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father's house, and separated him from the Heathen, would provide a wife for his son from the household of faith. Thus leaving an example to believers, to be careful for the purity of their house, and the spiritual advantage of their offspring.

Mrs. N.-If I have not been misinformed, the followers of Mahomet, have an extreme respect for the memory of the Patriarch.

D.-Yes, Madam, they have, and also relate a variety of extraordinary circumstances concerning him: they tell us, that Abraham one day prayed to God, Lord, shew me how thou raisest the dead. The Lord answered, Hast thou not faith? Yes, Lord,

but this request I make for my own satisfaction. At the same time, the devil observing the carcase of a man, thrown by the sea on the shore, part whereof had been devoured by birds, wild beasts, and fishes, thought this was a fair opportunity to ensnare men, with regard to their belief of a resurrection. At that time, Abraham, by God's appointment, appeared on the shore, and the devil immediately accosted him, in the shape of a man, under surprise; asked him how it was possible the members of that carcase, dispersed in the bellies of so many different animals, should be re-united at the resurrection? Abraham replied: "He who had power to form all the

parts of our bodies out of nothing, may be very well able to re-unite them, from the several places where they are scattered: the potter crushes an earthen vessel, and, when he pleases, fashions it again of the same clay." God, afterwards, says to Abraham, Take four birds, tear them in pieces, and lay the divided parts of them on four separate mountains; then call them, and you shall see all these four birds immediately come to you. The Turks tell us, that the four birds mentioned by Mahomet, were the cock, the pigeon, the raven, and the peacock; that Abraham, after he had divided them, dissected them, then mingled them together; some add, that he

even pounded them in a mortar, and composed but one mass of them, of which he made four portions, which he placed on the tops of four different mountains; then holding up their heads, which had been reserved by him, he called them separately by their names, and each of them immediately returned, and re-joined its head, and flew away. Thus God convinced Abraham of a resurrection.

The Maji, or worshippers of fire, (still subsisting in Persia) have equal respect for Abraham as the Musselman.

The Jews also narrate very singular stories, concerning this venerable patriarch, they say, that Terah, the father. of Abraham, was an idolater, and like

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wise a dealer in, and maker of idols. It chanced one time, that Terah went on a journey, and left Abraham to take care of, and dispose of the idols during his absence.

When a man came to purchase an idol, Abraham asked him his age. When the man had answered him, Abraham replied: "Can it be possible, that a person of your years can be so stupid, as to worship that which was made but yesterday?" The man being quite overwhelmed with shame, hung down his head, and departed. In this manner he served several. At length, there came an old woman, with a measure of fine flour in her hand, which she told him, she had brought as an offering

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