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confidence for some time, in company with many others, who, like me, had set out on pilgrimage, but who seemed to be well satisfied for the present with having gone so far. At length I thought I would return privately, for a short space, to our city to attend to some affairs which I had left abruptly in my haste to depart.So I returned to my house, whence I had gone out, and found it empty, swept and garnished. Then I sent and invited seven of my old companions, more wicked than myself, who came and welcomed my return, with great cordiality, and spent the evening with me in drinking and making merry, and in scoffing at pilgrims, and ridiculing the warnings of Evangelist.After they were gone, and I had retired to my chamber, and was endeavoring to compose myself to rest, one rudely burst in upon me, and cried with a voice of thunder, "Where art thou, Ardent?" I knew by his voice that it was Conscience, though I had not seen him before since I had resolved to set out on pilgrimage. And as his voice had always appeared terrible to me, so now it was far more terrible. He then set before me the folly and wickedness of my past life, in such a manner as I had never seen it before. He reminded me of my former resolution to go on pilgrim age; and threatened me with the vengeance of the King, if I tarried another day in the city. So 1 spent the remainder of the

night in great agony of mind, and as soon as it was light I opened the book which Evangelist had given me, but which I had long neglected, hoping to find something to alleviate my distress: but the first sentence that met my eyes was the following: "Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all my council, and would none of my reproof; I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh."— This greatly increased my distress; for it seemed to seal my condemnation. I then wandered out into the streets, scarcely knowing whither I went, till whom should I meet, but Evangelist himself. At the sight of him my confusion was increased, and I was disposed to avoid him. But the thought occurred to me that probably he could tell whether it were now too late to set out on pilgrimage; and that the certainty of death would not be worse to me than my present fearful apprehensions. So I stood still, till he came up to me; and having told him where I had been, and what I had done, he told me that I did indeed deserve to be cast off; but he advised me to go to the gate, to throw myself down at the feet of him that kept it, acknow!edge my guilt, and submit myself to his disposal. Accordingly I did so; and to my surprise and joy, Goodwill said to me, "Him that cometh to me 1 will in no wise

cast out." And so I am here, a correct copies of the
monument of mercy. Oh, how
vile I am how astonishing it is
that I am not now in the pit !
So saying he sung as follows:

66

King's

statute book. Those you have, were furnished, 1 presume, by him that is called Evangelist. He is a good man, and means well, but is not very enlightened. It

My crimes are great, but don't sure you will give them to me, I will

pass

The power and glory of thy grace;
Great God, thy nature hath no bound,
So let thy pardoning love be found.
Oh wash my soul from every sin,
And make my guilty conscience clean,
Here on my heart the burden lics,
And past offences pain my eyes.
My lips with shame my sins confess
Against thy law, against thy grace;
Lord, should thy judgment grow severe,
I am condemned, but thou art clear."

give you more correct copies instead of them, made by very worthy, learned, and excellent

men.

Ph. We did indeed receive our copies from Evangelist, and we have not discovered any thing in them but what is worthy of the King; and we are not inclined to part with them.

Pl. But you surely would wish to have correct copies. You doubtless wish to know what the King has indeed commanded, that you may in all things walk according to his will, and meet his approbation. If you have an incorrect copy, and do according to what you find written therein, you will do wrong while you think you are doing right.

So they went on, conversing together and sometimes reading in their books, till they came to a place where stood a little shed by the road side, under which sat a man in the same dress which Evangelist wore, but of a younger look, and less gravity of countenance, and before him lay a number of books resembling those which Evangelist had given to the pilgrims. On seeing the pilgrims, the man whose name was Plausible, rose up and came to rect. meet them, with a smiling countenance; and bowing to them, said,

Pl. Your servant, gentlemen! I perceive by your garb that you are pilgrims. I am truly glad to see you. I am stationed here by the Lord of the way, for the accommodation of pilgrims. My business is to furnish them

Th. That is true. It is indeed important that we have correct copies. But we are not yet convinced that our copies are incorIf you can make it appear that your copies are more correct than ours, we may be willing to exchange.

Pl. The copies we now make use of, are only translations from the languages in which the King's scribes writes. And if the copies from which your translation was made had been correct, the with translation is very defective.

Those who made it did not well to search the scriptures," mean

understand those languages, and they have translated many passages wrong in order to favor their own sectarian notions. And be gides, the copies they translated from, were not correct. Learned and excellent men of modern times have made a thorough examination, and have found a great number of errors in the common copies. I can furnish you with an Improved Version, made from a corrected copy, on which you may depend.

Ard. Brother, had we not better make the exchange I should be sorry to depend upon an old and incorrect copy, when we may have an improved one.

Th. Let me look at one of books.

your

So Plausible gave him one; and on turning it over a little, he perceived that the part called the old testament was not in it at all, and in the part called the new testament, many alterations were made. Then he said,

Th. This book does not contain all that ours does. Why is so much of it omitted?

Pl. The new testament contains the faith of Pilgrims. The old may be of some use but it is not necessary for pilgrims now. If they have the new, they have all the instructions of the Prince Immanuel, and the writings of the scribes who were immediately taught by him.

Th. But I remember that the Prince Immanuel commanded men

ing those which had been written before that time; and that certain people were afterwards highly commended, because they searched the same scriptures daily, to see whether what they heard was true. I am not yet prepared to renounce the authority or despise the use of those scriptures which were thus spoken of by the Prince Immanuel himself and his intimate friends.

Pl. But if you do not choose to part with your old books, at least be persuaded to take each of you one of my copies. You will find them very useful, I assure you.They were made by men of great learning and abilities.

Ard. Had we not better take them, brother? if they do not prove useful to us, they can do us no harm.

Th. I see so many parts left out and so many alterations made, that I suspect there is some design to deceive us. I have understood that the King's corporation circulate none but such copies as we have. And there are as learned and good men belonging to those corporations as any in the world. They would know, if there were any important defects in those copies, and would not circulate such as were materially incorrect. I am disposed to have nothing to do with any of these pretended improved versions.

Pl. But if you are displeased with the omission of which you speak, I have other copies in

plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."

So they left the man, and went on their way.

THE SAILOR'S DAUGHTER.
A sailor was asked what induc-

which there are no omissions.They are only improved translations made from the same original copies as those which you have. Here is one made by John, the Itinerant, a famous pilgrim, which is in high esteem among his followers. He made this translation on purpose to avoid some of those gloomy doctrines which your copies teach, which are so dishonorable to the Lord of the way, and so discouraging to many pilgrims. And where he could not wholly avoid them by altering the translation, he has explained them a-ed him first to attend to religion, way by his notes. At least, be and gave for answer the following prevailed upon to take one of narrative. I came from my last these. It is much more agreea- voyage before Christmas, and ble to many pilgrims than those journeyed home. Being late you have. And, indeed, those when I arrived, I had not the opyou have, can never be of much portunity of secing my eldest girl, use, for you can never understand about six years of age, until the them. following day. At dinner time, when we had sat down, I began, (beast-like,) to eat what was before me; but glancing my eye towards this girl, of whom I was doatingly fond, I observed her to look at me with astonishment.After a moment's pause, she asked me in a solemn and serious manner, Father, do you never ask a blessing before eating? Her mother observed me to look hard at her, and hold my knife and fork motionless; (it was not anger

Th. I have not yet discovered any doctrines in my book which appear to me dishonorable to the Lord of the way, nor otherwise than comforting and encouraging to the true pilgrim. I say again, I am disposed to have nothing to do with these pretended improved versions. Come, brother, let us be going. Goodwill said to me, "take heed that no man deceive you." I think it safest not to listen to this stranger. He bid me, moreover, to search the scriptures."

So saying he opened his book, and read towards the close of it; "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the

it was a rush of conviction, which struck me like lightning ;) apprehending some reproof from me, and wishing to pass it by in a trifling way, she said, "Do you say grace Nanny." My eyes

have no means of religious in struction. Sea-Missionaries should be employed to labor in all seaports.

There are, on and about the river Thames, in London, about 120,000 persons connected with vessels and the sea; most of whom have, since 1817, been brought under the sound of the gospel by the labors of the Societies. Here a A Religious Tract Society, supported by various denominations of Christians, has been established within the past year at Calcutta in India, with encouraging prospects of success.

were still rivited upon the child for I felt conscious I had never instructed her to pray, nor even to set an example by praying with my family when at home. The child seeing me wait for her to begin, put her hands together, and lifting up her eyes to heaven, breathed the sweetest prayer I ever heard. This is too much for me: the knife and fork dropped from my hands, and I gave vent to my feelings in tears." pause ensued. He appeared much affected. On recovering himself he continued, "I inquired who had thus instructed the child.The mother informed me, the good people at the Mariners' Church next door, and the child never would go to bed, nor rise in the morning, without kneeling down to pray for herself and her dear father and mother. Ah!-thought I, and I never prayed for myself or my children. The Lord having awakened me to a sense of my danger through the instrumentality of a dear child, I am now truly happy in the thought that Jesus Christ came into the world to save poor sinners, of whom I am chief."

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A letter has been received by a gentleman in Boston from the Rev. J. J. Carruthers, employed in the Crimea by the Scottish Missionary Society. The letter is dated August 7, 1824, and is accompanied by a journal written in 1823. The journal gives an account of the first Christian convert from among the Mahometans in the Crimea. At the latest date, Sept. 7, 1823, there were several inquirers, some of whom were very serious and attentive.

Mr. Erasmus H. Simon, a converted Jew, has published a circular stating his reasons for declining to reside on the farm at Westcher, N. York which has been leased by the American Jews Society for the purpose of a Jewish settlement. He has withdrawn from all connexion with the Board.

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