Christianity, and felt very anxious about the state of her soul. While her mind was thus occupied, she was seized with an attack of fever which threatened her life. In great distress she sent for a Christian minister, and begged that she might immediately be baptized. The minister, when summoned to her bedside, was in some uncertainty what it was right to do. He felt that he could not so hastily grant her request, and determined to wait, hoping that the Lord would grant her some time for preparation. On the following day he called, and finding her better, was able to have some conversation with her, and begged her to give a reason for her wish to be baptized, questioning her very closely as to whether she had really received Christ as the Son of God and her only Saviour. He added that without this true faith in Jesus, the outward form would do her no good, and only increase her condemnation. She replied to this, I am now past seventy-six, and at this critical period of my life the river of death is before me, and my course must speedily end in everlasting life or eternal death, and as I feel ready and willing to be baptized in the faith of Christ my Redeemer, there is no fear of what you mention.' The minister was greatly pleased to hear this avowal of her faith in Christ, and after a short course of religious instruction, no longer hesitated to baptize her."

Surely in that day when God makes up His jewels, we may expect to find, especially in connection with a station like this, where the seed of God's blessed Word has been sown broadcast, that not one but many such instances have occurred, and that there have been many of God's secret ones amongst those to whom His truth has been proclaimed.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

Revs. W. Ayerst and M. S. Alexander sent to Danzig-Courteously received— Opposition-Establishment of Schools-Visits of Jews from other countriesBreak in the work-Mr. Moritz appointed in 1840-Rev. H. Lawrence in 1843 -Missionary journeys-Spread of Christian principles-Facilities afforded by the authorities-The New Testament more and more an object of attentionRemark of Mr. Gans-The Missionary services removed to the Reformed Church-Increased attendance.

In the year 1827, the Rev. W. Ayerst and the Rev. M. S. Alexander (afterwards Bishop of Jerusalem) were appointed to labour among the Jews in Danzig and the neighbourhood. They found many openings for intercourse with the Jews in various places in the provinces of West Prussia and Pomerania. Vast numbers of Jews heard the Word of God, and received copies of the Scriptures and of tracts. Mr. Ayerst observes, in a letter dated September 6th, 1828, concerning these visits: "It is indeed a pleasing fact, that hitherto we have in no single instance been treated with incivility or rudeness by the regular rabbi of the congregation, even in the smallest and most obscure village that we have visited. I must say, that the degree of information possessed by many of these men, especially when the very limited income they can derive in many of the little places is taken into consideration, is enough to shame numbers who have enjoyed far superior advantages for obtaining instruction, and from whom much more may reasonably be expected."

In Danzig itself, although some were disposed to listen attentively, and Mr. Alexander found a few who received him cordially as a Jewish brother, yet on the whole great opposition was manifested. As the education of the children among the poorer Jews had been greatly neglected, there was evidently a good opportunity for establishing a Mission school.

The Mission schools in the neighbouring province of Posen had prospered greatly, and thus many of the Jews in Danzig, who were unable

to provide for the instruction of their children, thankfully promised to avail themselves of the advantages which they knew would be secured to them by such an institution.

The list of those children for whom a promise had been given, contained more than forty names, and accordingly no time was lost in completing the arrangements for commencing the school. But some of the more bigoted and influential Jews stirred up a spirit of opposition. It was threatened that if any Jewish parent sent his children to the Mission school, in case of death, he should not be interred in the Jewish burying-ground. The alarm excited by this and other measures was so great, that not one of the children attended on the day appointed for opening the school. The parents, when remonstrated with, acknowledged that they had been deterred from sending their children by the threats of persecution which had been freely resorted to by the chief authorities in the synagogues.

For more than half a year, the only Jewish children who attended the school were those belonging to a proselyte family. At length the storm spent itself. The poor Jews were weary of listening to the bigoted and violent remarks made by those who misunderstood and misrepresented the attempt made to do them good. A few took courage, and the number in attendance increased after some time to ninetysix. The school was carried on for several years with various degrees of success, and although it was subsequently discontinued, we have reason to know that the truths taught to the children have not been forgotten.

While many of the Jews who resided in Danzig did not seem inclined to listen to the teaching of the missionaries, those who came from a distance were in many instances favourably disposed. As the trade of Danzig is very extensive, and Jews are generally employed as agents by the Polish nobles who hold estates in the interior, many intelligent and well-disposed Israelites are often to be met with. Among these, copies of the Scriptures and tracts were extensively circulated, and much time was spent in earnest conversation concerning the one thing needful.

Lectures were also given on Saturday afternoons by both the

missionaries, in which the great doctrines and facts of the New Testament were discussed.

Several Jews were baptized during the period that Mr. Ayerst and Mr. Alexander resided in Danzig, who had been instructed by them; and they found some highly respectable Israelites in the town and neighbourhood who had become members of the Church of Christ, with whom they could join in worshiping the Saviour of mankind.

Though visited occasionally, Danzig ceased to be a regular missionary station, from 1831 to 1840, when Mr. Moritz was appointed to labour there by the Committee; he remained, until removed in 1843 to his present sphere of labour amongst the Swedish Jews, when he was succeeded by Rev. H. Lawrence. The character of the work in Danzig very much resembled that of the work which was going on in Königsberg, the sister station, and which we have described as lying not so much among the resident Jews, as among visitors of the seed of Abraham from other countries. Though those who were natives were not very accessible-in fact, kept aloof from the missionaries, yet when met with at a distance from home, and not under the influence of their brethren, they often proved less impracticable, and showed a willingness to discuss New Testament subjects.

Danzig was a good centre for missionary journeys, which formed a large part of the missionary's labours. Thus in June, July, and August of 1846, no less than twenty-five places were visited. Concerning his reception, Mr. Lawrence thus wrote:

"We enjoyed immense opportunities of preaching Christ, not so much to disputatious as to listening hearers; and we are looking forward to spring, to resume this interesting branch of missionary labours. True, indeed, the same friendly feeling and spirit of inquiry were not uniformly to be met with; we had not only Talmudical superstition to contend with, but also indifference and rationalism ; and the truth compels us to state, that this last had derived considerable strength and support from the tenets now entertained by many Christians, both private and public. However, there were not wanting those who could find pleasure in sitting and listening to the

truths of the Bible, and who could repeat their visit for that purpose. And it was not among the least of our encouragements, to find that some had been with our predecessors, whose labours had prepared the way for us."

Though, as we have said, the Jews of Danzig proved at the outset very unapproachable, yet as time wore on they became gradually less and less so, and many circumstances made this field of labour more hopeful. There could be no doubt that the principles of Christianity were generally gaining ground: as an illustration, we may instance the following:

The schoolmaster at a large Jewish town was given to understand by the missionaries, that in consideration of the importance of his situation, and the inadequate remuneration he received for his duties, a Hebrew Bible bound up with the New Testament would be at his service, could they but be persuaded a good use would be made of it. He replied very modestly, "I should be very thankful for such a present; I have read the New Testament; but that is not sufficient: the time is come when we teachers must acquaint ourselves with that book. Many of our children now go to Christian schools, and from what they hear and learn there, come to us with questions which we must be prepared to answer." The object of this teacher's visit was to purchase Haphtorahs for his pupils, which his rabbi had requested him to procure from a Jewish bookseller at Königsberg, but which he had refused to do, stating that he preferred the Society's edition, and would await the arrival of its missionaries.

We must not omit to state, that, in one respect at all events, the Danzig Mission enjoyed peculiar facilities. The local authorities not only threw no impediments in the way, but even forwarded the work in many ways. Thus, though the leave granted to colporteurs to dispose of books from house to house had been much circumscribed, owing to the unprincipled use made of the permission by some, yet on application in 1854, "special leave was granted to your missionaries, in parts where such license had not been before obtained, to distribute their various books. Travelling cards, as they are called, obtained without difficulty from Government for about sixpence, and lasting