140 SHEIKH RAJI OO DIN. the wound has been healed. It was God who comforted me, I know; but it was through you. It was the oil and wine of the Gospel that was the healing balm to my soul; but it was you that brought it forth out of the Gospel dispensary, and poured it into the inflicted wound. Once I had well nigh fallen, by rendering evil for evil; but while meditating revenge in my heart, the Lord sent you to me with a message I have never forgotten. I told you my tale; and when I had so done, I asked, "What shall I do?" You replied, "Heap coals of fire on their heads:" and my heart was ready-it was just what it had dictated; and I thought that in these words I had got your sanction. But you had another word, which went to my soul: "If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing," &c. My soul was in a conflict, and you know the result. I acted on the divine counsel; and from that time, through grace, I have thus acted, and never have found it to fail. It was a new remedy, but it was a good one. * I am old, and my beard is grey, and soon my pilgrimage will end; and then all will be peace, and rest, and joy: then I shall have a house not made with hands, not of this building a house of eternal shelter from the storms and blasts that here rage with such fury. There I shall have a home! * * It was at this time the few following lines were addressed by him to Christians in England: Sheikh Raji oo Din, once a follower, and a zealous follower, of Islam, now, by the grace of God, a servant of Jesus Christ, to the beloved and faithful followers of the same Jesus Christ sends his salutations. Christian Friends-Rejoice in that an aged sinner has been rescued from error, and brought to confess and follow the truth. In so doing, I have been called to make large sacrifices of family connexions, property, reputation, and all earthly comforts; but the grace of God has been much more abundant in giving me spiritual wealth in Christ Jesus, whom I now confess to be the Son of God, and the alone Saviour of sinners. I have been for some time very deaf, and hence not able to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd from the pulpit; and having much leisure, I am able to read a good deal, and have thereby attained a good understanding of the Scriptures of Truth. I have found them to SHEIKH RAJI 00 DIN. 141 be the sword of the Spirit, cutting open and slaying the old man of pride, and envy, and hatred, and malice, &c.; and also the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, making me free from the law of sin and death, and alive unto God. The Epistle to the Romans, and the Psalms, are most precious to me. On these I meditate day and night, and am instructed and comforted in Christ Jesus my Lord, to whom be eternal praise ! The closing scene of the old man's life is thus described by the Rev. C. B. Leupolt, who was for a few months the resident Missionary at Gorruckpore during that period. It is a touching account of the trials which he had to endure, even to his latest hour; and it affords satisfactory evidence of the stedfastness of his profession, and the triumph of his faith:: After the death of the Rev. F. Wybrow I went to Gorruckpore, arriving there on the 16th of January 1841. The first person who welcomed me among the Native Christians was the good old Sheikh. We conversed together for about an hour on various subjects. I found him an intelligent and sober-minded Christian. Soon after the Bishop's Visitation at Gorruckpore he became ill. He remained at his own Bungalow a few days, and then came to reside with us. As he had some money about him, his sons felt much affection for him, and endeavoured to persuade him to go with them, as they could and would take better care of him, they said, than we could do; and accordingly, one day, when we had gone to the farm, they came and took him away. He was then evidently fast declining, and his mind seemed likewise to be much affected. After he had been a few days at home, I went to see him, and found him very ill. I read with him his favourite chapter, 2 Cor. v., and conversed with him on that glorious change which we both might, sooner or later, expect. We then prayed together, and felt that the Lord was with us. I left him in a delightful frame of mind. But conceive my astonishment, when, two days after, I received a note from him, informing me that he had again embraced Mahomedanism, having for ever done with the Religion of Jesus, and requesting me not to trouble him any more he had had quite enough of Christ and Chris 142 SHEIKH RAJI OO DIN. tians. The report had already been spread in the city that he had abjured the Christian faith, and the enemies of the Gospel triumphed. Even some of my own household rejoiced, while we ourselves were in deep sorrow. We followed Hezekiah's example, by spreading the Letter before the Lord, praying that He would look into this case. Ten days had nearly elapsed, when one morning his son came to my house in a great passion, declaring that he would reveal the whole truth. He stated, that he had been excluded from the inheritance, and that his father had not written the note, but that it was written by his father's brother; that when the old Sheikh's eyes were fixed in death, and he was no longer able to speak, they held the Korân over him, endeavouring to induce him to touch it, as an acknowledgment of his again professing the Mahomedan faith; but he refused to do it, by shaking his hand and pointing toward Heaven. We were cheered by this statement and open acknowledgment. The Lord had indeed looked into the case, and confounded the devices of the enemy. But what must the poor old Sheikh have suffered, left without an earthly friend to cheer him in his dying moments, or to speak a word of comfort to his departing soul! He must have felt himself slighted by his Pastor and his Christian Brethren— for he knew nothing of what had transpired, and that we were denied admittance to him-forsaken by all men, persecuted by his own brother, neglected by his children, and bereft of all earthly comforts: but the Lord was with him, and supported him; and enabled him, although he was tormented and persecuted, to witness a good confession. The reason for writing the Note was, as they acknowledged to Charles Doss, the Native Catechist, because they feared that if it were known that he had died a Christian, we "might come and seize his property." ANOTHER INSTANCE OF ANXIETY FOR THE WORD OF GOD IN NEW ZEALAND. MANY instances have been recorded in the Gleaner of the great desire manifested by New Zealanders to possess the Word of God, and to receive Christian instruction. An additional proof was afforded by a ANXIETY FOR THE WORD OF GOD. 143 party of Natives whom the Rev. A. N. Brown met as he was journeying from Tauranga to Taupo. The following is an Extract from his Journal: May 21, 1841-We here found the same earnest desire to possess books and Native Teachers that has been manifested throughout our journey. Their strong desire to possess the Testament has just been shown in a striking manner. Capt. Symonds and his party were very anxious to ascend the mountain-top; but the Natives opposed it, on the ground of its having been made sacred by their forefathers; and that if the tapu were violated, some evil would befall them. "They offered us gold," remarked the old Chief to me: "had they brought some Testaments, we would have consented to their going up the mountain. Tell the strangers, when you see them again, that if they return in the summer, and bring Testaments with them, the tapu shall be removed from the mountain." The old Chief's party sat up till nearly day-break, asking questions, on religious subjects, of a Christian Native Teacher who accompanied me from Tauranga. IGNORANCE OF GEOGRAPHY A CAUSE OF INDIFFERENCE TO THE SUBJECT OF MISSIONS. FELIX NEFF, the devoted Pastor of the High Alps, gave much time and attention, during the winter months, to the instruction of adults, in order that they might be qualified to teach others. In describing the methods which he adopted on these occasions, he remarks: I pointed out the situation of different countries on the chart of the world, and in separate maps; and took pains to give some slight idea, as we went on, of the characteristics, religion, customs, and history of each nation. These details fixed topics of moment in their recollection. Up to this time I had been astonished by the little interest they took, Christian-minded as they were, in the subject of Christian Missions; but when they began to have some idea of Geography, I discovered that their former ignorance of this science, and of the very existence of many foreign nations in distant quarters of the globe, was the cause of such indif 144 CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR. ference. But as soon as they began to learn who the people are who require to have the Gospel preached to them, and in what part of the globe they dwell, they felt the same concern for the circulation of the Gospel that other Christians entertain. The experience of many Clergymen in different parts of the country corresponds with that of Felix Neff; and the combination of a few details respecting the geographical position, manners, and customs of different nations, with more direct Missionary information, has tended very greatly to render Monthly and Quarterly Meetings more instructive and edifying. SOLEMN CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR. WHEN the voice of anxious inquiry which the Prophet heard from Seir, was addressed to the Watchman-Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? the watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night. Christian! does the close of a revolving year present a like inquiry to thy mind? Looking forward to the sealed events of future years, art thou led to ask, Watchman, what of the night? The voice of inspiration says, The morning cometh the morning without a cloud-the morning of resurrection glory-the morning when the Sun of Righteousness shall for ever shine upon His saints. But mark the alternative: there is also the night—the night of darkness and of woe-the night of Judgment and despair-the night when no man can work. Reader! art thou numbered with the Children of the light and of the day—with those whose conversation is in Heaven, and whose portion shall be in the Kingdom of Christ and of God? Oh! bear in memory the work which God appoints for a coming year-the talents which He commits to thee the account He will require; and seek to aid the progress of the glorious Gospel, that many from the east and west, and from the north and south, may be gathered to the Saviour's fold, rescued from the night of heathen darkness, and made ready for the morning of eternal day. |