by magic or witchery? If that were the way, she would have nothing to do with her. She replied, "No; that she would use simple means in her presence." My mother told her to call again. in three or four days; her motive for this delay was to write to her father, to ask the lawfulness of it. The answer she received from her father was to this effect-that it was lawful, provided that the woman did not kneel down to pray, or use any form of words; and my mother took good care to follow her father (the rabbi's) counsel. On the third day the old woman came, and my mother told her, if she could cure me she should be handsomely rewarded. She affirmed she could. If it will not be too tedious to my reader, I will relate the means the woman used, whereby the cure was effected. She asked for a pewter plate, and a piece of clean linen rag, and a lighted candle. She then took the piece of linen rag in the presence of my mother, set light to it, and put the lighted rag upon the back of the pewter plate. After the rag was consumed, it left on the plate a kind of yellow moisture; this she took with a feather, and applied to the skin which was grown over my sight, and continued the same once a day for about a fortnight, when at the expiration of that time I could see: although it left a great weakness behind, which I expect to carry to my grave. This weakness of sight the Lord left to remind me of the superstition of the Jewish religion; the goodness of my covenant God in directing the means; his knowledge of past, present, and future. He knew what He intended to do with me; to call me by divine grace; to send me to preach the everlasting gospel, which requires much reading: therefore in his infinite mercy He was pleased to restore my sight twenty-six years before. Often I am overwhelmed with gratitude to the dear Lord in reading the word, and especially since writing this little work, discovering so much weakness in my sight, for his goodness in blessing me with the little I have, knowing that if He sees fit He can strengthen it still more. It has many times brought me to a throne of grace to thank Him for the past recovery, and to pray for a continuation of the same. The circumstance of my cure I remember my mother relating many times.

One Sabbath morning going to the synagogue by myself, clad in my best, there was a lime-pit full of water, with a plank over it; and being but a child, I began to play with it, and tumbled in. I could not cry for fright. I struggled until my strength was exhausted, and at last sunk. The water again brought me to the top, when an old Jew with a long beard, a neighbour, going to the synagogue, seeing some one in the pit, ran to it, as I was just sinking.

the second time, and took me out for dead, and conveyed me home. All thought I was dead. The usual remedy for drowning was resorted to, and I recovered. Here was "a brand plucked from the fire," as well as from the water. Had I died, what would have become of my soul? I must have eternally perished. Oh the watchful eye of a covenant God over his dear children, even when in nature's darkness. He watches them in a peculiar way, as soon as they come from the womb of their mother. He follows them up step by step to preserve them, because they are a people whom He has chosen to show forth his praise. "These people have I formed for myself, they shall show forth my praise." And this they do when they are taught by the Spirit of God. They praise Him for electing and adopting love. Oh for a heart to love Him! for a tongue to proclaim the riches of his grace. Here I have another Ebenezer to erect; first, He has restored my sight, and after that my life.

It is a custom among the respectable Jews in my country, at the Passover and feast of Tabernacles, to have so many poor Jews out of the hospital, according to their circumstances, to celebrate with them those festivals. It was the day of preparation for the Passover. My father being from home, my mother went to the hospital to select three poor Jews, and brought them home with her. She asked one of them to go to the garden, and dig horseradish for bitter herbs, to eat with the paschal lamb. I was very delighted, not having to go to school; also with its being the Passover; made myself very busy, as on that day they clear out all the leaven from their premises. Generally two persons are engaged; one has a lighted wax candle, and the master of the house has a wooden spoon in one hand, and a quill in the other, searching every corner for leaven crumbs. Previous to that they put small pieces of bread in various parts of the house, which is gathered up with the spoon and quill. They then tie it up carefully in a piece of clean white rag, and kindle a fire purposely for to burn the leavened bread, spoon, and quill together. The reason the fire is kindled purposely is, that it is not to be used for anything else. It was very pleasing to me as a boy, to see my dear father search for the leaven. In case of my father being from home, another male must take his place, as he was on the occasion I am alluding to. Our holy Apostle speaks of leaven of a different nature, the leaven of malice and wickedness; this leaven, the Spirit of God only can

remove.

But to return. I overhearing what my mother said to the man

about digging the horseradish for bitter herbs, to eat with the paschal lamb, which is a piece of lamb roasted; I went to the man and asked him whether he would allow me to go with him, which he did. The snow laying on the ground, he took a shovel and ax, went to the garden, removed the snow, and with the ax was going to loosen the earth, it being at that time very hard. I was about to take up a piece of the horseradish, when he let down the ax on my head. Seeing what he had done, he ran off and left me wallowing in blood. My grandmother saw me from the window, and ran out and brought me in, thinking I was dead. A medical man was immediately sent for, who when he came gave but little hopes of my recovery; but should I recover, in all probability I should be a lunatic. Here again I was "piucked like a brand" from the jaws of corporeal and eternal death. Little thought I then what the paschal lamb and the bitter herbs shadowed forth. Blessed be God for an experimental knowledge of both. The great Apostle of the Gentiles explains the meaning," Christ our passover is sacrificed for us ;" and the herbs are the sufferings for the profession of Christ. He that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." "If so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together."

66

I was educated from a child in the Mishna and Talmud, also read the Old Testament; but this was only a secondary consideration, the former was the principal. When seven years of age I could repeat from memory the whole book of Psalms and Songs of Solomon. At nine years of age I had to learn daily three or four pages of the Talmud, which consists of questions and answers of the various rabbis. At my grandfather's annual visit, he always examined us boys, to know what progress we had made through the year. I recollect once in my presence he told my father that I would become a rabbi, which was pleasing to my father. This was rather an unfortunate remark for me, as I was often kept more closely to my lessons. But God had something better for me in store; He has raised me to a higher dignity than that. He has made me king and priest unto the living God, and put me among his family, although unworthy of the least of his mercies. Oh the depth of the riches of his divine grace.

I continued at school until I was about sixteen, when a circumstance transpired in Providence that I left home. The cause of my leaving home was fearing that I should be forced to be a soldier. When Alexander, the emperor of Russia, was on the throne, he took no Jews into the military service. He was rather a friend to

the Jews than otherwise. After his death Nicholas his brother succeeded him. After his coronation he issued a law compelling Jews to serve in the army and navy. This law was a terror to all the Jews in his dominions; and the reason was, that they must eat and drink those things which were prohibited by the law of God to them as a nation; break the Sabbath day, violate other festivals, and indeed deny their whole religion. They would rather die themselves, or follow their children to the grave, than see them turn from their religion, which I had painfully to experience when called by divine grace. The law obliged them to serve from fourteen years of age. They were sent to academies, where they were trained for the army or navy, according to their abilities. The method they had of taking the Jews was so many from a thousand ; the exact number I cannot remember: and the heads of the synagogue were obliged to return the numbers. At first they took the lower order, as already said. The town we lived in was small, therefore they were soon picked out. I witnessed at sundry times when these young men were sent away, that the cries and lamentations of parents and relations was most distressing and heartrending. I remember on one occasion being so affected that I fainted away. They rend their garments on these occasions, as mourning for the dead. After the lower class were picked out, it of course came to the more respectable families, which was done by casting lots; and knowing that sooner or later it must come to our turn, my grandfather advised that I and a brother, a little younger, should quit the country. My eldest brother being married was exempt, and the other too young. When this law was issued, there was also another law passed, not to give any passports for males from fourteen years of age to twenty, to prevent them leaving the country. I have known fine young men chop one and two fingers off from their right hand, to disable them from service. At length it was resolved that we should leave home, for the purpose of going to Konigsburg in Prussia; and as there were no passports allowed, we left in the middle of the night-a banker's son, myself, and brother. It is a night much to be remembered by me; my grandfather and grandmother, father and mother, brothers and sisters, all weeping. My grandfather, who was seventy years of age, with a long white beard, placed his hands on our heads, and, with tears trickling from his eyes, pronounced a blessing. Some of the words I have not forgotten, although so many years since. The words were these "May the God of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, bless and preserve you; protect and defend you from all

harms, keep you in his fear, help you to study his laws, strengthen you to obey Him, nor suffer you to forsake Him." The last words were these, "If you forsake the Lord, He will forsake you; but if you cleave to Him, He will cleave to you." They then kissed us all affectionately, wishing us the presence of the Lord, and bid us farewell. Now began the prophecy of my grandmother to be fulfilled, that I should forsake the Jewish religion. My spiritual birth was appointed by God to be in London; place, means, and time are all by his divine appointment. His will cannot be counteracted, nor his counsels disannulled-" My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." As London was to be the place, so death and hell could not obstruct the way. "Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out." But to return. We left home at midnight disguised in female clothing. A banker's only son, my brother, and myself. A kind of chaise with two horses belonging to the banker, and four men, were waiting outside the town, to convey us to a village fifteen miles from the town, joining the Prussian territories, to the house of a Gentile, where were waiting twelve men with guns and pistols to escort us into Prussia, which is separated from Russia by a deep valley. This valley was watched by Cossacks; about every five miles there was a cottage, or kind of station, from which stations they rode to and fro. The people of the village had a perfect knowledge of the movements of these patrols; when one had passed there was about half an hour's interval, which time we embraced for crossing the valley. Here time must not be lost, as the danger is very great. If these patrols overtake any person, and resistance is made, they are allowed to shoot them dead on the spot.

We left our female clothing at the cottage before mentioned, and prepared to encounter the danger of which we were sensible. As we advanced towards the valley, two men of our company were previously placed on the look out; when at their signal we had to run as fast as possible: but we three boys, with fright and fatigue, could not run as fast as the rest, therefore we were sometimes carried, and sometimes dragged. After we had crossed the valley, there was a small mountain to climb; when arrived at the top we were safe-which we scarcely reached, when we saw a patrol galloping on his horse after us, as fast as he could, but was just about three minutes too late. On the Prussian side there were six men waiting for us, with a waggon and fire-arms. When they saw us on the top, they all cried with one voice, “ All right;" and great