ge towards Persia: "All down the Bay of Bengal I
could do nothing but sit listless, viewing the wide waste of water, a
sight that would have been beautiful had I been well. In my Hebrew
researches I scarcely ever felt so discouraged. All the knowledge I
thought I had acquired became uncertain, and consequently I was
unhappy. It was in vain that I reflected that thousands live and die
happy without such knowledge as I am in search of.

"Proposed family prayer every night in the cabin--no objection was
made.

"February 18, anchored off Bombay. This day I finished the thirtieth
year of my unprofitable life, the age at which David Brainerd finished
his course. I am now at the age at which the Savior of men began his
ministry, and at which John the Baptist called a nation to repentance.
Hitherto I have made my youth and insignificance an excuse for sloth
and imbecility, now let me have a character and act boldly for God.

"March 5. Feerog, a Parsee who is considered the most learned man
here, called to converse about religion. He spoke Persian and seemed
familiar with Arabic. He began by saying that no one religion had more
evidences of its truth than another, for that all the miracles of the
respective founders depended upon tradition. This I denied. He
acknowledged that the writer of the Zendavesta was not cotemporary
with Zoroaster. After disputing and raising objections he was left
without an answer, but continued to cavil. 'Why' said he, 'did the
Magi see the star in the East and none else? from what part of the
East did they come? and how was it possible that their king should
come to Jerusalem in seven days?' The last piece of information he had
from the Armenians. I asked him whether he had any thoughts of
changing his religion. He replied with a contemptuous smile, 'No,
every man is safe in his own religion.' I asked him, 'What sinners
must do to obtain pardon?' 'Repent,' said he. I asked, 'Would
repentance satisfy a creditor or a judge?' 'Why, is it not said in the
gospel,' rejoined he, 'that we must repent?' I replied, 'It cannot be
proved from the gospel that repentance alone is sufficient, or good
works, or both.' 'Where then is the glory of salvation?' he said; I
replied, 'In the atonement of Christ.' 'All this' said he, 'I know,
but so the Mohammedans say, that Hosyn was an atonement for the sins
of men.' He then began to criticise the translations he saw on the
table.

"April 23. Moscat, Arabia. Went on