how he could
tell his wife so clearly that God sees, and hears, and knows the secret
thoughts of the heart, and all that we do, and yet that he had dared to
do all the vile things he had done.]

_Wife_.--Merciful! What you call dat?

_W.A._--He is our Father and Maker, and He pities and spares us.

_Wife_.--So then He never makee kill, never angry when you do wicked;
then He no good Himself, or no great able.

_W.A._--Yes, yes, my dear, He is infinitely good and infinitely great,
and able to punish too; and sometimes, to show His justice and vengeance,
He lets fly His anger to destroy sinners and make examples; many are cut
off in their sins.

_Wife_.--But no makee kill you yet; then He tell you, maybe, that He no
makee you kill: so you makee the bargain with Him, you do bad thing, He
no be angry at you when He be angry at other mans.

_W.A._--No, indeed, my sins are all presumptions upon His goodness; and
He would be infinitely just if He destroyed me, as He has done other men.

_Wife_.--Well, and yet no kill, no makee you dead: what you say to Him
for that? You no tell Him thankee for all that too?

_W.A._--I am an unthankful, ungrateful dog, that is true.

_Wife_.--Why He no makee you much good better? you say He makee you.

_W.A._--He made me as He made all the world: it is I have deformed myself
and abused His goodness, and made myself an abominable wretch.

_Wife_.--I wish you makee God know me. I no makee Him angry--I no do bad
wicked thing.

[Here Will Atkins said his heart sunk within him to hear a poor untaught
creature desire to be taught to know God, and he such a wicked wretch,
that he could not say one word to her about God, but what the reproach of
his own carriage would make most irrational to her to believe; nay, that
already she had told him that she could not believe in God, because he,
that was so wicked, was not destroyed.]

_W.A._--My dear, you mean, you wish I could teach you to know God, not
God to know you; for He knows you already, and every thought in your
heart.

_Wife_.--Why, then, He know what I say to you now: He know me wish to
know Him. How shall me know who makee me?

_W.A._--Poor creature, He must teach thee: I cannot teach thee. I will
pray to Him to teach thee to know Him, and forgive me, that am unworthy
to teach thee.

[The poor fellow was in such an agony at her desiring him to make her
know God, and her wishing to know Him, that he said he fell down on hi