he congregation increased. They are continually saying, "Visit us
as often as you can." The clergyman in that neighbourhood has preached
against baptism; but I have lately observed, where there is the most
opposition, there is the greatest spirit of inquiry, and the largest
congregations.

Since I have been in this superstitious island (and surely this is the
place "where Satan's seat is"), I have sometimes thought of what my
affectionate pastor told me when he was living, just before I left
England. Calling me by my name, he said, "Whatever others do, let it be
your determination to preach Jesus; wherever you take your stand, there
let the cross be erected. Dagon fell when the ark of God was set up in
his presence; they set him up the second time, but behold, Dagon was
fallen upon his face to the ground and broken to pieces; so if you set
up Christ, with a single eye to his glory, Antichrist must fall; 'my
word shall not return unto me void.'"

During the next month, if all is well, as I shall have a long journey
inspecting the schools, I hope to have many opportunities of proclaiming
the gospel to those that are now sitting in darkness. I pray that the
Lord may command a blessing, even life for evermore.

J. BATES.

_To_ MR. THOMAS.
_Ballycar, Nov. 13, 1834._

October 29. Being asked by a Roman Catholic why I would not pray to the
Saints, and implore their intercession; I replied, Because I have no
authority in Scripture for it. But on the contrary, St. Paul says,
"There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the Man Christ
Jesus;" and the Saviour himself says, in John xiv. 6, "I am the way, the
truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me;" and he
also says, "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, I will do
it." Now since all we ask the Father, in the name of the Son, is granted
unto us, why should we address ourselves to other mediators? We also
read in 1 John ii. 1: "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

Nov. 2. In Quin, entering into a conversation with two persons, on the
necessity of reading the Scriptures, one of them replied, that their
clergy would not permit them to read them. I asked him, which should he
obey, his priest or God? He replied, God. "Therefore you should read,
and not only read but search, the Scriptures; for Christ himself says,
'Search the Scriptures;' and a