ppiness. Indeed, I believe the savage was as good a
Christian as I; and I hope we were equally penitent; and such penitents
as were comforted and restored by God's Holy Spirit; for now we had the
word of the Lord to instruct us in the right way, as much as if we had
been on the English shore.

By the constant application I made to the Scriptures, as I read them to
my man Friday, I earnestly endeavoured to make him understand every part
of it, as much as lay in my power. He also, on the other hand, by his
very serious questions and inquiries, made me a much better proficient
in Scripture knowledge, than I should have been by my own private
reading and study. I must not omit another thing, proceeding from the
experience I had in my retirement: It was that infinite and
inexpressible blessing, the knowledge of God through Jesus Christ, which
was so plain and easy to be understood, as immediately to direct me to
carry on the great work of sincere repentance for my sins, and laying
hold of a Saviour for eternal life, to a practical stated reformation,
and obedience to all God's institutions, without the assistance of a
reverend and orthodox divine; and especially by this same instruction,
so to enlighten this savage creature, as to make him so good a
Christian, as very few could exceed him. And there was only this great
thing wanting, that I had no authority to administer the Holy Sacrament,
that heavenly participation of Christ's body and blood; yet, however, we
rested ourselves content; that God would accept our desires, and
according to our faith, have mercy on us.

But what we wanted one way, was made up in another, and that was
universal peace in our little church. We had no disputes and wrangling
about the nature and equality of the holy, blessed, and undivided
Trinity, no niceties in doctrine, or schemes of church government; no
sour or morale dissenters to impose more sublimated notions upon us; no
pedant sophisters to confound us with unintelligible mysteries: but,
instead of all this, we enjoyed the most certain guide to Heaven; that
is, the word of God: besides which, we had the comfortable views of his
Spirit leading us to the truth, and making us both willing and obedient
to the instruction of his word. As the knowledge and practice of this
are the principal means of salvation, I cannot see what it avails any
christian church, or man in the world, to amuse himself with
speculations and opinions, except it be to