CHAPTER XI.

SOLOMON DUITSCH: THE HUNGARIAN RABBI,

CONTINUED.

WESEL FOR

JOURNEY TO MUHLHEIM AND DUISBURG--LEAVES LEUWAARDEN-HIS DISAPPOINTMENT-HIS STAY AT MINDEN -RETURNS AGAIN TO AMSTERDAM-HIS SUFFERINGS THERE -APPLIES TO THE CONSISTORY AND IS RECEIVED HIS CONFESSION OF FAITH PREVIOUS TO BAPTISM-CONCLUSION.

THE disquietude of Duitsch now daily increased, and his kind friends, not knowing what other remedy to propose, persuaded him to try change of air and scene, and for this object sent him to make a short journey to Muhlheim on the Ruhr, a town about twenty miles distant from Wesel. Whilst at Muhlheim he derived great refreshment and solace to his weary spirit, from the society and conversation of the clergyman, the Rev. Mr. Engels. Here also he had the pleasure of again meeting Mr. Burgmann.

From Muhlheim he went to Duisburg, where he was received with the warmest friendship and christian kindness, by the Rev. Mr. Hencke, the minister at that place. In his limited knowledge of christianity he had

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taken up the idea, that none but those of the Reformed Church could be saved, and he wondered greatly that Mr. Hencke, who was a minister of the Lutheran Church, did not utter a word against the Reformed. He was therefore led to conclude that the difference was not very great. He dined with this excellent person, and was entertained apparently with that kindness which seems to say,

Kindred in Christ, for His dear sake,

A hearty welcome here receive;

Here with the liveliest satisfaction, he heard those things spoken of, which had long occupied the secret thoughts of his soul; "they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." Mal. ii. 16, 17. A reproof to those amongst us, who, loving our Lord, are yet afraid or ashamed to bear open testimony of our love, even one with another.

That night when Duitsch retired to rest, his heart began to murmur again, and to whisper to him that he had not applied to the right church; he contrasted Mr. Hencke's conduct to him with that of the ministers at Wesel. He thought of the efforts made by the Lutheran Church to bring the house of Israel to the knowledge of the truth-in short he was like the fearful disciples in the storm, driven by the wind and

tossed; at last he formed the resolution of revealing his afflicting situation to Mr. Hencke, and asking him to receive him under his care and instruct him in the truths of Christianity.

Next morning, at breakfast, he sate revolving these things in his mind; no doubt the former remonstrances of his friends weighed with him, and he thought of those words in James i. 8, "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways." 'O Lord,' was his secret prayer, 'Thou searcher of the heart! Thou knowest I am concerned for nothing so much as the Truth, and the salvation of my soul:'-then commending his cause to the Lord, he judged it more to the honour of his character as an enquirer after the truth, and a greater pledge of his sincerity, to remain patiently and stedfastly in the situation in which he was now placed, and to give no occasion to any to reproach him with instability or indecision. He therefore, with much regret, took leave of Mr. Hencke without mentioning the subject. He then paid another short visit to Muhlheim, and was taken by a friend to a peasant's cottage in the country, where some poor but pious people were assembled. So great was his satisfaction in this visit, that he compares it to that of the children of Israel, when after their weary wanderings in the desert they sate down beneath the palm-trees, beside the wells of Elim.

Upon his return to Wesel he passed a few more weeks in the same uncomfortable manner as before; again he recurred to his former purpose of going to Leuwarden; But will not every body,' thought he,

'consider me as an impostor? Will they not ask me, whether there were not also as worthy teachers at Wesel? And whether that place had not afforded water for baptism as well as any other? Will they give credit to my excuses on that head? How shall I find my subsistence, as I cannot labour, and am ashamed to beg? Shall I presume that the Lord will work miracles for my sake, and let manna fall from the clouds ? Then his mournful feelings found expression, as doubtless many a christian's hath done, in the first few verses of the hundred and forty-third Psalm. His spirit was indeed overwhelmed within him, and his distress of mind had that effect which is but too often produced by care and anxiety, when the soul will take thought for itself instead of depending upon the Lord,-it alienated his heart from God-he could not read-and when he attempted to pray, he was distracted with wandering thoughts-that plague of the distempered heart which often infects its holiest duties, like the frogs from the depths of the Nile appearing in the royal chambers of Pharaoh's palace in vain are they destroyed, more soon arise; the swell of that mighty river of corruption which is in the human heart, sends forth a new succession, until the plague be removed.*

One night when laying down to rest, he was medi

* Cogitationes onerosæ quious resistere vult, et tamen non potest, sed velit, nolit, irruit in oculos mentis muscarum pestilentia et perstrepunt ranæ in penetralibus cordis ejus.-St. Bernard quoted by Steele in his Antidote against Distractions, 1673.

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tating on the following words of the seventy-seventh Psalm-"I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times." Awaking in the night, his thoughts again reverted to the same subject: O Lord,' he exclaimed, 'I will remember the days of old, and also confess with my mouth, that no other God is like Thee;' he felt his soul reproved for his despondency, and called to mind the former loving-kindnesses he had received from the Lord; was it not his mercy which had protected him from his birth up to the present hour of his life? 'Is it not the Lord,' such was the tenour of his thoughts, who made this my body so wonderfully, and who gave me this breath of life, and this immortal soul? Should He not be able to provide in due time my body and life, with that which is necessary, and preserve it? Is His hand too short, and His arm too weak to help me? Oh! that I may not always trouble myself with useless cares! Have I not, in these twentyeight years passed, often and evidently experienced the goodness of the Lord, who has raised me out of my sleep in sin, often saved me from the dangers of death, and removed the heavy stone of sorrow that oppressed me? Should I not build an altar unto Him with the inscription at the top, "Unto this day has the Lord holpen me; "* and at the foot, He will also help me

farther!

He now came to a fixed determination to quit Wesel at any rate. His friends again remonstrated, but this time he told them, that he felt he ought to be ashamed any longer to spend his days which were of so uncer

* 1 Samuel vii. 12.