prayer. Thousands of intelligent people together; -no Sabbath-no word of God- -no one to give them advice-how inscrutable the ways of God !"

Mr. Martyn had no sooner returned to Dinapore, than he heard, to his sorrow and surprise, that the Ranee, to whom he had sent a Testament, together with some advice upon the subject of religion, was about to despatch a messenger to him, to request a letter of recommendation to one of the judges, be fore whom she had a cause pending, in which her dominions were at stake. "I felt hurt," he says, "at considering how low a sovereign Princess must be fallen to make such a request; but lost no time in apprising her, that our laws were perfectly distinct from the divine laws, and that therefore this was no affair of mine as she seemed to suppose."

In Mr. Martyn's schools so much progress had now been made, that it became necessary to determine what books should be placed in the hands of the children who could read. To give them at first the book of the Parables, which he had prepared for their use, would, it was feared, awaken suspicions in the breasts of their parents, who had already shown much jealousy respecting his designs. He deemed it therefore the wisest measure to permit them to use one of the Hindoo books; after having had it previously read to him. It was a book which if it did no good, could (he thought) do no harm, as it was an old Hinduwee poem on an Avatar of Vishnu, which it was impossible for the children to understand.

His judgment on this question, one of some difficulty and embarrassment, is thus given in a letter to Mr. Corrie. "Your schools flourish-blessed be God! The Dinapore school is resorted to from all quarters, even from the other side of the river. The Bankipore school is also going on well. I do no institute more till I see the Christian books introduced. The more schools the more noise, and more inquiry; and more suspicion of its being of a political nature. Besides, if all the schools were to come to a demur together,

I fear their deciding against us: but if one or two schools, with much thought about it, comply with our wishes, it will be a precedent and example to others. I think you should not dictate which of their books should be given, but only reserve the power of rejecting among those which they propose. I biess God that you are brought to act with me in a broad and cautious plan : but I trust our motto shall be, constant though cautious' never ceasing to keep our attention fixed steadily on the state of things; and being swift to embrace every opportunity."

6

Amidst many causes of discouragement-from the inattention of the women who attended his expositions on the Sabbath-the general profanation of that holy day by Europeans, notwithstanding his solemn and repeated remonstrances-and the vacillating conduct of some of his flock, whom he had hoped to have seen stronger and bolder in their Master's causee-a letter from a young officer desiring, at this time, an acquaintance with Mr. Martyn, on a religious account, was to him a source of the most cheering delight: and yet before the receipt of it, he could bless God, that he "felt impregnable to any discouragement-it was not," said he, “that I was indifferent, or that I saw some encouraging circumstances--but I was made to reflect, that I was the servant of God, in these things, and that he would bring his purposes to pass, some way or other."

In addition to Mr. Martyn's studies in Sanscrit, Persian, and Hindoostanee, we find him now sedulously employed in reading Leland against the Deistical Writers; and thence drawing out arguments against the Koran.-But being fearful lest, in the midst of these pursuits, his spirit should decline as to far more important points, he thus speaks-" May my soul, in prayer, never rest satisfied without the enjoyment of God! May all my thoughts be fixed on him! May I sit so loose to every employment here, that I may be able at a moment's warning, to take my departure for another world! May I be taught to remember, that

all other studies are merely subservient to the great work of ministering holy things to immortal souls! May the most holy works of the ministry, and those which require most devotedness of soul, be the most dear to my heart!"

Mr. Martyn, whilst thus occupied, was called to the decision of a practical question of greater moment and difficulty, than that respecting the introduction of books into the schools ;-application having been made to him for baptism by one of the native women. This request, as the candidate manifested no signs of penitence or faith, and could by no means be made to comprehend what farther was necessary to be a Christian, than to say the Lord's Prayer-he found himself compelled to refuse." The party," said he, "went away in great distress, and I felt much for them, but the Lord, I trust, will not suffer me to listen to my own feelings, and profane his holy ordinances." That this point had been a matter of anxious consideration with him, we learn from a letter to Mr. Corrie.--" Your account of a native woman, whom you baptized, came in season for me; I have been subjected to similar perplexities: but I think no one could refuse baptism in the case you mention. The woman who is now making the same petition here, promises to marry, and comes frequently for instruction, but her heart is not touched with any tender sense of sin, and of her need of mercy. Yet if there be no scandal in her life, and she profess her belief in those points, in which they are interrogated, in the baptismal service, may I lawfully refuse? I cannot tell what to do ; I seem almost resolved not to administer the ordinance, till convinced, in my own mind, of the true repentance of the person. The eventual benefit will be great, if we both steadily adhere to this purpose; they will see that our Christians and those of the Papists are different, and will be led to investigate what it is in our opinion that is wanted." The determination to reject those candidates for admission into the Church of England, who were manifestly ignorant of the spirit of Christianity,

though convinced of the truth of it, was fully adopted by Mr. Martyn, after mature consideration, and the decision doubtless was agreeable to the Word of God, and to the practice of the primitive times.

Much time, we have already seen, had been devoted by Mr. Martyn to the translation of the Scriptures into Hindoostanee, both before and since he quitted Calcutta. To these exertions for the honour and glory of God, a new stimulus was added, by a proposal, in the month of June in this year, from the Rev. David Brown, that he would engage more directly in that important work, in which he had already proceeded to the end of the Acts of the Apostles: as also that he would superintend the translation of the Scriptures into Persian. This proposal he eagerly, yet diffidently accepted-and animated by the expectation of beholding his labours brought to a successful termination, he prosecuted them with a delight commensurate with his ardent diligence.

"The time fled imperceptibly," he observes, "so delightfully engaged in the translations; the days seemed to have passed like a moment. Blessed be God for some improvement in the languages! May every thing be for edification in the Church! What do I not owe the Lord, for permitting me to take part in a translation of his word-never did I see such wonder and wisdom and love in the blessed book, as since I have been obliged to study every expression; and it is a delightful reflection, that death cannot deprive us of the pleasure of studying its mysteries."

"All day at translations-employed a good while at night considering a difficult passage, and being much enlightened respecting it, I went to bed full of astonishment, at the wonder of God's word: never did I see any thing of the beauty of the language and importance of the thoughts as I do now. I felt happy, that I should never be finally separated from the contemplation of them, or of the things about which they are written. Knowledge shall vanish away, but it

shall be because perfection shall come.

Then shall I see as I am seen, and know as I am known."

"What a source of perpetual delight have I in the precious book of God! O that my heart were more spiritual to keep pace with my understanding, and that I could feel as I know! May my root and foundation be deep in love, and may I be able to comprehend, with all Saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge! and may I be filled with all the fulness of God!" adding in his accustomed spirit of incessant watchfulness-" May the Lord, in mercy to my soul, save me from sitting up an idol of any sort in his place, as I do by preferring even work, professedly for him, to communion with him. How obstinate the reluctance of the natural heart to love God! But, O my soul, be not deceived: thy chief work upon earth is to obtain sanctification, and to walk with God. To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." Let me learn from this, that to follow the direct injunctions of God, about my own soul, is more my duty, than to be engaged in other works, under pretence of doing him service."

Scarcely had Mr. Martyn girded up his loins, with the great and heavenly design of completing a version of the Scriptures in Hindoostanee, and superintending one in the Persian tongue, when the sovereign, wise, and infinite love of his God summoned him to to endure an affliction, more grevious than any that had befallen him, since those first bitter tears which he shed at the death of his father.-Apprehensions for the loss of his eldest sister had been excited in his mind, by some expressions she herself had dropped, in a letter which reached him a few weeks before he received the fatal intelligence that she was no more. A period of torturing suspense terminated in one of inexpressible sorrow. But "blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord." Gleams of this blessedness shone forth from the clouds of that dark dispensation with which Mr. Martyn was now visited. “O