lect; 'I did not think,' says the child, 'that the message came from you;' You did not think!' replies the father, but did you make any endeavour to find out?' 'No,' says the child, 'I had other things I wished to do, and I really did not think you had sent to me.' Would any father be satisfied with such an excuse?

Joshua remained some time at Halberstadt, a welcome and respected guest in the house of Wallich the banker. There to his surprize and pleasure, he found a valuable library, containing every kind of Jewish literature. This, affording full occupation for his enquiring mind, induced him, in connection with the weak state of his health, and the approaching winter, to defer his departure from Halberstadt until the spring, and during the time he consented to fill the office of Rabbi.

This resolution was the hinge upon which turned the whole of his future life; let us not say of any circumstance, it happened,' except with the remembrance that every one, however trifling, is ordered by the Lord. The laws by which thoughts come into our mind in a multitude of cases,' observes the author before quoted, and by which innumerable things happen, of the greatest influence upon the affairs and state of the world; these laws are so wholly unknown to us, that we call the events, which come to pass by them, accidental, though all reasonable men know certainly, that there cannot in reality, be any such thing as chance.' As, in that sublimely prophetic passage of the prophet Ezekiel, (xxi. 19-24.),

·

where the Lord reveals to him the king of Babylon, standing at the parting of the two ways, and using divination to decide whether he should turn his arms against Rabbath of the Ammonites, or Jerusalem, and the lot is caused to fall upon Jerusalem that it might be taken; so certainly does the providence of the Lord order, direct, and govern every event, however minute, and however apparently a chance' that can befal us through life. We are as sure,' says Law in his Serious Call, that nothing happens to us by chance, as that the world was not made by chance; we are as certain that all things happen and work together for our good, as that God is goodness itself; and it is strictly right to look upon all worldly accidents and changes, all the various alterations in your own life, to be as truly the effects of divine providence, as the rising and setting of the sun, or the alternations of the seasons of the year.'

CHAPTER VI.

MEMOIR OF JOSHUA BEN ABRAHAM ESEHEL:

CONTINUED.

CHRISTIAN ATTAINMENT IN GRACE-ATTACK OF THE ROBBERSJOSHUA'S ILLNESS IN CONSEQUENCE OF THE INJURIES HE RECEIVED HIS INTERVIEW WITH THE PRINCE-ITS CONSEQUENCES-HIS STUDY OF THE PROPHECIES-HIS RESOLUTION TO EMBRACE CHRISTIANITY.

IF christian life is both useful and beautiful while it remains, it also renders a deeply important service after it has departed, in the instruction of those who follow, and the correction of the lukewarm, the indolent, and the careless;

Farewell sweet flowers, sweetly your life ye spent,

Fit while ye liv'd for use and ornament,

And after death for cures.

It may perhaps be thought that ordinary individuals cannot attain to the standard reached by eminent christians. But why not? does the gift of the Spirit depend upon the endowments of intellect or genius? The barndoor fowl,' says Mr. Venn, in his observations upon the

life of Mr. Fletcher, 'would seek in vain to imitate the flight of the eagle;' true, but their natures are different; the spiritual nature of all christians is the same, they are all children of one family; and surely as great a measure of grace may be enjoyed by the poorest fisherman who casts his net into the sea, or the most ignorant peasant, whose lot it is to

Pace to and fro, from morn till eventide,

The daily avenue of daily toil,

For daily bread,

as by the most cultivated, and the most intellectual. It was doubtless not the intention of the eminent minister whose words have been quoted, to make a distinction in favour of talent, learning or education, -but then where is the distinction to be made? Is it replied," in the grace of God, which gives to some to bring forth sixty, some an hundred fold; in the gift of God which allots to some two, to some ten talents: "Good; but it becomes us to be sure that we do trade with all our talents,—that we do cultivate our field to its utmost extent.

We have now to review those means by which a learned teacher, a zealous Israelite, the sole heir of a large patrimony, the friend of the rich and the honourable among his nation, was led to resign his riches, his religion, the honour of those he esteemed, all that made this world dear, and to follow the Lord with a fortitude, love, and disinterestedness, which ought deeply to affect those, the language of whose whole life has been, I will follow Thee, Lord, and fight on Thy side; only, never let me have to endure any hardships.'

H

In the night of the 25th of November, 1720, a gang of robbers armed with cutlasses and pistols, broke into Mr. Wallich's house, and entered Joshua's bedroom. He immediately arose, and endeavoured to alarm the other inmates of the house; it was however in vain; and having rendered him senseless, by a blow on the head with an iron bar, they bound him fast, and covering him with bedclothes, proceeded to execute their purpose of robbing the house. The next morning Joshua was found to all appearance lifeless. Medical assistance was called in, and it was discovered that he was not quite dead, but the injuries he had received were so great, especially on the head, that little hope was entertained of his recovery. The Prince sent his own physician to him, who by the blessing of God, succeeded in restoring animation, but little more, for he was neither able to speak, to sleep, or to take food; the physician pronouncing it as his opinion, that even if his life could be saved it would be utterly miserable. The robbers were afterwards arrested; they had taken money amounting to 30,000 crowns, belonging partly to Joshua, and partly to Mr. Wallich: they confessed that one of them had endeavoured to cut Joshua's throat, but his arm was withheld by another, who said, Spare him, for he is a good man.'

He was removed from the house of Mr. Wallich, to that of Mr. Mertens, apothecary to the prince, for the advantage of his attendance: he seems to have suffered greatly from the want of sleep, which he at last obtained in consequence of Mr. Mertens' advice, by smoking tobacco, it being a practice to which he was