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!-»

THE WANT OF ISDIA:

AS MANIFEST IN THE SPIRITUAL AND SOCIAL DEQRADATIO!^

OF HKR PEOPLB.

A. IiEOTXJB.E

DaUVBBBD BBFOBB THB

EEV. GEOEGE CHRISTIE.

.C4G

-^^

THE WANT OF INDIA :

AS MANIFEST IN THE SPIRITUAL AND SOCIAL
DEGKADATION OF HER PEOPLE.

A LECTURE

DELIVERED BEPOllE THE

gurmoutb JJoinrg Pen's ll^xutmix ^ssotlntioir,

EEV. GEOBGE CHRISTIE.

HALIFAX, N. S. :
JAMES BARNES & CO., PRINTERS.

1809.

ilamoufab, Sartlj 2-(tt 1850,

ev. and Dear Sir, —

The Young Men's Christian Association and the public of Yarmouth
• Jneral feel deeply indebted to you for your interesting and in.tructxvo
,n S^^''''\^'\];''l'^. ^^^^try has for a considerable time been occupy
;:X:J:::; of r Iti-n. recent .onts i^o brought to light

,«cstu>n naturally arises Wt ^^^ ^^^^.^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^.^^

tue nouie «;;r- ;*^ ,C;e :::l heen given by different .inds. I
of ,ts people ^;^;7; ^^^^,,t,^ i„ yo,r lecture is the corzcct one.
am convinced '^'^l'''^.2llZ--ire.^y circulated and prayerfully read^
The Biblc-and the B ble "^l^"" / / ; „,iiiio„g „f that unhappy
canpermanenUyelevate^an^ other places, there are

country In ^^^^ ^^^^^J^' ^ ^,,,. j,, direct influence upon the heart
some who undervalue GocU I dy ^^ ^^^^.^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^ .^^ .^^.^

''\^rcr^ AU ilus ysLL, they say! arc nearly of e.ual import-
rect effects, ah rtUoiuu j ^„.^,„,.n"_«< thev all serve the same

« tUpv have many doctrines in common — iney an b^^iy

cessfuUy meets tncse arg .vmrmthies of the Chr stian world.

edTandllya^that the c.mmunity in general participate m the same
^' Hoping that you may be induced to comply,

I remain, respectfully and sincerely yours,

JOHN THOllBURN, Secretary.

RrT.

Christie .

THE WANT OF INDIA.

. vn

earth.'

Poets and amateur philosophers have written much res-
pecting a fabulous period of our world's history, which they
call the " Golden Age." They carry us back to the remote
ages of a dim antiquity of which they know no more than oth-
er people— but which they assume to have been distinguish-
rfl by ' pur'^r state of morals, and a degree of contentment
r " ^ncss of which, alas, society has never had experience,

ry btj^an to be written. There is, however, good
oub, the '.'orreetness of the picture which they have
1 i <- Lijle at least, gives us no hint that it has ever
'■^euv since *' mankind began to multiply on the
' Say n J. tlio-i what is the cause that the former
days were better than these, for thou dost not enquire wisely
concerning this."

The people of India, being, as all admit, a very ancient na-
tion, have received a fair share of notice, so, that, if all were
true that li.is been written and spoken, no person could fail to
adopt the conclusion, that the esvablishment of British author-
ity, and, particularly, interference with old customs and laws,
has been to that nation a curse and not a blessing. But, more
particularly, the interference of christian missionanes to un-
dermine the ancient faith, by the introduction of the christian
religion, has already proved injurious ; and. If persisted
in, may prove the cause of still greater misery. The
class of writers to which I ixjfer are not, indeed, anxious
to force upon us the first part of this conclusion— viz., that
the establishment of British authority has been injurious.
The injury, as they would have us believe, arises from the
conduct of those who, under British protection, have discoun-
tenanced idolatry, and endeavoured to introduce a purer wor-

7*i

ship, along 'v^'ith such changes in the institutions of the people ,
as the hivvs of God seem to require.

Tliore are not many who would undertake to prove that
tliere is any thing in Christianity, calculated to injure a hu-
man being. And those who have tried to preserve India from
its influence have not found it convenient to adopt that kind
of argument. Their argument is, " Christianity will excite
the jealousy of the natives, and may lead to the overthrow of
British authority." And then, to prove that there is no object
to be gained, sufficient to justify tlic English in running such
a risk, they endeavour to persuade the public that the state of
morals and religion, in that country, is so near the standard
which Christianity sets up, that even christians and philanthro-
pists may be very well satisfied with things as tiiey are.
Ard while there may be some who are sincere in urging such
objections — having no knowledge of the country or the morals
of the people, ti'cre are others ready to join them in their op-
position to Chrr,tianity — simply on the ground of personal
aversion to the doctrines of the Bible, and practical godliness.
Hence it is that, from the days of Voltaire down to our own
times, we have had men wlio labored to prove heathenism im-
maculate ; and rejected as impossible, superstitions which the
most unexceptionable authorities assure us do exist.

The men in high places in the British Government who are
understood to oppose the evangelization of India, are a little
more guarded in their expressions, than the prince of infidels
already named ; but the animus which they and others on
their side display, is scarcely more commendable. Many of
them have attempted to mislead the public mind, by one-sided
quotations from the religious writings of the Hindoos — taking
care to keep back other parts which, given, would most cer-
tainly have proved, that the little truth which their wise men
held, has been hidden and corrupted, by the most enormous
errors that ever entered into the imagination of a rational being

o»

T!^

^or is tills all of wliicli the eliristian lias to complain.
While these men have found, incorporated with the ancient
writings of the IlinJoos, some of the doctrines of the liible,
and parts of the history of God's dealings with the children
of men, they have credited these things to heathenism ; and
then claimed for their sages an inspiration similar to that which
the writers of the Scriiitures possessed. They have fonnd,
among heathens, some sublime sentiments respecting God ;
and mingled, with the masses of absurdity which their writings
contain, some things are found similar to what we read in the
Bible, on other subjects. These they put side by side with
our scriptures — either to undermine the authority of what is
known to be God's word — or to show that this revelation can-
not, after all, be so very wonderful or authoritative — seeing
we can find among heathens the very doctrines which chris-
tians pretend to have received as an immediate revelation
from Heaven. Thus they suppose they have proved — first,
the sufficiency of reason as a guide in religion — and then, that
all religions have about the same authority ; or in other words,
that one is about as good as another.

Now, I believe it is a ftict, that some of the leading doctrines
of the christian religion are to be found in the sacred books
of the Hindoos. Some of their writings, though containing
much that is fabulous, do really present some particulars that
correspond, to a surprising extent, with the scriptural account
of the advent, birth, miracles, death and resurrection of Christ.
Some of the leading doctrines of the christian religion, such
as the existence of God — subsisting in three Persons, the
atonement, and the influences of the Spirit, are said to be
found in their writinjrs.

From what I know of the ancient mythology of the Greeks
and Romans, I have no difficulty in believing that such wri-
tings exist. Truth, it has been remarked, is stranger than
fiction. This may, emphatically, be said of the truths of the

Bible. Now, supposing it possible for tliein to obtain a know-
ledge of sucli tbing* as are revealed in tbe Scriptures, we can
readily understand tie effect whieb tbey would bave nj)on
tbeir minds. Tbe taste for tbe marvellous would be n;ratilied
— and, by ujcorporating Bible stories witb tiieir own writings,
tbey would render tbem more attractive. And, by the reve-
lation of marvellous occurrence*, tbey would command gi'cat-
er reverence among tbeir countrymen.

Tbe argument of tbe Iniidel, in view of these things, is ve-
ry different from mine. He would make them tell against
tbe authenticity of the Bible. Accordingly, instructed by the
German Rationalists, bis argument would run in some such
form as this — The stories which we have in the liible about
Jesus Christ, his words, and his doctrines are not veritable
facts. They are myths ; or fanciful representations of some
peculiar ideas which were in the mind of the writer — the real
nature of which we do not understand. As proof of this,
lie will tell us to look at India. There, you will find writings
very similar to the christian scriptures ; but which, being
found among that ancient people, must bave originated in their
own imaginations ; and could not bave yuch an origin as chris-
tians claim for tbeir Bible. Read, says the infidel, the wri-
tings of the ancient philosophic Brahmins, and there you will
find doctrines like your own. And, in order to render the
subject still more inexplicable, he will repeat on Brabminical
authority, the huge lie — that these writings have been among
the Plindoos, not for thousands, but for millions of years !

Now, in reference to all these things, -ve have a plain, and
I think, very satisfactory answer. First, Europeans who
have examined the Indian Chronology, find that it cannot be
depended on, and they have reduced to thousands of years,
what was formerly counted by millions. Secondly, with res-
pect to those writings which contain portions of scripture his-
tory, and the sublime doctrines of revelation, there need be

no ilillioiiltj in accounting for their existence. All inankiml
are, oiiginally, desceniled from tiie same stock. As they
spread abroad over the face of the earth, tliey carried with
them the traditions of their ancestors, and oueh knowh'dge as
had, at that time, been acquired, either by the efforts of man
or by immediate revelation from God. Hence, we firul, among
all nations, a remarkable similarity in their tradiiions about
sucli events as the " Creation," the " Fall of man," the
" Flood," and other important fact ** Instory. Hero, then,
is one source of the knowledge of iha Hindoo wise men.

In the next place, let us remember that Indip, had the means
of extending that knowledge wh: ii n,t first was confined to
traditions. In my former lecture, 1 showed that India had
been visited, for commercial purposes, more than a thousand
years before the Christian era. It liad also been the theatre
of wars, brought to them from the West, by Darius and Alex-
ander. IJetween two and three centuries before the Christian
era, the Old Testament Scriptures v.-ere translated into Greek.
Those Scriptures, we know from history, were very extensive-
ly circulated ; and every man familiar with history, is aware
that the effect o'' their being read was to produce a very ge-
neral expectation of the appearance of Onk in our world who,
though in human form, was also described in the glowing lan-
guage of projdiecy as the " Wonderful, Counsellor, the I.Iighty
God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."

This story about a coming ^-^aviour very soon spread so
widely that before the time of Christ's appearing, it had been
stolen from the Jewish Scriptures to be engrafted upon the
heathen Hteraiure of that period. Let any person for exam
pie read the 4tli Eclogue of Virgil which was written about
forty years before Christ came into our world, and he will be
able to judge of the influence which, the Old Testament Scrip-
tures had begun to exert upon the minds of men. The noRm
referred to is addressed to Pollio a noblo Roman, on occasion

of tlie birtli of a i^on. But the language is such as could ne-
ver have had its fiillilment in one who was only man — and
therefore all competent critics believe that he wrote with Isa-
iah's picture of Jesus before his mind.

Again, the sybilline oracles among the Romans and Greeks
were at this time borrowing from the page of Prophecy, to
exalt their credit among the people. In fact, in every coun-
try of which wo have particular information, we find that,
at that time, the scripture doctrine of the Messiah was at-
tracting attention and exerting an influence. The '• wise men
li-om the East" who saw " His star," and " came to worship
Ilim", may not have come from India ; but if not, it wrisfrom
a country in that direction. They came too, influenced by
the reports which had been gathered from the Jewish Scrip-
lures. And it is only reasonable to suppose tnat a country?
as far advanced as India in the knowledge of [thilosophy,
would be attracted by the strange story which had got abroad
(»ver the world, by the translation of the Jewish Scriptures
into one of the most widely spoken languages of that day.

Moreover, India was visited at a very early period, by
Ciwistian missionaries. According to the generally received
tradition, the Apostle Thomas labored in India. Other names
are also given of christian ministers who labored among that
people. We find the name of a Bishop of India among those
who were present and subscribed the proceedings of the Coun-
cil of Nice, A. D. 325.

^Mohammedans admit that Christianity had been planted in
India before their religion. In fiict, there is reason to believe
that eve/ since the days of the Apostles, there have been some
Christians in that country. In 18G7 Dr Buchanan found a
society of 200,000.

Can we not, now, understand how it comes to pass that the
writings of the Hindoos contain some doctrines and historical
statements similar to vvhat we have in the Bible ? The love

of all rude nations for the marvellous would be suirieient to
create an interest in the stories which we have in the Scrip-
tures ; and, as we saw in the case of the " Sybilline oracles,"
they would naturally borrow from such \vritings whatever
they thought most likely to excite the wmder ortlie people.
With respect to the pretended antiquity of their writings, I
have already observed, that this is denied by men who inves-
tigated their chronology, altogether independent of the ques-
tion before us. The dates of events as given in the histories
of ancient nations, ( are so uncertain) that a person can make
nearly what he pleases out of them. The following remarks
by the authors of the History of British India are sudicient in
my opinion to settle the question of Indian dates. They say—
'' There is ojie circumstance which breaks, at once, the spell
of this imaginary duration (being over millions of years). Al-
though India possesses nothing which can appi-oach to the
cliaracter of history, many of her princes and great men pre-
serve lists of kings, whi'ch, from their coincidence, though
found in different and distant quarters, ajijjear to be substan-
tially correct. These extend through the whole of the three
ages into which their chronology has been divided, but, instead
of the almost endless roll of names whieh ought to have been
sup[)lied during two millions of years, we find by Mr lientley's
list, in the "Treta," only sixty-six, and in the" I)wai)ar," for-
ty-seven kings: consequently, the potentates of the first peri-
od must have had an average reign of 1!»,():}G, those of the se-
cond, of 1«,3H3 years. IJut, if weas-ign to the Indian mon-
archs the average of human life, we sliall reduce these a^^es
to an extent perfectly consistent with Euro[)eau history, and
the IMosaic r(>cords.

Sir ^Vm. Jones expresses his belief that " the old Indian
astronomers had made more accurate calculations than ap[)ear
in tlieir books, but concealed their knowledge from the peo-
ple, with a view to impose on them in regard to the antiquity
of their nation."

But there is another argument bearing upon the subject to
which Infidels, at least, cannot very consistently oliject. It
is this— Some of the doctrines which we find incorporated with

the writings of the Hindoos have invariably been clenied by
the men wlio reject the authority of the word of God— be-
cause, they say, they pre contrary to reason. We find, for
example, in their writings, a statement of the doctrine of the
Trinity. Now, this I firmly believe, is a doctrine that till reveal-
ed " never entered into the heart of man." We believe it, not
because we can reason it out, but solely, because we find it in
the Bible. Where, then did the Hindoo get it? Common
sense, and common honesty, can give but one reply—" the Bi-

We are then justified in assuming that those passages in the
Hindoo Books which contain doctrines similar to ''what we
liave in the Bible, are not the products of the Hindoo mind ;
but, at some period or other, have been learned from those
M'ho enjoyed the benefit of divine communications. And if
even the little which they now possess is not the fruit of their
own reasoning, it is vain to expect that their pretended teach-
ers Will be able to do more for them in the time to come—
Ihe conclusion therefore is evident that they ought to be fur-
nisned with the heavenly oracles, a knowledge of which makes
wise unto salvation, and secures many advantages even in the
present life.

But my audience will perceive more clearly my reason for
maintaining that India should be visited with the light of
Christianity,when I show how utterly useless, and even niinous
those scraps of christian truth must be to the people, in gener-
al— overlaid as they are, with mountains of error. I do not
know a single article of the christian faith which has not been
so entirely corrupted, as to make it the seed of some awfully
degrading or ruinous error. Important truths have been used
as food for a wild and impure imagination, till the literature
of the people has been so blasted and defiled as to prove a
curse to them instead of a blessing Even those truths which
suggest themselves to the mind independent of religion alto-

gether — such as the " existence of God" have been seized np-
on, by their philosophers and professed rehgious teachers ;
and, either to suit the prejudices of the corrupt heart, or to
enable tliem to retain their hold of the popuhar mind, they
have been so completely corrupted, as to prove utterly useless.
Yes, my hearers, that nation respecting whose religion and
philosoi)liy Infidels speak with so much respect, instead of
worshi{)ing " one God the maker of Heaven and earth," have
over three hundred and thirty millions !

I will now read to you a part of the description which the
Apostle Paul gives of Heathenism. It is applied, as you are
aware, to the inhabitants of ancient Greece and Rome, — and
it is not less strikingly descriptive both of ancient and modern
heathenism, in India.

Rom.l. 18— 25. 18th " For the wrath of God is revealed
from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of
men who hold (i e, detain or keep back) the truth in unrighte-
ousness ;

19th. " Because that which may be known of God is mani-
fest in them ; for God hath shewed it unto them.

20th. " For the invisible things of Him fioin the creation
of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things
that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead ; so that
they are without excuse :

21st. " Because that, when they knew God, they glorified
Him not as God, neither were thankful ; but became vain in
their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

2:..id. " Professing themselves to be wise they became
fools,

23 rd. "And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God
into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds,
and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

24th. " Wherefore God also "■ave them up to uncleanness
through the lust of their own he.a'ts, to dishonor their own bo-
dies between themselves : •

25th. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and M^or-
shi[)ped and served the creature more than the Creator, who
is blessed fui'cvcr. Amen."

Be fori

ig 1(1

IS port

Scripture.

e proceed,

mtained in
, . i'"' """ w ^^enpiure. Ill the first

place, ,t appears that ll,e,-o are some truti,., whiel, maybe dis-
eoverea „. .„„„t „,e aid of revelation-.™.,,, .,„„ ,Z Jl
*^ e», as ,. upon ,he mh.Js of beings eons.i.nted as we are.

^voI»cfGodn,erea.,on, and that internal light whieh we

nil eonscence. That knowledge ,o whieh .h'e Apostle par-

eularl, refers is what may be acp.ired respecting God"

en as ns " e.erna. power and Godhead." Unbi„:sed r a-

«. . ea»d.y eondnets to the eonelnsion that .here is a God

The ex,s.enee of the natural world suggests the faet ,o\ ,t

that A Inch ,s far harder to believe-" the eterni.y of .natter "
C nse,eneo also has something to do with the es.ablishm of
1". onv,e„on n, the mind. For it is harder than people of

m.o>. And so complete therefore is the proof for the exis-
tence of God, tha. many have deelared it impossible for Tl

a foo that denies the existence of a God. No,v, .he same
^ns,derat,ons that tend to establish the belief tha, there "a
C.od naturally lead ,o ,he farther eonelnsion tha, He must ,os!
se s boundless per.ee.ious: henee the Apos.le says " Hise e

::: ri::""' "^"""^"''"-'^ "-e-.ood by .berthings ;,•„;

nid! n"' n-"-' '""™™''' '""='" '" '^""^ ™'* "«" ■■«"s«n, un-

ulgc of the d.vme character. The Apostle goes no farther
<lmn to say "«,,„/„•„;, „„^ j, ,„„„,, ^ " ^ ^

ourees as I have just indieated. may he diseoverc 1 by a I-
. .en ■ e " „ s eternal power and Godhead." Reafo 1

.» that the bemg that conld call matter into existence and
'"""a world snch as we inhabit, must be innnite in ,'„ er

and majesty. A process of reasoning from the works of God
must also conduct to tlie conclusion that he is a wise and a be-
nevolent Being. All this then, may be known of God, bj one
who has not access to the inspired volume. But there are
other perfections of the Divine Being, respecting which the
" book of nature" j^ives us no information. I refer to what
are called the moral attributes of the Deity— such, for exam-
ple, as those by which he made himself known to his servant
Meses. Ex. 34. G, 7, " The Lord God merciful and graci-
ous k,Q." In short, all those qualities of the divine nature
which are brought to view in the revelation of mercy made in
the Gospel, and the arrangements of God for giving effect to
his purposes of love, as connected with the mediation of Christ.
There are yet two important truths, contained in the words
of the Apostle now under consideration, that must not be ov-
erlooked. We are told that the Gentile or Heathen world—
notwithstanding all their knowledge of God, had sunk down
into a state of disgusting immorality. Abusing even that
knowledge .)f God which they possessed, they fell into idola-
try, and from this, into gross crimes, ver. 24. And lastly,
we find that the men who had risen so far above the level of
the common mind as to be sensible of the folly of the worship
rendered to idols, and who had, by " reason," got possession
of the truth that " there is a God," shut their own hearts
against its influence, and withheld from their fellow-men that
truth in which all are so deeply interested.

This is a sketch of Heathenism, as given by an inspired
hand. How far it applies to India, you may judge as we pro-
ceed. Those of my audience who are familiar with the his-
tory of ancient Greece and Rome must acknowledge that the
description here given of the belief of their philosophers, and
the morality of the people in general is true to flie very letter.
Let this consideration then be before your minds, in connec-
tion with another undeniable fact, viz, that in all ages, and

nmong all nations, in the same stages of mental and social ad-
vancement, there has always been a striking similarity, both
in the character of their idolatrous worship, and the morality
of the people by whom these rites are practised.

Lot me now call your attention to the real condition of In-
dia.

One of the arguments offered in our day against any at-
tempts to evangelise India is, that they have a reli rion already
—that their "sacred books" contain many doctrines very ^si-
milar to what we have in the Bible 5 and that their system of
morals is very little inferior to that of Christians. The sup-
porters of this opinion, as I have already observed, endeavour
to prove it by quotations from the writings of the llrahmins
Now I admit that their writings contain passages correspond-
ing with the S.n-iptures. I should rather say that extracts
may be found which might be considered as bearing such a
construction, were it not that they stand in close connection
with other statements so unspeakably absurd, that any attempt
to reconcile one statement with another is absolutely i)erplex-
ing. For example— the following passages which seem to
refer to a supreme Being might be accepted as evidence that
they believe in the existence of God similar to tliat Divine
Being whom Christians worship.—" Oh mighty Bering, who
art the prime Creator eternal G^od of gods, the woi'ldr'nian-
sion ! Thou art the incorruptible Being distinct from all
things transient, Thou art before all gods— tlie anciJnt
Pooroosh (i.e. vital soul) and the supreme supporter of the
universe. Thou knowest all things and art worthy to be
known. Thou art thf supreme mansion and by thee Oil infi-
nite Form the universe was spread abroad, &c."

Again, the following is said to be taken from one of the sa-
cred books of^the Hindoos. "As God is immaterial, lie is
above all conception— as he is invisible he can have no form |
but, from what we behold of his works, we may conclude that

he u eternal, omnipotent, knowing all tiling.^, and present
every where." The above quotations I have selected from .1
large number given by different authors. They are the most
satisfactory to our ears because the language most resembles
Scrii)ture phraseology. Here is another, pretty good — " Let
us adore the supremacy of that divine sun the Godhead, who
illuminates all, who recreates all, from whom all proceed, to
whom all must return, whom we invoke to direct our under-
sta«idings aright in our progress towards his holy seat &c."

If we could stop here, it would, I think, be fair to conclude
that a nation recognizing a supreme Being, in language so sa-
tisfactory, might be considered as enjoying the benefit of this
great central doctrine. Supposing the translation to be cor-
rect, we might infer that they believed in the existence of
" God almighty, the maker of heaven and eartb." IJut when
we look farther into their writings, we have melancholy proofs
that tlie doctrine, if ever believed, has, for perhaps two thou-
sand years been so completely enveloped in the clouds of a
darkened understanding as to render it impossible that it could
have exerted any beneficial influence upon the minds of the
people. Strikingly true, as respects India, is the declaration
of the Apostle — " The world by wisdom knew not God."

One of the first stumbling blocks seems to have been those
very attributes to which there is such a beautiful reference in
the above quotations. -If God is infinite he must neces-
sarily be omnipresent. Now, evidently, one of the first diffi-
culties was to understand how God could be everywhere-
even in that part of space which is occupied by material bo-
dies. And the way they solved the difficulty was, by conclu-
ding that matter and God are all one. Accordingly by follow-
ing the doctrines of their sacred books in which they appear
to be speaking of God, we find that it is not a'per.-onal God,
such as the Scriptures make known. On the contrary, tLe
material world is deified.

Lere are some extracts from the « ve.las," which will show
that my statement is correct, Tlie first is an a.ldvess to Indra

or the cloiKls. " Oh Indra there is no God thy superior

none more powerful tlian thou art, nor indeed Oh shiver of
Uritra I is there one that can be put on a level with thee."

" O thunderbolt wielding Indra ! were there a hundred hea-
vens and a hundred earths, and in addition to them a thou and
suns and any other supposable creatures, they could no co^
tarn thee ; for tiiou encirclest heaven and earth."

Here again are parts of addresses to the sun, under tlie
names of Aditaand Savita.

- Truly thou art mighty sun ! truly thou art mi-^hty
descendant of Ad.ta, we adore thesplondor of thy essence' hy
majesty and thy glory : for mighty art thon Oh divine sun "^
I worship the god Sav.ta, ],arent of Heaven and earth
who supermtends the sacrifices of the wise."

He. J is part of an address to the Ocean.

" We, desirous of wives, and desirous of sons, over fir.t tn

Sod Oc^amr ''' ^""' '' distinguished gifis invoke the

Next we have the adoration of fire (called Agni,)

" Oh Agni, thou art to us the chief of the gods, our Sa^ iour
the conferrer of bliss, the subject of our higher praises?"

Another Deity is Soma, the moon plant wine. (The moon
plant IS said to contain a juice which is capable of bein- con-
verted into a powerful intoxicant.) '^

« Soma is flowing dovyn pure ; he is the creator of intellect
the creator of heaven, the creator of earth, the creator of the
sun, the creator of fire the creator of Indi^. Somt whl t
goes soundmg to the holy place, is Brahma among he Xd !
the fixer of heir respective merits, among the poetsi the Bishi
among the Bralimins ; the buffalo amon|the horned anima s
the hawk, among the vulture tribe ; the^word, amonVcSt'
instruments Soma who was the inward soul and is th^e n in^r
of felicity sits down among us with his unmatched stren^i

and is weli chilled in the matter of cows:' And thus, the
''juice God" as he is called in another part of this invocation,
is raised to the same distinction as Indra and Agni, both of
which are honoured with the assurance that they are supreme \

After these extracts, it appears to me impossible that any
person can suppose the Hindoos to have any idea of a Su-
preme Being as men need to have, in order that they may
render to him, as their creator and God, acceptable worship :
and yet it is a fact, that some will come forward and ; k us
to witlihold the Bible from those people, under the prei.nce
that their own writings are sufficient for their spiritual and
social advancement. Verily these men can have thought little
upon that sublime announcement of the sacred volume—" God
is a Spirit ; and they that worship him must worship him in
spirit and in truth.'-

We need have no difficulty in understanding why men such
as Voltaire, or men of the Ellenborough-Stanley school should
have a leaning to Ilindooism, in preference to Christianity.
Its morality is vastly more accomodating than the Christiani-
ty of the Bible. Moreover, if the vedas and shastras of In-
dia may be recognized as of equal authority with the Bible,
tliere will then be a more plausibb excuse for treating all re-
ligion with contempt. But there is still another realon that
may influence such men in preferring Ilindooism to Christi-
anity. There is always satisfaction in finding that others hold
views similar to those which we profess to entertain. Now,
the peculiar phase of the heresies of the present day has a ve-
ry remarkable counterpart in the religion of the Hindoos.
For example, the German school of Infidels, of the present
century, and this is by far the most numerous of those classes
which reject the authority of the liible, have arrived just a-
bout at the same lancing place where we find the Hindoos
t«at lived 2000 years ago ; and where that part of them now
is who believe in the "sacred books" of their professed teach-

ers Pantheism was the religion of the ancient Hindoo.-
and 1 antheism is now the prevailing form of belief, amonfij
those who reject the authority of the Word of God

It is generally affirmed that the Hindoos teach tlie doctrine
of the " immortality of the soul." It would hov.ever be
more correct to say, merely, that they believe in its future
existence They hold that it exists after death, hut they do not
hold the doctrine, as taught in the Scriptures. Their doctrine
IS— not that the soul is immortal, but divine. The «oul ac-
cordmg to them, is not a creation which will never be an'nihi-
lated, but is a part of God. After leaving the body, it will
enter into another-corresponding with the character of thp
person, ,f virtuous it may next be born a goat or a cow-if
piousaman-if saintly, a Brahmin. If the person have
been wicked, his soul will first pass into some animal who.,
disposition he most resembled. The thief is converted into
some animal addicted to stealing the articles that he had been
m the habit of appropriating. Thus the pilferer of rrrain ib
metamorphosed into a rat-while he who stole roots or fruit
becomes an ape. The soul, as they suppose must pass through
a variety of such changes as I have mentioned, until it hag
either made atonement, by suffering the punishment of it.
crimes or has been sufficiently purified ; and then it is ab.or-
bed in the divine nature.

On this subject, an eloquent writer makes the following re-
marks. " Man, in mutilating truth by metempsyehosis,^iaB
grievously wounded himself. He learns not to kill cows but
he learns at the same time not to pity afflicted men. His new
Goctrine protects the monkey, but curses the widow ; saves the
crow, but execrates the cripple. You must not kill a scorpion
for It may be your father ; and you must not pitv a leper, for
his disease only tells what a miscreant he has 'been. Thus
while animal life is saved, human hearts are hardened, and Ifb-
man woes made doubly bitter."

The doctiinc of "future rewards and punishments" is not
discarded from the religion of the Hindoos ; but it would be
impossible to gather from their writings any such representa-
tion of (heir belief as would be, in all respects, satisfactory.
I do not find sufficient to satisfy me that they believe in the
doctrine of eternal punishment. Their idea of punishment
«8 that it is corrective— intended to act as a purifier. Some-
times, it is described in such a way as to make us think of
the purgatory of the Papist ; and in reading other parts of these
ancient writings, we almost imagine that we have fallen upon
that mine of ancient lore from which such men as Ballou, Cha-
pin, and Theodore Parker have drawn their inspiration.

I may add that people who do not relish the doctrine of fu-
ture punishment, and yet do not want to « break oflT their sing
by righteousness," will find in these writings some very in-
teresting suggestions. For example, we have an account of
a very wicked man—" whose mouth," as the Apostle would
say, " was full of cursing and bitterness." Even the superior
gods did not escape the lash of his profane tongue. He was
too bad altogether. The gods could stand it no longer. He
was killed, with the intention of sending his soul to die place
of punishment— when lo ! it is found thai- .he impious wretch
has made such free use of the name of one of the superior
gods, in uttering his curses, that he escapes punishment alto-
gether. For, so different is their doctrine from the Law pro-
mulgated from Mount Sinai, which denounces certain punish-
ment, against him who " takes the name of God in vain," ac-
cording to the above account, the frequent repetition of the
name had such a virtue in it that the man got to heaven in
«pite of the god !

Before making any farther remarks respecting the religi-
ous belief of the Hindoos, it may be profitable to make some
inquiries respecting their morality. In judging of any religi-
ous system, it would be quite unfair to overlook its effects upon

(lie moral character cf tho.-je by whom it U received. If the
adherents of any system exhibit an unexceptionable moral
character, then, it is only lair to conclude that their relij^i-
ous belief, hov, ever imperfectly stated in words, mnst in it3
main features be correct and safe. On the contrary, if tlic
morals of a peojde be degraded and vicious, then there is good
reason to judge unfavourably of their religion. Anl especi-
ally^ must this be the casp, when such exceptionable conduct
is found to agr 'C with the doctrines of their " sacred books."

The apologists for heathenism, at all events, have no right
to complain, if we should apply this test to that system which
they have taken "uder their special protection. And, should
the defenders of Christianity hesitate to submit their creed to
the same practical test, they would, in so doing, dishonour
their Lord and Master : for this is, in fact, the rule that lie
has given for ti yins all religion, and all religious systems. —
'' J^t/ their fn its yc shall know them.**

On the subject of heathen morality, many fine things have
been written and sjjoken to which I have only one objection —
and that is — Tltey are not true. Every person who is con-
versant with the writings of the ancient philosophers of Greece
and Rome will readily admit that they have sai a great many
complimentary things respecting morality, in the abstract. —
But, in the first place, they have given abundant evidence
that they did not understand 'he principles of true morality or
virtue. Compared with the standard of true rirMie contained
in the Scriptures, theirs is absciutely mean. Cicero, for ex-
ample, tells us that " virtue proposes glory as its chief end,
and looks for no other reward." Zeno maintained that " all
crimes are equal, and tliat a person who has offended or in-
jured us should never be forgiven." Aristippus alhrmed that,
" as pleasure was the chief good a man might practise theft,
sacrilege, or adultery, as he had opportunity." Even the fa-
mous Socrates, of whom Infidels speak as if he were almost a

demigod, is not above tho ■suspicion of having been a person
of rather easy morals. There are *<oine fine sentiments in his
writings ; but history gives us more than these, by which wc
are to try his character. Respecting him, the hite Dr. Dick
of Ghisgow makes the following remark — " The visit which
he paid to an Athenian courtezan to see her beauty, and to
teach her more perfectly the arts of sedi'ction — and the pro-
fane oaths with which his conversation was interlarded, with
some other particulars in his history, place him at an immense
distance from the lowest member of a Christian Church :" and
this is tlie mar that some people call the "inspired Socrates!''
Whether the vaunted wisdom of the ^^rahminb has «1"ne more
for them than the philosophers of Greece and Rome ac! ieved
for their country, we shal' see bye and bye.

It is a remarkable fact that .he wr tings and oral teochings
ct the Ancient Philosophers seemed to accomplish nothing be-
neficial, either for the men themselves, or for the people in ge-
neral. Some of them mamtained in their writings the " unity
of God," in opposition to Polytheism ; but after all, they seem-
ed to be groping in darkness, as if they knew not what to be-
lieve, or wliiU to practice. Even the '' divine Socrates" is not
clear of the charge of favouring the idolatry of his country. —
One o( his last charges to his friend, was to ofPjr the usual sa-
crifice to the god Esculapius ; and any explanation of his con-
duct which can be offered must still leave him chargeable,
either with believing in the eificacy of such idolatrous worship,
or :;'jeking to retain his popularity among the people, by con-
cealmg from them his real sentiments.

After all that the apologists for the ancient philosophers can
say, either respecting the men or their doctrines, the page of
history will still present the undeniable fact thai, after their
schools of philosophy had existed for cenluries, the gods of the
common people, instead of being disowned orred'-ced in num-
ber, were greatly multiplied, so much so c»s to give occasion

to the remark of a satyrist that, "in Greece, it was easier to
find a god than a man." The number of their gods was about

thirty thousand!

If philosophy be such a safe guide in religious matters as
some of the disbelievers in the Bible pretend, how are we to
account for the fact that it has, in every instance, proved pow-
erless in reforming either the religious belief, or the morality
of the nations, where it has been most cultivated ? It has not
been so among any people who have read the Bible. One of
the immediate effects of the proclamation of the truth, we are
assured by the prophet, would be the destruction of idol wor-
ship. " The idols he shall utterly abolish."

When the Apostles went forth under the commission of their
divine Master, they announced plainly the doctrine of the ex-
istence of one God. They condemned idolatry as absurd and
dishonouring to the Most High— and taught, in opposition to
long-standing errors, that " they should turn from idols
to the service of the living and true God :" and everywhere,
the Dagon of Paganism fell before the God of the Christian.
John Williams, not a great many years ago, went to the
South Sea Islands, with the Bible in his hand. He read and
explained it to the natives ; and only a few years elapsed be-
fore thousands and tens of thousands of those degraded canni-
bals renounced idolatry, and " cast their idols to the moles
and to the bats." And ever since, under the influence of
Christian instruction, the people have been advancing in know-
ledge, in morality, and in all those social improvemerfs which
are^connected with the happiness and elevation of society. ^

But what is the moral and social condition of India ? The
answer to this question is painful, but it must not be witliheld.
It is like the moral character which they ascribe to their gods.
A gentleman, speaking of India, puts the question—" Is there
such a strong bias in human nature to virtue, that a man will
be pure in spite of the example of his gods— and when the

very services of his temple present the most fascinating temp-
tations to impurity ?" " No [)!ircnt, watchful of the morality
of his children, would allow them to read the hooks to wliich
the people of India devoutly resort for heavenly instruction."
There are few, if any, crimes against High Heaven or human
society that cannot, according to Eastern Mythology, claim the
patronage of one or more of the gods of India — while, as a
general rule, all are represented as, occasionally at least, play-
ing fast and loose with the principles of morality. "We have,
ill Indian IMythology, all the impure and ahominahle stories
with w'hich the students of Greek and Roman literature are
acquainted. There is scarcely on^i of the gods of these na-
tions whose history I dare relate, in the presence of such an
audience as is now hefore me. Even Jupiter, the supreme
god as they helieved, is charged with immoralities which would
•tamp the character of any man among us with eternal infa-
my, and exclude him from respectahle society. But the In-
dian Mythology is still more gross and revolting. So unutter-
ably impure are some of the legends respecting their gods,
and the conduct of their blinded and degraded worshippers,
that the men who have undertaken either to translate the so
called " sacred books," or to give an account of the morals of
the people, have been obliged frequently to drop their pen —
and, instead of giving us all they have read or witnessed, they
throw a cover over the loathsome mass, and exhibit to us but
the border of the heap of impurity. And, in a few general
hints, they give us an idea of wliat is kept back — evidently
feeling that a language like the English, which is so exten-
sively employed in addressing the throne of ti;e Almighty,
and winging heavenward the orisons of so many Christian
hearts, in pure worship, ought not to be defiled, by making it
the vehicle of such offensive and impure ideas as i)Our out
from the sinks of Brahminical pollution.

An Indian missionary (Arthur) has stated that — '' In the

Piirana Icf^end.^ of the amours, envies, and orrors of the gods,
we have, from the creator di vn, a record of tur[)itude far ex-
ceeding that of any prison in existence. Deeds we ^hould
bhish to name are sung in lofty verse, and as the performance
of glorious godhead." And these forsooth are the people who
'• do not need the Christian's Bible, being sufficiently iodl ac-
commodated with their oivn religious boohs" ! I

Tiie writings of the Hindoos seem to be prepared for the
very purpose of obliterating any distinction that may exist m
the mind respecting the difference between good and bad ac-
tions. Here is a short extract, illustrating what I mean.—
" In a certain town lived two merchants, bosom friends, who
met daily, after business, to enjoy each others society. On
parting, one of the friends, being devout, went to the temple :
the other, being licentious, went to the home of the priestesses.
Thus matters proceeded till they both died, when the devotee
was sent to hell, and the libertine was received to heaven."
The explanation of this piece of Brahminical theology is too
long to give, but any liindao reading the story, whould feel
that his best chance of getting to a place of happiness was to
indulge in sinful gratifications at the i)resent time.

Now, the genev-.l state of morals in India is just what might
be expected of human beings subject to such unholy iniluences
as we have seen surround those people. There is not a
commandment of the Decalogue that is sacred in their eyes. All
reliable writers assure us that their morals are as bad as in
any heathen country of which we have any knowledge. And
it would be strange if things were otherwise. When the peo-
ple are taught that the exhibition of immo'-al conduct is ac-
cei)table to the gods, and when, in fact, the very ceremonies
of rciligion over which these priests preside, are of an impure
(character, what can be more probable than that the g(meral
morality of the worshippers would correspond with what they
learn on such occasions ?

There is no part of the worship of those people that can be
considered as favourable even to morality, much less to the
exercise of that spirituality of mind, and purity of heart, which
constitute essential elements in the worship of God, But it is
when we are introduced to the interior of their temides, that
we get a true idea of what Heathenism is. Approaching
these however, we are reminded of the words of the Apostle,
as applied to another place, though the language is ecpially
applicable to India — " It is a shame even to speak of those
things Avhich are done of them in secret. The place to which
the Apostle alluded was the temple Diana, at Ephesus. And
the scenes to which he refered were those that transpired
there, under the name of the Elusinian mysteries." The prin-
cl|;al deity worshipped at Ephesus was Diana — just as Miner-
va was the goddess at Athens, and Venus at Corinth. A
description of the practices at one of these places would be a
description of the whole ? And that description would apply
to the temple worship in India. Now in Corinth, for example,
we get an idea of the state of morality in heathen countries,
from an account of the laws made to regulate the worship at
the temple of Venus. It was enjoined, by law that one thou-
sand beautiful females should ofliciate as courtezans or public
prostitutes before the altar of that goddess. This was one
principal source of the revenue of the place. In India mat-
ters are no better than this, as the missionaries testify. India
is still, to a large extent, a heathen country ; and evils such
as these will only be removed, when that nation is taught the
pure Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Arthur,
in his work on Missions, says that, " in some of the temples,
excesses are, at certain times openly committed which would
be concealed even in our lowest dens of vice."

There is another view of the moral state of India to which
T find very few writers making any particular reference, and
yet to my mind, it presents that country in one of its very

darkest aspects. I have somewhere met the remark that the
three sweetest words in the English language are Mother,
Home and Heaven. There are few in this audience who
would not respond heartily to this delightful sentiment. The
person who cannot do so is destitute of some of the best (juali-
ties that distinguish man from the inferior creation. But
while these words have fallen upon our ears as the sweet
music of Angels, we have not always reflected upon the influ-
ence Avhich the Bible has exerted in imparting to them the
peculiar powor which they exercise over us. The Bible
sanctions and sanctifies those unions which bind families to-
gether ; and which make the family circle deserving of the
name of Home. God himself defined the position which the
wife and mother should occupy in that circle when He said —
Likewise ye husbands dwell with them according to know-
ledge; giving honour to the wife as unto the weaker vessel,
and as being heirs tc ether of the grace of life."

In Indian society, ich a picture as I have now drawn is
never realized. The wife and mother there is never treated
as an equal. From the time she leaves the parental roof and
enters the house of her husband, she is treated as an inferior
being. She dare not walk beside her husband, on the street ;
she can only follow, Whatever her quality, she is not per-
mitted to ride in the same vehicle, except it be on a long jour-
ney. She cannot sit down beside him in the house. She is
not allowed to eat with him. When the food is prepared he
sits down alone— his wife generally has to serve him. After
he is satisfied, she silently cairies away what is left, and eats
in a separate apartment. Yes, my hearers, little as you may
have thought of it— none of us sh'-'ld forget that even the
" family board," which gives half Uie zest to our ordinary
meals, is another of the blessings which we owe to the Gos-
pel.

The female in India is treated with such manifest disrespect,

that T ci ( • only conceive of the life she leads af one of bitter-
ness : and for all the indignity which is heaped upon her, the
husband finds authority in those writings which some would
persuade us are a suitable substitute for the Bible. The
Skanda Purana, one of their sacred books, says " Let the wife
who wishes to perform sacred ablutions, wash the feet of her
husband and drink the water ; for a husband is to a wife
greater than Shankara or Vishnu. *

Should she be left a widow, she is not permitted to marry
again, and she has before her a life of bitterness. Terhaps
she is charged with her husband's death, or she is told that he
has been taken away, to punish her sin in a former body. She
is treated with cruelty by every person. The Bible tells us
that one of the manifestations of a religious spirit, is the ex-
ercise of compassion toward that class. " True religion and
undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fath-
erless and the widow in their affliction"— the religion of the
Brahmins on the contrary, teaches him to execrate and des-
pise the v/idow.

No finite mind can estimate the amount of injury resulting
from such causes as have now been pointed out. The persons
themselves might, reasonably enough, desire death rather than
such a life. Bu. they are not the only victims of that devil-
ish system of irreligious teaching that prevails throughout In-
dia. The children of these mothers are launched upon soci-
ety, without that previous instruction and preparation which
none can give so effectually as a mother — which none will take
the trouble to give, but those who possess the capacity and
who, at the same time, are governed by an all-controlling love
which will be turned aside by no difRculty. We have scarce-
ly ever heard of a great and good man who did not attribute
much of that superiority by which he was distinguished, to an

* If tbo Hindoos have a name for Jesus Christ it is this word Vishnu.

I'll

intelligent and pious mother. Now, while India continues as
it is, Me may, indeed, expect to hear of some who have earn-
ed for themselves fame and notoriety ; but it will not be the
fame which follows a good and virtuous and philanthropic man
through life, and after death, rises, like incense from his tomb.
It will be such fame as attaches to the soul of a Nena Sahib,
who could find diversion in inflicting a hundred deaths upon
each of the hapless ones that may fall a victim to his cruelty.
The women of India must themselves be educated, before
they can accomplish the mission which God has assigned to
woman, in this world. One part of the execrable system
which prevails in India — sanctioned too by the authority of
their " sacred books", is to withhold instruction from the fe-
male sex. The authors of the History of Jiritish India say —
" Every avenue by which an idea could possibly enter their
minds is diligently closed. It is unlawful for them to open
a book. They must not join in the service of the tempels.
And any man, even their husbands, would consider himself
disgraced by entering into conversation v/ith them."

There is just one class who form an exception to thi ■> rule.
We saw as you remember, that the temples in India are al-
ways supplied with a number of females who have sacrificed
to the objects of idolatrous worship that which is more valua-
ble than human life. These 'temple-women," as they are
called, are trained for the part which they have to act : and,
as a preliminary, they receive an education. Arthur, whom
I have quoted more than once, says " Except Ine hapless
gills destined to the profession of " temple-women" no female
is permitted to learn to read or write."

Let the person who is disposed to think lightly of the pri-
vileges and enjoyments for which we are indebted to the Bi-
ble and Christianity, recal the tacts which have been brought
forward at this time. Let him who des[)ises the sacred vol-
ume, and pleads for the supremacy of reason, and affirms its

.uflieioney to meet all the wr.nts of l,„n,.„ society, ,un, ,o ,hc
pages of &.oek and Roman his>o,y-or ,o .he Jnnals of I„-
aia ; and ,1 these do not convince him of his error I will be-
-eve , at he is blind, iecause he hates that UesJd] tool to

P ee ons pr.v.leges which he enjoys, in this world-and ,„
«lm^ we owe our hope of a blessed immortality, beyond the

get the pnvdeges winch Christianity has conferred „„on their
.ex They should also endeavour to comprehend the respon-
s.hd,ty as well as the honor of the station which God has mark
ed out for them And, while occupying their station withhe:
comu,g d,gn,ty, let them not forget to exercise all their infiu.

tirt°nd to "r"^^""'"' °f ■"°-'i'y »'l -ligion, and all
that te„d» to make a community honorable and happy. You
wll no need, or this purpose, to get up " AVomanTRi.l ts"
onve„t,„ns. If you are christians, you will have no e'onfi-
denee m any such measures as we sometimes read of among
our Amer,can neighbours. The Bible, and not those soeiTtief
has brought you the privileges which you enjoy. Ho I ,o'
tl.e B,b std , as your " Magna Charta." Honor it. LI
erence .t. Teach y„ar children to follow your examp
Ihen, you wd get all the privileges and honors which it claL
for you-and beyond this, there is nothing to which you cl
really be entitled. ^

And shall ] refuse, in this place, to plead (he cause of those
unhappy daughters, wives and widows i„ degraded India, Z
enjoy not the privileges with which you a^e favored? N

ey must not be forgotten-more especially, as now, the ^Z
p..e of I„d,a ,s a part of Her Majesty's dominions just a« we
J. By the t,es of a common nature, then, and y th^tfe
of earthly governntent, they are our sisters ; and should ex-
cte our n„ercst and have a place in our prayers. Abn^t

twenty years ago, some English ladiea formed a society for
their benefit, which has already accomplished good, in some
places. But there is vastly more to be done. May not No-
va Scotia yet have the honour of doing something for the peo-
ple of the East ? We can, at least, do something in the way
of collecting funds to aid in the circulation of the Scriptures ;
and we can pray for the diffusion of light in that degraded

country.

But, in speaking of human miseries as attendant upon lica-
thenism, we cannot confine our remarks to one sex. We may
adopt, in reference to India generally, the strong language of
the Apostle, and say, The whole nation is "groaning and tra-
vailing in pain," under the crushing weight of Pagan idolatry^
and its dire effects. The wail of misery and hopeless wretch-
edness is ever ascendmg from that benighted land. And ne-
ver will the evil be cured, till the" Sun of righteousness arise
with healing in his wings," and dispel the gross darkness which
in the mean time, envelopes that people. Instead of the Gan-
<Tes and other sacred streams to which thousands now resort
for the purpose of procuring relief for a troubled conscience —
which even a heathen often experiences, we must open for
these guilty perishing men, a Bethesda, hard by the temple
Qf Qod — where they shall be healed, by the virtue of those
livin<T waters which have their source, at the foot of the
« Throne of God and the Lamb."

Lord Stanley, a few months ago, replying to a Deputation
of christians fiat represented most of the religious denornina-
tions of Great Britain, was silly enough, and imprudent enough
to express himself in such a way as to show that he sympa-
thised with the class who profess the infidel opinions which I
have this evening endeavored to examine and weigh. In that
reply he manifested an entire want of sympathy with the re-
ligious feeling of Great Britain and America ; and at the
same time, disposition to claim, for India, a certain kind of

iupemritj over the nations of Europe-under the prcfence

t^^nT^l'ff "''' '"".^"^ ^''^«^^»^- ^»'-- ^ - that
ler ioims of behef were not less deserving of -espert than

those of christian nations. Now, I do not s'lv fh^^lL "
ot ers hkeniiruled .re perfectly 'aware tTat su'h "tirnls
ar3 talse ana fo<.hsh ; but I do say that raen wJio can look at
India as it is, and yet hold such language, sK them'elve
utterly incapaple of fathoming the depths of the hu ^ u arT
or interpret ng those signs of^eling ^which o^^^^'t^
sent themselves to a reflecting mindf Humanity has cravfnl
and wants which such men can neither comprehend Tor dif
cern Consecp.ently the external manifestatbi is no under-"
stood and rehet ,s beyond their skill. In ail the volumcVw ich
have been written b.^ that class of raen, and in a 1 the in Lt
form orations, put together, there is not ks much sound nhb
^ph^ (.0 say nothing of a higher kind of wisdomoTwe'l i"';
in this one saying of the gracious Redeemer, - CW unto me
all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and 'l wlirgiv" y^

Oh who thnt is not spiritually blind, and therefore i<Tnor
ant of man's real wants, could tdfle with such a subject 1 w«
.have now before us ? Lift up your eyes, and ee thu im
men., concourse of human beings. There 'are old and ^^ui™:
there are mo hers carrying their infant children, and leTd Si^
others by the hand, who are now weak through sicknet or f "^
^hing for want of food. There a.e others b^rne.dont'by tl e™"
relatives hey are sinking under disease which has LmCted
the earthly existence of not u few, since they sK onf on /h-
Fgrnnage. And now do you 'askJl^J^fo^ e he" td
whence have they come ? and for what perpose ? I answer
Uiat company numbering perhaps 50,000 are our brethren^
They a-^e natives of India, subjects of Queen Vilrh wh^
professed late y, in addressing them, her belief in hflSli^n
of Jesus ; and acknowledged, with gratitude, its power t?s<^
Jace and cheer the soul;" They have come, omeTt^.,^ ten
some of them fifte.. hundred miles-bearing upa^'Iinst
accidents, infection, sickness, even bravin- death-!- bMr'r'
may reach the point where two of their sa^crS i er neSZ
.ure that ,f they can bathe there at the right moment J^
heir past sins will be washed away, and themseheradmitte I
to a place of future happiness. ^'"seive. admitted

Now mark the earnestness of that assemhlod ihronjr. Poor
sufFcrers, on the edge of the celebrated pool of liethesda, never
manifested more anxiety to bathe in those watere to which God
imparted, for a special purpose, a healing virtue, than do these
wretched Hindoos exhibit to cast themselves into the sacred
stream which their Priest has told them conveys spiritual heal-
ing. The sinrnal is now given,warning thf m that the proper time
ha" arrived and the living mass is in motion — each one strug-
gling to be before his fellow. Alas ! There are many in that
crowd, who, after -^n tb^ir toils in reaching the edge of the
water, are doomed to dissa[)pointment. Too weak to resist
the pressure, tluiy are trampled under foot and killed,
or crushed to death, standing upright, while many of
those who reach the stream are drowned. When tliat com-
pany leaves the shore, they will leave behind them from one
to two hundred corpses, in'addition to all that have perished,
since they set out. on their weary pilgrimage.

My Friends, this is Ilindooism, as witnessed by those who
have'lived in that country. Whether this betokens spiritual
peace, and satisfaction with their much lauded and ancient
forms of iaith, judge ye. Oh that they could hear of the
" blood that cleanseth from all sin." Then justified by faith,
they might have peace with God ? and rejoice in anticipation
of a blessed immortality.

Hark what mean those lamentations,

Rolling sadly through the sky ?
'Tis the cry of heathen nations —

" Come and help us, or we die !"
Hear the heathens' sad ciinplalning

Christians ! hear their dying cry :
And the love of Christ constraining,

Haste to help them, ere they die."

Can we, my hearers, hesitate respecting the duty of the
christian world toward India? Is it not plain that they need
the Word of God to enlighten them— to raise them to a high-
er position, as members of soci' — and, above all, to purify
their hearts, and prepare them k r a future state of existence.

" Publish to that barbarous nation
Peace and pardon from our God ;

Tell the heathen
None but Chrisl can do them good."

li-