begun and finished in it. Such a painful year I never passed, owing to
the privations I have been called to, on the one hand, and the
spectacle before me of human depravity on the other. But I hope I have
not come to this seat of Satan in vain. The Word of God has found its
way into Persia, and it is not in Satan's power to oppose its progress
if the Lord hath sent it."

The Psalms in Persian was finished by the middle of March.

On the 23d Mr. Martyn writes: "I called on the Vizier. In the court
where he received me, Mirza Ibraheem was lecturing. Finding myself so
near my old and respectable antagonist, I expressed a wish to see him,
on which Jaffier Ali Khan went up to ascertain if my visit would be
agreeable. The master consented, but some of the disciples demurred.
At last, one of them, observing that by the blessing of God on the
master's conversation I might possibly be converted, it was agreed
that I should be invited to ascend. Then it became a question where I
ought to sit. Below all would not be respectful to a stranger, but
above all the Moollahs could not be tolerated. I entered and was
surprised at the numbers. The room was lined with Moollahs on both
sides and at the top. I was about to sit down on the floor but was
beckoned to an empty place near the top, opposite to the master, who,
after the usual compliments, without further ceremony, asked me, 'What
we meant by calling Christ, God?' War being thus unequivocally
declared, I had nothing to do but stand upon the defensive. Mirza
Ibraheem argued temperately enough; but of the rest, some were very
violent and clamorous. The former asked 'if Christ had ever called
himself God--was he the Creator or a creature?' I replied, 'The
Creator.' The Moollahs looked at one another. Such a confession had
never before been heard among the Mohammedan doctors.

"One Moollah wanted to controvert some of my illustrations by
interrogating me about the personality of Christ. To all his questions
I replied by requesting the same information respecting his own
person. To another, who was rather contemptuous and violent, I said
'If you do not approve of our doctrine, will you be so good as to say
what God is, according to you, that I may worship a proper object?'
One said, 'the author of the universe.' 'I can form no idea from these
words,' said I, 'but of a workman at work upon a vast number of
materials. Is that a correct notion?' Another said, 'One who came of
himself i