can I tell how to please him, nor do I understand in what your religion consists.

Mussulmaun. If you are willing to leave your idols, and conform to our customs, I will lead you to one who will teach you our holy faith, putting you in a way speedily to get rid of your burden, and to obtain purification from your sin: for if you receive our holy faith, and do that which is right, God will bring you into gardens watered by rivers, wherein you shall remain for ever; where you will have spotless wives, and will be led in perpetual shades. (Koraun, chap. iv.)

I saw then, in my dream, that Goonah Purist was pleased when he heard these words, and said, "Now have I found that which I sought, even deliverance from my transgressions." Saying thus, he plucked off his iron sandals, and, casting them from him, hastened to follow the banner of Mahommed.

So Goonah Purist followed the company of the Mussulmauns, till they brought him to their dwelling-place in the City of the Wrath of God. And in the street which they occupied, there was a building held sacred by them, called Caaba, standing within a square piazza, at the four corners of which were minarets. The Mussulmauns, however, brought not Goonah Purist within the walls of this building, because he was not yet purified from his idolatries, but led him to the abode of the Sheik Olislam, or high-priest of their tribe.

The Sheik Olislam was at that time seated on a musnud in the porch of his house, and many elders were sitting round him. His head was

covered with an ample turban, his white beard reached down to his girdle, and the Koraun was respectfully placed on a rich cushion before him.

Now when Goonah Purist was brought into the presence of this man, he, at first, looked scorn

fully upon the stranger: but being informed that the miserable idolater was willing to leave his abominations, and to adopt the faith of Islam, he answered, that he would gladly give him instruction; congratulating him, at the same time, upon his having found out the true religion, and manifested a desire to become acquainted with the true Prophet of God.

So he caused him to sit on the ground, at his feet, while he entered into discourse with him. And first, he questioned him concerning his name, his former life, the manner of his education, and the religion of his ancestors; on which subjects being satisfied, he proceeded to address him

thus:

"I perceive, by what thou hast related to me of thyself, child of idolatry, that the dark covering of ignorance is over thy heart, and it will be necessary to explain to thee, as to one knowing nothing, what have been the dealings of God with man, from the beginning of the world, respecting the revelation of his righteous will."

Goonah Purist bowed himself to the ground, and kissed the feet of the Sheik Olislam, who thus proceeded:

"Be it known unto thee, then, Goonah Purist, thou slave of sin, and servant of idolatry, that there is but one God, Ali Ol Salaam; and that this one great and eternal God has, from time to time, sent messages to men, by means of his holy servants and prophets-Adam and Seth, Noah, Abraham, and Ismael, Moses and David, Huzrut Esau, Ali Ol Salam, and our holy prophet Ali Ol Salam. All these prophesied in their days, and through them the will of God was revealed unto men. But the sacred books which were delivered unto them are now lost, and their contents unknown.

"Four sacred books have been successively de

livered to mankind: the Toreet, the Zuboor,† the Engel, and the Foorcan.¶ In the three first," added the Sheik, "were many notices of the coming of our great prophet: but the wicked Jews and Christians, who had the charge of these books, most impiously erased from them every thing that had relation to his mission, excepting one or two solitary passages, where he is spoken of as the Comforter which was to come after the departure of Jesus.

"But the fourth holy book remains pure, as it was delivered by the angel Gabriel to our mighty prophet, Ali Ol Salam," continued the Sheik: “this, therefore, is the book which thou must receive and believe, if thou wouldst be saved."

Then answered Goonah Purist, "I am willing, my Lord, to receive it; and I pray that God may give me a heart to believe those things which are written therein."

The Sheik Olislam appeared to be satisfied with the answers of Goonah Purist, and proceeded to give him further instructions, in order to qualify him for the reception of the faith of Islam.

He told him that every prophet who had appeared on earth, with the exception only of the last and greatest, to wit, the prophet of the Mussulmauns, had come with offers of grace and pardon to men: "More especially," added the Sheik, "Huzrut Esau, Ali Ol Salam, whose offers of pardon and peace were free to all such as came to him. But," continued he, "the wicked idolaters and Jews rejected these offers, and put the last of these messengers of peace to an ignominious and painful death: wherefore, God being wearied with the obstinacy of mankind, sent Huzrut Mahommed, Ali Ol Salam, with a conquering sword, communi

*Pentateuch.

+ Psalms of David. + The Gospels. ¶ The Koraun.

cating to him power sufficient to enforce obedience. And now, acting under the same divine authority, we hold it to be a high and religious duty, as devoted followers of our great prophet, to compel all infidels, idolaters, Jews, and Christians, to embrace the true religion; using such coercive means as are in our power, to reclaim mankind from their errors."

"I perceive, my Lord, by what you say," answered Goonah Purist, "that you believe God to be angry with all mankind: nay, I do not know how it can be otherwise than that we should lie under the displeasure of God; seeing that we are all sinners, and that God, from the universal perfection of his nature, must be infinitely pure and holy. But this being the case, how can I, who know myself to be one of the chief of sinners, make my peace with Him? Are the terms of salvation pointed out in your holy book?"

Sheik Olislam. Are you willing to confess that there is no god but God, and that Huzrut Mahommed is his prophet?

Goonah Purist. May I be so bold, my Lord, as to enquire, of what avail this confession will be with regard to the forgiveness of sins; and whether I may thereby hope to fare better in the world to come? For I am as a man condemned to death, and under the horrors of eternal condemnation. I am even now as one sinking into a bottomless pit: and in these circumstances I seek a hope to rest upon, which will not forsake me when the elements are dissolved, and when the stars shall fall from their orbits.

I saw, in my dream, that, upon this, the Sheik Olislam and his disciples expressed their contempt of the ignorance of Goonah Purist; nevertheless, the Sheik answered his question. "You desire to know," said he, "how a true faith may profit you after death. To throw light, there

fore, upon your dark and benighted mind, I will explain these things to you. In the first place, I would have you to understand, that when a corpse is laid in the grave, it is visited by a divine messenger, who gives it notice of the approach of two black and livid angels; which angels, on their arrival, cause the dead person to sit upright, and examine him concerning his faith, and his opinions relative to the unity of God, and the divine mission of Huzrut Mahommed, Ali Ol Salam. If he can answer satisfactorily," continued the Sheik," they suffer his body to rest in peace, and it is refreshed by the air of paradise: if not, they beat upon his temples with iron maces till he roars out for anguish so loud as to be heard from east to west by all created beings except men and beasts. Then is the earth pressed on him, and he is gnawed by venomous creatures till the resurrection. Tell me then, Goonah Purist," asked the Sheik, "whether a right faith will not avail thee much on this occasion-this horrible examination of the tomb?"

I perceived then that Goonah Purist began to tremble; nevertheless, he continued to question the Sheik, and would know of him, what he could relate concerning the state of believers in the prophet Mahommed in the future world.

"Know, O Goonah Purist," replied the Sheik, "that as the bodies of all men and beasts will be raised from the dust, and those of men be reunited to their souls at a certain season; so, many wonderful signs will forerun that last day, or day of judgment. The chief of these will be the sounding of the great trumpet, the blasts of which will be heard three several times, filling all heaven and earth with consternation: and at the sound of the last dreadful blast, every particular body will spring forth from its grave, and be reunited to its soul. That great and terrible day of judgment, when all mankind will be assembled before the