Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

manna which was endowed with the tastes of the best fruits of several kinds

I. We do not find the latter observation in the book of Moses. Israel. I have told you from the beginning, that the book of Moses contains many hidden things, but not every one enters into the depth of them.

I have observed that the Samaritans, notwithstanding their rejection of the Talmud, have adopted notions of that book; as for instance, that an angel appeared to Joseph, and of the several tastes the manna was endowed with; fables taken out of rabbinical books. Or, perhaps, the rabbies have taken those notions from the Samaritans. I continued to ask him,

I. Have you still sacrifices?

Israel. (With a joyful countenance,) Yes, we sacrifice once every year an animal, on the feast of Passover, and we have a high-priest from the family of Aaron.

Poor Samaritans, no fire comes down from heaven to receive your sacrifice, it is no longer a sweet-smelling savour unto the Lord. Come to that High-Priest after the order of Melchisedek, who in the days of his flesh, offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears, unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared! Poor Samaritans, I shall have many things to say of him to you, on my arrival at Naplus. Dear Samaritan brethren! turn your eyes to that High-Priest, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens, who did offer up once a sacrifice for the people's sins, when he offered up himself.

Israel. (continued) I still could tell you more of the mount Gerizim, which was blessed, and mount Ebal, which was cursed, but you will be well informed at Naplus; but I must ask thee a question, my lord-We received some years ago, a letter by the way of Aleppo, which was written in France by two gentlemen, the name of the one was Gragier, but I have forgoten the name of the other.

I. What did they write to you?

Israel. They asked us deep questions, and among others, they asked us the reasons of our having given up the trial to seek every year for such and such an ox? Dost thou know, my lord, whether Gragier, and the other whose name I do not remember, reside in a city called Paris ?

I. Gragier, is most probably Monsieur Gregoire, and the other, perhaps, Sylvestre de Sacy. I could not understand well the description of that ox, nor was Mr. Joseph Damiani, who interpreted as often as I wanted a word, able to explain to me the meaning of it. I hope to inquire at Naplus; for that kind Samaritan gives me tomorrow letters for Naplus, so that I shall have a lodging in the house of a Samaritan Jew.

On my returning to the house of Mr. Damiani, Assaid Ahya Effendi, formerly commander of the castle at Jaffa, and now residing at Jerusalem, a Mussulman, entered the room of the Consul. As I had just with me the Arabic New Testament translated by Sabat, I showed

it to him, and desired him to read something in it, and tell me his observations about it. He read attentively the genealogy of Mat thew, and he exclaimed suddenly, "I observe a great error!"

I. Be so kind as to show me the error.

He showed me Matt. i. 24, and said, "And took unto him his wife," this is not true, for Jesus was not the son of Joseph, the Nabi, (prophet.)

1. The following verse answers your difficulty, "And knew her not, till she had brought forth," &c.

Assaid Ahya Effendi. Then the word wife is not well chosen, he ought to have said bride. The second error he found, was, that Matthew ought not to have said, Joseph was a just man; but that he was a Nabi, (prophet.)

He gave me a letter of introduction to a learned Mussulman at Jerusalem, whose name is Said Effendi, who will give me lessons in Arabic.

Dec. 30, 1821. Israel, the Samaritan, called again on me, and gave me a letter of introduction to his relatives at Naplus, the ancient Sichem. I asked whether they had the book of Joshua; he told me that they are only in possession of the history of Joshua, but the book itself is lost. I asked further, what do you think about the character of those men whom Jews and Christians consider as prophets?

Israel. Those persons have been the reasons that the schism among the Jews became every day stronger and stronger, and the enmity from the times of Joseph was established for ever. Ali, an old man, called by the Jews Elijah, came to the king of Samaria, who was a young man, and he (Ali) thought himself not honoured enough by the young king, and therefore, went about and exasperated the minds of the people against their king. Certainly, that was not the reason Elijah grieved, but rather that Ahaziah inquired of Beelze bub, as if there was not a God in Israel.

GREENLAND.--MORAVIAN MISSION.

LETTERS received from New Herrnhut, dated June and August 1821, mention, that the health of the Missionaries on that station continued favourable; while the prevalence of damp weather, during the months of June and July, had occasioned dangerous colds among the Greenlanders, which had interrupted the activity of the Missionaries, during the seven most auspicious weeks of the summer season, and in the sequel greatly augmented their labours. The spiritual state of the Greenland congregation was more encouraging and hopeful, than before; divine worship was very numerously attended throughout the winter, the communicants walked worthily of their profession, the young people were more attentive to the things be longing to their peace, and the children were in a better state of subordination. The indifference of ten persons who had been excluded, was a solitary cause of regret. From the date of the accou of last year down to the above period, six persons had been rece VOL. IX.

31

nte

as members of the congregation; eight admitted to the Lord's table; and five heathen, who had removed to new Herrnhut two years ago, were baptized. The congregation consisted of 362 souls, of which number, 168 were communicants. The winter had been uncommonly mild; the cold never exceeding 15 degrees below 0, by Reaumur's thermometer, and the Greenlanders suffered no want of provisions. On the 27th of February, they had a severe storm, resembling a tornado. One hundred years have elapsed, since the worthy Danish Missionary Egede commenced the Greenland mission; a jubilee has been appointed by the Danish Government, to be celebrated on the 16th Sunday after Trinity, whereof notice has been sent to all the settlements of the Danish and United Brethren's Missions. U. B. M. Intelligencer.

POLYNESIA. SANDWICH ISLANDS.

THE American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions intend to send a reinforcement to the mission established on this group of "the isles of the sea," early in next month. We shall not detail all the arguments and notices which have been published to draw public attention to this mission, but extract from the Missionary Herald, published some time ago, some remarks to which we would call the serious attention of our readers.

THERE can be no doubt, that ample supplies will be furnished to the mission under consideration, unless the deficiency arise from a too confident expectation that they will be furnished without effort. If Christians in one place wait to see what will be done by their brethren in other places, the proper time may elapse before any thing considerable is done at all. To avoid this unhappy issue, the Committee would urge upon those, who feel able to make an offering to this part of the Lord's service, that they do it immediately; that they invite the co-operation of others, in their respective circles; and that they act, as though much depended on their own exertions and examples, and without waiting for the example of others. It is intended to make some particular exertions at Boston, in behalf of this mission, immediately previous to the embarkation. The advantages, which such an occasion will present, are obvious; but the reasons, which make a delay proper in this case, do not apply to other cities and towns.

While the liberality of the Christian public is solicited to furnish the pecuniary means of supporting and increasing this mission, it is important that the temporal wants of the missionaries be not suffered to engross the thoughts of their friends and patrons. Their spiritual wants are much more urgent; and, unless they derive supplies from the inexhaustible Fountain of grace and wisdom, their condition will be wretched, and their labours ineffectual. Many pious persons seem to fall into the error of supposing, that missionaries are almost beyond the reach of temptation; that their hearts are always, and as a matter of course, kept in a state of progressive holiness; and that they are to be regarded rather as having achieved a complete triumph over the world and its snares, than as still subject to the same evils as other Christians. This is a great mistake. The best missionaries are willing to acknowledge their ex

posure to temptation and sin; and, beyond a doubt, this exposure is often peculiarly great. They are removed far from the influence of Christian society, and even from the restraints of civilization. They see nothing, in the character of heathens and savages, which reminds them of the piety and morality of the Gospel. They can seldom expect to be comforted by the visit of a pious stranger. They can have no Christian or ministerial intercourse, beyond the limits of their own little community. They are obliged to contend, at all times, against a thousand unfriendly influences from within and without. How shall they stand in these circumstances, unless God be on their side?

While they lay these things seriously to heart, and say, "If thy presence go not with us, carry us not up hence," let all, who have an interest at the throne of grace, importunately ask in their behalf, that they may well understand their own characters and motives, before they engage in the work; that they may never disappoint the hopes of the church, or of the heathen; that they may never bring reproach upon the holy cause, in which they are embarked; that, having put their hands to the plough, they may never look back; that they may make an entire and cheerful surrender of themselves to Christ, for his service among the heathen; that their health may be preserved, and their lives prolonged; that they may be delivered from perils of the sea, perils of the heathen, and perils of false brethren; that they may have wisdom to exert a salutary influence over all with whom they are called to associate; that they may never faint, nor be discouraged, even in the most appalling circumstances; that they may stand prepared for trials of many different kinds; that they may urge forward their work, with all possible industry, energy, and perseverance; that they may continually keep in view the embassy, on which they are sent, the eternal consequences of all they do, and the awful realities of the judgment day; that they may be men of prayer, holding daily communion with God, looking to Jesus as the Author and Finisher of their faith, and following Him, as the Captain of their salvation, and the only Hope of a perishing world; that they may obtain grace of the Lord to be successful, and may be encouraged, by evident tokens of his presence, to labour with increasing activity and zeal to the end of life; and that, having been the favoured instruments of planting the Gospel in islands where the true God was not known, they may experience the blessedness of those who have turned many to righteousness, and may be admitted to the society of faithful missionaries, who, from the times of the apostles to the present day, have extended the boundaries of the church, and been witnesses for Christ in the dark places of the earth.

UNITED STATES.-REVIVALS OF RELIGION,

In Tyringham, Mass.-A special meeting of the church was called, and from a conviction, that the existing state of things was greatly to be deplored, they voted to send out a committee to visit from house to house, and to submit a report at the next meeting. Twice was a committee sent out for this purpose and reports made. These exertions were accompanied by prayer, for which, by agreement, stated seasons were set apart by the church. The church in Lee, where there was a power

ful revival of religion, by request, and in conformity to the spirit and practice of the times, sent us a visiting committee. But the arm of religious exertion seemed to be paralyzed by the prevalence of sin and stupidity.

Previous to the time specified for another anxious meeting, the next week, it was seen that preparations were making among young people for a ball. This arrangement was deprecated by some as a serious evil; but others viewed it as an indication of good, as the last efforts of an expiring enemy, determined to give a parting blow. Nor were they mistaken. On the evening appointed for the ball, a number collected; but as the assembly was not graced by the presence of a single female, they soon dispersed with mortified feelings, with wounded pride, and with frustrated hopes.

The next evening about 25 attended the anxious meeting, some of whom began to hope and rejoice in the Lord Jesus; others were deeply convicted of sin, and the rest were more or less anxious about the concerns of the soul. The subsequent week, the number was considerably increased; and for a few of the succeeding weeks it continued with about an equal ratio of increase, until it amounted to rising of one hundred.

The revival in the month of March was slow and gradual in its progress. In this month there were not more than eight hopeful subjects of grace. On the last week in March, and on the first week in April, the revival broke forth with great power, and extended rapidly and in various directions from the place where it commenced its operations. It continued for a few days with accelerated force, and 39, as the fruits of it that week, were hopefully the subjects of conversion.

From this time the work advanced; not indeed with the rapidity and power by which it was so strongly marked the first week in April, but solemnly and steadily, and with distinctness and decision, till the middle of June. Eighty were induced to cherish a hope of pardoned sin.

Of the number, that have expressed hopes, about 40 have been examined, propounded, and on the first Sabbath in September, will make a religious profession, and for the first time will mingle with their brethren around the sacramental board. Others as fruits of the revival, will unite themselves to the church hereafter. A few individuals will probably be united to other denominations. Those who are about to profess their faith in the Redeemer, under the impressions received during the awakening, are principally from among the youth. Many family altars, perfumed with the morning and evening sacrifice, have been erected. The proportion of males to that of females, is as 2 to 3.

[ocr errors]

In Somers, Conn.-About eight weeks since it began to be manifest that the Spirit was moving upon the hearts of God's people, and that sinners where no longer indifferent to the momentous question of the trembling jailor. Soon the voice of distress was heard, and soon too it was mingled with that of rejoicing and praise. The work has been still, but powerful. Between 90 and 100 are rejoicing in hope. At our last meeting of anxious inquiry, about 170 were present, including 60, who hope that they have recently passed from death unto life. The work is still spreading, and has, perhaps, never been more interesting than at the present moment.

We have had information direct from South Wilbraham, that the number of hopeful converts in that town, and in Somers, is not far from

« AnteriorContinuar »