Extracts from the Journal of Mr. Graves at Mahim. Sabbath, May 16, 1819. As I passed the house of a grave looking old man, a weaver, I stopped, and addressing him was led to give some account of the shameful character of Hindoo idols;—and then of the holy character of the true God, and Jesus the Mediator, and the indispensable necessity of worshipping the holy Deity through that name, in order to receive the forgiveness of sins. I then rose, bade him farewell, and was passing away when he said, Master, give me your hand." I turned, and his hand was extended to receive mine; his eyes also were suffused with tears. The ceremony of striking hands denotes here a special pledge of mutual faith,-and I was therefore much astonished with such a salutation. How is this, said I? What I have said is inconsistent with all the idols, and all the Hindoo rites. If you would approve it, you must desert them altogether. "No" said he, "but we must worship our gods," implying, that he would divide honors between the idols and Christ. No, said I, then Christ will not save you; there is no remedy for you. You and your gods will perish together. You can have your choice. "Well," said he, "then I will consider on the subject, and inquire of the learned." Consider well, said I, but inquire of God. He is the Teacher, ask him humbly, from your heart, and he will show you that these words are true. "I will do so," said he. 17. This morning as I returned from a house of mourning, I passed the new place of worship. Their worship it has pleased God again to silence; but in the house near it were two of the supposed inspired persons, a man and a woman. They were quaking, leaping up, and invoking the gods. Several other persons were present, and I addressed them. Upon which the man coming out at the door said, “who am I.” You are a man, said I, and you with your companions have exceedingly offended God, by the worship of devils. "No" said he, "I am a god," and several others reiterated, "he is a god." Said I, Jesus Christ the Savior of the world is going to destroy all images, and idols, and devils from the earth, and their worshippers too, if they do not repent. I then proceeded in attempting to publish the Gospel, and at every sentence, the man, as he stood quaking and throwing up his head, muttered "Yes." One of the women present had a sore foot, with a piece of a peacock's feather fastened upon it for a cure. She had also come hoping for a cure from the possessed man. Some ashes were therefore brought to him, which he applied above the sore, and with obscene appellations bade the devil to be gone. Sabbath 23. Visited the weaver. He commenced speaking, as if he intended to give me much light respecting the gods. Indeed, said I, this is strange. I thought you were preparing to inquire after the truth, and ask instruction of God; but now I perceive you have not.-If you had, you would have done with these foul deities. Have you been to the true God for direction? "I will not lie," said he, have not." Then I tell you, turn about; your probation may soon be over. You know, and every one may know, that gods guilty of abominable crimes are no gods. Death is near. The resurrection and judgment will follow. And unless Christ is received in your life time, eternal misery is at hand. 25. A man who has ever been opposed to the truth, while making an offering for the dead, had told me, that if I would call at his house, he would show me his VOL XVI. 52 authority in a sacred book, for such a transaction. I therefore called to-day an inquired for it. He said "I have no shaster; since you came among us our shas ters have been annihilated." But how can this be? How do you live? Person cannot live without a shaster. Indeed you do not live. You are dead. The whole Hindoo race is dead. "True we are," said he. "You have taken away our empire." I have nothing to say respecting that; but it is a serious truth that you are all dead; and a great portion of the English are dead also. A corpse has no ears to hear, and no heart to understand. "Then" said he "we are all dead, because we hear not your words, are we?" No, but because you hear not the words of the Infinite God. "For my part," said he, "I do not discover the invisible God.” True, indeed, and because you are dead. "So be it, then we are dead and buried and burnt, but have you any life?" I hope I have a little. "Will you then impart life to us?" How can I? can any of you impart life to a dead friend? "Will you then tell us how we may have life?" I would, but you being dead have no ears to hear. Can you tell a corpse how to live? I have often attempted to tell you of life, but you have refused to hear for any length of time. You and your gods are all dead together. Then he said, "now I will hear?" As, therefore, I told him the necessity of relinquishing all idols, he said, "we will do it." But just at that instant, as it begun to be dark, a lamp was brought out, and they all began their usual ceremony of worshipping it, repeating, at the same time, a kind of prayer, each one speaking aloud. I inquired if there was no shame in worshipping something inferior to themselves. "No," they said, "we worship God," meaning no more however, than that the light was divine, and added, "the lamp is very useful." So are one's feet. He then bowed down, and worshipped his feet. You worship every thing except the Lord of all, and have no shame to worship his creatures and neglect him. "No," said he. Then you show your true character, and that you are indeed without a particle of true life. Hear, then, how you may have life. Having told him what I considered necessary in order to his having life, he said, “I can never bring my mind to that." Then, replied I, there is no remedy for you. You must remain dead, and after the death of your body you must be eternally miserable. June 3. Conversed with a considerable number of persons near a place lately consecrated to the new god, the prevailing epidemic. From their appearance I should judge that they were for the moment fully convinced of the impropriety of worshipping any other than the living God, and of the necessity of loving the Mediator. But they were wayfaring men, and in all probability continued their way to death, as naturally as their journey. Sabbath, June 16. In five or six places, where a few individuals were together, I attempted in vain to address them with the words of life. In one place the principal man was a Catholic, who was inaccessible because I had told him it was disobeying God to work on the Sabbath. In another place, they were strangers, who had probably heard of me. I had scarcely finished an affectionate salutation, when, without answering it, they all arose and departed. And I met with very few during the day, who attended with any considerable interest. The weaver too told me to-day, that he had made up his mind to know no other god, than those he had known before. I warned him according to my ability, as a solemn close to what I had said previously, while a female of the family deridingly said, "talk no more, he will cry." 14. Religious prospects in regard to this people seem extremely dark. I never perhaps realized more sensibly what the Sacred Scriptures mean by dry bones. 16. In the evening we heard and felt very sensibly an earthquake, which, we have since learned, almost ruined the district of Cutch, situated at the north of this. It was not observed by all the natives here; but it engrossed much of their conversation for several days. They suppose that earthquakes portend some great calamity: such as famine, pestilence, or war. And they often wished to know my thoughts on the subject. I told them that it was thought by some, that great earthquakes and other heavy judgments would introduce the day, when all nations should yield to the Gospel. But that they were always designed to show men, and make them sensibly to understand, that Jehovah has a perfect control of the world, and governs it at his pleasure. 1 22. As I was going over to Salsette, there being very many passengers in the boat, I attempted to address them, but was prevented from doing it to any purpose by the cavilling of an individual, who was passing. But when I returned there were 60 or 70 passengers who were quite attentive to my remarks. 24. Met with a man, who had several times heard me with some attention, I but had always refused to take or read any tracts. After the usual salutation, I I said, what fruit is this lying here. "It is a wild fruit," said he, "which, if eaten, is very injurious, and children finding it are very apt to eat it, for there is a peculiar sweetness in it." Well, said I, it is just so with sin; it is very pleasing at first, but its end is misery. "Who knows that in these dark times?" God knows it, and he has revealed it. Your idolatry is very agreeable to you, but when God comes to punish you then it will be dreadful. But how can we forsake the religion of our fathers, and adopt a foreign one?" Why examine, and see if it is right or wrong; if wrong it ought to be forsaken. Then forsake it; why not? All religions cannot be true, because they contradict each other. Now observe one reason, by which I know mine to be true, is, that it does not please, at first sight. If it were pleasant to all, especially to bad men, I should know it to be false, and in favor with sin. But it differs from all others in its opposition to sin, therefore it must be true. This is indeed a fearful saying, that all without faith in 1 Christ are hasting to hell. Therefore I warn you to take heed; and for your own good I make a small request, that you will take and read this little book; it is short. "Well” said he, "I will read it and see." 29. In returning from the school in P, I conversed with those into whose company I fell. Two persons gave a particular attention. One of them was carrying a lad, his son, who was unwell. From his seeming tenderness, I took occasion to speak of the mercy of God in a Savior. Then I told them, that at the approaching day of judgment that Savior would fix forever all the destinies of men, according to their moral characters; and I gave them to understand the awful nature of their doom without repentance and faith in Jesus. One of them I said, "While you were speaking, the hair of my flesh stood upright, and all things of this world seemed trifles." Well, said I, they are so indeed; for how long is tour life, and then how long is the fixed state of eternity? And I assure you, I have not spoken these things from my own mind. God, the true God, has given a book with infallible testimony, containing these things more fully, so that they are indeed infinitely interesting realities. 30. Receiving information in the morning that brother Bardwell's eldest child was at the point of death, I went and saw her expire. The bereaved parents needed, as I trust they experienced, those consolations, which man cannot give. July 2. Commenced attending prayer in the Mahratta schools. There was less disturbance, and much more seriousness than I had anticipated 21. To day I commenced conversation in the following manner. You expect to go to happiness when you die, do you not? Then how? What will you do to make it sure to yourself. "I will worship," was the reply, “and not lie nor steal." But are you certain, that you must forsake all sin, in order to go to happiness? "Yes, otherwise I shall go to misery." But if it be necessary to forsake sin, then it is necessary to disapprove of those who commit it, is it not? "Yes, to be sure." There can be no doubt of this? "No," said he. Hear me, then. The whole account of your gods, is an account of quarrels, adulteries, falschood, thefts, and murder committed by them, and this according to your own sacred books. Therefore, if in order to get to heaven, you must not approve of those who commit sin, you must not approve of your idols; and if not approve of them you must not worship them. In other words, you must forsake them, and so forsake your whole system of religion. Remember this is your own conviction and confession. You know, then, that you must seek some new religion for the true one, and practise it, or you must be miserable after death. Now, in no religion is there any Savior from sin, but in the religion of Jesus Christ. He has given infallible proofs of his own holiness and his attachment to holiness, and of his ability to save to the uttermost. To him the heavens and earth, the sea, and life and death, and infernal gods, have been made to give witness. And God himself will now give you witness concerning him, if you will only take a proper course to receive it. Now what God does is sure; He is before all, above all, wiser than all, stronger than all, and that to an infinite degree, and perfectly holy. But if one of your gods could possibly get you into heaven, another, his enemy, would be likely to cast you thence into hell. Therefore, hear the voice of the true God. Look to Jesus and be saved. I pursued a similar course in several other places, and was generally favored with a good attention. Aug. 2. In an obscure place, which I had not before particularly noticed, I began a conversation with a few, when others gradually came together to the number of 50 or 60. This was, I believe, the greatest number that ever collected in Mahim to hear me. Probably they were brought together only by curiosity, but they heard very silently and remained so while I attended prayer with them. I thought, O could such a gentle season be allotted to me every day, how pleasantly would my time pass. I should then expect success. But God seeth not like man. 18. Saw a large offering of cooked food with fresh vegetables and fruit cast down by a little pool, as means of propitiating evil spirits. It was there left to be devoured by asses and crows, the vessel which contained it being dashed in pieces. Sept. 9. Seeing a child ornamented with flowers, as if presented to it in offering, I inquired the reason of several persons standing by. They said it was children's play. I then drew a comparison between it and the idolatry of the people: then gave them some account of the true God and his way of salvation from eternal misery. From their conversation among themselves after this, I could not avoid thinking that their understandings were in a good measure convinced. Yet for their lives they would hardly renounce their idols. 4. Conversed with several persons, who manifested extreme thoughtlessness in view of eternal realities. Surely every thing we have done, or can do, seems like throwing straws to turn the current of the ocean. He only, who stilleth the ragings of the sea, can arrest the overwhelming ravages of sin. Sabbath, 5. Met with several Jews. Had much conversation with them respecting the time of the Messiah's coming, and the claims of Jesus to the Messiahship. They were neither prepared nor inclined to contradict my reasoning. The misery of their state is their extreme ignorance and carelessness respecting the Messiah. One of them however, said, that some of his people regarded the late dreadful earthquakes as betokening the near approach of the Messiah. He had also inquired of a certain Jew, who informed him, that when the world ended then the Messiah would come. I told them he would indeed come a second time ere long to judge the world, and it became them to prepare to meet him. Sept. 30. Returned from Tannah from which place I had travelled with broth er Nichols, having spent nine days in a tour to Cullian and Basseen. At Cullian and Bhewndy from 20 to 100, or 150 and 200 attended our addresses, and we were interrupted very little while attempting to publish the words of life. From Cullian by Bhewndy we travelled about 20 miles on foot. We invited the people in the several villages, through which we passed, to come together and hear the way of salvation. And they commonly collected in numbers proportioned to the size of the village, and heard with a silent attention, or made such inquiries as were generally quite appropriate. They behaved also with much propriety while, as we parted from them, they were commended to the mercy of God in Christ Jesus by prayer, There being much rain and very deep water through which we were obliged to pass on foot, we judged it advisable to go the remainder of our way to Basseen by a boat. In the latter place, also, we had many interesting opportunities of addressing the people, and in all the places distributed a number of tracts. While on our way we had favorable and pleasant seasons of attempting to publish the Gospel to the boatmen and passengers. As we spent one night on board with 25 or 30 men, they all decently attended, while the protection and blessing of God A. GRAVES. were requested through the name of Jesus. JOURNAL OF MR. NICHOLS AT SALSETTE, May 20, 1819. A few days ago a little Hindoo boy came into our court yard, and mingled with the boys of our school. We were interested in his appear ance, and inquiring into his history we found, that his parents were both dead;— he is left in the hands of a Gooroo, who treats him with great cruelty, and had turned him out of doors. As he appeared uncommonly active and intelligent, we proposed to him to remain in our house, to which he readily assented. He was very hungry and we gave him food; he hesitated on taking it, but ate, and thus in reality lost cast. The little fellow was much pleased with the hope of remaining with us, and being protected. But the gooroo came and demanded him, and we could do no other than give him up. Last evening the gooroo again whipped the boy severely, and shut him up in a little room of his house, without clothes, or any thing but a cup of water. After being in confinement a long time, the poor child climbed up, and made a hole through the roof of the house, and escaped to us. The gooroo discovering his escape, came with flaming eyes to our house, seized the boy violently and dragged him away. We most tenderly pitied this defenceless sufferer; but can look on the vile wretch, who claims to be his guardian, only as the special agent of the devil. The boy is torn from us, and will probably follow his bigoted teacher. But this is our consolation:-there is one stronger than the strong man armed, and who is able to take the prey from the mighty. 17. Our family school of Hindoo and Jewish boys is increasing; it is to us a most interesting charge. They spend almost the whole day with us, and are made apparently happy by our familiarity. We instruct these dear boys, in the most familiar manner, in the leading truths of Christianity. Several of them can repeat the Commandments from memory, and also a hymn. We have taught the boys to sing this hymn, and I doubt not our beloved patrons and friends would be delighted to hear their sweet voices accompanying ours, as a part of our morning service. Abraham, a Jew, and Peteya, a Hindoo, on account of their even temper and pleasant disposition, have become as dear to us as our own child. They were the first who came to us. Daoojee, another Hindoo, and Balajee a Jew, are boys of as fine talents, as we ever met with in America. Bha-00, another Hindoo boy, whom we loved on account of his open manners and friendly disposition, has been taken from us by his uncle, lest we should make him a Christian. 27. Our high expectations of receiving letters from America, by ships which were expected, are now at an end. It seems that the cotton trade has entirely failed. The weather is now very hot, the mercury ranging from 90° to 100°. 29. Have just returned from Cullian. The Cholera Morbus rages terribly in the Concan. I learned that 12 of the school boys have lately lost relatives, and of course for 10 days after were ceremonially unclean, and do not attend school. The Hindoos, when visited by this dreadful malady, know no remedy but the worship of devils. They suffer terribly from fear, believing it to be contagious. It is difficult to bear with proper feelings the incessant schemes of these people to extort money from Europeans, for every service, or shadow of service. The boatmen demanded two rupees for my passage from Cullian, which was at least four times as much as a passage is worth. June 15. Visited the school at Chamboor. Had a long walk through mud and water, as the cart in which I rode could not approach the village nearer than at the distance of four miles. 16. A blind man came to our door begging. I ordered him a quart of rice. He spurned at it and said, "if Sahib would give him four or five rupees, he would be very glad." I declined giving him any thing, at which he went away chagrined and disappointed. The poor people, who come to our door regularly, (and they are many,) receive gratefully one fourth part of the above mentioned quantity of rice at a time. July 2. Have just heard of the death of brother and sister Bardwell's little girl. This stroke is truly distressing. The vicar of the Romish church called on me. He inquired very respectfully concerning my employment, prospects, &c. I was pleased to see him, as the priests generally keep at a distance from us. I intend having another conference with him. It will be a valuable object to gain his assent to Catholic boys attending our Mahratta schools. But alas! the poor ignorant Catholics are generally more afraid of the Bible than the Heathen are. Most of the converts, who were formerly made from Hindooism by the Portuguese, were probably induced to change their religion by force or stratagem. The bramhuns tell horrible stories of the coercion, which was used long ago, to introduce Christianity. They state, |