truth from which he derived all his excellence of cha racter. He did not lose sight however of the partner of his life; and in about six months he had the satisfaction of seeing her follow him to his residence at Serampore. In a year or two after, she herself made a public profession of Christianity. She is now living at Serampore, although her husband has been dead sixteen years; and of widows in her humble sphere, Christianity has few brighter ornaments even in Britain. Had not Christianity met with this man, this woman doubtless would have burnt herself alive with her husband. Such are the fruits of the Divine word then, on the banks of the Ganges," where,” according to our author," the prejudices which have proved an insurmountable obstacle to the introduction of the Christian religion in India, are still more deeply rooted than elsewhere," and where "the French Jesuits, the Portuguese Augustinians, the Italian Capuchins, (see p. 62,) could make no impression; but have been baffled in all their attempts."

The second instance shall be that of Vykanta's wife, a Hindoo, like Petumbura, of one of the highest families in the Writer cast. On this man's obeying the truth and embracing the doctrine of the Saviour of the world, his brothers-in-law in Jessore refused to permit his wife to come and live with him. He patiently waited, and in about eighteen months they changed their minds and gave her up to him. This man has now been dead nearly eleven years; and this woman, who some time after her joining her husband, made a public profession of Christianity, has slept in Jesus while this reply has been in the press; and such was her mild, chaste, affectionate conduct as a widowed mother; such her patience and resignation to the will of her Redeemer during

an illness of seven months, and such the sacred joy, in him and the desire to depart and be for ever with him, which she continually expressed, that the sisters of the Mission family who visited her from day to day, often exclaimed; "O that the Abbé Dubois were here, that he might convince himself of the falsehood of what he has written respecting the native converts at Serampore."

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We have now mentioned two of the most extreme. cases which have occurred relative to a man's being denied his wife, because he forsook idolatry. Both of these however happened many years ago; and Christianity has since made such progress, that they are not very likely to occur again. It may not be improper to mention too, that we consider the Apostle Paul as having his eye on cases of this nature, when he says, "If any brother hath a wife that believeth not," (i. e. an idolater,) "and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away;-but if the unbelieving depart, let her depart a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases." Hence if a man's wife positively refuse to live with him again because he has obeyed the truth, after every means has been used to persuade her; -we consider him at liberty to marry again: and as this idea has not been concealed, it is not every hea then brother who is fond of having a sister for whom perhaps he has little or no affection, with a child or two, left upon himself for life. And as he has no pretence for burning her alive, since her husband is not dead, but become a Christian, and it would be rather too heinous to reduce her precisely to that state of slavery to which widows are consigned without mercy, when her only crime is her being true to his own system of idolatry, it is generally found most convenient after a time to

permit the wife to join her husband, and even to persuade her, should she be unwilling.

It will follow of course that a man who has his wife with him and is the master of a family, has sometimes a sister or a wife's sister, or a younger brother, or a nephew, living with him. These cannot of course prevent his obeying the voice of conscience; and unless they chuse to go and take care for themselves, they remain with him, often with greater comfort than before, as Christianity seldom makes a man the worse brother, or husband, or father. They of course follow their idolatry as long as they chuse; but it is not unfrequently the case, that after due examination they, in the course. of a year or two, embrace Christianity themselves. At Serampore there are several of such relatives whose conduct is an honor to religion, although their elder relatives through whom they first heard of the gospel, have been long dead. These particulars, to which a multitude more could be added, the result not of speculation, but of actual experience during nearly the fourth of a century, according to our author, in the most bigotted part of India, plainly shew, that the horrors of losing cast are little more than a name; that the person thus said to be excluded from idolatrous relatives, would not stay among them if he could; that he finds superior society in his christian friends whom he loves; and that his idolatrous relatives sometimes follow him, convinced that he has made by far the wiser choice.

To this ought to be added numerous other circumstances. While a heathen by becoming a Christian, really comes "out of darkness into marvellous light," he comes also into the light of knowledge and science. If hé cannot read previously, he generally learns to read; and if he before merely knew his alphabet, he increases

his reading a hundred fold. He reads the Sacred Scriptures with the ardor of one introduced to a series of new and interesting writings; and while his ideas of himself, of his Creator, of men in general, of supernatural beings, of a future state, are completely changed; he can scarcely avoid obtaining correct ideas of the globe, the solar system, and the state of the world at large. He learns too that there are multitudes in Europe and America, of one heart with himself, praying for the destruction of his former gods, and the deliverance of his countrymen from their present state of idolatry and misery. these stated supplications he himself unites; and he hears from time to time of the progress made by true religion, not only in India, but in various parts of the world. The natural consequence of all this is, that without becoming a proud, he becomes an enlightened, superior, and happy man.

In

There are many ingredients which go to form his happiness. From his having ceased from falsehood, dishonesty, and malevolence himself, he has ceased to experience the effects of these dreadful feelings either in his own mind, or from his christian neighbours. He can fully confide in them; and from the feelings of his heart towards them, he is intuitively assured that in time of affliction, sickness, and death, he shall not be deserted himself. In witnessing the genuine affection manifested on occasion of the sickness, the death, the burial of native christian friends, and the kindness manifested to their widows and children, he feels that while his heart, approving all this, is insensibly drawn into the same course, a pledge is created within him that the same kindness will attend him and his, in times of similar distress: and this adds to life, a confidence, a delight, a buoyancy of mind, which even wealth fails

to give in the absence of all these righteous and benevolent feelings.

To this should be added, certain things which promote his temporal interest. Such are the absence of that fear about unlucky days which so torments the minds of his idolatrous neighbours, and so interrupts their regular course of business; the expulsion of every fear respecting bhoots, pretas, or evil spirits, whether they be demons or deceased persons, which destroys the peace of the idolater by groundless alarms ;-the removal of all dread respecting the curse of a brahmun, or even of a devta. manly ideas to the though the same in

more substantial.

All this imparts such peace, such soul, that the native christian, color with his idolatrous country

man, in feeling, and courage, and enjoyment, is quite another being. We may also add advantages still From the perusal of the Scriptures, the exercise of his own powers, the example of his European and native christian friends, and possibly the unreasonable opposition of his countrymen, an energy relative to labor and exertion, is imparted to him hitherto unknown. Add to this that the removal of those idle fears of losing cast which restrict his countrymen in their labor from so many things they could otherwise do with advantage to themselves, enables him to He no longer

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turn this new energy to due advantage.

dreads to come in contact with the seat of a chair or a couch, or the cover of a book, because the animal whose skin it is, once lived: nor are boots, or gloves, or any such articles of apparel, to him any longer an object of terror. He feels also a complete contempt for all those holy days on which his idolatrous: neighbours must not labor; while from resting regularly on the Sabbath he returns with renewed ardor to the business o