“I ought to have made known to you before this, the safe arrival of the Bibles and New Testaments. We have no troops here at present to dispose of them to. The Europeans hereabout will take a few to distribute at prime cost. A fortnight since beloved Martyn passed this by _dawk_.[51] He staid only three days, and you will have heard by this time of his safe arrival at Cawnpore on the 29th. ult. Sabat has left us this morning. The heat of his temper broke out against a washerman who had changed a sheet, but there seems no doubt of the grace of God being in him. He lived with us since the 7th. At Benares, he had intended to pass some days, but about forty persons who had formerly known him, came tumultuously to the boat, and after much confused dispute, he thought it prudent to come on here. We have for some time been engaged about a Church at Benares; a subscription of about 3000 Rupees has been made, and a spot of ground is fixed on. I trust now all opposition is silenced, though not entirely done away. The hearts of some haters of all good have been brought to give money even. One family is highly respectable and regular in religious duties. One young officer has become a new creature. Of the rest, few alas! seem willing to go any further. Martyn wishes for my removal. I did not desire it before he came, now I should have no objection to it. Less labour than is now put forth on, perhaps in all, eighty people, (for the remainder give me no opportunity of labouring for them,) would serve for eight hundred, and if winning souls be our highest wisdom, the more we win, the wiser we shall be accounted. Yet the fear that my Benares congregation would be left without a shepherd, makes me glad to continue. At Chunar, all seem dead and lifeless. Some of the poor women are indeed, growing in grace, and that should not be accounted little. One of them two days since, on asking her in what way she must attain to God’s presence with peace, replied, ‘If I remember the name of Jesus Christ: and repenting of my sins, put my trust in him, I shall doubtless attain God’s presence.’ Several are equally well informed, and Martyn expressed great satisfaction at their attentive repetition of the responses, in prayer &c. Sabat holds my poor old man in utter disdain for his comparative ignorance. Sabat is indeed a very superior man; none of the Moonshees can stand before him. He is most amusing with his logic on all occasions. Some of the gay friends of a pious young officer, asked him if it were not written in Scripture, that men shall become bears? He, in the simplicity of his heart, asked Martyn and myself at Dinapore, before Sabat, if there were such a passage of Scripture? Sabat replied,