under his gracious influence we fhall be ready to feal the teftimony of the gofpel with our own blood, if the Lord fhould be pleafed to honour us with fo glorious a character.

I often remember the words you were pleased to tell me, when I once expreffed my readinefs to go to fome diftant countries upon a good defign; but was then hindered by a bodily indisposition. You faid then, to my no fmall comfort: if we could gain but one foul to the Lord among fuch a multitude of wild Pagans, it would be as much as if we won hundreds in Europe; these being provided with means fufficient to work out their converfion, which are fo greatly wanted among the Heathens here. Besides this, it has oftentimes made a comfortable impreffion upen my mind, what Mr. N. left me for a memorial in my paper book to this effect: "For this reafon, we are made Chriftians, that we should be more bent upon the life to come, than upon the prefent." This is my daily memorandum, left I should perhaps forget to confecrate my life and actions entirely to an invisible eternity, little minding the world, either in its glory and smiles, or in its frowns and afflictions.

My dear fellow-labourer is of the fame mind with me. We daily remind one another of this duty, in order to carry on the work with united hearts and hands, endeavouring to enlarge the kingdom of Chrift both in ourselves and among the Heathens. Befides this, we find a great comfort in the gracious promifes of God, and in the prayers of many fouls in Europe. As for these Malabar-Heathens, we must fay, they are a people of great wit and understanding, and will not be convinced but with wifdom and difcretion. They have an exact analogy and coherence in all the fabulous principles of their faith. As for a future life they have ftronger impreffions, than our atheistical Chriftians. They have many books,' which they pretend have been delivered to them by their gods, as we believe the fcriptures to be delivered to us by our God. Their books are fluffed with abundance of fables and witty inventions, concerning the lives of their gods. They afford

variety

variety of pretty stories, about the world to come. And at this rate, the word of God, which we propofe, feems to them to contain nothing but dry and infipid notions.

However, in the midft of thefe delufions, they lead a very quiet, honeft and virtuous life, by the meer influence of their, natural abilities; infinitely outdoing our falfe Chriftians, and fuperficial pretenders to a better fort of religion. They pay a great deference to their Gods. When lately in the translation of the Chriftian principles, a paffage happened, fhewing how we might become children and friends of God; our schoolmaster started at fo bold a saying, and offered to put in, instead of that expreffion, that God might allow us to kifs his feet. They own only one divine being; but fay, that the fame did branch itself out into many other gods both in heaven and earth, for the conflant fupport and government of mankind. Yefterday taking a walk in the country, we came to an idol-temple, wherein Ifpara's lady (he being one of their first-rate gods) is worshipped. Her lady fhip was furrounded with abundance of other gods made of Porcellain. We, being deeply affected with the fight of fuch a set of gods, threw fome down to the ground, and ftriking off the heads of others, endeavoured to convince this deluded people, that their images were nothing but impo tent, filly idols, utterly unable to protect themfelves, and much less their worshippers. But one of their Wathyjan, or doctors of divinity, happening to be prefent, replied: they did not hold them to be gods but only God's foldiers, or life-guard-men. At laft, we convinced him fo far, that he was forced to own these things to be mere fooleries; but faid withal, that the design of them was to lead the meaner and duller fort of people, by looking on these images, up to the contemplation of the life to come.

We have seen thousands of these idolatrous images crouded together in one place. We have often convinced them, that the whole of these idolets, and all the worship grounded thereon, is falfe and rediculous. However, they ufe evafions, and offer in their defence, many things to upbraid the Chriftians with,

1

as

as inconfiftent with the opinion they have of God. One of the most obftinate prejudices is, the abominable wicked life of the Chriftians here. This has infpired the Heathen with an utter deteftation and abhorrence of all notions, that feem to border upon Chriftianity; fuppofing the Chriftians to be the vileft and moft corrupted people under the fun. This made them frequently afk us; whether the Chriftians led as wicked lives in Europe, as they did in the Eaft-Indies? To which, if we should answer in plain terms, and lay things before them as they are, we should render the work of their converfion the more difficult. They neither eat nor drink with Christians; nay, they do not fuffer them to come to their houses. If any one refolves to enter into our religion, he must forthwith quit all his eftate and relations, and fuffer himself to be infulted as the vileft and most despicable fellow in the world. And truly, all these things, muft greatly obftruct their converfion. God alone is able to do the work by his power, and make that poffible, which appears to us altogether impoffible. The erecting a charity-school, and buying up fome Malabar-children for that purpose would prove highly advantageous to the defign. By these means fome might be made fit in time, to lend a helping hand, if not to us, yet perhaps to those that may come after us, and profecute the fame bufinefs we are now engaged in. In order to this, we have fet up a small school already; and are resolved to compile a plain and easy fyftem of the Chriftian doctrine in the Portuguese tongue; and fee it afterwards tranf lated into the country-language, that it may be difperfed among the people. And by these means we hope to convince them, how carneftly God defires their converfion, having no pleasure to see them perish in their unbelief and stupidity.

A

THOUGHTS on the WORK of SANCTIFICATION.

[By Mr. G. C.}

BOUT the year 1760 and 61, there was a great work of God in London, which fpread through the three kingdoms. Numbers were freely juftified, and many truly cleanfed from all filthinefs of flesh and fpirit, and enabled to love God with all their hearts. They had peace, they had joy, they had love, they had power; they carried the fire of love with them wherever they went; and were aftonishingly useful among many. Their joy was unbounded. They feemed to have no intermiffion.

Could these pillars fall? We thought not. They thought not. Yea, they faid, If any, who had received that grace, faid they could lose it, they had not received the gift they had. Here commenced the work of the devil, who made them believe what they really faid; That they were more holy than our first parents, and flood on a better foundation; and that all their words, and all their works were, in their full extent, fuch as the law of God required, I do not speak these things by hearfay; I was an eye and ear witness. They even went farther, profeffing to have the gifts of healing, and in London did really attempt to heal the blind, and raife the dead. After this they found fault with their Minifters; faying, they were blind, and not able to teach them. This caufed a divifion, which continued till two hundred of these strong ones left the weaker to fhift for themfelves; and took with them a Minister whom they chofe, to build them up. Satan then triumphed, for many gave up the good gift of God, because of the reproach thefe brought upon his good work.

But

But will the Lord indeed be overcome of Satan? Will he let him continue to triumph refpecting this great and good work? No. In mercy he is reviving it a little in London. But he takes a method, according to his own infinite wifdom.. A method, whereby he will fecure his own glory; defeat the defigns of the adversary, and effectually fave his people. He gives them a clear, lively fenfe of this great falvation, which he confirms within them day by day by the power of his Spirit, and establishes them in the true knowledge of the nature of the work he has wrought in them; fo that they are fully fatisfied he hath cleansed them from all unrighteousness, and made their fouls an habitation for himself through the fpirit. But, in order more firmly to fecure them from the devices of Satan, and deeply root them in his love; he gives them a continual deep experimental fenfe of their own extreme poverty. And this he does fometimes by the appearance of his withdrawing, for a little season, that sweet sense they, in general, enjoy of his prefence and love.

Sometimes he lets them feel how very little they are, how very weak and helplefs. At other times, how very ignorant, how very little they know of thofe things in which they have been so often inftructed. It is true, that at firft the foul is ftartled, and thinks it has done fomething amifs, because it feels itself thus, and fometimes the enemy gets an advantage of it for a little time. But it is not long before the Lord appears, and gives it wifdom to diftinguifh the devices of Satan from his own work. From this time the foul begins to fee the design of the Lord in his work, and ftrives to get understanding, and to fubmit itself to be taught in every thing according to his will; who does not fail to enlighten and to convince it of its utter inability to think, will, or at any thing good without him; but that it muft in all, and for all things depend on him alone.

He also gives the foul to look into all its fpiritual works, and fhews it how in all these it is defective; thus fully to