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feelings to themselves, that they made known the circumstances to the Rev. S. Herschel, Chief Rabbi, who has the power of deciding these matters. He requested my suspension until he heard again from the congregation, in order finally to decide. This was one of the most painful periods of my life, Satan stirred up every possible means to present fears and doubts

to me.

"Those who are acquainted with human nature, and with the influence of early education will easily be able to judge in what a painful situation I was then placed. By following the dictates of my conscience I had nothing else to expect than to lose all that was valuable to me in this world, a comfortable and sufficient liveli hood, together with the affections and friendship of all who were dear to me. But by yielding to the entreaties of my friends I should have inflicted a wound upon my conscience: in short, many painful ideas presented themselves to me,-the giving up all (to which I was evidently called) the prejudices of early impressions, and the prospect of having to take up a new and heavy cross in my future life.

"All these considerations so tended to increase my distress of mind, that if there could have been found at that time any means whatever to reconcile me to my former views, I should have gladly used them.* However, this was not the Lord's will. A week afterwards I was finally suspended, and I had evidently pointed out to me the way in which I was to go: I began to

*"In proof of this I must state, that so great was the struggle, and so earnest the entreaties of my friends at that time that I was even induced to appeal personally, and also by letter, to the leader of the congregation, to

submit myself to the Lord to follow him; and soon afterwards regularly attended the ministry of a dear friend (the Rev. Mr. Golding, then officiating at Stonehouse Chapel), to whose spiritual instruction I am greatly indebted. Having also been brought into immediate connexion with many Christian friends, my mind became more and more established, which led me finally to embrace the Christian faith as my future hope for time and for eternity.

"To my Jewish friends, whose kindness toward me I shall ever remember, I beg to take this opportunity of returning my sincere thanks: and though I am sensible of being an outcast from them, yet I trust I shall never be unmindful of them before a throne of grace in my feeble prayers, 'that the Lord may bless and keep them, that the Lord may cause his face to shine upon them, and be gracious unto them, that the Lord may lift up the light of his countenance, and give them peace,' even the peace of God, which passeth all understanding.' Amen.

"M. S. ALEXANDER."

DEATH OF A HEBREW GIRL.

LETTER FROM HER FATHER.

IN our number for July, 1845, we gave an account of the death of a Hebrew girl, who had been placed by her parents in the school of the Society, where she had gained a knowledge of the Gospel of Christ. Of her the Chaplain of

say that I should be happy to retrace my steps, if any means could be found to remove the difficulties by which I was encompassed."

the Society said, "For a few weeks before her death, there is reason to believe that prayer was her great support and consolation." Her end

was peace. At the time of her death her father was absent from England, and the sad tidings of his daughter's death reached him in a far-off land. They seem to have affected him deeply, and it may be hoped, under the Divine blessing, that they have been good, though "heavy tidings." In a letter to the Committee of the London Society, he says:

"I hope you will excuse the confused manner in which these few lines, in the shape of an acknowledgment of your kindness to my late and much-lamented daughter, have been put together. I beg leave to inform you, that they are written with feelings of the sincerest gratitude, and I am only sorry that I cannot express them personally, owing to the distance which intervenes between us.

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My daughter is, I feel convinced, in heaven; and to you, Gentlemen, and those appointed by you for the instruction of the children placed so providentially in your charitable Institution, I owe my gratitude for having led my daughter into the path of salvation, and to the glory of an immortal life, in her Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be all honour and glory. Amen.

"I bow in submission to the will of the Almighty, who thought fit in his mercy and goodness to take my daughter dear into his realms of bliss, where there is neither weeping nor wailing. I hope, Gentlemen, should it please the Lord to spare me once more to return to my native land, to have the opportunity of having that solemn rite of baptism performed, and which I have so long and ardently wished for.

"Trusting, Gentlemen, that you will receive this acknowledgment as it is meant, and by so doing confer a further obligation on one who will always deem himself as one of your humble and devoted servants,

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We have given the above letter because it is a pleasing and just acknowledgment, on the writer's part, of benefits which his daughter had received in our schools; and also, because her death seems to have been the means of arousing him to greater earnestness, and deepening the convictions which have for a long time existed in his mind. There have been many instances in the schools in which the children, whilst living, have been made God's messengers to their parents; and here we learn how, by the silent lips of the departed, He can likewise speak.

We would urge upon our young friends the duty of praying for the boys and girls in the schools of the Society, that the instruction which is given may be so blessed that they may be saved; and also become the means of much good to their parents and their nation.

UNCHANGEABLENESS OF EASTERN CUSTOMS. PLOUGHING WITH OXEN.

*

"THE traveller in Palestine, in the time of harvest, will witness in the vicinity of every town or village a busy scene of no small interest as a Scripture illustration. It is the threshing out of the grain which has just been brought in from the fields. The process is as follows:-A space of ground is chosen of sufficient size for the purpose, and mostly in a quarter exposed to the wind; the rock, which is generally near the surface, is cleared of the superincumbent soil or

*From "Williams's Holy City." p. 14.

sand, levelled where necessary, and thus prepared for the treading of the cattle, which are then turned in, to trample over the sheaves until the straw is reduced to chaff, and the grain completely separated from the husks. Sometimes, but rarely, a threshing instrument, having teeth,' and drawn by the hand or by oxen, is used in addition. The corn is then tossed into the air with shovels, and winnowed with the wind, which carries away the lighter particles, the grain only falling back to the threshingfloor by its own weight.*

"The customs of the Orientals in agriculture are not subject to change, and, as are their threshingfloors at this day, such we may conclude them to have been in the days of David. And such would be the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite, which was selected by Divine appointment for the erection of the Temple, having been signalized before by an act of mercy, as the spot where the hand of the destroying angel who smote Jerusalem was stayed." (2 Sam. xxiv. 18; 2 Chron. iii. 1.)

*There are frequent allusions to this practice in the holy Scriptures. Deut. xxv. 14; 1 Cor. ix. 9, and 1 Tim. v. 18; Isaiah xli. 15. To the winnowing the corn there is reference made in Job xxi. 18; Ps. i. 4; Ps. xxxv. 5; and in Isaiah xxx.24; Dan. ii. 35; Hosea xiii. 3.

LOVE TO ISRAEL.

"Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.”—Rom. x. 1.

"Why is my heart so cold

Towards Israel's scattered seed!

Shall I my prayer withhold,

That Israel may be freed

From bondage worse than Egypt's chain,
And brought where joy and gladness reign?"

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