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ration of those awful things, which cannot but be suggested to a reflecting mind by a year irrecoverably past.

On the first day of the year 1807, Mr. Martyn was led to the following reflection, from whence we perceive, that it is the work of the self-same same spirit to convince the soul of sin, to constrain it to unreserved obedience, and to fill it with unutterable consolation.

"Seven years have passed away since I was first called of God. Before the conclusion of another seven years, how probable that these hands will have mouldered into dust! But be it so: my soul through grace hath received the assurance of eternal life, and I see the days of my pilgrimage shortening, without a wish to add to their number. But O may I be stirred up to a farther discharge of my high and awful work, and laying aside, as much as may be, all carnal cares and studies, may I give myself to this one thing.' The last has been a year to be remembered by me, because the Lord has brought me safely to India, and permitted me to begin, in one sense, my Missionary work. My trials in it have been very few; every thing has turned out better than I expected; loving kindnesses and tender mercies have attended me every step; therefore here will I sing his praise. I have been an unprofitable servant, but the Lord hath not cut me off: I have been wayward and perverse, yet he hath brought me further on the way to Zion: here then, with sevenfold gratitude and affection, would I stop, and devote myself to the blissful service of my adorable Lord. May he continue his patience, his grace, his directions, his spiritual influences, and I shall at last surely come off conqueror! May he speedily open my mouth, to make known the mysteries of the Gospel, and in great mercy grant, that the Heathen may receive it and live!"

The commencement of the new year was devoted by Mr. Martyn to the work which was still before him, translating and commenting on the Parables, as well

as to the attainment of the Sanscrit. Sustained by the hope of future usefulness he experienced much pleasure, not only in urging his toilsome way through the rudiments of that language, but even when he appeared, notwithstanding every exertion, to be making no sensible progress in it. "Employed," he says, "one day, in the month of January, 1807.-Morning and evening in Sanscrit Grammar, and in the afternoon, in translating the Parables. Though I scarcely stirred in Sanscrit, yet by keeping myself steady to the work, I had much comfort in my soul, and this day, like all others, fled swiftly away.'

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To these employments he added another also, the translation into Hindoostanee of those parts of the Book of Common Prayer which are most frequently used. This project, when it first occurred to him, so arrested his mind, that he instantly began to translate, and proceeded as far as the end of the Te Deum : fearing, however, as it was the Sabbath, that such an employment might not be in perfect harmony with the sacred solemnity of that day, inasmuch as it was not strictly of a devotional kind, he desisted from making further progress-so deep was his reverence for a divine appointment-so jealous his fear of offending his God! After passing therefore the remainder of the day in reading the holy Scriptures, and singing praises to the Lord, he closed it with these reflections:

O how shall I sufficiently praise my God that here in this solitude, with people enough indeed, but without a saint, I yet feel fellowship, with all those who, in every place, call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I see myself travelling on with them, and I hope I shall worship with them in his courts above!"

These peculiar studies, as well as the conversation which Mr. Martyn held frequently with the natives, (for which purpose he went about without his palanquin,) were regarded by many with a mixture of jealousy, fear, and contempt. Did he so much as speak to a native, it was enough to excite wonder, and alarm : nor is this a matter of surprise, when we consider, that

all love for the soul, and all fear of God are as certainly absent and inoperative in worldly characters, as the love of pleasure and fear of man are present and predominant. And if, in ordinary circumstances, such a line of conduct as Mr. Martyn adopted in India was calculated to awaken the apprehensions of those who lived chiefly for this world;-at this particular juncture it was more likely to be attended with these effects. For just at this time, the settlement was brought into some consternation by hearing of the sudden arrival of twelve thousand Mahrattas in the neighbourhood:-of which event the alarmists at Dinapore might be ready to take advantage, and endeavour in some way or other to connect it with Mr. Martyn's plans respecting the conversion of the natives to Christianity. These troops however had other objects than what the wakeful fear of some persons might have assigned them; their destination being simply to attend one of their chiefs on a pilgrimage to Benares.

Religious discussions between Mr. Martyn, his Moonshee, and Pundit, were almost of daily occurrence, and as they serve to throw light on his character, as well as on that of those with whom a Missionary must be conversant in India, it may be useful to refer again to what his Journals contain on this head.

"Long disputes with the Moonshee on the enjoyments of heaven; I felt some mortification at not having a command of language. There are a variety of lesser arguments, the force of which consists in their being brought together in rapid succession in conversation; which nothing but a command of words can enable one to effect. However, I was enabled to tell the Moonshee one thing, that my chief enjoyment, even now on earth, was the enjoyment of God's presence, and a growing conformity to him; and therefore I asked, what motives could the promise of Houris, Ghilmans, green meadows, and eating and drinking in paradise, afford me. My soul sweetly blessed the Lord in secret, that this testimony was true, and O what a change must have been wrought in me!"

January 16.-Employed at the Sanscrit-in the afternoon, collecting idiomatic phrases for the Parables. Finished the first epistle of St. John with the Moonshee. I asked him what he thought of those passages which so strongly express the truth of the Trinity, and of the Divinity of Christ: he said he never would believe it; because the Koran had declared it sinful to say that God had any son. I told him that he

ought to pray, that God would teach him what the truth really is. He said he had no occasion to pray on this subject, as the word of God was express. I asked him whether some doubt ought not to arise in his mind, whether the Koran was the word of God. He grew angry; and I felt hurt and vexed. I should have done better to have left the words of the chapter with him, without saying any thing. I went also too far with the Pundit, in arguing against his superstitions for he also grew angry. If any qualification seems necessary to a Missionary in India, it is wisdom operating in the regulation of the temper, and improvement of opportunities."

"Dictating to-day the explanation of a parable to the Moonshee, I had occasion to give the proofs of the corruption of human nature, and drew the conclusion that, hence, till our hearts are changed we are abominable in the sight of God, and our own works, however useful to men, are worthless in his sight. I think I never saw such a striking instance of the truth grappling with human nature: he seemed like a fish when he first finds the hook has hold of him: he was in a dreadful rage, and endeavoured to escape from the conviction those truths produced, but seemingly in vain. At last, recovering himself, he said, he had a question to ask-which was-what would become of children, if the dispositions they were born with rendered them odious in the sight of God? I gave him the best answer I could, but he considered it as nothing, because founded on Scripture; and said, with great contempt, that this was mere matter of faith, the same

sort of thing as when the Hindoos believed the nonsense of their Shasters."

How delightful must it have been to Mr. Martyn to turn, as he did at this time, from controversies with these unbelievers, to the enjoyment of Christian converse and communion with his beloved friend and brother, Mr. Corrie, who, towards the end of January, visited him, on his way to his station at Chunar. Many a happy hour did these servants of Jesus Christ then pass in fellowship one with another, for truly their fellowship was with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ with one accord they often fell at the feet of their Redeemer in supplication and thanksgiving→→ they read his holy word they rejoiced together in its promises they spake to one another of the glory of Christ's kingdom, and talked of his power, and they parted sorrowfully indeed, yet earnestly desiring each to be employed in his proper work. "Our commu

nion," said Mr. Martyn, respecting this interview, "has been refreshing, at least to me, and the Lord has sanctified our meeting by his presence and gracious influences."

With respect to the Europeans, among whom Mr. Martyn ministered, he had much reason to be gratified by the reception he met with from those whom he attended in the hospital: but he had equal cause to be dissatisfied and grieved with the behaviour which he witnessed too generally in the houses of the wealthy:

can we be surprised, therefore, that he should prefer, as he did, the house of mourning, to that of feasting? In vain did he endeavour, among the upper ranks, to introduce religious topics into conversation. “I spoke," said he, after visiting some of these, "several times about religion to them, but the manner in which it was received damped all further attempt. Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? How awful does the thought sometimes appear to me, that almost the whole world are united against God and his Christ. O thou injured Sovereign! O Lord how long will it be ere thou plead thine own

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