Adventures and adventurers > Voyages and travels of a Bible

Of A BfBLE.
)3
lived, and tell thetn that they are perishing sinners, but that
they had good news for them;—that the Son of God had
become also the Son of man ; had obeyed God’s laws fcr
them, and made satisfaction to God for their sins, by dying
i) on a cross ; that he was now risen from the dead, and glori¬
fied at God’s right hand ; and that whosoever believed these
things, and made an open profession of their belief, should
be saved from the wrath to come; but that whosoever should
treat these things as idle tales, and not receive them in love,
should be condemned to sutler eternal misery in hell for their
unbelief.’
A female slave now rose, and, in a very humble strain,
(asked if there was nothing which God required us to do, in
order to obtain the pardon of our sins. ‘ Does he not even
command us to cut and scourge our flesh, that he may be
I pleased with us V ‘ JNo,’ said her master; ‘ you have heard
that Jesus did all that was necessary for obtaining onr par-;
don ; and nothing more glorifies the riches of his grace, and
the finished work of his Son, than our believing that pardon
and eternal life are freely granted tons through Jesus Christ.’
Every eye was fixed on Mr Sharp while answering these
simple but important inquiries. ‘ Lord, I believe,’ said one
—‘And so do I,’ said another. Then they wept bitterly that
ever they had offended such a kind and compassionate God;
and anxiously inquired how they should live to his praise
and glory for the future.
The only preacher in the town, where this family resided;
was a mere fop, who spent most of his time in the company
of the gay and thoughtless, 'and was as much so as any of
Ithem. His discourses on Sabbath were dry dissertation*
in favour of benevolence and charity, and against lying, steal¬
ing, and other gross vices ; but he seldom mentioned the
name of the Saviour, and never spoke of the necessity and
glory of his righteousness. The family were disgusted with
liis life,-and starved under his preaching. They resolved, for
the future, only to hear me preach to them on the first day
of the week.
Formerly, they had been accustomed to call a certain build¬
ing the church ; but, by my instructions, they began to loam
that a church of Christ was composed of a number of living
stones, or believers assembling together statedly, for the pur¬
poses of mutual edification ;• watching over one another;
observing all the-ordinances commanded by the Lord Jesus,
as King and Head of his body, the Church. When they
understood this, they looked round on each other, to'find
one who came nearest to a Christian bishop, as described by
St Faul, which description I faithfully repeated to them.