402 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES

 

 

her, and prayed to God to enlighten her mind with the saving knowledge of
Jesus Christ, and to pardon his sins, and accept of his being the unworthy -
instrument of instructing her in the principles of religion; after which he sat
down by her again, and their dialogue went on.

N.B. This was the time when we saw him kneel down and lift up his hands.)

Wife. What you put down the knee for? What you hold up the
hand for? What you say? Who you speak to? What is that?

Atkins. My dear, I bow my knees in token of my submission to
Him that made me: I said O to him, as you call it, and as you say
your old men do to-their idol Benamuckee; that is, I prayed to him.

Wife. What you say O to him for?

Atkins. I prayed to him to open your cyes and your understanding,
that you may know him, and be accepted by him.

Wife. Can he do that too?

Atkins. Yes, he can; he can do all things.

Wife. But he no hear what you say ?

Atkins. Yes, he has bid us pray to him; and promised to hear us.

Wife. Bid you pray! When he bid you? How he bid you? What
you hear him speak ?

Atkins. No, we do not hear him speak; but he has revealed himself
many ways to us.

[Here he was at a great loss to make her understand that God had revealed
himself to us by his word; and what his word was: but at last he told it her
thus :]

Atkins. God has spoken to some good men in former days, even from
heaven, ‘by plain words ; and God has inspired good men by his Spirit;
and they have written all his laws down in a book.

Wife. Me no understand that; where is book ?

Atkins. Alas! my poor creature, I have not this book ; but I hope
T shall, one time or other, get it for you to read it.

[Here he embraced her with great affection; but with inexpressible grief, that he
had not a Bible. ]

Wife. But how you makee me know that God teachee them to write
that book?

Atkins. By the same rule that we know him to be God.

Wife. What rule? what way you know?

Atkins. Because he teaches and commands nothing but what is
good, righteous, and holy, and tends to make us perfectly good, as
well as pezfectly happy; and because he forbids and commands us
to avoid all that is wicked, that is evil in itself, or evil in its conse-
quences.

Wife. That me would understand, that me fain see; if he reward
all good thing, punish all wicked thing, he teachee all good thing, forbid