thee, by pointing out the errors of those to whom thou hast addressed thyself, in hopes of finding the way of salvation. We are taught to believe that those who live in ignorance of the true God, will be called to account for that ignorance; inasmuch as, even in the darkest country and period, God hath never left himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. (Acts xiv. 17.) But, leaving these things for the present, I will endeavour to lay before thee the fundamental doctrines of our holy religion, even the religion of Christ." The holy messenger then opening the sacred book, which he had placed respectfully upon his knees, began from thence to explain how the first pair, from whom sprung all the human race, were created in the image of God, immortal, ignorant of evil, and without sin-and how these, being tempted by the Evil One to break the commands of God, had admitted into their nature the taint and poison of sin; by which they incurred the penalty of temporal death, affecting the body, and of spiritual death, by which the soul is eternally separated from God, the fountain of all joy. From thence the holy messenger proceeded to speak of the nature of this original sin, received as a sad inheritance from our first parents; shewing how utterly the whole human race is corrupted thereby, insomuch, that there is not one good, but all are gone aside, all are together become filthy; there being none that doeth good, no, not one. (Psalm xiv. 3.) He further declared, that it was impossible for man, by any effort of his own, to cleanse himself from this inbred impurity, or to make any atonement to a just and holy God, for the breach of his commandments; "since," added he, "it is written in this holy book, Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? (Micah vi. 6, 7.) And again, Though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God. (Jer. ii. 22.) From these passages, and many others of a like kind," continued the Christian messenger, "we learn the inefficacy of all ceremonial observances, and the utter insufficiency of works to procure salvation." "Hitherto,” replied Goonah Purist, “am I come. I fully comprehend the depraved and helpless state of mankind; and am now eagerly and anxiously looking for one who is able to effect the glorious work of man's salvation." To this his companion made answer, "He who is able to do this, and who has, indeed, already accomplished it, is Christ the Son of God-God himself; one with the Father and the Holy Spirit." The Christian messenger then proceeded to inform him, how, immediately after the fall of our first parents from their state of innocence, a revelation was made concerning the coming of a Saviour; and how the ancient patriarchs were taught to foreshew the atonement which the Son of God should make upon the cross for the sins of the whole world by the customary sacrifice of lambs, and rams, and other animals, chosen for that special purpose without spot or imperfection. He also pointed out those notices of the coming of the Messiah, which were given from time to time in the books of the prophets, with such particularity, that not only his nation and tribe, but even his very family, was foreshewn. He was to be born of the descendants of Shem, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Judah, of the royal house of David, of a pure virgin, and in the town of Bethlehem. These various passages, with many others relating to the coming of the Son of God, were pointed out by the Christian messenger to Goonah Purist, in the books of the prophets, all of which, with the Toreet, or books of Moses, the Zuboor, and the Engel, are contained in the sacred book of the Christians. He next proceeded to shew the accomplishment of these prophecies: how Christ had actually become incarnate in the womb of a virgin; how he had dwelt thirty-three years on earth, being found in fashion as a man, yet without sin; and how, in the name of his brethren of the human race, he had accomplished the whole law of God, thereby obtaining a righteousness for us, which we could not procure for ourselves. He being infinite, yea, and one with God, took upon himself all our sins, even the sins of the whole world, and bore the punishment of them upon the cross, suffering such torments from the anger of God (which he endured in our stead) as no created being could have supported,-such agonies as made the sweat to fall from him like great drops of blood; yea, such as constrained him to cry out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Mark xv. 34.) "In accomplishment of his great purpose, to wit, the salvation of man," continued the Christian teacher, "this divine Saviour gave up his own life, which no man could take from him; and, after three days, he raised himself from the dead, the work of our justification being finished. "This our mighty Redeemer," continued he, "is verily and indeed the true God, begotten from everlasting of the Father, who is God over all blessed for evermore. And herein is an awful mystery revealed to us by Scripture, incomprehensible to man. Strictly speaking, God is One. But in this one God there are three persons; the God? Shall I come bef ings, with calves of a ye pleased with thousands sands of rivers of oil? for my transgression, ti sin of my soul?(Mica Though thou wash the much soap, yet thine in saith the Lord God. passages, and many ot nued the Christian mess cacy of all ceremonial insufficiency of works t "Hitherto," replied C I fully comprehend the of mankind; and am looking for one who is work of man's salvation To this his compani is able to do this, and complished it, is Christ self; one with the Fatl The Christian messe form him, how, imme first parents from their velation was made con Saviour; and how the taught to foreshew the of God should make up of the whole world by t lambs, and rams, and c that special purpose witl He also pointed out thos the Messiah, which were in the books of the prop rity, that not only his na his very family, was for born of the descendants Israel, of the tribe of Juda David, of a virgin, and in the He next proceeded to shew the accomplist the poplecies: Christ had actually le me inte in the womb of a vigin; howe vel dirty-three years on earth, being find da, yet without sin; and Mate of his lethren of the bumane, le led the whole law of God, selves. He being if yo of them upon the cross, fing indeed the true God, bet |