down these axioms, which the others could neither gainsay nor dispute:

--

"God is perfect, because every perfection possessed by created beings must be derived from some first cause: therefore all perfection necessarily centers in God, who is this great First Cause.

"Neither can the First Cause ever be deprived of any of its perfections; forasmuch as he that is eternal and self-existent cannot depend on any other being, nor can he be affected or influenced by any thing they can do.

"Moreover, every perfection of the Supreme Being must be infinite; while those of every created being must be finite, inasmuch as the cause whence they proceed has communicated to them only a certain portion of its own perfections. But to the self-existent Deity no such communications can have been originally made, he himself being the source of life in all its various forms: therefore the Supreme God, being in every way absolutely perfect, must needs be eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, and completely good.

"This," added Bartholomew, "is the Being whom we are led by reason to seek as the object of our adoration; since that which may be known of, him from without, is sufficient to afford us the most exalted conceptions of his nature. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead: so that those who have forsaken the living God, are without excuse.

66

But," continued the old man, "among all pretended revelations of the divine will, in those several books which are held sacred by men, where do we find a description of the Supreme Being at all answering to that idea of him which may be obtained by a right application of our reasoning powers, except in the Christian Scriptures? The

Supreme God of the Hindoos is set forth as a being absorbed in himself, and devolving the government of the world upon an innumerable host of inferior deities, who, having like passions with ourselves, are represented as guilty of all manner of abominations, filling the earth with confusion and every evil work.

"The God of the Mussulmauns also, is described as a being, wholly destitute of mercy: where, then, is his perfection?

"But the God of the Christians, the Lord Jehovah," added the old man, lifting up his eyes and hands towards heaven, "is that being whom we long have sought, the Father and Saviour, allpowerful, yet all-merciful; hating sin, yet loving the sinner; and uniting by his supreme wisdom, mercy and truth, righteousness and peace." (Psalm lxxxv. 10.)

Then said the companion of Shahsuovara Bot Pureste, “I have long thought that the idols we worship are nothing. But should we forsake

them, what would our wives and our sages say to us? Our lives would be rendered wretched among our people."

Life," said the pilgrim Nazareenee, “is short, very short, my brother; eternity very long. And I have this saying in my holy book: He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." (Matt. x. 37-39.)

The pilgrims further exhorted him to consider well before he gave up the eternal interest of his soul merely to please his earthly friends. They pointed out to him, the dangerous state of the unconverted man; and assured him, that the Chris

tian religion was the only one upon earth which offered any adequate means of salvation, or was in any way adapted to the wants of mankind.

But," said Shahsuovara Bot Pureste, 66 we desire you to bring forward what other reasons you have for supposing your religion to be true. Is it not confessedly of modern date compared with

ours?"

"Our religion, namely, the religion of Christ," answered Bartholomew, "existed from the foundation of the world, (Matt. xxv. 34.) as we find from our sacred books."

66 But we are told," answered the others, "that the Christians have corrupted their sacred books." "That cannot be," replied Bartholomew, "because the first part of our sacred book is in the hands of the Jews, who are the declared enemies of the Christians; and think you not that if the Christians had corrupted this book, the Jews would have eagerly exposed those corruptions? And the second part," added the pilgrim, "namely, the Engel, is in the hands of Christians of every sect; many of whom, not being united in the bonds of amity with one another, would instantly detect any attempt to alter the original. Moreover, there are manuscripts of this holy book existing of very great antiquity, all of which do generally agree with the copies now in use."

"Another proof of the truth of these books," added Nazareenee," is, that they account for ancient customs established among mankind from time immemorial. Thus we read in the books of Moses of the institution of sacrifices, which are at this day observed by every nation under the sun who are not Christians. Now every sacrifice was originally intended as a type of the great sacrifice to be once made for the sins of mankind, namely, the sacrifice of Christ, the Son of God: and though this rite is now misunderstood and profaned, yet is

it nevertheless a standing proof of the authenticity of our ancient books, and an evidence of the antiquity of our holy religion."

Bartholomew would have proceeded to speak of the many prophecies contained in the Holy Scriptures, several of which, though uttered some thousand years ago, are still receiving their accomplishment; together with the assurance held out in those Scriptures, that mankind shall ultimately become one fold under one shepherd. Shahsuovara Bot Pureste however would hear no more; but rising up in haste, and taking his companion with him, he departed on his return to the City of the Wrath of God: yet, not before he had uttered certain threats, from which the pilgrims collected that they must look for further hindrances in their heavenly course from the idolaters around them.

So they departed, while I looked after the pilgrims, who betook themselves again to their journey, being grieved at their unsuccessful attempt to persuade their brethren to forsake all, and throw in their lot with them. Thus they travelled on till evening; when being weary, after commending themselves to the care of the chief Shepherd, they laid themselves down by the way-side and slept in peace. Then thought I of these words of the prophet: And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and my people shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. (Ezek. xxxiv. 25.)

They arose the next morning before it was light, and went on their way rejoicing. And behold, when it was day-light, they found themselves within the long shadow of a mountain, the summits of which seemed to pierce the very clouds; and it lay directly in the face of the pilgrims, so that they must needs go over it, or turn out of the King's highway.

"If I mistake not," said the pilgrim Bartholomew, "yonder is the hill Difficulty, on the top of which dwell certain sages, who are fed with bread from heaven. Those sages are called the Virtues, of which many wonderful things are reported: and some of my neighbours in the City of the Wrath of God, I remember, when a young man, entertained me with tales of certain heroes and mighty men, who had by their own proper strength climbed this hill, and dwelt with these sages; nay, some boasted that they had done as much themselves. But it is now evident to me, from the accounts which they gave of these aged men, that, so far from having visited them, they were not even acquainted with their names: and I have lately been informed, that no mere man was ever able by his own unassisted strength to climb this hill, or to visit the dwelling of these sages. Notwithstanding it is well known that weak women, and even little children, having their feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, have been enabled, without extraordinary difficulty, to reach the very summit of these lofty heights."

Now I saw, in my dream, that as the pilgrims advanced, the hill which was before them appeared to be exceedingly beautiful. The base thereof was a rock of marble, from which poured many springs of water, clear as crystal; while the upper part was covered with trees whose fruit never withereth, (Jude 12.) among which the slender-shafted palm tree, the teeke and the mulberry, with the citron and the orange, afforded a perpetual and variegated shade from the mid-day sun. Many melodious birds were heard in these woods, and the young antelopes bounded over these steeps, cropping the tender leaves of the low shrubs, without fear from evil beasts, of which there were none upon this mountain.

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