By the ceremonies which are performed at their funerals, this wretched people expect to secure the pardon of all the sins of those who have died.  Alas, what a delusion!  O, that Christians had sent the Gospel to this dark land in the days when they sent it to our heathen fathers.  Then might the Hindoos now be seeking the expiation of their sins, through the blood of the ever-blessed Redeemer.  Of this Redeemer, however, they know nothing.  They enter eternity, not that their souls may be consumed as their bodies have been, but to endure the flames of divine wrath for ever and ever.  Alas, alas, that it should be so!  O, that the generation of Christians now living would lay these things to heart, and do what they can, through grace, to rescue those who are yet within the reach of hope from so tremendous a doom.  What, my dear children, will you do for this purpose?

CHAPTER VI.

THE GODS OF THE HINDOOS.

My dear Children—­The word heathen is applied to those who worship idols, or who do not know any thing about the true God.  This is the case with this people.  They say that there is one supreme being, whom they call BRAHM; but he is very different from Jehovah, and is never worshipped.  Generally, he is fast asleep.  In the place of Brahm, they worship many gods—­gods of all colors:  some black, some white, some blue, some red—­gods of all shapes and sizes:  some in the shape of beasts, some in the shape of men; some partly in the shape of beasts, and partly in the shape of men, having four, or ten, or a hundred, or a thousand eyes, heads, and hands.  They ride through the air on elephants, buffaloes, lions, sheep, deer, goats, peacocks, vultures, geese, serpents, and rats.  They hold in their hands all kinds of weapons, offensive and defensive, thunderbolts javelins, spears, clubs, bows, arrows, shields, flags, and shells.  They are of all employments.  There are gods of the heavens above and of the earth below, gods of wisdom and of folly, gods of war and of peace, gods of good and of evil, gods of pleasure, gods of cruelty and wrath, whose thirst must be satiated with torrents of blood.  These gods fight and quarrel with one another.  They lie, steal, commit adultery, murder, and other crimes.  They pour out their curses when they cannot succeed in their wicked plots, and invent all kinds of lying tales to hide their wickedness.

There are three principal gods, who compose what is called the Hindoo triad.  Their names are Brumha, Vrishnoo, and Siva.  They were somehow drawn from Brahm’s essence, on one occasion when he was awake.  Brumha, they say, is the creator of the world, Vrishnoo the preserver, and Siva the destroyer.  Brumha has no temple erected for his worship, on account of a great falsehood which he told.  I will tell you what it was.  Once, as it is said, there was a dispute between him and Vrishnoo, as to who is the greatest.  While thus disputing, Siva appeared