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viour Jefus Chrift; and they likewife promised us, that they would never have any differences or dif putes, one with another, about religion.

When I came to Will Atkins's house (I may call it fo; for fuch a houfe, or fuch a piece of basket-work, I believe was not standing in the world again !) I fay, when I came thither, I found the young woman I have mentioned above, and William Atkins's wife, were become intimates; and this prudent, religious young woman, had perfected the work Will Atkins had begun; and though it was not above four days after what I have related, yet the new-baptized favage woman was made fuch a Chriftian, as I have feldom heard of any like her, in all my obfervation or converfation in the world.

It came next into my mind, in the morning, before I went to them, that among all the needful things I had to leave with them, I had not left a bible; in which I fhewed myfelf lefs confidering for them, than my good friend the widow was for me, when she sent me the cargo of 100l. from Lisbon, where the packed up three bibles and a prayer-book. However, the good woman's charity had a greater extent than ever fhe imagined; for they were referved for the comfort and inftruction of thofe that made much better use of them than I had done.

I took one of the bibles in my pocket, and when I came to William Atkins's tent, or houfe, I found the young woman, and Atkins's baptized wife, had been difcourfing of religion together; (for William Atkins told it me, with a greal deal of joy.) I asked, if they were together now? And he faid yes; fo I went into the house, and he with me, and we found them together,

together, very earneft in difcourfe: O, Sir, fays William Atkins, when God has finners to reconcile to himself, and aliens to bring home, he never wants a meffenger: My wife has got a new inftructor; I knew I was unworthy, as I was incapable of that work; that young woman has been fent hither from Heaven; fhe is enough to convert a whole island of favages. The young woman blushed, and rose up to go away, but I defired her to fit ftill; I told her she had a good work upon her hands, and I hoped God would bless her in it.

We talked a little,, and I did not perceive they had any book among them, though I did not afk; but I put my hand in my pocket, and pulled out my bible; Here, faid I to Atkins, I have brought you an affiftant, that, perhaps, you had not before. The man was fo confounded, that he was not able to fpeak for fome time; but recovering himself, he takes it with both hands, and, turning to his wife, Here, my dear, fays he, did not I tell you, our God, though he lives above, could hear what we faid? Here is the book I prayed for, when you and I kneeled down under the bufh; now God has heard us and fent it. When he had faid thus, the man fell into fuch transports of a paffionate joy, that between the joy of having it, and giving God thanks for it, the tears ran down his face like a child that was crying.

The woman was furprized, and was like to have run into a mistake, that none of us were aware of; for the firmly believed God had sent the book upon her husband's petition: It is true, that providentially it was fo, and might be taken fo in a confequent

fense;

fense; but I believed it would have been no difficult matter, at that time, to have perfuaded the poor woman to have believed, that an express meffenger came from heaven, on purpose to bring that individual book; but it was too ferious a matter to fuffer any delufion to take place: So I turned to the young woman, and told her, we did not desire to impose upon the new convert, in her firft and more ignorant understanding of things; and begged her to explain to her, that God may be very properly faid to answer our petitions, when in the courfe of his Providence, fuch things are, in a particular manner, brought to pafs, as we petitioned for; but we do not expect returns from Heaven, in a miracu lous and particular manner; and that it is our mercy it is not fo.

This the young woman did afterwards effectually; fo that there was, I affure you, no priestcraft used here; and I should have thought it one of the most unjustifiable frauds in the world, to have had it so: but the furprize of joy upon Will Atkins, is really not to be expreffed; and there, we may be fure, was no delufion. Sure no man was ever more thankful in the world for any thing of its kind, than he was for this bible; and I believe, never any man was glad of a bible from a better principle; and though he had been a moft profligate creature, defperate, headstrong, outrageous, furious, and wicked to a great degree; yet this man is a standing rule to us all, for the well inftructing children; viz. That parents should never give over to teach and inftruct, or ever defpair of the fuccefs of their endeavours, let the children be ever fo obftinate, refractory, or, to

appear

appearance, infenfible of inftruction; for if ever God in his Providence touches the confciences of fuch, the force of their education returns upon them, and the early inftruction of parents is not loft, though it may have been many years laid asleep; but, fome time or other, they may find the benefit of it.

Thus it was with this poor man. However ignorant he was, or divested of religion and Christian knowledge, he found he had fome to do with now more ignorant than himself; and that the leaft part of the inftruction of his good father, that could now come to his mind, was of use to him.

Among the reft it occurred to him, he faid, how his father used to infift much upon the inexpreffible value of the bible; the privilege and blessing of it to nations, families, and perfons; but he never entertained the least notion of the worth of it till now; when, being to talk to heathens, favages, and barbarians, he wanted the help of the written oracle for his affiftance.

The young woman was very glad of it alfo, for the prefent occafion, though fhe had one; and fo had the youth on board our fhip, among the goods which were not yet brought on fhore. And now, having faid fo many things of this young woman, I cannot omit telling one ftory more of her and myself, which has fomething in it very informing and

remarkable.

I have related to what extremity the poor young woman was reduced; how her mistress was ftarved to death, and did die, on board that unhappy fhip we met at sea; and how the whole fhip's VOL. II.

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company being reduced to the laft extremity, the gentlewoman, and her fon, and this maid, were first hardly used, as to provisions; and, at last, totally neglected and starved; that is to say, brought to the last extremity of hunger.

One day, being difcourfing with her upon the extremities they fuffered, I afked her, if fhe could describe, by what fhe felt, what it was to starve, and how it appeared? She told me, fhe believed the could; and he told her tale very diftinctly thus:

First, Sir, said she, we had for some days fared exceeding hard, and fuffered very great hunger; but now, at last, we were wholly without food of any kind, except fugar, and a little wine, and a little water. The first day after I had received no food at all, I found myself, towards evening, first empty and fickish at my ftomach; and nearer night, mightily inclined to yawning, and fleepy; I laid down on a couch in the great cabin, to fleep; and flept about three hours, and awaked a little refreshed, having taken a glafs of wine when I lay down: after being about three hours awake, it being about five o'clock in the morning, I found myself empty, and my ftomach fickish again, and laid down again; but could not fleep at all, being very faint and ill: and thus I continued all the fecond day, with a strange variety; firft hungry, then fick again, with reachings to vomit the fecond night, being obliged to go to bed again, without any food more than a draught of fair water, and being afleep, I dreamed I was at Barbadoes, and that the market was mightily stocked with provisions; that I bought fome for my mistress, and went and dined very heartily.

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