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THE GREAT REVOLUTION IN CHINA.

THIS Revolution is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, the world has ever known.

This vast Empire is said to contain, on its "garden fields and peopled floods," a population of three hundred millions of human beings-equal to, if not more than, the population of all Europe and all America put together-and comprising onethird of the human race.

Its history is a mystery, reaching back into the most remote ages, and filled with the most strange and romantic incidents. For many ages it was quite inaccessible to Europeans. Its terrible despotism and its famous wall and towers kept at a distance all idea of invasion, and its watchful jealousy of foreigners did not permit them to enter its provinces, or even, in some cases, to set foot on its shores. Now and then a jesuit missionary from Rome would find access in the disguise of a merchant or traveller, and come back with wonderful tales about its crowded cities, and splendid palaces, and porcelain towers, but the real state of these extensive regions was shaded in almost impenetrable obscurity. The most our fathers, for several generations back, knew of China was, that it was a wonderful land, where the men had little eyes and long tails, and the women had very small feet. Now and then we bartered with them on their shores, or in neighbouring ports, for chests of tea, which our great-grandmothers scarcely knew how to use at first; and now and then some of their curious little tea cups and saucers were smuggled over in our ships to astonish us by the clear transparency of their make. And this was about all that our late ancestors knew of China.

Many attempts were made at one time or other by the English and other nations to have regular dealings with them, but their suspicious and ever-watchful jealousy would not consent, and all foreigners were kept at a respectful distance.

About fifty years ago, when missionary enterprize was looking abroad over the world for scenes of labours, attention was directed to China; and a few Protestant missionaries went over with British ships. But the great difficulty was, and some thought it insurmountable, to obtain a knowledge of their singular and perplexing language, spoken or printed-for they had invented a mode of rough printing, ages before that art had been invented in Europe.

No. 88.

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THE GREAT REVOLUTION IN CHINA.

But it appears that, as old Elliot, the American Indian Missionary, said, "pains, and prayer, and faith in Christ, can do anything;" for Drs. Morison and Milne, stationed near China, and Dr. Marshman and his sons at Serampore, East Indies, succeeded in mastering the language, giving translations of the scriptures in its curious pictorial characters.

Within the last fifty years the trade with China gradually opened. We cannot detail all the facts, but a few years ago a dispute arising about the sale of opium by the East India Government to the Chinese, a war arose, in which the British, with their war-steamers, made terrible havoc, and compelled the government of China to pay an immense sum in silver as compensation for losses and expences; the Chinese also ceding to the English certain ports and places along their coasts in which they might fix themselves for purposes of trade and its protection.

In the meantime missionary enterprize continued and greatly increased its operations-England and America being the most active in their attempts to evangelize the idolaters. Leang Afa, the first Chinese baptized by Dr. Milne at Malacca, in 1816, and a German missionary, Dr. Gutzlaff, were indefatigable in distributing scriptures and tracts.

Now we come to the Revolution. We have said the history of China is a mystery. It would appear that she has had many revolutions in past ages. The last was after the invasion of the Tartars of northern Asia several hundred years ago. The Chinese have always been uneasy under Tartar rule, but although they often tried, they were never able to throw it off.

Several months ago reports reached England of an insurrection in China; but little notice was taken of it, as it was supposed to be only a provincial disturbance. But the tide rolled on, month after month, until it covered a great part of the land; and the last news tells us that the patriots— -we will not call them rebels-have reached Nankin, and now threaten Pekin, the capital.

The origin and progress of this great rising of the Chinese people against their Tartar rulers is not yet fully known. It seems that the scriptures and tracts circulated among the natives, by Gutzlaff and others in past years, have had much to do with it. For they everywhere destroy idols and idol temples

their great law is the ten commandments; and they have published books of poetry, vindicating their conduct and set

THE GREAT REVOLUTION IN CHINA.

ting forth their principles, in which there is a singular and motley mixture of bible and gospel history,

So far the insurgents have been victorious in every contest with the Emperor's troops. The people join them as soon as they appear. Vast treasures have fallen into their hands. How they manage to rule the provinces they have conquered we are not told, but order is said to prevail, and all violence and robbery is forbidden under the severest penalties. The Emperor and his officers seem panic-stricken and powerless, as they were during the British opium war. Indeed that war may have first exposed their weakness and encouraged the natives to rise.

The resident British Plenipotentiary, Sir George Bonham, visited the insurgents when they were in possession of Nankin. He was received cordially, when he assured the Chiefs that the British would take no part in the contest. As he went up the river he found it covered with idols floating down the stream, which the Chinese in their new-born zeal against idolatry had cast into it.

How this great revolution will end no one can yet tell, but so far it is a wonderful event. Should it succeed, as we pray it may, the trade to China will be thrown wide open, and in exchange for her tea, and silks, and silver, and precious things of various kinds, England may send ship-loads of her manufactures, which are peculiarly adapted for the people and the climate. And, above all, the word of God and the missionaries of the Gospel will then have free course. But should the

government rally and put the people down, then we must look for the most severe measures to be inflicted on the insurgents, and a revival of the old system of watchful jealousy against the foreigners and their religious movements. But even in this the Tartar Rulers dare not do as they once did. England and the United States would not endure it; and so anyhow there is ground for hope yet, that these vast regions will never again be closed in from the great family of nations.

How wonderful is God in Providence! Little more than one hundred years ago, India and China, containing half the world's population, were closed against the Bible and its Gospel-shut up close in the devilish darkness of idolatry. India has been given to Britain, and the light of life is now shedding its reviving beams upon regions where all, at the period we have intimated, was dismal darkness. And now China, whose proud Emperor forty years ago forbade the bible

THE GREAT REVOLUTION IN CHINA.

entrance, is rising and heaving in mighty struggles to break that thick cloud of gloomy ages which a few years ago it seemed hopeless even to attempt to pierce. What a breaking up and overturning is this! Verily the LORD reigneth!

"Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his; and he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth the kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: he revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him."

Yes: this great lesson which God is teaching the nations ought not to be lost upon the world. Let her rulers and princes learn that they are as nothing before him. Let the heathen know that their idols are very vanity, doomed to perish. Let the men who have the bible and deny its divine origin, see that the God of the bible is yet the God of the nations, setting up and putting down as he pleases. And let christians be no more impatient for the coming of His kingdom, whose right it is to reign. JESUS, the World's Redeemer, shall yet have the heathen for his inheritance, the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession. Not more certain the ordinances of heaven than this great fact

"Engraved as in eternal brass

The mighty promise shines;

Nor can the powers of darkness raze
Those everlasting lines.

His very word of grace is strong

As that which built the skies;

The voice that rolls the stars along
Speaks all the promises."

Yes, and the eventful changes now moving before our eyes on the theatre of this world, as on a vast panorama, are all tending to this glorious result, when the PRINCE of PEACE shall sway his loving sceptre over the redeemed family of man. The possession of India by England, the rising of the Chinese destroyers of idols, the search for gold in California and Australia, and the weakness of Mahommedan nations, all indicate the breaking up of old systems of ignorance and superstition, preparatory to the introduction of our holy religion, and with it improved civilization and intelligent freedom.

"Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven-For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."

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