country.
[Will Atkins laughed a little at her expression of God not making
her country.]
WIFE. – No laugh; why laugh me? This no ting to laugh.
[He was justly reproved by his wife, for she was more serious than
he at first.]
W.A. – That’s true, indeed; I will not laugh any more, my dear.
WIFE. – Why you say you God makee all?
W.A. – Yes, child, our God made the whole world, and you, and me,
and all things; for He is the only true God, and there is no God
but Him. He lives for ever in heaven.
WIFE. – Why you no tell me long ago?
W.A. – That’s true, indeed; but I have been a wicked wretch, and
have not only forgotten to acquaint thee with anything before, but
have lived without God in the world myself.
WIFE. – What, have you a great God in your country, you no know
Him? No say O to Him? No do good ting for Him? That no possible.
W.A. – It is true; though, for all that, we live as if there was no
God in heaven, or that He had no power on earth.
Wife. – But why God let you do so? Why He no makee you good live?
W.A. – It is all our own fault.
WIFE. – But you say me He is great, much great, have much great
power; can makee kill when He will: why He no makee kill when you
no serve Him? no say O to Him? no be good mans?
W.A. – That is true, He might strike me dead; and I ought to expect
it, for I have been a wicked wretch, that is true; but God is
merciful, and does not deal with us as we deserve.
WIFE. – But then do you not tell God thankee for that too?
W. A. – No, indeed, I have not thanked God for His mercy, any more
than I have feared God from His power.
WIFE. – Then you God no God; me no think, believe He be such one,
great much power, strong: no makee kill you, though you make Him
much angry.
W.A. – What, will my wicked life hinder you from believing in God?
What a dreadful creature am I! and what a sad truth is it, that the
horrid lives of Christians hinder the conversion of heathens!
WIFE. – How me tink you have great much God up there [she points up
to heaven], and yet no do well, no do good ting? Can He tell?
Sure He no tell what you do?
W.A. – Yes, yes, He knows and sees all things; He hears us speak,
sees what we do, knows what we think though we do not speak.
WIFE. – What! He no hear you curse, swear, speak de great damn?
W.A. – Yes, yes, He hears it all.
WIFE. – Where be then the much great power strong?
W.A. – He is merciful, that is all we can say for it; and this
proves Him to be the true God; He is God, and not man, and
therefore we are not consumed.
[Here Will Atkins told us he was struck with horror to think 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