Many a house pos-Many a house posTestaments, Hebrew

and loved our Lord and Master. sessed copies of the Old and New copies of our beautiful liturgy, and our tracts. No one denies that we had our difficulties and much and bitter opposition, but we could easily trace God's hand in their removal and in the over-ruling of the same for good. I marvel when I look back upon the ways in which God removed prejudice, and enabled us to prove to the Jews that we were their best friends. And what was the consequence? Whenever they were in trouble, they always came to us for help. I hope to bring before the readers of the Jewish Missionary Intelligence further reminiscences of the Bagdad Mission, so as to raise, by God's help, a fresh and deep interest in this highly important Mission field. J. M. EPPSTEIN.

The Rev. J. B. Crighton-Ginsburg reports:Since I last wrote, I have been busy bringing the old truths before strangers coming from Russia and preparing some of them-for the sacred rite of baptism. Of the eight that have lately declared themselves on the Lord's side, three have by unforeseen circumstances been forced to leave Constantinople. Humbleminded and as humbly situated, they received the truth as it is in Jesus, in earnestness and simplicity of faith, which no threats or promises seemed able to shake. A free passage having been offered to them, the sudden departure of the steamer allowed of no arrangement for the ceremony of baptism; they could not afford to miss the steamer, and, so, it was decided they should go unbaptized. They hoped to be able to receive the sacred rite in Bucharest or Kischineff. Their minds seemed full of that knowledge which makes one wise unto salvation, and of that grace which is the gift of the poor as much as of the rich. It is a comfort to feel that this little company may let their light shine in dark places.

Another Jew has for the present been set aside owing to the great difficulty in imparting knowledge to him. He can read nothing but Judæo-German, and the lesson he receives he is unable to retain even to the following day; but he may, for all that, turn out a faithful follower of Christ. In my long Missionary career I have found often and again that the most. faithful and steady have not been amongst the

learned and the rich, but amongst the simple and the poor. (Matt. ii. 25.) We have a maid in our house. whom I baptized at Mogador in 1879, who can neither write nor read, in spite of great and repeated pains to teach her, but she is a simple and faithful believer of the Lord Jesus Christ, and Phoebe (signifying "shining, pure") was the well-deserving name given to her at baptism.

Two ladies, a widow and her daughter, belonging to the richest families here, wish to come forward to confess the Saviour publicly without delay, but they seem to anticipate persecution on the part of their powerful relations. If the Lord will, they may see their legitimate wish ere long realised.

Two other enquirers were admitted within the fold of the Great Shepherd, on a recent Saturday. The baptismal service being in Hebrew, it was thought preferable it should take place on a Saturday, when the Jews, being free from work, could attend the baptism if they chose.

men.

These neophytes are Nehemiah (now Barnabas, which has the same signification) Feinstein, and Abraham (now Timothy) Portner. The former, an artisan gaining honestly a respectable livelihood, has for many years past known that Jesus is the Messiah; but courage failed him to confess Him before Some six months ago he became more decided, and professed readiness for a public confession on certain conditions. He was told that the Gospel of Christ knows neither weakness nor fear; that he must either accept Him and bear the cross, or, if shy of it, reject Him; that the fearful and timorous cannot carry the cross, but that it is the indispensable badge of a disciple. He again left, but in a few days returned: this time with a countenance showing decision, resignation, cheerfulness, saying, "Sir, I am ready." With the help of Origen, Joseph's son, he was instructed in the catechism, mastered it, and was ready for the sacred rite.

The other is a different character altogether. Of about the same age as the former (26, I believe) he is fully versed in the Talmud and its appendices, in the law and the prophets; he is, in fact, well versed in Jewish lore, one whom the Jews call by the exalted, at the same time honest, modest, and God-fearing. His letters to me are a marvel of Hebrew learning, Scriptural knowledge, and humble piety. These two

, the artisan and the chacham, have side by side meekly confessed the Saviour, in the presence of the Industrial Home inmates and several Jews and proselytes. Origen, one of the last baptised, was on the point of returning to his native country (Roumania) with the avowed intention of preaching to his kinsmen there of Jesus the Messiah, who is now to

him all in all. Preparations for the journey made, passport at a great cost obtained, he took leave of his friends; but at the last moment the consul refused the visa to his passport. Origen was sad; he was prevented from going; he was wanted here, and he remained. Origen is not like his namesake the Presbyter of Alexandria, in learning and fame, but he may resemble him in simplicity of faith and share with him the grace of our Lord.

PARIS.

"When the winter began," writes Mr. L. C. Mamlock, of Paris, "we got into full work, and I am pleased to say that all our meetings are well attended. Even on week days-viz, Mondays and Thursdays-we have from 16 to 18 Jews each time. I must state, however, that it is not simply a matter of casting up figures, or of counting that so many Jews attend the meetings on Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday afternoons and on Saturday evening; but it is a very gratifying fact that so many come and listen most attentively and respectfully to the message of salvation through a crucified Saviour. They actually express openly how much they have been interested and impressed by these discourses. On one occasion after the meeting they publicly thanked me for the lecture, and declared that they had never before heard or listened to such striking evidences and illustrations, as I had set forth in proof of the truth of Christ and Christianity. My subject was "The Necessity of the Divine and Human Nature of Christ for the complete Atonement of our Sins." On another occasion two French Jews, well-to-do tradespeople in the neighbourhood, expressed themselves impressed with the plain Gospel address, and gladly accepted a New Testament. One of them came again, and brought another Jew with him. He told me that he had been away, or he would have come before. He added, "I am reading the New Testament you gave me, and I like it very much." That we cannot always estimate or describe describe the results of the preaching of the Gospel was made evident a few days ago, when a young Jew from Bucharest came to me with a note of recommendation from a rabbi of Bucharest. This rabbi, it appeared from the note, had been in Paris, and attended my lectures at our former Mission Hall, in Rue St Denis. He stated that he not only profited and was instructed by them, but was also edified, and that he speaks of them to his friends; hence he recommended the bearer to me, as he was going to Paris. I was certainly very much pleased to hear that my poor efforts to make Christ known among our brethren have resulted in doing some good. The young man in question attends my lectures.

A MISSIONARY JOURNEY TO MOLDAVIA.

HE Rev. J. Mühlenbruch sends the following account of a Missionary journey which he made last October:-On the 6th I left Bucharest, and went first to Braila, where I arrived at 7.15 p.m. As it was the first day of the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, I did not expect to meet any Jewish travellers, and therefore my surprise was great, when one, who looked like a son of Abraham, seated himself just opposite to me. After the train started, I addressed him in German, but he seemed to avoid it, and I next addressed him in Roumanian, but then went on in German, and he soon came round; and from his peculiar dialect I at once knew that I was not mistaken in my supposition. I then expressed my surprise that he, being an Israelite, travelled on the first day of that great Feast. He blushed, and said, 'I have quite forgotten that we celebrate Succoth to-day, but how do you know that I am a Jew?" “Oh," I said, “I saw that at once, and it affords me great pleasure to have you as a fellow-traveller, as I am a lover of Israel." Then he told me that his home was in Galicia, and that he was travelling on business. He had kept the day of Atonement, and, though he had not been in a synagogue, happening to be in a small town, he had remained all day in his room, fasting and praying, which seemed a great and meritorious act in his eyes. This gave me an opportunity of speaking of the nothingness and invalidity of the Jewish day of Atonement, and of Him who "was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities." In reply, he said, "That is all very well, but we do not believe in your Christ, our Messiah is still to come." "Pardon me," I answered, "you are in a grievous error. The Messiah has come already; the time is past in which the prophets foretold that He should come." Then I tried to prove to him that all the Messianic passages were fulfilled in Christ, and that therefore He is the true Messiah. I advised him to read and study the New Testament, and offered him one for sale, when he said that his brother-in-law, who is baptized and a Missionary, had given him one. I was pleased to hear him speak very highly of this brother-in-law, whom he considered a godly man and very pious, and who had become a Christian from conviction, and not from worldly reasons. He also told me that his eldest son had, without his previous knowledge, become a Roman Catholic, he feared for the sake of promotion. Thus engaged in deep and earnest conversation, the time passed very quickly. Subsequently another Jew came into our compartment,

·

with whom I also had a conversation, advising him to read the Old and New Testaments.

At Braila I was met by Colporteur Barnescu, who is stationed at Galatz. I had asked him to come, as he has often visited Braila, and knows many Jews there. We commenced our work on the second day of the Feast of Tabernacles, and went to the Great Synagogue, arriving towards the end of the service, when the 118th Psalm was being sung by the choir. The latter part, from "Hosanna, blessed be He that cometh in the name of the Lord," was often repeated. I prayed that the time might soon come when all Israel would acknowledge David's Greater Son to be the Messiah. Coming out of the synagogue, we had a short conversation with a Jewess and a Jew about keeping holy the Sabbath day. The Jew asserted that this commandment was all very well for olden times, but in our days one could not keep it, but was obliged to have the shop and business open on the Sabbath day, for the simple reason that one had not much to do during the whole week.

"Well," I said,

"the reason why you have

not confessing his belief in Christ, and found himself in an extremely difficult position. His desire was to confess Christ, and to live as a Christian, and his love to his nation constrained him to try and influence his brethren for good; but he feared that if he did it suddenly and rashly, he might do more harm than good. Above all, he was afraid that his wife, who comes of a bigotted family, would leave him, and also take their child with her. So he determined to go quietly to work, and first prepare his wife, by removing certain obstacles and prejudices with which every Jewish mind is naturally more or less stored. He told me that he was now reading and explaining the New Testament to her, and hoped, with God's help and assistance, that she would soon come to believe in Christ. His next step was to try and influence

so little to do during the week is because you transgress God's holy commandment, and work on the day when you ought to rest before God and pray. As you break God's law, God does not bless the work of your hands." "Ah, is that it?" he enquired. We next called upon a proselyte, who was baptized in London by the Rev. J. M. Eppstein seven years ago, and was also an inmate of the Operative Jewish Converts' Institution. Soon after his baptism, he left for Roumania, his native country, and it seems that he had not courage enough to confess that he had become a Christian. In Jassy he married a Jewess, and neither did he tell her about it. Then he went to Braila, and established a school for Jewish boys. He, however, soon realised that he had committed a grave mistake in

his pupils, of whom he had a fair number. When he read the Old Testament with them, he explained the Messianic

passages in a Christian way, and also sold and gave away a number of New Testaments. Then he met with several Jews who

were greatly disposed to

wards Christianity, some of them having already had intercourse with Missionaries in other towns. With those he made friends, and invited them to come to his house. They used to meet in the evening in his schoolroom to read and study the Old Testament. Last winter they made up their minds to become Christians, if they could find employment where they were not dependent upon Jews, as they are all fathers of families. Such a movement, of course, could not long be hid. Light cannot be in darkness without being seen. The Jews heard of it, and at once commenced their persecutions by putting them into a cherem (that is, excommunication), and by writing against them in the local papers. This little band, afraid of losing their maintenance, dispersed, and most of them now shun

the house of the proselyte, and do not like to come into contact with any Christian Missionary. One or two have left Braila and gone to some other town. The proselyte lost many of his pupils, and the parents refused to pay him, saying, "You are a Missionary, and get your salary, therefore we need not pay you." It is very hard upon the poor fellow, as they owe him, he told me, about a thousand francs. One of this little band called upon me at the hotel, and I was very pleased to make his acquaintance. He told me that he was educated in a Mission School for Jews at Galata, in Constantinople, and that he had not forgotten the religious teaching which he had received there. He then wished to become a Christian, but his father prevented it, and took him away from the School. In his spare time, however, he continued going to the Missionary,

and he also attended his evening classes. He

is now married and has two children, and his great desire is to go back to Constantinople, and put himself and his family under Christian in

struction. He

therefore

begged me for Mesbah

the Rev. G. H. Kleinhenn, and made warm inquiries after him. He said, " Mr. Kleinhenn is a real Zadik, and knew that we Jews suffer unjustly." "Yes," I answered, "Mr. Kleinhenn is a Zadik, having been made so by faith in Adonai Zidkenu (the Lord our Righteousness). The righteousness of Jesus the Messiah has been imputed to him, and thus he has become a real Zadik. But as to the other point, I do not believe that Mr. Kleinhenn ever said that the Jews suffer unjustly." What," he replied, " do you mean to say that the Jews suffer justly? "Yes," I said, "most decidedly they do." "How so -what have they done?" "Oh, they have committed many wrongs and sins, and when a man suffers, he suffers for his misdoings. Besides, you must acknowledge that God is holy and just, and shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? If He

"

has, therefore, allowed the children of Israel to remain these eighteen hundred years in captivity, and to suffer many cruelties at the hand of their oppressors, it is but a way of punishment for one

great sin which has

been com

letters of re

commenda

tion. I asked him to come to Bucharest, where he could have the same, and which was much nearer, and the journey less expensive. But he said he could not do that on account of his family. This case is another proof that the work carried on in Mission Schools is by no means in vain, that the precious seed sown there will spring up in later years, and that the Word of the Lord does not return unto Him void. Colporteur Barnescu is well known to the Jews in Braila, and we paid a number of visits together. One was to the Hebrew teacher of the great Jewish School, which is a good one, and where the children are taught well in all secular knowledge, but little in religion. This teacher, a very amiable man, received us in a friendly manner, and his wife treated us with dulceata (sweet meats). He told me that he knew

mitted and

not yet re

pented of." "And, please, what is that?" "This great sin is no less than the rejection of Jesus. Christ the Messiah! As this sin has not yet been repented of, therefore you are still labouring under its curse. But the days will come when Israel will turn again and seek the Lord, and their King David, and look upon Him whom their forefathers have pierced, and then Israel will once more possess their own land, from which they have been driven." "Ah," he said, "that is all very well in theory, but it will never be." "Oh, I am quite sure of it, because the Word of God tells us so, and the Word of God is true and does not lie." "Quite so; but we Jews still expect our Messiah, and we do not believe in Jesus."

Exactly, that is just the cause of your sufferings; besides, your own Bible proves that the Messiah must