Page:Voyages and travels of a Bible.pdf/6

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VOYAGES AND TRAVELS

love, were much inereased by it; and I eontinued his bosom companion for many years. He walked in the fear of God, and in the eomforts of his Holy Spirit, till at length he entered with triumph into the eternal joy of his Lord.

After conducting Mr William to the gates of the New Jerusalem, I was sent for to residc with a young man in the middling ranks of life, who had received a liberal and religious cducation from his parents, lately removed from this poor world. He lived what men call a good moral life. He regularly conversed with me twice every day, and prayed in his closet morning and evening. On the Sabbath, I talked to him from dinner to supper. An old unele of his perpetually exhorted him to go abroad to amass a fortune, and he consulted me on the subject. Hold him to be content with such things as he had; for that numbers were ruined through the deceitfulness of riches. Labour not for the meat that perisheth,’ said I, ‘but for that which endureth to everlasting life.’ He now reasoned with his unele against going abroad, merely to makc money; he deelared that the object was a pitiful one to an immortal creature, who must soon bid an eternal adieu to the affairs of time. However, he at last consented to go a voyage to the West Indies. He sailed from Liverpool, and took me along with him. As all the passengers in the ship were profane sinners, he was ashamed to let me be seen, and I was hid in a corner of the state-room. On the first Sabbath morning, he took a single peep at me before the other passengers awoke. I hastily told him to Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy; and he resolved to abide by my advice. The passengers asked him to take a hand at cards, but he refused. ‘Pho!’ said they, ‘we have got a Mcthodist along with us; we shall have nice sport with him. They teazed him the whole day, and poor George could not well bear it. One bold sinner asserted that, before they reached their destination, they would have all his enthusiasm hammered out of him.

George, having none to encourage and countenance him, and not possessing firmness sufficient for confessing me before men, resolved to give up his religion, during the voyage, and to comply with their abandoned customs while he continued in the ship; thus he fell before temptation.

One day, in the midst of his merriment, he reeollected an advice which I had solemnly given him. It was this:—‘When sinners entiee thee, consent thou not.’ Immediately he rushed out of the eabin, threw himself on his bed, and wept bitterly. He called out, (but not so loud as to be heard,) ‘I have ruined my soul; Oh! what would my worthy mother have said, had she witnessed my conduet for days past!’ On his return to tho cabin, tho sadness of his eountenance was