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Mahometans every day. A young man, son of the old Jew, asked, 'how it could be supposed that God would leave so many nations so long in darkness, if Islam be an error? The father sat, with great complacency, to see how I could get over this. I asked, 'why God, for four thousand years, made himself known to their nation only, and left all the rest in darkness?—They were silent.

“The old man, forgetting he was a Mussulman, asked again, if Jesus was the Messiah, why did not the fiery wrath of God break out against them, as it did formerly for every small offence?' 'But first,' said he, 'what do you think of God's severity to the Jews at other times?' I said, 'If my son do any thing wrong, I punish him: but with the thieves and murderers out of doors, I have nothing to do.' This affected the old man; and his son recollected many passages in the Bible appropriate to this sentiment, and said, 'Yes, they were indeed a chosen generation.' I proceeded-But did not the wrath of God break out against you at the death of Christ, in a more dreadful manner than ever it did? They mentioned the Captivity. But what, (said I,) was the Captivity? it lasted but seventy years. But now seventeen hundred years have passed away; and have you a king, or a temple? Are you not mean and despised every where?" They seemed to feel this, and nodded assent.

"During this conversation, I said, 'God has raised up a great Prophet from the midst of you, and now

you are gone after a stranger of a nation who were always your enemies. You acknowledge Jesus, indeed; but it is only for fear of the sword of the Ismaelite. They wondered why Christians should love them more than they do the Mahometans, as I told them we did, and pretended to argue against it, as unreasonable, evidently from a wish to hear me repeat a truth which was so agreeable to them.

On the morning of the 6th, Mr. Martyn, ever anxious to pay all due reverence to "the powers that be," presented himself, with the Ambassador and suite, before Prince Abbas Mirza:-he thus describes the ceremony.--"Early this morning I went with the Ambassador and suite, to Court, wearing, agreeable to costume, a pair of red cloth stockings, with green high-heeled shoes. When we entered the great court of the palace, a hundred fountains began to play. The Prince appeared at the opposite side, in his talar, or hall of audience, seated on the ground. Here our first bow was made. When we came in sight of him, we bowed a second time, and entered the room. He did not rise, nor take notice of any but the Ambassador, with whom he conversed at the distance of the breadth of the room. Two of his Ministers stood in front of the hall, outside; the Ambassador's Michmandar, and the Master of the Ceremonies, within, at the door. We sat down in order, in a line with the Ambassador, with our hats on. I never saw a more sweet and engaging countenance than the Prince's; there

was such an appearance of good nature and humility in all his demeanor, that I could scarcely bring myself to believe that he would be guilty of any thing cruel or tyrannical."

The Jewish Moollah, who a few days before, had attempted to support a heresy which he himself did not believe, revisited Mr. Martyn, accompanied by one of his brethren, who had apostatized—these were followed on the same day, by two other visitors, one of whom was a man of great consequence and of equal courtesy.-"The Jew came again, (he says, June 11,) with one of his apostate brethren from Bagdad. As he was boasting to Seid Ali, that he had gained one hundred Jews to Islam, I could not help saying, 'I will tell you how Jews are made Mahometans. First, the Prince gives them a dress; secondly'-here the old man colored, and interrupting me, began to urge, that it was not with the hope of any worldly advantage.

"His object to-day was, to prove that the passages in the Old Testament, which we applied to Jesus, did not belong to him. I referred him to the 16th Psalm. He said, 'that none of the prophets saw corruption.' He did not recollect the miracle wrought by the bones of Elisha, nor did I either at the time.

"Mahommed Shareef Khan, one of the most renowned of the Persian generals, having served the present Royal Family for four generations, called to see me, out of respect to General Malcolm. An

Armenian priest also, on his way from Bussorah to Isfahan: he was as ignorant as the rest of his brethren. To my surprise I found he was of the Latin Church, and read the service in Latin; though he confessed he knew nothing about the language."

Mr. Martyn unwilling to lose any opportunity (if it were the will of God,) of benefiting the inhabitants of Shiraz, was never inaccessible to them. Strict as he was in the observance of the Sabbath, he admitted them, even on that day, to speak with him, for he had learnt the import of those words, "I will have mercy and not sacrifice."-In consequence, however, of his removal in the middle of the month of July, to a garden in the suburbs of the city, where his kind host had pitched a tent for him, to relieve the tedium of confinement within the walls of Shiraz-he prosecuted the work before him uninterruptedly. Living amidst clusters of grapes by the side of a clear stream,' as he describes it, and frequently sitting under the shade of an orange tree, which Jaffier Ali Khan delighted to point out to visitors, until the day of his own departure, he passed many a tranquil hour, and enjoyed many a Sabbath of holy rest, and divine refreshment. Of one of these Sabbaths, he thus writes, July 14.-"The first Sabbath morning I have had to myself this long time, and I spent it with comfort and profit. Read Isaiah chiefly, and hymns, which, as usual, brought my remembrance the children of God in all parts

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of the earth; remembered, especially, dear he desired me, on this his birth-day."

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The day following this happy, though solitary, Sabbath, formed a contrast to its peaceful and sacred serenity-being the day of Mr. Martyn's first public controversy with the Mahometans.

After some hesitation and demur, the Moojtuhid, or Professor of Mahometan Law, consented to a discussion upon religious topics. He was a man of great consequence in Shiraz, being the last authority in the decision of all matters connected with his profession; so that a contest with him, as it respected rank, prejudice, popularity, and reputation for learning, was manifestly an unequal one. Mr. Martyn, however, fearlessly engaged in it, knowing in whom he had believed.

The subjoined is the account he has left of this disputation-if such indeed it can be called-for the Professor, it seems, could not so far forget his official dignity, as to dispute fairly and temperately -he preferred the easier task of dogmatising magisterially.

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"He first ascertained from Seid Ali, (said Mr. Martyn,) that I did not want demonstration, but admitted that the prophets had been sent. So being little easy at this assurance, he invited us to dinner. About eight o'clock at night we went, and after passing along many an avenue, we entered a fine. court, where was a pond, and by the side of it a platform, eight feet high, covered with carpets. Here

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