D

CHAPTER V.

JEWISH SOCIETY'S WORK.

URING my stay at Jerusalem we visited the schools in connection with the London Society for promoting Christianity amongst the Jews. We saw the girls' school, of about fifty or sixty children, who seemed very well taught, especially in the Bible, giving answers to almost any question. They are taught to learn by heart a verse every day, and every day repeat a chapter that they know. A great many of these children were Christians. There are many Spanish Jews in Jerusalem, descendants of those driven out of Spain in 1497 by Ferdinand and Isabella, called Sephardim. Miss Edie seems to be a very excellent mistress, and the school gave me great satisfaction.

We then went to the women's sewing meeting in connection with the Society, where the Jewesses meet and work, and Miss Lindsay cuts out for them and reads to them, but not the New Testament, or else they will not come.

Then we went to the boys' school, where Mr. Elsie asked me to examine the boys, which I did, on the Bible and Catechism, and I was very pleased with the answers given.

On another occasion the doctor, Dr. Chaplin, very kindly took us over the medical part of the mission, into the hospital, where we saw some patients, and noticed the kind manner in which the Doctor spoke to them. They give them books to read, and do everything in a kind way to draw them to Christianity. Then we went to the Dispensary, where the Jews come in great numbers for medicine and advice. I was told that Dr. Chaplin knows almost every Jew in Jerusalem, and is very much beloved by them; perhaps no one knows the good he does.

We went with him to call upon the Syrian Bishop, and found him squatted on his sofa, with books around him, among them a Bible printed in London. He asked how long I had been ordained, and what work I did; and when Dr. Chaplin told him the duties of an English clergyman, he said it was indeed the work of a pastor, and seemed to like the idea, and was anxious to know how many churches and clergymen there were in Leeds. He gave us some refreshments, a spoonful of jelly and a glass of water, cup of tea.

then

We went into the Syrian Church, and saw a very quaint picture of Abraham sacrificing Isaac, with a ram hanging up in a tree; also some very old illuminated

prayer-books, and a crozier used for giving the blessing. The Syrian Christians are the most ancient of the Eastern Christians, but are not a very large body.

There is a very pretty English Church belonging to the Jews' Society, which we attended, where we heard Bishop Barclay, the Rev. Mr. Kelk, and the Rev. Mr. Friedlander preach. By the kindness of Mr. Kelk I was asked to preach in this church on Mount Zion twice, which I considered a great privilege.

The Bishop of Jerusalem is maintained partly by Germany and partly by us. The Emperor of Germany has the appointment alternately with our Government. I fancy this co-operation took place because the Emperor of Germany had some wish to make the Church in Germany like ours, Episcopal, and this would be a nice quiet way of commencing and getting men ordained by this bishop. There are a great many Germans at Jerusalem, and perhaps it may have been for this purpose. But whenever any one is nominated for the bishopric, the sanction of the Archbishop of Canterbury must be obtained.

One day I went down a shaft, near the English Church, it was large enough for one person to go down, by a rope-ladder, and at the depth of 40 feet we came upon the real rock of Mount Zion. Here was a long and narrow tunnel, through which we made our way for some distance; and crawling back reappeared above ground rather dirty and muddy.

My wife visited the Leper's Hospital, where she saw

D

about twelve poor lepers. It was a very sad sight; but they were treated very kindly by the matron, who was a German. The disease is not infectious, but only hereditary, and therefore they discountenance and prohibit marriage. Death is very often caused by choking, and is a most painful end. The matron, when asked if she was paid for her work, said she did it for the love of Christ. Strange to say, before we left Jerusalem this poor woman died-called to receive her reward in heaven.

Mr. Kelk and Mr. Friedlander showed us much kindness during our stay. The Rev. Mr. Friedlander goes about among the Jews doing missionary work. He had under his instruction twelve candidates for baptism; four married people who come to him for instruction; nine others who come to read-these do not like to come boldly forward on account of their friends. Mr. F. showed us a very ancient roll of the law, which was very curious and interesting. I believe the Jews' Society is doing a great deal of good. The Jews seem to like our service and our Prayer-Book; they have prayers every morning in Hebrew at the church.

Before leaving Jerusalem we were present at the first confirmation since Bishop Barclay was appointed bishop. There were fourteen candidates from the Jews, one Arabic girl, and nine young men from the C.M. School. The Bishop gave a very nice address, and Rev. J. M. Moss preached in the evening on confessing and denying Christ: 'Whosoever there

fore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.'

We were glad to be in Jerusalem during Holy Week and at Easter, and enjoyed the evening services at the English Church, which my friend Mr. Kelk, who is the incumbent, had arranged. Mr. Kelk has only lately come to Jerusalem from Leeds, and I feel sure that he will be of great service to the society in organizing their work in Jerusalem, and by his pious character and kindly spirit he will be able to win many from the blindness of Judaism to the glorious liberty of Christianity, and be a help and strength to those who are already following Christ. On Good Friday the Bishop of Jerusalem preached a beautiful sermon on Heb. ix. 22, 'Without shedding of blood is no remission.' On Easter Day Mr. Kelk preached on the words, 'Come, see the place where the Lord lay.' And I may say that to the thoughtful man as he goes about Jerusalem, whether it be to the Sepulchre or the Temple Enclosure, to the Garden of Gethsemane or the Mount of Olives, the same words continually repeat themselves, 'He is not here, He is risen.'

I also investigated the work going on in connection with the C.M. Society, and had the pleasure of visiting the Rev. Mr. Zeller, who is the principal missionary at Jerusalem. He is a very clever man, and is doing good work by translating books into Arabic, and printing them, such as the Earnest Communicant and Lessons on the Liturgy. He told me that the Mahometans