to his former place of abode, Haarlem, in order to get a livelihood. They had scarcely arrived here, when it pleased God, in his mysterious providence, to try the faith of these young converts with peculiar afflictions. Till now, the poor man used to comfort himself under all his trials: We are all, thanks be to the Lord, in good health, and can work; therefore we must not murmur, for we are still better off than those who have illness in their families.' But all at once, five of his children were taken ill. "One of these children, a fine boy, nine years of age, Abraham by name, the darling child of his affectionate father, became dangerously ill; he was attacked by a malignant ague, and words would fail to describe the piety with which he tried to comfort his suffering brothers and sisters, and persuade them to take their medicine. On the day when the ague was not so severe, he repeated the catechism, which he had already learned, and passages of Scripture,-fearing he might forget them. After several weeks of suffering, the ague left him; but dropsy attacked him, and took its place, and so dreadfully that all hope of recovery was given up. "His suffering parents standing at his bedside, shortly before his departure to his eternal rest, crying and sobbing, the little sufferer said to them, Oh! do not cry, for Abraham is going to the Lord Jesus Christ, where all Christian children go to. His sufferings became excruciating, but not a murmur was heard. On the day of his death he was observed continually in prayer, ejaculating every now and then, Lord Jesus! deliver! O deliver me!' The Lord Jesus did deliver him; he fell asleep with a heavenly smile upon his placid face, and angels carried his redeemed soul into the bosom of 'Father Abraham.' The parents, who, up to that time, were inclined to murmur, now fell on their knees and praised the Lord for having thus dealt with their dear departed child. 'Now, Lord,' they exclaimed, now we believe, O pardon our unbelief.' Their other children recovered, but none is like departed Abraham. May the Lord prepare them to meet their little brother in the mansions of light and glory!" CAIRO. Some particulars in the history of Mr. Luria, a Jewish Convert now labouring amongst the Jews at Cairo. (Concluded from page 93.) But my trials did not end here. I claimed my child; but, unfortunately, the Russian Consul had now forgotten to whom, according to the laws of his country, the child belonged. He therefore assured me he would consult the code of civil laws at home, and answer me on his next visit to Jerusalem. He remembered, however, that I must pay my wife for nursing her child then at her breast, else, he said, I should have no claim on the child. I had, accordingly, paid her for fourteen months successively when the Consul again came to Jerusalem. I visited him, but he said he was much occupied, and therefore would be glad to see me next day; but on that day, at sun-rise, he left Jerusalem. After a few days, my wife and child were sent secretly away to Russia. They arrived safely there, and went directly to my grandfather, with whom she left my child; then she went to her native place, to visit her relations. In vain did the Jews fight against God; all their schemes proved abortive, and all their stratagems were entirely frustrated. They prevailed thus far that they plundered and harassed me, but completely failed in their endeavours to prevent her conversion. They thought her quite safe when sent off to the other side of the sea; but it seems they had forgotten the history of Jonah, whence they might have learned that there is nowhere to flee to from the presence of the Lord. God's ways are not our ways. In Russia my wife found several of her relatives, merchants who traded to Königsberg, where they have many opportunities to hear the pure Gospel preached, by the Society's missionary, and discovered that they held quite a different opinion respecting Christianity. They censured her ill demeanour towards me, on account of my embracing Christianity; and admitted their own favourable disposition towards it. They showed her the Hebrew New Testaments which they had brought with them from Germany, and incessantly urged her to return to me, and embrace the religion which they teach. Two years were spent, however, before she was induced to act accordingly. About three months ago she arrived here, and first took up her abode with her sister. After a few days' rest, she found out where I lived, and came and related to me the state of her mind, and her final determination to return to me. She had not yet had full experience of the evil system which passes by the name of Rabbinism; when she was about freely to acknowledge Christ as her Saviour, I anticipated the consequence, and advised her to remove from her sister's all she had; but she could not imagine that the sister whom she much loved would do her any harm, and she therefore left all she had in her hands. She had entirely forgotten what an enmity the offence of the cross had once caused between ourselves, after we had spent together so many years of the greatest harmony! She was now to be compensated with the same measure which she had measured to me. Her brother-in-law, with the advice of the Rabbies, drew up a bill against her, amounting to 4,000 piastres, signed by two witnesses, each of whom received two hundred piastres; consequently all her goods were retained until the pretended debt should be paid. The matter was brought before the Russian Consul of I-, then there. I undertook to prove that the witnesses were false. I could have done so, as the witnesses themselves confessed the truth to some Christians. The business was, however, postponed from day to day, till the Consul went away. All that she had fell into her brother-in-law's hands. Having, by God's help, quieted her mind from these troubles, she begun to receive from me daily instruction in the truth as it is in Jesus. Mr. Ewald also examined her several times, as to her knowledge of Christianity. I went with her to Mr. Nicolayson also, who had long conversations with her on the religion which she desired to embrace, and ended with a most solemn and affecting prayer. Her admission into the Church by baptism took place the twenty-first of last month,* at the daily Hebrew service. The same person who, in opposition to Christianity, had separated herself from her husband, and suffered him to be most cruelly treated, and exposed herself to dangers by sea and land, in order to secure her * November, 1846. child from being trained up a Christian, has thus been led, by the grace of God, ultimately to forsake house, brethren, sister, yea, all she had, for Christ's sake. THE LORD'S ADVENT. ISAIAH lii. 1, 2, 7—9. HARK! what triumphant strains break forth, They echo through the mountains round, Behold, He comes! the Messenger He comes, the broken heart to heal, Her sorrows now are o'er. The Lord hath pardon'd all her sin, He calls her from the dust to rise, He clothes her with his own bright robe, And in the palace of their King The bridal train appear. (Ps. xlv. 14, 15.) And now one rapt'rous song resounds From heaven, and earth, and sea; Jerusalem is free! Macintosh, Printer, Great New-street, London. M. |