Paganism, to satisfy the demands of a guilty conscience, is found in a fact related by the missionary Swartz:"A man on the Malabar coast had inquired of various devotees and priests how he might make atonement for his sins; and he was directed to drive iron spikes, somewhat blunted, through his sandals, and on them to place his naked feet, and walk to a certain place, a distance of nearly five hundred miles. If, through loss of blood, or weakness of body, he was unable to proceed, he was obliged to wait for healing and strength. He undertook the journey; and while he halted under a large shade tree, where the gospel was sometimes preached, one of the missionaries came and preached in his hearing from these words: "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." While he was preaching, the man rose up, threw off his torturing sandals, and cried out aloud, "This is what I want;" and he became a living witness of the truth of that passage of scripture, and also of the insufficiency of heathenism to administer to the moral necessities of the soul that is panting after immortality.

Another case, no less affecting, occurred on the coast of Africa. An English sailor, in conversation with one of the natives, found him troubled on account of his sins, and told him that he must go to the "Christian's God, who paid the debt." This was all, however, which the sailor could tell him. He had heard of Christ as being our surety; and that was all which he knew. But this seemed to be the very thing of which the man felt his perishing need. It took full possession of his soul. He went on board the ship, and wrought his passage to England. There,

in one of the large towns, I believe either in London or Liverpool, he went about the streets, inquiring of every one he met, for the "Christian's God, who paid the debt." But the people thought him crazy. However, at length he met with a clergyman, who was struck and interested with his inquiry, and took him home, heard his story, and instructed him more perfectly in the way of life; and no sooner did he learn the way of salvation through a crucified Redeemer, than he most heartily and cordially embraced it. Such facts as these most forcibly illustrate the great truth, that there is, in the breast of a sinner, a conscious need of some form of expiation for sin, that shall satisfy divine justice, and restore him to the favor of God. Paganism is the religion of more than five hundred millions of our race.

II. The system of religion which next claims our attention, is Mohammedism, so called from Mohammed or Mahomet, its founder. This is in some respects superior to Paganism, because it contains some proportion of truth; but it is a strange commingling of truth with the most monstrous absurdities. It may be instructive to dwell a few moments on its doctrines; and this indeed is necessary to our inquiry, whether it is adapted to the moral necessities of man. The Mohammedans have correct ideas of the nature and attributes of God, but reject the doctrine of the Trinity. They abhor idolatry, but place Mohammed, their prophet, next to God. Their ideas of creation, also, agree with the Scripture account, from which they were doubtless derived. They believe that there are two recording angels in heaven,

one standing on the right hand of God, and the other on the left, who keep account of all the actions of men, both good and bad; that, at death, two angels will inquire of the departed spirit who was his Lord and Prophet; that those who shall be able to say that God was their only Lord, and Mohammed their prophet, will find a great light in their graves, and shall rest in glory; but those who cannot so answer these questions, shall be kept in darkness till the day of judgment; that, at the end of the world, after the last trumpet shall have sounded, all things will turn to nothing again, and God only shall remain in existence; but afterwards, all creatures will be raised again to life, and gathered together for judgment; that then, God, accompanied by Mohammed, will judge all mankind; and that Mohammed will intercede for his followers. All the works of men, they say, will be weighed in scales, the good against the bad; and then, all will be permitted to take vengeance on those that have injured them; and this will be done by taking away a portion of the good works of the one who has done an injury, and giving them to the injured party; but if the good works are exhausted, a part of the sins of the injured will be placed to the account of the injurer. Those whose good works outweigh their bad, shall immediately enter into paradise; while those whose bad actions outweigh their good, shall be cast into hell. Those whose good and bad deeds are equal, shall remain in the middle, between paradise and hell, without enjoying happiness or enduring misery; but all of them who are Mohammedans shall be released from this confinement, at the second inter

cession of Mohammed; but the time they shall be confined there will not be less than 900 years, nor more than 7,000. The Mohammedan hell is corporeal, and the description they give of the torments to be endured there, is too horrible to be repeated. Over this, they say there is placed a sharp bridge, as long as the world and as high in proportion, but not wider than a single thread of a spider's web; and this overhung on both sides with briers and thorns. Over this all mankind must pass. The good Mohammedans will pass swifter than lightning. But the wicked, and those who do not believe in Mohammed, will slip and fall headlong into hell-fire. Their ideas of heaven are, that it is a place of sensual pleasure. It is painted out in the most extravagant colors which imagination could invent, but free from all the pain, distress and bitterness of soul, which follow the excessive indulgence of animal appetites and passions in this life. This is the religion of 120,000,000 of our race.

It will be at once perceived that this is but a caricature of Christianity, leaving out those doctrines and facts which are essential to the system, and retaining only such as could be metamorphosed to suit the purposes of the Impostor.

This system fails to meet the moral necessities of man, in several important particulars :

1. Its doctrine of rewards and punishments is founded on erroneous principles. It gives a mercantile character to the relations between man and his Creator; as though we could bring God under obligation to us by our good works, while we become indebted to him by our evil deeds; and thus set off the one against the other. Whereas God, by virtue

of the claim he has upon us as our Creator, and as the Supreme Ruler of the universe, is justly entitled to perfect obedience from us; and our disobedience, being a violation of our obligations to him in certain particulars, can never be cancelled by performing our obligations in other particulars. Having, therefore, once sinned, we could not expiate our sin by perfect obedience all the rest of our lives. But,

2. If this doctrine were founded on correct principles, it would not satisfy, in this respect, the wants of the human soul. Who would be able to keep an exact account of all his actions, and weigh the good and bad in an even handed balance, so as to know what to calculate upon as his future destiny? Hence the soul must always be under the most fearful apprehensions as to the future; for, though the intercessions of the prophet may avail at last to deliver the soul from hell, yet what ground of comfort or consolation is there in the idea of deliverance from hell, after suffering the most excruciating torments for nine hundred or seven thousand years? Yet, it is to be admitted that this is as comforting a system as that of the Restorationists, who rest their hopes of salvation on the prospect of the termination of a limited period of future punishment.

3. This system makes no provision for expiation, or the pardon of sin. Even the intercession of Mohammed does not avail for this; but sin must be balanced by good works, or else punished in hell, even in the case of the faithful. So that, the great thing, the need of which the soul feels most intensely of all, is entirely absent from this system.

4. It presents unworthy views of the world to