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 him, they became silent. Then his influence 
 began to tell. He began to teach his parents and 
 his brothers about the love of Jesus. God has 
 blessed his life-work. The previous year his 
 parents and one of his brothers came to the 
 church, and this year his other three brothers, 
 with their wives and children. The young man said 
 to the catechist one day, ' The Lord has heard 
 my prayers on behalf of my relatives, and I thank 
 Him that we have a peaceful life at home.' 
 
 The poor also seek to save their superiors in 
 wealth and rank. 
 
 ' One day,' writes a native missionary, 'when I was 
 travelling towards the east, I saw a high-caste man, 
 nicely dressed, and a poor man, shabbily dressed, 
 walking and conversing together. On coming 
 near, I discovered that the great man w^as a 
 Vellalah, and the other Caleb, a convert from the 
 Pulayars, one of the lowest castes in the country. 
 Caleb was, with great courage and zeal, speaking 
 about the resurrection of the dead and the 
 judgment day, and showing how that Jesus Christ 
 shall judge all the nations of the world. The 
 Vellalah was walking quite close by the Christian. 
 Nor could either be ignorant of his companion's 
 caste, for Caleb can only pronounce like other 
 Pulayars, so that his speech would easily be 
 recognised. Some years ago Caleb dared not have 
 walked on the road with other people. Now, 
 while on his way to his daily work, by which he 
 
EPi'^onrs FOR sAlvAtion of others. 167 
 
 would only earn two or three chuckrams a day, he 
 was become the friendly instructor of this great 
 man.' 
 
 In recent mission reports, one feature has been 
 specially noticeable — the efforts of godly women 
 labouring in the Gospel. 
 
 At Sotthavilei, the womens' prayer-meetings 
 on week-days are conducted by three voluntary 
 female workers. One of them is Paranchothi. 
 She was not taught to read in her youth, but 
 recently she has learnt to read. She cannot yet 
 read fluently, but every Tuesday she goes about 
 with the Bible in her hands, calls the women 
 from house to house to meet for prayers, and 
 conducts the prayer-meetings. She has much 
 work to do, but she never absents herself from 
 these meetings. We may notice her reading the 
 Psalms while she cooks and does other work. 
 She puts money into the collecting box by the profit 
 of her own work. She is called by the people 
 an assistant catechist. Another woman, named 
 Natchathirum, has much household work to do and 
 her children to attend to, but she conducts these 
 meetings very diligently, and often visits sick people. 
 She is accustomed to read the Scriptures to the 
 sick, and thereby give comfort to the afflicted. 
 
 ' No part of the voluntary work,' writes Mr. Hacker, 
 ' is more interesting than that done by women 
 amongst women. Many who were educated in 
 the boarding-schoo] are a great help to the churches 
 
i68 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 of which they are members. Most of the women 
 of the country are deplorably ignorant. The 
 custom and religion of the country are against the 
 education of women. One of the most popular 
 of the Tamil proverbs is, " Ignorance is woman's 
 greatest ornament." The women themselves do 
 not agree to this, and I am glad to see that some 
 of the enlightened men are become awake to the 
 importance of their women getting knowledge. 
 Bome of our Christian women are therefore welcome 
 in many houses as readers, and every Sunday some 
 go forth, two by two, carrying the message of life.' 
 The following instances may illustrate the 
 influence the women are exerting among their own 
 less favoured sisters. The Kev. S. Zechariah says : — 
 ' Some of the members of this congregation have 
 rendered valuable help in preaching the Gospel 
 to the heathen. A few of the women especially, 
 who belong to the Bible-class, have formed them- 
 selves into two classes for the purpose of going 
 to read the Gospel on Sunday afternoons. One 
 set come to the Bible-class one Sunday, while the 
 other set are among the people. The next Sunday 
 the other set attend the class, while the others go 
 out. They visit chiefly the w^omen around us, 
 and declare the AVord of God to them. They are 
 received kindly wherever they go.' 
 
 The Kev. P. Yacob says : ' There are some men and 
 women in my congregations who spend the evenings 
 on Sundays and other times in making known the 
 
EFI^ORTS FOR SALVATION OF OTHERS. 169 
 
 Gospel. Yesudial is very poor, but she works 
 with a very good spirit for her Saviour. She is 
 engaged with others in making rope from cocoanut 
 fibre, and as she sits at work with her fellow- 
 women and children, she teaches them the Lord's 
 Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and other truths 
 of tlie Gospel. On her way to the church on 
 Sundays she never misses calling at some house 
 to ask the women to come with her to the church. 
 Happy indeed would our Church be if all its 
 members were in this way striving to do some- 
 thing for Jesus.' 
 
 Yethakan, catechist of Kodyoor, says : * During 
 the year, a woman, named Snakapoo, has been 
 the means of bringing two others to the church, 
 who were her heathen relatives. She used to 
 talk to them at all times about the love of Jesus, 
 and tried to show them that good would 
 come to them if they trusted Him. I spoke to 
 this woman one day, and asked her about the 
 motives which led her to bring these women, 
 and she said she felt it her duty to say to her 
 relatives what Moses said to his relative, ** We are 
 journeying to a place of which the Lord has said, 
 I will give it to you ; come with us and we will do 
 you good, for the Lord hath spoken good concerning 
 Israel." ' 
 
 I believe in this work thoroughly. If women 
 are not reached by women with the Gospel message, 
 they will not be touched at all. 
 
CHAPTEE XII. 
 
 HINDU CHEISTIAN WOMEN. 
 
 The devotion and tenderness of godly women have 
 often, and in varied ways, been used in the Divine 
 service, as is evident from the records of the Old 
 and New Testaments, and from the history of the 
 Christian Clmrch. So it is and shall hereafter be 
 in India. The number of educated and pious 
 women in the native church in Travancore is 
 steadily increasing and producing a conspicuous 
 increase of voluntary effort and holy influence. 
 In no class in the country is there so large a 
 proportion of educated females as amongst the 
 Protestant Christians. Besides the Bible-women 
 and zenana workers, who devote their whole time to 
 this work, and are specially supported in it, there are 
 voluntary workers in many of the congregations ; 
 and as the pupils now under instruction in our 
 village schools grow up and enter upon the 
 duties of life, we may fairly expect still more 
 marked results. 'When the women are wilhng,' 
 said a Hindu, ' the whole country will become 
 Christian.' 
 
 Intelligent and pious women help in the 
 congregations by conducting, under the direction 
 
HINDU CHRISTIAN WOMEN. 
 
 171 
 
 of the pastor or catechist, social meetings of the 
 Christian women for prayer. These generally 
 assemble once, or even twice, a week, in three or 
 four houses in rotation, conveniently situated for 
 meeting in. At the same time, the appointed 
 
 A BIBLE -WOMAN. 
 
 Scripture lessons are sometimes taught, and the 
 contributions towards the support of the means 
 of grace collected. In Neyattankara, the attendance 
 at these meetings is usually from thirty-five to 
 forty ; the labours of these good women are highly 
 
172 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 prized ; much good is done, and some heathen 
 women have been baptized through their efforts. 
 One especially labours very hard for the good of 
 the females, both Christian and heathen. She reads 
 the Scriptures with them, teaches the catechism 
 and prays. She helps to collect the monthly 
 subscriptions from them. Another woman, who 
 resides in the midst of a heathen neighbourhood, 
 is a spiritual light. Though she cannot read, she 
 knows the Bible well, and gets her little son to 
 read to them. Some Sudra women invite her to 
 their houses to pray with them, and these have 
 relinquished the offerings to devils and send alms 
 to our chapel. These Christian women thus 
 ' labour with us in the Gospel,' and such voluntary 
 labours are even more valuable, in some respects, 
 than those of our paid agents, and should therefore 
 be greatly encouraged. 
 
 Efforts are also made to reach the surrounding 
 heathen, by going out, chiefly on Sunday afternoons, 
 to read the Scriptures to them, sing hymns, and 
 engage in conversation with them on religious 
 topics. The Sudra caste chiefly is in this way 
 reached, but some Christian w^omen of humble 
 birth are listened to kindly even by Brahman 
 females. These heathen women of good caste 
 have hitherto been, through their prejudices and 
 seclusion, to a great extent inaccessible, and have 
 not heard the name of Jesus Christ ; or if that 
 name reaches them, they hear it with horror and 
 
HINDU CHRISTIAN WOMEN. 
 
 173 
 
 dread of the white people and their strange customs 
 and rehgion. 
 
 In one conf^reg^ation, these Christian volunteers 
 after the morning service go to the house of one of 
 their number to partake of some light refreshment, 
 
 A SUDRA LADY. 
 
 and offer prayer for the Divine blessing on their 
 plans, then go out to read and sing to the heathen. 
 The kindness and ardour of such in Tittuvilei 
 greatly interested the high-caste women, and led 
 some to express their surprise and admiration in 
 such terms as these : ' What can have led these 
 
174 THE GOSPEL LN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 women to come out to preach to us ? Have they 
 not housework as well as we? How is it their 
 husbands have permitted them to go out? One 
 of them is the mother of a very young child. How 
 intense is the desire of the Christians to propagate 
 their religion ! They speak to us words of wisdom, 
 while we know only how to cook and to eat. These 
 are but women like ourselves — how pleasant is their 
 reading and singing ! But our eyes do not see what 
 is written in books. Our gods are blind, and so are 
 we. "VVe had better begin at once to learn to read.' 
 
 In Kadamaleikunun congregation, several women 
 were engaged in this work amongst the heathen 
 throughout the past year. * They were very diligent 
 in going together on Sunday afternoons to heathen 
 villages near, to speak about Christ, especially to 
 women. They always begin the work by seeking 
 the Divine blessing, and then go forth. Many 
 heathen women who never heard of Christ were 
 thus made to know the way of salvation. The 
 Christian women, though they are met with 
 reproaches and opposition in some cases, are not 
 ashamed of Christ, but cheerfully and hopefully 
 continue their efforts. On one occasion, when 
 visiting the house of a rich man, the people were 
 astonished to find them coming there, and their 
 surprise was greater when they heard them tell 
 the story of Christ. The women received them 
 kindly, and listened to them attentively. But are 
 there converts to Christianity by the labours of 
 
HINDU CHRISTIAN WOMEN 175 
 
 these women? I can gladly answer, " Yes." Four 
 women during the year have left heathenism 
 and attend regularly at the chapel. One of 
 these new converts is so earnest that she now 
 accompanies the Christian women to induce others 
 to become Christians. May God encourage them 
 in this glorious work, and. bless them in their 
 labours ! ' 
 
 In Attur, also, ' some people have become 
 disciples of Christ through an elderly woman in 
 the congregation, named Arulayi. She has been 
 for the last few years a most earnest Christian 
 and a pious mother. On one occasion two of her 
 neighbours were ill, and Arulayi and her children, 
 in keeping with the duties of a Christian to his 
 neighbour enjoined by the Bible, visited them very 
 often, and, along with temporal aid, instructed them 
 in the doctrines of the Gospel. She brought them 
 to the hospital at Attur. She visited them daily, 
 though her house was more than a mile from the 
 dispensary. We co-operated with her, and the Lord 
 heard our prayers, relieved their bodily affliction, 
 and gave them a knowledge of Himself. They 
 have now joined our ranks, leaving their heathenism 
 and its evils.' 
 
 Christian women also visit the sick and heathen 
 women in travail, to whom their benevolent services 
 are often most helpful. Were it for nothing else 
 than calming the distressed household, and inducing 
 them to cease from their foolish and disturbing 
 
176 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 demon-worship, and to call upon the Almighty for 
 aid, the influence of such visits is highly beneficial. 
 At one place, for example, a Chetty woman appeared 
 to be in a hopeless condition, and her friends had 
 tried every means which they thought likely to 
 propitiate the evil spirits which are supposed 
 specially to afflict persons under such circumstances. 
 Two of her Christian neighbours went to the house, 
 and having calmed and quieted the family, prayed 
 earnestly to God for the safe delivery of the poor 
 woman. The heathen woman also knelt in prayer 
 with them, and soon a gracious answer was 
 accorded. 
 
 The Bible-women are mostly trained at the 
 mission hospital for a month in each year in 
 nursing and midwifery, and some useful know- 
 ledge of these subjects is possessed by various 
 intelligent females throughout the congregations. 
 By this means essential aid is rendered in times 
 of need or of despair, kindness is shown and 
 gratitude evinced, and a hearing is secured for the 
 saving truths of the Gospel. 
 
 Imagine what must be the influence gained by 
 a sensible, believing, prayerful Christian woman 
 entering upon such a scene of terror and superstition 
 as was witnessed by one of the Bible- women. She 
 says : — 
 
 'I visited a woman in labour at the request of 
 her father, a respectable man in the service of the 
 Government. Entering the courtyard, I found a 
 
HINDU CHRISTIAN WOMEN, lyj 
 
 crowd of people there, many of them relatives 
 of the patient, crying aloud and groaning ; in the 
 midst were two devil-dancers wildly leaping and 
 pretending to reveal the mind of the demons who 
 were supposed to afflict the woman. One of them 
 shouted, "The reason of this long suffering is that 
 you neglected to fulfil your vows to the spirits." 
 The mother and uncle then arose at once, and said, 
 with awe, " We have erred, and will pay the fine ; 
 what is next to be done ? " Again jumping and 
 grimacing terribly, the dancer replied, " If the life of 
 the infant is to be saved, you must provide a sheep, 
 twelve fanams in money, a silk cloth, and three 
 measures of rice." They agreed to give all these. 
 The other dancer now took his turn. Eising up 
 from his seat, he leaped about the courtyard, beat 
 on his breast, groaned and. shouted, and at last fell 
 down and vomited blood. Again he arose and 
 danced, and two of the women present, excited 
 by the scene, also began to jump and cry. The 
 oracle then said : " The cause of this sad delay 
 is, that when this woman's sister was in similar 
 circumstances, you made a vow which you failed to 
 fulfil, and consequently she died. This is a similar 
 case." The relatives asked him, ''"Whose spirit are 
 you?" "I am your deceased uncle," was the 
 answer. " You enjoy my property, and forget me. 
 The deceased woman also is with me. We have 
 taken great care of you hitherto, but you have 
 forgotten us." The priest then ate some ashes 
 
 N 
 
178 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 from the fire. They offered him a fowl, which 
 he refused to receive, and continued his dancing. 
 
 ' Then the unfortunate woman, who should have 
 been surrounded with affectionate care and quiet, 
 became so excited that she also began to move 
 about, and some other women also, and a great 
 cry of distress broke out. The devil-priest was 
 again asked what was to be done. "Build a 
 domestic altar," said he, "for demon- worship. We 
 are to be honoured ; vows should be carefully 
 observed." So saying, he took the fowl which 
 had been presented, twisted its head off, and 
 drank the blood, then fell down insensible. 
 
 ' Having witnessed all these follies, I began 
 to offer my advice. " Demons cannot help in 
 sickness, but all things are possible to God. Trust, 
 therefore, in Him alone." Going to the patient, 
 I spoke some encouraging and soothing words to 
 her, and pacified the women crying around. The 
 patient lay in a very small, unventilated room, 
 almost filled up with various property. This I 
 had removed, for the admission of fresh air ; and 
 while I was advising the poor young woman, she 
 embraced me, and cried, "Oh, save me now ! " 
 I said, " Pray to God to save you; life is not 
 in the power of men." She answered, "If I 
 must die, remain you with me, and I am 
 satisfied;" and she wept bitterly. She was 
 but eighteen years of age ; this was her first 
 confinement, and she bad been suffering greatly for 
 
HINDU CHRISTIAN WOMEN. 179 
 
 four days. Instead of using any suitable medical 
 means, they had resorted only to magical rites 
 and incantations. I put a stop to these, used 
 the applications and medicines in which I had 
 been instructed, and read and explained the third 
 chapter of the Gospel by John, while my husband 
 also read to the people outside. The patient said : 
 "It is a great comfort to me that this good woman 
 is here; the demons are not troubling me now." 
 I taught her a short prayer, " Lord Jesus, save 
 me ! " which she often repeated. By Divine mercy 
 she w^as safely delivered in the evening, and said : 
 " Had you not come here, I should have been 
 killed by these people. This is the providence of 
 God." Both mother and child are well, and from 
 that time receive me gladly and gratefully when I 
 go to read the Gospel to them.' 
 
 Many are surprised at the intelligence, activity, 
 and kindness of the Bible-w^omen. ' These are 
 good w^ords,' said a Brahman woman ; * will you 
 give me the book? My son can then read it to 
 me, and I will learn the words and repeat them 
 to you when you come next time. The lower 
 caste people, w^ho are taught by English ladies, 
 know many things, and have come out already 
 as teachers. This is a great reproach to us 
 Brahmans.' 
 
 In the family, also, female influence is as 
 powerful for Christ in India as it often is, on the 
 other hand, in favour of superstition and evil 
 
i8o THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 customs. The Gospel spreads from one to another 
 in the household and amongst relatives, as the 
 Samaritans believed on Jesus ' for the saying of the 
 woman.' Sometimes, indeed, opposition has to be 
 long and meekly endured before the unbelieving 
 husband and other friends are converted. 
 
 ' Marthal has been rebuked by her husband 
 because she saves a little out of her domestic 
 expenses to give to the cause of God. But not 
 not only she, there is another woman who thus 
 incurs the displeasure of her husband. Her heart 
 is glowing with love to her Saviour, and on this 
 account she is looked upon with aversion. She 
 is very anxious for the salvation of others, and 
 she is often found visiting the houses of nominal 
 Christians and of heathens, and speaking to them 
 about the love of Christ crucified.' 
 
 As the wife is in Holy Scripture exhorted to 
 seek by patience, love, and prayer to save the 
 husband, so godly women in India do. If the 
 right means be used, and in the right spirit, such 
 efforts will often — perhaps it is not too much 
 to say will usually — be successful ; a consistent, 
 loving, prayerful wife is almost irresistible. Here 
 is an instance of a good wife reclaiming her 
 husband, who was a drunkard. 
 
 The Eev. C. Yesudian writes : — 
 
 * An occasional attendant on our ministry was 
 a Sabbath-breaker and drunkard, steeping himself 
 and his poor family deeper and deeper in thQ 
 
HINDU CHRISTIAN WOMEN. i8i 
 
 depths of poverty and misery. One Sunday I 
 earnestly preached how God bestows His blessings 
 upon His people that keep the Sabbath holy. 
 The man did not attend service, but had gone 
 to plough. On his return in the afternoon, 
 Pakkiam, his wife, took care to refresh him and 
 to keep him in good humour, and then with 
 earnest tears repeated to him what she could 
 recollect from the sermon she had heard, and 
 entreated him to give up his evil and most 
 dangerous habit. Her kind words, under God's 
 blessing, touched poor Muttu's heart, and he, 
 calling upon God for help, resolved to comply 
 with the earnest request of his good wife. Ever 
 afterwards he was sober, and became a regular 
 attendant upon Divine worship, not only on 
 Sundays, but on other special occasions too. On 
 one pitch dark, rainy night, though the road lay 
 through paddy fields, and a deep watercourse had 
 to be crossed by a narrow piece of timber only, 
 he was seen at the chapel with others. His 
 presence excited the surprise of every one of us, 
 but he relieved us by disclosing to us the secret 
 of the change. God has mercifully wrought on his 
 soul through his good wife. He is now trying 
 to do good to his neighbours by showing them 
 the evil consequence of sinful habits, referring them 
 to his former wretched condition as example.' 
 
 He continues to lead a reformed life, and has 
 been baptized. 
 
l82 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 A cheering instance of the power of the Gospel in 
 enlightening the mind and heart of a young 
 wife who is, indeed, under peculiar difficulties, 
 a light in the dwelhng, occurs in one of the 
 congregations in Neyoor district. ' This Christian 
 girl had been educated in a village school, and 
 possessed only very little Bible knowledge. But 
 she made up her deficiency by private reading and 
 meditation. Whilst she was in her father's house, 
 before her marriage, she showed herself a true 
 disciple, and her parents, who are long-standing 
 Christians, encouraged and fostered this spirit. She 
 was connected by marriage with some new adherents, 
 who, I believe, only came to the chapel for the 
 purpose of making this match, and I had much fear 
 and anxiety lest the family should relapse into 
 heathenism again. But, although only eighteen 
 years old, she exerted herself for the good of the 
 whole family ; her light shone beautifully in that 
 almost heathen household. Her husband, father- 
 in-law, mother-in-law, and all the house derived 
 instruction from her. She instituted family prayers, 
 herself reading the Bible portion and praying — a 
 thing rarely done in other families by women. She 
 is now twenty-two years old, and for four years she 
 has been a source of light and blessing. Such a case 
 as the above needs but little comment. Here is one 
 of those hidden lives whose power is "not shown by 
 bustle, but by silent deeds." ' 
 
 There was in the congfre^ation at Mandeikader 
 
HINDU CHRISTIAN WOMEN. 183 
 
 pious woman named Poruthiyudial, one of the oldest 
 Christians there, being seventy years of age. She 
 lost her husband many years ago, and was left with 
 six children almost destitute. Notwithstanding her 
 poverty, she resolved to get her children educated. 
 She brought them with her to all the services, and 
 earnestly sought their salvation. Several of them 
 became preachers of the Gospel ; then she forgot all 
 her trials and hardships, and would praise God, who 
 had enabled her to provide for her children and train 
 them in good ways. Whenever she had time she 
 would go to the houses of heathen neighbours and 
 talk to them about Christ, and would urge Christian 
 mothers to send their children regularly to school 
 and to the house of God. When her strength 
 decayed so that she could not walk to the chapel, she 
 was very anxious to join in prayer with the Lord's 
 people, and would often invite the catechist to come 
 and read and pray with her. One day she spoke of 
 her expectation of dying soon. * Are you ready for 
 it?' asked the teacher. She replied, 'Jesus calls 
 me. He has washed away all my sins, therefore I 
 am ready to go to Him. I have no fear of death, 
 and am glad to receive my portion in heaven. My 
 beloved Saviour is on my side, and I glory only in 
 His merits. He is always before my eyes, and I shall 
 live for ever in heaven with my Saviour and all His 
 saints and angels.' In a similar tone she comforted 
 and exhorted her relatives, and died, as she had lived, 
 in peace. May many follow her example ! 
 
CHAPTEE XIII. 
 
 EAELY PIETY. 
 Eemembcr now thy Creator in the days of thy youth. 
 
 How is Christianity affecting the young and rising 
 generation in India, on whom the hopes of the 
 Church and our great Eastern empire so largely 
 depend ? What influence are Christian missions 
 exercising on the children of Hindu parents ? What 
 training do the children of converts receive, and 
 what is the character of the young people educated 
 in mission schools ? These are questions of vast 
 importance, which may be answered from practical 
 experience and authentic incidents. 
 
 Along with the children of the Christian converts, 
 large numbers of heathen children are gathered into 
 the mission schools and taught. Of the 11,508 
 scholars in the London Mission in Travancore, nearly 
 half are the children of heathen parents. In the 
 village schools, useful knowledge is communicated — 
 reading writing, and arithmetic being taught, and, 
 as far as possible, the elements of grammar, geography, 
 and history. Day by day religious instruction is 
 imparted, so that these schools may almost be 
 regarded as Sunday-schools, conducted every day in 
 
EARLY PIETY. 185 
 
 the week, and only in the larger congregations held 
 for an hour or two on the Lord's day also, as the 
 schoolmasters are often engaged on that day holding 
 services in the out-stations. In the morning, before 
 secular lessons are begun, the school is opened with 
 singing, reading of the Scriptures, and prayer. 
 Before closing, also, a short prayer is offered, and 
 perhaps some text of Scripture repeated by each 
 child that is able to read. The Lord's Prayer and 
 Ten Commandments, Scripture texts and hymns, are 
 committed to memory ; and the catechist or pastor 
 occasionally visits the school to inspect and give 
 special addresses, as well as the missionary in charge, 
 who examines the school, if possible, once a quarter. 
 It is pleasant to be able to report that the native 
 children in Travancore are remarkable for docility, 
 obedience, and willingness to learn. Fighting 
 amongst themselves, or resistance to superior 
 authority, are almost unknown. In such a country 
 they see with their own eyes that education 
 is associated with and followed by advancement, 
 civihsation, and temporal prosperity ; and doubtless 
 this acts as an additional incentive to diligence. 
 They are as capable, too, of learning as children in 
 any other country — the lower castes as well as the 
 higher. Some persevere in pursuit of education in 
 spite of considerable difficulties, or even opposition. 
 Amongst the lowest castes, want of sufficient food 
 and clothing is sometimes a sore trial. Many 
 children are obliged to work hard morning and 
 
i86 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA, 
 
 evening to help their parents by gathering firewood, 
 drawing water, beating rice, or helping in other 
 domestic duties : then they come tired and weary to 
 school. "When the teacher visits their homes to call 
 them to school, he sometimes finds that they are 
 gone to the rice fields and jungles in search of snails, 
 crabs, or wild roots for food, sometimes is told that 
 as the poor children had had nothing to eat on the 
 previous night or in the morning, they were unable, 
 through faintness or exhaustion, to rise and attend 
 the school. 
 
 Bespectable children sometimes suffer hunger from 
 a different cause : the fear of ceremonial pollution by 
 eating near children of lower caste, or after touching 
 them. If their home is distant, some of these dear httle 
 ones, the children of heathen parents, are unable 
 to take their usual luncheon in the middle of the day, 
 but struggle on at their lessons till four o'clock, 
 when all are dismissed. Here is an instance in point. 
 
 ' Two little heathen girls attended school, whose 
 father had been a village school-master, but died, 
 leaving a widow with five children to provide for. She 
 earned a scanty livelihood by the sale of vegetables. 
 The eldest daughter w^as a leper. The second was 
 a bright, intelligent girl, and she and her httle 
 sister were so anxious to learn that even hunger did 
 not deter them, and many a time they came without 
 the morning meal, and stayed in the schoolroom all 
 the forenoon, while other girls went to their noon 
 meal. Such hold has caste, even upon children, that 
 
EARLY PIETY, 187 
 
 hunger would not induce them to break its rules by 
 partaking of food with their fellow-pupils, some of 
 whom would willingly have shared their meal with 
 them.' 
 
 A little girl asked her mother to send her to school, 
 that she might learn how to pray to Jesus. The 
 mother ill-naturedly answered : ' I will not give you 
 leave. If you go to school to-day, I will give you no 
 supper to-night. Bear that in mind.' The child 
 answered, ' Mother, if you deprive me of my supper, 
 the prayer I shall learn at school to ill he supper for 
 me.' So saying, she ran away to school, where she 
 was taught the little prayer she so ardently longed to 
 learn, meaning 
 
 Jesus, my God ! my life Thou art ; 
 In sin I'm dead ; Thy help impart. 
 
 Through fear of having offended her mother, the 
 poor girl did not think of going home that evening, 
 but stayed the whole night in a corner of the chapel 
 where the school was held, repeating the prayer she 
 had learnt at such cost, as frequently as she could. 
 The mother's conscience being aroused, she repented 
 of her wickedness and cruelty, ran to the chapel in 
 search of her child as early as she could in the 
 morning, and brought her back and gave the 
 supper which she had reserved for her. 
 
 Ignorance of duty, caste usages, or prejudice 
 against female education, may lead the parent to 
 object to and depreciate the value of education, while 
 numerous instances occur in which eagerness to 
 
i88 THE GOSPEL Ih SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 learn on the part of the child leads to strenuous 
 effort or self-denial. 
 
 Neelapillay, a heathen girl, twelve years of age, 
 grand-daughter of the most violent devil-dancer in 
 the village, became concerned for the salvation of 
 her soul. Anxious to profess Christianity, she called 
 herself by the Christian name of Lydia. She prays 
 at home, earnestly asking God to convert her mother 
 and sister also. She reads to them the Word of 
 God. Whatever she finds interesting in the school 
 books or monthly publications, she is ever glad to 
 communicate to them. The mother, being a widov^, 
 is sometimes reluctant to give her money for buying 
 lesson books, &c. Lydia then soothes her parent 
 thus : ' My dear mother, do you not reserve money 
 to make jewels for me when I grow older ? Please 
 now help me to learn, and you may deduct the sum 
 from my future dowry.' The mother is unable to 
 refuse compliance with the importunate requests of 
 her good daughter. Lydia has now prevailed on her 
 elder sister to learn to read the Bible by the help of 
 the zenana teacher. 
 
 When girls have arrived at maturity they are 
 supposed to be specially subject to the attacks of 
 malignant demons ; and in some castes are never 
 permitted to leave the house until married. This 
 prevents their attending school after that period ; 
 and the prejudice needs to be guarded against 
 even in families which have recently embraced the 
 profession of Christianity. 
 
EARLY PIETY. 189 
 
 * One morning, on my way to work,' writes a Bible- 
 woman, ' a heathen girl of respectable caste, aged 
 about fifteen, asked me whether I would like to teach 
 her, so that she might become able to read our 
 Christian books. In compliance with her wishes, I 
 agreed to do so, at which her mother, being greatly 
 displeased, forbade it, saying that it is not usual 
 among them to teach a girl after she has grown up, 
 and that this will be looked upon by others with 
 great contempt. The poor girl, finding that she was 
 not successful in her desire, confined herself in one 
 of the apartments of the house, refusing food for 
 three days. Greatly troubled at this, the mother 
 called me voluntarily, and asked me to teach her 
 daughter as she desired. The girl, availing herself 
 of the opportunity, commenced to learn with great 
 diligence, and is now able to read a few lessons in 
 the First Book, to say several lyrics, and to repeat 
 the children's little prayer.' 
 
 Though the prejudice against female education 
 is rapidly giving way, yet it still operates as a 
 hindrance. In a girl's school in Pareychaley 
 district, about seventy-five children are learning. 
 The school has excited no small amount of interest 
 in the neighbourhood; the little girls take a pride in 
 belonging to it, and some parents who had refused 
 to send their daughters to the ordinary schools 
 send them here. 
 
 A man who has five daughters, being much 
 distressed at having no sons, did not care to give an 
 
I90 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA, 
 
 education to even one of his girls. The three elder 
 ones, though not sent to school, were taught to read 
 a little by a mission agent. One day, meeting the two 
 younger ones, the catechist told them they should 
 try and learn to read the Bible, that they might 
 know more about God and the way of salvation. 
 One of them replied : ' I have a great desire to learn, 
 but my parents will neither let me go to school 
 nor be taught at home. My sister can read, but she 
 is afraid to conduct family prayer when father is 
 absent. Could I read, I should never let a day pass 
 without reading the Bible.' She begged him to 
 teach her, has now a Tamil Primer, which her father 
 procured for her with great reluctance, and shows an 
 uncommon desire to get on. 
 
 The general improvement of Hindu children, 
 after even a twelvemonth's training in school, has 
 been well described by the late Mrs. Emlyn, in the 
 following words : — * The day scholars join, according 
 to their ability, in all the classes : a few of them are in 
 the highest class ; but the majority are httle children 
 who came to us ignorant of everything. As 
 regards these, the result of the year's treatment can 
 be clearly seen, and is very satisfactory. Several 
 who did not know all their letters a year ago, now 
 read the Bible with tolerable fluency ; those who at 
 the same time began to learn writing in the native 
 style, by tracing letters with their fingers in the sand, 
 can now produce neat copy-books ; and those who 
 had never threaded a needle, can without much help 
 
EARLY PIETY. 
 
 191 
 
 make their own jackets. There has been a great 
 advance in personal neatness. Not a few of the 
 parents are too poor to supply the children with 
 clean clothes ; but the smooth hair and clean hands 
 and face show that the desire for neatness and clean- 
 
 HINDU GIRL WEITING ON THE SAND. 
 
 liness has been awakened. Some of the little girls, 
 at their teacher's suggestion, have bought cheap 
 calico, and brought it to the sewing class to make 
 up into jackets for themselves. To many of these 
 children the Bible stories are new, and we get 
 touching proof sometimes of the hold that they take 
 
192 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 upon their young minds. One child whose father lay 
 dying— a new scholar, and of a family newly turned 
 from heathenism — said to a neighbour, ** Jesus did 
 much more difficult things than this ; perhaps He 
 will yet cure my father." Three of the scholars are 
 the children of heathen, but these are as regular as 
 the others at the services in the chapel, and at the 
 Sunday-school at the bungalow ; one of them has 
 several times foregone her midday meal rather than 
 miss either the one or the other.' 
 
 The change is even more marked in the degraded 
 Pulayars, formerly slaves, when they come under 
 Christian training and civilization. 
 
 But higher results than the cultivation of 
 intelligence, order, and good habits are not long 
 in following. The children of heathen parents, 
 when thus brought under Christian instruction, 
 learn to reject the follies of idolatry, and to rise 
 above the popular superstitions, which are so 
 largely based on ignorance. Children so educated 
 will never return to idolatry, but are sure at least 
 to retain, all through life, a favourable estimate 
 of Christianity and its teachings. In not a few 
 instances they do become believers, and perhaps 
 even have the blessed privilege of leading their 
 parents to the truth. 
 
 It is curious to observe the various ways 
 in which enlightened children seek to evade 
 participation in idolatrous worship, or even at 
 times to reprove it, Here are some inst3,nces :— r 
 
EARLY PIETY, 193 
 
 One day three Sudra boys, scholars in a mission 
 school, were overheard engaged in conversation 
 together, after an address from the teacher on the 
 inability of demons to do them good or harm. 
 
 * Our teacher,' said Palpan, * is wrong in saying 
 that devils are powerless ; for I know for certain 
 that our guardian god is fomid roaming about the 
 streets twice a week in the dress of the god 
 Shollamadan, and drives away the foul spirit that 
 haunts our homes.' 
 
 ' No, no,' answered Vannian, * you are greatly 
 mistaken, for I know that that is the work of my 
 grandfather. He enters the temple now and 
 then, clothes himself with the dress of the god 
 Arakulamadan, and moves about in this manner, 
 armed with the sacred club.' 
 
 * Yes,' said Palpan ; * but your grandfather is 
 the power of our god, and as such he can do 
 whatever he pleases.' 
 
 * I cannot believe that,' said Yannian. * If he 
 can drive away evil spirits, how is it he is unable 
 to deliver himself from the power of that bad 
 rheumatism which plagues him constantly?' 
 
 Then their little friend, Supiramanian, began 
 thus : ' I cannot believe Palpan 's words. I know 
 that idols are lifeless things. My father is a devil- 
 priest, ^^^lenever he is absent, I officiate for him. 
 I wash myself first, and then wash the idol, 
 Shollamadan, put a garland of flowers on his 
 neck, and daub his forehead with sandal paste, 
 
194 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH hXDLA. 
 
 and worship him with due respect, reciting the 
 prayers which father has taught me. But the 
 god does not seem to care. And, hoping to 
 please him better, I place a flower on his head, 
 one on each shoulder, on each arm, and in each 
 hand, and thrust two in his ears, carefully watching 
 to see whether he moves, answers or speaks at all. 
 But I never find in him any symptom of life. So 
 the idol Shollamadan is unable to do us any good 
 or evil.' 
 
 At the village of Puliadi, on a recent occasion, 
 the V7orshippers of this same Shollamadan offered 
 the usual sacrifices, but were disappointed to find 
 that their priest was not possessed by the demon, 
 in spite of all their prayers, shouting, and beating 
 of drums. Then they asked their children to 
 unite in invoking the god. The majority of these, 
 being pupils in the mission school, perceived 
 the folly of this demon-worship, and cried, ' Let us 
 not allow the demon to come in, but drive the 
 fellow away.' The parents were incensed at this, 
 and complained to the teacher, who calmed them 
 with gentle answers ; and the result has been 
 that this wicked worship has not since been 
 repeated. 
 
 Another little scholar, while going home one 
 afternoon from the school for his meal, had to 
 pass through a crowd engaged in devil-worship, 
 and was offered by the demon-priest a pinch of 
 sacred ashes — a boon to every worshipper. But 
 
EARLY PIETY. 195 
 
 on his firm refusal to accept the gift the lad was 
 threatened with death within a week. The little 
 fellow, to the surprise of all that were present, 
 boldly declared : ' We do not fear devils now, for 
 we have found a Friend that is far more powerful 
 than they. He is able to preserve me from death, 
 so that I do not care for any of your threats.' Being 
 greatly ashamed, the dancer expressed his regret 
 at being rebuked by a child. 
 
 At a school in Trevandrum district most of the 
 heathen pupils get permission of their parents to 
 attend the Sunday services. One boy was asked 
 why he w^as unwilling to worship Bhadrakali. He 
 replied : ' Because it has no life, and I have learned 
 the command of God — "Do not worship idols.'* 
 His parents accordingly left him to his choice. 
 Some of these children x^ray in secret to God. 
 
 One of the girls was seriously ill, and apparently 
 at the point of death, when her parents told her 
 that they were making a vow that, in case of her 
 recovery, they would offer her hand full of money 
 to the Mandakad goddess, supposed to reside in 
 an ant-hill, and to be a powerful demon. The 
 girl, though very ill, replied : * No ; that ant- 
 hill can do me neither good nor evil ; God, I 
 feel sure, will help me.' Through mercy, she 
 did recover, and the parents dropx^ed the idea of 
 visiting Mandakad. 
 
 Some are so zealous against demon-w^orship and 
 idolatry that they may be regarded as young 
 
196 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 preachers, and we can scarcely blame their zeal 
 in so good a cause. A schoolboy, not much above 
 ten years of age, finding the villagers gathered 
 together under a shed erected in front of their 
 pagoda to collect money for demon- worship, went 
 to them, with a courage above his age, and 
 questioned them thus : ' What do you collect 
 this money for ? ' They found themselves at a loss 
 to give him an immediate answer. The boy again 
 remarked : ' Why do you big men bow down before 
 lumps of clay and wood, and spend on them the 
 money you work so hard for ? ' To which they, 
 with much hesitation, replied : ' This we do out of 
 respect to our ancestors, who erected this fane 
 in our village.' Little Puthukunattan continued 
 boldly : ' Our ancestors were blind and foolish. 
 They did not know what was good for themselves 
 and their children. They were groping in the 
 darkness of heathenism. But this age is different. 
 We now see things better and act better in other 
 concerns of life ; and why not do so in Divine 
 worship ? ' Struck by the force of this juvenile 
 argument, the men confessed their folly, saying : 
 * little boy ! we do see that our worship is 
 unprofitable. Our gods seem to have lost all their 
 influence now-a-days.' Taking advantage of the 
 opportunity, Puthukunattan addressed the large 
 gathering thus : * My friends ! we are all sinners. 
 There is none other name under heaven given 
 among men whereby we must be saved. Embrace 
 
EARLY PIETY. 19 
 
 Jesus as your Saviour, and worship God through 
 Him/ 
 
 The children are learning that there is a better 
 way of spending money than on superstitions and 
 silly ceremonies. 
 
 ' In one family there are two girls, the elder of 
 whom is learning at home from one of the Bible- 
 women ; the younger one is learning in the girls' 
 school at Kottar. She is a good-natured, clever girl, 
 and attends the school regularly. She received a 
 prize for repeating Psalm cxxxiv. correctly. On one 
 occasion, the elder sister asked her mother for some 
 money to buy a school book. The mother said she 
 had no money; but the younger girl replied, "Have 
 you not four chuckrams tied up in a cloth and kept 
 in a pot for offering to the devil for my younger 
 brother's recovery? "What good will giving this 
 money to the devil do to my brother ? " Upon this the 
 mother took out the money, and gave it for the book. 
 May God speed the day when the money spent by 
 the women of India on offerings to demons and idols 
 shall be spent on school books for their daughters 1 ' 
 
 Evidences of decided piety are often seen in these 
 children of heathen parentage, as well as in those of 
 the Christian converts. Some of them constantly 
 pray to God, reverently repeating the Lord's Prayer 
 or some other prayer which they have learnt at the 
 school. And they are almost always pleased to join 
 in the opening and concluding exercises of prayer 
 and praise. 
 
198 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 In one village the school-master opened a night 
 school for heathen lads who could not find time to 
 attend the day school; and for the first few nights 
 he hesitated to open and close the school with 
 prayer. To his great surprise, the boys themselves 
 remarked upon this, and said : ' Sir, why do you 
 withhold prayer from our class ? Please begin with 
 prayer and dismiss us, with prayer, as in the day 
 school.' This was gladly done, and now the lads, 
 accompanied by their friends, attend Divine worship. 
 
 It is not difficult to imagine how great must be 
 the influence in a heathen household of a pious 
 and loving child who has received such reasonable 
 and gracious instructions as Christianity supplies, 
 and who seeks to carry it out in her conduct. The 
 parents and friends see the practical work of the 
 Christian religion, and are attracted by the simple 
 prayers, the sweet hymns, the spiritual worship of 
 the true God and the practical precepts of the Bible. 
 In such instances, the light so shines before men 
 that they, seeing their good works, are led to glorify 
 our Father which is in heaven. 
 
 A Sudra girl, a pupil of the Bible- woman, was in 
 the habit of offering on her bed the short prayer, 
 
 Jesus, my God ! my life Thou art; 
 In sin I'm dead : Thy help impart, 
 
 which her grandfather having noticed, asked what 
 she was muttering on her bed. To which the girl 
 answered, * It is a prayer taught by our matron, to 
 be offered to Jesus every day.' One night, finding 
 
EARLY PIETY. 199 
 
 the girl going to bed without saying the prayer, he 
 called out, 'My daughter! why have you neglected 
 to say your prayer this night ? ' And the little girl 
 immediately rose from her bed and repeated the 
 prayer, so that all in the house might hear it. Her 
 grandmother, who was busily engaged in the kitchen, 
 ran in to know what she was saying, and taking a 
 fancy to her little one's prayer, she learned it from 
 her at night, and repeated it to the teacher next 
 morning, earnestly asking her to teach her child 
 more about Christianity. 
 
 ' A Sudra girl, under sixteen years of age, taught at 
 the Kottar Girls' School, met a party of our school- 
 children with great delight, who were on their 
 harvest singing tour, and observed : ''I can sing 
 most of the songs in the small lyric book. Please 
 sing, ' Believe the name of Jesus only,' and 
 * Besides the name of Jesus, there is no other 
 name on earth worthy believing.' " Her requests 
 being complied with, she delighted our little friends 
 with the words, " These two are my favom'ite 
 hymns. I sing them at home every morning and 
 evening. They are sweet and charming. We sing 
 them when the missionary and his wife come over 
 to preach to us and visit us." Hearing this, one of 
 her friends who stood by sneeringly remarked : 
 " You appear so fond of Christians you had better 
 join them." To which she mildly replied, " Sir, 3'ou 
 see that I am a minor, and not free. But I expect 
 to see better days when I can decide for myself." 
 
2CO THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 Instances like these inspire us with brighter 
 hopes for the future, and urge on us the duty of 
 continuing to sow the seed of hfe with iu creased 
 perseverance and greater self-consecration, ' for in 
 due season we shall reap, if we faint not.' 
 
 Sometimes, however, it is only after the death 
 of a praying child that a full account reaches us 
 of the religious character and experience induced 
 by Christian instruction, and of the sweet and 
 profitable memories left behind. 
 
 An instance may be cited of a little Chetty girl 
 who died of fever at Talakulam. Her father was 
 away when she was taken ill, so they delayed to 
 send to the hospital for medicine till too late. At 
 the beginning of her illness, however, she called on 
 Jesus, and His name was on her lips to the last. 
 Her relatives said her whole thoughts were so filled 
 with heaven that there was no use for her to live 
 longer in this world. 
 
 The Bible-woman v/rote concerning her : — 
 
 * I heard of her death a day or two after it 
 occurred, and on going to the school, the teacher 
 expressed much sorrow, and said she was one of the 
 brightest and most regular girls in the school. It 
 was owing to her influence that the girls from tne 
 Western Street attended diligently. I went to the 
 house of her parents, to try and alleviate their grief. 
 She had been attacked with fever, and died within 
 three days. The mother related many things the 
 girl did when alive. She told me she often spoke 
 
EARLY PIETY. 201 
 
 to her of the humble birth of Jesus, the sufferings 
 He endured, and of the salvation wrought out by 
 Him even for the worst of sinners, and advised 
 them to become Christians. She scarcely passed a 
 day without speaking of eternal things. Moreover, 
 she said her daughter often begged for money to 
 buy books, and being asked one day, " Why do you 
 trouble me for money ? You will soon be of an age 
 when I shall need it to make jewels for you." 
 Sivagamay at once replied, "Why do you care to 
 make jewels for me, mother ? I don't want jewels, 
 but learning and sewing are better for me. It is 
 therefore your duty to give me what I require to 
 buy books." The mother weeps when she thinks of 
 these things. She said: "My daughter was very 
 dear to me, as well as to madam, the teachers, and 
 all her friends. She was very dear also to God, 
 so He took her from this world to be with Him." 
 Seeing her crying, I told her about the death of 
 the widow's son, and that Jesus is able to comfort 
 every one of us. I told her we should all one day 
 depart from this world, as her daughter had, and 
 must appear before God. She then asked me, 
 "When shall we go there? Shall I see my 
 daughter there?" I told her no one knew the 
 time, and advised her to become a Christian, that 
 she might appear at the right hand of Jesus. She 
 then said, " I believe on the Lord Jesus alone, as 
 she did. May He break the tide of my sorrows 
 very soon ! " We hope to see this little heathen 
 
202 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 girl and many more shining as stars in tlic realms 
 above, and arc encouraged to go on sowing the 
 seed.' 
 
 In the mission liospital, also, heathen children 
 are sometimes received, feeble and diseased in body, 
 and smik in the deepest ignorance of spiritual 
 
 ciiiLriiEi; s COTS. 
 
 things ; but under the loving and skilful treatment 
 of the doctor and the medical evangelists they are 
 healed and renewed in soul as well as body. The 
 ignorance of some of these children is extraordinary. 
 A boy aged fifteen fell from a tall palm tree 
 which he was climbing to collect the sap, and broke 
 
EARLY PIETY. 203 
 
 his leg. In the hospital it was difficult to make 
 him understand even that he was a sinner. * He 
 was not a sinner,' he insisted, ' before his fall from 
 the tree. If he had sinned at all, it was only in 
 cutting green and immature leaves from the palm 
 tree ! *' 
 
 In the mission hospital at Neyoor several cots for 
 sick children are supported by special contributions 
 from Sunday-school scholars in various parts of 
 Great Britain. 
 
 ' Last year two little children, aged respectively 
 thirteen and eleven, came from the hills ill with 
 fever. They were cured and dismissed, but soon 
 came again, saying this time that they were hungry, 
 and had nothing to eat. As they were not able to 
 work, and their father was dead, the doctor gave 
 them in charge of the hospital woman, to clean 
 them and give them food. After hearing an address 
 on the words, " If I wash thee not, thou hast no 
 part with Me," the eldest was asked what he had 
 heard. '' About the mother of God," said he. 
 They are Roman Catholics, and he was telling 
 what formerly he had been taught. On being 
 reminded that they were taught only about the 
 Lord Jesus here, he repeated the text. The boy 
 did not forget it ; but on being asked, another day, 
 what it is that Jesus cleanses, he replied, '' The soul 
 from sin." But that " He had not cleansed his 
 soul from the sins of abusing others, lying and 
 stealing," he admitted. However, he promised to 
 
204 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 ask the Saviour to do this for him. Kneeling down, 
 he prayed, " Lord, pardon my sins, and give me 
 food and clothing." The doctor told him he was 
 right to seek forgiveness first, then the other things 
 would be added to him. He was also told of the 
 little children in England who gather their pence 
 and send, to help to keep them in food and clothing 
 while here, and thus to answer the latter part of 
 his prayer. Being asked if they had any message 
 to send to their little benefactors, they said, " May 
 they prosper; we are sick, ayid have no food or 
 clothing.'' Yes, those will prosper who love the 
 Lord, for He says, " Inasmuch as ye have done 
 it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye 
 have done it unto Me." ' 
 
 Another boy of fourteen, who had suffered a 
 terrible fall from a palmj^a tree, by which his 
 arm was seriously injured, answered when asked 
 whether he was a sinner : ' My father is, but 
 I am not.' Hearing, however, of the way of 
 salvation, he was led to pray and turn to the 
 Lord and sent this message to English children 
 who support cots in the hospital, ' Tell them 
 that Yakkappen did not know Jesus, or how to 
 pray to Him till he came here, but that now he 
 loves the Lord who suffered and died for him.' 
 
 Another little boy, but four years old, brought 
 m with a broken leg, cried, when he was taught 
 of the love of the Lord Jesus for children, * The 
 good Jesus ! I want Him.' 
 
EARLY PIETY. 205 
 
 ' Mutteiyan, an orphan boy, recovered from 
 dysentery and sore leg, also sends salams to the 
 Christian children. He returned to work on the 
 coffee estates. He learnt the text, " God so loved 
 the world that He gave His only begotton Son, 
 that whosoever believeth in Him should not 
 perish, but have everlasting life." This he was 
 taught from a large card printed by a Sabbath 
 scholar at home, and hung up in the hospital 
 ward. With his whole heart he offered the 
 children's prayer : " Jesus Lord, my life, I am 
 a poor sinner, save me ! " and he came to Jesus, 
 as the words of the hymn in his ward (also printed 
 in Tamil, by a Sabbath scholar) taught him : — 
 
 Just as I am, without one plea, 
 But that Thy blood was shed for me, 
 And that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee, 
 O Lamb of God ! I come. 
 
 Is it not good to think that a young scholar at 
 home has thus helped to bring a poor demon- 
 worshipper to Christ ? ' 
 
 So much for the happy results of Christian 
 instruction bestowed on the children of heathen 
 parents, who otherwise would have been left 
 ignorant and unsaved, would in all probability have 
 lived and died without the knowledge of Christ. 
 * Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt 
 find it after many days.' 
 
 The children of Christian parents show, gene- 
 ration after generation, in progressive measure 
 
2o6 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 the fruits of religious training and exarople. We 
 endeavour to fulfil towards them the Divine 
 injunctions, ' Feed My lambs,' * Train up a child 
 in the way he should go,' and may reasonably 
 expect the fulfilment of the promise, ' When he 
 is old, he will not depart from it.' Accordingly, 
 as the children grow up into life, the instruction 
 they receive is often evidently blessed to them. 
 Even while at school they show their piety and 
 are useful in various ways. In Tittuvilei district, 
 under the native missionary, they go out in harvest 
 time, accompanied by their teachers, to heathen 
 villages, to distribute tracts and sing the story of 
 salvation to those who may be disposed to listen 
 to them. Presents of rice are often given in reward 
 of their sweet singing, which helps to procure prize 
 books and other requisites for the school. 
 
 They raise the tunes in public worship, to 
 improve the congregational singing ; and pious 
 women who have not learnt to read sometimes 
 take out with them an educated girl, to read the 
 Scriptures and to sing when they go to converse 
 with their heathen neighbours. Some of the 
 children, even girls, lead their family prayers 
 where the parents cannot read, and ethers assist 
 their parents in this exercise. Some boys when 
 sent by their parents go to the neighbouring 
 houses to help them in worship. Thus uneducated 
 parents are helped in Bible reading by their 
 children. 
 
EARLY PIETY. 207 
 
 In the congregations of Pnlayars such children 
 are of immense service, as few of the adults can 
 read or can readily learn. But their children can 
 learn as readily as those of higher caste : some 
 girls can repeat from memory many hymns, prayers 
 and texts, and assist the women in their prayer- 
 meetings. They also invite other children to attend 
 the school. 
 
 In one of the Sunday-schools at Attur is a little 
 girl who has been much blessed to her family. She 
 would always be first in her class, and, however 
 hungry she might be, she would not leave the school 
 until all the classes were finished. Her mother 
 stated that it was through her that family prayer 
 was begun and is kept up in their house. Often, 
 when her elder brothers retire before the family 
 prayer time, she will go and read the fixed Bible 
 portions, and either herself pray or get her brothers 
 to pray before they sleep. 
 
 Our hope is that such schools will be widely 
 established and such little lights in different house- 
 holds of the country be multiplied. 
 
 Here is an illustration of the promise that 
 children rightly trained shall not depart from the 
 good way. Pakkianathan, a boy ten years of age, 
 had the misfortune to lose his kind father, who 
 was a prayerful man. After his father's death, he 
 engaged to conduct family worship, imitating his 
 father's good example. Whenever his mother was 
 found indifferent, he kindly warned her, saying : * We 
 
2o8 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 know what blessings we have received through the 
 prayers of father. If we neglect family prayer, we 
 may expect to lose all good.* This proved a very 
 useful reproof. She is no more negligent, and shows 
 herself very attentive to family prayer, so that both 
 the mother and children meet together to praise 
 God for His mercies, and to call upon Him to 
 continue to bless them. 
 
 A little neighbour of this dear lad was at the 
 same time encouraged by his example to bear 
 opposition and reproach from a godless mother for 
 his attention to prayer. 
 
 A little boy, under seven years of age, was in the 
 habit of kneeling down and uttering a short prayer 
 every day before taking his meals and before going 
 to bed. His angry mother, who looked upon it 
 with annoyance, tried by mild means to prevent him 
 from doing so ; finding this had no effect on the 
 young but courageous mind, she began to beat him, 
 using abusive language. At length the poor boy, 
 looking earnestly at his mother, observed : * Dear 
 mother ! Is this not a prayer that I offer to Jesus, 
 my Saviour? Don't you now hear Pakkianathan 
 uttering the words of the same prayer in the 
 neighbouring house ? Does any one insult him on 
 that account ? ' This gentle warning immediately 
 put a stop to the cruel and rude behaviour of the 
 mother. 
 
 A little girl six years old was attacked with small- 
 pox, and when suffering severe pain she used to 
 
EARLY PIETY. 
 
 209 
 
 repeat the verse taught to all the school children, 
 ' Jesus, my God, my life, I am a poor child, save 
 me.' Night and day she offered this prayer. One 
 day she asked her mother to hand her the Tamil 
 primer, and then turned over leaf after leaf in search 
 of something. Her brother, sitting by her bed, 
 asked, 'What are your searching for, my sister?' 
 Having found the page where a w^oodcut of Christ 
 bearing the cross is given, she show^ed it to her 
 
 CHRIST BEARIiSG THE CROSS. 
 
 brother, and said, ' Do not think, brother, that this 
 lesson is like the others ; it is much more important. 
 You know our Saviour. You have often heard that 
 He died upon the cross for you and for me. He is 
 a good, loving Saviour, and I pray to Him to save 
 me.' Surely this is true and living faith, though 
 such a child is incapable of reasoning upon the 
 evidences of Christianity. 
 
 These children seem to take literally (and why 
 
210 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 not ?) the precept, ' In everything by prayer and 
 supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be 
 made known unto God.' Their simple and trustful 
 prayers for healing and help for their parents in 
 sickness and trouble are often answered by the 
 Lord. Indeed, the unhesitating faith, prayerfulness, 
 obedience and zeal of some of these little ones that 
 believe in Jesus might be an example and encourage- 
 ment to any of us. Is not this one meaning of the 
 words, 'Except ye be converted and become as little 
 children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of 
 heaven?' The children in the temple cried, 'Hosanna 
 to the Son of David,' and God is glorified by the 
 prayers and praises and service of believing children. 
 A poor woman was sick and suffering, and her 
 little girl, seven years old, was playing with a little 
 girl of equal age. In the midst of their play, the 
 child of the sick woman told the other that her 
 mother was ill. The other girl hearing this, said : 
 ' My mother taught me that I have a Saviour who 
 loves me, and will give me those things that I want 
 if I ask Him in prayer. Once when my mother 
 was ill I prayed to Him, and He made her well. If 
 you also pray to Him, He will make your mother 
 well.' 
 
 Just as many children in Christian lands are 
 accustomed to contribute to benevolent objects, so 
 these little Hindu children bring their copper coins, 
 worth about a quarter-farthing, and sometimes their 
 silver penny, about the size of a small pea, for the 
 
EARLY PIETY. 211 
 
 collecting box. Some delight in doing good, and 
 thus afford bright promise for the future. One girl 
 of thirteen saved enough during the year to purchase 
 a Bible, which she asked her pastor to buy and give 
 to a poor woman who was unable to pm'chase one 
 by her own earnings. 
 
 A thorough missionary spirit is also shown at 
 times. One of the boys, aware of the miserable 
 condition of the children of the neighbouring village, 
 who spent much of their time in feeding the buffaloes 
 of their Sudra or Brahman masters, and in playing 
 at games which involved them in fighting, swearing, 
 and cursing, entered the village and proposed to 
 teach them to read. The poor children gladly 
 accepted the offer of their kind friend ; and some 
 twenty of them placed themselves under tuition, 
 promising to pay their teacher two or three pence 
 per head monthly. They now join the mother 
 school for examination, and rejoice in the instruction 
 they receive. 
 
 When opportunity affords, these Christian children 
 rebuke evil and oppose idolatrous and superstitious 
 practices. They are often more courageous and 
 whole-hearted Christians than their seniors. 
 
 A native pastor writes : — 
 
 * The Word of God preached on Sundays makes 
 in some instances a deep impression on the hearts 
 of children. One Lord's day I preached from 
 Isaiah Iviii. 13, 14, enforcing the duty of abstaining 
 fi'om all secular pursuits on the holy day. After 
 
212 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 service, some women on their way homewards began 
 to converse about worldly matters, when a little 
 girl about thirteen, hearing it, said to them, '* Did 
 you not hear that such conversation is contrary to 
 the Word of God and displeasing to the Lord ? Have 
 you so soon forgotten what we heard to-day?" 
 The women held their peace.' 
 
 On one occasion a heathen boy, aged nine years, 
 was taken by his grandfather to the adjacent demon- 
 fane for worship ; and he, in obedience to the order 
 of the old man, fell down and worshipped the idol. 
 This coming next morning to the knowledge of his 
 schoolfellows, they were much grieved, and rebuked 
 him : ' Puthumadan, were you not a fool to worship 
 that dumb idol? What is the use of falling 
 down before a block of stone that can neither see 
 you nor speak to you of anything whatever ? Have 
 you not learnt the commandments of the living 
 God ? And is not your act a sin against the second 
 commandment ? ' The poor little boy was greatly 
 moved by these remonstrances, and with tears 
 begged his schoolmates to pray to God to pardon 
 his transgression. They informed the teacher, and 
 all, sympathising with the penitent child, knelt down 
 and prayed fervently, not only for him, but for 
 every one present, that their sins might be forgiven, 
 and grace imparted to keep God's holy law. 
 
 Some dolls having been sent out from England 
 as prizes to the girls at Neyoor, one of them was 
 permitted to choose a doll if she wished. ' No, 
 
EARLY PIETY. 213 
 
 sir,' said she to the teacher ; ' last year I had a 
 doll prize.' 'Have you got it still?' inquired the 
 teacher. ' Yes ; but I saved it from being used as 
 an idol by a foohsh man.' ' Kidiculous ! How 
 was that ? ' asked the teacher. ' A heathen offered 
 me five rupees for it to make a god of it.' 'That 
 w^as a good offer; why w^ould you not part with 
 it?' 'Part with it ! No. Was it not a kind gift 
 from the dear lady, and should I not be found in the 
 last day guilty for encouraging the man's sin by 
 selling him an object of worship ? ' ' Could you 
 not have told him of our dear Saviour, to w^hom we 
 should pray?' 'So I did,' replied the girl; 'but 
 he insisted: "I don't want your Christ, but only 
 this pretty image, if you will sell it to me." ' 
 
 Unquestionably the most important of all our 
 schools are the boarding-schools for training 
 Christian boys and girls, under the more 
 immediate superintendence of the European 
 missionary and his wife, with a view to future 
 usefulness as teachers and wives of mission agents. 
 These may be regarded as the primary nurseries 
 of the mission, and are of great value for the 
 supply of teachers ; they have, in fact, furnished 
 the greater number of faithful agents at present 
 in mission employment. The scholars are selected 
 from various congregations, usually from the most 
 intelligent Christian families ; and by providing 
 them with board and lodging, we secure their 
 constant attendance until fairly educated, and 
 
214 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 their more efficient training under the personal 
 supervision of the missionary ladies. Otherwise 
 the children of poor parents cannot remain long 
 enough at school to obtain a complete education 
 and acquire more cleanly and refined habits. The 
 money thus expended is well spent. The education 
 which is here given is much better than can possibly 
 be afforded in the village schools, where the daily 
 attendance may be injuriously affected by the 
 caprice of the child or the necessities of the 
 parent. Most of these children have never even 
 witnessed the horrible devil-dances and abominable 
 rites of heathenism ; and most of them exhibit in 
 their character and conduct the good results of a 
 Christian education. They make rapid progress in 
 their studies ; habits of order and disciphne are 
 maintained ; they acquire an extensive knowledge 
 of Scripture history and doctrine ; and there is 
 every reason to expect that most of them will 
 become valuable and devoted assistants in the 
 mission. In some districts, the boys accompany 
 the missionary, two by two, in turns, in his visits 
 to the village congregations, thus becoming 
 acquainted with the people and the mode of 
 preaching to and instructing them and the 
 surrounding heathen. 
 
 These boarding-schools, however, are widely 
 different from what is known by that name in 
 England. Their food, dress, and training are not 
 European in style and cost, but strictly native. 
 
EARLY PIETY. 215 
 
 * The cliildren do not live in tlie bungalow, but in a 
 building a few yards distant from it, and do not in any 
 particular depart from the mode of living followed 
 by respectable natives of their own class. They 
 wear the native dress — which, in some schools, 
 they provide for themselves— assist in beating the 
 husk from the rice, in grinding the curry stuffs 
 and cooking the food, which they eat with their 
 fingers, sitting tailor- wise on the ground. They 
 sleep on mats plaited from strips of the palmyra 
 leaf, which are spread on the floor at night and 
 rolled up by day. The matron, generally a middle- 
 aged widow, herself formerly a scholar, has charge 
 of the girls out of school hours and at night, and 
 it is her duty never to let them be out of her sight 
 for long together. The cost of maintenance and 
 education for each child is about four pounds a year.' 
 ' Twice in the week, or oftener,' writes Mrs. 
 Duthie, ' the higher classes come to the bungalow 
 for sewing and fancy-work, in which good progress 
 is made. Many of the specimens of needlework 
 show much taste and skill on the part of the girls, 
 and reflect credit on their teacher. While we 
 endeavour to give a good education and Christian 
 training to these dear girls, we are also anxious 
 that they should grow up useful, and be well fitted 
 for the station in hfe they are hkely to occupy. 
 To this end we require that the elder girls, in turn, 
 shall assist in the work of the kitchen, in mending 
 their clothes, and keeping their school-rooms neat 
 
2t6 the gospel in SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 and clean. By these means, habits are formed that 
 will be of immense service to them when they 
 leave the school for homes of their own. The 
 boarding-schools have been much blest, and we 
 consider this the most important work we are 
 doing here, for the women are sadly neglected. 
 Probaby India will be won for Christ mainly by 
 the influence of Christian mothers. The moral 
 tone of the schools is good, while in the hearts 
 of not a few, we trust, the " good seed" has taken 
 root, and is bearing the fruits of love and obedience 
 to the Saviour. The Bible is prized above all books. 
 Many of them read it through during the year. On 
 the Sabbath they listen attentively to God's Word. 
 Notes of the sermons are usually written down, 
 and given to their teacher on the Sabbath evening. 
 Prayer-meetings are also held amongst themselves, 
 and others retire in secret to ask God's blessing 
 and guidance. One of the youngest scholars has 
 been noticed always asking God's help before 
 commencing her lessons for the day. This 
 little girl has also been the means of inducing 
 a near relative regularly to attend a place of 
 worship. At first there was much opposition, but 
 the simple believing prayer of a little child has 
 at last prevailed. We have seen with joy the 
 diligence and earnest Christian conduct of the 
 teachers, and are grateful that we have teachers 
 who are anxious for the spiritual welfare of these 
 children.' 
 
EARLY PIETY. 217 
 
 Numerous instances might be adduced of the 
 blessed results of Christian training in the conversion 
 of these children. Some years ago such a gracious 
 influence accompanied the preaching of the Word 
 and the school teaching, that about twelve of the 
 children of our boarding-school at Trevandrum v^ere 
 received into the Church at one time. 
 
 An earnest Christian teacher at Neyoor 
 writes : — 
 
 ' The girls have made good progress in their lessons, 
 but it is still more gratifying to know that several 
 have given their hearts to the precious Saviour, and 
 are going out with the Water of Life which the 
 once thirst-stricken Traveller gave to the woman of 
 Samaria. One Sunday evening, w^hile speaking to 
 the girls on this incident, I asked a few of the elder 
 girls whether they had obtained the Water of Life 
 from Jesus. Then a few girls, with eyes suffused in 
 tears, said that they had put their faith entirely upon 
 Jesus Christ. Again I asked, ''If so, have you acted 
 like the Samaritan w^oman in making this salvation 
 known to others?" Whereupon a girl Saral replied, 
 " I have spoken about Jesus to my untaught mother 
 and a few others at home." 
 
 * The evening before they w^ent to their homes (for 
 a holiday) I individually talked with the elder girls 
 about their spiritual interests. I found that in the 
 first and second classes nearly a dozen girls have made 
 Him that is altogether lovely their grand object of 
 love. This confession, being made with great signs 
 
2i8 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 of devotion, in no small degree encouraged and 
 refreshed my soul.' 
 
 Another writes : — ' I have often noticed on Sunday 
 afternoons, after the class was over, many of the 
 girls have gone two by two to lonely places, that 
 they might ponder over what they had heard, and 
 pray for a blessing.' 
 
 And again : — ' The week previous to their going 
 home they had as their motto the text which was 
 given by the Missionary Deputation to the people, 
 and afterwards by our missionary lady — Mark v. 19, 
 " Go home to thy friends and tell them how great 
 things the Lord hath done for thee." 
 
 ' When they came to give their salams before 
 going home, I knelt down with them in prayer. One 
 of the girls prayed that some may, through them, 
 see light. When they finished praying my soul 
 pleaded, and I thought God would hear me and 
 would go with them to their homes to reveal His 
 own name. 
 
 ' One of the boarders left us during the year to be 
 for ever with Jesus in the celestial city.' 
 
 The little girl to whom the teacher alludes was one 
 who had been in the school about twelve months. 
 Her dehght in being admitted to the school was very 
 touching to witness. The people have a strange 
 custom of boring the ears of little girls in infancy, 
 and gradually, by means of heavy leaden rings, 
 pulliag the lobe down until it almost touches the 
 shoulder by the time they have reached the age of 
 
EARLY PIETY. 219 
 
 ten or twelve. It is a very n^^ly and disgusting 
 custom, and we are striving to enforce a rule that 
 children whose parents have served them in this 
 way shall not he admitted. This little girl's ears, as 
 usual, were down, and, unknown to us, she asked her 
 father, and cheerfully endured a painful operation, 
 that her ears might be made right ; and when, after 
 all, she w^as admitted to the school, her happiness 
 seemed complete. She died during a short vacation 
 in August. Her father, who is one of our old 
 catechists, gives the following account of her : — 
 
 ' My child Saral was very pleased at getting 
 admission into the hoarding-school. Her stay there 
 was very short — only nine months. About the 
 middle of August she came home to enjoy her 
 holiday. As soon as she came home she showed 
 some tickets with Scripture texts on them to her 
 mother and friends, and said she had got them from 
 the lady for correctly repeating Sunday-class lessons. 
 She then rolled them in clean paper, and pleasantly 
 put them by in her box. 
 
 * After she returned from the school she took fever, 
 and while ill called me and said, " Father, I shall die 
 soon." " How do you know that ? " I asked her. 
 '* They call me, they call me," she replied. *' Who ? " 
 "Don't you see all those little children? They call 
 me," she answered. " Do you like to go?" was my 
 next question. "Yes ; I am going to the Saviour." 
 But she was unable to continue, and spoke no more. 
 She died in the twelfth year of her age. " The Lord 
 
220 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 gave, and the Lord hath taken away ; blessed be the 
 name of the Lord." ' 
 
 Surely this is a most useful department of Christian 
 labour in India, educating the young and rising 
 generation who shall be, thirty years hence, the 
 fathers and mothers, the citizens and active workers, 
 the communicants and evangelists and pastors of the 
 Christian Church. We trust that our congregations 
 will soon be filled with educated and intelhgent 
 Christians, and we look forward very hopefully to 
 the effect that can hardly fail to be produced in 
 course of time by so large a number of instructed 
 men and women. May the Lord fill them wdth His 
 Spirit and fit them by His grace to glorify His name 
 amongst their heathen countrymen ! 
 
A NATIVE PASTOll. 
 
CHAPTEK XIV. 
 
 HINDU CHRISTIAN PREACHERS. 
 
 Tidings, sent to every creature, 
 
 IMillions yet have never heard ; 
 Can they hear without a preacher 
 
 Lord Almighty, give the word I 
 Give the word ; in every nation 
 
 Let the Gospel trumpet sound, 
 Witnessing a world's' salvation, 
 
 To the earth's remotest bound. 
 
 We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto 
 you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God. 
 — Acts xiv. 15. 
 
 To carry out the apostle's words in India it is 
 necessary to employ in each field of missionary 
 enterprise native preachers and ministers, as the 
 apostles ' ordained them elders in every church, and 
 recommended them to the Lord, on whom they 
 believed.' The hope is that it may be possible to 
 hand over the whole work to such native preachers. 
 In India they are specially valuable, and can be 
 obtained in sufficient numbers by training the 
 young, and by a careful selection of adult converts. 
 Without a staff of native teachers, the European 
 missionary would be thoroughly crippled ; while, on 
 
224 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA, 
 
 the other hand, the more earnest, intelligent, and 
 devoted these helpers arc, the more the work will 
 prosper. 
 
 The physical constitution of the native teacher is 
 fittted to endure the climate ; his children need not 
 be separated from him in their tender years for 
 education in a distant land ; and if he is sick, his 
 house is at hand for rest and refreshment. In the 
 use of the language he is more ready and effective, 
 though not always more clear and impressive than 
 the European. What we gain by the hard labour 
 and study of years, they, of course, possess at once. 
 The labour of the native preacher is, of necessity, 
 more economical, his food and clothing being more 
 simple ; and he can walk about in the sun where 
 a European would probably be cut down by sun- 
 stroke, fever, or other fierce diseases. And, if faithful, 
 the Indian teacher will exemplify Christianity in the 
 details of native life — a most powerful and effective 
 argument to the heathen — ^just as our blessed Lord 
 Himself has instructed mankind not merely by 
 precept and doctrine, but by illustrating and embody- 
 ing in human nature on the earth the principles 
 of godliness, righteousness, and self-sacrifice. 
 
 In Travancore we have had engaged as our 
 assistants in mission work men who had been 
 carefully instructed in the vernacular languages 
 and in English, under the tuition of Enghsh 
 missionaries, xiien who have themselves been 
 teachers in our seminary; and others of purely 
 
HIND V CHRIS TIA N PRE A CHERS. 2 2 5 
 
 vernacular training in the boarding schools either 
 born and bred in Christianity ; or adult converts 
 from Hinduism or demon-worship. A small pro- 
 portion of them have also been religious leaders, 
 ascetics, dancers and sorcerers, Brahman priests, 
 Hindu schoolmasters, or Sudra officials. In the 
 early history of the mission, men were of great 
 service who had been common field labourers 
 and could scarcely read, but who were remarkable 
 for natural force of character and heaven-born 
 zeal. All these were tested by long years of 
 practical work and success in the Lord's vineyard, 
 and advanced from stage to stage as Providence 
 seemed to direct. Former habits of simplicity and 
 Eastern dress are retained, so that the catechists 
 are not denationalized or separated from their 
 compatriots and hearers. Spheres of labour and 
 influence are found for them as Scripture-readers 
 or catechists, itinerant evangelists or settled 
 pastors, school inspectors, medical evangelists, or 
 native missionaries. Had it not been for their 
 valued and assiduous labours (under European 
 superintendence), the work could never have been 
 undertaken, and there would have been no such 
 successes to rejoice over as have been achieved. 
 
 We therefore thank God for the gift of such 
 teachers and fellow-labourers. The amount of 
 good done by any one of them year after year 
 is not easily estimated. Many a story could an 
 aged^catechist tell of strange scenes of repentance, 
 
226 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 conversion, and death, and sometimes of unhappy- 
 apostasy, of devil-dancing and dark superstition, 
 of former times of oppression, and of the 
 wonderful advance not only of Christianity, but of 
 civilisation, liberty, and knowledge. Every Lord's 
 day hundreds of Christian native preachers in 
 Travancore proclaim the Gospel to many thousands 
 of reverent hearers, reading the Holy Scriptures 
 in the house of God, and leading the devotions 
 of the Christian congregations, encouraging the 
 young, strengthening and consoling the aged 
 and feeble, the afflicted and the dying. 
 
 To-day, on weary nations 
 
 The heavenly manna falls ; 
 To holy convocations 
 
 The silver trumpet calls ; 
 
 Where gospel light is glowing 
 
 With pure and radiant beams, 
 And living water flowing 
 
 With soul-refreshing streams. 
 
 Little is known in England of the lives and 
 labours of these devoted na,tive teachers and 
 preachers, who are diligently and prayerfully 
 working amongst their fellow-countrymen, and 
 who are honoured of God to lead many souls to 
 Christ, and to aid in laying the foundations of 
 great and promising Christian churches. Hence 
 a short account of several who thus lived and 
 laboured may be of more than passing interest. 
 
 Abraham Tabasa was the son of Patros, a 
 
HINDU CHRISTIAN PREACHERS. 227 
 
 catechist who laboured with much acceptance 
 and success for many years in connection with 
 the Trevandrum Mission. Patros was blessed with 
 numerous offspring, whom he and his pious wife 
 trained up in the fear of the Lord. Three of 
 his sons became Christian teachers, Abraham 
 far excelling the others in talents and natural 
 capacity. Patros had been originally a Koman 
 Catholic, but having heard from the missionaries 
 the simple truths of the Gospel, he was led, 
 through the grace of the Holy Spirit, gladly to 
 receive them and to devote his life to their 
 dissemination and defence. He exercised a happy 
 influence for good over the people of his con- 
 gregations, was spared to a very advanced age, 
 and died in 1868. 
 
 In a letter written shortly after his father's 
 death, Abraham thus speaks of him: — 'On the 
 17th of November, my father was taken to the 
 Lord. He was the first-fruits of the Trevandrum 
 Mission, and cheerfully laboured for the Lord in 
 Nagercoil, Neyoor, Pareychaley, and here also, in 
 the early times of persecution and difficulty. We 
 now reflect with joy that from the fatigue of his 
 labours and the anguish of his diseases he is 
 released, and received to eternal rest and comfort. 
 The day before he died he addressed most 
 weighty instructions to both Christians and 
 heathens who came to see him. With good liope, 
 with courage, desire and joy, he died in the Lord.' 
 
228 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 Abraham was born in 1885, and educated for 
 several years in the mission boarding-school at 
 Trevandrum, an institution which, like others of 
 a similar character in Travancore, has been the 
 means of much good in training native teachers, 
 both male and female. His education was 
 conducted in his native language, and he was 
 wholly unacquainted with English. Consequently 
 he wrote and spoke Malayalam with great purity 
 and accuracy, though resident in a part of the 
 country where the Tamil and Malayalam languages 
 are more or less intermixed, and both often 
 spoken with foreign or corrupt pronunciation. 
 
 After the completion of the usual course 
 of instruction in the boarding-school, Abraham 
 was appointed assistant catechist, to aid his 
 good father in the superintendence of the 
 congregation at Neyattankara. This congregation 
 then numbered two hundred and forty souls 
 (now four hundred and twenty-one), and the town 
 was one of some importance, as the head of a 
 Government district, the residence of a native 
 magistrate and many high-caste Hindus, and 
 the site of an ancient temple and a royal 
 lodge. Here father and son worked together in 
 the spirit of perfect harmony and with much 
 benefit to the people in the increase of the 
 congregation and their steady progress in Divine 
 things. The chapel was once enlarged, and though 
 many of the people were cut off in one year by tlie 
 
HIND U CHRIS TIA N PRE A CHERS. 229 
 
 prevalence of famine and cholera, the house was 
 again filled with attentive and willing hearers. 
 
 In April, 1859, Abraham w^as married to a 
 Christian girl. Three or four children were born to 
 them ; but the young couple were sorely tried by the 
 loss of their first-born, who was taken away in 1865, 
 at the age of five years. ' Into this gulf of sorrow I 
 fell,' wrote the afflicted parent, ' but not without hope. 
 I have much reason to rejoice in the Lord concerning 
 my dear child. He had learned many things about 
 God. I taught him the first catechism, the Ten Com- 
 mandments, etc., and instructed him about Jesus 
 and the great salvation He procured for us. He 
 asked many interesting, childish questions about these 
 things. Two days before his death the dear child 
 suffered much from severe pains and convulsions, 
 and felt difficulty in speaking. Nevertheless, on the 
 night before his death, he requested me to tell him 
 more about Jesus. I asked him some questions 
 which he had previously learned, and which he 
 answ^ered, still speaking with difficulty. As he was 
 so weak, I taught him but a little. The next 
 evening he died in the Lord, and was taken to 
 heaven. I rejoice that my son had the knowledge of 
 Christ in his infancy, and am determined to labour 
 on, trusting in the Lord.' 
 
 Abraham was an eloquent, correct, and fluent 
 speaker and preacher. He possessed an extensive 
 acquaintance with the popular and Christian literature 
 of his country, WTote the curious characters of the 
 
230 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 Malay alam language beautifully and rapidly, both 
 on the palm-leaf and on paper, and was an able 
 business man. On the occasion of a general united 
 examination of all our native preachers in South 
 Travancore, Abraham was unanimously voted second- 
 best preacher in the whole mission, which employs 
 one hundred and eighty native preachers or catechists 
 for the instruction of over forty-two thousand native 
 professing Christians. He was an attentive hearer 
 and a diligent student, being accustomed to take full 
 notes of the sermons which he heard from myself 
 and other European missionaries, afterwards 
 copying these out very carefully at home, so 
 that I believe he had a large collection of such 
 sketches. Abraham was long supported by a kind 
 friend of the mission at Brighouse, and with a sum 
 of money, presented for the purpose by his generous 
 supporter, he purchased a good theological and 
 general library of Malay alam and Tamil books, and 
 a strong book-case to protect his treasures from dust 
 and white ants. 
 
 In 1861 and 1862, Abraham had charge of the 
 boarding-schools in Trevandrum, he being principal 
 teacher of the boys' school, and his wife of the 
 girls' school, and in this position they gave great 
 satisfaction. He afterwards consented to go 
 and endeavour to raise up a congregation at an 
 important country village where there were special 
 difficulties to contend with, requiring an able and 
 trustworthy man. After much toil he was successful 
 
HIND U CHRIS TIA N PRE A CHERS. 2 3 1 
 
 in establishing a small congregation there. Later 
 on' this was placed in charge of another catechist, 
 and Abraham was appointed to the congregation at 
 Nellikakuri, where his pious father had been the 
 first to preach the Gospel and collect a congregation, 
 a quarter of a century previously. There were here 
 two hundred and twenty-one souls (now five hundred 
 and thirty-four), over whom it was hoped that 
 Abraham might ultimately be settled as an ordained 
 pastor. Here his plans and efforts were very 
 judicious, and increasingly fruitful of good results. 
 He instructed his people in Scripture lessons and 
 religious knowledge according to their several 
 capacities, visited the sick and others from house 
 to house, conducted prayer-meetings and weekly 
 services, instructed candidates for baptism and church 
 communion, and laboured earnestly amongst the 
 surrounding heathen. He induced some of the 
 most experienced Christians to aid in counselling 
 the negligent, bringing back the w^anderers, and 
 seeking to spread the truth amongst their heathen 
 neighbours. On Tuesday evenings a prayer-meeting 
 was held in the houses of the Christians in rotation, 
 when the special subjects of prayer were as follows, 
 viz. : (1) The salvation of the people of the house in 
 which the meeting was held. (2) For all the Christians 
 of the congregation. (3) For the heathens in the 
 neighbourhood. (4) For the Maharajah and all 
 kings, and for all that are in authority. (5) For 
 missionaries, catechists, school-masters, and others. 
 
^32 THE GOSPEL aV SOUTH hK'DlA. 
 
 On each subject one member would offer prayer; 
 then a short address would be delivered by the^ 
 teacher himself, specially addressed to the house- 
 hold, upon their social and relative duties as 
 Christians and members of the congregation. 
 
 In his addresses to the heathen, and in 
 discussing religious questions with them, Abraham 
 w\T.s ready, ingenious, and judicious, and his 
 manner polite, kindly, and winning. He met 
 objections and doubts with great wisdom, using 
 simple and apposite illustrations suited to the 
 comprehension of his hearers, and introducing 
 anecdotes or popular stories calculated to throw 
 hght upon the topic in hand. With the Christian 
 people he had great influence, possessing as he 
 did singular clearness and soundness of judgment, 
 in addition to impartiality and scrupulous integrity, 
 so that he was frequently appointed, along with 
 some of the senior catechists, to examine into 
 and arbitrate in cases of personal difference or 
 complaint that might arise amongst our people. 
 He was one of our sub-committee of the best men 
 appointed to examine and instruct candidates for 
 baptism, and report the results to the European 
 missionary. At the w^eekly meetings of the native 
 agents he rendered valuable service by instructing 
 the junior teachers in Malay alani grammar, poetry, 
 and Christian literature. 
 
 Such a man was evidently fitted in an eminent 
 degree for the sacred work of the Christian 
 
HINDU CHRISTIAN PREACHERS. 233 
 
 ministry, in which, indeed, he was virtually 
 engaged, though not an ordained pastor. I, 
 therefore, had the pleasure of proposing his name 
 to the district committee for ordination as pastor 
 of the church and congregation at Neyattankara, 
 where he had first laboured, and which was 
 ultimately fixed upon as the best sphere for a 
 native pastor. He was cordially and unanimously 
 approved and accepted, and arrangements were 
 in progress for his ordination and settlement. 
 The principal difficulty was the question of 
 salary. The people of the congregation, being 
 mostly of the poorer classes, were unable to raise 
 more than a few rupees per month ; it was, 
 therefore, proposed that Abraham should be 
 ordained on his current salary of ten rupees (i'l) 
 per month, on which he said he was able to live 
 as heretofore ; but some of the missionary brethren, 
 naturally enough, objected to an ordained minister 
 receiving such a miserably small salary. The difficulty, 
 therefore, was the very unusual one, that Abraham 
 was w^illing to accept a smaller salary than the 
 missionaries were anxious to give him ; and so 
 the matter remained for some time in abeyance, 
 pending the increased prosperity and enlarged 
 contributions of the native church. But, in the 
 inscrutable providence of God, this able and devoted 
 teacher and preacher was removed at an early 
 age from his assiduous and valued labours on 
 earth to his eternal reward in heaven. Latterly, 
 
234 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 much of the work of the Trevandrum Mission 
 district seemed to depend upon him, and hopes of 
 great promise and extended usefulness were enter- 
 tained respecting him. But his Lord said unto 
 him, ' It is enough : come up higher.' He rests 
 from his labours, and his works do follow him. 
 
 About the middle of 18G9, Abraham was 
 prostrated and laid aside from all his activities by 
 an attack of dysentery and fever. There did not, 
 however, appear to be reason to apprehend 
 serious results, until a sudden fright gave him a 
 shock from which he never recovered. Sleeping in 
 his house in the dark one night, he awoke and 
 stretched out his hand and felt a snake lying close 
 to where his child was sleeping. He got up, lighted 
 a lamp, and saw the snake rapidly glide off before 
 he could kill it. After sitting awake with the light 
 for a long time, he extinguished it and again lay 
 down. Some time after, he put out his hand and 
 felt the snake again. In his weak state of health, 
 the alarm brought on a relapse of illness, under 
 which he gradually sank. 
 
 I do not know what were his dying words, but 
 well I knew his life — holy, consistent, useful, 
 laborious, and self-denying. I have often, too, 
 heard the expression of his faith in Jesus, whom 
 he ever exalted as the only and all-sufiicient Saviour 
 of sinners, and his earnest pleadings in public 
 and social prayer. By faith Abraham Tabasa lived 
 and laboured : in faith, I am persuaded, he died. 
 
HIND U CHRIS TIA N PRE A CHERS. 2 3 5 
 
 All the men to whom the notes immediately 
 following refer were mider my own superintendence. 
 One of the teachers had been an ascetic, another 
 was from the high-caste Nairs or Sudras of Malabar, 
 a third came from the ancient Syrian Christian 
 Church, and the next from the once enslaved 
 Pulayars, showing how the grace of God works in 
 and through all alike. The others spoken of were 
 mostly the usual Shanar or Ilavar converts. 
 
 Devadasan had been an ascetic, and firmly 
 believed that his devotion and austerities would 
 ensure his entry into heaven. But, as he after- 
 wards observed, ' I was like a man who wished to 
 go westward, but turned his face from the w^est and 
 ran eastward with all his might,' He performed 
 his devotions in three places, which he himself had 
 built : one attached to his dwelling-house, another 
 under a jack tree in his compound, and a third near 
 a large banyan tree by the roadside. Whatever 
 might be the state of the weather, he would rise up 
 before six o'clock in the morning, bathe in his sacred 
 tank, and then worship in each of these sacred 
 places before taking his food. 
 
 At that time a catechist went and spoke to this 
 man of the Christian religion, and he promised to 
 embrace it, but delayed until one night in a dream 
 some one appeared and said to him, ' Although you 
 say, " I will go, I w^ill go to Christ," you never go. 
 Is this just ? ' He immediately forsook his demon- 
 worship and became a Christian. He also forsook 
 
236 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 his old companions, saying, * Henceforth there is 
 no fellowship between me and you.' 
 
 After some time he was received into the church, 
 and also became a mission agent. His prayerful 
 spirit was very marked. Twice a day, in the chapel, 
 and at least seven times a day in his own house, he 
 called upon the name of the Lord. Once a week he 
 called his friends together, and prayed with them 
 on a small hill near his house. He drew many 
 heathens to Christianity, and had a good report 
 from all. At the last, when he was on his dying 
 bed, he said to those about him, ' Why should an 
 old pilgrim like me desire to tarry n this house of 
 my pilgrimage ? I desire to depart and rest with 
 Christ.' May we not fitly pray that our last end 
 may be like his? 
 
 Adam was a young Sudran. His parents were 
 wealthy heathens, and he was the officiating priest 
 in the family devotions and ceremonies. He built 
 a small temple and conducted worship therein. A 
 great part of his youth was spent in seeking for 
 hid treasures, which he supposed his god would 
 discover to him if he sought for them ; but instead 
 of finding treasure he wasted his property in the 
 search. In this condition he sought Christianity, 
 not, at first, as a means of salvation, but as a means 
 of livelihood. The Bev. J. Abbs, however, kindly 
 received and instructed him, and as he appeared 
 afterwards to be truly in earnest, I baptized him, 
 admitted him to church fellowship, and employed 
 
HIXDU CHRIS TIAX PREACHERS. 237 
 
 him, first as a schoolmaster, then as a catechist. 
 His conduct gradually grew more and more 
 consistent and holy, and his diligence and zeal 
 became manifest to all. He allowed no irregularities 
 in his congregation, but strove constantly to keep 
 everything in accordance with the Bible. 
 
 He would often speak to his fellow-castemen 
 about Christianity ; and some would then revile 
 him, saying, ' Many of our castemen hold important 
 ofhces in the State. If you had continued in their 
 friendship, you might have gained a high position by 
 this time. But, now that you have taken up with 
 these despicable low-caste Christians, you have 
 disgraced our caste and degraded yourself.' His 
 reply to such taunts was, ' The blessings which 
 result to me through embracing the Christian 
 religion are many and unspeakable, but you know 
 nothing of them : you wdll find out hereafter.' 
 
 While thus usefully employed in the Lord's 
 vineyard, consumption took hold of him ; but he 
 feared not. He constantly said : ' This disease is 
 rapidly taking me to Jesus.' In the intervals of 
 apparent convalescence, he used to resume his work, 
 notwithstanding all remonstrances, alleging as his 
 reason that he longed to die actively engaged in his 
 Saviour's ser\'ice. In his last illness he was brought 
 to Pareychaley, and thence passed away to his place 
 in heaven. The words most frequently on his lips 
 were, ' I have confided my soul to Jesus.' 
 
 Koshi (Joshua), catechist, was the son of a Syrian 
 
238 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 Christian of respectable family, and was pretty well 
 educated in his childhood, but not in the knowledge 
 of the Scriptures. After his marriage, his parents 
 becoming poor through misfortune, he gave them 
 back what they had bestowed him on the occasion 
 of his marriage, and built a house for himself with 
 his wife's dowry and his own savings. When 
 a clerk in the Custom House at Quilon, and 
 about thirty-two years of age, he met the Kev. 
 Mr. Thompson, who spoke to him of Christ. Koshi 
 afterwards joined the mission, and was appointed a 
 schoolmaster, and ultimately catechist. His wife 
 learned to read and write through his instructions, 
 and both of them became communicants. He was 
 very charitable in giving, and patient under reproach 
 and persecution for Christ. At one time the troubles 
 he endured through the ill-feeling of others were 
 such that he became distracted in mind, and for 
 some time wandered about the country. After his 
 recovery he was again employed as catechist, and 
 laboured for many years in various villages, with 
 much humility and earnestness. He was at last 
 taken ill of dropsy, and received kind assistance 
 from the hospital and the mission, but died on 11th 
 March, 1864, aged sixty-one. Up to the time of his 
 death he was diligent in reading God's Word and in 
 prayer. 
 
 David Arjebam was a devout and intelligent 
 Christian and teacher. He was first brought under 
 Christian influences in 1861 ; a year afterwards he 
 
HINDU CHRISTIAN PREACHERS. 239 
 
 was baptized by the chaplain of Trevandrum, and 
 soon after married to the senior girl in the Pulayars 
 school. David laboured for some time as a catechist 
 at Pulavur, but being greatly persecuted there, he 
 was again employed as teacher in the Pulayars' 
 school. For two years he suffered much from ill- 
 health, and was frequently in the hospital. Before 
 his death he gave excellent advice to his wife 
 respecting the religious training of their children, 
 and, lifting up his hands toward heaven, he repeated 
 several times the prayer : ' Lord Jesus, receive my 
 spirit ! ' Shortly after he peacefully departed. 
 
 Kunamudian was educated in the boarding-school 
 at Pareychaley. He was not a man of deep learning 
 in ordinary subjects, but he had carefully and 
 reverentially studied the Holy Scriptures. His 
 disposition was peculiarly meek and gentle. In his 
 conduct as a mission agent, no fault was ever laid 
 to his charge. He lived in peace with all men. 
 Before the commencement of a prayer-meeting or 
 other service, he would be found ready in his place, 
 with a book or tract in his hand to occupy the time, 
 while waiting, with profit. His health began to 
 suffer from consumption; but when his friends 
 expressed their sorrow, he said, ' We all must die, 
 and it is a great mercy that this disease in particular' 
 allows time for meditation and prayer. Though I 
 die, yet shall I live in Jesus my Saviour. You who 
 have good health think of death, and prepare for it.' 
 To one who often conversed with him of death, he 
 
240 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 said : ' I think of my approaching death with cheer- 
 fulness, in the prospect of a better hfe through the 
 Lord Jesus Christ, in whom I place my trust.' On 
 his death-bed he exhorted his weeping friends to live 
 to God and prepare for eternity. He consoled his 
 dear wafe, who stood by him weeping bitterly, with 
 these words : ' God will be your refuge and help. 
 Train our dear children for Him. Send them to 
 the school regularly.' Immediately before his death 
 he called his family together, and while praying 
 with them he sweetly fell asleep in Jesus. 
 
 The two following memoirs of native catechists, 
 who died some ten years ago, were compiled by 
 the late Eev. S. Jones. 
 
 ' Gnanapiragasam was born of heathen parents 
 at Mayilady in the year 178G. The first twenty 
 years of his life were passed in total ignorance of 
 the true God and in idolatrous practices of the 
 most abominable and degrading character. The 
 devil was in all his thoughts — w^as the only god 
 he worshipped, the only master he served. As 
 yet, the Light of Life had not visited Travancore. 
 But the dawn was at hand, and our esteemed 
 friend was one of the very first to catch its beams. 
 Indeed, that blessed dawn appeared first of all 
 among his own relatives. It happened on this 
 wise. His cousin, Maha Eayan, afterwards called 
 Vethamanikkain, w^iile on a pilgrimage to Tanjore, 
 to worship at a celebrated shrine of Siva, chanced 
 to hear the Kev. J. C. Kohloff, of the Tranquebar 
 
HIXDU CHRISTIAN PREACHERS. 24I 
 
 Mission, preach, and was so wrought upon by the 
 truth that he sought further instruction, embraced 
 the Christian rehgion with all his soul, and became 
 a new creature. Eeturning to Mayiladi, he lost 
 no time in proclaiming the '' Good News," and 
 urged upon his relatives, with all earnestness, the 
 importance of giving themselves to Christ without 
 delay. The first to obey the call was Perumal, 
 afterwards called Gnanamutthu, the elder brother 
 and guardian (both his parents were now dead) 
 of Gnanapiragasam. Others soon followed. So, 
 without a missionary, by the influence and teaching 
 of one Christian native only recently converted, 
 originated Protestant Christianity in South Tra- 
 vancore. Shortly after, when the Eev. W. T. 
 Eingeltaube, by the invitation and entreaty of 
 Vathamanikkam, came to Mayiladi from Tran- 
 quebar, he found a number of people quite ready 
 for baptism. Among those was the subject of 
 this sketch, who was then in his twenty-second 
 year. Baptism, however, did not give pardon and 
 peace. He speaks of himself at this time as having 
 been greatly distressed by certain texts ; such as 
 "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the 
 kingdom of God ;" "If any man be in Christ, he 
 is a new creature." Baptism had but made him 
 a Christian outwardly. He must also, he felt, 
 experience the "washing of regeneration and the 
 renewing of the Holy Ghost." This great inward 
 change he earnestly sought and joyfully found, and 
 
 R 
 
242 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 never afterwards lost the sense of complete 
 acceptance with God through Jesus Christ. 
 
 * The next forty-eight years of this good man's 
 life were spent in the seivice of the Mission as 
 schoolmaster, catechist, and superintendent o-f the 
 mission rice-fields respectively. For fifteen years 
 he laboured as catechist at Tamarakulam, with 
 great zeal and much success. The chapel was 
 enlarged, and again became too small. The 
 congregation rose to the number of 1,100 
 souls ; a church was formed ; three schools were 
 established ; Bible-classes were begun and vigo- 
 rously maintained ; village-to-village and house- 
 to-house visitation was carried on ; and preaching 
 to the heathen occupied no small share of our 
 friend's time and attention. 
 
 * Whilst a faithful and diligent worker in the 
 church and the w^orld, Gnanapiragasam was not 
 unmindful of his own household. He strove to 
 train up his children in the way they should go, 
 and had the satisfaction of seeing them all become 
 good and useful men and women. His two 
 daughters were married to catechists. Many of 
 the lyrics in the volume published by the Madras 
 Tract Society (a book greatly prized by Christians 
 and others everywhere in the Tamil country) were 
 composed by his eldest son. Another son, named 
 Yacob, was a most devoted and useful catechist. 
 
 ' Space forbids the record of many interesting facts 
 and anecdotes regarding the life and labours of this 
 
HINDU CHRISTIAN PREACHERS. 24 
 
 exemplary servant of Christ. For honesty, industry, 
 consistency, hospitaHty, faithfuhiess, brotherly kind- 
 ness and charity, humility, readiness to forgive 
 injuries, and return good for evil, love of prayer 
 and the house of God, desire for the prosperity of 
 Zion and the conversion of souls, success in 
 attempting to establish the kingdom of heaven — 
 for all these things he has had few equals, perhaps 
 no superior, in these missions. During the last 
 twelve years he was very feeble. As often as 
 strength w^ould permit he went to the sanctuary, 
 but for the most part was unable to move beyond 
 his own door. He seemed never to tire in relating 
 the story of God's mercy to all who visited him. 
 He would often say, "I am quite ready to go, but 
 the Master's order has not yet come." When 
 asked, a little before death, w^hether he felt sure 
 he was going to Christ, he replied, with a pleasant 
 laugh, ''To whom shall I go if not to Him?" 
 Several times he w^as thought to have passed aw^ay. 
 His coffin was prepared and his friends assembled 
 for the funeral, when, to the astonishment of all, 
 he revived. At last, on 4th July, 1875, the long- 
 expected call home had really come, for the spirit 
 of our brother was found to be not in the flesh.' 
 Caleb, evangelist, was born of Christian parents. 
 His father, after his conversion, was for upwards 
 of twenty-five years a mission agent. He had a 
 great desire to see his sons employed in mission 
 work. For this he constantly prayed, and God 
 
244 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INEjIA. 
 
 gave him the desire of his heart. He lived to see 
 two of his sons engaged in active service under the 
 superintendence of the Kev. E. Lewis, in the 
 Santhapuram district. Caleb, the elder of the two, 
 received a good training for his work, first in the 
 village school at Atticadu (now Wioapuram), then 
 in Mr. Lewis's theological class, and lastly in the 
 seminary at Nagercoil. Caleb appears to have been 
 a diligent and painstaking student. 
 
 On leaving the seminary in 1857, Caleb was 
 employed as a teacher in the girls' boarding school 
 at Santhapuram, under the care of Mrs. Lewis. 
 In this large and important institution there w^as 
 great scope for usefulness, which Caleb was not 
 slow to avail himself of. 
 
 Caleb's first sphere of labour as a catechist was 
 Putthalam. Here, as would appear, he gained 
 the respect and esteem both of Christians and 
 heathens, and was not unsuccessful. On the 
 recommendation of the Eev. F. Wilkinson, he 
 was received by the committee as an evangelist, 
 which oftice he held till death. Kulathuvila, 
 Agasteespuram, and Koduppaculi had the advantage 
 respectively of his evangelistic labours and teaching. 
 As a preacher, Caleb was always acceptable, never 
 dull, sometimes striking, often pathetic. When I 
 say that I regret his loss from my staff of helpers, 
 I am saying not a little in his favour. 
 
 He was carried off by a disorder that had been 
 undermining his constitution for some years. The 
 
HINDU CHRISTIAX PREACHERS. 245 
 
 night previous to his death he said to his brother, 
 ' I am a great sinner, but I have thrown my whole 
 burden on Him who taketh away the sins of the 
 world.' Afterwards he said to his sorrowing 
 friends, ' There is no need for tears. I am going 
 to a world where all is joy.' The next morning 
 he was cheerful and strong in faith. Having 
 requested his friends who stood at his bedside to 
 pray with him, he shortly after peacefully passed 
 away to the joy of his Lord. 
 
 Isaac, catechist, was a native of Vadalivilei, near 
 Nagercoil. In his youth and early manhood he 
 hated Christians and Christianity, and would often 
 abuse and curse them. He was a most enthusiastic 
 idolater. Having been induced to read some of 
 our tracts, he became convinced of the error and 
 folly of his ways, and, without delay, declared his 
 renunciation of heathenism and his acceptance of 
 Christianity. This step brought on him the rage 
 and abhorrence of his parents and kinsfolk, banish- 
 ment from home, village and property, as well 
 as other cruel hardships. All this he ' endured, 
 as seeing Him who is invisible/ and this faith 
 enabled him to hold fast the truth he had newly 
 embraced. The Eev. C. Mault soon saw that this 
 man might be turned to useful account in the 
 Mission, and so, after some training, Isaac became 
 a catechist. In this capacity he laboured for 
 thirty-five years in various parts of the Nagercoil 
 district with diligence, faithfulness, and success. 
 
246 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 Though not an educated man, he knew and 
 understood the Scriptures, and his acquaintance 
 with the writings of Hindu poets made him an 
 attractive preacher to the heathen. His great 
 hatred of heathenism, and daring in attacking and 
 exposing it, led him sometimes into trouble. Once, 
 at Kottar, he narrowly escaped being beaten to 
 death by heathens and Mohammedans, who fell 
 on him with great fury after an excited discussion. 
 
 He loved prayer. He would never begin anything 
 without first seeking direction of God and asking 
 His blessing on the undertakiug. He was a man 
 of keen sympathy. Often while preaching and 
 praying he would burst into tears. Hence some 
 of his addresses and public prayers were uncom- 
 monly effective. If he thought that he had offended 
 any one, he would not rest until he had asked 
 and obtained forgiveness, and he was never 
 unwilling to forgive those who had trespassed 
 against him. 
 
 Love of truth is not, by any means, a common 
 quality in India. Most people lie as a matter of 
 course. Isaac, to his honour, or rather to the 
 honour of Divine grace be it said, had a great 
 horror of lying. He would speak the truth at 
 any cost. I am sorry to say that this trait caused 
 him to be disliked by some. 
 
 After nine months' suffering, this catechist died 
 in peace, in the fifty-eighth year of his age and 
 the thirty-fifth of his ministry. During his illness, 
 
HINDU CHRISTIAN PREACHERS. 247 
 
 it seemed to be a great satisfaction to him that his 
 son Pakkyanathan had given himself to the Lord's 
 service as a catechist. 
 
 Yovan, superintending catechist, was a man of 
 striking appearance. He had a large robust frame, 
 with a Kymric face. His mind corresponded with 
 his body : it was not of the common order. He knew 
 no English, and having been employed as a village 
 schoolmaster at the early age of thirteen, he could 
 have had but few educational advantages. Still he 
 stood in the first rank among our agents. Indeed, he 
 not only kept abreast of our young men ; in some 
 things, such as the higher branches of Tamil grammar 
 and poetry, few, if any, equalled him. He was not a 
 great preacher, but his intellectual abilities and 
 character, his knowledge and wisdom, and his quiet 
 devotion to the cause of the Eedeemer, won him a 
 respect from his fellow-labourers and others, such as 
 scarcely any one has gained w^ith so few adventitious 
 aids. 
 
 At the age of thirteen, Yovan was employed as a 
 schoolmaster in Nagercoil district ; and at the age of 
 twenty-four he became a catechist. As he was well 
 versed in what was then commonly called learning, 
 was a clever native physician, and skilful in poetical 
 composition, he was much respected by the people. 
 His own house was in the Neyoor district, but he ac- 
 companied the Kev. J. Abbs to Pareychaley ; and from 
 that time till his death this district had the benefit of 
 his labours. His last sphere of work was in two 
 
24S THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 congregations, both of which prospered under his 
 devoted care. About two years before his death he 
 thought of retiring, but resolved first to rebuild the 
 chapel at Mangarei, which was in a bad condition. 
 He urged the people to raise funds, and having 
 contributed generously himself, he pushed on the 
 work, so that the roof was soon completed and the 
 building thatched. 
 
 Just at this time he began to suffer from an 
 affection of the brain, and was obliged to remain 
 away from his congregations for nearly three months. 
 During this period the native missionary visited him 
 one day when he seemed to be in possession of his 
 senses, and asked him, ' Do you continue to pray to 
 Jesus, or do you find your love to Him become 
 cold ? ' He remained silent, hanging down his head ; 
 and on looking at his face he was seen to be weep- 
 ing. He then answered, ' Shall I forget Him whom 
 I have served so long ? I do pray to Him as often as 
 I can : it is His love that now sustains and comforts 
 me.' 
 
 After he had quite recovered the use of his faculties, 
 he came to the missionary, expressing a wish to 
 resume his duties, but was advised to finish the 
 chapel building, and then retire from exhausting 
 labour. His reply was : ' I shall not retire, but con- 
 tinue my work as long as I am able to do anything 
 for my Master.' He recommenced his work, but, 
 alas ! three weeks after, having conducted the 
 Sunday morning service at Mangarei, he went in the 
 
HIXD U CHRIS TIA N PRE A CHERS. 249 
 
 heat of the day to the other congregation, and there, 
 while conducting the noon service, fell suddenly on 
 his face. He lingered speechless for six days, and 
 then resigned his spirit to the Lord. He died in the 
 seventy-second year of his age and in the fifty-ninth 
 year of his mission work. 
 
 John Moses was born in 1828, of Koman Catholic 
 parents, at Mayanadu, near Quilon. Four years 
 afterwards his parents became Protestants, joining 
 the London Mission under the superintendence of 
 the Eev. J. C. Thompson. They were God-fearing 
 people, especially the mother, who would send her 
 son even in his boyhood to the houses of heathen 
 neighbours to read the Scriptures to them, and 
 often expressed the wish that her children would 
 become catechists and teachers. She taught Moses 
 in his childhood to pray morning, noon, and evening, 
 sometimes at midnight also, contributed from her 
 small means to the support of the Mission, and 
 engaged in kindly conversation on religious subjects 
 with those who called upon her. 
 
 Converts from Komanism have thus often proved 
 most devoted Christians and preachers, arising, no 
 doubt, from their early training to reverence and 
 devotion, and some acquaintance with Christian 
 truth. This good woman, whose name was Anna, 
 died on 5th September, 1873, at the age of seventy- 
 eight, leaving behind her a fragrant memory of 
 piety and love. Her end was peace, and her dying 
 testimony to her son was that she was prepared to 
 
250 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA, 
 
 depart, and all was joy with her. Such a mother 
 and such training must have had great influence 
 in forming the character of the son and preparing 
 him for future usefulness. 
 
 At the age of six, Moses went to the village school, 
 and at twelve he was placed under the care of 
 Mr. Thompson, in the boarding school, where he 
 was diligent and obedient, took an interest in the 
 Scripture lessons, and was attentive to the duties of 
 private and public prayer. He learnt Tamil, as 
 well as his own language, Malay alam, so that 
 afterwards he could preach in either language ; but 
 he was unable to make any progress in English. 
 He acquired a considerable knowledge of the Hindu 
 vernacular books, and could quote from them freely 
 in his intercourse and discussions with heathens. 
 
 About 1846, Moses was spiritually awakened and 
 converted to God, and shortly afterwards obtained 
 employment in the Mission as a schoolmaster. 
 Speaking of this period, he said on the occasion of 
 his ordination : ' At the age of eighteen, the Lord 
 was pleased to awaken me from the sleep of sin, 
 and this was a most memorable period of my life. 
 I was at first sunk in fear and sorrow, but read the 
 Scriptures and prayed with tears in places of 
 retirement. God, through His beloved Son, granted 
 me comfort and peace of mind. Thenceforward I 
 felt less concern to fulfil my own desires ; and my 
 youthful pleasures were seen to be unprofitable. 
 Many temptations, fears and dangers have 
 
HINDU CHRISTIAN PREACHERS. 251 
 
 encompassed me, but in them all my merciful 
 Saviour has been with me. He began the 
 good work in me, and will maintain it unto the 
 end.' 
 
 After the death of Mr. Thompson, in 1850, Moses 
 was transferred from Quilon to the Tre van drum 
 district, and employed as an assistant catechist in 
 the congregation of Nellikakuri ; then as catechist 
 at Kodianur-Konam ; and again for some time in 
 his native village, where he was desirous to preach 
 to his own people. Earnestly and successfully he 
 laboured amongst Protestants, Eoman Catholics 
 and others. His life was a model to his own 
 congregation ; and opponents he addressed with 
 great gentleness and affection, united with moral 
 courage and boldness. None of his time did he 
 spend on private business, but was constantly 
 devoted to study, and teaching and prayer, visiting 
 the sick, and other good works. At all times his 
 prayerfulness w^as remarkable. 
 
 From 1862, for about four years, Moses laboured 
 as an itinerant preacher to the heathen in Tre- 
 vandrum and the surrounding country, for which 
 work he was well fitted. He earnestly sought out 
 places where the Gospel had not previously been 
 proclaimed, and often had to endure hardships from 
 heat and cold, malaria and hunger, wild beasts 
 and dangerous roads. He afterwards returned to 
 Mayanadu and Quilon as a catechist, or virtually 
 village pastor, the whole work of the ministry, 
 
25 2 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 except the administration of the sacraments, being 
 usually committed to such tried agents. 
 
 "While stationed at Qui] on this devoted man was 
 ordained in Trevandrum, on the 14th November, 
 1877. Thenceforward Moses proved himself more 
 than ever a true servant of God, and he enjoyed two 
 or three years of happy and useful labour as a pastor 
 and native missionary, in addition to his thirty 
 years of service in subordinate positions. His 
 ordination not only increased his sphere of useful- 
 ness, but served to bring him as a model Christian 
 pastor before the notice of our own people, the 
 Syrian priests, and Christians of the surrounding 
 country, and the heathen of various classes, all of 
 whom acknowledged his worth. He was full of 
 sweetness and charity to all, displaying a childlike 
 spirit ; and European gentlemen and native officers 
 of high rank would sometimes listen to his exhorta- 
 tions and affectionate teachings. One judge became 
 a regular member of his church. 
 
 His salary was but a pound per month, scarcely 
 sufficient for his wants, but he did his best to make 
 it suffice. Out of his small income he was accus- 
 tomed to entertain strangers and help the poor. 
 Having some knowledge of native medicine, several 
 patients were restored to health by his benevolent 
 treatment and earnest prayers. He sought not to 
 lay up treasure on earth, and at his death left only 
 a few books and clothes and household requisites. 
 Indeed, he had abstained from the management of 
 
HIND U CHRIS TIA X PRE A CHERS. 2 5 3 
 
 a small hereditary property in order to devote 
 himself more fully to his work ; and for the same 
 reason he remained unmarried all his life. Of this 
 I have never known another instance in Travancore. 
 He managed to provide for and train up several 
 children of his widowed sister, though from one of 
 them he received only the deepest ingratitude. 
 
 Tall and thin, and somewhat Jewish in features, 
 Moses usually dressed after the manner of the Syrian 
 priests, in long white cotton coat, loose trousers, 
 and cap. He assumed the surname of Apadaptaswam, 
 an attempted translation of the name Moses into 
 Sanskrit. He was a great student of the Bihle, 
 and able to repeat many portions from memory. 
 Several devotional lyrics composed by him in 
 Malayalam occupy a place in our hymn-book, and are 
 used in congregational worship. His sermons w^ere 
 clear and practical, delivered in choice language and 
 with warmth and power. He would quote the 
 Scriptures rapidly and impressively from memory, 
 and drew beautiful pictures of the Christian life and 
 character. 
 
 Moses was one of the few who have fully carried 
 out in actual life the Christianity of the Sermon on 
 the Mount — meekness and mercy, purity and peace, 
 forgiveness and patience in suffering — and he now 
 assuredly enjoys the blessings pronounced on such. 
 •When reviled or exposed to harsh language, though 
 inwardly hurt, he answered not again, but was 
 * gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing, in 
 
254 THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH INDIA. 
 
 meekness correcting them that oppose them- 
 selves.' 
 
 Even at the time of his. ordination Moses v^as not 
 physically strong, and some time afterwards a slow 
 and wasting consumption began to develop. For a 
 whole year he was seriously ill, and for the last four 
 months almost confined to the sick bed, under treat- 
 ment by our medical missionary and the surgeon in 
 charge of the military station of Quilon. Yet he was 
 never sad, fretful, or unhappy, but hopeful, and 
 desirous of reaching the blessed kingdom of his 
 Heavenly Father. Such a life as his could have 
 only a happy end. 
 
 Even while suffering great pain, Moses was sup- 
 ported by the love of the Saviour. From his bed, 
 and to the last, he preached Christ, and exhorted his 
 visitors to follow Him. To him death had no terrors. 
 He commended his flock into the hands of the Great 
 Shepherd, saying, * precious Saviour, have mercy 
 on Thy Church, and save the lambs of Thy flock. 
 Send a faithful pastor.' His relatives he comforted 
 by saying : * Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and 
 to-day, and for ever. Trust in Him.' 
 
 On one occasion he exclaimed : * I see the kingdom 
 of my Father. Oh, how bright is His face ! Are 
 those heavenly hosts for my comfort ? ' At another 
 time he said : ' Lord, I thank Thee for Thy mercy.' 
 And his face lighting up with joy, he cried : * Is this 
 my portion ? I have not long to wait now. Can it 
 be that there is indeed so much joy for me ? ' His 
 
HIXD U CHRIS TJA X PRE A CHERS. 2 5 5 
 
 dying words were : ' Father, into Thy hands I com- 
 mend my spirit ! ' and he fell asleep in Jesus on 3rd 
 September, 1880. 
 
 We have here a beautiful life and character, such 
 as the Indian Church will perhaps produce in greater 
 abundance than the more forceful and imperious 
 English type. We need many more such men for 
 India, and a few singularly devoted and qualified men 
 might greatly hasten on the evangelisation of that 
 vast empire. ' It might alter the whole history of 
 our work ; it might crowd into a day the moral 
 result of a century of labour, if some strong, noble, 
 large-hearted son of India should be baptized with the 
 Spirit and filled with the Word of God.' Keformers 
 of high moral character and wide-spread influence 
 have already, from time to time, appeared in the 
 religious history of India, but they were un- 
 acquainted with the Gospel, the only remedy for the 
 sin and woe of mankind. Let the reader unite with 
 us in praying that many such may be raised up by 
 the Providence and grace of God from amongst the 
 multitudes of children in our mission schools, of 
 students under training in our mission seminaries 
 and colleges, and even from the ranks of those who 
 are now zealous heathen priests and devotees of 
 idolatry. 
 
 So shall the bright succession run 
 Through the last courses ot the sun ; 
 While unborn churches, by their care, 
 Shall rise and flourish, large and fair. 
 
LONDOX : 
 
 WILLIAM RIDEB AXP SOU, PRIXTERS, 
 
 14, BARTHOLOMEAV CLOSE. 
 

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